Non-stop bass action at Hyco Lake

50-fish days are possible in June

In more than 25 years of guiding, Joel Richardson of Kernersville has taken clients to Shearon Harris, Jordan, High Rock, Kerr, Gaston and other largemouth bass factories. But he cites 3,750-acre Hyco Lake in Person County as his favorite body of water for bass fishing trips.

“I may not fish Hyco for a year, but when I return I know I can put my clients on plenty of bass,” said Richardson. “It’s not uncommon to catch as many as 50 largemouth a day. The majority of fish will be under 3 pounds, but the action can be non-stop. And there’s always the possibility of a big fish. Sometimes, 50 bass can be caught in one place if I find a large school.”

A 2018 N.C.Wildlife Resources Commission survey at Hyco affirms Richardson’s glowing view of the fishery. 

The survey revealed that the number of fish caught was above average at 96 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing and that 80-85% of the bass in the lake weigh 1-2 pounds.

“Anglers can expect to catch higher numbers of fish during fishing trips compared to nearby lakes like Mayo,” said fisheries biologist Kelsey Roberts.

The fish at Hyco have a diverse menu. They can dine upon crawfish, gizzard shad, threadfin shad and tilapia, though the latter have declined in numbers with the reduction of hot water being discharged at the hot hole. 

“The main impact of the discharge is the current that’s associated with it,” said Richardson. “The current has a positive effect upon the fishing in the area. In turn, there’s a lot of fishing pressure near the hot hole.”

Although numbers of bass can be caught year-round at Hyco, Richardson (www.joelgrichardson.com) said one of the most productive months is June. The majority of bass have spawned, and post-spawn fish reside both shallow and deep.

Bass are at all depths

“In June, you can fish about any way you like and catch fish because fish are at all depths,” said the veteran guide.

For a shallow bite, Richardson said dingy water at the upper end of the lake is best. The main targets are boat docks, laydowns, logs, rocks and stumpy flats. 

“The number of boat docks on Hyco has increased in recent years, though the lake remains largely undeveloped compared to waters like High Rock and Norman,” said Richardson. “Not long ago, very few docks dotted the lake.”

Richardson flips docks in 10 feet of water or less with a black jig or plastic worm. Other effective colors in the murky water include blue and purple.

For flipping, he uses a heavy 6 1/2- to 7-foot rod paired with a high speed reel with a 6:1 ratio. The reel is filled with 17- to 20-pound monofilament line.

“I don’t like fluorocarbon line for flipping,” he said. “I’m afraid it will break off, which it’s been known to do.”

Many local tournaments are won at the docks. 

“The dock bite doesn’t surrender many fish, just bigger fish,” said Richardson. “You’re not going to catch 50 fish from the docks.”

For dock fishing, Richardson prefers sunny days with little wind.

Shallow-runnning crankbaits and spinnerbaits entice fish around other shallow cover. 

“The  shoreline features lots of rock and stumpy places that can be found by cranking or by using your electronics,” said Richardson. “There can also be a good topwater bite with Pop-R lures and buzzbaits in the mornings.”

Most of the time, Richardson can be found fishing offshore structure in June.

Crank ‘em up

He probes long points, high spots, and the ends of islands in 10 to 18 feet of water with deep-running crankbaits. If the deep structure harbors rocks and stumps, so much the better.

Deep-water cranking really excites Richardson because he knows if he finds a school of offshore bass he can load up and catch 50 or more bass in a hurry.

His cranking outfit consists of a medium-heavy 7-foot rod and a matching baitcasting reel. But his line selection is the key. He favors 10- to 12-pound monofilament instead of fluorocarbon line.

“The lake bottom has lots of mussels, and mussels are hard on fluorocarbon line more than monofilament line,” said Richardson. “I’m a rugged fisherman and fish a lot of cover. I don’t like to have fish break off.”

Richardson’s line size also allows his crankbaits to achieve their maximum action and depth.

When the offshore bite fizzles in dingy water, he’ll move to the lower end of the lake near the hot hole where the water turns clear and tries cranking deep structure in that area.

In the clear water, he uses crankbaits in shad patterns.

If cranking doesn’t produce, he fishes deep structure using jigs, Carolina rigs, plastic worms and Shaky heads.

When he resorts to a C-rig, he selects plastics in red bug or green pumpkin, effective hues in clear water. With the C-rig, he switches to 17- to 20-pound fluorocarbon line.  

Change in water color 

“The bridge near Hyco Marina marks the place where the water color changes from dingy to clear and separates the upper end of the lake from the lower end,” said Richardson. “It’s also a place that holds its share of bass. Usually, the windy side will draw more fish to it than the calm side. Fish the rip-rap with spinnerbaits and medium-running crankbaits and if you don’t mind losing baits, black or blue jigs.”

If the thought of catching 50 largemouth bass a day doesn’t thrill you, then Hyco offers another enticement. 

In June 2019, the Commission stocked 37,500 hybrid fingerlings in the lake. This year, the lake has exploded with hybrids weighing 2 to 4 pounds. These willing strikers are ready to take up the slack whenever the largemouth bite slows.

Hyco electrofishing survey

The 2018 electrofishing shoreline survey of Hyco Lake reveals 80-85% of  the largemouth bass weigh 1-2 pounds.

Fisheries biologist Kelsey Roberts said the bass fishery at Hyco is surveyed every three to four years. The 2018 results are the most currently available.

In the 2018 survey, biologists collected 403 largemouth bass; the number of fish caught per hour was above average at 96 fish per hour of electrofishing. The growth rate, whereby bass reached 14 inches by age 5, was slightly below the average growth rate for Piedmont reservoirs. About 80% of the fish surveyed were age 5 or younger. A quarter of the fish were greater than 14 inches.

The data translates into great fishing for numbers of small bass.

“Anglers can expect to catch higher numbers of fish during fishing trips compared to nearby lakes like Mayo,” said Roberts.

Though most of the fish will be small keepers, Roberts said bigger fish are available.

“We know that anglers can catch fish greater than 4 pounds, and a 5-fish daily limit can be over 20 pounds,” said Roberts. “The best bass fishing is likely in the late fall and the early winter.

“The largemouth bass population has not changed much over the last decade,” said Roberts. “It has historically consisted of younger individuals with below average body conditions and growth. The Commission encourages anglers to harvest individuals that are 12-14 inches long to reduce competition between the smaller bass and allow more fish to break into the larger classes.”

While contamination issues have been a concern at Hyco, Bill Norton, a spokesman for Duke Energy, said:

“Duke Energy has monitored water quality in Hyco Lake for decades, including surface water testing and fish community studies. As shared with state regulators, the data demonstrates the lake is safe for recreation and maintains a self-sustaining community of regionally common fish species.”