Lake Norman traditionally has been known as a great place to go for fast bass action, but a poor place to go for quality fish. The latter part of that equation has changed over the past few years, according to Goodman, largely because of the establishment of the spotted bass population.

"Spots have become abundant in the lake, and many have grown to large sizes," he said. "It'll take 17 or 18 pounds to win most local tournaments, and the bulk of the biggest fish in anglers' catches will be 3- or 4-pound spots."

Goodman especially likes Lake Norman as a winter destination because the discharges of the Marshall Steam Station and the McGuire Nuclear Station create spring-like fishing on the coldest days of January. The warmest waters are in the immediate vicinities of the plants; however, together the discharges have some warming influence on a fair portion of the lake, according to Goodman.

Goodman especially likes fishing around the Marshall Steam Station, which is on the west side of the lake, just north of the U.S. Highway 150 bridge, because the discharge canal offers both warm water and current. "Those big spots really like that current. Of course, you'll also catch plenty of largemouths, and sometimes you'll get stripers as well."

For fishing in the discharge area, Goodman either likes to swim a Cordell Spot just off the bottom or cast a Yum 4 3/4-inch Houdini Worm upstream and let the current carry the offering close to the bottom.

"Just watch for your line to jerk as the bait drifts along in the current," he said.

Not far from the discharge, Goodman catches a lot of winter bass from the riprap along the Highway 150 bridge. In fact, he likes fishing riprap all over the lake during the winter. Typically, Goodman throws either a spinnerbait or a shallow-diving crankbait around riprap.

When Goodman has large bass specifically in mind, one of his favorite approaches on Lake Norman is to drop a jig down rock ledges in the lower end of the lake. Goodman uses a large jig, a 1 1/4-ounce Booyah Boo Jig, and dresses it with a Yum Chunk. "I'll cast up on top of a ledge, which might only be 5 or 6 feet deep, drag it off and let it drop on a free fall, feeding line as needed, Goodman said. "They'll absolutely kill it."

Because of its proximity to Charlotte and its openness, Lake Norman gets very heavy use by recreational boaters and fishermen alike from midspring thorough the end of summer. Winter pressure is much lighter, making the lake a more pleasant place to be. Of those anglers who do fish Lake Norman during the winter, many fish for stripers instead of bass.

The combined black bass limit for Lake Norman is five fish. The minimum size is 14 inches for largemouths and 12 inches for spots. Two fish in a day's limit may be shorter than the minimum size. A dozen or so public boat ramps and a handful of marinas provide access to all parts of Lake Norman.

Fontana, which impounds the Little Tennessee River and runs along the southern border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is a classic Appalachian lake. It is steep, deep, narrow and very clear. Smallmouths dominate the black bass population, but anglers will encounter some largemouths, including occasional lunkers.

"Fontana is a great smallmouth lake," Goodman said. "I especially like to fish it during the winter, when it is down, because the drawdown tends to concentrate the fish."

Goodman concentrates on humps and points that are beside creek channels, preferably in narrow sections of creeks. He'll position the boat atop the structure, usually in 15 or 20 feet of water, make a long cast into deeper water with a 1-ounce Heddon Sonar, and let the bait fall all the way to the bottom. He'll work the Sonar up the slope by lifting it sharply off the bottom and letting it fall.

"It vibrates sharply on the way up and flutters on the way down," Goodman said. "The fish can't stand it, and you can find them all along the slope that way. You'll catch smallmouths, walleyes, occasional largemouths and possibly even some trout with that tactic."

Goodman also likes pulling a jig off rock ledges for Fontana smallmouths, like he does on Lake Norman. He'll downsize his jig to a 5/8-ounce Booyah Boo Bug, but use the same technique. "Just pull it off that ledge and let it drop," he said. "Sometimes they'll about take the rod out of your hands."

Scott Loftis, who along with being a fisheries biologist, is an avid bass fisherman, and often fishes structure that is 30 or 40 feet deep during January and February. He spends a lot of time fishing drop-shot rigs, jiggling tiny hand-poured plastic worms or small tubes over humps, saddles and flat spots on extended points. This style of fishing calls for patience and a lot of slow, careful searching. Often a hump will have a sweet spot, which might be nothing more than a small rockpile, where virtually all the smallmouths will hold.

The best thing about fishing in late winter and early spring, from Loftis' observation, is the increased opportunity to catch hefty smallmouths. He has found that bigger smallmouths are more susceptible to being caught at this time than during any other season.

Loftis fishes the entire lake, sometimes traveling well up the Tuckasegee or Little Tennessee River arm and sometimes fishing the main body or creeks that feed it in the middle or lower end of the lake. The upper end warms a little faster and has a higher nutrient level, but it also gets more fishing pressure because it is more convenient to the most fishermen. Goodman concentrates most of his efforts on the middle part of the lake.

While most winter fishing involves slow, careful fishing around deep structural features, the combination of stained water, a stiff breeze and sunshine can change things dramatically. When the water clouds up along the edges, which can be the result of heavy rains or sustained winds against clay banks, and the sun warms the stained water even slightly, smallmouths will seemingly come out of nowhere. They will feed aggressively on spinnerbaits and small bright-colored crankbaits, fished quickly and close to the banks.

The combined limit for all black bass on Fontana Lake is five fish, with a 12-inch minimum size. Two fish in a daily limit may be less than 12 inches long. A handful of public boat ramps off state Highway 28 provide access to the south side of Fontana Lake. Fontana Village Resort offers the best access to the lower end of the lake, along with lodging and a full-service marina. For information, visit www.fontanavillage.com on the Web or call (828) 498-2211.