Alex Manelski, also of Bear Delaware, ventured to Lum’s and stuck an impressive Yellow Perch that weighed 2 lbs. even and taped out to 16 inches. Alex was suspending live shiners under a bobber when the big Yellow Ned hit. Manelski also received citation honors for his perch. Congrats on your fine catch Alex.

Steve Harrgin fished Lum’s On Saturday and said the pond was very active. Steve managed to boat 8 fish altogether with Large Mouth Bass to 2 lbs and White Crappies to 1-1/2 lbs.

John Shaffer traveled to Broad Creek Nov 29th and had a banner day. Shaffer caught 5 varieties of fish. Large Mouth Bass to 3 lbs, Bluegills, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel and a stringer of 15 Crappies that were all citation worthy up to 1-3/4 lbs. Shaffer was dialed in on the Crappies and fed them a steady diet of Grass Shrimp and Fat Head Minnows. Shaffer was also pitching artificials and said a 32nd oz white jig tipped with a 1-1/2″ Berkley Gulp Alive grub in pearl pattern was doing the trick as well. This is a new addition to the Berkley Gulp Alive product line and we have them in stock here at Eastern Marine. With the cold weather coming on we knew this would be a hit with fishermen as well as the pannies that keep us occupied during those winter months.

Bernard Kaper's nice Trout

Dave Singles, grandson Dylan and Captain Bill Sauer of the Bill Fisher were chunking fresh bunker while on the drift at the Flat Top and the Elbow of the Cross Ledge. Dave’s crew kept 3 of the 10 Stripers (33″, 34″ & 37″) they boated with grandson Dylan landing the big 37 incher. Dave said Dylan had a dandy linsider to the boat but the fish got prop wrapped and was able to break free.

Kevin Schiedley fished Delaware City from the shore and stuck short Stripers to 26 inches. Schiedley also reported jumbo White Perch to 14″ and girthy Channel Catfish to 12 lbs.

Rich Krone and family fished the same location by boat and had a similar report with big White Perch, short Stripers and monster catty’s. The pier at Woodland Beach was also productive for anglers as well. Although there were no reports of keeper size Stripers many anglers claimed enormous White Perch were to be had in the skinny water just off the pier.

On the fresh water side of things White Clay Creek has been a buzz with reports of Rainbow, Palomino, Brown and Tiger Trout. For those who are not familiar, a Tiger Trout is a cross between a Brown and a Brook Trout. These fish are aggressive and provide long extended battles testing anglers and their equipment. Water levels have maintained their depth and Trout are free to move about creek. This is a bonus for anglers, as everyone does not get congregated around the same holes. Bernard Kaper fished Paper Mill Falls and weighed a dandy Rainbow Trout that tipped the Eastern Marine scales at 2 lb 10 oz’s and taped out at 18 1/2 ” long.

Glenn Hojnowski fished Lum’s Pond and had great success on White Crappies. Glenn said he was pitching a 2″ white grub on a 1/16th oz jig head and was having some short strikes. After switching over to a white hair spinner Glenn said the bite got heavy and constant. Hojnowski released an angler’s limit (25) in the 10 to 11-1/2 inch range.

Delaware Bay Striper

All depending who you talked to and the locations they fished reports varied. The one thing all agreed upon was that boat traffic was heavy and paying attention to your fellow boater was at a premium. A few customers we talked to this week said they encountered sticky situations at the Indian River Inlet. Real-estate was at a minimum and getting into close quarters was not uncommon. I received a few complaints from customers here at Eastern about larger charter boats almost swamping them upon returning to the inlet. I tried to explain that the captains of these vessels have to be committed when navigating the inlet. It’s not that they are trying to purposely endanger anyone. Backing down off the throttle is just as potentially dangerous for them. Combine excessive boat traffic with the second swiftest current on the east coast and you can see the recipe for disaster. So keep your eyes open your wits and where withal about you! It’s similar to arriving at a crowded eatery; if there is an extended waiting line find another place to dine for the meantime.

As I said earlier reports were sketchy all depending who you talked to. Norman Buczik and brother Mike fished the 8’s and had good success trolling stretch 25’s. Norman had one fish that taped out to 50 inches and weighed 31 lbs. The other fish Norman and Mike boated were in the 15-20 lb range. Norman said everything was going their way until the rest of the fleet showed up and he ran out of room to troll. Norman said most who showed up at the 8’s were drifting and on the chunk, which made it impossible to troll effectively. Charles Hodgson fished the Cape May rips on Tuesday and also did well. Charles was drifting eels and managed 2 Stripers. His largest fish was 18 lbs 4 oz and 38 inches in length. Hodgson also crossed the eyes of a dandy 9lb Bluefish that was 28 inches long. Good job Charles and good luck in the future.

