T_boy
01-06-2011, 02:12 PM
OCEAN
With water temperatures off the Delaware and Maryland coast too cold for rockfish and the season closed on black sea bass, local boaters have turned their focus to tautog on the inshore wrecks and reef structure. According to the weekly report from Mike Marsich at the Indian River Inlet Marina, tog action has been good for anglers fishing aboard the Karen Sue with Captain John Nedelka. Anglers aboard Captain Monty Hawkins' Morning Star also scored on blackfish while fishing snags off Ocean City last weekend, with a respectable 28-incher taking the pool. Fishermen targeting stripers off Wachapreague were having some success a couple of weeks ago, according to Captain Perry Romig of Topless Fishing Charters. But a sharp drop in the water temperatures into the mid-30s has pushed the fish and the fishermen farther south.
The latest reports from the Virginia Beach Fishing Center placed the schools of trophy linesiders in the waters between the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and Oregon Inlet. Catch reports from the Fishing Center included a pair of 45-inch, catch-and-released stripers for Kimball Hubbard and Milton Strawhand that were caught on a charter trip aboard the Top Notch. Numerous rockfish over the 30-pound mark also were weighed at the marina, with Daniel Scott's 44.25-pounder at the top of list. Rockfish also provided good action for boaters running out of the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, with reports indicating limits of fish on most trips. Some of the more impressive fish landed off Oregon Inlet included Wesley Smith's 45-pounder and one caught by Cherly Kersnowski that pushed the scale to 38 pounds.
Anglers targeting rockfish are using a variety of tactics, including trolling with deep-running plugs like the Mann's Stretch 20 and 25+ models, live-lining with eels and chunking with fresh menhaden. Catch reports from charters running out of the Hatteras Harbor Marina were focused on grouper and tilefish in warm water action in the Gulf Stream. At the top of the deep drop reports were a 46-pound grouper from Drew Kerekes and a 12-pound gray tilefish landed by Ronnie Johnson Jr.
On the local surf scene, there were a few reports of success on dogfish sharks passed along to Saltfish.net by fishermen baiting with chunks of frozen bunker. Shore fishermen also have been trying their luck on small stripers along the rocks of the Indian River Inlet, but with water temperatures in the low 30s, there hasn't been a lot of cooperation from the fish. Inlet anglers who fish the area just west of the Coast Guard station known locally as Bubblegum Beach will have to find another place to wet their lines this spring. According to reports passed along by Clark Evans at Old Inlet Bait and Tackle, the area will be temporarily closed while the Army Corps of Engineers completes a bulkhead project at the Coast Guard facility. The project is expected to be complete and the area re-opened to fishermen by June.
DELAWARE BAY
While water temperatures in the bay are too cold for tog or striper fishing, there have been a few reports of spiny dogfish being caught by boaters fishing the mid- and lower bay. Most of the sharks are being caught around the high and low slack tide by anglers soaking chunks of frozen bunker, mullet and herring. Reports from the upper bay included a few short, male stripers for anglers fishing bunker or live eels at Ship John, the oyster beds off of Woodland Beach and the jetty at the mouth of the Smyrna River. Anglers also are starting to connect with a few white perch in the rivers and creeks that flow into the bay.
RIVERS
The weekly river report from Shooter's Supply indicated scattered catches of short stripers in the Delaware River at locations including the Yellow Can, Greens Beach, the Augustine Jetty and Reedy Point for fishermen baiting with frozen bunker or eels. The crew at the Williamsville Country Store also passed along reports of short stripers being caught in the Broadkill River on RatLTrap lures. River reports from Captain Bones Bait and Tackle were focused on yellow perch. According to anglers checking in with shop owner Patty Foley, the perch have shown up in the Appoquinimink River at the Noxontown and Silver Lake spillways and in the upper reaches of the Chester River at Millington. Most of the ring perch are being caught on jigs tipped with live minnows. While local river action can be limited during the coldest month of the year, January and February are prime season for steelhead fishermen who travel north to New York's Salmon River.
While steelhead weighing up to 15 pounds are the primary target for winter anglers, there also have been a fair number of brown trout in the eight- to 10-pound slot being caught. According to catch reports passed along by Whitakers Sport Shop in Pulaski, the most productive technique for winter steelhead and brown trout action is to bounce the bottom with eggs or nymph pattern flies, or to float fish with egg sacs, trout beads or pink worms.
PONDS
While daytime temperatures have been more seasonable during the past week, a thin layer of ice continues to limit access to most of the state's millponds. Fishermen are finding open water in the spillways, the areas above the water control structures and along unshaded shorelines that are fishable, but boat access remains poor. Pond reports from Shooter's Supply listed the open water at Lums Pond and Becks Pond as good bets for a mix of crappie and chain pickerel for fishermen baiting with shiners. The winter months also provide some nice hybrid stripers for anglers fishing larger shiners at Lums Pond. Crappie topped the reports from Jerry Taylor at Taylored Tackle, with the spillway below the Williams Pond in Seaford listed as the top destination for downstate anglers. Taylor recommended small to medium shiners.
