T_boy
12-25-2008, 06:41 PM
OCEAN
Gale force winds limited access for boat fishermen earlier in the week. But, with warmer temperatures and calmer winds predicted for the next few days, anglers should be able to connect with striped bass inside the three-mile limit. With inshore water temperatures in the upper 40s, anglers should be able to catch keeper rockfish on cut bunker, black salties, eels and a variety of artificial baits. Most bait fishermen have been using fish finder rigs with enough weight to bounce the bottom. The fish finders baited with eels and black salties have also attracted the attention of a few nice flounder. Trolling has been a productive tactic for lure fishermen, with the deeper diving Mann's Stretch plugs earning a loyal following. Catch reports from trollers also listed plastic shad bodies on umbrella rigs, deep Bomber plugs and Parachutes as productive lures. The latest report from Bill's Sport Shop included a 25.6-pound striper caught by Richard Sanner while trolling just off the beach. Some of the best locations inside the three-mile line were Hens and Chickens Shoal, the rips just southeast of Indian River Inlet and Little Gull Shoal off Ocean City. One of the best signs that striped bass are feeding nearby is the presence of flocks of diving seabirds. Local boat reports also indicated good winter fishing for black sea bass and tautog for anglers concentrating on wrecks and artificial reef structure between 15 and 20 fathoms. Anglers checking in with Hook 'em and Cook 'em at the Indian River Inlet Marina have been baiting with green crabs, Asian black crabs and sandfleas. The offshore fleet out of New Jersey is starting to make the run out beyond the 50-fathom line for giant sea bass, porgy, cod, pollock and ling. Captain Howard Bogan's latest trip on the Big Jamaica out of Brielle produced pollock to 42 pounds, 6.5-pound black sea bass and cod over 15 pounds. Surf fishing has been slow, with a couple of throwback stripers reported by anglers fishing the south end of Assateague Island. Surf fishermen should be able to catch a few horndog sharks on cut bunker along the local beaches. Striped bass are still available in Indian River Inlet, but most reports indicated more throwbacks than keepers. Night fishing has been the best bet at the inlet, with anglers reporting dark colored shad bodies, bucktails and flies to be among the most productive offerings. The hot rig in recent weeks has been flies fished a few feet behind an in-line sinker on conventional tackle. This rig allows fishermen to combine the casting distance of a conventional rod with the subtle action of a hand-tied fly. Boaters fishing the inlet for stripers have been trolling with Stretch plugs, spoons, plastic shad and bucktails as the top choices for mostly undersized rockfish. There haven't been many legal tautog caught along the inlet's rock piles in recent weeks.
DELAWARE BAY
With water temperatures recorded at 38 degrees at the Brandywine Shoal Lighthouse, there has been a big drop in the number of striped bass anglers have been catching on natural baits. Natural baits are attracting plenty of attention from the spiny dogfish sharks, but the best tactic for stripers right now is trolling with Stretch 25s, deep running Bomber plugs and umbrellas rigged with plastic shad bodies. Best opportunities are at the Cape May Rips, the Outer Wall, the Valley, the Eights, Overfalls and Brown Shoal. Catch reports from lower bay tog fishermen showed excellent fishing when winds, seas and tidal currents cooperated. Productive locations included the rock at the Inner and Outer Wall and Haystacks, and Artificial Reef Sites Five, Six, Seven and Eight. The tog are hitting on a mix of green crabs, frozen fleas, shrimp, white leg crabs, hermit crabs and Asian crabs.
RIVERS
Fishermen stopping at Shooter's Supply had reports of a few keeper stripers on the Jersey side of the Delaware River off Elsinborough Point. Shop owner John Massey said the reports indicated live eels and chunks of cut bunker are the baits of choice. Fishermen stopping at Captain Bones Bait and Tackle reported white perch hitting frozen grass shrimp or Fishbites in the C&D Canal, Delaware River and most of the tidal creeks in southern New Castle County. Upstate tidal waters also are providing a few catfish, but the cold water has slowed the action. Carol Taylor said most of the fishermen she had talked to at Taylored Tackle during the past week have been focusing their attention on Broad Creek and winter crappie. The top location continues to be the Bethel Hole, just upstream from Bethel. There also have been reports of good yellow perch fishing in Broad Creek, with the greatest concentration in the area of the Laurel railroad bridge. The best bait for both crappie and ring perch are small to medium shiners or minnows. Diehard trout fishermen are still connecting with a few rainbows left over from the fall stocking of White Clay Creek. Most of the trout are being caught in the deeper, slower-moving areas downstream from gravel beds and riffles on natural baits.
PONDS
Frigid weather at the beginning of the week covered most of the local millponds with a thin layer of ice that left only the areas around the spillways open to anglers. With milder weather predicted, most of the ponds should be open over the next couple of days. Bass fishermen checking in at the Williamsville Country Store have been fishing almost exclusively with live shiners. The key, according to shop owner George Pechin, is to concentrate on deeper structure where the bass tend to stack up during colder months. Some of the better reports George has heard have come from anglers fishing at Blairs Pond, Coursey Pond and McGinnis Pond. Ed Raymond had another good week of chain pickerel fishing at the Wyoming Mill Pond, according to John Massey at Shooter's Supply, with pike to four pounds being caught on jigs baited with live minnows. Crappie action in Garrisons Lake and Lums Pond topped the list for fishermen stopping at Captain Bones Bait and Tackle. Minnows, darts and crappie jigs were responsible for most of the action, according to Patty Foley at the shop.
