Gov. Jack Markell signed a Senate bill July 22 that will double the fee Delaware residents pay to register their boats. This bipartisan bill was supported by most Sussex County senators and representatives, and introduced by Sen. Gerald Hocker in the Senate and Rep. Ronald Gray in the House.
The reason for the increase is the need for funding to keep Delaware’s waterways clear and navigable. Several years ago, the federal government quit dredging state waterways, leaving Delaware high and dry. Emergency dredging, such as the project a few years ago at Bowers Beach, required funding by special appropriation from the Finance Committee. As you might imagine, the committee hears requests from many others for what has become very limited funds.
The solution is to find a steady and dependable revenue source for these dredging projects. The increase in the boat registration fees will go into a special fund designated for dredging projects. The estimate is $1.3 million per year, and that still leaves us $1.7 million short of the $3 million the state estimates it will take to maintain open waterways. The remaining half of the registration fee will continue to fund boating education and safety.
Don’t expect to see big dredges working in the back bays next week. The increased fees don’t begin until Jan. 1, and it will take time to build up funds in the account. In speaking with officials at the bill signing, they felt we could see some work begin by early 2017.
Fishing report
The current heat wave has sent local water temperatures very high, making it necessary for anglers to fish any shallow water early or late in the day when the sun is low. The Lewes-Rehoboth Canal, Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier and the Broadkill River will see the best action on incoming tides when the cooler water from the bay moves into these shallow areas.
The one fish that seems to be in decent supply is the king. They have been caught at lower bay reef sites, the Outer Wall, the Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier and the surf. I have found bloodworms to be irresistible to kingfish. As most of you know, I only use circle hooks when bait fishing, but the long–shanked Chestertown hook does a real good job when worm fishing for kings. It is pretty easy to thread a small piece of worm on the hook, and this will allow the king to suck the bait into its mouth. The long shank also makes it easier to remove the hook from the fish.
I have seen some huge kings to two pounds caught in Cape Hatteras this year, but have never seen one that big in Delaware. Most of our kings run a pound or less, but because they have such a small stomach cavity, there is a good deal of meat left after cleaning. My wife and I can make a good meal out of three or four kings.
The meat is white and mild, but a bit soft. Always put the fish on ice as soon as it is caught.
The other fishery that is very good right now is chunking butterfish for tuna at the inshore lumps. Almost every report has come from Massey’s Canyon, but I feel there have to be tuna at other locations, such as the Hot Dog, Ham Bone and Chicken Bone. Due to the heavy pressure on the fish, anglers are using light leaders with many going to 20-pound fluorocarbon. The leaders are attached to the running line without any hardware. This setup will get bites, but handling a 50- to 70-pound fish at the boat with a 20-pound leader is problematic. Many are lost, but without the light leader the tuna ignore the bait.
Closer to shore, flounder and sea bass have been caught at the Old Grounds and the rough bottom between B and A buoys. This fishery is not as good as it was a few weeks ago, but the fish are there and seem to prefer a bucktail tipped with meat or Gulp! over any other offering.
Fenwick Island continues to give up blues and Spanish mackerel to trolled spoons. I fished there last Friday with Larry Weldin on his boat and all we could catch on the troll were small blues. We switched over to wreck fishing and caught trout and one triggerfish on clam.
I keep seeing photos of flounder caught out of the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal, but not by me. Slot rockfish have been taken on eels between the two bridges in Lewes and on surface lures from the Broadkill River.
All reports indicate that crabbing is very good in the back bays, the canal and the Broadkill River.
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Eric Burnley is a Delaware native who has fished and hunted the state from an early age. Since 1978 he has written countless articles about hunting and fishing in Delaware and elsewhere along the Atlantic Coast. He has been the regional editor for several publications and was the founding editor of the Mid-Atlantic Fisherman magazine. Eric is the author of three books: Surf Fishing the Atlantic Coast, The Ultimate Guide to Striped Bass Fishing and Fishing Saltwater Baits. He and his wife Barbara live near Milton, Delaware. Eric can be reached at Eburnle@aol.com.
