There's Always Time To Fish

 

Fall Favorites 

Wolf Lake, on the East Fork of the Tuckasegee River, Tuckasegee, NC



Continuing our talk about fall fishing in the WNC Mountains leads to my favorite reaction bait, the crank bait.  Bass in creeks and reaction baits go hand in hand. Creeks are full of small points, drop-offs, rock piles, humps, laydowns and stumps. These structure and cover features set up perfectly for crankbaits in mountain lakes.

From late summer to fall, Bass progress from deep summer feeding areas into shallower fall feeding areas and then back into deeper winter holding areas. During this time you can follow the fish with three to four crankbaits and cover all the water they will feed in beginning in the late summer Bass will be deep and this call for bigger, deep diving baits. Baits like a Strike King 6XD, Rapala DT 16 or 20, and a H2O Express CRD+ work very during this time.

As the season progresses into early fall the fish move into the creeks and get shallower. The ends of the first two or so points into the creeks area a good place to start. Humps and bars in the middle of creek mouths are very good as well. Early fall calls for mid-range baits. Baits like a 3XD, DT10 and CRS+ work perfectly this time of year, and can load the boat. These baits have a good size body to attract larger bass and still work well around cover.

 At the height of fall fishing the bass are shallower and chasing forage around the middle to back end of creeks. True fall calls for baits like the Strike King Series 3, DT6, or CRM. You can get away with a little smaller bait right now. Remember to focus on the ends of laydowns and any high spot, point hump, bar or individual stump or rock pile as they block current and create ambush points. If the fish get really shallow or are holding on the ends of laydowns during any fall season you can turn to a square bill. Square bills, like the KVD, Rick Clunn or Excalibur series are perfect for fishing laydowns. Just bang them into the limbs and hold on. They really can be fished in some heavy cover if you are diligent and use heavy line.    

Sexy Shad, the hottest crankbit color

Mixing up the type of bait you throw by using both silent and rattling versions helps keep fishing biting. Color is up to you as long as you start with a Shad base and go from there. Water clarity really comes into play when picking colors. The clearer the water the clearer and more natural the bait, and the more stained the water the more vibrant the bait color. You can get away with just a few colors if you have to. Sexy Shad, Ghost Shad, Tennessee Shad, Blue and Chartreuse and Brown and Chartreuse are all very good and cover clear water to stained water. Bluegill and Crawfish colors work, but I tend to fish Shad colors first.

Rods and reels should be set up for crankbaits and can range from 6’ 6” medium to 7’ 11” medium-heavy depending on the bait and depth your fishing. Longer rods work better with deeper diving baits for two reasons. First, they are heavier powered and allow you to throw heavier baits farther. Secondly, the extra length allows you to move more line on the hook set. Any crankbait that dives less than 10-12 feet doesn’t need a rod longer that 7’ 3”. Square bills actually work better on rods 7 feet. As for reels you only really need two. The first is a cranking reel from 4.9:1 t to 5.8:1. The lower the gear ratio the better for deep diving baits. The low gear ratio helps drive the bait deeper, relieves torque and provides plenty of power to turn fish away from deep cover. Square bills should be fished on a reel in the 5.8:1 to 6.6:1 range. Square bills work better with some speed. They are designed to move fast and crash into cover and deflect off. The shorter rod allows you to roll cast and make accurate casts with a square bill to tight cover.

Line size should match what your wanting to do and where your throwing your baits. Line test from 8 to 17 can be used. The smaller diameter helps you cast farther and gets your bait deep, but abrades quicker and lacks power to move heavy fish from cover. The heavier lines shine around shallower cover. I use 10 and 12-pound for the majority of my crankbaits. Eight pound for medium diving baits with sparse cover and 14 for square bills fished around tree tops, brush piles or laydowns. Any quality line will work as long as its fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon has significantly less stretch so it’s a lot more sensitive. The lack of stretch also aids with hook sets in deep water. Fluorocarbon sinks and this will add a little depth to your crankbaits, which can be a good thing.

The last thought on crankbaits is this, change your hooks. Unless your bait comes with premium hook, then change them, period. I prefer EagleClaw or Trokar hooks. The Eagle Claw Lazer round bend or Trokar TK300 are super sharp and strong. You’ll catch more fish with better hooks, trust me.



