It is official: The rockfish run at the mouth of Delaware Bay is on. Limit catches of fish topping 30 pounds were caught over the weekend and early in the week on live spot, eels and plugs. Overfalls Shoal, The Eights and the rip outside the Outer Wall were all on the list of areas where fishing was good. The full-moon current, added to the east wind, made the water on the shoals a bit choppy, but the same conditions put rockfish in a feeding mood.

From now until sometime in December and perhaps even later these fish should be available. Please remember rockfish do not feed 24/7 and there will be days when even the best anglers won’t catch any. The most productive times to fish will be in a hard-running current on an overcast day with the wind out of the east. These occasions are not favorable to small boats or anglers who suffer from mal de mer.

In speaking with Joe Morris at Lewes Harbour Marina, he said the stomach contents of the rock he has cleaned contained a variety of forage. He has seen ling (red hake), bunker and sand eels along with other less identifiable stuff.

The presence of sand eels is a good sign for those of us who work the surf because these fish live in sandy areas and often come to the beach. When they do, a long, narrow bait like the Gulp! sand eel, an AVA jig with a red or green tube or a Needlefish plug will work as well as if not better than cut bunker. My friends in Long Island and North Jersey have been seeing lots of sand eels in the surf, and I hope our time is near.

Live spot has been a favorite for drifting the shoals, but I understand it is getting hard to come by. Tackle shops are looking as far as Virginia, trying to gather a sufficient supply for their customers. Those with private live carts, who trap their own supply of spot, may be the only ones on the water with the popular bait.

Live-bait anglers can always rely on eels if the spot supply dwindles. These slimy snakes are striper candy and will work during both day and night tides.

A few fishermen drifting spot for rockfish have been pleasantly surprised by keeper-sized flounder. This is not an uncommon experience during late fall at the rips and inside Indian River Inlet.

I did fish the inlet on Roy Miller’s boat last Friday. Low tide was at 12:30 p.m., so we planned to arrive around 1:30 to catch the incoming current. We were right on schedule, but for some reason the current did not start running in until after 3. I have fished Indian River Inlet since I was a small boy, and the current change is always one to one-and-a-half hours after the tide change, but not on Friday. This mystery was compounded by a steady east wind that normally has the current change on the early side.

In any event, all we caught were hickory shad as the rockfish did not show on the rips even when the current finally began to run in. These little fish put up a great fight on light tackle, and Roy caught his on a fly rod.

Tog fishing slowed as the full- moon current made holding bottom difficult. I expect to see more tog on the cleaning table as we approach neap tides.

The sea bass closure, the weather and the full-moon current kept ocean fishing boats at the dock over the weekend. Once the weather improves, I expect to see good catches of tog made over inshore wrecks and reefs. Big bluefish and false albacore should be available as well. I did hear of small rockfish taken by trollers working along the oceanfront.

SHOTGUN SEASON - The most popular hunting season of the year opens Friday, Nov. 13, as thousands of shotgun hunters will take to the field in pursuit of whitetail deer. Those who have leases don’t have to worry about where to hunt, while the rest of us must depend on public land.

Fortunately, Delaware does have large tracts of open land where it is legal to hunt and where access is reasonably easy. I hunt on a small parcel between Georgetown and Seaford that I have scouted out and believe will produce at least one deer. I do not hunt horns and will be more than happy with a doe or two that will help fill my freezer for the winter.

I did have an email from a reader who said he could not find a place to hunt. I directed him to the Fish and Wildlife Section at DNREC where they have maps of all the open land in Delaware. In addition, I have used Google to get a real-time view of my chosen plot.

As always, be careful and make sure of your target before taking a shot.

TURKEY LOTTERY - The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife wants to remind hunters that lottery applications for six-day turkey hunts on state wildlife areas next spring must be received in the division’s Dover office no later than Friday, Dec. 18.

Applications will be drawn at random to allow hunters to participate in one of three six-day hunts on state lands during turkey season in April 2010.

For the first time, a limited number of permits will be available for the C&D Canal Wildlife Area, bringing the total number of wildlife areas open during Delaware’s spring gobbler hunt to 20.

To be considered for the lottery, hunters must have completed the Delaware Turkey Hunter Education Class and must hold a valid Delaware hunting license unless exempt from state licensing requirements.

“We have been offering this spring hunting opportunity for several years, and it has been very successful,” said Ken Reynolds, a wildlife program manager with the division.

“Last year, 31 birds were harvested on public land - a new record that also accounted for 10 percent of the state’s total turkey harvest.”

An application form for the hunts can be found on page 46 of the 2009 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide, or hunters can print the form online at www.fw.delaware.gov.

Applications should be mailed in time for the Dec. 18 deadline to Wildlife Section, Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901.

For more information about Delaware’s spring gobbler hunt or the lottery, call 302-739-9912.

BOATING SAFETY CLASS – Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 12-02 will hold a safe boating class from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Angola Beach and Estates clubhouse located on Angola Road off Route 24. The class costs $10 per person. For more information and to register, call Evelyn Simmons at 227-2387.