I hit the roanoke for the first time this year saturday.I usually take the last week of keper season off and get in the mix to fish.The last two years have been tough fishing so I didnt go last year at all,this year looked to be that way but I just had to go give em a try,been every year sonce 2000 except for last year.Got there a little late,8:00,launched and went down river,man the current was rippin.the river was the second highest I have ever saw it,,early 200?,mabey 03 or 04?? it was higher,cant remember the exact year.I like to ancor and fish but the strong current made it hard to stay ancored and you kept getting green seaweed looking stuff on your lines,,switched over to drifting for the second half of the trip..he lord blessed us with a good day,,didnt get the numbers that the roanoke is famous for but we did get some nice fish for there.caught 28,,,12 ancored and 15 drifting,had one fish over the slot and four
in the slot,,four about a foot long and the rest were keeper size fish for up there.the big fish was a male just over 27"
heres my friend Vince with his new personal best rockfish,this fish had not spawned out yet(untill he got in the boat)

heres one from the upper side of the little river

heres the best fish for me on the drift,vince got one 26" but I have that picture on my phone and cant get it loaded

and heres the biggest one the lord blessed me with up there the year the river was at flood stage,caught up river at the moody river,mabey a half mile up from the landing,the picture isnt good but the fish was a hoss,caught in may also