Delmarva Weekly Hook

📋 Local Word

Breakwater Tackle at the Cape Henlopen pier reports a steady mix of spot and croaker with the occasional big spot day, plus small flounder and a few sheepshead near the pilings. Surf conditions along the open beach have been up and down with wind, keeping some boats dockside but not slowing the pier bite.

📋 Local Word

Flounder are showing up better back in the bay than they have all summer, with Bubblegum Beach the standout spot on bucktail/Gulp! combos. Rick's Bait & Tackle in Long Neck reports back-bay flounder running heavy on shorts, so sort through numbers of fish for your keepers — the ratio improves considerably once you run out to ocean structure.

📋 Local Word

Lewes Harbour Marina reports boats that reached ocean structure are coming back with flounder and sea bass, while those staying in Delaware Bay are finding spot and croaker. A few boats working the Outer Wall and Ice Breakers with sand fleas or crab baits are hooking sheepshead and triggerfish. Wind has canceled some offshore runs this week, so the canal and inner bay have picked up the slack for smaller boats.

🏆 Notable Catch

Rick's Bait & Tackle in Long Neck coached the Crossin family on catching dolphin along the bass pots — they landed a 36.8-pound mahi right at the boat, netless, with one of the kids grabbing it by the tail to haul it aboard.

🎣 Upcoming Tournament

The 29th Annual Delaware Seashore Fall Surf Fishing Classic runs September 26, 2026 as a one-day event, headquartered at Old Inlet Bait & Tackle, with fishing in designated surf zones at Delaware Seashore State Park and Fenwick Island State Park.

🚤 Charter/Headboat Fleet

Morning Star (West Ocean City) fished mahi, sea bass, and flounder trips this week — a grind at times, but consistent limits of keeper-size flounder on the better days, plus a small school of mahi mixed in. Rail trips continue for sea bass/flounder daily except Monday; mahi trips resume as conditions allow (443-235-5577). Always Bent Fishing OC reports steady sheepshead, triggerfish, flounder, bluefish, Spanish and king mackerel action, plus a few cobia on the reefs.

🏆 Tournament Wrap-Up

The 53rd White Marlin Open wrapped up in early August with 334 boats competing for nearly $10 million. Bill Sharpe's 80-pound white marlin aboard Mister Pete took the $3.5 million top prize; MaxBet boated a 607.5-lb blue marlin worth roughly $1.2 million, and Gray Fox topped the tuna category with a 179-pounder. Offshore crews report the canyons are still producing good marlin release action heading into late September.