Some of Our Fishing Guides

Captain George Beckwith Jr.

Years of Professional Guiding: since 1994, 20 years

Specialty Fishery: Roanoke River stripers, Sight Casting Cobia, Cape Lookout Nearshore Mixed Bag, Tarpon, Giant Red Drum, Fly Fishing Albies

Boat(s): 21’ Southern Skimmer and 23’ Parker center console with sight casting tower

Favorite Rod: Shimano Terez w/Saragossa matched for target species

Where did you learn the most about fishing? Dad, Pete Saretto and Owen Lupton

Hobbies other than fishing: duck and dove hunting, photography, travel with my wife

Other Jobs: Travel agent for the international angler.

Down East Comment: Hard to comment on myself so let me just say I could not do this without my better half Anna!

Captain Wade Fickling

Years of Professional Guiding: Full Time since 2001

Specialty Fishery: Offshore.

Boat(s): 22 foot Downeaster

Favorite Rod: Closest one to me.

Where did you learn the most about fishing? Mating on the Bill Collector with Capt. Stephen Draughon.

Hobbies other than fishing: Fishing with my kids.

Other Jobs: With a lot of hard work and support from my family I am fortunate enough to have found a way to make a living doing what I love.

Down East Comment: Wade will be running some inshore trips on his refitted center console. Wade is very knowledgeable at the nearshore game along the Crystal Coast and he has spent a lot of time with us on the Pamlico during drum season. No matter where Wade is fishing, we are proud to consider him one of the Down East Guides.

Captain Justin Haddock

Years of Professional Guiding: 10 years

Specialty Fishery:Roanoke River Stripers, old red drum fishing Pamlico Sound, Cobia fishing/site casting.

Boat(s): 21 ' souther skimmer, 26' C Hawk with tower.

Favorite Rod: Ugly Stick

Where did you learn the most about fishing? From my father.

Hobbies other than fishing: water fowl hunting.

Other Jobs: water fowl guide.

Down East Comment: We've been fishing around Capt. Justin since he was riding along "mating" for his dad on the Roanoke River. He puts an extraordinary amount of pride and effort making sure that he has the best striper baits on the river. Capt. Justin has been guiding for the big drum and cobia for the past few years and his enthusiasm for making sure his customers have a good time and catch fish inspires all the guides.

Captain Chris Kimrey

Years of Professional Guiding: 10 years

Specialty Fishery: Crystal Coast Near Shore Mixed Bag, Bottom Fishing, Flounder Fishing, Chesapeake Bay Stripers.

Boat(s): 24’ Pathfinder twin 150 fourstroke yamahas.

Favorite Rod: 7' MH St. Croix with a Quantum Boca and 40# Power Pro

Where did you learn the most about fishing? Right here Down East, Core Sound/Drum Inlet

Hobbies other than fishing: Scuba diving.

Other Jobs: Taxidermist

Down East Comment: Capt. Chris is a super nice guy, has a ton of patience and is the most versatile center console guide that we use on the Crystal Coast. If you are not picky about what you catch, Capt. Chris can get something going under almost any weather conditions...except lightning. He doesn't like lightning!

Captain Ashley King

Years of Professional Guiding: I've been guiding since 2013 and fishing the Neuse River for 12 years. I started with trout fishing in the New River hard in early 2000's.

Specialty Fishery: Light tackle on artificial bait. I love teaching folks on my trips all I can to help them catch more fish when they go on their own.

Boat(s): 2019 BX22 Seahunt with a 200 yahama with twin 10' power poles.

Favorite Rod: My favorite rods are the TFO rods. I have several types but all are 7' medium light for some game fishing. 6' lights for pan fishing and 7' medium heavy for the old drum.

Where did you learn the most about fishing?: I started fishing with my uncle Danny with 2 hook bottom rigs for whatever bites. Once I got my on boat and started fishing with a few fellas in Jacksonville for trout I was hooked for life. I am 100% artificial. That means my clients and I fish with artificial baits only. When I moved to New Bern in 2005 I got introduced to the top water stripers, most times I can get a striper to bite a top water plug even when they don’t want anything else.

