5 Topwater Lures Missing from Your Tackle Box!

There are a ton of top water lures on the market and I know that every angler has their favorite and their go to's, but I wanted to highlight a few topwater lures that need to be in your tacklebox if they are not already in there!

1. Ima Little Stik- The Little Stik is an amazing walking and chugging lure! The splash of the small popping cup along with the walking action of the lure makes for incredible strikes on ravenous bass! It doesn't matter if it's a smallmouth, largemouth or spotted bass they absolutely tackle it!

2. Megabass Pop Max- The Megabass Pop Max is without question a game changing popper! With it's extremely well engineered design the Pop Max gives off an exacting lateral vibration and sound of a feeding or chugging bass. While the Pop Max chugs it displaces water and creates a feeding response in the bass within the radius of the strike zone. The fish look up and DESTRUCTION occurs!

3. Bill Lewis Stutter Step- The Stutter Step is an intimidating lure from first glance but this lure is as innovative as they come! With an incredible 180* turning action while walking it is just about able to walk in place. It makes a crazy commotion of splashing and bobbing and it triggers wild explosions. Trying burning across the top too, it has a wild side to side fall and get fish chasing and committed to eating!

4. River2Sea Whopper Plopper- The Whopper Plopper is probably something you own but for quite a few people it is still a mysterious ghost story. It is a propbait, buzzbait, walking bait, popper like, chugging top water that is very versatile! It is a fish catcher and has big bass potential. Very popular lure, don't hesitate to switch up on the sizes!

5. Reaction Innovation Vixen- The Vixen is a walking bait that is a little bit of a secret sauce lure! The beautiful smooth walking action combined with the small chugging and realism of action in the water makes a fish go CRAZY! Many times when it seems like you cant get a fish to strike a top water the vixen is the one getting chewed up. It's a phenomenal lure for breaking fish and a phenomenal lure to call'em up!

All of these lures are available here at Dream Catcher's Fishing Supply, 21 Steeple Rd. Sylva NC!

Fishing Fontana Lake NC

          Tucked into the valley's and cliffs of the Smoky Mountains in Western NC is arguably the prettiest lake in the United States, Fontana Lake! Fontana borders the south end of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and has some of the most amazing wildlife surrounding the shorelines! It is a phenomenal fishery filled with a ton of different species of fish. The lake has an abundance of largemouth bass, spotted bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white bass, crappie, yellow perch, musky, rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout as well as a few different salmon species and bream species. It is a fisherman's paradise as almost all of the fish are predatory species that key on the very prevalent shad populations on Fontana.

          Fontana Lake is filled with a few different shad species as they are the main food source for predatory fish. These species include threadfin, gizzard and blueback herring. Being that threadfin shad and blueback herring are nomadic bait fish a good majority of the predatory fish populations on Fontana are nomadic as well! Many of the big largemouth, spotted bass and smallmouth are found off shore on points, shoals and other navigational obstructions for traveling bait. Imitating these shad are without question the biggest key when using artificial bait! Shad imitating baits include spinnerbaits, flukes, jerkbaits, swimbaits, crankbaits, spybaits, A-Rigs and top water lures like spooks, poppers, wake baits and prop baits.

          The fish will often school on top chasing the threadfin and herring while the trophy sized bass will often times stay shallow hunting for bream and gizzard. It can be an extremely finicky and tough at times!
          At Dream Catcher's we excel in hunting big fish with artificial lures! If you are wanting to learn how to pattern big fish, learn new techniques while having a DREAM day give us a call
828-354-0250! Visit us here @ the shop 21 Steeple Rd. Sylva NC

Fishing Report for Lake Chatuge, Fontana Lake, Lake Glenville, Bear Lake, Nantahala Lake and Lake Burton

 21 Steeple Rd. Sylva NC

      It is coming up on that time of the year! Water temps are going to start dropping pretty quick as the extended forecast has highs in the upper 60's and lows in the 40's! We have been tapering off of the summer bite slowly as it has been uncommonly hot the past 2 weeks but the fall transitional patterns are starting to pick up! Fish are schooling pretty regularly in the morning and chasing shad all day. There are areas of dense shallow largemouth still feeding on bream and shad that are shallow. Points and shoals are holding fish. Fall fishing and top water always belong in the same sentence. Frogs, poppers, buzzbaits, walking baits, whopper ploppers, wake baits, swimbaits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, flukes, underspins, spybaits, jerkbaits and A-Rigs will all play at some point very soon. Jigs, worms shakyhead and dropshots will be able to catch some good fish too.

