Epic April on the Crystal Coast

A huge thank you to all of the anglers that spent a day on the water with me so far this spring.  I couldn't do what I do without you, and I appreciate you all so much!

April has come and gone, and my goodness it was a good one.  Over the last few years, April has become one of my favorite months to be on the water chasing fish.  April is the month that everything comes back to life and the ocean wakes up.  Up through March, I'm generally targeting Redfish inshore or running up to the Roanoke for Shad.  When April rolls around, and the nearshore water temps approach 60 degrees, the predators show up along our coast.  The first fish most local anglers think about in April, and for good reason, is the Atlantic Bonito.  These fish love hanging around our nearshore structure when the water temps are between 60-70F.  They are a great sportsfish, and good to eat too.  This year, it seems like the majority of the fish staged further south off of Wilmington, but we still had our fare share.  In fact, the last few days (first week of May) has been excellent with more fish showing up that there were a few weeks ago.  It ain't over yet!

Targeting Atlantic Bonito generally involves fishing over nearshore wrecks.  Due to the specific locations these fish hang out, it can get crowded in some of the more popular areas, so we leave very early morning to find some happy fish.  We target them on spin with plastics and jigs, and on fly with both sinking lines and floating lines and topwater. 

The fact that we only see these fish for about 4-6 weeks each year makes them a special opportunity for me.  I really enjoy variety, which makes my job exciting, and the Atlantic Bonito fishery definitely adds some variety to what I do.

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A fish that continues to make a great comeback is the Bluefish.  Once over-fished, and only found as 1-3lbers, these fish have had a population explosion in recent years.  Not only are there numbers way up, but so is their size, with the average fish being 3-6lbs and many 10lb+ fish being caught.

They are a great target on both fly and spin.  These big bluefish can be super encouraging for new anglers, while still being a blast for more experienced anglers.  These fish don't just save the day anymore, they are the day!

Although Bluefish can be found in our nearshore waters from March to December each year, the biggest and most numerous fish seem to be here in April/May and again in October/November each year.

Who doesn't want to sight fish and catch a bunch of hungry, angry, hard fighting fish schooled and finning on the surface?  Add a few big sharks to the mix and it can hit Nat Geo levels.

Bring some wire and extra tackle if you plan to play with these yellow eyed monsters.

After Bluefish were way overfished in the 80s and 90s, they made a tremendous comeback in recent years with better management.  I hope this fishery continues to grow, as it's one of the best things we have going presently. 

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Here's one species most people don't think about in the spring.  False Albacore.  We often have good runs of False Albacore March through May.  Not as numerous as they are in the fall, but they make up for it in size class.

The average Albacore we saw in April was 20lbs, with the smallest being 15lbs and the biggest around 25lbs.  A lot of my fall anglers would kill for a big fish like this, and although they can show up in October/November, April has been a pretty safe bet the last few years.

These buffalo albacore are the reason the legends of 200yd runs and blown up 10wts exist.  They are a whole different class of fish compared to the 10lbers when it comes to fighting.  

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One of my secret favorite fish to look for in April are the big ocean run Bull Redfish.  These are the same fish that make the Neuse and Pamlico legendary each summer, but most people don't realize they roam the open ocean October through April each year.  

Most of the time when I'm hunting Bonito in the spring or Albies in the fall, I'm secretly out there hoping to run into these big orange giants.

Although these fish are often found by running open water searching for signs and then scanning below the surface with sonar, they can often be found feeding on the surface.  Theres nothing more exciting than locating a giant golden blob on the surface, and the anticipation as you approach them and prepare to make your cast.  

I swear these fish act like a completely different animal than the smaller Redfish we target in the marsh.  The slot size Reds in the inshore locations are very technical and very aware of their surroundings.  These big fish in the ocean are just aggressive killing machines, waiting to attack anything you can get near their face.  

They are tough on a spinning rod, but it's a whole different game to hook one on fly.

We stay rigged and ready even while targeting other species, because sometimes these giants can just fall in your lap!

Can you tail how much I like these fish?

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Speaking of Drum, we have been blessed the last few Aprils with schools of giant black drum on the surface.  These monsters are always spotted moving north as they migrate from their winter haunts up to their summer vacation homes in the Chesapeake.  Sometimes when we find a pack of fish cruising under the surface, it takes a second to figure out if they are our local reds or a school of migrating black drum.

Although the reds are extremely aggressive feeders, the black drum take a little more finesse.  Often in migration mode, and being picky bottom feeders, it can be a challenge to feed them while they cruise the water column.

A bucktail fished up from below the school or a big fly on a sinking line cast well ahead of the school is often rewarded.  One thing is for sure, they don't chase a meal, and you have to put it right in front of their face for a bite.  But what fun is fishing without a challenge?

A properly executed cast is rewarded with a hook up.

These big breeder black drum are probably 30-40 years old, so every one of them gets handled with care and put back in the water to continue their life.

This big girl fell for a giant half and half fly stripped up from below the school.  What a fight.

Oh and if you catch one, be prepared to throw your clothes aways afterward.  They are slimy!

What a treat it is to find these fish moving through on a pretty April afternoon.  An awesome experience that doesn't happen every day, and that's why it's so special.  I remember a time, when I was so jealous of the anglers and captains that found the buffalo albies, giant bull reds or a school of prehistoric black drum.  There wasn't a big secret to what they were doing, it was just time on the water, something that I lacked back then.  The more time you spend out there, the more you figure it out, or get lucky (I'll take it either way.)  You never know, until you go, so I keep going.  

Hope you'll join me some time.