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



By Eric Burnley Sr.*

Updated: Aug. 26, 2011

DELAWARE BAY Everything as far as fishing is concerned will depend on the track of the hurricane. One marine forecast I saw on Thursday called for winds on Saturday night between 70 and 80 knots and seas in the ocean as high as 26 feet.

As of Wednesday croaker were still in good supply with the head boats out of Lewes averaging 20 fish per person. Site 8 has been the location of choice for these boats.

On Tuesday the bite was dismal. I fished several locations in the lower bay and caught two short trout and dog shark. One of the head boats fished all day and had two croaker. On Wednesday it was business as usual. No wonder what little hair I have is gray.

Keeper flounder are coming off reef site structure in good numbers. Sites 4, 6, 7, and 8 all gave up nice-sized fish up until Wednesday.

In the mid-bay it is a mixed bag of flounder, blues and croaker. Site 4 holds keeper flounder for those who work the structure.

The upper bay saw a decrease in flounder catches with better croaker action last weekend. Miah Maul and the Cross Ledge both produced flounder and croaker.

In the lower Delaware River the bluefish action slowed as rain water runoff pushed the salt wedge further south. The white perch bite remained strong at Augustine and Woodland beaches with some slot rockfish mixed in the catch. Peeler crab is now the go to bait.

INDIAN RIVER INLET Keeper flounder have been caught out of the inlet, but between the hot water and the boat traffic it is not an easy task. Live spot are the best bet for a keeper with minnows, squid and Gulp! finding a few as well.

The rocks have produced rockfish and triggerfish on drifted sand fleas. This is an easy way to fish and can be more productive than tossing lures.
Rockfish have been caught at night on plugs, bucktails and flies fished behind a heavy sinker. During the day live spot may produce the occasional rockfish.

In the back bays keeper flounder have been caught out of Massey’s Ditch, the Burton Island Slough and in Rehoboth Bay. A Speck Rig baited with Gulp! has been a popular attractant.

Croaker and spot were caught around Buoy 19, Massey’s Ditch and in the VFW Slough. Cut bait and bloodworms along with Gulp! have been excellent choices for bait.

SURF FISHING There may be a few more blues in the surf, but overall the action remains slow. Fish at dawn and dusk for best results.

INSHORE OCEAN Inshore ocean fishing is great. As of Wednesday dolphin were thick enough at Site 11 that several private and charter boats were catching fair numbers of them by trolling baits and lures. A few folks have caught dolphin at B Buoy. The dolphin followed hooked flounder to the boat.

Bottom fishing on the east and west side of the shipping channel, the Old Grounds and at A buoy was very good. We were out there on Wednesday and caught flounder and ling. We came in early and heard some boats that stayed out longer during incoming tide had limit catches of flounder. We were with the New Jersey fleet on the east side of B Buoy in 80 to 90 feet of water. Boats fishing the west side did equally well. The water on the bottom was cold and that is why the ling are still here. The clarity of the water was excellent and I could see my bucktail at least 40 feet below the boat.

Site 10 was producing flounder early in the week. Keepers are coming from the rubble piles and wrecks at the site.

Keeper sea bass have been caught by anglers who either know some snags or happen upon one. I have seen double digit catches of sea bass on the cleaning table over the past week or two.

OFFSHORE OCEAN Marlin were snapping at the canyons and with the impending storm, that is to be expected. Boats large enough to run back out as soon as the hurricane passes should encounter excellent billfish action.

Dolphin were caught under any floating object from the inshore lumps to the deep. Wahoo are beginning to make their presence known as well.

Deep dropping at the canyons has been productive. Blueline and golden tilefish are the usual catch and snowy grouper were caught from a Lewes head boat during a recent long range trip.

FRESHWATER It will be interesting to see how the pond fishing reacts to the heavy rain we expect this weekend. Right now the hot water and heavy vegetation have made bass fishing an early morning or late evening adventure.

White perch are still available in all the tidal creeks, the C&D Canal and in the Delaware River. A few big catfish have been taken from these areas as well. Peeler crab is the best bet for either of these fish.

AFTER THE STORM Fishing should change somewhat after the hurricane passes. As of Thursday the forecast has the storm passing very close to Delaware during the weekend with hurricane force winds expected over the bay and ocean. This combined with the heavy rain will create havoc for a few days then fishing should resume.

Flounder and croaker spawn in the ocean during the fall. The storm may speed up this migration moving both species out of the bay and into the ocean. We are already seeing this happen with flounder and the croaker will soon follow. I expect excellent flounder fishing at Site 10 and over the rough bottom at B Buoy, A Buoy, and the Old Grounds.

Offshore fishing could go off the charts. Last fall we had the best marlin bite in anyone’s memory and if the same conditions of bait and water temperature combine again this year the bite could once again go ballistic. I hope I can get in at least one trip to the canyons next month.

In the surf we should see more bluefish and hopes are always high for a run of big rock and blues in the fall. That won’t occur until later in the fall, but could be speeded up by the storm that is supposed to give New England a direct hit. It may be awhile before the beach is open to fishing if the waves cause major erosion.

These are nothing more than guesses and all we can do is wait and see what nature gives us.

*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.