Pamlico/Neuse – April 2023
Donald, of Custom Marine Fabrication, reports that speckled trout action has been really good in the river as warmer water temperatures have these fish moving around in the creeks. The warmer weather will eventually pull these fish out and get them moving more towards the sound.
Some striped bass have already started to show back up after their spawn. As better numbers move in, look for topwater action to kick off in the coming weeks.
Anglers looking for that light tackle shad action are still finding a good bite upriver.
Red drum (puppy and slot) are starting to show up in the river.
Joe, of Caps Fishing Charters, reports that speckled trout fishing remains strong as these fish have started to move with the water temperatures slowly picking up. Recently, anglers are finding topwater plugs to have success, in addition to the go-to Z-Man soft plastics and MirrOlures.
Some early season red drum are also getting in on the topwater bite. More consistent warming trends will only help to move more redfish and bait into the area.
Anglers have had a great time targeting the great shad fishing in the river region. Small spoons and bright colored curly tail grubs are great baits for targeting this bite.
Brad, of Gunny B Outdoors, reports that speckled trout fishing continues to be the target of anglers looking to get out on the water. Due to changing weather patterns, these fish are a bit harder to lock down on as they move around with the fluctuating water temperatures. On one day these fish will be moved out toward the creek mouths, and then the next day a cold front will push them into holes further back in the creeks.
When the warmer stretches have happened, these fish are striking topwater plugs. Anglers will have the best luck throwing suspending lures and soft plastics, though, as both baits good for scouting different areas quickly.
Dana, of Reel2Reel Fishing, reports that there are some red drum starting to show up. It’s still early in the season, but these fish are beginning to move up the banks. If spotting these groups, a Z-Man DieZel Minnow or gold spoon can help entice a strike.
In the coming weeks, conditions are likely to continue to fluctuate. Overall, a warming trend should continue, and anglers will likely have the best success targeting speckled trout as they move out towards the creek mouths and up and down river shorelines.
Ken, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that the last cold fronts really threw off the speckled trout pattern. The fish had started to move out of the creeks with the mild winter, but now they seem to be in limbo trying to figure out where to go, whether that’s reverting back to the deeper holes or moving out toward creek mouths and main river shorelines. Look for the latter to be more common if the mild to warmer weather patterns remain consistent. Anglers are finding success on topwater plugs, MirrOlures, and a wide variety of soft plastics.
Slot-sized red drum are starting to work their way into the river from the sound.
Rockfish action is steady for anglers targeting structured areas around Washington, around creek mouths, and up the Tar River.
Mitchell, of FishIBX, reports that the action is still firing off on the striped bass front. Anglers have been catching really good numbers in the Tar and Pamlico rivers. Anglers don’t expect the striper action to slow up even a little bit moving through April. There are plenty of fish around, and favorable weather patterns will only help in getting fish more actively feeding.
The light tackle shad bite is just about hitting its peak. The cold weather hung up the pattern for a moment, but they are back on track, and the snap probably bought an extra couple weeks of fishing action.
Speckled trout fishing remains solid in the river. These fish are getting more active and starting to move around in the creeks, but the cold snaps confuse them. A stable weather pattern will be great in getting these fish back into predictable patterns where they will hang on ledges and banks, and more actively strike at quicker moving baits.
Hugh, of Pungo Charters, reports that speckled trout action remains strong as these fish pattern more towards spring. The cold fronts do seem to be pushing these fish back a little in the creeks, but the weather should change to more normal conditions over the coming weeks. The mild winter really allowed for a strong fishery, and some of the bigger trout are only becoming more active as the water temperatures warm up. The hard suspending lures such as MirrOlures and Rapala plugs are the top producing lure choices.
Red drum fishing remains scattered. There are some fish around down near the sound, but most haven’t started pushing inshore yet.
Grey, of Hyde Guide, reports that the phenomenal speckled trout run continues, with anglers finding some of the larger fish now becoming more active as water temperatures slowly come up. These trout are beginning to move in the creeks as they start to set up closer to the mouths before pushing out and towards the sound.
Red drum action has been steady, with weather conditions being the only hamper to sight-casting at these fish up on the flats. The red drum action only gets better as the water warms up and more fish move in from the sound and oceans.
Striped bass are mixed in the action, even though some fish have moved on to spawn upriver. These fish aren’t affected much by cooler temperatures and are still actively feeding right through the cold fronts.
