2011 Year in Review

Article by Larry Jock

Well, I heard your requests for the return of the “Season in Review” in the Winter Issue, so here it is. I didn’t realize how many readers like to look back on the season to see what was caught and when certain species arrived on the scene.

Issue dates are in bold.

May 4, 2011 - Nasty weather ruined most of the spring fishing... Flounder fishing was good in the Thorofare and north of the Rt. 90 Bridge... Flounder are fat!... Good striper bite around the Rt. 50 Bridge at night... Tautog fishing on ocean wrecks and reefs has been outstanding... Black drum bite off Assateague has been going strong for a month... The “Wrangler” took a trip to between the Washington and Norfolk Canyons and caught the first mako shark and first bluefin tuna of the season... First flounder of the year was caught by Tommy Fowler on April 17th... In Delaware, flounder fishing was decent in Massey’s Ditch... Striper, tautog and bluefish bites are heating up in the Indian River Inlet (IRI)... Temperatures rose in the Lewes Canal which improved flounder fishing... Dennis Muhlenforth caught a 20 lb. 4 oz. tautog while fishing on the “Morning Star”... Scott Allison caught a 19 lb. 8 oz. tautog on an ocean wreck.

May 11, 2011 - Tautog fishing was the star of the week... First sheepshead of the season was caught at Winter Quarter Shoal... Striper bite was sporadic... Rt. 50 bite was hot and cold, but when it was hot it was really on... Several stripers over 40-inches were caught off Assateague Island... Head boats continue to return with nice catches of cod... Water temps getting into the 60’s... In Delaware, flounder fishing improved in the IRI... Tautog fishing was good at the Outer Wall in the Delaware Bay before the season closed on May 12th... Delaware beaches gave up some nice size stripers... Black drum turned on in the Delaware Bay, particularly off Slaughter Beach... Jerry Scruggs caught a 17 lb. tautog at the Star Wreck...

May 18, 2011 - Larger flounder showed up in the Thorofare and behind Assateague Island... There were a lot of throwback flounder being caught... Snapper bluefish were thick around the Rt. 50 Bridge... Striper bite was hot off the beaches... Black drum bite off Assateague was still going strong... In Delaware, flounder fishing was good in the VFW?Slough, Massey’s Ditch and along the edge off Burton’s Island... The soon to be “epic” striper fishing in the IRI started... Daytime black drum bite was good off Slaughter Beach and at the Coral Beds... Flounder bite was good in the Lewes Canal... David Cropper released a 52-inch red drum at a VA?barrier island..

May 25, 2011 - The incredible striper bite in the IRI continued at a fever pitch... Surfcasters continued to do well catching stripers... South Jetty turned on for stripers... Snapper bluefish were caught around the Rt. 50 Bridge during the last of the incoming tide... Chopper bluefish were caught at the Jackspot and the Fingers... Sea bass season opened with good results at the Jackspot, African Queen and Great Eastern Reef... Good flounder bite around the Rt. 90 Bridge, the Thorofare and the Commercial Harbor... “Nontypical” boated a 214.5 lb. mako shark in the Baltimore Canyon... Blue sharks were thick offshore... Bluefin tuna were caught in 50-100 fathoms in the Baltimore Canyon and at the north end of Poor Man’s Canyon... In Delaware, the IRI striper bite dominated the action... Flounder fishing was good in the back bays... Stripers, black drum and bluefish were caught in the surf... Stripers were caught around the Ice Breakers and the Outer Wall... Black drum were caught at the Coral Beds and off Slaughter and Broadkill beaches... The Lewes Canal produced a lot of keeper flounder... Thomas Daub caught a 50-inch striper in the IRI... Bill Winkler caught a 45.1 lb. striper in the IRI... Tim Nengel caught a 4 lb. 6 oz. sea bass at the African Queen... Alexa Lamplugh caught a 14.8 lb. bluefish at the Fingers...

