One of my favorite fish to catch is the Bullhead. They are usually pretty abundant and easy (sometimes not) to catch. One of my favorite places to catch them is within walking distance of my house and on this day back in the summer of 2020 I caught some really nice ones on small pieces of Shad.
My Favorite bait for them is worms or Night Crawlers followed by small pieces of cutbait then maybe small pieces of hotdogs or Bar-b-Q Vienna's work well .
Rods and reels can be anything that you catch Bream and Crappie on and I usually fish for them using a Cork with a 1/0 hook and a small split shot just above the hook a few inches. Usually the hook is anywhere from 1 to 2' below the cork. They also can be caught on bottom using a Carolina rig.
*****see bottom of this article for my Youtube videos on Spotted Bass *******
I have caught Spotted bass in Several NC rivers for years. Mainly the Cape Fear river system where the NCWRC stocked Kentucky Spotted bass from 1977 to 1981. They stocked 310,000~ in Advents Creek, Parkers Creek, and the Upper and lower Little Rivers. These stockings were made due to some creel surveys made in the late 60's where they found that these streams lacked a high level sportfish.
These fish stocked in these 4 tributaries of the Cape Fear river eventually made their way to the Cape fear and populated it. I started fishing the Cape fear around 1990 or so and my catch of Black bass was 90 percent Largemouth and 10 percent spots. 10 years later and this had reversed!!! 90 percent spotted bass to 10 percent Spotted Bass. They had taken over!!!
Cape Fear Kentucky Spotted Bass
The Yadkin River / Kerr Scott Reservoir was also stocked sometime later probably in the 80's ad I have caught them there as well. Some say Kentucky's were stocked first but now Alabama Bass are in there as well. I have caught several every time I have Smallmouth fished the Yadkin.
Yadkin Spotted Bass
Then the Catawba System got Alabama Spotted Bass(now known as the Alabama Bass) and they have taken over there as well.
I think the next system to get then was the Roanoke river system as Belews Lake has them and the Dan and Staunton Rivers have a few. Where they have really taken off is downstream on Lake Gaston . Now, I don't fish Lakes much as I am a river fisherman and maybe 3 or 4 years ago I caught my first Spotted Bass in the Roanoke near Weldon . This was a slight shock to me but I guess it was expected sometime.
This is the first Spotted Bass I caught in the Roanoke a few years Back 2020 or so.
Fast forward to this year(2021) and I caught a 4 lb Alabama Bass in the Tar river. A river I fish a lot and had never caught one there before. Then on a later trip caught several in the 3 lb range and mentioned this on the Face Book page called the THE AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY BLACK BASS CONVERSATION COMMITTEE seen here at The American Fisheries Society Black Bass Conversation Committee This page is run by some Biologists and Fisheries Scientist and I know one of them named Steve Sammons. They are dedicated to trying to preserve genetic stocks of bass as spotted bass are being relocated to waters where they are taking over and hybridizing with Shoal Bass in the Flint/Chattahoochee drainage and Smallmouth bass in others wiping them out and outcompeting and hybridizing with Largemouths. They are also hybridizing with others. When he saw my post about Spotted bass in a new water he contacted me as he had already contacted the NCWRC and they wanted to find out where this new water was. Steve gave them my contact info and Kurt Rundle a Biologist with the NCWRC called me and asked where I caught them. I informed him on the location and he confirmed that these were the first reported from that area. The NCWRC has done shocking every year including this year in this area and these are/were the first.
The first one which is a BIG Spot probably going 4 lbs. .
So, what's the Big deal with Spotted bass in a New location? As mentioned, they are invasive and hybridize with other Black Basses and can wipe them out in some instances. Most rivers where they are non native they have outcompeted the other Native Basses and taken over. Lake Chatuge is one example in NC where they have wiped out the Smallmouth bass.
Maps courtesy of USGS.GOV showing the spread on Alabama Bass.
They have started to have and impact on the Flint River Shoal Bass in Georgia where I met Steve at.
Here are some Flint River Spots . I have a blog post on this trip where I caught my first Shoal Bass which can be seen here Shoal Bass Blog Post
Here is an Alabama bass I caught on 082022 in Downtown Columbus Ga. These are not native to the Chatahoochee River .
