DEGS Fishing Report

Capt Greg Voliva reports

1 person, 50 shad, less than 3 hours.

shad fishing two at a time

Even with the colder weather, spring has sprung! The shad run has been on fire with good numbers pushing up into Weldon NC. With triple digit days, clients are pulling them in often two at a time. The shad run is an amazing time to dust off that fly rod and sharpen your skill, take a kid fishing or just break away from the winter blues. A "REEL" good time for all.

Thank you!

Captain Caylin Burrell

When you get a minute, can you explain what is happening with the stripe bass situation on the Roanoke.

My take of course and I will try to be brief.

Striped bass have evolved to maximize spawning success on their perspective rivers. Egg size and buoyancy is different on striped bass spawning on the flats of the Susquehanna vs the striped bass eggs of the Roanoke River or those of native strain Neuse River striped bass. Eggs of native strain Neuse River striped bass are evolved to successfully hatch in the slower low flow waters of the Neuse River vs the eggs from Roanoke River striped bass are more likely to successfully hatch and reach larvae size in the higher flower waters of the Roanoke.

We have dammed our rivers. Cape Fear River no longer is viable for successful striped bass production because of locks and dams. Despite years of stocking and regulations, modifications of dams, etc, the biologists finally admitted that striped bass will never be returned to historical levels on the Cape Fear. The stocking program has been abandoned there, so no more striped bass on the Cape Fear once the current occupants die off.

On the Neuse River (and Roanoke) , you have net problems, a lot of which have been resolved with attendance requirements and the removal of large mesh nets. You also have a lot more recreational fishermen you have to manage, but the reality is that not enough striped bass are being produced in the first place.

Why? Because we have plowed and paved our watersheds……not to mention the dams which are in part to control flooding in fields. After WW 2 people came back from the war and settled down. They cut trees and converted forest land to fields, they built roads and dams and parking lots. Look at New Bern, Kinston, Goldsboro and Raleigh, all drain right into the Neuse River.

Water once filtered by forests now runs off roofs and roads in the rivers or evaporates from the drainage ponds of mega parking lots. The flow has changed and striped bass, among other anadromous fish, can no longer successfully support their numbers at historically levels. Add any take from nets or hooks further inhibits their ability to return to historic levels.

I reference historic levels because that is the legal benchmark or goal we are trying to achieve. It will never happen. So we need to change our goals or allow supplemental stocking during years in which spawning success is low.

As the Roanoke River has demonstrated, when water flows are good, striped bass can be very successful spawners. The idea was to let them naturally do their thing with no stocking. But with no stocking, after several years of poor spawning success, you end up with the draconian rules now imposed on recreational fishermen, 4 day season of 1 fish.

So why not stocking? They are considering it, but the fish biologists are a bit gun shy after they stocked the native Neuse River strain striped bass into extinction. Remember we were talking about the difference in the eggs, well for decades the state stocked fish spawned from Roanoke River stock into the Neuse River, essentially polluting the gene pool with fish that produce eggs not suitable for the Neuse River.

Another opposition to any stocking is because stocking is funded with recreational dollars, but the striped bass that get caught in nets don’t know that they are only supposed to be caught by hooks. Therefore the people with the hooks don’t see the point in stocking fish that might get caught by someone not using a hook.

That sum it up?

George

We raised a blue Marlin that didn't eat catch one for two on sailfish one mahi mahi and four yellow fin tuna

left the tuna biting

Feb. 12

3 for 6 on sailfish and 1 for 1 on mahi mahi today

Roanoke River E mail thread

Bummer, that was always the treat at the end of a great day fishing, bringing some home.

I'll think I'll sit this one out this year.

Thanks as always,

Hap

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From: info@downeastguideservice.com <info@downeastguideservice.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2023 2:54:49 PM
To:
Subject: RE: Roanoke River

Expect no keeper days.

Specifically they have a 2 day season before most of the guides get there.

They may add another two days.

One fish per day

We are essentially telling folks that there is no season

Let me know if you would like to book a catch and release trip

George

From:
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2023 10:36 AM
To: info@downeastguideservice.com
Subject: RE: Roanoke River

Like to go during the harvest, but can’t find the dates.

Have you heard them yet?

Probably a Sunday/ Monday or Saturday/Sunday depending on the dates.

Thanks!

From: info@downeastguideservice.com <info@downeastguideservice.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2023 5:27 PM
To:
Subject: RE: Roanoke River

When would you like to go?

From:
Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2023 4:46 PM
To: info@downeastguideservice.com
Subject: RE: Roanoke River

Yes Sir,

Interested in a Roanoke River trip again.

Best Regards,

Henry

From: info@downeastguideservice.com <info@downeastguideservice.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2023 4:42 PM
To: info@downeastguideservice.com
Subject: Roanoke River

We are getting our calendar together for the Roanoke River (and drum fishing in August/September) .

I wanted to first circle back with those who fished with us this past year and give them an opportunity to rebook.

Do you have an interest in coming back to the riva?

Many thanks for the consideration,

Capt. George Hughes Beckwith Jr.

252-671-3474

Down East Guide Service Inc.

1907 Paulette Rd.

Morehead City, NC 28557

Pics from the last few days with Capt. Bud

Report from Capt. Bud on the lower Roanoke

The Lower Roanoke River is firing off right now and will only get better over the next few months. We are seeing some good numbers of Stripers and plenty of action. Manly throwing jigs and swim baits at all depths and sometimes they will just about snatch the rod out of your hand. Come and experience what the Lower Roanoke has to offer this time of year.

That drum porn I was promising

Consistent double digit days

sorry for the lack of reports this year, but it has been very busy.

Drum porn to follow

Double digit days upon us

Actually double digit half days.

81 big drum releases for the Down East Guides yesterday

Capt. Will

Many thanks to Capts. Will, Justin and Justin, Blake, Matt, Caylin and Chris who made it happen for our group of 50 guests visiting Oriental this week.

Three Generations with Capt. Will Jones

Matt's tournament tarpon

Capt. Matt does it again and tarpon tourney report

Capt. Matt on another successful tarpon trip, 2 for 3 on the poons plus a bonus drum

The following day, the local pick up tarpon tourney replacing the old Roatary event was a huge success with more than 25 tarpon put in the air by less than 10 boat.

Matt got his with 2 releases, but that was just ahead of Kelly and just behind Tag a Long Dan who had 3 releases with his family team of Kathy, Mathew and first mate Merritt.

Nobody could catch Team Mobile East with the whole crew led by Capt. Gene to 6 tarpon releases for the day, starting with a double header and 4 releases by 8 am!