If want to fish and need some advice or a guide then contact my good buddy Austin Neary. He is a serious stick on Glenville Lake and all WNC Mountain lakes. Austin fishes the BASS College Series, and after a third place finish at the Eastern Regional at Watts Bar, Tennessee he competed in the National Championship Tournament on Lake Chatuge. Reach him at Dream Catcher Guides

 

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FAVORITE FALL BAITS
 



Lake Santeelah, Graham County, North Carolina



Part one of a two part series

As fall begins to sneak into the WNC Mountains it signals bass to head up the creek and gorge on available forage before winter sets in. This move in turn signals fishers to dig out the reaction baits and follow the bass. This is really my favorite time to fish for bass because they can be so willing to bite. This is the time of year that yields fish on consecutive casts and doubles happen occasionally. For me reaction baits are the ticket to fast action, but the action does slow every once in a while. When that happens Power Finesse becomes your best friend.

Let’s talk about the baits and not so much the exact areas I use them. Fall baits for me are pretty simple, crankbaits, spinner baits, top water, jigs and finesse rigs. The finesse rigs and jigs are where the power finesse comes in. Crankbaits can fit into power finesse under certain situations as well, but let’s focus on the rigs themselves now.

Many anglers know that you can start on the surface and work your way down to bottom to effectively find fish. This also works when describing fall baits. Beginning on the surface with top waters is always a good way to start. I use mainly two top waters, a Rebel Pop-R and a Heddon Zara Spook Jr. there are many other variations of these two lures, and I’m sure they all are good baits. I learned on these, they work for me, so why change?

I  like to start with the more aggressive Zara Spook. It allows you cover water, quickly and draws vicious strikes. If you have never used a ‘spook’ you need to learn how to “walk the dog” to be effective.  Walking the dog imparts a pop and slide action to the bait and allows it to be steered around stick ups and dock pilings if you make an errant cast.

When bass are aggressive, and when the wind is blowing, a Zara Spook is killer on fall bass. They also work very well on schooling bass. You can cast it a mile and depending on the size it mimics shad quite well. I use a 7-foot, medium heavy rod with 12-17 pound line, depending on the size of bait and the amount of cover in the lake.

The Pop-R is another fantastic top water bait that excels in the fall. I tend to use this bait if the fish are less aggressive and only swiping at the spook, or if they tend to be cover-oriented.  A Pop-R allows me to slow down and keep the bait in one place longer, thus improving my chances of catching bass. The Pop-R also works better around grass than a spook.

When fishing the Pop-R you can fish it very slowly with a distinctive “popping”, you can speed it up with less pop and more spitting or you can make it spit without popping. Spitting is when the bait slides across the surface and pushes a thin splash of water up and out from its face. This works very well around shad that are flipping on the surface.

Lazer Trokar Hooks

Many fishermen, my self-included, modify their Pop-R’s. I shave the bottom lip down so it digs into the water less. This causes it to spit better and pop less. I keep some baits that have been less modified that pop more and spit less. I also change the hooks. I keep the same size hooks, but  upgrade to wide gap styles. Trokar are the sharpest hooks made, but I use Eagle Claw because they tend to weigh a little less, and don’t alter the action of the Pop-R. I also tie the rear hook with feathers, sparkle material and or tinsel. The material that comes on the bait works, I just think real feathers pulse better in the water. I use a 6-foot 10-inch medium heavy rod with 10 to 14-pound line for the Pop-R. When using top waters it’s important to note that Monofilament line is the way to go. Mono is limp, casts well and most importantly, it floats. Fluorocarbon sinks and will pull the nose of your bait down causing it to lose action. A growing number of anglers are using braided line with mono leaders. This works just fine, and may provide a little more casting distance, but I tend to overwork the baits when using this set up. Please try it before you make a wholesale change to braid. As for line choice, that’s up to you. I use Bass Pro Shops Excel mono because the cost is reasonable, it’s abrasion resistant and it has always performed perfectly for me.

 

Since we mentioned schooling bass, let’s talk about one more bait that excels in this situation.

I have been using a bait from Strike King called a Rocket Shad. It is a compact spinner bait with a small Indiana blade, short skirt and double hook. This little dandy is my secret weapon for schooling bass.

