Fishing Line: Jan. 18

It’s the time of year when, unfortunately, not many boats are sailing. Conversely, it’s also the time of year when some big blackfish are caught by those who are able to get out.
You’ll just need to bundle up when heading out into the elements. The days will be cold, with some being colder than others, but the reward of a big double-digit blackfish should be enough to motivate you. Let’s see what those who are still fishing were able to do.
The Cape May Lady ran a deep-water trip recently, and the anglers were handsomely rewarded. The reward was some nice blackfish that included some double-digit fish.
They had two fish, actually three, but more on that later, that topped the 15-pound mark. They pulled the scale to the tune of 15.6 and 15.4 pounds, two very impressive catches that any angler would like to have. Nice effort, guys.
Oh, and there was the third fish that cleared the 15-pound line. For that matter, it also went past the 20-pound mark. When the scale finally stopped, this fish weighed in at 21.4 pounds. That is the largest I have heard of this year.
It’s also the time of the year when the big fish start to come out and play. Congratulations to Tom Fariello on a fish that will always hold a spot in his memory.
The good times continue to roll on the Starfish, and as of this writing, they are adding more trips to their season. Hopefully, that translates to more large blackfish, such as those caught recently.    
The first I received word of was submitted by friend, and column regular, Jerry Rau. Among his three keepers on Saturday was a 9.9-pound pool winner. Jerry is back at it after being on the sidelines for a bit. Welcome back, Jerry. Get well, congratulations on a nice catch, and keep submitting.
Another fish of considerable size was caught on Wednesday. That blackfish checked in at 14 pounds. It was one of 32 keepers for the day, and that lucky angler also claimed the daily pool.
Also on that trip was friend, and a steady contributor to the column, Paul Tomaski. He had his limit for the day and was bumped from winning the pool by the big fish previously mentioned.
Hopefully, you made it out to the Wildwood Fishing and Boating Expo that was held Jan. 7 and 8. It was a well-attended event that featured many boats for you to check out and many vendors selling fishing related items for you to use on those boats, if you purchased one or are planning to, or on a boat you may already own. It was good to see some familiar faces and to make some new friends.
This is the time of year for boating and fishing shows, so if you get to any, have fun checking things out and good luck when you put your new gear to the test.
Well, even as the blackfish season wanes, there are still a couple boats sailing, and more importantly, anglers coming out to support them. Yes, we know the fishing will end, probably, as winter deepens, but we can hope it goes on for as long as possible.
The month of March is closed to fishing for blackfish, but then the countdown to April, and the spring blackfish season, can commence.
Before that time, though, anglers that are getting out are catching some really nice fish. We’ve seen some big ones recently, and hopefully, we’ll see some more before our rods and reels go away to hibernate for the late part of winter and the early part of spring.
Take care, good luck if you get out, and I’ll see you around.      
Submit fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.