I used to be a serious secluded small stream bass/pike/bluegill fisherman with light & UL spinning equipment while in Missouri over 25 years ago. I now live in NC in the Lake Norman area, which is a huge lake w/ a lots of recreational boating traffic and serious boat fishermen.

 

I am interested in starting out with bank fishing in the shallows, and realize I'm a novice. I'm thinking of finding more secluded public access areas (if available) and creap around the banks. Maybe investing in a fishing kayak or canoe next year if I find any success.

I was digging through my gear and have a pretty good collection of light and UL gear with plenty of Rapala and spinning lures. I found my favorite Penn 430ss light reel/ Fenwick HMG 5-1/2' light rod combo.

 

It's funny but I feel nervous starting out again. Any advice would be appreciated (technique, lures, line, etc.)

First welcome to the best online bass fishing forum.

Shore fishing or kayak fishing a portable cast out hummingbird fish finder would serve you well.

Your like me I was a trout only guy in the springtime. Maybe a few bass fish trips thrown in. Then I got into bass fishing heavy. Read all the articles here.

Then I found out the $1 spool of 4lb Garcia river mist line wasn't good for bass. The game changes when we go bass fishing.

WELCOME

You are certainly in for a good time. If you want to fish Norman, which is a good size lake, I imagine (I'm not sure, I've never been) that having a kayak would be a game changer. You can always look on Craigslist for used kayaks or check out the Ascend FS12T. A solid value, and even better if you can find it used, and if you didn't like it you wouldn't be out too much money. But I bet you'll be hard pressed to not enjoy yourself. Good luck!

Welcome back to the sport!

 

I find the easiest to get started with

and the most productive (for me) has

been with soft plastics - worms, Senkos,

Zoom Trick and Finesse worms all in

"standard" colors like black, june bug, 

watermelon black (or gold) flake, green

pumpkins and so on.

 

Easiest way to rig 'em is wacky. You tie

on your hook (I recommend a Gamakatsu

Wide Gap Finesse in 1 or 1/0).

 

Then bend your Senko (or knock-off) in half

and hook it through the bend perpendicular

to the worm.

 

Cast it out, and let it sink. As it sinks, it shimmies

back and forth. Cast it near structure, docks, etc.

 

Enjoy the results!

Welcome back. The past 25 years have changed the game in tackle, techniques, etc. I have been fishing 10 years serious and each year there is  a drastic change in the game. You should not be nervous, but excited. You get to get back out in nature, and start re-learning how to catch a fish. It is a blast to try out new lures/techniques. 

 

I would echo what Darren said. A 5" senko wacky rigged is hard to beat. Cast it. Let is sit. I recommend green pumpkin or my favorite watermelon creme. In addition to these, I would suggest spinner baits (white in fall, red in spring) and small 4" inch grubs on a jog head. Just simply cast and slowly retrieve.

 

Another thing...it is fun under certain conditions to use ultralights. But, you are going to want to go get a 7' mh rod to use for the bass. I have an UL ST Croix that I use for landlocked salmon fishing and use occasionally for throwing finesse applications. When you catch a decent fish, it turns the rod into a wet noodle. Fun, but wouldn't want to do it all the time. 

Welcome, like you I spent last decade or more focusing on trout in SE on UL trout gear. I recently purchased several bass/rods but have started to use UL trout rod/reel for finesse techniques.

Lake Norman State Park near Troutman has a public fishing access area. I think the gates open at 8am and close at dark(?) It's been a while since I've been there but you used to be able to walk the trails and fish from the bank. If you do decide to go the kayak route, be aware of pleasure boaters and their wake. Late fall, winter, and early spring would suit you well in that regard. Better yet, Davidson Lake would be better suited for small craft. There is an access on the Davidson side of the lake. Green pumpkin plastics will get you plenty of bites on either body of water. There are a couple of kayak guys on this site that could give you a better feel for our home lake. Welcome to my neck of the woods brother. Hope you like spotted bass!

Lake Norman State Park near Troutman has a public fishing access area. I think the gates open at 8am and close at dark(?) It's been a while since I've been there but you used to be able to walk the trails and fish from the bank. If you do decide to go the kayak route, be aware of pleasure boaters and their wake. Late fall, winter, and early spring would suit you well in that regard. Better yet, Davidson Lake would be better suited for small craft. There is an access on the Davidson side of the lake. Green pumpkin plastics will get you plenty of bites on either body of water. There are a couple of kayak guys on this site that could give you a better feel for our home lake. Welcome to my neck of the woods brother. Hope you like spotted bass!

Does Norman have any No-Wake Zones?

Yes. Come to think of it, there are some creek arms with plenty of fishable water that snake along up around the state park. They have a boat ramp too. That is Hicks Creek and it always seems to have bait. You can avoid most of the boat traffic back in places like that. Avoiding weekends is a good call too, unless you get on and off the water by 10:30 or so. No Wake bouys are in just about every cove but I recently read an article in the Charlotte paper which stated that over 50 of them were illegal. Some people abide, others dont, or wont. That place can get bad at times during the summer. Be safe and dont catch them all!

Thanks for everyones advice and encouragement.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/community/lake-norman-mooresville/article40947165.html

I came across this article regarding the wake issues on Lake Norman. Hope the link works.

welcome back.!