US Fishing·News desk
Delaware Oct. 1 report: beaches shut after the nor’easter, sea bass back on structure
Delaware’s beaches are closed and the rivers are muddy. Eric Burnley Sr.’s DNREC fishing report for Oct. 1, 2026, says the nor’easter is over and left a mess: erosion cut a steep drop-off on the beaches, and heavy rain plus very high tides muddied the rivers.
The bay did not shut down with the surf. Patty at Captain Bones told Burnley fishing was pretty much normal, with white perch and catfish in the tidal rivers. Perch were on bloodworms; catfish wanted bunker or shad chunks. He writes the same pattern from Augustine Beach down to Dobbinsville and up the C&D Canal. Steve at Smith Bait in Leipsic had small stripers and white perch from the Woodland Beach pier and bridge on shrimp, bloodworms, and peelers. Dan at Dan’s Tackle was surprised by white perch in the Broadkill River on bloodworms or lug worms, and crabbing there stayed strong.
Ocean structure is the rebound. Aaron at Lewes Harbour Marina said the Katydid brought a boat limit of black sea bass from ocean structure on Sept. 29, and both the Katydid and the Shooter Dog had good sea bass on Sept. 30. Burt at Hook ’em and Cook ’em said the Captain Bob had an excellent catch of big black sea bass plus a few nice flounder that same day. No boats had fished the canyons. Old Inlet Bait and Tackle reported all beaches closed as of Sept. 30, with some small tog and a few keepers at the Inlet on sand fleas and crab. Rick’s had tog at Massey’s Landing and small stripers caught and released in Rehoboth Bay on swim shads. This sheet is separate from the Sept. 3 DNREC report already on the desk.
This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.