Fall is coming, pumpkin spice everything is popping up in stores. Just don’t spice the bait, fall will be here soon enough.

We are still thick with summer fish. I managed seven pompano the other day at Herring Point in that rough wide surf on the incoming tide. Delicious little fish. I used DS Custom Tackle top and bottom rigs with Sand Flea Fishbites. The surf is still active, even saw a ladyfish caught recently.

Kingfish, spot and croaker are biting. The only issue is finding fish, but that is the game. The easiest bait to use is Fishbites bloodworms and a good top and bottom rig.

The spot bite at the Cape Henlopen fishing pier has been good if you can find a space. We need a much longer pier. The crowding issue isn’t the fish are in one spot. The problem is the pier isn’t long enough to access all of the deeper water — where the T for the old pier was and maybe extend out a little more.

Flounder action is still decent, just have to put in the time. Try the Lewes canal along the reefs and wrecks. In the surf, just jigging for them is productive, too.
Spanish mackerel have been making occasional appearances in the Indian River Inlet.

The big run everyone has been waiting for — the bull drums — has started. Assateague is seeing her fair share and just warming up. This is not a long run. For us here in Delaware, it is nearly nonexistent. But it happens on occasion. This is truly one of those “you had to have been there” moments.

Delaware had her own bull red run over the weekend. In the span of about four hours or less, a few people on 3R’s in Delaware Seashore State Park caught some bull reds. We do see the occasional red drum from time to time. It is usually one guy who catches a few then that is it, the entire run for the year. At least this year it was a few guys and one fish. There are still the occasional red drum running our beaches. You just have to be there with the right presentation. A live lined spot, even just the head, or kingfish head are a good choice of bait. Bull reds will eat bunker chunks, too.

The great holiday Mylar balloon migrations are coming. Stop releasing your balloons! At DSF’s last beach cleanup, they watched balloons blow onto shore.

We can watch the balloons move up the beach from the water with an onshore blow. We found over 100 balloons. I ran the beaches in Delaware Seashore State Park and found 40 balloons. There were more on the beach an hour or so later.
Balloons are fun, but the Mylar balloons can choke wildlife if they mistake it for a food source, much like a fishing lure. Livestock also have issues from ingesting the balloons.

The drive-on beach at Gordons Pond does not close when President Biden comes to the beach with Marine 1. The drive-on access at Gordons Pond closes, but the beach is open. I surf fished while waiting to see Marine 1. I purposely parked a hundred yards away from the Secret Service. Don’t want to get shot trying to run for a fish at the wrong moment or because of my camera.

I watched the whole process. That was neat to see.

The high-tech bird watchers in the dunes were cool. We want to ask if they can help us “spot” some fish. Those binoculars look like they could see through Mars. Those silencers would let you sneak right up on ’em.

Check the charters and head boats for trips. Depending on what you want to go catch, there is still a variety of options. It just depends on your wallet.

Fall fishing is coming for striped bass. Get your gear checked. The shorts are starting to school up — the warm-up, as it were — for the run or stage one. They are fun to catch on light gear around a lot of structures in the creeks. Try bridges and look for rips or current. Soon, like pumpkin spice for the ladies, the anglers will want white swim shads for bass. Never fails.