Sorry for not posting daily we got a little busy with some up coming events we are working on and not much has changed … because summer.
The water is very clear on the beaches from South Rehoboth to Fenwick Island. So clear that you can practically see the fish which is good, but also bad because it means they can see you. Cape Henlopen is clear as well mostly on the incoming tide. The inland bays are stirred up like chocolate milk. Not a surprise there, with all of the rain and what not we have had. The surf was heavy the last couple of days, the surfers were digging the waves and we were holding bottom with about five ounces of weight. The winds will pick up on Saturday night and the surf will as well. It shouldn’t be too rough, but there will be some decent wave action. The fish are at your feet don’t wade in to cast you are stepping on your fish. Also you may notice the water is a little greener than normal that is just phytoplankton and is a good sign. Delaware Bay near Cape Henlopen was really green last week.
Masseys landing water temperatures are topping out to eighty degrees, so not much has changed with water temperatures. It is much nicer fishing these cooler days, especially the mornings and evenings. The winds will shift southwest, watch the flies this weekend. They shouldn’t be too bad but you know how a southwesterly blow goes on the beach. High tide this weekend will be at noonish at the Indian River Inlet. With cooler temperatures it will be much more bearable to be on the beach or boat for some late morning to afternoon fishing during the tide change.
Boaters check your bilge pumps, get boat insurance,and make sure you are signed up with tow boat. Seriously, that was a long night and day, don’t ask. Oh okay I will tell yo anyway. So what had happened was … A friend of mine had their boat in a slip and i filled up with water during that deluge the other day. The bilge pumps failed when the batteries died. The boat was facing the wrong direction so when the winds picked up the other day it pushed water into the boat and sank it,thankfully the marina is shallow and the boat sat on the bottom with the engine out of the water. So not a total loss but was a long night and day dealing with that. Since they did not have insurance the cost to pump out the boat and tow it to Rosedale Beach was on the boat owners. Big thanks to Captain Clarke Droney at Towboat US for not knocking their heads off with the cost. So in short … after every rain check your boat, in fact if you can, check it daily when it is in the water. Make sure the bilges work and batteries are fully charged. Make sure you have insurance for the boat and sign up with Tow Boat US. The few hundred bucks it costs for both of those is well worth it if you get jammed up. I rode with Captain Clarke Droney to the ramp, he ran that boat right up on the trailer with the Tow Boat, very impressive.
Pompano were in the surf hitting bloodworms on top and bottom rigs at Cape Henlopen yesterday. Good sized ones for the grill. Just gut it and grill it, but slice the sides open a tad and add pepper first, they are very tasty. Kingfish are still the hot bite in the surf. There has been some decent blues action when the schools swim by the beach, hitting mullet rigs. Spot and croaker action at the Cape Henlopen fishing pier is decent. The inland bays are loaded with croaker, especially along the rock jetties and structure. There are a plethora of small sea robins around the inland bays as well. Great flounder bait if you strip them out and they are good to eat as well. The smaller ones are inshore and the larger ones are offshore at places like the old grounds and wreck or reef sites. Sea bass action is still decent out there for flounder anglers.
Flounder action is the best at the old grounds, slow around the inland bays. I am tired of saying it as much as you are hearing it, the inland bays have gotten a little better with larger flounder being caught, but it is sporadic. The traditional fishing spots are not producing like they normally would. Fish somewhere else when no one is catching around you. Look in shallower waters for them hunting minnows. Bowers beach has decent action at the Murderkill river bulkheads and the new jetty. The croaker and spike trout action is decent too on bloodworms or fishbites. Short striped bass ( 10 inches) action along the bulkheads and structure is fun as well.
Crabbing is excellent, eating them is even better! Offshore is on fire for yellowfin still and a variety of catches.
Fish on!!
Rich King