May 2023 Delaware Fishing Report

 May 2023 

Delaware Fishing Report

Freshwater

Big bass are being caught in Mill Ponds across the first state.  Some of the larger ponds like Lums and Noxontown are giving up lunkers.  As I have said many times, Spring Largemouth fishing is all about a slow and low retrieval.  Google that for a more thorough description.  Can't go wrong with a jig or a rubber worm. 

River and Bay

Channel and Blue Catfish of 20+ pounds are being caught right now on bloodworms and pepperoni in the C&D Canal.  Spring is a great time to connect with some Perch and Striped Bass in our brackish and bay area rivers.  

Get out there in the bay on a sea kayak if you feel so inclined, but wear your life vest and do it at your own risk!  Though rare, Bull Sharks and a variety of Sea Snakes do occur in the Delaware Bay estuaries.

Don't forget to pick up my ebook, it's practically free for the #BestDelawareFishingSpots and its your premier guide to #DelawareFishing

https://www.amazon.com/Big-Bass-Small-Wonder-freshwater-ebook/dp/B012BZ7OW8

Also be sure to like and subscribe to this youtube channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQDcWkC1RWJ_eEuCvew8hg

And also be sure to subscribe to this twitter account Big Bass in the Small Wonder 

https://twitter.com/BIGBASSINTHESM1

for up to date #302Fishing and #FirstStateFishing News

 March 6, 2023:  

DELAWARE TIDAL AND NON-TIDAL FISHING REPORTS

Tidal

Things seem like they need the temperatures to warm up for fishing action, but like the watermen of Maryland and Delaware know, both Yellow and White Perch as well as Striped Bass can be caught from the docks and piers of our tidal rivers this time of year.  Nightcrawlers or shrimp tend to work well.   I have not heard any reports of Saltwater catches in the bay or the ocean as of yet other than Tautog and Sea Bass offshore.

Non-Tidal

Big panfish including Crappie and Perch are being caught in the ponds. It seems the Largemouth Bass, Bluegill and White Perch may be caught in ponds like Noxontown or Lums.  Again, a big glob of nightcrawler or Zoom lizards may do the trick.  As well, two downstate ponds have been stocked with Trout including Tidbury in Dover.  It should provide good Rainbow Trout angling all the way up until the trout streams open for fishing in April.

Until then, I'll be scouting out the Best Delaware First State Fishing Spots using my handy guide book 

AMAZON KINDLE EBOOK

BIG BASS IN THE SMALL WONDER:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012BZ7OW8

Be sure to follow on youtube as well for the best Delaware fishing content on the internet. 

YOUTUBE:

BIG BASS IN THE SMALL WONDER

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And... don't forget to follow BIG BASS IN THE SMALL WONDER on TWITTER for the latest fishing content!

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#ROCKFISH

January 2023 - Happy New Year Delaware Sport Fishing Community #WinterFishing #Delmarva #Angler #Delaware Fishing #Fishing #BigBass #SmallWonder #First State

 January 2023 - Happy New Year Delaware Fishing Community

Finding myself in the heart of winter -with fishing on my mind-I thought I'd share my Freshwater and Saltwater Delaware fishing report for January 2023.

Freshwater:  We are approaching great fishing conditions for yellow perch in the freshwater and brackish rivers and creeks of Delmarva.  In addition to yellow perch, shad, eel, bullhead catfish and even winter Largemouth are being caught in Sassafras and Appoquinimink river systems.  Another thing to remember is that good winter trout fishing can be had on White Clay Creek (and even upper Brandywine) as wild trout and holdovers do exist in these piedmont fishing locales.  A bright spinner lure or a juicy nightcrawler may be the bait of choice.  

Just don't try ice fishing (very important) the ice does not ever get thick enough for this in Delaware and we have somehow not had any snow so far this winter.   If you are feeling really brave, leave behind freshwater and head down to either the Delaware or Chesapeake bays for some rockfish action.  

Saltwater:  

If you are seeking rockfish in the bays or saltwater, live spot always does the trick, in addition to bloodworms (or lugworms) if available.  At the Indian River Inlet, you never know what you may catch, but tautog make great eating and can be caught between the large jetty rocks using green crabs or shrimp.  

