Article by Larry Jock
Capt. Bert Adams at Hook’em & Cook’em Outfitters told me that there was a decent flounder bite in the Indian River Inlet last week. Anglers fishing on the south side of the Inlet and those who were able to hold their boat in the eddy at the entrance of the Coast Guard Station were able to pick off a few.
Anglers floating sand fleas at night in the Inlet caught stripers, but had to wade through a lot of small, throwback fish to get their keeper. When they did catch one of legal size, it was usually in the 30 to 34-inch range.
Both red drum and black drum were also caught in the Inlet by anglers fishing with Fishbites orange clam or live clams. The first hour of the outgoing and the last 2 hours of the incoming seemed to provide the best action.
Those drifting on the south side of the Indian River Inlet caught a few croaker and triggerfish. Bert also saw a few spadefish come to the cleaning table as well.
Like elsewhere around Delmarva, the resurgence of trout, or weakfish, has been a real bright spot of the season. For the last couple of years, we have seen more and more end up in coolers and this season has been the best in many years. Anglers who are drifting spot during the daytime and in particular, those able to hold their boat in the eddy in front of the Coast Guard Station, have been able to hook some tasty weakfish.
The headboats out of Indian River have reported a slow sea bass and flounder bite this season. There has been a lot of action on the full-day boat, but anglers are catching mostly short, 7 to 10-inch fish before finally hooking into a keeper. Same can be said for the flounder bite, although when anglers are getting their keeper, it is usually a nice size flattie close to the 4 lb. mark.
The headboat, “Judy V.” has reported tough going for sea bass during their 1/2 day trip, but better results for those looking for keeper flounder on ocean structure.
Further north, Joe Morris at Lewes Harbour Marina said the reopening of tautog season offered up some good fishing for guys working the rockpiles off Lewes. Most anglers ended up with some keepers, and a few groups returned to the cleaning table with five fish per person limits each day. Nice triggerfish were mixed in. Many toggers chose to be on the water at first light to beat the heat. Sand fleas, green crabs and box crabs were popular baits for tog, and triggers seemed to prefer fleas and small pieces of pink Gulp!
Spadefish and sheepshead are also showing up on hard structure of the breakwaters and Bay reef sites. Paul Hazzard had an 8.36 pound sheepshead that ate a sand flea at the Ice Breakers.
Those seeking flounder dealt with challenging conditions in the Delaware Bay from the effects of extra high and low tides. The current ran hard, and the window of opportunity for a proper drift over reef structure was limited to the last hour of flood tide and first hour of ebb. Sometimes, anchoring and walking rigs across the rubble or pitching bucktails uptide resulted in some fluke bites. Things got right for a short time Saturday, enabling Joe Walker, Joe Walker, Jr. and Tom Coyle to put seven keeper flatties in the box at Site 7.
Other bottom bouncers in the Bay continued to have success with numerous croakers, spot, kingfish, puffers and spike trout. Most of the croakers have been small, but more in the 10 to 13-inch range have been caught recently.
Kingfish seem to be more plentiful this year than for a long while, and many kings are ending up in coolers as part of the panfish mix. Reefs 5 and 8 and The Shears were popular spots for panfish, and clams, squid, bloodworms and Fishbites got the nod for top bait.
Conditions in the ocean were a little better for flukers, with less influence from current. However, wind played a part in how boats drifted too. Rough bottom of the Old Grounds between “DB” and “DA” gave up flatfish last week. A trip to Site 10 on Monday aboard the charter boat, “Katydid” yielded 13 keepers. Bob Bryant, Bob Bryant, Jr. and Joe Walker worked Site 10 on Tuesday and kept 9 flatfish measuring up to 23-inches.
Offshore action remains good. Bluefin tuna have been hanging around the Hot Dog the past couple weeks and trolling boats had success with fish that ranged mostly from 50 to 90 pounds. The bite has been better some days than others, but crews that were on the scene at first light usually hooked up. Tuna were drawn to spreader bars pulled from the riggers, or ballyhoos skirted with Joe Shutes, Ilanders or Bluewater JAGS towed way back. Anglers were also able to jig fish that were grouped up on the edge of the lump. Savvy captains that kept an eye on the sounder while trolling were able to hang a few extra tuna by dropping diamond jigs or Butterfly Jigs when marks appeared on the screen at midwater.
Yellowfins mingled with the bluefins and were caught both by trolling and chunking recently. The “Katydid” trolled the Dog early on Tuesday for a pair of yellowfins and a 77.4 pound bluefin was brought to the boat by George Durant. Captain Brent then moved to the Baltimore where his anglers dropped for a mix of 39 gray and golden tiles. Ron and Danny Baker, Rob Coulborne and Sam Connors trolled a 68.4 pound bluefin and some nice mahi on Wednesday. The highlight of their day was a 64.9 pound whopper wahoo that pounced on a ballyhoo and blue and white Ilander combo at the Hambone. The “Tranquila” trolled at the Hambone on Friday, where Frank Procipio fought a 45.7 pound wahoo.
The bigeye tuna bite switched back and forth between the Washington and Norfolk Canyons. Congratulations to Captain Charlie Horning and his crew aboard the “Fish Whistle”. During a late afternoon foray to the Norfolk, they battled and successfully boated four quite impressive eyeballs weighing 178, 192, 271 and 271 pounds! The jumbo tunas fell for ballyhoos behind Joe Shutes and Hawaiian Eyes.
The Pier Point Marina Flounder Tournament in Dewey runs until August 10th. Right now, 25 anglers are signed up and a 3 lb. 5 oz. flattie caught by Mark Larsen is sitting in 1st place. You can still get in to the tournament. The cost is only $35 and that also gets you a t-shirt and captain’s bag.
Until next week, tight lines!
