I had a great week of shad fishing with some fantastic anglers last month.  The Roanoke River's shad run never disappoints.  Year after year, it proves itself to be one of the best fisheries in the state.

Armed with 4wts and 150 grain sinking lines, ultralight spinning rods and 1000 series reels, and a pile of shad flies, spoons, darts and twister tails, my anglers went to work.

The bite ranged from good to great, to sometimes a bit silly for the week that I spent on the Roanoke.  These fish are just such consistent eaters, rarely picky and always willing to put up a fight.

I was very fortunate to have some awesome new anglers aboard, and got to spend some time with clients that returned from previous shad seasons.

It's also great to see other guides from around the state, that you only get to see on a few occasions.  

These Hickory Shad average 1-3lbs, but what they might lack in size, they definitely make up for with attitude.  I feel like anyone who turns their nose up to shad fishing, just hasn't experienced a good day of it.  Moving water, current, hungry fish that flex an ultralight rod, and jump out of the water.  I'd say it's right up there with anything from trout fishing in the mountains to catching bluefish on the shoals at the beach.

They are beautifully designed.  Not related to Tarpon, but they sure do bear a striking resemblance.

And just like mini tarpon, they like to put on a show.

Although it was shad season, we got a few extra fun hookups with some early season stripers.  Tons of fun on a 4wt.

Choices, choices, choices.  ...they all work!

Giving the Mauser Arete a workout.

This one fell for a red and yellow fly, a color that produces year after year.

Every once in a while, you hook into an oddball.  This was my favorite fish of the week.

Even the youngsters are expert anglers when the Roanoke is slammed with Hickory Shad.

I really enjoy getting the family fishing trips up there.  Fathers and daughters, granddads and grandkids ...it's a great way to get youth hooked on fishing, because the action is pretty much guaranteed.

Did I mention that they like to put on a show?

I enjoy having repeat anglers come back for another year of Shad.

And watching them rack up ridiculous numbers of fish.

It's also great getting anglers who are new to shad fishing and watching their excitement as they discover what it's all about.

Sending it to the bank!

Once you lay a cast in the right spot, it's often only a few strips before you come tight.

Welcome to the addiction!

I have a few standards that work well, but I always love seeing what flies other anglers tie for shad, and seeing how well they work.

It was a great week on the mighty Roanoke, and I have all intentions of getting back after the shad again next March.

Another surprise, early season visitor.

These Stripers are fun, and I can't wait to be back up there in a couple weeks when the
​river is slam full of them.  

I was trying to decide what word best describes this winter's Redfish season.  As I started to pour through the images from the last few months, the right word came to mind.  "Incredible".  That's the way I would describe this winter.  

The photos on this post show just a fraction of the people and fish that spent time on my boat February through March.  

Winter may be over, but there is still clear water and some schools of fish around.  That being said, it's getting hot outside and things are quickly changing in the marsh.  Before we celebrate the coming of board shorts and flip flop season, lets look back through some of the winter highlights.

This winter we had one of the biggest snows I've seen on the coast with about 6" of the white stuff on the ground that lasted for several days.  Once it melted off, a lot of the fish had moved around, and it was a struggle to get on good numbers for a few days.

Within a week of the snow melt off, it was back on in the marsh.

I was able to locate several large groups of fish in February and March.

The only struggle for me, has been the increased number of boat traffic searching for winter Reds.

We still managed to work around the boats and find undisturbed fish.  When you find a group of winter fish, it's not too hard to guess how much pressure they've seen.  Winter Reds that haven't been pressured much are pretty easy to catch, pressured fish though, can be extremely challenging.

Not only did we enjoy great sight fishing on many trips, but I also got to enjoy time with some really spectacular folks.

Lots of memories made and lots of great fish caught.  I hope you enjoy the rest of these photos from the last few months.  If you haven't done a winter Redfish trip you're missing out.  Until next winter comes around though, we have lots of great spring, summer and fall fishing to get after.  

Man!  Look at that vis!

Success!

One of many releases.  I'm proud to say we are still 100% catch and release on Redfish.

Check out those lice!

Black Drum for the win!

Putting that Waterman to work!

How's that for a first Redfish on fly?

Back ya go!

Bunch of specks!

Blue tails!

Worth bundling up for.

Getting the skunk off the boat with the first fish of the day.

A feisty one!

Surprise catch!

Bruiser.

Stud of a Redfish.  32" in less than a foot of water, ate 10ft off the bow.

Hard to miss when the water is that clear!

I see you!

If lovin' Redfish is wrong, we don't want to be right.

