I feel like I'm always busy nowadays (not sure if that's good or bad), but October and November are definitely the busiest months for me. That being said, I wanted to post an update for our fall fishing season. I have to be honest; it hasn't been the easiest fall season for me. I think we had a lot of Albies leaving New England late due to warm temps up there, so we didn't have the numbers that we expected early on. On top of that, I think the wacky fall weather kept the bait and fish constantly changing their minds about where they wanted to be and how they wanted to act. It has kept all of us guides on our toes. That being said, I have worked my butt off to make sure all of my anglers had a fantastic, memorable time on their trips. You may look at these photos and think "what is he talking about, looks like it's been epic". It's because I've been working extra hard to make it that way. And please don't think I'm complaining. I know it can't be epic every day (although I know a few guides that advertise that illusion), and I am thankful for all the fish we have been able to catch. And if the weather wasn't right for the Albies, and they didn't want to cooperate, we just went and found some fish that would. Yes, it's Albie season, but being opportunistic and open minded pays off big time. Consider this my mid-season report, and I'll follow up with one more when the season is winding down. The fishing is finally starting to really get good, so there's another report with a bunch of pics coming soon. Until then, enjoy these 101 images of some of the fish we have caught the last few weeks. Big sticks for big fish. Wreck fishing for Jacks on fly is pretty fun. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to pay the tax man. We got Cuda'd over a wreck. Amberjack's little cousin the Almaco Jack. Target Species. Ate the "wrong" anchovy. I feel like I'm always staring into the sun no matter which direction I point. I swear we get just as excited watching our buddies catch them too. This is a little technique I call, "quickly yanking the line off your reel to relieve pressure on your rod so that Albie doesn't snap your rod in half across the gunnel". I love these fish! I'm already getting sad thinking about them leaving. Uh...not an Albie. "You ain't nothing but a Hound Fish..." This guy looks miserable. He must not be having a good time at all! Kevin got to put the first fish ever on the Hatch custom Jolly Roger Iconic. "Get on outta heeere!" Nice specimen of aquatic torpedo. Business end. Send it! Silver and gold. Families that fish together, catch Albies together! Or something like that. Look at that innocent face... he ain't never killed a baitfish. Still one of the coolest designs on a fish ever. This was one of those days where we had to work extra hard for them, but it paid off in overtime. Worth the wait. Finally! Now we can all go home with smiles plastered on our face. Hi Albie, nice to meet you! We have tagged a bunch of Albies this season for the "Albie Project". Happy to be helping to further the science on False Albacore population health, migration, growth, spawning and population genetics. To learn more about the Albie Project visit The Albie Project – American Saltwater Guides Association Spinning for the win on some big deep-water bruisers. That's a handful.. Jack parts... Set, set, set! Blue Runner. Putting up a fight! I want to say a humongous thank you to everyone who has fished with me this year so far! You keep me in business. And beyond just the awesome anglers I have, thank you to all of my supporters whether you are family, friends or one of the companies that makes the gear we use and abuse.
You all rock and I love and appreciate you more than you know!
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Well, it's definitely fall and its definitely Albie season, and I am definitely loving it. It's got me so incredibly busy that I can barely get enough sleep and barely keep my head above water. Therefore, I'll make this report short and sweet for y'all.
The False Albacore are here, and the amount that show and how well they bite has just depended on the weather and the bait. We've had a tropical storm to start us off and a few days of weather that did not help the bite. Even on those tougher days we had fun and made it happen one way or the other. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have also had some really special days when everything came together. They may not have been the best days I've ever seen in 20 years of doing this, but they were definitely an 8 or 9 out of 10. Simply put, I am having a blast and so are my anglers.
Here are some images from the last 2 weeks of fishing. We've got another 5 or 6 weeks of fishing to go, so be expecting a lot more info and images coming your way. By the way, I post pics almost daily on Instagram, so give me a follow @tailingtide if you aren't already. Anyways, I'll let the pics do the talking....
A little pre-season Albie action...actually a Redfish trip that morphed into an Albie trip.
Hold on!
Success!
Send it!
I'm kind of a gear whore and I can't resist the bling. Love my Hatch Iconics.
Lot's of early season Bluefish around, which is why we always keep a 6wt onboard.
Get them started early!
Smiles all around!
Spaniards.
