October is a good news, bad news time of the year for North Carolina's outdoorsmen. That's because it is open season for just about everything that swims, walks or flies, and with limited time, outdoorsmen have to maximize their efforts. Here, we offer up some angling "best bets" from across the state for the busy sportsman who can squeeze in some fishing time.

Whether you are chasing smallmouths in the French Broad River, stalking speckled trout in the Haystacks Marsh on the Crystal Coast or seeking slab crappies on Kerr Lake, you just can't go wrong wetting a line most anywhere in North Carolina in October.

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
French Broad Smallmouths
Aside from the spectacular scenery in October, Asheville offers up some of the state's best smallmouth waters in the French Broad River. Andrew Tashie, owner of Asheville Drifters guide service (828/215-7379), helps clients chase smallmouths by floating the French Broad.

"It's great; the water temperatures are right and the smallmouths are putting on the pounds for winter. They feed hard, they're eating big stuff, and you catch a lot of quality fish in October," he said. "It is a good time of year, not a lot of rain; the rivers are real nice. Usually the river is low in October, low and clear, which is good for smallmouth fishing."

While these fish, which generally run up to a couple of pounds apiece, may not be trophy-sized, the potential is there to catch 50 to 100 fish in a day. However, a 2-pound smallmouth on light tackle or a fly rod is always a challenge.

"The French Broad is the place, that's the main smallmouth river. Anywhere from Asheville to Hot Springs, you can access the river all up and down. There are plenty of places to put a boat in. We fish out of inflatable rafts -- that is the best way to do it -- you really need someone rowing the boat," Tashie said.

Anglers can use spinning gear or fly-fishing gear equally as well. A 6 1/2-foot spinning rod with 8-pound-test line or a 9-foot, 6-weight fly rod with weight-forward, floating line are the staples. "I like throwing crankbaits and jerkbaits -- medium-running crankbaits like a Rapala No. 5 in baitfish or crawfish patterns. Anything that looks like crawfish or baitfish imitations," Tashie said.

"In October, they feed pretty hard, hanging on the edge of the current. You need to find those little seams and work them. I like the crankbaits with a lot of rattle and flash and that can get down in there. If you're using a fly rod, you are going to have to work a little harder.

"On the fly, you can still catch them on chartreuse or chartreuse and white topwater poppers, particularly late in the day. Clousers with big eyes, brown, black or olive Woolly Buggers. They are not real selective, not like trout fishing," said Tashie (who also guides for trout on other rivers).

"Use darker color baits for stained water or cloudier days and lighter colors on clear water and sunny days. I've had some days in early October where there is a mayfly hatch, and you can use a nymph, a big Pheasant Tail, a size 10 or 12," Tashie said.

Stone Mountain Trout
Stone Mountain State Park covers 13,000 acres in Wilkes and Allegheny counties, providing trout anglers with quick and easy access to miles of great trout waters. The East Prong Roaring River is the centerpiece of a complex of streams that have a prevalence of browns and rainbows, but brook trout can be found farther up the streams.