NOAA fails to implement new sea bass, flounder regs

Those of us who were anxiously waiting for Friday, May 1, and the opening of black sea bass season have just been gut punched by NOAA Fisheries which, for reasons unknown, has failed to implement the new black sea bass and flounder regulations approved by the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council and all the states last year. Instead, NOAA Fisheries has gone to its default regulations for the ocean beyond three miles out, which will devastate recreational fishing and all associated businesses.

The default regulations for black sea bass have the season opening Friday, May 1, and closing Wednesday, Sept. 30. The minimum size limit will be 15 inches and the bag limit will be five fish.

For summer flounder, the season will open Friday, May 8, and close Sept. 30. The minimum size will be 18.5 inches and the bag limit will be three fish.

If you recall, the new regulations for black sea bass took into consideration the 20% increase recommended by NOAA’s Scientific and Statistical Committee and approved by the Mid-Atlantic Council. They had a season that began May 1 and continued until Dec. 31. The size limit was 12.5 inches and the bag limit was 15 fish.

Summer flounder regulations were to remain status quo for 2026 and 2027. The season was to run from Jan. 1 until Dec. 31. The size limit was 16.5 inches until June 1 then increased to 17.5 inches until Dec. 31. The bag limit was four fish.

Since NOAA Fisheries is a federal agency, I have contacted Delaware Sens. Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester and Rep. Sarah McBride. I have asked all three to do whatever they can to expedite NOAA Fisheries to get the new regulations in place for summer flounder and black sea bass before May 1. If NOAA Fisheries fails to do so, it will be a great economic loss for all the charter and head boats, not to mention the private boats and the people they purchase bait and fuel from. I personally will have to cancel my reservation on the head boat that I have had since February.

I don’t know how much good it would do at this late date, but if you have a few minutes to contact our senators and our one representative, it might help the cause.

Fishing report

Those brief, but welcome days of summer did much to improve the fishing.

Surf-fishing saw the biggest improvement. While there were still copious numbers of skates and smooth dog sharks, there were some black drum mixed in the catch. Delaware Mobile Surf-Fishermen President Shawn Smith caught a black drum from the beach in the Bethany-Fenwick area on sand fleas fished on a top-bottom rig during outgoing water April 17. Another DMS member, Chris Connolly, caught his very first black drum, a 25-incher, from the same beach April 18, and then caught his second the same day.

Old Inlet Bait and Tackle told us they heard of 10 black drum caught from the beach at 3Rs Road April 18. Several more black drum were taken April 20, from the beach at 3Rs Road and Fenwick Island, once again on sand fleas.

A few tog have been caught out of the inlet on sand fleas and green crabs. Stripers have been caught on bucktails at dawn, dusk and during the night with one or two falling in the slot. Plugs including SP Minnows, Bombers and Wind Cheaters have been added to the arsenal at night. The color for those plugs should be black.

Lewes Harbour Marina reported the Katydid had a boat limit of tog one day last week. They also reported keeper flounder caught from the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal on minnows. A couple of small striped bass were also caught by anglers fishing for flounder.

A few boats ran to the Outer Wall and found some success with tog by using sand fleas or green crabs for bait.

Dan at Dan’s Tackle said he had reports of stripers from Broadkill Beach on bloodworms and bunker. These were large fish with some above and below the 28- to 31-inch slot and a few that fit inside said slot. He also said his netter friends told him they caught the first trout and a couple of big croaker from Delaware Bay. I view that as a very good sign for our summer fishing.

Hook ‘em and Cook ‘em said the Jay Sea II also had a boat limit of tog and released a 10.4-pound female last week. They have cleaned a few flounder caught out of Indian River Bay, probably on minnows. They also cleaned a couple of slot stripers caught from Indian River Inlet on bucktails.