I can hear the drag burning off that Florida Fishing Products reel right now.
And there's the guilty party for the drag burning.
Crank fast, he's making a run for the boat!
Got him!
Got THEM!
Back after them.
Big or small, they all fight like crazy.
Someone ate the wrong silverside.
God sure did design a beautiful fish, when he created the False Albacore.
We've been putting the Mauser Waterman 890 and 1090 rods along with the Hatch Iconic 7+ and 9+ reels to work this fall.
The TFO Inshore rods and Florida Fishing Products have been doing work too. I am the polar opposite of a shill, and I'm not getting paid to say nice things about the products I use. I just use gear that works day in and day out all year long, and if I find something that works, then I'm going to share it with y'all.
Hi Pam, this is Albie. Albie, meet Pam.
Jim getting in on the action.
Check out my drip...
If you don't get it, it's okay.
Pink candy for the win.
Love it when Bud comes to visit. He always puts together some great videos from our trips!
Designed for speed!
Nice fish Bud!
Bud brought his friend Mark. Great fishing with you Mark.
Shewwww... Redfish, what Redfish?
Zzzzzing!
Oh hey Spanish Mack, thanks for coming to play!
If I had to describe the Bluefish we've been seeing in two words,
they would be QUALITY and PLENTIFUL.
Oh hey, who dis?
Oh hey there my copper friend! Good to see you. Did you bring your buddies to play?
6ft sharks on giant poppers? Okay, I'll play this game!
Oh hey, my copper friend did bring his buddies to come play!
I don't think I could look at this fish without my sunglasses on, wow! I actually had to de-saturate these images because they almost looked fake.
Oh yeah!
McFlyfishing and his crew getting in on the action.
Shawn comes Striped Bass fishing with me every year and every year he manages to catch a Carp. Well I take him Albie fishing and dang if he didn't try to catch the closest thing to a Carp that he could. LOL.
Look at this BEAST!
Drop it like it's hotttt.
That glorious golden paddle!
I told Brian that it was going to rain all day. He said screw it, lets go.
Good choice Brian, it was a great trip.
Flexing some muscle on a mini tuna.
We are wet, the fish are wet, we are all in the same boat. ;)
Cast to a school of busting Albacore in 30ft of water and catch a Sea Robin! The only thing that's crazier than that, is that the exact same thing happened last year also.
Dreary weather and happy Albies.
Love the collage of patterns and colors on these fish!
Acres of Bluefish.
Lead member of the Razor Gang.
If you play this game, you better bring lots of flies. :)
It's been a month since my last blog update and we have a lot to talk about. The last 30 days have been a roller coaster ride between some of the best fishing I've seen in a long time and some of the biggest struggle bus rides of the year. We've also gotten to get out looking for some future opportunities for our anglers to enjoy the amazing fishery we have on the Crystal Coast. So without further ado... We've experienced some of the best tailing Redfish I've ever seen. We've had some really good floods and witnessed some of the highest numbers of tailing fish I've ever seen on the flats. Will the late August and September floods be as productive? I guess we'll see. Although the slot sized teenage Redfish are our bread and butter...sometimes, every once in a while, something really cool happens, and we get to cast at grandma and grandpa Redfish. Although it doesn't get the hype that Redfish do, I love getting out along the beaches and chasing after Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel on 6wts. Sightfishing Redfish in shallow water never gets old. Sending one back into the grass to go hunt more fidders. We've experienced some extremely high air and water temps (88-94 degrees), so we've been really careful with our Redfish and taken some extra time on the releases to make sure they get back into their habitat safe and healthy. Feeding fish up close and personal in six inches of water is a blast. This fish was so shallow that I had to get out and push the boat to the fish. Doing headstands. They don't come everyday, but I live for those slicked out sunny days for sightfishing Reds. Thats a big motor on a big old sumbarine. "Alright Redfish, give us a quick smile and we'll snap a pic and let you go." "Fine, just get it over with, I'm so embarrassed that I ate that fly..." Moonrise over the tailing flats. Megalodrum. Yes, they are here! The Albies started showing up sporadically in early August, mixed in with the Spanish Mackerel. More recently, they have been showing up as full fledged blitzing schools. I can't wait until September, I think we'll experience another great early Albie season this year. The hard part is over, just got to bring him to the boat. Tearing up the marsh! Flood tide sunsets are the best sunsets. Everybody comes for the fish, but the plan