Freshwater Fishing Archives - Page 174 of 292

July 11, 2026

Keeper season for striped bass in the Roanoke River opens on Sunday, March 1, running through April 30.

Commission will open Roanoke River keeper striped bass season March 1

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will open the entire Roanoke River Management Area to striped bass harvest on Sunday, March 1. […]

Crappie are a great target for winter trips on days when the weather cooperates.

Paddle up a winter slab

Bill Howard

The day was projected, according to weather forecasters, to be as beautiful as a winter day could be. Slight winds with a mid-day high in the lower 50s did not seem unbearable. […]

Nice crappie have already moved toward the backs of Kerr Lake's major creeks, and all it will take is a little warm weather to get their appetites cranked up.

Kerr Lake slabs already moving back into big creeks, waiting for warm weather

Dusty Wilson

The arctic blast that swallowed up much of North Carolina may have frozen crappie in their tracks, but rest assured the clock is ticking on a big move to shallower water before the spawn. […]

Steve Pack and Jacob Chalmers show off the kind of blue catfish that have been biting on the upper end of Lake Marion.

Blue catfish bite kicks off in upper end of Lake Marion on rising water

Terry Madewell

It’s only takes a few inches of rising water for the catfish action to go from okay to great in the upper end of Lake Marion, and according to Andy Pack at Packs Landing, the water is rising and the catfish action is on. […]

Rather than battling the elements out in the main lake, wintertime crappie anglers can find fish stacked up under deep water boat docks that provide both shade and cover for the fish.

Forget deep brush, go to deep docks for dead-of-winter Hartwell crappie

Phillip Gentry

According to guide Doug Youngblood, one of the most-productive patterns crappie fishermen can count on in the dead of winter is targeting boat docks in deep water. […]

Most fishermen have all they need to build a homemade downrigger in their tackle box or shop.

Hold onto that hard-earned money; make your own downrigger

Tony Garitta

With striped bass, hybrid bass, spotted bass and white bass in many North Carolina lakes, downriggers have become standard equipment to get baits down to these open-water fish, but they aren’t a poor-man’s fishing tool, with most systems costing more than $200. […]

The Davidson River is know for producing some trophy trout in the section close to the Pisgah Forest Hatchery.

Stay warm and dry on a winter stream

Craig Holt

With water temperatures likely to be in the 30- to 40-degree range through February, staying warm and dry are crucial to enjoying mountain trout fishing. […]

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission sold more than 92,000 trout-fishing permits in 2013.

Mountain trout are North Carolina’s most sought-after fish

Craig Holt

If a contestant on “Jeopardy” buzzed in first after getting the club “The most sought-after fish by North Carolina anglers,” the response would probably be a question involving largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, flounder, red drum or spotted sea-trout. […]

Guide Alan Spence puts pressure on a big, blue catfish on the lower end of Lake Marion.

Don’t go light on tackle

Terry Madewell

Kevin Davis, who runs and guides out of Blacks Camp on the Lake Moultrie end of the Diversion Canal, is quick to point out that fishermen need the right tackle to consistently put heavyweight blue catfish in the boat. […]

Biologists believe Jordan Lake’s crappie are rebounding quite well and not in need of any new size or creel limits.

Should Jordan Lake get new crappie limit?

Craig Holt

The Jordan Lake crappie kill in 2011 also nearly ruined fishing at nearby Shearon Harris Lake last year — at least that’s what guide Freddie Sinclair of Clayton believes. […]