Why Weldon Rockfish Capital of the World is a Fantastic Idea

Sitting near my apt window, working at my computer, I have a birds-eye view of who and when visitors stop to photograph the largest Striped Bass Sculpture in the U.S. See video below:

Weldon's idea as "The Rockfish Capital of the World" fits perfectly into the “top five destination states in terms of days of fishing by nonresidents” which are North Carolina, Minnesota, Florida, Wisconsin and New York.


Second, “Fishing is one of the most popular forms of outdoor recreation in the United States (Cordell et al.1999). Estimates of the rate of participation and number of persons 16 years and older participating range from 17% or 35.2 million to 29% or 57.9 million (USDOI and USDOC 1997; Cordell et al.1999).”


“Reasons for the popularity of fishing other outdoor activities include its relatively low cost and lack of physical demands. Nationally, there were 29.6 million paid fishing license holders in 1999, up slightly from 1997 (29.3 million) (ASA 2001).”
“Tourism is the third largest retail industry (behind automotive and food) in the United States, generating an estimated $502 billion in expenditures in 1997. Tourism is either the first, second, or third largest employer in 32 states.”


Finally, sports fishing can help to reduce poverty in Weldon, that’s if the community gets hooked on Weldon’s future in community development plans and interact with local leaders and get involved in volunteering and attending Town Hall, Community Watch and STEP Committee Meetings.
The term "if" is a small word but carries a huge weight that pertains to taking responsibility, accountability and other necessary conditions that will challenge most of us living in the Weldon community.


This resident/participating ethnography researcher/writer believes that a community that prays together, works together and shares their voices together will indeed progress together and reap benefits. Now is the time to let OUR voices to be heard beginning this spring and commit to attend more Weldon meeting and events that will lead to quality of life and prosperity.


The word "We" is another powerful word that carries a huge weight and outweighs words like "them, they" that create social negative attitudes, detached behavior, division and separatism. We are in the same pot of soup together. So we need to BELIEVE that WE can do this together!

Bending Rods and Tight Fishing Lines Weldon, NC

Bending rods, tight fishing lines on and off the Roanoke River, boating, canoeing and happy family faces are crowding the Weldon's spacious River Park and easy access boating dock in Weldon, North Carolina.   




Watch videos below to experience the opening season at The Rockfish Capital of the World. And for all you serious anglers read the Striped Bass aka Rockfish fishing report from last year and predictions for this year.

Fishing Reports Courtesy of Tar Pam Guide
Winter Striper Report from Lower Roanoke River and Spring Forecast for Weldon
February 24, 2012

With this unusually warm winter, the striper fishing on the Lower Roanoke has been way different than last year.  I will try to give my opinion on how the fishing compares to last year and what this means for this year and some of our upcoming charters.

LAST YEAR:  With water temps holding steady in the low 40′s, massive schools of stripers were holding relatively tight in deeper water in the river channels and began to show a little movement by the second week of March when water temps began to climb into the mid-high 40′s.  We had many triple digit days and a slow day would have been 25 or 30 fish. The fish were easy to find and easy to catch because they were in large schools and in predictable locations, as they didn’t do too much moving around.

THIS YEAR:  Water temps have barely reached 46 degrees (only on the very coldest nights when overnight lows reached the 30′s and below).  Yesterday, I saw 57 degree water in some of the creeks and 52 degree water during the middle part of the day in the main channels of the river.  I even saw jumping mullets all the way up to Broad/Cow Creek just downriver from Jamesville.

In Broad Creek, there were massive schools of mullet on the lower end.  I’ve never seen mullet up the river that far may be indicitive of low flows from the upper river and some hard east winds over the past few weeks. I’m surprised no one had been in there strike netting, LOL. They would have been if they were speckled trout instead of mullet.  Oh never mind, no one ever strike nets in inland waters (which is illegal) because our law enforcement is so on top of this.

All anecdotes aside, what does this mean for our fishing the rest of the season?

We will still be looking for schools in the channels and along the ledges as we have been and jigging for them with our Z-Man soft plastics, but we will also have increased opportunities for topwater fishing in the early mornings, late afternoons, and on overcast days in the stump fields and along the banks outside the mouths of the river.

Topwater striper fishing is my absolute favorite, and I hope we will have some spectacular fishing in the month of March.  I am expecting the fish to arrive in Weldon a little early this year, as water temps will get probably get right for the spawn sooner this year, so think now about booking your Weldon trip.