Water temperature is a key to catching bass, perch and hybrids in December. Since fish are cold blooded creatures, even a degree or two can make a difference when water temperatures are in the fifties. Knowledgeable anglers pay close attention to subtle changes in surface water temperature as displayed on a fish finder screen.

It’s common knowledge that the water is warmer in and around the discharge canals at the McGuire and Marshall Power Stations. For that reason, many boats fish those areas during the winter months. There are days, however, when there are more boats than fish! Alternative places to fish make a big difference in whether or not you catch a limit.

Alternative number one is to fish the nearby creeks warmed by the discharge water. At the lower end of the lake, it’s Ramsey Creek. Upriver and across from the Marshall Steam Plant is McCrary Creek. Both creeks are typically several degrees warmer than the ambient lake temperature.


Photo Courtesy of Capt. Gus
Ben Parker of Mooresville holding a pair of Lake Norman spotted bass

Not all fish find their way into the hot holes. Most simply go deeper to find a few more degrees of warmth. That is why deep jigging, trolling Alabama Rigs and casting buck tails along channel edges and drop-offs has become so popular with winter fishermen. Depending on conditions, schools of fish are suspended from a few feet off the bottom, to the top of the water column. Most fishermen use electronic equipment to determine their exact depth.

Another easy way to locate fish suspended in deep water is to look for diving seabirds. When birds are actively picking up forage fish from the surface, schools of bass and other predators are usually swimming below the surface.

On calm sunny days, bass will move into the shallows to bask in the sunlight and warm their bodies. While sunning fish might be more interested in getting warm than in eating, a lure tossed in their direction might trigger a strike.

Other places where fish seek warmer water:
* Boat docks with black flotation
* Muddy water
* Cement boat ramps
* Rip-Rap shorelines
* Sunny banks

Winter fish are more likely to hit smaller lures fished slowly than big baits fished quickly.

Save This Date - The Annual Ryan Newman Foundation Charity Fishing Tournament will be held on Saturday, December 14, 2013 from 7:30 am until 3:30 pm. The tournament location has moved to the Pinnacle Boat Ramp on Highway 150 in Mooresville, North Carolina. For additional information, visit http://www.ryannewmanfoundation.org/fishing-tournament.

Tips from Capt. Gus! When deep jigging in open water, use the smallest diameter line practical. Lighter line allows the bait to sink quickly and improves the sensitivity needed to feel a strike at the rod tip.

Hot Spots of the Week: Best bets for largemouth bass are upriver where “blow downs” are more plentiful and older boat docks harbor bigger fish. Smaller spotted bass will be easy to find around points, humps and drop offs at the lower end of the lake.
Fishing is very good in the hot water discharge cannels at both the McGuire and Marshall power plants. Bass are hitting at first light and on days with cloud cover. Bass limits (five) have been easy to catch, but catching a stringer that weighs ten pounds or more is tough.

Schooling white perch, spotted bass and undersized hybrid striped bass are suspending in water to fifty feet. Best places to fish below the Highway 150 Bridge are Mountain, Reed and Davidson Creek. Upriver, the places to be are the islands between channel markers 20 and 24.

The water level on Lake Norman is about 2.7’ below full pond and it is 3.1' below full on Mountain Island Lake. The surface water temperature is in the low to mid- fifties in water not affected by power generation on Lake Norman.

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.