Indian River Marina

Well the first cold blast of winter has come and gone here at Indian River Inlet and the weather has again began to be more moderate again.

I haven’t seen much in the way of Rockfish being caught, but the weather conditions last week had a lot to do with it. As of this morning the water is begining to clear and I would expect that the fishing for Mr. Linsider will again pick up.

As of the morning of the 26th, there have been some Rockfish being caught off the rocks on the north side of the inlet. One angler reported one keeper and some throwbacks and I witnessed one Rockette being caught while speaking with the anglers. The water was still a bit cloudy, but it’s good to see they are being caught.

One good thing for the people using the inlet for fishing, it has gotten a bit easier to get in the area with the first section of the new bridge to open going southbound. Shortly they should have the traffic going one lane northbound on the southbound side and access will get even better. The entire bridge should be open by the time the busy season begins in the spring.

As for Tautog (Tog) fishing, the reports are better. Yesterday Captain John Nedelka of the Charter boat “Karen Sue” returned with a nice catch of 38 Quality Tog, with some real nice ones in the box. Some of the party from yesterdays trip were returning today for another trip out to the tog structure and I’ll report on there results as I get them. Here is one photo of a happy angler with one of yesterday’s catch.

Extra, extra, just got a call from Captain John on the “Karen Sue’ as I’m typing this. He called to report that he is on great fishing just off the beach at Reef Site 10. He reports that they are on the Tog with fish tipping the scales at up to 10 lbs., with the average weight of the fish being 4 t0 5 lbs. It just doesn’t get more up to date than that.

Update 1/26: Captain John returned from the days trip with 47 total Tog with not only the 10 lb fish but another tipping the scales at 9 lbs. The rest of the catch were good quality fish.

Just a reminder that new fishing regulations are coming into effect around the 10th or 11th of February for the creel limit and length of Tautog (Tog). It seems that Option 3 has been selected for the new regs which would mean 5 fish at 16″ or better. Be sure and check with the states Fish & Wildlife web site for exact information on when the change takes place.

Now would be a great time to come down and try to get some of these tasty fish before the new limits go into effect. Captain John on the “Karen Sue” is running Charter trips out of the Indian River Marina all winter so it would be a good idea if you plan to go out for these great fish to give him a call soon. His contact information can be found on the Marinas web site. Good Luck and Tight Lines.

www.destateparks.com/marinas/charter.asp

With the fair weather over the weekend fisherman got a chance to wet a line and connect with some fish. Anglers at the inlet the last few days have been getting some keeper Rockfish and the fishing off the beach has been good for those going after Tautog.

Captain John Nedelka on the Charter Boat “Karen Sue” fished the last four days with good results, although he said Saturday was a little slower bite than the others. Captian John has been getting the tasty Tog on White Leggers and Green Crabs. Yesterday the returning fisherman even had a good sized Eel to round out their catch. Here is a photo of a happy angler with a couple of yesterdays catch.

Here is some in the cooler waiting to get cleaned.

With the weather forecast looking mild for the next few days, it may be a good time to shake off some of those Winter Blues and get in on catching some of these great tasting fish. The phone number for the “Karen Sue” and other Charters can be found on the Marina’s web site. Good Luck and Tight Lines.

www.destateparks.com/marinas/charter.asp

Rockfish are still being caught in the Indian River Inlet from both the rip rap and from boats. The keeper-to-throw back ratio has improved, but we still haven’t gotten the influx of large Rockfish we normally have by this time. According to reports from north of the inlet, keeper Rockfish are being caught in the Rips between here and Cape May. One group fishing the north side of the inlet said they caught a good number of Rock with some keeper size.

Capt. Aaron Hurd on the Charter boat “Gale Force” ventured out on New Years Eve with Rob and Lisa Quann, and Lisa connected with a nice 32″ Rockfish to finish out the year.

Congratulations Lisa on the great catch.

Capt. John Neldelka on the Charter Boat “Karen Sue” just returned from a Tog trip todaywith their limit of Tautog. Capt John said they caught the fish on White Leggers and Green Crabs, congrats to the guys on the “Karen Sue.”