Lake Chatuge

Temp: 77* and dropping

Clarity: 8ft

Water Level: -6

Pattern: With the water still being warm there is a great population of shallow largemouth! They are wolf packing down banks where bream and gizzard shad are dense! Frogs, buzzing frogs and wakebaits will do the trick! Look for flats with a lot of sand and gravel mixed in. Fish are starting to school more regularly and they have some size! Fish points, humps, shoals, saddles and creek channels in the back of pockets. Throwing big top waters over brush will put some fish in the boat as well. Small Kietech swimbaits, underspins and spybaits will put some good fish in the boat!

Fontana Lake

Temp: 76* and dropping

Clarity: 15ft.

Water Level: -18

Pattern: Fish are schooling hard in the morning just about everywhere on the lake, look for very distinct points that stick way out into the main lake to have schooling fish all day. Back water is still VERY productive for largemouth, head water of rivers have some decent fish, laydowns and chunk rock bank are holding above average fish. Swimbaits, crankbaits, topwaters and spybaits should play extremely well!

Lake Glenville

Temp: 75* and dropping

Clarity: 10ft

Water Level: -6

Pattern: Smallmouth schooling in creek mouths and off of points, big topwaters are playing great! Counting down soft body swimbaits to the depth you're marking fish will put them in the boat. Covering water is your best friend! Spinnerbaits are catching + sized fish as well as big wake baits. Don't get discouraged if fishing is going slow, it can turn around in a split second if the right school shows up!

Bear Lake

Temp: 76* and dropping

Clarity: 15ft

Water Level: -10

Pattern: Running the banks hard with buzzbaits, frogs, rats and spinnerbaits will produce some decent fish. Flipping a jig, shakyhead and dropshot into and around brush will produce some bites. Big bass are keying in on the trout population. Look for big bass on steeper banks with lots of brush.

Nantahala Lake

Temp: 75* and dropping

Clarity: 15ft

Water Level: -8

Pattern: There is an abundance of brush on the banks everywhere. Big largemouth are moving up shallow and are becoming more aggressive by the degree of dropping temperature! Big smallmouth are breaking on poppers, walking baits and other threadfin imitators. The big largemouth love the big trout and big meals! Stay shallow and look for deeper smallmouth when the sun comes up! A lot of summer time lures are crushing them still!

Lake Burton

Temp: 78* and dropping

Clarity: 10ft

Water Level: -3

Pattern: Big largemouth packing shallow, large swimbaits, frogs and buzzbaits playing well! Big spots schooling on herring on shoals, points and brush. Beating the bank will not be very productive. Look for schooling fish in the middle of pockets and where creek channels run is a smart choice. Big tree falls always hold fish, look to pull big largemouth out with big swimbaits!

Hiwassee Lake

Temp: 77* and dropping

Clarity: 8ft

Water Level: -6

Pattern: Fish are schooling pretty much all day, spotted bass are eating threadfin and herring on the main lake and in creek channels. Big largemouth are in and around marinas and back waters looking to pack and push big schools of shad, bream and perch. Big baits are playing well and top waters are playing well! As the water cools look for spinnerbaits and soft swimbaits to play more! Frog and buzzbaits will put some big fish as well as quite a few fish in your boat for the next couple of weeks while the water is still warm!

Big Baits for BIG Bass

Big Baits for Big Bass

      Throwing big baits has completely revolutionized fishing over the past 10 years! From trophy hunters on the West Coast to Elite Series anglers big baits have changed the game! I have a few things for you to think about in the form of analogies, comparison's and some BIG thoughts to help give you more confidence when buying and using BIG BAITS!

