I am not ready for the heat we just had, that was a reminder of what is to come. Summer is going to bring the heat, as spring fishing heats up in the meantime. There are more species arriving weekly it seems. This is one of my favorite times of the year. Not just because we can finally fish for something besides white perch and whatever the ponds are producing, mostly it has to do with the options that keep changing and increasing. There are more species here to choose as far as what to catch. More options of where to catch are opening as well. Those options fill up as summer approaches but right now you can fish in solitude in many places.

Flounder are now around the inland bays, the canal and will be along the surf a little. As they move into the inland bays more and the offshore structure, catching will increase.

Striped bass, resident schooling bass and migratory, are moving. There have been some quality fish picked up south of Delaware and in the Delaware Bay. The surf is seeing mostly resident schooling bass, but you will find migratory fish along the beaches as they move north.

Black drum are moving farther north and catches along the Delaware Bay are starting. The beaches of Assateague — the Maryland and Virginia side and below (Chincoteague) — have seen greater catch numbers after a week. Sand fleas for bait are in the surf, but you have to dig.

Striped bass creel limits are as follows: “One fish, 28 to 31 inches, year round ... except in Delaware Bay, River and its tributaries from 7/1-8/31 during which time angler limit is one fish from 20 to 25 inches during ‘summer slot’ season. No harvest permitted from spawning grounds from 4/1-5/31 in Delaware waters. The Delaware portion of the Nanticoke River; the (C&D Canal) Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, and the Delaware River from the south side of the Reedy Point (jetty) on the eastern end of the C&D Canal upstream to the Delaware line with Pennsylvania.”

Circle hooks are required now for striped bass, too.

If you are a bait shop owner, up your Fishbites stock this year with sand flea formula. Look at the chartreuse bloodworm formula, too. Most of the flavors many of us use we have to order from Fishbites. The north needs to look at the larger menu available. The Yeh Monn bloody shad formula smokes catfish. The soft plastic line has many options that do very well in our waters. If you have any older Fishbites laying around from the last few years, it is probably all dried up and seems useless right? All you have to do is soften it up with a little water and put it on a hook. The scent never leaves the strip. I’ve used six-year-old Fishbites bloodworms I found under my truck seat and caught fish just fine. Keep your Fishbites formulas in the refrigerator for the best freshness, in a small container. Do not freeze, it will dry them out.

Fishing is picking up in many areas. The surf has seen some schooling striped bass. There was a bluefish caught recently and they are just arriving.
Northern pufferfish made an appearance this week at Fenwick Island State Park’s surf fishing beaches. “Tricky catching them on a 6/0 hook when targeting drum and stripers, haha!!! Just left, only had a few hours. They definitely kept me busy. Four puffers and countless skate,” according to Michael Wankmiller.

These are not poisonous pufferfish, that is a myth. There are plenty of poisonous pufferfish, thankfully not so much here in Delaware waters. The skin of the northern puffer feels slimy and smooth but with small bumps. The small bumps are spines in miniature. These spines can be annoying after constant handling. “My hands blew up like baseball mitts after cleaning forty of these little fellows. I forgot to wear gloves,” an angler told me a few years ago. Handling the fish and holding it while cleaning is why the spines were able to irritate the skin. Gloves will alleviate that issue. Handling a few puffer fish while catching is not an issue at all. The spines actually make them easier to handle, adding some grip.

Any fish you plan on releasing should be handled so as not to harm the slime coating of the fish. Wear wet gloves. A dry rag is the worst thing you can use to hold a fish. The second worst thing is dragging fish along the sand while surf fishing. Walk to the water’s edge as you reel and lift the fish from the water.
The summer tease was not pleasant but I know my A/C works in the house and shop. For now I will enjoy a mild run into spring with a better variety of fish and places to catch. These places will soon be overrun so enjoy it while it lasts. I try to get out more and more these days on the weekdays and stick to home on the weekends and get work done.

The raised beds in the gardens are more work now, but less work to maintain in the future. The chickens are creating piles of black gold to feed the gardens this summer. I even compost the eggs on occasion. Now I can add fish to the compost menu. It’s going to smell great around here when it gets hot.
The wild horses of Assateague Island were surveyed for the year. They said they generally like the place, but would like more water fountains. In all seriousness, these horses are smart — they learned how to turn on faucets and the park staff had to lock the faucets. They even figured out how to get into the bath houses.

The herd is managed as a wildlife population with a goal range of 80 to 100 horses. “In March 2024, the population was 73, consisting of 30 stallions and 43 mares, including one new foal (a colt). This is down from 75 horses in March 2023. Since 2017, the population has been reproducing freely with no application of fertility control.”

It is always fun to see the horses when we visit the island to surf fish or explore. The bay waters are great for clamming and fishing as well. Get the kayaks and do some exploring.