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.

We are a week into the month of April and things sure are feeling spring-like.  Flowers are in bloom, the grass is green, and the air and water temps are on the climb.  And warming water temps in April, make me think of one thing.  The bite that's getting ready to fire up along our nearshore waters any day now.

Surf temps are currently at 60 degrees and that's the magic number for Atlantic Bonito to show up along the beaches of the Crystal Coast.  I've heard recent reports from South Carolina and just the other day Wilmington, so I expect them very soon.  

Atlantic Bonito show up along our nearshore wrecks and hard bottoms from 1 to 5 miles off the beach where the bait is this time of year.  These fish will generally hang around until the water temps climb over 70 degrees in May.  Atlantic Bonito, like their cousins the False Albacore, feed voraciously on Anchovies, Silversides and other schooling baitfish.  There is ususally a topwater bite at first light and then you can fish for them deeper in the water column once the sun gets up.  Fly or Spin, these fish are a fun target and fight hard just like Albies.  The biggest difference is that these fish have a set of sharp teeth, and they are quite good to eat, both cooked and raw.

We target these Bonito out of my Parker 23' and we can easily handle up to 3 anglers comfortably.  I'll have fly rods rigged with sinking and intermediate lines and spin gear set up with the Bonito's favorite baits.  We normally leave out of Morehead City, but sometimes we will fish out of Bogue or Browns Inlet depending on where the best bite is.  Either way, the best bite is usually right at first light, before the wrecks get covered up with competing boats, so plan to head out early.

My first nearshore trips for Bonito will start this week and I will be running them through the end of April before heading to the Roanoke for Striped Bass.  I'm really excited to get out after these awesome fish that are so much fun to tangle with.

The great thing about hitting the nearshore waters in April is that there are so many other opportunities if the Bonito don't play nice.  False Albacore, Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel should be around at some point during April, so you never know what you might get into.  The Albies and Blues show up in March or early April and the Spanish show up towards the end of the month when the water temps approach 70 degrees.  While fishing the hard bottoms and wrecks for Bonito, you can also have the opportunity to jig up some Grey Trout from the bottom.

Another possibility during April, is finding big schools of Bull Redfish in the ocean.  This is definitely a possibility, not a guarantee, but I've had several trips in April where we were rewarded for going looking.  Once the Bonito bite slows down, it's an option to go checking for these giant goldfish.

These fish are often in giant schools, numbering in the hundreds, and often in clear water.  We will sometimes mark them down deep on our sonar, but it's not unusual to be able to sight fish them on the surface.

Heavy spinning rods rigged up with big bucktails or swimbaits along with rods rigged with big poppers can be the best way to get hooked up.  That being said, we can also get it done on 10 to 12wt fly rods if you have a good casting arm.  These fish, and the excitement that you experience pursuing them, just might make these my favorite fish to target in North Carolina.

Between Bonito, Albies, Blues, Mackerel and Bull Reds, there are so many ways to have a great time in the ocean in April, whether you want to target one of those species or all of them.  If you'd like to get out there and go look for them in the next 3 weeks, give me a shout.  

When I was about 14 years old, my parents bought me a canoe.  I spent much of the following Summers paddling the creeks and millponds of Eastern NC.  I got to see a lot of beautiful and quiet places, full of fish, that the average person with a motorboat couldn't access.  As I got older, HP and bigger fish replaced the paddles and quiet millponds of my youth.  

I've been guiding since 2012, and powerboats, busy boat ramps, and ego crushing fish have become a part of daily job.  I do love it, it's what I do.  But I have to be honest, a while back, I started missing those quiet moments on small bodies of water, empty of other anglers, and full of forgiving fish.  In early 2023, I got the idea of purchasing another canoe and escaping into the black water creeks and swamps again.  I have a friend in Florida, Joe Mahler, who turned me on to Merrimack Canoes, and I fell in love with his white Merrimack Tennessean.  I decided that if I was going to do this, I was going to do it right, and I began my search for a used Merrimack of my own.

