MARCH
Largemouth Bass
Sutton Lake
Sutton Lake stays warm all winter since it provides cooling water for Progress Energy's L.V. Sutton Steam Electric generating facility.

A few years ago, anglers became alarmed at the high numbers of bass exceeding 8 pounds being taken from the lake in March and asked the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission for special regulations (which have been implemented) to keep the big fish in the lake during the pre-spawn period.

For catch-and-release fishing, it doesn't get any better than Sutton Lake in March. The "hot ditch" discharge canal into Pond 1 is a great place to start fishing. Anglers should work their way around the dikes until they find a good concentration of fish, with the best action typically found in ponds 1, 2, 3 and 4 during the colder months.

Most winter fishermen cast soft-plastic lures and bump them along the bottom. But crankbaits, spinnerbaits and tube jigs all have their fans. On warm, calm days, it is even possible to entice topwater action with a spook or a propeller lure.

APRIL
Striped Bass
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River-Albemarle Sound striped bass management zone has seen some changes for the better where anglers are concerned. Not only is the restored striped bass fishery fantastic, the regulations have been stabilized for the benefit of anglers.

April is the top month for keeping stripers from the river and therefore the most crowded with fishermen. Live river herring are no longer allowed for striper fishing, so anglers after trophy fish have switched to using live bream, shad and eels.

But any angler who uses lures is going to catch fish and plenty of them. Catches of 100 stripers or more are not unusual in the spring. Shad-tail soft plastics, large saltwater soft jerkbaits, topwater lures and jigs will all catch stripers. Flyfishermen will have shots at dozens of fish in a single day by casting large streamer flies on sinking lines.

Down East Guide Service, (252) 671-3474.

MAY
Crappie
Jordan Lake
Crappie fishing at Jordan Lake seems to get better every year. Crappie are unusual fish because more often than not, high fishing pressure leads to larger individual fish. Where crappie are fished hard, the problems with slow growth or "stunted" fish are not as likely to occur as waters that receive little fishing pressure.

Jordan may receive the highest fishing pressure of any lake in the state, because of its proximity to high human population centers. But it is also an enormous lake, so it offers many different habitat types translating into many successful options for crappie fishing.

In May, the fish are moving to the backs of the coves for spawning. Any woody vegetation, especially buttonbushes, will typically hold crappie. They may be scattered, but they are there. Casting a beetle grub spinner or in-line spinner is the way to fish the bushes, as well as along the shoreline. Casting to any visible stump or fallen tree in the water is likely to result in one or several strikes.

Many anglers troll tiny tube jigs, feather jigs or curlytail jigs along the shoreline with good results. Other anglers cast live minnows beside boat docks and fallen trees that extend into the water.

JUNE
Smallmouth Bass
Nolichucky/North Toe
The Nolichucky and North Toe River system is one of the top places in the state for catching smallmouth bass. While the fishing access depends on water level, the fish are always there. Smallmouth bass typically achieve weights of a pound or two, but fish of more than 5 pounds have been caught from the river.