Fishing Report

Inshore action with tuna and dolphin was decent. Trolling ballyhoo, spreader bars and Flippy Floppy Things over traditional structure between Twenty and Thirty Fathoms produced a mix of yellowfins and bluefins. Good numbers of dolphin were mixed in. The first wahoo checked in at Lewes Harbour hit the dock Tuesday. Rick Barker, Julie Nelson, Chris Dispoto and JoeBeaudet trolled pink and white skirted ballyhoo at the Hambone aboard Triple Play to connect with the 24.2 pound hoo, a 40 pound bluefin and four gaffer mahis. Bill Swords and Donna Floyd made a quick trip to the 19 Fathom Lump in the Upper Dumpsite Monday morning aboard Swords Fish. Shortly after deploying spreader bars, they got bit by bluefins. They landed a 45 pounder, and released another, then headed back to port in time for lunch. John Caplinger and crew trolled the Chicken Bone aboard Grizzly for their two under bluefins and some nice dolphin Saturday. Matt Baker boated a 20.1 pound bull dolphin at the Hot Dog. Sean Hickey scored a 16.1 pound mahi while trolling at the Chicken Bone Saturday. Mike Ambler managed a pair of yellowfins Saturday afternoon while trolling east of Masseys Canyon. Offshore canyon crews encountered billfish. Ryan Short reported he fished the Wilmington Saturday with Captain Billy Hein on the Stacey, where anglers aboard released two blue marlin and one white. Back inshore, bottom bouncers concentrated their efforts on flatfish. Flounder were found on natural structure of the Old Grounds between DB and DA Buoys, and at artificial reef sites 10 and 11. S & S Bucktails with Gulp! teasers worked well, as did fluke killer rigs baited with squid, shiners, smelts or fresh cut strips of bluefish, croaker or sea robin. Captain Brents regular Wednesday fluke fanatics aboard Katydid had a fantastic trip, putting together a boat limit of 40 keepers. Brent boated a 5.9 pounder himself while jigging from the bridge. Thursdays crew on Katydid kept 27. Because of wind on Friday, Brent anchored closer to the beach, and his anglers took a boat limit of bluefish, plus triggerfish to over three pounds and 15 flounder. Local flounder pounders landed some quality fish Saturday on Katydid. They had two over 5 pounds and several over 4 pounds among the 26 they brought back. Wayne Demarco, Joe Pergeorelis, Ray Ganc and Joe Pergeorelis, Jr drifted the Old Grounds for their limit of 20 fine flatties. Jen Petkus fished minnows near DB Buoy to put a 23 inch flounder in the cooler. In Delaware Bay, strong currents made drift conditions difficult for flatfishermen. There were windows of catching at the end of the tides. Laura Kemper landed a 5.1 pound fluke at Site 8. Jack Henriksen had a 3.9 pounder from Site 8 as well. Croakers, kingfish and blowfish also hung out at Site 8 and Site 5. Croakers and flounder continued to come from Lewes Canal, Broadkill River and Roosevelt inlet. The first spot finally arrived in the Canal and along Lewes Beach. Slot stripers were caught floating eels around the bridges. Rock responded to surface plugs and Storm Shads worked along the marsh banks too.

Area anglers took advantage of the Slot Striper Season opening up, and worked Lewes Canal and Broadkill River for keepers within the 20 to 25 inch legal range. Dustin and Brad Schell checked in with their limit of four rockfish landed by drifting eels around the drawbridge. Mike Slaughter and Charlie Booth brought in some nice slot bass as well. Zach Belcher and Spencer Brooks bucktailed bass and bluefish at Canary Creek. Tony and Diana Vansant limited out on slots drifting eels at the drawbridge during the end of flood tide Sunday. Other fishermen told of success with stripers while tossing Zara Spooks, Chug Bugs, Pop Rs, and other surface plugs along the marsh banks. Swimming Storm shads, Gulp! and RatLTraps also took their share. Rigs on the bottom with clams, squid heads or cut bunker caught bass for bait soakers too. Croakers have been numerous in Lewes Canal, and would bite bloodworms, clams or Fishbites. Flounder continue to come from the Canal, as well as off shallow water structure along Lewes Beach and inside Cape Henlopen. Steve Warren scored a 3.5 pound Canal keeper while jigging a Nuclear Chicken Gulp! from the Town Dock. Marty Riley was casting a Storm Shad near the train bridge for stripers, but it was inhaled instead by a 4.5 pound flatfish. Garrett Stryzs got his 2.5 pound Canal flattie with a white Gulp! Craig Goebel drifted the Canal three times during the week for a total of 10 keeper fluke, while using squid, minnows and cut croaker. Jack Ostroski used Gulp! to tempt a 22 incher from the Canal. Small boaters drifting around the pilings of Cape Henlopen Pier encountered flatties. Young kayakers A.J. Wiles and Colby Bealing had five fine keepers one trip while deploying minnows near the Pier. A.J. went back another day, and returned with his limit of four keepers. Julie Stevenson used her canoe to get close to Pier structure, and pulled in a pair of 20 plus inchers. Near shore rock piles also yielded fluke. Rob McMann said Gulp! outfished everything else