T_boy
04-07-2011, 02:55 PM
OCEAN
Boaters fishing the wrecks and reef sites off of Indian River and Ocean City continue to score on tautog and cod, with the crew at Bill's Sport Shop passing along reports of several huge tog being caught. Topping the list was a 20-pound blackfish for an anglers fishing with Captain Ben Shamburger aboard the Wreck Stalker. The trip also produced cod up to 10 pounds. Captain Monty Hawkins also reported big tog for anglers fishing aboard the Ocean City charter Morning Star. Scott Allison's 19.50-pounder was the heaviest, followed by a tog landed by Pat Travolina that pushed the scale to 18.64 pounds. Both of the trophy blackfish were caught on white crabs.
Mike Marsich at the Indian River Inlet Marina said he'd also heard reports of quality tog and cod action from anglers fishing with Captain John Nedelka on the Indian River charter Karen Sue, with recent trips producing up to 40 keeper fish. Captains fishing the deeper wrecks located to the east of the 30-Fathom line are reporting good catches of cod and pollock. Local surf fishing action remains slow, with skates listed as the most common hook up. There also have been a few short stripers released by anglers fishing Delaware's beaches, but no reports yet of any linesiders over 28 inches being caught. Anglers stopping at Old Inlet Bait and Tackle reported the season's first keeper rockfish. According to Clark Evans at the shop, the 33-inch fish was caught by an angler fishing the night shift. Flounder are providing some early season action for anglers checking in at Rick's Bait and Tackle. The most productive locations right now, according to shop owner Rick Willman, are the VFW Slough and the warm water at the back of Indian River Bay near the Power Plant. Effective baits include live minnows, herring strips, large silversides and smelt.
DELAWARE BAY
Bay anglers reported increasing numbers of keeper rockfish on days when winds were calm enough to fish. Mike Barnes checked in at Saltfish.net to report a day on the bay that produced three keeper-sized fish measuring up to 36 inches. The fish were caught between 14-Foot Light and Brandywine on fresh clams. There also were reports of keeper stripers being caught on clams, fresh bunker, bloodworms and eels at the upper end of Broadkill Beach, Cross Ledge, Ship John Light, the oyster beds off of Woodland Beach, and the Horseshoe, Punk Grounds and One Buoy on the Jersey side of the channel.
Shore fishermen also scored on a few keeper rockfish at Broadkill Beach and the fishing piers at Port Mahon and Woodland Beach. White perch continue to provide good fishing along the bay's beaches and in the tidal portions of the bay's tributary rivers and creeks. Included in the perch reports were the Broadkill River, Canary Creek, Petersfield Ditch, Murderkill River, St. Jones River, Smyrna River, Blackbird Creek, Woodland Beach, Port Mahon and Bower's Beach. Most of the perch action has been on bloodworms, with grass shrimp also reported to be working.
RIVERS
With Delaware's trout season underway, many anglers have turned their attention to the state's six stocked trout streams. This year's stocking by the Division of Fish and Wildlife included some of the biggest trophy fish anglers have seen in recent years, with numerous rainbow trout over the four-pound mark reported by area tackle dealers. Jason McMullen topped the list with a whopping, 5.95-pound rainbow that he weighed in at Captain Bones Bait and Tackle. The trophy was caught in Christina Creek at Rittenhouse Park on pink Power Bait. Larry "Little Man" Voss also was fishing with Power Bait when he landed a 2.36-pound, citation palomino trout. Shooter's Supply weighed more than a dozen citation trout during the first few days of the season, including a 4.44-pound rainbow caught at Wilson Run by Kenneth Saunders, a 4.38-pounder that Tom Yonko pulled out of Beaver Run and one caught at White Clay Creek by Nathan Johnson that weighed 4.20 pounds. Catch reports from anglers fishing the tidal rivers in the upstate region indicated good fishing for white perch, channel catfish and striped bass.