As I type this, it's freezing outside, literally.  Some type of snow, sleet, frozen rain mix is falling, and it will barely get above freezing during the day.  We might be in the dead of winter, but I have green leaves, blooming flowers, warm weather and fishing on my mind.  Sure, we can go chase Redfish all winter (and its quite excellent), but I can't stop thinking about the wonderful freshwater fishing opportunities we will have here in coastal North Carolina this spring.  The Shad will be in our rivers in less than two months and the Stripers won't be far behind.  And last, but definitely not least, we have a great Bass and Panfish fishery in our coastal black water rivers starting mid-Spring.

Let's take a quick look at these three fisheries.

I'll be back on the Roanoke River near Weldon this coming March.  I'm planning to be up there for 5 consecutive days from March 26th - 30th.  Once all of those days book, I may consider adding more days.  We will have opportunities for 5hr or 8hr trips.

I've been fly fishing for Hickory Shad on the Roanoke River for close to 20 years and it's an absolute blast.  Most of the types of trips we offer are not a numbers game.  Shad fishing is.  Numbers of 50 to 100, possibly more, are not unusual on the Roanoke in March.  Even on a tough day, you'll still catch more shad than you would when fishing for most other species in NC.

Hickory Shad are great targets on both fly and spin.  For fly we are usually fishing 4 to 5wts with 150-200gr sinking lines.  On spin, we are fishing ultralight rods with 6lb braid for a more exciting fight.

Whether you are a seasoned angler or a newbie to the sport, 8 years old or 88 years old, Shad make everyone happy.  Don't let the size of these fish fool you, they eat aggressively, fight hard, and jump.  There's no better way to welcome Spring back to Eastern North Carolina.  

For more information on this fantastic fishery, visit our Roanoke River page here, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions or would like to book a trip.

I'll be back on the Roanoke again from May 1st - 10th targeting Striped Bass.  There will be opportunities for long half days (5hrs morning or evening), long full days (10hrs sunrise to sunset with a mid-day break), and full 8hr days.

I'm already looking forward to spending the first half of May on one of my all-time favorite rivers.  The Striped Bass fishery on the Roanoke is one that made the sleepy town of Weldon, NC famous.  Every year male stripers in the 16-30" range and females from 10lbs to as much as 50lbs make their way to Weldon, to spawn in the same stretch of river where they were hatched.  When all of these fish arrive in a few mile stretch of water, it can be surreal.

On fly we target these fish with 6 to 8wt rods.  We fish both floating lines with poppers, and 250-400gr sinking lines with streamers.  We can also catch these fish on medium light spinning rods with poppers and soft plastics.  Since these fish are in spawn mode, we use single barbless hooks, and we are 100% catch and release whether there is an open season or not.

The best bite, and your highest chance of topwater eats usually come first thing in the morning and at the very end of the day.  Morning and especially evenings are when you can see large groups of fish spawning on the surface.  Although the bite isn't usually as strong mid-day, we can locate schools on the sonar and fish them deep with sinking lines or jigs.

Check out the Roanoke River page for more information on this spectacular fishery.  If you have any questions, or would like to book a trip or three, please reach out and I'll let you know what's available.  

After a successful 1st year offering one-on-one canoe fishing trips, I'll will be back at it again in a few months.  This year, I'm offering morning or evening half and 3/4 day trips on our local black water rivers.  

Join me on my classic Merrimack Tennessean as I paddle you down beautiful tannin-stained coastal rivers lined with Bald Cypress and loaded with fish.  From the front of my canoe, you can wield a 4wt fly rod and popping bugs or an ultralight spinning rod and small jigs.  

This is the type of fishing that takes me right back to my youth.  Beautifully colored Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Largemouth and more, that eagerly take a surface popper.  We'll supply everything you need, from the life jacket to the rod (you just need a FW fishing license).  From there, just enjoy the ride as I take you on a fishing tour of some of my favorite out of the way freshwater creeks and rivers.

I grew up canoeing eastern NC and it's been a thrill to get back out there after all these years.  Recently, I've been expanding my offerings, because although I love the salt, there is more to eastern NC than Redfish and Albacore.  If it's been a while since a big Bluegill has put a smile on your face, it just might be time to go for a paddle.

For more information, please check out the Canoe page on my website, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or would like to schedule a canoe trip.

Towards the end of November, I ran a few Redfish sight fishing trips amongst my Albie charters.  I was surprised to see the water was already crystal clear before Thanksgiving.  On top of that, the fish were already schooling in groups approaching one hundred fish.

By the time the water temps dropped into the low 50s and the Albies left, the Redfishing was in full swing in the marsh.  We had crystal clear water and loads of schooled up Redfish the first week of December.  Water temps have ranged from 50-55 degrees, and the fish are in groups of 25 to 100 in their wintering areas.

