The Delaware Fishing Report offers information on when to fish, where to fish, which species are biting, and how to catch them. It is written weekly by veteran Delaware angler Eric Burnley, Sr.

Delaware Bay

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The bluefishing cooled off a bit, but the black drum action picked up, as it usually does in May.

Drum were caught at Broadkill Beach and the Coral Beds while a few blues showed up at Broadkill Beach and at the fishing pier on Cape Henlopen State Park. Stripers, flounder and white perch rounded out the action in the bay.

Patty at Captain Bones in Odessa said there are still white perch and catfish at Augustine and Woodland beaches on bloodworms and cut bunker. Striped bass in the 28 to 31-inch slot and above have been caught at Woodland Beach on bloodworms and cut bunker.

Steve at Smith Bait in Leipsic reported that Collins Beach is still the location for stripers in the slot and above. The local spillways hold white perch that may be caught on minnows. One customer had 3 black drum at the Coral Beds on Wednesday on peeler crabs.

Dan at Dan’s Tackle in Milton said there are bluefish, black drum and striped bass caught from shore at Broadkill Beach. Baits include cut bunker and bloodworms for the striped bass, clams and crabs for the black drum and cut bunker for the blues.

Lures such as SP Minnows, metals like the Hopkins or poppers will take the stripers or blues if they come by in numbers. The key to success here is to be here when the fish show up.

At Lewes Harbour Marina they reported black drum caught from Broadkill Beach and the Coral Beds. They also saw blues caught at the Fishing Pier at Cape Henlopen State Park. A few flounder were taken from the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal on minnows and Gulp!

Indian River Inlet

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Old Inlet Bait and Tackle told us big blues were still around, but not in any great numbers. They come and they go and you have to be there when they come by. The same lures still work. SP Minnows in bone, spoons and metal lures such as a Hopkins. Tog fishing is a slow pick at best with crabs and sand fleas the best bet. Small stripers have been caught on white bucktails.

Surf Fishing

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Surf fishing slowed last week. A few blues were caught at 3Rs Road on cut mullet, but not much else.

Back Bays

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Rick’s Bait and Tackle on Long Neck reported big blues to 10 pounds at Massey’s Landing on cut mullet. A few flounder have started to show up in the Back Bays with live minnows the go-to bait. Small stripers are in the creeks and rivers and will hit a bucktail or take a bloodworm fished on a non-offset circle hook.

Inshore Ocean

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From the reports I received from Lewes Harbour Marina and Hook ‘em and Cook ‘em I would describe the tog action as a slow pick. Charter boats bring in 10 to 15 tog per trip while private boats fishing the Outer Wall seldom exceed 5 tog per trip.

Offshore Ocean

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No report.

Freshwater

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Patty at Captain Bones in Odessa recorded two citations last week.

Randy Scinski caught a white perch weighing 1.27 pounds on a jig out of Silver Lake in Dover and Troy Watkins had a 1.23-pound yellow perch from the C&D Canal on a bloodworm.

Taylored Tackle in Seaford said the Nanticoke River and Broad Creek hold good numbers of blue catfish that will take cut bunker or bloodworms. White perch are also in the same area and like bloodworms. Snakeheads are becoming more active and will hit a minnow or frog lure.

Skin Cancer

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I know it is only May, but you can still get a serious sunburn. The worst sunburn I ever got was the Sunday after my Senior Prom when my girlfriend and I fell asleep on the beach. That was in May.

Since I have been diagnosed with skin cancer and my idol, Jimmy Buffet, died from the disease, I have become much more aware.

When you go fishing, wear protective clothing plus sunscreen at least with rating of 30. I try to go early and be off the water between 10 a.m. and 4.00 p.m.

I know it sounds silly to think the sun can kill you — but it can, and it will.

Related Topics:  delaware bay, dfw, fishing, freshwater, indian river inlet, ocean and coasts, outdoors and recreation, surf fishing, wildlife