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2013 Delaware river reports (post'em here)

196K views 564 replies 45 participants last post by  Paul54 
#1 ·
Here's a glance at our river in 2013. Hope to place a report on Friday but most likely not til Sunday.
 
#382 ·
Long day on the water. Fished 12-7. Tried north of CBB for a while and nodda. Drifted south and had a couple hits pretty deep but no takers. Saw a couple boats before the DE border and tried to see if they were onto anything. Nodda. Went into DE water and we were the only boat out there. Took a while but when the tide switched to incoming, I got a 23" fatty and 30 minutes later got a 28". Tons of bait stolen today and a few cats here and there but the 2 stripers made up for it.
 
#385 ·
Fished below the Trenton makes bridge at low tide last night for 2.5 hours. Waded out to some of the bigger rock formations and casted into the pools out there and tried to hit the channel but the range just wasn't there. Fished between the bridges by the bridge supports on the rail bridge and of course.....nada. Fished blue/white and purple/black plugs. Talked to a few guys that were out and they said that nothing has really been hitting the last few weeks. This is concurrent with what I have been hearing all over that area. A few fish were taken on topwater lures down on the jetty last week but they were "only" 26-28 inches. Wonder if we will even see the big fish up this way this year.

Rainy weather will dirty the water a little bit so maybe they will be out looking for a snack on Thursday/Friday. who knows though...:frustrated:
 
#387 ·
Not in last 6 years. This year have not heard of one truly large bass yet. This is one for the record books. One angler abouve cbb did catch over 100 bass in 2 days recently but none were huge fish. Others feel that dredging at fort miflin is keeping fish down in lower river but even down there I'm not hearing about any real cows being caught not even 40" fish with any consistency. Something is truly off this year. Sandy/netters???? It kinda scares me to think maybe big D striped bass spawning stock took hit to the netters.
 
#388 ·
So far in the 3 trips this year it has been the best I have done so far size wise, I got a 38" on Monday and a 28" my buddy got a 35" and a 33", he also broke off 1 and we missed two good runs. The day before I had one on for over 15 minutes and it pulled off under the boat, never got to see it :( and had a lightning run off as well, clicked the bail closed, line got tight, rod doubled over and boink popped off, :( The day before we had a 28" and a 32", weekend prior it was slow but I did get one 33" fish. Hoping to get back out Friday!!!
 
#391 ·
Thanks!!! No were getting them up by the turnpike bridge, were not catching a lot of fish, but were catching some good ones, and not really any small fish at all, but that could be the bait too. Big chunks of bunker and live white perch since we can't use herring. Blood worms are to expensive to lose to the perch or catfish. lol
 
#393 ·
Anchored, Fishing on bottom, Carolina rigged with a 1 oz. egg sinker and about an 18-24" leader, 7/0 circle hook. 20-25 foot deep on edges, they seem to be very skittish, we had one 3 way rig going and they would pick it up run a few feet and drop it, all fish came on C-rig, we keep bail clicked open (bait casting reels) with the cast control knob tightened just enough so the current doesn't pull but the fish can tear it off.
 
#394 ·
oops didn't answer perch question, yes they are C-rigged on bottom as well as the chunks, the two biggest were on live white perch, good size ones. We have just been using 1 bunker rod and one perch rod each. Not sure what the herring situation is. I've only been going out there for a few years, but seems when the herring slowed down in the past is when the perch bite turned on. I assume the herring show up in the river first? Not sure.
 
#395 ·
Looks like you guys found the hot spot this season. You said that you guys fished the drop offs. I was just looking at a map of bottom around the turnpike bridge. There seems to be no real structural differences just the deep channel then the slow slope up to the banks. Any tips on a location or just set up around 25 feet. Well anyway, keep sending those pics and I will keep wishing I was holding the fish. See y'all Chuckles
 
#396 ·
We've seen some other people catching them up that way too, were both pretty avid fresh water tournament bass fishermen, so were really particular on finding the spot on a spot, alot of depth finder work at idle speed, I looked at the charts in that area as well after we found one of our spots ( the bigger fish)to get a larger look of the area and they don't show half the crap that's going on down there>
The area does show a lot of just sloping, but look at the contour lines on the map, they will give a way points and sharper edges, look at the bank for changes in bottom substance/ sand/ rock/ mud etc. Even with having a good spot, it's still a waiting game, the day I got the 33" fish we fished for 7 hours with nothing. were basically bouncing back and forth between two to three spots within maybe a 5 mile stretch.
 
#397 ·
the day I got the 33" fish we fished for 7 hours with nothing. were basically bouncing back and forth between two to three spots within maybe a 5 mile stretch.
Kind of reminds me of something I heard from another fisherman: "Put your time in and you'll get one!"

Great stuff. Hopefully they keep biting for you! I need to convince the guy who we go out with to not just anchor up anywhere and actually use his fish finder to find the fish!! (or at least that drop off you are talking about)
 
#398 ·
Yeah being a bass fisherman using artificials and being used to constantly casting and standing on the trolling motor, then now just sitting anchored for hours on end just waiting is murder.:smiley17e: lol but that one bite can make it all worth it.

