Hello friends....if June is peak then May and July aren't far behind! I went out on Little River with a friend this afternoon and we had a blast....Fished heavy cover shallow with Grass Shrimp jigs tipped with live crickets and plain crickets also.....Over 80 gills in a few short hours, mainly Coppernose! Thanks for a great afternoon George and glad I had a litle help today! LOL

We're fortunate in North Carolina to have received beneficial rains throughout this Summer so far which has helped to manage water temperatures in our favor....Temperatures climbed to 90 degrees or higher in late June during the recent heat wave but have fell back to the lower 80s with recent rains and a few overcast days as well.....Big Bluegill can still be caught in the mid to late Summer months as I have caught my largest fish of the year in August or September every year since 2008....Didin't plan it that way or truly expect those results but that's the joy of fishing for me...Never know what's going to be on the other end of that tight line! My family and I had a great month of June but fishing has gotten even better in July which is truly amazing....Pink soft Plastics and Jigs are almost a sure bet in several Northeast N.C. rivers...Live Crickets, Grass Shrimp and Worms are always great offerings for big Coppernose and Shellcrackers.....Sunfish continue to nest through Labor Day in our region....Fish hard a few days before and after the Full Moon for best results......In my region a southerly wind component is critical to stabilize water levels....Anything from the North or Northeast will dump our rivers up to a foot and this is one of the few things besides a drastic change in water temps that will shut fish down..

Looking forward to getting back on the water in the Tarheel State...I've had a great time playing in the outdoors of South Carolina but home is where I like to hang my Bream Buster.....Late Summer patterns will include a little deeper presentation and the White Perch and Channel Cats will run into my offerings more often this time of year.....Still got a couple more months of rewarding pan fishing before water temperatures fall back into the lower 60s......Good Luck to you all fishing North Carolina Style......More reports coming soon.....

After being down in the Low Country of South Carolina for nearly a month I was eager to return to my home waters and the fishing gods were watching over me......If you believe in forecasting, the weather outlook was terrible from a thunderstorm perspective but the storms held off long enough to support a fishing trip every day since last Friday....I visited three rivers during the four day period with success on all three....mainly in part to the perfect water levels and west winds but especially do to the 80 degree water temperatures from cooler nights and frequent rains......Big Bluegill member Tooty was kind enough to send me some hand made sinkers that I have dubbed Silent Stingers and they were a hit in the blackwaters tipped with crickets or waxies.....The Gronaw grass shrimp picked up right where it left off so I caught some great fish and conducted the Field Test....Great times and awesome fishing....It was Labor day last year before water temps fell back to near 80 degrees....The bite is good if you can get on them friends....Good Luck Fishing North Carolina Style!

Set out at first light with favorable weather conditions including light southerly winds and comfortable 67 degree air temperatures, not common in eastern North Carolina in late August. A small contingent of anglers from Virginia had made the 60 mile haul to fish a bass tourney....They were surprised when I couldn't provide any tips on bass fishing as I backed in the Bluegill Chariot for launch.....Several locations went through my mind as I idled at the launch and finished my Chicken Biscuit....I wanted to try some of Tooty's Silent Stingers but where would be the best spot to try them....I settled on the Stables and pointed the Ebbtide due South and planed her off for the fifteen minute run...Two big bass boats overtook me and I cruised through the maze of crab pots and entered my first creek....I tied on the White/Pink Silent Stinger #1o hook and tipped with a lively cricket....A light mist turned to drizzle and I began to catch fish right away....I had caught a dozen gills and a couple Largemouth the first fifteen minutes.....Drizzle turned to rain and I continued to slow fall the "Tooty Frooty", solid Coppernose continued to crush it......I have had great success in the past on tomato seed Red jigs and I had to wet one today and it to was crushed under a float in three to four feet of water.....This continued for another hour and I'm near 90 total fish on the counter when I decided to run to Mill Dam Creek to finish my day....I put a yellow/red Silent Stinger on and it too was being crushed in Mill Dam by Bass and Big Coppernose.....All fosh were released today and the fish counter went to 133 before I surrendered to the gill gods until next week......I'll be back I declared and positioned my boat for the run back to the Harbor of Hospitality....

