It’s the time of the year where we become more susceptible to the folly of the weather, and well, we have paid the price. Many trips are getting canceled due to wind and the resulting conditions.
Still, there have been breaks here and there, so some fishing has occurred. From my perspective, I’d like to see more fishing taking place. But Mother Nature doesn’t include my wishes in the weather forecast. So, with that in mind, let’s see what did happen when favorable windows did allow anglers to get on the water.
The crew and patrons of the Miss Avalon were able to squeeze in a nice blackfish trip before the wind arrived.
After starting the trip with a comfortable amount of wind, which helps any boat stay on a wreck or other structure, and experiencing good results while there, the wind dropped, and staying on the wreck became harder. It’s odd concerning wind, as too much is not good, but too little is also not a desired situation. There’s a comfort zone between the two extremes, about 10 to 12 knots, and that’s something to look for before venturing out.
On this day, though, the best conditions were early, and that’s when most of the fish were caught. The final tally had a few anglers finishing just short of their limit, while Austin Timpson walked away as that day’s pool winner with a 4.9-pound blackfish.
A trip prior to this one had a regular patron, Brett, win the pool with his 3.3-pound blackfish. Another angler, Joe, was able to catch his limit.
Word from Sea Isle Bait and Tackle was that Captain Zig and Joe G. both reported that big stripers were just off of Sea Isle. Upon heading out and dropping the line, both anglers proved their point. Both guys caught, and released, some nice-size striped bass. Later in the week Jimmy P. also checked in with a picture and word of a nice striper that he also caught off of Sea Isle.
The nice thing to remember is that you can’t fish over 3 miles off the beach for these fish. Obviously, that means that it’s a relatively short ride to the area where these fish are passing by. Yes, you may have to run up and down the beach to find the schools, but not having to go out farther than 3 miles is a nice thing.
The Starfish is sailing as the conditions allow, and when they have gotten out their patrons have been landing some nice keeper blackfish. They are also running a steady stream of eight-hour trips. Check out their Facebook page for an updated schedule and to see how to reserve a spot on the rail.
Captain Chuck, from the Sea Star III, reported that his patrons had good days of fishing, but those days were limited due to the wind that has hampered the fishing community lately. As he put it, “The winter winds have not been kind to us.”
With that being said, the action was “good” when they did get out, as limits were caught by the sharp anglers aboard. The two biggest fish were the pool winners of the week, including the 5-pounder caught by Win Cossaboon and the 7.75-pound fish caught by Tony Koska.
I want to send out a thank you to Diana and Joe at Cape May Bait and Tackle for allowing me to pass on their fishing reports and let everyone know what is going on, and where, and what you need to do to get on the fish. They recently closed their store for the season and, I’m sure, are looking forward to relaxing and catching up on other interests. Take care, and enjoy your time off and the holidays. They plan on opening up again when March rolls around.
Thanks are also going out to Mike at No Bones Bait and Tackle. Thanks for letting me pass on the fishing information that you provide and that helps all of us in the fishing community. Take care, and enjoy your break.
Starting next spring, we will have a new entry on the fishing scene, and this boat will be sailing out of South Jersey Marina in Cape May.
Adam Sneathen will be the captain of the new charter boat, the Atlantic Adventure. This is a new name for a boat with a local history. During her previous time in Cape May she was known as the Gallant Lady. She is a 50-foot Davis charter boat that is licensed to carry 23 passengers.
Adam plans on running for a wide variety of fish as the seasons dictate. Right now, though, he is preparing for a winter of work as he sets the boat up to his preferences. He’ll also be doing a lot of paperwork and planning his Coast Guard inspections as the work progresses. He plans on being fully operational by next spring.
Also in the works will be a social media page for the boat. Keep checking in for that, and for any new information that is being released. Many of us know Adam, so let’s congratulate him on his purchase and wish him the best of luck in his new endeavor. I also know many of us will be looking to go fishing with him next year, and in the years that follow.
Well, as we said, opportunities to fish are becoming rarer. You may be able to go, but the weather isn’t cooperating. And the next day, well, the factors flip and you have to work but the conditions are such that you could go fishing if work didn’t call. Good luck if you do get out, take care, and I’ll see you around.
Submit fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.
