Lots Of Rats In The Surf

The short striped bass action (rats, schoolies, shorts, or dinks)  in the surf has heated up the last few days.  Bloodworms, squid, and small pieces of cut bait are producing short striped bass averaging about eighteen inches.  There have been some smaller and some larger but no keepers.  These are resident fish schooling up.  We do have sand fleas in the surf you just have to dig for them.   They are as big as chestnuts and great bait for striped bass at the inlet fishing the rocks.  The bass action there has been the best at night.  There were four bluefish caught there three days ago.   The little summer sized bluefish not the big gators we saw last year.  You never know if and when they will show up, so you have to be out there putting in the time to hook up.  Lat year the blues showed up just after mid April.  This year the water temperatures are about the same right now as then.  We have loads of bunker in the back bays and in front of the beaches.  Gannets are dive bombing schools of bait fish at the inlet and in front of the beaches.  Seals are all over the place, porpoises are feeding in front of the beaches, and osprey are building or repairing nests.  We just need the migratory fish to start showing up and we will be good to go.   Boats are looking closer inshore for tautog now.  April first the tautog season changes from five fish per angler to three fish per angler until May 11th when the season closes.  Striped bass spawning season starts on April First.

Striped bass Spawning season

The spawning season for striped bass in Delaware is considered to begin at 12:01 a.m. on April 1 and continue through midnight on May 31 of each calendar year. It is unlawful for any person to take and retain any striped bass during the spawning season from the Nanticoke River or its tributaries, the Delaware River and its tributaries to the north of a line extending due east beginning at and including the south jetty at the mouth of the C & D Canal, or the C & D Canal or its tributaries. Catch and release only during this season; no harvest is allowed.

Circle-hooks
It is unlawful for any person to fish during the striped bass spawning season on any striped bass spawning ground with natural bait using any hook other than a non-offset circle-hook when said hook measures greater than 3/8 inches as measured from the point of the hook to the shank of the hook.

Freshwater action is picking up in some areas and slowing down in others.  Temperature changes are not helping.  Run off from recent rains are adding to that factor.  The crappie action has been hot.  White perch are hot one day and cold the next.  Catfish, bluegill, and pickerel are all decent catches.

Sea Surface water temperature is forty-six degrees. The water temperatures in the inland bays is fluctuating between fifty-three and forty-eight degrees between tides at Masseys landing.  The Delaware Bay is hitting forty-eight degrees in Lewes and up to fifty-one degrees in Cape May.  The Upper Delaware River and Bay is around fifty-one degrees.  We have perfect bass conditions, now we just need the migration to make an appearance this spring.

Fish On!!

Rich King

TIDES >>> IRI >>>>