T_boy
06-04-2009, 01:48 PM
OCEAN
Catch reports included yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, mahi mahi and blue whalers for anglers making the long run out to the Poormans Canyon last week. While anglers targeting chopper bluefish are reporting some success at Five Fathom Bank and around the Delaware Lightship, the top location for really big blues has been the Hambone. Blue whalers have dominated reports from offshore sharkers, with only a few makos reported so far this season. The inshore shark season also has been a little slower than normal, with scattered catches of threshers being reported. According to a report passed along by Old Inlet Bait and Tackle, the crew of Captain Tom Murphy's Mega-Bite landed a 232-pound thresher and released a small mako and a dozen blue whalers in 20 fathoms off Indian River. Anglers fishing the structure on Reef Sites 10 and 11 and wrecks 10 to 20 miles offshore are reporting black sea bass, along with an occasional flounder. Anglers targeting sea bass have been using squid, fresh clams, minnows and strips of boneless chicken marinated in shedder oil. Striped bass and bluefish have been the primary targets for surf fishermen, but reports showed dogfish sharks and skates to be the most common catch along the Delaware and Maryland beaches. Surf fishing has been a little more productive on Assateague Island, according to reports passed along by Sue Foster at Oyster Bay Tackle in Ocean City. Anglers fishing the Virginia end of the island reported several stripers over 40 inches, along with a black drum that measured 50 inches and weighed 43.13 pounds. Reports from Clark Evans at Old Inlet Bait and Tackle showed excellent fishing in Indian River Inlet. Striped bass topped the list, with a 22.25-pound linesider for William Winder and one caught by Chad Tingle that weighed 29 pounds, nine ounces. There also have been several trophy flounder landed in the inlet, with Joe Parsons' nine-pound, 13-ouncer ranked as one of the most impressive. Evans also reported excellent fishing for bluefish. Back bay fishermen are still scoring on good numbers of flounder, with around one in five making the 18.5-inch minimum keeper length. Some of the best reports are coming from water less than 10 feet deep at the north and south entrances to Masseys Ditch, Little Ditch, Gull Island, VFW Slough, 19 Buoy, 20 Buoy and Whites Creek's Five Buoy. Spec Rigs, small bucktails and Spros, baited with minnows, minnow/squid combos, silversides and Gulp Alive have all been working on the flatfish.
DELAWARE BAY
Big black drum provided yet another week of outstanding fishing, with fish over 60 pounds caught at Pin Top, 16 Buoy, Tussy's Slough, Broadkill Slough and the Coral Beds off Slaughter Beach. The heaviest boomer weighed at Cedar Creek Bait and Tackle was a 75.70-pounder boated by David Biles at Pin Top. Most of the drum reports listed fresh shucked surf clams to be the top producer, followed by whole or chunked peelers. Weakfish action has been slow, but we are hearing of a few nice trout being caught by anglers fishing for drum. Isaiah Ross was fishing at the Broadkill with chunks of peeler crab when he set the hook on a 27-inch weakie that weighed 6.49 pounds. Striper action seems to be slowing, with just a few reports of keepers coming in from anglers fishing the upper end of the bay. Patty Foley at Captain Bones Bait and Tackle said she had heard of a few keeper rockfish at the Smyrna Jetty and the rocks at Ship John Lighthouse. Ship John is also providing a few nice weakfish. Flounder fishing turned on in a big way, with some fishermen scoring a limit of fluke drift fishing at the D, F, and G Buoys in the Anchorage, the Crossover Buoys, Brown Shoal, Cross Ledge, Miah Maul Light and 14-Foot Light. Flounder also are providing good fishing for shore fishermen, with keeper fish reported from Broadkill Beach, Roosevelt Inlet and Lewes Beach. The Cape Henlopen fishing pier has been especially productive, according to Bill's Sport Shop. While anglers pulled a lot of keepers over the rails of the Cape pier, there haven't been many as heavy as Mike Johnson's 5.14-pounder caught from shore.
RIVERS
Delaware River anglers are once again allowed to keep rockfish caught in the C&D Canal and tidal waters north of the Reedy Point Jetty. Locations providing quality striper fishing include the Cherry Island Flats, Battery Park, the New Castle Icebreakers, Powerlines, Reedy Point, the Pipes, Bullpen, Yellow Can, Augustine Beach, Greens Beach and Collins Beach. Tidewater anglers also had a good week on catfish, with citation channel cats reported from the canal, Delaware River and most of the tributary creeks in southern New Castle County. Mike Bowen weighed several trophy catfish at Eastern Marine. Topping the list was a 12.75-pounder caught at Reedy Point on Catfish Nuggets by Jimmy McCay. Brenda Schafferman was fishing with bloodworms at Battery Park when she reeled in a nine-pound citation catfish. Crappie provided the focus in the tidal waters in the south end of the state. The best place for the scrappy panfish is the Records Pond spillway in Laurel, with small to medium shiners and minnows catching most of the fish. While the spring stocking ended more than a month ago, reports passed along by Eastern Marine indicate there are still some real nice rainbows and browns in the streams.
PONDS
Good fishing for both crappie and largemouth bass has been reported in millponds and farm ponds in southern New Castle County. One of the most popular has been Noxontown Pond. Becks Pond has been getting a lot of attention from bass fishermen, with the most popular baits for largemouth being live shiners and minnows. Bass also have been the big draw for most of the pond fishermen George Pechin had talked to at the Williamsville Country Store. Pechin recommended fishing with Scum Frogs, Sweet Beavers and jigs at Haven Lake or Trap Pond.
