Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 27, 1990 TAG: 9004270072
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Bill Cochran
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The change in the weather has affected fish and fishermen - and fast. It has lured crappie into the shallows, where they swarm around brush piles and dock pilings. It has started striped bass upstream carrying their cargo of eggs and milt. And it has put black bass to work getting the nurseries ready for their young.
What the weather hasn't done is send significant numbers of bluefish to the surf of the Outer Banks or to the summer grounds of the Chesapeake Bay.
Here's a look at some of the things that are happening (and aren't happening but should be):
\ STRIPERS: Impressive numbers of striped bass have pushed up the Roanoke River from Kerr Lake to their turbid spawning grounds in the Brookneal area.
Since Sunday, Appalachian Power Company has been adjusting its releases from Leesville Dam to assist the fish.
"They have been catching fish here pretty well for two weeks," said Steve Arthur, who manages a state hatchery at Brookneal.
Arthur and his crew began collecting stripers for hatchery use Monday. The largest schools appear to be just below Brookneal, near where the railroad crosses the river. Some of the males have been huge, weighing 15 to 16 pounds each, he said.
"There are plenty of fish in there. The water conditions are just beautiful. Most every boat is catching fish," Arthur said.
The peak action generally occurs the first couple of weeks in May.
\ BLUEFISH: Time is running out for significant numbers of bluefish to hit the surf of the North Carolina Outer Banks during their spring migration.
Early in the week, scattered schools of big blues fed within the reach of casters at Cape Point, near Buxton, but only about 25 were landed. Considering the crowd of anglers, that was approximately one fish for every five casters.
"It was a run, but did it mean anything?" asked Damon Tatem, who operates a tackle shop at Nags Head. "I doubt it. I have bad feelings. Things have not been right this year, timing wise, water-temperature wise, wind-direction wise - everything."
Tatem said he doesn't expect to see any blitz-type fishing this late in the spring.
"We already have little bluefish on the piers," he said. "We are into the summertime business all of a sudden."
The problem isn't a lack of big blues; there have been plenty just offshore. Boat fishermen said the screens of their fish locators were red with blues and baitfish during the weekend.
With all that bait, the blues really have little reason to come to the surf, Tatem said.
"I have people calling me every third day asking about the blues," he said. "I tell them, `No way. They aren't here and they aren't coming, I don't think.' But then, this is a screwed up year."
\ OFFSHORE: Tuna catches have been good for boats out of Hatteras and Oregon Inlet. Fish up to 100 pounds are being reported.
The first marlin catches of the year have been made. Big wahoo and some dolphin are being landed. King mackerel are abundant.
"The offshore fishing is excellent," said Tatem.
\ OTHER ACTION: Trout anglers continue to reel in some fine catches. William Scott of Roanoke used a minnow to catch a 2\ -pound brook trout from Barbours Creek in Craig County. Robert Daniel hooked a 6-pound, 15-ounce brown trout from the Smith River in Henry County.
Crappie are active at Philpott, Kerr, Smith Mountain and most other major lakes. Tee Taylor of Roanoke caught a 3-pound, 13-ounce crappie on a plug at Smith Mountain.
Other Smith Mountain trophies included a 4-pound white bass for Terry Simmons of Moneta, a 7-pound, 6-ounce walleye for Donnie Simpson of Covington and a 35-pound striper for Ken Gurley of Greensboro, N.C.
The season's first black drum and red drum have been landed along the Eastern Shore, both species providing 50-pound-plus catches. Bluefish continue to avoid the Chesapeake Bay.
Some turkey hunters are filling their seasonal limit. Among them, Lee Walker of Marion has bagged two 21-pound-plus toms. B9 B5 COCHRAN Cochran
by CNB