Article by Capt. BJ Pietryak
Well it's a new week and the fishing has definitely improved. Several reports of big fish ready to bite fill our report this week. I have also received reports of mahi around the coral grounds.
Sea Bass
Big sea bass are coming over the rails on the nearby wrecks as well as the Old Grounds. The “Thema Dale” out of Lewes reports he is back to big catches of sea bass as well as flounder. The “Judy V” and Captain Bob also report while fishing for flounder the sea bass are all over the grounds and ready to be caught. Squid and clam are the best baits, but the bigger sea bass have no problem attacking the big Gulp baits used for flounder. The sea bass are being caught like they were years ago. The clearer water as well as the decreased pressure due to the virus have made these fish return earlier than has been seen in years. If you’re a sea bass fan, you would normally have to wait until the fall for good catches. This year sea bass have remained strong. Tim Tribbitt on the “Rock On” took a group out on Wednesday and brought home 70 sea bass, 17 flounder and 15 mahi. For this time of year that is a great meat haul. Tim and crew use a lot of sand eel type jigs as well as conventional rigs.
Flounder
Flounder fishing is still doing great. The Old Grounds are reporting the best catches. There are still a lot of small fish but several fish in the 20+ inch size are being reported. The Judy V reported several good days with lots of fish being brought home for dinner. Captain Chris also reported that Paul Frank caught a 29-½” 10.1 lb. flounder. Very few anglers have ever caught a flounder in the double digits. Great job Paul! This is the best time of the year and is the best time to target flounder. The biggest ones are mostly caught using live spot, however every year big 10+ flounder are caught on spoons and squid baits. So even if you don't have a live spot, using big baits can produce a record fish. The areas of the A Buoy are also giving up some nice flounder.Triggerfish and mahi are being caught in this area as a by catch. The mahi are being caught so regularly that some anglers are trolling small lures for them all along the Coral Grounds. Squid on circle hooks also works great for these fish. Dry chum can be purchased from any tackle shop if you don't want the mess of a chum block. In the bay areas flounder are plentiful but small. About ten throwbacks per keeper is average. The area of Massey’s Ditch and the coast guard area seem to be the best areas of Indian River. Squid and Gulp are the baits being used. Many anglers are catching using the 6” white and pink Gulp. A few reports of flounder in the Rehoboth Bay are coming in but the majority of fish up north are coming in from the Lewes Canal near the bridge, as well as near the Roosevelt Inlet. Drifting squid and shiners is accounting for many of the keeper fish being caught in this area. Drift the canal and inlet openings near the wall and along the docks to maximize your chances of catching fish.
Rockfish, Cobia & Triggerfish
Several small rockfish have been caught in Indian River on an incoming tide. Allen Becker caught 6 the other day all between 19-25”. Although he did not catch a keeper(28”) it is nice to know these fish are around. Bucktails tipped with a colorful worm and spoons are a great way to target these fish in the inlet along the rocks. Old Inlet tackle has lots of bucktails as well as a big selection of worms for targeting bluefish and rockfish. Bluefish at night has been good by the north wall of the inlet as well as by the Coast Guard station. Vary your retrieve until you find the speed the fish want. Cobia are around but not as many reports as we have had in past years. The big catches of sea bass and flounder have many anglers not targeting cobia as they usually would. Fenwick Shoals, as well as near the Indian River Inlet, are your best spots with live eels being the best bait.
Clams & Crabs
Clamming remind good with the Rehoboth Bay being best place to target them. Crabs remains some of the best I've seen in years. Samantha was upset this week when we only got 54 keepers for 4 pots. In past years 54 would have been a great number. Average is 12-17 per pot on a 3 day soak. This week we also made 5 styles of crab dips. This is a great way to save it for the winter when you want your crab fix.
Go out there and catch yourself some fish and enjoy the great outdoors...
Tight lines and fins up!