Strike King Rocket Shad

First off is how far you can cast this bait. I spool all my reels with a backing of 10-pound line and then fill out the spool with fluorocarbon. I tend to throw close to and sometimes to the knot. I have found that if I don’t ease up on the cast it becomes very difficult to fish the Rocket Shad on the end of these long casts. I fish this bait on a 7-foot medium action, fast rod that has a soft-ish tip. I would suggest experimenting with braid and a fluorocarbon leader if your making long casts. This should increase hook-up percentage on very long casts.

What's so good about this bait, as I mentioned ,is the size. This bait is tiny compared to regular spinner baits. But, being small is what makes it so good. The heavy head on the small frame allows you to burn this bait like no other. It comes in 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 ounce sizes. I use the 1/4 and 3/8 size and they work very well for me.

Some full size spinner baits claim to be ‘burners’ but will roll or blow out at really high speed. Not the Rocket Shad. I have used it on a 7.1:1 reel and can’t make it roll over. Maybe if you put it on a Revo Rocket you could, but normal reels aren’t fast enough. Straight out of the package this bait is very good, but two little changes makes it phenomenal.

The first is taking off the stock double hook and adding a split ring. This allows you to change from treble hooks in open water to single hooks around heavier cover or grass.

The second thing is upgrading to premium hooks. The stock hook works, but an Eagle Claw or Trokar works better. Try the Eagle Claw Lazer round bend or Trokar TK300. They are super sharp and strong. As for single hooks I like the Trokar TK 97 or TK400. That is the Octopus and Wacky Worm styles. The eyes on these hooks are slightly offset and it allows the point to actually be below center so they grab better.

Remember to not use a hook that is to big or heavy as it can alter the action. As for trailers, I tend to not use them as they slow the bait down and can cause it to roll side to side.

Its reely Magic

Another helpful hint is this. Invest in a bottle of Blakemore Reel & Line Magic. This is a silicon based spray that you put on your line and guides of your rods. This stuff coats your line, helps keep it clean, casting farther and reduces line memory. When applied to the guides of your rod and level-wind eye on your reel it reduces friction that robs distance. I spray my reels and rods before every trip and its worth every penny I spend on 'line magic' every year.

 In part two we’ll talk about cranking,.

If want to fish and need some advice or a guide then contact my good buddy Austin Neary. He is a serious stick on Glenville Lake and all WNC Mountain lakes. Austin fishes the BASS College Series, and after a third place finish at the Eastern Regional at Watts Bar, Tennessee he competed in the National Championship Tournament on Lake Chatuge. Reach him at Dream Catcher Guides

 

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There's always time to fish

 FISHING FALLING WATER

Fontana Lake during the late fall and early winter.

In Western North Carolina and many other places around the country lakes managed for hydroelectric power are lowered below full pool during winter months. This is done to handle the excess rain and snow melt from mountain winters and allow repairs to be made on the dam and generation equipment.

“Chatuge, Fontana and Hiawassee are “operated for many purposes, including flood damage reduction, power generation, and augmentation of water flows for navigation downstream.” TVA

Lakes are lowered from a just a few feet to 50-60+ feet, depending on the lake and area of the country. Anyone living in far western North Carolina knows how far the Tennessee Valley Authority lowers Fontana, Chatuge and Hiawassee. While this practice offers flood protection to people who live downstream it really throws a kink in launching bass boats in the fall and winter months. People who live on the lake and have floating docks are left with a fishing bonanza that few get to experience.

This is where a kayak comes in handy.

My Kayak on Wolf Lake during fall 2012 trip

Kayak fishing in the mountains is growing by leaps and bounds worldwide. Quality kayaks are stable, quiet and allow access too many ponds, creeks, rivers and lakes that were off once limits to fishers. Sit on top kayaks allow fishermen to carry more than enough rods and tackle, as well as lunch and drinks for a day’s fishing. Newer kayaks have built in mounting platforms for anchor rigs, fish finders, and rod holders. Many have built in dry storage areas and some even have built in rod storage.

The more ‘top of the line’ models offer anglers the ability to stand up and fish very comfortably.  Several models are designed to allow anglers to attach trolling motors to the transom to assist with covering long distances. Hobie offers a kayak with a specially designed peddle system that fits into the center of the boat making paddling unnecessary. Make sure you check your local regulations concerning motors. In North Carolina any boat with a motor must be registered with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.

“All motorized vessels used on public waters including vessels which use an electric trolling motor must be registered. This requirement also includes jet skis.

