Article by Capt. BJ Pietryak
Last week saw calm seas at the beginning of the week changing to big storms and lots of lightning at the end of the week. The water is getting warm and the fishing is getting hot. Flounder bite is more keepers than in past weeks with the bigger ones coming off the deeper structure. Mahi are all over the Shipping Channel but are very often picky as to what they will bite.
Flounder & Sea Bass
Coral Grounds
The inshore Coral Grounds have really started to heat up with more keepers coming onto the boats than we have seen in past weeks. Jerry Hammond, Ronnie Mumford, and Micky Payne, all from Georgetown, DE fished Site 11 with Gulp baits on jig heads and came back to the docks with 8 keeper flounder weighing up to 3.3 lbs. The fish were weighed at Hook’em and Cook’em Tackle at Indian River Marina. Also out of Indian River Marina, was the “Capt. Bob” full day charter/headboat which had a great group on the boat last week including Chris Adams who caught his limits of flatties up to 3lbs using a jig. The “Capt. Bob” is located at Hook’em and Cook’em Bait & Tackle on the south end of the Indian River Marina.
Aaron from our last issue, who was so happy to finally get a citation flounder, was back at it again this week weighing in an impressive 8 lb. flattie while mating on the charter boat “Surface Tension'. The citation fish was checked into Lewes Harbour Marina. Let's see if he can do it again next week! Site 10 has been fairly consistent for keepers early in the morning, but as the day wears on and more boats arrive, the bite shuts down to almost nothing. The Old Grounds in general have been the best within the area; dead in the middle of A and B Buoy being the most productive. Try to find the deeper water on the east side of the Shipping Channel for your best chance at some real quality fish. Big Gulp baits are the best baits again, but squid and shiner combos are a close second. The good thing about using squid is there are tons of mahi out on the Shipping Channel. If a school of mahi comes by, simply undo your bottom weight and throw out the squid-baited rig and you have a pretty good chance of hooking into one of these great eating fish. The reports from many anglers are that these fish can be very picky as to what they will bite. Have a few different baits ready on different size hooks and rigs so you don't miss out on the opportunity. Samantha Pietryak and I hit the Bass Pots just north and west of the Lightship and managed to hook six gaffer mahi up to 10 lbs. The fish were caught on Ocean Arsenal Smoke Bombs as well as a new flying fish style lure released at I-Cast last month. Ted Proseus was out at the same area earlier in the week and came home with 10 mahi. Ted said that on his day out the fish would not touch a trolled lure and would only take squid thrown at the pots ball. Just goes to prove what I said earlier, the fish are picky and won't always take a lure. Today we outfished most of the ones throwing bait at the balls.
Back Bays
Shiloh Keinfelter, age 13, was at it again this week pulling in a really nice flounder of 19.5” and 3 lbs. at the Indian River. That’s 2 weeks in a row, girl. I'll be waiting to see if you can outdo this fish for our next issue. Oh and to dad: don't feel bad, my daughter outfishes me all the time and I do it for a living!
Cliff, Norm and Anthony were out with “Bad Wind Charters” on a beautiful day last week and all three managed to get their personal best jumbo flounder as well as a boat limit. Captain Brent sure knows where the flounder live, bringing back a limit for his clients as well as a few mahi and sea bass.
“Pirate King 2” charters run by Captain Jackie caught a smorgasbord of fish with the most excitement being 12 year old William who caught a citation 3.62 lb., 22” sea trout. So great to see all these young kids catching quality fish!
Susan was fishing the Indian River Inlet and caught a 16.25” tautog off the rocks. The fish was checked into Lewes Ice House Bait & Tackle.
Along the rocks at Indian River there are also some bluefish still around. Mathew Scott got a nice one fishing early in the morning on an incoming tide.
Lewes Harbour Marina was once again the site of several citation sheepshead catches. Stephen Youngstrom got his 9.79 lb. citation off structure while using sand fleas. Not to be outdone by the adults, Alex, a young man fishing with his grandfather, pulled in a sheepy just shy of 10 lbs. Another great catch by our youth, and another citation! As I have stated before, if you want a citation sheepshead this is the time to target them.
Surf Fishing
Numen Balal was fishing with son Evren and friend Quinn Finnegan and Max Sontag and hooked an estimated 200 lb. southern ray. The fish was caught on cut bunker and 50 lb. braid. The 45 minute fight ended with the fish safely released to be caught another day. Continuing with sharks, Jamie Vandruffalong along with Gary, Kevin, Kasey, Cali and Libby Chandler fished the charter boat “Top Fin', run by Captain Pete Haine releasing 6 tiger sharks and a bunch of brown sharks averaging 150 lbs.
Fishing is really heating up with tons of big fish around, so get out with the family or friends and get in on some of the action.
Until next week...
Tight lines and fins up §
