A Little About The Numbers in 2015.......75 Days on the Albemarle..........

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

As most are aware I keep very detailed fishing logs mainly used to look back on for planning purposes.......It has been another rewarding season on the Albemarle which included another successful family vacation covering from May to late June this year.  Not as hot as recent years but has come with an abundance of rain and I won't complain when many folks would like to see just a little rain at this point.......not a lot of tropical activity to date but we did receive over 4" last Saturday when the system that turned into Tropical Storm Claudette went through.........that took us over a foot of rain for the month of July but not enough to turn over the marsh and subsequently kill a bunch of fish.......So from the first of May through yesterday the 14th of July I have boated 2,626 sunfish with 1,012 at or above the 10" milestone that I seek most often.  This was a mix of Fliers, Warmouth, Redbreasts, Redears to 12", Coppernose and Seeds.  Pop, Dan and I caught 1,607 during our family fishing adventure which is competitive with recent years.  They departed on 6/19 and I have landed 994 since then mainly on trips by myself......not as fun but I consider July peak on the Albemarle and I already have caught 692 this month with half of July in front of me.......Compared to 2014 which I had tallied 3,619 sunfish for the year on the 1st of August, I sit at 3,096 today and need 523 to match that by the end of this month....That will be tough with more work than fun left in July but it has still been great for sure........Here's a few highlights from the last 75 days.........A toad from the 9th of June......

Another shot of a really nice gill.....

June the 11th was a special day and here was a classic Daily Double from that trip.......

Never get tired and the white jigs have been great this season......much better than recent years.....

Glad that Pop and i could share the Bluegill hole together yet another year!

His and Her Daily Double from the 16th of June........crazy day.......

A Big gill in my right hand and a Beast in my left........

Grand Daughter Myla gets into the action this year....she's a hoot and ready to fish!

This beast hit 1.3 pounds back on the 19th of June........

Heavier than the 1.3 pounder but all beat up and blind in one eye.......I froze this one for future endeavors..........

A big round one from the Father's Day outing...........

A crazy looking hybrid as well........

Good Dynamics on the Pasquotank River

Never get tired of these Coppers.......my quest!

A toad from late June.....

This bloat was one of 262 gills caught and released on the 3rd of July.......incredible day!

This has been a bonus season on quality Shellcrackers too.........

 Been cracker crazy this month.......

Good dynamics last weekend.........

I will update throughout 2015 but it has been a good time and I look forward to the rest of the year to see what's in store.........Hopefully we avoid a major storm this year which will allow our fish to prosper..........

[carl hendrix]

Jeffery;; your the most deciated gill fisherman i have ever heard of or met-- your detailed ; accounts of your days fishing go un - parrelled to anyones!!  yo ukeep records; of the days events;; barometer;; cloudy versus clear sky; impending weater..  all of these have come ; at your hard labor; to understand; and to locate these giant beauties you have been constantly catching..  it shows you are a very deciated sportsman!   many congrats to ya buddy!!  

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

Thanks Carl.....I see it more as an addiction than dedication but appreciate your perspective.  The eco system is fragile with so many influences from man kind but we have been lucky in this region and most species have been able to flourish here.......North Carolina legislators appear to balance the needs of both the commercial fishermen and the recreational fishermen.  The demand on such resources as Blue Crabs appear to be straining their availability but the protection afforded to our freshwater game fish are a relief.  Most of this fishery is simply a secret to folks that don't understand the range and tolerance of their preferred species.  The Coppernose specifically is just doing really well in this region and I continue to find them in abundance at quality sizes......I have discovered a lot over the years and it continues to pay dividends like the numbers I've seen in recent years. As always I look forward to the next chance I get to wet a line in the hot zone........

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

May is one of my favorite times of the year so when my nephew arrived earlier this season we got busy.....here's a picture portfolio of the third best month of the year........

Trophy Fliers with added weight for the spawn are available on the Albemarle in May......

