The Fishing Line

There’s much to brag about in the fishing world these days and your reports and photos prove it. If you haven’t gotten a rod wet yet, call one of Cape May County’s charter boats or check out the rental possibilities at the local marinas. Fishing makes for a great vacation day. The kids will love it, too.
The inshore fishing at South Jersey Marina continues to be dominated by the run of bluefish caught near the reef. All the charter boats that target blues come home with a full box. Fluke, kingfish, weakfish and croakers have also made an appearance in the Delaware Bay.
Offshore fishing has really improved. Both blue and white marlin have been released in Spencer Canyon. They weighed in a 148-pound big eye tuna that was also caught in the Spencer.
This is about the mid-way point in the season and Charlie Langan, dockmaster at SJM says the fishing is bound to improve in August and September. To experience the excitement of saltwater sport fishing, call 884-3800.
The Hooked Up II, berthed at SJM, continues to find good tuna bite. Bluefin, 150 to over 200 pounds, are out beyond the 30 fathom line and can be caught trolling with ballyhoo and your choice of lure or naked with a chin weight trolled very, very slowly.
A few wahoo are showing up with the warmer water temperatures offshore. Even a few dolphins were caught this past week. The chunk bite on live spot and sardines continues to be red hot for many boats with some fish being caught up to 150 pounds. The jig bite started to slow down on tuna but some were caught on jigs last week.
There are good sized bluefin within 50 miles of Cape May and other southern New Jersey ports. Captain John is running 15-hour canyon day trolling trips and 24-hour overnight trips targeting yellowfins and swordfish.
Another SJM charter, Captain Joe Pritchard, Schmedley Charters, repeats that bluefin tuna fishing has been excellent. He’s getting some nice gaffer mahi-mahi while fishing for tuna. The canyons are starting to show some yellowfin potential.
Inshore trolling for small blues has been non-stop with some bonito mixed in. Captain Joe is booking inshore and offshore trips, 463-0857.
Ron Flemming, Cape May Bait and Tackle says the fishing continues to improve. Kingfish, croakers, small sea bass, and even some ling, (he saw them) were caught along the beaches between Alexander Avenue and Higbee beach using bloodworms, Gulp, and squid.
Small stripers with a few keepers are being caught off the jetties and surf around Cape May Point using bloods, clam and small lures. Small blues caught using small metal jigs are found under the diving gannets and gulls at Cape May Point.
Fluke action remains good with nicer fish starting to show up. Berkley Gulp on small jig heads or minnows and squid on a slow retrieve work best. Weakfish are here with keepers caught using bloods or pink Fin-S, around the Point jetties, early morning and at sunset.
This week’s winner for the biggest fish was Jordan Hernandez, Blauvelt, N.Y. with a 4 ½-pound, 27-inch weakfish caught at Sunset Beach using squid.
“An awful lot of fluke action on every trip,” reports Captain Koeneke of Duke O’ Fluke pontoon, Somers Point. He said the unusually cold water on the incoming tides seems to be keeping fish inside the bay instead of moving them into the Great Egg Harbor Inlet.
Morning and afternoon trips are producing keepers. Ship Channel, where it merges with Rainbow Channel, is one of the hot areas, especially on the outgoing tide. Mackerel and squid continue to be the preferred baits.
Highlights included Sean Sylvester, 7, Philadelphia, reeled in a 2.14-pound fluke from Ship Channel. An hour later, he picked up a 3.4-pound flattie, a feat which earned him more than $100 in the pool.
While battling the greenheads in Broad Thorofare, Candy Trace, of Wayne, Pa., landed a 2.4-pound fluke and Jessica Cifaldi, an attorney from Lumberton, brought in a 2.7-pounder during a drift on the south side of Rainbow Channel.
A Duke O’ Fluke regular, Doc Phillips, gave male anglers something to brag about by picking up a 3.1-pound flounder in Broad Thorofare. Then 11-year-old Luke Cherla, of Larchmont, NY, collected the boat pool with the 2.2-pound fluke he fooled.
Most of the fish were caught with either cut mackerel or squid.
At Grassy Sound Marina, the back-bay is still producing some great catches of flounder, weakfish, some kings, and stripers in the morning and evening hours. Kevin Mitchell and Shawn Coho, Wildwood, caught 7 stripers up to 32 inches off the rock pile in Cape May using eels during incoming tide.
Esme Pugh, Aberdare Wales and crew came back with a bushel of crabs on a Grassy Sound Marina rental boat.
