Article by Rick Willman
Hi folks! Activity seemed to slow down a bit the past week. After a fairly good holiday weekend with boats just blanketing the water, there seems to be quite a lag in the catch tally.
During Sunday and Monday of the holiday weekend, I thought the lack of cooperating fish was due to excessive boat traffic. The rebound didn’t seem to happen yet, but I’m sure it will soon. Flounder fishing in the back bays is fair, but the bluefish are picking up the slack. Capt. Eric Ludwig has been providing his parties with plenty of action on blues from 2 to 4 lbs. Mike Cunnane fished the Indian River Inlet to score a 7 lb. 6 oz. citation flattie. Steve Marando fished the back bays and fooled a 4 lb. 4 oz. flounder. John Klerlein has been fishing the Indian River Inlet and hammering stripers up to 37-inches using live eels. Capt. Bob Smallwood of “Dana Lynn Charters” called and informed me that they slammed 9 to 12 lb. bluefish while trolling near the Jackspot.
Sign up now for the 2010 Rick's Bait & Tackle/Sea Side Gas & Grill Flounder Tournament and Inshore Tournament. The Flounder Tournament will be held from June 19th through June 26th. The final deadline for registration is June 18th by 10 pm, and the entry fee is $15. The final weigh-in for the tournament is 4 pm on June 26th with prizes awarded shortly afterward at Sea Side Gas & Grill. Food and drink (BYOB), along with live entertainment, will be available for the after party!
The Inshore Tournament will be held from July 17th through July 24th. Final registration is 10 pm on July 16th, and the final weigh-in is 4 pm on the 24th. Awards will be presented at 5 pm. The categories are heaviest bluefish, flounder, seabass and croaker, with the prize set at $200 for each division. Once again, there will be an after party with food and drinks available (BYOB), and the entertainment will the blues band “Pork Roll Project”.
At Rattle & Reel Sporting Center, Ron said flounder are still in the back bays and are being caught on a combination of minnows and GULP!. Stripers seem to be abundant in the Indian River Inlet and live eels are really tempting them. Ron also wants to inform everyone of their upcoming flounder tournament that runs from June 25th through the 27th.
Denise at Henlopen Bait & Tackle reports pretty fair flounder action in the Delaware Bay. David Wells fished the bay to score a 7.52 lb., 27.5-inch citation flattie.
In the Bill’s Sport Shop Flounder Tournament, the current standings are as follows:
1st: William Rawlings, 9.45 lb., 28.25-inches.
2nd:?Don Ruth, 9.12 lbs., 28.5-inches.
3rd: John Goethe, 8.05 lbs., 27.75-inches.
In other fishing news from Bill’s, we hear that Shannon Coyle of Milton landed a 22.35 lb., 40-inch striper at the Indian River Inlet on a bucktail. Carnestia Brackett of Milford was fishing cut herring at the Roosevelt Inlet and brought a 45.5-inch citation striper over the rocks that tipped the scales at 31.55 lbs. Tom Flickinger of Pennsville, NJ boated a 69 lb., 48-inch drum at the Coral Beds on clams. James Schraf of Bethesda, MD caught a 17.90 lb., 37.5-inch striper in the Indian River Inlet on swim shad. Mike Snesavage of Lebanon, PA weighed in a citation 60.9 lb. drum that measured 47-inches at the Coral Beds on surf clams. Ed Stickline, Anthony Cichacki and Louie Sartorie caught 2 makos up to 171 lbs. at the Fingers on mackerel and bluefish fillets. Keith Tolley boated a 52-inch black drum using clams at the Coral Beds on Saturday night. Bob McDonough, of Bear, DE reeled in a citation drum weighing in at 53.05 lbs., and measuring 45-inches also at the Coral Beds on clams. Brian Elliot from Bill's Sport Shop caught his limit of stripers up to 20.10 lbs., and 39-inches at the Indian River Inlet using rigged eels.
Joe Morris at Lewes Harbour Marina said shark fishermen had success with makos during the past week. Ron Baker and crew aboard the “Reely Hooked” checked in a nice blackeye they captured from the Fingers. Jeff Hoepfl and friends released a pair of makos while sharking near the Triple Wrecks on the “Joint Venture”. Captain Dave Walker and the boys aboard the “Reel Naughty” boated a 115 lb. mako and released a larger one in the vicinity of the Marine Electric. Sharks have been found on traditional structure between 20 and 30 fathoms, with spots such as the Sausages, Fingers, Massey’s Canyon, the Hambone, Hot Dog and Chicken Bone offering chances at makos. Water surface temperature has reached 68 degrees, and there have been decent numbers of makos, threshers and blue sharks inshore. Threshers normally take up residence along the Delaware shipping lane when sea bass spread out onto the Old Grounds. The stretch between the “DB”and “DA” Buoys is usually productive for longtails.
Fluke have been found at Reef Site #11, and Ken Brittingham bested a 6.5 lb. flounder there aboard the “Grizzly”. Harry Weaver was working a 4 oz. Crippled Herring jig at Reef Site #11. Flounder have started to be pulled from Delaware Bay structure as well. Reef Sites 6 and 7 near the Brown Shoal have started to produce. Jeremy Scott scored a 4.95 lb. flounder on the rubble aboard the “Martha Marie”. A few flounder were found along bottom changes between the “F” and “G” Buoys in the Anchorage as well. Even though flatties have come from structures in the bay, shallow water near the shore continues to offer the most consistent catches. The flats inside Cape Henlopen and around the fishing pier have been good. Even fly fishermen wading warm waters close to the beach have had luck with flatties while casting Clousers and other small weighted patterns. The Lewes Canal, Broadkill River and Roosevelt Inlet still offer good opportunities for flounder. Aaron Strausbaugh checked in a limit of fine flatties, including a 7.09 lb. citation doormat that he caught while drifting minnows in the Broadkill River. Alan Herr and Tim Craley stopped by with seven quality fluke up to 4.5 lbs. they got while jigging Gulps! in the Canal. J.T. Tharp nailed a 5.35 pounder in the Roosevelt Inlet with a minnow, and seven-year-old Dillon Peden had 3 flounder up to 19 inches, caught at the same place.
Numbers of black drum have dwindled since the last full moon, but a few boomers were taken from Tussey’s Slough and the Pin Top. Mark Riley reeled in a 68 pounder on the “Martha Marie”. Dan Cornell captured a 64.3 pounder on the “High Hook”, and Ronald Demmitt decked a 63 pounder on the “Old Grady”. Striped bass were hanging out along the rocks of the Outer Wall. Casting artificials in the evening was an effective method for attracting bass. Bomber, Stretch 12+ and Bunka Boy plugs worked well. Storm shads, bucktails and Rat-L-Traps also accounted for stripers. Nate Landis was diving along the Outer Wall when he speared a 36.4 lb. trophy linesider that took him for a wild ride. Rockfish have also shown up in the Lewes Canal. Drifting eels around the drawbridge will get their attention. Bottom fishermen using clams, bunker or squid heads have been catching rockfish also. Casting lures to lighted boat docks lining the canal at night resulted in striper bites as well.
Don’t forget the summer slot season when anglers can keep 2 stripers between 20 and 26-inches per person per day from the Delaware Bay and its tributaries.
Until next week, have fun and be safe!
Rick and his wife, Deb are owners of Rick’s Bait & Tackle in Long Neck, DE.
