Fishing in heat of day uncomfortable

Summertime heat has made fishing on area lakes a hot, sweaty and often uncomfortable during the past few weeks.

With temperatures hitting 95 and higher, surface water temperatures can reach 88 to 91 degrees, making fishing during the day rough for most fishermen.

On High Rock Lake, early morning and late evening has been the most productive time for largemouth bass. Spinner baits and buzz-baits early in the morning have produced some great bass averaging 3 pounds.

Large schools of fry shad can be seen on the surface in most portions of the lake, with schools of white perch, white bass, small stripers and largemouth bass feeding actively.

Some bass fishermen have learned to beat the heat and fish at night. Several successful fishermen have been seen using buzz-baits and white spinner baits near lighted areas such as Tamarac Marina and other places where lights shine onto the water.

Some catch fish weighing up to 5 pounds, with most catches coming in the 2-3 pound range.

July is a great time to use deep diving crank baits. Colors range from the common shad color to electric blue/with chartreuse sides. Concentrate on rocks, stumps and drop-offs that range from 18- 25 feet.

As the day heats up, bass will move to the coolest, most oxygen rich area they can find with structure.

Stripers, crappie

Fishermen are still catching striped bass despite the conditions on High Rock and Tuckertown lakes. Although many fishermen practice catch and release, stripers have a high mortality rate when caught in hot weather.

If the fish is within the legal size and creel limits, it’s best to take what you caught home and enjoy a fish dinner instead of releasing the fish to die.

Stay within the law and practice good ethics when fishing.

Crappie continue to bite across High Rock Lake, but the best catches are being made on deep water structure. Fish over a pound have been seen weekly, even during the hottest days. Most fishermen seem to do best early in the morning until about 10:30, or at night. Minnows are hard to beat for bait, although small jigs work when fished on the structure.

Catfish continue to bite, with channel cats being the most easily caught on High Rock Lake. Cut shad, chicken liver, stink bait and worms will usually put Mr. Whiskers in the bucket. Flathead catfish up to 30 pounds continue to be caught using live bluegill, goldfish and shad.

White perch are biting in the tailrace of High Rock Dam. Use cut bait, worms or small jigs with a light spinning rod to have a fun evening of reeling them in. Buckets and coolers full of perch are seen regularly, with the best bite usually in the evenings as long as water is being discharged from the power plant. Small stripers, largemouth bass and catfish are also actively feeding in the same area.

Education classes

A free boating safety class will be held Aug. 1 at 1 p.m. at the Rowan Rescue Squad on Julian Road. The class includes six hours of instruction and a certification test at the end.

Class is open to the public, although early signup is encouraged due to limited available space.

Sign up online at www.ncwildlife.org or by calling Master Officer J.B. Harrill at 704-680-2131.

Law enforcement

N.C. Wildlife officers have been patrolling High Rock Lake and conducting safety inspections on vessels, checking life jackets, fire extinguishers and navigation lights among other equipment.

During these inspections officers have arrested 25 boating while impaired suspects on High Rock Lake alone. Several suspects had a alcohol content of more than .20 after a chemical analysis of their breath was performed. Many of these same suspects were traveling toward the boat ramp to leave the lake and drive home.

People who choose to drink alcohol to the point that they become impaired, then drive a motorboat or a motor vehicle are placing themselves, their family, friends and the general public in danger.

Wildlife officers have joined Rowan and Davidson County Sheriff’s departments in working to remove suspects that operate motorboats while impaired. The local court systems are strictly enforcing the law and suspects that are found guilty face a class two misdemeanor, with fines and other punishment the court may believe is necessary.

Boaters are reminded to have a designated driver familiar with how to operate the boat if alcoholic beverages are going to be part of your day on the lake. An impaired person may try to remove the designated driver if he or she is not familiar with the boat or lake. Suspects have been observed exchanging seats with the designated driver in the last 200 yards to the boat ramp.

Of course, if an impaired person operates the boat even for a brief time or distance, he or she may be arrested.

The largest concentration of motorboats most weekends on High Rock Lake is in Crane Creek at Goat Island. For years, this has been the go-to spot for rest, relaxation and family fun.

Unfortunately, this area has become a notorious place for impaired boat operation, reckless boating, illegal drugs and fights. Human waste, litter and broken bottles are scattered about the small island.

Officers regularly patrol the area and things generally appear calm, but once the officers leave, small groups of troublemakers often begin to engage in illegal activity. Although statistics are not kept, hardly a weekend passes without some sort of incident at this location. Officers arrested four impaired operators on one day recently near Goat Island.

If you observe illegal activity while boating, call 911 or the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission at 1-800-662-7137.

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E-mail Sgt. Anthony Sharum of the N.C. Wildlife Resources at huntfishguy66 @aol.com.