Summer is almost upon us, and the kids will soon be out of school. They will be looking for something to do with their time besides having their face buried in a phone or screen looking at some sort of game or who knows what.

Just recently in Seaford, two 19-year-olds were arrested for the murder of a 17-year-old.  Apparently, it was a drug deal gone bad at the Seaford boat ramp. If they had been fishing instead of dealing drugs, they might still be free and alive.

We are blessed to live in a region where the outdoor opportunities are available within a reasonable distance from our homes. There are freshwater ponds with plenty of fish and lots of state parks with programs to educate kids and adults on the wildlife available there.

I grew up in Claymont before I-495 when there was nothing between my house on Wistar Street and the Delaware River except the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks and open fields. In the 1940s and 1950s, the river was an open sewer and was covered with a sheen of oil. The outflow of the sewer gave us rats to shoot with our .22 rifles. The oil is now gone, and fish such as shad and striped bass can now migrate up as far as New York.

I had to entertain myself by playing in the fields and learning where the different animals lived. I discovered at an early age that if I sat real still inside a bunch of bushes, I could watch lots of wildlife move about me.

Today, there are programs at the state parks taught by people who actually know what they are talking about to prepare kids to be aware of what to look for on trips into the outdoors. They will also show their students the signs left by certain animals to indicate they are in the area. I feel certain if you go to Cape Henlopen State Park you will see white-tail deer. I never saw a deer until I shot my first during the first season back in the 1950s.

If you use your search engine and go to Cape Henlopen State Park and select Programs, you will see several set up for June. These include Haul Seine, Ghost Crabs, and Snakes and Turtles. 

As far as fishing, we have a few fishing classes during the summer as well. Unfortunately, all of them are held in New Castle or Kent counties. The next one will be on Sunday, June 7, at the Aquatic Resources Education Center in Smyrna. All fishing equipment is provided free of charge for kids 6 to 15. To see the complete list of classes, search for Take a Kid Fishing Delaware.

If your kids are already accomplished anglers, drop them off at the fishing pier at Cape Henlopen State Park. They have everything there to keep them happy for the day.

When I fished piers in Virginia Beach and North Carolina, there were usually young people fishing there – and most were good fishermen. The only problem with our pier is it only fishes well during the high tide. I suppose kids can always go clamming in the shallow water. 

And don’t just think about your kids. Mine are in their 50s and live hours away. Is there a neighbor’s kid who comes over when you return from a fishing trip?  Perhaps a relative’s kid that is always bugging you at family gatherings about fishing. These are perfect candidates for take-a-kid-fishing trips.

The most important thing is to get young people out fishing before they find something else to take up their time in less-healthy pursuits.

Fishing report

We are finally seeing some marked improvement in the fishing.

Flounder are being caught from B Buoy and the Old Grounds to Indian River Bay. The size limit is now 17.5 inches. Black sea bass are available over ocean structure from Site 11 out to the DelJerseyLand Reef. The first kings have been caught from the surf on bloodworms.  

The good black drum fishing is about to change. Those 25- to 40-pound fish will soon grow to 60- to 70-pounders as the females enter the bay to breed. When that happens, we will see more catch-and-release action, because those females are important for breeding success and their meat also contains a lot more parasitic worms.

Years ago, I had a friend who was an expert on marine worms say those were just another form of protein; however, I have decided to pass on black drum meat.  You, of course, are free to make your own choice.