What a wonderful time of year to be an angler.
Everything seems to be biting and there’s high anticipation on the arrival of some of the migratory species starting to make their way into the region’s waters. Topping that list for most is the red drum.
Sure, we’ve had a great puppy drum year – thanks in part to a relatively mild winter that kept lots of fish in the area. But we’re talking about the big boys and girls – bulls as they’re affectionately, and correctly, referred to. Big bulls already are showing in great numbers along the Carolina coast, being taken on piers, from the surf, and from boats fishing close to shore.
There has been whispering of a few fish already showing around their first stop in Virginia – the lower barrier island breakers of the Eastern Shore. Here or not, they’re on the way and if recent years serve as any indication, we’re in store for some of the best red – also known as channel bass – drum fisheries in the country.
Folks along the Gulf Coast brag plenty about the quality of the redfish scene, and rightfully so. Fishing down that way is spectacular. But when it comes to really big reds topping 40 and quite often 50 inches, there isn’t a place better than the coasts of Carolina and Virginia.
On a side note, while the fishing is awesome this time of year, have your you-know-what together when it comes to the weather. We saw it early Thursday morning for a few hours – summer-like thunderstorms and heavy downpours.
Just be aware.
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