Bridges make fertile fishing areas

Twenty-one bridges crisscross the old Catawba River channel and its feeder creeks. While cars, trucks and trains speed overhead, some of Lake Norman's largest fish lurk in the quiet waters below the bridges.

A combination of factors draw fish to bridges. The superstructure and pilings offer shade and shadows. When the water is moving, eddies form on the down current side of the pilings. Eddies offer fish placid ambush points to snare bait or other food. The algae and plant life attached to the bridge supports provide a constant food supply for small feeder fish. Shade, cover, eddies and sources of food make bridges a perfect spot to cast.

Another factor is the actual placement of the bridge span in relation to the surrounding shoreline. To save on construction and maintenance costs, most bridges are built to span the shortest distance across a channel. The bodies of water on either side are considerably wider. The narrow passage under the bridge acts as a funnel by forcing fish to swim through a restricted area. This channeling effect makes it easy to tempt fish as they move from one side of the bridge to the other.

Bridges hold fish 24-7. For this reason, you might see bright lights after dark from boats fishing under certain bridge spans. The propane- or battery-operated lights not only make it easier for anglers to see in the dark, but lights also attract feeder fish, which, in turn, attract game fish. Crappie are the preferred pan fish of under-bridge fishermen, but bass, stripers, catfish and perch can all be caught when conditions are right.

The most popular span crossing the old Catawba River channel is the Highway 150 Bridge that connects Iredell and Catawba Counties, midway up the lake from the dam. Other bridges to consider fishing include the one at Slanting Bridge Road and the Railroad Trestle over Mountain Creek. The bridge at Williamson Road is a popular spot at the lower end of the lake.

Although the "residents" (fish) of bridges get accustomed to boat wakes and noise, it is best to fish when traffic is light and on weekends between midnight and 8 a.m.. The most popular method of fishing around bridges is to vertically suspend live baits at various depths in the water column. Cut baits fished on bottom, or slightly above, also work well at times, as do artificial lures.

Bridges are prime locations. Regardless of the one you choose, it should only be a matter of time before you get a bite.

Tips from Captain Gus!
Listed below are the approximate vertical bridge clearances when the lake is at full pond (760 feet above sea level). Wave height must be factored in when boat clearances are tight. These bridge clearances are from lake observations and information provided by the Lake Norman Marine Commission:

- I-40 Bridge, Catawba River: over 10' 0"
- Highway 70 Bridge, Catawba River: over 10' 0"
- Railroad Bridge, Catawba River: over 10' 0"
- Railroad Bridge, Buffalo Creek: 3' 0"
- Buffalo Shoals Rd. Bridge, Catawba River: over 10' 0"
- State Rd. 1832 Bridge, Balls Creek: 5' 6"
- Windermere Island Bridge, Catawba River: over 10' 0"
- Molly's Backbone Rd. Bridge, Terrapin Creek: 2' 0"
- State Park Rd. Bridge, Hicks Creek: 3' 0"
- Perth Rd. Bridge, Rocky Creek: 3'0"
- Perth Rd. Bridge, Cornelius Creek: 5' 3"
- Cornelius Rd. Bridge, Cornelius Creek: 4 ' 0"
- Highway 150 Bridge, Catawba River — 8' 5" & 11' 1"
- Highway 150 Bridge, Mountain Creek: 5' 9"
- Highway 150 Bridge, Reed Creek (LKN Marina): 5' 9"
- Mount Pleasant Rd. Bridge, Mountain Creek: 5' 5"
- Railroad Bridge, Mountain Creek: 6' 3"
- Slanting Road Bridge, Mountain Creek: over 10' 0"
- Governors Island Bridge, East Side of Burton Creek: 7' 10"
- Williamson Rd. Bridge, Reeds Creek:6' 0"
- I-77 Bridge, Reeds Creek:10' 3"

Upcoming Events:
The Norman Fishery Alliance Annual Meeting and Fish Fry will be Saturday, Oct. 11, from 10 a.m .- 2 p.m. at Gander Mountain in Mooresville.

Hot Spots of the week
River and creek points where stripers and bass are feeding early and late. Best results are at depths from 10 to 50 feet for stripers and ten to twenty for bass. Both artificial and live baits are catching limits. Surface feeding activity is occurring at dawn and dusk in boat basins and over underwater humps. The past week striper and bass fishing has been good to very good. Perch and cat fishing has been very good to excellent.