is for them to leave with so much more...with an experience, and long lasting memories. Fooled another one crawling in ankle deep water. There's been plenty of Spanish Mackerel around, and they are a bunch of fun on light tackle whether you are a beginner or a veteran angler. The Redfish bandit strikes again... "Give me all your shrimp flies and no one get's hurt!" "Let me just hide right here behind this blade of grass and maybe they won't see me." Say no to trout sets, and say yes to strip strikes and side pressure. Colin putting the heat on another fish. I'm a biology dork, so I love seeing my anglers catch cool stuff like this Moonfish. I think the coolest part of sightfishing Redfish is the couple seconds leading up to the eat. When it's really good, we don't even cast, we just lean over and snatch them right out of the water....just kidding. Getting in a few last shots. Was that a tailing fish, or are we just seeing things? My buddy Eric made it back from a year of working in Korea, just in time to fish the first annual Redfish Rodeo fly fishing tournament. The "neigh"bors are out for a morning stroll. Jonah fished several floods with me this month and wore them out. Bulldogging it. Evening topwater bites are the best. Coming in for a landing. Watching clients cast to Redfish is a high excitement and high anxiety activity for me, but it all morphs into joy and relief once they come tight. Gosh Jonah, leave some for the rest of us. Love watching them wake up and swim away. Bluefish are super aggressive and a load of fun on light tackle and fly. Topwater Grass Bass. Copper scaled fly crushers. Johah, I'm about to cut you off. Thanks for your time, we'll catch you later. Where do you think your going? Come back here. We've kept a couple this year, but we've put 99% of them back. I'm planning on putting 100% of them back in 2024...stay tuned. Multi-spotter! Okay Jonah, you got another one...the sun is setting, can we go home now? Blues and teals and greens. Fooled by a well presented shrimp fly. Somebody's not happy about getting caught. Light rods and running the beaches for Spanish Mackerel = Good Times! That look of guilt and regret. Sightcasting pigs. Want to see a magic trick? Now you see 'em. Now you don't. Vast.
The first word that comes to my mind. I love the open ocean and being able to watch giant storms form and travel across the horizon. There's hungry fish out there somewhere. Hey everyone, it's been a little while since I last did a fishing report. I promise I'm not getting lazy, just really busy. Heck, it's even been a few months since I dropped a podcast episode. I have been truly blessed in the fact that all the hard work I've put into the guide service over the last 11 years is really starting to pay off. A huge thank you to everyone who continues to support me and allow me to live the dream. So far this summer, we've ranged from floating in inches of water surrounded by Spartina Grass, to floating in 100ft of water over WWII Ship Wrecks. We've had more than one Spanish Mackerel trip turn into an offshore trip when the weather cooperated. We've seen everything from Cobia to Jacks to Baraccuda to big Sharks, along with Sea Turtles, Flying Fish, Manta Rays and Spotted Dolphin. We've also done a bit of exploring new inshore waters looking for fishing opportunities that may not be available in my backyared this time of year. We've even done a little Sharkin'. I might be known for Redfish and Albies, but those are definitely not the only opportunities we have available. Fun size pullage. My buddy Perry likes summer breezes and long walks on flooded Spartina flats. Even the little ones put up a fight. Love it when they're hangry! Fly Grave Yard. Topwater eats are a summer time favorite. We've hit a few really good nearshore Spanish bites this summer. Consistent good times on bent 6wts. Bending 8wt Waterman's and putting the new Hatch Iconics to work. Baby Sha... Ah never mind. Doot, doot, da doot, da doot... We rarely see the big Crevalles here in NC, but sometimes we find huge schools of the juvies and they sure are a riot. They blitz and fight with just as much aggression as their adult versions. Plenty of Spanish action on metal this summer. Flounder on fly are always a nice surprise when targeting Redfish on the flats. They rarely turn down a fly stripped within sight. The Crystal Coast has so much to offer, from sea turtles, to marine mammals, to shelling, to wild horses, to beautiful landscapes. People might come for the fish, but there is so much more to the overall experience. Special delivery for Mr. Redfish. Plenty of fun size Amberjack being caught on artificials this summer. Found a few nice trout on fly and topwater spin recently. I love watching my anglers catch fish, but I really appreciate it any time I get to catch one anymore. Reef Donkeys! Top secret fly right there folks. (Black Clouser) Not really, it