By Rich King
Summertime is in full swing — it’s hot, crowded and the fish are biting slower. I mean, who wants to chase a meal in all this heat? I’d be looking for cooler water and some shade, too. The water temperatures are always wacky this time of year. There was a tarpon caught off the surf in Cape Cod. Every year, more and more warm-water fish push farther north. It’s wild how tropical fish make it so far north. A Townsend angelfish was once found off the coast of Scotland.
The night and early morning fishing has been better than the daytime. Some mornings and nights are nice and cool, some are like hot soup. When the air feels like soup, hours after dark, I have to go home. There is something unnatural about humidity that fierce at 4 a.m.
Slot striped bass fishing is still producing some nice keepers around the Delaware Bay and her tributaries. These are the best sized bass to eat, in my opinion. The summer slot season ends Aug. 31. It’s fun on my fly rods, too, fishing the rips around the Lewes Canal, and the rocks around Lewes. I have some shrimp flies Joe from the Saltwater Fly Anglers of Delaware gave me years ago. I am finally putting them to use. I have a bunch of flies from a lot of the club members. I need to try one of Don’s crab flies on tog at the inlets.
I just hooked up one of the new-to-me fly rods. I picked up two used rods recently from Bill McGee. Fly fishing around here is fun when you find space to do it. Standing at the rail at the inlet or Massey’s Ditch is fine if no one is around. The beach has plenty of space on the weekdays, too. The Delaware and inland bay beaches are much easier to fly fish. You can wade fish the inland bays and around the Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier. Assateague offers a variety of beach and bay structure.
The summer fishing is about on par with each year. Catching is slower closer to shore due to the warmer water. Surf anglers need to cast a little farther. If you aren’t having luck doing the same routine, change your routine. Some folks will just find something else to do on the water. One angler at the boat ramp said, “Crabbing is great this time of year and I can wade and catch them in shallow waters. Lets you cool off a little and still ‘fish.’”
I always tell the bay waders to keep a solution of bleach and water (5 to 10%) with them at all times. Before you enter the water, any cuts should be covered with Vaseline. Vibrio is a real issue in hot water in the dead of summer, especially at lower tides in back bay areas.
Years ago, a man nicked his finger on a brand-new crab trap that was set for a few days. He died from vibrio 36 hours later. A small simple cut is all it takes in hot bay water, add vibrio and you are an incubator fast. We clean cuts immediately with the bleach and water solution. It hurts like the dickens but it cleans and sterilizes everything real fast. Not every time this happens do you get vibrio, but it is always present. Most who get it, fight it off and hardly notice. I know some who got it and found out later what it was, and it could have been real bad. It’s better to err on the side of caution.
The same goes with cuts from fish, as they are covered in bacteria. Get poked by a fin? Squeeze and give it a shot of bleach. Most of the time it’s just a little annoying cut, but these minor cuts can also be deadly. The inland bays have a 24/7 swim advisory. That alone should tell you to take precautions.
Flounder fishing has been decent around the inshore areas, but it’s hot and takes longer to find some keepers. Offshore is much better action.
A 640.5-pound blue marlin took a record $6.2 million in prize money at the White Marlin Open this year. Very few white marlins were even scored. Most of the entries were tuna.
It is summer fishing, so gear up for the little surf fish. Find a shady spot to relax and drop a line. Moving water is cooler and will hold fish. The inlets will hold more fish than the inland bays, with the cooler water.
Bugs are much worse this week than last. The chiggers have amped up their efforts around my gardens. I picked vegetables in waders the other day, I kid you not. It might look dumb but I didn’t get torn up like I usually do.
The Cape Henlopen fishing pier is still producing some spade fish. Friends of mine decided to gear up with chicken and spent a few hours hammering spades. There are plenty of spot and slot sized striped bass. Flounder action is typical for this time of year.
The Point in Cape Henlopen State Park opens in a couple of weeks. The reservation system will be over Sept. 4. The only good thing was people could go to the beach when they felt like it. The whole system, in my opinion, was an epic fail for actual surf anglers. “I made my reservation, will there be fish?” I was asked that a couple months ago. I go fishing when I feel like it, not when I am scheduled. The surf drinkers loved the program. When the beaches emptied from flies or storms, it was much less crowded, so there is that. Gates and limits would allow all users fair access.
It is hard to care for the outdoors and watch what actually occurs in the outdoors at times. People need to pay attention more, and get involved to protect what we have left. A tarpon caught off Cape Cod sounds like a cool thing until you realize it really isn’t a good environmental indicator at all.
