Delaware Surf Fishing Report

June must be the new August, between the heat and last weekend’s crowds one would swear it is much later in the summer season.  The humidity got here real quick too.
  Either way the beaches are one of the best places to cool off.  Getting on the water always helps this time of year. Not to mention it is a great way to avoid the crowds.  

Water temperatures around the inland bays dropped thirtenn degrees last night due to that storm. The ditch hit sixty-two degrees this morning at Masseys Landing from seventy-five degrees. The surf and Delaware bay are averaging in the upper sixties this morning. The temperatures will increase as the day warms up. These are surface temperatures.

    The surf fishing has been picking up with a lot of kingfish the last week or so.  Fishbites bloodworms, and a new sandworm formula have been working well on DS Custom Tackle top and bottom rigs. 
  Croaker, spot, weakfish, striped bass, bluefish, northern puffers, burr fish and sand perch are all hitting in the surf, just not at once.  It is fishing, go out and spend the time making it happen.
The big boys such as rays, and sharks are all hitting as well. 
Make sure you know the shark fishing regulations.  Taking a prohibited shark species out of the water is illegal in Delaware.   Also taking a under legal sized shark out of the water is also prohibited.  Know your creel sizes too.    I literally feel like this has to be mentioned every week, if not every day in some cases.  The rules for fishing are the anglers’ responsibility to know.   

The big news is surf fishing tags have sold out, the 17,000 limit has been reached.  You won’t be able to get a tag until December for next year.  Assateague National Seashore still has OSV permits and has been rather crowded since it opened back up.   Fishing there has been rather good too. You also don’t have to fish to enjoy the OSV beach at Assateague, in Delaware you have to fake fish if you want to just do that, and many do. Do not let that ruin your day.     

    The flounder fishing has been picking up around the inland bays and Lewes canal. Gulp and minnows are the choice baits.  A jig head or red and white bucktail with bacon will work too, nothing like a greasy pork rind to attract a hungry flounder.  Bonus if you don’t use all the bacon as bait, you have breakfast. The cuts along the beaches are a good place to jig for flounder. They are in close feeding on minnows and other sand critters like sand fleas and crabs.   

    The black drum action in the Delaware Bay has been decent for the boats.  The surf is hit or miss on the Delaware Bay beaches.  Usually by this full moon the drum start to move out, but we will see, it has been a weird year.  Sand fleas are the choice bait for drum at the surf and clams on the boats.  Some of the boats have switched to fleas and are seeing better action, take both.  Always good to double down and use both popular baits and see which is working that day. 

The Cape Henlopen Fishing pier is producing decent catches and not too crowded even on the past weekend. Check with the guys at Lighthouse View Bait and Tackle for the up to minute action at the pier.  Lewes canal has nice flounder, croaker, spot, and weakfish action.  The spot are smaller but that will change soon and get bigger. Right now they make great bait. We will catch small spot and then live line them in some areas to catch flounder it works rather well. Fish for the bait, then use that fish for the dinner catch.

The bluefish action is hit or miss and mostly the two to four pound fish.  An occasional gator is caught from shore.  With all the smaller fish so abundant in the surf, I don’t expect to see a lot more gators close to shore, but that could always change.  Fishing can be fickle. HAve rod at the ready with spoon, or any metal so you can cast to the bluefish schools as they come by.

   The offshore anglers are getting out, charters have been running.  Big eyes, yellow fin, tile fish, and some decent mako action.   The sea bass catching has been great since the season started in the middle of May.  Get up with the charters and head boats to schedule a trip.  There are restrictions in place, book your trip early.   

  Chesapeake bay is seeing some great speckled trout action.  Love to eat those fish, wonderful flavor.  The striped bass action has been hot for anglers as well.  A few red drum have been caught around the Chesapeake bay.  Check  Maryland DNR’s website for their weekly fishing report, it is chock full of information. 

  A few anglers recently landed some nice pollock not too far offshore.  Always fun to see a different catch of the day.  You never know what you might catch fishing.

Clamming around the inland bays has been excellent.  Crabbing is producing some great numbers. 
Like I mentioned we are in full summer swing down here at the beaches.   Be safe and be smart social distancing it is still a thing we must do even in the outdoors when around other people not form the same household. 

Fish On!
Rich King