Article by Larry Jock
There’s really not a whole lot to write about this week. Mother Nature threw us a curve with a long stretch of windy weather that kept inshore and offshore anglers at the dock from Wednesday through Sunday.
Capt. Bert Adams at Hook’em & Cook’em reported good flounder fishing in the Indian River Inlet during the week, even with the windy conditions. Live spot, measuring 3-4 inches, was the ticket with minnows coming in a distant second. The bite was better for flounder fishermen fishing from the north side of the Inlet for most of the week, but those drifting in boats turned it on over the weekend.
According to Paul Ferenczi at Rick’s Bait & Tackle in Long Neck, DE, flounder were cooperative from the pier at Massey’s Landing for anglers fishing with spec rigs and white, 4-inch Gulp! Alive Swimming Mullets.
Further north, fishermen at the rails of the Cape Henlopen Pier had a few flatties over the weekend, according to Joe Morris at Lewes Harbour Marina. Joe also said that John Bickleman celebrated Father’s Day with a 6 lb. 5 oz. flattie caught in the Roosevelt Inlet. Jenny Manning also landed a nice
4 lb. 10 oz. flounder in the Lewes Canal on Sunday. The “Katy Did” returned with 4 keepers on Saturday from the Brown Shoal reefs and had another 6 on Sunday while rubble bouncing on Reef Sites 5 and 6. The highlight of Sunday’s trip was Bob Murphy’s 5.1 pounder.
Has anyone noticed that “Pockets” Baker is burning up the flounder this year? He must have a new trick up his sleeve.
Striper fishing at night and during the very early morning hours has tapered off with anglers having to wade through a lot of throwbacks to catch a keeper. Most of the fish are in the 24-26 inch range. Those fishing off the north side rocks, under the Indian River Bridge and off Bubble Gum Beach are having the best luck. Bombers, bucktails, flies, swim shads, sand fleas and live spot are what most successful fishermen are using.
Bluefish continue to get hooked by anglers fishing during the incoming tide in the Indian River Inlet. Early in the week, Dan Rogers landed a 10 lb. 8 oz. chopper off Bubble Gum Beach on a red and white bucktail tipped with a white worm. Those fishing with metal lures and Gotcha plugs are also hooking into some big bluefish during the daytime.
Paul Ferenczi at Rick’s Bait & Tackle also reported spot, blowfish and croakers being caught in the Rehoboth and Indian River Bays by anglers using Fishbites Bloodworms.
Sea bass action was really starting to take off, especially at the Old Grounds, before the recent blow. Anglers fishing inshore wrecks were also seeing good catches of sea bass, although the throwback ratio was extremely high.
Offshore, it was almost impossible for anyone to fish from Wednesday through Saturday due to the steady, primarily northeast winds. Prior to the blow, anglers were hooking into nice catches of yellowfin tuna in the Baltimore and Poor Man’s Canyons. Early in the week, Capt. Joe at Lewes Harbour Marina reported that the crew on the “High Hook” put 13 yellowfins in the box after trolling in the Baltimore Canyon. Capt. Chris Thurman on the “Quintessa” had 8 yellowfins along the west wall of the Wilmington Canyon.
Now that we have this streak of windy weather behind us, hopefully we can get back to some good fishing.
Until next week, tight lines.