Catch reports included yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, mahi mahi and blue whalers for anglers making the long run out to the Poormans Canyon last week. While anglers targeting chopper bluefish are reporting some success at Five Fathom Bank and around the Delaware Lightship, the top location for really big blues has been the Hambone. Blue whalers have dominated reports from offshore sharkers, with only a few makos reported so far this season. The inshore shark season also has been a little slower than normal, with scattered catches of threshers being reported. According to a report passed along by Old Inlet Bait and Tackle, the crew of Captain Tom Murphy's Mega-Bite landed a 232-pound thresher and released a small mako and a dozen blue whalers in 20 fathoms off Indian River. Anglers fishing the structure on Reef Sites 10 and 11 and wrecks 10 to 20 miles offshore are reporting black sea bass, along with an occasional flounder. Anglers targeting sea bass have been using squid, fresh clams, minnows and strips of boneless chicken marinated in shedder oil. Striped bass and bluefish have been the primary targets for surf fishermen, but reports showed dogfish sharks and skates to be the most common catch along the Delaware and Maryland beaches. Surf fishing has been a little more productive on Assateague Island, according to reports passed along by Sue Foster at Oyster Bay Tackle in Ocean City. Anglers fishing the Virginia end of the island reported several stripers over 40 inches, along with a black drum that measured 50 inches and weighed 43.13 pounds. Reports from Clark Evans at Old Inlet Bait and Tackle showed excellent fishing in Indian River Inlet. Striped bass topped the list, with a 22.25-pound linesider for William Winder and one caught by Chad Tingle that weighed 29 pounds, nine ounces. There also have been several trophy flounder landed in the inlet, with Joe Parsons' nine-pound, 13-ouncer ranked as one of the most impressive. Evans also reported excellent fishing for bluefish. Back bay fishermen are still scoring on good numbers of flounder, with around one in five making the 18.5-inch minimum keeper length. Some of the best reports are coming from water less than 10 feet deep at the north and south entrances to Masseys Ditch, Little Ditch, Gull Island, VFW Slough, 19 Buoy, 20 Buoy and Whites Creek's Five Buoy. Spec Rigs, small bucktails and Spros, baited with minnows, minnow/squid combos, silversides and Gulp Alive have all been working on the flatfish.
DELAWARE BAY
Big black drum provided yet another week of outstanding fishing, with fish over 60 pounds caught at Pin Top, 16 Buoy, Tussy's Slough, Broadkill Slough and the Coral Beds off Slaughter Beach. The heaviest boomer weighed at Cedar Creek Bait and Tackle was a 75.70-pounder boated by David Biles at Pin Top. Most of the drum reports listed fresh shucked surf clams to be the top producer, followed by whole or chunked peelers. Weakfish action has been slow, but we are hearing of a few nice trout being caught by anglers fishing for drum. Isaiah Ross was fishing at the Broadkill with chunks of peeler crab when he set the hook on a 27-inch weakie that weighed 6.49 pounds. Striper action seems to be slowing, with just a few reports of keepers coming in from anglers fishing the upper end of the bay. Patty Foley at Captain Bones Bait and Tackle said she had heard of a few keeper rockfish at the Smyrna Jetty and the rocks at Ship John Lighthouse. Ship John is also providing a few nice weakfish. Flounder fishing turned on in a big way, with some fishermen scoring a limit of fluke drift fishing at the D, F, and G Buoys in the Anchorage, the Crossover Buoys, Brown Shoal, Cross Ledge, Miah Maul Light and 14-Foot Light. Flounder also are providing good fishing for shore fishermen, with keeper fish reported from Broadkill Beach, Roosevelt Inlet and Lewes Beach. The Cape Henlopen fishing pier has been especially productive, according to Bill's Sport Shop. While anglers pulled a lot of keepers over the rails of the Cape pier, there haven't been many as heavy as Mike Johnson's 5.14-pounder caught from shore.
RIVERS
Delaware River anglers are once again allowed to keep rockfish caught in the C&D Canal and tidal waters north of the Reedy Point Jetty. Locations providing quality striper fishing include the Cherry Island Flats, Battery Park, the New Castle Icebreakers, Powerlines, Reedy Point, the Pipes, Bullpen, Yellow Can, Augustine Beach, Greens Beach and Collins Beach. Tidewater anglers also had a good week on catfish, with citation channel cats reported from the canal, Delaware River and most of the tributary creeks in southern New Castle County. Mike Bowen weighed several trophy catfish at Eastern Marine. Topping the list was a 12.75-pounder caught at Reedy Point on Catfish Nuggets by Jimmy McCay. Brenda Schafferman was fishing with bloodworms at Battery Park when she reeled in a nine-pound citation catfish. Crappie provided the focus in the tidal waters in the south end of the state. The best place for the scrappy panfish is the Records Pond spillway in Laurel, with small to medium shiners and minnows catching most of the fish. While the spring stocking ended more than a month ago, reports passed along by Eastern Marine indicate there are still some real nice rainbows and browns in the streams.
PONDS
Good fishing for both crappie and largemouth bass has been reported in millponds and farm ponds in southern New Castle County. One of the most popular has been Noxontown Pond. Becks Pond has been getting a lot of attention from bass fishermen, with the most popular baits for largemouth being live shiners and minnows. Bass also have been the big draw for most of the pond fishermen George Pechin had talked to at the Williamsville Country Store. Pechin recommended fishing with Scum Frogs, Sweet Beavers and jigs at Haven Lake or Trap Pond.