Article by Larry Jock
Joe Morris at Lewes Harbour Marina said several boaters targeted sea bass since the season opened on May 19th. Catches came from 20 fathom wrecks and the Del-Jersey Land Reef Site for those willing to make a long run. Fish were also found closer on inshore snags and at Reefsite 11. Most bassers hoped that spots would be loaded up, after being untouched all winter, but limit catches were uncommon. There were plenty of small fish, below the 12.5-inch minimum, but big numbers of keeper fish were hard to come by. Crews that made multiple anchor drops during the day, and culled through numerous shorts, did end up with decent catches.
Captain Brent has been bassin’ regularly aboard the “Katydid”. He said he’s had to work harder each trip for numbers, but usually ends up OK. Opening day, his group took home 87 bass, 37 ling and 2 cod. A group of lady anglers scored big on Tuesday with 105 sea bass, 25 ling and a cod. Bob Kauffman and his bassers had 82 keepers and 4 ling Friday. Mate Chris Vann captured a 3.12 pound citation bass as part of a 110 fish catch on Saturday aboard the “Katydid”. Captain Carey’s crew on the “Grizzly” returned with 101 knotheads, 24 ling and 7 nice codfish. Moses Whitehurst and his buddies bassed with Captain Pete on the “Top Fin” for 76 keepers to 3 pounds.
Beside the bass news, inshore flounder fishing showed signs of encouragement. Mike King, Adam Leaman and Laura Brenner boxed 6 keeper fluke on Sunday while drifting squid and smelts on the Old Grounds.
Offshore enthusiasts were excited to see an early shot of 64 to 67-degree water in the Baltimore Canyon that produced the season’s first yellowfins. Phil Williams reported that he had bluefins and a mako just inshore of the Baltimore. Geoff McCloskey and his crew aboard “Tutta Bene” had a great offshore trip on Sunday. They trolled skirted ballyhoos on waybacks and planers in 65-degree water at the west wall of the Wilmington Canyon for some fine bluefins, including a 114.5 pounder boated by Joey DellAversaro. Ed Sigda’s guys on the “Snow Goose” also got into 50 lb. class bluefins in the Wilmington Canyon on Sunday, then finished their day with 15 tilefish from the bottom.
Back in Delaware Bay, the black drum bite was good around the last quarter of the moon. Drum were decked at the Coral Beds and the submerged piles off Fowler Beach. Fish were also caught about two miles northwest of the Roosevelt Inlet, in shallow water off Broadkill Beach. Late afternoons and early evenings with the end of flood tide and beginning of ebb seemed most productive. Captain Ted did some drumming on Tuesday night aboard the “Indian” and took home six boomers including a 67 pounder caught by Chuck Coverdale’s. Captain Vince on the “Miss Kirstin” had several drum during the week, among which were Freddy Zabala’s 65 pounder and Chris High’s 52.5 pounder. Kathy Rodgers reeled in a 58.1 pound bruiser while fishing with her husband Captain Jack Rodgers. Whopper of the week went to Tom Newsham for the 54 inch 86.6 pound behemoth he boated Saturday night aboard the “Local Girl”, with Captain Mike Newsham.
Drum anglers also hooked some croakers and kingfish. Folks fishing from shore at Roosevelt Inlet caught croakers, flounder, blues and trout. John Davis tossed Gulp! artificial baits from the rocks for his 1.62 pound trout and 18-inch flattie. David Steele scored a 7.61 pound weakfish on the jetty with a Swaggertail shad.
Boaters at Roosevelt, and in Lewes Canal and Broadkill River also found hardheads, blues, trout and flounder. Garrett Stryzs got a pair of flounder weighing 2.6 and 2.7 pounds at the Inlet on minnows. Rhett Passwaters used a Spro Bucktail tipped with Gulp! for a 22-inch fluke from the Canal. Phil Leininger landed a 22-inch flatfish while working a pink Gulp! in the Broadkill River. Gary and Eileen Smith got their limit of keeper flatties fishing white Gulp! in the Broadkill on Sunday morning. Leon Zimmerman managed a 5.62 lb. tiderunner trout using pink Gulp! at the Roosevelt Inlet.
Patrons on the Pier at Cape Henlopen had flounder, trout and stripers as well.
Surfcasters fishing off the beach between Cape Henlopen and Herring Point got into 15 to 20-inch bluefish and the occasional puppy drum. There were several kingfish pulled from the Henlopen surf on Sunday. Mike Harris was surprised when a 16 lb. striper grabbed a small piece of Fishbites he was soaking in the Cape suds.
At Hook’em &?Cook’em in the Indian River Marina, Capt. Bert Adams reported a busy week and weekend.
In the Indian River Inlet, the water is still a chilly 59-degrees, but anglers are finding snapper blues and shad in good numbers. Those willing to put in the time tossing Storm shads and Assassin’s are catching a few weakfish, short stripers and flounder as well
Better flounder catches are coming from shallow water in the back bays for anglers drifting minnows.
In the surf, Bert said he saw a couple of bluefish and stripers last week and blowfish are still surprising surfcasters. At night, skates and sharks are dominating the action.
With the “Judy V” all spruced up and just getting back in the water on Saturday, the “Capt. Bob” has picked up the slack taking anglers to ocean structure for sea bass fishing. Bert also reported the first flounder being caught on the headboat last week.
Offshore, Bert reported threshers hitting the scale by boats heading to the usual 20 fathoms locations. “Christy’s Competition” had a 158.8 lb. thresher, hooked on a whole mackerel in 20 fathoms.
The tuna bite definitely picked up over the last week. The “Reel Life” ventured out to 1,500 fathoms, outside the Baltimore Canyon and caught yellowfins and 60-80 lb. bluefins. Earlier in the week, the first yellowfins and bluefins showed up at the marina when the crew on the “Stress Reel-ief” returned with a pair of yellowfins and a 44.7 lb. bluefin from the Baltimore Canyon.
At Fenwick Tackle, Sue Foster reported a nice size speckled trout caught at the Fenwick Ditch on Sunday. Nathan Allison hooked the 25-inch, 5 lb. 4 oz. spec on a live minnow. She also mentioned that a few keeper stripers were caught by surfcasters soaking fresh bunker in the suds off Fenwick Island.
Until next week, tight lines!
