Lake James

PG2

Ten Pointer
I am going up to Lake James for a long weekend taking my boat and was wondering how the fishing on this lake was and any pointers or tips would be much appreciated. Growing up in Ohio I fished a lot for walleye and in my humble opinion they are the best tasting fresh water fish. Can I use the same tactics, drifting with jigs tipped with minnows or night crawlers or trolling with shad raps???

Thanks
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
Yes you can.

A lot of people prefer leadcore line than downriggers for trolling because of the possibility of the downrigger weight getting snagged on the bottom.
 

fowlhntr

Six Pointer
Tough fishing this time of year at James. Best to go when the sun is down and/or fish deep.

Excellent advice there. Have not fished it in a few years but the Catawba side used to have schooling white bass around this time of year. We always did better on smallmouth and walleye on the Linville side. Water is ultra clear and they will be deep now. If they are pulling water you may be able to catch some smallmouth or largemouth at the necked down area right above the 126 bridge early and late.
 
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