Sterling Harbor Marina reports flounder in the back-bay, outgoing tide seems best to find them. In the Delaware Bay, flounder are near Cape May Point but Cape May Reef action was still slow. There is a decent flounder bite at the Old Grounds and Reef Site 11.
There is an excellent bluefin tuna bite at Massey’s Canyon, the 19 Fathom Lump, the Hambone, and nearby lumps and bumps. Find the bait and you will find the fish. Captain Chris Gatley, Stalker Sportfishing, went four for 10 on bluefin to 150 pounds while butterfly jigging and chunking sardines. They also boated 15 dolphin to 10 pounds.
Crabby Jack gives the crabbing 4 claws this week.
Captain Ray, Tide Runner, Cape May, reports the best striper and bluefish action was in the back-bay shallows with evenings producing the best for both fly and spin anglers. As always, Smack-it-jr popping plugs made for exciting surface strikes as anglers get to see the fish as it hits the plug. With the calm weather the smaller weakfish and sea herring were readily taking small rubber swimming and Gulp mullet baits. Even got one nice tog on a rubber bait that was released. With the warmer back bay water, fluke fishing in the inter-coastal water ways picked up, but you have to work for keeper size ones.
Teen Anglers (teenanglers.org/, a free education program for teens interested in fishing and boating, is forming a chapter in southern NJ. The first meeting is Saturday, Aug. 9, 3 p.m., Hunting Shanty at Tuckerton Seaport. Contact Captain George Ward, 760-6042 or e-mail CAPTGEORGECMS@AOL.COM
“Hook One For Hope” Fishing Tournament and Bayside Party fundraiser sponsored by “Crossing the Finish Line,” for adult cancer patients and caregivers respite; prizes, food, raffles, music, silent auction and children’s activities; fishing 7 a.m., party 5:30 p.m., Minmar Marina, 14 Old Sea Isle Blvd., Sea Isle City, 267-708-0510 and www.crossingthefinishline.org
Be sure to send your fish stories and pictures and Be My Guest reporter. Send info to cmiller@cmcherald.com. All pictures received are posted to SeeMyBigFish.com.
Cutline: Be My Guest – Dylan Sonlin, 5, of Philadelphia, caught his first keeper, a 24-inch, 4-pound weakfish off of Reeds Beach with a mini Ugly Stik and some shedder.
1. Mary Dugan, Philadelphia, with grandsons Anthony and Jimmy, proudly display a 5 ½-pound, 24 ½-inch flounder caught on the Royal Flush.
2. Jim Willier booked his first tuna trip aboard the Gone Fishin’ this year. They left Utches Marina at 2 a.m. and returned around 4 p.m. bringing back two tuna and one dolphin.
3. Shane Montieth Charter from Riverton had great fishing action on board the Fins&Grins.
4. Jason Ragazzo of Toughkenamon, Pa. with his 2 ½-pounder caught on the Royal Flush.
5. Greg, Dieter and Justin Ritter of Newark, Del., show off a beautiful catch of 22 blue fish aboard the Lucky Dog, with Captain John Habel. (LuckyDogSportFishing.com)
6. They are catching flounder aboard the Gone fishin’, Utsch’s Marina. Kevin and this group had a great time.
7. Fishing the jetties in North Cape May, Mark Johnson, 9, Havertown, Pa., caught an 18.5-inch, 3-pound flounder while jigging a bucktail with a squid trailer. Mark got tired of catching sharks that day and decided to try his hand at jigging.
8. Anthony Johnson, 7, brother of Mark, caught an 18-inch, 2.5-pound flounder fishing the same Jetty with a flounder rig and squid. (Dad, so far this year, is keeper-less.)
9. Uncle Reds caught this 3 ½- pounder while fishing on the Royal Flush, Wildwood.
10. Cameron Rosinski with a tog caught aboard Tide Runner on a rubber swimming bait along the inlet rocks.
11. Alex Buzzi, 11, with a nice striper caught on a popping plug aboard Tide Runner in the back-bay.
12. Rosie Rudder from Virginia with her 3-pound flounder caught on the Royal Flush.
13. Tony and his group chartered the Gone Fishin,’ with hopes of catching a few weakfish, they weren’t disappointed. They were caught in the bay but Mark keeps his exact location a secret from me. Gone Fishin’ has a few days open in August if interested in a six-person all day charter.
14. Captain Chris Gatley and crew of the Stalker with a 95-pound bluefin tuna landed on a butterfly Jig at Massey’s Canyon. (Sterling Harbor)