North Beach area report

[john from md]

If you go to Lighthouse View Bait and tackle at 14884 Bay Rd, Lewes, DE 19958, you can get some info as to what is hot and which bait to use. If you are good enough to cast bull minnows without killing them, they always go well with flounder. Blues like Mullet and Herring in that area.

[mjkeith13]

If you go to Lighthouse View Bait and tackle at 14884 Bay Rd, Lewes, DE 19958, you can get some info as to what is hot and which bait to use. If you are good enough to cast bull minnows without killing them, they always go well with flounder. Blues like Mullet and Herring in that area.

Definitely not good enough but I still try! Usually stick with sand fleas or any kind of cut bait. Thanks for the info - I will definitely pay them a visit when I go.


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[john from md]

Good luck. Wish I could go but I am a high risk person so I have been staying away from NJ and DE.

[Slobber Bob]

Any surf fishing spots for bluefish/mackerel away from swimmers in your area you'd recommend. Was debating hitting Delaware beaches next couple weeks.
Thank you.

mike

You can only surf fish in Ocean City before and after the lifeguards are on duty. I'm not sure of the exact hours, but its something like before 9am and after 5:30pm. I'd suggest the first light shift because there won't be any swimmers other than maybe a surfer. It gives you a couple of prime time hours to fish. The sunset shift is a little tougher to fish and you may have to move around a bit because there will still be swimmers in the water after the lifeguards go off duty.

Assateague is the another option. There will be swimmers still, but you have more beach to walk to get a way from them. As long as you aren't in the designated lifeguard section, which is only a few hundred yards of beach, then technically you can fish if you have the room. If you have 4x4 or AWD and want to buy the 12 month OSV pass then you can drive on the OSV Zone and have all the space you want if there aren't any OSV closures for nesting birds or turtles still.

You can beach a boat or kayak along the Assateague shoreline in the inlet and walk over to the ocean and have wide open beach too. It's a short paddle from the launch in the Commercial Harbor.

I've never ventured up to DE to fish so I can't comment on whether you can avoid swimmers or not from their beaches. Although, I believe in Delaware Seashore State Park to drive on the beach you are required to be actively fishing so that would suggest fishing takes precedent over swimming there.

I haven't been able to get to the beach as much this year as I did last year, but last summer I always saw more mackerel "airing" in the surf down on Assateague than I did OC; and usually more often in the evening. I don't know if that's still true this summer or not?

[mjkeith13]

You can only surf fish in Ocean City before and after the lifeguards are on duty. I'm not sure of the exact hours, but its something like before 9am and after 5:30pm. I'd suggest the first light shift because there won't be any swimmers other than maybe a surfer. It gives you a couple of prime time hours to fish. The sunset shift is a little tougher to fish and you may have to move around a bit because there will still be swimmers in the water after the lifeguards go off duty.

Assateague is the another option. There will be swimmers still, but you have more beach to walk to get a way from them. As long as you aren't in the designated lifeguard section, which is only a few hundred yards of beach, then technically you can fish if you have the room. If you have 4x4 or AWD and want to buy the 12 month OSV pass then you can drive on the OSV Zone and have all the space you want if there aren't any OSV closures for nesting birds or turtles still.

You can beach a boat or kayak along the Assateague shoreline in the inlet and walk over to the ocean and have wide open beach too. It's a short paddle from the launch in the Commercial Harbor.

I've never ventured up to DE to fish so I can't comment on whether you can avoid swimmers or not from their beaches. Although, I believe in Delaware Seashore State Park to drive on the beach you are required to be actively fishing so that would suggest fishing takes precedent over swimming there.

I haven't been able to get to the beach as much this year as I did last year, but last summer I always saw more mackerel "airing" in the surf down on Assateague than I did OC; and usually more often in the evening. I don't know if that's still true this summer or not?

Thanks very much! That’s all good to know. I drive my truck on the Hatteras beaches in the fall which helps significantly as I don’t have a surf cart.

I will look into kayaking across the inlet to a quiet spot if for no other reason to put 12’ and 13’ surf rods in the kayak rod holders!


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[ShaunGT]

You may have a better chance avoiding rockfish if you are casting. If you have a fish finder and can locate bait or larger marks try dropping a gotcha and ripping it back to the boat. Or casting baits that have enough weight to stay down when retrieved quickly. My largest macs have come on silver rattle traps casting and retrieving at the limits of my spinning reel. When you think it’s too fast you probably aren’t fast enough. If they are around you will see them skying out of the water in singles or groups. Cast... pause for the lure to sink... and burn back to the boat. They are on the flats above the Chesapeake beach ramp jetty. Especially at dawn/dusk. Catching them is a real challenge but targeting them with these methods will give you a chance. You can see them sky out from the NB boardwalk on an evening stroll. Best of luck boating a few. I’ll be out there trying.


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[baynovice]

You may have a better chance avoiding rockfish if you are casting. If you have a fish finder and can locate bait or larger marks try dropping a gotcha and ripping it back to the boat. Or casting baits that have enough weight to stay down when retrieved quickly. My largest macs have come on silver rattle traps casting and retrieving at the limits of my spinning reel. When you think it’s too fast you probably aren’t fast enough. If they are around you will see them skying out of the water in singles or groups. Cast... pause for the lure to sink... and burn back to the boat. They are on the flats above the Chesapeake beach ramp jetty. Especially at dawn/dusk. Catching them is a real challenge but targeting them with these methods will give you a chance. You can see them sky out from the NB boardwalk on an evening stroll. Best of luck boating a few. I’ll be out there trying.


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Thank you for the tip. Have you used inline sinkers along with your lure to stay at depth?


