That banging or boom sound being heard could be the sound of the drumfish arriving on time.
The dogwood is blooming, the gnats are biting, and so are the drums. They are in the Delaware Bay as expected, but some were also nabbed from Sea Isle City’s surf. The ocean surf also was bearing some nice stripers.
With sea bass season opening May 15, various options are available for fishing pleasure.
The prominent news this week centers around the second annual Villas Fishing Club Drumfish Tournament. Twenty-six boats and 90 anglers entered the two-day tournament that had a “great day” on Friday and a tougher day due to the weather Saturday. Not as many boats ventured out on that day, but those that did “put fish on the deck.”
The winning team for the single–heaviest fish, a 66.1-pounder, went to Team Smoke ‘Em. They also won a calcutta, which helped make a memorable weekend.
First place for the two heaviest fish category went to All Hanked Up II, with 105.7 pounds total. Hard Time took second, with two fish totaling 92.4 pounds. Many of the fish caught were “puppies,” but as the final results prove, larger fish were in the mix. You just had to make the most of your time on the water, as the winning teams did.
The Sea Star III reported “drumfish, drumfish, and more drumfish.” Despite less-than-optimum conditions, the anglers landed drum on each trip. The tough weather included windy, choppy days and thunderstorms during a night trip. Capt. Chuck “can’t wait to see” what fishing during a nice day or evening could result in. The fish caught were on the smaller side for drumfish, but Chuck believes bigger fish will show up soon.
The Sea Star III will switch to daily sea bass trips, once the season begins. After that, they will sail evening trips for drumfish.
This week’s pool winners, all with drums (with weight in pounds), were caught by Harry Brown (28), Billy Bramell (41) and Frank Anaya (33). Frank caught his winner during the season’s first night trip.
The Miss Avalon will be sailing for sea bass. Their trips are on a first-come, first-served basis, therefore try arriving about 45 minutes before the 8 a.m. departure. Also, remember to check what days they are sailing, as most days are for open boat fishing, but some may have a private charter.
Cape May Bait and Tackle weighed several drumfish for the Bryant boys. One fish weighed 17.2 pounds, and a second was heavier, tipping to scale to 30.98. Both anglers took advantage of the promotion that the store is running, where a drumfish or striped bass can be weighted for a free store t-shirt.
Hands Too Bait and Tackle reported that Jake stopped in with a 35-inch striper, his first keeper. Another noteworthy striper was Dave’s, at 35 inches long and 20 pounds, his personal best. Congratulations to both anglers.
Boulevard Bait and Tackle had a busy weekend, as Sea Isle’s surf was productive. Striped bass were more active than drumfish, but both were swimming along the beachfront.
“Three-rod Ted” started the action by intercepting a 37-inch striper. Ted was soaking some clams, one of which the fish found to its liking.
Sherby was “on fire” during his beach outing, where he caught three stripers, one of which, a 30-incher, was saved for the dinner table. An angler named Mike caught a big fish (no size provided) before sundown, while Jim Kelly caught and released an excellent 47-incher. Rita and Joe landed 28-inch twins – well almost, as one was a drumfish and the other was a striper.
Congratulations to Sea Isle Bait and Tackle for its 10th anniversary May 5. To mark the occasion, Dom recently reported a 47-inch striper caught during a recent evening. One may not have had to do with the other, but it sounds great. Lots of fish, particularly some large ones, are being reported in the surf, so you may want to dunk some bait and see what you can catch.
Grassy Sound Marina is preparing for their flounder tournament, scheduled for June 26, but other notable news is also occurring.
Greg Crotty had a nice report, as he caught a 7-pound weakfish, a schoolie striper, and a nice pre-season throwback flounder. Nice bluefish were also reported to be swimming in the back.
The Sailor’s Delight made several exploratory trips in the back bays and found some short flounder, sea robins, bluefish and large sand sharks. One that broke off at the boot was in the 6-foot range.
The Sailor’s Delight will be sailing for drumfish, so remember to call ahead to make a reservation. They sail with six anglers max, so don’t delay.
You can also grab a spot on the rail for their opening day trip, when flounder season opens May 22.
The 38th annual Jim’s Bait and Tackle Mako Tournament is scheduled for June 4-5. Entry fees, calcuttas, and other rules for the contest are available on their Facebook page.
Jim’s also reported the catch of a nice drumfish recently for Suzi Schumann while on an outing in the Delaware Bay.
Plenty is going on if you want to get involved. Good luck if you get out, and I’ll see you around.
Submit your fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.
