Weekend Outlook For Fishing

Fishing has been good during the overcast days.  Despite the crappy weather fish still have to eat.  This weekend will be just as bad with the incoming weather.   The surf has a variety of fish to catch: Flounder, Striped Bass, Bluefish, Northern puffers, Burrfish, Kingfish, and of course skates, rays, and sharks.

Catching has been good in the mornings, and a few surprise catches have occurred.  There are keeper bass still around and one angler hooked up with one unexpectedly.  “Troy was fishing Fenwick Island and just checking out his gear since he hasn’t been out in a while.  He baited up a top and bottom rig with fishbites and a sand flea and caught a 45 inch rockfish.” … Matt Shoup Fenwick Bait and Tackle.  That is always fun to catch the unexpected on gear intended for something else, not to mention that is one hell of a way to make sure the gear is in good shape.

Jon Siddons was banging up fish on every cast the other day in the fog and misty rain. “Been out here all morning and catching on every cast with clam, ran out of bait and had to leave.”   Jon was catching short striped bass, burrfish, kingfish, and northern puffers.

The bluefish are still around the Cape Henlopen fishing pier.  When the porpoises are wearing them out, and the anglers are trying as well.  The surf has seen some good catches and around the inland bays.  John T Reilly hit a couple of nice blues on Monday in the overcast surf.

Fishing the overcast days are the best for several reasons.  The first being that the fish aren’t pushed out by the brighter afternoon sun so they stick closer to shore to feed.  The bugs are usually not as bad.  You don’t get worn out as much by the hot sun.  Just be careful of the foggy days, you can get burned really bad in the fog. I know it sounds weird but believe me it happens.

Flounder are in the surf and around the inland bays and Lewes canal.  They are small but people are getting many seventeen inch keepers.  Not sure how many they are throwing back to get that keeper.  Chris Gibbons owner of Tidal Tables was in the surf yesterday jigging with a Roy Rig and popped an eighteen inch flounder. “It was just in there behind the first breaking waves, and then I had few heavy hits and my rig was given up to Poseidon.”   Jigging in the surf works much better than bait fishing.  Drifting bait (minnows or gulp) or jigging works better in the canal and around the inland bays.

Short striped bass action is good in the surf, inland bays, Indian River inlet, and the Oceanic Fishing pier in Ocean City.  Lures, top and bottom rigs with fishbites, or clam, or sand fleas.  Any combination of baits is working, as are bloodworms.  I prefer fishbites or sand fleas, both are easy to use and easy to get.  Sand fleas  are free you just have to dig them up. There is a reason there are bass and drum in the surf …. sand fleas are an abundant food source.

   Drum action is still hot in the Delaware Bay, get a charter and get out there.  This weekend you are most likely gonna be stuck on land fishing and getting wet.  Be safe and have a great weekend.

Fish On!

Rich King