Remember, there is still some great Tog fishing to be had, and if you want to shake the winter blues, give Capt. John a call and set up a trip. Information for charters out of Indian River Marina can be found on our web site.  www.destateparks.com/marinas/charter.asp . Good Luck and tight lines and hoping you all have full creels for 2012.

Reports are that keeper Rockfish (stripers) are starting to become more common for boats fishing the Indian River Inlet, although the weather has been not cooperating the last couple of days. Even with the poor weather, one boat came into the marina with some nice Rockfish in the cooler, caught right before the bad weather hit yesterday. Boats working the sandbar on the south side of the Inlet west of the new bridge seemed to be hooking up some of the hard-fighting linsiders.

There have also been reports of Rockfish being caught in the rips area of the Delaware Bay.

Reports from the Back Bay Areas have slowed since many anglers have pulled their boats for the season, and with the holidays there have been other activities taking up their time.

Here is wishing you all a Happy New Year and tight lines for the upcoming 2012 fishing season.

Winter is now just a day away and the water temeperatures are still up high enough to slow the migration of the larger Rockfish (Striped Bass) down the coast. There are reports of keeper Rockfish in the Delaware Bay and along the Jersey coast. Smaller Rockfish, or as they are being called “Rockettes,” are being caught in the Indian River Inlet, with the occasional keeper in the mix. Water clarity was a little turbid over the past weekend which may have kept the numbers lower. We are patiently waiting for the larger Rock to stop in numbers, which shouldn’t be too long off. Some Tog (Tautog) are coming from the rocks along the inlet, but most anglers are fishing for the Rockfish currently. There have also been reports of some large Flounder being caught and released as a by catch.

The reports from the back bays have slowed with only a few fish that I am aware of being caught from the ever decreasing number of anglers venturing into the bays. I have had reports of some good clamming taking place in the back bays, along with some nice keeper crabs as of a week or so ago.

Charters are still catching Tog on the inshore wrecks and reef sites, although many boats have hauled out for the winter. As of the time of this report, one of our charter boats is out fishing and I’ll update the report as soon as I get word of their catch.

There are still boats running throughout the winter and information for them can be found on our web site.

Here is wishing you all a great Holiday Season and Good Luck and Tight lines for the New Year.

Fall fishing continues to be good in both the Ocean and in the Inlet areas. The fall migration of the Rockfish seems to be picking up, and the fish are moving further south into the area. Many of the Rockfish reports are coming from the lower reaches of the Delaware Bay such as the Valley, the 8′s and Overfall Shoals. Those boats bottom fishing in the Ocean are still getting Black Sea Bass and Tautog.

Captain John Nedelka on the charter boat “Karen Sue” had a great trip for his fares on Friday. The anglers returned with 41 Tog weighing in at a total of 134 lbs., with the largest being 8 lbs. Congratulations to the group on the “Karen Sue.”

Here is one photo of a happy inlet angler with a Rockfish taken last week. Photo courtesy of Saltfish.net.

In the Inlet, anglers are still conecting with Rockfish from both boats and the rip rap. Tog are also being caught from the anglers fishing the rocks along the Indian River Inlet. Now would be the time to head down and get some of this good fishing in before the weather turns and enjoy some late season fishing activity. There are still some charter boats in the water and the charter boat “Karen Sue” fishes throught the winter months when the weather permits. Good Luck and Tight Lines.

Fishing has really picked up over the holiday weekend. Reports are that fish were being caught from all over the area and the weather has been great for getting out fishing.

Bottom bouncers fishing inshore and around the 20-fathom line were reporting good catches of Black Sea Bass and Tautog. Sea Bass were coming over the rails in the deeper water, where the Tog were being caught on the near-to-shore wrecks. There were also some anglers hooking up with some Rockfish in the ocean, but be aware that Rockfish are restricted to being caught inside the three mile limit.

Bluefish are finally being caught in the surf area, along with some Rockfish.

The Delaware Bay anglers have also been hooking up with Rockfish at the 8′s with fish also reported being taken at Overfall Shoals.

In the Inlet, anglers are getting Rockfish from both boats and the rip rap along the inlet. The bite seems to be better during the incoming tides. Anglers are doing well with Tog off the rocks in the inlet. The Back Bays have slowed a bit, but there are still anglers connecting with Rockfish.

