BASS-tastic: Titans dominate Lake James tournament. The Linville Gorge Wilderness Area is one of the most rugged places on the East Coast. We will get back with you as quickly as possible. We managed close to 20 fish to the net. The key to fishing off colored water is to fish it extremely slow. The Titans had the top three teams and four of the top five on their home lake. We are currently booking in August so please dont hesitate booking. Its visual. Your BASS member number is the 9-digit number that appears on your Bassmaster Magazine label. What a wonderful summer it has been! Read More. The river has an abundant supply of baitfish and crayfish that is needed to grow trophy river smallmouth. We would love to talk to you about the best times of the year to fish or answer any question you may have about fishing. Tournament Scedule Results and Standing View Results You have my promise that our guided trips are the highest quality trip in western North Carolina even though our prices are the most reasonable. The North Carolina mountains boasts plenty of fisheries that contain wild and stocked trout. Start early and end early. The Yadkin River is one of the longest rivers in North Carolina and is home to 4 lakes which include W. Kerr Scott Reservoir, High Rock Lake, Badin Lake, and Lake Tillery. After a long winter many anglers look forward to this time of the year because of the warmer weather and warmer water temperatures. The pats rubber legs is a confidence pattern for me during the winter. This team is truly a pleasure to work with and I am honored to be a small part of it.. The French Broad and Nolichucky Rivers provide great fly fishing opportunities starting in April and ending around October. The team of Allison and Cameran Young placed fifth with 11.91 pounds. The French Broad River is hands down the best smallmouth river in North Carolina. Below are just a few pictures from some of the fish we caught in July! These fish are less pressured and more willing to eat during this time. They are a cross between a brown trout and a brook trout. Anytime you can bring a 19inch fish to the boat its a good day. There are a lot of 10-14 inch fish in the Toe River so the next few years we should some true trophies caught out of the river. Fishing trips are fun for beginners and experienced anglers. Huge boulders and deep plunge pools make up the river and is home to trout and smallmouth bass. The Catawba Angler is a full time fly fishing guide service that provides fly fishing trips 12 months out of the year. We were fortunate to hit this local creek after a cold front came through and cooled the water down to a desired level. Check out this 25 bruiser our guide Jason Wilson put his client on last week. 164 talking about this. Ty Allison, left, and Brayden Padgett step toward the scales with their limit. Its been one of the best smallmouth seasons weve ever had so Im very thankful for that. If you are looking to catch these fish find a creek above 3,000 feet and go explore it. Check out some pictures from the gorge below. Pressure is light and the fish are eager to hit big bugs and streamers. The Catawba Angler was one of the first bass fishing guides in North Carolina to guide on Lake James. If you cant catch them on the pats or the egg then most likely the fish want something a lot smaller so thats when you try your midges, pheasant tails, or flashy bead head nymph patterns. Weve been chasing river smallmouth on the French Broad, Toe, and Catawba Rivers all summer long. We look forward to fishing with you. I believe its one of the most fun trips we offer. We will go into more details about that when the time is right. Fly fishing for river smallmouth in the NC mountains is hands down one of the best things to do when visiting Asheville. Tournament Rules; 2023 Team Trail Schedule; AOY 2023; Calendar; Contact Us; My account; Rock Outdoors the official host of the TBF District 2 National Simi Finals . Improve your nymph fishing by doing this one thing! We were able to hit a local wild trout fishery early morning last week because the smallmouth rivers were blown out. Super Tournament Season About to Get Underway; MLF Marshals Rave About Their Time With the Pros on Lake Murray; Mundy Crushes 40-10 on Sam Rayburn; 2021 BFL Schedule; A lot of times Ill run wool as an indicator since it is such a delicate presentation. Trying throwing some smaller profile flies to match the hatch. The team also weighed in the biggest fish, Weavers 4.32-pounder. If you want to specialize in Euronymphing, Streamer Fishing, Nymphing Fishing, or Dry Fly Fishing we can customize your trip to solely focus on one of these different tactics. