Delaware Fishing Report
When, Where, What and How they're Biting



By Eric Burnley Sr.*

Updated: July 8, 2011

NEW! DNREC opens safer channel for boating traffic in the bays

DELAWARE BAY Flounder fishing in the bay has improved and will only get better as the fish move out from the shallow-water areas. Reef sites have produced most of the flatfish for those anglers who put in the time and the tackle required to fish on the hard structure. Drifting over open bottom at Brown Shoal has been successful for a few flounder fishermen. Baits are minnows, squid, smelt and Gulp!

Slot rockfish have been taken from the bay as far north as Augustine Beach and as far south as the Outer Wall. Tributaries like the Leipsic River and the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal have also given up decent numbers of rock. Live eels, peeler crab, clams and bloodworms have been the top baits while small plugs, bucktails and poppers are favored lures.

Please keep in mind that the slot season does not include New Jersey waters. Any rockfish smaller than 20 or larger than 26 inches must be released. The limit of the slot fishery in the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal is the Freeman Bridge in Lewes.

We have had reports of croaker at the Ridge in the northern part of the bay and from the pier at Woodland Beach. Spot were caught from the Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier. I would expect some triggerfish to show on reef sites within the next week or two.

The opening of the summer tog season has brought good numbers of anglers to the Outer Wall. They have had success with tog and have also captured a few triggers and sheepshead. Crab of some sort is the best bait for all three species.

We have caught more small trout so far this year then we have seen in the past 10 years. These fish are 6 to 8 inches long and are mixed in with kings and spot. We caught ours just off the beach at Broadkill, but have reports of these fish in other areas of the bay.

INDIAN RIVER INLET Live spot continue to produce keeper flounder and rockfish. Incoming water has been the best time to fish for both species with dusk and dawn the top time for rock. Fishing will always be better during the week as the boat traffic on weekends is very heavy. Minnows and squid along with Gulp! will also produce flounder, but the short to keeper ratio will be much higher than with live spot.
Besides the inlet, flounder have been caught in the back bays around Massey’s Ditch, Burton’s Island and the Junction Buoy. These locations are also affected by heavy boat traffic.

The presence of spot and croaker in the back bays has given bottom fishermen something to catch. Once they show up in numbers a good day of fishing will be possible for everyone. Bloodworms, Gulp! and FishBites will all draw strikes from these panfish.

Jetty fishermen are connecting with keeper rockfish and flounder. Live eels, bucktails and shads have been working on the rock while live minnows or Gulp! have been the best baits for the flounder. Sheepshead should be available soon.

SURF FISHING Small trout, kings, spot and croaker have all been caught from the beach. Bloodworms, FishBites and Gulp! are the top baits.

If you are going to fish the beach you should plan to arrive by sunrise and be back home by 10 a.m.. Fishing from 6 or 7 p.m. until dark is another good choice. All other times of the day the beach will be crowded by sunbathers and fishing will be difficult.

INSHORE OCEAN Reef Site 10 remains popular with flounder fishermen and continues to produce keepers in spite of the pressure. As in the bay, the fish are tight to hard structure and tackle loss is high.

The hard bottom at B Buoy, A Buoy and the Old Grounds is another good area for flounder. Bucktails with a strip of squid or bunker has been productive here. In addition to the flounder, sea bass and ling have been caught.

The inshore wrecks at Fenwick Shoal hold tog and triggerfish. The wrecks closer to Indian River will begin to see this action soon.
Lumps in 20 fathoms had decent fishing for bluefin tuna, false albacore and dolphin. Trolling and chunking produced about the same results.

OFFSHORE OCEAN The hot tuna bite in the canyons slowed over the holiday weekend. Friday saw good action, but tuna were hard to find for the rest of the weekend.

Billfish helped fill in the void with whites and blues caught from 50 fathoms into the deep. Dolphin (mahi-mahi) were in the mix, but wahoo have not yet been a factor.

FRESHWATER I have noticed the ponds in Sussex County are beginning to get a covering of vegetation. Some of it is that green scum stuff while the lilly pads and underwater plants are also having a good year. Fishing in the early morning with scum frogs is going to the best option for bass fishermen.

I had a report that due to drought the water flow in the Nanticoke River has been low. I don’t know what this will do to the bass fishing, but I expect it will give the fish fewer places to find cover. The lack of rain will also move the salt wedge further up the river causing bass to move up as well.

Big catfish continue to be caught from the Route 9 bridges and from the C&D Canal. White perch were caught at the Petersfield Bridge near Prime Hook, the Leipsic River and from the beach at Augustine. Bloodworms will work for both species while catfish will also take cut bunker, peeler crab and stink baits.

BOOKING A CHARTER This is the time of year when many different groups from families to churches to work-related decide to go on a fishing trip. Someone is appointed to book the charter and if that someone is you, there are some things you should know.

First and most important; get the money up front. I don’t care if it is the pastor of your church or your beloved grandmother, either they pay or they don’t make the list. You are the one who will book the boat and on the day of the trip you are the one responsible for paying the captain and tipping the mate. If the good reverend or Gran decides at the last minute they don’t want to go, you my friend will be stuck with the bill.

Tipping the mate is important, but not if he does a bad job. In all my fishing trips I have never had this happen so I suggest you include the tip in the price of the trip. Should you encounter a bad mate then you can return some of the money to your friends. A tip of 20 percent is customary.

If the Captain wants to leave the dock at O’dark 30, he is not doing this to deprive you of sleep. He wants to be on the water at the optimum time for the best bite giving you the best chance to catch some fish. Show up late and you only hurt yourself.

The captain and the mate know more about fishing than you or any member of your party. I don’t care how many fishing shows you have watched or how long you have been reading Salt Water Sportsman. While you were watching and reading they were fishing and nothing beats experience. If you want to catch fish, do exactly as they say without comment or suggestions.

Sea sickness can ruin any fishing trip. Ask everyone going on the charter if they have ever been sea sick or if they have ever been car sick. Motion sickness is motion sickness be it in a car or on a boat. Have anyone with a history of motion sickness take medication before the trip. Once they get sick, there is no cure.


Save the party until after the trip. Those who show up on the dock after a night of revelry or who insist on imbibing too much on the trip will get sick. Some captains, me included, won’t take a party out if they think there is too much booze in their coolers.

All drugs, of course, are forbidden. If the captain finds you carrying or using drugs on his boat he will call the Coast Guard and you will be arrested. His license and his boat would be in jeopardy if he did not.

Enjoy your day on the water in the secure knowledge that the crew is doing all they can to fill the fish box. Most of the time they succeed and on other days the fish simply do not cooperate. The captain and the mate feel as bad as you when the fishing is poor. They count on successful days to build a customer base and to impress bystanders on the dock who are looking to book a trip. Trust me, the crew works a lot harder when the fishing is poor than when it is not.

There are charters available out of Delaware ports from Bowers Beach to Indian River. Bay charters will target flounder and croaker while in the ocean you can expect to catch tog, flounder, sea bass and croaker on short tips or marlin and tuna on long trips to the canyons. I do not suggest a canyon trip unless you are willing to spend up to 12 hours on the water and encounter sea conditions that could be much rougher than in the bay.

*Eric Burnley Sr. is a native Delawarean who has fished the waters of his home state for more than 60 years. He has been a full-time outdoor writer since 1978, with articles appearing in most national magazines as well as many regional publications. He has authored two books, Surf Fishing The Atlantic Coast and The Ultimate Guide To Catching Striped Bass.