| Lake Gaston is located in both Virginia and | | | | degrees. The next places that turn on is the |
| North Carolina. It is a large lake of 20,300 | | | | southside arms, especially Lees and Poe. We |
| acres. Many professional and amateur | | | | like to fish these areas around the |
| tournaments are held here each year, so it | | | | boathouses, rip rap, and laydowns with a |
| receives a good deal of fishing pressure. | | | | chrome / blue Ambush Stealth Diver and a |
| This is where we competed in the Regional | | | | Terminator Colorado spinnerbait. We stick to |
| Finals for the Red Man Tournament Trail in | | | | the structure that is in the 5-10 foot deep |
| 2000. The main species of fish in the lake | | | | water. Bass here start to spawn around April |
| are largemouth bass, striped bass, and black | | | | 15th, and last till around June. The other |
| crappie. Other species include some walleye, | | | | areas that can be real productive are Pea |
| chain pickerel, white perch, bluegill, and | | | | Hill and Six-Pound Creeks. Sometimes we use |
| catfish. The main forage base is composed of | | | | floating worms, and wacky-rig them for some |
| alewife, gizzard shad, threadfin shad, and | | | | hot action. Another method that works good in |
| herring.Lake Gaston has relatively stable | | | | these areas is soft plastic jerkbaits. During |
| water levels, and high quality water. There | | | | the tournament, and at other times also, we |
| is a good population of largemouth bass, with | | | | really caught most of the better fish on |
| many large fish available. Most of the bass | | | | these baits. "Sizmic" Flu-Go's" were our top |
| we catch at Gaston run around 15 inches and | | | | producers. Lake Gaston is known for a good |
| about 1 1/2 pounds. We have caught numerous 5 | | | | topwater bite. You can really get into some |
| and 6 pounders and some larger fish were | | | | decent bass in these areas on buzzbaits and |
| caught in the finals. In fact, some of these | | | | poppers also. Even Lucky Craft "Sammy's" |
| fish were 8 or 9 pounds. The lake record is | | | | produce well at times.Later in the year, |
| 14 pounds 2 ounces, so there are plenty of | | | | about June, the largemouth like to relate to |
| big bass left in Lake Gaston. Gaston's | | | | classic bottom structure like humps, points, |
| striped bass fishery depends mainly on | | | | and stream channels, or even large beds of |
| stocking. Many striped bass are caught each | | | | hydrilla. These hydrilla beds produce large |
| year that weigh 3 to 8 pounds, but plenty of | | | | bass as well as numbers until about |
| 20 pounders are taken each year. The walleyes | | | | September. We usually probe the deep weedline |
| are doing good at Gaston also and many trophy | | | | with a Texas-rigged worm or Yamamoto grub. |
| fish of 8, 9 , & 10 pounds are caught. We | | | | The 'SENKO's' also produce well here. Usually |
| caught a few of the Strpiers while fishing | | | | in the mornings and at dark, we twitch |
| for bass on the Lucky Craft crankbait shown | | | | jerkbaits over the top of the hydrilla, or |
| below.The striped bass make a spawning run | | | | even throw Terminator buzzbaits.If you like |
| each year up to the Roanoke river in April | | | | to fish structure, then the main lake points |
| and May. Lake Gaston has a variety of | | | | at creek mouths like Pretty Creek are good. |
| structure also, such as submerged bridges, | | | | Another good spot that has bass on humps and |
| stumps, submerged roads, and lots of grass in | | | | drop offs is Hubquarter and Lyons Creeks. The |
| the summer. Most of the water flowing into | | | | 15-20 foot deep area are best, as that is |
| Lake Gaston comes from the Roanoke river. The | | | | where most of the baitfish are. Carolina |
| visibility in the lake usually ranges from | | | | rigged lizards are a good choice, as are for |
| 4-8 feet, although heavy rains can make it | | | | worms, 'SENKO's' and grubs. At times, we |
| muddy. There is a thermocline in Gaston in | | | | catch good fish here on deeper crankbaits as |
| the summer at about 20-25 feet. In the | | | | well. The water starts to cool off a lot in |
| summer, oxygen levels are low are far down as | | | | October and November, and the bass start |
| Great Creek. The bottom is sand and gravel | | | | moving back to the 5-10 foot deep water. The |
| with some flats covered in silt, and clay | | | | best areas at this time are Jimmie's, Lizard, |
| hillsides. The shoreline is mostly wooded, | | | | and Six-Pound Creeks. We use a 3/8 to 1/2 |
| with some high slopes. North Carolina Power | | | | ounce jig at this time, with a black/blue or |
| and Virginia Power owns the entire 350 mile | | | | brown/orange 'Uncle Josh Pork trailer'.We |
| shoreline. There are lots of docks, rip | | | | like to carry several spinning rods for the |
| rapped banks, and brushpiles. there are | | | | lighter lures, in different lengths, from |
| really a lot weeds, including elodea, | | | | 6-61/2 feet, with a medium action, in a good |
| milfoil, and hydrilla. This is especially | | | | graphite rod such as a G Loomis and Falcon. |
| true in the creek arms and coves, with the | | | | We like Shimano and Tica reels, spooled with |
| deep weedline at about 10 feet. They do treat | | | | a 8-10 pound Trilene. For baitcasters, we |
| the grass and also have added some grass | | | | carry a variety of rods, in 6 1/2 to 7 foot |
| carps.The best locations for largemouth bass | | | | lengths, in a medium/hvy action, and a |
| in the spring (March & April), are the | | | | crankbait rod, in 7 foot. We use Falcon's and |
| northside creeks, especially Pea Hill and | | | | G Loomis rods, and Shimano reels on most |
| Lizard. They normally turn on first as soon | | | | outfits, with 17-20 pound test. |
| as the water temperature reaches about 50 | | | | |