December Summer’s White Christmas

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The beaches the past few days have been crowded, not heavy summer crowded but full just the same.  Everyone is running around the boardwalks and the roads are a bit jammed up, but that is normal for this time of year.  What isn’t normal is the subtropical temperatures we are experiencing at the beaches in Delaware.  We had a few cold snaps since the Indian Summers of November, however December for the most part has felt like late April.  Hot days and cool nights, the rain the last few days was annoying but we fished it as much as possible.  Everyone wants a white Christmas and we had one if you consider heavy fog as a replacement for snow.  In 2010 we had blizzard like conditions during the holidays in December, and right now in Texas there are ten foot snow drifts shutting down highways.  It certainly has been weird weather so far this winter or summer, at this point we are as confused as mother nature.  Don’t worry though the first winter storm hits next weekend and we are looking at a lot of very cold rain.  The New England states are looking at a lot of snow.  It never fails but several cars managed to get stuck on the beaches this weekend, something we usually only see in the summer.  Believe it or not for the most part these people are driving onto an access looking for a parking lot.  Yeah I know, but if you don’t know, then it can happen.

Fishing the Jetties today above Rehoboth

The fishing for the boats has been decent for striped bass when they could get out and find the fish.  Boats are either filling their limits or hitting the skunk.  The striped bass are still north along some of the Jersey beache.  So there is still hope for more fish to make it to Delaware waters.  The surf has been quiet, like crickets quiet.  The other day a few shorts were caught at Gordon’s Pond, and a few other places but the action has been random at best. Mostly hitting bait but once in a while lures when used are working to produce. Mostly we are catching on white swim shads, or white bucktails with white worms.   Jeff saw a huge school of bluefish boiling the water near Canary creek the other day.  The boys in the Chesapeake are still hammering bass.  If you fish the route 9 tidal creeks up north you will get into some shorts and occasional keepers.  That has been good action and the anglers have been using chartreuse and bright colored lures and plugs.  Tautog action has been good for most of the boats.   Sea bass has been decent and that  season ends on the thirty first of December.

White perch action has been good on bloodworms in tidal creeks.  Soon that will end as the water temperatures really drop, but based on the weather I have no idea when that will happen.  I have seen a few spotted hake caught on top and bottom rigs with cut bait.  Some big catfish are still hitting in the tidal creeks and ponds.  Freshwater is seeing some great pickerel action and  bass are still hitting mid-water lures.  I have to get out this week, try the new fly rod out, and see what I can scare up, if the weather holds drop in the kayak.  White Clay creek gave up a nice bit of trout today to one angler who put in some serious time and caught a nice variety.  I imagine the parks up there today were just as crowded as down here in Sussex County.  I spent the afternoon fishing the jetties above Rehoboth and the beach was rather crowded especially near the boardwalk area.   The water is chocolate milk, with big waves, and we didn’t hit much of anything.  I ran into Bill and he said he was just happy to practice casting.  We will see how the next couple of weeks play out and what the new year will bring … hopefully fish closer to shore.

Fish On!!

Rich King

Pictures from the beach today
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