New Jersey WAVE reels in great results in Ocean City
For the past ten days or so it is like there was an “Off Limits” sign on the ocean. There has been nothing major but there has been a string of annoying events that have really churned up the water and created very dangerous swimming conditions for the bathers. As a result there is not a great deal to report from out in the open water.
However, the inlets and back waters have been doing their part to keep up the action, especially on summer flounder. The Mendenhall Bills, senior and junior, from Downingtown are well known for their flattie catching prowess. They are experts on the bays behind Margate where they seem to know every deep hole and hiding place. On one recent trip they hooked an amazing 117 flounder. But, of all those fish, just four were of legal size. But, with that action they had to have had fun.
Let’s also give a shoutout to 8-year old Kyleigh Fineberg of Lancaster who went fishing with her family behind Wildwood and she landed the first keeper flounder of her young fishing career. Those waters behind the Wildwoods has been very productive this summer. Bucktails with Gulp seem to be the bait of choice.
Up in Great Bay anglers are seeing good action on the flatties around marker 132. There also is excellent crabbing up there. But, honestly, crabbing has been more than good just about everywhere.
Because of the unsettled conditions anglers in the know around Atlantic City have been visiting the seawall to escape the water breaking over the inlet jetties. There they have been getting flounder and triggerfish. Avalon’s 8th Street jetty also has been good on the triggers recently.
Before conditions went to pot the Old Grounds was starting to come alive. Unless you are running out of southern Cape May County this is a pretty long run but for the past several years this has been the number one flounder spot.
At over 100 years old, the Ocean City Fishing Club is the nations oldest salt water fishing organization and they are noted for their community activities, such as awarding a college scholarship to a deserving Ocean City High School graduate each June.
More recently they hosted a large group of youngsters who are part of N.J. WAVE. That stands for New Jersey Wonderful Adolescent Ventilator Excursion. These kids are live with maladies that have left them with medical ventilation needs, feeding tubes or round the clock care.
They were brought onto the club’s pier at 14th Street and the Boardwalk in Ocean City and each was given an opportunity to try their fishing luck. Several were rewarded with small sand sharks. Ten youngsters took part in this great annual event, now in its fifth year.
If you haven’t yet heard, the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month passed what is known as the Modern Fish Act. This could result in major revisions to recreational salt water fishing, many for the good. It is intended to ease catch restrictions and has a number of conservation regs as well. The only catch in this is that it also must be passed by the Senate by the end of this session or the whole process will have to start all over again. The bill is facing some stiff opposition from many, if not most, environmental groups.
Just a head’s up. The New Jersey Striped Bass Bonus Program will reopen Sept. 1. You must be signed up to participate. Just check the state fish and wildlife web site for information. That is www.njfishandwildlife.com.
ACROSS THE BAY
Ocean conditions have been no better for those of you fishing in Delaware and Maryland. But, like New Jersey, the back waters are coming to the rescue. The Henlopen Pier has been quite exciting with plenty of spot, croaker and flounder being caught. I’ll bet at least 90% of the successful anglers are using squid and bloodworms.
The Lewes Canal has been really good all summer and it remains so. Along with slot bass falling for eels, there are loads of summer flounder, although most are shorts. Roosevelt Inlet also has been good.
Before the ocean conditions shut things down, Site 11, the Old Grounds and the DelJersey Reef were alive with flounder and scads of sea bass.