Article by Larry Jock
Well, this is the last issue of the Coastal Fisherman for the 2012 season, and I am happy to report that it was a good one. Flounder fishing was fantastic, the tuna bite was good for a majority of the summer and the billfish bite continues to put the Delmarva Peninsula back on the map as a hot spot for white marlin fishing in the late summer/fall.
Before we get into the fishing report, I really want to thank Bert Adams at Hook’em & Cook’em, Bruce McGuigan at Capt. Mac’s Bait & Tackle, Joe Morris at Lewes Harbour Marina, Bill Baker at Bill’s Sport Shop, Joe Ribinsky at Whitetail Taxidermy & Outdoor Supplies and Paul Ferenczi at Rick’s Bait & Tackle. They all assisted in bringing you the Delaware Fishing Report each week and I appreciated their knowledge and input.
Now, onto the report...
Bert Adams at Hook’em & Cook’em reported croakers, puppy red drum, flounder, stripers and bluefish in the Indian River Inlet. Croakers are getting larger, with some reaching the 14-16” range, but most are measuring 10 to 12-inches. Red drum bites have been pretty good for anglers fishing with Fishbites bloodworms and clams. The fish are too small to keep, averaging 15 to 16-inches, but are giving anglers a good pull on light tackle.
A few flounder are still being caught in the Inlet, but the fish have been small and the bite has been sporadic. Those that are catching keeper flatties are using the larger, 6-inch Gulp! artificial baits or live spot. Most flounder fishermen are hitting ocean structure around “A” and “B” Buoys for better action and larger fish.
Striped bass are being caught under the Indian River Bridge. One of the hot artificials is the “Opening Night” Bass Assassin which has a purple topside and a silver, speckled underside.
The half-day head boat, “Judy V.” had some good sea bass and flounder days during the week, before the rough seas rolled in.
In the surf, anglers fishing around 3R’s Road saw a good snapper bluefish bite on Saturday, but are still mainly seeing sharks, skates, rays and some 15 to 16-inch red drum.
Further north, Joe Morris at Lewes Harbour Marina said that gusty winds hampered efforts on Saturday, but pretty weather during the week offered up conditions conducive to good bottom fishing.
Natural structure near “DA” Buoy in the ocean yielded decent action with sea bass and flounder. Captain Brent ran the “Katydid” to that area Wednesday, where his fares connected with 16 keeper fluke to over 5 lbs., plus a bunch of bass. The “Katydid” returned to the same spot Thursday for 12 more flounder, some triggerfish and croakers, and a mess of sea bass weighing up to 3 lbs. During that trip, Brent put the 800th keeper flattie of the season in the box himself. He followed that 5.1 pound fish with a 7.8 pound citation doormat.
Bottom bouncers in the Delaware Bay continued to find a mixed bag on Reef 8, the Star Site. Rigs baited with clams, squid or bloodworms produced croakers, kingfish, puffers, spot, sea trout, triggerfish, spadefish, porgies and others.
Bluefish remained plentiful. Snappers could be found chasing baitfish under birds off Cape Henlopen. False albacore, occasionally mixed in with blues, would hit the same metal jigs boaters were casting for choppers.
Anglers using bloodworms or Fishbites in the Lewes Canal and the lower Broadkill River hooked hand-sized spot. Some legal stripers were caught at the mouth of Canary Creek, and near the Lewes Canal Drawbridge with clams, eels or cut bunker.
Offshore boaters found billfish between the Poor Man’s and Washington Canyons. There was a good white marlin bite in the Norfolk for those willing to make the long run. Kyle Hamilton reported that he and the crew aboard the “Sea Slammer” released 4 whites in the Norfolk Canyon on Thursday. Ed Sigda and the boys on “Snow Goose” fished the Wilmington Friday, where they released a mako, dropped for 10 tilefish, and bailed several gaffer mahi off some floating gear.
That’s it for this week’s report. Before we know it, chopper bluefish and big stripers will be rolling through and striper snipers will be in their glory. Until then, anglers will hopefully see a lot more good flounder fishing in the Inlets, as fish begin staging for their offshore run, and on the reefs and wrecks where we are already seeing some big fish hitting the deck.
Until next season, please support our local tackle shops and all of the advertisers in the Coastal Fisherman.
Have a safe and happy fall/winter. See you next year!
