Article by Larry Jock
Well, this is the last issue of the Coastal Fisherman for the season, but it looks like fishing is still in full swing. Flounder are staging up to make their migration to ocean structure, bluefish are starting to show up in better numbers, drum continue to attack live bait and lures in the inlets and yellowfin action in the Washington Canyon has really turned on. Marlin have been hit or miss, with the better bite showing up all the way down in the Norfolk Canyon this past weekend. Now all we need is an early arrival for stripers and everyone will be happy.
Joe Morris at Lewes Harbour Marina reported that the local fishing community lost a well respected friend last week with the passing of Joe Walker. Joe said, “Joe Walker was a regular at the dock every summer, in pursuit of his passion, catching flounder. Through many years of learning by paying attention to elements that made fish bite, Joe had become a very proficient angler. His intuition put him where he needed to be at the prime time, telling him to stop the boat ‘when the water was right’. Joe’s skill led to numerous citation size fluke each season, earning him the reputation as a ‘Flounder Guru’. His most prized accomplishment was landing a 32-inch, 13.6 pound doormat from a Delaware Bay reef site back in July of 2006 that was featured on the cover of the Coastal Fisherman. Even though Joe dished out a little good natured ribbing to his fishing buddies when he’d have the biggest flattie of the day, he was a modest man, willing to share knowledge he’d gathered. Joe cherished his family and friends, and was quite generous. His sons Joe, Dave and Michael benefitted greatly from the example of their father. Joe honored and loved his wife and daughters. He enjoyed countless good times with his fishing and hunting cronies, “Uncle Tom” Coyle and Bobby Bryant. Joe delighted in taking his grandchildren fishing, even when they were no longer little kids. He fretted whenever he invited members of his gun club for a day on the Delaware Bay, trying to make sure everything was taken care of so they’d experience the best trip possible. Joe’s attention to details made him a very successful business person too. His family-run Marcus Hook Florist has always received praises from customers who describe it as exceptional in every respect. Joe will truly be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. And, there just might be a record flounder out there Joe hadn’t gotten to yet, sighing with relief.”
The ocean flounder bite continued to be good when the wind let up enough for boats to make it out. Flatfish have been staging on structure of the Old Grounds, and along the channel edges between “DB” Buoy and the Delaware Light. Captain Brent’s flukers aboard the charter boat, “Katydid” endured rough seas on Thursday, but were rewarded with 26 quality keeper flatties. Many of them weighed between 5 and 6 pounds. The weather broke Sunday and it looked as busy as Times Square on the flounder grounds, with many boats out to take advantage of the promising conditions. Mike Newsham, Mason Newsham, Geoff Klopp and Frank Stiles limited out with 16 real pretty fish by lunch time on Sunday aboard the “Local Girl”. Five of the fluke were over 5 pounds and Mason managed a 7.4 pound citation doormat. Doug Mickowski muscled in a magnum 8.25 pound flatfish while drifting squid and smelt near “DB” as well. Captain Carey’s Sunday group harvested 20 keeper flounder aboard “Grizzly” at the Old Grounds.
In the Delaware Bay, keeper fluke were harder to come by. However, some were intercepted around structure as they made their move out of the Delaware Bay. Shea Lindale and Nate Evans deployed live spot near the Inner Wall on Wednesday to capture their limit of eight plump flounder.
Panfish remain plentiful in the Bay, with an assortment of croakers, kingfish, blowfish, trout, triggerfish, porgies, spot and bluefish. The best concentrations of bottomfish occurred on the Star Site and The Shears, and also between Reefs 6 and 7 and The Lower Middle. Captain Vince on the “Miss Kirstin” found blues feeding under diving gulls at Brown Shoal on Saturday and his guys put 32 in the box.
Size of the croakers has improved, with a few reaching “Cadillac” proportions. The “Angler” headboat had hardheads up to 17-inches on a couple trips and most patrons took home keeper trout on Sunday.
Spot have been big this season too, and some real beauties were taken in the Lewes Canal and Broadkill River with bloodworms and Fishbites. Folks at Cape Henlopen Pier got in on the hot spot action too. Clyde Gardner caught 75 slab siders from the Pier on Tuesday and 72 more on Wednesday.
Pompano were reported from the Pier over the weekend. Surfcasters at the point of Cape Henlopen caught snapper blues with cut fresh mullet.
On the offshore scene, chunkers were still finding good numbers of tuna in the Washington Canyon. Crews tossing butterfish and utilizing light fluorocarbon leaders caught limits of yellowfins among whales in 200 fathoms during the daylight. Greg, Chris and Nicholas Wagner teamed up for 8 yellowfins in 500 fathoms of the Washington on Wednesday night. Trollers working among pods of whales the last hours of daylight or at dawn in the Washington and Wilmington Canyons hooked bigeyes. It’s been one of the best “eyeball” seasons many offshore anglers remember.
Billfish, wahoo and sharks were also reported by crews trolling the Canyons. Captain Mike Faust and the boys on “Chasin’ Tail” released a pair of whites trolling between the Poor Man’s and Washington Canyons, and Jimmy Yingling bested a 133 pound mako on that same excursion. Mike Trestka took a mako on Sunday in the Poor Man’s aboard the charter boat, Lil’ Angler II. Also on Sunday, Hank Draper and his buddies worked 76-degree water in 70 fathoms around the 090 line of the Poor Man’s where they released a 108-inch blue marlin, estimated at over 400 pounds. In addition, they boated four longfins in the 35 to 40 pound class, plus 5 gaffer dolphin. Ed Sigda and the guys aboard the “Snow Goose” trolled the Baltimore Canyon on Sunday for three chunky true albacore, then dropped for a nice batch of blueline tilefish.
Since this is the final column of the season, I want to take this opportunity to thank Bert Adams, Joe Morris, Pockets Baker and Bruce McGuigan for their contributions to this report throughout the year. Also, a big thank you to all the tackle shops for sending us some fantastic pictures of catches made by Delaware anglers this season. It was a great year and all of us at the Coastal Fisherman wish everyone a happy, successful and safe rest of the fishing season.
See you in January!