Even just studying a 100 yard stretch makes all the difference, easier to learn an area that way, pick it to pieces and look for the subtle differences, I'm not an avid striper fisherman by any means, only go out maybe 3-5 times a year if I'm lucky. I Just apply what I learned in bass fishing and the little I know about stripers together and hope for the best. I'm hoping to get out Saturday, but I'm worried about all this rain really muddying up the water. I noticed There are alot of views on this thread everyday, so I really don't want to give away a small area to fish, but I like to see others catch them and believe in helping fellow fisherman out, so I would just say we have had our best luck between neshaminy marina and the turnpike bridge, that's a big enough area for a lot of people to fish.icon_wink.gif good luck and tight lines!
 
#399 ·
I noticed There are alot of views on this thread everyday, so I really don't want to give away a small area to fish, but I like to see others catch them and believe in helping fellow fisherman out, so I would just say we have had our best luck between neshaminy marina and the turnpike bridge, that's a big enough area for a lot of people to fish.icon_wink.gif good luck and tight lines!
HAHA, I understand this completely. Normally do the same thing. I know how annoying it is to not catch anything so when I learn something that can help others out, I love to let them know what is up!
 
#403 ·
Best trip yet.....fished from 1:30pm-7:30 couple cat fish and one 18" bass right away while tide finished coming in then during slack I saw a spectactular show bass were chasing herring to the top couple of them looked like big splashes saw a few tails and then once tide turned going out and all hell broke loose for me. I have been bypassing this one spot all season finally gave it a shot and never moved after 2:30pm within 1st hour of out I had 4 bass over 32" upto 37" by trips end I had 9 bass over 29" and 11 fish between 20-28" nothing smaller than a 20" fish during outgoing. Fantastic trip. (Funny all 20-28" bass were caught after all the bigger fish were caught.)
Also caught 10 or so cats but I caught the biggest cat I've ever caught fought like a big striper stripping line and all couldn't fit both hands around it truly huge fish prob close to 20lbs over 15 easy.


I gota delete a lot of pics from my phone I can no longer store pics in my iPhone. Wish I had someone one board to take pics for me with the pigs I was getting they were all fat fish prob gorged on herring)

Still can't upload pics from phone what's the problem?
 

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#404 ·
Best trip yet.....fished from 1:30pm-7:30 couple cat fish and one 18" bass right away while tide finished coming in then during slack I saw a spectactular show bass were chasing herring to the top couple of them looked like big splashes saw a few tails and then once tide turned going out and all hell broke loose for me. I have been bypassing this one spot all season finally gave it a shot and never moved after 2:30pm within 1st hour of out I had 4 bass over 32" upto 37" by trips end I had 9 bass over 29" and 11 fish between 20-28" nothing smaller than a 20" fish during outgoing. Fantastic trip. (Funny all 20-28" bass were caught after all the bigger fish were caught.)
Also caught 10 or so cats but I caught the biggest cat I've ever caught fought like a big striper stripping line and all couldn't fit both hands around it truly huge fish prob close to 20lbs over 15 easy.

I gota delete a lot of pics from my phone I can no longer store pics in my iPhone. Wish I had someone one board to take pics for me with the pigs I was getting they were all fat fish prob gorged on herring)

Still can't upload pics from phone what's the problem?
Way to go Bro! Glad to hear you finally hooked up!
 
#407 ·
Sweeeeet!!! That's awesome.. You know I was hearing some people say they think everything is happening a little later this year, so maybe instead of it being an off year for everyone, maybe it's just the timing? Because of the cool spring?
Dang must have been cool to see them tearing up the herring like that. Hope you can figure out the pic problem. That's a big cat too, we have caught quite a few in the past but never really any over say 5-8lbs.

Nice Job man.:adore:
 
#414 ·
Another stellar outing fished 8:30am-7pm same area as yesterday instead of going south like we had planed. Step pop got the biggest today at 36&1/2" and we got 9-10 other 29" or better bass. And at least 15 (lost count between the both of us) slots but none smaller than 22". Dropped another 5-6 near the boat couple at the rail (I don't use a net) got a couple cats but not many maybe 6-7. Live perch caught a couple 30" fish bunker did the best and clams nada except couple cats. Incoming produced the biggest right after the change this morning. But outgoing was the best again last 1hr this morning and top 3 hours this afternoon. 25-35' water herring are still everywhere in this stretch.

PFBC was out doing electric fishing they seemed to be doin ok ha a couple 30"+" fish I was going to go chat them up and see Wht they did all day but I was on fish and didn't want to pull anchor. They were in my general area most of the day I wonder if they see these reports and headed up there today because of the report yesterday. I wonder lol.

Had 3 separate double headers on my rods alone and boated 2 of them had 3 rods go off at once one time but only got 2 in I was dying for that triple header. Might try get out tomm again if not ten Monday tues. catch'em up.

Still saying failure to upload pics Idk whts up but I got some good pics today.
 
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