This is going to be short ... Because if you haven’t been outside in a few days, it’s been a tad nautical. We had nor’easter conditions and moderate flooding, especially in Lewes. That didn’t stop a few diehards from fishing for tautog at the Indian River Inlet. Fish have to eat in bad conditions, they don’t get a day off. Anglers just have to find an out-of-the-way area or take the brunt of the storm.

Fishing the wide wash at the beach is possible, but is a great way to get wet real fast. You hold your rod and wait for a hit, resetting your line each time it washes by at the speed of the surf wash. Now that the storm has subsided, we can get back to normal fishing.

The storm crashed the water temperatures about 10 degrees. That should trigger the short striped bass to start feeding heavier. Get the light gear, bucktails and swim shads ready. Casing schooling striped bass in the fall around the bays is fun.

The red drum should still be around Assateague, time will tell. The island should open soon to drive on. The same with Delaware beaches, if they aren’t already. Parks usually waits for a clear high tide. The water washed the beaches flat and smooth in most spots with a cut-up surf zone. It takes a couple weeks for the wind and waves to reshape the beach — nice new structure just in time for fall fishing.

This storm’s aftermath is definitely going to change up the fishing but how remains to be seen. I have no idea if the tropical fish are still around or what freaky fish were blown in. The next few days will be interesting to see what we find.

I’m hoping to see a lot of Atlantic white shrimp around the inland bays again. Last year, you could fill a bucket with a few cast net throws if you knew the right spot to look.