Article by Larry Jock
Joe Morris at Lewes Harbour Marina said croakers came on strong in the ocean. Hardheads were really thick around Reef Site 10. Many flounder fishermen remarked that it was difficult to get a bait past the ravenous panfish and keep it on the bottom long enough for a flattie to find it. The abundance of croakers pleased headboat patrons, and folks aboard the “Angler” who loaded their coolers on Saturday.
In areas where croakers weren’t as plentiful, boaters did continue to have decent catches of flounder. Reef Site 11 held numerous flatfish, but most were shy of the 16-inch minimum. Flukers also found fish staging on natural bottom of the Old Grounds, between “DB” and “DA” Buoys. Captain Brent on the charter boat, “Katydid” worked ocean structure during the week for more good flattie action. Monday’s crew captured 40 keepers, topped off with a 6.2 pounder landed by Luis Mispireta. Bill, Charlotte and Jordan joined Brent Tuesday for 16 keepers. On Wednesday, the regulars were back at it for a 44 flattie limit. Conditions were a little tough Thursday, but Lawrence Coughlin and his group got 18 good flounder and a 2.5 pound sea bass. Things shaped up on Friday, and Brent’s anglers put a limit of 32 keepers in the box. Saturday saw another 44 fish limit for Ernie Stone and his buddies. Captain Carey on the “Grizzly” also got into flounder again this week. On Monday, his flukers kept 18 fine fish, including twin citation doormats weighing 7.25 pounds each for Carey and Don Watson. Sunday’s gang got a limit of 28 fluke weighing up to 7 pounds, plus a batch of keeper sea bass.
Bucktail specialist Max Maxwell stopped by with a 6 pound beauty he jigged up aboard the “Thelma Dale IV” on Monday. Jen Miebauer managed a 4.7 pound flounder and Mike Thompson took home a 4.4 pounder from their trip on the “Thelma Dale IV”. Wayne Demarco and his crew consisting of Daryl, Joe, Diana and Sheree drifted the Old Grounds on Friday for their limit of quality fluke to over 24 inches.
Delaware Bay flounder seekers had a tough time with full moon tides. Some fish came from reef structure at the beginning and end of running currents. Dave Walker and his buddy Mike did put together an 8 fish limit of chunky flatties weighing up to 5.2 pounds at Sites 6 and 7 on Thursday afternoon.
Other Delaware Bay bottom bouncers found croakers, kingfish, puffers, porgies and spike trout around the reef sites. Silversides and anchovies have been numerous in the Bay and bunches of snapper blues could often be seen crashing through baitfish around structure and in current rips. Snappers hung out along the Outer Wall and Ice Breakers and could be caught by casting bucktails, metal jigs and swimming or popping plugs.
Down at the Hook’em & Cook’em Tackle Shop in the Indian River Marina, Capt. Bert Adams reported slow fishing in the Indian River Inlet with sporadic blitzes of snapper bluefish caught on small spoons. A few keeper size striped bass have also been caught on live spot, but the throwback to keeper ratio is running around 50 to 1.
Flounder fishing has also been slow. Bert said that the flounder that are being caught in the Inlet are either 20-inches or 14-inches and those keepers have generally been caught by anglers tossing minnows or Gulp! from the rocks.
Bert said that croaker fishing in the Inlet was good throughout the week, but they seemed to have moved out of the bay over the weekend and can be found everywhere from right outside the Inlet to inside the Old Grounds. Like Joe mentioned earlier, Bert said that flounder fisherman at some locations had trouble getting their baits to the bottom because the croakers were so thick.
Fishing in the back bays continues to be very quiet, but Bert reported good crabbing for those looking to enhance their flounder fillets.
Inshore, flounder fishing was good on ocean structure, although Bert feels that the better flattie action has moved further offshore, 8 to 12 miles, or to the reefs and wrecks south of the Indian River Inlet. Anglers are also finding a few small bluefish mixed in as well. The Old Grounds, African Queen and the Bass Grounds were all productive locations for flounder fishing late in the week.
Bert said that he heard some better news for those looking for sea bass. ?Angles fishing at the Del-Jersey-Land reefsite returned with decent catches of sea bass, which right now, we will take “decent” because sea bass fishing has been horrible.
Offshore, most anglers are chasing mahi and white marlin in the Baltimore Canyon throughout the week and in the Poor Man’s Canyon on Sunday. Yellowfin tuna action continues to disappoint, but as this report was being written on Monday, the “Capt. Ike II” returned with 14 yellowfins after an overnight trip to the Washington Canyon.
The bigeye bite is still rolling along in the Washington Canyon with fish caught in the Baltimore Canyon last week. The “Capt. Ike II” went 4 for 7 in the Baltimore Canyon last week with fish weighing between 132 and 150 lbs.
If you are looking for a lot of rod bending action, then you won’t have trouble finding it if you fish for mahi because they can be found up and down the coast and not too far offshore. Gaffers continue to be caught on trolled bait and anglers are having a blast casting cut bait to smaller bailer dolphin found around floating debris.
Until next week, tight lines.