June 1, 2011 - On May 29th, the first white marlin was caught outside the Rockpile... Boats returned with good catches of yellowfin tuna from around the Rockpile, led by 40 on the “Marli”... The “Grandé Pez” boated a 115 lb. bigeye tuna around the 461 Lump... Big bluefish were caught at the Hambone... Snapper bluefish still thick around the Rt. 50 Bridge... A 470 lb. thresher shark was caught at the Fingers... Mako sharks were caught in 60-degree water at the Fingers... Excellent striper bite around the South Jetty, but many were too small to keep... Sea bass fishing was very good on ocean wrecks and reefs... Not many keeper flounder were caught... Surf fishing slowed... In Delaware, striper fishing in the IRI died off and fish were smaller... Flounder fishing in the back bays slowed... Stripers, black drum and bluefish were caught in the surf... In Delaware, the Lewes Canal and shallow water near Lewes Beach produced good catches of flounder... Black drum were caught at the Coral Beds... Croakers showed up in the surf along Broadkill Beach... Stripers were landed on cut bunker at the Roosevelt Inlet... First dolphin and wahoo were caught on May 22nd in the Lindenkohl Canyon... Ricky Herbert caught a 6 lb. 4 oz. sea bass at a natural ocean reef... Hobby Isaacs caught a 5 lb. 10 oz. sea bass at Reef Site 11... Bob Spetzler caught an 8 lb. 8 oz. flounder in the East Channel... Rob Johnson caught a 224 lb. mako at the Jackspot...

June 8, 2011 - Yellowfin tuna showed up in 60-100 fathoms in the Wilmington Canyon... Small makos were caught inshore... Bluefins were abundant around the Hambone and Sausages... Big thresher sharks were caught at the Fingers... Mako sharks were caught at the Hambone and in the Washington Canyon... Dolphin were hooked in the Washington Canyon early in the week and in the Baltimore Canyon later in the week... Anglers caught a large number of throwback flounder behind Harbor Island and in the East Channel... Most keeper flounder were caught on Gulp! Swimming Mullets in the East Channel, the Thorofare and behind the OC Airport... First weakfish was caught off 4th St. Bulkhead... Striped bass continue to hang around the Rt. 50 Bridge and South Jetty... Surf fishing off Assateague slowed after the incredible striper run... Bluefish caught at the Hambone, Fingers and Sausages... In Delaware, flounder fishing in the Indian River and Rehoboth bays was good during the outgoing tide... Some sea bass were caught between “DA” and “DB” Buoys... Flounder were caught in good numbers at the Old Grounds and in the IRI... Zak Smith caught a 280 lb. mako in the Washington Canyon... Alex Capozio caught a 487 lb. thresher shark near “DB” Buoy... Aaron Saulsbury landed a 172.4 lb. bigeye tuna in the Washington Canyon.

June 15, 2011 - Yellowfin fishing was hot in the Wilmington and Baltimore Canyons with many boats returning with double-digit catches... Water temperatures reached 78-degrees... Bluefins continued to be caught around the Hambone, Hot Dog and Chicken Bone... The “Out-Rea-Geous” caught a 450 lb. blue marlin in he Wilmington Canyon... Another blue marlin was released in the South Heyes Canyon... White marlin were released in 50 fathoms in the Wilmington and Baltimore Canyons... Dolphin were caught in the Wilmington and Baltimore Canyons and at the Fingers... The “Tighten Up” caught a 418 lb. thresher shark between “DA” and “DB” Buoys... Surf fishermen mainly caught kingfish... Flounder fishing really turned on behind Assateague Island and Snug Harbor... On one day, the “Bay Bee” had 11 keepers and 100 throwbacks... Sea bass fishing was hit-or-miss... Cod continue to surprise head boat anglers... Stripers were caught around the tip of the South Jetty and the Rt. 50 Bridge... On June 10th, Stevie Ramsey released the first blue marlin of the season... In Delaware, flounder fishing in the IRI, Massey’s Ditch and at the Old Grounds really picked up... Stripers and bluefish were caught in the IRI... The Delaware Bay produced nighttime stripers around the Outer Wall... Black drum were caught at the Coral Beds... Tom Wisniewski landed a 94 lb. yellowfin tuna in the Wilmington Canyon... C.C. Lee caught a 157.6 lb. bigeye in the Wilmington... “Marli” caught 23 yellowfin tuna in the Wilmington Canyon.

