By Shane Goebel
September striper fishing on Lake Hiwassee is wide open. It’s actually one of my favorite months to be on this beautiful lake. The striped bass really school up and feed like crazy. This means we can absolutely wear them out and trust me, we do! I also love this time of year because you can start to feel a bit of fall in the air. The temperatures start to cool outside and it gets the fish moving. This is a perfect time to experience some extreme striper fishing, and what’s the best way to do that? By booking a trip with Murphy, NC’s #1 and only full-time striper guide: Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service. We’ve been striper fishing these lakes longer than anyone! We have what it takes to put you on some sweet trophy stripers.
Currently, Lake Hiwassee is 4 feet below full pool. Water clarity is clear and water temps are in the mid-80s.
Striper fishing has been excellent for us lately. We’ve been averaging 30 to 40 stripers per morning out here, and most of our fish have been in the 8 to 15 pound range. We have also caught some bigger stripers in the 20 to 30 pound range. The early-morning and evening bites are your best times to see action. With the cooling water temps, Stripers will start to show up in the mouths of creeks and points off the main lake channel. These fish will also start working their way up the Hiwassee and Nottely Rivers. The majority of our fish have been caught from Point 6 to the dam. Down-lining live blue-back herring will be your best technique. The top-water bite on our ultra-light tackle has picked up a bit too, so keep a spook or a Red Fin at the ready to snag surface-busting fish. The fish will continue to be schooled up throughout the next month and will remain in deeper water before starting to spread out. Just remember to keep an eye on your electronics and watch for schools of stripers when cruising the lake. Also, don’t forget to try to get the fish back into the water as quickly as possible after they are caught. Try not to drop them in the boat and remember that the limit is 4 per person out there. This is an excellent striper lake, and it’s only going to get better if we help them thrive. I predict some huge monsters out here in the next 5 years, but we have to keep them in the lake.
September is a fantastic month for catching tons of monster stripers on this Western North Carolina lake. Give Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service a call and let the area’s #1 rated guide service put you on some of Lake Hiwassee’s best trophy stripers during the fishing trip of a lifetime. We are Murphy NC’s only and original premier full-time guide service, specializing in striped and hybrid bass. We also serve Lakes Nottely, Lake Chatuge, and Lake Blue Ridge. And for all your live bait and tackle needs, check out Hughes General Store in Blairsville, GA. They carry everything you need for a successful day of fishing and have the best live herring around. So, come fish with the pros for the opportunity to be featured in Angler Magazine, and let us help you get your fish on!
Shane Goebel is the Owner of Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service and a member of The Angler Fishing Team. Contact him at www.bigolfish.com or (828) 361-2021 / 1-(844)-4-ANGLER.