As the Calendar changes to the first month in the Fall....hundreds of folks get excited about early Bow Hunting season and shotgun fire rings out in rapid succession as the providers try to take their favorite bird on the wing...the morning dove....Me... I just go to the local landing and decide which spot I'll park my truck in since all 25 are available despite it being Labor Day Weekend.....It's quiet here, school is already back in session and gas is almost $4.00 a gallon once again.....I just stop by my local bait supplier, see Doug at "Bassackwards" and fill up a couple cricket tubes.....He tells me he hasn't sold any this week, another sign that folks here just believe the Bluegill have gone for this season. I head out to some of my favorite haunts equipped with desire, homemade offerings, patience and a virtue.....I'm rewarded Friday on the home River of Pasquotank and another creek on Saturday provides tons of excitement....Sunday I slept in and had a big family breakfast before heading to the Little River for a few hours of fun.......

Conditions are great in Northeast North Carolina to catch a few more solid gills before the water temperatures fall off for the winter.....Most of the rivers are between 72 to 76 degrees which is a great range to catch fish all day......Cool nights will hold them down and sunny days in the upper 70s will keep us there for several more weeks......We also have another full moon early next month so things look good for the immediate future......Many folks are turning to hunting so the launches are quiet with the exception of a few more Bass tourneys to close out 2012.....I tipped some small jigs today with live crickets and fished two to four feet deep in water up to eight feet deep and caught a pile of nice gills.....Top fish was 10 3/4 inches with a half dozen more fish 10 or over.......Really good time but it won't last much longer....so if you get the itch to jerk a perch it's not too late in Carolina.....Good Luck FISHING NORTH CAROLINA STYLE!

Sir Jeffrey strikes again and there isn't a gill safe any were from him and his pole . GREAT GILL what a bull!

Chilly mornings early this week and highs in the low 80s late week will balance out the water temperatures around 70 degrees...Light winds forecasted the remainder of the week and throw in the Full Moon this weekend and you have the recipe for some early Fall sunfish success.....Fliers will be very active and colonized in these conditions, probably catch several in one area if found......Don't expect huge creels of mammoth gills but it will be possible to put together a nice mess of gills by fishing structure in mid range water depths of 3 to 8 feet.....Some larger gills are already transitioning deeper around docks and downed trees.....Any moving water even wind driven will be a bonus.....spend extra time on corners and drop offs where fish will be ambushing prey items......Don't be surprised by an aggressive Apex bite from a big largemouth or Channel Cat.....white perch have been schooling on shallow flats and in coves along the rivers......A few larger fish will come on mini cranks and small beetles but tip your favorite jig with live crickets or tiny minnows for the best results.....Consider downsizing your jig with the cooler temperatures and enjoy your time on the water......North Carolina has great gill fishing but in waters dominated by Coppernose the bite will continue to fall off through October and become rare below 48 degrees.....Cover as much water as possible and consider all day shade and heavy cover as the day progresses...Good Luck fishing Northeast North Carolina......

There's still time to take in some good Gill fishing in Carolina if you act quickly......In the Northeastern region of the state we will experience a return of normal water levels on the Northern tributaries of the Albemarle Sound.....a pesky stationary front will bring needed rains and slightly stain some backwaters but that will not last long....The bite this past Sunday was best a little deeper in areas that held fish in the summer.....My best fish came at four to five feet on various tipped jigs....Water temperatures started out at 69 degrees but rebounded to 74 degrees by midday...With the warmer air temperatures we are experiencing this week the water temperatures will remain in the low 70s which is a good zone for active gills....if you have a favorite Crappie hole give it a whirl as the Fall Crappie bite is picking up with the latest Full Moon and lowering temperatures....Gills will tend to be more scattered at this point in the year but expect several fish on structures that produce...This could be bulkheads, piers or downed trees to name a few....October carries the final good shot at sacking up Coppernose gills....they do not like cold temperatures and are rarely seen in this region below 55 degree water temps.....Good luck fishing Carolina style and drop us a line when you get a chance....We would love to read about your fishing trips!

After another long work week it was good to get out to a North Carolina gem yesterday with some friends......We got three tubes of crickets and headed down to Tulls Bay and took to the brackish waters in this region.....69 degree water surface temperatures greeted us at first light and air temps were in the low 60s, after all the calendar does say October right.....First tried some areas that are generally shallower, less than 6 feet, and the bite was rather slow so I started looking for areas where the channel was deeper....stopped in an area that read 10 to 12 and began to fish the slope on the creek edges and the bite improved....Finally settled @ four feet deep and the nice fish began to come....Some 9 and 10 inch Coppernose!  We did warm into the 80s as the full force of the season change has not gripped us yet....We had a 100 fish day catching 7 species of fish and my friends took enough for a great family fish fry....I don't have many abyss locations in my region but I'll be trying some of them to see what's going on......Good luck Fishing North Carolina Style!

