Delaware Surf Fishing Report April 19, 2023
Well look who decided to drop into town recently, the spring gators. We keep saying any day now. Gator bluefish showed up a few plus days ago as random action and still are for the most part. Dave Moor dropped this spring gator bluefish on the beach at Assateague today. The spring skinny gator blues are back in town, how long this will last is anyone’s guess. Traditionally it is not long unlike the bluefish blitz years we had starting in 2014.
Dave dropped his on a bunker chunk. They will hit mullet on mullet rigs, bunker chunks, clam, and anything shiny and fast. Gator spoons, sting silvers, and the like for lures. Plugs and poppers as well for some fun action.
The spring season is starting off well for many anglers. Between the migratory black drum and striped bass action from Assateague to the Delaware Bay and in between, many anglers are landing quality fish. The bite has been great with sand fleas, clam, blue crab, and Fishbites Sand Flea Formula. The water is just warm enough to let that scent attract a bite. It lasts a lot longer on the hook in the cooler water too.
The northern pufferfish bite has been hot too in the surf. Matt Shoup owner of Fenwick Tackle .. “My customers are discovering the pompano DS Custom Tackle glow float and sand flea glow bullet float rigs are puffer magnets.” The glow float rigs are amazing, friends of mine catch pompano without bait on these rigs in Florida. Wait till you try the sand flea with orange eggs glow bullet float rigs, deadly.
Flounder are starting to show up around the inland bays, Delaware Bay, and waterways of Lewes. That action has just barely started, and will get hotter as the waters warm up more. Gulp was the ticket for a friend of mine catching flounder the other day. You have to put in some work but that is the nature of fishing.
Speckled trout are around the inland bays, nice sizes too. Michael Wankmiller from Berlin, MD was kayak fishing the back bays around Fenwick Island in Delaware waters. He said it was a surprise, but very welcome catch. “I was on the troll to another spot catching schooling striped bass when this beauty hit my lure.”
Those fish are tasty.
Schooling striped bass are moving into the surf zone more and more as the water warms up along the coast. More on structure than anywhere else. The skates and dogfish abide for a day of line pulling action. Skate is actually good to eat. Northern puffers are hitting cut bait and fishbites. Salted shrimp works well too. Just use Kosher salt, it makes the shrimp pieces a lot tougher so it stays on a hook longer. There are some beast sized migratory bass along the Delaware Bay beaches.
The fishing will just get better as more species show during the end of spring into summer. Then the migratory fish will go where they usually go and we are left with the usual summer suspects. In the meantime it is fun to see who catches what next. Becasue it has been a bit of a weird season start so far.
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