Roanoke River 4/16-18/13

[mikefish]

With all the news from the river being not so good I believe I would have postponed the trip hoping for an extension of the season but the hotel was already paid. Got a good deal, but if you cancel you loose your money. Got up at 4:30 am Tuesday and headed to Jordan lake to catch some bait. Got enough for a day or two and headed up to the Roanoke. Had to stop and pick up a part for my engine and replace it and pick up some bass minnows, but was on the water by 10 am. Hit a spot above the rock that sometimes holds fish and picked up 30 in about 2 hours. They were hitting little bass minnows and 4-6" gizzard shad equally well. After lunch, they just quit biting so we took off down below the rock and hit several areas with little luck both anchoring and drifting. Finally hit a hole that had some fish in it and used up the rest of our bait for the day. Final count was 34 stripers with 3 keepers. Zach caught a striper that had a little red spoon in its mouth so he was throwing it off and on through the day and caught his first Roanoke River shad.


Wednesday morning we got up at 5 am and headed to Gaston Lake where we had heard you could catch some bait. Took a bit of work, but we fianlly got enough to fish with. We were on the water just after daylight and there were very few at the ramp. There was not a lot of boats on the water the three days we were up there, but Thursday it was getting thicker after lunch. We started below the rock and anchored and drifted our way down the river picking at them here and there. Got down to the spot we finished on Tuesday and caught some good numbers and sizes there again. Got our biggest of the trip here at 23 1/4". Anchored up in that current . . . I thought it was a monster. Ended the day with 33 stripers, 2 cats, 4 keepers kept, and 4 keepers released.


Thursday we got up at 5 am to check the bait. If they were alive we were going fishing, if they were dead we were heading to catch bait again. Luckily they were alive. Got on the river and started drifting just below the big rock. In 200 yards we had 3 fish with one being a keeper. Cranked up and did it again and caught one more. Tried a couple more times with no more hits so we kept heading downriver. Picked at them here and there again and by noon we had caught 18 and had 4 keepers in the cooler and two or three keepers released. Off the water at lunch and headed home.


All in all it was a pretty good week. Hardly any fishermen on the water, and what was on the water were spread out. Water was about 57 degrees on Tuesday and got up to 60 by afternoon every day. Thursday it started at 59. Talked to several fishermen and guides and catch rates were pretty dismal. I felt blessed to have caught as many as we did and to leave with our limit all but one day and had three then. There are a couple guides on the river that know there stuff and after watching them for several years I'm not surprised to see them catch fish when others are struggling. We are heading back on Tuesday with my father in law and hoping that they'll come on in thick and we can have an even better week this week.
Mike

Take a kid outdoors!

[bearclaw]

Great report and pictures Mike,as allways I enjoy reading your posts.I meant to ask Zach to put an X on the water where the hotspot was so I might be able to catch a few!!!Thanks for sharing....

[mikefish]

When ya heading up? We are going back on Tuesday.
Mike

Take a kid outdoors!

[NC_Crappiecatcher75]

Sounds like a lot of fun!!

[REDBOAT]

Nice report! I have a feeling it will be a bit more crowded today up there.

[albiechaser]

Nice report! I have a feeling it will be a bit more crowded today up there.

lol I know that place is a zoo in April during the keeper season, I'll go one time for my Rock fix, and then wait till May,

but for a first timer to see the action, its a blast,

[brhunt]

Nice job Mike! I should have another boat @ the first of May to make Weldon my first trip.

[mikefish]

That would definately be a nice "1st trip". Good luck!
Mike

Take a kid outdoors!

[Bobby J]

Great report and pics of some nice fish.