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Photos by Josh Davis, blueridgesportsphotography.com. I couldnt do it without her support. Check your Lake Levels Duke Energy. If you are up for the challenge of hiking in and covering alot of ground within the gorge let me know and we will make it happen. Smallmouth will sit in these lines waiting for bugs to drift by. The Catawba River runs through both regions and is home to 7 lakes that offers good bass fishing. Date and time will be announced. In the event of a tie for total weight, the team with the heaviest single fish will be awarded the position. The boat must be registered to one of the team members and must have been purchased directly from Foothills Marine. April 8. During the 90s the NCWRC stocked thousands of brown trout from half-wild brood stocks into the gorge. They are so dedicated to the sport of fishing and they continue to amaze me. Weavers 4.32-pounder was the tourneys biggest fish. Crime fits a regional pattern. The Catawba River is a beautiful stretch of water that holds a good amount of stocked fish. The season points standings have not yet been updated, but McDowell came into Saturdays tourney with five teams in the top 28. Brown trout are elusive and considered one of the most difficult trout species to catch. Macey Allison heads to the scales with her bag. . The are healthy, hard fighting fish which makes for a great day! July is hot, but so is the fishing for river smallmouth. The water is unusually low on the Nolichucky so weve been spending the most time on the French Broad. The Eastern NC Bass Challenge is owned and operated by Jeffrey Davis, Jr. Jeffrey handles all administrative tasks, the tournament blast off and the tournament weigh-in. There are plenty of winter stones on the water so plenty of fish have been eating pats rubber legs in black and brown. There is nothing better than sight casting to a feeding fish with a dry fly and landing it. The best method has been using dry dropper rigs using 5-6x tippet. Lake James is the lowest elevation lake in the Catawba chain that has good fishing for smallmouth bass. Remember to observe all applicable boating laws. All Day. The Big Fish Pot for the Championship will be $20 per boat to be paid back 100% for The Big Largemouth and the Big Smallmouth Prize at the Championship Tournament. This is our best fishery from November to the end of May. This is the pinnacle in fly fishing. These warmer trends have provided excellent fishing on the Catawba, Davidson, Tuckaseegee, and Toe Rivers. The best bite has been when we get a cold front come through and the water temps get around 75 degrees again. There are clients that love indicator fishing and clients that hate it. Go big or go home. The smallmouth fishing is best from the airport in Asheville to the East Tennessee line. We look forward to seeing you on the water. The reaction bite the last two weeks has been nothing short of amazing. These fish are prevalent in the 34 creeks and rivers that get stocked across the mountain region of NC. We are still running trips down there if clients want to chase trophy browns throwing streamers. Smallmouth start chasing during this time and there is no better time to throw moving baits. Yes. The French Broad River is finally at a fishable level so we were able to take a trip there and it fished excellent. We offer half day wade trips for $250 (2 anglers). If your looking to catch fish the odds are high of catching them using something that is going floating through the water column. The good news is that the post spawn bite begins towards the later half of May and fishing will be great till the end of October. August is normally our hottest month here in the mountains, but weve seen some cooler temperatures as of late that has kept the smallmouth and trout bite consistent. The guys that take us up on this guided trip are always happy at the end of the day when they have caught the biggest river smallmouth of their life. Below are some pictures of some recent catches. Bass Tournaments, Championships, Tournaments Phantom Outdoors Classic $ 225.00 Add to cart FIND MORE TOURNAMENTS CATT INCENTIVES The Carolina Anglers Team Trail is widely known for having some of the best cash paybacks available. March 11, 2023. Give us a call this winter if you want to get on the water. TOURNAMENT SPONSORS REGISTRATION If you have never experienced the smallmouth fishing or trout fishing in October then give us a call. 2023 *Nationally Advertised Price; actual sales price determined by dealer. The fish were hitting on top in the shallow water and fished subsurface jigs in the faster, deep water. North Carolina brown trout can get very large and attracts anglers all over the country to try to tango with one. The Blue Ridge Mountains located in NC are a sector of the bigger Appalachian Mountain range that extends more than 500 miles. Skip to content. Successful anglers recognize how fish behavior changes during different weather conditions and adapt their fly selection