It has been a busy last couple of weeks here at the Wharf. The good fishing has continued all the way around and the summer crowds have been taking advantage of the good weather and the biting fish trying to get that last trip in before the kids all go back to school. Deep water Flounder fishing has remained very steady with the All-Day trips, Half-Day anglers have still been enjoying the Croakers and a real nice variety catch with several different species of fish up in the Delaware Bay, and the offshore scene has still been producing some beautiful fish from the edges of the Canyons.

Finding the time to put up a fresh report last week just had to be put on the back burner, it certainly wasn't because I didn't have a good report for you I just couldn't find the time while fishing and I was too exhausted in the evening to stay awake at the computer. The daily grind has continued on, I think I have fished forty some days in a row now and the upside to this grind has been being able to keep up with tides, the biting fish, and where or where not to be given the conditions we are dealt to work with on the water on any given day. It's been working. Our Flounder fishing while not spectacular by any stretch of the imagination has been very consistent. We have been able to continue racking up decent numbers of some very nice flat fish on just about any given day and our tally continues to climb!

Jigging with the Bucktails or the Spro's and a teaser continues to be hands down the most effective method of pulling up these big Flatties from the sea trees and the rocks, however plenty of fish have fallen to the more traditional Fluke Killer rigs or the Jigging style rigs with a heavy sinker when the drift has been swift. I don't know how many limit catches I have seen with these setups in the last couple of weeks and I don't know how many four plus pound fish we have taken recently but I assure you it's been a lot! Our most effective bait continues to be the fresh strips of meat; Sea Robbin, Bluefish, Shark belly even Tilefish or Tuna skins have all proven very productive when the bite is on. There has also been countless fish who's fate have fallen to the magical Gulp when properly rigged.

As good or as bad as you may have thought the Flounder fishing has been if you have made a trip with me recently you have to remember, its Flounder fishing and everybody doesn't get them. Even on some of our best days there are those that excel and those that just don't and it doesn't matter how much fishing talent you may have. It could be the kid with the rented rod that limits out first or it could be the hard core Fluke guys jigging on the bow or the stern that keeps everyone's attention with the bent rods. Everyone is prone to success or failure even when the bite is at it's best. It's Flounder fishing on the "old grounds" and you don't want to leave your patience or your sinkers in the car back at the dock, you will need both. At the end of the day though I still have to say that I think the Flounder fishing is pretty good and the outlook to continue catching them is promising to say the least. In one three day stretch last week we tallied over 160 keeper Flatties for our efforts and since my last report we have had over 400 keepers, how can I call that bad!

Up in the Delaware Bay the news is still good with the Croakers as well as a nice variety of other species of fish. Capt. Mike reports that his Croaker action on the Half-Day trips continues to be very productive. While the size of these Croakers has still been a little disappointing, they have been very abundant at times and with the variety of other species in the mix, this has made for some very interesting fishing to say the least. Along with the Croaks Capt. Mike has been seeing Kingfish, Spot, Trout and even a few Triggerfish just to name a few of the fish that have recently come over the rail and it is not uncommon to see as many as ten or more different species on any given trip including the junkfish such as Toads, Sharks and Skates. This fishing should remain good long after the kids have gone back to school and will more than likely only improve as some of the bigger Croakers we are recently seeing in the Ocean work their way up into the Bay. The best time traditionally for this variety fishing has almost always been after Labor Day as the fish bunch up around the lower end and out into the Mouth of the Bay.

The offshore scene remains good. Tuna, Marlin, Mahi, and of course the Tilefish are still readily available when the weather allows the boats to get to the deep providing excellent trophy catches for the deep water anglers. Capt. H.D. was offshore on a two day trip last week however this trip didn't go quite as well as a couple of his prior adventures. Stiff northerly and northwest winds hampered the deep drop efforts making very difficult drifting conditions and holding the bottom was a real chore. Three pounds of weight was the norm for the better part of the trip and the Tiles just didn't add up for the exhausted fisherman the way they had hoped that they would. The Tuna bite was also off during the night and with the rough sea conditions looking around or changing locations just was not an option. They did return to the dock with plenty of both the Golden and the Grey Tiles however compared to a couple of the last trips the numbers were low overall. Our next tile trip is scheduled for this weekend however it is already sold out. There is another 2 day trip scheduled for the following Tuesday and the next Tile trip after that is scheduled for September 14th. There will be several more of these long-range trips on the schedule after that and remember these are advanced reservations ONLY. Please call in advance to check on the scheduling as the dates are subject to change with the weather and availability with the big boat.

Other than the plain fact that our 2013 fishing season is well on track to go down as one of the windiest and roughest summer seasons that we could quite possibly have ever had, through the ups and downs our fishing has remained pretty good as far as I am concerned and I think we will continue to see some good action catching just about anything that we target long after the summer season turns to fall. Our schedule will remain the same for several more weeks with the All-Day trips sailing seven days a week departing the docks at 7:00 a.m. and returning sometime after 4:00 p.m. Half-Day trips will likely see a reduced schedule after Labor Day and I will be sure to post any changes both through my report and on our facebook page. Half-Day trips sail at 8:00 a.m. and then again at 1:00 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday evenings they sail at 6:00 p.m.

If you would like any more information about trips sailing out of the Wharf or you would like to book a private charter or reserve space on an upcoming special trip please give us a call at (302) 645-TUNA. Don't forget to "like" us on facebook for further updates as well as our most recent pictures from our fishing trips.

Until Next Week Happy Fishing!

Capt. Rick Yakimowicz
Thelma Dale IV
catchfish@verizon.net