Winter is trying to stick around but isn’t keeping hold. Mother nature is steaming full speed ahead. The amphibians are starting to stay out much longer. The peepers are nightly, even in the cold.

Now for some fishing news, and there is a lot.

White perch has been the main catch for many anglers. Use bloodworms or grass shrimp for bait. Minnows work well, too. The surf has been quiet aside from the occasional dogfish or skate. The short bass will be more active close to structure soon, that water is just about there for temperature. There are plenty of sand fleas if you dig. Big cats are being caught around the area. I’ve even seen a few snakeheads reported.

For those that are tired of perch and willing to put in the time, there are fish arriving around us and probably here already. First up, flounder are arriving south of us below Chincoteague. Several have been caught around the back bay areas. Jersey saw a couple catches not too far north of us over the weekend in back bays. There are flounder here in the inland bays.

We are trying out the new Fishbites Fight Club’s Six-Inch Curly Tail Swim Grubs released at the end of last year. These have been tested by anglers such as John Skinner and are performing very well. Our own flounder pounders are going to put them to the test as well. So far we love the swimming action. Check out Delaware Surf Fishing online for videos and more information.

Larger striped bass are showing up in the commercial nets in the Delaware Bay. There are always the large residents and early arrivals. The commercial anglers are seeing these larger striped bass early again this year. If you want to know how a fishery is moving or performing, ask a commercial angler how goes the catching. The migration moves in waves. We will see how the rest plays out, meanwhile ...

Black drum are making a showing at Chincoteague and the southern end of Assateague or the hook. They are almost in Delaware if not already and will be here by the weekend is my guess. If the water temperatures continue the daily degree rise, black drum never seem to slow down once they get moving. Sand fleas have been the preferred bait. Many are seeing good results with Fishbites. The red drum run is going well in North Carolina.

Tautog are hitting at the walls in the Delaware Bay as well as their look-alike cunner fish. Both are tasty. Brandon Jones didn’t heed everyone saying it’s too early. He went out in his kayak anyway and got one keeper and six undersized tautog, as well as a couple bergall or cunner fish. You don’t know unless you go. The couch anglers were wrong, and Brandon had a productive trip. The tautog were hitting shrimp.

I always say if you want to go fish, then go fish. You just never know what will happen or pop up this time of year. I’m just waiting on that orca to show up soon.

Dominion Energy has a video online about the demonstration wind turbines off the coast of Virginia. I think anglers will be amazed at the amount of life and the variety of fish being caught off these monopile turbines, only one year after being installed.

DNREC
Volunteers needed for Christina River Watershed Cleanup April 2

As part of the month-long 2022 Earth Day celebration in April, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control joins the Christina Conservancy and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary to mobilize volunteers to pick up trash in northern Delaware during the 30th annual Christina River Watershed Cleanup.

The in-person event will be from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 2, at 15 sites in northern New Castle County, from Brandywine Hundred south through Glasgow and Bear.

Due to the opening of trout season, White Clay Creek State Park will hold its cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 16.

At this time, only the Fox Point State Park site is not accepting additional registration.