The spring fishing has been active for many anglers. The flounder bite is increasing off shore finally. Inshore it is still slow but there are keepers if you put in some time. There have been a few weakfish in the four- to five-pound range caught around the Cape Henlopen fishing pier — the state unicorn making an appearence.

Croaker and spot have arrived. We have the summer fish mixed with the migratory fish, which makes for a variety of action but also feeds the big migratory fish. Black drum, red drum, striped bass and bluefish catches are still good. The red drum are being caught at Assateague.

The black drum fishing has been productive from both land and boat. Boat fishing is easier looking for drum at the coral beds. You can literally hear the fish “drumming.” The Delaware bay beaches are seeing some black drum action, a lot of spike trout or small weakfish, bluefish and the occasional striped bass. Croaker and spot are hitting the smaller baits, such as Fishbites.

Bloodworms are in short supply coastwide. Fishbites has many formulated flavors that are producing multiple catches. Bloodworm formula comes in red or chartreuse, both work well. There is also the option of quarter-inch and three eights-inch wide strips. Most just use the quarter-inch strips. It only takes a piece the size of your fingernail.

The crab, clam, shrimp and sand flea formulas are all working well, too.
The sand flea formula is really cleaning up on kingfish. All of the summer fish will hit just about every flavor of Fishbites. The preferred flavor can change from one day to the next. Don’t waste your money on Fish Gum. You’re better off using fresh shrimp or salt your own shrimp.

Sand fleas are abundant in the surf for live bait. Minnows have been tough to get, as well. Get a small fish trap, some dry dog food pellets and learn to catch minnows. It is easy and only takes a couple hours, if that, in most places. The dog food floats to the top of the trap and won’t pass through the screen. A crushed-up mussel is amazing bait for a minnow trap, too.

The charters are mostly going for sea bass and trying for flounder. The hard part is getting through the sea bass to the flounder in some areas. Look up your favorite charter and book a trip.

If you are targeting bluefish and want to catch more and feed less, get a modified mullet rig from DS Custom Tackle. This rig keeps the mullet on the shaft and the hook in the action zone. I can cast it a hundred times and bait never moves off the shaft. The biggest issue with mullet rigs is the mullet slides all the way down the shaft, and the hook is behind the head out of the strike zone. The Modified Mullet Rigs’ holder hook keeps the mullet in play.

You will use less bait and catch more fish. One pack of mullet and you are set for the day. With the limit of only three bluefish, it isn’t hard to hit that number. The MMR has saved me a lot of money or time catching my own mullet. If you use less, you need less.

Their gear is available in most shops around Delaware: Captain Bones, Dan’s Tackle Box, Broadkill Store, Lighthouse View Bait and Tackle, Icehouse Bait and Tackle, Fenwick Tackle, Bayside Bait and Tackle, Lead Pot Bait and Tackle, A Bit More Than Bait and Tackle, Williamsville Store, and Treading Water Bait and Tackle.

If you prefer to use lures, spoons, Hopkins, silver stingers and Deadly Dicks are doing well producing bluefish in the surf. The blues are big gators to the smaller snappers. The little summer cocktail blues are not here yet. Those are fun on ultra light gear and small spoons at The Point during second summer.

The drive-on beaches from Faithful Steward to Key Box have been closed from storm damage. The structure is amazing for fishing. It is a few miles of beach, but well worth the walk for surf casting. It is possible they will open this weekend or have by now. My deadline is a few days out from today. Things change fast around here, much like the weather. Just wait 15 minutes.

Beach combing has been amazing daily, on all the beaches. Every day there are new treasures. This weekend into mid-week are higher evening tides, and the storm surge from Alex will push more goodies around, too. Expect wind and longer swells for the weekend. The surfers should love that.

Crabbing has been great for hand lines and pots. We are trot lining soon. That should be interesting. Mike has an auto feed for the trot line now — what could go wrong? Can’t wait to see how many times the net gets jammed up on the snoods. Good times.