Mother nature has left little doubt whether or not winter is coming our way, all you need to do is look outside and it is obvious that the weather is changing! Fishing has also seen some changes since my last report. Water temperatures have been on a steady decline, new moon or perigee tides have shown us some extreme highs and lows at the dock and the swift currents that accompany these great ranges in tides while out on the water.

Fishing has seen its ups and downs much like the tides. As Tog veterans are aware swift running currents are not necessarily conducive to good Blackfishing. While we have seen some decent catches on these crafty bottom feeders this past week it has not all been peaches and cream. Swift currents and dirty water has most certainly hampered our catches. And even our best days were not without pain. Early week was best but as the week progressed it became more difficult and the bite was more temperamental with the tides. I would prefer not to talk about the weekend. Let’s just say this; if you were planning on coming for Tog over this past weekend and didn’t, you didn’t miss much, if you did go out with me on Saturday or Sunday… I’m sorry, better days are coming.

Striper fishing on the other hand has gotten better and better. Just about every boat that has targeted linesiders over the past week has met up with some of the best success of the fall season to date. These fish have finally shown up in big numbers on just about any shoal or rip in the mouth of the Bay. Maybe it was the drop in temp, perhaps it was the swift moving currents, whatever the case anglers have enjoyed catching Stripers these past few days the way this fishing should have been by mid October for our area. Plenty of school-sized fish ranging from 20 to 30 inches with the occasional trophy sized fish at over 40. These Stripers have been striking artificial as well as live baits and have even been caught on the troll by some anglers. It is very likely that this type of fishing will continue on until the New Year providing a lot more opportunities for you to have a good day with these fish.

As most of you are aware weather and conditions pretty much hold the keys to success for this time of the year. Wind is our biggest factor for either the Tog or the Stripers. Any given day we may have a few folks that wish to target either species. Try and pick your best weather day and show up at the docks by seven and it could be your lucky day. We will continue bottom fishing for the Tog until the 18th of December daily sailing at 7:00 a.m. and our Striper Boat will be departing the docks at 8:00 a.m. every day until the 8th of January.

If you would like more information about trips sailing out of the Wharf please give us a call at (302) 645-TUNA.

Until Next Week Happy Fishing!

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