In May of 2023, I found a red Merrimack Osprey in New Jersey and made the drive up there to pick it up.  My sons and I paddled the White Oak, the Newport, Lake Phelps and more last summer.  We found wildlife, giant moss draped Cypress Trees, and lots of willing fish.  Whether we were casting a 4wt and popping bugs for Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, and Bass, or just exploring beautiful shorelines, I completely fell in love with paddling again.  The Osprey model was designed back in 1954 and was built for hunters and anglers.  At 13ft long, with a 39" wide beam, it's extremely stable and great for fly fishing.  It's a great boat, but I continued to keep my eye open for a Tennessean model.

In March of this year, I found a pristine white Merrimack Tennessean in Northern Virginia.  I made the trip up and scooped it up.  My Osprey is a fiberglass hull with cherry ribs and trim, this particular Tennessean is made of featherlight Kevlar material with the same gorgeous cherry ribs and trim.  At 14.5' long with a 36" beam, the Tennessean paddles fast and quiet, tracks very well, and is almost as stable as it's sibling the Osprey.  I absolutely love paddling this Tennessean solo or tandem.

Paddling a canoe in the backwaters, among the cypress and lily pads is too special to keep it to myself.  Therefore, I've decided to incorporate it into my guiding business.  I don't need or want to run a bunch of canoe charters every year, but I am excited to add this as an offering to any of my anglers that would like to experience something different...something special.  These will be one-on-one trips.  I'll be at the stern handling all of the paddling and I'll host one angler on the bow with either a 3-5wt fly rod or an ultralight spinning rod.  We will spend 3 or 4 hours exploring the dark tannin-stained waters, of a slow flowing river, fishing for multiple species of panfish and bass along cypress knees and fallen logs.  Plan to see little to no other boats/people, and plan to be surrounded by beautiful backdrops as you cast to hungry fish.  These are going to be very minimalistic trips, keeping gear to a minimum and taking our time working the shorelines for fish, and taking in the gorgeous surroundings.

Slowing life down and keeping it simple, that's the name of the game when fishing from a canoe.

Redfish are a challenging and exciting target, Albies make your heart skip a beat, and Amberjack pull like there's no tomorrow.  Saltwater fish are great, and they deserve all the props they get.  I've caught them all, they're great.  But honestly, I love a big Bluegill crushing a popping bug on the end of a 4wt just as much as I love pursuing any of the big saltwater fish.  It takes me right back to my childhood and soothes my soul.

I imagine this being a fishery that will start up each April as the creeks warm up and something we'll offer all summer into early fall when the water begins to cool off again.  I'll supply all the gear, from rods and lures/flies to lifejackets and refreshments.  All you have to do is show up and let me chauffeur you around some of my favorite backwater haunts.  For now, I'll be focusing these trips on the upper White Oak River and upper Newport River, but I will be scouting and adding other locations over the next few years.

You don't need blitzes, or tailing fish, or fish that take two hands to hold.  A small panfish or bass is a blast on light tackle, that being said, you never know when that 5lber is going to come up and inhale your popper.

I've always built my business around experiences more than numbers.  There are guides that can probably put you on more fish than me, but those trips don't necessarily involve fishing in the ways that I truly want to share with my anglers.  I want every person who steps foot on my boat, to feel like they are going on an adventure, and exploring beautiful, amazing areas.  We want to catch fish too, but I want them to leave with memories of an overall "experience".  That's why I'm so excited to offer these canoe trips as new way for my anglers to experience the outdoors that I love so much.  If this sounds like something you might enjoy, I'd love to talk with you about it in more detail.

For more info about our blackwater canoe trips, click the link below.

Something very cool will be happening soon and I can't wait to experience it again.  All over the eastern half of the United States, 13- and 17-year Cicadas will be emerging over the next few weeks.  This will be one of the largest emergences in decades, and trillions of these buzzing insects will break through the surface of the ground only to mate and die within a few weeks.  In certain parts of North Carolina, we will be seeing loads of these orange and black Cicadas during May and June.  So, what's all this have to do with a fishing post?  Well, if you've ever wanted to see Carp and other fish lose their minds for a few weeks, then keep on reading...

