Way North and Delaware Fishing Report, 10/26/2018 Update:
The temperatures outside have just taken quite a hit, with night time temps dropping into the mid 40s occasionally, which has made the fishing hit or miss – but once the fish acclimate to the colder temperatures they’ll most certainly start stocking up their bellies with bait fish (hopefully on your hook). The Susquehanna region is probably getting the more challenging conditions due to the still stained water and high water outputs from the dam, but the floodgates are finally closed and conditions can be expected to improve steadily unless we get swamped again. Jigging has been successful when birds are working, so stick to live/cut bait if keepers are what you’re after and there aren’t flocks in the sky. Trolling up north in clear areas of water has also been great, so if you can find it, fish it! Other than that, the schoolie rockfish are starting to move over for the larger fish that are pounding bait schools.
Early morning topwater bites are still a great option in shallow water, around five feet or so. Skinny water has been the hot ticket with big fish, which hasn’t happened much this year until now. Chuck plugs before the sun comes out to get some large fish to smack your lure into of the air; the Halco Roosta has been a good pick and of course we love Neal Cohen custom lures, they work!
Way North and Delaware Fishing Report, 10/19/2018 Update:
Temperatures are starting to incline southward, but that doesn’t mean that the fishing is doing the same. The Conowingo dam is pumping out some chillier water right about now, causing the water to drop well below 70 degrees. The stripers are absolutely loving it, but up on the flats the water is still quite stained. In other northern rivers the water has cooled and cleared up somewhat, and although visibility is still best described as “poor,” bass fishing has picked up along deadfall and docks and piers lining the shore. Also in the rivers and creeks jigging around structure is getting lots of schoolies to bite, and the topwater lures are causing quite the ruckus with early morning and dusk enjoying a high influx of rockfish smacking poppers of all sorts and sizes. Dark colors have effective, in the discolored waters. In the canal most of the action has been limited to catfish and perch.
Live-lining and chumming are bringing in the big boys in deeper areas, including off Aberdeen and Pooles, with some reports of keepers close to the 30” mark. Dropping some fresh cut bunker chunks is going to give you a shot and many anglers have been using live white perch, since spot are no longer an option. Be sure to keep some smaller rigs out in the water as well, as there have been a few reports of the occasional large perch getting into the mix with the chum slick.
Way North and Delaware Fishing Report, 10/11/2018 Update:
In many areas of the northern rivers where one would normally target stripers right about now, largemouth bass are likely to hit. As clarity improves but salinity remains more or less non-existent, they're slapping topwater in low light and swimbaits once the sun is up. Points and deadfall are the best areas to try.
Conditions are finally beginning to mellow out at bit, although there are still gates open at the dam and water clarity would best be described as “off.” Topwater at daybreak on the flats will produce a fish here and there, but it’s still not going to be worth the trip to most folks. Catfish, on the other hand, continue to slurp up just about any cut bait you sink into a hole or channel, in all the northern rivers plus the canal.
White perch present another opportunity, and are hitting grass shrimp and bloodworms on bottom rigs. Where you can find clean-ish water, they’re also hitting Perch Pounders and twister tails cast up near rip-rap and dock pilings. Still, most area anglers who want meat in the box are heading to the south in search of better conditions. Check out the Upper Bay report, for more details.
-By Parker Martin