To the anglers delight, bluefish are still running
OCEAN
Tog season is now closed although the bite had been good at the Outer Wall. The good news is that black sea bass season is now open. Surf anglers are still having success on bluefish at Herring Point. Jason Austin landed two blues on bunker, and mullet at Herring Point. Anglers are having success hooking bluefish at the Indian River Inlet on lures. The Blues have been caught in the Indian River Bay as well. Big rockfish were reported at the Inlet with bucktails doing the damage. A few flounder were caught at Massey’s Ditch on minnows. Big bluefish are still being caught at Fenwick Island on bunker and mullet. A few keeper rockfish, dogfish, and skates were caught from the surf at Fenwick as well.
DELAWARE BAY
The Joe Morris Memorial Flounder Tournament will be held on May 19th. The tournament will serve as an honor to Morris, and as a fundraiser for pancreatic cancer research. The entry fee is $40 per angler of which $20 will go to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Those who would like to donate to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, but not fish the tournament can write a check to the organization and write in Memory of Joe Morris on the memo line. Checks will be accepted at Lewes Harbour Marina at any time. The tournament hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The area fished will be the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal from the Rehoboth Bay to the Roosevelt Inlet and the Broadkill River as far upstream as Oyster Rocks. All anglers must register at Lewes Harbour Marina by 7 a.m. on the morning of the contest. All the money from the $20 entry fee is paid out to the winners. First place gets 40%, second gets 25%, third gets 20% and fourth gets 15%. Fifth and sixth place winners will receive rod and reel combos from Rick’s Bait and Tackle and Henlopen Bait and Tackle. Collins Beach is still producing keeper rockfish, although getting out on the water this past week has been difficult due to strong winds. Lewes Beach and the Cape Henlopen State Park fishing pier are still producing bluefish on mullet and bunker. Jules and Billy Mister checked into the Lewes Harbour Marina after catching eight blues at the pier. Jimmy Yingling, Tanner Virden, Jonah Robertson, Daniel Brown, Anthony Brozosky, Bob Quinn, and Tom DiSalvo all pulled in blues at the pier this week. A few flounder have been caught from the pier on minnows. Captain Bones reported decent white perch action at Augustine Beach and Woodland Beach along with a few short stripers, and catfish. The perch have preferred bloodworms, while the stripers have been caught on a mix of bloodworms and bunker.
RIVERS
Anglers are catching white perch in the Christina River at the Newport Boat Ramp with minnows and bloodworms working well. Bluefish are still being caught in the Broadkill River, however, the bite is slowing down. More flounder have been caught this week in the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal on minnows close to the Roosevelt Inlet. Bob Oswald brought a 3 pounder to the Lewes Harbour Marina that he caught at the Roosevelt Inlet. It’s not too late to catch trout at White Clay Creek. Plenty of brown trout were caught this week at White Clay on nightcrawlers and minnows. Taylored Tackle reported blue catfish, crappie, and striper action at the Laurel and Concord spillways. A 35-inch rockfish was caught and released at the Laurel Spillway. Smallmouth bass continue to bite well in the non-tidal section of the Brandywine River. Ed Raymond landed a 2-pound 8-ounce smallmouth on a Rapala stick bait. There are plenty of catfish in the C&D Canal biting on a wide range of baits including bunker, and chicken liver.
PONDS
Captain Bones reported crappie being caught at Noxontown Pond on minnows and crappie jigs. Anglers have been catching largemouth bass, and crappie at Garrisons Lake on frogs, spinnerbaits, and senkos. Greg Bullock brought in a couple citation crappie to Eastern Marine. The fish were caught from Becks Pond on shiners under a bobber and measured 14, and 15 inches. Eastern Marine also reported decent largemouth bass, and pickerel action at Pencader Pond in deep water. Shiners, nightcrawlers, and minnows have been the top baits.
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