As I type this, there are already Cicadas beginning to emerge from Charlotte to Raleigh.  Over the next 2 weeks, we should see an unbelievable increase in the numbers of Cicadas on the land, in the trees and in the air.  The sound that these Cicadas make as they call out in the hundreds of thousands, is deafening...but it's a sound that means that great fishing is right around the corner.

Within a few weeks of emergence, these Cicadas will mate, deposit their eggs and fall to the ground and perish.  Birds, small mammals, and reptiles will gorge themselves on these delicious Cicadas as they fall to their deaths.  Any Cicada that falls from a tree over the water will likely be eaten by a fish below.  Although Cicadas are eaten by many species of fish, from Trout to Catfish to Sunfish to Bass, the Common Carp is probably the most prolific Cicada feeder.  After a few days of Cicadas falling into a Carp filled waterway, these fish will figure out what the deal is and will go absolutely crazy until all the Cicadas have died off.

This is a short window of opportunity, and a lot goes into predicting the peak of the fishing during the Cicada emergence.  First off, you have to use ground temperature estimates to guess when they will emerge.  After that, you will take a guess at when they will start to die off...will it be 2, 3, 4 weeks after they emerge?  If you hit the water too soon, the Carp may not have the game figured out, if you wait too long, you may miss the peak.  But if you hit it just right, you may get shots at Carp after Carp cruising the surface searching for the next buzzing Cicada to run down and inhale.

These Cicada broods may only emerge every 13 or 17 years, but when they do, they more than make up for the time they've been gone.

I've fished two 17-year Cicada emergences, one in West Virginia back in 2016 and another in Western NC in 2018.  Are they worth it?  Well, let's just say I am pretty hyped about the possibilities in the coming weeks.  So, what does it take to make it happen?  A lot of research and a little bit of luck!

I've been crunching numbers and looking at my calendar and have settled on some dates that I will keep open for Carp on Cicada trips.  I'm going to officially open up May 28, 29, 30, 31 and June 1 for these trips.  These dates could be a few days pre-peak, or a few days post-peak, but I think they are going to be really close to prime time.  I'm planning to stay in the Raleigh/Durham area that week and will either fish out of Jordan Lake or Falls Lake (more details to follow).   We will price these trips the same as my Striped Bass trips and do long half days or full days.  

I can provide all the fly gear, including Cicada fly patterns.  If you'd like to fish it on spin, I am pretty sure we can adapt and make it happen too.  

If you miss out on this rare opportunity, you just might kick yourself in the butt for the next 13 years until it happens again.

Doubled up.  Carp are generally very picky and hard to fool with a fly, but during a Cicada emergence, they can completely lose all inhibitions.

If you'd like to come fish topwater Carp with me, or have any questions, please reach out to me.  
910-340-4811
​[email protected]

I just got back from the Roanoke River targeting Hickory Shad during their annual spring migration.  Except for one day of wind and storms, we had a very successful week on the river.  We ran a few more trips this year than we did the previous year, and I look forward to continuing to build up this fishery as an opportunity for my anglers to enjoy.

Forget about the fish for a minute.  This river.  It's beautiful.  I never get tired of floating down it and watching the shoreline change from steep drop offs, to winding guts (feeder creeks), to low lying forests.  During the March migration of shad, the trees are just beginning to produce buds and leaves.  Quite different from the lush green foliage that dominates the riverbanks during the May Striped Bass run.  At this point you can still peer back into the forest and catch glimpses of Whitetail Deer and Turkeys.  Otters and Nutria swim down the shoreline.  Bald Eagles, Ospreys and Vultures ride the thermal above us as we drift down river.  This place is a sight to behold.

But yes, there are fish, and plenty of them.  Hickory Shad dominate the scene, although there are the less common catches of American Shad, Largemouth Bass, White Perch and Striped Bass during the late March peak of shad season. 

