Freshwater Fishing Archives - Page 114 of 293

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August 27, 2026

Don’t let the Kerr Lake slab spawn catch up to you.

Running the slab spawn

Saltwater fishermen often run the tide, moving from spot to spot within a bay or coastal creek to take advantage of a certain water depth where fish are biting. […]

Planer boards open up shallow water to spring crappie trollers.

By the time March rolls around, crappie fishermen across the Carolinas are chomping at the bit for waves of slabs to invade the shallows. And even though tight-line and long-line trolling techniques are proven winners, guides like Brad Taylor of Batesburg, S.C., are adding another wrinkle, using planer boards to spread baits out even farther from the boat and access territory otherwise out of reach. […]

Spotted bass, white perch and hybrid bass often school together on Lake Norman during the winter and other, warmer months, because of their love of open, deeper water and current.

Norman’s striper fishery finally succumbed

Tony Garitta

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission put a great deal of effort into maintaining the put-and-take striped bass fishery in Lake Norman, but to no avail, finally giving up in 2012. […]

Marking fish arcs along pronounced bottom structure like a ledge or hump shows why trusting your depth finder is a big key in catching big winter blue catfish.

Trust your electronics for big catfish

Terry Madewell

Guide Justin Whiteside of Rock Hill trusts his electronics to depict exactly where fish are located and where to present his baits. […]

Lake Monticello will produce plenty of healthy, chunky blue cats for anglers like guide William Attaway.

Float position can help trigger catfish bites on a drift

Terry Madewell

Guide William Attaway said a lot of fishermen prefer to drift-fish and typically will use a standard drift rig that typically works well. […]

A big chunk of white perch is one of a handful of great winter baits for Lake Monticello’s blue catfish.

Use different baits for big Monticello blues

Terry Madewell

Guide Justin Whiteside said he begins each day using a variety of different baits to determine what’s working best. […]

Pay special attention to your depth finder when fishing for crappie in February. Don’t spend much time in areas where you don’t mark slabs or bait, and notice the depth fish are holding and place your baits just above that level.

It’s the little things that matter

Phillip Gentry

Paying attention to details is never more important than when fishing for crappie in cold water, especially in February. If everything is done right, an angler is rewarded with a box full of fish, but missing the mark often means coming up blank. Here are some common tips that often mean the difference between catching a limit and going home empty-handed. […]

Todd Vick poses with a typical wintertime river crappie.

Tips for Haw River’s winter crappie

Brian Cope

It may seem a little early in the year for hot crappie fishing across the Carolinas. But it’s been on fire for those willing to test out the waters a little sooner than most, at least on some days. Whether it’s longline trolling or anchoring over brush piles, anglers are catching plenty of slabs. Especially when the weather and wind are just right. […]

The author (left) caught this nice Lake Murray striper fishing with guide Brad Taylor.

Lake Murray stripers begin to stir

Pat Robertson

With winter’s chill finally being to be replaced by warmer weather, March is a strong month for striped bass on Lake Murray, according to guide Brad Taylor. […]

Hickory shad — like this one the author caught — fill the Roanoke River and its tributaries this month.

Annual shad run sparkles in river

Dusty Wilson

For anglers in the know, fishing the March shad run offers one of the first opportunities since the deep freeze of winter to catch a pile of fish. The Roanoke River will be brimming with hickory shad, and guide Mitchell Blake of Chocowinity, N.C., will be there. […]