June 22, 2011 - Alan Elenson set an I.G.F.A. world record by catching a 22.5 lb. bluefin tuna on 4 lb. test line... Hampered by warm water temperatures, only 3 sharks were weighed in the Ocean City Shark Tournament... “Nontypical” weighed a 224 lb. mako that was caught in the Poor Man’s Canyon... Yellowfin tuna were still being caught in good numbers in the Wilmington and Baltimore Canyons... Big schools of bluefin tuna were seen along the 20-fathom line near the Jackspot, Fingers and Chicken Bone...Larger dolphin were caught in the Washington Canyon... White marlin releases were recorded in the Wilmington, Baltimore and Poor Man’s Canyons... Big bluefish were absent in the ocean but were caught around the Rt. 50 Bridge... Throwback flounder dominated bay fishing with most keepers coming from behind Assateague Island... Sheepshead were caught around the South Jetty... Head boats returned with catches of sea bass and cod... Sharks and big rays in the surf... In Delaware, fishing in the back bays improved for flounder fishermen... The Old Grounds also produced good catches of flatties... Stripers were caught along the Outer Wall... Black drum fishing in the Delaware Bay is on its last leg... Mike Esham caught a 9 lb. 3 oz. flounder in the IRI... Michael Guigley boated a 13 lb. sheepshead at the South Jetty... Bill Walls caught a 110 lb. bluefin near the Hambone...

June 29, 2011 - Anglers on the “Fish Finder” caught a 640 lb. mako shark at the Fingers... Boats continued to return with good catches of yellowfin tuna from the Baltimore and Poor Man’s Canyons... Several boats had double-digit catches... Bluefin tuna fishing was very good in 20-30 fathoms from the Lumpy Bottom to the Hambone... Dolphin were caught in good numbers in the Poor Man’s Canyon... White and blue marlin were released in the Baltimore Canyon... Bluefish were caught around the Rt. 50 Bridge... No croaker yet... Surf anglers caught Norfolk spot and kingfish... Sea bass fishing was very inconsistent with the best catches at the Great Eastern Reef and Winter Quarter Shoal... Striped bass were caught around the tip of the South Jetty... Flounder fishing was dominated by short fish... In Delaware, flounder fishing improved in the back bays and striper fishing was good in the IRI... Flounder fishing was also good in the IRI and at the Old Grounds... Medium-size bluefish were caught in the IRI... Plenty of spot were caught off the Cape Henlopen Pier... Stripers were caught along the Outer Wall in the Delaware Bay... Joe Cox caught a 103 lb. yellowfin tuna in the Baltimore Canyon... Melissa Sexton caught a 32.5 lb. dolphin in the Washington Canyon.

July 6, 2011 - Throwback flounder were plentiful in the OC bays with a ratio of 25 throwbacks to every keeper... Croaker still haven’t shown up... Bluefish around the Rt. 50 Bridge vanished... Several blue marlin were released in the Poor Man’s, Baltimore and Washington Canyons... “Stress Reel-ief” caught 2 bigeye tuna in the Poor Man’s Canyon weighing 142.6 lbs. and 87.2 lbs... Good numbers of yellowfin tuna were caught in the Washington and Poor Man’s Canyons with most weighing between 40 and 50 lbs... “Marli” returned with 24 yellowfins from the Washington Canyon... Quite a few mahi over 20 lbs. were caught in the Washington Canyon and near the 461 Lump... In Delaware, flounder fishing was steady in the back bays... Stripers were caught in the IRI at night on live spot... Flounder fishing was very good at the Old Grounds as well as on Delaware Bay reefs... The Lewes Canal produced good catches of striped bass... Tog season opened on July 1st and good catches were made at the Outer Wall... Sheepshead showed up at the Ice Breakers... Kyusok Yi caught a 12 lb. 9 oz. sheepshead at the Ice Breakers... Keith Kaler caught a 38 lb. dolphin in the Washington Canyon... Jermaine Dickerson caught a 15.4 lb. blueline tilefish at an ocean reef...

