The summer grind is slowing down, schools are back in session or about to be for some. Hints of fall are all around us, some leaves are starting to turn and fall. My gardens are down to late summer melons, and I am planting for the fall into winter. At this point, I am just composting extra zucchini, making dirt.

Speckled trout have been around the Lewes canal and inland bays for a bit. Unlike weakfish, these don’t have a creel limit but, like sheepshead, is probably a fish we should put some limits on. Fish without limits tend to get the most pressure. It goes unnoticed until those species start to “dry” up, then everyone takes notice. Like weakfish. Why do you think there is a slot limit of flounder in New Jersey now? It isn’t because the fish stocks are doing well.

Sheepshead have been abundant around the inland bays and inlets, as well as the rock walls and reefs offshore. Fish structure with sand fleas just like for tautog. Sheepshead love fleas, or any crab. The rig is simple ‑ use a two-ounce bell sinker or bank sinker and a leader or snelled hook. An octopus baitholder hook is preferred in the number one to two aught sizes. The barbs on the shaft help keep the bait in place. Drop the rig to the bottom near structure and see what you produce. Triggers feed the same way and can be found along the same structure.

Structure comes in many forms. Essentially it is anything that can allow life to grow on it, and or creates water movement. All structure has different features that affect that “reef” growth and water movement. Learning to read those features helps. Which way does the water move or flow off the structure? That is the “rip.” Larger fish will sit near or outside of a rip waiting for bait fish to come through and ambush them. Even larger fish will hunt those areas, looking for fish feeding on smaller fish. The food chain in the ocean is a violent environment. All structure can hold fish, but not all structure has fish at that moment.

The surf fishing has been productive even on busy weekends, before the crowds get heavy. A lot of spot, some croaker, weakfish and the usual summer suspects. Pompano is still far and few between. The problem with pompano is you have to target them and it is not easy. The glowing sand flea bullet floats on the DS Custom Tackle Pompano rigs are perfect for targeting pomps, as are the other colorful pill and bullet floats. Pompano like sand fleas, small crabs and coquina clams. The colorful float patterns mimic all of these colors, which will definitely increase your odds, especially in the north. Also keep in mind, pompano are a schooling fish — where there is one, there are many. Such a delicious fish. too.

Flounder action has been decent, better offshore than inshore. The inland bays are still seeing some keeper catches as well as the Cape Henlopen fishing pier. Offshore action has been much better than inshore. Jigging for them in the surf has produced or by using bait. Flounder are abundant in the surf this time of year, feeding heavier for their migration offshore in the winter. Flounder migrate offshore not north and south. They just go out to deep water and come back in the spring, basically.

New Jersey’s flounder slot limit should be a good indication of how the flounder stocks are doing. If we would reduce the creel to two fish instead of four, I bet the fish would bounce back much faster. I think people would be surprised how fast a species can come back in the ocean when left alone.

We are experiencing what is called the shifting baseline syndrome. People’s perception of changes in the environment are not in line with the actual changes occurring.

There have been a lot of angel sharks caught this year from the surf. More so than I have ever seen. These are federally protected, so please be careful handling and releasing. They look like a skate ran into a shark.

There have been more shark anglers this year than ever at the beaches. Many need to learn the rules and good techniques for catching sharks. It is up to the angler to know and follow all fishery laws.

White perch catches are heavy along the Delaware Bay beaches. There are a lot of spot and croaker in the mix, too. The rivers are fun to fish this time of year ‑ a lot of variety to choose from. Slot striped bass action has been great around the inland bays.

We have been seeing a few keeper striped bass around Massey’s Ditch and the Indian River Inlet. Looks like the year class of fish joining the migration are a bit bigger. The short striped bass (surf rats) schooling season should be fun in a couple months or less. When the striped bass school to feed for the fall run, the action is way too much fun.