For those Anglers fishing out of Indian River Inlet, the Indian River Marina fuel docks are still open sevendays a week until after December 18, when they will be closed on Sundays. The ramp is open all year, but it is requested that anglers be aware of the no trailer parking signs and barriers set up for the storage of boats. Please park vehicles without trailers in the other parking lots as trailer parking is limited in the winter due to much of the overflow parking being used for stored boats. Charter information, www.destateparks.com/marinas/charter.asp . 

 As a reminder please be safe as the water temperatures are getting lower and hypothermia can set in fast in the colder water. Good Luck and Tight Lines.

Even though the weather has cooled down, fishing still continues to be happening at Indian River Inlet. This is the time that Rockfisherman (Striped Bass) wait for all year, when the fish start migrating down the coast to their winter grounds. Even though there are fewer boats heading for the offshore grounds, the activity is still going strong in the area of the Inlet.

In the Inlet, anglers are catching Rockfish and Tautog. Rockfish are being caught from both boats and from the rip rap. Tog are coming off the rip rap and Rockfish are being caught off the rip rap at the repaired “Bubble Gum Beach” area.

In the Back Bays, there are still reports of fish being caught at Massey’s Ditch and from some of the creek mouths. Most of the Rockfish caught from the creek mouths are being caught at sunset or after, with better catches on the incoming tide.

There are still Charters available for wreck fishing and in the Inlet. Charter boat information for the Indian River Marina Charter Fleet can be found at www.destateparks.com/marinas/charter.asp . Have a Happy Thanksgiving and Good Luck and Tight Lines.

Most news we’ve been getting about the fishing has been from the Inshore, Inlet and Back Bay anglers. With the good weather, boats have been fishing the inlet area in large numbers and the forecast is for some good weather for the next week or so.

Inshore anglers fishing the deep wrecks have been reporting good numbers of Black Sea Bass since the opening of the Sea Bass fishing on November 1. There have also been reports of Ling being caught along with the Sea Bass.

Anglers fishing the Inlet have been reporting Rockfish being caught with some larger fish beginning to show up. Tog are also in the inlet, but I haven’t gotten as many reports on their numbers. Small Bluefish and Hickory Shad are being caught, also. Many of the Rockfish I’ve heard being caught are on Mullet and Black Salties. One trick to keeping these Black Salties lively is to keep them in Fresh Water before using them.

Anglers in the Back Bays are catching Rockfish and small Bluefish from creek mouth areas. Most of these Rock are of the smaller size, but some keepers are in the mix. Tog are also being reported being caught in the Massey’s Ditch area.

There are still Charters running out of Indian River Marina and contact numbers for them can be found on our web site at www.destateparks.com/marinas/charter.asp . Good luck and Tight Lines.

The past weekend wasn’t good for fishing outside the Iinlet, but anglers fishing the Inlet and Back Bays had some luck.

There are still Rockfish being caught in the Inlet and Back Bays, although not in the numbers they were before the poor weather. Tog fisherman were having less luck due to the silted waters from the storm, but they should pick up once the water has cleared up. There are also reports of Bluefish being caught in the surf and in the Inlet, with some Hickory Shad to round out that fishing. 

Anglers fishing in the Back Bays were having good luck with Rockfish in the inlets of some creeks. Bluefish are being caught in the same areas, along with an occassional Weakfish. Crabbers are still getting some fat crabs from the Back Bays and the Indian River.

Black Sea Bass season reopened on November 1 and anglers who were fishing the Artificial Reef sites, such as Reef Site 11, before the reopening were reporting some nice Sea Bass being caught and released there. Along with the Sea Bass, there should be some good fishing for Tog in those areas now that the conditions are calming down.

Bill Baker on his radio fishing report noted that larger Rockfish are now being weighed in for their Rockfish Tournament which is a good sign that the bigger fish are beginning to show up in the local waters.

There are still Charter Boats available for some fall fishing at the marina. Information can be found at www.destateparks.com/marinas/charter.asp . Good Luck and Tight Lines.