​I think I'm officially done talking in "numbers" when it comes to the Roanoke, it feeds expectations and can cause anglers to focus on "hitting the mark"...losing sight of all the other awesome experiences to be had on the Roanoke.  If I need to advertise big numbers to get people to come fish the Roanoke, then I am not doing a good enough job giving them a great all-around experience.

​Without talking numbers, I'll just say that the shad fishing on the Roanoke in March is as good as it gets anywhere on the East Coast from New England to Florida.  Quite possibly the biggest concentration of Hickory Shad on the planet.  I'll leave it at that.

I spend the winter months leading up to the shad run, chasing after Redfish.  I love my Reds, but we do a lot of chasing... and stalking, and searching, and getting our egos crushed in between finding Redfish that are willing to eat a fly.  Don't get me wrong, I love it, but it does require patience and a pretty decent skill set to catch winter Redfish on fly.  That's part of the charm of it, it is challenging.  Then comes March Shadness and everything changes.  We go from fishing, to catching, literally.  It's great for kids, for new fly anglers, and for pro's that just want to have a day of cast, hook, fight, release, repeat, repeat, repeat...  It's great training for someone who needs practice with a sinking line, or is working on their double haul, or wants some reps on their strip strikes.  It's also the perfect place for dad, or a grandpa, or a mom, or an uncle to get a kid absolutely hooked on the sport of fishing.  

Shad are downright willing to eat, and that's what I love about them.  Muddy water, clean water, high water, low water, fast water, slow water... they're not picky and that's their enduring quality.  They are also beautiful, energetic, and acrobatic.  They are the more user friendly, mini version of one of my favorite fish, the Silver King.

The rare Alosa sapidissima for the win!

Stretching some string.

"Gaudy" is a shad's favorite color.

Doubles and even triples can be the norm on a good day.

I added a few TFO Panfish ultra-light rods and 1000 series reels to the stable this year.  They were perfect for slinging little jigs to the bank and were a blast to fight the shad with.

No need to get fancy, a pack of 1/16 oz crappie jigs in pink, chartreuse and white will get them fired up.  Bring plenty, because the bottom of the Roanoke is littered with rocks, logs and branches.

I brought a couple Mauser Arete 4wts rigged with Hatch 3 plus reels and SA 150gr sinking lines, which seemed about perfect for getting the flies in front of the fish.  The river was flowing at about 6500 CFS and the 150 grain lines got down into the zone with ease.

Will Paul, doing what he does best... putting his anglers in front of hungry fish.

Jump!

That's a solid Hickory Shad.  He might be trying to hold back that smile, but no doubt, fun was being had by all.

Ready for the bite.

Such an awesomely designed fish.  Did you know these fish travel from the ocean all the way up the Roanoke to spawn?  From their spawning grounds near Weldon, NC, it's a 180-mile swim to Oregon Inlet.  The crazy thing is, we don't know how many miles these fish travel beyond Oregon Inlet.  These fish probably travel several hundred miles at least, to reach their spawning grounds, and then make that journey again to get back into the depths of the ocean.  Year after year, returning to the same spawning grounds where their parents produced them.  It's just amazing!

One of my anglers brought his Mauser Waterman and Hatch Iconic Nevermore custom to try out.  I was stoked to get some shots of it in action.

I've been fishing for these Hickory Shad on the Roanoke River for 18 or 19 years now.  I haven't gotten tired of seeing them yet, and I doubt I ever will.  The run is about over for 2024, but if it's something you are interested in doing, I wouldn't let another year pass by.  I'd love to show you what the fuss is all about in the spring of 2025.

The ol' red and yellow marabou dart for the win!

Slinging some major string!

Yes please!  May I have another?  Yes you may, just make another cast.

Our little Arete 486 on the hunt.

Acrobatic show is covered under the price of admission.

You willing to bet that there might be a few shad in this bend of the river?

Brian putting another cast out there and hoping to win another prize.

Have you noticed how muddy the water is in all of these pics?  Although the water flow was pretty normal for a shad run, the water was extremely dirty this year.  Not sure what the COE was doing to cause that, but surprisingly, it seemed to have no ill effect on the bite.  I bet the shad had to be within 6" of your lure or fly to see it, but there were so many fish around, you still got bite after bite.