honestly is all about the presentation. Find a happy fish, manage to keep it happy as you approach, and properly present a fly that looks somewhat like food and you are good as gold. I love seeing a fly rod properly loaded with energy sending a fly to a hungry target. Spanish are such a great fish on fly. They'll keep you plenty busy. One of my favorite sights in the marsh. Seeing this will never ever get old. And if you were wondering, capturing an image like this is not easy. There's a whole bunch of "a second too soon" and "a second too late" images that get deleted just to get a few good ones. I love fish portraits, every species has their own unique features, from their eyes to their mouths to their fins. They all have something cool to appreciate about them. The Zen sport of fly fishing for tailing Redfish. Happy Angler equals Happy Guide. Nope, still not tired of catching these guys! Tools of the trade. Black and Purple for the win. I love watching them eat a fly right in front of the skiff. Worth the run offshore for. I'm doing more and more of this and I really enjoy it. I have a lot to learn about wreck fishing, but I'm really loving it so far. Redfish on fly are far from easy here in NC, they are earned, and something to be truly appreciated. Seeing spots. If it ain't Chartreuse, well you know the rest... Later Gator! My July pretty much completely booked up. I still have a decent amount of days open in August and plenty in September. October and November are nearly completely booked up, so get in touch with me soon if you want to fish for Albies this fall. Thanks so much for the support!
I recently returned home from two weeks on the Roanoke River guiding anglers to Striped Bass during their spring spawning run. This season marked my 17th year fishing the Roanoke River for Shad and Stripers. I grew up right down the road fishing on the Chowan River and Albemarle Sound, but I didn't discover the Roanoke until later in life. Although I love chasing Redfish and Albies in the salt, I look forward to floating the Roanoke and enjoying the slower pace and great fishing each spring. Although the town of Weldon NC is known as the "Rockfish Capital of the World", it wasn't earning it's reputation the first few days of my trip. We had fish, but they had not arrived in the numbers I was hoping for, and they were scattered up and down the river instead of being stacked in big schools. We caught fish, but we had to work for them. Fly was a bit tought for several days. Casting jigs on spinning rods produced a little better bite for us. Where were the missing fish, and why was the bite tougher than normal? Good question. There were several factors at play. Low water temps could have played a roll. And although the flow of 12,000 cfs was great for spawning fish, the flow had only been up for a few days before my arrival. When the Striped Bass gather in the Albemarle Sound and the mouth of the Roanoke River, they wait on signs such as high water flows to start their 100 mile journey upstream. Perhaps the delayed increase in flow delayed the push of the fish upstream to their spawning grounds. A week after I arrived, we started seeing spawning activity from the fish. Often these fish get a bit lockjawed in the week before they spawn, which could explain the low number of bites. Fortunately the water temps rose from the low 60's to mid 60's, fish numbers continued to increase and the bite picked up. The fly bite got better and the topwater bite even started to pick up in the early mornings and late evenings. This right here is what you hope for. A solid wedge of Striped Bass stacked nose to tail and fin to fin from mid water column down the bottom. Often these schools can be several hundred yards long and stretch from one side of the river to the other. The good days more than made up for the tough days and the Roanoke quickly earned her place as one of my favorite rivers again. Schools of hungry fish, bent rods and happy anglers became the norm and all was right with the world again. Leaving the Roanoke to head back to the coast was bittersweet. I had been away from my family for two weeks, but the bite was ramping up daily. I said adios to a few of my guide buddies who were staying a few more days to reap the benefits of the happy fish. I'll definitely be back again next year, and I am ready to get you on the books for Shad or Stripers next year if you are ready. Look for more info on the 2024 Roanoke Season soon. A group of Striped Bass spawn on the surface one evening. When the female rises to the surface to release her eggs, anywhere from a dozen to several dozen males rise up with her. They will fight with all their strength to get close to her and fertilize her eggs. It's quite a sight to see, especially if you consider the long journey these fish make to produce the next generation of fish. Tenacity...Stripers don't give up the fight very