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  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! - Surface Feeding Fish
November 12, 2006
Striper fishermen welcome the return of sea birds to Lake Norman in November. Throughout the winter, the diving antics of these birds indicate the presence of surface feeding fish. At times, swarms of birds are so thick they can be seen for miles without binoculars. The birds are diving at baitfish that have been chased to the surface by stripers, bass or white perch. Regardless of the predator, the action will be fast and furious until the bait pod disperses.
It's everyone's wish to have the school all to themselves, but that is not usually the case. Boats from near and far converge on the spot where birds are diving. Anglers will quickly cast lures into the fray. Greed usually ruins the action, since more times than not, at least one boat will run through the school. When this occurs, bait scatters and sounds, and stripers will follow suit.
A surface feeding school should be approached at idle speed from up wind or up current. Slowly maneuver the boat to a distance that will allow a lure to reach the fish with a long cast. Turn the boat broadside so that all anglers can cast. The wind or current will then quietly propel the boat closer to the feeding fish without frightening them.
Surface feeding fish will hit almost any lure. Top water and vibrating or crank baits are popular. Savvy fishermen know that some lures work better than others. Bucktails, roadrunners, little fishies and jigging spoons are all compact and allow for longer casting. Equally important is that these lures can be worked across the surface, retrieved horizontally, or fished vertically (jigged) throughout the water column. With the exception of the spoon, each has a single hook which makes unhooking fast and easy. The quicker a fish can be unhooked, the quicker the angler can cast again into a blitzing school of hungry fish.
Small fish usually feed near the surface. Below, a pyramid is formed by wider and thicker layers of fish. Larger, wiser fish lurk below where they eat scraps and wounded bait fish that flutter their way. Knowing this, it is a wise choice to allow the lure to sink a short distance before beginning the retrieve.
When surface feeding subsides, it is possible that the fish might be directly below the boat. This is the time to vertically jig (yo-yo) a spoon or bucktail. Keep one eye on the fish finder and the other on the sky. If the fish arches disappear from the screen, the school has moved and it's time to search again for surface disturbances or diving birds. When the birds begin to dive again, move to their new location and begin another round of casting.
Tips from Capt. Gus:
For speed in unhooking fish, a treble hook can easily be removed and replaced with a single short shank hook. A tool to open the split ring is available at area tackle stores. A quick fix is to snip two of the three hooks with a pair of side cutters.
The Hot Spots of the week are the backs of major creeks on both sides of the Highway 150 Bridge. Forage fish in these areas are attracting bass, stripers and catfish. Fish are becoming more and more active with the passing of each cold front. Water temperatures have dropped several degrees in recent weeks. The lake level is 2.6' below full pond and the water surface temperature is in the sixties.
Captain Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. 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
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