Here is my YouTube video explaining the the Spotted Bass Invasion.
Another you tube video where I catch the 4 lb spot and an 8lb Largmouth !!
So, what can we do? Well probably nothing where there already are but the one thing we can do is to not transport them to other lakes/rivers and let our fellow fishermen know this as that is how they are spreading.
Are there Smallmouth bass in Eastern North Carolina? No. But, there are Smallmouth bass in Central North Carolina in the Uwharrie Mountains of NC. These are the most Eastern Smallmouth bass found in NC and they are isolated from other populations. The Uwharrie Mountains are the Oldest mountain range in North America once rising over 20,000 feet tall and now due to erosion the tallest one is just over 1,100 feet tall. Time and erosion have taken a toll on this once huge mountain range.
These Smallmouth bass are in the Uwharrie and Little Rivers which both flow through what is known to the locals as the Uwharries. The Closest next smallie population is in the Yadkin River some 60 plus miles north west of these. To the North the next known population is in the Dan River some 90 miles distant. To the west the next known population is in the Catawba/Johns River area 90 plus miles away and to the south some 90~ miles in the Broad River Drainage.
Are these Smallmouth bass native to these 2 rivers? No. Sometime in the early 70's the NCWRC stocked Barnes and Cedar Creeks with Smallmouth bass. These 2 creeks feed the Uwharrie River. The Biologist at the Wildlife commission thought the cooler water of these 2 creeks could host a population of smallies which they did thrive in. The commission never thought They would live in the Uwharrie River. They were wrong. They entered the Uwharrie out of these 2 creeks and the rest is history.
How did they get in the Little River? Rumor has it that they were stocked by drivers of the stocker trucks. I spoke with a biologist and he told me back in the day that it wasn't uncommon for the commission to stock a river with fish and if the drivers knew another nearby river they thought would be cool to have that fish as well they would just save a few and on the way back do their own stocking.
No matter how they got there the Little River has a very nice population of Smallmouth bass. Both rivers have nice Populations of Roanoke bass as well and it is probably certain they got stocked in the same way.
The Uwharrie starts Just South of High Point NC and makes it way south 61 miles to and through parts of the Uwharrie National Forest before dumping into the Yadkin River at Lake Tillery. The Yadkin is known as the Pee Dee River below this. There is only one Dam on this river which is Asheboro's water supply Lake Reese. All of the good smallie water is downstream of this dam.
From where it dumps into Tillery up to Randolph Co Sr1314 is 33 miles and averages 85' in width. From Burney Mill Rd down to Low Water bridge Rd down to Hwy 109 are the best stretches for Smallmouth bass and most of this is in the Uwharrie National forest . There also is a good white bass run out of Tillery in the spring and they can be caught best in the lower 2 miles . There is a new NCWRC access on the Uwharrie for carry boats 1 mile above Tillery and it can be accessed off of Dennis rd. This is the back water of Tillery but you can go up and catch white bass. Forest service rd 555 is also a good rd to access for white bass and Smallies
From SR1314 to the NC 62 Bridge is 24 miles and this stretch averages 40'. This section has really good Redbreast fishing. The 4 miles of river above Hwy 62 it too small for fishing.
This is my best smallmouth bass out of the Uwharrie going 4 lbs caught on a Chartreuse Strike King Mini Buzz.
The Little starts in the city limits of Asheboro, NC and makes it way south dumping into the Pee Dee River at the upper end of Blewett Falls Lake. It is 55 miles long from its origin to the Pee Dee and there are only 2 dams in this river as several have been removed.
From the Pee Dee Up 5 miles the Little to NC 73 is 5 Miles. Avg width 175' A survey done back around 1970 or so has 1.06 fish per hour 77 % sunfish 9% catfish 7% crappie 4% largemouth and 3% Pickerel. Also there is a White bass run in this section in the Spring.
