Article by Capt. BJ Pietryak
This week saw calmer seas and very warm days. Flounder slowed a little this week, however most of that was due to no drift. Sea bass is still very productive for as warm as the water is.
Flounder, Redfish & Bluefish
Flounder has slowed a little this week mostly due to low winds and a very slow drift. Most days saw a drift of around .03 mph causing many boats to have to bump the boat forward with the motor in order to move fast enough to trigger strikes. Michelle King was out at the Old Grounds and managed a nice catch of flounder. Frank Tucker, Jon Little, and Thomas Dukes had a tough day on Wednesday but did manage to bring home a few fish for dinner. Frank and crew fished the Old Grounds but had very little drift. Good job bringing home the 5 keepers that they did. Gale Force charters managed a few nice fish with Logan Warner catching a 25.5” flounder weighing an impressive 6.2 lbs. It is always good to see our youth catching nice fish like this one. Great job, Logan. Looking in the back bays, Patrick Debel caught a nice 18” flounder in the Lewes Canal. The Savannah Lynn had a small group on Tuesday but was rewarded with a big catch of really nice keeper flounder. Both adults and the 2 kids all caught fish making everyone very happy. Marylou Kachel caught a nice 20” flounder out of Massey’s Ditch channel on Thursday. In the back bays of Indian River, Massey’s Ditch and the area in front of the Coast Guard station remain the hot spots. Off shore the Old Grounds area is the best chance to catch some keeper flounder. When the drift is slow, jigging bucktails along the bottom tipped with squid strips is the best option to combat the slow drift. Nighttime rockfish and bluefish in the inlet this week were slow with only a few reports coming in of undersized fish being caught off the rocks near the bridge. Cut bait was the key to get these fish to bite this week. A few tog were also taken off the rocks at the inlet. Sand fleas and cut crab accounted for these tasty fish. Further back in the bay I have reports of puppy drum otherwise known as redfish being caught on swimbaits behind the power plant. The right side of this channel is the deeper part and is where you find these fish. They stage along the grass growing on the bank and any fallen structure along the banks.
Sea Bass, Triggerfish & Croaker
Sea bass remains very strong for this time of year. Those looking to catch keeper fish should target deeper water at 80 feet or deeper. Clam and squid are working about the same this time of year. The Judy V reported some nice flounder catches and a few keeper sea bass on the near shore wrecks. The Judy V is also seeing the croaker starting to turn on. Within the next two weeks, these fish should be all over the near shore structure and humps. For those with small boats, the humps just outside the inlet are a great spot to target these fish. Small pieces of squid or fish bites work best for these fish. The discharge pipe in front of Bethany Beach is also a good place to target these fish. After dark the croaker will stage on the pipe in large numbers. The bay areas will also hold some impressive schools and can be targeted by boats that are not big enough to make the trip out the inlet. Triggerfish have really gotten good on most of the near shore wrecks. These fish are a great table fare with a firm white meat that rivals even the best offshore fish. The wrecks near the Fenwick Shoals are known for holding big numbers of these fish and would be a great place to start when looking to catch them. Speaking of the Fenwick Shoals, trolling small spoons and bucktails at a slow speed at high tide is producing some nice bluefish and a few sea trout. The wrecks here, which include the boiler, are a great spot to dive and spearfish for triggerfish as well as several other species. This area is also good to target sharks and cobia by anchoring near the wrecks and structure, and chumming. Late afternoon after many angers have returned to the dock is the best time.
Crabs & Clams
Crabbing is in full swing in the Indian River Bay with average catches being around 12-14 keepers per pot. Bunker is far out fishing the normal chicken bait. Spend the extra money for the bunker and I promise you will be much happier with your catches. Deeper channel areas in the 6 ft depth are your best area to set your pots. The tidal flow of the water will produce bigger crabs and larger catches. Clams are also doing great. The area near Holts Landing and the VFW are the strongest areas. The Rehoboth Bay has also been very productive. The state parking areas along route 1 are easily accessed and have been very productive. This is a fun activity for families whether you are visiting or a local.
Until next week...
Tight lines and fins up
