Delaware Bay Tautog fishermen usually encounter a few sheepshead each fall while working the rocks, however, this season, anglers have experienced exceptional numbers of the big striped porgies. Ki Ju Park was togging at the Outer Wall Friday when he hooked into a 14.3 pound jumbo sheepshead. That fish was actually heavier than the existing Delaware State Record, but according to tournament requirements, the difference wasn't enough to replace the current record holder. Another near record sheepshead was taken Monday at the Ice Breakers aboard Grizzly. William Levantovsky landed a 14.15 pound lunker that almost put him in the top spot. Some years earlier, William caught a 13 plus pound blackfish aboard the Grizzly that earned him a Junior Angler record status. Scott Batz was using sand fleas at the Inner Wall Monday when he connected with a whopping 13.32 pound sheepshead.

Jim Burkins bested an 11.76 pound brute at the Outer Wall Monday. Andy Lano and David McDaid teamed up for a pair of sheepshead scaling 10.6 and 10.0 pounds at the Haystacks. Steve Kramer captured a 9.43 pounder at the Wall aboard the Indian on Tuesday. Derek Seward scored a sheepshead at the Breakers that weighed 8.37 pounds. Tautog action has been good most days along the Inner and Outer Walls and Ice Breakers. Currents ran strong around the full moon, and some days, anglers had to wait until the tide broke before the bite came on. Green crabs and sand fleas were the popular baits, but tog also took shrimp and clams. An effective and fun method of catching blackfish in some of the shallower areas along the rocks is to deploy baits on a jighead.

It's best done using a spinning outfit with a tip light enough to cast a 1/2 ounce jig, but having enough lifting power to wrestle a tautog from the bad neighborhood where it resides. The jig and crab combo can be tossed in close to the rocks and is less likely to get snagged when it settles to the bottom. The strike is different than with a traditional rig, as the fish will often just slurp up the the offering and swim away. Captain Ted has been taking the Indian to the Walls the past few days for nice catches of tautog. On Sunday, he had a boat limit of 50 blackfish. Toggers on Top Fin had successful trips to the rocks as well. Andy and Anthony Lano, along with "Beaver" Ruff combined for their limit of 30 chunky tog at the Walls Saturday. Captain Carey took Grizzly to the rockpiles for a couple four hour excursions Saturday. He returned from the morning trip with 23 tog and a sheepshead. The afternoon patrons said 20 tautog and a sheepshead were enough for them. Carey's young son Josh caught his first tautog Saturday, and now he's got tog fever just like his dad. Although the rock breakwaters have yielded most of the fish, and some decent ones like Joe Jelks' 7.04 pounder, tog are starting to be taken on Bay reef sites and wrecks too. The Lil' Angler II had a nice box of blackfish while pile hopping Sunday. Standings are shaping up in the Lewes Harbour Tog Tournament. Bob Murphy holds the lead with a 9.5 pound white chin. Captain Dave Walker is in Second right now with a 7.89 pounder. Jim Myers has Third with a 6.68. The Tourney runs through October 31st and offers cash prizes. Participants must register at Lewes Harbour Marina in advance of fishing. Sea Bass season finished up with a bang. Bassin' over the past few weeks has been the best seen in awhile. On Saturday, the lady anglers aboard Katy Did crushed the bass, ending up with their limit of 200. In addition, they had cod, tog and bluefish. As the season wound down, catches were best on wrecks in 100 to 120 foot depths, but bass continued to be found on the Old Grounds south of DB Buoy and at Reef Site 11. Rachel Evans checked in a 3.67 pound sea bass she boated aboard the Thelma Dale IV. Bassers even found an occasional flounder. Jeff Scurti decked a 6 pound fluke aboard the Thelma Dale IV Sunday. When the season reopens November 1st, better action will likely take place in deeper water.

Offshore bottom bouncing has been just as fine as the inshore fishing. Bill Swords and his crew dropped in the Baltimore Canyon for a mess of golden and blueline tilefish, and blackbelly rosefish both Saturday and Sunday. The Skipjack fished Wilmington Canyon over the weekend and returned with 17 golden tile, 14 gray tile, 8 dolphin to 18 pounds, a pair of yellowfin tuna to 55 pounds, and 3 blackfins. Carl Meyer and the guys on Reel Tease went 2 for 3 on swordfish in the Wilmington Saturday night. Other boats in the Spencer Canyon had good catches of yellowfins trolling and chunking in 500 fathoms both in the daylight and after dark.