By: Capt. Craig Price – Fish On! Guide Service
PO Box 1623, Denver, NC 28037
I look forward to November every year, aka “primetime” for active bass, hybrids, stripers, crappie, perch, and catfish. October is usually a beautiful month when the heat of summer begins to give way to fall, but warm weather and relatively high temperatures (air and water) can persist through the month.
November has historically been the true transition month when shorter days and stronger cold fronts push water temps down, and the winter “feed up” becomes more consistent. Barring a prolonged warm spell as we enter November, water temperatures should be in the high 60’s(F) early in the month falling to the upper 50’S range by months end. This is the comfort zone for bait and predators alike.
The forage will be balled up after October’s full moon, and under attack by all species of predatory gamefish. This activity can occur in many places as November progresses – long points and adjacent pockets near major creek mouths early in the month; halfway to all the way back in major creek channels later in November; points and humps along the main river channel throughout the month; on or near brushpiles in 15-35 ft. of water and under or around bridges at any time.
So how do you know where to start your search each day? First, a cooperative network of fellow anglers who you can share dependable info with is important. Lake Norman is a big place and any of us can only be in one area at a time.
Second, November is when sea birds, terns and gulls, show up and take advantage of feeding opportunities created by active gamefish pushing bait to the surface. Ospreys, even crows, can also be useful for locating bait and fish. Areas where these birds are active are always worth observing, and usually worth fishing. Learn to interpret the birds’ actions and use their type and size to ascertain the size of the bait they’re picking up. This info can be critical to matching the hatch with lure selection.
Finally, use wind direction to decide where to look for active gamefish. For example, during or after a sustained wind (after 4-6 hrs.), look for activity along windward banks and in exposed coves. The wind pushes bait against these windward banks and also stirs up other bottom dwelling organisms. The longer the wind blows in a given direction, the more pronounced the effect generally is.
Wind “rips” can also be productive. These are areas, usually at the end of a point, where the water motion transitions from windward and moving to the lee side of the structure where the water is calmer with little current. Laying out of the current to conserve energy and waiting for bait to sweep by is a proven feeding tactic of most predatory gamefish.
As for how to catch November’s aggressive fish, live bait is a great option before the water gets too cold. Keeping bait fresh and lively is relatively easy in November’s ambient water temps. Fresh shad, herring, or alewives fished from the surface down to 35 ft. or so can produce big creels. Let your sonar, the time of day, and light conditions dictate your deployment. Store bought shiners can also be effective if you don’t have the wherewithal to catch and keep local forage.
I typically begin trolling spreads of artificials near the end of November. This is a great way to cover the most water because trolling speeds are 1.5-3 mph vs. 0.5-1 mph for live bait. I like multi-hook rigs with 3-4” swimbaits on 1/16 -1/4 oz. jigheads. I prefer bullet or darter heads because of the water flow that comes off them down the side of the bait, resulting in a maximum swimming action.
I also use tandem bucktail rigs and crankbaits at times. I may weight any of the above rigs if necessary to get them to the target depth. Usually I deploy them from just under the surface down to 25-30 ft. Finally, keeping one or more casting rods ready to cast to bustin’ fish, or maybe a lead jig, bucktail, or crankbait for deeper fish is a must.
Don’t let the cooler temps and winds of November keep you off the water. Get the right foul weather gear and join the fray while primetime for some of the year’s best catching is here. Fish On!