The spring spawning run in North Carolina’s Roanoke River is second to none for great action, and topwater lures can play a big part in a fisherman’s fun.
Every angler has a favorite fish species to target, and certain seasons yield a flurry of success when time and conditions are optimal. Anglers with a special place in their hearts for striped bass know that the upper reaches of North Carolina’s Roanoke River near Weldon provide the best opportunity in time and space for a fast and furious day on the water, and for fishermen who like to cast topwater lures, these swift waters around are center stage for relentless action and truly memorable trips.
The Roanoke River is nationally recognized as one of the most-intense striped bass spawning runs along the entire eastern seaboard. While the Tar, Pamlico, Neuse and Cape Fear River systems have notable fisheries, the Roanoke system is in a league of its own. It is ground zero for hundreds of thousands of fish in the spring.
Beginning in early April, the first stripers arrive in the waters between Northampton and Halifax counties, looking for forage to refuel after their 130-mile trek from the Albemarle Sound to the swift waters at Weldon.
According to guide Bryan DeHart of Manteo, N.C., stripers begin showing up around Weldon in April with a voracious appetite.
“The fish generally show up around April 20 and remain until the middle of May — and sometimes a little later,” DeHart said. “When they arrive, they head upstream as far as they can go to the best feeding areas available.”
The Roanoke River’s headwaters are in the Virginia mountains, and the river tumbles through several dam-controlled reservoirs to North Carolina and eventually, the Albemarle Sound. Roanoke Rapids Lake is the furthest downstream, just a few miles above Weldon and upstream from the I-95 bridge. Roanoke Rapids Dam is a physical barrier that prevents any further upstream movement, and it also concentrates the stripers in the section between the dam and Weldon downstream. Additionally, Roanoke Rapids Lake contains a thriving population of alewife and shad that continually flow out of the bottom of the lake and practically into the hungry jaws of the thousands of striped bass awaiting the dinner bell.
As the name implies, Roanoke Rapids lies along the fall line; the river is flush with rocky outcrops more indicative of a smallmouth stream in western North Carolina. Where water pours out of the lake, rocky outcroppings and gravel bars create eddies, current seams and pocket water that makes life easy for striped bass and other predators ambushing unsuspecting shad and alewife.
“Striped bass will feed throughout the river where bait is available, but the highly oxygenated water between the dam and the rapids at the Weldon boat ramp are prime feeding habitat and a perfect place to catch stripers on topwater lures,” DeHart said.
Stripers will feed whenever they have an opportunity, but they will slide up into these feeding grounds when they first arrive and then daily during the rest of their visit.
“Stripers in the river shift around daily, between the upper river above the boat ramp to feed and the smoother sections downstream between the boat ramp and the power line for the rest of the day until they start to head back up stream in the evenings. It’s a natural progression these fish have been doing for many years,” DeHart said.
Fish can be caught in both areas throughout the day, but the best topwater fishing is between the boat ramp and the dam.
“Fishing for stripers in the upper section of the river is kind of like fishing for smallmouth in the mountains,” DeHart said. “Fish will be set up in the best areas to ambush passing baitfish: current seams, gravel bars, eddy water and holes behind larger rocks.
“You don’t always see the hidden ambush points, either. There are plenty of large rocks that never breach the surface that hold fish behind them in the slack current, and if you can remember where these spots are, you can have some good success here as well.”
Both poppers and walk-the-dog topwaters can fool stripers. DeHart uses both types but prefers the walk-the-dog versions.
“My favorite is the Lucky Craft Sammy. It has the ideal size, profile and action to catch these fish in the upper Roanoke,” he said.
Stripers can be quite aggressive when they are up in the river; they will feed as much as they can while in this section of water. Their eagerness to fill up their bellies plays into a topwater option being a prime tactic for catching them.
DeHart ventures upstream at daylight and in the early afternoons to fish topwaters, traveling with extreme caution. The obstacles are not always visible and are subject to becoming an unseen hazard, depending on the flow and height of the river.
“It can be dangerous up above the boat ramp, but the topwater fishing can be spectacular,” he said. “Experience on this section of the river is critical. I have been running and guiding on this river for 27 years. I recommend people to follow experienced Roanoke River anglers or hire a guide to help guide newer boaters navigate the visible and hidden hazards.”
