The Delaware Fishing Report offers information on when to fish, where to fish, which species are biting, and how to catch them. It is written weekly by Eric Burnley, Sr.

Current Conditions

The only thing that interrupted the spot and croaker fishing has been the downpour of rain. Up to 3 inches of the wet stuff has made for muddy water and the accompanying wind has caused boats to stay at the dock. Otherwise, it has been business as usual with lots of spot and croaker inshore, flounder and sea bass from the Old Grounds out to the Del-Jersey-Land and tilefish and tuna in the deep.

Delaware Bay

Patty at Captain Bones told us it was white perch and catfish from Augustine Beach to Dobbinsville and along the C&D Canal. Bloodworms or grass shrimp for the perch and cut menhaden or shad for the catfish.

Woodland Beach fishing pier has seen spot and croaker on bloodworms or Fishbites. Crabbing has been good in area waters.

Leipsic

Steve at Smith Bait in Leipsic said the tidal creeks and rivers hold white perch and croaker.

Boats from Port Mahon that fish the local reef sites have been catching blues on cut bait, croaker and flounder. The flounder have been caught on live minnows or on bucktails with strips of squid or Gulp! crawfish.

The jetty at Bowers Beach produce flounder, croaker and the occasional trout. The trout like peeler crab or a yellow bucktail with a yellow worm.

Broadkill Beach

Dan at Dan’s Tackle reported other than when heavy rain and wind messed up the water, spot and croaker were caught on lug worms and Fishbites from Broadkill Beach.

The Broadkill River saw good crabbing along with the occasional keeper flounder and a better class of croaker.

Lewes

Lewes Harbour Marina had nothing new to report since the boats that plied ocean structure brought back flounder and sea bass.

Those who stayed in Delaware Bay had spot and croaker. A few boats worked the Outer Wall and the Ice Breakers with sand fleas or crab baits and caught sheepshead or triggerfish.

Breakwater Tackle on the fishing pier at Cape Henlopen State Park told us it was spot and croaker for their customers for the week with the rare keeper flounder. One of those rare flounder did measure 19 inches.

The single pilings at the end of the pier do produce more keeper flounder for kayak anglers.

Indian River Inlet

Old Inlet Bait and Tackle had a few reports from nighttime jetty fishermen that larger striped bass were caught and released on live eels.

Early in the morning blues were found close to the bridge and have been caught on bucktails or metal lures.

During the day it is small tog, sheepshead and triggerfish on sand fleas.

Indian River and Rehoboth Bays

Rick’s Bait and Tackle saw some flounder caught out of Indian River Bay. Massey’s Landing was a decent spot for catching spot and croaker.

Surf Fishing

Old Inlet Bait and Tackle said beach fishing saw kings, spot, croaker and sharks caught between skates and dogs.

Ocean

Burt at Hook ‘em and Cook ‘em told us croaker were caught at the Old Grounds as well as reef sites 10 and 11. This is in addition to the usual flounder and sea bass.

The structure at Fenwick Shoal provided Spanish mackerel and small blues for those who trolled Drone or Clark spoons. Bottom fishing the wrecks there can produce sheepshead, flounder and triggerfish.

Hook ‘em and Cook ‘em reported the very few boats that made the long run to the deep did catch tuna and tilefish.

The structure at Fenwick Shoal provided Spanish mackerel and small blues for those who trolled Drone or Clark spoons.

Hook ‘em and Cook ‘em reported the very few boats that made the long run to the deep did catch tuna and tilefish.

Freshwater

Patty at Captain Bones said Lum’s Pond and Garrisons Lake had bass on minnows and soft plastics.

Steve at Smith Bait in Leipsic told us snakeheads have been caught out of Garrisons Lake on surface frogs.

Fall Surf Fishing

This is the time of year that all surf fishermen wait for. From now until December the Delaware surf can provide the best sport of the year.

We could see big striped bass, red drum, bluefish and false albacore. All of these fish will be drawn to the beach by the abundance of mullet and menhaden as these baitfish move south coinciding with the southern movement of the larger species.

I am getting my tackle ready and just waiting for the first report of big fish along the beach.

Eric Burnley, Sr. is a native Delawarean who has fished local waters for more than 60 years. Eric Burnley has been a full-time outdoor writer since 1978, with articles appearing in most national magazines and many regional publications. He has written three books: Surf Fishing the Atlantic Coast, The Ultimate Guide to Catching Striped Bass and Fishing Saltwater Baits.