Article by Larry Jock
Following is a summary of the Fishing Reports in each weeks issue of the Coastal Fisherman. Issue dates are in bold.
May 1, 2019 - Quite a few BIG tautog were were caught in January when anglers experienced some of the best tog fishing in recent years... Rich Watts graced the cover with a couple of 5 lb. flounder caught out of Wachapreague, VA where early season flounder fishing was good... Spring was plagued with rainy and windy days... winter striper season was another dud... the best flounder bite was on the Thorofare flats... trolling outproduced drifting... bluefish and short stripers were caught around the South Jetty... smaller stripers were caught around the Rt. 90 Bridge... stripers were scarce for surfcasters, but some black drum were caught... IN DELAWARE - the flounder bite was pretty good in the Lewes Canal, closer to Roosevelt Inlet... Broadkill Beach produced short stripers and black drum... tog were plentiful at Site 10, but throwback ratio was high... small bluefish were caught in the IR Inlet... a few keeper flounder were caught around the VFW?Slough... bluefish and a few black drum were caught off the beach at Fenwick Island.
May 8, 2019 - Flounder bite was good in the Thorofare and over the flats, but the throwback ratio was high (4-1)... white Gulp was the top producer followed by flounder belly... bluefish were the “Star of the Week” with fish caught in the bay and along the beach... most were snappers, but some measured up to 24-inches... schools of shad were found in the OC Inlet... big tautog were caught on green crabs in 40-feet of water... surfcasters off Assateague caught black drum and bluefish... stripers were nonexistent... IN DELAWARE - flounder fishing in the Lewes Canal was very good, especially between the Yacht Club and Lewes Harbour Marina... flatties were also found in the VFW?Slough, but shorties were numerous... a lot of bluefish were caught in the surf off Cape Henlopen... tog fishing was tough with a lot of throwbacks... black drum bite heated up off Broadkill Beach and at the Coral Beds... Broadkill Beach also produced some good size stripers... the bluefish bite was strong in the Indian River Inlet and off the beach around Indian River... black drum were also caught off the beach at 3R’s Road and in front of Savages Ditch... schoolie stripers were found in the Fenwick Ditch.
May 15, 2019 - Eddie Santiago caught a 20 lb. tautog on an inshore wreck in 50-feet of water... the bluefish bite continued to run strong in the bay and along the beach... most of the bluefish were caught around the Rt. 50 Bridge during the incoming tide... larger bluefish were caught off the beach on mullet rigs... flounder bite was hurt by dirty water, but the best bite continued to be in the Thorofare and over the flats... trollers still outproducing drifters... first red drum of the season was caught off Assateague Island... schoolie stripers were caught around the Rt. 50 Bridge... a 46-incher was caught on 10 lb. test line off the Oceanic Pier... a few black drum were caught off the beach while using clams for bait... first bluefin tunas of the year were caught in the Wilmington Canyon... other bluefins were caught in the Baltimore Canyon... dolphin were caught in 1,000 fathoms outside the Rockpile... IN DELAWARE - flounder fishing in the Lewes Canal was spotty... flounder were caught around the Cape Henlopen Pier... small bluefish and stripers were caught in the Canal with larger choppers around the Pier... small tautog were caught at the Outer Wall... short stripers and bluefish were caught in the IR Inlet... black drum were caught at the Coral Beds... a few keeper striped bass were caught off the beach at 3R’s Road.
