"I'm looking for humps adjacent to the channel, points where the edge of the channel juts out into deeper water and any structure that's hanging on that channel edge," Green commented.

While watching the depthfinder to keep his boat oriented to the channel edge, Green is also seeking pods of baitfish. This is accomplished by looking for "clumps" on the depthfinder screen and by looking for birds -- seagulls, terns, and loons -- diving into the water. These shorebirds migrate inland from the coast during the winter when coastal bait is scarce. Once inland, they feed on reservoirs where cold-weakened forage fish are vulnerable. The feeding activity of these birds can be seen from far off. When the birds begin diving into the water, it's almost a sure sign that striped bass have pushed bait to the surface and are feeding on the forage fish from below.

While live bait gets the nod the vast majority of the time when winter fishing for striped bass, Green admits he has a soft spot for throwing artificial baits. Even with live baits in tow, the lineside veteran keeps a 6-foot Bass Pro Shops medium-action graphite spinning rod equipped with a Shimano Stradic spinning reel within reach in an accessible rod holder. His bait of choice is a 1/4- to 3/8-ounce white bucktail jig.

"The key is to match the lure with the size bait the stripers want," Green said. "A 3- to 4-inch bucktail does just that."

A fish that breaches within casting distance is worth a shot. Two fish breaching in the same area is almost a sure hookup -- provided the angler can get to the rod and make an accurate cast before the swirl begins to dissipate. It's for this reason that Green reels the jig all the way up against the top guide while the rod is in waiting.

While the morning hours may provide a chance opportunity at schooling fish while you are bait-fishing, better artificial bait opportunities arise at the tail end of a bright, sunny day, especially during a midwinter warm spell.

Bright, sunny days will warm shallow waters near the shore. Even a mild change in water temperature will be attractive to baitfish that are clinging to survival in water only a few degrees above their tolerance level. Green submits that timing is important in catching feeding stripers up next to the bank.

"The last hour to 45 minutes of the day is usually best," he said.

For fishing water that may only be 1 to 5 feet deep, Green will lighten up to a 1/4-ounce bucktail jig and throw right up on the bank. The retrieve can be either a painfully slow, steady retrieve or a retrieve and twitch. Once darkness falls, the angler can fish the same locations but switch over to a surface bait or shallow-running plug. A medium Redfin "waking" bait in the 5-inch range or a shallow-diving YoZuri crankbait in the 4 1/2-inch size is best.

LAKE HICKORY
Another impoundment of the Catawba River located to the northwest of Lake Norman is Lake Hickory. Although smaller than Norman at only 4,100 acres, Hickory is much more likely to give its anglers a chance at a trophy striper, especially during the pre-spawn and spawn.

For winter fishing, NSBA champ Mike Green heads directly for the back of Gunpowder Creek. The area is best accessed from Hwy. 321, approximately five miles north of its intersection with U.S. 70 west of the town of Hickory.

The back of this creek can be a frustrating place to fish because of the tremendous amount of bait that congregates there in the winter. The area supports large numbers of 6- to 7-inch gizzard shad, which make ideal bait for Hickory stripers.

After loading the bait tank with gizzards from this area, Green cranks up the big motor and heads for the main Catawba River channel. One of his favorite stretches to fish is from the mouth of Gunpowder Creek approximately three to four miles in either direction along the historic Catawba River channel.