Fishing during our trip to my wife's parents house in Delaware this year started out slow because of thunderstorms but ended up being one of my best trips ever. I started off with a little exploratory hike up the river The Saturday after we arrived. I found the water to be somewhat higher, faster, and cloudier than usual. I threw the Buzz Hammer and Zara Spook around for a few casts and was able to get one little smallmouth on the Buzz Hammer.

On Sunday afternoon we had a big thunderstorm. Tried our usual float fishing trip down the river Monday morning but it was higher, faster and muddier than I've ever seen it. Made it down the river in about an hour and a half (usually takes us 4 to 6 hours). We got skunked - first time ever!

Tuesday was a little better. Water was still higher and muddier than usual but at least it was fishable. I've done pretty well on Buzz Hammer's in the past in muddy water so I pretty much stuck to that the entire day except for a few casts with the Spook. Caught a handful of nice smallies including an 18 incher that I saw come darting out from under a fallen tree to smack the Buzz Hammer right in front of me. An awesome show! Just down the river I tried the Spook again (a little tough to work correctly in the fast water) and got a good strike but it didn't connect.

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Wednesday we went to an amusement park and another big thunderstorm hit that evening. We did not even attempt to fish on Thursday. I wasn't even going to fish Friday but my nephew wanted to give it a shot. It was higher, faster, and muddier than Monday... skunked again!! With a clear forecast for the next week or so I was hoping things would get better.

Tried again on Saturday and did pretty well. No big fish but we had fun catching some smaller bass, sunfish, and rock bass on the Buzz Hammer and 4 inch Salt Shaker Worms.

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On Sunday I took my daughter Sara for the first time. We didn't float the entire way down. Instead we hiked up about a 1/2 mile and started there. Fishing was good. I instantly got a 14 incher on the Buzz Hammer then she got one about the same size on the Salt Shaker. She was using an ultra-light rod with 4 lb. and it was really taking her for a ride. Anyone who's caught smallies in a river knows they are great fighters... better than their lake counterparts in my opinion. A little while later I got a 15 incher on the Buzz Hammer and quickly taught her how to use my camera (she did pretty well). The rest of the day we spent catching a bunch of fish topped by another nice smallie she got from shore while we were waiting for our ride home to show up.

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With two days left and the river looking better and better I took my son Pierce and niece Alexa for a trip on Monday. It started off a little slow but things picked up. I caught quite a few fish on the Buzz Hammer, Pierce did well on the Salt Shaker Worm and Alexa fished a Rebel Teeny Wee-Crawfish crankbait. We hadn't fished the crankbait in years because the Salt Shaker is more productive at times and easier for the young kids to use. She caught some good fish including these things I use to call "River Tarpon". They hang out in the moving water, hit fast moving baits, fight hard and jump when hooked. I'm not exactly sure what they really are - some kind of chub I think.

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Tuesday - Last Trip. My brother-in-law Gerry joined us for the trip down the river along with Alexa and her friend Reed. Trip was good and everyone caught fish. For me it was the best run I've had in the 12 or so years I've been float fishing the Brandywine. Last year (just so happened to be the trip Gerry joined me on also) I broke off a good fish (2 lb. range) in a spot that usually produces. This year I had my revenge as my first fish of the day was a nice 16 incher I got in the same spot as the fish I broke off last year. But the day wasn't over... More than half way down the river I was just crusing making multiple casts along the shoreline with the Bay Smelt colored Buzz Hammer. When all of the sudden in about 2 feet of water the baits gets obliterated. Both Alexa and Reed were right there to see the vicious strike. Unfortunately Gerry was a 100 yards or so down stream. I wait a second, set the hook and the biggest smallie I've ever seen comes flying out of the water with a spectacular aerial display. The strength of this fish was un-real and once it got into the current I became worried. After a couple minutes I finally get it close, reach down and pull it out of the water. I couldn't believe how big it was. Took a couple of pictures, measured it against my rod, released it and watched it swim away. When I got home it taped out at 22.5 inches. What a way to end the trip!!!

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