Rowboats, canoes, kayaks, and rafts moved only by oars, paddles, or the current do not need registration in North Carolina.” NCWRC

Through hull trolling motor for a sit on top kayak

As far as access to lowered lakes the skies the limit, often, most of the time. Many NCWRC boating access areas allow for relatively easy access to the lake. However some older boat ramps are built where the lake floor drops off rather quickly so access there may not be available. Swimming beaches, and long slow-tapering points near roads are good choices for lake access. These areas often offer parking for your vehicle as well. Again, check posted regulations and never park in a public road as you may find it ticketed, towed or wrecked on your return.

Most kayaks are light enough to carry down the lake bank to the water. Some of the heavier models, or those with batteries, motors and anchor systems can be moved using wheeled dollies. Some lakes are shallow and rocky enough that you can drive down to the water, but again, check with your local wildlife officer to be sure.

A thought about wildlife officers, or ‘game wardens’ as their often called. These guys get a bad rap more often than not, and especially from people who have broken wildlife laws and been ticketed. These guys are a valuable resource to anglers. They can and often will tell you some of the best places to fish, easy access to areas and shortcuts to and from fishing holes.

Wildlife Resource Officers know the woods and water as well or better than most people, and are happy to help legal sportsmen out with that knowledge. They are overworked and underpaid and deserve a little help from sportsmen. Pick up your trash, report violators and keep an eye out for anything they might need to know to do their job better. Remember if you help them out they may well help you out in return.

Now that you’re on the water where do you start? As in most bass fishing situation you can begin on a point. Remember “points, point out bass.” Bass will follow the water levels down as they drop. During falling water I have found the first abrupt depth change to be a good starting point. When the water level reaches its lowest point the bass tend to return to exactly the same type of structure and cover they use when the lake is full. Remember to be mindful of wind and current. Wind will produce a current in lakes, but more importantly it blows the forage into predictable areas. With lake levels low the original river current will be more noticeable. 

Nice Largemouth from Wolf Lake

When the local power agency pulls water to generate power, the current will be more noticeable. Most power agencies will post on their websites the generation schedules. find those schedule here: Duke Energy , TVA .

 The current flow schedules are valuable because it can help you determine when to be on the water for the best action. Current triggers bass, Walleye, Crappie, Hybrids, Striper, catfish and everything else in your lake to eat. The current may not “flip the switch” for bream in the same way it does for bass or stripers, but it will cause an increase in activity. Being on predictable locations when the current starts can be like ringing the dinner bell. Points, saddles, humps, rock piles, riprap and channel swings and necks can be fantastic areas to fish in current. The baitfish are moved by the current, and the bass set up on these structure areas and eat. This is a dependable pattern all summer into late fall.

September 12, 2014



If want to fish and need some advice or a guide then contact my good buddy Austin Neary. He is a serious stick on Glenville Lake and all WNC Mountain lakes. Austin fishes the BASS College Series, and after a third place finish at the Eastern Regional at Watts Bar, Tennessee he competed in the National Championship Tournament on Lake Chatuge. Reach him at Dream Catcher Guides

 

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There's always time to fish

This blog is my wife's idea so I can talk about fishing and all things related to my outdoor activities without boring her to tears. So here goes.

I fish a little bit more than a normal person should and need a place to talk about my misadventures. As we move forward I hope to relate not only a few funny stories but some solid fishing advice as well. I plan on talking about rods, reels and tackle.

We will be covering wading and kayak fishing. I will be providing some information about local lakes, rivers and streams and welcome your input about fishing in Western North Carolina.

Standing Indian Monster

"Huge" Rainbow Trout from Macon County, NC

A much anticipated trip to Standing Indian Creek in July is where we'll start. A week long camping trip at Standing Indian Campground got off to a great start with this monster Rainbow Trout that hit on the first cast.

Fisherman are a superstitious bunch and think that a big fish on the first cast spells doom for trip. I thought I was safe with this fish on the first cast of the trip. Boy was I wrong!

I spent five rain-soaked days and nights in Macon County staring at a creek that should be full of nice wild trout. As I sat there drinking hot coffee and watching more rain fall from the sky than was flowing down the creek I could only help but wonder if that trout from the first cast was really bad luck.

I actually got to fish a couple times on the trip, but a combination of rain and changing weather left the trout less than willing to bite well. I did manage to catch a dozen or so keeper fish just larger than seven inches.

