Nov. 26: The Fishing Line, Patience prevails

There’s nothing more frustrating than hearing “Stripers, stripers, everywhere,” only to have the weather force you to stay on land. That’s the trouble with fishing reports, one day fish here, next day, good luck. But the season’s not over and good weather is in the forecast, and that means we fish.
Bill (Bucktail Willie) Shillingford fishing out of Whale Creek Marina found striped bass behind the barrier islands. Fish ranged from 18-34-inches. While live spot was still the prime bait, white bucktails with 6-inch white twister tail worms were beginning to produce.
The strong moon tides midweek and beyond made things difficult at times but both slack tides turned the fish on.
Ron Flemming, Cape May Bait & Tackle still reports stripers along with slammer blues in the 10 to 14-pound range. Big bass up to 30-pounds were busting up the bunker schools with the big blues all along the Cape May and Point beaches this week.
Ron says he hadn’t seen that many big bass and blues pulled out of the surf in quite some time. Even with the wind and rough surf the shop weighed in close to 20 quality bass, all caught off the beach. Fishers were using everything from bunker, plugs, swimbaits, and metals, all producing stripers and blues.
Dave Cox and his sons all caught stripers and slammers, Nicky getting the big one with a 38-inch striper. Other weigh-ins worth the notice were Ed Rieman, 30-pound, 42-inch striper and Brian Waldron, 26-pound, 42-inch striper.
Captain Jim McClintock, Fins & Grins, reports the good news too. Blue fish and stripers continue to be excellent along the beach front, working bird plays with jigs. The Captain is running daily for charters or open boat straight through the winter and into next year for stripers and bottom fishing for blackfish with a Thanksgiving morning special; 6 a.m.-noon. Call 522-2770 or 425-3021. By the way, Captain Jim sends Happy Thanksgiving greetings to all.
Sterling Harbor reports a slow down in the striper bite in the Delaware Bay but action at the Cape May Rips was very good with live spot or eels.
Big bluefish to 15-pounds blitzed the Stone Harbor and North Wildwood beaches. Striper action picked up along Wildwood and Cape May beaches. Chris Parson of Cape May, had a 29, 29 and a 40-inch striper from the Hereford Inlet surf. Big Dave Ferrante of Wildwood, had two bass to 38-inches from the Cape May surf.
In the back-bays an occasional keeper is being caught on clam or topwater plugs. Sea bass action is good at the 20 mile wrecks with fish to 4-pounds caught.
NOAA Charges Charter Operators with Illegal Fishing for Striped Bass
A joint undercover operation by NOAA’s Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement and New York and New Jersey enforcement agents uncovered evidence of alleged illegal fishing by two charter operators. The operators, Steven N. Forsberg and Viking Starship Inc. of Montauk, N.Y., and Jerome E. Hurd of Avalon, N.J., have been charged by NOAA with taking their patrons to catch striped bass in federal waters, where capture of the prized sport fish is prohibited.
Hurd has been notified by NOAA of the charges of fishing, harvesting, possessing and retaining Atlantic striped bass illegally from federal waters, and then submitting false oral or written statements about the catch to authorized federal and state officers. The agency also issued to Hurd a notice of a potential $25,000 fine.
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