We are in the middle of the fishing lull, or what is better known as the time between the end of flounder season and the start of sea bass season Oct. 8.
Some people may think nothing is happening, but actually, it’s still a great time to go fishing. The local boats are searching for triggerfish, weakfish, bluefish, croakers and kingfish. It’s a nice mixed bag to pursue, and one that can fill a cooler.
Plus, a few stripers were caught this week, which would be a nice bonus if they have a presence throughout the fall. There are also reports from the final days of the 2021 summer flounder campaign.
Capt. Chuck, and the patrons of the Sea Star III, concluded the flounder season by giving a good effort, as they did the “best we could” while fishing through some less-than-desired conditions. Some wind is good, but too much can ruin a trip.
They concluded the week with “several” anglers catching their limits, while “quite a few” flounder topped the 5-pound mark. Appropriately, the pool winners this week caught flounder and were Will Fisher, who won with a 3.6-pounder, George Harley (3.9), Al Petrosh (4.5), Joe Breen (5.1), Bill Ruszkowski (5.4) and Doug Costa, who weighed in a 5.8-pounder.
Don’t forget that the Sea Star III will continue to sail daily, at 9 a.m. Show up and grab a spot at the rail.
First Fish Adventures of Sea Isle got the Grimste family out for a trip that focused mostly on Spanish mackerel than summer flounder. Twins Evie and Gabrielle turned in a “great job,” as they and their parents “caught plenty” while only keeping six at the trip’s end.
Capt. Zig has turned his attention to “sharkin’.” Early results have been good.
Bayhound Charters Light Tackle Sportfishing experienced the same tough conditions that the others did during the summer flounder season’s final days. The flounder may not have liked the swells, but that didn’t prevent an angler named Danny from landing an unexpected black drum that hit a flounder rig. The moral of this fishing trip is that it’s important to get the rig down to the bottom because you never know what may be swimming under the boat.
The Miss Avalon ended their hunt for flounder by running a deep-water fluke trip. They battled through some “swell” conditions – pun intended – and had to adjust their plans, working different areas while moving in closer, but things just weren’t as they hoped. However, they managed to catch some keepers, so the trip wasn’t a total loss. The previous week’s 10-hour trip was blown out before they departed the dock.
The Miss Avalon will continue sailing for triggerfish, weakfish and croakers. Call ahead, at 609-967-7455, as their schedule will vary during the weeks before sea bass season starts.
The Starfish is now running five-hour trips that leave the dock at 8 a.m. Check out their schedule on their website to see when they are sailing.
Grassy Sound Marina reported that a school of dusky sharks were in the area around the pier, and they provided some nice action for the anglers. One angler also landed a nice flounder before the season ended. A few days later, Jen, a pier member, tossed a bunker head and a spot fillet. For her efforts, she was rewarded with a striped bass just under the 38-inch mark.
Capts. Andrew and Stan, at the Sailor’s Delight, will continue plying the backwaters. Currently, they will be targeting bluefish, but I’m sure they will be more than happy if some striped bass, weakfish or spot show up.
They will also be taking trips to local rock piles to try for blackfish. The bag limit is currently one, but when the limit increases to five Nov. 16, I’m sure they will be running trips just for them.
No Bones Bait and Tackle reported two anglers stopped in after fishing around sunset recently. They each had a keeper striper and one had a keeper blackfish, while the other had a keeper weakfish. Late afternoon is always a great time to get the line wet.
The action this week was a little lighter than hoped for, but when days are lost to the weather, that is the result. Hopefully, the wind dies down and anglers can get out and practice their craft.
There are still plenty of fish to be caught while we head towards October, so good luck if you get out.
Take care and I’ll see you around.
Submit your fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.
