Delaware Surf Reports 5/1 to 5/15

[_4Runner_]

the weather forecast isnt looking too promising this weekend, looks like i'll be packing my camo rain gear

[kmw21230]

even better.. Keeps the beaches less crowded.

[sealevel]

Amen

[finchaser]

Later report but here it goes. Hit the beach Friday afternoon at CHSP. Place was like a ghost town. Set up between what looked like 2 very nice cuts and only came up with a nice 20lb sandbar shark and my brother in law hooked a smaller one. Friday night around 11 I headed over to the pier and waded around a short time looking for bait.

I set up on the north side around the first light. Never moved, lots of bait in the area and the flounder were stacked up in there something thick. Fished 4 hours and ended the night with 27 flounder all throw backs. Biggest was 18 and the smallest was 15. Hooked into a large striper and had him peeling drag. I set the hook twice just to make sure I had him and then he leaped out of the water and when he came back down the line went limp.

This all happened in less then 4 feet of water. Water was crystal clear, waist to chest deep and I could see my feet. Here are some pics.

[Sam]

Nice job. The eyes on that shark look strangely familiar... Things must be warming up.

[finchaser]

Nice job. The eyes on that shark look strangely familiar... Things must be warming up.

Sam they were in pretty thick to. Just about every cast on the one rod something picked it up and ran. One cast I didn't even have the rod in the holder yet and something picked it up. No skates or rays around during this time either.

[DE JOE]

Any of you fellas got a remedy for keeping the flies away? They can be brutal at times at CHSP.

[_4Runner_]

[Sam]

No skates or rays around during this time either.

I wonder why?

[Sam]

[_4Runner_]

That sounds strange. Did they catch more than one? If not, someone had probably cut off the tail of a cow nose. The only other critter that has a short tail is a Butterfly ray, but they can still have barbs.

The Manta Ray is more likely to be found in tropical waters and the average size is over 20 feet wide. However, I do see a close resemblance to the cow nose.

Attachment 6438

the coloring matched this photo i found online



Though, it seemed to have an even more pronounced midsection, it was very thick in the middle area.

Believe it or not Sam, I think it was the summer of 94 or 95, when the water cleaned up since NJ stopped dumping trash off the coast, my parents and i saw a Manta Ray jump out of the water, and basically fly out of the water. It was about 150yds out off the FI State Park, we were parked near the old WWII tower. It had to be 20feet across, that year we also saw 2 gray whales. It's amazing how much the water quality has improved from the days of finding medical needles washing up.

[Finaddict]

Here is a Butterfly Ray

[Sam]

Believe it or not Sam, I think it was the summer of 94 or 95, when the water cleaned up since NJ stopped dumping trash off the coast, my parents and i saw a Manta Ray jump out of the water, and basically fly out of the water...

That must have been quite a site! They have been known to venture as far north as NJ and also go "aerial". I just bet the water temps were a little warmer than they are now.

[_4Runner_]

That must have been quite a site! They have been known to venture as far north as NJ and also go "aerial". I just bet the water temps were a little warmer than they are now.

Just a bit warmer, i had to go swimming saturday when my dog lost track of the trainer toy, and it was floating in the surf out to sea. I'm sure everyone loved seeing Big Body Beautiful. Definitely instant sober the second i went under.

Thanks Fin, it wasnt as flat as a butterfly ray. Kind of an odd looking ray. I wish i had caught him and gotten some pics.