With nighttime lows in the 40's recently, Bay water temperatures have dropped to 60 degrees. This cooldown should prompt tautog to feed more actively, and also move stripers along in their Fall migration. There have been some decent tog catches in the past week form the Inner and Outer Walls and the artificial reefs. Captain Carey's Sunday group on the Grizzly put 26 keepers in the box. Jim Thomas took home the lunker of the trip, a near record sheepshead weighing 14.5 pounds. Toggers on the Grizzly captured 28 tog Monday. Captain Pete's anglers on Top Fin kept 17 tautog Sunday. Mark Stover was togging at the Outer Wall Monday when he hooked into an impressive sheepshead that weighed 14.5 pounds, exactly the same as the one caught on Grizzly Sunday. With conditions starting to change, Captain Brent on Katydid tried three different Ocean wrecks Tuesday, and found blackfish chewing at each spot. His crew of regulars culled through many tog during the day, and ended up with a limit of 50 keepers. The Lewes Harbour Tog Tournament finishes up October 31st. Currently, Dave Walker is in First with an 8.83 pounder. Brent Wiest's 7.56 pound tautog was bumped to Second. Rodney Shoemaker has Third with a 7.50 pound tog. Although no migratory have shown at the Bay mouth, they should soon. The Lewes Harbour Striper Tournament begins October 26th and runs through November 26th. Resident stripers have been active in Lewes Canal and Broadkill River. Some of legal size were caught around the drawbridge on live pencil eels. Short stripers were often seen busting on baitfish along the marshbanks of the Canal and River, and could be tempted into striking RatLTraps, small poppers, Storm Shads and other plastic swimbaits. Stripers mixed with good sized white perch in Petersfield Ditch. Small minnows, grass shrimp and bloodworms were effective for both. Some big spot remain in the River and Canal. Red drum are still around too. Harry Aiken worked shallow water of Rehoboth Bay Saturday with MirrOLures and caught 5 puppy drum, 5 short stripers and a surprise 8 pound flounder. Boats that made it offshore still found tuna, wahoo and dolphin. The boys on Not Right trolled 100 fathoms between the 175 and 190 lines south of the Baltimore Saturday. They reported bait everywhere in 71 degree water. The result was one yellowfin, 4 longfins to 41 pounds and a wahoo cutoff. Chris Adkins and his crew fished around some lobster gear in Poor Man's Canyon Tuesday, where they captured 18 mahis.
Cooling Off
Lewes Harbour Marina - 10/24/2013 12:00:00 AM