Article by Capt. BJ Pietryak
As the second season begins many anglers head to the bay and ocean wrecks to fish the less crowded water. Almost all the species we see on our coast are now present. Flounder remains the main catch for many anglers. Lesser targeted species like redfish and sheepshead are now being targeted by local anglers. Croaker are everywhere both in the back bays as well as near shore. Triggerfish, weakfish, and sea trout are also readily available for the taking.
Flounder & Back Bay Fish
Flounder in the back bays has been the best it's been in years. The main channels are producing the best fish, however, the lesser known small deeper holes are giving up a few monster fish. The main channel leading into the bay from the ocean is the hot spot this week with Massey’s Ditch and the VFW channel. John Krempa got a nice 20” flounder from the bay on Monday.
Looking back he has made quite a few nice catches this year and it seems that any time I check social media he is posting another nice fish. Todd Szymusaic scored a nice 28.5” and 7.9 lb. flounder from the Old Grounds earlier this week. Lee Steph and crew got a nice limit at the Old Grounds on Tuesday. This appears to be the hot spot for flounder near shore. Debbie Mumford and Dawn Holton fished with Capt. Andy and were rewarded with a limit of flounder up to 22”. Great job ladies! Carl Shuck had another good day out of Indian River with his biggest being a 22” slob. Carl also got to bring home a few nice sea bass. James Albany caught a 20” flounder on his first cast. Not a bad way to start a day. Croaker are all over the bay with the best concentration of fish near the mouth of the inlet. Bloodworms and small squid pieces are the best baits. Schools of these feisty fish can be found along the rocks near the Coast Guard station as well as just outside the inlet on the shoals. The fish will mark up on your sounder much like bait fish only in a deeper red coloring. The Bethany discharge pipe at night is also a great spot to target these fish. The inlet area is also producing some nice weakfish as well as sea trout. Swimbaits, paddle tails, and small bucktails are accounting for these catches. Cast along the rocks and swim the bait back to you in a staggered retrieve. The area near the power plant as well as the canal opening both at Massey’s Ditch and the north part of Rehoboth Bay are great spots to target. Speaking of the power plant, redfish are really snapping along the channel behind the power plant. Bucktails and paddle tails are the main lures being used, however, a top water plug early in the morning can be deadly. With the warm water many more redfish can be spotted tailing along the grassy shores.
Sea Bass & Near Shore Species
Sea bass remains good despite the warm water. Many of the anglers fishing for flounder with squid strips are rewarded with a nice keeper sea bass instead of the targeted flattie. Deeper water is still the best, however, the Old Grounds and coral near A Buoy are producing a few keeper fish. Anglers fishing the wrecks at Site 11 are also hooking a few tog as well as some nice sea bass. I have received a few reports of limits at both Site 11 as well as the NJ/DE reef. Limits at this time of year have not been seen for many years. This may just be a change in cycle of the fish or a rebound from last year's pandemic causing a lull in fishing pressure. Either way it is a nice thing to see. The Capt.Bob and Judy V report great catches of flounder and sea bass on the near shore grounds. Triggerfish are also on many of the wrecks as well as being able to find a few wrecks loaded with sheepshead. Croaker on the near shore ground also remains strong. Many of the boats out of Lewes Harbour Marina are reporting that not only are they catching some trophy flounder but also loading the coolers with croaker. Most boats have switched to squid for all these species as fish seem ready to bite even a dry hook. The area of the Fenwick Shoals is also a great place to troll small spoons. Bluefish and trout are being caught on a fairly regular basis. The wrecks along the shoals here are also loaded with tons of triggerfish. Small pieces of squid or sand fleas are the best bait for triggers and should be left in the water to see if any other follow them up. Mahi are on many of the buoys and sea bass pots that are scattered around the near shore waters. The deeper balls outside the shipping channel have the best concentration of fish. Trolling small chuggers and spoons are a great way to target dolphin. When the fish are spotted on the surface near the balls, casting small pieces of cut bait or squid to them will likely draw a strike. Most of these fish are peanuts and not very big, however, they will give enough meat for a taco or two. Cobia fishing has started to get rolling as well. Chumming with live eels around the Fenwick Shoals or near the shipping channel is the best location.
Surf fishing is steady with small pompano and kingfish being the most common catches. Croakers and sharks are all over the beaches and make for a fun catch. Small kingfish rigs with squid or sand fleas are your best strategy. Don't cast out too far as many of these fish are right in the breakers or just beyond.
Until next week...
Tight lines and fins up
