2024 Roanoke River Striped Bass Recap

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.

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The Beauty...

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.

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The Camaraderie ...

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.

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The Catching...

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.

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The Fish and their reason for being here...

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.

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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.