Im here in eastern north carolina and wondering when the pre spawn or spawn should start occuring. Im pretty new at the spawn and everything but Im ready to catch some fish after a tough winter. Thanks.

In my area?  Right about the time you hear a "Splash" when the lure hits the water instead of "Clunk"!  

here on the new river in jacksonville it seems the bass never bite. I wana know when the best time will be or start to be.

May I suggest contacting your state department of game and inland fisheries and ask them when the bass will start moving to spawn in the waters you fish.

Remember, the bass, as do other fish, start to move around depending on the water temperature and number of hours of sunlight.

I would venture a guess that in your area of North Carolina the fish will start to move around more and begin their prespawn when the water temperature is in the 50s.

Then, as the water temperature rises and the sunlight gets longer during the day, the bass will start to build their nests and start the spawning process.

Even though you are in North Carolina, we know the state has a very interesting topography ranging from the Atlantic to the Blue Ridge Mountains with hills and valleys inbetween.

So check with the North Carolina fisheries department and someone there will be able to give you some temperature ranges for your specific bodies of water.

If there is no ice on the water and you can stand the cold you can start now. I would say main lake points would be a good start as well as sharp drop offs for suspending fish in deeper water. Fish slow and meticulous, the window is a lot smaller this time of year. Good luck.

kb ,tomorrow

Hey, NCThompson, I was born and raised in Havelock. The first place I ever fished was the Neuse.  8-) The bite should really start in mid March, with the spawn being in early April. Of course, this is subject to change with the weather. Hope this helps. For right now, I would throw a jig-n-pig and wait til spring.

I'm just north of you in G'ville and I'm having the same problems. If you contact the wildlife folks let me know what they say on this thread. Personally, I'm getting ready for the shad run. I heard they have been caught as far west as Kinston already. If you've not tried it before, go to your local bait shop and they will set you up with shad darts and spoons. They jump like a tarpon when hooked. What a hoot.

I'am just a little north of both of you! We have a little get together every Saturday morning at the Roanoke river ( Plymouth NC ) you won't have any problem with catching 12-15lb of bass this time of year. We have an ABA tournament on the Neuse River the 24th of Feb. Come on down and fish with us.

You can come as a boater or a nonboater. Might draw some of the guys that are

hot down that way this time of year! If you need any more info just email me. 8-)

In my area?  Right about the time you hear a "Splash" when the lure hits the water instead of "Clunk"!  

Amen I hear that...

Thanks for the offer Jimmy, I'll definitely keep that in mind once I get a little more experience. I just bought a boat last week and once I figure out how to back it, launch it and retrieve it I'll get back to you.

I'm glad you asked this. I'm in the Fayetteville area and haven't caught much of anything in my last couple outings. Of course, I figure it was just because I'm such an awful fisherman.

Still, it gives me some relief to think the temperature had something to do it...

Normally i'm out there as soon as the ice melts all the way.  They won't really start hitting hard until it warms up a little bit but you could probably get something.