Thread: Roanoke River Stripers

Do you really have to know the river to fish it? I want to take a trip there Sunday but I dont know anything about the river so would it be safe to go?

If you are comfortable fishing moving water and use common sense it shouldn't be a problem. Always have your motor cranked before pulling anchor or untying. Be able to load boat on the trailer with a current pushing you at an angle downriver. The very safest thing to do is stay downriver of the ramp but at 20K going over the rocks right above the ramp isn't bad but above there can get dicey. There will be PLENTY of people there to watch as its the last weekend of the keep season. You'll also probably have plenty of time to watch others as you wait to launch the boat. Crowds will thin dramatically after May 1 when it becomes catch and release only. Remember that even now only a single barbless hook can be used so on trebles and pinch your barbs down.

Again like anytime on the water the safest thing to do is use common sense.

So the latest report from the Corps is to run 20,000 thru Sun night/Mon, 15,000 Mon, 12,000 Tues, 10,000 Wed, and then 8000 on thurs and Fri. Hopefully this won't change again.

20k....thats a lot! I'm not saying don't fish it when its that much but I do think it would be more fun when its 8 to 10. I went last Friday...caught 53 but and it was around 12k then but sorta forced us to drift fish mostly cuz I was fishing artifical.

Oh the water is high enough you shouldnt have any problems downstream of the ramp as long as you are comfortable fishing fast moving water. I always have a throw cushion nearby and if you have a smaller boat do not tie off to a cleat on a short rope...have heard of several people losing boats to the river because the front end dug in.

Yep a good friends boat was swamped. Lucky for him the anchor rope broke after a little while and the boat popped back up so it wasn't a total loss. They lost lots of equipment but not their lives and the motor still runs. I think he now keeps a very sharp knife handy as well as life jackets/cushions. That water is still cold and will zap your strength quickly

Flows began to fluctuate over the weekend and will continue to do so over the near future as the search for the lost boater continue in the lake. Prayers to his family and the searchers.

I fished through 4 dozen minnows this afternoon. All in the little river section. Talked to the guys on the shock boat and they said the season has been extended through the coming weekend. Kinda surprised they did that. Seems like pleanty of fish have been caught already.