False spring is on fire out here in the country. The peepers are so loud during the day, you can hardly hear yourself think. The eagles are hunting the ducks and cobra chickens. The vernal pool is cranking and will be all week. Spring has sprung for this wildlife. Nothing really stops them once this process cranks up.

The catch of the week is still white perch. With spring popping off like it has, the yellow perch will rat up real soon; in some areas, they already have. The water is still 40 degrees off the coast so the ocean fishing is still in winter mode. But the back bays and creeks are warming up slowly.

A friend of mine found a blue claw on his pier post recently way back in the Inland Bays. He says he can use crab lines and catch crabs nearly all year back there due to the warmer mud bottom. It will be a while before I want to eat a crab that has been wintering in that mud.

The boats are still doing tautog. When they get out, winter hours are already starting to change and some are adding more trips. Call ahead for trip availability. The Martha Marie that was out of Lewes will be moving to Ocean City. Captain Les says he is looking forward to getting to the fishing grounds faster. It is much easier to get out of Ocean City then take that extra 20-mile-plus boat ride from Lewes.

The surf is quiet for catches, which are dogfish and skate. The folks who missed the tag sale this year are not very quiet. Many missed getting their tags and the drama that ensued has been, well, mostly entertaining. The fight in Starbucks was probably the funniest. Look on Delaware Surf Fishing’s website for that gem. I do feel bad for folks that missed out, but at the same time. You all had four months to get your tags. If the parks would limit vehicles, they could sell all the tags they want. Assateague has plenty of permits, just that low vehicle limit on the beach.

Many are looking for walk-on surf fishing areas. There are more places to surf fish walking on than driving. Technically the entire Delaware coastline is practically a beach. As fishing picks up, you will want to hunt for more structure. The jetties and drain pipes at Rehoboth Beach are excellent spring structure for short striped bass.

The town beaches can be fished. Each town has their own rules. None of those apply in the off season. Usually the rules are based on lifeguard hours. You can’t fish a guarded beach. There are some beaches you can fish in the towns all day. Check with the town hall folks for that info. I’ve seen guys cast 30 seconds after the lifeguard is off duty in the evening. A town beach in the evening has some serious fishing activity. All that stirred-up sand gets the critters excited.

The state of Delaware owns all of the beaches to the mean tide lines. Good to know when walking and fishing some of these “private” ocean beaches.

The Delaware Bay beach towns have decent fishing. Many have public areas to park and walk on for bathing or fishing. The state parks drive-on beaches are all walk-on beaches. You can set up and fish on any unguarded beach as well. Just mind the surfers; we like to stay out of their way and vice versa.

Navy Crossing in Cape Henlopen State Park is open now for drive-on access. The beach is thin at high tide but manageable. The stumps are still exposed at low tide in the wash; watch your step.

Pickerel, bass are all hitting. The water is still cold enough for winter fishing techniques. I wouldn’t get too excited for warmer water fast. I’d like to see a nice mild slow roll into spring and summer for once. I think that starts in February now.

Bait shops are increasing their hours check with your local shop. Minnows and bloodworms; regular and jumbos are loaded up for the weekends. The white perch are hitting hard, big-size ones too. As it warms up, more and more will get out and fish. Expect to see even more people out this year like last. Lot of big blue cats being caught now also.

Prices will increase across the board for all fishing gear in 2021. Expect to see a sudden increase in prices. Our sources overseas just got hit with a 30% to 50% increase for raw materials. If it is metal, it is going up in price almost 15% across the board, so far. Expect to see more price increases over the season. Also expect to see certain popular sizes and brands run out,. That is already happening with some hook sizes. The mandatory circle hooks are not helping suppliers get stores stocked. You don’t want to even hear about the shipping issues.

Have fun this weekend. It is going to be wonderful out. Keep in mind even though it is 70 degrees in the air, the water is still 40 degrees and can kill you. Be careful if doing any water activities, like kayaking. I watched a kid fall out of a kayak last week at the fishing pier. He was in three feet of water but frozen by the time he got to the beach. He looked fine and was heading home defeated. Be careful and have fun.