[philjam]

Retired to the Blounts Bay area from the arctic tundra (PA.) I don't know any locals. Got an 18' CS and a fishing rod. What would you do cold rolling on the Pamlico River, with a range of, say from Little Washington to Aurora? Are there conditions where it would be better to stay home, aside from the obvious (wind, icebergs, etc.) I have caught a variety of small fish from the dock before getting the boat - rock, flounder, bream, spot, catfish, and lots of tasty big crabs. I am a meat fisherman, still have fun catching nice panfish. I figure it will take awhile for me to learn. I have a Lowrance Elite4X sonar, a conventional anchor with 100' rope, and a 70hp Suzuki. Am not looking for any spot burns, just general advice on locating fish. What would you do if you had to start over? Thank you.

 

[sundrop]

now you can keep a striper so hit the Washington bridges and docks with rat l traps , and paddle tails on jig heads. We have had a lot of rain push tons of fresh water through for the last couple of months so fishing in our area is "off". Think fresh water when you are upriver and don't plan on a lot of salty stuff til you get on down towards the Pungo but know that that can change daily with wind direction and rainfall. As the water cools more and more trout will push into the creeks and tolerate a lot of fresh water so don't hesitate to try. Knowing the type of bottom you are fishing can make a big difference too. Dark mud holds heat and trout but flounder prefer a sandy bottom. I didn't realize when I moved to Washington how hard this area could be to fish and find myself doing better to go on to Belhaven or Swan Quarter, or over to Bay River. I think it is just that I need more time on the local waters to really understand it around here. I notice the "local" guides don't even fish around here so that tells me a lot.

 

[wvlheel]

This link is for a decent primer for the area . The most popular fishing is for rock, flounder, trout and puppy drum. Locations to target are the usual, points, holes with drop offs, structure (piers, trees, etc) and marshy banks. The techniques are pretty typical for fishing those saltwater species. As sundrop said, the fishing is highly dependent on salinity and fresh water runoff. I've been pleasantly surprised by the fishing in the area.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0985309490?pc_redir=1409376068&robot_redir=1

 

[sundrop]

Never heard of that book, I am checking to see if either library in Washington has it. Even if you know the basics should be an interesting read but not going to buy it.

 

[carp123]

Hire a guide! Might sound expensive, but it's alot cheaper than wasting gas.

 

[Scott Hobbs]

Hit up the Aurora area with 17MRs in 808, Electric Blue or Electric Chicken colors for speckled trout. Also some jig heads in 1/8 ounce an grubs in black/chartreuse tail, white or similar and try also for trout. You will find a mixed bag of trout, flounder and red drum...maybe throw in a striper. Topwater action could last all day. Cast Zara Spook Jrs in assorted colors or Mirrolure Top Dog Jr.

 

[philjam]

Thanks all. I finally caught a fish - 16" lmb on a popper!