# Currituck Sound bass fishing continues to rebound.



## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

Latest reports are the famous Currituck Sound in eastern NC, once a mecca for bass fishermen across the country, til droughts in the late 80's raised the salinity in the water, which destroyed the aquatic vegetation and ruined the fishing, continues to rebound. The bass are returning, and so is the vegetation. Good surveys the last two years show good populations of bass now, many in the 2-4 pound range, with the occasional seven pounder.
I was fortunate enough to spend five days fishing there, back in '78, several years before the droughts happened. It was the most amazing fishing I ever saw. We caught over 300 bass that week, mainly on weightless Mann's Jelly Worms, Hula Poppers, and Jitterbugs. Most of the bass were under three pounds, but two pounders were numerous, and we got three or four fish over five.
I intend on going down there later this year, probably around September 15th, and spend a few days fishing with my cousin. It's a really magical place, miles and miles of grass beds, and hungry bass that love to blow up on topwater baits! 
The experts believe the survivors of the droughts found haven in the Chowan River, and now have repopulated the sound, along with the many varieties of aquatic plants, such as wild celery, pondweed, milfoil, and duckweed.
Pete Kornegy, of the NCWRC Eastern Division, says the fishing is improving year after year, after 20 years of low numbers.
Bass fishermen that penciled out the Currituck Sound and Chowan River had better get out their erasers!
The Currituck Sound is a place any serious bass fisherman with the means should visit at least once. Imagine a place where you can catch numbers of plucky bass, spotted seatrout, even flounder, in the same waters!


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

That's awesome to see such a resurgence of a once fantastic fishery. That sounds really cool hopefully you have a top water bonanza. September is an awesome time of year in northern Ohio for top water as well.


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

Yeah, the news was received with high expectations from all of us that remember the Sound's glory days. Droughts and Hurricanes can have devastating effects on fragile ecosystems like the Currituck and Pamlico sounds. The Sound is very shallow, you can ride for miles and not see water over four feet deep, so any large influx of high salinity is going to be destructive.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Thanks for the post. I got into some GREAT crappie fishing in one of the marinas off the sound last september.
Imbringing the kayak this year an plan on pounding it hard!!!
Also,the whiteperch. They were huge,and fun mixed in w/the crappiez


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

The more i think about it,last year why vacationing there,we were walking the boardwalk along the sound(buy duck donuts) an i remember seeing very bass like boils onbait up around the docks. This was before rerealized the baas/panfish posibilities. Im starting toget really pumped up! 
Ncbass,do you personly know anythin. About the panfishing in the sound? 
I literly stumbled onthe crappielast year. 
And just wondering if i didnt stumble onto a pattern(marinas/bays in the fall).
Also,do white perch taste good. The ones i was catching were just as big as the crappiez(12-15") and looked just like a whitebass except l,instead of multiple stripes,it was one solid stripe on each side. They fought well enough i dont mind c&Ring them if they dont taste good.but i have a group of people id love to feed some fresh fish to,haha an i suck at the saltwater thing. But the brackish sound anbays are right up my alley!!


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

Only bass fished it. But the panfish there should be great, with crappie, bluegill, redear flier, green sunfish among others.,


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

NCbassattack said:


> Latest reports are the famous Currituck Sound in eastern NC, once a mecca for bass fishermen across the country, til droughts in the late 80's raised the salinity in the water, which destroyed the aquatic vegetation and ruined the fishing, continues to rebound. The bass are returning, and so is the vegetation. Good surveys the last two years show good populations of bass now, many in the 2-4 pound range, with the occasional seven pounder.
> I was fortunate enough to spend five days fishing there, back in '78, several years before the droughts happened. It was the most amazing fishing I ever saw. We caught over 300 bass that week, mainly on weightless Mann's Jelly Worms, Hula Poppers, and Jitterbugs. Most of the bass were under three pounds, but two pounders were numerous, and we got three or four fish over five.
> I intend on going down there later this year, probably around September 15th, and spend a few days fishing with my cousin. It's a really magical place, miles and miles of grass beds, and hungry bass that love to blow up on topwater baits!
> The experts believe the survivors of the droughts found haven in the Chowan River, and now have repopulated the sound, along with the many varieties of aquatic plants, such as wild celery, pondweed, milfoil, and duckweed.
> ...


NC, did you get the chance to fish the sound? Im sending my kayak down this weekend an ill be down the next weekend.
First I plan on fishing in and around the bay I did well in last year. With crappie and bass baits.
I also plan on finding some of the rivers and canals in the area. 
If this all fails me ill head south an try some areas Im familiar with in the salvo area for saltwater fish. 
Im more pumped for this trip then any the last 4/5 years knowing the potential in the currituck now! 
Can't wait!!!


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

No, but my friend Terry did. They caught a bunch of bass day one, some up to 3 pounds or so. Day two they moved down to Pamlico and did well on flounder and red drum.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

NCbassattack said:


> No, but my friend Terry did. They caught a bunch of bass day one, some up to 3 pounds or so. Day two they moved down to Pamlico and did well on flounder and red drum.


Awesome thanks for the report.


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

Might want to try the Chowan River while you're down there. That's where they "hid" during the bad years.


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