Keeper season is OVER, cobia have arrived

If you want to keep some fish, better book a day of cobia fishing. They have arrived, as last year, a little ahead of schedule. Heard that one boat saw 80+ fish today. I'll be checking that out first hand this week if the weather is nice.

The crowds will be leaving the Roanoke now that keeper season is over. It was a zoo out there all week this week. Combined with dropping water, the fish seemed to be in a different place each day, but no worries, we got ours and we often got them well out of the crowds. A couple of hours down the river really makes you appreciate catching those bigger fish up in the fast water. Topwater bite is firing off and the flies are outfishing bait.

I am open Monday afternoon, all day Tuesday and Wednesday morning.
Willing to fish the Roanoke or run a cobia trip on Tuesday...

one of 100

Fly bite is "off the hook". Get it down, make it strip and hold on. This is a

29 incher that yours truly caught.

A little elevation. on their new rides.....

Capt. Fred Slann is getting it to sight cast the pups in the marshes.

Capt. Charles Brown is getting it for the cobes...

Roanoke pics from yesterday

If you are not catching fish. MOVE. When you're in them, you're in them. Pay attention to your depth finder. Fishing slowed today up the river, but we had well over 100 fish, mostly fishing on the edges of the crowds downriver and mostly on flies and flukes. Hot pink has been hot.

Capt. Brian Harrington on the Run Off has a report below. He just found out that the Run Off is available for charter for the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament this year, in case anyone is interested.....

"Offshore report, yesterday on the Run Off, we had 3 yellowfins, 16 blackfins, 3 wahoo and a mahi. "

Open Afternoon

George is open tomorrow afternoon if anyone is intrested in a keeper trip on the Roanoke River. Call Anna at 252-671-3474. Afternoon trips start at 2 pm.

Fish in a barrel

No, just because it's the Roanoke, it's not like fishing in a barrel. When the water moves, so do the fish and they get finicky. All the boat traffic doesn't help, but where I've been fishing, that has not been a problem.......I may lose a lower unit anytime, but it's a beautiful part of the river and the fishing has been good, catching 30-60/half day with limits of 21 1/2 inchers and several fish in the slot.

Meanwhile on the Dragin Fly.......from Capt. James: "green water all over but we got lucky and catch 2 blue marlin 1 sailfish and 1 big mahi about 40 lbs "

I'll take a pair of blue marlin any day.....

from yesterday

keeper pic from yesterday

All that rain that fell in the mountains last week must be making it's way downstream. Water flow in the river is rapidly rising, forecast to nearly double, then remain stable for the next few days. The rising water may briefly slow down the bite tomorrow, but it will trigger many thousands of fish to head this direction. It's about to get really, REALLY good.

Roanoke report

Plenty of fish down the river, you're either in them or you aren't. The best of it seems to be around the power lines. The last couple of days I've pretty much had the river to myself, fishing up in the whitewater. We haven't caught as many fish (close to 60 yesterday), but a lot of nice ones with many fish too big to keep.

Up in the mountains....

I am in the VA mountains this week, a little vacation from the vacation. As you can see in this pic, 6 hours of torential rain on Monday turned the clear waters of the Cowpasture River to chocolate milk and ran her out of her banks. All this rain bodes well for the Roanoke which should have plenty of water for a long striped bass season.

We were a bit surprised when 3 big muskie were spotted climbing the rapids of the trout stream in front of the house.

Happy Birthday Ruby, 17 years old this week....she doesn't get around much anymore.... Our television. Eveybody is OK watching the same channel: It's starting to rain again, one more trip to the trout stream before heading to the Roanoke. Next pics will be of striped bass.....

The 100 fish days have begun on the Roanoke

Here are a few pics from the Dragin Fly last week, waiting on some of the marlin shots that Berto took, also some pics of the big groupers that they worked on after I left. Chela and a rainbow runner...

Tuna Time

Babes with bulls

Capt. Greg had his first 100 fish day on the Roanoke yesterday, things have REALLY fired off in the last few days.

Capt. Ray has had his schedule open up for the next few weeks, so we have plenty of room if you want to get out after them.

Meanwhile, I'm up in the mountains enjoying my "vacation"....

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Back in town, pics coming up

I'm back in town from a great trip in Costa Rica with the Carolina Sportsman Magazines. Great trip. Everyone on the trip caught their billfish, plus some big dolphin, lots of tuna and congrats to Ms. Jackie on her blue marlin!!!!! We had another group in Quepos that did really good as well. On the boat that we booked for the Shultz family: "the final count was 12 raised 9 landed and I got 2 on the fly. One of the fly sails was about 120." Heading up to the mountains this week for a vacation from my vacation; starting the Roanoke on Monday. Pics from this past week to follow....

tagged puppy drum

My tournament partner with a tagged puppy.....he usually catches bigger ones.

Here's something funny

If you've got a little time and want a laugh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWtG5yHjdw4 Be sure to watch the whole thing. I'm off to Costa Rica with the North Carolina Sportsman Magazine for a week. When I get back, I'll be ready for the Roanoke, which will already be in full swing. Conditions and water levels are shaping up to be a great year. We're networking with a dozen different guides on the Roanoke this year and will try to get you on the water. My remaining openings for the catch 'em and keep 'em season are: April 19, 20 1/2 pm, 21 1/2 am, 25 1/2 pm. Catch and release only openings: May 2, 3, 4 1/2 am, 9?, 10????......OR...... are the cobia going to be here by then? Cobia, cobia, cobia, ready or not, here we come. Still open only May 12, 15, 19, 21, 31 and June 3, 6?, 7?, 12, 13, 15, 20-30. Capt. Greg Voliva and Capt. Charles Brown now both have the Power of the Tower!!! Both guides have put towers on their center consoles and we are booking them for sight-casting trips for cobia. Let us know when you want to go and we'll make it happen.

Tarpon caught on the Roanoke River today!

April Fool's.

Close though, I dropped a boat off in Weldon and took a few casts, caught 6 hickory shad and a white shad in 37 minutes. Felt like little mini tarpon on the mini rod I was using.

Yesterday, Capt. Gary had a great day on the Neuse, catching a couple dozen stripers and making a 12 year old very happy.

Today he was fishing out of Oriental and had some specks and 2 pound bluefish on topwater.