Anglers trying for white perch are reporting plenty of action on big fish while fishing along the banks of the C&D Canal with bloodworms. Troy Dennis and Paul Quigley topped the perch reports from Shooter's Supply with citations weighing 1.25 and 1.70 pounds, respectively. Both fish were caught in the canal at Reedy Point on bloodworms. Fishermen targeting the stripers are reminded that the action is catch-and-release only during April and May in all tidal waters from the south side of the Reedy Point Jetty at the mouth of the C&D Canal, north to the Pennsylvania line. Anglers fishing in this portion of the Delaware River, C&D Canal and their tidal tributaries also are required to use non-offset circle hooks. The same rules are in effect on the Nanticoke River and its tidal tributaries until the end of May, according to Jerry Taylor at Taylored Tackle. Several anglers took advantage of the last couple days of the "catch and keep" season with catches of citation stripers that were weighed in at the Seaford tackle shop. Jim Hitchens' 33.30-pounder topped the list, with a pair of 32-pounders weighed in by Tim Barnett and Chad Tingle. Taylor said all three citations were caught just above the Delaware line on fresh herring.
PONDS
Reports from the local millponds showed good fishing for crappie, chain pickerel, yellow perch and some impressive largemouth bass. At the top of the bass reports was a whopping, 7.28-pound largemouth weighed in at Captain Bones Bait and Tackle by 12-year-old Luke Rife. The young angler was fishing a RatLTrap in Noxontown Pond. Shop owner Patty Foley also weighed a 1.17-pound yellow perch from Noxontown Pond for David Fox. Jeff Odle had a good day at Lums Pond, earning a pair of citation awards for a six-pound, one-ounce bass and a crappie that weighed one pound, 11 ounces. Lums also produced a citation crappie weighing one pound, 10 ounces for Fred Meli. All three citations were weighed and reported by Shooter's Supply. Curt Mitchell took some time off from his duties at the Williamsville Country Store to get in a little bass fishing at Haven Lake and Blairs Pond and reported good action on largemouth in the two- to three-pound range. Most of the fish were caught on RatLTraps, Shakey Heads and jerkbaits. Pond reports from fishermen stopping at Taylored Tackle listed Records Pond as a good choice for bass action. Most of the reports listed Senko plastics as an effective lure.
Boaters fishing the wrecks and reef sites off of Indian River and Ocean City continue to score on tautog and cod, with the crew at Bill's Sport Shop passing along reports of several huge tog being caught. Topping the list was a 20-pound blackfish for an anglers fishing with Captain Ben Shamburger aboard the Wreck Stalker. The trip also produced cod up to 10 pounds. Captain Monty Hawkins also reported big tog for anglers fishing aboard the Ocean City charter Morning Star. Scott Allison's 19.50-pounder was the heaviest, followed by a tog landed by Pat Travolina that pushed the scale to 18.64 pounds. Both of the trophy blackfish were caught on white crabs.
Mike Marsich at the Indian River Inlet Marina said he'd also heard reports of quality tog and cod action from anglers fishing with Captain John Nedelka on the Indian River charter Karen Sue, with recent trips producing up to 40 keeper fish. Captains fishing the deeper wrecks located to the east of the 30-Fathom line are reporting good catches of cod and pollock. Local surf fishing action remains slow, with skates listed as the most common hook up. There also have been a few short stripers released by anglers fishing Delaware's beaches, but no reports yet of any linesiders over 28 inches being caught. Anglers stopping at Old Inlet Bait and Tackle reported the season's first keeper rockfish. According to Clark Evans at the shop, the 33-inch fish was caught by an angler fishing the night shift. Flounder are providing some early season action for anglers checking in at Rick's Bait and Tackle. The most productive locations right now, according to shop owner Rick Willman, are the VFW Slough and the warm water at the back of Indian River Bay near the Power Plant. Effective baits include live minnows, herring strips, large silversides and smelt.
DELAWARE BAY
Bay anglers reported increasing numbers of keeper rockfish on days when winds were calm enough to fish. Mike Barnes checked in at Saltfish.net to report a day on the bay that produced three keeper-sized fish measuring up to 36 inches. The fish were caught between 14-Foot Light and Brandywine on fresh clams. There also were reports of keeper stripers being caught on clams, fresh bunker, bloodworms and eels at the upper end of Broadkill Beach, Cross Ledge, Ship John Light, the oyster beds off of Woodland Beach, and the Horseshoe, Punk Grounds and One Buoy on the Jersey side of the channel.