Paying homage to the shad before sending him back home.  

I spend a lot of my year chasing fish that can be challenging and picky.  I'm thankful for the times that I get to chase fish that are the polar opposite of "picky".

I love trying to capture the action with my camera, as much as my anglers love trying to capture the fish itself.

Fact:  It's nearly impossible to not smile while catching shad.

That moment of coming tight, that we all daydream about.

Most of my year, we rely on 8 to 10wt rods and heavy-duty reels to get the job done, so I really love the times that we get to strip it back to light-duty gear like these 4wt setups.  So much fun!

Judges give this jump a score of 9.2!  

Some days it's so good that you can catch your fill within sight of the boat ramp, other days you are thankful to have a boat and be able to move downriver to find a steady bite.

Fishing just upstream of "the big rock", can be pretty fruitful some days.  Speaking of rocks, when the water flow is low, especially during shad season, there are several rocks across from, and just downstream of the boat ramp that are within inches of the surface.  You really need to be aware of where they are, or you are at risk of hitting them with your hull or motor.  Not trying to scare you away from DIY, but it's really worth it to have someone with experience show you around.

Hot pink did the trick for this Hickory.  By the way, let's talk about releasing these fish.  Although you can keep and eat Hickory Shad, we choose to release all of ours so that they can complete their mission of spawning and producing the next generation of Shad.  Since we are not harvesting any of these fish, we want to give them the best chance of survival we can.  We only photograph about 5% of the fish we catch, and we keep them in a net in the water until we are ready to take a quick photo.  We then quickly get them back into the water and swimming away.  All of the fish are dehooked over the water without bringing them in the boat and handling them any more than needed.  A de-hooker is an amazing tool that greatly reduces the physical stress on any fish that you don't plan to harvest.

That's a big Hickory!

The smiles alone are worth the trip!

Capt Richard Andrews putting his anglers on the fish.

Trust me, I keep a bunch of this particular fly in my box for a good reason.

Triples with grandkids and grandad.  That's something to remember!

Shad trips are great family trips.  

I really appreciate everyone who came out to chase Shad with me in March.  I am so thankful to have this amazing and healthy fishery in my home state.  It's so good, that I want to spread the word, and build it into an integral part of my guiding business.  We did a week of fishing this year, and I'd love to extend that for next year.  If you'd like to go, it's never too early to start talking with me about it.  I'm happy to answer any questions you might have, and I'd love to have you join me in the Spring of 2025.

​This past week a lot of anglers used their keyboards and voices to show their support of guard rail regulations on False Albacore along the NC Coast.

​These “guard rail” regulations were presented to North Carolina’s Marine Fisheries Commision a year ago, after ASGA’s research started gaining traction. Previous to the American Saltwater Guide’s Association’s scientific study of False Albacore, there was little to no science on these fish. Thanks to their genetic sampling and tagging from New England to Florida, we are starting to understand their migration and genetics better. It turns out that all of these fish are from the same breeding stock…they are all related. Many of the Albies that summer in Massachusetts, spend their fall in North Carolina, and overwinter in Key West Florida.  

With increasing pressure on these fish both recreationally and commercially, it became concerning that there were absolutely no limits on the harvest of these fish. One of the biggest concerns was the fact that False Albacore, due to their oily nature and high content of Omega 3, are being considered as a possible new target by large commercial industries from outside of the USA. The possibility of huge boats coming in with thousands of yards of seine nets to encircle the schools of Albacore for fish meal or cat food is quite frightening.