July 13, 2011 - With bay water temps warming up into the upper 70’s, flounder fishing improved greatly behind Assateague Island and in the West Channel... Flounder also showed up in good numbers on ocean wrecks and reefs... Sea bass continued to be inconsistent... Striped bass fishing slowed... Several big bluefin tuna were caught at the Hambone, Hot Dog and in Massey’s Canyon... Good numbers of yellowfin tuna were caught in the Poor Man’s and Washington Canyons... White marlin were released in the Washington Canyon and the northern end of the Norfolk Canyon... Blue marlin were released in the Baltimore and Washington Canyons... Wahoo were caught at the Hambone and the Washington Canyon... Surfcasters dealt with Norfolk spot, rays, kingfish, sand perch, croaker and snapper bluefish... Anglers on the “Red Eye” released 2 white marlin, a blue marlin and a spearfish in the Wilmington Canyon... In Delaware, the IRI produced good catches of flounder along the South Wall... Croakers showed up in the back bays... Flounder fishermen had good luck at the Old Grounds by shortening leaders and hair teasers... Flounder also came from Delaware Bay reefs... Slot-sized stripers were caught around the drawbridge in the Lewes Canal and at the Outer Wall... Tautog bite was decent at the Ice Breakers and Outer Wall... Anglers on the “Marli” captured a 280 lb. bigeye tuna in 200 fathoms in the Washington Canyon... Kelly Horning caught a 42.6 lb. dolphin in the Baltimore Canyon... Anglers on the “No Quarter” boated a 237 lb. bigeye in the Washington Canyon... “That’s Right” released a bluefin tuna in the Washington Canyon that was estimated at over 500 lbs.

July 20, 2011 - “Crush Em” won the Ocean City Tuna Tournament with a 259 lb. bigeye caught in the Washington Canyon... Several bigeye tuna were caught in the Washington Canyon in 200-300 fathoms... Yellowfin bite continues to run strong with boats returning with double-digit catches from the Washington Canyon to the Hot Dog... Good size mahi were caught in the Washington Canyon... White marlin were released in the Washington Canyon... Dirty water slowed flounder fishing... Top spots were behind Harbour Island and in the West Channel... Sea bass fishing was very good on ocean reefs and wrecks... Stripers were caught in the Inlet... In Delaware, the incoming tide produced most of the flounder catches in the back bays... Sea bass fishing was good around “DB” Buoy... Tautog and triggerfish were found around the Outer Wall and at the Ice Breakers... A few black drum were caught in the IRI... Good flounder fishing at Brown Shoal Reef, the Old Grounds and at Reef Sites 9 and 10... Croakers were caught in the Roosevelt Inlet... Stripers were boated at night in the Lewes Canal... J.L. Cropper caught a 128 lb. bluefin at the Hot Dog... Gail Pulvere landed a 35 lb. cobia between the Hambone and the Chicken Bone.

July 27, 2011 - Over 320 anglers participated in the 7th Annual Marlin Club Kid’s Classic... Yellowfin tuna action slowed for most boats... Large bluefin tuna were caught around the Hambone... White and blue marlin were released in the Poor Man’s, Washington and Baltimore Canyons... A few wahoo were caught at the Hambone and 1st Sausage... Dolphin were caught in good numbers in 20-70 fathoms from the Washington Canyon to Massey’s Canyon... Sea bass fishing was hot and cold... Stripers were caught in the Inlet... With all the hot weather, bay waters boiled making the cooler incoming tide much more effective for flounder fishing... Sheepshead were caught around the South Jetty... Snapper bluefish reappeared around the Rt. 50 Bridge... The “Marli” caught 17 yellowfins at the Hot Dog... “Moore Bills” caught 4 bigeye tuna in the Washington Canyon... “Playtime” released a sailfish at the Hot Dog... In Delaware, small bluefish were everywhere in the Rehoboth Bay... Flounder fishing was good, although anglers had to weed through a lot of throwbacks... Larger flounder were caught at Site #10 and around “DB” Buoy... Striped bass in the IRI are falling for live spot, mostly at night... The Lewes Canal also produced several slot-size stripers and good catches of flounder... The Outer Wall cooled off for tautog but saw some stripers caught on topwater plugs at night... Randy Colona caught a 12 lb. flounder in the IRI... Chop Roman boated a 108 lb. bluefin in the Poor Man’s Canyon.

