Freshwater Fishing Archives - Page 158 of 292

July 10, 2026

Finding Norman’s rock reefs

Numerous websites, including one belonging to the N.C. Wildlife Federation, provide map coordinates, not GPS coordinates, for the Lake Norman artificial rock reefs. […]

Channel catfish and blues are both biting at night on Lake Murray when anglers use stink baits in the right spots.

Lake Murray catfish biting at night, especially on stink baits

Brian Cope

Anglers looking for some catfish action will find it at Lake Murray, especially if they fish at night and use stink bait on the bottom. Channel catfish and blues of various sizes are the two main whiskered-fish that are easy to catch right now, and Leesville’s Tony Alexander said he doesn’t see any sign of the bite slowing down. […]

Dropper flies can be dynamite on heavily pressured trout waters.

Drop a dropper on trout

Robert Satterwhite

Droppers give fly fishers the advantage of fishing a dry fly and a nymph at the same time, an especially effective measure when it’s not obvious how trout are feeding. […]

Jackson Boykin shows off the kind of bream that can be caught in rivers, as well as ponds and lakes.

How to catch bream in moving water

Brian Cope

Bream fishing on a river is a different ball game than fishing in a pond or lake, but it can be just as fruitful and rewarding for anglers who don’t mind fishing in these waterways, which are often seen more as catfish waters than bream holes. […]

The author with a nice Clarks Hill striper.

Swipe Clarks Hill stripers this month

Jeff Samsel

The bad news about September on Clarks Hill is that the water is warm — borderline hot — which makes tough customers out of cool-loving striped bass. […]

Fish all night for Blewett Falls catfish

Find out the keys to catching Blewett Falls catfish

Brian Cope

Anglers looking to catch good numbers of catfish are having the most luck at night in Blewett Falls Lake while using live shad for bait. […]

Guide Mike McSwain fights a Broad River Smallmouth

Top 2 lures for Broad River smallmouth

Brian Cope

The smallmouth bass bite is hot on the Broad River, and the fish are hitting especially well in the afternoons on inline spinners and surface lures. […]

Crappie like this one are biting minnow-tipped jigs and Beetlespins

Two fishing methods are catching Moss Lake crappie

Brian Cope

Moss Lake is giving up some nice-sized crappie, and in big numbers to anglers who don’t mind starting their day early. David Darby of Light Oak said going early and fishing in 12 to 15 feet of water is the trick to catching a limit of crappie before lunchtime. […]

This flathead catfish has a mouth big enough swallow most any other fish in the Neuse River, maybe even angler Michael Paxinos.

Cat Man Do – Big flathead catfish live in the narrow section of the upper Neuse River near Kinston in numbers that are worth noticing.

Craig Holt

The first thing you notice when you board Clinton Bardner’s 18-foot flat-bottom aluminum boat — besides a cinder block tied to a sturdy rope — is a landing net large enough to hold a a 9- or 10-year-old kid. […]

Lake Norman’s flourishing population of spotted bass, being more oriented to open water, are commonly caught around the lake’s new rock reefs.

Rock around the clock for Lake Norman bass

Tim Mead

At 32,510 surface acres, Lake Norman is the largest impoundment entirely within North Carolina’s borders. Before it was impounded in 1963 the lake floor was cleared, eliminating a lot of potential cover for fish. […]