The section from NC 73 Bridge to SR 1119 in Randolph co is 37 miles and it averages 68' wide in this stretch. Eurie Lake is in this stretch at River mile 10.5 . On some maps it is Eure Lake. This lake is roughly 1.5 miles long and 30 acres. You can access this millpond Off of Chip Rd and then onto Green Oak Gap rd. The access here is private but you can fish by putting 3$ in a pay box. You can fish the lake or paddle up an reach the flowing river but remember the banks maybe Private . Just 2 miles up from the upper end of Eurie Lake is Hurleys lake. This millpond is roughly 35 acres and 2.5 miles long. Some maps have it as Brunton Mill Pond This millpond can be accessed at the NCWRC public boat ramp off of SR 1005 (Pekin Rd) and a lot of the banks on this stretch is the Uwharrie National Forest.
From SR 1119 to the Little's origin is 13 miles. The avg width is 36' and this reach provides some good redbreast fishing.
I Have caught Smallmouth bass in all 3 sections of this river but I usually catch more above SR 1005 up to Okeewemee Rd.
The Little as seen below is IMHO one of the prettiest rivers in North Carolina.
Both of these rivers can be accessed by either wading or canoeing/kayaking. For a good read and listing of all access points on Both of these rivers a must have is The Book PADDLING EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA with Paul Ferguson. You can get this on Amazon here at https://amzn.to/2Uh8M2L
Another must read is TAR HEEL ANGLER Freshwater Fishing in North Carolina by Buck Paysour. Chapter 17 is mainly about fishing the Little River. You can get this on Amazon as well here https://amzn.to/3m4Yvm2
Here are 4 videos on trips I have made to these Rivers.
This trip I did not catch any Smallmouth Bass but you can see the Beauty and Variety found here
Here is one where I caught some Smallmouth bass and Largemouth.
Today I went to a favorite river of mine to catch Flatheads on rod and reel and was surprised to see the water below the dam I fish almost DRY!!!!
They are working on the dam so the water is being all diverted into a canal which empties into the river 3/4 mile below the dam thus leaving alot of that stretch dry.
I spotted 2 young men Noodling them and then I started doing the same. Then a young lady named Rebecca came along and said she saw several in different hole so she became my spotter and camera woman. Thanks to Davey, Jojo and Rebecca.
Today I fished for Skippies or Skipjack Herring in the Chattahoochee River on the Columbus Riverwalk. I actually had caught my first one the day before getting this species off of my bucket list. These fish are very very close cousins to the Hickory Shad on East Coast Rivers and they are caught with the same tactics.
October 2020 We explored Carter's Falls which is just outside of Elkin, NC . This is a awesome place with some really nice waterfalls on Big Elkin Creek. Enjoy the video, Mack
Well it is time I purchased a nice cooler for my Kayak and Canoe fishing. I actually went and did some Coastal Marsh fishing recently and caught a keeper Red Drum and Flounder and I had Nothing to to put them in to keep them cold!!!!
This started my search for a nice soft cooler that would fit nicely on the front of my yak and also fit in the front or back of my canoes. A soft cooler it had to be especially since a soft one could/would conform to a canoes shape while laying on the bottom.
I looked at lots of them online and after reading lots of reviews ( plus I spoke with a kayaker who had one) and decided on the Reliable Fishing cooler. Now, these are not cheap but you get what you pay for and I decided to spend the 150~ bucks and order one.
Amazon said I could expect my package in like 5 days but it came in two! Great ! I have been waiting on an anchor for over 2 mos ! It must be coming from China!!.
I unboxed the cooler and did a video on it which you can see below and while I have not used it yet, it is clearly a well made cooler though only time will confirm this. I am confident it would prove to be worth the 150 bucks. Anyway check out how well this cooler fits on the front of my Yak ( It will be secured with 2 bungees )
This is on a Wilderness Systems Atak 140
My Unboxing Video.
I will post an update on it after I have put a few fish in it!
This Ramp on the Roanoke River is located In the Eastern part of Halifax county along the Roanoke River just a few miles north of Scotland neck. This ramp gets the most use during the Rockfish spring spawning run(March, April May) and Some use during Shad season (late Feb , March, early April), and the rest of year it is mainly used for Catfishing and some panfishing.
