Article by Larry Jock
It was a good Memorial Day weekend for inshore and offshore anglers. Offshore, tuna fishing was fantastic and those closer to home were able to capitalize on good sea bass, trout and shark fishing.
Sea Bass
With the opening of sea bass season on May 19th, anglers are hitting their favorite inshore spots with a vengeance. According to Capt. Bert on the “Judy V.”, sea bass fishing on inshore reefs and wrecks was good and the keeper ratio is improving. The area around “B” Buoy saw a lot of throwback sea bass with the best action on open bottom. Joe Morris at Lewes Harbour Marina and Joe Ribinski at Whitetail Taxidermy & Outdoor Supplies both reported that Reef Site 11 was a popular spot and boaters who ventured to wrecks along the twenty fathom line, such as the Drydocks, did well too. Charter boats were returning with 100 to 225 fish per trip. Clams and squid were the preferred bait.
Black Drum
The black drum bite has been sporadic. In the Delaware Bay, the bite was better during the mid-week and tapered off over the weekend. A few fish in the 10-15 lb. range were caught off the beach in Fenwick.
Trout
Could we be seeing a comeback for weakfish in Delaware waters? According to Joe Morris at Lewes Harbour Marina, weakfish continued to be a bright spot for Delaware Bay anglers. Shallow water fishermen are reporting more fish this year than in any recent season. Surfcasters along Broadkill Beach caught numerous trout while baiting with chicken breast or peeler crab. Also, boaters and jetty anglers working the Roosevelt Inlet got into trout during the last of the flood tide and beginning of ebb. Weakfish fell for live bait, and a variety of artificials such as Speck Rigs, Bass Assassins, Gulp! and Fin-S Fish.
Flounder
Flounder fishing was slow in the Indian River Inlet and back bays. A few were caught in the Indian River Inlet weighing up to 5 lbs. The Lewes Canal saw improved water quality which resulted in a better flounder bite, and some larger fish. Lewes Harbour Marina weighed their first citation flattie, a 7 lb. 7 oz. fish caught by Lee McClellan.
Capt. Bruce McGuigan at Capt. Mac’s in Fenwick said that there were plenty of flounder around “B” Buoy, and although there were many that were too small to keep, there were enough larger fish to make it worth your while. Water temperatures are definitely warmer than normal, bringing flatties to the Old Grounds earlier than their “normal” June arrival.
Bluefish and Shad
Like we saw in the Ocean City Inlet, small to medium sized bluefish, along with some shad, have shown up in the Indian River Inlet. The best bite has been around sundown and there is plenty of action to keep you busy. This is a great time to get kids involved in fishing because the action is fast and furious.
Striped Bass
The Indian River Inlet has seen a slow down in striper bites, but the anglers fishing off the jetty between 1 AM?and 5 AM are still pulling in 10 to 20 fish each night. In the Delaware Bay, action off Cape Henlopen has tapered off, but the fish are now hanging near the Outer Wall and Ice Breakers. The best bite has been after dark with live eels or Gulp! eels. Capt. Pete Haines on the “Top Fin” did nail a 17 pounder on a Yo-Zuri plug and spearfisherman, Richard Martin shot a 34 pounder on Friday night.
Sharks
Capt. Bruce also reported good shark fishing inshore in 20-25 fathoms around the Fingers. Plenty of blue sharks were released and a few mako sharks were caught. Bert at Hook’em & Cook’em said that some makos, tigers and blue sharks were hooked around the Hot Dog.
Tuna & Dolphin
Several boats returned with solid catches of yellowfin tuna over the weekend with a few dolphin mixed in as well. The bite centered around 40-70 fathoms inshore of the Baltimore Canyon where water temperatures were in the 70’s. The “Free Spool” returned with 11 yellowfins on Saturday and the “Mega-Bite” boated 9 on Sunday. The “Knot Right” had 7 yellowfins while trolling in 60 fathoms along the 260 line.
Until next week, tight lines!
