Article by Larry Jock
With anglers ready to jump off the bridge, let’s just say that everyone is pretty fed up with the bad weather we have had this entire year. Actually, it seems like we have been in this bad weather pattern since last October.
Anyway, enough whining. All things even out, so hopefully this means we
are going to have a better-than-normal September and October fishing season, especially for the offshore boats.
Capt. Bruce McGuigan at Capt. Mac’s High Performance Tackle in Fenwick reported some excellent fishing for anglers in the Ditch and waters north of the Ditch. Red drum, speckled trout, striped bass, black drum and a lot of croakers are being captured when water conditions are clear. This past week, with windy conditions showing up every day, water clarity wasn’t great, but a few fish still ended up in the cooler.
Overall, Bruce said that flounder fishing was poor last week due to bay waters looking like coffee.
Rough surf conditions slowed fishing down for anglers casting off the beach. Bruce saw a few kingfish, up to 16-inches, some small trout, spot and a lot of croakers coming from the suds.
Out of the Indian River Marina, Capt. Bert Adams at Hook’em & Cook’em said that he was surprised when the “Boy’s Toy” braved snotty conditions and returned mid-day on Saturday with an 80 lb. bluefin tuna and a couple of dolphin from the Hambone. We have been reporting bluefins being spotted at the Hambone over the last couple of weeks and there were some caught at the Chicken Bone, but these are the first dolphin that we know of that were caught that close to shore. Hopefully the easterly winds have pushed these fish onto the inshore lumps and are ready for the taking when the weather improves.
A mixed bag of fish were caught in the Indian River Inlet last week. Anglers got into striped bass, red drum, black drum, kingfish, croakers, bluefish and weakfish. Those fishing with 5-inch, Tsnumani Split Tail Blueback Heavies are finding good success with the weakies. This lure, heavier than the standard Tsunami Split Tail lure, is custom made for Hook’em & Cook’em and can only be found at their 2 locations.
The headboat, “Judy V.” was able to break the inlet on Sunday, heading 8 miles offshore where anglers caught a few flounder and sea bass during the trip.
Joe Morris at Lewes Harbour Marina said continual southwesterly winds and effects from the recent full moon shut down offshore tuna action, so many anglers concentrated their efforts closer to the beach. Mike and Chris Surowiec, Tom and Matt Birago, Ron Mistretta, Louis Mispireta and Tony Gargureveich joined Captain Brent for some inshore wreck fishing Saturday aboard the “Katydid”, and were rewarded with a catch that included a variety of species. They ended up with a boxful of triggerfish, spadefish and kingfish, plus an impressive 4.86 pound citation sea bass that Mike added to the take.
The Old Grounds area produced some decent flounder fishing. A recent trip to the 80 to 90-foot depths near DB Buoy resulted in 8 keeper fluke, 18 sea bass and some ling for fishermen aboard the “Grizzly”.
Back in the Delaware Bay, boaters had to contend with strong currents around the
big moon, but there were windows of opportunity during the beginning and end of tides. Captain Carey reported 9 flounder, a triggerfish and “all the croakers you wanted” on a foray over bay reef structure aboard the “Grizzly”. Captain Ted on the “Indian” said his patrons had good bottom bouncing over live coral along the edge of The Shears. They caught plenty of hardheads, spot, kingfish, blowfish and spike trout using clams, squid and Fishbites.
Landbound anglers working the wash of Lewes Beach and the Roosevelt Jetty had a similar mix of panfish, along with a few keeper flounder. John Giblin got a 3.67 pound citation worthy weakfish while tossing a white Gulp! Swimming Mullet in the Roosevelt Inlet. Boaters casting Gulp! or soft plastic paddletail lures along the submerged jetties of the Roosevelt or the rocks of the Ferry Wall hooked some nice sea trout too, especially at first light.
The Lewes Canal continued to give up flounder. Michael and Maddie White stopped by with flatties of 18 and 19-inches they caught using minnows in the Canal. Chuck Hazel had his limit of fluke to 22 inches by drifting minnows and shiners in the Canal. William Rybinski was fishing from the Town Dock on the Canal when he tempted a 2.83 pound flounder into biting a chunk of soft crab on Sunday morning.
Canal cruisers will be targeting slot stripers now that the size limit has changed. Anglers may retain two Striped Bass between 20 and 26 inches per day from the Delaware Bay and its tributaries until August 31. Baiting with clams or eels near the Drawbrige will produce bass. Casting artificials such as RatLTraps, Storm Shads and popping plugs along the marsh banks and bulkheads will also result in strikes. Rockfish gather around the Roosevelt Coast Guard Station at night to feed on shiners attracted by the lights. Casting minnow imitations like Fin-S Fish or Speck Rigs will get the attention of stripers keying in on small baitfish.
Until next week, here’s hoping for better weather and tight lines!
