TARBORO —
Ever stop to think about the difference between rich, wealthy people, and average everyday rubes, like you and me? Simply put, people of means do WHAT they want WHEN they want, and go WHERE they want. They are free to pursue that which makes them happy, without the daily mundane tasks that fill most common peoples’ lives.
Who is my mystery millionaire fisherman? That would be me. Fishing makes me feel like the richest guy in town. Recently, I was fishing on the pier at the pipe on NC Highway 97 near Rocky Mount. I was doing exactly what I wanted, when I wanted, at a place I absolutely adore. All the money in the world could not have made me happier than I was fishing in those elements and circumstances. While catching fish with my buddy, Bobby Mason, and loving life, one of my favorite expressions is to say, “I don’t know what Donald Trump is doing right now, but he isn’t having more fun than you and me, I guarantee you.”
Fishing has a way of transforming me, back to being 14-years old, when I was carefree, and strong as a bull. I visualize those days in the 60’s when I was crawling and climbing all over those big rocks at Great Falls, Maryland trying to get at some of those Potomac River catfish, carp, and bream. My buddy, Joe Dean, and my brother, Charles, were at my side. We probably didn’t have $5 between us, but we were happy, content, and usually caught a few fish for our troubles.
On a recent outing when I was reflecting on my mental WEALTH, I fished several hours, but got nary a bite. I take that back. I did snag a tree limb floating by. After you scale and clean that, not much is left to eat, but fried tree limb is right tasty on a plate with a 14-ounce rib eye steak and a baked potato slathered in butter and sour cream.
Hotspot of the Week – The shad bite started early this year, but cooled off kind of quick. The relatively mild winter was thought to instigate this early activity. Those in the know tell me that mid-February should see some steady, consistent action. I caught 4-5 nice Tar River White Shad in Rocky Mount in late January, but not much since.
Even with my frustrating hearing impairment, I try to talk to fishermen I encounter on and off the water. I feel like I learn something every time I chat-it-up with an experienced angler. Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting a young white-haired gentleman like myself, while fishing the Shad Hole on River Road in Tarboro. His name is Dempsey Dupree. If your last name is Dupree in Edgecombe County, NC, you probably learn to fish immediately after you learn to walk. The Dupree family tree is most likely shaped like a fish. “The Fishing Duprees” might make an interesting book. I think I know a good potential author, and marketing hack that could make that happen.
Dempsey grew up fishing for shad on the Tar River over 50 years ago. He told me his theory that White Shad are mostly bottom dwellers, as opposed to the Hickory Shad who move up and down the water column. He suggests a painfully s-l-o-w retrieve if you want your offering to drag past the bottom where those big whites hang out. Sounds like a plan, Dempsey! Young people take note. Hush up and listen. We old dudes can teach you a thing or two.
Our Tar River First Shad Contest winner, Henry Knight, reels so slowly that I want to run over there, to that culvert pipe he stands on at the Shad Hole, give him an energy drink, and a swift kick in the seat of the pants to hurry him up. However, nothing succeeds like success, and Henry Knight usually catches more Hickory Shad than anyone else out there, so the s-l-o-w retrieve must be one of Henry’s untold shad catching secrets. Even when I consciously try, I can’t retrieve THAT slowly.
Rick’s Soapbox – Save the dates!
Tuesday, February 21st – You are invited to the annual TASS membership meeting at 33 Grill & Oyster Bar in Tarboro. A great time to sign-up, pay your dues, and register for the upcoming shad tournament. Matt and Ray Parrisher, your hosts at 33 Grill & Oyster Bar, will also help you slam some tasty eats down your neck. Tight Lines appreciates their sponsorship of our Tar River First Shad Contest.
Saturday, February 25th - Fisherman’s Post Saltwater Fishing School will be held at the Crystal Coast Civic Center in Morehead City. For more info call (910) 452-6378 or go online at www.FishermansPost.com. I hear some good things about this school.
Saturday, March 10th – TASS Flea Market/Yard Sale at Marrow-Pitt Ace Home Center in Tarboro 7-10 AM. I just love this idea. You do not have to be a TASS member to sell or buy fishing and boating items. If you wish to reserve a free space to sell your stuff, call John Dupree at 252-823-2754.
Saturday, March 17th – Saturday, March 24th: it’s the 11th Annual TASS Hickory Shad Tournament. This weeklong event is my favorite tournament of the year. I lucked out and won top honors in this tournament with the largest Hickory Shad several years ago.
Let me brag a little. It was the biggest Hickory Shad EVER weighed-in in the past 10 years of tournament competition. I fed it 3 Big Macs before I brought it to the scale. All kidding aside, winning that tournament was a proud moment in my fishing life.
Tight Lines will give you the soup-to-nuts intel on the shad tournament in a future article, but tournament chairman, John Dupree, can answer your immediate, anxious questions now at 252-823-2754. John always works hard on this tourney, and does a very nice job putting on a first class event.
Catching fish? Tell us about it. Better yet, send us a picture with all the details. We love to hear from you at CarolinaAngler@Gmail.com.
See you on the water, my friend!