When the sun has been shining and the winds have been low, the sight fishing on fly and spin has been excellent.  Imagine seeing a group of 75 fish slowly swimming towards your boat in less than a foot of crystal-clear water.  Make a few false casts and drop your fly in front of the school.  Let it sink and make a few strips as the school swims over your fly.  Another strip and a fish midway back in the school tips down and inhales it.  Suddenly the surface boils as the fish flee and your fly line goes tight as it sizzles across the water's surface.

Winter can be the absolute best time for sight fishing Redfish on fly or spin here on the Crystal Coast of North Carolina.  The combination of clear water and hungry schooled fish is a great recipe for a killer day on the water.

Speaking of fish, we are only a week away from finishing a completely catch and release year on Redfish.  We were fortunate to catch plenty of Reds this year, and we watched every single one swim away to go make babies and hopefully be caught again another day.

Even in the dead of winter, we have good numbers of flounder around that will take a
​fly or light tackle jig.

Our winter sight fishing for Reds will continue through the end of March.  January and February are excellent months to get your reps in sight fishing Redfish.  We have openings now through the end of March if you would like to experience this excellent fishery.

Happy angler with a successfully sight fished Redfish on fly.

Redfish that fell for a well-placed black clouser fly.

Catch you later!

A photograph can be a snapshot, or it can be used to tell an elaborate story.  In my 13-year career as a fishing guide, I've made an effort to go beyond the "hero shot" and tell the story of my angler's experiences on the water, using a camera.  Everyone wants the hero shot, the bragging shot, but there is so much more to it than just a guy holding a fish.  I love Albie season on the Crystal Coast.  There is so much going on, so many things to see and experience.  I keep my camera handy and try to document as much as I can, while still doing the best job possible as a guide.  It takes a lot of effort, and keeps you on your toes, but you can absolutely do both.  During the months of October and November this year, I edited and emailed out 884 images to clients.  I spent a lot of late nights on Lightroom and Photoshop perfecting photos before going to bed.  How many pictures did I actually take during that time period?  Probably 10X that amount.

I'm excited to share a select 90 images that tell the story of the last 2 months guiding around Cape Lookout and the Crystal Coast.  Wildlife, Blitzes, Sunrises, Smiles, everything but the hero shot.

On this particular morning, I was in a rush to get to the shoals, as I was hoping that a good bite would be waiting for us there.  Along the way, I noticed the sky turning into pure gold as the rising sun radiated its light from behind the clouds.  As we came down the point of Cape Lookout, a few fishing trucks became the perfect photographic subject.  I snapped a few pics from a distance, and then I crept a little closer to get a tighter shot.  Eventually I had to apologize to my anglers, as I made a bee line for the beach for one final tight shot of the trucks in the golden light.  By the time we had gotten a mile down the beach to the shoals, the light had completely faded away.

Most of time sharks are pretty boring.  Seriously.  The two times they act like they are supposed to, is when they are behind shrimp trawlers, or on bait balls.  In this image, a shark is busting through a school of Bay Anchovies.  You wouldn't think that a 6ft shark would get so excited about 3" baitfish, but they absolutely do.

On the hunt. A net boat cuts through the chop along the oceanside of Shackleford, in search large schools of Roe Mullet.

Spotted Dolphins live offshore from their more common Bottlenose Dolphin cousins.  I don't encounter them often, but when I do, it's a Best Day Ever kind of day.  Bottlenose Dolphins could care less if you existed or not.  Spotted Dolphins are always happy to see you, racing over to your boat to say hello, and generally having the time of their lives.

Rainbow over sailboats, Shackleford Banks.

Parting of the Red Sea.  A shark pushes its way through a bait ball of Anchovies.  Bay Anchovies can turn the water dark red in color when they push tightly together, earning the nickname "redbait" or "bloodbait".

No two sunrises are the same, but they are all amazing when Cape Lookout is your backdrop.

Silverside Armageddon.

The Addie Gage trawls for shrimp off Shackleford Banks.

I love Red Drum tails.  The spots are always different, just like fingerprints.  

I love shooting backlit subjects, especially those that allow the light to shine through.  Like the feathers of a duck, or the fur of a bear, or in this case the dorsal fin of an Albacore.

Massive clouds set a backdrop for the Cape Lookout Lighthouse at sunrise.

A closer look.

Capt Will Jones puts his clients within range of some False Albacore while gulls circle looking for a meal.

The view from my cubicle. 
​I love adding out of focus foreground objects to an image to add some depth.

Precarious position.  An angler hangs off the back of his skiff while unwrapping a fly line from the prop.  I love capturing images like this.  We've all been there.  It's part of the game.

Hitch Hiker.  A parasitic Isopod clings to the gill plate of an Atlantic Silverside.  

