Delmarva Fishing

 

Month	Species	Location	Method	Comments
August	Albacore	Canyons	trolling	500-1000 fathoms
	Bluefish	Inlet, inshore wrecks	trolling, casting	1-2 lbs
	Croaker	Main Channel	cut bait
	Dolphinfish	weedlines, floating objects	trolling, casting	troll ballyhoo @5 to 5.5 knots
	False Albacore	inshore lumps, 20 fathom line	trolling	small lures, cedar plugs
	Flounder	Turners Lump, Tank Reef, Inlet	cut bait
	Grey Trout	Inshore wrecks, Tank Reef, Crisfield	cut bait, jigging
	Red Drum	N/A
	Rockfish	Crisfield channel edges, rips	jigging, wirelining
	Sea Bass	Wrecks	cut bait, jigging
	Spanish Mackeral	Turner's Lump, Blackfish Banks	trolling	#0, 00 clark spoons @ 6-7kts
	Spot	surf, Main Channel	cut bait	bloodworms
	Triggerfish	wrecks, weedlines, floating objects	cut bait	small treble hooks, fresh bait
	Yellowfin Tuna	30 fathoms, canyons, scallop boats	trolling, chunking
	Wahoo	30 fathoms, canyons, weedlines	trolling, chunking	Red/white stretch 30

 

More notes:

For the best quality meat, bleed and gut tuna and pack the body cavity with ice right a way. Keep fish cold! The absolute killer bait for late summer is fresh cut dolphinfish or false albacore belly. These strips are excellent bait for almost any fish! This is good inshore and offshore. You can get this bait free from the fish cleaning stations or a friend.In August, troll by a suspected dolphinfish hangout, then kick the motor out of gear and let the ballyhoo sink for 30-60 seconds.

 

Month	Species	Location	Method	Comments
September	Albacore	Canyons	trolling	500-1000 fathoms
	Bluefish	Crisfield rips, dropoffs	trolling, casting	1-4 lbs
	Croaker	Turners Lump, Blackfish, Crisfield	cut bait
	Dolphinfish	weedlines, floating objects	trolling, casting	troll ballyhoo @5 to 5.5 knots
	False Albacore	inshore lumps, 20 fathom line	trolling	small lures, cedar plugs
	Flounder	Turners Lump, Tank Reef, Inlet	cut bait
	Grey Trout	Inshore wrecks, Tank Reef, Crisfield	cut bait, jigging
	Red Drum	surf, especially barrier islands	Cut spot	Also Cape Charles 36A
	Rockfish	Crisfield channel edges, rips, grass	jigging, wirelining
	Sea Bass	wrecks	cut bait, jigging
	Spanish Mackeral	Crisfield	trolling, casting	#0, 00 clarkspoons @6-7 knots, gotcha plugs
	Spot	surf, Crisfield	cut bait	bloodworms
	Triggerfish	wrecks, weedlines, floating objects	cut bait	small treble hooks
	Yellowfin Tuna	30 fathoms, canyons, scallop boats	trolling, chunking
	Wahoo	30 fathoms, canyons,	trolling	red/white Stretch 30

 

More Notes: In September, look for weedlines after a northeast blow. Dolphin, Wahoo and Tuna will be nearby. True Albacore will be hit or miss but plentiful if you find them. Look for wahoo around flying fish. Take advantage of windy weather by fishing Crisfield. Deep trolling and jigging begins in the Chesapeake. Fish Crisfield area shallows with peeler for Rockfish.

 

 

 

 

 

Month	Species	Location	Method	Comments
October	Albacore	Canyons	trolling	500-1000 fathoms
	Bluefish	Crisfield rips, dropoffs	trolling, casting	1-4 lbs
	Croaker	Blackfish	cut bait
	Dolphinfish	weedlines, floating objects		hit or miss but possible
	False Albacore	inshore lumps, 20 fathom line	trolling	small lures, cedar plugs
	Flounder	Turners Lump, Tank Reef, Blackfish	cut bait
	Grey Trout	Blackfish, Crisfield	cut bait, jigging
	Red Drum	surf, especially barrier islands	Cut spot
	Rockfish	Crisfield channel edges, rips, grass	jigging, wirelining	trolling, casting in full swing
	Sea Bass	wrecks	cut bait, jigging
	Spanish Mackeral	N/A
	Spot	Crisfield	cut bait	bloodworms
	Triggerfish	wrecks	cut bait	small treble hooks
	Yellowfin Tuna	30 fathoms, canyons, scallop boats	trolling, chunking
	Wahoo	30 fathoms, canyons,	trolling	red/white Stretch 30

 

More Notes: In October, the Crisfield area is red hot. Trout, flounder, rockfish and bluefish are plentiful. Fish the channel edges at sunup or sundown for breaking fish. Inshore fishing can be good around Blackfish banks at Chincoteague. Tuna fishing can be unbelievable or non-existent. The weather offshore is unpredictable and hazardous. Large rockfish begin migrating down towards the Chesapeake Bay entrance. Some rockfish can be caught in the surf or along the coast under working birds.

 

 

 

Knots

 

I like to keep things real simple . Just a few knots cover all the basic fishing we do locally.

 

Surgeon’s Knot-use this to make a connecting loop on wreckfishing leaders, chunking leaders, ballyhoo rigs, etc. It is strong, fast and simple.

 

Improved Clinch Knot- use this to connect hardware on lines of 30 lb. test and smaller monofilament.

 

Uni-Knot-This is the most important knot to use. Use this line to connect tackle to the main line. It is a good knot to use when tying a hook direct to non-flourocarbon mono. It will work on 40 lb. or larger mono or any of the braided lines. The knot is ok on lines smaller than 40lb. if the line is doubled before tying. This knot is difficult to learn but once mastered, can be tied quickly in the field. It is very strong.

 

Snell Knot- This knot is the strongest for attaching a hook to the line. Often there is no need to pass the line thru the eye of the hook. Good for attaching hooks to traditional monofilament leaders.

 

Crimps

 

Crimps are stronger than knots and are preferred on lines of 50 lb or higher. We have had much lower failure rates with florocarbon leaders by crimping the line rather than tying knots. Uni-knots, snells and palomar knots all slipped on florocarbon line. Soft aluminum or “mini-double” crimps work well. The size of crimp must match the line diameter. A special crimping tool is required.

 

 

Useful URLs

 

The Daybreak Fishing Page                  www.daybreakfishing.com

Tidalfish.com                                             http://www.tidalfish.com/boards2/

SportFishing-VES                                    http://www.sportfishing-ves.com/