Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
After a cooler start to April stalled some of the spawning activity, conditions are warming and the fish are getting back on track. As practice kicked off, so did the first-ever NPFL event in the Tar Heel State, and the field is now set to launch the second event of the 2025 season.
Lake Norman hosts three species of bass—largemouth, spotted bass, and smallmouth—in my best guess at the general order of importance for this event. Anglers will need to make strategic decisions on which group to target. With fish reportedly in all phases of the spawn, the door is open for a wide range of techniques and patterns. It’s likely the winner will execute a plan that capitalizes on a combination of approaches: picking off quality bass previously marked on beds during practice, stumbling upon new bedding fish at key moments, and simply “fishing” through the rest.
As Ken Duke breaks down in a recent column, Norman could flirt with the NPFL record for number of bass weighed in. The lake is loaded with 2-pound bass, making a 10-pound limit the expected baseline for most of the field. Connecting with a few above-average fish, especially a kicker largemouth, will be key to breaking into the top ten.
Anglers’ Take
Despite the brief warm spell earlier this month that pushed water temps higher than usual, Lake Norman has settled into typical spring conditions. Bass are actively spawning, with some still on their way in and others already done. North Carolina angler Brad Staley confirms the timing feels just right—and he’s ready to get things rolling.
“Things are right where they should be for this time of year, and there are fish biting,” he said. “The spawn started when the water warmed up quickly (before the event), but it’s since cooled off. Guys will do well just fishing what is in front of them this week.”
While Staley has spent some time looking for bedding fish, most of his strategy revolves around covering water with a variety of baits.
“I’ve got some nice fish lined up, but so do a lot of the other guys—and some of us are probably on the same ones,” he added. “I checked some ‘sneaky’ places this week and still ran into other anglers. This field is stacked; nobody’s going to have much to themselves.”
In some parts of the country, the biggest bass come in with the first wave to spawn. But Norman plays by different rules. According to Staley, there will be big fish caught throughout the week—off the bed and on both sides of the spawn.
“I found some nice fish for this lake, and I’d say a third or more are already done spawning. There are still plenty of quality fish moving up,” he said during his final hour of practice on Tuesday. “I’m out here grinding, trying to put the puzzle together. Whoever wins will need to stay consistent—things will be tight, and a solid average will take you far. I can’t wait to get out there.”
Weather Watch
With the cooler weather behind us, anglers launched into the morning at a crisp 42 degrees. Conditions will warm steadily, with lows in the 60s and highs reaching the 70s and 80s by Thursday and Friday. Today’s forecast calls for winds out of the WNW at 10 to 15 MPH, with afternoon highs climbing close to 70.
How to Watch
Tune in daily to watch the action from Lake Norman – watch the daily LIVE Leaderboard, LIVE Blog, and on-the-water photo galleries and blogs of the anglers from the North Carolina.
Catch the LIVE Coverage with Luke Dunkin and FatCat at TNPFL.com on days two and three.
Under the Go Live Tab, choose LIVE Broadcast or check out the real-time leaderboard on the Fishing Chaos Catch Track with estimated weights entered by the anglers on the water and join us for the LIVE Weigh-ins, here!
And be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, & X.