With the arrival of Ida fresh water information has been sparse, however there were a few highlights for the week. Shane Barrett of Newark Delaware went on a fishing excursion to Lum’s Pond with father Kenny. Shane was fishing a large shiner under a bobber when he connected with an impressive Largemouth Bass. Shane and Kenny drove over to us folks here at Eastern Marine after they finished their day of fishing to see exactly how heavy Shane’s bass was. Remember we are an official Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament weigh station here at Eastern. When I saw Shane’s bass I was positive we were going to be filling out some paper work. Shane dropped his girthy Largemouth on to our scale and she was 5 lb 8 oz and taped out at 21-1/4 inches, good enough for Shane’s first state citation, and I am sure it won’t be the last. Shane’s father Kenny Barrett has schooled Shane well and we look forward to citing more fish from Shane in the future. Oh by the way… Shane wanted everybody to know that he bought his shiners here at Eastern Marine and they are the liveliest he has ever used. Congrats again Shane and Kenny. Until next time try to stay dry and with plummeting water temps be careful out on the water.

Fishing Reports by Mike B. at Eastern Marine

Just a reminder we are still issuing Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament Citations for trout 2 lbs and over. So if you think your catch is close to the 2 lb mark come over to Eastern Marine and if so we will draw up your citation papers on the spot. Our bait & tackle department is fully stocked with everything for the trout fishing enthusiast. Berkley 3″ trout worms, Berkley Power Bait, Rooster Tails Spinners and Joe’s Flies just to name a few. Those who ventured out over the weekend said that although the water was stained it was still fairly clear and was not running to hard to fish. Limits of mixed bags were not uncommon and I was informed that Fish and Game officials were issuing tickets to those over the 6 fish limit. So, if it’s not a fishable day in the bay or the ocean there is always your local trout stream to take the edge off and what better than a fresh trout dinner to wrap up a nice day out. Until next time tight lines and don’t cheap date the bait.

Fishing Reports by Mike B. at Eastern Marine

The Delaware Bay is still producing Flounder on the saltwater side of things. Although most have reported plenty of throw backs a certain few still can put those couple of keepers in to the ice chest. Flounder taken at Indian River were taped to 21+” and the deep water bite was on at sites 10 and 11. Many anglers said Berkley Gulp in the 4″ swimming mullet was the go to bait in both Pearl White and Chartreuses. You know fellas, at this point in the year I’m a live bait fisherman, but when an artificial food source bait produces like this, it’s tough to argue with the results. Big Croakers are still in the Delaware Bay. According to Dave Singles while drifting for flatty’s in the Brown Shoal area, he hooked up with Croak’s in the 14-15″ range. Dave also said that his Berkley Gulp offerings were more effective than squid and minnow combo’s on Flounder and Croakers. Dropping for Sea Bass improved over the past week also. Patrons of Eastern Marine said Capt. Rick and crew of the ‘Thelma Dale’ put them on nice Sea Bass and the action was non-stop.

The surf actually came alive with a nice run of Snapper Blues up to 18 inches. Bethany, 3R’s and Haven Roads all had reports of Bluefish up the 18″ mark. The other encouraging report was from an Eastern Marine customer who claimed that Weakfish (Sea Trout) were being taken at 3R’s Road in the 6 to 9 lb range on fresh peeler crabs. Thursday and Friday night walk on’s were up and down the beach area as it didn’t take long for word to spread.

The most impressive reports as far as variety and numbers were from off shore trips. A distinct break in water temps riding along the 50-fathom line was key in the diversity of offshore species brought to the boat. Bill Jaegers was trolling the Washington Canyon and went 3 for 5 on White Marlin, zero for 2 on smoker Wahoo and 34 Mahi-Mahi that weighed to 28 lb’s. Bill Jaegers said a mixture of medium and horse Ballyhoo trolled naked fared better than Bally’s dressed or with skirts. Mason McMullen of Middletown Delaware, while fishing on the ‘Rhondas Osprey’ out of Sunset Marina, dragged Bally’s across the 50-fathom line in the Baltimore Canyon and dialed up a 101 lb Wahoo. Nice job Mason on your fine catch! Hey folks, Mason is just a youngster, and I bet this is just one of many to be recorded for Mason. The Hot Dog gave up Yellow Fin and Wahoo to 90 lbs. The bottom of The Elephant Trunk produced Bull Gaffer Dolphin in huge numbers along with Wahoo to 50 lbs. A combination of White Marlin, Yellow Fin Tuna, Wahoo and gaffer Bull Dolphin were all to be had at the Poor Mans Canyon. Some Captains reported water temps to 80 degrees.

