With mild fall weather, cat fishing is the most-likely activity to bring lots of results at the Yadkin River lakes, especially High Rock Lake.
Channels, flatheads and blue catfish will hit cut bait until the water temperature drops below 50 degrees, noted Maynard Edwards and Charlie Kingen of Yadkin Lakes Guide Service and Extreme Fishing Concepts (336.247.1287).
“They’ll still be in shallow water and you can catch them while ‘strolling,’” said Edwards.
“Strolling” is Edwards’ term for putting out chunk baits and dragging them across the bottom by using his boat’s trolling motor, set on low enough power to just barely move the baits.
“I like to use big threadfin shad cut up in chunks,’ he said. ‘The heads of shad make the best catfish baits.”
Anglers can catch channel cats weighing up to 16 pounds, while blue and flathead catfish may weigh as much as 40 pounds or even heavier.
“Most of the fish will be in the 3- to 5-foot range on the flats right now or 8- to 10-foot in front of boat docks — until the water temperature drops below 50 degrees,” Kingen said. “Then it’ll be tough to catch them in shallow water.”
Best places to stroll for catfish include High Rock’s relatively shallow feeder streams such as Abbotts, Swearing, Crane and Dutch Second creeks.
For terminal tackle, Edwards and Kingen like to drag six Santee rigs that include terminal tackle with a pencil weight, swivel and 2 1/2-feet of leader and a small cork placed about 4 inches in front of the hook to keep the baits off the bottom.
“Bass fishing is really tough now, and the best chance to catch fish at High Rock are catfish,” Edwards said.
