Freshwater / Tidal Fishing Report ~ 04/30/09

When I last reported the outlook forecast was brilliant. Temperatures in the 80’s and sunshine for the duration of the weekend. It seemed no one could wait to get out and fish in some real summer-like weather, me included. Well, we got some summer-like temps alright. I was glad I had a change of lighter clothing when it started to get a little uncomfortable on Sunday afternoon, the mercury was registering 90 in Delaware City. Quite a few customers at Eastern Marine said they too found themselves peeling off layers as temperatures spiked. Those that dressed lightly in the morning were one step ahead of the game. I assure you there is nothing worse than leaving a good bite because you have to run to the parking lot to dress down on account of the heat. I was a victim of that this past Sunday. Although it was hot, plenty of good reports poured in over the weekend.

On the fresh water side of things, Thursday the 23rd was a stocking day for White Clay Creek. Brown Trout were the variety stocked and anglers seemed pleased with what they observed being released by Fish and Wildlife agents. Larry Gutherie fished Hopkins Bridge and recorded 5 Browns which were all in the 2 lb. class. Larry said most of his fish were caught on Berkley Trout Worms. Larry throws the 3″ size in a variety of colors: Pink Shad, Bubblegum, plain white and Chartreuse. Whether you float them or jig them, I can attest these are a must for any trout fisherman’s fanny pack. Here at Eastern Marine we stock 9 different colors and supplies don’t last long after hitting the shelf. If you’re interested in a certain color, give us a call or stop in and see our whole new line of Berkley Power Baits, Berkley Gulp, and Berkley Gulp Alive buckets with regenerating formula. The regenerating formula allows you to put already used baits back in the bucket to re-enhance. John Lenenbecker fished Pencader Plaza Pond and had a mixed bag of Largemouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, Blue Gills, and White Crappie. Johnny said most fish were caught on shiners and Fat Head Minnows floated under a bobber. The Crappie bite was on in several area ponds. Becks Pond, Lums, Records, and McGinnis Ponds all gave favorable results. The go to bait of course was Fat Head Minnows. For those that are not familiar with our bait selections we also carry different sizes of Fat Head Minnows. So whether it be Brown Trout in the White Clay, Crappie at None Such Creek, or Largemouth Bass at Becks Pond we have just the right size minnow for your next fishing excursion.

Out on the Delaware River, the Striper bite seemed to scramble. Previously reliable locations did not produce for many customers I chatted with, but other areas that had been vacant of activity sprang to life in a major capacity. Jim Mosuly and Ed Powell headed out to Sam Greens Beach on Friday and Saturday and had great results. With a mixed bag of 10 shorts ranging from 24-26″ during the day and a night bite on an outgoing tide that yielded 4 Stripers 32, 34, 35, and 36 inches. Mosuly said all of his big fish came at night and all were caught on fresh bunker. John and Mary Shaffer ventured from Dover DE to Delaware City anticipating good Striper action and they couldn’t have hit the nail any more perfect. The Shaffers landed Stripers to 36 inches and 18 lbs. John exclaimed the bite was on all day. “From the time we got there at 9:00 am, a dead low tide until 6:00 pm that evening Stripers were hitting.” Mary said Bloodworms were the hot lick for the hefty linesiders.

On the Chesapeake the same tale was told. Previous reliable locations just didn’t seem to pan out. But for anglers who were willing to move around results were better. Jeff Vickers plugged the eastern side of the Susquehanna Flats on Friday the 24th and walloped rockfish 41, 50, and 54 inches. Jeff was sitting in 4 feet of water and slinging a 5″ Rapala X-Rap in olive back pattern. Vickers said it was an evening bite from 3:00 pm til 7:00 pm and the water temperature was 59 degrees. George Weber fished the Flats as well and dialed up some beautiful rockfish over the last half of the week. Thursday, George took a night trip he said was spotty at best. 12 fish caught the largest being 34 lbs. George said he was on the hook most of the night fishing with bait but did drift to relocate fish from time to time. Friday Weber and crew headed out for a late evening-early night trip and caught as many as 50 rock on Rat-L-Traps with their biggest fish being 48 lbs. Saturday was an early morning trip for George this time he drifted with jigs and soft plastic. His crew landed many schoolies until the sun got too high. Chartreuse Road Runners 3/8 oz. with 4″ white twister tail and a Chrome Zebra Rat-L-Trap outfished everything else. Thanks for your outstanding report Mr. Weber.

There was a little more to talk about on the salt water side of things this week. Tautog was a hot topic of conversation in the fishing department this week at Eastern Marine. Many anglers wanted to get out and fish the Outer Wall, Reef sites 6 and 7 and a few other locations before the season closes on May 12th. Chris Vann went on a head boat out of Bowers Beach and reported great fishing with Tautog up to 8 1/2 lbs. Chris said he also saw the biggest Tautog of his life get dropped overboard by another passenger, Chris estimated the big white chin to go 10 lbs. Johnny Justinson and Rich Krone fished the Outer Wall and both had Tautog to 20 inches. Hey fellas don’t forget Bloodworms will be on sale at Eastern until May 10th for just $6.99 a dozen and when the bite gets tough, it’s just the thing to break the ice and remove that white stripe! So until next time, tight lines and catch ‘em up.