Pamlico – April 14, 2016
Gary, of Spec Fever Guide Service, reports that the striped bass bite in the New Bern area has been consistent, with some larger fish being caught recently. The majority of these fish are hitting topwater poppers and stick baits fished over heavy structure, such as stump beds and downed logs.
The red drum and trout fishing has improved between Oriental and New Bern, with some upper-slot redfish being caught recently. Anglers using casting outfits can target both species using a popping cork baited with shrimp imitations such as the Storm shrimp or Vudu Rattler Shrimp fished near drop-offs and grass points. Soft plastics rigged weedless will also fool the trout and drum when fishing near underwater grass beds.
Richard, of Tar Pam Guide Service, reports that the shad fishing in Weldon is fantastic and is only looking to improve in the coming weeks. Shad darts, bright pink Gotcha flies, and small spoons are putting plenty of fish in the boat.
Further down the Roanoke River, the striped bass bite remains strong, with some days producing over 150 fish. The fish are moving upriver towards Weldon to spawn, so anglers need to stay on the move in order to catch the fish from day to day. Soft plastics like Zoom Jerk Shad and Vudu Mambo Mullet fished on jig heads are producing the majority of bites, but on warmer days the fish will also take interest in topwater plugs.
There are also plenty of hickory and American shad downriver, but they are more heavily concentrated in backwater creeks and can be caught on a variety of small grubs.
Jack Painter, of Avon, with a trout he caught on a D.O.A. Deadly Combo while fishing with Capt. Gary Dubiel of Spec Fever Guide Service.
Dave, of Knee Deep Custom Charters, reports that the trout bite has picked up in the New Bern area for those willing to stay on the move and be patient. D.O.A. C.A.L. soft plastics on jig heads or rigged weedless are producing plenty of bites when fished just off the bottom. Mixed in with the trout are a few red drum and flounder.
It is still a little early in the year to be catching the drum and flatfish, so that bite will only improve in the next couple of weeks.
The striped bass are still in their spawning runs and are slowly making their way downriver. There are reports of fish being caught in lower Broad Creek and creeks near Minnesott Beach, but the bite hasn’t been consistent. As the fish move into post-spawn, they will be more concentrated down river and can be caught on topwater poppers and suspended twitch baits.
Mitchell, of Fish IBX, reports that the Roanoke River fishing has been excellent recently, with plenty of nice striped bass being caught. On many days anglers are catching 100+ fish on a variety of lures, including soft plastics fished over deep water drop-offs, and topwater poppers fished near heavy structure, like downed logs and bridges.
Richie, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are seeing scattered striped bass action on the Tar and Pamlico rivers. Most of the fish are being taken from deep holes on soft plastics like Z-Man Trout Trick lures and hard diving lures like the Rapala X-Rap and CountDown.
The trout fishing is beginning to take off downriver with some fish being caught in Bath Creek and surrounding mainland creeks. The trout can be fooled with soft plastics or suspending twitch baits like the MirrOlure MR17.