he threw at the Ferry Wall, and put three nice keepers in the box for him Wednesday evening. Kyle Falgowski landed his limit of four at the Ferry Wall Friday morning with Gulp! and minnows. Bay Reef Sites held flounder, but conditions were tough around the full moon. Captain Brent about wore out the shifters keeping Katydid over rubble Tuesday, but his flukers managed 15 quality fish, including a 5.43 pounder for Greg Kratzer. Josh Bauman boated a 5.22 pound fluke aboard Katydid Thursday. Emmy Fibelkorn got a brace of flatfish to 22 inches at Site 5 Friday. Bay artificial reefs also produced croakers, kingfish, blowfish, snapper blues and spike trout. Spot haven't shown up yet, but some better sized croakers have been caught. Anchoring right on reef debris was best for bigger fish. Chaz Tennermann checked in a 1.25 pound croaker from Site 5. Some other species showed on structure as well. Andrea Monetti managed the first triggerfish from the Outer Wall, a 2.65 pounder. Diane Foster fought an 8 pound black drum while fishing for croakers at the Star Site aboard Lil Angler II. Ocean bottom bouncing has been pretty good. A group of Katydid regulars decided to try for sea bass Monday, since most boats had recently been concentrating on flounder. The decision paid off, and they returned from their wreck trip with a pile of big knothead bass, ling, codfish and flounder. Another gang of frequent flyers on Katydid fished Ocean structure with Captain Brent Wednesday for 26 fine flatties, including a 6.25 pounder for Lou Pennella, plus a 7.21 pound lunker for Joe Lee. Wilson brought a 6.8 pounder over the rail of Katydid Friday. John Christopher captured a 7.25 pound citation earning fluke from the Old Grounds Tuesday aboard Grizzly. Dave Walker, Bob Bryant and Al Riberio drifted Ocean wrecks Wednesday for their limit of 12 chunky flatties, including Als 5.5 pounder. Junior flounder pounders E.J. and Josh Hopkins used minnows and squid to take 6 good keepers off the Old Grounds Friday. Captain Carey's Sunday group aboard Grizzly had a great catch on the Old Grounds. They limited out with 32 keeper flatties. Dave Angstadt decked the heaviest fluke of the week, a 7.9 pounder he boated over the Old Grounds aboard Thelma Dale IV. A ball jig with a 6 inch Nuclear Chicken Gulp! was responsible for the downfall of that dandy doormat. Good water quality on the Old Grounds offered up some bonuses for boaters, with fish not usually found in close. There were several reports of mahi mahi among flounder fishermen, and some crews spotted schools of bluefins busting in the area. Jack Henriksen landed a 7 pound dolphin while fluking the Old Grounds Sunday. In addition, Jack, Ricky and Todd Mills and Bob Horton brought in 7 nice flounder from that trip. Tuna action was pretty good between Twenty and Thirty Fathoms. Mostly bluefins, and some yellowfins mingled at Massey's Canyon, 19 Fathom Lump, the Tea Cup, Hambone and Hot Dog. Trolling Flippy Floppy Things, spreader bars, Green Machines and skirted ballyhoos enticed tunas to bite. Cory Falgowski trolled up a 55.2 pound yellowfin near the Dog Thursday. Ed Sigda and his crew aboard Snow Goose pulled spreader bars between the 19 Fathom Lump and Masseys for their two forty pound bluefins and a yellowfin. Keith Beebe, Chuck Gooding and Taylor Deemer trolled spreader bars at the Tea Cup Thursday for three bluefins and a mahi. Captain Brent's trollers on Katydid boated two 40 pound bluefins for the box Friday morning by trolling ballyhoos with Ilanders. Keith Orendorf and his gang aboard Miss Five O trolled up several bluefins at Masseys Canyon Friday, keeping a 45 pounder. In addition, they decked 5 gaffer dolphin. Geoff McCloskey and the boys on Tutta Benne were at the 19 Fathom Lump first thing Sunday morning, and trolled up 3 bluefins while towing Flippy Floppy Things. They put a 40 pounder in the cooler and released the others. Captain Jeff Hoepfl and his trollers aboard Joint Venture also hit the 19 Fathom Lump Sunday morning for plenty of bluefin action. They boxed their pair of under 47 inchers, and released others. Bill Swords and his crew on Swords Fish worked Baltimore Canyon Friday, where Brandon Brown boated a 20 pound dolphin. They also deep dropped for a nice batch of Golden Tile, including Brandon's 30.2 pounder. Bigeyes have been frequenting the 800 Square in Washington Canyon. Pods of whales have been working over schools of squid in the area, and boaters that found feeding whales, often hooked tuna lurking below. Best bites occurred in the evening, with eyeballs attacking trolled offerings well into the darkness. Charlie Horning and his crew on Fish Whistle trolled until 11 pm Thursday, and boated a pair of bigeyes in the 150 pound class. Ballyhoos dressed with Joe Shutes did the trick. Larry McDonald and his buddies had a terrific trip to the Washington Monday afternoon aboard Pumpin Hard. They trolled up four eyeballs with a total weight of more than 900 pounds. The heaviest tipped the scales to 296 pounds. Seven gaffer mahis topped off their catch. Congratulations on an awesome excursion!

