Fishing Report

Over the past week, some places were hot and some not as hot.

Russ at Cedar Creek Bait & Tackle had trout up to 10 pounds taken on chicken soaked with crab oil, these fish were taken just off of Broadkill Beach. As for flounder, reef site #5 near the Broadkill Slough has been producing fish up to 7 pounds.

Joe at Lewes Harbor Marina reports big trout taken in the shallow waters in areas such as the ferry wall, Roosevelt Inlet and the Cape Henlopen Pier, Matt Martin of Dewey Beach had three nice trout, 11.6, 10 and 9.3 pounds, taken on shad darts or soft plastics. Flounder are still being taken in the canal and black drum are being caught on the coral beds. Most of the drum are being taken on clams or crab and range from 15 to 75 pounds.

On the pier at Cape Henlopen State Park, “Jo” reports good fishing at present. Trout up to 32 inches have been taken on chunks of chicken and blues up to 30 inches have been taking chicken, mullet or bunker.

Rick, of Rick’s Bait and Tackle, reports small blues on the pier at Massey’s Ditch, being taken on rattletraps and tog on green crab or sand fleas. In the Indian River Bay, he has seen flounder up to 6 pounds this past week. Top spots are the slough in front of Holt’s Landing, near South Shore Marina or the Little Ditch in back of Burton’s Island.

Indian River Inlet over the past week has provided some excellent striper fishing, from the rocks or on a boat. Capt. Tim Tribbitt, of Ocean View, aboard the “Red Drum Taxi” had a 35-pound, 45-inch striper taken on a live herring. Tim Balas, of Sugarnotch, Penn., had a 20-pound, 4-ounce striper on the “Gale Force” with Capt. Kenny Savage II. As for the jetty jocks, Walter Wong of Fenwick Island had two stripers, 27.8 pounds and 20.3 pounds taken on 5-inch storm baits. Ty Handy of Frankford had a 20-pound, 10-ounce catch and Russ Staley of Annapolis, Md. had three up to 40 inches, all released while fly fishing this past week. We did not weigh a striper under 20 pounds!

On incoming tide, blues are being caught on buck tails or metal and shad are hitting shad darts or spec rigs.

Tog are hitting green crab or sand fleas.

We have still not heard of the first trout coming out of the inlet.

Surf fishing remains pretty good, weather permitting. Bruce Smith of Baltimore, Md. had four king fish and 10 blowfish, using bloodworm. I went out after work on Monday and had the grand slam — four blues, one blowfish and one pointy-tailed flounder, all taken on cut mullet. Bill (Gramps) Hamilton, with grandson Ryan Hamilton, fished Wednesday evening and took four blues up to 20 inches and lost a nice striper in the wash, most of the blues are ranging 14 to 20 inches — cut mullet, bunker or whole mullet will do the trick.

Inshore wreck or structure fishing is picking up. On the “Screaming Reel Sport Fishing”, out of Rick’s Bait & Tackle, they returned with 48 sea bass and one 4-pound cod fish. Capt. John Nedelka, on the “Karen Sue,” has had sea bass up to 5.7 pounds and most days, a limit of tog.

Ron Boyer, of Long Neck, had a nice 10-pound, 5-ounce tog while fishing reef site #10.

As for our local head boats, Capt. Buzz on the Judy V is catching nice blues up to 10 pounds using buck tails. The Judy V is running two half day trips daily.

Well, that’s about it for this week. Until next, good luck and great fishing. See ya’ on the beach.

P.S. “Allen, nice fish” 50-pound club

Acie Mankins is the manager of B&R tackle, in South Bethany. Check them out at www.brtackle.com, or call 539-6243.