White Shad Bite Still On At Rocky Mount

Tight Lines

May 11, 2012

White Shad Bite Still On At Rocky Mount

FOR THE DAILY SOUTHERNER Rick Goines The Daily Southerner Fri May 11, 2012, 04:38 PM EDT

TARBORO — I had every intention of doing a different article this week, but I am so impressed and thrilled with the current White Shad bite on the Tar River at Rocky Mount that I feel the need and obligation to share this exciting information with you.

Don't put those shad rigs away yet, if you still want a little White Shad mumbo jumbo.

The Tar River at Rocky Mount is the place to go. I have a feeling that anyplace upriver from Dunbar will produce some measurable results.

This fishing involves a lot of casting and a good measure of patience. The fish are there, but you will need a little trial and error to find them. Once you do locate them, cast to the same area where you caught the last fish, and chances are good you will get another bump.

The shad are stacked-up pretty good out there in the deeper holes. Your strike zone might only be 6 square feet, so the key is to roll that rig right past their pretty noses.

Missed the strike zone? Throw again; casts are free in the Tar River in May.

White Shad has quickly become my favorite fish to catch. Shhh, don't tell my Maryland friends. It's considered blasphemous not to revere the almighty Rockfish up there in Chesapeake Bay Country.

My affection for shad was helped considerately by the fact that we have enjoyed an unprecedented, phenomenal year for White Shad in Eastern NC.

Old timers talk about a May shad run of new, different fish. These White Shad in Rocky Mount have made me a believer: a grateful, thankful, dyed-in-the-wool believer. Wayne Harrell made a recent call to a NCWRC wildlife biologist that confirmed these are new spawning fish that just got to town. Wayne's contact said that electrofishing, or sampling, has recently turned up good numbers of shad in the Tar River.

Reportedly, these are fresh looking, plump females, pre-spawn and full of eggs. Even better news is that the "experts" predict that these fish will be around well into June. H-E-L-L-O! You are talking my game, my man!

I am writing this Thursday afternoon, and what I am getting ready to tell you is so fresh and current that I am sitting in front of the computer smelling like shad with quarter-size scales on my clothing. Don't tell wifey! She will throw me out!

I got up at O’Dark-thirty this morning, and made a beeline for the boat ramp at Battle Park in Rocky Mount. It's always a joy to watch the wildlife stir at first light. I saw ducks, beaver, muskrat, and several snakes out looking for breakfast. My attitude is that I am a guest in their home; a large, loud, intrusive one, but a guest all the same. Oh yeah, I have an unwritten contractual agreement with the snakes. I don't bother them, and hopefully they will not bother me. Apparently, some of these snakes didn't get the memo. They swim right up to me and sit there and just look at me with those beady little eyes. I slap the water with my rod, but it doesn't seem to scare them. I appreciate God's slithery creatures, but I do not like them. Wifey is amused at my fear of snakes.

I snapped on my Jimmy D Custom Shad Rig. It took about a dozen casts to find the fish. Once I did, it was action-city. Nice, big, healthy White Shad that were none too pleased to find out my gold spoon had a hook attached to it. Plenty of bumps, hook-ups, and caught fish all morning. I left biting fish to come home and write this for you. What a guy, huh?

Care to share? Send us your fishing success stories and snaps at CarolinaAngler@Gmail.com.

See You On The Water, My Friend!

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Tight Lines

Shad Season in Review
All things considered, 2013 was a good shad season, thoroughly enjoyed the fishing activity and usual camaraderie among shad fishing friends. Shad fishing to me is about so much more than just catching fish. It’s a total package of enjoyment as it captivates and dominates my life February through May.
Wayne Harrell kicked off the season winning the first shad contest catching his hickory shad on a cold 19-degree Saturday morning, February 2.
The shad hole on East River Road in Tarboro was a little disappointing this year. Untimely flood waters might have limited our regular peak run. Fish were caught and we had some good days, but not the action we have experienced in past years.

May 24, 2013
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.

May 17, 2013
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.

May 10, 2013
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!

April 19, 2013
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.

April 12, 2013
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.

April 5, 2013
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.

March 29, 2013
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!

March 22, 2013
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.

March 8, 2013
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.

March 1, 2013
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