Fish found in here may be too many to post but here it goes. Largemouth bass, Rockfish, Longnose Gar, Bowfin, Carp, Bluegill, Crappie, ShellCracker, Blue catfish (big ones), Flathead Catfish, Channel Catfish, White Shad(seasonal), Hickory Shad(seasonal).
Google maps view
The Parking lot has ample room
The Boat ramp itself is very nice and one thing about it is the current doesn't affect your loading and unloading as much as the Weldon Ramp.
I Have not Crappie Fished much this year due to all of the high water here in North Carolina. NC has had the most rainfall on record in 2018 and the start of this year has seen lots of rainfall as well.
Most of my spring spots have been way too deep as the high water had the Crappie spawning in different places. Well, the lake I like to fish finally got back down to near normal so I decided to go hit one of my crappie spots. I knew or thought I may not catch a lot as the spawn is over but I figured I could catch a few at this shallow spot. A few it was! I only caught 3 with 2 being small but this Black Crappie would not even fit into the Frabill EZ Crappie checker. The fish measured 15 inches and was THICK. I owe catching this fish to the the best crappie grub out there ( Kalins Acid Rain) and G Sauce from Crappie.com
( see links above to get both ). Not a great day as far as numbers are concerned but I will take a Monster Crappie any day.
Here is the Big one of the day. I am 6'3" with Big Hands
Here are the new scents from Crappie.com I have been using with success.
See links at the top to get them
Make sure to Watch the video to see how I work the Kalin Grub and scent.
Thanks for Reading and watching and be sure to Subscribe to my
March 9th, 2019
Crappie Fishing with Goldfish
Location- Central North Carolina Creek
Time - 3-5 Pm
Rod- 7' Abu Super7 Med action
Reel - Okuma Stratus SGT30
Line- 10 lb Trilene
Hook- #4 Gold wire hook with a split shot
above and 2' under a cork
^^ The reason for going with the outfit listed above is I wanted a longer length to help control the drift and bigger line than I normally use as there are some nice channel cats in this stream that I thought I may luck into one of those.
I have always fished with goldfish but it has always been while I was fishing for Catfish and those were with big Goldfish. Those big goldfish work fantastic on catfish so I have always thought smaller ones would work great on Crappie. This has been a goal of mine to do this and today I made it happen.
I stopped and my local Pet store and got 20 feeder goldfish for $4.29. I kept these in a minnow bucket aerated with a Baby Bubbles which does a great Job. You can see how awesome they work in the video but I had a hit on all 20 Goldfish! It was a great couple hours on the water and I will be sure to do this again on a nearby lake so stay tuned for that !!
My wife and I along with our Dog Pete Hit a side channel off of the Neuse after some Shad on their spring spawning run. We got there at Aprox 2 and fished until 6 pm. The action was slow but fun as we caught what we were after. The best Lures used were 1/8oz Pink headed Jigs and 2 inch white grubs rigged in tandem. I think I landed 5 which I am Happy with.
Since the water was high from recent rains we were fishing this side creek off of the Neuse River which is also called Village Creek. The High water will send some of the fish up this creek so it is usually a good spot during high flows.
Below on the map this spot is pinned as Shad spot #1. You fish right off of the bridge , just make sure to watch out for traffic as Most of the traffic goes slow when people are fishing but some don't slow down so use this at your own risk. Also, be careful with your casts as there are plenty of trees that will "take" your lures. Today at peak time there was apox 15-20 people fishing off of this bridge.
I would recommend you use at least at least 10 lb line since you are lifting the shad up the bridge but we did "get by" with 6 lb on a couple of rods but we did not catch any big ones today. 6 lb line is not going to lift a good one up.
Here is My dog Pete that loves to fish. My wife snapped this picture after I said "fish on" and he has to see it.
This is a video of this trip. Please watch and enjoy and please subscribe to my You tube channel and follow me on Instagram.
I enjoy anything in the outdoors. Mainly canoeing and fishing but, also hunting, hiking, I love to plant trees and also search for big trees.
I grew up just outside Burlington, N.C. where my parents house sat on a bluff overlooking the Haw River. I can thank the Haw for getting me started in the outdoors. I Have 2 YouTube Channels as well. Mack's Extreme River Fishing and Mack's Public Land Hunting.
Thnaks, Mack