Shore fishermen also scored on a few keeper rockfish at Broadkill Beach and the fishing piers at Port Mahon and Woodland Beach. White perch continue to provide good fishing along the bay's beaches and in the tidal portions of the bay's tributary rivers and creeks. Included in the perch reports were the Broadkill River, Canary Creek, Petersfield Ditch, Murderkill River, St. Jones River, Smyrna River, Blackbird Creek, Woodland Beach, Port Mahon and Bower's Beach. Most of the perch action has been on bloodworms, with grass shrimp also reported to be working.
RIVERS
With Delaware's trout season underway, many anglers have turned their attention to the state's six stocked trout streams. This year's stocking by the Division of Fish and Wildlife included some of the biggest trophy fish anglers have seen in recent years, with numerous rainbow trout over the four-pound mark reported by area tackle dealers. Jason McMullen topped the list with a whopping, 5.95-pound rainbow that he weighed in at Captain Bones Bait and Tackle. The trophy was caught in Christina Creek at Rittenhouse Park on pink Power Bait. Larry "Little Man" Voss also was fishing with Power Bait when he landed a 2.36-pound, citation palomino trout. Shooter's Supply weighed more than a dozen citation trout during the first few days of the season, including a 4.44-pound rainbow caught at Wilson Run by Kenneth Saunders, a 4.38-pounder that Tom Yonko pulled out of Beaver Run and one caught at White Clay Creek by Nathan Johnson that weighed 4.20 pounds. Catch reports from anglers fishing the tidal rivers in the upstate region indicated good fishing for white perch, channel catfish and striped bass.
Anglers trying for white perch are reporting plenty of action on big fish while fishing along the banks of the C&D Canal with bloodworms. Troy Dennis and Paul Quigley topped the perch reports from Shooter's Supply with citations weighing 1.25 and 1.70 pounds, respectively. Both fish were caught in the canal at Reedy Point on bloodworms. Fishermen targeting the stripers are reminded that the action is catch-and-release only during April and May in all tidal waters from the south side of the Reedy Point Jetty at the mouth of the C&D Canal, north to the Pennsylvania line. Anglers fishing in this portion of the Delaware River, C&D Canal and their tidal tributaries also are required to use non-offset circle hooks. The same rules are in effect on the Nanticoke River and its tidal tributaries until the end of May, according to Jerry Taylor at Taylored Tackle. Several anglers took advantage of the last couple days of the "catch and keep" season with catches of citation stripers that were weighed in at the Seaford tackle shop. Jim Hitchens' 33.30-pounder topped the list, with a pair of 32-pounders weighed in by Tim Barnett and Chad Tingle. Taylor said all three citations were caught just above the Delaware line on fresh herring.
PONDS
Reports from the local millponds showed good fishing for crappie, chain pickerel, yellow perch and some impressive largemouth bass. At the top of the bass reports was a whopping, 7.28-pound largemouth weighed in at Captain Bones Bait and Tackle by 12-year-old Luke Rife. The young angler was fishing a RatLTrap in Noxontown Pond. Shop owner Patty Foley also weighed a 1.17-pound yellow perch from Noxontown Pond for David Fox. Jeff Odle had a good day at Lums Pond, earning a pair of citation awards for a six-pound, one-ounce bass and a crappie that weighed one pound, 11 ounces. Lums also produced a citation crappie weighing one pound, 10 ounces for Fred Meli. All three citations were weighed and reported by Shooter's Supply. Curt Mitchell took some time off from his duties at the Williamsville Country Store to get in a little bass fishing at Haven Lake and Blairs Pond and reported good action on largemouth in the two- to three-pound range. Most of the fish were caught on RatLTraps, Shakey Heads and jerkbaits. Pond reports from fishermen stopping at Taylored Tackle listed Records Pond as a good choice for bass action. Most of the reports listed Senko plastics as an effective lure.