Therefore, to catch them, you’ll need to try something different -- whatever it is -- with your worm, crankbait or spinnerbait.

Topwater baits can be good at times, too. A walking stick, fished at first or last light, can be devastating. Maybe the bass don’t see many of them, or maybe they just can’t resist. Either way, they’ll attack them with abandon.

Shearon Harris may even get better in 2008. “We’re not seeing any direct effects from the drought or the heat (so far). It looks as if the forage base will stay strong, and therefore, the bass should stay strong. In fact, we see the fishing continuing to improve on Harris into the foreseeable future,” McRae said.

Other hotspots in this region include the scores of metropolitan water supply reservoirs that dot the area. “Any of them might be good depending upon local conditions. They’re worth asking about if you want to go bass fishing but don’t want to drive very far,” McRae said.

He continues on to point out that these smaller lakes are often easier to fish. Their small size allows anglers to cover a higher percentage of the water, giving them a better chance to find the bass. And the effects of the drought may, in fact, enhance fishing opportunities in some of them.

“In some cases, low water helps the bass population. It’ll concentrate the fish and that allows the big ones to eat the little ones. As the overall population is reduced, there’s less competition for available forage. The big fish just keep getting bigger. In many cases, these smaller bodies of water, after a drawdown, provide the best opportunity for a trophy,” McRae explained.

One particular spot that’s high on his list of places you should visit is High Point City Lake in Gilford County. Sampling by the NCWRC shows an amazing 60 percent of the largemouths were over 16 inches long. To be honest, there weren’t very many true giants among them -- the biggest weighed 6 pounds -- but still there’s plenty of fishing opportunity here.

That said, however, you should be aware that the drought has hit High Point especially hard. As of August 2007, water levels were precipitously low. Severe water use restrictions were being contemplated. If that continues, the trend toward concentrating the bass could turn into a death sentence for most of them.

Another good small lake that falls into the category of municipal hotspot is Graham-Mebane in Alamance County. McRae reports “great largemouth bass-fishing opportunities here” with 56 percent of the bass measuring more than 16 inches and the biggest tipping the scales at just over 8 pounds.

“I really recommend Graham-Mebane for any local anglers wanting to bass fish. It’s a nice, well-managed lake. And, at 650 acres, it’s big enough to provide a serious fishing experience but still small enough to fish effectively during one season,” he said.

Be aware, however, that the drought has hit this one hard, too. Don’t assume it’ll be fishable without heavy rains over the winter. Call before making a long drive.

And, of course, there’s always Falls of the Neuse. McRae reports that recent sampling data was disappointing, with only about 20 percent of the bass sampled measuring 16 inches or better.

There may be, however, an explanation for this that offers hope for its future. McRae believes the study was flawed because an unusually large number of juvenile bass were included in it. As a consequence, the low percentage of 16-inchers is somewhat deceptive.

Besides, the Falls has one of the fastest growing largemouth populations in North Carolina. So, even if the fish are small now, they’ll get bigger quick enough -- well, almost quick enough, anyway.

THE MOUNTAIN REGION
Mallory Martin, NCWRC Mountain Region fisheries supervisor, is fairly optimistic about the 2008 bass season in his region.

“The drought has had an effect on us, that’s for sure,” he said. “But I don’t think it’ll be all that bad unless it continues into the future for a long period of time. Most of our bigger reservoirs are holding up fine. They are suffering from low water, but it’s nothing the fish can’t handle.”