Delaware Fishing Reports
02-16-2008
Wild weather in January plus dropping water temperatures put the skids on a lot of fishing activity, with some shops and boats done for the season and others having little to report. Temperatures ranged from the 70s to the 20s, and the fishing suffered from the inconsistent weather. When anglers could get out, they were rewarded with some fish. The tautog and offshore sea bass bites were particularly good, when the weather permitted diehard anglers to do so.
Mike Bowen at Eastern Marine reported plenty of angling action in spite of the weather. Augustine Beach was producing some short stripers and some nice white perch, who were getting ready to spawn. The perch were bunched up near creek mouths and were hitting small fathead minnows, bloodworms, grass shrimp and small hair jigs.
There was considerable freshwater action. McGinness Pond in Dover was giving up nice bass, pickerel and perch. The fish were centered in the deep channel of this long narrow pond. Shiners and fatheads fished 7 1/2 ft deep on slip bobbers did the trip for anglers anchored over the deep channel.
Garrison's Lake was also producing fish. Bass up to 2 1/2 LB were hitting shiners on slip bobbers, while one pair of anglers had thirty yellow perch, white perch and crappies up to pound.
Beck's Pond was another hot spot. George Tweed had four bass up to 4.7 lb. plus a couple of yellow perch, all on shiners under a bobber.
Dave Symonds fished the Elk River to take channel cats up to 15 LB and some short stripers at the Hansen Point Triton Marina area. The cats were hitting bloodies, and the stripers were taken on shiners fished on the bottom with a fishfinder.
Mike said anglers caught countless tog up to four pounds at the South side of the Fenwick Wreck. They were eagerly hitting green crabs up to 100 yards off the wreck, so there must be considerable rubble in the area. Steve Perrin fished secret wrecks and coral pods out of Indian River Inlet to catch 40 tog up to eight pounds.There was also some striper activity as Osbourne Trout had throwback stripers hitting 4 inch swimming mullet on a 1/2 ounce jighead fished with a 1 1/2 oz inline sinker.
Cedar Creek Bait & Tackle is closed until March, but they want to remind everyone about their flounder contest this year.
Taylored Tackle reported the pickerel bite coming to life as they are getting ready to spawn in February. Jimmy Hitchens had chainsides up to 4 1/2 lb.
Mr. Taylor also noted that the largemouth bass were also hitting live baits, and they are in their winter pattern of holding tight to structure. Tide is not much of a factor like it is in warm weather, when they like an outgoing tide. Jig 'n' pigs were taking them off the structure.
There was also an excellent crappie bite in Broad Creek, near the railroad bridge in Laurel. Tide is not as much of a factor there. At Bethel Hole, the upside of the tide is better. By the time you read this, big female white perch will be there, having come up the Nanticoke from Maryland. The males were already up there in mid-January.
Mr. Taylor expects the big female rock to be up early this year. This is because the majority did not leave the upper Chesapeake Bay, so their travel distance has been cut by a fifth. Expect to see them right behind the herring in February.
Capt. Rick Yackimowicz reported very good jumbo sea bass fishing on his first offshore trips of the New Year. They traveled about ninety miles to fish wrecks on the 30 fathom line in moderate seas. Fish were already hitting the deck as the sun rose. Capt. Rick reports that it took a while for some anglers to get the knack of fishing in such deep waters and swift currents. Tangles were common, but 12 to 16 ounces of lead kept anglers on the bottom most of the time. On offshore trips, bring lots of your heaviest lead -- up to 20 ounces might be needed at times.
In spite of the tangles, everyone was catching fish. The catches were mostly sea bass; the average fish was two to three pounds with plenty of three to five pound fish and pool winners over six pounds. A few ling and a six pound white hake were also taken. Bergalls, spiny dogfish and conger eels added to the mix but were not always welcome. Some anglers have limited out while everyone on board had ten to twenty fish.
Capt. Rick expects this action to continue for several more weeks, with offshore temps still around 50 degrees and the fish just starting to migrate. Advanced reservations are required and Capt. Rick said more information is available on www.fishlewes.com
Grizzly Sportfishing is done for the season and will resume tog and striper fishing on March 15. However, they did manage to end the season with a bang. And get this -- with the combination of good fishing and mild winters, they probably won't do a winter lay up next year, they'll be fishing instead. Check the catalogs for good long johns -- you can expect plenty of winter action next year.
Capt. Evans said the Grizzly had lots of nice tog early in January. After some trips in late December when everyone limited out, early January produced up to 39 tog per trip, with fish up to 12 LB 4oz. Book now for 2008, things will start to bust wide open in a few weeks.
Meanwhile, Old Inlet Bait & Tackle in Rehoboth Beach reminds everyone that a license is now required to fish salt water in Delaware and that Delaware law requires you give your social security number to purchase a license. It's the law, so don't gripe to them about it.
They warn that one glitch in the new license is that the boat decals have been found to be defective. New decals will be issued to all license holders by the state. Do not stick the current decals on your boat. DNREC says to just keep them in the boat with your other documentation.
They report a few tautog still being picked up in the Indian River Inlet. Reef Site 10 should also be productive when the weather permits. Green crabs are still available.
