Weekly Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report! - 5/22/15

While big blues are still being caught, the big news of this week's report is the great yellowfin action from our southern canyons!


Offshore Ocean:

The trolling bite for yellowfins has been phenomenal the last couple days. Reports were better from the more southern canyons, but fish were caught up and down the line. Bluefins have also been reported a little inshore of the canyons. The weather this weekend looks iffy, but if a window opens up we should see some more good catches of fish!

The big news in shark fishing this week was an 800+ pound mako shark brought in to South Jersey by a local captain and crew. We also had reports from Restless Lady Sport Fishing of good shark fishing, they brought 2 makos to the dock this past week.

Tile fishing has been very good for boats who are deep dropping while offshore. Limits of bluelines and goldens have been common.

Inshore Ocean:

Big bluefish are still up and down the coast in good numbers. Striper fishing has been slower than past years off of north Jersey and NY, however many anglers are having trouble fighting through bluefish to get to the stripers.

I still haven't personally heard of any inshore threshers yet, but they should be showing up any day now around the bunker schools off the beach.

Sea Bass are now open in every state in the region. Good reports have already been sent in from DE and MD. Big porgies are also being caught further north.


Chesapeake Bay:

Many boats are still trolling throughout the Chesapeake Bay. Good reports are coming in consistently from further down the bay.

More boats will switch over to chumming and eventually live lining to target this smaller class of fish, however, the good trolling bite on big fish should last a few more weeks. Once the smaller fish show up in force you can also catch these fish by downsizing your trolling spread to smaller bucktails, spoons and plugs in place of the big parachutes and umbrellas used for trophy season.

Bottom fishing reports from the lower bay region should start coming in from anglers targeting croaker, perch, and spot.


Delaware Bay:

Striper fishing has tailed off this past week throughout the bay. Anglers are still connecting on a few linesiders but the action has slowed way down.

Drum fishing was great this past weekend and week. DE and NJ anglers were reporting good catches of drum in the popular lower bay areas. I will be out trying my luck tonight, hoping for a good report to pass along.

Freshwater:

While most people have given up, trout fishing is still good throughout the region. Bait, lures and flies can all be used to target these fish and many have not been pressured for weeks and should be easier to catch than the opening couple weeks of the season.

Pond and lake fishing in the area has been good with bass, pickerel, and crappies all being caught. As the water warms we will settle into the summer pattern of early morning and late evening being the best time to target bass in the area.

Tight Lines,

Dave

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