and presentation. Yes. Augusta County Bass 2023 Schedule - Smith Mt Lake. All Foothills Marine purchased boats qualify, regardless of make, model, or year. The Yadkin River boasts a small population of smallmouth bass and a variety of other species. Daniel Boseman and Jordan Hughes take 1st Place On Kerr Lake, Mike Cathcart and Doug White Win on the Roanoke River. This is where we will hike into a backcountry creek and dry fly fish all day for rising trout. A trophy smallmouth out of the river is anything over 18. The river through the gorge is both wild and powerful in places. The bite started off hot during the morning, but tapered off mid day then the bite picked up significantly in the afternoon. The trout fishing in November will be good. . From backcountry experiences to roadside pull offs there are plenty of trout fishing opportunities for the curious angler in North Carolina. March 18 - 20, 2022 | $142,500. This time of year we throw big jerkbaits and crankbaits for big river smallmouth looking to fatten up before the spawn. Below is a nice brown we caught during a rainstorm on Curtis Creek. Another notable bass fishing lake in the coastal plain region is Lake Waccamaw. The Catawba Angler provides fly fishing and spin fishing trips for trout and smallmouth in Asheville. Bennett made a beautiful cast in the deep, slack water and the fish took off with the jig. The state stocks a lot of these fish in the Delayed Harvest streams in the fall and the spring. The temperature reading on my truck this morning said it was 57 degrees outside. Dress properly with a USCG-approved flotation device and protective gear. Are you an avid Personal Watercraft (PWC) rider, or do you know someone who is? April 14, 2023 Lake Murray primed to shine as Bassmaster Elite Series visits for first time in 12 years . Bigger isnt always better. I think its going to be a dry month so finding creeks and rivers with the most water in it will be key. The last river that is worthy of mentioning in the bass fishing guide in North Carolina is the Pigeon River. Lake James is a 6,800-acre reservoir with depths up to 120 feet, located in the north-central part of the state. There are no upcoming tournaments for this Series. There is no membership fee for this trail. The fluke bite on the Nolichucky during the last days or spring and early summer can be unbelievable. Weve been fortunate to catch some really nice trout on the Catawba River this year. Normally by the second week of March the river smallmouth are moving out of their wintering holes and starting their annual prespawn ritual which involves bulking up for the spawn. The lake is home to many different fish species but the largemouth bass is most sought after. The 10th place finisher each week, will win a paid entry fee for the next Tuesday tournament. The stretch runs through small sections of private land that isnt accessible by foot so these areas yield a bunch of fish. The last two weeks of September was nothing short of amazing. The colder days are more challenging than the warmer ones but downsizing your flies on the colder days have been vital to our success. Numbers of fish can be high and there are opportunities at some very large holdover brown trout. Jeffrey travels all over the country competing in Regional and National events including the MLF Toyota Series, MLF BFL Regional Championships, and BASS Opens. Father/Son team of Fry & Fry win over $20,000 on day 2 at LbJ with 20.72 lbs. Your BASS member number is the 9-digit number that appears on your Bassmaster Magazine label. October is usually the month we see our biggest smallmouth hit our nets. If you are on the hunt for that one big fish this is still the fishery to target. If you are interested in spending eight days cruising 600 miles on the Tennessee River and raising money for the Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, then this is the place for you! The water temperature here during the winter is 50-55 degrees which is alot warmer than the freestone streams in the mountains. July was an excellent month of fishing even though it rained almost every day. The lakes in the mountain and Piedmont regions are the result of dammed rivers. The NCWRC stocked a bunch of browns this past November in the 8 range so Im expecting that stock to provide some good fishing over the next few years. If any undersize fish are brought to the scales, then that contestant (team) will be disqualified from that evening's tournament. If float fishing isnt your thing then we got some excellent wade fishing opportunities chasing stocked and wild trout. There is a healthy population of wild brown trout in the Davidson River so that is a good start for most anglers looking to catch one. No short fish are allowed at the scales. Mends are vital to your success when drifting poppers. . (opens in new