Another group of anglers blames the nuclear plant on the Delaware River, as by its own report a few years ago, it was revealed that the intake waters of the two plants kill at least 27 million weakfish annually. But the greatest concern why the weakfish have declined is by those who blame the netters along the Carolinas for impacting the schools of trout that leave our shore each fall and winter over off the Carolina coast. Whatever the problem is, it must be corrected if we are to have any good weakfish angling in coming years.

In New Jersey, fishing communities along the Delaware Bay were devastated last year. Fortescue has been known as the "Weakfish Capital Of The World" for many years, but it could hardy claim that title last year. All fishing-related businesses on the Delaware and Jersey shores suffered. If it hadn't been for a heavy influx of decent-size croakers and fair flounder action, all would have been lost. But once again, we have to be optimistic and hope that last year was the exception rather than the rule and that weakfish will once again return in good numbers to Delaware Bay --and beyond.

Look for the weakfish to arrive sometime in the middle of April, though they probably won't start feeding until May. The first hint of the season beginning in earnest is when those anglers casting bloodworms and bucktails from the jetties at Cape May Point latch into some larger fish.

Soon after, those anglers fishing the lighthouses along the shipping channel will encounter some larger weakfish. Fishermen working the grass patches around the sod banks on both sides of the bay will catch weakies on shedder crab or chicken. This will be followed by the more numerous, and smaller, summertime weakfish. These fish will be a couple of pounds at tops. This body of fish will provide party and charter boats, along with lots of private craft, a summer of good weakfish action. Shedder crab is without doubt the top bait and will catch just about any fish that swims, along with weakfish.

On the Jersey side, look for fish from the Cohansey River down through the middle bay and into the Maurice River Cove. Delaware anglers can utilize the waters from off Bowers Beach down to the Shears off Lewes and out to the lighthouses and Blakes Channel. Fishermen in Delaware Bay should keep in mind that the laws on weakfish are often different, as they are for many other species as well.

Fishermen in Raritan and Barnegat bays should see about the same time schedule as in Delaware Bay. According to Captain Al Ristori, the best bet for Raritan Bay anglers is to drift sandworms. Fishermen in the Barnegat Bay area will use quarts of grass shrimp to get the weakies in the cooler. In most all cases, weakfish will stick around until mid-October before heading down along the coast.

In Maryland, weakfish were hardly a consideration last year, said outdoor writer Eric Burnley of Milton, Delaware. The weakfish action has been poor for several years now in the Chesapeake Bay area. Besides that, the number of croakers present makes it tough to keep your peeler crab on the hook even when the fishing shows signs of being good.

If weakfish do come back this season, we'll know by early spring.