The sea birds are back in full force, and they’re leading anglers to the fish. Reed Creek has been busy with anglers catching a mixed bag of bass, perch, stripers and hybrids. The same is true in Mountain and Stumpy Creeks. When fish aren’t surface feeding, they’re being caught by drop-shots and deep jigs with bucktails and spoons while tolling and live baiting. Since many of the fish are suspended at depths between twenty and thirty feet deep, diving lures and Alabama rigs are the baits of choice for trolling.
Warmer than normal water temperatures have crappie swimming in shallower than normal depths, which makes them easy to catch. Crappie minnows and small jigs are best baits when fishing sunken brush piles, covered docks and bridge pilings. White perch are also biting crappie minnows, as are Sabiki rigs fished near the bottom.
Tips from Capt. Gus: When you take someone fishing for the first time, don’t let him use your bait-cast reel!
Photo courtesy of Capt. Gus
Bob Whitbeck of Mooresville with a Lake Norman spotted bass.
Shane Whitbeck with a hybrid striped bass.