April showers frequently mean muddy water at High Rock. Given this situation, fishable water can be found between the bridges in Abbotts and Flat Swamp creeks and the backwaters in Second Creek.

TUCKERTOWN/BADIN LAKES

Dorsey hasn’t sampled the fisheries at Tuckertown or Badin lakes since the dry spell, so there’s no electronic sampling data on these lakes to evaluate their post-drought status. There is, however, feedback of anglers.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission operating licenses for the two lakes dictated much of what happened to their bass fisheries during the drought.

The operating license of the Yadkin Division of APGI stipulates Tuckertown Lake must stay within 3 feet of full pool.

Consequently, Tuckertown’s water level wasn’t affected much by the drought, but the lake’s bass fishery experienced relentless fishing pressure from tournament anglers once tournaments shifted from High Rock to the 2,500-acre lake.

Tournament catches declined until it took only 10 to 14 pounds to win at Tuckertown instead of the customary 18 to 20 pounds.

Once High Rock reopened, the fishing improved at Tuckertown.

Water movement triggers the bass bite at Tuckertown. The lake is generally pulled during the week rather than on weekends, and the fish react accordingly. Sunday is the poorest day because water seldom gets pulled on Sunday.

Many anglers target grass and tree laps in April.

If the water is clear, Edwards and Kingen probe the greenery and wood with floating worms for pre-spawn bass. The fish also hold on gravel points and high spots where they’ll hit lipless and shallow-running crank-baits. The stump-ridden ridges and creek mouths at Lick and Cabin creeks also produce.

Bedding fish can be found in grassy pockets at the backs of creeks, such as Ellis (Newsom’s) and Riles creeks, where they’re taken on jigs and spinnerbaits.

Sight-fishing opportunities are few at Tuckertown because of muddy conditions in the spring. When the lake turns red, fishermen resort to big-bladed spinnerbaits, blue/black jigs or orange-colored lipless crankbaits.

Because High Rock’s generating efficiency depends upon Badin Lake being no more than 5 feet below full pool and because of operating license restrictions, APGI dropped Badin sparingly during the drought.

On July 20, 2002, Badin was 4.28 below full pool, not much of a drawdown for a lake over 100 feet deep, but low enough for APGI to close the Garr Creek access.

Many of the boat ramps at Badin were constructed without making allowances for low water levels since the lake rarely fluctuated more than 2 feet.

The poor boating access saved Badin from receiving the heavy fishing pressure that plagued Tuckertown once High Rock shut down.

Badin, however, did take the plunge after the drought.

In December 2003, the FERC gave APGI permission to drop the lake so APGI could study the effects of low water levels upon fish habitat and to determine if such drawdowns could be used to reduce the drawdowns at High Rock in future situations.

On Dec. 15, Badin was 16.57 feet below full pool. Local residents hadn’t seen the water that low in over 40 years. By Dec. 17, the refilling process began.

The drawdown revealed a bass fishery of surprising numbers. In five days of fishing, David Wright, Gerald Beck, Dale “Red” Leonard and the late Homer Biesecker, all of Lexington, caught 258 largemouth bass, giving Wright cause to raise the question, “Where do all these fish go when the water level is up?”

For pre-spawn fish, Badin anglers like cuts and pockets along the main lake where the fish are caught on spinnerbaits, small crankbaits and jerkbaits. Shad Raps wiggled through the branches of tree laps also produce.

Since Badin usually stays clear in the spring, especially the Beaverdam and Lake Forest sections, sight-fishing can be effective for bedding fish.

Edwards and Baldwin rank Badin as one of the best sight-fishing lakes in the state.

In Badin’s clear waters, white jigs and tube baits are the baits of choice for spawning bass.

Topwater baits and floating worms come into play when bass start swimming along with their fry.

The Yadkin River lakes have survived the worst of what Mother Nature has sent their way. Despite fears that bass fishing would decline at these waters because of the drought, the Yadkin’s bounce-back bass still offer some of the best fishing in the state.