Rowdy Rockfish

Rockfish(Striper) season is open in in some North Carolina coastal waters, and based on the few trips I’ve been on since the season opening they’re ready and willing to be caught. If you can find the right areas where the fish have bait corralled in and around structure then you will most likely also find a very explosive topwater bite.

I’ve been fishing a Zara Spook, with excellent results however I’ve had a few bites where I could have probably thrown anything and they would have crashed it. Anyone in pursuit of a rockfish should target old docks, pylons, and any large structure. It seems to me that the rockfish hang on and around anything wooden, so thats where I always start.

After I’ve given up on the Spook bite I switch to a jerkbait. My go-to is a clown colored X-Rap, or a Rattlin’ Rogue in gold/black or a copper/black color.
The best thing about all this action, is I can leave my house and be in my Cuda fishing in just a few minutes, and 9 times out of 10 I’ve got the creek all to myself. I won’t tell you what creek I’m at, but I will tell you it’s in Hyde County. If you can figure it out from there, I will see you out there.