Fishing is spectacular all over coastal eastern North Carolina

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Jerry Jackson of Havelock with a 22.5-inch, estimated 4.5 pound speckled trout he caught in the Neuse River. Photo/Submitted

November 16, 2012

Fishing is spectacular all over coastal eastern North Carolina

FOR THE DAILY SOUTHERNER Rick Goines The Daily Southerner Fri Nov 16, 2012, 12:54 PM EST

TARBORO — Some are calling the current trout blitz the best Speckled Trout fishing they have seen in years. If you can get those pesky Rockfish to leave your baits alone, most anglers are easily putting legal limits of Specs on ice early, and then enjoying honing their twitching skills with a bunch of catch & release activity.

Wow! A Maryland boy fussing about Rockfish getting in the way is borderline blasphemous. Those folks up there don’t tolerate bad talk about their beloved Rockfish. I could get barred from fishing in the Chesapeake Bay or worse yet, have a limit slapped on my personal steamed, spiced blue crab consumption. Egads!

It looks like the Speckled Trout got the memo on the upcoming TASS trout tournament, because they are biting big time in all the familiar places. Top water baits and MirrOlure MR-17 twitchbaits are most effective. Colder temps and subsequent cooler water will send these fish closer to the bottom. Of course, that changes your offering and presentation completely, but that’s a subject for another day.

Please know and adhere to those NCWRC rules and regulations on Speckled Trout. They are in place for a very good reason. Marine biologists, a whole lot smarter than me, determine size and daily creel limits for the preservation, health, and well being of this and other species. Of course, this scientific research and quota system has obvious long- term benefits for us fishing dudes and dude-ettes.

You can keep 4 Speckled Trout per person daily that are a minimum of 14-inches long. Ignorance is no excuse. Cheat and the NCWRC enforcement officers are going to burn your hindquarters up if they catch you, and rightly so.

I was scheduled to chase some trout this week, but my fishing buddy and boat ride has the flu bug, so I’m dry-docked. I hope to get back at those pretty Specs sooner than later. Besides, wifey is getting so good at grilling those tasty Spotted Seatrout (the official Spec name) that I want to keep her cooking skills fine-tuned and up to snuff. I don’t want the lady’s trout cooking expertise getting slack on me from lack of use and practice. Therefore, I fish! What a guy, huh?

Rick’s Soapbox: If you act quickly, you might still have time to register for the TASS Fall Toys for Tots Speckled Trout Tournament, November 17 to December 1.

Registration cutoff is this Friday, 5:30 p.m. at Roberson & Dupree Shoe Store, 418 Main Street in Tarboro.

It’s easy and fun to participate, and Toys for Tots is a very worthwhile project. So, bring a toy, 25 bucks, and you’re in. Need more info? The answer man is Tournament Chairman, David Mears, and he welcomes your calls at 252-883-4416.

Not fishing? We still encourage you to bring a toy to the shoe store, and give yoursupport to this worthy cause.

Care to share? Tight Lines welcomes your fish snaps, tall tales, and outrageous lies at CarolinaAngler@Gmail.com.

See you on the water, my friend!

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Battle Park is a cornucopia of nature
Fifty-seven acre Battle Park, in the heart of Rocky Mount, is named after the Battle
family of Tarboro, founders of Rocky Mount Mills. Water-powered, the mill dam was hewn of the rocks of the Great Falls, past the westernmost point of Edgecombe County.

June 7, 2013
Take a kid fishing this summer
As you put the final touches on your summer vacation plans, consider a fishing outing for the youngsters. They might not remember or appreciate that expensive beach cottage rental, or that high-dollar meal at that trendy waterfront restaurant, but I would bet a pretty penny they will recall every detail of a fun-filled family fishing experience.
Just about anywhere you chose to go this summer will offer fishing

May 31, 2013
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
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