North Carolina's bass fisheries are a varied lot, from the gin-clear waters of high-mountain reservoirs to the black tannin-stained waters of slow-moving coastal rivers.

No one is likely to mistake the Tar Heel State for Texas or Florida when it comes to being among the best states in the country for largemouth bass, but then again, it has a lot going for it; foremost is the number of different fisheries you can sample in a year's time.

A half-dozen mountain reservoirs offer largemouths in addition to the more prevalent smallmouth bass; some of the coastal rivers are pretty good fisheries, and in the central or "Piedmont" area of the state, reservoirs pop up about every 20 or 30 miles along three major river drainages, plus other good lakes on smaller watersheds.

You might say that if you fish a couple of times on one lake and it doesn't ring your bell, just go 30 miles in a different direction and you'll probably find another one more to your liking.

Over the past 10 years, five major reservoirs in North Carolina have been host sites for national bass-fishing tournament circuits: Lake Wylie, Lake Norman, High Rock Lake, Buggs Island (Kerr) Lake and Lake Gaston.

And in all likelihood, the best bass fishery in the state is not among that group.

PIEDMONT PLACES
The real heart of North Carolina's bass-fishing country is the Piedmont region, which stretches approximately 200 miles from the "fall line" around Rocky Mount to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains around Hickory and Morganton.

That section of the state holds roughly 20 major reservoirs and dozens of smaller watershed or municipal lakes that are managed for fishing.

The major river drainages are the Catawba, Yadkin/Pee Dee and the Roanoke, and they account for a majority of North Carolina's bigger lakes and better bass fisheries.

Along the Catawba River, Lake James and Lake Rhodhiss are typically considered to be "mountain" lakes, while Lake Hickory, Lookout Shoals Lake, Lake Norman, Mountain Island Lake and Lake Wylie are Piedmont reservoirs.

Wylie has long been considered among the state's best bass fisheries. Its waters are much more productive and nutrient-rich than other Catawba fisheries, owing in part to its location downstream from Charlotte and surrounding cities, such as Gastonia, Belmont and Bessemer City.

Along with Buggs Island (Kerr) and High Rock, Wylie is considered a great all-around lake for bass fishermen, with excellent numbers of fish and a good percentage of quality largemouths waiting to be caught. Like Buggs Island and High Rock, it doesn't spit out many 10-pound fish; it's not a great trophy lake. But it is still a fantastic fishery, and it's especially good during the colder months of the year. From December through April or May, it is hard to beat.

Fishermen who live close to and fish regularly on Lake Hickory and Lookout Shoals Lake bemoan the efforts of some groups to rid those lakes of their aquatic grass: parrot feather at Lake Hickory and elodea at Lookout Shoals Lake. Catches have been off over the past several years at both lakes, according to veteran fishermen.

The Catawba River reservoir that has raised more eyebrows than any other in recent years has been Lake Norman -- and not all the eyebrows have been raised positively.

Biologist Brian McRae of Hillsborough is in charge of Piedmont reservoir fisheries for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, and he said that there's little doubt that the fishing at 32,500-acre Lake Norman is as good as it's been in years, but he's a little concerned about what might be in store for bass fishermen down the road a few years.