The summer season ended on Monday, finally a little break from the madness we hope.

The fishing should get a little better in the surf especially on the weekends. You just can’t do too well with the huge crowds. Many of your dedicated surf anglers will now return to the beaches. They all avoid the surf throughout the summer. It is a shame, but people who want to have the surf fishing experience in the summer can’t due to the overcrowded parking lot of a beach.

They pay for that experience and are denied it due to a gray area of the actively fishing rule — which allows people to just come out and pretend to fish so they can hangout on the beach. That rule needs to go to the wayside. The beaches also need limited access for vehicles as well. The resource is being destroyed.

Protect the resource first and people’s feelings last. The beaches don’t have real stewardship. I see and hear about this almost daily and it is why I avoid weekends. Interfering with an angler is against the law. But in the summer that is the status quo at the surf fishing beaches.

The surf fishing into the fall will be easier now with more space on the beaches. It is easier to find cuts and space to cast. Much better conditions to catch fish with less people swimming. Spanish mackerel are hitting more frequently. The bluefish schools are random but easier to see as they come closer to shore. Fish don’t like to be near the shore with crowds in the water. The summer fish will still be feeding into the end of October so long as the water temperatures hold. The past decade the temps have held rather well into what used to be “Roctober” — when the migratory striped bass would show up. Now we catch pompano well into the middle of October. The bass if they show are in December.

As the water temperatures drop from storms and nighttime temperatures, the striped bass will school up around the bays and waterways. They will feed heavier, some getting ready to join the fall migration. Get your gear in check for fall fishing. It is not far off. Ultra light gear with short schooling bass is a blast.

Flounder are more frequent in the surf along the beaches. Jigging for them is great. Not this weekend though. Hurricane Larry will put a damper on surf fishing for a couple days from storm surge flooding beaches. Driving on the beaches at high tide will be impossible in some areas. Be careful walking on and surf casting. A side wave can take your feet out and pull you into the surf.

The offshore anglers are doing well on mahi, tuna, and tilefish. Check with local charters for trip availability. They tend to fill up fast this time of year. Sea bass are still a great bite with flounder in the mix. Some albies (false Albacore) have been caught around the old grounds. Ribbon fish are still hitting like crazy annoying most anglers. They are actually good to eat. Several have been caught around the Indian River Inlet too.

The spot bite has been hot at the Cape Henlopen fishing pier — some decent keeper flounder in the mix. A trigger and ribbon fish was caught recently as well. You just never know what you will pull out of our waters.

Hunters are doing well. The beast that lived behind my house in the woods was taken the second day of opening season. Going to miss that big guy. Too bad too, he was the alpha in those woods and would produce many amazing offspring for a few more years. QDM goes out the window for big bucks around here these days. Everyone wants a trophy.