Trout season is a sure sign of spring

A sure sign of spring is the opening day of Delaware’s trout season, and that will happen tomorrow, March 5. Two downstate ponds have been stocked with rainbows - Newton in Greenwood and Tidbury in Dover. All you need is a general fishing license and a trout stamp to enjoy this rite of spring. Both are available online and cost less than $20 for Delaware residents. It is very important to purchase a trout stamp, as the money collected in 2016 will have a direct impact on the number of trout available for stocking in 2017.

While I am no expert on catching trout, I have caught them on a variety of baits and lures, and can share some ideas on how to put a few in the cooler. Over the years I have found that a yellow lure will draw strikes from stocked trout better than any other color. I use a very small yellow twister tail on a crappie jig dropped a foot or two under a bobber. Cast the rig out into the pond, then work it back with a few small pops before allowing the jig to sink again.

If you tire of this technique, soak a worm on the bottom. Use a small hook with a split shot placed 6 inches above the hook. You can also use a worm instead of the jig head under a bobber by either casting and retrieving or just letting it move about on the pond.

Fly fishing is surprisingly good in the pond. I have observed anglers casting brown flies from the bank and catching more than their share of trout.

In Newton Pond, you can use small boats, kayaks and canoes. The launch ramp is easy to access and being able to move around is a distinct advantage.

Quite a few folks use the opening day of trout season as a family event. If the weather is good, and it is supposed to be, families will cover the banks. In my opinion, this is exactly how it should be. I took both of my boys as soon as they were able to hold a fishing rod, and those trips have become some of my favorite memories.

Bad inlets

The two inlets along the Outer Banks of North Carolina have a well-deserved reputation for being treacherous. I said years ago if I had to go through either Oregon or Hatteras inlets to fish I would take up golf. Now it seems that Ocean City Inlet is joining the list. As with the two in North Carolina, shoaling is the problem in Maryland.

According to my information, there is less than 4 feet of water at Ocean City on low tide. This depth is enough for large private fishing boats to pass, but commercial boats are running aground on a regular basis. If the inlet is not dredged soon, even private boats won’t be able to enter or depart from Ocean City. That would make for a very interesting White Marlin Open.

There is some relief in store for Oregon Inlet. Plans are in place to dredge this location, and it looks like they may finally get a new bridge over the inlet.

The situation at Hatteras Inlet has gotten quite dangerous. Where you used to run out by hugging the shoreline on the Hatteras Island side, you now must run all the way around the spoil island, then hang very close to the south end of Ocracoke Island. The ferry between Hatteras and Ocracoke islands can’t make the run during low tide. Last week a boat made it through the inside passage only to have its top torn off by a rogue wave before it cleared the inlet.

Back in Delaware, the inlet at Bowers Beach is filling in again, after being dredged two years ago. With both recreational and commercial boats using this passage, there could be big trouble ahead.

Indian River Inlet stays pretty clear, but the area on either side of Massey’s Ditch remains a problem. The small channel continues to fill in, and since the federal government stopped dredging almost all waterways in Delaware, we have to depend on the state to do the job, and the state does not have the money.

It seems the state does have the money to build bike trails from one end of Delaware to the other, but nothing for our waterways. This in spite of the fact that boaters pay a registration fee and bikers pay nothing. I know we are talking about apples and oranges, but if the apples paid just $10 a year to register their bikes, perhaps there might be some money somewhere to fund dredging so the oranges could get their boats away from the dock.

Correction

In last week’s report I said the new largemouth bass state record weighed 10 pounds, 10 ounces. I should have said 11.10 pounds.

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. 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. Eric can be reached at Eburnle@aol.com.