About US

Up-Close Outfitters is the premier hunting and fishing resource in Western North Carolina.  Residing in Asheville they are surrounded by prime habitat for many sought after game species.  The many high mountain reseviors, including Lake Fontana, Jocassee, Keowee, and James  regularly rank in the top Small-mouth fishing destinations in the south.  Along with Large and Small-mouth Bass, Walleye, Lake Trout, and Striper are caught on a regular basis.  For the hunter there are over a million acres of nation forest within an hour drive of Asheville.  We are the only permitted guide service to hunt these forest.  We are constantly scouting new terrain, with sub-meter GPS and GIS mapping capabilities, in order to find the prime buck holding areas and countless turkey flocks.

With the amazing landscape the area  has to offer, the scenery is hard to beat.  “Fishing Fontana lake in early spring is an experience no one could forget.  The Smokey National park in the background and 90% of the shoreline national or federal forest creates an amazing backdrop.  When the fish are biting there is no place I would rather be”, said Capt. Frank Askew, a guide and owner of Up-Close Outfitters

Call,   Capt.  Frank    for more information

828-273-0286

WNC and Asheville fishing reports (April)

April 9th

Fished Lake Jocassee on Thursday the 9th.  The water temp was 58 degrees and the water level has come up drastically.   Figured with the high water alot of grass and reed would be underwater in the back of the rivers and creeks.  I started out to the far N where Toxaway river comes into the lake.  Here there is a large flat that would hold alot of grass.  Fished it for an hour and a half with no takers.  Did catch a large trout on a crankbait however.  I decided it was just too early for them to be that far back on the flat.  So I ran to the back of horsepasture river.  Here the same situation was taking place but had a little deeper water adjacent to the submerged reeds and grass.  Jackpot!!!!  Started catching some real nice staging females.  Caught 5 bass in back of the creek.  One on crank bait (strike king series 5), one on small spinnerbait pulled through the reeds, and three on a shaky head.  All fish were realitively close to deep water but biting in2-3 feet.  The smallest one went 3 pounds.  I caught 3 more on this pattern in simular spots.  Later went to wind blown banks (it was blowing 15-20) and caught on small mouth on the stike king.  The fish would not touch a jerk bait.  Several bass were taken on secondary chunk rock points near the back of creeks.

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April 24

Fished Lake Fontana .  Started 0ut at the submerged rock off of chambers creeks.  Caught 2 small mouth on a zara spook, feeding on surface.  Heard several turkeys gobbling so went turkey hunting until 11:00.  No Luck.  Went back to fishing and started fishing bluffs with jerkbait.  There was no wind and blue skies.  Managed to catch 2.  The fish were there but the conditions were too calm.  The fish were coming up but not taking the bait.  Started fishing the back of creeks looking for some inflow of water.  Started finding some nice large mouths relating to wood and current.  The water was just a bit more cool but this had no harm full affect on the bass bite.  Put several nice fish in the boat on this pattern.  Later fished some flooded grass producing one more.  Till next time.

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April 27, 2009

Fished Lake Jocassee.  Started late around 12:00 pm.   Water temperature was 67 degrees.  Ran to back of creeks looking for bedding fish in submerged grass and sandy banks.  OVERCROWDED  People had found the areas I was fishing earlier.  Caught one spotted bass on a shakey head.  Started hitting back of secondary coves toward the main lake.  The water was a little bit cooler so I figured the larger females might still be spawning.  Caught a fish in about every cove I came to.   Nothing real large however.  Switched between a brown jig and texas rigged finessee worm.  Caught two real nice fish on a submerged hump on a tight wobbling silver crankbait.  The wind was picking up and so was the fishing acitvity.  Put about 8 in the boat by the end of the day.

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