TARBORO —
My 2012 fishing season was a good one. Maybe my best ever! It was all about hickory shad, white shad, rockfish, and speckled trout. More important, than the fish themselves, were the people I met and fished with along the way. Old friendships were renewed, and new relationships forged every place I wet a hook. Anglers are some of the nicest, friendliest, and most helpful people you will ever meet. I say this with tongue in cheek of course, but I don’t trust a man that doesn’t fish.
By changing my usual format, I will focus on the four fish targeted in 2012, and a little history surrounding my involvement with each one.
Hickory shad – We kicked the season off with Tight Lines 2nd Annual First Hickory Shad Contest. Uber shad angler Henry Knight caught the first shad the last week in January, thus the season was underway. We enjoyed about 7-8 weeks of hickory shad action on the Tar River in Tarboro. The regulars would congregate at “The Shad Hole” on River Road adjacent to the Highway 33 Main Street Bridge to Princeville to fish, talk, belch, and tell lies. We had a large time. It was like belonging to an exclusive club, but not having to pay dues, unless you count those 2-3 dozen Custom Jimmy D Shad Rigs I sacrificed to the water gremlins.
The highlight of the hickory shad season is the annual mid-March TASS Hickory Shad Tournament that is always a challenge and fun, fun, fun.
White shad – The “Whites” would be the lead story on many shad fishing adventures last year. The Tar and Roanoke Rivers were chock full of American Shad, which locals call White Shad. The boat ramp at Battle Park in Rocky Mount was a White Shad hot spot for me last season. I even caught a few late-season “Caucasians” there in early June.
When I tell this story, I can just hear KWG (my Daddy) saying, “Richard, you need to get your head examined.” It was mid-March, the height of shad season. I got up at O’Dark:thirty and went to fish the Roanoke River at Weldon. Mid-day, I drove down I-95 to Rocky Mount and fished the Tar River at Battle Park. Late afternoon/early evening, I planted my blue chair at “The Shad Hole” in Tarboro, and fished until dark. I think I actually had a line in the water 12-13 hours that day and caught a caboodle of fish in all locations. Worn slam-out, tired, but very happy! Hey! Maybe dear ole Dad was right!
Rockfish – This Maryland boy loves to catch a rockfish. Yes, Chesapeake Bay folks, we do catch rockfish down here in North Cakalacky, believe it or not. I enjoyed several exciting trips with Bobby Mason on the Roanoke River at Scotland Neck. I stood there bug-eyed and watched Mr. Mason haul in a 40-pound striped bass on one trip.
I always anticipate with glee my annual Goines Rock-O-Rama on the Roanoke at Weldon with family and friends. A special treat for me was having two of my beautiful, precious “Grands,” Hali and Morgan, join me in the fun. Hopefully we can have an encore performance this April.
I partnered with Dempsey Dupree in the John Cherry Rockfish Rodeo on the Tar, and lo and behold, we won 1st place honors due to Dempsey’s skillful good fishing. I was good ballast in the boat to steady us and keep us from sinking while Demps was cranking in the fish.
Speckled trout - John Dupree played matchmaker and hooked me up with Greg Bottoms. We trout fished creeks off the Neuse River in Pamlico County, mostly Dawson Creek, near Janeiro. Catching specs is more fun than a barrel of monkeys, and Greg really made it happen for me. So, thanks, John and Greg!
Greg and I participated in the fall TASS Toys For Tots Speckled Trout Tournament, and I had the honor of netting Greg’s 5.58-pound spec that won all the marbles.
Greg has been a “find” for me in 2012. His fishing expertise and friendship is truly a Godsend.
Rick’s Soapbox – Fishing, writing about it and getting paid for it is a dream job for me. The pay ain’t great, but it keeps me in bait, lures, and cigars. My situation reminds me of the guy that landed that much sought after job with Playboy Magazine. At his hiring interview they ask him if $25,000 would be ok to start, and he said, “Geeze, I’m not sure I can afford to PAY THAT much to work here.”
See you on the water, my friend!
Tight Lines
Looking back on a very productive 2012 fishing season
- 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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Banner Day at Battle Park
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