1. Fish don't know how big they are!
Fish do not have mirrors to look at themselves and compare themselves to other fish or their prey. What does that mean?.. they'll strike anything that they think looks apitizing! I think so often we think "a fish won't eat that, it's too BIG!" Bass have a brain the size of a pea, it is arguably the most instinctual apex predatory fish in the fresh water. That means the only thing they know is EAT and reproduce for a few weeks in the spring. They do not possess the cognitive process of thinking logically so feeding is all about trial and error!

2. Chicken Nuggets vs. 20oz Steak
      When you were a kid you ate fish sticks, chicken nuggets and other small little comfort foods. As you grew up to an adult through trial and error and what you could handle in portion sizes you became a lover of big steak!

3. The senior citizen community!
It doesn't matter if it's people or bass the older you get there are fewer in the older generation. Old wise fish and people act different than a good majority of the population of their respective species. Their lives revolve around efficiency and good decision making! Big bass do not want to expend useless energy when they don't need to just like older people. "Why cut the grass when I can pay a kid", "why chase those little fish when I can eat something big." They feed different, they act different and what I tell people is, "YOU HAVE TO FIND THE OLD FOLKS COMMUNITY", their dinner bell and their food of choice. How often do you target a 2lb to 3lb fish? Probably a vast majority of the time. You can target giant bass specifically and have great success! The biggest thing to remember is persevere!

Here are our favorite BIG Baits to throw when fishing Lake Glenville, fishing Fontana Lake, fishing Lake Chatuge, fishing Lake Burton and Bear Lake! They are all available at Dream Catcher's Fishing Supply located 21 Steeple Rd. Sylva NC 28779.

Bull Shad 8"

Deps 250 Slide Swimmer

8" Huddleston

Megabass I-Slide

September Fishing Report Fontana Lake, Lake Chatuge, Bear Lake and Lake Glenville

September Fishing Report:
Lake Glenville, Fontana Lake, Lake Chatuge, Bear Lake
Stop by Dream Catcher's Fishing Supply for more indepth lures, spots and techniques that will definitely help you put more fish in the boat! 21 Steeple Rd. Sylva NC

Overview

     All of the lakes are starting to drop in temperature and water levels. With the mornings starting to get a little more crisp the dog days are just about over! Fish are becoming more aggressive throughout the day as well as the bite getting even better in the morning! All of the shad are hatched and running for their lives as well as the small hatched bream in the shallows. As the water continues to cool look for more big bass to move shallow getting back in the highest concentration of oxygenated water and largest abundance of bait fish. There will be a few bream still to spawn in September on the Full Moon and with the cooling water I'd make a note to find a big population of bream! September is the month of the frog and top waters will be hard to beat!

Lake Glenville
Water Temp: 78*
Clarity: 6ft
Water Level: -5
Pattern: There are still an abundance of wolf packs up shallow and will continue to be until the water hits the 60's again. September always brings an abundance of GIANT fish schooling on herring around the lake. Look for fish on points and pockets while covering a lot of water with shad imitating baits and bream imitating baits! Swimbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and walking baits will definitely put some fish in your boat! When you're fishing Lake Glenville remember that the fish are aggressive and moving fast. 

Fontana Lake
Water Temp: 80*
Clarity: 15ft
Water Level: -17
Pattern: Fish are schooling small threadfin in the mouths of rivers and creeks, big fish are around but very wise. Using small threadfin imitators like a kietech or spybait will put fish in your boat! Back water still has big largemouth. Less abundance of quantity in the back water but great quality. As the nights get colder look for the fish to wake up and school like crazy!

Lake Chatuge
Water Temp: 80*
Clarity: 6ft
Water Level: -4
Pattern: The backs of creeks and pockets have throngs of bream, big packs of largemouth will be around. Off shore brush piles, humps and structure are holding good schools of spotted bass, the spots will start to school more as the water cools. Milk runs are the way to fish. Covering water with top water baits and having confidence that you're going to run into them is key!

