As I commence this week’s column, the number and size of the stripers being caught are increasing. Many are being taken from north of the Sea Isle/Townsend’s Inlet area, while others have slipped into waters much closer to home. Concerning that, a 62 pounder was caught in the bay. That should get your attention. The boats that ran, both private and public, were having success, and the thought was that with cooperating weather, the fishing should be good for a while longer. Let’s get started and see what we have.
The big news, in more ways than one, is the pending Delaware state record 62 pound striper. It was caught at Overfalls Shoals on Sunday, Dec. 4 and weighed at a shop in Rehoboth Beach, Del. The big fish was caught on a trolled Mojo. I’ll follow the story to see if the record becomes official.
Captain Fred from Utsch’s Marina gets us going. The charter boats from the marina had success through the week, and continued to be successful as the weekend began.
The Fishin’ Fever and Captain Tom ran up to Long Beach Island early in the week, did well, and by Thursday only had to run as far as Atlantic City. Friday saw 11 keepers, some of the larger variety, being caught by the charter. Wednesday was a blowout day that limited the fishing.
Another boat in the report was the Full Ahead with Captain Bob. His best day of the week saw 27 fish caught, with nine being keepers. The heaviest weighed in at 37 pounds. All are hoping that the fish get closer to Cape May so more fishing, and less traveling, can occur.
The Gone Fishin’ IV had a good weekend with stripers. Their parties brought in “fish up to 30 pounds.” They also mentioned that it was a “welcome sight” to see these fish being caught. Isn’t that true. They have some openings still available so give them a call at (609) 425-8302 to get in on the fun.
From Jim’s Bait and Tackle, Matt sends word that the greater part of the striper bite is still to the north of the Cape May area. From Townsends Inlet and north to Brigantine was the hot area as the schools of bunker massed in this area. Some boats reported double-digit catches from trolling. “Snag and drop” fishing with bunker also worked.
Changing gears, Matt mentions that sea bass are biting well on the wrecks at the 20 Fathom Line. Many short fish were counted among the nice keepers. Others were making the trip to the rock piles “just inside the Wilmington Canyon.” The big fish weren’t there yet, but “they actually had a lot of short fish.”
Matt heard from some anglers along the beaches on Saturday that a few bass, plus one redfish, were caught. He passed on word that a few tog were still being caught from the local rock piles, but that it was difficult to “put a catch together.”
The Sea Star III with Captain Chuck reported a “much better week with the stripers.” They only made it out “a few days” due to wind and weather conditions, but made the most of their time on the water. Three noteworthy catches went to Neil Kratzinger with a 32 pounder, Frank Servocky with a 27 pounder and Hank Hyatt with a 30 pounder.
Chuck is hoping for cooperation from the weather, so head on down if the bug bites you. He will sail till at least Christmas Eve. Speaking of Christmas, he mentioned that Sea Star III gift cards are available by calling (609) 884-3421. They “make the perfect gift for the fisherman on your list.”
The Starlight Fleet wants to let everyone know that they are available for charters of blackfish or stripers. Call (609) 729-7776 for available dates, prices and other details. Get your group together, call them, get out there and get fishing.
Libation Charters had a good, but long, run up to Long Beach Island for a recent charter. Nothing was happening locally so they took what felt like a “summer run.” The Doroshuk Party returned with a quality haul of seven striped bass. As the report states, it “turns out it was the right move.” The same group was out on Dec. 3, stayed local, and caught three more keepers.
On the previous day, the Bilotta party went out “in county waters.” They were trolling Mojo’s and ended up returning to the dock with six stripers. Not a bad return.
Boulevard Bait and Tackle had a busy weekend weighing in and reporting on a multitude of striper catches. There were probably 15 to 20 fish recorded from Friday through early Monday evening. Some of the weights varied from 20 to 46 pounds, and the 46 pounder was 48 inches long. Mojo’s were a hot, productive lure. Some of these fish were caught of Sea Isle, so they are definitely getting closer. Also, the 20 pounder was caught while “Mike” was trolling in the ocean from his 16 foot aluminum boat! That’s pretty brave for this time of year, but you don’t reap the reward if you don’t take the risk.
Caveman Sportfishing had a “few nice stripers,” then returned Monday and got five more. Why was it better Monday? The reason was “less boat traffic.” And a famous former Philadelphia Flyer was on that Monday trip. Ed “Boxcar” Hospodar was on the boat. Known as an “enforcer” during his NHL days due to his willingness to drop the gloves, I’m sure the fish had no chance when they came up against him. As a Flyers fan, it’s always good to hear of former players being in the area.
Off The Hook Bait and Tackle checked in with word that Miss Addison II Sport Fishing had a good trip over the weekend. They were five for six with a boat limit of “unders” at the time of the report and were “not done yet.”
Captain Al and Bayhound Charters had another good trip recently as they targeted two species. They succeeded with 15 keeper tog and seven keeper stripers. Three of those were over 40+ pounds, with the biggest topping out at 46 pounds. That’s a good daily double.
Captain Skip from Stalker Fishing Charters reported a couple of good trips with one arriving just before I finished this column. Tuesday and Thursday proved to be good days as fish over 42 inches were the biggest. “Most were 38-40 inches.” That’s a respectable neighborhood to be in.
Well, it would seem they are arriving (Who? The stripers, of course.), so get out, get them and let me know how you do.
Submit your fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.
