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North Carolina Fishing Reports
| Fishing Reports for North Carolina. If you have a report for your area send it to us at reports@bobberstop.com. Please put "Fishing Report" in the subject line of your e-mail and please don't forget to include the location. |
** Last Update was made on 10 - 2 - 07 **
NORTH CAROLINA FISHING REPORTS - LICENSES - REGULATIONS
BADIN LAKE - Largemouth bass are hitting at Badin on main lake points. Start with crankbaits in
about 8 to 15 feet of water. Keep your drag loose though as you might also hook a striped bass
fishing this way. There is also some schooling of largemouth bass on shallow points. Topwater baits
such as a Pop-R will work on these fish.
High Rock largemouth are being caught on crankbaits and Carolina Rigs in about 8-10 feet of water.
Stumpy flats seem to be producing the best action with shallow rocky points next. Small bass are
also schooling early in the mornings
KERR LAKE - The largemouth bite at Kerr/Buggs Island has been very scattered. There are a few
decent fish being caught on Spooks and Sammies with a Front Runner on some main lake points
early in the morning and a little longer in the day if you get some cloud cover. If the cloud cover
remains, look for some fish on shallow stumps. They can be tricked with a Pop R or a Sammie. Don't
over look the real shallow stuff either. If you get a lot of sun, look for the stumps that are in 4' to 6' of
water. Pitch a 3/8oz-1/2oz watermelon jig with a green pumpkin Zoom super chunk trailer to these
deeper stumps.
LAKE NORMAN - Anglers should expect October to bring cool weather and great fishing! By
mid-month, fishing will improve steadily with the onset of Fall. Cooling water temperatures invigorate
bass and stripers causing them to chase and feed endlessly on unsuspecting pods of shad and
herring.
Look for stripers on points off the main channel and in major creek arms. Surface feeding activity
can occur at any time of the day, primarily at dawn and dusk. The majority of fish will be caught by
trolling or down lining baits along drop offs and in deeper holes along the main channel. Baits of
choice are shad, herring, roadrunners, bucktails and jigging spoons. Popular locations this month
are Reeds and Stumpy Creeks and sections of the main river channel near the State Park.
Fall bass fishing peaks in October. Be on the lookout for pods of shad that cruise the banks early
and late. When you see bait shimmering on the surface, bass are usually not far behind. However,
keep in mind that not all bass chase bait. Most wait in hideouts to ambush their prey. Underwater
structure, pier pilings, stumps, rock piles and blow downs are popular haunts. Leery largemouth
bass tend to locate inshore where they can be tempted by a variety of soft plastics, buzz and jerk
baits.
Spotted bass, the feisty cousin of the largemouth, will be deeper. Spots tend to bunch in small
groups or in small schools. Humps, contour drops and isolated structure are preferred hangouts for
them through October.
White perch are easy to find by drifting baits just off the bottom. When a school is found, anchor
and enjoy the action. Suggested baits are small minnows, shad, pieces of cut bait and shiny spoons
and jigs. White perch do not have a size or creel limit, so keep all you care to eat. The white meat
makes excellent table fare and is perfect for a family fish fry.
Flathead catfish sometimes follow marauding schools of feeding perch and are often caught
incidentally by anglers seeking white perch. The brownish/yellow cat lurks below the perch where it
picks at crippled feeder fish and eats discarded pieces of bait. Blues and channel cats that ply Lake
Norman waters are easy prey for bank and boat fishermen using prepared or natural baits.
ROANOKE RIVER - No Report
SALTWATER FISHING - Ocean: Offshore catches dropped off considerably, with only a few
yellowfin tuna and dolphin being caught. Billfish catches slowed as well, with only a few sailfish and
marlin being landed. Midrange anglers caught some nice king mackerel in the 10 to 15-mile range,
but the consistent catches of blueline tilefish, triggerfish, and hake seem to be a thing of the past.
Nearshore success rates remain good, with high volume amounts of small bluefish making up the
bulk of the catches. Anglers also caught a few Spanish mackerel.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Spotted seatrout and weakfish kept trout fisherman busy this week with most of
them being caught in the very shallow waters near land masses. Flounder catches made a modest
improvement, with more favorable keeper ratios than previously. Striped bass were caught at
Manns Harbor.
Piers/Shore: Spot and croaker filled up coolers this week, with short duration/high volume catches
occurring daily. Red drum catches continued to increase, with most of them being in the legal slot
range. Pier and shore anglers are also sharing the bluefish and Spanish mackerel with the
nearshore boaters. Assorted others, including kingfish, silver perch, skates, sharks, puffers, and
seatrout were caught.
