All about that bass: Sea bass season a hit in Southern Jersey
Sea bass seem to be everywhere around south Jersey. Most boats venturing out are coming home with the majority of people aboard limited out. For the most part the best fishing is in the deeper water, say 80 to 100 feet. But, out there some of the fish are getting close to 5-pounds, not gigantic but still impressive.
While you are out there catching all those sea bass, don’t be surprised if you also hook into an occasional triggerfish, tailor bluefish, porgy or blowfish.
Striped bass fishing has yet to catch fire. There are plenty of shorts around and once-in-awhile a slot fish. There’s just nothing big to report.
Up behind Long Beach Island, the knowledgeable anglers are heading toward the old fish plant in Little Egg. There they are locating the deeper holes and they are finding some weakfish. Again, there are no tide runners but they are credible fish. To the south, Corson’s Inlet also is the home to small weakies and bluefish. If you are not familiar with Corson’s get some local knowledge before you venture out. This area has plenty of shifting shallow water shoals.
On the beaches, the casters are finding OK catches of kingfish with some pompano and spot for variety. In fact, some anglers are reporting quite large schools of pompano swimming in the surf. Schools of mullet seem to be the key to holding those fish along the surf line.
If you have an interest in larger bluefish, head out several miles and start looking for bunker schools. These are the larger bunker and they are attracting those choppers. The bunker schools tend to be huge so getting a blue to select your bait over so much live bait makes it a crap-shoot but well worth it if your get a hook-up.
There finally is some improving activity out in the real deep water. Anywhere from the 40 Fathom Line to the canyons there have been yellowfin and bluefin tuna and even a few rather rare blackfin tuna, along with abundant mahi. The yellows seem to be running between 30 and 45-pounds, while the blues have been getting close to the 90-pound mark. Blackfin tend to be more in the teens. Some of the boats also are hitting on the tilefish but that is not my idea of fun, lugging a fish of considerable weight up from perhaps 900 feet.
Many, many years ago I remember catching quite a few blackfin while we were out trolling for mahi and bluefish, but then they disappeared from the local scene. It is good to hear they might be making a return to the south Jersey area.
Remember, it is always illegal to catch striped bass out in federal waters and the Coast Guard has begun its annual ritual of patrolling those areas looking for people catching stripers out there. The “I didn’t know” excuse will not work and you probably will be cited. ACROSS THE BAY >> There is all sorts of fishing action in Delaware and Maryland waters. I suppose I should start listing it in the order in which it was received.
Down around Ocean City the flounder action has been fair but the sheepshead action has been good. Some of these have been weighing up to 13-pounds.
In the lower Delaware Bay, reef sites 6, 7 and 8 have had all kind of fish, including weakies, flounder, croaker, spot, bluefish, triggerfish and sheepshead. With all of that it probably is a surprise every time you reel-in a fish. In the upper portions of the big bay most of what is being catch are perch and catfish. And, around the outer wall there are more of those big 13-pound range sheepshead. The usual baits are sand fleas and green crabs.
On the Cape Henlopen State Park pier anglers using bloodworms have been loading up on spot and croakers but those small bluefish are making a habit of stealing those pricy worms before the spot and croaks can get to them.
Striped bass fishing has been very good at the Del-Jersey Reef with many anglers reporting limits. The Old Grounds seems to have slowed with only a few flounder and sea bass reported.
Head for Fenwick Shoal if you are after big bluefish and Spanish mackerel and offshore most of what I have heard concerns good mahi and white marlin fishing.
Surf fishing has been slow lately.