High Country Smallmouth

Summertime means hot smallmouth action in WNC

The month of August is hot, even in the mountains of western North Carolina. The smallmouth fishing is just as hot on the French Broad, the Toe, and the Catawba rivers, according to Matt Evans of the Catawba Angler in Asheville, NC.

“It’s hot, but so is the fishing for river smallmouth. We chase river smallmouth all summer long,” said Evans (828-460-2390).

With summer storms often popping up numerous times a week, the hardest part of river fishing here is finding water that isn’t churned up by rain and runoff.

“The key to having a successful day is finding somewhat clear water,” he said.

Sometimes, Evans said anglers just have to make due with what they have available. And that usually means slowing things down a lot.

“The key to fishing off-colored water is to fish it extremely slow. This will test any angler’s patience, but it’s vital to success,” he said.

It’s never a bad idea to try topwater flies, but anglers should understand it’s hit or miss this time of year.

“The topwater bite for the flyfisherman is excellent on some days, and mediocre on others,” he said.

One thing Evans looks out for is those summer storms, which can lower the air and water temperatures. And that improves the fishing, at least temporarily.

“The best bite will occur when we get a cold front come through, and the water temps get around 75 degrees again. Once this happens, the bite turns on,” he said.

Low water also makes things easier on anglers, at least in terms of locating the smallmouth.

“When the water is lower, it pushes bass into isolated areas looking for higher oxygen content. We will be fishing low water into the fall. And those conditions create some good topwater fishing,” he said.

August might not be Evans’ favorite month for fishing in the mountains, but he said it’s still not a bad way to spend a day outside.

“The best bite of the year is right around the corner. But right now, you can still see some beautiful scenery and do some good fishing in North Carolina’s mountains,” he said.