Lot Of Early Arrivals And Some Are Either Late Or Never Coming?

Everyone has been asking where are the drum we keep hearing about and it took until yesterday to finally see one of size at Broadkill Beach. The reports a few days ago (the state’s) said there were drum in the surf off Broadkill, what it didn’t mention is they were all of 10 inches long and mixed in with the perch and short bass. The again the same report said there was no action in the surf, kind of confusing.
This past weekend Broadkill and Beach Plum were on fire for perch and bass for most of the days. The water was calmer and fish were pushed into the shoreline closer.

Last week a few big sixty plus pound black drum were caught in the Delaware Bay, and you’re gonna have to trust me on that. My boy is not going to let me post those pictures. Too much background for his liking. They were using clams for bait. The big drum south of us in the surf at Assateague Island are hitting clams or sand fleas, and those catches have been really good.
There are a more and more sand fleas emerging from the sand, dig up some bait and let her rip. Top and bottom rigs are working, as well as low profile short surf rigs to keep the clam on the bottom.

A kingfish was caught yesterday at Assateague Island on fishbites of all things. Fishbites have been working for striped bass and even perch. The fact a kingfish is up here this early si another arrival for early spring fishing. I’m waiting to see what pops off next. Because the bluefish have yet to make an appearance, or have they?

Saturday I got a message from a buddy, hey man my boy just slammed a gator on a spoon at Lewes Beach. My response to that is do you have a picture. No, but the info is solid he is legit. So we geared up went looking for bluefish for four hours. You we went report chasing on a really crappy day.
That was a rough day in the surf, one that would be good for striped bass and big bluefish, we came up skunk o’rama.
Only issue I have is there haven’t been any caught south of us reported by any shops or anglers I know. Usually they show up there first, but stranger things have happened. The drum are early by weeks, the kingfish by a month. So you just never know. I’m gonna spend the week looking for blues now. Love catching those big gators in the surf.

The striped bass action in the surf has been great, don’t believe the state’s report saying there isn’t any action in the surf to report. There have been a lot of short bass caught, not sure that doesn’t count as surf fishing. That to me is action no matter the size. The Indian RIver Inlet has been on fire for short bass as well as the beaches on each side. Short bass are up and down the Delaware Bay and River’s beaches. Migratory striped bass are up the Delaware Bay and River being caught readily on bunker chunks. Short bass action is hot in and around the inland bays and tidal creeks. Use swim shads, bucktails and jigs with soft plastics they are not picky and have the feed bag on.

Charters are doing well on tautog, just get out on a boat and see what you can make happen. There have been a few flounder caught in shallower waters of tidal rivers of the Delaware Bay, another serious spot burn picture I am not posting. Just think of where you would fish in darker tidal water near a beach with a river outlet, or you could just go try Bowers Beach at the docks. The Inland bays are showing flounder signs.

Fish On!
Rich King