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