The push for the Marine Fisheries Commision to vote in favor of protective regulations on these fish has increased over the last year. A plan was written up by the Division of Marine Fisheries to set a cap on Albie harvest. They took the 5-year average of Albies harvested in NC from 2018-2022 and doubled it. If this rule was voted in, regulations would go into effect on Albies only once we hit the 200% average harvest cap. Once the regulation kicks in, it would be 10 fish per rec angler, and 3500lbs of fish per commercial trip. There are less than 3% of the commercial anglers even hitting the 500lb mark on Albie harvest, much less a 3500lb mark. This plan was put together with the idea that the restrictions would not affect any current recs or commercials and would even allow for some growth. What it would do though, is stop the fishery from expanding out of control into a disastrous situation. It would also keep a large-scale fishery for Albacore from being developed. We share our Albies up and down the East Coast, so the fish would only be protected while in NC waters once the rule would go into effect. There are currently 4 other states to the north of us considering protective regulations also, and they were watching us to help them make their decisions.

​The last few weeks, guides, anglers and the ASGA have been rallying for support of this ruling. Leading up to the meeting, over 250 public comments were submitted in favor of the proposed rules. Then this past Wednesday night and Thursday morning, many guides and rec anglers came to the meeting to speak in front of the Marine Fisheries Commission. Later on Thursday the commission deliberated and took a vote. There were commissioners who voted against the vote due to the lack of science proving that Albies needed regulations. On the other side, there were commissioners who voted in favor of regulations, stating that the lack of protection due to the lack of adequate science always ends up with over fished fisheries, as there just isn’t enough funding for more scientists. In the end, it came down to status quo vs setting a new standard. The MFC voted 5 to 4 in favor of guard rail regulations to protect Albies in the future as more science is done to study the species. This is a big win for Albies and for every angler that appreciates these amazing fish. For the first time in a long time, I watched NC set a shining example for all of the other states to follow. Hopefully this will lead to a chain reaction of protection up and down the East Coast.  

A huge thank you to everyone who spoke out in favor of False Albacore this month, we could not have done this without the support of the public.

​The Wednesday meeting and public comments can be viewed here:

​The Thursday meeting can be viewed here. Public comments begin at the beginning and the deliberation and voting start at the 7hr 5 min mark.

For more information, please visit the Albie Project on ASGA's website.

I'm excited about returning to the Roanoke River again this May for the Striped Bass run.  As of right now, I've cleared out May 1-11 of 2024 for Roanoke "Rockfish", but I could possibly extend that depending on bookings.  The fish will hopefully be there before I arrive, and still there after I leave, but my plan is to hit the peak of the spawn when the stretch of River we fish around Weldon has the highest concentration of fish.

​Being anadromous, 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.  

​Historically, April has been the keeper season, and the Weldon area can be very crowded.  It has recently been announced by the NCWRC that there will be no keeper season on the Roanoke this year.  Keeper season or not, our favorite time to fish for them, is the first two weeks of May, when the fish numbers are at their peak, and they are the most active.  The majority of stripers are schoolie sized fish from 16-24″, but there are big cow females between 30-50lbs in the same stretch of river, so you never know what you could hook into.  Last year, every few days we would land a really nice 10lb fish among the schoolies.  

While up on the Roanoke, we'll be fishing out of my 18ft East Cape Fury.  There's plenty of room for 1 or 2 anglers to cast fly or spin, while I control our drift and watch the fish finder for schools of fish.  My boat will be loaded with plenty of fly rods with the proper lines, and leaders.  We'll also have a stack of spinning rods ready for action.  I'll be ready for whatever the Roanoke and the Stripers throw at us, with boxes full of hundreds of flies, jigs and top waters.  The bite can often peak right at sunrise and sunset, so we set up our trip times around that.  We'll run morning half days from 6am-11am and evening trips from 3pm-8pm.  If you want to get the full experience, we can do a long full day where we basically fish a 5hr morning trip, take a few hours mid-day break for lunch and a nap, and then hit the water again in the afternoon and fish till dark.  

Fly fishing is probably my favorite way to fish for these fish each May.  6wt to 8wt rods lined up with floating lines and 250-350gr sinking lines do the work needed to bring these fish to hand.  The floating line setups are rigged up with poppers for the occasions when we get an early morning or evening topwater bite.  The sinking line rigs get the most usage, pulling flies down 10-20ft to where the schools of fish hang in the water column.  You can get fancy with your flies, but most days a simple Clouser or Deceiver is all you need.  Chartreuse and white flies take up half the real estate in my fly boxes, but I tie up a variety of colors for that occasional day when the fish decide to be picky about colors.

