Seadrift Bay Fishing Reports

A welcome visit from Northerly winds last week have made for some great Trout fishing in the surf with limits on solid fish coming to the boards. The direction shift has also led to better action on the flats for Redfish despite very calm conditions which are typically counterproductive. Wade fishing has waned somewhat over what had been really hot shorelines.

We've been cooling things off with some hot wade fishing of late taking solid stringers to full limits on Trout and Redfish of late. Broader mid-bay structure remains buried in turbid freshwater with the back lakes and shoreines remaining the go to locations. Historically, we've cleared the worst flooding within 4 weeks and we're starting to see some minor circulation and saltwater mixing.

We've been catching nice stringers of Trout and decent Redfish numbers when we get a little wind blowing. It's way past starting to get hot out there but big Trout have been really pushing up the temperature levels as they start staging for the August spawn. We're running into these fish over mud/grass right now.

Trout turned tough on lures as Capt. James Eastep reported scouting with guests ahead of the annual Poco Bueno tournament but Redfish topping the slot looked interesting for participants. Bait fishing continues to perform with wading taking heavy stringers of Trout and boat fishing bouncing up and down depending on conditions, wind, weather, and water.

Redfish have been scarce on elevated tides and now the water is falling out leaving a reddish glow as schools fallout of the woodwork. That and a nickel didn't buy a cup of coffee though as they went tight lipped on all approaches. Capt. Chris Cady said at one point it was just "stupid" as he eased into 20 solids and couldn't raise a bite.

So the fish are acting like it's Spring time hanging out in February and March haunts riding bands of salinity and crushing bait and lures alike. Bait and predators are huddled up in close quarters and that's got the makings for some explosive fishing. Historically artificial approaches wane this time of year but not "this year".

Fishing continues strong as freshwater inflows flush the fishery and consolidate bait and predators alike. We haven't somehow "produced" a bunch of Trout relative to last year. However, they can no longer be spread to the four corners of our bay sytems and that's the difference between hyper salinated versus fresh eco systems.

We pushed through the weather to big rewards for guests that "believe we have some idea what we're doing" when it comes to judging the weather forecast and fishing around any realities that come with it. Lots of twists and curve balls of late along with rapidly changing conditions and adjustments on the fly of late.

We fished through the unsettled weather of late without skipping a beat as usual. No doubt we are in a long-term cyclical change. Just as the drought in 09 was severe and punctuated the changed from a wet cycle to a dry cycle, so too is the transition from a dry cycle being pucntuated by the weather this Spring. This is way more familiar to us having fished wet cycles for most of our careers.

Trout limits to 23" and improving Redfish predictability in big winds today boat fishing for Capt. James Cunningham, Capt. Jake Huddleston and I. Wade fishing reports yielded Redfish limits for Capt. James Eastep with half limits of Trout. Capt. Chris Cady put up solid Black Drum limits but light numbers of Redfish by Airboat.