That steady rumbling noise you may have discerned over the weekend was the sound of the diesel engines of some local fishing boats kicking over for their first trips of the season.
Those boats navigated from their respective marinas, through their local waterways and the Intracoastal Waterway, and then out to the wrecks and reefs where they fished for blackfish and other fish that frequent those haunts early in the spring. Let’s check out their results.
Before we check out what occurred on the water, let’s see what the new flounder and sea bass regulations are. For those who like fishing for summer flounder, the new season will start May 2 and run through Sept. 27.
In all, the season will be 149 days long. The bag limit will be three fish. The biggest change this year is the addition of two slot fish. Anglers will be allowed two fish in the 17 to 17.99-inch “slot” measurement. Your third fish will need to be 18 inches or larger.
The sea bass season has a total of 177 days spread over four segments. The first segment starts May 17 and runs through June 19 and has a 10-fish bag limit.
The second season starts July 1 and goes through Aug. 31 and has a two-fish daily limit. Segment three begins Oct. 7 and goes through Oct. 26 and the bag limit will climb back to 10.
The fourth portion begins Nov. 1, runs through Dec. 31 and will have a bag limit that increases to 15 fish daily.
The Miss Avalon was able to fish their first two days of the blackfish season recently. The April 8 trip featured a “beautiful day” that had a slow morning bite. The afternoon featured increased action that saw the trip end with 17 keepers. An angler named Vince claimed the first pool of the season, with a 3.89-pound blackfish.
The following day saw a steady pick of short tog with some keepers scattered throughout. The day ended with 13 keepers. The day was highlighted by two anglers catching codfish. One was too short and was returned to swim another day while the second was plenty large and found its way to a cooler. That fish was also large enough to win the daily pool.
The wind played havoc with the next few trips, so Capt. Irv chose to look forward to the next weekend, starting with a planned trip for Good Friday and another on Saturday.
The Sea Star III, with Capt. Chuck, sailed their first voyage of 2022 April 9. They were targeting blackfish, as is the norm this time of year. The fishing proved tough due to a wind-versus-tide scenario. The result made it difficult to stay still on the anchor, which then led to some tough fishing conditions.
Some blackfish and sea bass were caught, with the latter being thrown back. At the day’s conclusion, the pool winner was Biff Pein, with a 2.5-pound blackfish. The boat and all equipment worked great, which kept Chuck happy, and all the patrons were happy to enjoy a day out on the water.
The Sea Star III is now sailing daily at 9 a.m. Seats at the rail for the spring drumfish trips are filling fast, so don’t hesitate to grab a reservation by calling 609-884-3421.
The Starlight Fleet, with Cap. Paul checking in, reported that Joe Giordano caught his limit while also winning the daily pool, with his 5-pound blackfish. Daily limits were also caught by Ken Minett and Mike Youcis.
Some of the drops were slow in action while others had the keepers, plus some short fish. The keeper numbers weren’t big, but the anglers mentioned did well while others experienced a more challenging day.
Cape May Bait and Tackle said the striper bite is heating up around Cape May. Most of the fish are shorts, though. Clams and bloodworms fished on the outgoing tide seem to be the ticket right now. As the water warms and the month rolls along, the stripers should continue to show up steadily, as they leave the bay and start progressing along our beaches heading northward.
Hands Too Bait and Tackle had a couple of first of the season items recently. Leading the way was the first black drum of the season. The unidentified angler was fishing from a beach on the bayside. Coming in as the first striper to be weighed this year was the 20-pound, 37.5-inch fish caught by an angler named Mike.
Don’t forget that trout season opened April 9. Local areas that have been stocked by the state include Ponderlodge in Villas and Tuckahoe Lake in Upper Township.
You’ll need a freshwater license and a trout stamp if you are a resident angler aged 16 through 69 while nonresident anglers 16 and older will also need those items. For ease and quickness, licenses and stamps can be purchased and printed online or from one of the license agents in the state.
Well, steadily the fishing life is awakening from hibernation. Get out and enjoy it if you can. Take care and I’ll see you around.
Submit fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.
