Well it is finally that time of year where most come out of hibernation. When we step outside we find sounds birds chirping, lawnmowers, we see the trees/plants blooming and experience the pollen falling all around. With the signs of new life everywhere, this tells us that the fishing is good!!! The water temperature is rising the fish are fertile and entering the spawning season. With this we find the fish moving up shallow and feeding more aggressive just before they mate. A good rule of thumb around Lake Norman is looking for the dogwood trees to bloom and hit the water. Most bass will be up on the shallow flats making beds to spend days guarding their fry. If you see a bed with a bass sitting on it the guarding, then the larger female should be out just a little deeper on a nearby drop or point. Great time to throw search baits and cover some water in that area to try and land a giant bass. The crappie will be transitioning back and forth from mid range depths of around 15' to the banks but will be mostly around wooded cover. Tie on a slip bobber with a good ol' crappie minnow and start searching starting near the bank. This is a easy way to load the boat with tons of slabs! Enjoy this special time of the year with the nice comfortable temperatures and feeding fish while and take in the great outdoors!!! Oh yeah and if you want a real trophy then "Take A Kid Fishing"!!! ~Captain Will

As the days start to get shorter the water temps finally decline out of the 80's. This puts the fish in a much more active state which makes us anglers thrive even more to be on the water chasing after a variety of these aquatic species as their metabolism increases daily. I would even go as far to say that fall fishing on Lake Norman is my favorite time of the year to be out on the water! My reasoning is: The weather much appreciated after just coming off of a hot summer in the south, The fish are actually easier to predict and more acceptable to bite, the lake water doesn't feel like water from your bathtub, The scenic aspect is amazing with the colors reflecting off the glass covered lake......And mostly, the lake doesn't get as much boat pressure and is much more relaxing while out there. So I would encourage folks to get out this fall and see what Norman has to offer and you might be surprised at how many nice fish you land. I know where I will be...... SET'N HOOKS!!! ~Captain Will