King fish dominate but they’re not alone

Inshore and back water fishing continues going great guns here at the Jersey shore. You still have to deal with some wind, especially in the afternoon, but the fishing has been quite good.

While kingfish continue to dominate in the surf, they are not alone. You can expect a mixed bag of fish including, spot, triggers, pompano, cobia, sea bass and even a couple of red drum. Just remember that the red drum must be at least 18-inches long to be legal.

The back bays continue holding some summer flounder, although the vast, vast majority will be undersized. A mile or two up in the rivers be on the lookout for perch. And,

we are starting to see more and more blowfish on the scene.

Back bay crabbing remains good to excellent. If you are using the always popular fold down sides crab trap you might be surprised to find some blowfish in it when you bring it to the surface. And, a reminder that all so-called commercial crab traps must have turtle excluder devices installed. Turtles will enter those traps to get at the bait but they will drown when they can’t get out. Two young fellows got quite annoyed last week when I mentioned that they traps did not have the turtle devices on them. One even threatened to “tell my dad”!

Moving to the reefs, expect to find more summer flounder, although with the same high throwback to keeper ratio as in the back.

It is a recognized fact that very few male flounder reach the 18-inch state minimum size. So, that means that in New Jersey waters the vast majority of keepers are the breeding females. Unfortunately, it is another well recognized fact that most flounder being released do not survive their ordeal.

Off we go to the deep water. The season’s first credible report of a blue marlin is in. The anglers who got it were fishing out in Tom’s Canyon and they estimated the released fish to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 400-pounds.

But, it continues to be the bluefin and yellowfin tuna that make up the bulk of the offshore action. Quite a few mahi also are around. Deep water jiggers continue lugging up impressive tilefish.

You don’t have to go far into the ocean to find some serious action. Anglers dragging lines as close as 10 miles from the beach are hooking up bonito, spanish macks and a few bluefish.

The Ocean City Exchange Club is staging its 33rd Annual Bay and Ocean Fishing Tournament on July 20. The targeted fish are flounder and blues with a top prize of $1,000 in each of those categories. The Exchange Club is working with the Ocean City American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars organizations to fund an All Wars Memorial to be placed in the city’s Veteran’s Park. You can register online at www.ocxc.org. Just to be on the up-and-up, I am a member of the Ocean City American Legion chapter.

ACROSS THE BAY

In Delaware Bay the summer slot striper season has opened. That means you can keep two linesiders between 20 and 25 inches. Stripers under 20 inches and over 25 are not legal.

With the possible exception of the upper Delaware Bay fishing has been going great guns. Speculation is that all the rain has lowered the salinity of the upper bay water so the salt water fish are avoiding the area.

Elsewhere, trout and flounder are hanging out at Miah Maull and Crossledge and the lower bay reef sites are jamming with flatties, trout, kingfish, triggers, croakers and spot. Kingies and spot also are reported at Broadkill and South Bowers Beach.

Anglers on the Cape Henlopen State Park Pier are loading in the spot, with bloodworms being the bait of choice, both for the anglers and the fish. The Lewes and Rehoboth Canal continues giving up summer flounder. Kingfish remain the fish of choice on the various beaches.

Out on the inshore reef sites there is a pretty good variety of flounder, triggerfish, sea bass and ling. Around Fenwick Shoal trollers are picking up spanish mackerel and bluefish. There also are a few cobia mixed in with them.

At Massey’s Canyon and the Hot Dog the main bite has been bluefin tuna and dolphin. And, like New Jersey, the deep wrecks are harboring plenty of big tilefish.