Lake James smallmouth fishing with Carolina ALL OUT

October’s cooling temperatures prompt big bites

Lake James is one of North Carolina’s aquatic treasures, and one reason for that is the smallmouth bass fishing. Chris Douglas of Carolina ALL OUT joined NC Wildlife’s Aquatic Fisheries Coordinator Scott Loftis to see what it’s all about in Season 7, Episode 1 of Carolina ALL OUT TV.

Douglas pointed out the 6500-acre reservoir is one of the best for smallmouth fishing in North Carolina.

Loftis said October brings a lot of changes to the lake, and to the fish, with the cooling temperatures.

Transition period

“October is definitely a transition period for them. The water temperature is starting to drop, and the fish are starting to feed a little bit more as they’re getting ready for the wintertime,” he said. “The smallmouth will be roaming around chasing after threadfin shad and river herring.”

Loftis looks for topwater action in the early morning hours, and he finds the smallmouth in a variety of areas of the lake, mostly out in open water.

It’s important for anglers to be accurate with their casts when these fish are roaming, even out in the middle of the lake.

“When they start breaking, even in open water, you’ve got to have pinpoint accuracy,” he said.

And when an angler hooks up, it’s always a good idea for another angler to cast a lure right where that hookup took place. These fish are often in schools, and when one fish hits a lure, it gets the other ones fired up.

try deep

As the sun gets up, Loftis likes to throw a drop shot in deeper water, which usually results in hooking up in short order. But he doesn’t give up on the topwater bite entirely. It’s not at all uncommon for the smallmouth to continue schooling on the surface.

And when the deep drop bite just isn’t there, he said it’s always fun to go back to a topwater lure, and scan the surface looking for activity, casting only when you see action.

Fisheries biologists like Loftis, as well as every day anglers, have some concern about the smallmouth bass fishing here, because Alabama bass were introduced into Lake James some time ago. These invasive fish cross-breed with smallmout, watering down the gene pool.

See the full video of Lake James Smallmouth on Season 7, Episode 1 at youtube.com/@carolinaallout. ■