NORTH CAROLINA FISHING REPORTS - LICENSES - REGULATIONS
BADIN LAKE - Largemouth bass are hitting at Badin on main lake points. Start with crankbaits in
about 8 to 15 feet of water. Keep your drag loose though as you might also hook a striped bass
fishing this way. There is also some schooling of largemouth bass on shallow points. Topwater baits
such as a Pop-R will work on these fish.
High Rock largemouth are being caught on crankbaits and Carolina Rigs in about 8-10 feet of water.
Stumpy flats seem to be producing the best action with shallow rocky points next. Small bass are
also schooling early in the mornings
KERR LAKE - The largemouth bite at Kerr/Buggs Island has been very scattered. There are a few
decent fish being caught on Spooks and Sammies with a Front Runner on some main lake points
early in the morning and a little longer in the day if you get some cloud cover. If the cloud cover
remains, look for some fish on shallow stumps. They can be tricked with a Pop R or a Sammie. Don't
over look the real shallow stuff either. If you get a lot of sun, look for the stumps that are in 4' to 6' of
water. Pitch a 3/8oz-1/2oz watermelon jig with a green pumpkin Zoom super chunk trailer to these
deeper stumps.
LAKE NORMAN - Anglers should expect October to bring cool weather and great fishing! By
mid-month, fishing will improve steadily with the onset of Fall. Cooling water temperatures invigorate
bass and stripers causing them to chase and feed endlessly on unsuspecting pods of shad and
herring.
Look for stripers on points off the main channel and in major creek arms. Surface feeding activity
can occur at any time of the day, primarily at dawn and dusk. The majority of fish will be caught by
trolling or down lining baits along drop offs and in deeper holes along the main channel. Baits of
choice are shad, herring, roadrunners, bucktails and jigging spoons. Popular locations this month
are Reeds and Stumpy Creeks and sections of the main river channel near the State Park.
Fall bass fishing peaks in October. Be on the lookout for pods of shad that cruise the banks early
and late. When you see bait shimmering on the surface, bass are usually not far behind. However,
keep in mind that not all bass chase bait. Most wait in hideouts to ambush their prey. Underwater
structure, pier pilings, stumps, rock piles and blow downs are popular haunts. Leery largemouth
bass tend to locate inshore where they can be tempted by a variety of soft plastics, buzz and jerk
baits.
Spotted bass, the feisty cousin of the largemouth, will be deeper. Spots tend to bunch in small
groups or in small schools. Humps, contour drops and isolated structure are preferred hangouts for
them through October.
White perch are easy to find by drifting baits just off the bottom. When a school is found, anchor
and enjoy the action. Suggested baits are small minnows, shad, pieces of cut bait and shiny spoons
and jigs. White perch do not have a size or creel limit, so keep all you care to eat. The white meat
makes excellent table fare and is perfect for a family fish fry.
Flathead catfish sometimes follow marauding schools of feeding perch and are often caught
incidentally by anglers seeking white perch. The brownish/yellow cat lurks below the perch where it
picks at crippled feeder fish and eats discarded pieces of bait. Blues and channel cats that ply Lake
Norman waters are easy prey for bank and boat fishermen using prepared or natural baits.
ROANOKE RIVER - No Report
SALTWATER FISHING - Ocean: Offshore catches dropped off considerably, with only a few
yellowfin tuna and dolphin being caught. Billfish catches slowed as well, with only a few sailfish and
marlin being landed. Midrange anglers caught some nice king mackerel in the 10 to 15-mile range,
but the consistent catches of blueline tilefish, triggerfish, and hake seem to be a thing of the past.
Nearshore success rates remain good, with high volume amounts of small bluefish making up the
bulk of the catches. Anglers also caught a few Spanish mackerel.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Spotted seatrout and weakfish kept trout fisherman busy this week with most of
them being caught in the very shallow waters near land masses. Flounder catches made a modest
improvement, with more favorable keeper ratios than previously. Striped bass were caught at
Manns Harbor.
Piers/Shore: Spot and croaker filled up coolers this week, with short duration/high volume catches
occurring daily. Red drum catches continued to increase, with most of them being in the legal slot
range. Pier and shore anglers are also sharing the bluefish and Spanish mackerel with the
nearshore boaters. Assorted others, including kingfish, silver perch, skates, sharks, puffers, and
seatrout were caught.
