Way North and Delaware Fishing Report, 7/27/2018 Update:
Warning: Due to the torrential downpours and high winds, the fishing report may be a bit abbreviated this week. It was difficult to locate many people who were able to fish, much less those who have caught, within the past five days.
Heavy rains and flooding this week muddied the waters of the Chesapeake, shutting down the majority of fisheries that would normally be active during this time of year. A few anglers who managed to get out on the water during breaks in the wind and rain, Captain Bones reported, did encounter a mixed bag of rockfish and white perch caught on bloodworms. A couple of boats also headed to the Rock Hall and Tolchester areas, where Clydes Sport Shop heard that chumming alewife and floating eels resulted in a few stripers being caught. Area reservoirs and ponds seemed to produce a little more steady action, with Herbs having reports of both small and largemouth bass actively taking little jitterbugs during dawn and midday cloud cover.
As far as the Susquehanna, the flats, and surrounding areas go, forget about fishing. The flow is at record levels and the best we can hope for is that the damage isn’t too horrible in the long run. Any boaters operating in the area may be in serious danger of striking debris this weekend.
Way North and Delaware Fishing Report, 7/19/2018 Update:
As for the North Report this week, Sarge’s Bait and Tackle tells us stripers moving north of Swan Point have been abundant and the best bite has been chumming, so many anglers have been running that way. They clued us in to the fact that that some anglers have been free-floating their bunker chunks in shallow waters in order to fill the box. Sarge’s also tells us that other anglers have switched to topwater in the shallows, particularly in times of low-light (when my personal favorite is casting a Super-Spook). Herb’s Bait and Tackle suggested anglers stay north of Love point. They also mentioned that the size of the fish hasn’t been great, but many people seeking action have continued to take the trip to the Swan/Tolchester/Pooles zone because the numbers of fish in the area can't be beat.
Captain Bones Bait and Tackle affirmed the striper info but said throughout the northern rivers, the catfish and perch fishing has been good too. Using both bloodworms and spinners like Mepps is good for the perch, and the catfish are eating the usual cut baits.
Way North and Delaware Fishing Report, 7/13/2018:
With water temperatures dangerously high in many areas, striped bass have moved north from their recent locations and migrated further up to shoals such as those around Tolchester and Pooles Island. Fewer and fewer trollers remain, as chumming continues to be the main method of bringing dinner to the boat. Although Captain Bones reported there have been a large number of small sized fish way up north, the amount of throwbacks is being offset by the consistency of action and regularity of keepers landed for those who sort through the fish. Most keepers have been on the smaller size, typically between 19 and 24 inches, however there are always outliers. For those looking for tactics to avoid all the throwbacks and get to meatier fish, Herbs recommended letting your bait drift far back in the chum slick, by using relatively small weights, where larger striped bass are likely to be lazing along bottom. They also noted that this is a good way to pick up channel catfish, which are plentiful in the same areas. Sunset and sunrise have been productive times for both species.
The Susquehanna Flats has been experiencing a killer topwater bite, as reported by Clydes Sport Shop. Water quality has greatly improved, with the dam gates letting out less muddy water during this especially dry week. The Conowingo Dam and nearby areas of the river have provided some killer bass fishing too, with little buzzbaits and tubes proving to be enticing lures for large and smallmouth bass in early morning when it’s relatively cool out.
Way North and Delaware Fishing Report, 7/6/2018:
As the heat of summer takes a firm grip on the region, fishing in the northern reaches of our area has remained strong. Herb’s reports that local anglers are still catching stripers in the Susquehanna, and fish have been showing up all the way to the base of the dam. Largemouth bass are now providing the bulk of the action for anglers casting on the flats (though stripers are mixed in) and in the Northeast River, with topwater plugs and frogs getting top billing. Sarge’s adds that Whopper Ploppers and X-Raps are also taking a lot of strikes, and the Bohemia and Sassafras are also good places to try casting them.
Catfish remain an option for anglers willing to soak some bait on bottom. White perch are still around too, and many area anglers are starting the day by dropping grass shrimp on bottom rigs, putting the big perch in the cooler, and keeping the smaller ones for the livewell. Then, they shift to channel edges where stripers are around and live-line the small whites for bigger rockfish. Edges with depths dropping in excess of 25 feet are best for the stripers, which are often holding during the mid-day hours in 25 to 35.
Sarge’s also mentioned that crabs have finally made their way up to some of their northern haunts. Although crabbing is still on the thin side, it is now possible.