Pamlico – March 26, 2015
Richard, of Tar-Pam Guide Service, reports that anglers are seeing some excellent striped bass action in the lower Roanoke River at present. The fish are feeding around drop-offs and structure along the banks of the river and biting soft plastics like Z-Man Paddlerz and Streakz worked near the bottom.
Solid numbers of shad are also feeding in the creeks off the lower Roanoke, and they’re taking an interest in small spoons and grubs.
Capt. Dave Stewart, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, with an 8 lb., 28″ striped bass he hooked on a D.O.A. soft plastic in the Neuse River near New Bern.
There’s also been a solid striped bass bite in the Pamlico River near Washington. The Pamlico fish have been biting soft plastics as well, and anglers even tempted some to take topwater plugs this week.
Gary, of Spec Fever Guide Service, reports that anglers are finding some healthy speckled trout and a few puppy drum in the creeks off the lower Neuse River. Areas with patchy sea grass have been producing the best action, and anglers are fooling most of the fish on D.O.A. CAL soft plastics rigged weedless. Suspending lures like the Rapala Shadow Rap have also been producing results recently.
Thompson Brown, of Greenville, NC, with a speckled trout that inhaled a D.O.A. soft plastic while he was fishing a creek off the Neuse River with Capt. Gary Dubiel of Spec Fever Guide Service.
Upriver, there’s been some decent striped bass action around New Bern, despite dirty water and lots of current from recent rains. The majority of the stripers are taking an interest in D.O.A. paddletail soft plastics on 1/4 oz. jigheads, and pearl, chartreuse, and glow seem to be the hottest colors recently.
Crappie and other panfish are also on the feed around New Bern, and anglers are connecting with them on smaller artificials.
Dave, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, reports that anglers are seeing some stabilizing weather patterns and rising water temperatures which have improved the spring bite in the Neuse River. Striped bass are producing the majority of the action, with the best fishing around New Bern. Working D.O.A. soft plastics along deeper ledges in the area has been the best bet for anglers looking to connect with the stripers. A few are starting to bite topwater plugs along the shorelines as well, and the surface action will improve greatly once the water temperatures rise a few more degrees.
Downriver, there’s been some decent speckled trout action in the creeks and along the shorelines. Soft plastics are tempting most of the bites from the specks.
Isaiah, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are finding some decent striped bass action upriver from Washington. Most of the rockfish are falling for diving hard lures like Smithwick Rattlin’ Rogues or soft plastics like Z-Man and Fin-S baits.
Shad are also feeding upriver of town in the creeks and tributaries off the main river. Small spoons, soft plastics, and shad darts are fooling most of the acrobatic fish.
Anglers are also seeing some improved action downriver, with decent reports of speckled trout, slot puppy drum, and even some flounder in Blounts Creek and similar locations. Soft baits like Gulps and suspending lures like MirrOlure MR17’s are producing action with all three inshore predators.