Hobbies other than fishing: When I'm not fishing I spend a lot of my time with my beautiful fiancé Lauren Ashley.

Other Jobs: I also work with Duke Energy as a Senior Oversight Inspector.

Down East Comment: Capt. Ashley King is a wealth of knowledge of fishing with artificial lures. He is a great guide for introducing folks to the area and local techniques.

Captain Greg Voliva

Years of Professional Guiding: Since 1998

Specialty Fishery: Center console offshore dolphin, sight casting cobia, giant red drum on popping corks and bait, tarpon, Roanoke River stripers, Pamlico Sound/Neuse River mixed bag.

Boat(s): 27' Contendor with new Yamahas and for the Roanoke, corking big drum and the mixed bag trips he uses a 24' Triton bay boat.

Favorite Rod: The one that the clients have almost worn out.

Where did you learn the most about fishing? Working as a waterman.

Hobbies other than fishing: Hunting of all sorts...that is why I like sight casting cobia.

Other Jobs: None. Full Time Local Guide.

Favorite Boat Food: Gatorade and Vienna Sausages.

Down East Comment: Capt. Greg Voliva got his roots in commercial fishing and brings a unique perspective to when and where fish concentrate. He always seems to be there when it happens. Greg first started working with Down East Guide Service to help Anna with her giant red drum research. Capt. Greg Voliva is one of Down East Guide Service's most requested guides.

Captain Ray Massengill

Years of Professional Guiding: Since 1990

Specialty Fishery: Snapper and Grouper

Boat(s): 23foot Parker cabin model,19 ft Intruder And 16 foot flounder gigging boat

Favorite Rod: The one that is bent with a happy angler winding

Where did you learn the most about fishing? 35 years commercial fishing and charter fishing

Hobbies other than fishing: NASCAR

Other Jobs: A/B Cook on tugboat.

Favorite Boat Food: Fried Chicken

Down East Comment: Capt. Ray is one of our most versatile fisherman. He has worked on the water all of his life and can catch everything from a speckled trout to a blue marlin, but please don’t ask him to go tarpon fishing. As Capt. Ray says, “those darned things are as aggravating as eating a bowl full of fire ants.”

Captain Jennings Rose

Years of Professional Guiding: Captain’s license since 2009

Specialty Fishery: I love offshore fishing for mahi, wahoo and tuna; nearshore fishing for King Mackerel and Grey Trout and inshore Old Drum and Flounder. I also fish the Roanoke River for the spring striper run.

Boat(s): 18ft Parker and 26’ Sea Craft

Favorite Rod: My Grandfathers Fly rod

Where did you learn the most about fishing?: Mating on charter boats in Carolina and Wrightsville beach

Hobbies other than fishing: Spending time on the boat with my girlfriend, Waterfowl hunting & shooting sporting clays.

Other Jobs: Full time fishing and hunting guide

Down East Comment: Capt. Jennings’ enthusiasm carries him the extra mile to put customers on fish. He understands the importance of scouting and being prepared, whether chasing giant drum or waterfowl.

Captain Will Jones

Years of Professional Guiding: Since 2016

Specialty Fishery: Light tackle artificial lure fishing for inshore red drum around Cape Lookout, Old Drum on artificial lures on the Neuse River, False Albacore fly fishing

Boat(s): 25’ Bluewater Center console and a 22’ Triton Bay boat

Favorite Rod: Temple Fork Outfitters GIS inshore w/ Penn Spinning reel

Where did you learn the most about fishing?: My uncle and spending a lot of time on the water as a young kid learning how NOT to catch fish! Fishing from Little Washington, NC to Harkers Island, NC.

Hobbies other than fishing: Target shooting

Other Jobs: Assistant manager and Electronics specialist at West Marine, Morehead City.

Down East Comment: Capt. Will is an expert in putting technology to work finding fish, has a great personality and the patience to teach.

Some of Our Fishing Guides

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