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.

Pending State Record

---

There is a pending state record for golden tilefish. Logan Smith caught the 56.2-pound contender while fishing the Poorman’s Canyon with a whole squid. He was aboard the Blue Betty II with Captain Austin Decker and Cody Layfield.

Delaware Bay

---

Patty at Captain Bones in Odessa said “nothing new here.” Still catching white perch, small stripers and catfish along the shoreline from Augustine Beach to the fishing pier at Woodland Beach.

The white perch and stripers will take bloodworms or FishBites while the catfish like cut bunker or stink baits.

Leipsic

Steve at Smith Bait reported that croaker, white perch and small stripers are available in the tidal creeks and rivers and all will take bloodworms or FishBites.

Out in the Bay, the black drum bite has slowed, but some are still available on clams, peeler crab or female crab with the best action on the Coral Beds at dusk.

Broadkill Beach

Dan at Dan’s Tackle told us black drum were caught here and there along Broadkill Beach on clams and peeler crab.

White perch were found in the Broadkill River on bloodworms.

Blues were caught from both locations on cut bait and surface lures.

Lewes

Lewes Harbour Marina told us they had good reports from the ocean, bay and the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal.

The Jay Sea II had a six-man limit of flounder on one day and a limit of sea bass on another day.

The Katydid brought in a sea bass limit plus a couple of flounder and the head boat from Fisherman’s Wharf had good weather and good fishing with plenty of sea bass plus some flounder. All of this was off of ocean structure.

The Lewes and Rehoboth Canal saw some decent flounder action as well. Kaylee had an 18-inch flounder and Mackenzie landed a 17-incher from the Canal. Jerry Rockwell had a 5.8-pound flounder from the Canal.

Michael Schmidt fished the Canal from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. on the last of the incoming water using large minnows on a 5/0 circle hook. He caught his four flounder limit working the pilings and docks down the No Wake section on the Canal.

Breakwater Tackle on the fishing pier at Cape Henlopen State Park told us most of the fish they saw were spot and croaker caught on bloodworms during high tides. Blues have shown up on occasion and will take cut bait or top water lures. Small flounder have been caught on live minnows worked close to the pilings.

Indian River Inlet

---

Old Inlet Bait and Tackle told us striped bass, with a few in the 28- to 31-inch slot, have been caught from the jetties early in the morning on swimshads and SP Minnows.

Blues, some in the 7- to 8-pound class, come through on incoming water and will hit metal lures such as a Hopkins.

A few flounder have been caught on live minnows worked in the slow eddies.

Timothy Keer was at the Inlet early on Wednesday morning. In spite of the wind and rain, he hooked two stripers from the jetties and lost both when his knots failed. He did land a nice bluefish on a white bucktail with a white twister tail.

Indian River Bay

Rick’s Bait and Tackle said they saw a few flounder caught here and there in Indian River Bay with most taken on minnows.

The fishing pier at Massey’s Landing has seen a variety of fish. Shad have been caught on darts or small spoons. Blues are there and will take cut bait or metal lures.

John Spence caught 34 flounder over two days fishing Indian River Bay for nine keepers.

Gary Chorman and his two grandsons went crabbing for three hours and ended up with four dozen crabs.

Surf Fishing

---

Old Inlet Bait and Tackle reported blues, spot and croaker caught from the surf, but most of the fish caught there are dogs and skates.

Inshore Ocean

---

Burt at Hook ‘em and Cook ‘em reported that their head boat the Captain Bob had a good trip over the weekend catching plenty of sea bass plus a few flounder.

Russ Hove had a four-man sea bass limit plus three flounder to 19.5 inches from ocean structure.

Offshore Ocean

---

Hook ‘em and Cook ‘em reported that the Tips Up brought in 11 yellowfin tuna with a weight of 458 pounds.

Freshwater

---

At Taylored Tackle in Seaford the good news was that the blue cats are chomping on cut baits such as cut bunker, sunfish, and chicken liver.

Crappie are in the spillway in Laurel with live minnows under a bobber or on a crappie jig the way to find them.

Steve at Smith Bait said snakeheads are available at Garrisons Lake and Massey’s Mill Pond. Try a large minnow cast to the grass beds.

Dan at Dan’s Tackle in Milton said bass are being caught out of Wagamons Pond on chatterbaits.

Patty at Captain Bones told us Garrison’s Lake and Lake Como are good locations for bass with minnows, chatterbaits and spinner baits all effective offerings.

Crush That Barb

---

Please crush the barb on any lure you are using. It makes it much easier to remove the lure from the fish or from the guest on your boat — not to mention the captain.

Related Topics:  delaware bay, dfw, fishing, freshwater, indian river inlet, ocean and coasts, outdoors and recreation, surf fishing, wildlife