By Capt. James McManus
March is the renewal month and if there was ever a time we needed renewing, it is now. Saw some jonquils down in Georgia last week and the snowdrops are coming up in our yard. That means the fish everywhere will be waking up, and that warms my heart more than a 70-degree day. With all that has gone on lately, the local fishing has followed suit. Fontana has been exceptionally slow this winter. Not sure what the problem is but not even marking much on some trips. The walleye made a brief showing but have disappeared again. I have made five trips to Hartwell and have just caught my first striper of the year. I did hook the biggest striper in probably eight or ten years only to have the hook pull close to the boat – didn’t really bother me but it was 30 lbs plus, I have caught lots of 20’s and this was a different beast. All this crying is to point out that hope, like spring, is eternal. Just maybe, the next time I pull up to T2 over on the Tuckaseegee side, my sonar will light up with spaghetti. When I round the bend into Sadler’s Creek, the gulls will be thick and diving all around busting stripers and hybrids. It’s spring and anything is possible.
The rivers and headwaters will be getting most of my attention at Fontana. That’s at least where I will start; if that’s no good then spawning points with gravel and sunny exposure will be next. There is usually some top water this time of year, so always be open to just riding and looking. If stripers are on the menu, then they are heading to the backs of little coves; seems like they should be up the rivers but I typically find more towards the dam back in shallow pockets. After talking for years to NC Wildlife, I am hoping they stock hybrids in Fontana. I have never seen so much bait and that’s bluebacks and threadfins. The spot die-off two years ago and the algea bloom the past two years has the baitfish population super dense right now. Almost anywhere you turn on your sonar you will see huge clouds, mostly undisturbed by predators. I think it’s time to put a little fear into their lives.
When fishing Fontana, try and release all your smallies. They actually seem to be holding their own against the spots. For whatever reason, they haven’t been affected as much by whatever has hurt the spots. With the unlimited (and I think stupid) creel limits on spots, you should be able to put on a feed without smallies. If you do get into some walleye, don’t get greedy the limit is way out of proportion to what’s there (again stupid). Here’s hoping in the next few years we will mark hungry schools of hybrids chasing bait on Fontana; after all, March marks hope for the future. Enjoy what God has blessed us with and take some younguns with you when you go. Later, Capt. James
Capt. James McManus owns 153 Charters. Give him a call for a great day on the water at (828) 421-8125.