August 3, 2011 - Throwback flounder were numerous in the bays behind Ocean City... On one trip, the “Bay Bee” recorded 82 throwbacks during their morning trip and another 70 in the afternoon... Anglers on the “Lucky Break “ caught 11 keepers in the West Channel... Sea bass fishing was decent for anglers using clams at ocean reefs and wrecks... Croakers finally showed up in the bay... Striped bass bite heated up again around the South Jetty... Tuna fishing was good during the 1st half of the week and then died off... Larger yellowfins were found by boats trolling in 50-100 fathoms in the Washington Canyon and between the Baltimore and Poor Man’s Canyons... Bigeye’s were caught in the Washington Canyon... Dolphin shifted from the Hot Dog early in the week to the canyons... Billfishing was steady in 50-100 fathoms between the Poor Man’s and Baltimore Canyons... Seven blue marlin were released in the Washington and Baltimore Canyons... Wahoo were boated at the Hot Dog and Sausages... In Delaware, finding keeper size flounder was a problem in the bay... Some keepers were found in deeper holes in the IRI... Stripers and bluefish were landed during the incoming tide in the IRI... Ocean sites continue to provide good flounder action... Slot size stripers were caught in the Lewes Canal on eels and clams... Spot were plentiful around the Cape Henlopen Pier... Vince Keagy caught an 11.72 lb. flounder at Reef Site 7... “Moore Bills” caught a 260 lb. bigeye in the Washington Canyon.

August 10, 2011 - The white and blue marlin bite was steady with the best action coming from 500 fathoms in the Norfolk Canyon... Others were released from the Washington to the Baltimore Canyon in 75-100 fathoms... The “Big Oh” recorded a Super Slam with releases of a blue marlin, 3 white marlin, 2 spearfish and 2 sailfish in the Baltimore Canyon... Yellowfins were scattered between the Poor Man’s and Baltimore Canyons in 60-100 fathoms... “Moore Bills” caught another bigeye tuna, weighing 206 lbs., in the Washington Canyon...Wahoo were hooked in the Wilmington and Baltimore Canyons... Cobia were caught at Isle of Wight Shoal... Anglers dealt with a lot of throwback flounder during the week... Croaker fishing was horrible... Stripers were captured around the South Jetty... In Delaware, plenty of flounder were scattered around the back bays... Some stripers were caught in the IRI at the end of the incoming tide... Flounder were also caught at the Old Grounds by anglers using big baits... Croaker and spot were caught at the Cape Henlopen Pier... Hardheads were also caught at Reef Site 8... Fishing off 3R’s Road picked up with some nice flounder and bluefish being caught... Trace Shaffer caught a 9 lb. 3 oz. flounder in the West Channel... Noah Citron landed a 65 lb. dolphin in the Washington Canyon.

August 17, 2011 - John Schindler on the “Restless Lady” captured a 699.5 lb. blue marlin in the Washington Canyon to win the Blue Marlin Division of the White Marlin Open... 808 white marlin and 41 blue marlin were boated & released in the WMO... “WeeWun” took the White Marlin Division with an 88.5 pounder caught in the Washington Canyon... Bigeye tuna dominated the Tuna Division of the WMO where a 279 pounder was caught on the “Pipe Dreamer” in the Norfolk Canyon... “Ranger” won the Dolphin Division with a 41.5 pounder caught in 500 fathoms in the Washington... A 71 lb. wahoo caught in the Poor Man’s Canyon won the Wahoo Division... In one day, the “Billfisher” released 20 white marlin in 650 fathoms in the Washington Canyon...African Queen produced good catches of sea bass... Big flounder showed up in the bays behind OC... A couple of flatties over 25-inches were caught... Small croakers arrived in the bay again... Kingfish, spot, croaker, snapper blues and the occasional trout showed up in the surf... In Delaware, croakers arrived in bigger numbers this week, especially in the DE?Bay... The Old Grounds and around “DB” Buoy produced good catches of keeper flounder... Stripers were caught during the incoming tide in the IRI... Flukers had good results around Reef Site #7 but the real action was in the ocean... Dan Wagner caught a 12 lb. 8 oz. sheepshead at the South Jetty...

August 24, 2011 - The lady anglers on “Rhonda’s Osprey” released 6 white marlin to win the Poor Girl’s Open... The white marlin bite was steady throughout the week where the bite started in the Washington Canyon and moved to the Baltimore Canyon for the weekend... Several blue marlin were caught in the Washington and Baltimore Canyons... Yellowfin bite slowed, but some bigeye tuna were caught in the Baltimore Canyon... Mahi dominated the offshore action, mostly in the Baltimore Canyon... A couple of wahoo were boated in the Baltimore Canyon and around the Hot Dog... Anglers continued to deal with a lot of throwback flounder in the bay, but the bite improved in the East Channel near the Rt. 50 Bridge... Sea bass fishing was inconsistent... Stripers continue to snap around the South Jetty... In Delaware, the flounder bite shifted to the Old Grounds and around “DB” Buoy... Croaker action was still strong in the DE?Bay, especially around the Star Reef... Timmy Barnette caught a 68.2 lb. cobia at the Delaware Lightship... Darren Evans caught a 96.5 lb. bluefin tuna in the Baltimore Canyon... Ryan Cene landed a 182.5 lb. bigeye in the Baltimore Canyon... Seth Obetz boated a 62.4 lb. wahoo at the Tea Cup.