It seems like summertime flounder action is off to a good start. Flatties continued to come from Lewes Canal and Broadkill River. Art and Bill Inden fished a couple hours of ebb tide on the Canal Monday afternoon, and returned with five nice keepers taken while drifting minnows. Chad Wentworth and Nick Psaroudakis, creator of the popular Nicks Rigs, used that custom tied gear to capture their eight Canal flounder limit in short order during outgoing tide Thursday. The rigs were tipped with minnows and shiners. Hudson Keller checked in early Friday morning with a pair of flatfish to 21 inches he had while kayaking Roosevelt Inlet. A Spro bucktail sweetened with Gulp! did the trick. Delaware Bay structure also yielded flounder. On Monday, Jack Henriksen, Ricky Mills and Bob and Greg Horton had 8 keeper fluke and a pile of croakers at Site 8. Greg had big fish honors with his 4.75 pounder. Air temperatures were hot Tuesday, and so was catching for flukers on Katydid, who brought back 22 from the Bay. Panfish catches have been good for Delaware Bay bottom bouncers. Plenty of croakers were found around Reef Sites 5 and 8. Kingfish and blowfish were mixed in. Croakers moved into Lewes Canal in good numbers, and anglers fishing from the bank or the Town Dock hooked numerous hardheads while baiting with bloodworms or clams. Ocean fluking has also been pretty decent. Captain Brent took his Wednesday regulars on Katydid to the big pond for 27 keepers. Wayne Demarco, Joe Pergeorelis, Ray Ganc and Daryl Mergenthaler worked Site 11 for their limit of quality flounder. Daryl decked a 7.2 pound doormat during that excursion. Mike Davis drifted the Old Grounds with cut bait Wednesday for his limit of nice flatties. Thursday flukers on Katydid put 23 in the box. Levi Byler boated a 7.11 pound citation earner on the Old Grounds Thursday aboard the Adventurer. Stripers roamed Lewes Canal, and could be caught by drifting eels around the drawbridge, or casting a variety of artificials along the marsh banks. The summer striped bass slot size season is effective from July 1st through August 31st. During that time, anglers may retain two striped bass between 20 and 25 inches per day. The reduced size requirement applies only to Delaware Bay and it's tributaries. There was a good inshore tuna bite early in the week, with a mix of yellowfins and bluefins reported at the Hot Dog and Tea Cup. However, heavy boat traffic from trollers spread out the fish by weeks end, and catches dwindled. Bill Swords and Bill Wiest boated a 45 pound bluefin and an 18.4 pound dolphin at the Hambone Thursday. Herb Guest and the guys on Port-A-Bella got a pair of yellowfins near the Dog. Ed Sigda's crew on the Snow Goose trolled up two yellowfins and 4 mahi in twenty fathoms. Shawn Gallagher used a Flippy Floppy Thing to tempt the 44 inch dolphin he landed aboard Free Spool.