Art in motion.  I think False Albacore are one of the most beautifully designed fish I've ever caught.  They are both form and function.  

The graveyard.  Chewed up, deformed, rusty, or just plain retired.  The final resting place for these flies, unless a school of Bluefish show up.

Anticipation.

Frantic.  Death by teeth awaits below.  What comes from above isn't that much better.

Explosive power.

Beauty.

A gull swoops in hoping to capitalize on the work of a school of Albies below.

On the hunt for sharks.

Silversides live a tough existence.

A smile is a symptom of a good time!

Humpback Whale breaching at Cape Lookout.  Image taken at distance with telephoto lens. ​For the safety of these magnificent creatures, we follow the guidelines set forth by NOAA, never approaching, keeping our distance, and safely moving away from areas they inhabit.

Dancing Silversides.

Match the Hatch.

Got one!

Follow the leader, shark style.

Gull rescue and release.

Send it.

Captains Jake Jordan and Braden Miller approach a school of Albacore and sharks feeding on Anchovies.

Happy sharks.

Chrysaora quinquecirrha with a hitch hiker.

"Mooon-poie"
Said in my best down east accent.

Nowhere to hide.

Heavenly Light.  I love seeing (and photographing) rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds.

Jim rocking the Sound Side flat brim, patiently waiting for his guide to find him some Albies.  

Jamie Howard and Matti Majorin putting one back.

These are 5 to 15lb Bluefish surfing the waves on the shoals of Cape Lookout.  They were in every wave, in every direction.  It was amazing to watch and try to photograph them while weaving in and out of the waves.  

This shot was taken with a telephoto lens.  Believe it or not, these waves were 6-8ft and those Bluefish were 24-30" long.  I wish the image communicated the mood better than it does. 
​Let's just say, it was a bit sketchy.

Capt Perry McDougald running his Pair Custom through the "slot" at the shoals.  On this day, the shoals were angry.  I was more than happy to sit back and watch him work his magic.

Last year I tagged 85 False Albacore for scientific research.  This year, with the help of my clients, we tagged 163 Albies.  I'm pretty proud of that.  At least one has already been recaptured.  I would absolutely love to catch one of the ones we tagged this year, next season, after it makes its migratory run and returns to the Cape.

Protein.

Banker Ponies.

Getting down to business.

Gluttons.

"I-I-I-I just wanna fly.  Put your arms around me Albie, put your arms around me Albie."

400 years of history.  I try to never take these things for granted. 

Tied up.

Chewed up.

Blue'd up.

I still haven't gotten an image of an Albie jumping that I think is frame worthy.  They just might be the hardest critter I've ever tried to photograph.

The Sand People.

If it floats, chase Albies with it.  By the way, this guy, whoever he is, had a killer loop.

Waiting for the guests of honor.

Sunrises, always different, always worth getting up for.

Holding down the fort.  Your buddy has a fly line tangled in his prop, but there are fish busting off the bow.  What do you do?

Powerful.

I love shooting into the light.  Causing lens flare, sunbursts, silhouetting subjects, blowing out highlights, all the stuff they tell you not to do in photography 101.  Sometimes I do it too much and have remind myself to reel it back and get some properly lit shots too.

Rude Birds.

I told you I liked back lit Albie fins.

Earning a living.

Definitely worth getting up early for.

These two images were taken only a few minutes apart, at the same location.  Light and action change quickly and constantly out there. Golden hour should be called golden minutes instead.

Victim.

These fish are so incredible.

Happy Angler = Happy Guide

Sometimes I wonder if people who are not photography obsessed, appreciate good light as much as I do?  Maybe they do.  I know it's always on my mind.  I'm always looking at how light shapes a scene and creates emotion.  Even when I don't have a camera, I'm still watching the light.

Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.

I'm still a biology dork, I doubt I'll ever stop being interested in fish parts.

The best way to start your day...

Morning rush hour at the point.

I'm ready to do it all over again.

Well, that's about it for Albie Season folks.  I wrapped up my last booked Albie charter last week.  The fish are still around in good numbers, but water temps are down around 55 deg F in the ocean, so I'm not sure how much longer they'll be around.  Pretty soon the remaining Albies will be making a fast run to south Florida to spend the winter.  Sometimes a few fish will hang around through the winter in warm water pockets, but for the most part we won't see them again until next March/April.  

Looking back on the past 10 weeks, we really did have an excellent season this year.  We had good numbers of fish arriving early in October and we are a week into December with fish still lingering.  Everything in between was consistently good.  The past few years we have experienced periods of missing fish, or very few fish.  I was waiting for that to happen again this year, but it never did.  Even on the non-preferred weather patterns and really rough weather days, we had good shots at fish.  Along with catching a bunch of fish, and taking lots of pics, 166 of the Albies we released this fall went back into the water with tags in them.  I'm excited to see if, when, and where those fish are recaptured.  I love this fishery and I'm so thankful to have it in my backyard.

