Tyler Barnes 5-28-25

Fishing on the upper Neuse River near Goldsboro has been solid, but we're approaching that transition period. Water temps are now in the mid-70s, and the catfish spawn is getting underway. Over the next couple of weeks, expect the bite to slow down-especially for bigger blue and flathead catfish-as more fish begin locking onto beds.

Right now, I'm still catching fish using:- Live bream for flatheads- Fresh-cut shad for blues- Eel, which holds up well and works in both current and slack water Flatheads are holding up tight in logjams and heavy cover, especially in water between 5 to 8 feet deep. Blues are hanging on ledges, channel edges, and deeper holes during the day. At night, blue cats are often pushing up into shallow flats-sometimes as shallow as 2 to 3 feet-to feed.

My go-to setup is a slip sinker rig with a 100 lb mono leader and a 10/0 circle hook. It's strong enough to pull big fish out of thick cover and holds up well in current. The best times to fish are early morning, late evening, and nighttime, when fish are more active and conditions are cooler. As we move into mid-June, expect the bite to slow during the peak of the spawn, but with fresh bait and good structure, there are still quality fish to be caught.

Tyler Barnes - 4REEL Fishing