Fishing Report

More stripers kept getting closer over the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend. A few have turned into Delaware Bay, like the 34.4 pounder Brian Seglem hooked trolling a Stretch 25 at Overfalls on Tuesday. That fish landed Brian in the current lead of this season's Lewes Harbour Striper Tournament, which runs through December 6th. Joe Walker trolled up a 37 pound bass at Overfalls on a Cotton Candy Bomber today, but unfortunately, was not entered in the Tourney. The bulk of the migrating body of bass has been moving slowly along the south Jersey coast. There was a good bite the past several days for trollers towing Stretch and Bomber plugs, along with Mojos, parachute tandems and spoons off the Wildwood Ferris Wheel. Ray Nabb nailed a 33 pounder with a Stretch 25. Chess Hedrich and Mike Eckert pulled Stretch plugs for their brace of 30 pound bass. Dave Moon checked in an 18.8 pound rock that ate a Stretch. Bob Persch and Dylan Newnam had twin 16.1 pounders while pulling Mojos. Captain J.W. Hocker's crew aboard Miss Caroline had their limit of ten linesiders trolling off the Ferris Wheel today. Hopefully rockfish will hang around awhile when they reach the Delaware Bay entrance. Better late than never. Surfcasters caught a handful of striped bass. Dave Furio found a 29 incher while soaking cut bunker in the suds near Cape Henlopen. Sea bassing remains good on twenty fathom structure. Captain Brent's crew returned Wednesday with a boat limit of 165 sea bass, from their trip to Del Jersey Land aboard Katydid. Captain Evan on the Regulator and the Fishin' Falgowski family also had their 120 bass limit Wednesday at DJL. Courtney Falgowski battled a 10.3 pound slammer blue to take big fish of the day. The group also had some impressive porgies, including Evan's 2 pounder, and Corky Falgowski's 2.35 pound scup. Tautog catches have been okay on Bay reefs 6 and 7, and at ocean Site 10. Wednesday regulars on the Katydid togged ocean structure for their limit of 35 blackfish to 7.5 pounds.

Big news of the week was a new State Record Bluefish. Dr. Luis Mispireta was wreck fishing in Del-Jersey Land aboard Katydid, with Captain Brent Wiest, when he landed the 24.8 pound alligator. Luis had been winding in a sea bass caught on a butterfly jig when the 43 inch slammer grabbed the bass and became hooked itself. The previous record blue weighed 21 pounds 15 ounces, and was taken by Bill Thoroughgood in 1980. Congratulations to Dr. Luis and the crew of Katydid. Sea bass action has been good on twenty fathom structure, when boats could get there. Monday was the only fishable day for most. Bassers aboard Katydid that day kept a boat limit of 150, plus blues, porgies and triggerfish. Area anglers have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of migratory striped bass, after hearing reports of good bites along the New Jersey coast, as fish slowly worked their way down the beach. Rockfish are way behind schedule due to warm temperatures and the abundance of bait up north, but we were encouraged to finally have the first stripers hit the dock this weekend. Chip Graves and Matt Baker trolled in gnarly sea conditions with northeast wind Saturday, but did manage a pair of keeper rock weighing 16.7 and 15.1 pounds, and one short while pulling white Mojos between the Eights and Overfalls during flood tide. Hopefully those linesiders were within the leading edge of a body of bass moving into Delaware Bay. Surfcasters working the suds between Cape Henlopen and the Navy Jetties told of some throwback stripers while soaking bunker and clams Saturday. Legal sized fish will likely come from the surf soon. The Lewes Harbour Marina Striper Tournament has been extended through December 6th, due to the lack of fish earlier, so you still have time to sign up. Bay tog catches were okay when conditions were decent. The supply of blackfish seems to have thinned out along the Outer Wall, but catching has picked up over the artificial reefs. Toggers on Pirate King II took home some nice fish while working sites 6 and 7 Saturday.

Blustery wind put a damper on fishing activity much of the week, but when boats did make it out, they found sea bass still cooperative in twenty fathoms. The Triple Wrecks and Del-Jersey Land produced decent numbers of fish for those willing to take the ride. Captain Brent's bassers on Katydid boated a boxful of blueheads Monday, returning with their limit of 150. They also had bluefish, and one lone flounder. Tog fishermen had fewer keepers from the Outer Wall, compared to previous weeks. However, Bay reef structure yielded more tautog recently. Sites 6 and 7 were fairly productive, but it seemed blackfish didn't bite the whole way through a tide. They would turn on for a short while, then slack off. Katydid worked the Brown Shoal Reefs Thursday, where Captain Brent's patrons put together a catch of 17 chunky tautog. Captain Pete's Sunday group on Top Fin took home 21 keeper tog. Dave Furio decked an 8.78 pound citation earner Sunday on Katydid. Dave Walker and Robert Karpovich captured their limit of ten tog Sunday while anchored up on Bay reef structure. Still no confirmed catches of keeper stripers at the mouth of Delaware Bay. The main mass of bass has been working slowly south along the New Jersey coast, and the right conditions could push them in at any time. Commercial fishermen reported masses of baitfish, terns and gannets 8 to 10 miles off Indian River, and said there were stripers and big blues feeding in the area, so some fish have already made it into our region, and more will hopefully pass through inside the three mile line soon.

