Yadkin River?

I bankfish the Yadkin River too, but further downriver from you, in Yadkin County. I have seen and heard of some large ones that were taken out of the river as well. Unfortunately, I'm wasn't the one landing them. Our best catches this summer were around 6 pounds - channels. We did fairly well once the hot weather broke, but then the bite dropped off sharply when the river became visibly lower from the dry weather. Very few bites after the drop except the one night last week that we had a small rain storm; I went out to a local feeder creek to the Yadkin and caught a few eater size.

We have had most luck with garlic liver, cut bait, and worms. Very little to no luck with bacon, commercial dough/blood baits, or hot dog/canned meat-type baits. We have not tried any sort of chumming, although my father claims soured cracked corn does very well in the Yadkin, and some of the ones we kept had corn in their bellies.

My grandfather used to be a commercial fisherman on the river in the East Bend area. He always claimed that fresher bait actually worked better than soured and rotten baits on the river cats, and we did seem to have better luck on the river itself this summer with baits with little or no rotten smell to them.

We went at least twice a week most weeks during the summer. Not once did I see another fisherman on the Yadkin in my area. No one putting in at the public ramps or anyone boating past the private spot I also fish. Maybe they were all at a secret honey hole or something, but very low traffic at my spots.

RiverratSC said:

I have a cousin that lives in Elkin. They have asked me several times to come up for some smallmouth bass fishing but I haven't made it up there yet. Are there any good cattin around that area?

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The locals used to do quite a bit of bankfishing above and below the riffles near the 21 bridge in Elkin. Near there, where the Big Elkin Creek runs into the river is supposed to be a particularly good spot. The banks have gotten overgrown with kudzu, and I don't know if the landowners still let people in or not. However, if you could find an access point further up you might could boat down. It might require some portaging though - lots of shallow spots around Elkin. The Yadkin River Trail folks canoe in that area, and you can order a map from them. Since your friends are local they might know a landowner who can give you an easier way in.

I believe there are parts of the old V-shaped Native American fish traps still in that part of the river as well. I ran across Douglas Right's account of his voyage down the Yadkin a while back on the Internet, and it is amazing how little things have changed. He described meeting fishermen who had filled half a bushel of fish with a seine net between Ronda and Elkin, as well as the rock fish traps - in 1928.

A Voyage Down the Yadkin - see "Lone Fishermen" section.