2023

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Presents Emergency Regulations to Increase Protections for Maryland’s Striped Bass Spawning Population DNR press release (email) ... The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is submitting striped bass emergency regulations this week in an effort to bolster the species’ spawning population.…

States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Striped Bass Draft Addendum II Arlington, VA – The Atlantic coastal states of Maine through Virginia have scheduled hearings to gather public input on Draft Addendum II to Amendment 7 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass, which considers management measures designed to…

DOVER November 27, 2024 ... The DNREC will begin sales of 2024 Delaware State Parks annual passes and surf fishing permits starting at 8 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 28. Annual passes and surf fishing permits may be purchased at any state park office and DNREC’s Dover campus Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Passes and permits may also be…

Dover Nov 11, 2023 ... The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has closed the last 145 feet of the 1,300-foot Cape Henlopen State Park fishing pier. The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation decided to close this portion of the World War II-era pier as part of an ongoing annual structural analysis. The annual…

Extra Vigilance on Roads Called for as Days Shorten and Deer Become More Active Morning and Evening DNREC PRESS RELEASE Dover Oct, 23, 2023 ... As clocks are about to fall back to Eastern Standard Time and the days and daylight shorten, it’s also a dangerous time of year to be on the road because of the annual white-tailed deer mating season…

Delaware Bay beaches will see possible record breaking tidal flooding Saturday afternoon The National Weather Service is is predicting (possible) record breaking tidal flooding along the Delaware Bay coast line.Bowers Beach, predicted flood level is 8.7 feet during this Saturday afternoon's high tide. The current record is 8.6 feet.This is…

Despite this update being canceled everyone should attend this TFFAC meeting to meet your representatives. The public is invited and encouraged, in person and/or virtually, to attend the Advisory Council on Tidal Finfisheries meeting this September 19th at 6 PM. Tidal Finfish Advisory Council Meeting 06:00 PM – 08:00 PM Tuesday September…

The public is invited and encouraged, in person and/or virtually, to attend the Advisory Council on Tidal Finfisheries meeting this September 19th at 6 PM. Tidal Finfish Advisory Council Meeting 06:00 PM - 08:00 PM Tuesday September 19, 2023. The agenda for the meeting has not been posted, however the Chairman Dewayne Fox, reached…

DNREC to Reopen The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park Sept. 1 Dover DNREC press release (Aug 29, 2023)The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will reopen The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park, including a stretch of ocean beach and dunes, and a half-mile along the bay shoreline on Friday, Sept. 1. The bayside…

Type: Recreational Water Advisory Reason: BacteriaLocation: Bethany Beach Start Date: 08/10/2023Start Time: 14:00 End Date: 08/11/2023End Time: 16:30 Description: Recreational Water AdvisoryComments: A water quality advisory has been issued for Bethany Beach following indicator bacterial results which were above the recreational water…

Dover (August 2, 2023) ... The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has declared an emergency closure for recreational clamming and mussel harvest in Indian River Bay until Aug. 24. DNREC’s mandatory closure protective of public health came after a pump station connected to the town of Millsboro’s sanitary sewer…

DNREC Bans Gaffs for Handling Recreationally-Caught Striped Bass to Comply With ASMFC Management Plan The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced that the use of a gaff to handle any striped bass caught by recreational anglers is prohibited, effective immediately, to ensure Delaware’s compliance with the…

DNREC DOVER (7/7/23) ... The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today that a stretch of beach at Gordons Pond within Cape Henlopen State Park has been reopened to beachgoers and surf fishers after the failure of a piping plover nest that was discovered there in late May. The area, closed off June…

State and Federal Protection of Piping Plover Nest to Close Portion of Beach at Gordons Pond on Cape Henlopen Dover (June 23, 2023) ... The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control today announced that the first piping plover nest discovered at Gordons Pond in Cape Henlopen State Park since 2016 will result in the…

I bought a metal detector a couple years ago. It was cheaper to find the property markers with it, than to pay a survey company. Also, I really wanted a metal detector. So yeah, it was a good excuse. Since then I have used it for all kinds of useful things on the property and exploring for treasure. I'm up to thirty bucks in pocket change,…

Dover (June 2, 2023) ... Following a comprehensive interagency review and consultation, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and the Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) have jointly concluded that trail cameras for recreational purposes will no longer be permitted on state wildlife areas, state parks,…

