The Fishing Line: Drum and Fluke, Sounds like a plan

June’s here and it is official: When you are not at a graduation or wedding, June is a terrific time to fish.
Captain Ray, Tide Runner, Cape May, had a very good week. Stripers and bluefish provided great action for both fly and light tackle anglers. There was action around the inlet, the beach front and the back bay areas. Chartreuse clouser and deceiver flies accounted for all the stripers and bluefish caught on a fly. X-raps by Rapala worked for the light tackle anglers.
A one person 4-hour trip had eight bass and seven blues and another two angler trip caught eight bass and a mess of bluefish and sea herring. The bluefish have been decent size for eating with many around 18-inches.
The unusual catch of the week was a nice tog that took a clouser fly fished for stripers. It was released as the season is closed. Ray is looking forward to seeing the first weakfish of the year. It’s that time of year but with the limited stocks, they are hard to come by.
South Jersey Coastal Fly Anglers fishing club had a fishing night at Corsons Inlet Park where about 15 fly anglers gathered. Stripers, bluefish, and fluke provide action for members. Clousers fished on sinking line produced best. Red/yellow, orange/yellow, and chartreuse/white pattern flies all seem to work well. There were no keeper size stripers caught, but all members had a fun evening and a few laughs.
Sterling Harbor Marina is reporting good catches of drumfish up to 70-pounds caught in the Delaware Bay using clams for bait. Striped bass are being caught in the Delaware Bay while chunking with bunker. Surf fishing is excellent with numerous 30 to 40-pound striped bass caught using clam for bait. Plenty of black drum in the 10 to 30-pound range are being caught off the beach while fishing for stripers.
Back-bay flounder fishing is the best of the season so far and Crabby Jack gives the crabbing 2.5 Claws this week.
Grassy Sound Marina Fishing Pier is producing stripers, flounder, blues, and the occasional tog (must be released; out of season). Incoming tide on clams and mackerel did well with lots of flounder being caught in Grassy Sound near the marina.
Fred Daniel, Rio Grande, caught a 28-inch striper on mackerel, and a kingfish during incoming tide on the pier. Tom McCullough, Southampton, Pa. caught a 23-inch flounder during outgoing tide using squid, minnows, and bucktail and Heather Siefken, Hatboro, Pa. caught an 18.5-inch flounder during outgoing tide.
Scott Brown, Philadelphia, caught six stripers with two keepers to 30-inches off the pier during incoming tide on clam. Tony Harrington, Philadelphia, caught a 28.5-inch striper on mackerel, incoming tide off the pier and Vic Aubry, Philadelphia, caught and released a 15-inch tog using mackerel. Ed Schultz, Philadelphia, fishing from a rental boat, caught two keeper flounder using squid and minnows in Turtle Creek during incoming tide.
NEWS: The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife reminds saltwater anglers that black sea bass season opened May 28 and runs until Sept. 11; Nov. 1 – Dec. 31 Size and limit remains the same at 12.5 inches and 25 fish.
Anglers and for-hire vessels are also reminded that NJ recently implemented the NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry Program (NJSRRP). Prior to going out black sea bass fishing, or carrying passengers to go black sea bass fishing, you need to register with the NJSRRP. Registration is only available online by visiting the website http://saltwaterregistry.nj.gov/ . This program was established to exempt NJ anglers and for-hire vessels from registering with the federal survey and the $15.00 feed associated with that registry.
Send your reports and pictures to cmiller@cmcherald .com