window), Follow Foothills Marine Center on Instagram! Any references to other companies or their products are for identification purposes only, and are not intended to be an endorsement. All Fish must measure at least 14". We are a BASS and BASS Nation affiliated organization. The lake is home to some big largemouth bass and is also known as a put and take striper lake where the state stocks 25,000 fingerling every year. The wild trout streams are waking up from winter and offering good fly fishing. The best time to throw topwater poppers is during the summertime and early fall during June-September. News . There are a lot of June bugs out so weve been having some good luck using smaller bugs on the Toe River. We catch some of the bigger, smarter fish that survive the influx of people during the wintertime. We should be drying out here in the mountains over the next month and the fishing on the French Broad should be excellent. Another productive fly has on the delayed harvest rivers has been orange sucker spawn eggs with a gold bead. 7th Place through the last weigh-in position will be one (1) point increments with 7th receiving 87 points. This requires anglers to make longer casts and get flawless drifts over the fish to get eats. Kenneth Witek & Russell Kessler win over $20,000 on day 1 at LBJ. Tournament Results Yadkin Tuckertown Lake, NC April 15, 2023. As long as the French Broad stays clear we will be on it. The weather in the spring can be unpredictable so I tell clients we fish conditions not dates on a calendar. Teams wishing to be counted as in attendance, for the purpose of accumulating points for the season, but are unable to attend, payment in full can be made prior to blast off and the team will be counted as participating. Pretty simple setup. The fishing is fantastic and the scenery is second to none. The Pigeon River is a trophy smallmouth river. Curtis Creek has been fishing consistent but its best to go early morning or late evening when the light isnt directly above the water. The smallmouth fishing around western North Carolina has been excellent since the beginning of May and will continue to be good all summer. If you are a beginner wanting to book your first float trip and learn the ropes of fishing from a boat then this stretch is for you. You want to look for moving water with white bubbles close to structure. Logan and Hannah Roberts placed third with 13 pounds. Lisa and I chased red breasted sunfish, trout, and smallmouth on a local fishery and we managed to catch close to 20 fish on the fly rod. This stretch has long, deep holes that hold good populations of bass in the summertime moving upstream from the lake looking for those cooler river temperatures. The Linville River drops 2000 feet in elevation as it meanders 12 miles through the steep gorge walls and eventually dumping into Lake James. Its proved itself over and over, year after year on these mountain rivers. You cant beat that in late August. The Catawba Tailrace is slowly starting to fish better and better. Complete Bassmaster Tournament Trail Schedule - find out which lakes your favorite pro anglers are fishing and when the bass tournaments will take place. One indicator that it is a stocked fish is that some of its fins are nubs. Blake James: 5: 10-4: Rhea County High School - TN: 39: Carter Pjesky - JD Mcbroom: 5: 10-2: . . Only smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass will be weighed. We guide clients in the Pisgah National Forest for wild trout and we float the larger rivers such as the Catawba, Toe Rivers, and the Tuckaseegee Rivers for stocked trout year round. We have had some stellar days on the delayed harvest waters. The fishing in the spring is consistent all day long because of the suitable water and air temps. Fish tournaments to win single event awards and earn points to qualify for the National Championship (High School). During this time, they get a chance to learn different skills from some of the well-known local guys. Pop Em: Normally the best time to pop poppers is early morning and late evening when the sun is low. The 2023 season will feature over $2,200,000 in guaranteed prizes and payouts with events in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New York, North Carolina . Zeb Koone and Joseph Gowan placed 14th with 9.84 pounds; Caden Gettys and Kaden Elkins were 18th with 8.60 pounds; and Jackson Dowdle and Mason Brewer placed 35th with 6.59 pounds. Dont miss out on some beautiful scenery and some good fishing in the mountains of NC! For the second time this week, the offense was not at full capacity for the McDowell Lady Titans, resulting in another loss. In the spring these lakes warm up faster than the deep man made lakes in the piedmont and mountain region so the prespawn bite on these lakes occur here before any other lake in the state. The