Loving the weather recently. The cooler temperatures at night and even during the day has been a great relief.

I’d like to see these temperatures all the time. The scorching heat is no fun. Getting ready for winter cutting firewood has been much nicer in the woods. Just watch the ticks, they have been bad this year.

The water temperatures are holding nicely in the low 70s. Not the best swimming temperatures, but great for the fishing.

The third annual Kids Catch All tournament at the Indian River Inlet Marina was a great time. Despite the rough weather and water the first day, a lot of fish came to the scales Sunday. Triggerfish, flounder, skates, weakfish, sea bass, bluefish, black drum, sheepshead, and yellow fin tuna were all entered by 71 kids and their families.

More than $7,100 was raised by the tournament for the Lymes Disease Association of Delmarva. At the end of the day an anonymous donor added to the pot to round the total out to $10,000.

Pier action

The Cape Henlopen fishing pier is seeing more flounder action, not huge numbers but the catching has picked up. There has been some decent croaker and spot actin, but they have been smaller fish. The end of the pier has seen the best action.

The Oceanic Fishing pier in Ocean City is producing shad, striped bass, tautog, bluefish and some redfish. The Bowers beach pier is also seeing some action with decent flounder catches. Lewes canal is still producing decent numbers for some anglers.

The offshore bite has picked up a little and the Delaware Bay around structure.

Offshore the yellowfin bite has been hot for some anglers and not so much for others. When they get on the fish the action is fast and furious. Some decent shark action out there as well.

Tautog doesn’t open until July 17,but you can get in on the action at the Ocean City Inlet. The ASMFC is looking to change tautog management to a regional instead of coastwide. Probably a good idea for better management, so the fishery doesn’t get too overfished, it already has a great deal of pressure.

Kingfish in surf

The surf fishing has been great for kingfish when you get into them.

Finding them is the trick.

Look in the surf line on the sand for torn up sand flea shells. Also fish where there are rocks on the bottom, those areas where you see rocks in large piles on the beach is a good place to start. Hard to find good spots to fish some days int he surf, but when you do the catching is good. Otherwise there are a lot of sand perch, skates,dogfish, sharks, and rays being caught.

Short striped bass action for schooling bass is picking up around the bridges and structure in tidal rivers and creeks. You can use bucktails, bass assassins, and bright colored small plugs or swim shads. The inland bay anglers are seeing their fair share of schooling bass.

Despite the reports that the Chesapeake crab numbers are down, the Inland bays and Delaware bay have been producing very well.

The C&D Canal is seeing a decent amount of white perch and catfish. Some striped bass around structure as well.

Rich King’s outdoors column appears Thursdays in the Delaware State News.