SPORTS

Catfish records: The bar has been raised, again!

Jeffrey Taviano
The News Journal

OCEAN

The Old Grounds has been the most productive ocean fishing spot for flounder. Joey and Dave Walker, Troy Vansant, and Robert Karpovich checked into the Lewes Harbour Marina after catching 15 keeper flounder at the Old Grounds. Jason and Edward Miller also caught four keepers at the Old Grounds along with one sea bass. Eastern Marine reported improved flounder action at Reef Sites 10, and 11. Tim Lowe, Carl R., and Dave Burch fished with squid and shiners at Site 11 and brought back seven keeper doormats. Anglers have had some luck catching false albacore and bluefish while trolling bucktails near B Buoy. Heidie Durham and Max Schultz pulled in a pair of white marlin while fishing at the Baltimore Canyon. Anglers are reporting a slow week in the surf with not much action other than the occasional kingfish, or skate. In Maryland, anglers are having success live lining spot at the Route 50 bridge in Ocean City for keeper stripers.

WHITE MARLIN OPEN

Despite the nasty weather, anglers have ventured into rough seas in search of a big payday. Jim Boynton of Massachusetts is at the top of the leaderboard with a 67-pound yellowfin tuna. He is guaranteed $40,000, if he stays at the top he will collect $460,000. Other notable fish include a 64-pound tuna by Jim Stavola, a 57-pound tuna from Tommy Parlacoski, a 55-pound, 8-ounce tuna by Jason Walker, and a 55-pound Wahoo caught by angler Gary Capuano. Nearly $5 million will be given away at the conclusion of the competition.

DELAWARE BAY

Small croaker are beginning to arrive at the Cape Henlopen fishing pier, however, the keepers are behind schedule. A few flounder, spot and small sea bass have also been caught from the pier this week. Brandon Jolley, Julie Jolley, and friends fished Site 8 and hauled in six keeper flounder. Anglers fishing the Outer Wall have had luck catching triggerfish and sheepshead using crabs and sand fleas. Jim Frazier celebrated his 90th birthday fishing at Woodland Beach with Harvey Straugh. He caught multiple white perch, short stripers, and catfish while using bloodworms and peelers for bait. In Maryland, Eastern Marine reported a good run of Cobia up to 44 inches near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel with anglers using Hogy lures. Colonial VFW Post 838 at the Augustine Inn at Augustine Beach will be hosting their inaugural catfish tournament Sept. 9. Registration is $35 per person. Anglers can sign up at the VFW at the Augustine Inn.

RIVERS

Jordan Chelton raised the bar for catfish shattering the previous state record by 11 pounds with his 36-pound 3.2-ounce blue catfish. He caught the big cat using bunker while fishing in the Nanticoke River. The previous record was also caught in the Nanticoke earlier this year, and local reports indicate that there could be many more large catfish over 20 pounds in the Nanticoke. The new record was weighed in at Taylored Tackle in Seaford. Peter Bowers weighed in a citation catfish at Captain Bones Bait and Tackle. The fish weighed six pounds,12 ounces and was caught at Silver Run on bunker. Rhett Travers checked in with Eastern Marine after fishing County Creek. He was catching largemouth bass in 3-pound range while using a senko. Anglers are catching snakeheads in the Christina River at Churchmans Marsh. Reminder: Any snakeheads that are caught must not be released, as they are an invasive species. The Brandywine River continues to be a good place to fish this time of year with decent striper action at the Market Street Bridge on the incoming tide. Anglers are using topwater lures, and rattle traps. Jason Veasey fished the non-tidal section of the Brandywine between Chadds Ford and Thompson's Bridge. He landed smallmouth bass up to four pounds using rattle traps and zoom albino flukes. Eastern Marine reported good striper action in Maryland at Swan Point on the Potomac River. The stripers caught have measured up to 36 inches and are biting on top water lures, and bunker. Richard Wright fished Swan Point and caught two stripers measuring 24 and 28 inches. The Susquehanna Flats and Turkey Point are also producing decent size stripers in the 22-to-26-inch range.

PONDS

I ventured up to Deering Lake in New Hampshire and caught a few nice pickerel in the crystal clear waters. I was using a brush hog, however, I didn’t have any steel liters as my original target was largemouth bass. After I caught a few, I lost my luck as the pickerel began biting through my line and stealing my lures which sent me home. Taylored Tackle reported decent bass action at Chipmans Pond with fish in the 1-to-2-pound range. Most anglers are using senkos. Jimi Temple fished Lums Pond just before dark in his canoe using a bullhead minnow under a bobber and retrieved an 11-pound, 7-ounce largemouth bass. The fish measured 33 inches with a 22-inch girth and was released. The current largemouth record is 11 pounds, 5 ounces, however, Temple’s fish wasn’t verified by DNREC. Anglers are catching snakeheads at the pond inside the forest of Banning Park. Any snakeheads that are caught must be kept, and not released.

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