Stripers were getting scarce in the Inlet. Old Inlet was hearing about one or two fish a day. These were short fish, mostly on flies. They expect the bite to pick up during our frequent warm spells this winter.
So, make sure you have your license, and try to wet a line in February. Freshwater, tidal and saltwater action await you, and hey, spring is just around the corner now.
11-16-2007
OCEAN – Offshore catch reports have indicated good action for anglers, both chunkers and trollers, targeting yellowfin tuna, albacore (a k a longfin tuna), and mahi-mahi in the Wilmington, Baltimore, Poormans and Washington Canyons. Daytime trolling also has been productive for white marlin, blue marlin, wahoo and a few huge bigeye tuna. Big game action along the 30-fathom line and on inshore lumps including the Hotdog, Masseys Canyon, Hambone, 20-Fathom Fingers and Chickenbone also has yielded a mix of bluefin, yellowfin, dolphin, skipjack tuna, false albacore, chopper bluefish, king mackerel and wahoo. Anglers fishing the inshore wrecks and artificial reef sites 10 and 11 east of Indian River Inlet are reporting action on flounder, tog, sea bass, triggerfish, spadefish, sheepshead and a variety of shark species.
Bottom fishing at the Old Grounds and the areas around the DA and DB buoys has been running hot and cold, with jumbo croaker, sea bass and some real nice flounder being caught on the good days. Bottom fishing just off of the beach in 30- to 40-feet of water is a good bet for fishermen targeting smaller hardheads, schoolie bluefish and an occasional trout. Surf reports continue to list a mix of snapper blues, croaker, spot, skates, dogfish sharks and an occasional short striper as the primary catch along the Delaware beaches. Most of the action has been on mullet, cut bunker, squid and Fishbites. Anglers fishing from the jetties at Indian River Inlet have been scoring on tautog and sheepsheads while fishing sandfleas and crabs tight to the rocks. Casting from the jetties has been productive for bluefish during the day and a few nice striped bass during the pre-dawn hours. The back bays are providing plenty of short flounder, but as has gone on this summer, with only one in 30 flounder measuring the 18 inches needed to be a “keeper” fish. Anglers fishing the back bays also are reporting good fishing for spot and bluefish, along with scattered catches of keeper trout, striped bass and croaker.
DELAWARE BAY – The primary focus of bay fishermen has been on the jumbo croaker and doormat flounder that have taken up residence in the lower end of the bay. The big concentration of trophy croaker is reported to be in the deep water just outside the Outer Wall off of Lewes, where fishermen are connecting with fish to 16 inches on fresh clam baits. If you’re looking for doormat flounder, focus on the structure and deep drop-offs between Cape Henlopen and the southeast corner of the Anchorage, including the Outer Wall, Haystacks, reef sites 6, 7, and 8, the edges of Brown Shoal and the area between the A and G buoys in the Anchorage. Most of the six-pound-plus flounder being weighed at beach area tackle shops are reported to have been caught on extra large baits, including live spot, six- to eight-inch strips of bluefish belly, extra long squid strips and whole frozen smelt. Keeper flounder also are being caught further up the bay at locations including the Lower Middle, Miah Maull Lighthouse, 14-Foot Light, Blakes Channel and Cross Ledge. Mixed schools of croaker, spot and small weakfish also are being reported from these areas by fishermen baiting with squid, clams and Fishbites. Shore fishing from the Port Mahon and Woodland Beach fishing piers is providing a mix of spot, white perch and small croaker for fishermen using bloodworms and bloodworm Fishbites. Reports from the lower bay wrecks and rock piles included action on a variety of popular species including tautog, triggerfish, spadefish, porgies and sheepsheads. Bait with green crabs, sandfleas, shrimp or Gulp if you’re fishing the structure piles.
PONDS – Water temperatures in the local millponds have cooled by a few degrees over the past week and should continue to drop as September brings cooler nighttimes. The result should be an increase in the amount of time bass are actively feeding each day and improved action on panfish like bluegills and crappie. Topwater baits are still the top choice for bass, but there have been increased reports of success on crankbaits and pig ‘n jigs during the past few weeks.
TIDAL RIVERS – River anglers fishing the tidal waters in the northern end of the state are reporting excellent fishing for channel catfish on cut bunker, night crawlers, herring, peeler crabs and shrimp. The Augustine Beach area also is reported to be providing snapper bluefish, spot and a few small croaker. The blues are hitting cut bait, with the spot and hardheads being caught on bloodworms and FishBites. Reports from Sussex County turn up good action on largemouth bass for anglers fishing the outgoing tide on the Nanticoke River for fishermen using soft plastics, jigs, black salties and pig ‘n jigs.
NON-TIDAL STREAMS – Smallmouth bass are providing good fishing in the non-tidal waters of Brandywine Creek. Focus on the deeper holes and eddy waters between Hagley and Smith's Bridge. Anglers fishing for smallmouth with lures reported good fishing with floating and suspending minnow plugs, tiny RatLTraps and 3-inch Senkos, while bait fishermen have had success while fishing with a mix of hellgrammites, shiners, minnows and live crayfish.