Finally, the Blue Claw counts have started to top-off. The best reports have come from the Elk and Chester Rivers. Crabbers are harvesting good numbers of big black back crabs at Welch Point on the Elk and at the Shipyard in the Chester. Crabs measuring 8 plus inches have been common. The other key many crabbers have exclaimed is their crabbing in 4-6′ of water, trot line or drop pots. Well until next week keep your trotline tight and don’t cheap date the bait!

Fishing Reports by Mike B. at Eastern Marine

Al DelPizzo caught a skunk at Lum’s and Noxingtown. Beck’s on the other hand was far more generous to Al, yielding 2 fifteen inch Large Mouth, 2 Yellow Perch, 1 Pickerel and 1 Catfish. Al was floating Shiners under a bobber. You can’t go wrong with live bait but what happened at Lum’s and Noxingtown? Angler number two, Pete Fecther, reported Crappie at Noxingtown that were over 2 lbs. When Pete first hooked up with these enormous crappies he thought for sure they were Largemouth on the other end of his line. Pete was also using live bait, Rosey Red minnows that can be purchased here at Eastern Marine. We sell them by the dozen and they are killers on big panfish. Beck’s and Lum’s Ponds did not produce for Pete which was the opposite of Al DelPizzo’s luck. Finally angler number three, Timmy Maruzschak said the bite at Lum’s Pond was on fire. Timmy was using a variety of jerk baits, jigs and top-water baits to bring fish to the boat. It seemed funny how three different anglers fished the same bodies of water, all with different results in one of the three ponds.

Shannon Cockerell and Noah Robita fished for Flat Head Catfish on the Susquehanna River and had great results. The duo caught as many as 2 dozen Flat Heads to 34 lbs and Cockrell said at one point all 4 rods were lit-up with the hard running, hard fighting monsters. Pictures can be seen here at Eastern Marine on our wall of fame for Cockrell and Robita’s catch. Good job everyone, congrats on your fine catches, and thanks for the info.

The saltwater scene was much slower. Water conditions were dirty and the ocean was churning. The inlet and surf was not a good play this past week. Up in the Delaware Bay Dan Reel said the Flounder bite was still in gear but just about every fish was a throw back. Cobia were also a topic of discussion. Anglers reported Cobia at the mouth of the Delaware Bay and some as far north as the Brandywine Light. I myself lived in south Florida for 6 years where there is no shortage of Cobia. I can attest these fish are tough competitors and good table fare. With the increase of Cobia catches in the recent past I wouldn’t be surprised if we had a fairly strong Cobia fishery in the next 10 years.

Finally, crabs have come on and good reports were had from the Chester, Elk and Gun Powder River. 3/4 to 2 bushel reports have been common. On the Chester, crabbers were ecstatic to see the big black backs coming up on trotlines and in the bottom of their hand pots. It seems like the Labor Day weekend was a success for all those who didn’t give up and were determined to have crabs to end the summer season.
Well the Stripers should be heading south here in a few weeks and I can’t wait for the surf and inlet to heat up with big fish of the linesider variety. Until next time, keep your trotline tight, those crabs are still running and don’t cheap date the bait.

