Seasonal Fishing Calendar
Shad - March-AprilHickory and White Shad make their spawning runs up the coastal rivers of North Carolina Feb-April of each year. In our opinion, the Roanoke River near Weldon NC is the best place on the planet to experience the shad run. Other rivers such as the Tar, the Neuse, and the Cape Fear also have good spring shad runs. The hickory shad usually show up in the Weldon area during the first two weeks of March and hang around until Mid April. Even a slow day shad fishing on the Roanoke, is usually more action than you will experience in other locations. Over one hundred fish in a day, is a definite possibility when fishing the Roanoke. Shad are great fun on ultra light spinning rods, or 4-5wt fly rods with a sinking line. They earn their nickname “poor man’s tarpon” from their flashy silver scales and their ability to jump multiple times when hooked.
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Click image for Shad Gallery
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Click image for Striped Bass Gallery
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Striped Bass - April-May
Striped bass are found throughout many parts of the state. Juvenile fish can be found in coastal rivers, large adults are found offshore, and many lakes contain landlocked fish. Just like the hickory shad, Weldon is also probably the best place in the state to catch striped bass, or rockfish, as they’re locally known. Being anadramous, striped bass make a Spring journey up the Roanoke River towards their spawning grounds near Weldon. Stripers start to show up in April and usually hang around until mid May. On a really good day, it’s possible to boat close to one hundred fish when the bite is on. April is the keeper season, and the Weldon area can be very crowded. Our favorite time to fish for them, is the first two weeks of May, when the crowds have gone home but the fish are still there. The majority of stripers are schoolie sized fish from 16-24″, but several large
females up to 40lbs are caught each year. The stripers are great fun on a medium action spinning rod, or a 7 or 8wt fly rod with a sinking line. Early mornings and late evenings can produce a great top water bite. If you would like to introduce your child to striped bass fishing, we can provide live bait to keep them in the action. |
Redfish - Year RoundOur State Fish may go by many names, Redfish, Red Drum, Puppy Drum, Bull Drum, Channel Bass, etc….but one thing is for sure, it’s one of the most sough after saltwater fish in the state. Redfish are available year round in North Carolina. In the spring these fish spread out through the marsh, where they will spend the summer in search of crabs, shrimp and baitfish. They can be found working the shallow bays and creeks, searching the mud bottoms and oyster reefs for an easy meal. During these warm months, they will readily take a topwater plug or fly. In the fall, they feed hard on bait as it schools up to migrate to warmer waters. During the winter, the Reds will school together by the hundreds and congregate in areas that hold higher water temps to help keep them warm through those cold months. In the winter, algae dies off, turning the water crystal clear and making for excellent sight fishing. We prefer to fish for Redfish strictly by sight-fishing for them in shallow water. Sometimes we can actually see the fish, and sometimes we are casting to wakes, pushes and muds. Contact us and we can discuss the best dates and times for sight fishing for Reds.
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Click image for Tailing Redfish Gallery
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Tailing Redfish - May - OctoberTailing Redfish are without question, one of my favorite sight fishing targets in the Carolinas. So much so, that I named my guide service after them. May through September, Redfish will consistently tail on the Spartina Grass flats on the extreme high tides around full and new moons. Some years they may start as early as April and last until October. The moons gravity causes larger tide swings flooding water up onto what is normally dry land, flooding out the homes of the tiny Fiddler Crabs. For those couple hours that the grass flats are flooded, Redfish will push into 5-15" of water in search of these tasty crabs. When they find one, they will go nose down and kick their tail above the water surface. And then you have a target that can be seen from a hundred yards away. Do you have what it takes to sneak within casting distance and gently place a fly six inches in front of his face without spooking him?
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Flounder - Year Round
We don’t normally target Flounder in the marsh, but we still catch plenty of them. Flounder will pounce on most flies or soft plastics fished near the bottom. This year, we are seeing good numbers of “flatties” back in the marsh bays and creeks.
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Click image for Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel Gallery
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Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel - May-OctSpanish Mackerel and Bluefish are two toothy predators that spend the warm months around the inlets and sounds. They are schooled up, and feeding on Silversides, Anchovies and any other innocent baitfish that get in their way. Although they can be caught blind casting, sight fishing for them can be a lot of fun as they ravage a school of baitfish. Any lure or fly that mimics the small minnows they are feeding on will be quickly devoured. Both the Spanish and Blues are great sport on a medium-light spinning rod or a 5-7wt fly rod. Other fish, such as Ladyfish and Jacks are often caught while doing this type of fishing.
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Sharks - June-Sept
During the summer months, Blacktips, Spinners, Sharpnose, Sandbars and other species of sharks enter the nearshore waters and sounds to feed on Bluefish, Spanish Mackerel, Menhaden and Stingrays. We can set up on flats where these sharks congregate, and set out chum to bring them in close to the boat. The easiest way to catch these sharks is by soaking chunks of fresh bait on the bottom, but they will also occasionally eat lures and flies. These fish range from 20lbs to well over 200lbs. When hooked in extremely shallow water, these sharks will fight hard and make very long runs. A lot of times during the summer, the water will be clear enough to be able to see the sharks come in on the chum line and circle the boat before they take the bait. Another great shark fishing opportunity is fishing behind the nearshore Shrimp Trawlers. The wake of the trawlers is usually filled with hungry sharks that will inhale a fly. A third opportunity is shallow-water sight-casting flies to the Bonnethead sharks that come into our waterways during the summer. All sharks are released to fight another day.
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Click image for False Albacore Gallery
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False Albacore - Sept-Nov
Back in the 1990's, the Cape Lookout and Harker's Island area was made famous by a little tuna called the False Albacore. These "Albies" have all the requirements needed to put them on the top of the list as a premiere SW target. For one thing, they love to hunt in packs from a dozen to several hundred, destroying every baitfish on their radar. They put on a spectacular feeding show, turning the surface of the ocean into a boil, attracting flocks of seagulls who scavenge leftover bits of bait. When hooked, they take off at speeds upwards of 40mph burning about a hundred yards of line off your reel in a few seconds. When you get them back in close, they usually get a second wind and make another run. Best of all, if you can match the hatch, they will readily inhale a small baitfish pattern on a fly rod or a jig on a medium action spinning rod.
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Speckled Trout - May-July and Oct-DecSpeckled Trout, or Spotted Sea Trout can be found year-round in North Carolina waters. Depending on the time of year, they can be found anywhere from our coastal rivers on out to the beach front. The prime time to catch them is the fall and winter when they school up and migrate out of the marsh in search of food. They are normally found in slightly deeper water during the cooler months, and can be caught on medium light spinning rods or 5-6wt fly rods with intermediate or sinking lines. Speckled trout are a schooling fish, so when you find one, you will usually find many. Large Speckled Trout can also be found in the summer months over lush Eel Grass beds where they will readily take a topwater at first and last light.
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Bonito - MayBonito, not to be confused with "Bonita" are the False Albacore's toothy and much better tasting cousin. They blitz on the surface over hard bottoms and wrecks, and peel off line at warp speeds just like Albies. They also happen to be one of my all-time-favorite fish to eat. Grilled or raw, they are delicious. There's only one problem...they only visit us for a short time. For a couple weeks each April/May they show up off our beaches. If you can line up good weather during that time, you are in for a treat.
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