Thread: Currituck Sound

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  1. #1
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    Currituck Sound

    The upcoming Elite tournament got me thinking about what used to be a bass fishing paradise (from what ive heard).. Would love to hear some stories if any of yall have any! I've heard its quietly coming back after a very long time. They keep it very quiet! But who got to witness it back in its prime? Have heard some amazing stories about that place..

  2. Member Meadows's Avatar
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    #2
    Quote Originally Posted by basshammerwannabe View Post
    The upcoming Elite tournament got me thinking about what used to be a bass fishing paradise (from what ive heard).. Would love to hear some stories if any of yall have any! I've heard its quietly coming back after a very long time. They keep it very quiet! But who got to witness it back in its prime? Have heard some amazing stories about that place..
    Whenever we go to Hatteras (usually twice a year) I see bass boats everywhere around the Currituck sound and Elizabeth City. I've heard of some giant bags coming out of there but I'm always telling myself, man that water ain't even brackish - it's dang near 100% saltwater!
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    Quote Originally Posted by Meadows View Post
    Whenever we go to Hatteras (usually twice a year) I see bass boats everywhere around the Currituck sound and Elizabeth City. I've heard of some giant bags coming out of there but I'm always telling myself, man that water ain't even brackish - it's dang near 100% saltwater!
    What I always heard its back in the 70s and into the 80s it had beautiful vegetation (not sure what kind) but the place was unreal when the grass was there. Think storms or something killed the grass and the grass never came back for a long time. I heard it was coming back

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    #4
    Fished there in the 70s and early 80s. I ran a 14 ft. Sears gamefisher with a 35 HP Evinrude to get through the grass milfoil mats. We didn't fish from the boat very often. We would get to our area and jump out of the boat and wade fish. Always kept an eye out for snakes.

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    #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Jumping Jimmy View Post
    Fished there in the 70s and early 80s. I ran a 14 ft. Sears gamefisher with a 35 HP Evinrude to get through the grass milfoil mats. We didn't fish from the boat very often. We would get to our area and jump out of the boat and wade fish. Always kept an eye out for snakes.
    that sounds fun! How was the fishing? And yes now that you say it milfoil is what i remember hearing/reading about. Have done that in Phelps lake in NC, clear water sand bottom, waded around fishing. Snakey there too!

  6. Member tcesni's Avatar
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    I vacationed there around spring 1988 and did very well fishing canals but locals were doing far better in the sound itself. I had a 14’ boat with a 25 hp Johnson. Over the next 5-6 years I made several trips to Duck with good friends and I always brought a boat (now 16’) but fishing was very hit and miss, ok in spring and couldn’t catch a thing in the fall. We ended up spending more time in some other nearby estuaries and rivers. Beautiful scenery, challenging fishing for me. I will note that one day on Currituck I caught a bass and a flounder on consecutive casts.

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    Quote Originally Posted by tcesni View Post
    I vacationed there around spring 1988 and did very well fishing canals but locals were doing far better in the sound itself. I had a 14’ boat with a 25 hp Johnson. Over the next 5-6 years I made several trips to Duck with good friends and I always brought a boat (now 16’) but fishing was very hit and miss, ok in spring and couldn’t catch a thing in the fall. We ended up spending more time in some other nearby estuaries and rivers. Beautiful scenery, challenging fishing for me. I will note that one day on Currituck I caught a bass and a flounder on consecutive casts.
    ive caught a flounder in the roanoke (pretty far up) about 3 miles past dt plymouth.. caught one in the chowan and in the perquimans.. Now you go to the Trent/ Neuse river in New Bern and its another ball game.. you catch trout, flounder, reds, striper and bass all in the same areas. Areas like that in Jacksonville Nc too, ive caught a few bass fishing live shrimp for trout..

    Also heard the Neuse river is back and theres been reports of some big largemouth being caught. It suffered for years. I do think they are talking past new bern towards kinston though

  8. Member juice780's Avatar
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    #8
    Was hurricanes the cause of the decline?

