The Fishing Line: BIG Stripers

“The striper bite is on.” Sterling Harbor isn’t kidding. Big fish are being caught in the Cape May Rips and the Delaware Bay. Chunking with bunker is the ticket in the Delaware Bay, producing fish up to 48 pounds and drifting live bait in the Rips is producing fish up to 30 pounds.
Togging is still good around the jetties and Capt. Dan Schafer of Insomniac Guide Service reports good back bay striper fishing when conditions permit.
At South Jersey Marina Captain Joe Pritchard and his charter boat Big Game took a group out for stripers and had a great day catching the legal limit in size and number. The heaviest weight of 42-pounds set a new Marina record for 2011. The top angler was Mike Carroll from Wallingford, Pa. This same crew was sure they could repeat this success story, so they went out again the next day with exactly the same results- 12 stripers, one weighing in at 42-pounds. This time, the top angler was Mike Carroll Jr. the son of the other winner. Now that‘s an incredible but true fish story.
Common Sense, Cape Queen and Hooked Up II also posted nice striper catches. Charters at South Jersey Marina can be booked through Charlie Langan, 602-6941.
Stray Cat Charters fished hard this week, lots of wind and a big white ocean. Seas ran from 4-8 feet. They managed some nice stripers on the troll and big blues to 13-pounds.
Sea bass fishing is still productive. Sea bass out to 20 miles is good but most of the fish have moved to deeper water. Stray Cat is going out all winter, for what ever is available.
Sea Star III has the perfect holiday present, a gift certificate. Now that’s a great idea. (Captain Chuck 884-3421)
The pictures (which are coming in on a steady basis) tell the whole story. Keep them coming.
Send your fishing reports and pictures to cmiller@cmcherald.com. All pictures submitted, if they don’t make it in the print version, can be seen on the Herald’s Web site www.cmcherald.com, click on community, then fishing and boating.