Fishing season beginning to hit its peak at the shore
I guess if there is such a thing as the peak of the summer fishing season this is it. While back bay activity for flounder has slowed a bit, it has been more than made up for out in the ocean.
I don’t know whether this catch belongs in the Jersey portion of the report or the Across the Bay section. But, a south Jersey angler landed an immense 13.5-pound flounder last week. He left out of Cape May but would give no details on where he went to catch the doormat. If I had to speculate I would say the best bests would be the Old Grounds or Site 11 off Delaware. But, there also is a possibility of the Cape May Reef. For the record, the fish measured 33.5-inches. A number of other double-digit flatties have been weighed in the past seven days but there was nothing even close to a 13-pounder. Here’s something to file away if the f lounder bite gets slow. Some anglers recently have been doing well using strips of sea robin.
The reefs definitely have kicked in after a very slow start. Nine-year-old Tommy Miller of Medford, N. J., landed a 7.04-pound flat fish while he was fishing with Tom Gillespie of West Chester. Tommy hooked into it off 15th Street in Ocean City. Little J. T. Hilgerty of West Grove got himself a nice keeper flounder while fishing with his grandpa, David Cooper of Kenneth Square
Little Egg Inlet has quietly become a good flounder spot. Most are too short to keep but there are keepers to be had and enough of the shorts that your rod does a lot of bending. The inlet also is holding some triggerfish, sea bass and porgies.
The various headboats have been enjoying fine success lately. On the Royal Flush out of Wildwood we received reports of a nice sea bass catch by Roman Carpenter of Pottstown and triggerfish by Kathy Batot of Plymouth Meeting.
Moving offshore a bit, trollers are hooking up with impressive numbers of mahi and false albacore and there are some tailor blues mixed in just for fun.
Out in the deep billfish are the name of the game. White marlin seem to be just about everywhere and there even are some swordfish beginning to show. Big eye tuna also have moved in. Last week’s Ocean City Marlin and Tuna Club Overnight Billfish Tournament produced some dramatic results. The heaviest fishes entered were all big eyes, the largest of which went 277.5-pounds. The biggest sword weighed in at 155.5-pounds and the largest mahi were a pair each weighing 37.5-pounds. Most all of the white marlin hooked up were released.
For as long as anyone can remember the jetties poking into Absecon Inlet at Atlantic City have been hot spots for catching fish. The water off them is deep enough to float a container ship. But, now that fishing area may face a shutdown. The casino city is rebuilding its boardwalk in that area and there is plenty of speculation that when the work is completed the “No Fishing” signs will go up. Noel Feliciano of One Stop Bait and Tackle in AC is spearheading a petition drive to allow continued access to the rock piles. Many other shops have jumped in so if you see one of the petitions, please sign it.
There was a massive fish kill up in north Jersey last week. Millions of peanut bunker died, apparently from oxygen starvation caused when there were chased into shallow water, probably by bluefish.
ACROSS THE BAY
Inshore fishing in Delaware and Maryland is going great guns. Anglers at Herring Point are reporting good catches of big croakers, kingfish and blues in the surf. The surf also is housing small weakies, sharks and pompano. The Lewes Canal has slot sized stripers but they are being hounded by sharks. Another area for croakers is just outside Indian River Inlet around the red can buoy. The Old Grounds is the place to be for flounder and sea bass with many out there coming home limited out.
The canyon reports are identical to those coming out of Jersey. It is mainly a white marlin bite with plenty of mahi to take up the slack when the billfish action slows.
Oyster Bay Tackle down in Ocean City says the back water fishing is not bad, but there is a pretty high throwback to keeper ratio. In the surf you can expect to find spot, kingfish and snapper blues.
••• It has been said that one man’s boondoggle is another man’s profit. That appears to be the case and those profiting will be Delaware’s, and to a certain extent New Jersey’s and Maryland’s, anglers. Those committing the boondoggle are the members of the Delaware River and Bay Author- ity, the operators of the Cape May-Lewes Ferry.
Some years ago the agency completely remodeled their ferry Twin Capes to the tune of millions of dollars. They almost immediately found the vessel was way too costly to operate and some say unstable. They put the boat up for sale several years ago without any serious interest. All the while the ferry remained tied to its slip in Cape May.
Believe me, this remodeled ferry was beautiful and now it appears its days are numbered. The Authority is going to sell it for $250,000 to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources which intends to tow the 320-foot craft into the ocean and sink it for an artificial reef.
I don’t know how long the process will take but hopefully by next season there will be another big piece of reef material out there.
To me it always is sad to see ship sink, but at least it will not be going to some scrap yard.