Image courtesy of Capt. Gus:
Attachment 211037
Austyn Petyan of Mt. Holly, NC keeping a Lake Norman striped bass caught on a vacation fishing excursion with brother Dustyn and father John.

An easy way to locate feeding fish in January is to watch for diving sea birds. They determine the exact places in which stripers, bass or white colored perch are chasing forage fish to the surface area. The feeder fish are squeezed by the predators from under and the birds from over. Surface feeding activity can end result in a memorable fishing excursion, but don’t assume it to happen each and every day.

When fish aren’t surface area feeding, they move deeper into the h2o column, in which temperatures are a number of degrees warmer. If in doubt, fish deeper. In addition to temperature things to consider, herring live in deep h2o. This forage fish is the 1 most sought after by the deep swimming stripers, spotted bass and white perch.

When fish are deep, your fish finder is valuable in assisting to track down them beneath the surface. Consistent surveillance of the display will at some point demonstrate their existence. When the “Fish ID Mode” is disabled, fish will look as arches. The thicker the arch, the larger the fish will be. A concentration of arches indicates that a school of fish is underneath the boat. Arches show up from time to time all through the h2o column, but pay specific interest to individuals demonstrated mid-way in the column. They generally reveal actively feeding and simple to catch fish.

Very cold h2o drives fish to the scorching water discharge channels of Lake Norman’s two energy vegetation. Sizzling hole fish can be caught by utilizing a multitude of fishing methods, such as tossing surface lures when fish are feeding on top rated. But, most of the time, are living baits, buck tails and spoons perform finest when fish are deep.

On sunny afternoons, large bass and stripers will sometimes cruise or not transfer at all in really shallow h2o. When that comes about, they are not there to feed but to warm their bodies from the heat produced by the rays of the sun, but can be tempted into biting.

Ideas from Capt. Gus: Regardless of how or wherever you fish in late winter season, be well prepared for chilly mornings and cold days, particularly when a climate front has just handed. Regulars, usually have a propane heater on board to warm moist hands and cold faces. Single, ambigu or triple heater heads are mounted atop twenty pound propane tanks. Other individuals use more compact catalytic heaters mounted on one pound disposable cylinders.

Approaching Events:
Totally free SEMINAR – “How to Safely Navigate Lake Norman Making use of Sonar and GPS.” Sign up for me on Wednesday, January eleven, 2012, six:30 p.m. at North Point Watersports, 112 Doolie Highway, Mooresville, NC to learn the “Basics of Sonar and GPS.” Bring your issues and instruction booklets to this educational ninety second boating security session. Contact 704-799-1994 for a lot more information.

Cost-free SEMINAR – “How To Use Your Lowrance or Humminbird Fish Finder to Catch Bass, White Perch and Stripers” – Jake Bussolini, Expenses Hassig and I will carry out this all new fish finder seminar on Wednesday, January eighteen, 2012, 6:30 p.m. at Gander Mountain, Exit 36 in Mooresville, NC. Deliver your issues and instruction booklets to this ninety minute seminar. For extra info, phone 704 658 0822.

Very hot Spots of the Week: Diving seabirds are exhibiting the way to feeding bass, perch and stripers. Very best bets on the north stop of Lake Norman are Stumpy, Rocky and Hicks Creeks where surface area feeding takes place primarily in the early morning and on cloudy days. To the south, fishing is related in Mountain, Lucky and Reed Creeks. On sunny afternoons, bass are striking buzz baits on shallow stumpy factors and in the backs of coves. Perch and crappie fishing is really very good on tiny jigs, minnows fished more than deep brush and in open water on Sabiki rigs.

The surface drinking water temperature is in the forties and reduced fifties. The lake stage is about 2.5′ underneath total pond on Lake Norman. Mountain Island Lake is roughly three.0’ beneath full pond.

Captain Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is a member of the Southeastern Outside Press Affiliation and is a entire time Specialist Fishing Tutorial on Lake Norman, NC. Check out his web site at www.fishingwithgus.com or phone 704 617-6812. For further details, electronic mail him at Gus@Gus@lakenorman.com.