Keeper Stripers In The Surf And Those Bluefish

Hope everyone had a great Easter, some anglers had a fantastic Easter.   There have been some decent catches up and down the coast.  The water temperatures are good for the fish and not so much for my feet.  I just got feeling back in my toes this morning.  I saw people swimming this weekend, ya’ll are nuts!   The weather was perfect this weekend, event he west wind didn’t produce too many flies, I think the DFM (Damn Fly Meter) was a solid three.  The short striped bass action was hot even at the Cape Henlopen pier.  Dan’s Tackle box reported a nice released keeper sized striped bass.  Well not really keeper size she was in the slot limit at thirty-eighth inches so she had to be released anyway.  That was at Broadkill beach area and on bunker chunks.  Seen a lot of skate and dogfish from up there recently.  There was a nice keeper bass landed in the surf near Bethany beach and the short striped bass action (rats) has been a lot of fun.

The drum action is far and few between at Cape Henlopen, Beach Plum Island, and Broadkill Beach.  Clam has been the best baits and depending on who you ask the incoming to the outgoing tide is the best.  The incoming should be the ticket though, it usually is the best tide for these bigger drum. Assateague has seen some killer drum action.  If you are into little drum species the kingfish are starting to show up and hitting bloodworms.  There are also northern puffers also known as chicken of the sea.   They are also hitting bloodworm son top and bottom rigs in the surf.  We have been using the Diamond State Custom Tackle top and bottom rigs, the Owner brand hooks are much better and very sharp.

The bluefish have arrived as you probably heard or saw the last report from Sunday morning.  So let me describe our day chasing bluefish.  We drove down to 3Rs to hopefully run in to a few big blues, but they had already moved on, you could see bunker off the coast breaking the water.  Should have been here twenty minutes ago kept going through my head.  Then while we are yanking spoons as far out as we can, I get tagged in a post by the oys at Lighthouse View Bait and Tackle.  There are big blues blowing up the pier.  We run to the truck and head north,we parked at southside and walked down the beach.   That is when I wish I had my own lane, traffic was insane.  We got to the pier twenty minutes after the fish shut down.  The tide had just gone slack they were hot for an hour during the incoming tide.  Then we get a call, the blues are back on the beach near the inlet.  Where we just were fishing.  Morale of the story sometimes it is better to stay put then chase fish. So we went to broadkill beach, met up with the crew, and relaxed for the rest of the day watching people catch skates one after another.  That was actually kind of comical.

Up north at Augustine beach and Woodland pier areas there has been some decent white perch action. Bloodworms are the best bait, and short striped bass are hitting as well.  Jen caught a monster eel while striped bass fishing.  The fishing for the most part has been great up and down the coast.  Big catfish in the Nanticoke river, Justin nailed a thirty pounder on Easter.  Bluefish hit the pier again today (Monday) around noonish, silver stingers and spoons were the best.  You will need steel leaders.

Fish On!
Rich King