[dropcap]D[/dropcap]ue to the recent rains the water in the Cape Fear River is very high. During the month of May, the water temperatures will move into the mid to high 70s. As that occurs, the shad will be thick in in this part of the river and the catfish bite should heat up as well on cut shad, eels and live minnows as well, using a Carolina rig set up with a cork on the leader line to hook. The cats will begin to spawn during this month with the flatheads starting first and the blue and channel cats following as the water warms. You will find them moving into the near shore holes.
Shad are already biting. Shad darts and spoons are working well. Cast and work a slow retrieve. Crappie fishing is as good as it gets and should continue to be great dur- ing May, with bigger fish being caught on minnows and jigs this month. Later in the month as the water continues to warm it will be harder to catch them but you will still be able to find them in the deeper pools.
Bream fishing should pick up on live bait such as crickets and red worms, also beetle spin action should get hot. Look for structure sticking out of the river such as trees, bridge pilings, rubbage etc.. Bream like to hang around those areas!! If you don’t get your bait caught on some river trash several times as you are fishing, then you are fishing in the wrong places.
Largemouth bass fishing should be great this month on jumbo minnows, soft plastics and crank baits. Small bass love night crawlers so if you have kids, this is good month to bass fish this part of the river with them. Look in the eddies near the shore. Bass love to ambush baits as the current pulls the bait into the eddy.
Take a kid fishing!