Well, we were done in again by the wind and rain. Nothing new there, but it cuts down on the fishing that was accomplished. Still, we have news from around our fishing world, including a June flounder tournament that we will let you know about. And there actually was some fishing to report on, so let’s get going.
The Miss Avalon was scheduled to start its season last Friday. We’ll be looking for reports from them real soon. Since my deadline is the same morning, we’ll be checking in with them to see how things went. Hopefully, the weather cooperated and they got some good trips in.
The Starfish, from Sea Isle, is looking toward the opening of sea bass season on May 17. They plan to head out at 8 that morning. You can book a reservation online at www.starfishboats.com or call 609-263-3800.
The Sea Star III, which recently passed all of its Coast Guard inspections, is now plying the seas for blackfish. Captain Chuck opened the season this past Friday, April 18, and is now sailing daily at 9 a.m.
In May, he will be pulling double-duty, with day trips followed by late afternoon trips for drum fish. These outings, known to regulars as Captain Chuck’s Prime Time Drum Fish Trips, require a reserved seat, so don’t delay in calling 609-884-3421 to get yours.
The Miss Chris, the dockmate of the Sea Star III, is also prepping for its season. They run four-hour trips that you can check out at CapeMayFisherman.com.
The Atlantic Star, which sails out of South Jersey Marina in Cape May, is sailing whenever the weather allows and a private group, or an open boat of anglers, is lined up. They are sailing for blackfish.
The first trip following our recent weekend of nasty weather produced some nice blackfish with two double-digit fish and a couple that were close. Other keepers were also caught as the anglers worked hard for their catches. Some days at the reefs and wrecks produce great drops, while other days make you work hard. Such is the life of those of us who love to spend a day chasing blackfish.
Captain Bob, from Full Ahead Sport Fishing, Cape May, took advantage of a little weather window and was able to fish two days in a row. The same group had the boat both days and had good action on the first day, even better results on the second.
Thursday saw plenty of action with some keepers mixed in, while Friday saw more keeper-size fish caught. Those aboard caught their boat limit while doing the sportsmanlike gesture of releasing some females to spawn for another day. The highlight of the second day of action was the angler who caught two double-header keepers. You have to believe that the angler probably figured he had nice double-digit fish on both times.
Sea Isle Bait and Tackle reported that an angler, Dom V., enjoyed a nice afternoon of blackfishing on a recent nice day. For his efforts, Dom caught his limit of four keepers. That does make for a nice day of fishing.

Boulevard Bait and Tackle is helping to promote the Second Annual Slack Tide Flounder Tournament. Save the date of Saturday, June 14, if you want to get involved. There will be more information to follow.
Higbee’s Bait and Tackle reported a slow period to the weekend that could have been expected due to the weather. As the week progressed and the weather turned better, the beach action kicked up, with some stripers over 31 inches being caught, then returned to the bay.
One striper that fell into the keeper slot went to Dom Maggio, who landed a 29.5-incher. As the conditions improve and fish move down from the Delaware River into the bay, the feeling is that the action will pick up. Still into the store: Grab your bloodworms and hit the beach.
Fishing is slowly picking up, and the chances to get out are slowly increasing. With that, you can say things are moving in the right direction. Good luck if you get out, take care, and I’ll see you around.
Submit fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.