We have a new year ahead, and with it come new chances to catch more fish, kill more game and enjoy more of the outdoors we in the Cape Region are so lucky to have easy access to.
Let’s look at the fishing. I am happy to report that most of the species we enjoy catching in saltwater will have the same regulations we saw in 2024. Black sea bass will open May 15 and have a short closure in the fall, then remain open until Dec. 31.
We did dodge a bullet during the summer when the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee decided we had to reduce the total catch of black sea bass by 20%. When this stupid idea was presented to the advisory council, of which I am a member, every comment was against it. With the biomass of black sea bass at 2.5 times above the level that assures a healthy stock, we could see no need to reduce the catch.
The reason the S&SC wanted to reduce the catch was because we had exceeded the quota in 2023. Of course we caught more than the quota. There are so many sea bass out there that we caught more than the number made up by the bean counters. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and the 20% reduction was dropped.
The summer flounder regulations for Delaware, Maryland and Virginia were developed during a meeting of all three states. They took the MAFMC guidelines and came up with the current regulations. The summer flounder season begins Jan. 1 and continues until May 31, with a size limit of 16 inches. The season continues June 1 and runs until Dec. 31 with a size limit of 17.5 inches. The daily limit remains at four fish per day.
The striped bass regulations for 2025 had me and a lot of other folks worried. This fish is so important to so many people and so many businesses, and with the young of the year survey in the Chesapeake Bay and other areas down again in 2024, there was great concern that the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission would put a moratorium on striped bass. As I reported, they did not.
I did make one mistake in that article. The regulations that the ASMFC developed for 2026 were not passed. My friend and member of the commission, Roy Miller, was kind enough to send me a copy of the minutes from the meeting and the commission will not make a final decision on the 2026 regulations until all the data is in from 2023 and 2024 surveys..
The remainder of the fish that we like to catch should be in reasonable supply. Blues, croaker, spot and kings have been around in 2024, and with a little luck they should be back in 2025.
The big surprise in 2024 was the bluefin tuna that showed up late in the year. As I have reported, these were not little fish. Most ran between 150 and 250 pounds, with some well above that size. They were not roaming around in the canyons. They were well within the range of most ocean-going boats. On my last sea bass trip, I saw three schools of bluefin tuna within 20 miles of the beach.
Then there is the weather. In 2024, we had the worst weather I can remember. Most weeks we were lucky to have two days that were fishable, and there were periods when we had 12 or 14 days straight of bad weather. I have no idea if this will continue in 2025, but with the global warming period we are going through, I would not be surprised.
When the wind blows, as it did in 2024, we can always fish the sheltered waters of our ponds and creeks. There are largemouth bass, white perch, pickerel, sunfish, crappie, trout and smallmouth bass to be caught in Delaware. Most of our freshwater ponds, spillways and even some creeks have fishing piers for safe, easy access. Ponds are stocked and maintained by the state, so there is a good chance of success when you fish there.
OK, so a 1-pound white perch ain’t no bluefin tuna. But when the wind is northeast at 20 knots and the seas are running 5 to 8 feet, you ain’t going out after no bluefin tuna. So why not scale down your tackle, pick up some small minnows and night crawlers, and give the local pond and tidal creek a try?
If you really want to go after big game, fish the Nanticoke River for blue catfish. These can run to 50 pounds and eat cut menhaden.
Whatever you fish or hunt for, I wish you the best in 2025.
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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.
