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



By Eric Burnley Sr.*

Updated: Dec. 3, 2010

DELAWARE BAY A 51.5-pound rockfish was caught on Sunday by Tyler Smith tying the current state record set in 1978 by Betty Rosen. The Smith family has recorded several big rockfish this fall including a 42.7 pounder caught by Kevin Smith.

It is no secret how the Smiths catch these fish; they fish fresh bunker while chunking with the same bait. They fish in the upper bay at Blake’s Channel and other locations north of the Anchorage. I think it is pretty obvious they have the chunking thing down pat

While chunking is the Smiths' technique, trolling plugs and drifting eels has also proven effective on rockfish. Brown Shoal, Overfalls Shoal, the Valley and the Eights have all given up fish to these methods.

I have been to the mouth of the bay three times this fall and have yet to catch a lot of rockfish. I also keep a pretty close watch on the fish that pass over the cleaning table at Lewes Harbour Marina and find most anglers are catching one or two keepers a day. Prior to this past week almost every fish caught was over the minimum size, but on Monday more shorts than keepers were taken. Not too sure what that means.

The few boats not fishing for rockfish are catching tog. The number and size of these fish continues to amaze me. Limit catches of fish to 10 pounds or more have been made ever since the season reopened in October. Reef sites 6, 7, and 8 have been the best locations. The Outer Wall and the Ice Breakers also hold some tog. Green crabs have been the best bait.

In the upper bay and the tidal creeks white perch have been caught on bloodworms.

INSHORE OCEAN A few boats were able to fish out here last weekend and they found good numbers of sea bass along with the first cod of the season. This bodes well for the future if and when the wind slows and the seas settle down.

Rockfish have been caught by trolling plugs close to the beach. Hen and Chicken Shoal, the Bethany Condos and the shoal just outside the inlet have all been productive.

INDIAN RIVER INLET Short rockfish with a few keepers have been caught here by everything from drifting spot and eels to casting with bucktails and plugs. The so-called longliners are getting in on the act by casting flies behind sinkers into the inlet as far as possible then bouncing this rig on the bottom. The problem with this technique is it often interferes with boaters who have no idea anyone would be fishing so far from shore.

Tog fishermen report a fair number of keepers mixed in with plenty of shorts. Green crab is the preferred bait..

SURF FISHING On Sunday, Anita Chandler managed to pull a 44.2-pound rock from the Fenwick Island surf. She was using fresh mullet from North Carolina where she had spent the holiday weekend. This is one of the largest rockfish ever caught from the beach in Delaware and I am very jealous.

Mortal surf fishermen have also caught a few rockfish and big blues on those rare days when conditions have been fishable. Cut, fresh mullet is the prime bait.

So far this fall we have had an abundance of west to northwest wind. These winds push warm water and bait away from the beach and generally make surf fishing difficult. On the plus side, they don’t cause flooding and beach erosion.

FRESHWATER Crappie have become more prevalent than bass in local reports. They have been caught in ponds from New Castle to Sussex County and in the Nanticoke River and Broad Creek.

Bass fishermen have all but switched to live bait with shiners the top choice. Those loyal to lures are using crankbaits and worms worked slowly in deep water.

Big catfish have been caught in the lower Delaware River and the C&D Canal. White perch are in the same locations. A few yellow perch are beginning to show up as well.

"A LITTLE TRAVELING MUSIC" As some of you know, I left my native Delaware in 1989 and spent the next 11 years in Virginia Beach. While there I discovered what I consider the best fishing on the East Coast and possibly anywhere in the world.

I was back there again over the Thanksgiving holiday catching plenty of rockfish on Thursday morning and watching and listening to the wind blow on Friday and Saturday. While Virginia Beach may be great, it still has to put up with the prevailing conditions just like everywhere else.
On Sunday, my son Ric was able to get back out on the bay catching a limit of tog (four per person) and hammering the big rockfish (38- to well over 40-inches) on eels at the High Level Bridge. On the same day my son Roger ran well offshore and caught big sea bass, blueline tilefish, conger eels and big bluefish.

Last week saw the first big rock of the season caught there and this great fishing should continue well into January. Most will be caught by trolling or drifting eels, but I have been fortunate enough to see large schools of these beautiful fish working the surface where they will quickly hit a bucktail or metal jig.

If you want to trailer your boat down to Virginia I would recommend putting it over at Kiptopeke State Park near Cape Charles. That way you won’t have to pay the toll for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Chris’ Bait and Tackle is located on the southbound lanes of Route 13 and has live bait and fresh fishing information.

When conditions are right you can catch all the big rockfish you want by drifting eels directly opposite the Concrete Ships that protect the ramp at Kiptopeke. Should that prove unproductive, it is a short run to the High Level Bridge and then to the shoals in the ocean just outside the bay. Try eels at the bridge and trolling in the ocean.

You will need a Virginia saltwater fishing license unless you already have one from Maryland. Your Delaware FIN number is good in Virginia.
I know this is supposed to be a report on Delaware, but our fishing will begin to wind down soon and Virginia will still have plenty of action into the winter. It is about a three to four hour drive to Kiptopeke State Park and well worth the trip when the big rockfish are snapping.

*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.