Freshwater Fishing Archives - Page 214 of 293

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August 31, 2026

Drifting at around a half-mile an hour accounts for most of the big blue catfish that Van Hughes catches at Kerr Lake.

Thermocline positions summer flathead catfish

Flathead catfish migrate into the Dan and Staunton rivers from April to June to spawn, then return to the main lake in July and August. […]

Van Hughes swears his catfish ‘clunker’ will attract catfish at night when action is slow.

Secret flathead device

Craig Holt

Guide Van Hughes said he discovered a trick that helps him catch flathead catfish. […]

An encounter with a blue catfish eight years ago cost Van Hughes the tip of his middle finger.

Power of blue catfish

Craig Holt

Guide Van Hughes believes in the power of blue catfish, not only because he’s caught many of them but because he lost part of a finger to a 32-pounder. […]

Crappie on Lake Greenwood, Clarks Hill and Lake Murray tend to congregate in certain parts of those reservoirs during the summer.

Night moves

Phillip Gentry

Successful night-fishing for crappie is more than just throwing out lights under a bridge. […]

Channel catfish are supplying action at Lake Hickory, even for young anglers.

Lake Hickory channel catfish are in feeding mode

Craig Holt

If your fishing persuasion during July leans to night excursions for channel catfish, the place to be is Lake Hickory. […]

Largemouth bass action has been great on Tuckertown, Badin and Tillery reservoirs.

Bass bite great on lower Yadkin chain lakes

Craig Holt

The largemouth bite has exploded at Badin, Tillery and Tuckertown lakes, according to Maynard Edwards of Lexington’s Yadkin Lakes Guide Service.
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Luke Wilson with a big crappie taken on a slip float rig during July.

Russell Roulette – Stick to deep water, and Lake Richard Russell will usually produce a great, mixed-bag summertime catch

Terry Madewell

Summertime lock several species of fish into predictable patterns, and that can be a very good thing for fishermen if they adapt their efforts. […]

River Stalkers – Catching tailrace stripers below Catawba and Yadkin dams

Phillip Gentry

Tailraces below dams on the Yadkin and Catawba rivers are great places to catch stripers, and kayaks are the perfect watercraft to fish from. […]

Guide Van Hughes of Stem regularly catches big blue catfish like this one from the deep waters of Kerr Lake.

Magnum cats – Big blues and flatheads await anglers who probe Kerr Lake’s summer waters

Craig Holt

John H. Kerr Reservoir’s fishing reputation once was as a top destination for largemouth bass and striped bass, but those days have disappeared. […]

Guide Rod Wall puts most of his effort into fishing bottlenecks for crappie at night during the summer.

Dancin’ in the dark – Beat the heat and avoid the crowds, then fill your cooler with crappie from Greenwood, Murray and Clarks Hill.

Phillip Gentry

On any given lake, on any given night, particularly during the summer, there are a limited number of spots where a fisherman can go, tie up the boat and have a reasonable chance at catching a cooler full of crappie. […]