Spring like weather will lead into cold and possible snow — the Dela-weather yo-yo.

The beach is beautiful but the fishing is not happening. Maybe an occasional skate or you might get lucky and hook into a short striped bass around the jetty structures at Herring Point, Naval crossing, or the Indian River Inlet.

I did see some birds working the water the other day but they were too far out to cast. Beach combing has been fantastic for sea glass and sand dollars. You look after every tide cycle at a dead low tide and you can find all kinds of treasures.

There is some small tautog action at the Indian River Inlet and the Ocean City Inlet. Lot of bergals too, look like a taugtog and are good to eat.

Offshore the water temperatures are in the 60s, not much out there unless you go deep or head south to North Carolina.

Frank Payton Sr. caught this sweet pickerel. (Submitted photo)

We are patiently waiting for warmer water to fish. The inshore for tautog has been good for the charters still going out of Ocean City and Indian River marina.

The winter usuals are being caught in the tidal waters. White perch and crappie are the choices for the most part. Grass shrimp or small jigs.

The Payton kids, Kylie and Robbie, have been fishing with Pop Pop and doing well around Milton. Kylie caught her personal best bass the other day and last week they both landed their personal best crappie. Those became fish sandwiches fast, accompanied with hot fudge sundaes for dessert. Yellow perch are still slow inland but great action in the upper Chesapeake.

Pond hopping has been decent for bass and pickerel. The warmer days get the fish a little more excited and active. You have to pick your days with this flip flopping weather. Slow on the retrieve is the best method with any of your lures. Big soft plastics worked slow along the bottom can produce some big bass this time of year.

New to the tournament

Delaware added cobia and snakeheads to the Delaware sport fishing tournament. You can get a state record, or citation for cobia and snakehead. Consult the new 2017 Delaware fishing guide which is being delivered this week and available at any bait shop. The new rulers are being delivered as well.

Andie and Opie event

The “Andie & Opie” Parents Fishing with Kids tournament in Milton, Delaware will be in June this year, mark your calendars and bring the kids for this free tournament. I will have more details in the weeks to come for this tournament.

Collectibles

Matt Adams collected this glass in no time recently in Dewey Beach. (Submitted photo)

The collectibles show over the weekend in Milford was a success, with a lot of neat old school hunting and fishing memorabilia. Look for some of these folks at the Delaware Outdoor Expo on March 11. We are getting excited for the expo, can’t wait to see everyone.

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