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Rules changed for releasing marlin

July 16, 2016

NOAA has just issued new rules for releasing marlin. If the billfish is to be released, the hook must be removed without removing the fish from the water. This may be accomplished by cutting the leader as close to the fish as possible or by using a dehooker tool. I am certain this rule came about after a study that showed the mortality rate for white marlin was much higher when the fish was taken out of the water before release.

Offshore anglers should already have a dehooking tool and the release knife tool for cutting a leader. The ARC dehooker is a quality product, and the company provides detailed instructions at their website.

Marlin join sharks as species that must not be removed from the water prior to release. One of those things that makes it harder for the angler, but better for the fish.

Fishing report

The bluefin tuna action at the inshore lumps is pretty good. As we said last week, the chunking bite has now replaced trolling. It is possible to troll up a few tuna at first light, but once the sun begins to heat the surface water chunking is required to bring the tuna to the hook. 

It can be difficult to find tuna away from the fleet, but if you take the time to look around for bait and fish before setting up your chunking operation you will do much better on your own. Going during the week is another way to avoid the worst crowds, but right now there are almost as many boats from Monday to Friday as there are on Saturday and Sunday.

Flounder fishing at Indian River Bay and the inlet has improved slightly. The number of keepers is up, but to the best of my knowledge, no one has filled their four-fish limit. Squid, minnows, Gulp! and Speck Rigs have all taken flounder.

The Lewes-Rehoboth Canal continues to provide flounder for everyone but me. I fished this waterway last Wednesday along with my friend Harry Yingling and neither of us could buy a flounder bite. Plenty of she crabs and a couple of small croaker, but no flounder.

We moved our operation to the Outer Wall, where I gave up on the flounder and started fishing bloodworms on a bottom rig. Harry doggedly continued to drown minnows and squid. I was rewarded with plenty of kings and small trout. Most were released except for three kings that joined my wife and me for dinner. Harry’s score remained unchanged.

In addition to the Outer Wall, the reef sites also hold kings and trout plus a few blowfish. Bloodworms will make the best bait. Flounder are at the reef sites, but you must fish directly over the structure in order to attract their attention.

Captain Pete on the Top Fin has been catching good numbers of big sharks at the mouth of the bay. All are released, but his charters enjoy the thrill of catching something that big with a mouthful of teeth.

Seeing a few photos of anglers with slot rockfish taken out of the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal. Drifting eels around the Savannah Road and railroad bridges has been productive. Remember, the line between where slot rockfish are legal and where they are not is the Freeman Bridge.

Every reporting station I check with from New Castle County to Fenwick Island tells me crabbing is excellent. The weekly police report from DNREC tells me that stealing from crab pots is a continuing problem. Other crabbing infractions include improper marking of crab pots, keeping undersize crabs, no turtle exclusion device on the crab pot and selling crabs without a commercial fishing license. Before you head out on a crabbing excursion, please read and follow the rules. You will need a general fishing license to crab and clam.

The flounder fishing at the Old Grounds and the rough bottom between B and A buoys is still pretty good. The main problem that dogs anglers out here is the proper drift speed. Some days the boat drifts too fast, and on other days there is no drift at all. When you are drifting too fast you can use a sea anchor to slow the boat down or you can try backtrolling. If you are in a small outboard boat be very careful when running backward into the seas.  One large wave over the transom and the next one will sink your boat.

A slow or no drift can be overcome by slow trolling to keep the boat moving. An electric trolling motor is perfect for this operation. Otherwise, you will be constantly kicking the motor in and out of gear.

The weekend weather looks good, so get out on the water.

  • 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.

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