Figuring out Lake Gaston (1/11 + 1/24)
I never fished Lake Gaston in the 12 years I lived in North Carolina, so I decided to fix that on 1/11 and 1/24.
On 1/11 I launched out of Salmon Creek and went straight to Lizard Creek. No luck there, went farther down to Pea Hill. I fished up and down Pea Hill with barely a bite. I had marked bait and fish back at Lizard Creek so I decided to give it one more go before going home.
The moved paid off. I picked off 6 from that spot with jigs and a dropshot. Nothing of size, but it's winter and a fish is a fish.
I went back on 1/24 hoping for the same results. Ended up having a better day in fact. This time, I went straight to the same spot on Lizard Creek with the same jig. Picked off two immediately with my first two casts. Not long after I hooked a 18 incher. Scale was broken. I think 3 lbs is a fair estimate.
I decided to forego Pea Hill and the dam side, and instead I made my way up the lake. I fished areas in the main lake where the main river channel contacted the bank. This universal strategy worked for me at other lakes and it was also productive here. I picked up several other fish including a few more 3 lbers. No giants, but again, it's winter (albeit a mild one), and catching any fish at all is a bonus. I ended the day with somewhere between 8-10 bass landed. All released.
Really enjoyed fishing Lake Gaston and if the fishing is this good in winter, I'm excited to see what it offers in warmer weather. I have a hard time fishing the rivers around Greenville so getting to fish a reservoir like Gaston is a nice change.
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