All these jigs caught fish today.....

One of today's nice gills...

It was a very nice day out.....Fall is trying to make changes in our region....

Jeffery, Ive never used jigs for Bluegill can you offer any tips? How to rig, fish etc thanks

Hey guys! Sorry to have been out of the loop for a while. Right after the Democratic Convention was over here in Charlotte, was force to have to make decision on how to care for my aging parents. Being 91 years young they could no longer care for themselves at home. We have got them going to an assisted living center in Rancho Mirage, CA., not far from where they have lived for the past 44 years. Hope to have them and the estate settled by early December. Soon be back on the water more frequently, looking for the bluegills. Good to see you are all still here and with more new members.

Welcome back Steve......sometimes fishing has to wait for other things but you'll enjoy it more when you get to go again....It's been a great season in my region of North Carolina......

Thanks Jeffrey. My sister and I have been greatful our parents have been able to go alone for this long. But they and we know it is time for a change. I see by all of your past postings, you've had some good times out there. I need to learn how you catch bluegill on pink lures. I have tried for years, with not much sucess.

Be careful out there this coming weekend, storm is a brewing! If your lights go out, maybe they will send me down there. We can sneak off and go fishing! Big bluegill don't need power! 

Some one once wrote "A pond never hurries", but I'd like to change that to "A lake never hurries". My home waters of Mountain Island Lake provide me with the peace and solitude that make for great days out on the water

[IMG]http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc383/FireFly322/MountainIsland...[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc383/FireFly322/MountainIsland...[/IMG]

Sometime it won't provide me with the bluegill I'm looking for, I will find some beautiful and fiesty fish

[IMG]http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc383/FireFly322/MountainIsland...[/IMG]

My wife always ask me"how many fish did you catch?". That is the wrong question. The question is, "did you have fun today?" To which the answer would be"yes I did, and I even caught a few fish also".

[IMG]http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc383/FireFly322/MountainIsland...[/IMG]

So the day end as it started, peaceful and beautiful on Mountain Island Lake

[IMG]http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc383/FireFly322/MountainIsland...[/IMG]

How ya'all doin this mornin?

Thanks for asking Rick.....we're just getting through a long duration rain/wind event......our biggest problem locally will be flooding in low lying areas as regions close to the dismal swamp/rivers are close or just a few feet above sea level. I believe our friends to the north near land fall are in for the worst impact.....

Great segment on Mountain Island Lake Steve....I'm with you on the peace and tranquility part also....thanks for sharing!

Sandy has passed us by leaving a half to a foot of rain on many and turning the swamp up in many locations....It will take some time to settle these areas back down...We often get periods of low oxygen after tropical systems and the same will occur now but fortunately the water temperatures are much cooler and the stress on the fish will be less.....The forecasted wind directions and strength will keep the rivers ciculating which will help these conditions....I feel in many ways we were spared and expect to catch some more late Fall gills in early November and the fall Crappie bite should stay on course......My biggest fear with hurricanes in our region is major fish kills but early reports suggest we'll be fine and for that I'm grateful regardless of the quality of fishing the remainder of this year......Good luck if you get out there and share your stories with us....

Jeffery! you just all my questions about your area and yes sounds like you were very lucky. Now hope Jim and the others north of you are ok as well.

THANKS JEFFREY FOR letting us all know what's happening out there and looks like for the most part that you guys were spared some on this event!!!!! Can't imagine the storms destruction for all the folks out there and if you haven't lived through one of these things it hard for us all to imagine the Devastation that goes on ..........

Good to hear all is well Jeffrey. Let's pray fo our northern brothers and sisters.

Well November came in with a chill behind Hurricane Sandy.....Had our first heavy frost this past Saturday morning in Northeast N.C. but I threw on my long handles and headed out on the Pasquotank anyway.....Water levels were near normal and relatively normal color so I was energized until water temperatures started registering in the high 40s to low 50s.....I hit a couple creeks that get colder more quickly and just like I would expect, the bite was slow and I started searching for warmer water....just the Friday before Sandy I had water temps around 60 on the Little River but my how things can swing this time of year.  Found water up to 54 degrees and put a 17 fish bag together and a couple white perch.  I had virtually passed up a sure thing for Crappie to pay my gills a visit but my curiosity got the better of me so I made a 34 mile round trip to look for fish kills of any sorts but to my joy I never found any.....Fish hit deeper the last couple days on tipped jigs/soft plastics. Need to get this next Noreaster out of here tomorrow so we can rebound for the weekend..Expect Gill action to still be spotty and Crappie should continue to improve over the coming weeks......Good luck out there and be safe! 

