I assume you are talking about Milburnie when you were saying your buddies were having "10 fish days", if so, that is awesome for Milburnie. Do you have much catching shad around that area? I have a gheenoe that I launch at Anderson Point, and I have been wanting to go after some American Shad while they are still around.
It is impossible to get up to Milburnie when the river is at it's normal level, but when they are releasing a lot of water from falls lake and the river height surges, it is possible to get from Anderson Point to Milburnie dam. One area that is typically impossible to get through is the little stretch under New Bern Ave. bridge. That area is too shallow to get through, but when the river is up, you can get right by.
I am looking forward to seeing if FishinCary has any luck out there. I haven't gotten my Gheenoe out much since I got it over Christmas, but it is the time of the year when I start fishing that section of the Neuse a whole lot. Hopefully I will get out there a good bit, but my dad also just got a new to him Carolina Skiff 178 DLV, which I have rigged up with +10 rod holders, new electronics, and a 80# thrust minn kota terrova with iPilot Link. I will be spending a lot of time fishing on the 178 DLV, but that can't be used in the Neuse, and fishing for flatheads is my favorite fishing, so I should still be getting out of the Neusel