After the new moon, tidal currents started to let up in Delaware Bay, and flounder catches improved. Flatties were reported from Site 5 in Broadkill Slough, and from Reef 8, the Star Site. On Monday, Captain Brent's flukers aboard Katydid kept 14 nice fish. Captain Brent's Wednesday crew captured 16 keepers. On Saturday, anglers on Katydid limited out with 24 flatfish taken while drifting squid and shiners over Bay structure. On Saturday, Captain Walt Wilson checked in a pair of fluke to 23 inches he boated while bouncing strips of cut croaker across the Star Site. Taylor Myers and Rob Homrighausen had 7 keeper flounder at the Site 8 Saturday aboard Martha Marie. Jack Henriksen and Ricky and Todd Mills took advantage of good conditions on the Star Site Saturday, and put together a fine catch of six nice keeper flatties. Croakers, kingfish and spike trout also hung around Sites 5 and 8. Anchoring right on the piles of rubble produced better sized hardheads than drifting the fringes. Clams, squid strips, bloodworms and Fishbites were favored offerings. A few larger trout were pulled off lower Bay rockpiles. Frank Kossek caught a 27 inch weakfish by tossing a D.O.A. Terroreyz at the Inner Wall. Anglers around Roosevelt, and in Lewes Canal and Broadkill River continued to hook flounder, and increasing numbers of croakers. Young Mathew Popovich hooked his first ever flounder this week, a plump 19 incher that grabbed a squid and minnow sandwich in front of Lewes Yacht Club. Ethan Poore also had his first keeper flattie this week in Broadkill River. Jim Malone and Michele Brandli stopped by with flatties to 17.5 inches they pulled for Boadkill River. Rick Wyatt wound in a 21 incher that couldnt resist a squid and minnow combo in the River. Ocean flounder action was decent as well. Captain Brent's gang aboard Katydid limited out, with 24 fluke to 5.5 pounds at Site 11 Saturday. West Sarver checked in with some flounder to 3.3 pounds from the Old Grounds. Rick Lawson landed a 5.1 pound flattie on the Old Grounds as well. Wes Grove and his buddies bounced natural bottom inshore of DB Buoy Friday for their dozen fluke limit, including the near citation 6.85 pounder boated by Wes. Offshore anglers encountered tuna, dolphin and billfish. Best recent action happened inshore of Poor Mans Canyon, between the 990 line and the 000s, from 30 to 50 fathoms. Whales signaled the presence of bait in the area, and crews that found whales or bunches of bait early and late in the day usually got bit by yellowfins in the 30 to 50 pound class. Flippy Floppy Things and squid spreader bars were the weapons of choice. Jeff Hoepfl and his crew on Joint Venture trolled up four good yellowfins and two dolphin there Saturday, but a giant tiger shark clipped off one tuna behind the head before they could get it in the boat. Captain Carey's group on the Grizzly had three yellowfins below the Triple 0s Saturday. Rick Thompson reeled in and released a White Marlin that attacked a Flippy Floppy Thing towed behind Katydid in that area Friday. Rick's gang also returned to the dock with a pair of yellowfins and some mahis. Tyler Freeman, Kevin Rakoski and Bob and Scott Love landed a 63.5 pound yellowfin and four dolphin to 10.5 pounds while trolling the Baltimore Friday. Canyon deep droppers did well with bottom dwellers. Captain Brent's bottom bouncers put a big batch of blueline and golden tiles, plus rosefish, ling and sea bass in the box at the Wilmington Tuesday. In addition, they took home a nice yellowfin and three gaffer mahis. Geoff McCloskey and his crew captured a 32 pound golden tile among others they got in the Baltimore, along with a nice yellowfin, aboard Tutta Benne. Ed Sigda and the boys on Snow Goose had a good trip to the Baltimore Friday. Mike Fritz released a white marlin during the outing. After trolling, the guys switched to deep dropping. That's when Bill Fintel muscled in a double header of blueline tiles that nailed bluefish chunks at the bottom. The largest fish tipped the scales to 19.7 pounds, and has been submitted for consideration as a new Delaware State Record for Blueline Tilefish.

Decent numbers of flounder continue to come from Lewes Canal, Broadkill River and Roosevelt Inlet. Most productive times seem to be at the beginning and end of flood tide. Joe Kuhn and family worked the Canal and inlet during the week for several keepers, the largest being Pam Kuhn's 5.16 pounder that pounced on a minnow. Terry Neighbors nailed a 3.66 pounder in the Canal. Jeff Becker boated a 6.55 pound beauty of a doormat in Broadkill River yesterday afternoon. Shallow water along the Ferry Jetty and Inner Wall also yielded flatties. Jim and Chris Donaldson waited until the crowds thinned out to do their Father's Day thing. They worked white Gulp! around the Inner Wall Monday for their limit of flatfish to 4.92 pounds. Steve and Dylan Sheffy decked 4 keeper fluke to 3.33 pounds from the Cape Shores pier yesterday using Gulp! Ocean flounder action has been improving, but success depends on good conditions. Captain Brent's flukers on Katydid drifted the Old Grounds Wednesday where they boxed 17 keepers. Ron Mistretta reeled in a pair of 5 pounders on that trip.