By Scott Norton
Summer is near its end and we are knocking on the door of September. Fall is close and the fishing is already revving up. With all the storms blowing in, the waters are cooling off. We are in August and the water is already in the upper 70’s. It’s looking like the fall bite may be a long season and starting early. Fish are still in their summer pattern but the hot, slow days are gone.
The bite has been great but there is one factor we have to contend with, and that is the recreational boaters. I know we all use the waters but what does a fisherman do during these times? We have options like fishing in small lakes and ponds that don’t allow powered boats. I know a lot of fisherman that will not part with their bass boats to fish from kayaks or Johnboats so those guys will have to go to a bigger lake where they can get away from the main lake. In western North Carolina you can find lots of places to fish that restrict horsepower or allow no gasoline motors at all. I sometimes will look for a reason to change up from a bass boat to a kayak to have a more comfortable and peaceful experience.
Lately, these small lakes have been crazy good on the bite, especially before and during the storms. For me, the top water and glide bite have been ramping up and I’m having loads of fun. The last few years, I’ve seen the kayak fishing grow a hundred-fold. There are only a few good places to find these kayaks and the accessories for them. I recently found a place in the River Arts District called Southern Raft Supply. They have a nice line up for kayak fishing and they are expanding their inventory to include all the best accessories for these watercrafts. Be on the lookout for this company for more and better things to come.
I think the fall will be a good one this year with bass chasing shad for the winter load up. Be ready for jerk baits, and swimbaits to bring a lot of catches. If you guys like to film, I get my best footage during the fall pattern. Right now, enjoy the frog fishing and the top water bites while you can because, how can you ever get tired of it? I hope this helps out for the local anglers. Keep the sport alive and make some new memories.
Scott Norton is a native of Western North Carolina. Born in Asheville, NC, he is a long time avid hunter, angler, and weekend warrior.