Fishing report

By Bill Hamilton
Special to the Coastal Point

Tom from Cedar Creek Tackle Shop said there is good flounder fishing in 60 feet of water around G and F buoys. Lots of small trout are being caught on minnows and squid near the Beach BuH and the Coral Beds. Site 6 is producing good catches of seabass, along with a few trout.

Joe Morris from Lewes Harbor Marina said flounder fishing was really good in the early part of the week around Buoys 8-8A. Tony Vansant from Lewes caught a 10.16-pound flounder while fishing near Buoy 8. Ed Cruciano from Claymont had a 8.23-pound flounder, also caught near Buoy 8.

Joe added that croaker fishing is still good outside of the outer wall from No. 6 to the CH buoy. Some of the fish are weighing more than three pounds. John Myusa from Wilmington caught a nice 3.13-pound croaker while fishing on the Angler out of Lewes. Nice catch, John.

Joel from Rick’s Bait & Tackle said fishing is a little slow this week in Indian River and Rehoboth Bays. However, they are catching some small flounder, bluefish and trout in the 12- to 16-inch range.

David Rice from Harrisburg, Pa., fishing with his buddy John caught two keeper flounder in the three-pound range while drifting a live minnow with a strip of squid near the campgrounds on the south side of Indian River Inlet.

Anglers are still catching bluefish and small stripers off the North and South Jetties using storm lures, live eel and spot, gotcha plugs and spoons. Tom Speake from Selbyville caught a nice 21-pound, 3-ounce, 40-inch striper while fishing off the north-side seawall. The fish took a storm lure and took about 10 minutes to land.

The local head boats out of lndian River and Lewes had good catches of flounder, seabass, croakers and a few dolphin on both the ha1f- and the full-day trips during the early part of the week.

There is lots of action off Henlopen, reported Jo from Hook, Line & Sinker: spot as large as your hand, trout, flounder and some nice bluefish. She said the old timers catch trout early in the morning and at night, using cut mullet. Craig Yossick caught a 6-pound flounder while fishing off the Henlopen Pier using fresh mullet as bait.

Because of weather conditions, not many boats fished offshore this week. In the early part of the week, however, some fair catches of tuna and good catches of dolphin were reported. One boat had three yellowfm tuna in the 50-pound range and several gaffer dolphin while trolling in the Baltimore Canyon.

Captain Bryan Hopkins on the Jus’ Fine, with anglers Jim Fitzpatrick and Jamie Erickson from South Bethany, caught 55 dolphin up to 12 pounds, six false albacore and one triggerfish while fishing a weed line near the Hambone. Good catch, guys.

Surffishing along the Delaware Coast has been fair this week, with catches of small bluefish, some trout and quite a few kingfish (whiting), although a lot of these good eating fish have been very small — 8 inches or smaller. The best baits have been bloodworms, Fish Bites (the artificial bloodworm), cut mullet, clams and squid.

Don Cannon from Wellsville, Pa., caught two kingfish and a flounder, and lost a large striper in the suds while fishing fresh-cut mullet at 3R’s Road. Ed Raymond from Wilmington caught 46 kingfish. Most were small, several up to 1 pound, and a throwback flounder, while fishing bloodworms on the beach at South Bethany. The catch was a record in a 24-hour period.

Until next week, good fishing. Take a kid fishing.

Bill Hamilton is co-owner of B&R Tackle in South Bethany.