Quick Summary: Top 3 to Target
1
Red Drum
Surf: Old Inlet, 3Rs Road, Assateague. 38–44" fish on cut cob mullet or spot chunks, fish-finder rig, 8/0–9/0 circle hook. Best bite this week.
2
Tautog (+ sheepshead & triggers)
Indian River Inlet, Old Inlet, Massey's Landing. Sand fleas and crab. Mostly small fish with the occasional keeper.
3
Black Sea Bass & Flounder
Ocean structure out of Lewes/OC. Delaware boats came back with good sea bass numbers; flounder show at Cape Henlopen pier and the Inlet.
66.7°FWater temp, Delaware Lightship / Buoy 44009 (Oct 4–5)
66.4°FDelaware Bay station off Lewes
NE 10–15kt wind Oct 7, incoming tide
~WedSeas settled enough for boats to reach open water
Heat Check: What's Biting
Red drum (surf)HOT
Swordfish (OC offshore)HOT
Black sea bass (DE ocean structure)GOOD
Tautog / triggerfish / sheepsheadSTEADY
FlounderFAIR
Small stripers (Inlet, Rehoboth Bay)SLOW
Croaker / spot (Broadkill, Massey's)SLOW – fading
Sortable Fish Board
Tap a column header (or a button) to sort. Default is hottest first.
| Species | Heat | Where | Bait / Rig | Size |
|---|
By Location
📍 Rehoboth Beach & Rehoboth Bay
Species
- Tog from Massey's Landing pier (Rick's reports, Oct 1 and Oct 6)
- Small stripers in Rehoboth Bay (Oct 1)
- Late-summer spot/croaker/flounder at Massey's has tapered off since the Oct 3–4 cold front
Baits & rigs
- Tog: crab and sand fleas, bottom rig
- Flounder (as Rick's advised in late August): live minnows or bucktail tipped with squid
Conditions
- Weather broke Oct 3–4 (about a 20° drop, near 2" of rain Sunday). Water about 66°F.
- Surf-zone specifics for Rehoboth itself were not reported this week.
📍 Lewes: Canal & Outer Breakers
Species & hot spots
- Two flounder off the Cape Henlopen State Park fishing pier (Oct 1)
- Black sea bass: charters Katydid and Shooter Dog returned with good numbers from ocean structure (Sep 30)
- Hook 'em and Cook 'em's Captain Bob: strong all-day trip, big sea bass and a few flounder
Fleet
- Boats stayed docked Oct 4–6 under a small craft advisory. Some may have run to Delaware Bay Oct 6.
- Outlook: fishing improves the farther offshore you run. Del-Jersey-Land is expected to beat the Old Grounds.
Breakwater Tackle at Cape Henlopen pier is closed for the season.
📍 Indian River Inlet (both sides) & Old Inlet
Species
- Red drum: two large fish from the surf on cut bait Oct 1, several smaller ones Oct 2
- Tog, sheepshead, triggerfish on sand fleas and crab baits (Oct 5–7)
- Flounder, tog and small stripers reported at the Inlet (Oct 2)
Where
- Surf at Old Inlet (south side) for drum
- Inlet rock structure for tog and triggerfish
Tide & timing
- Oct 7 report: incoming tide, NE 10–15 kt. Work the incoming and the high-water slack near rock structure.
Old Inlet Bait & Tackle noted the beaches remained closed (Oct 1). Check current status before heading out.
📍 Ocean City, MD (surf, OC Inlet, nearshore & offshore)
Offshore
- Swordfish: Oct 7 sunny, warm, little wind. RoShamBo (Capt. Willie Zimmerman) hung two "stud" swords at the OC fishing center. Private boat ReelInn (Capt. Kurt Howell) also scored.
- August offshore catch included yellowfin, bigeye, bluefin and wahoo; October is bigeye season, so ask around the canyons.
Surf (Assateague / 3Rs Road)
- 44" and 38" red drum at 3Rs Road in the rain on cob mullet chunk, fish-finder rig, 9/0 circle hook
- 43" red drum at Assateague on spot chunk, 8/0 hook. Skates are a nuisance; cut bait attracts them.
Nearshore
- Early October: ocean flounder keepers, triggerfish, and sheepshead around the inlet jetties.
Maryland sea bass was closed until Oct 9 last year. Confirm the 2026 season dates with Maryland DNR before targeting them.
🪱 Stock up at Rick's Tackle, Long Neck, DE
Rick's is the go-to source for Rehoboth Bay and Massey's Landing tog and striper reports. Grab sand fleas, crab, squid and fresh cut bait before you head out.
Game Plan for the Weekend
- Dawn–midday, incoming tide: Old Inlet surf with cut mullet or spot for red drum.
- Midday: Inlet rocks or Massey's for tog with sand fleas and crab.
- If the boat is ready: run offshore. Sea bass on structure; swords in "the deep" out of OC.