It almost seems fitting that the first day of summer would be under nor’easter conditions. The coastline is taking a little pounding. Beachcombing will be great this weekend. Conditions will improve by the weekend. Expect to see stirred-up waters and heavier currents in creeks, rivers and streams. Fishing is good depending on your targeted species.

Offshore has been hot for tuna but the weather has shut that down. I’m sure that will pick up where it left off once boats can get out.

Flounder action is getting better and better for shore and boat anglers. Gulp or Fishbites Fight Club soft plastics for jigging. Drifting minnows on single or double drop rigs for the boats. Fly anglers are picking them up along the lower Delaware Bay beaches. If you ever get a chance, take a flashlight to a bay beach after dark and look along the water line.

Surf anglers will pick up flounder jigging along the ledge and in the cuts.

Croaker action has been fun around the Inland Bays. We were doing well the other day at Masseys Landing, catching croaker in the ditch. Spot are also around the Inland Bays and all the beaches, and getting bigger by the day.

The weakfish action around the Delaware Bay continues. Bowers Beach has produced a nice amount of weakies, and the reef sites are producing.

Kingfish action is picking up more and more as well. Good thing, because they are my favorite fish taco. A few kingfish make a fine meal. Combined with all my garden veggies, it’s perfect. Then the rest of the fish goes into the garden to grow more veggies to go with more fish.

The inlets are producing triggers and sheepshead. Sand fleas for the bait of choice. Plenty of other fun catches around inlets. A buddy of ours got a lobster on his line the other day. He stuffed his flounder with it that night for dinner.

The Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier is producing a variety of fish. Decent flounder bite for this time of year. Check in the shop with the Breakwater crew to see what’s happening that day. The shop is constantly adding new gear and services too.

The current weather is no fun for fishing, but if you put in some time in nasty weather, you can catch. Once we get too wet and cold, we go home. I carry plenty of extra gear for wet conditions but at some point you say enough is enough. Then you take one last cast, blast a fish, and stay another hour, soaking wet. Life is good.

An angler can fish that wide wash in the surf and find fish. There are plenty of resident striped bass around that will hunt that rough water looking for food. Bluefish will venture into it as well. The bonus of fishing rough conditions is you will have very little company. Most do not like fishing these rough conditions.

If you are into fly fishing or want to learn more about it for the salt, check out the Saltwater Fly Anglers of Delaware Club in Sussex County. They will be starting their evening flats fishing soon. It’s a great way to learn more and meet other wizards of the long wand.

The pond hopping is much more productive and fun for all anglers. The snakehead action has picked up a lot. Bass and bluegills are always fun. Top water action and fly fishing is my preferred method. But there is something nostalgic and almost primal using a can of corn and a old cane pole, sitting on a dock and smacking bluegills all day. Sometimes a simple day of fishing really soothes the soul.