Fall has definitely embraced our region and water temperatures have continued to drop through November.....now seen all the way down to 47 degrees in many locals around the Northeast North Carolina region.......Bluegill bite is slow and will continue to be as these temps continue to fall through the 40s.......You must go deep and size down your presentation with extreme patience to find a gill or two......I worked hard for a dozen on the Pasquotank River yesterday and fished all the way down to 30 feet which is probably much colder as well.....Been a great year but things will be challenging until Spring....

Wow...what can I say...Linda and I just got back from a couple days of fishing at Richmond Mill Lake. The weather was absolutely horrible, with cold front conditions dropping air temps more than 30 degrees in an 18 hour period and gusty NW winds and cold rain. It was so rough and raw that we could not safely take a boat out. But through pure effort and hanging in there, I pieced together some great fish with the 1/64th oz shrimp and a tiny piece of worm. More details coming, but here are a few highlights...

Biggest fish of the trip...12.75 inches.

Another big CN gill at 12 inches.

What may have been the most impressive fish of the trip...11 3/8 in hen with a 14 1/2 inch girth.

And another standard issue 'near twelve' caught during a blustery, pelting rain of 45 degrees.

Fishing was, at best, extremely challenging and raw, but oh so rewarding, to include my personal best at 12.75. Details will soon follow in a blog.

BEAUTIFUL PICS OF GIANT FISH AT RICHMOND JIM!!!!!! In one of the pics looks like you have an old glass rod, maybe 7'er? What a trip that should have been and wish the weather had been better for ya. Was that a shrimp colored Gronaw jig ? Lots of memories to be sure ...........

Thanks, David. The jig was a red filament-legged, silver body with the gold head...1/64th oz, 5 ft below a bobber, let the wind push it along. Tipped with a piece of worm. They would not touch the jig by itself, nor would they take a plain worm by itself, either. And...they would not hit pink! Go figure!

NOT ON PINK!!!!! THE bite must have been tough ! Thanks for answering  about the jig color cause I'm always interested in your opinions and experiences . Was that an old glass rod?

The rod is a graphite Ultra Stick, 6-6.

Thanks Jim and the rod just looked vintage to me because of the long cork handle.......

Way to endure Jim......some awesome fish that would be a dream to catch individually yet you guys perservered and look at the results....Got to be a great feeling to employ a grass shrimp jig dreamed up and homemade for moments like this.  The results at Richmond Mill continue to impress!

Glad you at least tried pink Jim and interesting that these fish wouldn't touch it untipped and didn't want the worm solo either....Nice adjustments to adverse conditions for some big gills! This should serve as inspiration to many members......

Just remember to go small and slow when water temperatures dip below 50 degrees.....I'm still learning a lot about this time of year since we don't have ice fishing in coastal North Carolina it's challenging open cold water fishing......My recent success has been near bottom in six to ten feet of water........

Got out on a couple rivers over the Thanksgiving weekend and man have the waters cooled off early this year......I saw 43 degrees on the Pasquotank River Sunday afternoon and I got out a couple hours for my birthday.......fished a micro spider tipped with live grass shrimp and caught a couple nice ones......

JEFFREY , IF THE MAYAN'S ARE RIGHT YOU MAY HAVE ICE FISHING THERE BEFORE YA KNOW IT AND THE MIDWEST WILL BE A DESERT!! WE'LL KNOW ON MY SON ANDY'S BIRTHDAY,12/21/12 THIS YEAR BUDDY!!!!

Ten day forecast promises some 60s and 70s all the way through next week....this might give you a little more time to grab a few gills.....Wouldn't expect a major feed but a few degree bounce back in water temperature might entice a few fish that might be suffering from lock jaw right now.......Worth a try.....

Glad to see everybody is doing well in North Carolina. Been out of the loop fro the past month. Finally got my parents into an assisted living home. Really nice pictures and wonderful trip to Richmond Mill Jim. You are right Jeffery about our warmer weather coming up. Should cause the bluegill to move around some. But....some fool plowed into the back of my brand new pickup truck Tuesday night. Haven't even made the second payment yet!  The idiot had no drivers license, expired tag and no insurance! Driving a $50 1985 Chrysler. NC Highway Patrol let him go, I don't understand. Oh well, hopefully my truck will be repaired before the weather turns really cold. Should have enough money after paying my deductable to buy crickets! 

d 

Wow, Steve...that's a bummer...hope it all works out for you and yours. Thanks for the nice compliments about Richmond Mill...what a place!

