James River Catfish

Mac Byrum and I visited one of our favorite catfish facilities last week, The James River in Richmond Virginia. overall fishing was slow but we did manage to land a couple of 40 pound fish and a few 20's and 30.s. The morning was cold and foggy but it cleared in the afternoon for a pleasant fish. We were using large pieces of cut shad as bait so we were not interested in catching any small fish. It all worked out well. The small cats stayed away from the big baits, but we did manage to temp a few big boys.

Finicky Fish With Weather Changes

This is a great time to fish Lake Norman for bass if you adjust for the weather changes. Last weeks warm spell brought the bass out in droves. The shad are seeking the warmest water, which is in the back of the coves and channels. The lake water temperature at the surface is about 52 degrees, but back in the coves it rises to 54 to 55 degrees. The shad seek that water and  the bass follow. I have not found the bass to be schooling but they are actively feeding, preparing for the spawn. Spawning should start at the next full moon which will be on April 10th.
The fluctuating weather creates a problem for anglers. On the colder days, the fish move to the slightly deeper water at the mouth of the coves. As the weather warms, they will return to the more shallow water. I have been catching bass on live bait, medium shiners. Crank bait lures are also working but they need to be selected for the right water depth. I have caught crappie, trolling for bass, and I also caught several nice blue catfish trolling with the same bait. Don't let the cooler days discourage you, just fish a little different and you will have success.

New Lecture on March 20th

Come on over to Gander Mountain in Mooresville on March 20th at 6:30pm. Gus and I will present a lecture on how to find the fish in Lake Norman. my new book will also be available for purchase at that lecture event for $20. The title is Jakes Fishing facts.