It’s that slow time after the holidays. Trips are still occurring, but are scarce compared to even just a month ago. We’ll check out what we have, but before that I hope you got all the fishing gear that you wished for and that you may have already had an opportunity to put it to good use. If not, it’s tough to look at your new rod and reel without wondering what you might catch with it, once the chance arises. Use your time wisely though by prepping your new gear, particularly your reels, so they’re ready to go. Let’s check things out.
The Starfish got out Tuesday so they could chase some blackfish. I’m sure some of the anglers had some new gear to check out, and hopefully they were among the anglers that landed some of the nice keepers that were caught that day.
The Starfish plans on sailing daily at 8am, weather permitting, through the month of January. Call 609-263-3800 or book online at starfishboats.com.
The Starlight is running offshore trips for sea bass. The most recent was an 18-hour trip that left at midnight on Wednesday morning. They returned with plenty of coolers and buckets filled with nice-sized sea bass. Robin Jung won the pool with a 5.25-pound sea bass, plus he limited out. Others with catches of note were Sean Horner with a limit and bass to 5-pounds, Joe Rivers (a limit with bass to 4.75-pounds), Kevin Keenan (a limit with bass to 5-pounds) and Tonu Mateu with a limit of bass to 4.5-pounds. Check online to see when the next trip will be.
Captain Paul is handling the blackfish trips for the Starlight Fleet. They are 8-hour trips that leave the dock at 7:30am and can be booked online.
His most recent trip, right after the holiday, had a group of anglers that finished with 20 keepers. It was a slow pick, but some anglers persevered better than others. One of those was Mike Youcis who caught his limit. He also won the daily pool since one of those keepers was a 6-pounder.
The Miss Avalon has officially wrapped up their season. Captains Irv and Brandon want to thank everyone for a great season.
They will have booths at both the Wildwood Fishing and Boating Expo (this Saturday and Sunday) and the Philadelphia Fishing Show from February 16th through the 18th. Free trips and a gift basket will be raffled off. Gift certificates will be available through their website at www.missavalon.com.
Thanks Irv, Brandon, Captain Sam and the rest of the crew for your reports and pictures each week. They are very valuable to my weekly columns and Facebook page. Thanks, enjoy your break, and I’ll see you in the spring when we ramp it up again.
Len Fenimore, a friend and steady contributor to our column, reached out to report on his latest outing. Thanks Len for the latest report and please keep them coming.
Len and his crew were fishing with Captain Tom aboard Tom’s boat, the Fishin’ Fever. Their day started out with some deep drops that produced a nice, steady pick of keepers and shorts. As the day went on, and they progressed toward the dock, they stopped at some shallower reef targets. While here, Rob McHugh was able to land a hefty 8-pound male while fishing a jig.
After the final count at the dock, they totaled 20 keepers. After cleaning the catch, everyone was able to go home with a nice bag of tasty filets.
Don’t forget that the Wildwood Fishing and Boating Expo is this Saturday and Sunday at the Wildwood Convention Center. The first fishing and boating expo of 2024 will have vendors, boats, and seminars available for you to check out.
Fishing opportunities may be getting slim, but good luck if you get out. Take care, and I’ll see you around.
