Milton, the bass fishing capital of Delaware
For the second time, Wagamons Pond in Milton has produced a state record largemouth bass. The most recent record was caught Saturday, Feb. 20, by Andrew Klein of New Castle. The fish weighed in at 11 pounds, 10 ounces. Mr. Klein was fishing with his girlfriend’s dad, Joe Lattis, whom he credits with teaching him a great deal about bass fishing and being his good luck fishing buddy.
According to Andrew’s post on the Bass Fishing Forum, they arrived at Wagamons Pond around 9:30 a.m. and fished with shiners and spinnerbaits. Andrew caught a 1.5-pound yellow perch and Joe had a 3-pound, 9-ounce bass on a shiner.
Around 1:15 p.m., they decided to pull the boat and head for Prime Hook. As they were slow trolling back to the ramp Andrew had a solid hit on a Strike King Bleeding Shad Spinnerbait. At first he thought he had snagged the bottom, then the bottom began to move and after a spirited fight, Joe got the bass into the net, then into the boat, and then the celebrating began.
The big girl topped their scale at 11 pounds, 12 ounces, just 2 ounces shy of the official weight. Using his phone, Andrew located the nearest certified scale at Bill’s Sport Shop and 15 minutes later the bass was weighed in at 11 pounds, 10 ounces. The shop called DNREC and Sgt. Trimmer, a Fish and Wildlife Enforcement officer, soon arrived to verify the catch.
The previous state record largemouth bass weighed 10 pounds, 10 ounces. It was caught out of Wagamons by James Hitchens in 2012. There is no way to prove this is the same fish Andrew caught last Saturday, but I would not be surprised if it were. The current record was returned to Wagamons Pond, so who knows what it might weigh in another two years.
Outdoor show
The Cheswold Fire Hall will be holding an Outdoor Show Saturday, March 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. I attended this show last year and found it more than worth the $5 entry fee. Just about all the exhibitors were local, and they had hunting as well as fishing displays. The fire hall provided good food at a reasonable price as well.
Lord of the Flies
I received an email from Dr. David Rivers, professor of biology at Loyola University in Maryland, outlining his plan to study those biting flies that attack one and all along the beaches and as far out in the ocean as the canyons. As a frequent visitor to Broadkill Beach, he is more than aware of the problem caused by deer and greenhead flies.
Biting flies not only attack big, soft humans, they also go after pets and livestock. This can result in poor growth rates and low milk production in cows. In addition, the flies carry all sorts of nasty-sounding things like filarial worms, anthrax and tularemia.
As with any scientific project, you have to start at the beginning. In this case, the beginning is finding a method to raise these flies in captivity.
Currently, this problem has not been solved, and Dr. Rivers will be doing various experiments to try to capture the flies and then breed them in captivity. These little creatures live and breed in the decayed vegetation found in the marsh where grass is allowed to decompose. The trick will be finding them in these inhospitable areas, capturing them in various growth states and getting them to breed after capture.
Once this problem is solved, the next step will be to find a method to control the flies. While insect repellent does have some effect on the flies, the results are not long-lasting, requiring reapplication of even the most powerful repellent. At this point, the hope is to use natural methods to fight the biting flies. This would include parasitic wasps and predatory insect species.
Dr. Rivers is looking for funding from various sources including individuals. The cost of the initial phase, breeding the flies in captivity is quite low, and if you would like to help, please contact Dr. Rivers at DRivers@loyola.edu.
Fishing report
Still not much to report from the open ocean or bay. A very few boats are running from Indian River Inlet and they are catching even fewer tog. Indian River Inlet and the beach are also pretty barren.
Freshwater fishing will get a big boost next Saturday, March 5, when Delaware’s trout season opens. The two downstate ponds, Tidbury in Dover and Newton in Greenwood, will be stocked with trout prior to that date. The opening day usually draws quite a crowd to both ponds, especially if the weather is favorable. I like to use a small yellow twister tail since it looks like Purina trout chow.
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. Eric can be reached at Eburnle@aol.com.
