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  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! - Justin's Big Catfish
December 10, 2006
Justin Smith has a big fish tale that he will probably repeat many times. The young Mooresville resident was fishing the waters of the Lake Norman State Park with his dad, Keith, on the day after Thanksgiving. The striper bite had been slow. It was late afternoon when a big fish hit one of the five inch live rainbow trout they were using for striper bait.
Justin knew it was a big fish, but he didn't realize how big it really was. He hooked it on one of the lightest outfits they had. The rod was bent double throughout the battle. It was difficult, but Justin followed the fish around the boat while his dad cleared the other lines from the water. The fish was on for more than thirty minutes before it was finally brought to the net. The Arkansas Blue Catfish was too heavy for the boat scales, but measured forty-inches on the tape. Keith estimated its weight to be between thirty-nine and forty-two pounds. Justin has caught big cats before. He landed a thirty pounder two years ago in the same location. Not bad for an eleven year old! Congratulations, Justin!
The mild holiday weather must make catfish hungry. An unconfirmed report of a new state record for an Arkansas Blue Catfish is circulating on catfish club message boards. An 89 pounder was reportedly taken from Badin Lake on November 25, 2006. The angler, like Justin, was fishing for stripers when the big blue hit. Information is that a biologist has certified the catch and the angler has applied for a new state record. Lake Norman holds the existing state record of an 85 pound fish caught upriver in 2004.
Not all big catfish are caught while striper fishing. There are thousands of anglers who target cats regularly and purposely fish for trophy flatheads and blues. Thirty, forty and fifty pounders are taken year round by Lake Norman anglers. Most are caught by tournament fishermen using seven to nine foot rods and bait casting reels loaded with thirty to fifty pound test line. Live or fresh dead cut bait is the preferred. A large gapped hook is needed to clear the massive jaw bone of a catfish. Very large circle and offset "J" hooks from 3/0 to 10/0 are commonly used. It might be surprising to many, but the biggest fish are often caught in the shallow waters where they feed.
Upcoming Events
The Lake Norman Striper Swipers Open Winter Classic Tournament is scheduled for Saturday, January 27, 2007. This is the biggest striper fishing event of the winter season. Guaranteed first place prize money is $1500. The one day event will be at Queen's Landing, Highway 150 in Mooresville, NC. Additional information is available at http://www.lnssfishn.com/ or by calling Tommy Messick at 704 634 6410.
Tips from Gus!
Use lithium grease to lubricate the shaft of a trolling motor. The grease will allow the motor to slide easily, and will prevent the shaft from freezing in the bracket.
The Hot Spot of the week is the river channel on both sides of the Highway 150 Bridge. Watch for diving birds over schools of feeding stripers. Surface feeding activity can occur at anytime, so have a buck tail or spoon ready to cast. Early morning bass fishing is good to very good at both hot holes. Small catfish are hitting a variety of prepared baits around boat docks. Warmer waters at the power plants are producing big cats on live and cut bait.
Lake Norman's water conditions are generally clear. The lake level is 96.9 or 3.1' below full pond. Water temperature is in the fifties
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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