By Ronnie Parris
Hey folks, hope all is well! June kicks off one of the best times of the year to be on the water. The temperature is great, the water levels are up, and the fish are biting. This is one of the best times of the year to catch a variety of fish. Bass have spawned and are trying to fatten up again. The occasional walleye will be caught. The crappie are bunched up on structure and the bait will be up on the surface, so you’re likely to see breaking fish.
This time of year, I like to troll with downriggers and planner boards. I usually have my spread from the surface to around 60 ft deep according to where l see fish on my depth finder. Spoons and small plugs are usually the baits of choice but I do swap over to live minnows if I see crappie or bluebacks, when I’m targeting stripers. Best times are early morning and late evening. Hopefully, you will get a little chop on the water as this really helps the bite. This is a great time to take the kids since it’s not cold or miserably hot. Be sure to take lots of snacks and your gonna’ have some happy kids and make some lasting memories. As always, stay safe and take a kid fishing!
Ronnie Parris is owner and head guide of Smoky Mountain Outdoors Unlimited-Fontana Lake Fishing Guides, headquartered in Bryson City, N.C., heart of the Great Smoky Mountains www.smounlimited.com; (828) 488-9711.