Hi Folks,

Mother Nature blessed us with a much overdue nice weekend. The

fishing gods joined in and everyone was happy. Striper fishing has started to heat

up in Indian River Inlet and also the Delaware Bay. Live spot, live eels, cut bunker,

and bucktails tipped with a bloodworm or white plastic worm have all been working

well. Kort Kline used a live spot to trick his 8Lb. 7oz striper. Ed Kost used live eels

to bag 2 stripers in the inlet. They weighed in at 12 and 10 pounds. John Sites from

Shenendoah Valley took a 37 inch striper from Indian River Inlet. In the Rick’s Bait and Tackle / Sea Side Gas and Grill Striper Ganza the leader board has changed a bit. Shawn Smith still leads the pack with a 20 Lb 4oz linesider. Bob Cleveland has taken 2^nd place with a 19Lb 9oz’er and Jim Musumeci has grabbed 3^rd place with a striper of 19Lb 8oz.

The fishing remains good to great for those soaking green crabs on the wall

and ice breakers. Reef Site #10 is also producing some real nice fish. The rocks in Indian River Inlet and at Massey’s Ditch are also holding plenty of these bait thieves. Bluefish are being taken along the beaches both from the surf and those trolling along the beaches.

Trolling the Buoy lines and around the ocean wrecks should provide you with some bluefish action. Incoming tide in the inlet also will hold some bluefish.

Joe Morris at Lewes Harbour Marina said stripers really turned on around the recent full moon. Persistent northeast winds had kept migrating bass and baitfish close to the coast, and numerous fish showed up at the mouth of Delaware Bay, reminiscent of banner striper seasons in the past. Last Sunday, the crew aboard Skipjack braved crappy conditions to capture 18 keepers while drifting live spot at 8B Buoy and in the Valleys. Paul Stoltzfus caught 5 rock, and Michelle Arnold had 4 to 18 pounds. Bill Hershey boated a 22.3 pounder. Paul Pergeorelis put a 23 pound bass in the box aboard Lil’ Angler that day also. Sean Olson checked in a 28.3 pounder that ate a chunk of bunker. The Skipjack went back to 8B and the Valleys Monday and scored 12 more keepers with eels and spot, including Mike Newcomb’s 24 pounder. Guys on the Angler got 8 keeper rockfish to 22 pounds. The Lil’ Angler fished Tuesday for 6 stripers and 3 legal flounder. On Thursday, patrons had a big blue, a keeper fluke, and 10 bass. Ed Szcerba and Jim Doyle ended up with twin 23.3 pounders. The Lil’ Angler landed 11 rock Saturday, including a 30.5 pound citation winner for Earl Roach. Captain Ted’s Thursday gang aboard the Pirate King got in on the good bass bite, returning with a dozen nice fish. Bob Cohen boated a 20.4 pounder on another trip with the Pirate King.

Initially, drifting live spot produced most bites, however, in recent days, eels have been pretty productive as well, particularly in deeper water. This is good news, since the supply of live spot is rapidly drying up. Although live bait fishermen have done well with rockfish, those trolling artificials also connected with some impressive striped bass. Mann’s Stretch 25+ and 18+ plugs have been most effective. Bright color patterns including shades of chartreuse have been favored. Striper specialists, the Falgowski brothers, are dialed in on the trolling routine. Evan, Ryan, Kyle and Cory have been pulling Stretch plugs from their 17 foot Boston Whaler, and have hooked many good sized bass. Evan moved into First Place of the Lewes Harbour Striper Tournament with a monster 44.8 pounder he trolled up with a Stretch 25+ on Saturday morning. Grant Aulenbach is currently in Second with a 35.4 pound rock he tempted with an eel aboard Top Fin. Jeff Gardiner was trolling Stretches with the Falgowski boys when he landed his 33.1 pound Third Place fish. The Tourney runs through November 24. Besides the Tournament entries, Joe said the list of citation-sized stripers checked in was quite long. Charles Schleyer boated a 32.5 pound linesider while drifting an eel on the Angler. Ed Sigda had a 31.1 pounder on a spot at 8B. Clint Murray managed a 30.2 pound rock on Overfalls. Bee Linzey used a spot on Overfalls for his 30.1 pound bass. Gerald Sensening had a 31.1 pounder and Jeff Martin a 29.4 pounder while eeling aboard the Miss Rilee. Dave Walker live baited a 29.5 pound bass. Jesse Billings boated a 29 pounder, Ryan Falgowski Stretched a 28.7 pound rock, Rick Cohee caught a 27.2, Kevin Blouch a 26.7, Brian Seglem had a 25.5 pound striper, Joe Harris and Mike Deluca checked in bass weighing 25.4 pounds each, Tony Vansant got a pair scaling 25.2 and 21.6 pounds, Dennis Swartz had a 24 pounder, Rick Aument a 23.8, Angelo Delapo and Carey Rutherford both had 22 pound rockfish, Jon Joyce pulled in a 21.7, Steve Malishchak got a 21.2, and James Malishchak a 20.5, Bob VanPelt boated a 20.6 pound bass, Lee Abel landed a 20.4 pounder, Hobby Isaacs had a 20.1 pounder, and Phil Spare and Mason Newsham both had striped bass weighing 20 pounds. Normally, a shot of large stripers are the first to arrive, followed by a run of smaller fish filtering through the area during the last half of November and December. If what we’ve seen so far is any indication of what’s to come, we should have some super action ahead. Tog fishing has been good as well. Blackfish were cooperative for toggers using green crabs, box crabs and frozen sand fleas(live fleas have been hard to get) along the inner and outer walls and ice breakers. Tautog also came from the Bay reef sites. Clean water and slower moving currents seemed to be the best combination for success. Michael Furno weighed in an 8.15 pound tog he caught aboard the Angler.

‘Til next week, Have Fun and Be Safe !!!!!!!!!