With water temperatures off the Delaware and Maryland coast too cold for rockfish and the season closed on black sea bass, local boaters have turned their focus to tautog on the inshore wrecks and reef structure. According to the weekly report from Mike Marsich at the Indian River Inlet Marina, tog action has been good for anglers fishing aboard the Karen Sue with Captain John Nedelka. Anglers aboard Captain Monty Hawkins' Morning Star also scored on blackfish while fishing snags off Ocean City last weekend, with a respectable 28-incher taking the pool. Fishermen targeting stripers off Wachapreague were having some success a couple of weeks ago, according to Captain Perry Romig of Topless Fishing Charters. But a sharp drop in the water temperatures into the mid-30s has pushed the fish and the fishermen farther south.
The latest reports from the Virginia Beach Fishing Center placed the schools of trophy linesiders in the waters between the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and Oregon Inlet. Catch reports from the Fishing Center included a pair of 45-inch, catch-and-released stripers for Kimball Hubbard and Milton Strawhand that were caught on a charter trip aboard the Top Notch. Numerous rockfish over the 30-pound mark also were weighed at the marina, with Daniel Scott's 44.25-pounder at the top of list. Rockfish also provided good action for boaters running out of the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, with reports indicating limits of fish on most trips. Some of the more impressive fish landed off Oregon Inlet included Wesley Smith's 45-pounder and one caught by Cherly Kersnowski that pushed the scale to 38 pounds.
Anglers targeting rockfish are using a variety of tactics, including trolling with deep-running plugs like the Mann's Stretch 20 and 25+ models, live-lining with eels and chunking with fresh menhaden. Catch reports from charters running out of the Hatteras Harbor Marina were focused on grouper and tilefish in warm water action in the Gulf Stream. At the top of the deep drop reports were a 46-pound grouper from Drew Kerekes and a 12-pound gray tilefish landed by Ronnie Johnson Jr.
On the local surf scene, there were a few reports of success on dogfish sharks passed along to Saltfish.net by fishermen baiting with chunks of frozen bunker. Shore fishermen also have been trying their luck on small stripers along the rocks of the Indian River Inlet, but with water temperatures in the low 30s, there hasn't been a lot of cooperation from the fish. Inlet anglers who fish the area just west of the Coast Guard station known locally as Bubblegum Beach will have to find another place to wet their lines this spring. According to reports passed along by Clark Evans at Old Inlet Bait and Tackle, the area will be temporarily closed while the Army Corps of Engineers completes a bulkhead project at the Coast Guard facility. The project is expected to be complete and the area re-opened to fishermen by June.
DELAWARE BAY
While water temperatures in the bay are too cold for tog or striper fishing, there have been a few reports of spiny dogfish being caught by boaters fishing the mid- and lower bay. Most of the sharks are being caught around the high and low slack tide by anglers soaking chunks of frozen bunker, mullet and herring. Reports from the upper bay included a few short, male stripers for anglers fishing bunker or live eels at Ship John, the oyster beds off of Woodland Beach and the jetty at the mouth of the Smyrna River. Anglers also are starting to connect with a few white perch in the rivers and creeks that flow into the bay.
RIVERS
The weekly river report from Shooter's Supply indicated scattered catches of short stripers in the Delaware River at locations including the Yellow Can, Greens Beach, the Augustine Jetty and Reedy Point for fishermen baiting with frozen bunker or eels. The crew at the Williamsville Country Store also passed along reports of short stripers being caught in the Broadkill River on RatLTrap lures. River reports from Captain Bones Bait and Tackle were focused on yellow perch. According to anglers checking in with shop owner Patty Foley, the perch have shown up in the Appoquinimink River at the Noxontown and Silver Lake spillways and in the upper reaches of the Chester River at Millington. Most of the ring perch are being caught on jigs tipped with live minnows. While local river action can be limited during the coldest month of the year, January and February are prime season for steelhead fishermen who travel north to New York's Salmon River.
While steelhead weighing up to 15 pounds are the primary target for winter anglers, there also have been a fair number of brown trout in the eight- to 10-pound slot being caught. According to catch reports passed along by Whitakers Sport Shop in Pulaski, the most productive technique for winter steelhead and brown trout action is to bounce the bottom with eggs or nymph pattern flies, or to float fish with egg sacs, trout beads or pink worms.
PONDS
While daytime temperatures have been more seasonable during the past week, a thin layer of ice continues to limit access to most of the state's millponds. Fishermen are finding open water in the spillways, the areas above the water control structures and along unshaded shorelines that are fishable, but boat access remains poor. Pond reports from Shooter's Supply listed the open water at Lums Pond and Becks Pond as good bets for a mix of crappie and chain pickerel for fishermen baiting with shiners. The winter months also provide some nice hybrid stripers for anglers fishing larger shiners at Lums Pond. Crappie topped the reports from Jerry Taylor at Taylored Tackle, with the spillway below the Williams Pond in Seaford listed as the top destination for downstate anglers. Taylor recommended small to medium shiners.