It was another week with good results for those who were able to get out and fish. Some trips were canceled due to the weather, but on the trips that did get out, there were happy anglers with some nice-sized sea bass. The reefs and deepwater spots were where the local boats were fishing and recording some good results. Let’s check out how they did.
Captain Chuck, from the Sea Star III, reported that his patrons had another solid week of catching sea bass. They had a nice mix of throwbacks and keepers on each trip, and the amount of keepers was good enough to lead to a number of limits during the week. Limits, and even near ones, keep anglers and captains happy.
Pool winners this week, all with sea bass, were Bob Larsen with a 2.05-pound fish, Kevin Nelson (1.75), Vinnie Salustio (1.7) and James Rickards, who won with a 1.9-pounder.
The Sea Star III sails six-hour trips daily, leaving the dock at 9 a.m.
The Miss Chris is sailing a mix of four- and eight-hour trips for sea bass. Check out the schedule, which can be found on their Facebook page.
Cape May Bait and Tackle reported good sea bass fishing at the local reefs, with the only drawback being that you had to pick through many short fish. Offshore, where many charter boats went, the sea bass were bigger and limits were reached quickly. Bluefish and porgies were also present and added to the catch totals.
Farther offshore, anglers reported catching yellowfin tuna in the 30- to 60-pound range. Moving inshore, at some of the lumps, bluefin tuna were being caught on soft plastics or poppers.
Surfcasters are catching croakers and weakfish from the beaches and from around the North Wildwood seawall. Tog are being caught from the bridges, and green crabs and fiddlers have been good baits.
The Sailor’s Delight is sailing trips to the local rock piles in search of blackfish. Their recent trips have not only produced some nice blackfish, but they have also been catching some nice-sized triggerfish.
The Miss Avalon hit the deeper water again this week. Once the sea bass were located “it was game on,” which meant plenty of fish to go around the boat. Throughout the trips, multiple limits were recorded, and a number of anglers finished just short of recording their limit for that trip.
The Miss Avalon is scattering in some 12-hour trips among their regular six- and eight-hour offerings. Call 609-967-7455 to get the up-to-the-minute schedule.
The Starfish has been catching sea bass, with limits being reached each day. They report that you had to work for them, but if a limit is the final result at the end of the day, then that’s not a problem. Call 609-263-3800 to see when they plan to sail, since the windy weather has played havoc with daily fishing for all the local boats.
Sea Isle Bait and Tackle reported that an angler, Art, took an early week trip into the back bay and was rewarded with a nice, keeper-sized striped bass. He also caught two other stripers that were both throwback size. Spot were the bait that these fish found favorable. The cooler weather seems to have gotten a nice bite going. Let’s hope it continues.
As you can tell, the opportunities to fish this week were abbreviated due to the weather. At least the weekend was nice and some fishing was able to occur. The warmer weather draws patrons in, which is good for business, and the timing couldn’t be better.
Good weather during the week, when a lot of us are stuck at our jobs, just doesn’t seem fair. But when nice conditions meet a favorable schedule, well, then all is good. Good luck if you get out, take care, and I’ll see you around.
Submit fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.
