[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he month of July brings water temperatures in the 80’s. The warm water will warm up the flathead catfish bite. Cut or live eels, live minnows or live bream, fished on a Carolina rig set up with a cork on the leader line to hook are the best ways to catch them. The best bite should be later in the evenings and throughout the night. The best locations will be in deep holes as the fish will be looking for the coolest water available.
Crappie fishing should still be great, with bigger fish being caught on minnows and jigs this month. Look for brush piles and down trees in the river to fish around. We did not have much rain in June so it will be tough to find fish in the creeks. The better locations until we get some rain will be in the eddies near turns and obstructions.
Bream fishing should pick up on live bait such as crickets, red worms, and wax worms, etc. also beetle spin action will be hot. Watch out for structure sticking out of the river such as trees, bridge pilings, rubbage etc. Bream like to hang around those areas!
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, July is good month to bass fish the Cape Fear River with them. The early morning bit will be on top water baits, like buzz baits, and walk the dog type baits.
Come to Fayetteville and bring your kids on July 12th. Riverside Sports Center is hosting a bream tournament. Fishing should be great and it will be a great way to intro-
duce your children to the great outdoors.