Mike Marsh.

OCTOBER
Muskellunge
Lake James
The secret is out about the great muskie fishing at Lake James. Muskies take plenty of work, with anglers casting lures that weigh 1/2 pound all day long in hopes of just seeing one fish.

It pays to be in excellent physical shape, as well as maintaining a positive attitude because you never know when a big muskie will strike. Sometimes they just take a look at the lure, taking the angler off guard, and then just as quickly dart away. Other times, they take the lure and spit the hook before the angler can strike back. But every now and then, the stars are aligned and everything makes the right connection. A muskie goes airborne and the battle is on.

Anglers use heavy superbraid lines and baitcasting tackle to make their “10,000 casts” necessary to get a muskie strike. Wire leaders are mandatory for landing fish because their teeth will cut the line; at the end of the leaders are lures like twitch baits, swim baits, topwaters and 4-ounce spinnerbaits. The fish live in the fallen trees lining the banks of the Linville River arm of the lake and anywhere there is a steep dropoff, then a ledge at 20 to 30 feet below.

A hard, instantaneous hookset is everything, because a muskie holds onto the lure with its teeth. The strike must be hard enough to move the lure and get the hooks into the bones of the mouth, or the fish may merely let go of the lure when it gets right beside the boat and swims away.

Call Blue Ridge Fishing Adventures at (828) 385-1220.

NOVEMBER
Lake Phelps
Largemouth Bass
The best bite with Lake Phelps largemouth bass occurs in November. The fish are moving into the shallows after the summer’s heat, orienting along the shoreline cover, such as pad beds, grassbeds and any woody cover.

The grassbeds along the east and south sides of the lake are excellent places to fish. The pad beds and cypress trees near Pettigrew State Park on the east side of the lake are also excellent bass cover.

Topwater action is hot, with poppers and walk-the-dog-type lures great choices for wade-fishing the shallow lake. Fly rods, spinning rods and baitcasters work well for catching the fish. Twitch baits and stick baits imitating pumpkinseed sunfish and yellow perch work very well, since these are the principal bass forage species in the lake.

The wind velocity and direction can make fishing tough. But there are usually long stretches of calm, warm days in November that are ideal for fishing the lake.

Call Conman’s Guide Service and Vacation Rentals at (800) 668-7124.

DECEMBER
Spotted Seatrou
Cape Lookout
Anglers casting lures around the oyster beds in the Newport River will catch some of the biggest fish of the year. The speck bite will continue to be good at the Fort Macon and Cape Lookout rock jetties.

Anglers who have kept mudminnows alive or who can buy live shrimp will have excellent luck with the big winter specks. December is one of the best times to catch big specks, which can top the NCDMF citation weight of 4 pounds.

Circle hook rigs, with just a split shot or two, are best for catching the cold-water specks. But anglers fishing with enzyme-impregnated baits or other soft-plastic lures will also catch some nice fish.

Small crankbaits also work well. Anglers should have a large color selection because specks can be finicky, especially in cold water.

When heading out onto the water in December, it pays to dress in layers and to pick a calm day. Wind chop and sea spray can create miserable fishing conditions for the unprepared.

Call Fish’n 4-Life Charters at (336) 558-5697.

Find more about North Carolina fishing and hunting at: NCgammeeandfish.com