easily. When a mommy and daddy Striper love each other very much...... A quick goodbye, and a little rest and revive before sending her off into the current. Never surrender. Striped Bass are such a classically beautiful gamefish. Another one fell victim to the chartreuse and white Clouser Minnow. Moody skies downriver. Happy Anglers = Happy Guides (Baldheaded Bobby Guideservice) Stripers make you happy! Chartreuse for the win! Sometimes the fish were right in the middle of the river, and sometimes you had to pull them out of the trees like this one. Captain John Smolko on the hunt for hungry fish Tossing 350gr sinking lines can be a workout, but it will pay off. Great fish and good times. ...and the scenery is pretty awesome too. I love introducing an angler to a new species. Ryan has done Redfish and Albies with me, and now he's gotten to tangle with Striped Bass on my skiff. Send it! Swapping fish stories with Capt Will Paul (Tar River Co.) Striped Bass aren't the only predators on the Roanoke. This 4ft plus Longnose Gar went after my anglers fly and put up a great fight. I'd love to target these more consistently. They don't all have to be monsters to have a good time. On the search for the next bite (Sightfish NC). Odd looking Striper. Capt Ozzy on the hunt (Marker 23 Guide Service) One of the nice things about fishing the Roanoke is that I get to cast a rod a few times too. This one was worth making a cast for. The battle ensues. Constantly changing water heights and flow have carved away at the banks and left these trees hanging on for dear life. It's amazing to see how much affect moving water has on a shoreline. Lot's of life to see on the river. Time to make the babies. From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely appreciate everyone who came and spent some time on the Roanoke River with me this spring. Thank you so much for the support. I look forward to returning next year for both the Shad and Striped Bass spawning runs, and I hope to see you there.
As I am typing this, I'm sitting in my hotel room in Weldon NC. It's the beginning of the Striped Bass spawn and I'm happy to be on the river again. The only downside to the Striped Bass run, is that it cuts into our Atlantic Bonito season on the Crystal Coast. The Bonito will probably be around for another week or two, but I probably saw my last Bonito of the year come over the gunnels last week before traveling up to the Roanoke River. By the time I get back, it could be over until next year. I don't mind that too much, because we had a great, albeit short, Atlantic Bonito season. If you're not familiar with the Atlantic Bonito, it is a species that we see each spring, which is similar in many ways to the False Albacore that we chase each fall. They are a pelagic speedster in the tuna family that swims at high speeds as they annihilate Anchovies and Silversides. They even have a somewhat similar color and pattern to the Albacore. Some of the key differences are that they have a dorsal fin similar to a Mackerel, a mouth full of sharp teeth, and most importantly they are delicious to eat, unlike their Albacore cousins. I look forward to each April when our neashore waters approach 60 degrees, and the Bonito begin to arrive at our nearshore artificial reefs and hardbottom ledges. These fish are just passing through on their way to the New England area where they will spend their summer. By the time the water temps hit 70 degrees, the Bonito are already on their way out and headed North. In that short window of time, we are watching the weather and seas forecast and looking for every opportunity to get out after them. Mid April, we had some relatively cooperative weather and we were able to get out there for several days and chase them. That means leaving the house at 4:30am and shoving off the dock at 5:30am to hit the early morning bite and get some fish boated before the majority of the traffic arrives. Generally the biggest part of the action occurs between first light and 8am. This year was a little different, and we had many schools of fish pop up and blitz on the surface in the middle of the day. Although these fish can definitely be dredged up from the depths, my favorite way to pursue them is on top when they are blitzing on small baitfish. Overall, it was a great experience and I'm already ready for next year. And shameless plug, if you ever want to get in on some action like this that only occurs for a short window of time, please contact me. There is no rule that says you can't book a year in advance. Atlantic Bonito may have been the main target, but when you are fishing around structure in the ocean, there are a plethora of other species available. This Grey Trout is one of many species that we caught last month while targeting Bonito. A huge thank you to every one who came fishing with me over the last few weeks, I could not do it without your help!
