Pamlico March 10, 2011
Dr. Joe Newman and his son, from New Bern, NC, with a double header of striped bass they hooked on D.O.A. CAL soft plastics while fishing near New Bern with Capt. Gary Dubiel of Spec Fever Guide Service.
Gary, of Spec Fever Guide Service, reports that the striped bass fishing has been excellent around New Bern and upriver over the past month, and it shows no signs of slowing. The best action has been on deep edges in the area, and soft plastics on leadheads have been the most effective baits at getting down to the fish of late. Some areas have also been hosting a decent early morning and late afternoon topwater bite.
Some large panfish and a few puppy drum and trout are feeding in the same areas, and there’s been a good shad bite upriver around Vanceboro.
Downriver near Oriental, anglers have found some excellent speckled trout action (with big numbers of small fish and a few larger ones in the mix). Plenty of puppy drum are in the same areas. Both fish are falling for soft plastics, and fishing them under a popping cork can be useful, since the slimy winter moss is still covering much of the bottom and fouling lures.
Dave, of Minnesott Beach Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are seeing some excellent shad fishing in the Neuse River basin near New Bern, especially in Pitchkettle and other creeks in the area. Shad darts and Deep Creek crappie jigs have been highly effective on the shad lately.
Fishing cut shad around drop-offs and other bottom structure in the area has been producing plenty of action with striped bass and some big catfish.
Down towards the sound, anglers are finding some decent action with speckled trout that survived the winter freeze, as well as some puppy drum. The grass banks of the creeks off the lower rivers have been the most productive, and Gulps and other soft plastics will fool the specks and reds.
The puppy drum bite has been phenomenal lately on the Cape Lookout rock jetty, with anglers catching big numbers of fish (undersized to slot fish).
Ben Giacchino, of Oriental, with a 5.5 lb. speckled trout he hooked on an electric chicken curlytail in Lower Broad Creek.
Richie, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that the striped bass bite up the Pamlico and Tar rivers has been excellent lately. Anglers are catching most of the fish on pearl white Gulp Jerkshads fished very slowly along the bottom.
As the water temperatures climb over the coming weeks, the action down closer to the sound will improve. Anglers will see more bait moving through the area and improved puppy drum, speckled trout, and flounder action in the warmer water.
Richard, of Tar-Pam Guide Service, reports that anglers are catching big numbers of schooling striped bass (most 17-24”) in the lower Roanoke River. The fish are staging in the Three Sisters area to head upriver and spawn, and several days have seen 100-200 fish landed. Z-Man paddletail grubs in white and chartreuse are producing much of the action, and since the fish are feeding in deeper water (17-22’), 1/2 oz. jigheads will help anglers get their baits down to the fish.
The action should stay strong through April, when anglers can follow the fish upriver to their spawning grounds near Weldon.
Donald, of Custom Marine Fabrication, reports that anglers are finding solid shad action in the creeks off the Neuse River, with most falling for shad darts and small spoons.
Striped bass are chasing the shad in the creeks and feeding around the New Bern bridges, and 4” Storm swimbaits have been attracting plenty of attention from the stripers recently.
When the winds lay down and boats can make it offshore, they should be able to find some wahoo feeding around temperature breaks in the blue water and hook up while trolling skirted ballyhoo and other lures. Some blackfin tuna are feeding in the same areas and will fall for slightly smaller baits.
