Spotted bass have grown bigger overall on Lake Chatuge in recent years, according to guide Lee Howard, who believes the spots are taking advantage of blueback herring introduced into the lake. Photo by Bob Borgwat.

Your mom always told you that it was best to share, and North Carolina bass fishermen get to do just that, whether they like it or not. Four states border North Carolina, and at least one lake is divided by each border line. We'll examine two of those lakes, which both offer very intriguing opportunities for bass fishing.

LAKE CHATUGE
A mountain jewel that straddles the Georgia/North Carolina border, Lake Chatuge impounds 7,050 acres, with roughly equal portions split between the two states. Anglers actually have at least a slight opportunity to catch largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass from this lake; however, Chatuge is mostly a spot lake. Spotted bass have almost completely replaced native smallmouths, and they dominate the black bass population.

Trophy spotted bass prospects are some of the best in the Southeast. Chatuge's spots are big and fat, which guide Lee Howard attributes largely to blueback herring that anglers introduced to the lake several years ago. Howard, who has been fishing Lake Chatuge for nearly 20 years, has enjoyed seeing the lake's top-end spots get bigger and bigger in recent years.

"To catch a 4-pound spotted bass is not uncommon now, and we catch a fair number of 5-pound fish," Howard said. "There are even some 6-pounders showing up from time to time."

Like most mountain lakes, though, Chatuge can be a tough nut to crack. Anglers plying its deep, clear waters for the first time often leave half convinced that there are no fish at all in the lake. Howard said it took him a few years to really learn how to catch fish on Lake Chatuge, and in recent years, he has had to do some relearning because the bluebacks now dictate everything, and their presence has altered bass behavior in the lake.

A key difference from years past is that Howard has to spend more time fishing deep -- often for fish that are suspended in much deeper water. Fortunately, that is less of a factor in May than it becomes other times of the year. The other big behavior change that Howard has witnessed involves the way the spots relate to the herring all the time. That's important for fishermen because the herring provide an ever-present fish-finding clue.