Delaware Surf fishing Report

Hey gang!!  Sorry I have been away for a while following Jeff on the 2013 Great Delaware Kayak Tour.  We had a blast and it was a very educational experience, I will tell you all about it in a few days.  The fishing has been decent all over the place, this is a quick report.  The big news, bluefish are in the surf at Cape Henlopen the last couple of days on mullet rigs.  They have also been heavy in the Indian River Inlet and the Delaware Bay, mostly near structure and in heavy rips.  Weakfish are out there as well, good too see them back in larger numbers and sizes this year.  Croaker are thick everywhere.  Some decent sizes are starting to show up in the surf and in the bays.  I was catching them as far up north as Fort DuPont.  Fishbites and live bloodworms have been the best, squid is doing well.  I saw some great sizes at Woodland pier and Port Mahon fishing piers.  There were a lot of catfish up north in the Delaware bay and the C&D canal at Reedy Point.  A few resident striped bass have been caught at the Indian River Inlet.  Sandbar sharks have been showing up in the surf as well as sand tiger sharks.  Kingfish are all over the place and bloodworms is the best bait for them.  Small sand fleas work well, you just have to dig them up in the surf.  Spot are everywhere and have been great bait for flounder.  The flatties are all over the place, minnows, gulp, and spot have been the best baits.  Slot season for striped bass started July 1st and will last until August 31st, creel limit is two fish.  20-26 inch fish may only be kept in the Delaware River and Bay and their tributaries.  Lewes canal from the train bridge to the Roosevelt inlet is considered a tributary by DNREC and can be fished for slot striped bass.   A nice sized sheepshead was caught a week ago at IRI by Jimmy Dove.  Puppy drum are in the back bays now as well, both reds (redfish) and black.  No need to start that debate on the naming of puppy drum again, any small drum is considered a puppy drum.  The funny looking eel like fish showing up in the surf are Cusk Eels.  They are not true eels but look just like one.  Everyone have a safe holiday weekend, I am about to participate in the Bethany Beach parade, and then do a little shark fishing this evening.

Fish On!!

Rich King