Growing up along the Chowan River in NE NC, I was aware of Shad and saw them occasionally, but never knew about the amazing Hickory Shad run on our neighboring Roanoke River. It wasn't until about 16 years ago, when I was in my mid-twenties, that I learned about this awesome fishery. I have fished the Shad run on the Roanoke almost every Spring since 2007, but only occasionally ran charters for these fish. I decided to build the Roanoke Striped Bass run into my guiding business over the years, but never focused on the less popular (but just as amazing) Shad run. I decided that I needed to change that. I spent a short week running charters out of Weldon, NC last week for the Hickory Shad run, and we timed it just right. We had some really good days on the water with counts of over a hundred fish landed on some of the trips. Not that numbers are the most important part of a fishing trip, but when it comes to shad fishing, continuous actions is just part of the fun of it. We had a great bite for all of our anglers on both fly and spin, and I can't wait to grow this fishery into a bigger part of my guide offerings in the coming years. Everyone focuses on the Striped Bass run on the Roanoke, but many of them are missing out on one of the best Shad runs on the planet. Obviously, there is more to the Roanoke than just Shad, there is the beautiful scenery, the abundant wildlife (Ospreys, Eagles, Turkeys, Turtles, etc), and the pleasure of a slow drift down a river as it flows through the fall line and morphs from rapids to blackwater river. I am looking forward to getting back up there in a couple weeks to chase the Striped Bass, but you can bet that I am already planning to return next March/April to put my anglers on a bunch of Shad for 2024. I could ramble on about how much I love this fishery, but I'm more of a photographer than a writer, so I'll just share some images with you that tell the story of my trip. An Osprey takes off with a Hickory Shad after plunging into the rapids. The Big Rock is the last set of boulders as the Roanoke transitions into a coastal river. These Shad may be perfect on fly but they are also a ton of fun on light spinning rods. When its good, you gotta go! Just as much fun for kids as for adults.
Looks like it's about time to end another chapter in the Redfish journey. As the winter 2022/2023 season comes to a close, and we transition into spring fishing, I wanted to look back and share some images and thoughts from the final few weeks. Early in March we had a sudden warm up in temperatures. Trees were blooming, water temps were rising, the water was coloring up, and the Redfish schools started breaking up. It seemed like the water temps went from 55 deg, to 65-70 deg in just a few days on the flats, as the air temps approached 80 deg. It felt like winter was going to be over earlier than normal. And just like that, the air temps dropped and the water temps fell to 53-55 deg again. Some of the schools of Reds had scattered into singles, and some were still holding in schools. We even found a big school of 500 plus fish that covered a vast flat. Air and water temps continued to yo-yo throughout the month of March, making my job harder than I had hoped. The winds also came into play as we had several days of difficult sight casting in 20-25mph winds. Those winds also stacked in much higher high tides and super negative low tides compared to what was predicted. Heck, it even sleeted on us one trip. "Can a guide catch a break?" Fortunately I've gotten better and better over the years at finding fish and getting shots in difficult conditions, and I'm a little more at ease with fishing in snotty weather than I was, say, 5 years ago. The biggest issue for us was that a lot of these fish were highly educated by the time we got into March. Fish that would have ate more readily in January and February, had seen enough pressure from boats and bait, to be much more aware of their surroundings and life choices during the month of March. That being said, we still managed to have some really great trips sight fishing Redfish up shallow on fly and spinning gear. As we move into April and May, the water will warm, continue to get darker, and the schools will continue to break up and spread out through the marsh. I have absolutely enjoyed our winter fishery this past season. All in all, it was probably the best one I've experienced. That being said, I am really looking forward to some summer time Redfish. I can't wait until they start tearing up topwater plugs! Along with being my most successful winter of Redfish hunting and catching, it was also my most successful winter for my guide service. You all didn't give me much down time, and although I missed my winter vacation where I normally get caught up on everything else, I really really appreciate you all keeping me booked up and poling my skiff towards Reds. As always I really appreacitate the support and can't wait to see what else we'll experience on the water this year.
Enjoy the pics! John Just a quick update on our winter Redfish fishery. February was really productive for us on the flats chasing schools of fish in (mostly) clear water. Lots of fish schooled up, some willing to play and some not so much. I had a lot of great clients onboard this month and we had a great time pursuing these blue tailed gamefish. We fished fly and spin and found success with both. Every time we go, I learn a little more. It could be a different angle of approach, a different fly, a different presentation or just how to better communicate with my anglers. This month, we did some experimenting with a few different flies and soft plastics and also played with different angles of presentation. Winter is a great time to be able to see how these fish react and fine tune your approach and presentation. Normally our winter time sight fishing lasts through the end of March, but we are already starting to see all the signs of spring. Warming water and air temps, algae blooms, returning bait, etc. The fish are still schooled up and the water is still clear, but that could be changing soon. Whenever mother nature decides to transition into spring, we will just adjust and keep on fishing. Hope you enjoy these photos from some of our trips over the past few weeks. Thanks for the support!
