|
|
  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! ~ Find and Catch a Trophy Striper
November 9, 2008
Lake Norman was once known for trophy striped bass. Until a few years ago, ten, twenty and even thirty pounders were caught regularly. Over-fishing and ineffective fishery management practices have taken their toll. Today, four to six pound fish are more common. When a large fish is caught now, it’s big news. Large fish are usually taken near brush piles or in moving river water. Most large stripers are not caught by accident, but by savvy anglers who have spent years studying their feeding habits.
As a freshwater striped bass matures, it becomes more dependent on ambushing its food and less apt to constantly chase it in open water. The change in hunting technique brings a shift in diet. Instead of dining on small threadfin shad and herring, it prefers larger, slower swimming gizzard shad, bream, perch and crappie. Knowing this, astute anglers fish where ambush sites and large baits are plentiful. Such sites include brush piles and eddies formed by underwater obstructions in moving water.
Brush piles and submerged treetops are seasonal haunts of trophy stripers. Think of a brush pile as an "old age” home, or magnet for crappie, bream and perch. Pan fish become the next meal for a lazy ole’ striper.
Brush pile inhabitants make easy prey. They develop a false sense of security in the safety of limbs and branches. The most productive brush piles are those near deep water. Big fish like quick access to the safety of a creek or river channel. Brush in the middle of a shallow flat might hold pan fish, but leery stripers will shy away from it.
When fishing in brush, try to "match the hatch.” Hook a live legal size pan fish and pull it behind a planer board or float.
Finding brush piles is not difficult. Many protrude from the water when lake levels are low. Even the smallest submerged brush can be found with sonar.
Moving water causes an eddy to form on the down current side of an underwater obstruction. Submerged rocks, bridge pilings and sunken logs are favorite hangouts for big fish. Stripers will lie motionless in an eddy and face upstream while waiting for the next meal to float within striking distance. Baits drifted or pulled near these obstructions, usually swim at the same speed as the water flow. Stripers will become suspicious if the bait is not presented in a natural manner.
River stripers seem to fight harder than those caught in open lake water. Therefore, it takes heavier tackle to tame the same size striper. Depending on the anticipated size of the fish, twenty to fifty pound test line should be used. The reel drag should be tight to prevent the striper from stripping too much line and fouling. Tight drags can cause hooks to break or straighten, so use extra strength hooks. Finally, the larger the hoop is, the better the landing net for trophy fish.
Upcoming events:
“Fishing 101” will be a two evening course conducted by Capt. Gus Gustafson at Mitchell Community College, 219 Academy St, Mooresville, NC. The class will be held on consecutive Wednesday nights beginning November 12, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. The first session will consist of basic tackle, bait and methods employed when fishing from the shore, docks, piers and boats. The November 19, 2008 session will discuss the details of locating and catching bass, stripers and perch. Registration fee is $25.00. Call 704-663-1923 to pre-register.
A Free Seminar on “How to Catch Fall & Winter Catfish” is scheduled for Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 6:30 p.m. at Gander Mountain, Mooresville, Exit 36. The class will be conducted by Lake Norman Catfish Fishing Guides, Mac Byrum and Capt. Gus Gustafson. The how’s when’s and where’s of catching cold weather trophy catfish will be discussed. For additional information, call 704 658 0822.
Tips from Capt. Gus!
Use caution when running in the uncharted waters north of Buffalo Shoals Road Bridge. The same rocks and debris that form eddies are hazards to navigation.
Hot Spots of the Week:
Stripers are hitting live and artificial baits in most of the major creeks on both sides of the Highway 150 Bridge. Best results are by anglers using live bait during the early morning hours. Stumpy, Hagers and Reed Creeks have seen lots of action during the past week. Bass fishing is good to very good throughout the day for anglers tossing soft plastic lures around docks and riprap.
The Lake Level is down 2.7 feet from full pond. All public boat ramps are open. The water surface temperature is in the sixties.
Captain Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is licensed by the US Coast Guard, a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association, and is an outdoor columnist and a full time professional fishing guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his web site, Fishin' With Gus! at www.FishingWithGus.com or call 704-617-6812.
For additional information e-mail Gus at Gus@LakeNorman.com
|
|
|
|
|