  9. Member tcesni's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by juice780 View Post
    Was hurricanes the cause of the decline?
    Might be related to the decline, it usually involves salinity levels and how much fresh water is entering the sound. The very first time I fished Currituck was mid summer, very hot and dry, and I was getting hits in plastic worms but couldn’t get a hook into the fish. Then I started to slowly reel in my line and the bites were from blue crabs.
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  10. Member Wayne P.'s Avatar
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    #10
    Quote Originally Posted by juice780 View Post
    Was hurricanes the cause of the decline?
    I think the original decline was due to the failed pump that added ocean water to the sound. I fished there often right after the 1975 BASS Classic was held there.
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    Quote Originally Posted by juice780 View Post
    Was hurricanes the cause of the decline?
    would be my guess. Also heard droughts so the salinity levels got so bad it killed off the vegetation

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    Quote Originally Posted by Wayne P. View Post
    I think the original decline was due to the failed pump that added ocean water to the sound. I fished there often right after the 1975 BASS Classic was held there.
    how was it? you have any fond memories?

  13. Member basnbran's Avatar
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    #13
    Back bay 77ish? My wife had these pictures out for my 60th birthday last week.
    Wading. Dad liked to bream fish so he got me a tube and would throw me out and let me do my thing while he tied up to a duck blind.
    I guess I like the place okay - built me a house on the water a little over 20 years ago and still here.
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    Quote Originally Posted by basnbran View Post
    Back bay 77ish? My wife had these pictures out for my 60th birthday last week.
    Wading. Dad liked to bream fish so he got me a tube and would throw me out and let me do my thing while he tied up to a duck blind.
    I guess I like the place okay - built me a house on the water a little over 20 years ago and still here.
    fish 3.jpg
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    nice! some throwbacks for good memories

  16. Member Wayne P.'s Avatar
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    #16
    Quote Originally Posted by basshammerwannabe View Post
    how was it? you have any fond memories?
    Lots of bass caught on Devil Horses and Johnson Silver Minnows. Huge grass mats.
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    #17
    This sounds like y’all are talking about my back yard…. I can catch speckled trout, flounder, redfish, and bass all in a 5 minute boat ride from my house…. I catch bluegills from my dock, and also crabs from my dock…. I catch speckled trout from the dock in winter…

    we have some spots close by where you can be in the marsh catching bass and just 50 feet away across a strip of land is straight saltwater….

    in brackish areas, the higher salinity rides on bottom and fresh water on top… I never catch bass in deep water around here…they stay shallow or right up against the bank in deeper bayous… they’ll never be out on deep drops like in a big reservoir…

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    #18
    Spent 35 years fishing those rivers. I know the Chowan, Roanoke, Perquimmens like the back of my hand. Very fond memories. Heck I spent the in jail at age 16 for fishing the canals in Coinjock without a license lol. I've ran from the Roanoke to the Perquimmens and had porpoises swim alongside me. Tons of bears in that area and, some of the biggest cottonmouths you'll ever see. Man I miss that place.
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    #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Blue Steel View Post
    Spent 35 years fishing those rivers. I know the Chowan, Roanoke, Perquimmens like the back of my hand. Very fond memories. Heck I spent the in jail at age 16 for fishing the canals in Coinjock without a license lol. I've ran from the Roanoke to the Perquimmens and had porpoises swim alongside me. Tons of bears in that area and, some of the biggest cottonmouths you'll ever see. Man I miss that place.
    guy took me from roanoke to perquimmens 2 days in a row and didnt seem to know what he was doing. never will forget that ride. Yeah the cottonmouths down there are something else

  20. Member tcesni's Avatar
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    #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Blue Steel View Post
    Spent 35 years fishing those rivers. I know the Chowan, Roanoke, Perquimmens like the back of my hand. Very fond memories. Heck I spent the in jail at age 16 for fishing the canals in Coinjock without a license lol. I've ran from the Roanoke to the Perquimmens and had porpoises swim alongside me. Tons of bears in that area and, some of the biggest cottonmouths you'll ever see. Man I miss that place.
    I fished around Grandy/Walnut Island.

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