Lake Norman 5/21

[geneinnc]

My cousin invited me to Lake Norman to fish the lower end near Denver, NC at the Beaties Ford Access. What a great landing that is. 4 ramps, huge paved parking lot with bathrooms and a playground for the kids.

We launched at 6:45am under a fire red sun. Yes, red sky in morning, and these sailors took warning. There's a couple of stretch on Norman where the wind can build up steam untouched. We had 2 foot white caps by 730am.

The water in the coves was gin clear with 73 degrees. The water on the main Channel points was getting some stain from the waves by 9am.

We struck out on top water the first hour and a half on spooks, hula poppers and plastic flukes, very disappointing because most of the bite was on top from the reports we got.

We switched over to finesse, me with a Ned rig and my cousin on a trick worm. We both got half hearted hits but that was it. My cousin landed the first spot of the day.

We moved to the McGuire nuclear hot hole to catch the major feed time, 8 til 10am. We hit the major point on the way in, keying in on docks near the point and my cousin landed another spot.

I switched to a different color trick worm than my cousins, and dropped it off the end of a dock and something picked it up immediately. When I set the hook the rod doubled over and the drag was screaming. I kind of new it wasn't a largemouth or spot, more like a striper or hybrid. I got wrapped up 3 times and was waiting for my 8lb leader to snap. Everytime it came loose it was another run deep. By then I knew it was a catfish since those things have been ruining my gear for a while now. We finally got it in the boat and it had bent my Keitech shaky head hook almost straight. They are a mess but they do put up a fight.

We finished up trying to see the fish schooling on top. That was pretty much impossible with the waves white capping. The wind was blowing directly in the hot hole and it was losing visibility by the minute. The cooling water off the nuclear reactor had the water at 85°!

Not the best day and not the worst. The trick worms on a shaky head bailed us out again but no topwater action was a bummer!
We were out of there by noon as planned.

Be safe!

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[Mike Cork]

That's a good eat'n size cat right there. Fillet and cut in strips m-m-good Thanks for the report

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[geneinnc]

That trash eater broke my rod. I guess a Texas rig hook set is not a good thing on a finesse rig with braid!

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[Princeton_Man]

Great report Gene! That thing may have broken your rod, but you can at least get a meal out of it.

[Mike Cork]

If it broke my rod I'd definitely introduce it to Lake Crisco 

[Rangerman]

Enjoy my Lake Best Boat Ramps in the State, lots of fish Y'all Come.  LKN is awsome   Traffic Sucks