After early April, the big bite begins to wane, but that's offset by a strong bite for staging fish as they bunch up along stopping places as they travel through creek channels on their way to spawn.

TROPHY BASS
Our fishermen concur that the heyday of double-digit bass at both lakes is over. Ten-pound fish have become rare at Jordan and Falls since the turn of the century, while bass in the 7- to 8-pound range seem to be thriving. All agree the bass populations appear healthy and have been aided by the 16-inch minimum length requirement imposed at the two bodies of water.

Cable, who holds the current lake record at Jordan with a 14.38-pound largemouth bass, said there's been a notable decline in the number of double-digit fish at Jordan and Falls with only Shearon Harris, the third of the so-called Raleigh lakes, still putting out 10-pounders.

"As young lakes back in the '80s, Falls and Jordan spit out lots of big fish," he said. "But as the lakes grew older and settled down and started acting like real lakes, the number of trophy fish declined.

"We're now seeing more 7- and 8-pound bass at Jordan, which is good because fish of that size had dropped for a time but are making a comeback. The same is true at Falls of the Neuse."

If 10-pound bass are still being caught at Jordan and Falls, Dinterman said he hasn't seen them.

"As far as I know, 10-pounders have become scarce at the Raleigh lakes except for Harris, which yields some," he said. "During the trophy bass boom, too many big fish ended up on somebody's wall. But now lots of 8-pounders are being caught."

Olive said his clients have caught some 10-pound fish at Jordan, but the fish at Falls have been mostly in the 8-pound class.

APRIL FISHING PATTERNS
Our guides said certain April fishing patterns hold true for both lakes, so anglers don't have to switch strategies from one lake to the other.

Rock Patterns
One of the most reliable patterns is rock, whether it takes the form of natural rock along the bank or manmade riprap adjacent to bridges or lining the shorelines.