Duck hunting near Mattamuskeet is great, is the lake a strong fishery too?

Haven't been in a few years, but the bass fishing is unreal in the canals. The lake is shallow and it is hard to get anything other than a small boat in it. 8-)

I went there a few years ago before I really knew much about fishing. It is a few hours from where my family vacations in the OBX. That place is freaking BEAUTIFUL.

The canals look great. I think they are deeper than most of the lake. They are LOADED with timber from what I saw. There is a land bridge that runs North and South straight through the middle of the lake. There are drainage tubes/culverts that connect each side of the lake underneath the land bridge. When I went I saw a ton of topwater action on either side of those culverts. I didn't have the equipment to cast far enough to the feeding frenzies but I really wish I had. I assume they were bass but I have heard there are stripers as well and now that I know that, I think stripers sound more likely to be what was chasing baitfish up to the surface. I caught a few fish (and a crab on a rapala minnow) but I think I could do much better now that I know more and have better equipment. I also just found out they have big bowfin and gar as well. From what I saw and what I have heard, you should focus on the culverts along the land bridge and the timber in the canals. The culverts are out in the middle of the lake and the wind creates current that moves bait and attracts feeding fish.

frogtog, did you catch them in the timber in the canals? Any size to them? I really, really want to go back there sometime.

The lake is full of BASS but not easy to fish. The grass beds hold most of the fish. Need a small boat.

ABU 804

Thanks for the info.  Hyde County is beautiful no doubt.