May 22, 2019 - The first thresher shark was caught in 58.5-degree water at the Jackspot... the first mako shark was caught in 70-fathoms in the Wilmington Canyon... bluefish were numerous in the OC Inlet and around the Rt. 50 Bridge... a load of shad and small stripers were found around the Rt. 50 Bridge... the flounder bite spread out this week with fish caught from the Thorofare down to behind Assateague Island... small stripers were caught around the South Jetty... the black sea bass season started out strong with many boat limits caught in 120 - 150 feet of water... bluefins were snapping in 125 fathoms in the Wilmington Canyon... skippies and mahi were also caught in the Wilmington... IN DELAWARE - bluefish were caught from the beach in Fenwick Island and were thick in the Rehoboth Bay, Lewes Canal and off Herring Point... short stripers were numerous in the Fenwick Ditch... snapper bluefish and small stripers were caught in the IR Inlet... the best flounder bite was in the Indian River Bay near Buoy 5... the best sea bass bite was at the DelJerseyLand Reef and at the Dry Docks... most had better luck in 125-feet of water... the first weakfish of the season was caught in the Indian River Inlet on a chunk of clam... stripers were caught in the Cape Henlopen surf and off the Indian River Inlet Jetties on SP?Minnows and swim shads... big schools of shad were seen in the IR Inlet... black drum were caught off Broadkill Beach and at the Coral Beds.
May 29, 2019 - The first sheepshead of the season was caught on a green crab at the South Jetty... the first yellowfin tuna were caught in 100 fathoms in the Poor Man’s Canyon where water temperature was 68-degrees... bluefins and mahi were hooked in the Baltimore Canyon... several makos and threshers were released at the Fingers... black sea bass weren’t found until you reached 150-feet of water... the first weakfish of the season was caught in the Thorofare... one was also caught by the South Jetty... short stripers, bluefish and sheepshead were also caught around the South Jetty... flounder were hooked in the Thorofare and in the East Channel... larger bluefish moved into the bay and the bite centered around the Rt. 50 Bridge... IN DELAWARE - a lot of shad were found in the IR Inlet and snapper bluefish were caught during the incoming tide on shad darts and spoons... black drum bite at the Coral Grounds was still going strong... kingfish were caught in the Fenwick surf... a few keeper size stripers were caught in the Indian River surf... flounder bite in the Lewes Canal was slow, but anglers kept busy with bluefish and weakfish... weakies were also caught at the Outer Wall and at DE Bay reef sites... big chopper bluefish were all over the bay.
June 5, 2019 - A 553 lb. thresher shark was caught at the Fingers... the first white marlin was caught and released in 660 fathoms between the Poor Man’s and Washington Canyons... a few blue marlin were hooked and lost near the 461 Lump and in the Baltimore and Washington Canyons... the dolphin bite was fantastic in all of the canyons with bigger fish coming from the Baltimore... a few yellowfins were hooked, but bluefins dominated the tuna action in the Baltimore Canyon... several makos were released in the canyons... sea bass fishing was good in 100+ feet of water... a couple of cobia were caught in the surf... short stripers were plentiful around the Rt. 50 Bridge... weakfish were caught in the OC Inlet... good numbers of sheepshead were found at the South Jetty... dirty water hurt flounder fishing, but fish were caught on rigs with spinner blades in the Thorofare, East Channel and around the South Jetty.
June 12, 2019 - The bigeye tuna bite was very strong in 500 fathoms between the Baltimore and Poor Man’s Canyons where water temperature was between 69 and 71-degrees... a few yellowfins were also in the mix... mako sharks were hooked in Massey’s Canyon and outside the Hot Dog... thresher sharks were caught near the Jackspot... the sea bass bite slacked off, but boats found better ocean flounder action around Site 11 and the Old Grounds... the bay flounder bite was slow, but the fish were FAT... best action was in the East Channel... flounder bite behind Assateague Island near the duck blinds improved greatly... all sizes of bluefish were caught around the Rt. 50 Bridge... a lot of sheepshead were caught around the South Jetty... snapper bluefish and sharks were caught in the surf... IN DELAWARE - kingfish were caught in the surf off Fenwick on Fishbites and small bluefish ate small pieces of mullet... the Lewes Canal flounder bite was slow and the throwback ratio was high... the ocean flounder bite improved dramatically and the fish were larger than typically seen this time of year... weakfish were caught at the Walls and at various DE?Bay reef sites... the black drum bite at the Coral Beds slowed down as bluefish moved in... short stripers and weakfish were caught in the IR Inlet... headboats out of Indian River found flounder snapping 10 miles off the beach.