While the upstream sections are best for topwater action, the river below the boat ramp in the smoother water also presents opportunities for topwater action. DeHart will catch stripers on topwater lures in these areas by finding suspending fish and the schools of fish working down the edges of the riverbank.
“With a good bottom machine, you can find fish suspended in the water column closer to the surface. They are riding high to find bait near the surface and are likely to strike topwater lures,” he said. “And you can also cast topwater along the mud banks and catch fish, because a school will often move down the banks ambushing bait in the shallows. Sometimes you can’t even see them, but you will hear them crushing bait up under limbs in the shallows.”
Regardless, topwater options are great ways to catch stripers during the spring in the Roanoke. When conditions are adequate and present safe travels, the upper sections between the dam and the boat ramp, are the best places to go, but even the lower sections can produce explosive strikes along the surface.
“If you ever see stripers breaking the surface this time of year in the river, they are in feeding mode and will almost always go after a topwater lure,” he said.
Destination Information
WHERE TO GO/HOW TO GET THERE — The upper reaches of the Roanoke River are accessible from the public boat landing at Weldon, N.C., east of I-95 and adjacent to US 158 on the east end of town. The best topwater fishing is upstream from the Weldon boat ramp to Roanoke Rapids Dam. Fish can be found in current seams, eddy water, gravel bars, and behind large rocks in holes. Some topwater action can be found downstream from the boat ramp along the shorelines and in the middle of the river when fish are suspending in the water column.
WHEN TO GO — Stripers are present in the upper Roanoke River from mid-April through mid-May and sometimes into late May. Keeper season in the upper portion of the river, from the US 258 bridge at Scotland Neck to Roanoke Rapids Dam is April 24-30. Keeper season downstream from the US 258 bridge is April 10-16.
BEST TECHNIQUES — Both surface poppers and walk-the-dog-type stick baits are good for topwater action. The best colors are white, chartreuse, white/chartreuse, and blue black/silver bottom. When stripers are actively feeding, they can be often noticed feeding on bait at the surface or near the surface. When stripers miss these lures, they can be followed up with a weightless 6- to 7-inch Fluke on a 6/0 hook, retrieved erratically just under the surface. Braided line is preferred for its strength, castability, and durability. An 18-inch section of 20- to 30-pound fluorocarbon leader is preferred especially when the water is clear. Medium to medium-heavy spinning, 7-foot baitcasting combos are recommended.
FISHING INFO/GUIDES — Bryan DeHart, 252-473-8632; Rod Thomas, Capt. Ponytail’s Guide Service, 336-240-5649; Richard Andrews, Tar-Pam Guide Service, 252-945-9715. Also, see Guides & Charters in Classifieds.
ACCOMMODATIONS — Hampton Inn, Roanoke Rapids, 252-537-7555; Halifax County Convention and Visitors Bureau, 800-522-4282, www.visithalifax.com.
MAPS — N.C.’s Coastal Boating Guide, www.ncwildlife.org/Boating_Waterways/documents/NCCoastaBoatingGuideMap.pdf.
Single, barbless hooks required
Hundreds of thousands of striped bass move into the upper section of the Roanoke River every spring to feed and to conduct their annual spawning ritual.
Thousands of anglers come out of hiding to take their chances at double- and sometimes triple-digit catches of these fish. Even though anglers have good intentions and release most of their fish, hook trauma often takes its toll, and that created a need for specific tackle regulations.
In the Roanoke River, anglers are restricted to a single, barbless hook on all terminal tackle, including topwater options, and some additional lure modifications are needed to make sure that a strike produces a hooked fish.
Guide Bryan DeHart makes a few changes to put his barbless hooks is position to increase hooksets.
“On topwater lures with three hooks, I put the single hook on the middle hook, but I will add an additional split-ring to make sure the hook is hanging downward,” DeHart said. “If you don’t, the hook will hang to one side or the other and you will miss 50% of the bites.”
On plugs with two hooks, he puts the single, barbless hook in place of the rear hook, also using an additional split ring.
Also, DeHart uses a Mustad Ultra-Point hook that is designed to hang down vertically, so the additional split ring is often unnecessary.
“The eyelet is turned 90 degrees, so the hooks hang down just right to get a better chance at hooking up than with a traditional hook with a split ring,” he said.
Special tackle restrictions are a small hurdle for anglers, but they save more fish and promote conservation within this fishery.
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