Pamlico April 10, 2014
Andrew Logan (age 5) with his first striped bass, hooked in the lower Roanoke River while he was fishing with Capt. Mitch Blake of FishIBX.com.
Gary, of Spec Fever Guide Service, reports that even though the keeper season is closed, anglers are hooking big numbers of speckled trout in the creeks off the Neuse River from New Bern to Oriental. Most are falling for weedless-rigged D.O.A. soft plastics or D.O.A. shrimp under popping corks. There are some puppy drum and flounder mixed in and falling for the same baits.
Anglers are also picking up a few striped bass in the mix, but most have moved upriver to spawn. There’s a tremendous showing of bait in the creeks around New Bern, which should kick the striper action into high gear when they return from the spawning grounds.
Dave, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, reports that anglers are seeing some excellent speckled trout action in the local creeks off the lower Neuse River. The season’s still closed until mid-June, but there’s plenty of catch-and-release fun to be had (with fish ranging from undersized to 3+ lbs.), and it’s encouraging to know that many fish made it through the cold winter.
Most of the specks are falling for D.O.A. soft plastics which are also fooling a few puppy drum in the same areas.
Mike Favata with a healthy speckled trout he caught and released in a creek near Havelock while fishing with Capt. Stukie Payne of Carolina Backwater Charters.
Further upriver, there’s been some solid shad action around Pitchkettle Creek, where anglers are casting 1/8 oz. shad darts around flooded timber to connect with the acrobatic fish.
Most of the area’s striped bass are upriver spawning, but the spring topwater bite should kick into high gear when they move back down.
Isaiah, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are seeing an excellent speckled trout bite right now, with action reported in virtually every creek off the Pamlico River (and fish running 16-24”). Soft plastic baits and suspending lures like MirrOlure MR17’s are fooling the specks.
There’s still some solid striped bass action around Washington as well, although the larger fish seem to be getting on the move upriver to spawn. Working diving plugs, bucktail jigs, and soft plastics around structure bridges, ledges, and timber is the way to go for the stripers.
Richard, of Tar-Pam Guide Service, reports that anglers are still hooking solid numbers of striped bass while working the lower Roanoke River. Most are falling for Z-Man soft plastics on jigheads and weedless hooks. The fish are heading upriver to spawn, so the action will be moving up towards Weldon in the coming weeks. Soft plastics, topwater plugs, and live baits will all produce plenty of bites when anglers hit the upper river.
Adam Braden, of Raleigh, with a speckled trout he hooked on a D.O.A. soft plastic while fishing a creek off the Neuse River with his father and Capt. Gary Dubiel of Spec Fever Guide Service.
Mitch, of FishIBX.com, reports that the striped bass action on the Roanoke River remains excellent, with clients catching big numbers of slot-sized fish (along with some larger and some smaller). Most are falling for soft plastic baits, and multi-lure rigs are at times producing double hookups. Fly casters are finding plenty of striper action as well.
Some fat white perch are feeding around the same areas. They’re also falling for soft plastics and flies and giving anglers something to add to the stripers in the ice box.