June 19, 2019 - Over the weekend, the yellowfin tuna bite was epic in 200 fathoms between the Washington and Norfolk Canyons... bigeyes were also in the mix and a few white marlin were released there as well... The bite shifted to the Baltimore Canyon after the weekend... the first blue marlin was released in 200 fathoms between the Washington and Norfolk Canyons... mako sharks were hooked in 500 fathoms south of the Washington Canyon... threshers were caught around the Old Grounds... schoolie stripers were caught around the Rt. 50 Bridge and South Jetty... speckled trout were caught in the bay behind Assateague Island... dirty water hurt flounder fishing again, but the best bite was near the duck blinds behind Assateague Island... IN DELAWARE - short stripers dominated action in the Indian River Inlet... the flounder bite in the Lewes Canal really slacked off with a 5:1 throwback ratio... the black drum bite at the Coral Beds ended... weakfish, small bluefish and schoolie stripers were caught around the Walls... kingfish, sharks, skates and rays were caught in the surf.
June 26, 2019 - Local boat, “Top Dog” won the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament with a 914 pounder... the exceptional yellowfin tuna bite continued in the Baltimore Canyon and moved to the Poor Man’s and Washington Canyons by the weekend... bluefins popped up in Massey’s Canyon... anglers on the “Blood Money” boated a 237 lb. bigeye tuna in 68-degree water in the Poor Man’s... swordfish were caught in 1,200 to 1,700 feet of water in the Washington Canyon... black sea bass fishing was tough... stripers bit around the South Jetty... the flounder bite was spread all over the bays from the East Channel down to behind the OC Airport... the ocean flounder bite picked up at Sites 10 & 11 in addition to various locations around the Old Grounds... sheepshead were caught at the South Jetty... small bluefish and kingfish were hooked in the surf... IN DELAWARE - a 470 lb. thresher shark was caught near “B” Buoy... the flounder bite was good in the IR Inlet near the Coast Guard Station... a few weakfish and sheepshead were caught in the IR Inlet... bluefish dominated the surf action off Indian River... cobia were captured just off the coast of Bethany Beach... ocean flounder bite really improved at the Old Grounds... there was a good sea bass and flounder bite at the DelJerseyLand Reef... in the DE?Bay, weakfish were caught at the Star Site Reef and at both Walls... the croaker bite improved along the southern side of the Indian River Inlet... small bluefish were caught at Fenwick Shoal.
July 3, 2019 - The epic yellowfin bite slowed down, but most boats still returned with a handful in the box... many boats opted to stay inshore to catch bluefins in Massey’s Canyon... yellowfins were mixed in with bigeyes and white marlin in the Poor Man’s... anglers on the “Blood Money” had a great day in the Spencer Canyon where they caught 5 yellowfins, 3 bigeyes and released both a white and blue marlin... swordfish were caught in 1,200 fathoms in the Washington Canyon... boats in search of black sea bass have had to venture further offshore than normal... cobia were hooked by surfcasters and by anglers fishing inshore lumps... the flounder bite was good, but anglers had to hit many locations to catch their limit... White Gulp and Z-Man baits drifted in the East Channel and at the north end of Assateague produced solid catches of flounder... IN DELAWARE - flounder fishing was the brightest spot of the week with good bites at the Old Grounds and Site 11... fishing for black sea bass was the best at the DelJerseyLand Reef... tog season opened on July 1st... small bluefish, Spanish mackerel and triggerfish were found at Fenwick Shoal... triggers were also caught at the Ice Breakers in the DE Bay... spot and kingfish dominated around the Cape Henlopen Pier... good numbers of cobia were hooked along the coastline from North Ocean City up to Bethany Beach... small stripers were caught in the Fenwick Ditch... water temperature in the IR?Inlet increased to 75-degrees and flounder fishing improved... headboats out of Indian River found flounder on ocean structure 7 to 12 miles off the beach... kingfish, small weakfish, pompano and sharks were caught off the beach.
