At the risk of bringing about the worst snowstorm since 1888, I will mention the winter has been very mild so far. My daffodils are popping up, and we are seeing daytime highs in the upper 50s.
Most of us, myself included, have our boats under wraps, and truth be told, the open waters of the bay and ocean have been rough on most days. The only fish available out there are tog, and that is a lot of work unless you enjoy anchoring up several times a day. I do not.
That brings us back to shore, where we can fish for perch with very little preparation. All you need is a light spinning rod and reel, some small hooks, a few sinkers and some type of bait. If you happen to have a few shad darts, they might come in handy.
White perch seem to be everywhere. All the tidal rivers and creeks hold some, and they may also be caught along the shoreline from Augustine Beach down to the pier at Woodland Beach. In the Cape Region, the Broadkill River is the most popular location.
There are several spots along the river where you may try your luck. I like to fish from the park in Milton. There is plenty of free parking and lots of open shoreline. If you want to bring the kids along and the bite is slow, they can play on the various attractions available at the park.
The bridge on Round Pole Bridge Road is another popular fishing location. Parking is alongside the road and, as with all bridge fishing, you must be aware of the traffic.
There is a large fishing spot at the end of Oyster Rocks Road. The Broadkill River has a pretty strong current there, so heavier weights must be used.
All the spillways at all the ponds in Sussex County are potential perch hangouts. This is where those shad darts come into play. You can fish them naked or tip them with small Gulp! twister tails. I always fish two at a time. I tie one about 4 to 6 inches behind the other using surgeon’s loops.
Bait can be a bit difficult to find at this time of year. The folks who dig bloodworms up in New England have a tough time because the mud is frozen. Right now, artificial baits such as FishBites and Gulp! or frozen shrimp are about the only choices.
Yellow perch are also on the move right now. My last reports seem to indicate the smaller males have arrived at the spawning grounds and await the larger females.
Here too, spillways present the best chance of finding yellow perch. These fish will move up a tidal river or creek until they reach a dam and then stop. The spillway is where they will mill about and where you have the best chance of catching them.
While not exactly a spillway, I have caught yellow perch at the small boat docks at the head of the Broadkill River alongside the Milton town park. This is an easy place to fish and there is some parking right at the dock. I was using bloodworms on a small hook below a bobber. In addition to the yellow perch, I also caught a small largemouth bass. All were released.
If you want to get serious about yellow perch, you will need a Maryland Tidewater fishing license and a drive to Millington, Md. I fished there once, and we caught lots of yellow perch on small minnows. For some reason, these fish come up the Chester River to Millington to spawn, and if you hit it just right, the bite is outstanding.
I live about 10 minutes from Milton and I keep a spinning rod in my truck. If a day presents itself that I have time to fish, I can be on the Broadkill casting shad darts or soaking FishBites very quickly.
Fishing report
It’s all about tog. The weather dictates when the boats can leave the dock, but when they sail, the fish are there. It seems the Katydid, the Sea Jay II and the Lincoln Hookers have been catching tog on a regular basis.
Last Wednesday, the Katydid had a boat limit of tog and Bob Murphy had the pool winner. The Sea Jay II had a good catch of tog, including two Delaware citations weighing 8.75 and 7.5 pounds.
I am sure some private boats are also getting out on the tog. Unfortunately, I don’t get any reports from them.
I do get some freshwater reports. Patty at Captain Bones told me Danny Kimble caught a 6.78-pound snakehead out of the Appoquinimink River on a crankbait. Crappie have been caught on minnows from various spillways.
-
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.