For the most comprehensive fishing guide for Delaware check out the acclaimed ebook Big Bass in the Small Wonder 

And to stay up to date on Delaware fishing adventures check out the Delaware Sport Fishing  youtube channel 

And there are big things in store in 2023 for the Delaware Sport Fishing and Big Bass in the Small Wonder community, here is a hint:

                         September 2022 - Delaware Fishing Report

Saltwater: 

Fall is in the air!  The crab boats are finishing up for the season and the winds and waves are cooling down.  This has not stopped anglers from doing very well in the Delaware saltwater arena I have been receiving steady reports of Tog in the Delaware bay, along with alot of croaker and flounder action.  Angler Mark also had a great deal of luck catching Rockfish in the Chesapeake Bay, using live spot and perch.  He even took some home and enjoyed it for dinner.

Freshwater:

With autumn in full swing, largemouth bass are hungry and fattening up for the winter.  They can be taken on a variety of lures from zoom lizards to frog poppers.  I am hearing reports of fly fishermen and pan fishermen doing very well in White Clay and Red Clay Creeks.   Of course, there are plenty of catfish, bullheads, perch and even snakeheads being caught in the brackish rivers such as Christina and lower Brandywine Rivers.

Remember gang, if you haven't already done so, it's time to download the must-have Delaware sport fishing ebook:

Big Bass in the Small Wonder the very best, most comprehensive guide to all the top SECRET Delaware bass fishing spots, along with helpful techniques and hints.  Available for VERY CHEAP on Amazon Kindle Today! Complete with illustrations, photos and maps!  

Also, enjoy the Big Bass in the Small Wonder youtube channel with plenty of tips, tricks and fishing action:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQDcWkC1RWJ_eEuCvew8hg

Until Next Time, 

Tight Lines

SUMMER 2022 - DELAWARE FISHING REPORT: FRESHWATER FISHING IN UPPER DELAWARE CREEKS: #DELAWAREFISHING #DELAWARESPORTFISHING #DELAWAREANGLERS #DEANGLERS #WHITECLAYCREEK #PIKECREEK #CHRISTINACREEK #PIEDMONTPLATEAU #BIGBASSINTHESMALLWONDER #UPPERDELAWAREFISHING #UPPERDELAWARE #DELAWARE BAY #SMALL WONDER #BASSMASTERS #NORTHAMERICANFISHINGCLUB

 FISHING UPPER DELAWARE'S FRESHWATER CREEKS

July 2022

So if you came here looking for a fishing article about targeting species in the upper Delaware river, I'm sorry to disappoint.   This article will mainly focus on some fishing I have done in the state of Delaware's upper piedmont plateau region, namely three spectacular creeks flowing from the lush hill country to become brackish tributaries of the Delaware bay.  

Rainbow Trout, White Clay Creek

The first creek I explored was Pike Creek, an idyllic little trout stream near Kirkwood Highway in New Castle County.  While I didn't spot any trout on the stream, long after the opening day trout crowds have withdrawn, I had a very nice bushwacking hike through some thick forest and connected with a few nice creek chubs.  I also observed some sunfish and bass in the creek, but they weren't up to biting.

Next, I moved along to White Clay creek and fished a nice spot with fast flowing white water near a confluence.  Using a fat earthworm I had just caught in the loose, rich soil, I fished out a smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, rock bass (red eyes) and several species of sunfish.  I used a very light split shot and small panfish hook.  It was a spectacular day for creek walking, with temperatures in the high 80s and plenty of other people enjoying a dip in the cool stream near University of Delaware.  It felt great to be out fishing again after a long Covid19 pandemic.

Small Mouth Bass, White Clay Creek

Finally, I had the chance to fish with some of my children at Christina Creek near Newark, Delaware.  This stream flows down from the hills of west Newark, past the Iron Hill area eventually becoming a mighty brackish river full of Rock Fish (Striped Bass) and Catfish.  On this particular day, the creek yielded several sunfish, a creek chub and a brown trout was spotted.   An angler I know said that he caught an 18 inch trout a few days before and was preparing to cook it on the grill. That sure sounds like a nice lunch with some lemon, french fries and a pickle.  The Christina creek had plenty of twists and turns through forested parkland, behind suburban neighborhoods and college campuses.  Plenty of quiet stretches that might make an ideal spot to try some small stream dry fly fishing... if you can master the roll cast.  

And lastly, if you haven't already done so, it's time to download a Must-Have Delaware sport fishing ebook:

Big Bass in the Small Wonder the very best, most comprehensive guide to all the top SECRET Delaware bass fishing spots, along with helpful techniques and hints.  Available for VERY CHEAP on Amazon Kindle Today! Complete with illustrations, photos and maps!

Creek Chub, Pike Creek

I hope to post more entries and photos of future fishing trips in my home state of Delaware very soon! 

