Delaware Fishing Report

Delaware Fishing Report March 11

(March 11, 2020) … This time of year we can’t tell if we are going to just slide through into spring, or get a little more winter,  also known as Sprinter.  So far it is looking good for a full slide into the warm days of spring.  If you asked Mother Nature she would say she has already gotten started.  The trees are popping buds, there are colored blossoms galore everywhere, have you seen all the daffodils.  The flounder flower, Henbit is coloring the fields of Sussex county purple.  Usually these signs (blooming flowers and trees) correspond with specific fish runs.  Some are on time and some are early (the fish).  Our weird weather patterns the last few years is not helping with the traditional indicators. 

     The Early shad run has started on the Delaware river.  Bill Gordon … “The Delaware River (since it’s undammed) has an “early run strain” of American shad.   These show up early March and are caught every year at this time in the lower (warmer) section of the Delaware River.  They will push through to the upper sections of the Delaware long before may.   These are unique fish and definitely different from the “main run shad” of April and May.The early runners are the strongest fighting shad of the year! “

    The trout fishing in the trout ponds, Newton and Tidbury, has proved pretty reliable for most anglers.  Kind of like fishing in a barrel, but sometimes even a farmed fish can be tricky to catch.  Fly angler … If I could just tie a fly that looked like a fish food pellet,I  would have something.” This is the same fly angler that once tied a fly to look like french fly to catch trout near a bridge.  “This stream was near a McDonald’s and people would feed the birds fries.  I noticed the trout were eating the fries so I made a Fry Fly and starting catching trout.”  Because who doesn’t like french fries.  Talk about matching the hatch.

   The surf is waking up with more fish, short bass are being caught.  The sand fleas are not as deep in the sand right now.  I caught many just digging a few inches into the sand at the dead low tide line.  These were the small to full grown size.  Some were soft shells and full of eggs.  That is always a good sign and a great food source to attract fish.  Surf anglers are catching short striped bass on lures.  The “bait and wait” anglers are catching with squid strips.  Dig up sand fleas and use them as well.  The water temperature in the surf is below fifty but nature is waking up.   

At least the DFM (Damn Fly Meter) is a big zero, until it gets warmer.  There is an app for that now on Delaware Surf Fishing.  You open the site page, select your state and beach form New Jersey to North Carolina to give you an idea of how bad the flies will be at that moment.  

White perch action is great at the Delaware Bay beaches, they are also showing up in some of the creeks and rivers. Bloodworms for the win for bait or minnows. Fishbites are starting to work despite the cold water. If you use the fast acting formulas, that is the red packages.

   Bunker are up in the Delaware Bay and there are resident bass feeding on those schools.  That is like just following your food around until you get hungry.  Richard King owner of Port Penn Bait and Tackle “We got a few keeper resident striped bass in the bunker nets this morning” Plenty of resident bass around the Indian River Inlet at night.

   I haven’t seen or heard tell of any flounder here, but I know a few have been caught in the back bays of New Jersey.  Would not surprise me to see some flounder around the inland bays already.  Some fish always move in early about this time of year. Only way to find out is go fishing. With people putting out crab pots maybe we will see a few caught with their crabs.

Speaking of crab pots if you are in warm enough water, baited crab pots will entice the buried crabs to feed. There have been some crabs caught already around the inland bays. I prefer to wait a few sheds for them to filter out the mud they have been sitting in all winter.  

   My favorite fish finder is already returning.  Osprey have been spotted around Sussex county sitting on their nest boxes.  I have seen a few working on their nests, gathering material to fix up their summer spot.  They have been hunting fish.  These birds usually coincide with the shad run.
   The reason they are one of the best fish finders is how they hunt indicates where the fish are located.  If the osprey is up high, the fish are deep and on the bottom.  If the osprey is low the fish are shallow.   

Logan Lane Pond in the Ted Harvey Wildlife area has a handicap accessible dock that is set up for fishing.  There are spaces between the rails to allow anglers in a wheelchair to easily net and release fish.  It is a floating dock system very easy to access with a parking lot.  Neat little pond that holds a few species.  A good cast can cross the pond in any direction.  Logan Lane Pond is for handicapped anglers ONLY. If you are not handicapped and you fish the pond, you may be charged with a violation.

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