Here's a bunch of straight up fall fishing nirvana from the past month on the water.  This is just a little bit of the fun and fish we were blessed to put our hands on over the last 5 weeks.   

I pretend to be an Albie guide, but I'm secretly always on the lookout for these fish.

This was the year of the Bluefish.  Not 1-2lbers but legit 5-15lbers.  I hope this trend continues.

Full grown pumpkin.

Why catch just one?

Living artwork.

Full grow'd.

Fresh albies, ripe for the pickin', two for one...

Sometimes I can't stand it anymore.  I just want one cast...

Starting your day off right at the Cape.

Hiding from the wind and looking for fish along the "spit" at the hook.

Torpedo.

Fun was had.

Plenty of trout around if you wanted to stop at the rocks.

Moonfish!

I love father and son trips.

Teeth!

The quality of Bluefish was fantastic this fall.  I hope this trend continues in the coming years.

Early bird gets the worm.

Why catch one when you can catch two?  Why catch two when you can catch three?  

My 19th Albie season was probably my best ever.  I'm so fortunate to have this fishery and so many amazing anglers that want to share the experience with me.  Thank you all!  My 2025 Fall Albie season is booking up fast (like super-fast), so don't wait too long if you want to get prime time dates.

We are officially at the midpoint of our 2024 Fall False Albacore Season.  I have the day off the water, and I'm trying to catch up on all the things I've slacked off on while living on the ocean the last 4 weeks.  Among celebrating my son's birthday today, answering emails, editing photos and fixing broken gear, I thought it would be a good time to get together a much-needed fishing report. 

So far, we have had a really good season.  We started seeing a few Albies around in early September, but our real Albie season kicked off in late September.  By early October, the Albies were raging at Cape Lookout.  We had the right winds, plentiful bait, and lots of hungry fish.  Some days were easy and some days we had to work for them, but every day has been a good day.

I've had the pleasure of meeting some new to me anglers and catching up with my regulars.  Whether it was an anglers first Albie, first fish on fly, or even if it was their 1,000th fish, each time it's a thrill to watch these tunny foam at the surface, crush a fly and speed off in a blur.  I'm thankful for my repeat clients and for all of the new anglers who have given me a chance this fall.

Although Albies are our main target, I secretly hope to run into these fish while we search the waters off the Crystal Coast.  We've bumped into them a few times this month, and can't wait to tangle with them again.  

And then there's always the "day savers".  Whenever the northerly winds give way to a southerly breeze and the Albies go AWOL, the Bluefish are there to keep us busy.  They might be a pain when they bite your fly off in a school of Albies, but when nothing else is happening they are a welcome option.  We've had days with acres and acres of 3-10lb Bluefish blowing up poppers on the surface.

My anglers may come in search of Albies this time of year, but I hope they take home a much greater appreciation for the area and all the amazing things happening around them.  From Wild Horses to Sea Turtles to Dolphins to Eagle Rays to Mola Molas to Humpback Whales, we've seen some really cool stuff this fall.  

I've taken a bazillion photos over the last 4 weeks and there's no way to share them all.  Below are some of my favorites from recent trips, that tell the story of Albie Season much better than my written words could...

Beaufort Inlet swell.

Busting bait.

Releasing a tagged Albie.

The Parker Sou'wester at work.  Image by Perry McDougald.

Shrimpin'.

Tagging Albies.

Doubles.

Sunrise.

Bluefish madness.

Destruction by a school of "teeth".

Everyone loves a good bait ball.

Cobe-ee-yah.

Taxman is in town.

Ballyhoo!

Let 'em go, let 'em grow.

Albie afterburner.

Jump little children.

Getting the Blues can be a good thing.

Bickering over where they'll go for lunch.

All 3 in the same fish's mouth.

You could have made things easy, but you chose to make things tough...

Not your average snapper blues.

The one's I dream about.

Two for One Sale.

Tag, you're it!

Wiggle fish.

If only you knew how many near misses it takes to finally get this shot.

Flying Fish!

McFly at work on an October early morning.

If you've fished with me this half of the season, thank you!  If you are fishing with me the second half, I can't wait to see you.  And if we aren't fishing together this fall, well, I'm already booking for 2025.  Just sayin'.  Wish me luck folks, back to the grind in the morning.

Summer, like all good things, has to end sometime.  The good news is what's coming next.  Fall is a really special time of year on the Crystal Coast with some of my favorite species arriving and some of the best fishing yet to come.  But before we start daydreaming about that, let's take a quick look back at the last few months.

