Pop-up thunderstorms and really hot days — for me that means sitting in the truck between storms on a beach. A good storm will clear a beach for a couple hours. If it is near the tail end of the day toward dinner, the beach clears for the evening. When it is crowded here in the summer, the weather can help alleviate crowds. Just don’t try to go to the outlets and shop. As soon as we get pop-up storm warnings, I head to my favorite spot at the beach. If I am not on the beach before, I just wait it out, then drive out.

A variety of species are being caught around Delmarva. It’s great to see all this action. Sure some get the skunk, but that’s the point of fishing. If you go with less expectations, you will have a much better day. Trust me on that. The “gotta catch ‘em all” obsession angler can ruin a fishing trip for a group. Don’t be that guy. I would never say gal because the ladies have more patience than the men. That’s why they catch more fish.

The fishing is diverse action this time of year. Depending what species you are going after, check with your charter captains for their trips and options. Break a day trip up to hit two species. Ask the reputable bait shops what is happening in their areas. The pier bait shop crews always know the best baits to use and when. There are three piers with bait shop options: Cape Henlopen, and OCMD has two, one of which is an ocean pier. Woodland Beach and Port Mahon also have piers but not a bait shop. The area shops there will know what that action has been like.
I could write pages on the differences and features of each little area to go fishing. Bowers Beach spots, for example, include the jetty, surf (three), river (two), kayak, boat, bay, bulkhead, pier (one town dock), and inlet fishing (two), all in one small area. That’s a few days of exploring different fishing opportunities. Indian River Inlet is about the same but if you go to a beach, your options are refined to just surf fishing. Or you drift the bay for flounder and then switch to croaker and spot. Pick your trip for more options and when the fishing slacks in one spot, try something else.

Offshore action has been hot for most of the boats getting out. Check with the local charters and head boats. Getting them to do a multi-species trip is fun, just plan ahead.

The surf has been a mixed bag of kingfish, spot, croaker, bluefish, small striped bass, weakfish, sand perch, puffers, or just skates, dogfish, rays and sharks. It feels like mid-August outside too, but the fish are in much cooler water. The sand is very loose in some areas so air down more when you drive on which coincidentally just got a little easier. Well for me it did because at this point it is all about me and when I can surf fish.

Crabbing is excellent, keep the crabs cool till you cook or clean them. I clean my crabs which drives the internet batty. I know what is in that water, I’m not eating it too. With all of our consumption advisories, I don’t eat much fish or shellfish out of these waters.

The parks are reworking the surf fishing reservations system. I’m not going to get into the logistics of all of it. The new rules are on the website. Apparently eight out of 12 drive-on areas do not require a reservation now. This is great news for people like me. Allow me to explain. I don’t schedule my surf fishing, I just go. No one who lives down here in the county of Sussex schedules their fishing, we just fish all the time, somewhere. Same for some of you folks up north, that actually fish.

Now I can get up at 4, hit the beach until I am tired of being there or the fishing drops off and then go home. I don’t have to pack up and leave by 8 or I get thrown off for the reservation crowd. This is going to increase economic impact a wee bit. Surf fishing gear and bait sales in particular have dropped off dramatically around here. I know of at least a hundred people that are now buying tags so they can go fish Saturday and Sunday mornings again. It’s the only days they have off to do so. Usually by about 10 we have had it and then we fight our way home through some insane traffic. If you leave at about 9 it isn’t as bad, or we stay all day. It doesn’t matter what the tide is, predawn fishing usually produces catches. The scenery is dope too.

So thank you to the state parks for making a change that makes a little sense. Now I and many friends can fish again on weekends. However, allow me to add to this. We need gates to limit the number of vehicles on at one time. That will allow you to do your job as DNREC to protect the resource we all love and use. Gates will solve all the problems out there, even the stuck cars if they read that big sign on the gate. The beach group parties are about to expand because vehicles will be able to drive on and off all day. That wears out the beach and disturbs the calm of families and the like trying to enjoy the beach. I remember in one meeting I was asked why we can’t just make a section for anglers and a section for non-anglers. That’s when I realized the issue is the fact these folks don’t understand actual surf fishing. This change just did that.

Freshwater fishing is great on top water action. The may fly hatches are happening and the pictures of cars buried in may flies are always wild to see. The fly anglers are doing well in fresh and saltwater. The fly fishing club meets Wednesdays at the pier for some fishing in the evenings.
Snakehead action is hot — kill all of those please. They are invasive. If we could train the invasive blue cats to eat the snakeheads, we might get somewhere.

Have a great weekend. There are a lot of fun activities going on. The kids’ tournament at Bowers Beach is this Saturday. Register at the bait shop in Bowers.