 The old saying be careful what you wish for would have to come into play now. Just a couple of short weeks ago we were having summer like weather and we were complaining about the water temperature being too high for the calendar time of year. We thought that if we just got a little shake up that things would turn around for the better and improve our fishing all the way around. Well, after two weekends and back-to-back coastal northeast storms each weekend we have definitely seen a change.
 The first storm, which hit the last week of October, produced 30-knot winds and fourteen foot waves just sixteen miles off the beach. After that “little blow” we saw water temperatures dip about five or six degrees and when the seas finally calmed we enjoyed some of the best Sea Bass fishing so far this fall. Well that wasn’t enough. It is likely that by the time you were reading the last report that I posted the winds were once again blowing out of the northeast and this time approaching storm force northeast winds pumping in at 40 knots plus for almost two straight days. This time the report at the Delaware light buoy was 17 foot waves every eight or nine seconds. Those were some serious waves.
Again the water temperature took a nice dip after this storm. I was back out again Sunday and there were still residual six to eight foot swells as well as a nice three-foot chop on top. Water temperatures were down almost ten degrees in only ten days. Now the Ocean temps out about fifteen miles are a more seasonable 60 degrees and I’ve seen Bay temps as low as 56. I suspect they might even be a little lower right now but I haven’t been out since Monday.
 What about the fishing you say? I can’t say much I’ve only fished a couple days since my last report. The Sea Bass didn’t bite at all for me on either Sunday or Monday. Only a few fish were caught and it was a long time between bites. It was so bad that on Monday I bailed out and came back inshore to finish up our day catching Tautog in the mouth of the Bay. You know it’s time to do something when you anchor up over a good wreck and catch more eels than Sea Bass! I’m sure that when the swells finally calm down we will once again see more catches with the Sea Bass like we had the latter part of last week.
 On the bright side now that the water is cooling down fish are on the move. The Stripers are finally making a showing along the beach and out in the rips in the mouth of the Delaware Bay and we have also seen the first sign of the Big Bluefish migrating along the coast. These fish are a welcome sight for many anglers who have anxiously been awaiting their arrival. So far the first few Stripers have mostly been in the 20 plus pound category and if past years are any indication the bigger fish should continue for a few more weeks before some of the larger schools with smaller sized fish begin their migration.
 It’s no secret that we have seen some unsettled weather these past couple of weeks but remember this is that time of the year when fronts are frequent and they potentially could be bitter. Weather like we have been seeing makes you really appreciate the comfort of an 85 or even a 110-foot boat that has a heated cabin. We will muddle through it, we’ll have some good days and we will have some bad days but there is no doubt that the fishing scene will show us some outstanding catches in the weeks to come with the Sea Bass, Stripers and the Tautog. Pick your best day and take a chance, the odds are in your favor just watch that weather and don’t hesitate to give us a call before you make the trip so we can give you an idea of what you might expect.
 I will continue running the Full-Day boat daily at 7:00 a.m. fishing over wrecks. We will take it day by day as for how far we travel. With good weather and a decent crowd expect to fish 80 to 100 feet of water for the Sea Bass. With questionable weather or a small crowd you can expect to stay a little closer to the beach fishing for mainly Tautog. The Tog are definitely biting better now than they have been all fall as the waters cool and they show a more active feeding pattern. I do have a couple more special ten-hour Tog trips scheduled on Wednesdays. Our Striper boat is scheduled to depart daily at 8:00 a.m. they will be fishing the rips with live bait. We will also have special 12-hour wreck trips sailing Saturdays at 5:00 a.m. Remember advanced reservations are required for all special trips.
If you would like any more information about trips sailing out of the Wharf or you would like to reserve a spot or book a charter please give us a call at (302) 645-TUNA.
Until Next Week Happy Fishing!
Capt. Rick Yakimowicz
Thelma Dale V
catchfish@verizon.net |