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[ShaunGT]

I personally have not. I know people use them with shad spoons and other small light lures. Macs have excellent vision imo less is more. I would only use the minimum of tackle you need to land them. With a quick retrieve the fish may focus in on the weight and bite you off. Admittedly all of my experience catching them is from fishing off a boat and not a kayak.
When trolling on the yak I use either a diving plug or a jig head with soft plastic/bucktail to set the depth on a tandem with a lighter weight lure trailing behind. I’ve used weights ahead of the tandem when the fish were oriented deeper such as on a drop off primarily during the fall rockfish season. During the summer season I’ve had the most success trolling small diving crankbaits on a single short mono leader. I haven’t needed to use tandems this year to catch fish as I have in years past. Simple rigging has been better for me this year. The majority of fish I’ve found have been in the 5-9ft range. These tactics have worked for me with rockfish and perch. Rocks are closed for now.
Knowing what I’ve seen from the boat and how I’ve struck out on them in the past trolling from the yak I would recommend casting rather than trolling for macs. You really can’t move your lure too fast. Get into an area where you are seeing small terns or small rain minnows on top or marking bait on the finder and start exploring with lures. Count your baits down to different depths and burn them back to the boat. If they are there you will see the macs sky out of the water. I would key in on the morning and evening and around tide changes. I’ve caught them trolling small spoons on a boat but the biggest I’ve caught have all come from casting.
To catch one on the yak mid bay is going to be quite the accomplishment! I will be out testing the same waters hopefully a few times over the next week. Best of luck!


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[baynovice]

I personally have not. I know people use them with shad spoons and other small light lures. Macs have excellent vision imo less is more. I would only use the minimum of tackle you need to land them. With a quick retrieve the fish may focus in on the weight and bite you off. Admittedly all of my experience catching them is from fishing off a boat and not a kayak.
When trolling on the yak I use either a diving plug or a jig head with soft plastic/bucktail to set the depth on a tandem with a lighter weight lure trailing behind. I’ve used weights ahead of the tandem when the fish were oriented deeper such as on a drop off primarily during the fall rockfish season. During the summer season I’ve had the most success trolling small diving crankbaits on a single short mono leader. I haven’t needed to use tandems this year to catch fish as I have in years past. Simple rigging has been better for me this year. The majority of fish I’ve found have been in the 5-9ft range. These tactics have worked for me with rockfish and perch. Rocks are closed for now.
Knowing what I’ve seen from the boat and how I’ve struck out on them in the past trolling from the yak I would recommend casting rather than trolling for macs. You really can’t move your lure too fast. Get into an area where you are seeing small terns or small rain minnows on top or marking bait on the finder and start exploring with lures. Count your baits down to different depths and burn them back to the boat. If they are there you will see the macs sky out of the water. I would key in on the morning and evening and around tide changes. I’ve caught them trolling small spoons on a boat but the biggest I’ve caught have all come from casting.
To catch one on the yak mid bay is going to be quite the accomplishment! I will be out testing the same waters hopefully a few times over the next week. Best of luck!


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Appreciate it! Good luck to you!


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[ShaunGT]

I was out on a boat in the area on Wednesday and fished the western shore from Chesapeake beach to herring bay. I didn’t see any macs leaping out the water. The only surface breaking fish I saw were entirely schools of rockfish and had to be left alone. Had a great day on panfish. The big perch were shallow 3-4ft. Spent a lot of time in deeper water with mixed results only to come shallow on the “last drift” and tear them up. The macs and blues move so fast that they can show up anywhere on any day but i was really surprised not to see any on Wednesday. PLENTY of bait though so it’s only a matter of time. I saw multiple kayaks including one pretty far out in front of NB. Hope everyone did well!


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[baynovice]

I was out on a boat in the area on Wednesday and fished the western shore from Chesapeake beach to herring bay. I didn’t see any macs leaping out the water. The only surface breaking fish I saw were entirely schools of rockfish and had to be left alone. Had a great day on panfish. The big perch were shallow 3-4ft. Spent a lot of time in deeper water with mixed results only to come shallow on the “last drift” and tear them up. The macs and blues move so fast that they can show up anywhere on any day but i was really surprised not to see any on Wednesday. PLENTY of bait though so it’s only a matter of time. I saw multiple kayaks including one pretty far out in front of NB. Hope everyone did well!


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Sounds like you had a good time. I’ve done well with perch in the shallows in that area too. I’m looking forward to resuming fishing next week without having to worry about getting in trouble for accidentally catching a striper.


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[CHOC]

Exactly. Unless you have motorized propulsion on your kayak, there is no way anybody can sustain the speeds need to troll for mackerel and avoid stripers.

Otherwise, go to the beach and fish in the ocean. Striper season is still open in the coastal areas - not that there are many stripers over here this time of year anyway - and the ocean is usually full of bluefish and mackerel this time of year.

Even with a motorized kayak, you're not going to hit and maintain the speeds necessary to keep the stripers off. You need to consistently maintain 7 knots. I've even heard that guys trolling in boats at that speed have still caught stripers. Unless you have a solo skiff or ghenoe with an outboard motor, there isn't anything on the market that can get the necessary speed. The newer Torqeedo gets about 6.5mph.

I think your location might be an issue as well. Head down to Point Lookout or another launch spot further south.

[baynovice]

Even with a motorized kayak, you're not going to hit and maintain the speeds necessary to keep the stripers off. You need to consistently maintain 7 knots. I've even heard that guys trolling in boats at that speed have still caught stripers. Unless you have a solo skiff or ghenoe with an outboard motor, there isn't anything on the market that can get the necessary speed. The newer Torqeedo gets about 6.5mph.

I think your location might be an issue as well. Head down to Point Lookout or another launch spot further south.

Thank you! Your advice is consistent with many of the others. Looks like your solo skiff is the right machine for this time of year for trolling purposes. Guessing you are having good success.