Prepping for retirement

[engrmitch]

I just found your site yesterday and the people seem friendly and knowledgable. I'm retiring next month after 21 years in the Army and hope to get back into the sport of fishing more seriously. Previously there has just been too many deployments and long hours. I'm looking for advice on good locations, lures, water levels, etc. to help me catch more fish. I love the outdoors and being on the water but as most would agree it's even more fun when you're catching and fighting something. I'm particularly interested in the Cape Fear River near Fayetteville as I live in Hope Mills. It seems that the river is forgotten by many with the larger lakes to the north (Jordan, Falls & Harris). When you only have 4-5 hours or less some evenings or days it just doesn't make it worth it to drive that far - especially with gas right now! I've got a 14' jon and I've had it out on the river several times lately with minimal success but had fun floating the river. I haven't given up though because I know there has to be some good fish lurking out there (besides catfish that I see most fishing for). I look forward to hearing from other members about good lakes or spots close by and tips to be more successful on the CF River. Thanks for the site and keep up the good work!