Email
Print
If fish aren't biting, it's time to adjust your style
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: September 24, 2009
Anyone who has ever cast a bait in the lake knows that fish are not the easiest critters to figure out. It doesn't take long to realize that on some days they bite like crazy, while at other times they will shun even the tastiest morsel. The novice blames this unpredictable behavior on the moon, tide phases, water temperature, season of the year, wind direction, jet ski traffic and a host of other things that either happened or didn't happen. Why, then, do certain anglers catch fish, when others claim they aren't biting?
A big reason is that on days when the bite is slow, the astute angler adjusts his style. He makes subtle changes, like fishing a little deeper, casting tight to cover, slowing the retrieve and thoroughly covering the location where he expects fish to be waiting in ambush. If that's not enough, he combines finesse with lures that imitate as many senses as fishing conditions will allow. The most important sense is sight, so selecting the proper size lure in the right color combination is paramount when enticing inactive fish to bite. Better yet, when he adds sound, smell, and flavor to a soft body lure, it becomes so lifelike that even a fish on a starvation diet can't resist.
When a bite finally occurs, don't overreact. Give the fish plenty of time to take the bait. A quick hook set might yank it right out of a less than hungry mouth. Remember, when the bite is off, the fish are often lethargic and don't really care if they eat or not. So again, give them lots of time.
Slow day fishing tips: Bass can be aggravated into biting by casting and retrieving a bait time after time past its ambush location. On the other hand, Catfish rely mainly on the sense of smell, so the longer a smelly bait is allowed to rest in the same location, the better the chances of tempting "Mr. Whiskers" Crappie hold tight to brush and other cover when not feeding, so the best way to make them strike is to suspended a minnow just above its mouth and then wait. Sooner or later the minnow will become its next victim. Stripers might be the toughest of all fish to entice. Some believe they spend their inactive hours very close or right on the bottom. If this is the situation, they will bite only when the bait is dragged slowly by them.
Tips From Capt. Gus:
When fish are biting, it's called catching. When they aren't biting, its known as fishing.
Upcoming Events:
Thursday, September 24: "Everything You Want to Know About Tying Fishing Knots" will be a free seminar at Gander Mountain, Exit 36, Mooresville. This 90-minute presentation will be conducted by Capt. Gus. Call 704-658-0822 for additional information.
Hot Spots of the Week:
Cooler air and water temperatures have bass and stripers accumulating off deep points and underwater humps. Both are feeding aggressively at the lower end of the lake near the old river channel and in Reeds and Davidson Creeks. Schools of bass are also chasing bait pods on the surface in large coves and boat basins.
Lake Norman's surface water temperature is in the low to mid-80s and the lake level is 3.5' below full pond.
Fishing Forecast:
Sun mixed with clouds and a trophy fish or two.
Capt. Gus Gustafson is a professional fishing guide on Lake Norman. Visit his Web site at www.lakenorman striperishing.com or call 704-617-6812.
Email
Print
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement
