Friday, May 20 is the date for the Joe Morris Memorial Canal Flounder Tournament, and as always, one-half of the $40 entry fee will be donated to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. This organization not only does research to find new treatments for this incurable cancer, it also provides help to those affected by it. In addition to the tournament fee, you may also purchase long- and short-sleeved T-shirts, bucktails and floating jigs, with the money from those sales also going to PanCAN. Just an FYI – the bright-green bucktail with a brown Gulp! crawfish has been my go-to rig for canal flounder for the past few years.
You must have your entry fee paid at Lewes Harbour Marina by 7 a.m., Friday, May 20. The waters that may be fished include the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal from the Rehoboth Bay entrance to the Roosevelt Inlet entrance and the Broadkill River to Oyster Rocks Road.
Fishing times are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. All fish must be weighed at Lewes Harbour Marina by 4 p.m. Don’t even think about trying to sneak in some big old flounder you brought from the fish wholesaler or caught last week. The judges didn’t just fall off the turnip truck.
Remember, in case of a tie, the first fish weighed will take the top prize. In years past, they have had some very close weights, so if you catch a flounder over two or three pounds, get it to the scales in all haste.
Prizes will be awarded with largest flounder getting 40% of the cash pool, while second largest gets 25%, third gets 20% and fourth gets 15%. Fifth and sixth will receive prizes to be announced later.
Cast for a Cure
On Saturday, May 21, the Cast for a Cure surf tournament will take place along the beach at Fenwick Island State Park. Brandy Timmons and Clark Evans have put this event together to raise money for the Tunnell Cancer Center.
This is a team tournament with four anglers per team. The entry fee is $200 per team, and the entire fee goes to the Tunnell Cancer Center. The winners receive trophies made by Brandy, and they are fantastic.
An awards ceremony will take place Sunday, May 22, at Hooked Up in Fenwick Island. Contact Clark Evans at Old Inlet Bait & Tackle at 302-227-7974 for more information.
Ladies Fishing Seminar
Tommy Serbin, manager of Lewes Harbour Marina, is planning a Ladies Fishing Seminar Saturday, May 14, at the shop. He has lined up some very knowledgeable ladies to speak and share their experience with those who attend, and the best part is the seminar is free.
If you are interested, call Tommy at 302-645-6227 for all the details.
Fishing report
We are finally getting reports from anglers who are catching some impressive fish.
Harry Aiken and his son Scott fished Broadkill Beach May 3 and caught two black drum. They didn’t report what bait they used, but my guess would be clams or sand fleas.
Ed Heite from Old Inlet Bait & Tackle is having a good week at Indian River Inlet. On Sunday night, he caught a 5.5-pound trout on a quarter-ounce leadhead decorated with a paddletail. Then Monday night, he had several short rockfish topped off with a 31-inch keeper caught on a Sassy Shad.
Jules and Billy Mister fished the Outer Wall early in the week and managed to catch nine keeper tog on sand fleas and green crab. Capt. Steve Rosiea on the Pamela took Bud Trainor and Julie Delgiorno to the Outer Wall, where they had some nice tog, including Julie’s 6.89-pounder, on sand fleas and green crab. The Katydid with Capt. Brent Weist had several citation tog Monday. Scott Shoup had a 10.96-pounder, Glenn Melrose had a 10.14-pounder and Al Mash caught a tog weighing 9.33 pounds.
Surf-fishing was far from red hot, but those who stuck it out had some success. Grant Barnhart fished Fenwick Island Saturday night using a plug to catch a 34.5-inch rockfish. Then Monday, he fished Fenwick Island with a salted clam and caught a 29-inch black drum.
The Delaware Mobile Surf-Fishermen’s team placed 10th out of 72 teams in the Ocracoke Surf Fishing Tournament. Team members were Craig and Danny Manning, Bill and Debbie Weichardt, and Keith and Lydia Schmierer.
I have had scattered reports of flounder from the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal, Indian River Bay and the fishing pier at Cape Henlopen State Park. Bruce Lynch has the largest so far, a 25-incher caught on a Bad Wind Bottom Dragger out of Indian River Bay.
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Eric Burnley is a Delaware native who has fished and hunted the state from an early age. Since 1978 he has written countless articles about hunting and fishing in Delaware and elsewhere along the Atlantic Coast. He has been the regional editor for several publications and was the founding editor of the Mid-Atlantic Fisherman magazine. Eric is the author of three books: Surf Fishing the Atlantic Coast, The Ultimate Guide to Striped Bass Fishing and Fishing Saltwater Baits. He and his wife Barbara live near Milton, Delaware. Eric can be reached at Eburnle@aol.com.