Tight Lines
Related Photos
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Rick Goines.jpg
The mystery millionaire fisherman
- Tight Lines
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Banner Day at Battle Park
Sunday was Mother’s Day. I am not a mother, but I played one in a school play years ago, so I figured that entitled me to go fishing on Mother’s Day. Need an excuse or rationalization to go fishing? Check with me, I’ve got plenty!
After suffering through 2-3 days of a rain induced swollen, unfishable Tar River at Battle Park in Rocky Mount, it was jackpot time on Sunday. Without a doubt, I had my best white shad fishing day ever, fishing from sunrise to early evening. Action was good all day, with a little lull for about 2-hours in the heat of the afternoon.
I am proud to report to you that I enjoyed a 50-fish day. I caught a personal best 46 white shad, 3 hickory shad, and foul-hooked a very angry, upset 3-foot gar. I thought I had two large white shad, or maybe a big rockfish, so I was a little surprised to see Mr. Gar. It was like reeling in an uncooperative 2x4 piece of lumber. -
NCWRC enforcement officers doing a great job
North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission has two enforcement officers assigned to each county. That’s 200 dedicated, educated, and highly trained individuals protecting our North Carolina environment and natural resources. To become an enforcement officer applicant, one must participate in a highly competitive selection process. A typical candidate is required to pass extensive background and psychological screening. Also included is a vigorous 19-week training academy that is patterned after a military boot camp, with an emphasis on physical fitness.
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Tight Lines declares Ginger Perry of Nashville the shad queen
One of my favorite places to bank fish is the boat ramp at Battle Park in Rocky Mount. I have met a lot of interesting people there. Three or four times this season, I have watched this amazing lady, Ginger Perry, fishing with her friend, Big Kelly, for white shad. Simply put, she is one good angler! She casts and retrieves like a pro, and always catches her fair share of fish. Maybe a few more than her fair share! This lady can flat-out fish!
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Time for the John Cherry Rockfish Rodeo on the Tar river
Tarboro Association of Saltwater Sportsman (TASS) presents the annual John Cherry Rockfish Rodeo on the Tar on Saturday, April 27th. Entry fee is $100 per boat.
Registration and information is available daily at Roberson & Dupree Shoe Store, Main Street, Tarboro. The absolute registration deadline is Friday, April 26, by 8 p.m., at the boat landing on River Road, or when the maximum limit 40 boats have been signed-up. Attendance at the Captain’s meeting Friday night, 7 p.m. at the boat landing on River Road, is highly recommended. Rules will be read, questions answered, and you will receive your Captain’s Bag, tournament t-shirt, and other goodies. Each boat is allowed to weigh-in 2 of their largest rockfish, as chosen by the Captain. -
Sign-up this Saturday for John Cherry Rockfish Rodeo
One of the TASS premier events that local anglers always enjoy is the annual John Cherry Rockfish Rodeo. Registration is limited to the first 40 boats. Full grown men, me included, will be standing in line like giddy teeny-boppers looking concert tickets early Saturday morning waiting for Roberson & Dupree Shoe Store to open at 9 am to plunk down that registration fee.
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Bottoms Up! Greg Bottoms Wins TASS Shad Tournament
To my knowledge, Greg Bottoms does not smoke or drink, but he does have another habit, and an enviable one at that. Greg wins fishing tournaments. He won the Fall Speckled Trout Tournament, and last week claimed top honors in the shad tournament. Obviously, the man knows his way around a rod & reel. Greg is a skilled angler, and a nice guy, deserving of that success.
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Shad Tournament participants weighing-in some good fish
All indications are that this will be a banner year for the 12th Annual TASS Hickory
Shad Tournament. The timing is perfect because the shad “bite” has turned on
considerably everywhere. At the halfway point through the week-long tournament, the leader board is already showing some impressive fish weights. Charles Strickland leads the top tier adult category with a healthy 2.56 Hickory Shad. That will be a hard “Hick” to beat! -
Time to sign-up for the 12th Annual Hickory Shad Tournament
The TASS Twelfth Annual Hickory Shad Tournament week is one of my favorite weeks of the year. This year’s tournament dates are Saturday, March 16th through Noon, Saturday, March 23.
Entry fee is only $10, but you must sign-up before 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 15, if you wish to be involved. You do not need to be a member of TASS to participate, but you must be a member of TASS to receive TASS bonus-money. Registration is at Roberson & Dupree Shoe Store, 418 Main Street, in downtown historic Tarboro. -
Anglers kindness and generosity never fail to amaze me
The “Shad Hole” on River Road in Tarboro functions not only as a great place to fish, but also a good place to meet and greet like-minded fishing enthusiasts. An informal group usually congregates at the “Shad Hole” nightly during shad season to wet a hook, or simply to exchange pleasantries. These “Shad Hole” friends come in different ages, and walks of life. These are salt-of-the-earth type guys. If it ever comes down to “Us” versus ‘Them,’ I want these guys in my foxhole watching my back.
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Martin Marietta Materials plans to dump into Blounts Creek
Martin Marietta Materials has applied for a discharge permit to dump groundwater and stormwater directly into Blounts Creek. One person close to the situation tells me we are talking about 12 million gallons of discharge a day. I don’t profess to be an expert on the matter, but that doesn’t sound really healthy, or harmless, for the environment, and specifically Blounts Creek. (Filed documents say the average discharge would be about 9 million gallons a day, but could increase to 11 million on some days.)
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