Article by Capt. BJ Pietryak
This past week in Delaware brought very warm days, consistently well into the 90s. This warmed both the bay and ocean temperatures substantially. Bay temps are now in the mid-70s, and ocean temps are around 70 degrees. Larger flounder have moved into the area and are being caught regularly on both squid and Gulp baits. Surf fishing has slowed considerably, with spot and small kingfish making up most of the catches. Spanish mackerel have shown up on the nearby shoals, as well as cobia near the inlet mouth.
Nearshore Wrecks and Coral
The nearshore coral grounds and wrecks are on fire right now, with several flounder being caught from both. The larger flounder are being found on the down-current side of the larger wrecks, as well as in the deeper coral over 100 feet. The Fenwick Shoals are producing small bluefish and Spanish mackerel in the morning. The Delaware Bays are full of small croaker, along with some decent flounder on the shallower shoals. “Bottom Bouncer Fishing” had several good trips last week, delighting anglers with solid catches of flounder, a few sea bass, and a couple of large sharks. “Bad Wind Charters” landed a few nice boat limits of fluke with their clients using their orange clacker rigs to help anglers score fish. The “Restless Lady” had the Bunting crew on board last week, and the action did not disappoint. Several Spanish mackerel were trolled up early at the Fenwick Shoals, and the crew even managed a big sand tiger shark. After the morning session, the group hit the wrecks and landed a cooler full of black bass, along with several nice doormat flounder. “Surface Tension Sportfishing” made a couple of inshore trips, putting together a nice catch of sea bass and flounder. The boat was even rewarded with a cobia just off the inlet buoy, which they were able to hook and land.
Jeff Monaco checked into Rick’s Bait and Tackle with a monster doormat weighing 8.2 lbs and measuring 27.5”. The fish was caught on an ocean structure using a pink Gulp. “Wreck Dawg Sportfishing” had non-stop action on the jigs, catching their clients a 24-fish limit of fluke. “Good Company Charters” caught one of the first cobia in Delaware, just south of the inlet. The big fish fell to a live eel tossed in front of the surfacing fish. It measured 48 inches and weighed 38 pounds. “MandaLu Sportfishing” had a great inshore trip with members of a Bible study group, boxing up piles of bluefish along with some keeper sea bass. Frank Cini fished the Old Grounds and did well, returning to the docks with a cooler full of sea bass and flounder.
Back Bays and Inlets
The back bays and inlets have really come alive with fish due to the recent hot weather. Tons of flounder are being found in the inlet areas and Delaware Bay. Gulp is the main bait being used, but with the arrival of spot, many anglers are switching to live spot on a 6/0 circle hook. David Rogerson reports the Kids Catch All Tournament, held at Indian River Inlet by Hook’Em and Cook’Em Tackle, was a huge success, raising over $18,000 for Lyme Disease. This is always a great time for the kids and supports a great cause. Good job to all the volunteers and participants. Old Inlet Tackle had several clients come in to show off their catches, including Eryk, who caught several throwbacks and a few keepers up to 20 inches. Anthony Capuano fished the north side of the inlet and landed a big 24.5-inch bluefish using a bucktail tipped with Gulp. Nellie Knott had a blast on her first fishing trip in the back bays, landing several undersized fluke and a couple of keepers. Wiker Restoration limited out in three hours on an incoming tide in the Lewes Canal, with fish up to 23”. Greg Allen was back at the inlet last week, landing a nice 20” striper using sand fleas and three split shots. Drifting sand fleas along the rocks is a great way to catch both sheepshead and rockfish. Nick, David, and Cynthia Battle fished the inlet and reeled in a nice rockfish. Michael Spencer reported that young Elena got her first fluke while jigging a chartreuse Gulp at the inlet. Mike Smith went 2-for-6 on fluke in Rehoboth Bay.
Surf Fishing
Surf fishing mainly consists of small kingfish and spot. A few sharks and rays can be found when soaking chunks of mullet on a large circle hook using a fish-finder rig. Many of the spot and kingfish are not far out, and a super-long cast will often put your bait outside the strike zone. Try setting your lines at different intervals to locate the depth of the fish, which are usually in the breakers close to shore. Terry Paxton fished Herring Point using a mullet rig and landed a nice bluefish for his effort. Robin from New Castle fished the jetty off Bowers Beach and landed a nice 20” flounder. Nick Crater ended up with a big mess of lines after a large skate hit his rig and took off down the beach. The fish was finally landed, the lines untangled, and the fish safely released.
Clams and Crabs
Clamming is very productive. This past week, I clammed near the inlet and was rewarded with 78 clams in 40 minutes. Many were large, but I did manage several smaller ones suitable for clams casino. The crab count has been around 35 for a four-pot string, with many in the large to jumbo size. The crabs must be nearing a shed, as they are all very fat and heavy, showing a dirty bottom.
How-To
This week’s how-to comes from Captain Rich of “Flip N Fins” and covers spadefishing at the Fenwick Shoals. Anglers should use a rod with 12 lb braid and a top shot of 15 ft of 12 lb fluorocarbon leader. Attach a #1 Gamakatsu red hook at the end, with a few split shots 3–4 ft above the hook. A small strip of clam is used as bait. At the top of the fluoro line, attach a small float to keep the bait suspended 15 feet down. If you are catching sea bass, you’re too deep. Using a chum block is a good way to further entice these wary fish up from the depths. The 30-foot wreck at the shoals is a great location to try this method. Rich from Flippin Fins has videos of this technique on his YouTube page, listed as “Delaware’s Very First Spadefish Show.” Check it out for more insights and demonstrations on this often-overlooked fishery.
Till Next Week,
Tight Lines and Fins Up!
