As of this posting there is only four days and a few hours left until the opening of our 2010 Spring Sea Bass Season. But who's counting? I'll tell you who's counting, me and every other head boat, charter boat and private boat operator as well as fisherman up and down the east coast that's who! And it wont be long. It has been a very frustrating start to the year with all the newly imposed closures and regulations that are effecting everyone trying to earn an honest living fishing or those that just want to go out and catch a few fish for supper. Enough of that, my fingers will get sore on that subject.

Our Tautog season closed early last week and since then all my efforts with the all-day trips have been trying to catch a Drum. Emphasis on trying! I managed to get out four days this past week Drum fishing and the first couple of trips were an absolute bust. The fish were only biting late in the day and at night and all we were able to bring up were various assortments of junk. Skates and some very large Dog Sharks were all we were able to catch both last Thursday and on Saturday. As the tides shifted and we started to see more of the incoming tide during the daylight hours on Sunday and Monday we were finally able to see and to land a few of these Delaware Bay Dinosaurs.

Those that brought as good book to read were way ahead of the game for the majority of our time spent Drumming last week, when these fish are not biting they can make watching grass grow seem like fun. The last several years the daytime bite on the Drumfish has been just fabulous however this year when we needed them the most it was not to be. Most of the biting fish seem to be on the Delaware side of the Bay right now and the best action had been predominately in the afternoon and at night until Sunday. Even though it's been a slow start to the Drum and somewhat disappointing compared to the last few years these fish are definitely biting better now both day and night and the fishery should be strong for several more weeks for those wishing to get in on the action. My last two trips we caught several Drum from about twenty five pounds up to nearly seventy and believe me when your hooked up to one of these monsters the feeling can only be compared to trophy sports fishing at it's best, it is an absolute blast!

Rain and wind have me tied fast to the dock today but the weather is looking better for the rest of the week. I will continue to target these prehistoric beasts when I get out until Saturday when all my effort will switch to anchoring over shipwrecks, rocks and artificial reefs for the Sea Bass. There are still a few days to catch a daytime Drum but after Friday our only Drum Trips other than a private charter will be at night. Night Drum Trips depart the docks at 6:00 p.m. and generally will return around 1:00 a.m. We don't have to go too far for these fish and as long as the weather looks good we will go with a bare minimum crowd. We also have several open dates available for a private Drum Charter if you are interested.

I fully anticipate Sea Bass season to open with a bang this weekend and to continue on for several more weeks until we start drifting for Flounder. There is a lot of anticipation built up for the Bass this year and I would like to think that we are prepared. We have six Long-Range trips scheduled as of now for Sea Bass and Tilefish and I will be running the regular Full-Day trips for Sea Bass seven days a week starting this Saturday. Reservations are a must for all long-range trips and they are filling up quick so if you are interested in one of these excursions you need to make the call. There is a complete list of dates on the special trip link from our home page at fishlewes.com For the regular Full-Day trips you need only to show up at the docks in the morning no reservations are necessary.

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 a special trip please give us a call at (302) 645-Tuna.

Until Next Week Happy Fishing!

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