After receiving reports of hot striper action off the south central New Jersey coast, customers have been jonesing for migrating rockfish to show at the mouth of Delaware Bay. Water temps are still near 60 degrees, but hopefully a combination of the Veterans Day New Moon, east winds and the presence of bunker will prompt bass to move into our area. Usually, the first fish to arrive are among the largest of the fall. Anglers should keep in mind Delawares current regulations that state keeper striped bass must measure from 28 to 37 inches, or 44 inches and greater. Fishermen may retain two daily in any combination of those sizes, but its likely a lot of linesiders will be released, because they fall within the 37 to 44 inch slot. While waiting for stripers, boaters continued to bounce bottom for sea bass and tautog. Captain Brent took his bassers aboard Katydid to twenty fathom structure Monday and Friday for boat limits of blueheads both days, plus bluefish up to 11 pounds, porgies and a few flounder. Captain Evan Falgowski and his crew on the Regulator took advantage of nice sea conditions early in the week, and ran to Del Jersey Land two days in a row. The result was boat limits of bass to 3 pounds both trips. Geoff McCloskey and the boys on Tutta Benne hit DJL Monday for a boxful of bass and a bonus flounder. Joe and Dave Walker, and Robert Karpovich had their limit of sea bass Tuesday, then stopped inshore for a dozen tog to top off their take. Togging in Delaware Bay remained pretty good. Blackfish were still caught along the Outer Breakwater, but the number of keepers had fallen off from last week. Joel Bullard and his buddies fished The Wall aboard Top Fin Wednesday, and brought in a limit of blackfish. Joe Pergeorelis and Ray Ganc toggled in at the Wall Wednesday for their 10 hefty keepers. Jim Meyers, Bill Wiest and Dave Popovich returned from the Wall Friday with 15 chunky tautog. It took all afternoon Friday, but Bill Marshall and Vic Gross finally ended up with their limit of tog to nearly seven pounds from the Wall. Mike Behney, Curt Stephens, Will Wiedmann and Drew Stuchlik anchored at the Breakwater Saturday, and assembled a cooler full of 14 quality tog to 6 pounds. Bay artificial reefs have finally started to produce decent catches. Sites 6 and 7 yielded some nice fish. Captain Carey's groups on Grizzly boxed a boat limit of 40 blackfish Thursday, and 28 tog to 7.5 pounds Friday. Anglers on Katydid captured 22 keepers over reef structure Friday. Drew Messick decked the days largest, weighing 6.8 pounds. Young fisherman Chase Maggs landed his limit on Katydid Saturday, including a 6.2 pounder.

It was a tough weather week for toggers trying to get in the last few fishing days of this year's Lewes Harbour Marina Tog Tournament. Wind and heavy surge at the Breakwater made it difficult to be on the most productive spots. Conditions improved Saturday, but dirty water still hampered the efforts of tautog fishermen during the final Tourney day. There were no challengers for the leaderboard, and Charlie Breitenbach held onto his lead to finish First in the event with a 10.42 pound bruiser. Randy Jensen hung onto Second with his 9.9 pound beauty, and Robert Faries wrapped up Third with an 8.7 pounder he boated at the Breakwater aboard Grizzly. Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to all who participated. The annual Lewes Harbour Striper Tournament has started, and runs through November 24th. Striped bass were reported up the beach a ways, in north and central Jersey, but could show up at the mouth of Delaware Bay any day now. In seasons past, many of the largest stripers were landed during the first week of November. Water temperature is still near 60 degrees, and both blackfish and bass action should pick up as that reading falls. The tog bite over inshore wrecks and reefs will get better with Bay and Ocean cooling, but the Breakwater remains the best bet for blackfish for now. Some of the nicer tautog checked in from the Wall over this past weekend included a 7.6 pounder for Mike Piasecki, and a personal best 7.05 pound citation earner for Matt Fetters. Sea bassing has been pretty good for boaters making the run to Del Jersey Land, and other structure in twenty fathoms. The Radford and Poole Wrecks, plus other snags in 100 to 130 feet seemed to be holding good numbers of keeper bass. Evan, Corky, Kyle and Phil Falgowski and Brian Seglem ran to a wreck Saturday, and returned with their limit of 75 quality bass, plus a bunch of bluefish. Captain Brian's bassers on Lil' Angler II boated over a hundred keepers to nearly three pounds, along with a load of blues, while working a wreck Saturday.