SEPTEMBER
Kings & Spanish: Nearshore
September brings king mackerel in close where they can be caught together with their smaller cousins. A few kings get caught by anglers casting from piers and by other means, but the most popular way to target them is to troll slowly with spreads of live bait. "Tournament fishing," as this tactic is commonly called, is a highly efficient way to catch kings and larger Spanish.

Kings can be found along the beaches at times during September. Nearshore reefs and ledges also can be productive. A key to finding mackerel, veteran fishermen contend, is finding good concentrations of menhaden and other baitfish. Diving birds also help anglers key in on kings and Spanish.

Popular baits include live menhaden, spots, cigar minnows and ribbonfish, sometimes with skirts added to baits to get the fish's attention. Some king fishermen also like to put big minnow-shaped baits in their trolling rigs during September.

OCTOBER
Trout: Smoky Mountains
The combination of spectacular colors and spawning brown trout makes October a fabulous month to wade up a stream in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. While autumn colors bring hordes of vacationers to the Smokies, most folks stay on the main roads and a handful of popular trails. With so many streams to pick from in the park, an angler is apt to have a long section of wonderful waters completely to himself.

All the major streams on the North Carolina side of the Smokies offer outstanding trout fishing. Deep Creek, which rises near Newfound Gap, is legendary for its big wild brown trout. The best waters in most streams are accessed only by hiking streamside for several miles. Backpacking is a terrific approach.

Streams tend to run low and very clear in the fall, so anglers have to move with stealth. A quiet approach, well-placed cast and good drift are all more important than picking the perfect fly. Attractor dry flies with small nymph droppers work well. Very small jigs and in-line spinners/fly combinations work well for spin-fishermen. Only single-hook artificial lures may be used in the park.

NOVEMBER
Red Drum: Outer Banks
Late fall is prime time to hit the beaches and throw offerings well out into the surf with extra-long surf rods and plenty of weight. Anglers drive four-wheel-drives with partially deflated tires onto the beaches, and then step into the surf while wearing waders and warm clothes to cast for heavyweight red drum.

Incredibly strong, massive redfish create huge thrills and earn bragging rights for anglers, who then slide the big drum back into the surf to be caught again another day. Inlets between islands and points of land that stretch into the surf offer the best prospects. Cape Point, the classic spot to target big reds on Hattaras, remains outstanding; however, fishing pressure can be intense at the cape, and many other spots produce fine fishing.

Live finger mullet and menhaden, big chunks of cut mullet and blue crab baits are the most popular offerings for big redfish. Anglers fish all the way around the clock and throughout the tide cycles; however, the best fishing definitely occurs at night, and veteran anglers generally favor outgoing tides.

DECEMBER
Blue Catfish: Lake Norman
Reports of Lake Norman's big blue catfish had been creeping out for the past several years, but a new state-record blue landed last summer by Joel Lineberger blew the lid off the whole thing. Blues, which aren't native to any North Carolina waters, have become very well established in Lake Norman, and high numbers of fish have grown to large sizes.

Defying catfishing stereotypes, blue catfish offer very good fishing through the cool months. In fact, many anglers like winter fishing better than summer fishing. The key to finding big blues during the winter is to find big concentrations of baitfish. The blues will hang out directly beneath the baitfish, often suspended well off the bottom. Anglers targeting blues commonly catch stripers as well (and vice versa).

Anglers use as bait the same baitfish the big cats are feeding on, dropping whole or cut baitfish straight below and counting them down to just below the school of baitfish. Because of the immense size that blue catfish can grow to, stout rods and reels and strong line are absolutely essential.