July 10, 2019 - Great week of fishing!... yellowfins were caught between the Baltimore and Wilmington Canyons... a 52.4 lb. dolphin was caught in 30 fathoms in the Washington Canyon... the dolphin bite has been outstanding... white marlin were hooked outside the Poor Man’s and in the Baltimore... blue marlin and bigeye tuna were released in the Baltimore... “No Quarter” returned with 4 bigeyes from the Baltimore... the class of yellowfin improved greatly highlighted by the 88.2 pounder caught in the Baltimore... mako sharks were released in the Poor Man’s Canyon... black sea bass bite was horrible with marks thick on the sounders, but fish just weren’t eating... a 10 lb. 10 oz. flounder was caught at the Old Grounds, but overall it was a frustrating week for flounder fishing... red drum were surprisingly caught at the Great Eastern Reef... flounder fishing in the bay behind OC really turned on, especially behind Assateague Island... larger flatties were caught along the wall at the East Channel... big bluefish, weighing up to 14 lbs., roamed the waters around the Rt. 50 Bridge... IN DELAWARE - spot were plentiful around the Cape Henlopen Pier... croakers were caught along the south side of the IR Inlet... kingfish and weakfish were caught on DE?Bay structure... the DelJerseyLand site continued to be the best spot for sea bass, but the bite was tough... Spanish mackerel and snapper bluefish were found at Fenwick Shoal... the surf off Lower Delaware contained a variety of fish including kingfish, pompano, cobia, spot, bluefish, sharks and rays...Spanish mackerel were also caught in the Fenwick Ditch and the Indian River Inlet... flounder fishing was good in the IR Inlet with good success coming on Gulp Pink Shine... a 372 lb. thresher shark was caught at “B” Buoy.
July 17, 2019 - Bluefin action centered on the Massey’s Canyon, 19 Fathom Lump and Lemke’s Canyon areas... bluefins took all 3 of the top single fish spots in the Ocean City Tuna Tournament... anglers released white marlin in the Baltimore Canyon during the week and shifted to south of the Norfolk Canyon (98 miles from OC Inlet) during the weekend where yellowfins were also found... a 109 lb. wahoo was caught in 30 fathoms in the Poor Man’s Canyon... other big speedsters were hooked in the Baltimore Canyon... Great white sharks were seen at Winter Quarter Shoal... swordfish were caught in 1,400 feet of water outside the Baltimore Canyon... the bay was loaded with peanut bunker... flounder fishing was very good by the duck blinds behind Assateague Island... the deep holes in the West Channel also produced good catches of flatties... a few weakfish were caught in the OC Inlet and around the South Jetty... . several cobia were caught by Winter Quarter Shoal.
July 24, 2019 - Cobia were caught along the coast from the Indian River Inlet south to Great Gull Shoal... white marlin were released in the Baltimore Canyon and in 1,000 fathoms outside the Poor Man’s Canyon... tuna fishing in the canyons was slow with water temperatures ranging between 80 and 85-degrees... early in the week, yellowfins were caught by the 800/800, but moved to the Baltimore Canyon during the weekend... blue marlin and a few wahoo were caught in 800 fathoms in the Baltimore Canyon... the dolphin bite continued to be spectacular in several canyons... flounder fishing on ocean structure was good in 75 to 100-feet of water... divers reported water temperature at 48-degrees on the bottom... black sea bass fishing continued to be inconsistent... large schools of Spanish mackerel were found just outside the OC Inlet... triggerfish were plentiful at Winter Quarter Shoal... flounder fishing in the bay was excellent, especially on live spot in the East and West Channels... bluefish, Spanish mackerel, pompano and stripers were caught around the Rt. 50 Bridge.
