Jeff Taviano's Delaware Regional Fishing Report

OCEAN

The season for sea bass has reopened, but the weather hasn’t been friendly to boaters trying to reach them. There have been a few reports of tuna at the canyons, but strong winds and small craft advisories have kept most anglers away. Striper and bluefish have been the main attraction at the Indian River Inlet with bucktails, spoons, and sand fleas working the best. For anglers hitting the surf most of the action has been snapper blues on mullet. Most of the large rockfish are still making their way toward Delaware waters from New Jersey. Paul Lavigna landed a 32-inch, 10-pound striper in Brigantine, New Jersey. Paul’s striper is one of many reported in the Brigantine, Atlantic City area.

DELAWARE BAY

White perch are biting well at Augustine Beach and Woodland Beach on bloodworms. Catfish are also biting at Augustine Beach and Woodland Beach on bunker. Tog action has been at a steady pace at the Ice Breakers and the Outer Wall with green crab and sand fleas producing the most fish. Ted Garman, John Leader, and Mike Larose each caught tog at the Outer Wall on Asian box crabs. John Leader weighed in a 7-pound, 6-ounce tautog at the Lewes Harbour Marina that he caught at the Outer Wall. The Katydid also did well fishing the Outer Wall and the Ice Breakers returning to port with more than two dozen tog and three triggerfish. Anglers fishing the Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier have had luck on bluefish and flounder with mullet serving as the best bait.

RIVERS

Mike Bowen at Eastern Marine reported a good swell of stripers on high tide at the mouths of the Appoquinimink and Smyrna rivers signaling a good Fall striper run. Rockfish are being caught up in Maryland in the Bohemia, Elk, and Susquehanna rivers. Anglers are using crank baits, shad darts, and booyah hard knockers. Channel catfish are being caught alongside the rockfish in the Bohemia on crank baits. The Conowingo Dam is building up with a lot of large fish. Boyd Cochran witnessed two 40-plus-inch rockfish caught on flies at the Dam. The south end of the Delaware River continues to provide good white perch action on bloodworms. A reminder that White Clay Creek has been restocked with trout from the Pennsylvania line down to Newark. Richard Clendening reached his limit on three separate occasions at Thompsons, and Hopkins bridge. He caught a variety of tigers, palominos, rainbows, brook and brown trout. Kevin J. Weyl weighed in a 2-pound, 6-ounce, 18-inch palomino at Eastern Marine that he caught on a pearl white crazy crappie tube. Jason Veasey reached his limit of rainbows and brown trout at Hopkins bridge on a trout magnet.

PONDS

Patty at Captain Bones Bait & Tackle reported good bass action at Garrisons Lake and Duck Creek on senkos and chatterbaits.

Email your fishing info and fishing photos to jtaviano@delawareonline.com or tweet @JeffreyTaviano.