August 31, 2011 - Hurricane Irene blew through at the end of the week, but the effects were not as bad as predicted... The final day of the Mid-Atlantic $500,000 had to be cancelled... For the second year in a row, the “Lady Luck V” took 1st place in the Mid-Atlantic $500,000 with an 82 lb. white marlin caught in the Poor Man’s Canyon... Second place in the tournament went to the “Espadon” with a 76 lb. white marlin... “Pumpin’ Hard 66” won 3rd place in the Blue Marlin Division with a 494 pounder... “Par Five” won 2nd place in the Tuna Division with a 71 lb. yellowfin caught in the Poor Man’s... The “Predator” won Top Boat honors with 21 white marlin releases and a longbill spearfish release... Good week for flounder fishing in the East Channel and behind Harbour Island... Gulp! Swimming Mullet was the top bait, as it has been all summer... Larger bluefish showed up around the Rt. 50 Bridge... Stripers were mixed in with the bluefish... Snapper blues were in the surf... In Delaware, gray trout showed up in the DE Bay... Striper fishing was good in the IRI before the storm... Sea bass, flounder and cod were caught around “DB” Buoy... Flounder fishing was outstanding at the Old Grounds and around “DB” Buoy... Croakers were caught at Reef Sites 5, 6, 7 and 8 and along the Inner and Outer Walls... The “Restless Lady” arrived at the Talbot St. Pier with a 98 lb. white marlin caught in 500 fathoms in the Baltimore Canyon...

September 7, 2011 - Seas were pretty stirred up from the Hurricane, slowing fishing down considerably... “DA Sea” released 9 white marlin to win the Labor Day White Marlin Tournament... Susan McCart caught a 62.2 lb. yellowfin to win the Tuna Division... A couple of blue marlin were released in the Washington and Baltimore Canyons... It was feast or famine for tuna fishermen where the bite stretched from the Washington to the Baltimore Canyon... A lot of dolphin were caught between the Poor Man’s and Norfolk Canyons in 60-100 fathoms... Not a good week for flounder fishing due to very dirty water... Ocean flounder action stayed strong... Sea bass fishing was fantastic on ocean structure... The subway cars sunk at the Jackspot are producing nice catches of sea bass... Croakers were also found in good numbers over ocean wrecks and reefs... In Delaware, flounder fishermen continued to pound the areas around “DA” and “DB” Buoys... Back bay fishing slowed due to dirty water... Snapper bluefish were caught around the Outer Wall in the DE Bay... Tautog fishermen had good luck around the Outer Wall before the season closed... Slot stripers were caught around the Lewes Drawbridge and the Roosevelt Coast Guard Station... Tilefish were caught in good numbers deep in the Baltimore Canyon... John Russell landed an 11 lb. 6 oz. flounder in the IRI... Kevin Javins caught an 11 lb. sheepshead on a peeler crab at the South Jetty... Al Rittmeyer caught the first longfin tuna on August 21st in the Baltimore Canyon... David Gillenwalters caught a 48.5 lb. dolphin in the Poor Man’s Canyon... Mark Smith muscled in an 80 lb. wahoo at the Hot Dog... John Quattlebaum landed a 10 lb. flounder at the Old Grounds... Mike Cusimano caught an 89 lb. wahoo in the Washington Canyon.

September 14, 2011 - Seas were sporty offshore and dirty in the bays, slowing down the fishing action... Anglers on the “Muff Diver” had a great golden tilefish trip in the Baltimore Canyon with the largest weighing 56 lbs... Anglers on the “Still Lucky” boated a 213 lb. bigeye tuna in the Baltimore Canyon... Flounder fishermen found a few keepers in the deeper holes in the channels and in the Thorofare... Snapper bluefish terrorized anglers around the Rt. 50 Bridge... Red drum started to be caught at lumps a mile off Assateague... Early in the week, the white marlin bite centered on the Washington Canyon where the “No Quarter” released 20 during an overnight trip... Over the weekend the action really took off in the Norfolk Canyon where the “Billfisher” released 14 whites... Junior angler, Tesher Freng captured a 43 lb. dolphin in the Washington Canyon... Tuna fishing was very slow... Braelyn Clark won the OCFC Spot Tournament with an 8.8-inch fish... Rich Daiker landed a 5 lb. 12 oz. flounder to win the Bahia Marina Flounder Pounder... In Delaware, sea bass, flounder and croaker were caught around “DA” and “DB” Buoys... Croaker fishing was good near “DB” Buoy for anglers using squid and silversides... Bluefish were thick in the IRI and at Massey’s Ditch.

