By Scott Norton
Nothing will shut you down like a major storm, such as Hurricane Helene. After the dust settled, having plans for a lake trip was a nonstarter. The safety of running a boat on the lakes with debris was not good either. Some of the lakes in higher elevation were in better shape due to the lack of runoff. After getting reports that some lakes were good to fish, I made a plan to check it out.
I heard from the fishing guides that lakes in Jackson County were ok. I chose to visit Lake Glenville and felt it was a good place to start. When I got there it looked as if the lake never got hit. The fishing was great and the water temperatures were still warm. Bass were in their fall pattern for sure. I found them off of the secondary points in coves. They were into moving baits and I really like to power, as most anglers do. The wind was moving good and the weather was warm.
I was doing good, with a small, 7 gram spinnerbait since the forage was small. I found them in open water, chasing shad, as well as hanging around hard cover in the shallows. Also, I would inspect brush piles, down deep, this time of year.
Coming into December, the weather has been unusually warm. I remember about 8 years ago we had a warming trend in the winter months, and fishing was hot that year because of that. If that happens this year, I would expect the same thing based off those findings. I would say jerk baits will be on fire. Same for swim baits and crank baits.
During deer hunting season, the lack of competition is to be expected as well. Lots of opportunities are there for a fun plan. The local fishing guides are hard at work and have plenty of openings. If you are looking to have a vacation around this time, the locals could use the business after the storm.
Scott Norton is a Western North Carolina native. Born in Asheville, N.C., he is a long-time hunter, angler and weekend warrior.