The striper fishery on the lower Roanoke and western Albemarle Sound is one of the best in the state during the winter. Staging behavior at the mouth of the spawning routes will produce bumper catches of winter stripers.
Even though stripers prefer the chilly rivers in winter, icy conditions will cause stripers to become selective feeders, exhibiting lower activity levels.
But a striped bass’s appetite will not falter under cold conditions. The fish will attempt to conserve energy and only go after worthwhile causes. Few stripers will turn down an oversized meal.
Capt. Mitchell Blake of IBX.com Charters breaks out his large lures and flies.
“Fish will not waste energy on small bites. They go after bigger meals. So, never be afraid to go too big,” said Blake, who uses lures from five to seven inches long when the water temperature drops into the 30s.
Baitfish are not overly abundant in these waters, but larger forage fishes will end up becoming dinner for the hefty line-sides frequenting the Roanoke. Anglers should use large lure choices in winter to produce the best catches.
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