Jul 12
19
First Mahi-mahi caught at the Indian River Inlet rail on July 11.
Apparently another mahi-mahi was caught at the Indian River Inlet, Wednesday (July 18) morning. We do not have any details, and are working on getting them for you. This is a better picture of the one caught last week on July 11, you can see that it is in fact a fresh fish, and just covered in sand. It is ashame no one washed it off before a picture was taken, but it is what it is. We do have a plausable theory for why these fish are showing up at the Indian River Inlet. They are being dropped into the bay by charter boats, and/or recreational fishermen. I showed a friend this picture, and he just chuckled, and said … That was probably rigged up, sat in a live well, forgotten until the boat returned to shore, and then thrown out at the marina when they cleaned the boat. It happens all the time, we used to do this.” I know it is also possible they are coming in this close because of water conditions. Then again, I heard this story from a friend and reader … ”I know a captain that releases these fish into the bays, hoping to relocate mahi-mahi. He seems to think it is a workable idea, since there is so much food in the bays, why would they leave. (He does this in Ocean City though not here.) These are pelagic fish, and are not going to “live” in a bay area, it is not their habitat. Wandering in from time to time, definitely possible. Regardless I would love to catch one of these from the rail.
Alan’s flounder today was piebald, even has some pattern near the tail
Last night Mikey Williamson and his kids fished the rail at IRI, and they were getting bluefish on sandfleas. Mikey did catch a 18 inch striped bass, his first for the year. Way to go buddy, you must have run that skunk over on your way down. He said they were drifting sand fleas, yet they were on land, so you will have to use your imagination on that one. The kids did manage to “out-fish” dad, but they had him 3 to 1, at the get go. They watched a long liner pull a 24 inch striper, before they headed to Cape Henlopen fishing pier, which produced croaker and spot on bloodworms and squid, all night long for the kids. 10 croaker for every 1 spot was their catch ratio. Mikey said the kids had a great time. DNREC was writing up a group of people for keeping over 100 illegal sized croaker, covered a whole picnic table. John Lindsay earlier that evening, text, there were more birds than sky at IRI, and the bluefish were everywhere, with shad in the mix. I was at Port, just before the storm hit, and headed back to Long Neck. I should have gone to the Inlet instead, the storm dropped the temperature down there almost 20 degrees. I will see you boys tonight, after a fundraiser at Old Bay Steakhouse. Come out and help send Melissa King to the Miss Teen International 2012 in Chicago … 50/50′s , amazing food, and more. Starts at 4 p.m.
Alan and his flounder this morning in the Indan River bay, the background is useless, we moved 1/2 mile or more before I took a picture. 
I went fishing in the Indian River bay today with Alan. This is the advantage to living on the water, you jump out of the car, grab your gear, get into the boat, push off, and go. You know you will be back soon, your not going long, and just trying to hit a few spots you hope/know will hold flounder. You can always go back out later or tomorrow. So, knowing all of that, you just relax, and fish. Ahhhhhhhh. I had a great time sitting in a boat this morning, taking pictures, and catching croaker. Honestly, I could have cared less about the catch. It is just nice to be on the water, surrounded by nature. There were pelicans all over the place. Gull/bird island was alive, with cranes, gulls, terns, Canadian geese are everywhere, and ducks galore. Basically, pick a bird, and we saw it this morning. Ellen was fishing on the pier when we passed through Massey’s Landing, she hit a puppy drum earlier on clam. (that doesn’t sound good, especially if followed by “with a car”). I took a great picture of the expression on her face, when she lost a fish she was fighting, as we passed. It is classic.
My croaker from Indian River Bay today, they are thick in the bays.
Alan rigged up a spot he had in his live well, and cast it out. Spot pops off, casts another, spot pops off, casts another, and this one stays. We are now on the third, but first actual drift, I take one cast with a spoon. Alan has a flounder on within seconds of my cast. I fast retrieve, he will need a net. Calmly, yet rather excitedly, he reels in the fish, and works it right to the net like a pro. 19.5 inches, and a piebald flounder to boot. The bottom is not solid white but has splotches of brown and some pattern. We had to move so he popped it into the live well, needed more bait, and I wanted a different background for the picture … anti spot burning. The background does not match the “spot” when we are on the bay, it keeps the boaters spread out better. Because … not 2 minutes after catching the flounder, we had some company, and decided to go catch more spot in a new spot. Alan managed a few, my hooks were too big. Alan … “You want a smaller hook? I have them” … Me …. “Nope, I want a bigger fish.” :) We fished Rehoboth bay for spot then headed back in, it was too hot. Again the beauty of living here, you can choose when to fish, just not the tide. Fishing certain tides can get tricky, unless you can blow off work, and fish anytime. ;)
Birds working the Delaware Bay and bluefish underneath them …. picture by Kevin Blouch
Kevin was on the Delaware bay yesterday and it was exciting to say the least … Fished again today… at least we had a little sea breeze, in this savage heat … had 21 peeps by myself … The DE Bay has started to regain life … large schools of Bunker, spawning Cow Nose Rays everywhere on the surface [or whatever they are doing??] Started out in a few small school of Blue units on the surface … with birds working, caught a few … moved, drifted caught a bunch of short flat ones and Sharpitas … getting hotter and hotter … suddenly an elderly 81 year old gent collapsed and was out … I screamed to the Capt. “man down, let’s go!!!!” Lines in, calls to Coast Guard, arrived at Lewes CG Launch 25 min. later … victim was stable by now, but not well … I was afraid I’d have to do CPR, many classes, but never in real life … didn’t have to thank God … anyway he was looking better when the EMTS got him at the CG dock … went back out to finish out the the day … saw more bird play [after noon by now], only an hour to fish … stopped … blues on the surface … and Trout [not goners anymore I guess] underneath … only got 3 Trout, all keepers though … the first keepers I’ve had in years … and nice 12″ Blues … Thank you my PA peeps for bonding, and caring for a fallen comrade … everybody pitched in an emergency, and thanks for everyone’s graciousness … I hope he is well this evening … A wild, hot day on the sea … Gonna do it again in the morn……. Kevin Blouch ….. WOW! Sounds like you had an interesting day and we hope your patron is okay, and try to just repeat the fishing part. Good to see a group come together, and help a fellow human being, something I call, being humane.
Fish On!!
Rich King
