Freshwater Fishing Archives - Page 160 of 293

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August 28, 2026

Zakk Royce of Murfreesboro caught this 81-pound blue catfish last Friday at Lake Gaston.

Lake Gaston spits out another huge blue catfish

Refusing to be ignored as one of North Carolina’s premier trophy catfish destinations, Lake Gaston unveiled another monster last Friday. […]

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has resumed stocking trout in mountain streams after hatchery fish were found not to have whirling disease, which was discovered last month in rainbow trout from the Watauga River.

Hatchery trout are free of whirling disease, Commission reports

NCWRC Release

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission resumed stocking Hatchery Supported trout waters this week after receiving confirmation that trout from Armstrong State Fish Hatchery in Marion and Setzer State Fish Hatchery in Brevard tested negative for whirling disease, a disorder affecting trout. […]

Take a ride on the “midnight express” for more Monticello catfish

Terry Madewell

Hot weather and great catfish action have always gone hand-in-hand, but the sizzling summer sun sometimes puts a damper on the fun factor. But not if you fish at night. […]

Dog days can be for cats

Terry Madewell

August may be known as the dog days, but it’s actually a great time for cats, too, especially the big blues and flatheads of the Santee Cooper. Excellent largemouth and bream action on both lakes also provide opportunities if you know where and how to find them. […]

Watching your depth finder closely is a key to pinpointing the depth to drop your bait around feeding stripers.

Boat, bait and depth control ensure striper success

Terry Madewell

When guide Preston Harden excitedly tells one of his fishing parties to “Get ready, here they come,” you’d better be close to your rod, because somebody’s rod — often several rods — are about to take a nosedive. […]

Planer boards serve a variety of uses, whether free-lining spoons, tiny crankbaits or live bait.

Getting the most from trolling planer boards

Phillip Gentry

Free-lining is a natural presentation of either live or live bait. Rigs can be as simple as a line with a hook on the end. […]

A fiberglass reproduction allows fishermen to enjoy a trophy striped bass for years while being able to release the fish alive.

Replica mounts are the ticket

Phillip Gentry

Most estimates put a 30-pound freshwater striped bass at around 15 years of age. That represents a 15-year investment by a fishery for each fish that goes to the taxidermist. […]

A segment of the movie “The Fugitive” starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones was filmed at Cheoah Dam, which has now become known as “Fugitive Dam” after the success of the movie.

Familiar faces, unfamiliar places

Phillip Gentry

The Cheoah Dam is a hydroelectric complex located in Graham and Swain counties. The Cheoah Development consists of a dam and powerhouse, the first of several constructed by the Tallassee Power Company, now owned by Brookfield Smoky Mountain Hydropower. […]

The Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians has opened in Cherokee.

Fly-fishing museum has opened in Cherokee

North Carolina Sportsman

The Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians opened last week in Cherokee, giving visitors a chance to learn about the history of fly-fishing in the Southeast. […]

Guide William Sasser said the crawfish/hydrilla on Clarks Hill Lake bite for striped bass, hybrids and catfish has been a little late this summer, but has finally come on and is one of the most consistent of the year.

Clarks Hill’s “crawfish bite” for stripers, hybrids has finally kicked in

Phillip Gentry

Fishing weed lines is a no-brainer up north, but few anglers realize that sprawling Clarks Hill Reservoir on the Savannah River along the South Carolina/Georgia border also has plenty of weeds, in the form of hydrilla, that attract tons of fish – particularly striped bass and hybrids. […]