Article by Rick Willman
Hi folks! Fishing this past week has been pretty good.
Flounder are being caught in the back bays especially at the VFW Slough, Burton's Island, Gull Island and Massey's Ditch. Rehoboth Bay is also providing some keeper size fish as well.
The Indian River Inlet has been keeping anglers busy hauling in stripers and shad. Jared Becker caught a 37.5-incher while fishing the jetty. Debbie Hannum and Freddie Burton fished from the rails near the Coast Guard Station and banged the stripers. Debbie weighed in a 29 pounder and Freddie had a 21 pounder.
So all in all fishing has not been bad and if the winds ever lay down it should be fantastic.
Activity in the ocean should start to pick up with the sea bass season opening on Saturday.
A few reports of ocean flatties have come in by anglers fishing for threshers and dragging a bait on the bottom. When you begin fishing that deep water for flounder, be sure your bait is on the bottom. The use of braided line will allow you to accomplish this with less weight and you will also find it much easier to detect a light bite. Another thing to keep in mind when fishing the deeper water is to use bigger bait. If you are using cut bait, use a longer strip than you might use in the back bays. Be sure to give the fish enough time to get the whole bait in its mouth before you set the hook.
Bill’s Sport Shop reported that William Rawlings of Laurel, DE caught a 28.25", 9.45 lb. flounder to sit in first place in the Bill’s Sport Shop Flounder Tournament.
Joe Coyne caught and released a 50" striper on clams at Herring Point. The day before, Joe also caught 4 stripers (all released) up to 37".
Bobby called from the Cape Henlopen Pier and reported that an angler was fishing next to the Pier when a school of porpoise pushed a school of bunker right up to the beach. Pete Hoerner casted a Gulp! artificial bait right into the school and pulled out a 38", 17.75 lb. striper.
Deanna from Hook’em & Cook’em Bait & Tackle reported that if you were looking for good fishing action, then it was a great week to fish the Indian River Inlet and a bad week to be a rockfish. The week started slow, but around Thursday it all changed.
Stripers started showing up on Thursday at the mouth of the Inlet and steadily moved in for this weekend.
The night bite was great on Friday with some people referring to it as a "Frenzy" all along the inlet. Many anglers caught their limit within an hour or two.
Fishermen reported catching stripers anywhere from the bridge to the Coast Guard Station on both the north and south sides of the Inlet.
Most fishermen have been catching their keepers using white bucktails with white worms, although some have had luck fishing with Tsunami and Storm Lures.
Most of the fish have been reported from 30" up to 45". We have had several brought to the fish cleaning table that ranged in weight from 13-24 lbs.
Not to be outdone by the inlet fishermen, surfcasters had a few stripers on Friday evening, before sunset.
Snapper bluefish, ranging from 12-16 inches, were also caught in the inlet, but not in any large numbers. Along with the bluefish, shad are schooling out in the inlet also. Most anglers are snagging these fish with spec rigs of various sizes and colors. One man reported that he caught shad for almost 2 hours the other night.
Flounder action has slowed a bit, but only because more fishermen have turned their attention to fishing for stripers. A few flounder were brought in on Saturday. Minnows on plain hooks or bucktails, or Gulp "Pearl White Swimming Mullet" on a 1/2 oz. jig head are still the ticket when fishing for the flatties. These fish are still being caught in the back bay around Massey's Ditch and the VFW Slough.
Only a few days left until we can fish for those sea bass, and we are counting down the days!
Joe Morris at Lewes Harbour Marina said black drum turned on around Friday’s new moon. Crews reported good action with boomers on the Coral Beds and near the submerged piles off Slaughter Beach. The best bites occurred during the evening flood tide. Surf clams were the favored bait.
Guys on the “Pirate King Two” returned to the dock by 10 pm on Friday night with 6 drum weighing up to 70 lbs. Captain Carey Evans’ group aboard the “Grizzly” scored 6 black drum on Saturday night. The “Grizzly” got 5 big drum on Friday night, including an 83.5 lb. behemoth for Dan McDermott.
Drumming should be in full swing for Memorial Day weekend, and normally peaks with the full moon at the end of May. Joe said the shop will be carrying surf clams through the run, but suggests reserving bait early in the week.
Stripers continue to roam the surf. Drew Stuchlik and Judah Lynam limited out with 4 big bass on Saturday. The largest was Judah’s 32.8 lb. bruiser. Their success came while soaking bunker heads near the Herring Point jetties. Boaters casting artificials along the Outer Wall also caught striped bass. Bomber plugs and Storm Shads were popular lures.
Flounder came from the Lewes Canal, Roosevelt Inlet and the Cape Henlopen Pier. Gulp! Swimming Mullets in pink, white or chartreuse were quite effective for flatties. Some anglers combined Gulp! with shiners, minnows or a strip of cut bunker for a deadly flatfish sandwich.
Joe said there’s been a good response to the Canal Flounder Tournament to be held Friday May 21, and he’s expecting a big turnout.
Until next week, have fun and be safe!
Rick and his wife Deb are owners of Rick’s Bait & Tackle in Long Neck, DE.