July 31, 2019 - Jeff Wright set a new, short-lived MD State Record for dolphin with a 74 pounder caught in 300 fathoms in the Poor Man’s Canyon... “Pumpin Hard” caught a 455 lb. blue marlin in 250 fathoms in the Poor Man’s Canyon to win the Big Fish Classic... many white marlin were released in the Poor Man’s Canyon and some were hooked at the northeast corner of the Wilmington and down by the Rockpile... blue marlin were also caught in the Washington and Wilmington Canyons... the dolphin bite continued to be incredible with several weighing over 30 lbs. caught in the Poor Man’s... anglers dealt with a lot of short flounder while fishing in the bay with the best bite coming in the Inlet and behind Assateague Island... flounder fishing on ocean structure was tough with headboats having to hit many areas to reach some limits... bluefish were caught in good numbers around the Rt. 50 Bridge... the sea bass bite continued to be inconsistent with marks showing up thick on sounders, but the fish just wouldn’t bite... cobia were quietly caught around Little Gull Shoal... Spanish mackerel were found at Fenwick Shoal and Little Gull Shoal... king mackerel were caught at the Bass Grounds... IN DELAWARE - the flounder bite was steady in the Lewes Canal where anglers also found a good number of spot... small weakfish and slot stripers were hooked near the Roosevelt Inlet... in the DE?Bay, kingfish, bluefish and triggerfish were found on various pieces of structure and big flounder were caught at Site 8... flounder were thick in the IR Inlet, but most were short... the best flattie bite was around the Coast Guard Wall and the Handicap Pier... keeper striped bass were caught during the daytime by the bridge... kingfish, pompano, bluefish, croakers and flounder were caught in the surf... the Spanish mackerel bite at Fenwick Shoal died off... tuna were seen busting the water around “B” Buoy... others saw tuna on the surface only 5 miles off the beach... cold water on the bottom seemed to hamper ocean flounder fishing... triggerfish were hooked in the IR Inlet, at Fenwick Shoal and at the Ice Breakers while using clams for bait.
August 7, 2019 - This year, 404 boats entered the White Marlin Open and competed for over $6,186,870... good billfish action in 1,000 fathoms outside the Baltimore Canyon... early in the week, billfish were caught around he Rockpile... 112 lb. yellowfin was caught outside the Baltimore... another 100 pounder was also caught in the Baltimore... outside of the big yellowfin, it was not a good week for tuna fishing... dolphin were caught in all the canyons and the average size increased... the ocean flounder bite was sub-par and scattered... inshore lumps produced Spanish mackerel and bluefish for anglers trolling spoons... cobia were caught along the coast from Indian River down to Little Gull Shoal... a 63 lb. cobia was caught at Great Gull Shoal... in the bay, flounder fishing was good in the East Channel and in the Thorofare... started to see flounder being caught around the South Jetty... flounder, striped bass and bluefish were caught around the Rt. 50 Bridge... croakers still a no-show... IN DELAWARE - flounder fishing improved greatly in the IR?Inlet especially with live spot near the Coast Guard Wall... bluefish were caught in good numbers during the incoming tide... stripers, triggerfish and sheepshead were caught along the rocks in the IR?Inlet... headboats out of Indian River found flounder 10 to 16 miles off the beach... kingfish and small bluefish were in the surf... slot stripers were caught in the Lewes Canal... DE Bay was filled with croakers and spot... triggerfish were found at the Walls... sea bass were still being caught at the DelJerseyLand Reef... anglers deep dropping squid in the Washington Canyon found a good tilefish bite.
August 14, 2019 - “Fish Whistle” won the White Marlin Open with a 72-inch, 79.5 lb. white marlin caught in the Wilmington Canyon, winning them $1,504,719... white marlin releases in the tournament doubled versus 2018... white marlin were hooked primarily in the Wilmington and Spencer Canyons... blue marlin were caught in the Washington... the winning tuna was a 201 lb. bigeye caught in the Wilmington... yellowfins were caught in the Baltimore... a 91 lb. wahoo was caught in the Wilmington... dolphin were plentiful in all of the canyons... “Big Deal” released 28 white marlin during their 3 days of fishing... a good number of cobia were caught around Little Gull, Great Gull, Fenwick Shoal and off the coast of Bethany Beach... big king mackerel showed up at the Bass Grounds... ocean flounder fishing was better than in the bay... top bay flounder spots were the Thorofare, South Jetty and East Channel for anglers drifting live spot and mullet... keeper striped bass were caught around the Rt. 50 Bridge... big sheepshead were caught at the South Jetty.
