Delaware Bay fishermen have been picking at croakers over the past few weeks, but there have been no appreciable numbers until the past couple days. Anglers had good catches today in the northwest corner of reef #8, the Star Site. Captain Charlie Helmer's group aboard Tranquila kept 70 nice hardheads. Patrons on the Angler got into croakers too. Baiting with clams, bloodworms and Fishbites on size 4 hooks did the trick. In additon to croakers, there have been plenty of spot around. The tasty panfish were found at Site 8, along the inner wall and Cape Henlopen pier, in Roosevelt Inlet, Broadlkill River and Lewes Canal. Bits of bloodworm or Fishbites on small hooks or sabiki rigs were effective. Blowfish, kingfish and snapper blues were mixed with hardheads and spot on the Bay reefs.

This is normally the time of year when some big flounder are caught, and true to form, a few weighty specimens hit the dock this week. The most impressive was an 11.72 pound welcome mat landed by Captain Vince Keagy, who runs the Miss Kirstin. The 31 inch fluke attacked a shad dart with a strip of squid at Site 7, and was brought to the boat on 12 pound test line. Vince said he's been fishing Delaware Bay for 35 years, but that was his heaviest one so far. Jack Henriksen, Ricky Mills and John "Dynamo" Deiner worked the Brown Shoal reef for 8 keeper flounder last Friday, including Jack's 5.21 pounder. Tood Mills took a 5.13 pounder off Site 7. Ocean fishing produced some nice flatties too. Last Friday, guys on the Grizzly got 11 keepers at Site 10. Among them was a 6.5 pound beauty for Jonathan Thompson. On Sunday, flukers an the Lil' Angler scored 14 flounder to take home out of 57 caught. Wayne DeMarco decked a 5.77 pounder. Bobby and Buckwheat Bryant, Brad Hawkes and Steve Reynolds put 12 in the box at Site 10 Monday. Bobby boated a 5.5 pounder. Joe Walker and his crew captured 12 quality flatfish at Site 10 Tuesday, including a 7.14 pound citation for Tom Coyle, and Bobby Bryant's 6.05. Katy Did returned from Site 10 Wednesday with a dozen nice flatfish. The yellowfin chunk bite at the Hot Dog cooled off after the middle of last week, but recently, tuna were taken trolling at the Dog. On Tuesday, Captain Alan Steele and his anglers on Big Herring trolled the Dog for 9 yellowfins and 2 dolphin. Trollers also found some wahoo between 20 and 30 fathoms. Adam Grove got a 27.6 pound 'hoo near the Tea Cup. Billfish have been hanging out in the Baltimore Canyon. Captains Brent and Dave on the Katy Did had 4 white marlin releases for their anglers in the Baltimore Sunday. They topped the trip off with a pair of dolphin and some tilefish. Captain Jeff on the Joint Venture had a successful overnighter to the Baltimore, coming back with 2 good sized yellowfins, a dolphin and an 80 pound swordfish. He also released a white marlin.