While fishing for Stripers on the Roanoke, we often catch other species too.  From Longnose Gar to Largemouth Bass, to Redhorse Suckers, to Common Carp...

Speaking of Carp, there is an opportunity to do more than just luck into one blindly in May.  I have an area only 15 minutes from our Striper spot, where we can pole flats and lake edges sightcasting to Common Carp.  I'm still working on developing this fishery, but it's already at a point where sightfishing them is very doable.  If you'd like to split your time between drifting for Stripers and poling for Carp, I would love to talk to you about doing both!  Let's chat about it!

Hooking into a healthy Striper will put a smile on anyone's face.

That's what we're looking for!

Putting on a show!

Striper spawning action.

Come on fish...get a hotel room!

I love witnessing the Sun rise and the Sun set on the mighty Roanoke.  And there's plenty of fishing to keep you busy between the two.

I'll be on the Roanoke March 21-26 guiding for Hickory Shad, and May 1-11 guiding for Striped Bass.  I'd love to show you why I love this place so much.  Shoot me a message or give me a call if you'd like to go this year.

As we approach the end of January, I'm already excited about returning to the Roanoke River this spring.  In less than two months, I'll be floating down this wild river with clients, enjoying the amazing fishery that is the Hickory Shad spawning run.  We are right in the middle of our winter Redfish season here on the coast, but I can't help thinking of what's next, as I order new 4wt sinking lines, tie up Shad flies, and imagine the fun to be had. For some reason, Shad just don’t get the same love that Striped Bass receive on the Roanoke. I truly think anglers don’t know what they’re missing, as fishing for these aggressive, acrobatic fish is as fun as it gets.

​Both Hickory and White Shad make their spawning runs up the coastal rivers of North Carolina every February through April.  The Tar, Neuse and Cape Fear are all known for their spring shad runs, but in my opinion, the Roanoke River near Weldon NC is the best place on the planet to experience shad fishing.  The hickory shad usually show up in the Weldon area during the first two weeks of March and hang around through early April.  I wish I could spend a whole month chasing these fish, but I'll most likely try to time it to fish up there for a week during the absolute peak of the fishing.

Fly fishing is personally my favorite way to target them.  When I first started fishing for them on the Roanoke almost 18 years ago, we were using 6wt rods so that we could throw a heavy enough sinking line to get down to them.  Over the years, sinking fly lines (and rods) have gotten better, and now we can catch them on fly rods as small as 4wt, or even 3wt!  On my skiff, I usually keep a couple 4wts rigged up with 150-grain fast sinking lines to get the flies down through the current.  We generally fish a very short leader, only 2-3ft long.  For flies, we have a variety of small Clousers, and marabou tailed streamers tied in pink, white, chartreuse, red and yellow...the brighter and flashier, the better!

It's also a fantastic place to get your children hyped up on fishing.  Shad are probably only second to Bluegill in the easy to catch department.  If your son or daughter can turn the handle on a real, there's a good chance they can catch Shad on their own.  The normally continuous action of Shad fishing really helps keep the younger anglers focused and interested in the sport...and if they need a break, there's always time for snacks!

I am officially open for Shad trips on the Roanoke March 21-26, 2024.  If I get enough interest, I may expand that, but for now, those are the dates I'm leaving open on my calendar for Shad.  We will be offering half to full day trips to meet your needs and I can supply all the gear, or you can bring your own.  The only thing you will need is a NC Freshwater Fishing License, if you are of the age where you need one (we can assist with that if you need).  

In my eyes there's no better way to welcome Spring back to North Carolina than a day of fishing for Hickory Shad.  The action is steady, they fight hard on light tackle and love to jump, and they bring a smile to everyone's face.  Plus, you get to experience all of this on one of the prettiest rivers in the entire state.  I'd love to have you join me this March catching Shad on the Roanoke out of Weldon NC.

To book a trip, shoot me an email ([email protected]) or call or text at 910-340-4811.