Fishing Reports by Mike B. at Eastern Marine

On the freshwater scene anglers reported improved conditions and much better success. Local area ponds: Beck’s, Lum’s, Noxintown, and Canal pond all produced a variety of species for a number of individuals. Most anglers I talked to reported a mixed bag of fish and numbers of them. Some pan fish that their captors were unable to identify accompanied the usual Largemouth Pickerel, Crappie and Bluegills. This is the kind of activity that is exhibited when fish are getting ready to school and are going on the feed before that long winters nap. Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that but I’m sure you have also noticed our slightly cooler nights as well. Remember though this is not a bad thing, as the bite will intensify over the next few weeks with falling temps and shorter daylight hours. Don’t forget what we talked about in last weeks blog about the top-water bite coming on and next week we are going to talk about how Largemouth Bass relate to structure as the temperatures drop. Sue Wagner fished Red Clay Creek and caught a variety of pan fish, bas, and Catfish between live and artificials. Sue said that a Berkley 3″ Trout Worm in stark white was the real killer for her and caught as many fish as live bait offerings did without all the live bait rigging. Sue says this saves valuable time when an artificial works so effectively. Small schoolie stripers have also been reported from the Christina and Delaware Rivers in the New Castle County area. Bloodworms, Night crawlers and a number of small spinners and spoons all seem to be doing the job. Shannon Cockerell and friend When Ming fished the Susquehanna River and annihilated Monster Flat Head Catfish to 34 lbs on live Bluegills. Pictures are here to view on our Eastern Marines wall of fame.

On the briny side of things reports were down a little from previous weeks. Some throw back Flounder, Croakers and small Blues were about all that was to be had. Eastern Marine customers claimed the Spot seemed to vanish from local haunts, keeper Flounder were scarce but Snapper Blues are abundant. Rockfish in the keeper range have been stuck at Indian River at night from the rocks.

As we spoke earlier crabbing is starting pick-up and crabbers are in full swing to take advantage of the late summer run into the upper Chesapeake Bay. Elk and Chester Rivers have come on strong with bushel plus reports. Crabs measuring 8-1/2″ are common with most in the 6-8″ range. Indian River below the power plant has been productive and in our own back yard outside of Delaware City, crabs have been caught on Trot Line and in traps at Governor Bacon in 4-5 feet of water. Crabs measured 5 1/2 -7 1/2″s. Well until next week keep your trotline tight and don’t cheap date the bait.

Fishing Reports by Mike B. at Eastern Marine

On the other side of the peninsula Smallmouth Bass in the Susquehanna River have been crushing spinner baits and lipless crankbaits. Go-to color patterns on spinners were white, sexy shad, and variations of blue/gray. Walleyes are starting to show back up at the Conowingo in force and the bite will continue to get better as fall approaches.

Out in the Delaware Bay many stayed off the water with the passing of Tropical Storm Danny and a sketchy report from most the week before. Chriss Vann of Bear D.E was never so happy. “In any direction I looked there was no one, I think Capitan Ernie and I saw 4 boats for most of the day. Vann said the bay turned to a sheet of glass and he couldn’t believe with a tropical storm off the coast how calm it was. Blues were breaking top-water pushing bait to the surface and down below the Flounder were in full force. Vann said he and Capitan Ernie boated 40-50 flounder with six keepers the biggest being 21″. The bait of choice was squid and the drift was a creeper according to Vann. Good job Chriss and Ernie, way to take advantage of what most thought would be a blow out.

Out on the surf most have complained about a slow or even dead summer season in the wash. All but a few! Again Chriss Vann has managed to find fish and you guessed it fellas, this time it’s on the sand. Kingfish, Spot, and Bluefish were all on the menu said Vann. Chriss also got into Sandbar Sharks measuring 4 to 5′ in length and weighing in between 40 -50 pounds. Cut Spot and Bluefish were the baits of choice. Well that’s all I have from the surf but before I move on to some crabbing news just a little insider information on the Chesapeake for those who are willing to travel. I spoke with a guide on the Potomac River and the report was Spanish Macks in massive numbers. For those who have been on the prowl with your Drones and Clark Spoons I know it’s a haul but the Macks are there, this info was received 8a.m. Thursday Sept 3rd.

It appears crabbing is starting to improve. Positive reports are being had at the Chester, Bohemia, and Elk Rivers from more than just 1 or 2 participants. Mike Fontello and Nicole Rollins both of Middletown DE crabbed the Chester River in an undisclosed spot but Mike said he and girlfriend Nicole were in 8-1/2 to 11-1/2′ of water. Mike said all of he and Nicole’s crabs were 7″-8″ in width and were heavy crabs. Langford Creek on the Chester was another location a few crabbers mentioned. Kenny Jeffries has been putting in some time on the Elk River and it’s paid off with trips yielding 1 and 3/4 bushel of crabs on two separate trips. DONT FORGET OUR TIP IN LAST WEEKS BLOG ON CRABBING THE ELK. If you didn’t catch it I suggest checking it out. It’s a real money saver. Well until next week keep your trotline tight and don’t cheap date the bait!