Western NC Archives - Page 49 of 74

David Williams of Maiden has a 6-ounce lead after the first day of the BASS Southern Open on Lake Norman.

Maiden pro takes lead in BASS Southern Open on Lake Norman

David Williams of Maiden leads the BASS Southern Open after the first day on Lake Norman with a five-fish limit that weighed 14 pounds, 1 ounce. […]

It doesn’t take a nice brown trout for a fisherman to call a fishing trip a success.

A matter of perspective

Robert Satterwhite

We follow the stream where we can, fishing deep pools and smooth runs in water so clear we can see every detail of the streambed. […]

Night crawlers and other large worms are great live baits for mountain trout in streams where live bait is legal.

I grew up fishing with live bait, catching trout in the upper reaches of Paddy Creek in western Burke County and bream in the large pools in the lower sections, using fat red worms collected from cow patties in the pastures near my home. […]

Fishermen on the French Broad River have been catching plenty of smallmouth bass this summer, including a few like this trophy.

French Broad smallmouth fishing producing good numbers

Craig Holt

Where can anglers find all-day action in a comfortable setting in North Carolina, pass through wonderful scenery and make frequent stops to enjoy a cooling dip? […]

WNC Trout Primer

Jeff Burleson

Some of the best mountain trout fishing in the country is in western North Carolina. […]

Popular terrestrials, left to right: San Juan Worm, Black Ant, Japanese Beetle, Inchworm, Letort Cricket,, Chernobyl Ant, Ladybug, Joe’s Hopper and Jack Cabe Hopper.

Summer: terrestrial time

Robert Satterwhite

In the summer, when insect hatches are sparse, trout depend more on what falls into the water than what hatches in it. […]

Joshua Franklin shows off his surprise catch: a walleye caught while fishing for catfish in Lake Hickory.

Walleye is surprise catch for Lake Hickory anglers

Taylor Pardue

Two Claremont men reeled in a big surprise on Lake Hickory a month ago, but it was no surprise to biologists. Joshua Franklin caught a walleye while fishing at night for catfish with his friend, Evan Hendershot. […]

Fish terrestrials anywhere you would fish a dry fly or nymph.

Keep summer trout hoppin’

Jeff Burleson

Picturesque streams in North Carolina’s mountains pour down from higher elevations, and often, they have a trout lurking behind every rock and gravel bar and under every undercut bank, waiting for something tasty to flow across their dinner plate. […]

Jeff Smith's 4-pound, 1-ounce kokanee salmon, caught June 11 from Nantahala Lake, is the new state record for that unusual species.

State-record kokanee salmon from Nantahala Lake is confirmed

Taylor Pardue

A Mills River man has broken the state record for kokanee salmon. Jeff Smith’s 4-pound, 1-ounce fish, caught from Nantahala Lake on June 11, was verified by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and certified this past Friday. […]

Float trips on the New River have been producing plenty of nice smallmouth bass.

High-country smallmouth beckoning anglers to beat the heat

Craig Holt

With summer causing fishermen and others to look for an escape from the heat, North Carolina’s foothills and mountains offer plenty in the form of smallmouth bass and mountain trout. And according to one guide, the smallmouth fishing in the New River is starting to peak. […]