There is a wildfire in New Jersey and the smoke is coming across the Delaware Bay earlier and covering Delaware in a haze of blue smoke. The internet went nuts that it was the Canadian wildfires. it is both. However the thick blue haze outside is form Jersey not Canada. The fires in the great white north have been a issue for a couple weeks…

DNREC May 27, 2023 ... The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has announced a revision to Delaware's recreational striped bass size limit regulation, effective May 21. The update is in response to the emergency action taken earlier this month by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and aims to…

Fishing has picked up for a variety of species giving anglers more options to target Tautog season is closed and sea bass just opened. Nine days before the season closed a state record tautog was caught. New State Fishing Record Tautog Caught Near Indian River Inlet Confirmed By DNREC Long cast from the beach for the sea bees, but ya…

Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Celebrates Second State Record in 2023 Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament Dover, – The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is delighted to announce the confirmation of a remarkable achievement in the Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament. A new…

Maryland's Striped Bass Limits change May 16th Due to the new ASMFC recommendations, which all states will follow. Maryland is getting ahead of that right after the 2023 trophy rockfish season ends. This is a 6 month order by the ASMFC and will be reevaluated. I'd expect to see these limits stay active much than 6 months and I'd…

Arlington, VA May 9, 2023 ... ASMFC Press Release – The Commission has scheduled four public hearings on the emergency action approved on May 2, 2023 by the Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board for 2023 recreational management measures. The Board implemented a 31-inch maximum size limit for striped bass recreational fisheries, effective…

Press Release Dover May 9, 2023 ... The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will launch the pilot surf fishing program reservation system for Delaware State Parks drive-on, multi-use beaches next week. Reservations are required during peak times this summer season. In 2022, the DNREC Division of Parks and…

First and Latest Update Of The Surf Tag Reservation Pilot Program 2023 If you are a multiple Delaware State Park Surf Fishing tag holder, like many of us are for various reasons. We are now limited to one reservation per registered tag holder or customer. Despite having more than one tag on different vehicles, you are one customer. I…

Addendum I Approved to Allow Ocean Commercial Quota Transfers Contingent on Stock Status Arlington, VA – The Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board approved an emergency action to implement a 31-inch maximum size limit for striped bass recreational fisheries, effective immediately for 180 days (through October 28, 2023). This…

This morning the ASMFC enacted an emergency striped bass limit at 31 inches coast wide. That creases a slot limit of 28 to 31 inches, coastwide. This is to be implemented as soon as possible by all states, and no later than July 2, 2023. This excludes the Chesapeake Trophy season. Knowing how we do things in Delaware, we will wait till the…

Well look who decided to drop into town recently, the spring gators. We keep saying any day now. Gator bluefish showed up a few plus days ago as random action and still are for the most part. Dave Moor dropped this spring gator bluefish on the beach at Assateague today. The spring skinny gator blues are back in town, how long this will…

Good to see a new arrival already. The flounder are starting to show up around the inland bays and waterways between. This one hammered a gulp on a bucktail, while the angler was jigging around some structure. This was caught at _____ near the ____, You know the one next to the ______ under the _____ where that guy fell in last year?…

Delaware beaches have unique surf fishing structure, and it is almost nonexistent too. Driscoll Drones got a picture I have been waiting for to show you more about reading the beach. This is Dewey Beach at high tide April 13th at 3 PM. I used a town beach so no one can whine about spot burning. You should fish town beaches too, just…

The Cape Henlopen Lighthouse collapsed on April 13, 1926.  It sat atop the great dune. Due to the fact the dune moved three to five feet a year the collapse was inevitable.  It was built in 1767 and first lit in 1769.   Bill Hicks ... "In 1926 the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse was claimed by the sea. It was no surprise since the Lighthouse Service…

Spring fishing is picking up with an early start of the season. There are migratory striped bass around the Delaware and Inland bays. Seen some quality fish caught around Indian River and Rehoboth Bay the past several days. Fishing the rips off points of land and marsh banks during an outgoing tide. Swim shads or red/white bucktails in…

Ryan Peters has been paragliding for a while now. It's fun to see his pictures taken from above . These are really cool so he said we could share them with you and hopefully some of his future flights. Don't let the title fool you, my feet are on the ground. I'm taking the same aerial tour with you from the comfort of my chair.…

Time to bang the drum The weather is finally keeping us in spring like fashion. Cool nights and warm days. The ground is warming up too all of my soft plastic critters are roaming the gardens we just tilled, and planted. Seeds have been popping for over a week. There are shad all the way up the Delaware. White perch is and has been…

