It’s practically the end of the season for one of the most popular fisheries in our area. The summer flounder season officially ends tomorrow, but there is still time to add some more filets to your freezer, something that you can enjoy during a cold winter night, and a reminder of enjoyable, warm days on the water.
Nice fluke, including one really big one, were caught since the last column, so nice fish are still around. Get out and give it your best shot. Also, don’t forget that the next portion of sea bass season opens today, with a bag limit of 10 fish with a minimum size of 12.5 inches. Let’s check out what happened last week.
Cameron, at Boulevard Bait and Tackle, had anglers stopping in and grabbing bait before heading out for the final weekend of flounder fishing. The reefs, back bays and the inlet were the places to be.
One angler, Tony T., who was fishing from an inlet beach, scored the “the fish of a lifetime.” He checked in to show off his 29.25-inch, 9.46-pound fluke. That big fish fell for a fresh mullet that was being presented on a mullet rig. Congratulations on a great fish.
C.J., at Moran’s Dockside Bait and Tackle, reported on some nice action over the weekend. Anglers were making the most of their opportunities.
Vincenzo, who caught a nice keeper last week, caught another nice-sized keeper while fishing the local inlet. Joining him on the flounder roll call, with two nice keepers of her own, was Donna Giles, who caught them at Townsends Inlet while using some fresh mullet as bait. Another catch to note from the weekend was made by Carson Niedzielski. He walked into the shop, after fishing at Townsends Inlet, with a 13-pound sheepshead. Crab was the bait that did this nice fish in.
The Miss Avalon finished up the flounder season and is now looking straight at the opening of sea bass season. They’ll be hitting the reefs and wrecks looking for sea bass and tog (one keeper per angler). They’ll also take any triggerfish that are still hanging around. Make your reservations at 609-967-7455 or at missavalon.com.
The Starfish will also be focusing on sea bass as everyone’s attention turns that way. Book online or call 609-263-3800 to grab a seat.
The anglers on the Sailor’s Delight were catching both short and keeper flounder through the end of the season. One surprising catch that was recently made in the back bay was a baby cobia. It hit an offering of a blue Bay Treat teamed with a piece of cut bait.
The captains at the Sailor’s Delight Back Bay Fishing fleet are now taking reservations for their fall tog trips. They will hit the rock piles and jetties in the area looking for those hard-fighting fish. They took an exploratory trip recently that resulted in both keeper and throwback tog. Sea bass and big oyster crackers also provided some action during the trip.
The Starlight Fleet is planning their trips for sea bass season. Election Day and Black Friday are popular days for trips, but they also sail on plenty of other days. They are accepting reservations at 609-729-7776 or starlightfleetnj.com.
Captain Chuck, on the Sea Star III, was looking to finish the summer flounder season with a bang and with a stretch of decent weather. The past week caused him to split his trips between the Delaware Bay and the local reefs.
When fishing the bay, his patrons were trying for croakers, small bluefish and any weakfish that may be in the area. The reef targets were fluke and triggerfish.
The pool winners over the last week were dominated by Frank Servocky. Frank, who fishes often, won the daily pool three times last week. He won during two bay trips with a croaker one day, then with a bluefish, and finished his trifecta by catching a 3.5-pound fluke. Dave Gould also won during the week by weighing in a 5.75-pound fluke.
Captain Chuck will now focus on sea bass as their season opens today. The Sea Star III leaves the dock daily at 9 a.m., then returns at 3 p.m.
The Miss Chris finished the flounder season with flounder, triggerfish and bluefish. With sea bass season opening back up, now would be the time to book your trips. Check out their schedule at CapeMayFisherman.com.
Jim’s Bait and Tackle reported some good late-season flounder results as the guys from the Double Dutch weighed in 8.9- and 7.1-pound flounder.
Hands Too Bait and Tackle had pictures of a 12.4-pound fluke and a 6.4-pound fluke that were caught by two unidentified anglers. Hopefully, we’ll get more information about these nice catches.
The Ocean City Fishing Club recently held their 56th annual Surf Fishing Tournament. Some 105 anglers, spread among 17 teams, plus 12 individuals fished on a day that featured 30 mph northeast winds. Regardless of that, the conditions were fishable on a mostly outgoing tide.
The totals at the tournament’s conclusion had 130 fish being caught. Bluefish led the way, with kingfish, a sundial and a 10-inch pompano filling out the list of fish caught.
The team Merchantville A won the team title for the second year in a row. The team scored 369.25 points as they caught 23 bluefish and two kingfish. They beat the second-place team, American Anglers White, by more than 100 points. Points were awarded based on species, number of fish caught and the size of those fish.
Individual winners were Kevin Grieves of Merchantville A, who scored 112.5 to win the “most fish points for an individual” category. He caught seven bluefish and one kingfish.
The largest fish by a lady angler category was won by Kristy Rodano, a member of the Creek Keepers team, as she landed a 16-inch bluefish. The largest fish by a male angler was won by Chuck Blubnyts, from team Seasick, as he landed a 17.25-inch bluefish. The top honor in the youth division was won by Seasick member Charlie DeComa. He caught two bluefish.
The tournament is held in coordination with the Association of Surf Angling Clubs and is supported by local organizations and businesses that donate prizes.
The Ocean City Fishing Club, founded in 1913, is the oldest continuously operating fishing club in the United States. They look forward to hosting the 57th edition of the tournament next year and hope even more anglers will participate.
Thank you to Michelle and Rich Derer for sending a report and pictures about their recent outing. Rich caught a 19-inch flounder in Turtle Creek, while Michelle bested him with her 24-inch flattie she caught near Lighthouse Point Marina. Thanks for following the column and sending word of your catches.
Well, it was a great finish to the summer flounder season. Some large fish helped the season to end on a high note, and immediately made many think about next year’s flounder season. Other catches, like the big sheepshead and the tog, give us thoughts of what the next few weeks will be like. And then thoughts will drift to even later in the fall. For now, good luck if you get out, take care, and I’ll see you around.
Submit fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.
