By Shane Goebel
Striper fishing in October is so darn explosive! Especially in the Western North Carolina and North Georgia Mountains. What a fantastic time to hit the water. With the beautiful views of the changing leaves and the cool comfortable temps, a day on the water seems like a dream come true after a hot summer. Not to mention the trophy stripers we are catching here. This is the perfect time to hit the lake and experience some extreme fall striper fishing, and what’s the best way to do that? By booking a trip with Murphy, NC’s #1 striper guide service: Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service. We’ve been striper fishing these mountain lakes longer than anyone and have what it takes to put you on some huge fish.
Currently, Lake Hiwassee is 13 feet below full pool. Water clarity is clear and water temps are in the mid to upper 70’s.
Striper fishing has been absolutely phenomenal lately. We have seen some huge schools of stripers and these monsters are hungry! We’ve averaged 20-30 stripers a morning for the last month or so on most of our trips. Talk about some exciting fishing! Plus, we’re starting to see a good increase in size. We’ve had a bunch of fish already in the 15–25-pound range! The early-morning and evening bites are your best times to see action. With the cooling water temps, continue to target creek mouths and points off the main lake channel but also look for schools to move back into the creeks. The majority of our fish have been caught on down lines in deep water. Just keep an eye on those electronics and search for those big schools of fish. The top-water bite has also been insane! keep a spook or a Red Fin at the ready to snag those surface-busting fish. In the next month or so, the fish will start to spread out here soon and move into the creeks. We will then move to all planer boards and free lines. We will also start pulling bigger baits.
October is a fantastic month for catching a lot of trophy 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 and Blairsville Georgia’s premier full-time guide service, specializing in striped and hybrid bass. We also serve Lakes Nottely and Chatuge (in North Carolina), and Lake Apalachia for smallmouth and trout. 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 owns Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service and is a member of The Angler Magazine Fishing Team. See the website at www.bigolfish.com or call (828) 361-2021