Like always, Redfish took up the majority of our focus this Summer.  Tailing, crawling, blowing up top-waters...we'll take it however it comes.  They are the fish that started it all for my guide service and I'll always love them.  A little more about our Summer Redfish fishery further down in this post.

We got to do something special the first part of this summer.  Central North Carolina experienced an epic 13-year Cicada hatch.  Brood XIX emerged in early May and by late May and early June, the carp had their feedbags on.  

In past years, I've seen a huge feeding response to periodical Cicadas by Common Carp.  That species didn't seem to have as much interest this go around, but the giant Grass Carp more than made up for it.

It took us a little bit of experimenting and hopping around lakes in the Triangle Area, but once we got it dialed in, it was on.

Sight fishing four-foot-long fish on dry flies, how can you beat that?!?

The Cicada Madness was short lived, but so worth it.  I'll definitely be back in 13 years, and I'll be keeping my eyes open for any other major Cicada hatches in neighboring states between now and then.  It's just too much fun!  Thanks to everyone who came and fished it with me.

We also launched our Canoe trips as another offering from Tailing Tide Guide Service.  Thanks to those of you who joined us for a paddle on one of our black water rivers in pursuit of panfish and bass on ultralight fly rods and poppers.  I had a blast, paddling folks around the Cypress knees and downed logs watching hungry sunfish slurp up topwater flies.  I can't wait to do some more of these next Spring!

Although most of our salt time was spent inshore in the marsh this summer, we did slip off the beach a few times chasing everything from Spanish Mackerel to Sharks to Reef Donkeys.  I wish we could have done more of that stuff, but there's always so much demand for Redfish in the summer.  I feel confident that we'll end up back on those wrecks a few times this fall bending 12wt fly rods and XH spin rods on big fish.

Back to the marsh we go. 

I have to be honest with you.  This summer was really tough for me as a sight fishing focused guide.  I've become known for poling anglers to Redfish, and having them sight cast to those fish, primarily on fly, and sometimes on light tackle.  I love sight fishing Redfish, but it's pretty difficult when the water looks like coffee.  And that was the struggle this summer.  It seemed to blow 15mph out of the East for all of the month of June, and things got pretty stirred up in the areas I usually sight fish.  In July, it seemed like it rained every other day, and the water got really stained.  Then in August we got a tropical storm.  Quite honestly, I really struggled to provide what I felt like my clients deserved.  Almost all of my trips were fly fishing trips, and those trips really require some visibility to have sight fishing success.  I found plenty of fish on most trips, but you couldn't see them until they were under your rod tip.  A lot of our shots lasted for 2 seconds from the time we saw the fish until they spooked out from underneath us.  I love my anglers, and the struggle really wore on me, because I wanted so badly for them to have a great sight fishing experience.  As far as I could tell, my anglers were having a great time on the bow of the boat, but it was really playing mind games with me as a guide.

Fortunately for me, I have an amazing list of clients.  They have a great attitude, work hard, make it happen, and they appreciate the overall experience, not just the catching part.  As you can see, we caught fish, but we really had to be on our A-Game this summer in the marsh.

When the water was too dirty to sight fish them on fly, we got noisy with it, throwing Disco Shrimp, Gurglers and Poppers along the grass edges.  With enough blind casting, those surface flies would eventually land in the right spot and get inhaled by a Redfish.  I love topwater eats, especially up close and personal on a fly.

I didn't have as many spin trips as fly trips this summer, but when we did, we usually did pretty well.  Especially on the high tides, water clarity made no difference when you were working a Skitter Walk or a Zara Spook...click, click, boom!

During the second half of the summer season, I came to a realization.  I had spent time down in the dumps about the amount of rain, wind and dirty water we had experienced.  I had felt bad about trips that didn't give us as many solid shots as I am used to.  I even started to feel jealous of the guides that only run conventional and bait charters, and the number of fish they were able to catch in dirty water.  Then at some point, I started noticing how many trips a lot of the other guides around me were running.  I began to realize that their trip numbers were down.  Closed seasons and reductions in keeper limits, caused them to lose some customers who wanted to take home fish, like flounder.  Increasing prices of food, gas, and summer vacations had kept some of their summer clients from booking with them.  All this time, I had been thinking the grass was greener on the other side, and then I realized how fortunate I had been.  Although the weather and conditions were tough on us, I was booking plenty of trips. I realized how blessed I was to have so many awesome clients that supported me this summer.  I really do get to live my dream, because of all of you.  I am grateful for every angler that steps foot on my boat, and I promise to work my tail off to show you a great time.  You all are amazing, and I cannot thank you enough!!!

