Pamlico March 7, 2013
Todd Spangler with a speckled trout he hooked while fly-fishing a Neuse River creek with Michael Carawan. Photo courtesy of Minnesott Beach Bait and Tackle.
Richard, of Tar-Pam Guide Service, reports that there’s been an excellent speckled trout bite on the Pamlico River over the past few weeks. Anglers are putting together limits of trout most days (with most fish 15-21”). Plenty of lower-slot puppy drum are mixed in with the specks as well. Hard and soft plastic baits are both producing plenty of fish, and anglers can also hook up while casting small live baits on Carolina rigs.
The striped bass bite has also been solid in the lower Roanoke River recently.
Anglers in Washington are eagerly anticipating the spring topwater striped bass bite as the fish gather in the upper Pamlico River to stage before making their spawning run up the Tar River.
The trout, drum, and striper action should only improve as the weather and water warm up over the coming weeks.
Richie, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that the speckled trout bite in the local backwaters is going strong (with many 17-20” fish). Anglers are reporting good action in Chocowinity Bay and Blounts Creek, and there should also be some hungry specks in Durham’s, Goose, and South creeks. Both soft and hard plastic baits have been producing solid results on the specks with Z-Man soft baits and MirrOlure MR17’s, some of the local favorites. The trout action should only get better as winter turns to spring and the warming water makes the fish more active.
The striped bass action around Washington has been a bit slow in recent weeks, but it won’t be long until the fish grow concentrated around the bridges and other structure. Topwater plugs are traditionally very productive for the springtime stripers.
Gary, of Spec Fever Guide Service, reports that anglers are finding some decent speckled trout action around New Bern right now. Most of the fish have been feeding in 6-12’ of water, and suspending baits like lightly-weighted soft plastics and Rapala or MirrOlure hard baits are tempting most of the bites. Fishing very slowly is key to success right now.
A few trout are also coming from the area creeks, and the creek bite will get better as the water warms up and bait becomes more active. The creeks around Oriental are some of the best, as they maintain a bit better water clarity than those further upriver.
Phil and Brenda Parker, of Winston-Salem, NC, with puppy drum and a speckled trout they hooked while fishing the Pamlico River with Capt. Richard Andrews of Tar-Pam Guide Service.
Striped bass are feeding in the Neuse and Trent Rivers, though they’re a bit more scattered than is typical this time of year. The Trent has also been hosting more consistent fishing, as the water’s substantially cleaner than the Neuse right now. Again, soft plastics fished on light jigheads in 6-12’ of water are accounting for most of the fish, but anglers are also hooking up on some rattling hard baits.
Dave, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, reports that the weather hasn’t been too friendly to anglers lately, and wind and rain have the Neuse River muddied up.
Some striped bass are biting around New Bern, but the action has been sporadic recently. Large soft plastic baits like D.O.A.s fished around ledges have been the best bets for the stripers lately.
Speckled trout are feeding up the Neuse River and in the Oriental and Minnesott-area creeks. The bite has been tricky, so anglers should be prepared to slow their retrieves down and stay on the move in order to find the feeding specks, as they haven’t been in the same places day-to-day. Soft plastics fished along the bottom and live mud minnows under floats are the best bets for the specks right now.
Some decent catches of puppy drum are being reported, so it should be a solid spring and summer season in that department.
Donald, of Custom Marine, reports that anglers are seeing some solid striped bass action around New Bern and up the Trent River right now. Soft plastics like Gulp Jerkshads are producing most of the fish, and bouncing them around bottom structure like ledges is the best bet.
As spring arrives, the stripers will grow more active and anglers should be able to tempt them to bite topwater plugs.
Some speckled trout have also been found in the Trent River recently. Like the stripers, the specks will grow more active and widespread as the water warms in the coming weeks.
Shad are on the move further up the rivers, and anglers fishing the known shad spots are hooking plenty on shad darts, spoons, and other small, flashy lures.