Coppers become very active in May as water temperatures rise to the optimum stage.....

Fish like this are very addictive.........

Round dynamics keep me fired up.......

Closeup of a beautiful banded gill..........

Seeds are abundant on the Albemarle but the smallest of the Albemarle Sunfish.....

Solid shellcrackers are also available as we often catch five to six species of sunfish on each and every trip........

The North River is one of my family's favorite places to fish.......More from May coming soon.........

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

Trophy warmouth inhabit these waster as well..............

A double from the Gamelands this May........

By late May Coppers are displaying their unique spawning colors.......

A nice un'.......living the dream in coastal Carolina....

A great double.....addictive gill fishing keeps me hooked........

This never gets old.........

Beast Mode......

Classic Carolina Coppers......

Dan with a fine gill.........

A big working class bull missing the bottom of his tail from fanning the nest......

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

At this point there was one week remaining in May but we had some exciting trips to close it out.....

Here's a great double for Dan and I from the 24th of May......

Some nice ones on the table for a Memorial Day fry......

Some big swamp crackers on the bump board.....

Mom had to get into the Cracker action in May......

We have experienced some good shellcracker fishing this season......above average numbers and quality........

Another trophy Warmouth.......

We also benefit from a few fertile Redbreast Sunfish creeks......

A beast from Bald Eagle Creek on the last day of May......

Dan ended his visit this Summer with some great gills.......

Dan's last trophy of this season's visit.......he caught his personal best Largemouth earlier in the month....Pictured below.....

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

The sun set on May but that means the June calendar is upon us and here is a few shots of how we did in June......

A classic double of my favorite fish to pursue....Carolina Coppers......

We also benefit from a couple creeks that hold quality Redbreast like this spawning male......

Citation Warmouth and Coppernose double........

This never gets old....

A banded brother from the coastal waters of Tulls Bay.......

The hotter the day the more I like it in coastal NC.......

Always find a few trophy Warmouth on the Albemarle.......

I like to use a rubber net so the fish are not damaged before release.........

The jelly jig has been a hot bait this season.........

A really flawless copper..........

Good eaters........

It's interesting how fish adapt to their surroundings.......lots of tannic water so the core of these fish are very dark......

This is a week after the full moon........

Some nice ones on the table.........

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

The second half of June brought the end to our family vacation for 2015 but not before we caught some quality gills on the Albemarle..........Here's a few shots to bring it all together.....

White jigs quickly rose to the top of the pack in June and are still competitive in late July......

We were on a great pattern in late June and it was repeating itself frequently......

Big bodied gills were the norm.....

Living the Dream right here........

Trophy Warmouth are always a welcome sight.......

The shallow flats hold quality fish in good numbers in June.........

Nice Daily Double from the 19th of June....\

Solid gill on the Morgan Electric Chicken.......

Loved the distinct colors on this male copper.........

Closes out a quality month of June..........

[dick tabbert]

Jeffrey looks like June has been forthcoming for you. Only one thing to make it better, a better June in 2016 good luck to you.

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

The only reason I don't cry when June ends Dick is because July is here.......no guarantee that I won't be in tears in two weeks though........but the cycle of life has to roll on and I'm getting better at the cold water approach and there's ALWAYS a tidal crappie waiting for a minnow......ALWAYS

[Steve Crowder]

That is quite an accomplishment  Jeffery. Great reporting. That must truly be a great area to fish.

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

Hey Steve Thanks......it's exciting for many including my fellow bass anglers.......The last couple weekends it has taken 25 pounds and over to win and over 20 to make the top ten in several amateur bass tourneys.......Folks are excited and many Virginia clubs are rescheduling to the Carolina Sounds and Tidal flows.......Chances are if the bass are doing good in a local creek then the gills are booming too.......I'm extremely bust at work right now so less time on the water but things are good when you can go so that drive keeps me focused......

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

CONGRATS BUDDY FOR SURE AND HOPE YA MEET YOUR GOALS !!!!