Speaking of Redfish, and conservation, we have released every Redfish we've caught this year.  I will complete this mission of putting them back over the next few months to finish out 2024 being 100% C&R on Redfish.  There's no looking back, I'm going to keep pushing to make conservation cool for everyone who is getting into this sport, and hopefully I can set a new standard for our fishery going forward.  

And with that, the sun has set on the marsh of the Crystal Coast for the final time this summer. 
​Off to new adventures.

When the sun sets on the marsh, it rises on the Cape.  Albie season has begun!

The bait and the Albies have been here for a few weeks.  We've been out catching, tagging and releasing Albies in between Redfish trips in the marsh.  I'm just a couple days from going full steam into Albie season.  For everyone that booked a trip with me over the next two months, I appreciate it and I can't wait to see you bowed up on the bow of my boat soon!

I recently received some pretty exciting news from the American Saltwater Guides Association that one of the Albies we tagged in North Carolina last October, was just caught off the coast of Alabama!  This news shakes up a lot of our assumptions on what these fish are actually doing, how they are migrating and on their population dynamics.

Here's a little backstory...  On October 17th, I had anglers Kevin Fuller and Brett Stalcup onboard fly fishing for Albies.  We ended up across the shoals and out in front of the lighthouse.  Sometime around 8am we located several pods of Albies, and the bite really turned on.  We started tagging some of them, including an Albie that Kevin caught at 9:28am which received tag #23991.  The Albie was quickly released back into the water.  (Note:  We don't usually photograph the Albies we release since we are trying to get them back into the water quickly.)  The above photo is of another Albie that Kevin caught that same morning.

All in all, we tagged and 78 Albies between October and November of 2023.  Would they survive the release?  Would they be breakfast for sharks?  Would any ever be recaptured?  We hoped our work would pay off.

Last week I received an email from Sue Bertoline at the ASGA, letting me know that Albie #23991 had been recaptured 20 miles offshore from Fort Morgan (Mobile Bay) Alabama.  She was waiting for more information.  This morning, through the magic of social media, I got in touch with AJ Simmons, the angler who caught the fish.  I'm not sure who was more excited about the deal, the angler who caught the fish, or the guide who tagged it.

Here's the Albie we tagged 284 days prior.  It grew 2" in that time span.  AJ also mentioned that it had a 10" slash down one side, that looked like a Billfish had tried to eat it at some point.  What's more amazing than the odds of it being re-captured, is where it was re-captured.

There is a population of Albies that spend the late summer in the NE, mainly around Massachusetts.  There are also good numbers of Albies that are found in South Florida each winter.  We have fish that come through North Carolina each spring from March/April and again in Sept/Oct/Nov.  The assumption would be that this was one population moving up and down the east coast.  Tagging efforts (acoustic telemetry tags) deployed in Cape Cod, affirmed that belief, as those tagged fish later pinged off of Cape Lookout that fall, and then off of Key West that winter.  That being said, we also have fish that are found offshore in NC year-round, that also sometimes appear along our beaches.  It's not unheard of to catch an Albie off of our beaches in NC any month of the year.

Now there is also a population of Albies that are found in the Gulf of Mexico.  I always assumed that those fish were from a different population than ours, possibly mixing with our fish in South Florida in the winter, but otherwise staying separate and doing their own thing.

And then, we have Albie #23991, caught off Cape Lookout on October 17th, 2023, and then caught off Alabama on July 27th, 2024.  This fish seemed to break the mold.  Turns out, a few other fish from Cape Cod and Cape Lookout have been pinging in the Gulf this year.  Most have not traveled beyond Tampa though, so #23991 is the furthest west of the tagged Albies.

So, what does all of this mean?  Well, it means that we don't have these fish figured out...yet.  There is still a ton of research to be done.  We may only be starting to grasp what these fish are doing.  If #23391 had not been recaptured, where would it be going next?  Was it going to zip straight to Cape Cod in August?  Hang in the Gulf until October and then shoot over to Cape Lookout to get some more of our tasty Anchovies?  Or would it have stayed in the Gulf until December and then headed to Key West?  Do they have a crazy migration route that they stick to every year, or do they change it up depending on conditions and food sources?  There is so much to be learned from continued research on these fish.

Here's something else to think about.  From Alabama to Key West to Cape Lookout to Cape Cod, we just might all be sharing the same fish.  The population may be smaller than we think, and they are just covering a lot of ground...or I should say, water.

