Hot Summer Fishing

Definitely the dead of summer, despite the heat,you can tell by the traffic.  Wow is all I can say.  Stay hydrated out there too it’s gonna be a hot one today.  The fishing is decent for the most part depending on what you are trying to catch.  The offshore anglers are hit or miss on tuna.  There are enough boats in the Indian River Inlet to have a full-blown boat show today.  You can walk across the inlet without getting your feet wet.  The water looks very clean and is still rather cool for this time of year.  That storm last night was fun if you were awake for that one, but it didn’t muddy up the water too bad at all.

The flounder fishing is few and far between for the inland bays, most of the best catches are offshore or the Delaware Bay. The water on the bottom is very cold.  When you pull your gear up the weight feels like it was in a refrigerator.  That might explain why the flounder are farther up the Delaware Bay and closer to shore.  Same goes for all of these triggers.  No one has ever seen this many triggers in our waters,it has been an interesting summer for catching.  The Lewes canal and Broadkill river are still producing decent flounder catches with the occasional weakfish to boot.   Minnows or gulp have been the best baits. Some anglers prefer minnows and others prefer gulp.  A bucktail or jig with bacon works well.

The trigger action is still hot and heavy for a lot of anglers from the wrecks and reef sites to the Cape Henlopen pier and the inlet walls at Indian River and Ocean City, evenMasseys Landing and some of the inland bay structure has produced triggers.  Using clam is the best bait, but small sand fleas and shrimp will produce.  Small hooks are  a must and especially using sharp ones for those beak like teeth.  They are close to structure feeding off the pier poles and reef structures.   It makes it tough with all the snags but if you get in close you will have a better chance.  Lot of sheepshead on the offshore wrecks and reefs, also the occasional spade fish.

Today a red drum was caught at the Cape Henlopen Fishing pier by a young angler using peeler crabs for bait.  Cusk eels are being caught readily in the surf, they make good bait for flounder.  Bloodworms and fishbites on top and bottom rigs will produce cusk eels and kingfish.  Use Diamond State Custom Tackle top and bottom rigs for better hook ups, the owner hooks are razor-sharp and last much longer than the commercial brands.  The spot action has picked up at the Cape Henlopen pier, and we are hoping it does in the surf soon.  The skate, ray, shark, and dogfish catches are always abundant in the surf with cut bait or squid, which is technically cut bait.  The temperatures at the beach though hot are nicer along the water the last few days.

Fish On!

Rich King