White perch, hybrids and spotted bass will be “chewing” in November. Reports from last year indicate that spotted bass were so plentiful, that they were being caught two and three at a time on Alabama or Sabiki rigs. Look for schooling bass over submerged brush piles, underwater islands and in the middle of back coves. White perch will be hitting Sabiki rigs fished vertically and crappie minnows positioned near the bottom. Anglers fishing deep brush piles and bridge pilings should expect to catch lots of jumbo crappie (some over fifteen inches in length).
Crappie will move to shallower water as temperatures dip closer to fifty degrees toward the end of the month. Some say they aren’t as plentiful as they were a few years back, but they are bigger. On days when your favorite brush pile lets you down, try fishing the pilings of the twenty, or so, bridges that crisscross Lake Norman. Those who fish live minnows are likely to hook bass, hybrids, perch and even a few catfish while crappie fishing. Popular bridges to fish are the railroad bridge in Mountain Creek, the three Highway 150 Bridges and the Buffalo Road Bridge that spans the main channel just above Marker 25.
A pleasant surprise this fall has been the number of hybrid striped bass caught compared to last year’s dismal results. The hard fighting hybrid striped bass seems to be making a comeback, thanks to an increase in the stocking rate over the past two years. Lots of one and two-year-old fish are hitting lures originally intended for bass and crappie. Knowing this, experienced anglers are keeping a watchful eye on surface feeding hybrids, while others are trolling Alabama Rigs and deep diving lures along channel edges.
Capt. Gus
Fishing With Gus
704-617-6812