hey guys, I'm looking for a nice spot to river fish around here. I am not very knowledgeable about the area(or fishing for that matter) at all. (look in my profile the one other thread that i have started.) Anyways, I am in Wake Forest for school (Southeastern college) and I am lost on a great place to fish. I have been to falls lake at a few places, but the lake is just way too far down and bites are very minimal anyways. I have fished the broad river(sc) if any of you are familiar with it and would like a river similar or bigger. I know there is the falls of neuse or whatever, but i bottomed out a few times in my kayak when the river was at it's normal depth. It's more like a creek than anything. Where is the Neuse River or Cape Fear or any river worth going to and catfishing from the bank. I know our church is a member of the Tar river association... is the Tar river good size and/or far away. I don't really know where to start, but i know this is the right place. I want a decent place to fish, but i want to go frequently so i don't want a huge drive to get there and i have to fish from the bank. Also, I fish mostly at night and will need a place where i can be at night legally. Thanks guys!
Ryan, your best bet is the neuse river...pick a spot...the neuse runs through the city of raleigh... your best bet from the bank is the millburnie spillway.. not only for cats but in a few weeks stripers and the shad will be there...but so will 50 billion other people....so if you go,go early... the further south you go on the neuse...the bigger the cats get... below smithfield, we have caught 40 plus pound flats and blues from that stretch of river...and lost bigger than we have landed... best bait will be big fresh cut gizzard shad...which the river will be full of in a couple weeks... hope this helps!!! good luck!!!
thanks for the info guys! I'll see if i can find a place to fish the neuse. I like to fish at night and without any others around(except whoever comes with me) that may be difficult to find but that is what i am looking for. Is the land along the Neuse owned by individuals/state/businesses or a combination of all of it?
A combination of all of it. There are a few parks scattered along the river now. Bridge areas are state property. The neuse runs through some bad neighborhoods in Raleigh. The harder the access is to the river, the fewer folks you'll see.
i dont mind a good trek through the woods or climbing over/under rocks/brush if i'm going to be at a secluded spot to fish. Duke Power in SC allows primitive trail access to the Broad river near their dams. Is there anything of that nature?
I believe Milburnie Dam in Raleigh is now the last dam on the Neuse if your headed downstream. Used to be another one near Goldsboro but I think they blasted it a couple years ago. That kayak of yours would be a good bet for seclusion. If your buddy don't have one there's a place less than ten minutes from Southeastern that rents kayaks and canoes. It's right at the Falls Dam Tailrace on Falls of the Neuse Rd. There's actually a canoe launch in the river near the rental store (they sell em too). But, it's between the Falls Dam and Milburnie Dam. I would put in somewhere below Milburnie if I was going to fish the neuse.
a couple of my neighbors actually rented a canoe from them last summer and 4 of of us went for a trip (2 kayaks and 1canoe). we alll put in at that canoe launch and the 2 kayaks went to the capital blvd. bridge and got out because that is where we parked the other truck. the other group(rental) got picked up at buffalo road.(5hr trip) Where is the milburnie dam at? and where might i find a good picture or two of it and the surrounding area. I know the water below the falls lake dam is very shallow all the way until where we got out, is that area deeper? one more question (i'm full of 'em) is the Falls of Nuese river the same as the Neuse River?
Milburnie Dam is barely upstream of US 64 (New Bern Ave.). You can access it from Milburnie Rd. There's a park there now and it has a canoe launch also. The City of Raleigh is now consuming the Neuse River, and unless we get some rain it's prolly going to be lower than ever this Summer. That should be good for you, good fishing. One of the best river fishing trips I've ever taken was during low water. We actually walked the river for a couple miles, pulling the jon with a rope. That was down past Goldsboro. All the rivers in this area are shallow. There used to be a set of rapids below a small mill dam on the neuse river. It was about where the Falls Dam is now at, or slightly farther upstream. That was what we called "The Falls of the Neuse" and thats where Falls Lake got it's name. Hope this helps you!
been to kerr about 3 times. it's ok, but too populated for my taste(in the areas i was in atleast) and for some reason i just feel more comfortable in a river right now (maybe cause it's the only place i've caught fish in like 6 months haha) so that place outside of smithfield that people catch 40lb fish is shallow too? thanks!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah!!!!!! It's gonna be shallow til you get about 15-20 miles below Kinston!!!! Then you're below the fall line! Ever heard of a place called "Turkey Quarters" ??? That may be where you want to be!
say 3'-5' shallow...that is why allot of people will beach the boat and fish from shore... some deep holes are there but few and far between..
no never heard of turkey quarters or whatever. please explain. I just never thought of a catfish that big being in water where you can see the bottom. or are they in those few and far between deeper holes? i want to catch something of size if at all possible. thanks!
