Article by Larry Jock
Well, it’s always interesting to see what happens to the local fishing scene after a big weather event, and I think most would agree that the effects of Tropical Storm Hermine were minimal at best, other than keep folks at the dock for several days.
At the Hook’em & Cook’em Tackle Shop in the Indian River Marina, Capt. Bert Adams said that some nice size flounder have been caught in the Indian River Inlet during the outgoing tide. On Saturday, Bert had one angler come in to the shop after hooking 10 flatties up to 6 lbs. while fishing with sand fleas. The best flounder bite has been by the Coast Guard Wall for anglers using Gulp! and minnows for bait. Anglers are having to weed through a lot of throwbacks to get their keeper, but it is worth it since the majority of keepers are in the 21 to 24-inch range.
Like in Ocean City, the trout bite in the inlet has improved. On Friday, fish were caught up to 7 lbs.
Bert said that the bite has been kind of crazy with one day croakers dominating the scene, but absent the next when small bluefish show up. The hardheads love Fishbites or any cut bait while those hooking into small gators are finding the best luck in tossing anything silver and shiny.
In the surf, it’s your typical sharks and skates at night and bluefish chomping on cut mullet during the day.
Inshore, we are seeing water temperatures hovering around 72-degrees and the dirty water extending from the beach out to around 6-miles, but even so, some nice flounder catches are taking place in 70 to 85-feet of water. “A” Buoy, “B Buoy” and all around he Old Grounds continues to be the best spot for big flounder.
Sea bass fishing hasn’t been red hot, but if you are looking for a nice size knothead, then Bert said your best chance would be at the Radford wreck which is part of the DelJerseyLand reefsite. Last weekend, Gulp! outperformed cut bait for the first time in quite a while.
In addition to sea bass and flounder, anglers on headboats out of Indian River are finding thick schools of croakers only 6 miles off the beach in 60 to 65-feet of water. Most of the weakies are in the 10 to 12-inch range with larger trout closer to the beach.
Fenwick Shoal was a consistent producer all summer and anglers are still finding a few bluefish and Spanish mackerel.
Offshore, boats started venturing outside the Inlet last Thursday with most heading to the Washington Canyon in search of yellowfin tuna. Those looking for white marlin found also found them in the Washington Canyon but the better bite was in the Poor Man’s and just south of the Baltimore. On Thursday and Saturday, anglers on the “Finominal” released 15 white marlin.
Dolphin are being caught all over the ocean and, like white marlin, the best action is in the Washington and just south of the Baltimore, but anglers are also finding them on the inshore lumps as well.
Wahoo were caught at both the Elephant Trunk and the Hambone where a 74 pounder was boated.
There is only 1 more Coastal Fisherman left this season, so if you have any pictures you would like to submit, you can do so by emailing them to [email protected].
Until next week, tight lines!
