Fishin' With Capt. Gus! Labor Day Fishing September 4, 2011-1.jpg

Photo courtesy of Capt. Gus

Four at a time - Deanna Bradish of Denver, NC holding a string of white perch caught on an August, fishing trip on Lake Norman.



Fishin' With Capt. Gus!
Labor Day Fishing
September 4, 2011



Labor Day weekend is upon us and it’s time for a weekend of family fishing fun. Get an early start. The best chance of catching fish is generally from 6:30-8:00 a.m. Early morning fishermen will have the lake to themselves, and you won’t have to brave the wakes of pleasure boats. A third advantage is that morning is usually the coolest part of a late summer day.



If your fishing partners are youngsters, try your luck with bream and white perch. Bream are easier to find and catch. They can be found in water less than four feet deep along almost any bank with sand, rocks or fallen trees. A worm, attached to a small hook, a split shot and a bobber placed a foot or two above the bait, is all you need. Bream usually swim in “bunches”. When you catch one, there should be more. For best results, fan cast the area from deep to shallow before moving down the bank.



White perch are easier to locate with a fish finder. Look for them off river and secondary points or in the deeper sections of coves. If you don’t have a sonar unit (fish finder), drift over a likely spot with worms, small pieces of cut-bait, or crappie minnows suspended between fifteen and fifty feet below the surface.



Bass fishing has been very good to excellent early in the morning. The best bite is just before sun-up. Anglers who cast their favorite top water lures toward rip-rapped points and fallen timber have had great success. River and secondary points are good places to bottom bump soft plastics, rigged Carolina or drop-shot style. Soft plastics lizards and worms in watermelon or pumpkin seed colors are getting good results.



Channel and small blue cat fish are being caught in back coves and around boat piers. Table scraps, stink baits and fresh bream or perch are excellent bait choices. Larger blues and flatheads can be found while drifting or slow trolling similar baits in deeper water.



Striper fishing is “hit and miss” since the July fish kill, but a few are being caught while trolling, deep jigging and drifting live baits. Best places to fish for them are in the river channel above the State Park and in the deep water near channel markers, D3, D2 and 3.



Upcoming Events:
Free Safe Boating Class - “How to Navigate Lake Norman Day or Night” will be held at North Point Watersports, 112 Doolie Road, Mooresville, NC 28117 on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Topics for discussion will include “Understanding Lake Norman’s Channel Marker and Buoy System”, “Identifying and Learning How to Avoid the Ten Most Dangerous Spots”, and “Interpreting Lake Maps”. For more information, call me: 704-617-6812 or email Gus@LakeNoman.com.



Free Fishing Seminar - “Frequently Asked Questions about Lake Norman Fishing” - Jake Bussolini and I will answer your fishing questions on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. at Gander Mountain, Exit 36 in Mooresville, NC. This session will be of great interest to those new to lake fishing and interested in catching bass, cats, crappie, perch and stripers. Bring your questions to this informative seminar. For additional information, call 704 658 0822


The Lake Norman Sail & Power Squadron is conducting “Boater Safety Training” on Saturday, September 24th beginning at 8:00 a.m. at the Duke Energy Environmental Center in Huntersville. The cost is $45.00. Pre-registration is required. Visit: www.usps.org/lakenorman or call Bob Yannacci at 704 660 5568.


Tips from Gus!

To return to a spot, mark it with a buoy. A buoy can be made with a plastic bottle, a length of cord and a weight, or buoys can be purchased at your favorite tackle shop for a few bucks each.



Hot Spots of the Week:

White perch continue to please both young and old. Hundreds of small perch can be caught in water from twenty to thirty feet deep, but fish weighing up to a pound, are off points in water to fifty feet deep. Bass fishing is surprisingly good considering the heat. Best bets are top water lures are dawn, dusk and after-dark. Catfish are moving back into the creeks, a sure sign that fall is not far away.



Surface water temperature varies by location, but is mainly in the mid to high eighties in open waters not affected by power generation. The water level is about 4.8 ' below full pond on Lake Norman and 2.9' below full on Mountain Island Lake.



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 web site, www.FishingWithGus.com or call 704-617-6812.