The biggest fish of the trip was a ten-inch Brown Trout from the most fished area of the campground. Funny I walked at least a mile up down the creek, fishing some of the best looking water I have seen lately, and caught my best fish from the swimming hole under the bridge. Go figure.

For professional trout, steelhead and salmon fishing advice, photos and contest please checkout The Rocky River. For the best inline spinners made please visit Mepps.

 

I think its time to wake Crankenstein

 

As summer slowly changes to fall and lake levels begin to drop around western North Carolina it signals a change in the way I fish for bass.

Now I can unleash Dr. Crankenstein.

Dr. C takes over me like Hyde took over Jekyll and there's nothing I can do to stop it. Nor do I want to!

I know there may be better ways to catch fall bass in the mountains than on a crankbait, but for some reason I can't seem to put mine down.

Nice Wolf Lake Largemouth on a KVD 1.5 in Sexy Shad 

 This time of year the small amount of forage in WNC lakes begins to move toward the backs of creeks and where small branches flow into the lake. This draws the bass like a magnet. The bass take up station around any hard bottom structure near these areas. If there are stumps or large boulders that's even better. Of course you can use a jig, worm, even a spinnerbait will get you bit, but nothing puts bass in the boat like a crankbait deflecting off this cover. Once the first fish bites it can get crazy, fast. Doubles happen and fish on every cast is common.

Look for the first major depth changes near where the creek or branch enters the lake and begin there. Make long casts with a bait designed to reach just deeper than the depth you want to fish.



Stike King 6XD

My favorites are H2O Express, the DT series from Rapala and XD series from Strike King. The DT10 and 3XD are my all time favorite crankbaits and are perfect right out of the pack (more on that later).

I fish my baits on Shimano Sellus Cranking rods with Daiwa Exceler reels. The line you use is up to you as long as its fluorocarbon!

Fluorocarbon have significantly less stretch than monofilament and it sinks. The less stretch is important because that makes it vastly more sensitive so you can feel the bottom better. Also, sinking line helps get an extra foot or two out of your crankbaits and can mean the difference between bites and going home skunked. I find that 10 pound test is a good all around choice for crankin'. I use 8 pound for smaller crankbaits and will move up to 12 pound if I'm throwing a DT 16 or 6XD.  

This will get real crankers up in arms but I don't think you absolutely have to have a 5.4:1 ratio reel to effectively fish crankbaits. I use 6.3:1 reels and find I can fish them slowly enough to drive crankbaits deep, and have the added speed to catch up with fish who make fast surges toward the boat.

What you have to do is use a rod made for crankbaits. They have a much softer action from the tip down into the mid-section that allows the bait to deflect and the fish to really get the bait in its mouth. This keeps you from pulling the bait away from the fish on the strike and keeps it buttoned up during the fight.

Most cranking rods are a moderate action in a medium to medium-heavy power. They range from 6' 6" up to 7" 11". This allows you to match your rod to both the size of bait your using and the technique.

Smaller squarebills and diving baits call for a shorter rod as does target casting around laydowns, docks and brush piles. The deeper diving the bait your throwing the longer the rod you need. A 6XD that runs 18 feet deep casts farther and fishes easier on a 7' 6" or longer rod. A CULD ultralight, or KVD 1.0 works better on the shorter rods.

Remember to retie often! This really takes a toll on your line, and a broken line could have been a 10 pound bass.

Once you find the fish, make long casts from deeper to shallow and start cranking. You will catch a few fish without making contact with the bottom, but the magic happens when you hit bottom. Digging your crankbait into the bottom and bouncing it off rocks and stump is what really draws the bigger bites and incites the school.

Once you get that first bite remember to duplicate that cast for more fun. After you catch several fish and the action slows try changing the color of the bait. If this doesn't charge the school back up try changing to a silent or rattling crankbait depending on what your throwing. Once the bite slows again you can go to a jig or worm, but I often will run to another spot and let that area rest.

This pattern lasts from very late summer through early winter and can provide very consistent action. Cold fronts can hinder the bite but the fish will stay in the area and can be caught with slower tactics.   

If want to fish and need some advice or a guide then contact my good buddy Austin Neary. He is a serious stick on Glenville Lake and all WNC Mountain lakes. Austin fishes the BASS College Series, and after a third place finish at the Eastern Regional at Watts Bar, Tennessee he competed in the National Championship Tournament on Lake Chatuge. Reach him at Dream Catcher Guides



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