Fishing Forecast: As weather cools, freshwater action finally heating up
Finally, there is promising freshwater fishing action to report in the Carolinas.
After a hot summer and resulting high water temperature generally cut into the catch, cool, autumn-like nights have triggered feeding instincts.
Lake Norman, Lake Tillery and Fontana Lake appear the best bets in North Carolina. In South Carolina, Lakes Murray and Thurmond are tops.
Bream and catfish continue to bite fairly well at all locations.
And offshore trolling from Outer Banks ports remains excellent for billfish, dolphin and wahoo.
Lake Norman: Hybrids, largemouth and spotted bass in mixed schools are feeding on the surface. Best concentrations appear to be in the Stumpy Creek arm and well uplake between Markers 20 and 24. They’re striking jigging spoons and small crankbaits. Largemouth and spotted bass also are being taken during very early morning on topwater lures in the backs of coves and then on jigs cast to docks with brush underneath.
Lake Wylie: Continuing fair to good for crappie at night on minnows fished under lights.
Mountain Island Lake: Picking up for largemouth all across the reservoir on crankbaits. Some early morning surface schooling has been reported.
Union County Lakes: Good for largemouth at Lake Lee. Bream and catfish at all four – Cane Creek Park, Lee, Monroe and Twitty.
Yadkin/Pee Dee River Lakes: Fine action for white perch, locally known as Waccamaws, at Tillery. Small Shad Kings appear to be the most effective lures, with Ice Flies also working well. Fair for bream, crappie and catfish the length of the chain that also includes High Rock, Tuckertown, Badin and Blewett Falls.
Lakes James, Rhodhiss, Hickory: Good for smallmouth bass at James on spoons trolled in and near the canal connecting the impoundment’s Catawba and Linville arms. Striped bass on shad in the Lovelady area of Hickory. Bream and catfish at Rhodhiss.
Rankin Lake: Fair to good at the Gastonia municipal reservoir for bream and catfish. A few largemouth also are being caught.
Hampton Lake, Yadkin County: Fair to good for bream and catfish.
Fontana Lake: Very good, especially during early morning and late afternoon, for smallmouth and spotted bass. They’re hitting a variety of lures cast to points, as well as taking shiners. A mix of bass, trout and walleye are being boated by anglers trolling spoons 45-feet deep between Points 4 and 9.
Lake Wateree: Fair for crappie on minnows worked around brushy cover 15-25 feet down. What the catch lacks in number, it makes up for in size.
Lake Murray: Good for striped bass in surface schools from Bomb Island to the dam. When the fish aren’t schooling, try fishing live herring 30-60 feet deep around the power towers.
Lake Thurmond: Very good for hybrids and stripers during early morning on live baits worked 40-45 deep around humps. As the day progresses, move a bit further out and fish 50-65 feet down. Some surface activity among hybrids and stripers reported from the Parksville and Shriver areas. Crappie around brush 15-20 feet down.
Santee Cooper Lakes: Slow in the main bodies of Marion and Moultrie, but fair for largemouth in the Cooper and Santee rivers.
Lake Keowee: Some schooling of largemouth and smallmouth reported.
Lake Jocassee: Fair for trout on live bait drift-fished or slow-trolled 60-80 feet deep during the day, then around the intake towers 30-40 feet at night.
Lake Hartwell: Improving for crappie 15-25 feet deep around bridge pilings.
Outer Banks: Nags Head area: Picking up in the surf and at piers for blues, pompano and whiting. Albacore also appearing at piers. Oregon Inlet: Monday’s offshore score included 27 white marlin, three blue marlin and five sailfish. Bigeye tuna to 222 pounds were boated along with yellowfin tuna to 71 pounds and limits of dolphin Also excellent inshore for blues and Spanish mackerel. Hatteras Island: Good to excellent offshore for billfish, dolphin, blackfin tuna and wahoo. Good for big red drum in Pamlico Sound near Hatteras Village. Surfcasters at various locations from Salvo to Hatteras Inlet are finding blues, croaker, small flounder, pompano, puppy drum, sheepshead, Spanish mackerel and whiting. Ocracoke Island: Improving almost daily in the surf for blues and pompano. Black drum, flounder, puppy drum and whiting also caught. Trophy-sized red drum in the sound. Dolphin, sailfish and wahoo offshore. Morehead City area: Cool nights are moving forage species out of Pamlico Sound and false albacore and Spanish mackerel are waiting to feed on them, providing excellent action. Improving for king mackerel on the east side of the Cape Lookout shoals. Good for wahoo offshore. Spanish mackerel at piers. Southeastern N.C. Coast: Continuing very good offshore for bottom feeders, with several large grouper reported. King mackerel 10-20 miles out. Excellent for Spanish mackerel near the Yaupon Artificial Reef. Flounder at all artificial reefs. Black drum and sheepshead at the ADM Dock, the Little River jetty and the Fort Fisher rocks. Black drum, pompano and whiting at piers, where a few kings and tarpon also have been caught. Good for reds in backwaters near Ocean Isle and Sunset Beach, plus the creeks at Bald Head Island.
S.C. Coast: Little River area: Croaker, pompano and whiting at the pier. Grand Strand area: Good for “bull” red drum at the Murrells Inlet jetties on blue crabs and large mullet. Small reds in the creeks, along with increasing numbers of flounder. Blues, pompano, Spanish mackerel and whiting at piers. Charleston area: Good for tarpon at the tips of jetties and at the mouths of inlets on live menhaden and mullet. Big red drum at the Grillage and jetties. Schools of Spanish mackerel just outside the inlets. Fair flounder, reds and trout in the backwaters. Beaufort/Hilton Head area: Good for tarpon on live baits in Port Royal Sound. Spanish mackerel around the White Water Reef. Reds in the backwaters on mud minnows.
This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 6:15 PM with the headline "Fishing Forecast: As weather cools, freshwater action finally heating up."