Month: February 2018

Well the conditions have flipped yet again! Warm February weather and a fair amount of rain has prompted some fish to start moving back up the lake and into the feeder creeks.  With water temps climbing into the upper 40’s-low 50’s, many crappie have transitioned into a pre-spawn pattern.  Spider rigging and long-lining catches the most fish this time of year and 5-15 fow seems to be the most productive depths. This is a great time of year to catch a citation crappie as the fish are usually filled out nicely in preparation for the spawn!  The catfish are still a bit more scattered.  Some cats have followed the crappie and perch into shallower water, while other fish will remain deep until the temperatures become more stable.  Anchoring and drifting are both effective means to catch fish this month! Tight lines

The Ice Bowl tournament is behind us and NC has yet another win under it’s belt! Largely thanks to Brad “The Grateful” Smalt and Joel Boyd, who landed a 103 pound blue catfish to win the tournament.  I actually met Brad at the Icebowl about 8 years ago, and I have seen him there every year since.   He is a great fisherman and he fishes hard, so congrats to him and his partner for a well-deserved win!  This makes the second year in a row that a 100+ pound fish was caught in this tournament.  This year also boasted a record turnout of over 200 boats, making it the largest catfish tournament in the country to date!  I am always ecstatic to be a part of this great tournament and I was proud to be a sponsor this year 🙂