By Ronnie Parris
Yep, March is here and the spawning runs for a lot of species is underway in our mountain lakes. The walleye should already be showing up in the headwaters of the lake. Especially since it has been so warm. This was a magical time when I was a kid. The banks would be lined with anglers trying to catch a stringer full of walleye. No need for a boat at this time, as you can access the fish from the bank.
On Fontana, the run starts on the Little Tennessee side of the lake and is followed on the Tuckaseegee side, in about three weeks. Although a big portion of the walleye run up the river, there are a lot of spawners that lay their eggs in the main body of the lake. The bad part of this scenario is when the fish are at the peak of their spawn, the lake is usually coming up a foot per day. TVA controls this but it would really help if they would bring the levels up earlier and hold the water at a stable level while the fish are spawning, but this does not seem to be a priority with them. As soon as the walleye are about through, the white bass start to show up. This can be the best time to get a kid hooked on fishing because the whites are very aggressive feeders and are usually not as picky about what baits they will hit. Also, they are line stretchers and will fight from the time their hooked till they are landed.
The walleye and whites are great table fair, just remember to cut the white bass fillets in smaller pieces before cooking them as this releases oils and makes the fish taste milder. Crappie are feeding good at this time too, but tend to spawn more scattered out than the walleye and whites. Although the spots and smallmouth aren’t spawning in the headwaters they will be there at the same time to feed on the eggs and small fry that are hatching. Good lures to fish in the headwaters are tube jigs, rapalas, mister twisters, rooster tails, and flukes but at times, the fish will hit anything that resembles a minnow. Live minnows work very well at this time.
If you plan to fish more for crappie, the smaller minnows work the best. Dress warm and layer up, as it is still cold in the mornings. If your gonna fish from the shore, don’t lug a lot of heavy tackle, as you will probably be moving up or down the shoreline in search of the best bite. These fish feed all day but the best bite usually comes the first two hours of daylight and the last two hours of daylight. Like I said before, I still remember the spring spawn from when I was a boy and my dad would take me. There’s no greater way to spend the evening after you get off work, than on the bank of the river with your child. Have fun and stay safe. If you would like to go on a guided trip or just need some information on how the fish are biting and what there hitting, just give me a call!
Ronnie Parris is the Owner and Head Guide of Smoky Mountain Outdoors Unlimited-Fontana Lake Fishing Guides, headquartered in Bryson City, North Caronina, heart of the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains. www.smounlimited.com