Kevin Warf of Denver, NC holding a trophy flathead catfish.
Fishin’ with Capt. Gus!
Summertime
July 24, 2011
July and August are great months to catch bass, perch, bream and lots of catfish. To help make your next trip both fun and more productive, consider the following summer fishing tips from Capt. Gus.
▪ The best time to fish is between 10:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. when air and water temperatures are cooler.
▪ When night fishing, be sure the boat’s running lights are working properly. Have a supply of fresh batteries on board to assure that all lights, electronics and motors remain operable throughout the trip.
▪ If night fishing is not your thing, leave the dock by dawn and cast lures or pull live baits near docks, brush and rip-rap where bass will be feeding
▪ Lighted boat docks adjacent to deep water are great places to cast after dark for bass, stripers and perch. Anglers with boats can hang a glow light just above the surface, or submerge it when anchored or slowly drifting. Lights attract baitfish, which in turn lure predator fish, including summer stripers. Bridge pilings are great places to fish at night for crappie. These tasty “tuggers” are best taken on small minnows and tiny jigs.
▪ It is a challenge to keep bait alive when temperatures hit ninety degrees. Worms should be kept in an ice chest when not in use, and add ice to the minnow bucket when the water warms or baits begin to swim near the surface. Crickets will live longer and stay more active if kept in the shade.
▪ Dead minnows, shad and herring make excellent chum when cut into pieces, or great cut baits when filleted into strips for cats, white perch and stripers.
▪ Brightly colored artificial lures work best on sunny days. Dark colors, including black, are best to use after dark.
▪ When in doubt, fish deep rather than shallow during the heat of the day.
▪ Use plenty of sun screen and stay hydrated by drinking lots of fluids.
Tips from Capt. Gus: When landing a fish in the dark, attach a flashlight to the handle of your landing net so the light will shine into the water.
Hot Spots of the Week: White perch are hitting small minnows, spoons and Sabiki rigs in water from twenty to sixty feet deep. Best places to fish are in the middle of narrow bays, pockets and coves. Flatheads and large bass are feeding with perch on the same baitfish. The best bass action is on soft plastics fished under deep docks, and around brush and bridge pilings. Crappie fishing is best at night. Small channel and blue cats are hitting stink baits and table scraps near boat docks.
Lake Norman’s water temperature is in the high eighties and low nineties. The water level is about 2.4' below full pond on Norman and 3.2" below 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 website, www.fihingwithgus.com or call 704-617-6812. For additional information, e-mail him at Gus@LakeNorman.com
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Reply With Quote