Share
White perch at Lakes Norman and Wylie offer anglers an excellent opportunity this weekend.
"Find a school of them, and the action pretty much is nonstop - it's like yo-yoing them," said Mooresville guide David Clubb. He and four companions boated approximately 200 white perch at Norman in a 4-hour period last weekend, keeping several of the larger fish to filet for the table.
Along the coast, there is good to excellent activity from the surf out to the Gulf Stream.
Lake Norman: White perch in the creek channels on small spoons jigged 15-40 feet deep, and on minnows worked at the same depths. Catfish on cut baits. Some largemouth and spotted bass are being caught while fishing for the perch. Scattered stripers in surfacing schools.
Lake Wylie: White perch 18-22 feet down on minnows. Also around the shallow flats when feeding in surface schools. Catfish in the major creeks on drift-fished cut baits. Largemouth in surfacing schools at dawn and dusk on topwater lures. Bream on crickets, earthworms.
Union County Lakes: Largemouth at Twitty on spinnerbaits. Bream at the other reservoirs.
Mountain Island Lake: Mainly bream and catfish on traditional baits.
Lakes Badin, Tillery, Blewett Falls: Continuing good catches of bream at all three impoundments, along with fair catfish. Largemouth at Badin on spinnerbaits. Slowly improving for crappie.
Lakes Hickory, Rhodhiss: Bream and catfish at both lakes. Increasing numbers of crappie at Rhodhiss.
Lake James: Smallmouth bass around the points on shiners. Walleye on crawlers.
Fontana Lake: Smallmouth on crankbaits trolled 25-30 feet off the shoreline. Largemouth at dawn and during late afternoon on buzzbaits.
Lake Wateree: Catfish in the 8- to 12-pound range on drift-fished cut baits, with the best action in the stretch between Colonel and Taylor Creeks. Small stripers in the creek arms on lures cast to surfacing schools.
Lake Murray: Good to excellent near the dam during early morning for surfacing stripers. Later in the day, trolling umbrella rigs is productive. Lots of bream and shellcrackers during the waxing moon period on crickets, earthworms.
Lake Hartwell: Small stripers and hybrids across the lake in surfacing schools. Larger fish 40-75 feet deep on live baits and trolled lures.
Lake Marion: Improving for largemouth on artificial worms and other soft plastic lures worked around shallow cover. Catfish on cut baits drifted in 12-25 feet of water. The striper season re-opened Oct.1 on Marion and its sister lake, Moultrie, and some fish are being taken from scattered surfacing schools.
Outer Banks: Nags Head area: Blues, pompano, puppy drum in the surf and at piers. Oregon Inlet: Blackfin and yellowfin tuna offshore. Spanish mackerel, tailor blues closer in. Flounder in the backwaters. Hatteras Island: Large wahoo off Hatteras Village. Black drum, blues, pompano, puppy drum, trout and whiting in the surf and at piers. King mackerel at Avon and Frisco Piers.
Ocracoke Island: Blues, croaker, flounder, pompano, puppy drum and whiting in the surf. Wahoo offshore. Morehead City area: Good to excellent in all sections. King mackerel around the artificial reefs and wrecks. Spanish mackerel to 4 pounds just off the beach and at the Cape Lookout Shoals. Spots in Beaufort and Bogue Inlets. Black drum, blues, croaker, flounder, Spanish mackerel, spots and whiting at piers. Large wahoo offshore.
Southeastern N.C. Coast: Wahoo to 70 pounds offshore, along with cobia, king mackerel and sailfish. Also, kings closer in around artificial reefs and in the old Cape Fear River channel near Southport.
Flounder, gray trout and Spanish mackerel at the artificial reefs. Trout in the Elizabeth River and the creeks at Bald Head Island. Red drum in the marshes at Topsail Island. Good numbers of Spanish, along with black drum, blues, pompano, spots and whiting at piers.
S.C. Coast: Little River area: Large red drum at the jetties on cut bait. Trout are moving into the IntraCoastal Waterway. Grand Strand area: Flounder, spottails and trout in the creeks on finger mullet and shrimp. Black drum, reds and sheepshead at the Georgetown and Murrells Inlet jetties. Blues, reds, pompano and Spanish in the surf and at piers. King mackerel, sailfish offshore.
Hilton Head area: King and Spanish mackerel, plus big red drum, just offshore. Good to excellent in the backwaters for reds, trout.