August 21, 2019 - Kristy Frashure caught a 74.5 lb. dolphin to set a new Maryland State Record (and possibly a new IGFA World record)... Kristy hooked the bull dolphin in 1,200 fathoms behind the Poor Man’s Canyon... good size yellowfin tuna were also caught in the Poor Man’s... 925 lady anglers participated in the Poor Girls Open... wahoo were caught in the Washington Canyon... white marlin releases were recorded just north of the Poor Man’s and in the Baltimore... anglers on the “Triggerfish” returned with a 437 lb. swordfish caught in 1,400 feet of water between the Washington and Norfolk Canyons... bigeyes were caught in the Wilmington... the incredible cobia bite continued along the coast... a 72 lb. cobia was caught off Bethany Beach... barracuda and bluefish were found at the Jackspot... sea bass fishing was the best in 90-feet of water... sheepshead were caught around the South Jetty... the East Channel and the Thorofare were top spots for bay flounder fishing... a surprisingly good number of pompano were caught in the surf... IN DELAWARE - for the second year in a row, a flounder under 10 lbs. won the Paradise Grill Flounder Pounder... flounder fishing was decent in the Lewes Canal but slot stripers disappeared... a few triggerfish were caught around the Walls... croakers were all over the DE Bay and in the Shipping Channel... flatties were snapping at the Star Site Reef and Sites 6 & 8, but the best bite was at McCrie Shoal off Cape May, NJ... Spanish mackerel, king mackerel and dolphin were caught on the troll around the 19 Fathom Lump... good sea bass action was found at the DelJerseyLand Reef... the Indian River and Rehoboth Bays were loaded with spot... flounder fishing improved along the rocks in the Indian River Inlet... triggerfish and sheepshead were caught off the IR Jetty.
August 28, 2019 - Ocean City anglers took 84% of winnings in the MidAtlantic Tournament... a record 73 blue marlin were hooked in the tournament... 487 white marlin were released during the tournament... “Haulin n Ballin” finished an amazing summer season season with a 1st place finish in the Blue Marlin Division by catching a 630 pounder on the final day... “Stalker” caught a pair of bigeyes in the Washington that weighed 207 and 226 lbs. to take the top 2 spots in the Tuna Division... wahoo were caught in the Poor Man’s and Washington Canyons... the amazing dolphin bite continued... cobia were caught at Little Gull and Great Gull Shoals... Spanish mackerel were also caught at Great Gull... inshore flounder action was frustrating, but the best bite was at the Old Grounds on bucktails... black sea bass were inconsistent... small dolphin were plentiful not far off the beach at Great Gull Shoal... the bay flounder bite was hampered by poor weather, but fish were caught in the Thorofare... IN DELAWARE - flounder fishing in the IR?Inlet was decent with fish caught weighing up to 6 lbs... the best flounder bites were near the Coast Guard Wall and around the Bridge... bluefish were caught in Massey’s Ditch... Fenwick Shoal held bluefish and Spanish mackerel... small dolphin were caught in good numbers from “A” Buoy to the Delaware Lightship and around the pots near “B” Buoy... flounder were caught in the Lewes Canal near the Roosevelt Inlet... the DE Bay was loaded with snapper bluefish, kingfish, and increased numbers of weakfish... the triggerfish bite was excellent at the Haystacks... pompano were still biting in the suds off Fenwick Island.
September 4, 2019 - Most of the billfish and dolphin action centered on the area outside the Rockpile and in the Poor Man’s Canyon, but some marlin bites were also found in the Wilmington and Norfolk... several sailfish were released by the Rockpile and in the Poor Man’s... the best blue marlin bite in years continued into this week with releases in the Poor Man’s and Washington Canyons... swordfish were caught in 1,200 fathoms south of the Poor Man’s and in the Norfolk... wahoo were captured outside the Hot Dog, around the Sausages and in the Poor Man’s... inshore flounder fishing continued to be sporadic with the best bite in 90-feet of water... bluefish, Spanish mackerel, flounder, bluefish, false albacore tuna and mahi were caught at the Jackspot... cobia were hooked at the Fingers and along the Fenwick Island coastline... big bluefish, striped bass and flounder were caught around the Rt. 50 Bridge... flounder fishing in the bay was spread out and depended on finding clean water... the best bite was in the East Channel... tautog were caught around the South Jetty and along the rocks in the West Channel... bluefish, kingfish, flounder stripers and sharks were caught in the surf.
