August 2017 Sport Fishing

August 2017 Sport Fishing

Delaware Yellow Perch

August has been a great month for fishing in my home state of Delaware.
Big fish are biting in both saltwater and freshwater and there is much more to come with the peak of fall Rockfish and Tog fishing just around the corner.  The water is warm and it is a fantastic time to be out there with a fishing pole in your hands!

Freshwater

This reporter caught several pickerel and yellow perch recently fishing Central Delaware's muddy nontidal creeks.  With Delaware largemouth bass fishing pressure at its peak in ponds like Noxontown and Lums, now is a great time to target farm ditches, branches above mill ponds and brackish waters like Smyrna River, Duck Creek, Appoquinimink River and Christina River.


Saltwater

Saltwater fishing has been exciting this summer with White Marlin boats catching their share of Tuna, Mahi and Shark.  This reporter had the chance to fish the Atlantic Ocean on Delaware State Seashore a few weeks ago.  Fishing was good with many several Black Sea Bass, a near keeper Rockfish and Kingfish all taking blood worms.  Anglers targeting fish in the inlet reported the occasional Weakfish, as well.  I am looking forward to getting down the beach with my family and fishing one more time this summer, perhaps taking a ride to New Jersey and hopping on a headboat charter out of Cape May.


Catch of the Day

Do you eat your catch?  On occasion this summer, I have cooked and eaten some locally caught fish.  My favorite eating fish were yellow perch, channel catfish and kingfish.  The meals were delicious.

Yellow Perch, a prominent food fish in the midwest, can be caught easily in Delaware's freshwater waters during the month of August.  Catfish can be equally excellent tablefare -if properly filleted, soaked in saltwater for 24 hrs. and cooked Cajun Style. As well, Northern Kingfish are a good eating, saltwater fish that looks kind of like a small Cod. It is a scrappy fish that can be caught from Delaware's drive on surf beaches in abundance this time of year.

It should be noted that some anglers don't eat fish from Delaware freshwater due to pollution. If you are going to eat your catch, be sure to follow Delaware's fish consumption advisory recommendations. It is also best to avoid eating from rivers below obvious pollution sources like pipes, neighborhoods, car washes, laundry mats, etc.   Look out for excessive algae growth, chemical foam, absence of shellfish, dead fish etc. as these are symptomatic signs that the body of water might not be healthy.  Just use common sense.  Bon appetite, folks!