Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

3rd annual lake Norman trip

OhioWhiteTails

Senior Member
Supporting Member
8,482
191
Flatlands
That lake looks like a snow flake with all the arms and fingers coming out of it. Not sure I would know where to start. Maybe the tributary to the north? Looks like an awesome lake to do some learning on!
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
Well we made it down there and back without any problems, we arrived at the bass pro shop in concord NC around 1:30 and met my son there. Ryan arrived about 15 minutes before us and was hanging out in the parking lot when we pulled in with boat in tow. We spent our life savings and then picked up our NC Fishing permits.
We left there and headed to the hotel and parked in the back of the parking lot, rigged some rods met the maintenance guy (Billy the bourbon drinker) and he hooked us up well with reserved parking and our own dedicated outlet for charging the boat batteries. He took care of us too the point of putting cones out blocking a half dozen parking spots so we didn’t have to disconnect the boat from my truck. Made life much easier as hotel parking lots get packed at night that close to 77.
We showered and jumped in Ryan’s truck and headed too dinner, BBQ place just outside of Mooresville, my son lived there for about a year so he’s pretty familiar with the eateries in the area. Afterwards we went back too the hotel and just hung out having a few drinks and discussing strategies.
Saturday morning we headed out at 6:00 and met up with the guys who live there and know he lake pretty good as they fish tournaments there throughout the year. Met up at bojangles for some chicken biscuits and coffee, we do it every year 😂. After about 45 minutes of catching up we headed too the ramp. We had to use a different one this year due to a large tournament going out of the one we were planning on.
Go at the boats in the water and we blasted off. We hit a half dozen spots that morning and caught a few fish on a couple of them. Nothing like last year that morning. The afternoon provided no difference with a few more coming here and there. One of the guys had motor issues and had to idle back too the ramp, Greg who was fishing with home teamed up with a couple guys in another boat. It was a 21’ so it could accommodate another guy easily.
We had 9 guys fishing total and 40 fish were caught with nothing of any real size to show. We broke for launch at noon at a restaurant at the lake that you can pull up to the dock and tie off and walk up too. Good food and we can see the boats from where we sat. After lunch we regrouped with heading up the lake vs the south end where we started at.
This proved to not change much but a few more fish were caught by one of the boats. We fished until 5:30 and then called it a day and headed towards the hotel then off too dinner.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
Heading too the Pittsburgh airport to drop a buddy off who’s heading to Florida for a couple weeks, I’ll post more this evening
 

Fletch

Senior Member
Supporting Member
6,078
118
So far a great read J... Looking forward to the grand finale and pic's.. Glad to see you had fun and had a safe trip there and back.. Hey while your in Pittsburg you should grab yourself a nice Penquins hat..
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sgt Fury

Sgt Fury

Sgt. Spellchecker
So far a great read J... Looking forward to the grand finale and pic's.. Glad to see you had fun and had a safe trip there and back.. Hey while your in Pittsburg you should grab yourself a nice Penquins hat..
CEDCA07E-EF0D-4C1A-9318-0A9117BC96C3.gif
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
Had a good dinner coupled with some drinks and a few cocktails back at the hotel. One of the guys that was with us doesn’t drink so we had our DD. I ended up crashing around 10 and was pretty tired before then 😂. Another buddy that I’ve fished and turkey hunted with was down on Norman as well and we ran into him at the restaurant and BS’d for a few and then he met us after dinner at the hotel and discussed our day. He had about the same experience as us except he hooked into a 3-4 lb largemouth. We hadn’t seen a largemouth all day. All the fish we caught were spotted bass and as usual they’re the over achievers of the species. Hey hot like freight trains and don’t give it up until in the boat.
Sunday we woke up to rain. Met up for breakfast and then headed to the ramp. By the time we go to there the rain had subsided and the wind was picking up. We had gusts at 18mph and the temps were down considerably from Saturday. Not a great combination when fishing. We hit a point and took 13 keeper spotted bass of it and started hitting nothing but points he rest of the morning. Basically running and gunning every point we saw. Seems every 3rd or 4th one would produce a fish or two in 8-15’ of water.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
The wind never laid down and there were whitecaps pretty much everywhere we went, we used the power pole on my buddies boat as much as we could depending on the depth as it would only hold in 9’ or less depths.
Sunday was about the same in numbers of fish caught. Not a stellar day but we caught them. We went down a few weeks later last year and the numbers for all who were there were pushing 400 spotted bass. This year we may have hit the 100 mark. Not a great trip but fun and lots of laughs were had by all.
As of now 4 guys will be coming up in late May early June to fish Lake Erie. One new guy will be with them, Dan (who’s boat broke down) will be coming as well. He was sick when his boat broke down and Greg had to jump on another boat to continue. Kid was genuinely upset that he could guide for Greg for the weekend. Tried too put him at ease that we’re just happy too be down there hanging out and having fun.
Hopefully they’ll be up for the spawn on Erie and we can get them on some more fish Ohio quality smallmouth bass.....
Time will tell....

92C84EFC-9474-46DE-9623-CED7CAFCCEB9.jpeg
Parking lot at bojangles Saturday morning.
F4354244-8599-4B4F-B8E2-09CAF2798DC4.jpeg
F310E4F4-93B3-45ED-B39E-D9014CA6F4CF.jpeg
D29829A8-1F2E-4F48-9070-31F964A0C8B9.jpeg
My son Ryan with the first fish
1603269B-4E82-4D0A-A3C1-B96EBC287975.jpeg
dad with a follow up
07856D03-B04B-4B87-9AB7-E66811FF024B.jpeg
Kevin and Jason
440D2915-C9E3-41D1-8832-69C3E0A8B7F7.jpeg
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
Also, got the phone call that my boat is ready too be picked up in Tennessee. House and dog sitting for Shawn so I wove able to make the trip down until the 15th..... New trailer, new carpeting, looking forward too that trip....
I’ll have put close too 9K miles on my truck since January....