Bear Lake
Water Temp: 78*
Clarity: 10ft
Water level -12
Pattern: What little bit of structure is in the water is holding a fish, flipping and pitching will put some fish in the box but nothing beats a big wood rat! Fish are coming unglued on bluff walls and near by structure for the big top waters! 

From Dog Days to Dream Days!

Bass fishing in the summer can be among the toughest things to do on earth, especially fishing Lake Glenville, Fontana Lake and Lake Chatuge! There are so many variables that effect you (the angler), the fish and the lake conditions. From the bright hot sun to the crazies doing donuts around you on jet skis and boarding boats, it can make for brutal fishing conditions! There are controllable factors and uncontrollable factors in every situation so I will do my best at breaking down how I most efficiently approach the controllable factors during the dog days of the Summer!

1) Prepare for the elements!

This is vague, I know but nonetheless it is vital to a dream day!
a. Food- Eating a light healthy meal filled with fruits, vegetables and some protein will keep your energy up while the sun is trying to beat you down!
b. Clothes- Wearing the right clothes is so key to a dream day on the water! I love a t-shirt and shorts but the reality is even when I wear sun screen my skin feels hot to the touch and and I have to reapply it throughout the day. I LOVE my Columbia Omnishade and Omnishield technology! It's light, cool, at an affordable price, looks good and is extremely comfortable! I like breathable pants and a breathable long sleeve shirt their PFG stuff is TOP OF THE LINE!
c. Hydration- Staying hydrated maybe the best kept secret for feeling good on the water. Yeah you may have to pee a couple extra times but the sun will literally evaporate moisture out of you and cause head aches and severe dehydration! Bring WATER, fill your coolers with ICE and stay sippin'! 

These tips will keep you physically ready and even mentally ready, now let's talk about fishing!

2) Fish Think Like People

a. AC/ Shade- I tell my clients, fish are like people during the dog days, we like AC and shade and so do fish! Cool water in the form of creeks and out deep is where you will find your steady population of fish! Cool oxygenated water is the key that unlocks success! Aquatic grass is also great! It produces oxygen, shade and usually there will be some sort of bait fish population! 
b. Go for broke or go for bites-In the summer I always take the mentality go for broke or go for bites! I like simple baits that I know will get bit like a drop shot or small tube. The fish doesn't have to make a hard decision in warm water to eat something simple they can conserve there energy and eat light (like us). But when it's time to pig out that means it's cook out time! In the same fashion, I am going for broke! I love throwing big topwaters, spoons, frogs and swimbaits in the summer! Usually if I can mix and match a bag with going for bites and going for broke it was a pretty good day!
c. Go Early-Cool temps at night make those fish wake up first thing in the morning and they get after it! Most of the best fishing during the summer is when there is barely enough light to see right up until the sun is fully up over the trees! After that I stay deep and I stay cool! Going early also helps you miss the crazies that come out around 10! 

I hope this helps you turn these dog days into DREAM DAYS! Like us on Facebook and  follow us on instagram! Tight lines!!!

Big News for Dream Catcher's Fishing Supply

Dream Catcher's Fishing Supply's official opening date will be August 6th! If you are a local or visitor of the Smoky Mountains we are your fishing store! We are a shop for fisherman by fisherman! Whether you are a fly fisherman or fishing out on the lake our professional guides want to give you the latest insight and show you what's working!

Address: 21 Steeple Rd. Sylva NC 28779
We are located on 74W just before Exit 85 in Sylva! Our shop in on your way to every lake and river in the Smoky Mountain Region!

We will be carrying all guide approved lures, flies, bait, tackle, apparel and equipment to ensure your Dream Catch becomes a reality!

We will also be offering free seminars by our guides and industry professionals one night a week! The seminars will include many different subjects like reading electronics, knot tying, fly tying, patterning fish, using finesse gear, big swimbaits, what to look for in weather changes and many other vital keys to improving your skills! Each week we will post what the upcoming seminar will cover and who the guide or industry professional will be! Stay tuned for more updates!