Guide Jerry Hill of Denton (336/247-1265) has long contended that trolling with bucktails, spoons or soft-plastic baits is a great way to cover plenty of water and find stripers. He keys on the major arm of the lake that drains the counties on the eastern bank -- Davidson and Montgomery. Stripers at Badin have traditionally hung out 10 to 15 feet below the surface, even in 75 to 100 feet of water, depths not uncommon at Badin.

"They'll be in Glady's Fork and Buffalo Creek and around the islands," Hill said. "They'll be (on top) early in the morning and late in the evening, and if they're not on top, they'll be 10 to 12 feet deep."

Hill trolls double bucktail rigs with 3/4- and 3/8-ounce chartreuse or white bucktails with lemon-lime plastic worm trailers. With the small bucktail, he cuts the worm in half and uses the tail.

Typically, if Hill locates a school of stripers and catches a fish or two, he'll circle and troll through the same area again to try and pick up a few more fish.

Badin also has a reasonably good population of crappie, channel catfish and sunfish. During the summer, fishing live minnows around laydown trees or piers with deep water in close proximity is a good tactic for taking slab crappie. Bluegills and shellcrackers should be spawning on full moons throughout the summer, moving into shallow areas in the backs of pockets. Channel cats are popular with bank-fishermen, especially at night.

Camping opportunities in the national forest are numerous, and most of them are close to public access to Badin at the Cove Boat Ramp in the national forest.

The Arrowhead campground is between Troy and Denton, a half-mile from the ramp; it has 50 sites. The Badin Lake campground has 37 sites; it's north of Troy, accessible from Route 109, and it's two miles from the ramp. The Badin Lake Group Campground is in the same basic area and just as close to the boat access. The West Morris Mountain campground is near the village of Ophir; it has 18 sites, and the Uwharrie Hunt Camp is close to Badin, off Route 109 north of Troy. Camping information and reservations are available by calling (877) 444-6777.

Headquarters of the Uwharrie Ranger District are in Troy. For maps and other information about the national forest, call (910) 576-6391.

Families who plan their vacations around camping in the national forest are within an easy 30-minute drive of several other interesting tourist venues: the Town Creek Indian Mound near Mount Gilead, the Reeds Gold Mine in Midland and the North Carolina Zoological Park south of Asheboro.

The Town Creek Indian Mound dates to the 1100s, when the Pee Dee tribe built a series of structures near the junction of Town Creek and Little River in Montgomery County. The site was discovered in 1937 and excavated for 50 years. It includes the mound, two temples, a burial house and stockade. For information, call (910) 439-6802.

The Reeds Gold Mine near Midland in Cabarrus County is the site of the first documented gold strike in the United States -- which took place in 1799. John Reed, a farmer, discovered a 17-pound gold nugget in 1799 that served as a doorstop in his home for several years before it was identified and sold. Nuggets as large as 28 pounds were found at the mine site, which produced more than $100,000 worth of gold before 1824. A portion of mine tunnels has been restored for tours, and an exhibit of mining equipment is on site. For information, call (704) 721-4653.