• Lake Norman Fishing Report

    Fishin' With Gus
    (704) 617-6812 http://www.fishingwithgus.com/index.php Gus@LakeNorman.com
  • With Capt. Gus you will learn fishing techniques that will improve your fishing and allow you to catch more fish on you own boat. Light tackle is used to maximize the excitement of lake fishing. Guide boats can accommodate from one to six anglers. Fishing guides are available year round. They fish daily, including weekends and holidays.

  • Lake Norman Fishing Report

    According to a report compiled and published by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission in May 2013, there were 151 boating accidents statewide during 2012. The majorities (128) were classified as non-fatal, but sadly, 23 accidents resulted in 23 deaths. Furthermore, there were 195 vessels involved in the 151 accidents, which caused 96 persons to require medical treatment.

    The year 2012 ended with a total of 309,489 boats registered throughout the state, a decrease of 38,989 from 2011. Statewide boat registrations are off their peak of 371,255 in 2007 and at the lowest point since 1993, when 294,058 were counted. Closer to home, the total number of boats registered in the four counties that border Lake Norman was 32,311, down from 36,854 in 2011 and 11,028 less than 2009. A breakdown by county shows Mecklenburg with 12,033, Iredell 9,432, Catawba 6,340 and 4,506 in Lincoln County at the end of 2012.

    Lake Norman had 8 boating accidents, ranking it third in the state behind the Intracoastal Waterway with 20 and Lake Gaston with 9 total accidents. The bad news is there was one fatal boating accident listed for Lake Norman in 2012. Statewide, the leading type of fatal accidents (10) was that the victim either jumped or fell overboard. The types of non-fatal accidents, accounting for 42 cases, were collisions with another vessel and/or collision with a fixed object. Operator inattention, operator inexperience, faulty machinery/equipment/hull, excessive speed, and careless/reckless operation were the leading causes of non-fatal accidents.

    A total of 35,532 students received boater education certificates, compared to 17,328 in 2009. The 2010 regulation requiring boat operators under the age of 26 to have completed an approved boating safety course is a major factor in the increase. This regulation was long overdue, as evidenced by the fact that only 63 of the boat operators involved in fatal and non-fatal accidents had completed a formal boating safety education course.

    As in years passed, the 2012 report should be a red flag to boaters, particularly the statistics concerning operator inattention, carelessness/reckless driving, and the fact that the majority of the boaters on our waterways have not completed an approved boater safety course.

    Safe boating is no accident. Do your part to make Lake Norman a safer place to navigate and enjoy.

    Upcoming Events: A free safe boating class on “How to Navigate Lake Norman Day or Night” will be held at Morning Star Marina, Kings Point, Exit 28, Cornelius, NC on September 11th at 6:30 p.m. Becky Johnson and I will cover topics that include “Understanding LKN’s Channel Marker and Buoy System”, “How to Avoid Shallow Water”,” The Ten Most Dangerous Spots”, and “Interpreting Lake Maps”. For more information, call Becky Johnson at 704 892 7575.

    Tips from Capt. Gus! For more information about approved boating safety courses, visit the following websites.
    * North Carolina Resources Commission at www.ncwildlife.org
    * US Power Squadron at www.usps.org
    * US Coast Guard Auxiliary at www.uscgaux.org.
    * Lighthouse Marine Service at www.Lmservice.org


    Fishing Report: Lower than normal water temperatures have caused fish to move to shallower water. Excellent bass fishing is being reported by those skilled in skip-casting lures under docks and piers. Small spotted bass are surface feeding on points and near boat basins throughout the day. Good numbers of Arkansas blue catfish are being caught during the day and at night by those who use fresh-cut bait and chicken parts. White perch fishing has been very good off points and near S-turns along creek channels.

    Water Conditions:
    The water level on Lake Norman is approximately 2.3' below full pond. Mountain Island Lake is 2.9' below full. Surface water temperatures are in the high seventies and low to mid-eighties, depending on location or proximity to a power plant.

    Capt. Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is an Outdoor Columnist and a full time Professional Fishing Guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his website, www.fishingwithgus.com or call 704-617-6812. For additional information, e-mail Gus@LakeNorman.com.
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