Gale force winds limited access for boat fishermen earlier in the week. But, with warmer temperatures and calmer winds predicted for the next few days, anglers should be able to connect with striped bass inside the three-mile limit. With inshore water temperatures in the upper 40s, anglers should be able to catch keeper rockfish on cut bunker, black salties, eels and a variety of artificial baits. Most bait fishermen have been using fish finder rigs with enough weight to bounce the bottom. The fish finders baited with eels and black salties have also attracted the attention of a few nice flounder. Trolling has been a productive tactic for lure fishermen, with the deeper diving Mann's Stretch plugs earning a loyal following. Catch reports from trollers also listed plastic shad bodies on umbrella rigs, deep Bomber plugs and Parachutes as productive lures. The latest report from Bill's Sport Shop included a 25.6-pound striper caught by Richard Sanner while trolling just off the beach. Some of the best locations inside the three-mile line were Hens and Chickens Shoal, the rips just southeast of Indian River Inlet and Little Gull Shoal off Ocean City. One of the best signs that striped bass are feeding nearby is the presence of flocks of diving seabirds. Local boat reports also indicated good winter fishing for black sea bass and tautog for anglers concentrating on wrecks and artificial reef structure between 15 and 20 fathoms. Anglers checking in with Hook 'em and Cook 'em at the Indian River Inlet Marina have been baiting with green crabs, Asian black crabs and sandfleas. The offshore fleet out of New Jersey is starting to make the run out beyond the 50-fathom line for giant sea bass, porgy, cod, pollock and ling. Captain Howard Bogan's latest trip on the Big Jamaica out of Brielle produced pollock to 42 pounds, 6.5-pound black sea bass and cod over 15 pounds. Surf fishing has been slow, with a couple of throwback stripers reported by anglers fishing the south end of Assateague Island. Surf fishermen should be able to catch a few horndog sharks on cut bunker along the local beaches. Striped bass are still available in Indian River Inlet, but most reports indicated more throwbacks than keepers. Night fishing has been the best bet at the inlet, with anglers reporting dark colored shad bodies, bucktails and flies to be among the most productive offerings. The hot rig in recent weeks has been flies fished a few feet behind an in-line sinker on conventional tackle. This rig allows fishermen to combine the casting distance of a conventional rod with the subtle action of a hand-tied fly. Boaters fishing the inlet for stripers have been trolling with Stretch plugs, spoons, plastic shad and bucktails as the top choices for mostly undersized rockfish. There haven't been many legal tautog caught along the inlet's rock piles in recent weeks.
DELAWARE BAY
With water temperatures recorded at 38 degrees at the Brandywine Shoal Lighthouse, there has been a big drop in the number of striped bass anglers have been catching on natural baits. Natural baits are attracting plenty of attention from the spiny dogfish sharks, but the best tactic for stripers right now is trolling with Stretch 25s, deep running Bomber plugs and umbrellas rigged with plastic shad bodies. Best opportunities are at the Cape May Rips, the Outer Wall, the Valley, the Eights, Overfalls and Brown Shoal. Catch reports from lower bay tog fishermen showed excellent fishing when winds, seas and tidal currents cooperated. Productive locations included the rock at the Inner and Outer Wall and Haystacks, and Artificial Reef Sites Five, Six, Seven and Eight. The tog are hitting on a mix of green crabs, frozen fleas, shrimp, white leg crabs, hermit crabs and Asian crabs.
RIVERS
Fishermen stopping at Shooter's Supply had reports of a few keeper stripers on the Jersey side of the Delaware River off Elsinborough Point. Shop owner John Massey said the reports indicated live eels and chunks of cut bunker are the baits of choice. Fishermen stopping at Captain Bones Bait and Tackle reported white perch hitting frozen grass shrimp or Fishbites in the C&D Canal, Delaware River and most of the tidal creeks in southern New Castle County. Upstate tidal waters also are providing a few catfish, but the cold water has slowed the action. Carol Taylor said most of the fishermen she had talked to at Taylored Tackle during the past week have been focusing their attention on Broad Creek and winter crappie. The top location continues to be the Bethel Hole, just upstream from Bethel. There also have been reports of good yellow perch fishing in Broad Creek, with the greatest concentration in the area of the Laurel railroad bridge. The best bait for both crappie and ring perch are small to medium shiners or minnows. Diehard trout fishermen are still connecting with a few rainbows left over from the fall stocking of White Clay Creek. Most of the trout are being caught in the deeper, slower-moving areas downstream from gravel beds and riffles on natural baits.
PONDS
Frigid weather at the beginning of the week covered most of the local millponds with a thin layer of ice that left only the areas around the spillways open to anglers. With milder weather predicted, most of the ponds should be open over the next couple of days. Bass fishermen checking in at the Williamsville Country Store have been fishing almost exclusively with live shiners. The key, according to shop owner George Pechin, is to concentrate on deeper structure where the bass tend to stack up during colder months. Some of the better reports George has heard have come from anglers fishing at Blairs Pond, Coursey Pond and McGinnis Pond. Ed Raymond had another good week of chain pickerel fishing at the Wyoming Mill Pond, according to John Massey at Shooter's Supply, with pike to four pounds being caught on jigs baited with live minnows. Crappie action in Garrisons Lake and Lums Pond topped the list for fishermen stopping at Captain Bones Bait and Tackle. Minnows, darts and crappie jigs were responsible for most of the action, according to Patty Foley at the shop.