Although we are in the thick of the winter Redfish season, I'm always prepping for what's coming next. We are in a time of transition... cold nights, clear water and schools of Redfish, while at the same time we have Cherry Trees blooming and pollen is starting to fill the air. Water temps will be on the rise soon, and with that, several new species will arrive that we can chase on fly and spin. One of my favorite early spring-time targets are Shad. Both Hickory and American shad start migrating up river this month and will be available in the upper reaches of our rivers in March and early April. When you hit them right, you can catch fish after fish on fly or ultra light tackle, and watch them jump and run with the current as they try to get away. It's not that uncommon to catch up to a hundred shad in a single day at the height of the season. They may not tail like Redfish, or blitz like Albies, but these fish are so much fun! Aggressively attacking bright colored flies and jigs, and leaping like baby Tarpon. I am trying to build a yearly short season for my guide service each spring where I can take anglers to target these fun fish. I'll be on the Roanoke River at Weldon for a few days this spring. Don't miss out! I have March 29, 31, and April 2 remaining for Hickory Shad trips on the Roanoke. We can fish fly or light tackle and I will provide all the gear needed. Give me a call or shoot me a message if you have any questions. When I get back from my Shad trips, I'll be focussing on our nearshore fishery for most of April. The Bluefish will already be here, and there should also be False Albacore and Atlantic Bonito on our wrecks and hardbottoms. Depending on the best bite, we will leave very early morning from either Beaufort Inlet or Bogue Inlet and fish nearshore structure for these fish. Its worth leaving in the dark for a shot at the hard fighting and delicious Bonito, whether you want to catch and release them or take some home for sushi or ceviche. The goal is to be in the ocean before the sun rises and on blitzing fish at first light. By the time the sun rises this popular fishery will bring lots of other boats to the nearshore structure which can cause the fish to stop feeding on top. When this happens we switch tactics and throw sinking fly lines or jig them on spinning rods. Some days the bite slows after a few hours and some times it goes all day. Once the bite does slow we have several other species we can go chase. The False Albacore are usually also around and are more willing to blitz through the day. These are the same fish that show up in the fall that everyone raves about. The spring Albies just have a shorter window that is a little less predicatable, so they don't get as much publicity. That being said, I have seen days in April that blow the doors off the fall bite. Depending on the weather we can also go looking for bigger quarry like Sharks and big Bull Reds...both available during April on the Crystal Coast. I have dates available for the Spring Nearshore Fishery from April 3 - 22. I'm happy to discuss my thoughts on the different opportunities and the best dates for them. I'll be leaving the Bonito behind in late April, to head up to Weldon for one of my favorite fisheries, the spring Striper run. NCWRC has announced that the Roanoke River harvest season will be April 14-17 and April 22-23 this year. Unless I have any anglers requesting to harvest Stripers, I will start my first charter up there on April 24, to avoid the keeper season crowd. I will be on the Roanoke for about 18 days running morning, evening and full day charters. 50-100 fish days are not uncommon on the Roanoke. Add in to that the possibility of hitting a good morning or evening topwater bite, and it doesn't get much more fun. Most of the fish we catch are going to be 16-24" long, but we regulary catch fish up to 30", and there are some real monsters hiding in the river. I'll be loaded up with 8wts rigged with floating lines and poppers, along with rods with sinking lines and Clousers, ready for whatever comes up. I'll also have plenty of spinning rods and an array of soft plastics and topwater plugs ready to go. Although Striped Bass are the target, we also hook into everything from Largemouth to Carp to Suckerfish, along with a few other surprises. And if you want to try something different, or in combo with a Striper trip, ask me about opportunities to sight cast Common Carp on fly on some nearby flats. I am now booking trips for the Roanoke Striper Fishery. I'll be offering AM or PM long half days (5hrs), and long split full days (5hrs AM/mid day break/5hrs PM). Available dates will be from April 24- May 10. I have a feeling these will go quickly, so don't wait too long to come experience this awesome fishery. Here's some more info on the Roanoke Shad and Striper Trips with pricing, etc.
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