Article by Larry Jock
We just can’t get out of this bad weather cycle, keeping anglers at the dock on a lot of days and creating dirty water conditions inshore and in the bay.
Bert Adams at Hook’em & Cook’em said that fishing wasn’t fantastic last week but he started to see improved action starting on Thursday.
Weakfish stocks definitely appear to be on the rise with more fish caught so far this year than we have seen in quite some time. Last week, Bert said the weakie bite was strong on Friday, and again on Sunday highlighted by a 5.2 pounder caught on a bucktail by Johnny Coffiey.
Flounder action in the Inlet seems to be just starting to pick-up, but you really need live spot to get the most bites. The best location to catch flatties has been around the Coast Guard Station.
The striper bite has been good under the bridge on the south side of the Indian River Inlet and also by the Coast Guard Station.
The prior week, it looked like chopper bluefish were starting to roam the Inlet in greater numbers, but that bite fizzled out last week. Johnny Coffiey did manage to catch a 10 lb. 11 oz. chopper by the Coast Guard Station Wall.
Not much has been happening in the back bays except for anglers having good luck capturing spot for bait.
In the suds, surfcasters are mainly catching kingfish, but the usual smorgasbord of blowfish, spot, sharks and rays are also keeping things interesting. If you are looking for big sharks then you will want to hit the beach at night when anglers are hooking into larger sand tigers and duskies.
Bert said that the sea bass bite has been lackluster due to dirty water conditions and the weather not allowing boats to get far enough off the beach to their favorite spots. Anglers on the head boat, “Judy V.” have been catching good numbers of throwback sea bass and an occasional flounder during the 1/2 day trips.
Offshore, the big news out of the Indian River Marina was the first longfin of the year captured by Tom Ciconte while trolling in the Baltimore Canyon.
Further north at Lewes Harbour Marina, Joe Morris said that Delaware Bay bottom bouncers enjoyed plenty of action with croakers, kingfish, blowfish and spot. Many hardheads have been on the small side, but bigger fish were found on the structure of Reef Sites 5 and 8.
Kingfish seem more abundant than usual, and have been hanging out on live bottom along the western edge of The Shears, over the Star Site and Broadkill Reefs and at the Coral Beds. Some of the specimens caught have been pretty nice. Glenn Melrose managed a 1.21 pound kingfish at Site 5. Charlie Kim checked in a citation worthy one pounder that he captured while fishing on the “Lil’ Angler II”.
Bloodworms, Fishbites and chunks of clams on small hooks have been effective offerings for Bay panfish.
Anglers on the Broadkill and Lewes Beaches, in the Broadkill River and at the Cape Henlopen Pier found the same mix of kings, croakers and spot. Spike trout also mingled among other bottom fish.
Guys targeting trout along the Roosevelt Jetties and Ferry Wall got into some bigger weakies while working soft artificials such as Gulp! and Bass Assassins.
Striped bass were in good supply in the Lewes Canal. Fishing cut bait or clams on the bottom drew strikes. Those casting eels or Rat-L-Traps around the drawbridge also got bit.
Flounder continued to come from the Lewes Canal and Broadkill River, but in diminished numbers. Terry Euston and Scott Proctor used Chartreuse Gulp! and smelts to take home 5 keeper flatties from Broadkill River. Eilene Euston and Peg Proctor proved ladies can catch fluke just like the guys by bringing in 4 keepers the next day while deploying pink Gulp! and minnows. Chris Teeter was walking Lewes Beach and casting a chartreuse Gulp when he connected with a 4.4 pound flounder and a 15-inch weakfish.
Bay reef sites are beginning to give up more flounder. Matt Adams decked a 4.63 pounder as part of a catch at Site 5 aboard the “Katydid”.
Sea bass action has been best for boaters taking the ride to the Del-Jersey-Land reef site. Site 11 also held lots of bass, but not many of legal size. Captain Brent’s Sunday group aboard the “Katydid“put a 240 bass limit in the box, plus nearly 60 ling.
An offshore deep drop trip Saturday on the “Katydid” was very successful. Anglers brought in a load of big blueline tilefish, weighing up to over 15 pounds, rosefish, and several quality golden tile. Katydid turned right around and headed back off on a sea bass trip Sunday. Patrons ended up with a boat limit of 160 chunky knotheads.
Some tuna came from the Canyons. There was a pretty good bite in 200 fathoms of the Baltimore early in the week on mixed size yellowfins. Fish were found scattered along the edge after that. Art and Willie Lodge teamed up for the heaviest yellowfin checked in at Lewes Harbour so far this season. The 77.7 pounder blasted a squid chain in the Bight of the Baltimore Saturday.
Until next week, tight lines!
