Togs to blues, the fish are showing up in local waters

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”

NAPLES, Florida: And, true to form, the fishing forecast held! As I’m off roughing it in Florida, the fish predictably showed up back home. Some of the fishing is better, of course, than others, but make no mistake, some of the fish showed.

Capt. Rick Yakimowicz aboard the all-day head boat out of Fisherman’s Wharf in Lewes reports that they are sailing and the tog fishing is good. The savvy skipper reports that tog action on a recent trip was so good that they had a full boat limit on the wily wrasse. Crab or clam baits are the best route for action for tog.

The fish are open until May 11, and must be 15 inches to be retained. Anglers are allowed three fish daily.

Certainly, hopping aboard a head boat is the easiest and most economical ways to access this fishery. The bait is supplied and you can rent appropriate tackle aboard. Charter boats also offer a way to get out toggin’, though admittedly more expensive per angler. 

Shore side anglers can get out tog fishing at Indian River Inlet by dropping baits around the rocks lining the waterway. Make sure you take stout enough tackle so you can wrest the wrasses from the rocks.

Big blues have showed up along the northern side of Indian River Inlet and up into lower Delaware Bay. In the latter case, the fish are on the beach side of the fishing pier and are RIGHT in the surf line. 

Big black drum have also appeared in the Delaware Bay, though the hook and line bite has been very slow to say the least. I have a report of one fish caught at the Cape Henlopen Point, and one report of a lone fish caught at Broadkill Beach. Hardly a torrid start but, still, it is a beginning.

White perch action in tidal waterways is solid as is the norm for this time of year. Grass shrimp or bloodworms are the way to go here. Try using size six hooks with the least amount of weight required to hold bottom.

Here in sunny Florida, the fishing is epically slow. The only constants are a mother dolphin and her calf. They circle the pier like park pigeons searching for a handout rather than swimming wild and hunting on their own. 

Other than a few whiting and some stray pompano, things are pretty slow. Haven’t seen a Spanish mackerel yet.  Still, if you are going to have slow fishing it’s not a bad place to have it!

Be warned, though, my time away is starting to draw to a close.  So catch 'em up soon. I can’t stay away forever!

Reports, comments or questions to captjackrodgers@comcast.net