majority of these insects life besides terrestrials are spent underwater so nymph fishing is usually the best method for putting fish in the net. Thanks for reading our report. A crayfish pattern isnt supposed to be fished fast and a fleeing minnow isnt supposed to be fished slow so Im big on informing my clients how fast you need to retrieve certain flies. (West to East) All three regions boasts some excellent bass fishing in the lakes and rivers. We would love to have you join the Carolina Bassers fishing club. No restrictionon boat brand, year model, or horse power designation. Below is a brown trout from a hatchery supported section we are able to float in April and May. We do catch smallmouth year round using light spinning tackle, but if fly fishing is your thing then its best when the water temps warm up and the bass are most aggressive. See the example magazine labels below. When Im fishing indicators, my set up is the following: My fly line connects to a section of 3.5 ft fluorocarbon (15 pound) line that connects to a tippet ring using a loop knot. Normally when they first stock the first will hit anything flashy in the color of pink and yellow. What was cool about catching this fish is that Ive had a few encounters with it over the last few years where I see it chase out smaller fish we hook. Summertime is terrestrial season. CATT GOLD - $120 Entry $130 at Ramp. It may also contain trademarks belonging to other companies. This is a secluded stretch of water that isnt the easiest to get to, but that is what makes it special. There is no membership fee for this trail. The fish measured 19.5 inches and weighed right at 3.4lbs. 2023 Phoenix Bass Fishing League - Table Rock Lake weigh-in (4/15/2023) 22h Phoenix Bass Fishing League. The Linville Gorge holds some very large brown trout and is slowly becoming more of a smallmouth fishery. Enjoy the photos. And, as you will see, it makes a difference. April 8. Weve all heard about the 50 degree magic in the Spring and Fall seasons for smallmouth. (903) 984-0541. The bigger rivers that meander through the NC mountains provide good fly fishing for river smallmouth as well. The fall trout fishing in western North Carolina is something every fly angler should experience. Lake Norman Phantom Outdoors Classic Dec 1-2, 2023! I appreciate you taking the time to read our reports. Spring provides some of the best dry fly fishing of the year on our local creeks and rivers. Below are some recent photos of some of the fish weve caught on the Tuck. We offer half day trips for $300 for two anglers and full day trips for $400 for two anglers. Bass are a favorite target of sporting anglers, while walleye are the focus of many who are looking for table fare. There is a time and place for fast retrieves but thats during the summer. It is exciting when the fish blow these baits up right at the bank. Some of the best fly fishing is within a short drive of Asheville, North Carolina. Ask us about the ones that have gotten away. We are throwing a variety of baits and flies for prespawn smallmouth. This takes a lot of dedication and skill to rock hop through the gorge searching for that trophy fish. Hopefully, well see you on the water! October is going to be good for trout and smallmouth. They stock some big brown, brook, and rainbow trout in Curtis so a lot of clients that we take fishing normally catch their personal best here. There are alot of fish in the river right now so let us take you to them and show you how to be a better angler. Thanks for taking the time to read the article! The key to this fishery being successful is the survival rate of these stocked fish. This is a game changer. Below are some of the biggest fish weve caught out of the Tailrace. The French Broad and Nolichucky smallmouth are in their prespawn phase bulking up for the spawn. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Check out the fish we caught in October fly fishing Curtis Creek. September has come to an end but it was definitely a month to remember. This is exciting fishing because its all visual. Spartans and Lady Spartans take first spring encounter over county rival, McDowell softball drops second road game in a row, MHS Weekly Preview: Baseball and softball in the playoff hunt with key games, Eight-run first inning dooms Titans at Enka, England's Lionesses prepare for World Cup as interest in women's football grows, Dallas Mavericks fined $750,000 for trying to lose game against Chicago Bulls, MLS player given six game ban for racist remark, WTA announces return to China, ending boycott over Peng Shuai allegations. We pay cash prizes to 1 out of every 6 teams that are competing. We prefer to fish this river in the winter because its less crowded then and its a great time to rip big streamers for big fish. 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