Article by Larry Jock
I start the report this week with the sad news of the passing of Albert “Buzz” Adams, Jr. Buzz, the father of Hook’em & Cook’em owner, Bert Adams, passed away last Thursday, August 14th after a long illness. He was well known in the fishing community, having owned several headboats and charter boats, including the “Capt. Bob”, “Judy V” and “Capt. Bob II”. Buzz retired in 2007, but could still be found helping out from time to time at Hook’em & Cook’em. Our condolences go out to the entire Adams’ family.
Joe Morris at Lewes Harbour Marina said currents in the Delaware Bay continued to run hard, even after the recent full moon waned, and most anglers seeking flounder headed for the ocean to find better drift conditions. Inshore Reef Sites 9 and 10 produced flatfish, and Site 11 outside the shipping lane yielded fluke too. Bottom structure of the Old Grounds between “DB” and “DA” Buoys also held plenty of flounder. Ocean water has been very clean and in the low to mid 70’s.
Because of the water quality, flounder fishermen encountered fish normally found offshore. Marc Levinrad was bucktailing for flounder on the Old Grounds when a nice dolphin swam up to the boat. Marc pitched it a jig, and the mahi pounced on it. He landed the 11.5 pounder, and added it to his limit of fluke weighing up to 4.5 pounds for a mixed bag of fine eating. James Summers was drifting the Old Grounds on the “Martha Marie”, when a 12.6 pound dolphin grabbed his flounder rig as he wound it up from the bottom.
Good numbers of flounder were brought in during the week, and many were nice sized. Wayne Demarco decked an 8 pound doormat that ate a bucktail and cut bait combo on the Old Grounds. Bert Long landed a 6.1 pound fluke aboard the “Miss Kirstin”. Geoff Klopp and Mason Newsham had flatties of 5.1, 5.95 and 5.96 pounds as part of their limit from Site 10. Chris Vann usually works the deck as mate aboard the “Katydid”, but he took off Saturday to celebrate his birthday by fishing aboard the boat with a bunch of his buddies. Captain Brent ran the boys to Site 11 for the party, and the flounder were quite cooperative. The guys put a 40 fish limit in the box, and headed back to the dock early. Bucktails tipped with Gulp! and smelts were responsible for the demise of many of those flatties. Ron Mistretta muscled in the largest, a citation slab weighing 7.33 pounds. Most were quality fish, and just the 5 heaviest totaled 27.5 pounds. Captain Brian worked the Old Grounds Sunday aboard the “Lil’ Angler II”, and put together a 16 fish limit for his four flukers. Captain Brent was at it again Sunday, positioning the “Katydid” over productive ocean bottom. Regular anglers aboard landed their 40 flounder limit, then topped off the catch with 14 knothead sea bass and an equal number of chunky ling. Fred Robinson had big fish honors for his 7.88 pound lunker fluke.
Back in the Delaware Bay, croakers remained plentiful around the reef sites. Kingfish, spot, puffers, spike trout and triggerfish mingled with hardheads. Bottom bouncers encountered a few surprise species. Vice Zagroba got a 5.75 pound spadefish at Site 7 on the “Indian”. Jack Sullivan landed a 12 pound black drum that took a small piece of clam on a croaker rig at Site 8 aboard the “Katydid”.
Snapper bluefish have been showing in the rip outside the northern end of the Outer Wall. Their presence is often indicated by diving birds working on baitfish forced to the surface by the ravenous little choppers. A bucktail or small metal jig cast among the feeding blues usually got bit in short order.
Croakers and jumbo spot were abundant in Lewes Canal and Broadkill River. Slot sized stripers and an occasional red drum were caught as well. Brian Smith was casting an Electric Chicken Bass Assassin along the bank of Broadkill River and connected with a pair of beautiful speckled trout weighing 3.5 and 5.4 pounds.
Capt. Bert Adams at Hook’em & Cook’em Tackle Shop in the Indian River Marina reported slow action in the Indian River Inlet and back bays. Anglers were able to catch small bluefish on Sunday morning and the croaker bite was a little better in the afternoon, but nothing to really rave about.
Most of the action out of Indian River is happening around the inshore shoals, as close as 5-miles off the beach. Those fishing at Fenwick Shoal are finding good numbers of small bluefish and keeper flounder. The “Miss Ene II” ventured out on Saturday and returned with their limit of bluefish, 30 lbs. of flounder, a Spanish mackerel and a sea bass.
The flounder bite on ocean structure is incredible right now, but you need the right drift to make it happen. The areas around “DA” and “DB” Buoys along with Sites 10, 11 and down to Fenwick Shoal are all spots where anglers are really whooping on flounder. Bucktails tipped with strips of bluefish or flounder belly are really producing.
The headboats out of Indian River are having some excellent days for flounder fishing, but again, it depends on the current. They are also beginning to find larger croaker, in the 12-inch range, along with all the bluefish you want.
Further offshore, mahi and wahoo are outnumbering tuna right now and with warm water temperatures, anglers are surprised finding mahi closer to shore than normal. Bert did report a 19.9 lb. blueline tile fish caught by an angler on Saturday. That is a huge blueline tilefish, and unfortunately, the fish was already filleted before a picture could be snapped.
Off the beach, surfcasters are finding the typical summer selection of a few kingfish, croaker, small bluefish, sharks and skates.
Until next week, tight lines!
