November can almost be thought of as a “last stand” type of situation, to an extent. The stripers on Lake Hickory and Lake Rhodhiss are actively trying to pack on all the weight they can this month before they start to (sorry for the pun) cool down for the winter. November is typically their last push.
One benefit to the fishing in November is that the bait tends to be larger and easier to catch. The cooler water, regularly in the 60’s, should also help the stripers. You should find success fishing the main points on the mid to lower sections of each lake. Throw crankbaits to those points in about 12 to 20 feet of water. We tend to think of the late fall, when the bass roam the shallows, as an ideal time to throw a crankbait. There are numerous color combinations that prove effective. Any with chartreuse are top picks. Jerkbaits like the Zoom Fluke are also good for this time of year. Shad is still a go-to. Planer boards are still effective up to about 20 feet of water, especially in the morning hours. With the cooler weather and water temperatures, we’ll see some pretty decent surface bite as well. You can get a leg up on the “competition” by using depthfinders to locate the fish. Most fish are going to either be at their winter holes already or are on their way to them.
Crappie are still hanging around the brush piles and docks, somewhere in that 10 to 20 feet range. We’ll also continue to see a solid catfish bite in the main lake channel, with the sweet spots being somewhere in the 10 to 17 feet range. Typical baits are all in play. Give it a go with shrimp, nightcrawlers or cut bait.
It can be a bittersweet thing, fishing in November, as it can be seen as a sign the end is near, at least for the stripers. But, don’t get caught up in all that – go catch some fish instead!
