We are about to enter the best fishing season of the year. I am always amazed that folks will begin fishing in April when the water is cold and the fish have not begun to move from their winter homes. Yet when fall comes, the water is the warmest of the year and the fish are feeding to fatten up for the winter, but it seems that many so-called fishermen find other pursuits.
One of the greatest days I have had from the Delaware surf came about in early November and began as a goose hunting trip. I was in my goose pit on Snow Farm in Smyrna before sunrise and it didn’t take long for me to see that that pursuit was not going to be productive. The sky was a beautiful blue with not a cloud in sight, and there was not a breath of wind. As usual, thousands of geese were flying, but they were somewhere in the stratosphere.
I was soon back in my International Scout and headed for the beach. I ran down to the first drive-on access ramp at Fenwick Island and set up for some surf fishing. My first cast produced a 3- or 4-pound bluefish and the second cast was good for a trout about double that size. Then the tide went slack low.
I got back in my Scout and headed to Murray’s Store, where I ran into the late Leonard Maull. We split three dozen live spot and headed back to Fenwick Island.
When we arrived, the tide was running in and my first cast saw the line begin to fall down on the water, then pick back up as a fish took the live spot. The action continued like that until the spot were gone, and we had 29 big trout in the cooler.
Unfortunately, we don’t have trout like that right now, but we do have lots of spot, croaker, kings and pompano in the surf. I am not hearing much about dogs and skates, although I am sure they are still around. All the drive-on access points are open without reservations since Labor Day is past. Walk-on areas are always open, as is the fishing pier at Cape Henlopen State Park. Baits that will catch any of the abovementioned fish include bloodworms, Fishbites, sand fleas, peeler crabs and squid strips.
Indian River Inlet is another location that is open to almost everyone. The new rocks have made it difficult for some of us to access the area under the bridge on the northside, but that’s life.
Right now, there are some sheepshead to 22 inches available at the inlet, with sand fleas and crab the prime baits. These are great fish and make excellent table fare. I also have reports of croaker to 12 inches.
I find the best way to target these fish is with a single-hook rig and a sinker that is either light enough to allow the rig to drift along in the current or heavy enough to stay in one place directly off the end of your rod.
Blues to 8 pounds have been caught from the inlet as well. The blues seem to be located at the end of the jetties during incoming water. Some of them have been caught from the jetties and some from boats. Metal lures like a Hopkins or Stingsilver work well and can withstand the teeth of a bluefish.
Your best bet for catching a keeper flounder is to fish the ocean reef sites with live spot. Most boats today have a live well, and catching small spot should not be a problem in the Back Bays. If you can’t catch them, I am sure if you call around you can find a tackle shop that sells them. If you don’t have live spot, use a large 2- or 3-ounce bucktail with a Gulp! or Fishbites trailer. You want to present a big bait to attract a big flounder.
The black sea bass season will be closed from Wednesday, Oct. 1 to Thursday, Oct. 9. I have my best fishing later in the season, and last year I fished in early December to catch a limit including my very first pool winner. That was on the head boat Angler out of Ocean City, Md. While I concentrated on sea bass, others caught flounder and porgies.
Delaware Bay will also see improved fishing in the fall. Here too the menu will be primarily spot, croaker, kings, small blues and perhaps a flounder and a striped bass.
The reef sites will hold the most fish and should be given the most attention. Late in the year, a run of large stripers is possible if the menhaden turn in to the bay.
So, leave the football, baseball and NASCAR. Get off the couch and go fishing!
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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.
