Article by Larry Jock
As you can see in the pages of this weeks issue, flounder and bigeyes dominated the action and anglers all over Delmarva had trouble not getting bit by croakers.
Capt. Bert, at Hook’em & Cook’em in the Indian River Marina said that croakers could be found in the Indian River Inlet, in the back bays, off the beach and at inshore reefs. You just couldn’t get away from them, which is great, because it gets the rod bending and it is a great fishery for kids.
Bert reported a few flounder caught in the back bays by anglers drifting shiners and it was difficult fishing for flatties in the Indian River Inlet due to all the croakers. You just couldn’t get your bait to the bottom without a hardhead trying to steal your bait.
Anglers fishing the Inlet were also able to hook into short stripers and a few picked up a trout along the way. Around the rocks, tautog and sheepshead were caught on jigs or plain hooks tipped with green crabs.
Site 10, off the coast of Indian River, produced huge catches of croakers and those that drifted between “DA” and “DB” Buoys and at the Old Grounds were able to capture some beautiful flounder, with some weighing upwards of 6 lbs 12 oz.
For headboats, sea bass fishing has been slow, but the improved flounder bite definitely kept anglers busy. On Saturday, the “Capt. Bob II” returned with 27 keeper flounder in addition to stories of numerous throwbacks.
Surfcasters are seeing a few kingfish and spot during the day and sharks and rays at night.
Offshore, tuna fishing slowed down for those searching around the Hot Dog and Hambone, but bigeyes showed up in mass in the Baltimore and Wilmington Canyons. Bert also reported a good dolphin bite in the Poor Man’s Canyon and golden tilefish being caught by deep droppers in the Baltimore Canyon.
Joe Morris at Lewes Harbour Marina said flounder continued to please boaters working ocean structure. Flatties came from reef rubble on Site 10, channel edges between “DB” and “DA” Buoys and on live bottom at the Old Grounds. Captain Brent’s flukers on the “Katydid” captured 20 keepers at Site 10 on Wednesday. Lou Pennella had big fish honors for his 6.3 pound doormat. On Friday, Shane Townsend and his buddies joined Captain Brent for a catch of 19 flounder and 5 triggerfish. Nate Townsend’s 5.46 pound flatfish was the heaviest of the day. Captain Carey reported good flattie action on the Old Grounds on Saturday aboard the “Grizzly”. His anglers took home 22 fish weighing up to 6.75 pounds.
Jigging has been productive for flatties, and anglers reported success using various styles of weighted lures. Spro Bucktails from 3 to 8 ounces proved effective, especially when combined with a strip of cut croaker, bluefish, sea robin or a Gulp! bait. The Gulp! 6-inch grubs, Swimming Mullets, Belly Strips and Squidos in white, pink or chartreuse have been popular trailers. Squid tailed Cape May Tackle Minnow Jigs, Tsunami glow ball jigs and Facet jigs were also responsible for the downfall of many fluke. Bottom rigs with white hair teasers and a strip of squid and shiner or smelt combo were also standard among the arsenals of those who consistently caught flounder.
Back in the Delaware Bay, flounder were found around Reef Sites 5, 6, 7 and 8, but the bite was limited to the beginning and end of the tides. Dave Walker and Robert Karpovich kept their limit of 8 decent flatties on Sunday while working the Broadkill and Star Sites. With a questionable forecast, Captain Brent opted to stay in the Bay on Sunday when he ran up to Site 4 and put together a catch of 15 keepers for Bobby Flemming and friends.
Snapper blues are finally starting to show up in the Delaware Bay. Captain Pete’s Sunday patrons on the “Top Fin” bucktailed about 30 bluefish at the Star Site to add to their take of four keeper fluke and a big mess of hardheads.
Even though near shore waters have warmed up, some respectable fluke continued to come from the Lewes Canal and inside Cape Henlopen. Richard Roberts was tossing a Gulp! Swimming Mullet from the Port Lewes Pier when he hooked a 5.26 pounder. Dan Bramble landed a 5.55 pound flounder using squid from a dock on the Lewes Canal.
Slot sized striped bass have also been active in the Canal. Boaters drifting pencil eels around the Drawbridge at the end of incoming tide had limits of fish from 20 to 26 inches, and released some larger. Anglers who preferred lure fishing caught stripers by casting Gulp! Swimming Mullets, Storm Shads, Bass Assassins, Rat-L-Traps, Zara Spooks and Chug Bugs.
Guys working the rocks at the Roosevelt Inlet early and late in the day caught a few decent weakfish, and even the occasional speckled trout. Four-inch Bass Assassin Sea Shads in Electric Chicken or Albino Ghost worked well.
Croakers were thick in the Lewes Canal, Roosevelt Inlet, and Broadkill River all the way up past Oyster Rocks Road. They would eagerly hit bloodworms, small pieces of clam or Fishbites. Spot and white perch were mingled with hardheads and bit on the same baits.
Panfish were also plentiful around the Star Reef and Site 5 in the Broadkill Slough. The mix included croakers, spot, kingfish, puffers, snapper blues, triggerfish and spike trout. Boaters also found hardheads along the edge of the Anchorage near “G” Buoy.
Good sized brown sharks were prevalent too, and provided some extra excitement for bottom bouncers.
On the offshore scene, bluefins were found at Massey’s Canyon early in the week, and trollers pulling spreader bars, green machines or cedar plugs early and late in the day connected with mainly under 47-inch fish. Ryan Short said he fished with Billy Hein and the boys aboard the “Stacey” in 100 fathoms of the Poor Man’s on Saturday, where they released a white marlin and landed a 50 pound yellowfin and some gaffer dolphin. Rob Jarboe and his crew aboard the “Ella Belle” overnighted in the Baltimore for yellowfins of 50, 56 and 58 pounds. They also had a pair of mahi and a mako. Several boats reported bigeye bites in the Wilmington Canyon on Saturday. Bill Via boated a 21.1 pound dolphin aboard the “Lil’ Angler II” during the Big Fish Classic. Bill’s mahi earned him Third Heaviest Fish honors for weighed on Saturday tournament. Congrats to Bill, Captain Brian Wazlavek and his crew.
Until next week, tight lines!