It has been a long time coming, but due to recent legislation possibilities DNREC decided to get into the game early. I mean this is a great idea.DNREC ... "We decided it would be way more better to just go ahead and make sure everyone was good and relaxed before all of our future meetings. We have found a room full of stoners are…

We were just outside of Long Neck, when the call came in from the Masseys toggers. "Your big fish is down here eating all our bait again!" Seems homeboy has gotten a taste for tautog bait. "He has been through here almost daily now begging for sand fleas, green crabs, and white leggers. He won't do any tricks either. Stoopid fish just…

We saw the Aurora Borealis the other night from Delaware a rarity for sure These pictures were a collaborative effort. I screwed up my focus and Mike Givens fixed it later. Hunter Outten for the heads up to get myself (ass) and camera outside and look north. I saw the aurora alert earlier that day and blew it off. We never get a good…

Abra-clam Lincoln is a recently found quahog clam, yes the same clam shells we find along the Delaware beaches. The worn chips of the quahog clam are used as beads called wampum. This particular clam is very old. The clam was discovered by one of the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab’s AmeriCorps members, Blaine Parker, over Presidents’ Day…

Wampum is a type of traditional Native American currency that consists of small cylindrical or tubular beads made from quahog shells. These shells are commonly found along the eastern coast of North America and were used by many different tribes as a form of exchange for goods and services. Wampum was an important aspect of Native American culture…

Designated Trout Streams Closed to All Fishing FromMarch 18 Until Youth-Only Opening Day Saturday, April 1 In 2023, Delaware's upstate stream trout season will commence for young anglers under 16 years old at 7 a.m. on Saturday, April 1, with the regular trout season for all anglers starting half an hour before sunrise on Sunday, April 2, as…

Priority Project Must Now Wait Until Fall Before Dredging Can Resume Dover March 9, 2023 .. DNREC Press Release ... The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today that, due to contractor delay, the White Creek priority dredging project in Sussex County will not be completed this season. The project was…

Get your surf fishing gear ready fish are on the move. Spriiiiinnnnngggging into fishing! Sorry it has been a hot minute since we did a fishing report. The winter has kept us busy elsewhere with work and we had to fix this website from a few "issues". Always good when you find the right people to help out with those issues. Even if…

On March 7, 2023, the Ocean City buoy operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science redetected the presence of north Atlantic right whales east of Ocean City, Maryland. The right whale Slow Zone is in effect through March 22, 2023. As a reminder, two Slow Zones in the region…

Report Blotchy bass using the MyCatch app and possibly win a $100 gift card. The 2023 - 2024 Blotchy Bass Bonanza is an online citizen science project run through Angler’s Atlas website and their mobile app MyCatch. This is open to anyone and is free to enter. Rules and links are below to submit your phots to the app just…

The new 2023-2024 Delaware Reef Guide covering Delaware’s artificial fishing reefs in the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean is now available. Dover (March 3, 2023) .. Published by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the updated guide includes artificial reef program history and the value of the reef program to the…

MD DNR (Feb 2023) ... The Secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces modifications to the recreational male hard crab catch and possession limits for the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries for April through June 2023. Effective 12:01 a.m. April 1, 2023, male hard crab catch and possession limits for individuals on a…

Delaware State Parks Fee Season Begins March 1 The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control reminds visitors to Delaware State Parks that 2023 entrance fees will be in effect starting Wednesday, March 1 through Nov. 30. State park entrance fees for vehicles registered in Delaware are $4 at inland parks and $5 at…

Arlington, VA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has initiated benchmark stock assessments for spot, Atlantic croaker, and red drum to be completed in 2024. The goals of the assessments are to evaluate the health of stocks along the Atlantic coast and inform management of these species. The Commission’s stock assessment process and…

Well played Beach Coalition, you finally got what you wanted, GOLF CLAP all around. For years you've spent tens of thousands of dollars lobbying the state to keep trucks off the beaches in front of your houses. Getting on the surf tag committee to "help" as a stakeholder was a brilliant, smooth move. I've seen you all in action in other…

From the desk of Dewayne Fox, Chairman of The Tidal Finfish Advisory Council (TFFAC). This council provides non-binding guidance to DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife on issues of tidal fisheries management. The TFFAC is comprised of one recreational and commercial representative from each county (6 total) with me as the Chair. We meet on at…