September 21, 2011 - Horrible weather really put a damper on fishing this week... The white marlin bite was strong early in the week in the Washington and Norfolk Canyons... The “DA?Sea” had 23 white marlin releases during an overnight trip... The “Billfisher” recorded double digit releases several times during the week... Dolphin fishing was outstanding near the Rockpile... Tuna bite was dead... Flounder action was still hot, although the throwback ratio was still very high... The East Channel and the Thorofare were the hot spots for keeper flatties... Red drum were hooked a mile off Assateague near the Mud Hole... Plenty of sea bass were found on ocean structure... In Delaware, fishing was hit-or-miss... Flounder, croaker and bluefish were caught in the back bays... A few stripers were hooked in the IRI and in Massey’s Ditch... Flounder and croaker were caught at the Old Grounds and at Sites #10 and #11... Sea bass action was good between “DA” and “DB” Buoys... Snapper bluefish were plentiful in the surf... The Lewes Canal produced good catches of striped bass... Tautog, triggerfish and sheepshead were caught at the Outer Wall in the DE Bay... Gary Ebling caught an 11 lb. 6 oz. flounder at the Old Grounds on cut bait...Georgia Touloumes caught a speckled trout in the Fenwick Ditch... Bob Spetzler landed a 9 lb. flounder off the 2nd St. Bulkhead.

Oct. - Dec., 2011 - It hasn’t been the best fall for weather, with many windy days keeping anglers at the dock... An excellent year of billfishing ended very strong with good numbers of white marlin releases being recorded through the beginning of October The bite started in the Baltimore Canyon in late September and moved to the Washington Canyon in early October... On September 24th, the “Marli” returned with a 112 lb. white marlin that was caught in 80 fathoms near the Rockpile... Yellowfin tuna action was decent through the 3rd week in October when boats caught fish on the chunk in the Spencer and Wilmington Canyons... On November 8th, anglers trolling Stretch’s at the 2nd Lump for bluefish hooked into a 100 lb. bluefin tuna... Some dolphin were caught in the Wilmington Canyon towards the end of October... The keeper flounder bite in the bay started to peter out very early in October and even the historically good ocean wreck and reef bite never really materialized... A lot of throwback flounder were caught in the East Channel up until the end of October... Once again, Tommy Fowler caught the last flounder of the year on November 28th at the Isle of Wight Shoal...The fall tautog bite was outstanding around the South Jetty and along the rocks off Martha’s Landing... Fall sea bass fishing was outstanding on ocean structure... Weakfish showed up in better numbers than we have seen in years on wrecks and reefs close to the beach... With water temperatures remaining a warm 53-55 degrees, the Indian River/Maryland bluefish and striper bite was horrible with fish never really showing up in mass inside the 3-mile line through mid-December... A few small pockets of fish were seen off Sea Colony and as far south as the MD/VA line... Most larger schools of striped bass were seen around the 1st and 2nd Lump and sometimes as far out as the 3rd Lump... In Delaware, the sheepshead bite in the Delaware Bay was outstanding around the Outer Wall and Ice Breakers... In late October, Randy Jensen caught a new DE state record sheepshead weighing 15.5 lbs. at the Ice Breakers... Black drum were caught around Brown Shoal... Towards the end of October, stripers started being picked off at the mouth of the Delaware Bay at Overfalls Shoal and in The Valley. Fish weren’t thick, but they were big, with several weighing over 40 lbs... Anglers had good luck trolling Stretch lures and tandem rigs... Better numbers of fish showed up at the beginning of December with periodic waves of stripers throughout the month... The bite off the beach, all the way up to central New Jersey was good, so at press time we continued to hope for a good fall striper season.

Until next season, keep an eye on our daily fishing report at www.coastalfisherman.net.