Even though the calendar says that we are in the month of May it still feels a lot like April here at the Wharf this past week. We got teased during the last weekend in April with some summer like weather but for the last several days we have been back to the hooded flannel shirts and the rain gear with much cooler temperatures and lots of rain.

We did manage to get out a few times since my last report and the fishing was both good and not so good. Saturday we had scrubbed the long-range trip however we were able to fish with the regular full day trip and results were what I would have to call less than spectacular. With some fairly light winds and a big ground swell we ventured off to the Sea Bass grounds and did manage to put together a little catch, but by days end the keeper fish just didn’t add up the way they had for us a few times last week. Perhaps it was the swells or the miserable fishing conditions on deck but it was a long day for most folks. Top hooks on Saturday would wind up with double digits of keepers or just a few more or less but there were also some empty coolers spread around the boat.

The Sea Bass did bite pretty well at times Saturday but the keeper ratio was horrible with about a ten to one percentage with the throwbacks. Some folks told me they had landed over fifty fish but just had a handful to show for their efforts by the end of the day. Patience and a lot of measuring would ultimately put a few in the box. We did see some Tog on this trip but between the ground swells and the boat swinging around, conditions were just not the best for catching them either.

Sunday however was a different story. With a gloomy forecast and a light rail I ventured to a little different area of the Ocean that I hadn’t visited since late in March with hopes of catching both Tog and Sea Bass. If you had thought about fishing on Sunday but were afraid of the rain I suggest that you stop reading this report right now. Sundays trip turned out to be about the best fishing that I have see all spring. We started out with mostly Sea Bass, lots of bites and lots of little fish but as it progressed the fish began to add up for a few guys. No big numbers of keeper Bass but a few very nice fish spread around and lots of action. When the tide broke down the Tog bite was on and it wasn’t long before we were counting the catch and throwing beautiful fish back. We indeed limited everyone out with Tog on Sunday and the fish were very impressive in size. We landed several citation sized fish and also threw plenty of large fish back to fight another day. It was a great trip!

Even though we have not seen the sun in several days the water temperatures continue to creep up. Ocean temperatures are now around 52 degrees and Bay temps have been close to 57 degrees or even warmer at times. There are sure signs of the summer season that lies ahead yet we seem to be stuck back into a chilly spring this week. Despite the weather the fishing is definitely changing for the good; the Sea Bass are now on the move inshore, I am getting reports of several keeper Flounder having been caught in the back Bays, around the inlets as well as in the canal, and the Bluefish are starting to arrive in numbers. Drum fishing has also turned on up in the Bay with good numbers of decent sized fish being caught. Drum fishing will undoubtedly get red hot in the next few weeks with these Delaware Bay Dinosaurs.

I will continue sailing daily anchor fishing over wrecks, rocks and reefs with the regular All-Day trips and we will target both Tautog and or the Sea Bass until the Tog closure next week. After that it will be mostly Sea Bass on the menu and any Tog that are landed will have to go back. I also expect to see a few Blues and even a few Flounder in the next few weeks and possibly some Ling from some of the deeper wrecks that we will fish. All Day trips are scheduled to depart the dock at 7:00 a.m. and we generally get back around 4:00 p.m. We will be fishing in depths of at least 75 feet and possibly as deep as 130 feet. For the most part we have been getting away with eight to ten ounces of lead to hold bottom and with the Spiny Sharks still around your leaders should be of at least 30 to 40 lb. test. All tackle is always available on board and the bait is furnished for all of our trips.

Along with our regular schedule we will also be running Drum fishing trips on Friday and Saturday nights departing the docks at 6:00 p.m. Half-Day fishing will not start for a few more weeks. We will also have another long-range trip sailing this Saturday. Advance reservations are required for the long-range trip. If you would like any more information about trips sailing out of the Wharf or you are looking to book a private charter or reserve a space on a special trip please give us a call at (302) 645-TUNA.

Until Next Week Happy Fishing!

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