#DELAWAREFISHING

#DELAWARESPORTFISHING

#DELAWAREANGLERS

#DEANGLERS

#WHITECLAYCREEK

#PIKECREEK

#CHRISTINACREEK

#PIEDMONTPLATEAU

#BIGBASSINTHESMALLWONDER

#UPPERDELAWAREFISHING

#UPPERDELAWARE

#DELAWARE BAY

#SMALL WONDER

#BASSMASTERS

#NORTHAMERICANFISHINGCLUB

Delaware Sport Fishing Report May 31, 2020: #SurfFishing #TroutFishing # Delaware #Weakfish #IRInlet

Delaware Sport Fishing Report May 31, 2020 

Freshwater

Fishing in the Tidal Rivers and Delaware Bay has been good for a variety of species,
including catfish, perch and carp.   In ponds and streams, Delaware fisherman can
pick among trout in White Clay Creek to Trophy Largemouth Bass in Becks Pond.
Senko worm fishing should be heating up pretty soon, but you can't go wrong with
some live shiners.  Bass fishermen looking to find some new " top secret" spots
to catch big lunkers are advised to check out the critically acclaimed unofficial guide to
Delaware Ponds and Freshwater Fishing

Big Bass in the Small Wonder https://www.amazon.com/Big-Bass-Small-Wonder-freshwater-ebook/dp/B012BZ7OW8


Saltwater

I have fished Indian River inlet during the tail end of tog season (#blackfish if
you're from #NewJersey).   Getting out on the beach, sprayed by the ocean surf
has been so healing during this current Pandemic, which came off a long winter
of not much fishing for me.  It's good to be back out there and giving you more
frequent reports.  Most recently, I fished the Indian River Inlet and caught no
fish, but alot of Ladycrabs, which are actually great tog bait and also pretty delicious,
as reported by #FirstStateFishing on #youtube.  As I understand, fishermen and
women are connecting with jumbo sized Black Drum in the Delaware bay and
some more weakfish being caught, which is a nice trend.  I can remember going
on the Tradewinds out of Bowers back in the 1990s and doing really well, filling
the cooler with Trout and Croaker.  My dad caught the biggest one on the boat
and somewhere I have a photo of the fish, with $20 bills in it's mouth!  Great
memories.

Continuing with the report, anglers fishing deeper water in Delaware Bay and
inland bays are reporting better fishing for spot, croaker and some Black Sea
Bass and Flounder. Live minnows and squid remain the best bait

If you are fishing on the ocean surf, rig two hooks above a pyramid sinker and
expect to catch a few flounder, sharks, occasional kingfish, bluefish or skate with
bloodworms... here is a nice skate from last summer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHKU65_jOcI

Tight lines everyone,

November 2019 Delaware Fishing Report -Late Fall in the first state, fishing tips, Channel Catfish, Noxontown Pond, Big Bass in the Small Wonder

November 2019 Delaware Fishing Report

Freshwater

Late fall is a great opportunity to do some
night fishing on the tidal rivers of central Delaware
again. Although the temperatures are dropping
quickly, and snow could arrive on any day, the
Channel Catfish and Perch are very active.  I used a
live bait fish to catch Catfish and got several nice
filets for the freezer.

I have also observed bullhead, eel and Shad in the
rivers but have yet to connect with a rockfish. 

My tip for late fall river fishing in Delaware would be to use a split shot and
 nice size 2 hook to rig a bait fish (perch, shiner otherwise) and let the fishing pole
rest propped up against the dockpiling. Within about fifteen minutes, if you do not get
a hit it's time to move on and repeat the process.  Some anglers I know are  still having
alot of luck connecting with Largemouth Bass in the millponds and "lakes" across
southern Delaware.  I will pick up some Senko worms at Walmart next time I go and
try for a late winter largemouth bass to add to the photo album.  All you anglers who are
interested in learning the best top secret First State fishing holes please check out the
critically acclaimed ebook:

Big Bass in the Small Wonder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012BZ7OW8


Saltwater

Most of the boats down the marina are wrapped up and winterized.  I will continue to
visit thedrive on beach and try for bluefish, kingfish rockfish and any skates or shark
that might bite this time of year. 

My bait of choice would be blood worms or clams and the patient angler who begins
fishing before dawn may have a chance at catching a trophy rockfish.  Fly fishing can
also be an option for the adventurous saltwater angler if the wind agrees on that particular
day.  It can be fun to tie some of your own saltwater streamer flies with the custom made
Fly Tying Station from Bayside Supplies https://www.ebay.com/itm/174092434463?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Tight lines to all those fishing at the shore and make sure you be safe out there! 

Until next time...