The alarm sounds off, it’s 5:30, and I force myself to roll out of bed. I walk around the room and turn on every light as I guzzle down a bottle of water. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I throw on a pair of shorts and reach into the rack of hooded fishing shirts and grab the first one I touch. I splash some water on my face, put in my contacts, brush my teeth, and I am out the door. As I walk across the hotel parking lot in the dim pre-dawn light, I pass Jon boats, center consoles, and shallow water skiffs, all hooked up to their trucks and ready for action. I unplug my battery charger from the boat and jump in the Sequoia. The Roanoke River is just 5 minutes down the road from the Days Inn, and the Rockfish are waiting.

​As I arrive at the ramp, there are already a few early risers launching their boats. The fog is rising off the river, and there is a calmness to this place in the hour before the hustle and bustle begins. I take a sip of coffee and back my skiff down the “mile long” ramp. As I throttle forward and move towards the dock, I see my anglers coming down the walkway towards me. I tie the boat off, quickly park the truck and trailer, greet my anglers, and we are off.

​We run a few miles down the river, to a spot where there has been a pretty good morning topwater bite.  We have this stretch of river to ourselves for an hour or so. Stripers bust topwater cast after cast through the dense fog. Eventually the fog rises, and the stillness of the scene is interrupted by a line of boats coming down the river looking for Rockfish. The early morning surface bite is over, and we switch over to sinking lines and Clousers to dredge for fish for the rest of the morning.

​After a couple hour break and a quick charge of the trolling motor, I find myself back out on the river with a new set of anglers for the afternoon. We dredge Clousers and jig soft plastics until the sun moves low on the horizon. We switch back over to top waters, as the evening spawn begins. Stripers explode on the surface as they try to fertilize the eggs released by the larger females. We fish until dark, and make the run back to the ramp, trying to avoid the Rockfish fights happening all around us. As I arrive back at the hotel, exhausted from the day, I plug in my battery charger, re-rig my equipment, grab a late dinner in my room, and grab a shower before heading to bed. It’s past 11pm at this point, and I need every bit of sleep I can get before starting it all over again the next day.

​That’s Striper Season, and I love it.  I usually do this for about 10-12 days each April/May and although I am sick of hotel living by the end of it, it is always a little bit of a downer to say goodbye to the Roanoke each spring. There is not a better river to be on during the month of May each year, as immeasurable numbers of Striped Bass make their way to the fall line on the Roanoke to spawn. This is an amazing river, with so much more to offer than just fish. Sure, you can have some killer days with substantial numbers of fish caught, but you can just as easily work really hard for just a handful of fish.  The fish are there, heck you could reach down and touch them with your rod tip, but sometimes they have nothing but “making babies” on their mind and they can go lockjaw on you. I tell my anglers to come looking for an overall wonderful experience.  The sights, the sounds, the smells, and the fish, all come together to make this place worth visiting time and time again.

I just finished up my 2024 season on the Roanoke River, and I've been reflecting back on what makes this place and these days on the water so special.  Let's break it down and let the images help tell the story.

This river is always changing.  Fog, blue skies, huge storm cells, sunrises, sunsets.  Changing water levels, trees blooming, migratory songbirds calling, Bald Eagles and Ospreys on the hunt.  The smell of Honeysuckle in bloom.  Otters, Muskrats, Turkeys, Geese and Wood Ducks.  And you can add the sound of tens of thousands of Periodical Cicadas from Brood XIX to this year's list.  I love that every day brings something new to the river.

The people.  Fellow guides, clients, friends and locals all make up the dynamic of fellowship on the river.  Whether it's the old timer sitting by the dock in his lawn chair, a guide you haven't seen since last season, or a client with an inspiring story, I love my conversations with all of them.  I also love showing them this place, and their first (of hopefully many more) Roanoke River Striped Bass.

Oh yeah, there's the catching part.  That's what you initially came here for anyway.  Yes, we can handle that, no problem.  Like I said before, some days you really have to work for them, even if the sonar is lit up with them.  Other days, you see why this place was given the name "Rockfish Capital". Fly, spin, bait caster, topwater, down deep, name your poison, you can fish it on the Roanoke.

Why is this place full to the brim with Striped Bass? This stretch of the Roanoke River, along the fall line, where rapids and boulders give way to steep clay banks is the spawning ground of thousands and thousands of Striped Bass. Returning to where they were born, these fish swim anywhere from a hundred to a thousand miles to spawn the next generation of fish. Seeing these fish complete their journey and the cycle of life, through knock down drag out spawning fights is something unbelievable to witness. Since these fish have worked so hard to complete their purpose in life, we treat them with the utmost respect. Each fish is handled with great care and returned to the water to continue to spawn for years to come.  It is an honor to be able to fish for these fish, and I want to do everything I can to see that continue into the future.

Well, that brings this chapter to a close.  I am so thankful for the ability to fish the Roanoke each year and I am extremely appreciative of the anglers who come to experience this place with me.  Thank you!  See you on the Roanoke next year.