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Lighthouse View Bait & Tackle, 14884 Bay Road, Lewes, DE (2026)

03/31/2023

Viewing for David will be Monday night, April 3, 2023 at Parsell funeral home in Lewes, Delaware. 7 to 9 PM. Funeral services will be held at Bethel United Methodist Church in Lewes, Delaware. 11 AM Tuesday, April 4, 2023.

03/28/2023

David/Randy passed away at 6:09 this morning. I will post information about services once we have everything scheduled.

12/22/2022

Cmon, you procrastinators. I think the bid is due in early January and this is not some one page application. Someone jump on this, it was a blast!

12/14/2022

Hey everyone, its the Dave the dead guy who hasn't had the sense to listen to the doctors who said I'd be gone by mid July. No idea why, but I'm still here. Anyway, the reason for this post is that the State of Delaware is having a hard time replacing me as operator of the pier tackle shop concession, so I thought of all of you guys and wondered if any of you were crazy enough to try it. I had a ten year lease - the expiration of which timed nicely with my getting game ending cancer. So I was gonna be outta there anyway. Here's the scoop - if you have any interest in the job of tackle shop operator, you need to contact DNREC. There is a non manditory pre bid meeting at the pier on Thursday, Jan 5. Its basically a walkthru to let you see what is there and to think what you'd need. Questions must be submitted by Jan 12. answers will be provided on the state website one week later. The deadline to submit a proposal to operate the shop is Feb 8. You can probably google CHSP tackle shop RFP, or look for Delaware RFBs or call DNREC and they can point you in the right direction. 302-739-9918
The new bid is for a five year lease with an option to extend another five years if you haven't screwed it up. They basically want a tackle component, food of some sort, and drinks, and you have quite a bit of freedom to do what you want with the rest of the building. The lease is April 1 thur Oct 31. I'd be happy to point you toward reputable suppliers and there is limited amt of tackle, display shelves, refrigeration, golf cart, etc in the building which I would sell at below cost just to get you off on the right foot. Its a fun job. It takes long hours, the ability and desire to interact with the customer courteously, and the local knowledge to guide your customers - who are 90% non or very casual anglers. Whether you make $ at it depends on how well you manage costs of purchases, the expenses of payroll, and a sales price that is fair for all. I would be more than happy to answer any questions from anyone. If I hadnt come down with this bellyache, I'd be bidding myself........Use my email [email protected]
Dave

09/27/2022

Well, it sure sounds strange, but Lighthouse View Tackle is closed - forever........2022 certainly was ...... different. My late June liver cancer diagnosis pretty much finished my year there-which was not how I envisioned concluding my 11 year run as the pier concessionaire. Yes, my lease is up, and the cancer will prevent me from being able to bid again, but I just wanted to take a moment to reflect over how much fun I’ve had over the past decade there. To have a job where you are surrounded by fishermen and future fishermen, and day trippers who just want to have a day doing something fun and different - what more could a guy ask for? To take a couple of kids out on the sand flats and show them how to clam, to take a kid who has never caught a fish out onto the pier, bloodworm him up, and watch the sheer joy on his face as he lifts a double over the railing, to hook into a big blue and turn the rod over to a teenager- what a job I was blessed with! And then there were the Pier Rats - the guys and gals who spent seemingly every spare moment of their time out on the pier. Some of the names go way back - but then so do I, I guess.....Bob Burton used to own a tackle shop on Lewes Beach back during the big sea trout runs. He would wander in the shop for a cup of coffee every morning and we’d shoot the bull. Quiet, extremely knowledgeable, great sense of humor. His brother Freddie was the polar opposite - ever more knowledgeable than his brother when it came to the day to day movements of bait - and folks? If you know where the bait it, you know where the fish are. Freddie was what I grew up calling a “progger”. He was always out on the marsh or water, during every season of the year, and could tell you where the terrapins were dug in, where the little schoolie stripers were stacked up, where the ducks and geese were, where to find minnows during the early spring perch run. You name it - if it had to do with the outdoors, Freddie was your man. Bill Smith. Sheww what a character. Always had an opinion and willing to express it. But had a ton of time spent behind a fishing rod and was always there with an answer to your question. Lenard - the Mayor of the Pier, Flounder Steve, Bobby, Doug, Very, Eric, Ms. Connie, and so many more whose faces I saw all the time but whose names escape my failing memory-you guys brightened my day every time I saw you. With this cancer deal I’ve been too weak to get out there with you this summer but boy I’ve missed you all. Guess it’ll have me before spring, but wow, the memories you all gave me. Thanks for a fun decade y’all!

08/26/2022

Long update!! Spot bite has been fluctuating as usual. HOWEVER, the local spot masters have been out there catching 80-150 a day and calling it "slow"... Spot bite got HOT today with the turn of the tide and are catching some yellow bellies 2-4 at a time on bloods (if you can find them), lugs and fishbites on small hooks. Also some random spadefish and sheepshead have been making it over the rail these past couple weeks. Plus the schoolie stripers are still lurking around and being caught on shiners and live candy sized spot. We are still open 7 days a week 7am-8pm everyday!!!