Thanks Jim. Hopefully the truck will be repaired in a week or so and all will be better. In the mean time, I'm tying some pink flies like Jeffrey advises. I'll be ready!

Here's a look at the micro flies that Rick sent me and this is the key in colder water.....Go small and deeper for continued success.....The one below is the way I employed it in 10 to 12 feet of water....

At least December is finally here so we can get 2012 out of here and on to some great 2013 fishing.......Got some new bugs from BBG member Rick King yesterday so I went today for a few hours this morning despite the impending showers and did pretty good.....Water temperatures were down to 43 degrees two weeks ago and I saw 54 degrees on the surface on the way home today.......Took a bucket of live shrimp and a couple telescopic poles down on the Pasquotank River and here's how it went......

Caught some decent Crappie, a few nice Northern Gills and even saw a couple Coppernose...

Hey Jeff,

Who sells live shrimp in the area, Ive never tried that presentation but looks like fun. BTW If you ever need to put a pull rope on a motor guide trolling motor, I DONT recommend the Rod Saver Replacement Cable for Trolling Motor Rope for it I tried for 4 hrs to try to replace mine with no luck. Finally used a piece of parachute cord and threw the other contraption in the trash.

I catch all of mine in our local waters Jim......I use a scoop net in the shoreline grasses around our river banks in shallower water.....They are most plentiful in the North and Northwest rivers but can be caught in every river in our region.....It takes a little practice to learn the ropes but I can show you the ropes in the Spring if you're interested.....I'm still catching a few now but it will get tougher with advancing winter....It's a true go to bait........I have not located a local bait shop that offers them.....Many people think regular shrimp can be substituted but I don't like it as much.....fishing the entire grass shrimp solo or tipped on a artificial as I most often fish them is better....I catch big numbers of Perch, Largemouth, Bluegill, Fliers, Crappie, Redears and Warmouth on this option...Thanks for the inquiry Jim!

Three cheers for a great 2012 in coastal Carolina......One of my best seasons on the black water rivers of the Albemarle region.....Water temperatures have dropped to the low to mid 40s in most of the rivers north of the sound......Heavy shaded areas like the upper Pasquotank and Dismal Swamp canal are down near 40 degrees....Some local creeks are a bit stained from heavy rains in recent weeks.....Yellow Perch bite should pick up late January and into February.....historically the North and Northwest Rivers provide some of the best numbers for perch.....I've begun the countdown to Good Friday which is traditionally the start of my Spring Bluegill season.....only 84 days to go! Some Striped Bass have begun to be taken in the depths of the harbor of hospitality....rattle traps and other swim baits trolled deep........We have no ice fishing in this region but a few cold water gills can be taken in creek channels near bottom for the patient angler with the right micro terminal tackle.....Good luck to all weathering the winter and looking forward to the Spring!

ok, Jeffrey, i've joined the group, never even realized this group was on the site, thanks for the heads up

Welcome Jason and hopefully this group forum may help you out Fishing North Carolina Style...Look forward to your input and photos here also.....We have a large and diverse state but it would be awesome to get a few folks from every corner talking about their region and sharing ideas with the group....

Get set for moderation of temperatures in North Carolina....the next ten days is promising air temperatures in high 60s and into the 70s for consecutive days. This could spark a little wave of fish activity which have not been pushed to total hibernation by our relatively mild winter to date. Water temperatures on the Pasquotank river near Elizabeth City sit at 43 to 46 degrees but they will rebound in coming days with the weather patterns ahead. The Yellow Perch spawn is just weeks away and should supply some fun and tasty eating to those taking interest in the Racoon Perch. We sit here today only 80 days from Good Friday with some uncertainty about the remaining winter and what it holds but either way we are staring down another great panfish season in 2013.  Good Luck to you all.......

Its gonna move Bass up in about 3-5 ft of water in my fishing hole. I hope to get out and maybe if I'm lucky catch one over 6lbs this weekend.

I hear you Derrick....if anybody can show me a 6 pound plus Largemouth in North Carolina in January, I know you can! 

Nice effort Jason.....I applaud your determination.....days like that separate the pack....I'm convinced we would get along great because of traits like this. Keep the faith and your efforts will be realized.....These are the toughest times of the year for North Carolina anglers targeting Gills. My best advice is to go very small with baits and floats, you already have the patience required.

My buddy popped 2 dozen panfish the other day from the bank...crappies to 13, yellow perch to 12...yeah, it could happen!