September 11, 2019 - The effects of Hurricane Dorian were felt along the Delmarva coast, putting a damper on fishing... flounder fishing in the bay was decent in the East and West Channels and around the South Jetty... before the bad weather moved in, the ocean flounder and sea bass bites were excellent with flounder fishing the best in 115-feet of water... big wahoo were captured in the Poor Man’s Canyon... dolphin and white marlin were hooked south of the Rockpile before the blow and switched to between the Wilmington and Baltimore Canyons over the weekend... the dolphin bite was insane in the Baltimore and Wilmington Canyons... IN DELAWARE - good sea bass fishing was found at the DelJerseyLand Reef... ocean flounder fishing picked up at the Old Grounds... bluefish dominated the action in the surf... the flounder bite in the IR Inlet was as good as it’s been this season with a lot of 3 to 5 pounders caught in the Inlet... the sheepshead bite around the Outer Wall was outstanding... headboats found flounder, triggerfish, bluefish, sea bass and croakers 8-miles off the beach.
September 18, 2019 - Bad weather continued to negatively impact fishing, but dolphin fishing was still incredible with huge catches coming in from the Baltimore Canyon... white and blue marlin were released in the Baltimore... white marlin were also released in the Poor Man’s... good size yellowfin tuna were caught in the Baltimore... the black sea bass bite turned on in 100+ feet of water with headboats returning with limits of knotheads... in the bay, water clarity wasn’t very good, but flounder were caught in the East and West Channels... sheepshead were caught in good numbers around the South Jetty with fish up to 13 lbs. hooked on crabs... IN DELAWARE - flounder fishing was good in the Lewes Canal, especially near Roosevelt Inlet... sheepshead and triggerfish were caught at the Walls and along the rocks at Brandywine Shoal Lighthouse... some DE Bay reef sites were holding weakfish... the bluefish and small striper bite was good in the Fenwick surf... in the IR Inlet, anglers caught small stripers at night and bluefish and Spanish mackerel during the day... short tog were hooked on crabs along the rocks... black drum, pompano, triggerfish, sea bass and bluefish were caught on inshore lumps... headboats out of Indian River ran 10 miles off the beach to find good flounder fishing... flatties were caught at the Old Grounds and on the west side of “A” Buoy.
October thru December - After the effects of Hurricane Dorian blew through the area, the black sea bass bite really turned at the end of September... sheepshead continued to be caught in good numbers around the South Jetty... the state will be cracking down on sheepshead and instituting a 4 fish per person limit in 2020... flounder fishing was pretty good through mid-October with bay flounder caught around the Rt. 50 Bridge on live spot and bucktails... On October 30th, Mike Glyphis caught a 5.6 lb. triggerfish at the “Washingtonian” wreck to set a new Maryland state record... daytime swordfishing dominated the offshore action in October and November with numerous fish caught in 1,200 to 1,600 feet of water, mainly outside the Baltimore and Poor Man’s Canyon... On November 9th, the crew on the “Hammer Down” went 9 for 13 on swordfish in a single day with the largest tipping the scale at 250 lbs.... bigeye tuna were caught right through the last week of November... wahoo and yellowfins were caught outside the Hot Dog in late September... white marlin and dolphin were caught right through the end of September in the Wilmington and Baltimore Canyons... speckled trout were biting around the Rt. 50 Bridge in early November... in mid-November the tautog bite around the rocks in the West Channel heated up... large schools of bunker were seen off the coast during the 3rd week in November, but stripers never showed up in force until the very end November... around December 7th, the striper bite improved greatly along the coast, especially off Delaware.