07/27/2022

Pier Rat Aaron with a 7.5 lb flounder caught on son’s charter boat Surface Tension. Fishing for a number of species has been good. Shark, flounder, tuna, tog - give Keith a call 302-249-4599

07/10/2022

Hung out at the pier for four hours this busy afternoon, and I can tell you first hand that the Spot bite is in full swing. One of the Pier Rats told me it was fast and furious and spread out along the whole pier on the morning high tide, and it is certainly like that right now. As usual, bloodworms are scarcer than unicorns. We scored three flats and they went in less than two hours. One guy showed up with a bag he brought from Annapolis and he said five different anglers offered him $25 for the dozen. He declined and solid bailed the Spot two at a time. Most people have given up on finding bloods and have switched to the alien lugworms. Since I gave Tre and Carson a free hand, they have been experimenting with all sorts of wormlike critters. So yeah, since Maine can no longer supply any of us consistently, Tre and Carson have decided to stock any kind of worm they can get. Bloods, lugs, sand, earth, you name it. Fishbites are doing well too. So come catch some Spot while they are slamming them. We have worms of some sort for you......

07/06/2022

Man, I apologize for the lack of posts, but I picked the brains of several of the Pier Rats, talked to the tackle shop crew, and snuck Ms Connie a Snickers Bar for a look in her cooler. First, Spot. Not a consistent bang bang bang three at a time yet, but there have been some days where Spotshots like Ms Connie have put well over 50 in the cooler. Top baits, in order, are bloodworms, Fishbites, and basically any worm like creature, Small hooks, go out at least to the cage, and you should catch some at any time, possibly a mess of them. Croakers? Quite a few but barely legal. They will bite a wider variety of baits, including squid and shrimp. Measure carefully, undersized croakers account for the majority of tickets handed out by rangers. Flounder? Hit or miss, I’d call it. Even the good days there are a lot of shorts - despite what the ruler says, 16” is the minimum size. Best baits are minnows, Gulp, cut Spot strips, or squid. Stripers? The ones I’m seeing are all from a foot to maybe 18” - couple inches short of slot size. They will eat pretty much any bait you throw over. Fish close to the pilings for them. Lot of big cow nose rays cruising around so don’t leave your rod unattended. Want something bigger? Catch a small Spot of maybe 4 to 5”, put him on a circle hook under a float, and toss him out there. That method has accounted for trout up to 5 lbs, flounder of around 4lbs, stripers up to 40 plus inches, some random bluefish, and quite a few sharks. Not fast fishing but if something hits it, it’s going to be a big fish. Crabbing remains steady with the usual high percentage of egg carrying females. Fun for the kids. Clamming? Walk way down the beach to get to where others seldom go. And always hit the higher tides unless you want to clam! Good luck!

07/05/2022

Saylor Wheland with a Striper this morning. Spot and Croaker being caught too. Couple flounder but no monsters for sure.

06/24/2022

Snuck out to the pier for a last afternoon and helped Nate in the shop. Good to see some of the Pier Rats in such a beautiful day! Tyler Graden is out there doing his usual clinic on the trout and flounder fishing. Spot bite is decent on bloodworms. Lot of small flounder. Got plenty of bloods, but no minnows. Minnows are scarce in tackle shops in the area. I’d give them a call if you definitely can’t fish without them. To me, the best bait for the flounder and trout is either a live Spot or strips of fileted Spot. Have a great summer y’all!

06/23/2022

Guess this isn’t going to be a typical LHV post. Every once in awhile, life throws you a curve, and my cancer diagnosis a few days ago was a doozy. “Malignant” is an attention getting word for sure. Anyway, after a ten year run at the pier, I’m stepping down as of this Saturday while they figure out a game plan for me. Tre Michael Elliott worked at the tackle shop as Manager for three years in 17, 18, and 19 and will be taking over as CEO in my place. Tre will have complete autonomy in running the business and I have full confidence in him. On a personal note, the past decade at LHV has been one of the most enjoyable of my life. The dedication and antics of a constantly changing crew of coworkers, the always evolving evolution of Pier Rats - from Bob and Freddie Burton to old Bill Smith to Lenard Ruebeck to the current crop of obsessed anglers, the never ending variety of fish and fishermen - and what a location for an office! I may not leave as a millionaire, but I leave rich in memories and friendships, which we all know that money can’t buy. Hopefully I’ll be around for awhile yet- maybe I’ll see you out by the cage drowning some minnows! Take care, y’all...... Dave out......

Lighthouse View Bait & Tackle

03/31/2023

03/28/2023

12/22/2022

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09/27/2022

08/26/2022

07/27/2022

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