Fishing report

By Acie Mankins
Special to the Coastal Point

You can’t complain about last week – lots of sunshine and good fishing. If they could all be like that, we would be OK.

Tom at Cedar Creek Bait & Tackle said croaker are everywhere in the bay (Broadkill Slough, Anchorage, 14-foot Light). Some of these fish are weighing up to 3 pounds. As for flounder, if you can get through the croakers, 1 mile north of E buoy has been the best.

Joe at Lewes Harbor Marina also reported excellent croaker fishing all over the bay, but G buoy in the Anchorage seems to be just loaded with fish. The best baits are squid, clam and bloodworm. A few flounder have been reported, but the flounder don’t stand a chance with all the croaker hitting everything dropped down.

On the pier at Cape Henlopen State Park, Vicki reported good action on croaker, spot, flounder, sand perch and a few trout. The best baits are bloodworms or fishbites.

Indian River Bay is producing a lot of undersized flounder, with a few nice fish mixed in. John Tkacz of Concordville, Pa., on the My Dolly Too had two nice flounder: 4 pounds, 15 ounces, and 3 pounds, 5 ounces. Both were taken on live minnow. The sloughs behind South Shore Marina and in front of Burton’s Island seem to be the better areas. Some spot and croaker have also started to show up near Holt’s Landing.

Striper fishing might have slowed a little along the jetties over last week. Todd Mummert of Lincoln, Pa., had two stripers, 36 inches and 34 inches. Both were taken on stormbaits. Drew Henninger of Shadyside, Md., had one striper at 39.5-inches, weighing 19 pounds, taken on a live eel. Live or rigged eels, along with stormbaits, have been your better bait.

Bluefish continue to come in on the incoming tide. Bucktails, gotcha plugs or any type of metal will work to catch these 2- to 3-pound blues.

And we can’t forget croaker. They’re also being taken from the end of the north or south jetties on squid, clam or bloodworms.

Surf-fishing is just where it should be for this time of year, with catches of small spot, kingfish, croaker and a few small trout. Use small No. 8 or No. 6 hooks with bloodworm or fish bites (the best thing since sliced bread), and remember to fish close to the beach, because they aren’t that far out.

Dan Hurst of Wilmington had 15 croaker up to 1 pound, 8 ounces, taken in the Fenwick Island surf.

We are still hearing of some large cow rays and sharks coming from the surf, testing anglers’ tackle.

Inshore fishing is pretty good, trolling or bottom-fishing. Drifting near B buoy, it’s a mixed bag of flounder, seabass and sea robins. Just outside the inlet and only a quarter mile off the beach, tons of croaker are giving anglers a lot of fun. Trolling on the East Lump is producing king mackerel and bluefish.

Offshore continues to be hit or miss. Some days, there’s been a good bite in the Baltimore or north of the Hotdog. Then, some days all you do is troll.

Captain Bobby DiFiebo on the Blenderhead had four yellowfin while trolling ballyhoo on the north side of the Hotdog. Captain Charley Horning on the Fish Whistle, with mate Fred Westzstein, released a 600-pound blue marlin in the Baltimore canyon. It hit a bally on an Island lure. Nice fish, guys!

Don’t get me wrong — fishing offshore is good. But there seems to be no concentration of fish in one particular place — not for long, anyway.

As for our local headboats out of Lewes, the Fisherman Wharf fleet is reporting good fishing on their half-day and full-day trips, as is the Judy V out of Indian River. Brandon Percey of Effort, Pa., won the pool on the Judy V with a 24 inch long, 5.5-pound flounder.

Fishing is pretty good at present, so don’t miss out. Take a break and get out there.

Until next week, good luck and see ya on the beach.

Acie Mankins is the manager at B & R Bait & Tackle in South Bethany.