"If water is being pulled and the lake drops, the fish back up into deep water, and they're easy to catch," said Yadkin Lakes guide Maynard Edwards (336/249-6782). "If the gates close and the water rises, just inches, the deep-water fish shut off, and the lake becomes a shallow-water man's paradise."

Based upon recent proposed action for water levels at High Rock by APGI to meet Federal Energy Regulatory Commission re-licensing requirements and to satisfy various interest groups, the lake level will experience more modest fluctuations than in the past.

APGI proposes to maintain the water level within 6 feet of full pool between April 1 and Oct. 31 and within 10 feet of full pool between Nov. 1 and March 31 except for maintenance or under emergency conditions. Lakeside residents are bartering for a winter drawdown of no more than 6 feet.

Whatever the final result, more constant and higher lake levels translate into a stronger pier bite.

One other quirk at High Rock contributes to a strong pier bite in August.

After the post-spawn period, the bass at High Rock migrate as deep as they'll be all summer. This movement usually occurs from mid-June through early July, the prime time for a deep crankbait bite.

But as the weather gets hotter in late July and in August, the fish return to the shallows and move to the piers. This odd behavior is attributed to poor oxygen levels at deeper depths.

As long as the lake stays within 3 feet of full pool, the pier bite remains strong in August.

"Many of the piers at High Rock are in shallow water, particularly on the Davidson County side," said Lexington's Robert Walser, the 2006 All-American champion and a shallow-water specialist. "If the water drops, those piers won't hold any quality fish.

"A few piers will hold fish even if the water level drops. I have caught bass in the heat of the summer in water so shallow I had to pitch to reach the fish."

At High Rock, piers abound in Abbotts Creek, the longest arm of the lake; Swearing Creek, a narrow, rock-laden creek; and Second Creek, the place where the late Bryan Kerchal won the 1994 Bassmaster Classic in August by pitching red-shad plastic worms to a series of docks situated near the creek mouth.

The '94 Classic illustrates how baffling pier fishing can be at High Rock. While Kerchal was the only pro to limit out each day by fishing docks, directly opposite Kerchal on the other side of the same creek, Virginia's Woo Daves, an accomplished pier-fisherman, was getting skunked.

I know of Woo's woes because I was the press observer in his boat for the day. Daves didn't catch a keeper from a pier all day, even though he targeted nothing but piers except for one brief moment when he fished brush at the Flat Swamp bridge.

In short, location is critical when fishing piers at High Rock. Long stretches of piers may yield few bites, but another stretch may be a bonanza.

Unfortunately, what works at Norman for finding choice piers -- noting baitfish near piers -- doesn't work at High Rock because baitfish are everywhere at the APGI reservoir.

However, some strategies for finding choice piers hold true at High Rock, too. High Rock bass favor old piers, which are numerous in Abbotts, Swearing and Crow creeks, and piers stationed near rock veins or piers with brush. Wooden steps at piers or caved-in walkways should never be overlooked and often harbor the bigger fish.

Most High Rock fishermen flip green pumpkin jigs or green pumpkin- and plum-colored soft plastics around piers or use downsized versions of Carolina rigs near piers when the bite gets tough. Spinnerbaits are used in muddy water.

LAKE WYLIE
"When it comes to dock fishing, Lake Wylie is a carbon copy of High Rock Lake," said Captain Jerry Neely of Jerry's Fishing Guide Service (704/678-1043, or e-mail him at jerry@carolinasfishing.com).

Neely said Wylie's summer bass seek relief from direct sunlight by going to the wider docks at the lake that provide more shade. The wider docks also accommodate more fish, so fishermen sometimes catch four or five fish from one dock.

The best wide docks stand in 12 to 20 feet of water in conjunction with brush, chunk rock or manmade stone, especially rock that was placed in the lake to prevent erosion.

Wylie is cluttered with docks, but the best ones rest in Crowders, Mill, Beaver Dam, Big and Little Allison creeks, and the main body.

"Fish the docks situated about a third of the way in from the creek mouths," Neely said. "You can fish halfway down Big and Little Allison creeks."

Some docks harbor bream, which draw bass.

Neely fishes the docks with 3/8-ounce amber or black jigs, working from front to back or back to front, whichever is easiest, depending upon the configuration of the dock.