Randleman Dam kicking along strong for bass

Although some bass anglers are saying fishing at Randleman Dam Reservoir, piedmont North Carolina’s newest bass impoundment, has slacked off after its hot first year, at least one largemouth guide thinks that’s not the case.

“It’s as good this year as it was last year when it opened,” said Joel Richardson of Kernersville (www.joelgrichardson.com, 336-643-7214). “We went a couple days ago and caught 60.

“I think some people are saying (bass fishing has slowed) because they’re not catching as many as they did last year, but from what I’ve been seeing (on his depth-finders and from daily catches), the fish are still there. They’re just a little harder to catch right now.”

When he fishes Randleman Reservoir, Richardson prefers to be on the water at daylight or during the evening hours.

“Right now I’m catching bass at Randleman with buzzbaits and Pop-Rs in the shallows in the mornings around the mouths of coves,” he said. “And I’m catching them on steep banks from 4 p.m. until dark on steep banks.”

His most productive lures, however, are soft-plastic worms.

“If you’re going for numbers of bass, throw Texas- and Carolina-rigged worms along the steeper shady banks in 6 to 12 feet of water,” he said. “If you can find rocks, stumps and laydowns at those type places, you can catch fish all day long.”

However, most of those bass are running from 2 to 3 pounds, and Richardson likes to target bigger fish. To do that he throws a Texas or Carolina-rig in 10 to 12 feet of water or a crankbait.

“You’re more likely to catch a 4-pounder or better in deeper water,” he said.

His plastic worms are 6- to 8-inch-long varieties in red shad, green pumpkin or June bug.

“Bass love the June bug color at Randleman for some reason,” Richardson said. “I think it might have something to do with the color of the water. Right now it’s kind of a brown, tannic-acid color, kinda like (Shearon) Harris gets in June.”

When fishing deeper spots, Richardson also retrieves a now out-of-production, flat-sided Hawg Caller crankbait that runs about 12-feet deep.

“The closest thing to it would be a Poe’s Series 300, Bagley DD3 or Fat Free Shad,” he said. “The color patter is chartreuse, a bluegill type pattern with a green back and orange belly.”