The Fishing Line: Fall Challenges Fishers

It’s an interesting time of the year for fishing. A real changeover . Please remember that flounder and sea bass are ‘off your plate.’ Blues, triggers, stripers and even a few weakfish can be found.
Mullet was the bait of choice over at Grassy Sound Marina bringing in bluefish, snapper blues, stripers, and crabs off the pier. There are some weakies in the back bay. The stripers they’re bringing in are loaded with peanut bunker. Sam McGraw, Bensalem, Pa. caught a 19.5 inch flounder on minnows and some bluefish, outgoing tide while the Parker Family left the pier with 30 nice keeper crabs.
Sterling Harbor reported the end of flounder season was pretty productive and anglers found plenty of them at the Reefs. Along the beachfront, one to two pound bluefish are feeding on mullet and peanut bunker that are leaving the back bays. Back bay fishing has been excellent for striped bass and kayak anglers are reporting weakfish under the lights at night.
Offshore tuna fishing has improved with overnight catches of yellowfin and albacore being reported. Daytime trolling has also been producing tuna, mahi-mahi, an occasional wahoo and some of the best white marlin fishing in years.. Crabby Jack gives the crabbing 5 Claws this week and says the crabbing should remain good over the next few weeks.
Fall fishing is at its best aboard the Starlight with a variety of catches: flounder, blues, triggerfish, and croakers. The Murphy family (mom and son), Valley Forge, teamed up for a big catch of 10 blues, eight triggerfish and two flounder. Biggest trigger of the week took the pool at five pounds, caught by Ray Sussman, Pearl River, NY.
Captain Ray is still working hard to catch schoole stripers. You’ll have to search until you find an area that holds some baitfish and bass. Nothing big but decent action with most fish being caught on surface flies and plugs, with most of the action in the shallow flats in the back bay. Lots of bluefish chasing baitfish around but most are small but here and there a decent size one will show up.
Cape Queen Charters had a variety of trips the last few weeks, some bluefish trolling action with a few amberjack and mackerel mixed in, to some heavy weight battles with bay sharks, that ranged from 125-200 pounds. All sharks were released.
CALENDAR: Oct. 4, Pennsauken Surf Fishing Club Tourney, North Wildwood, registration 6 a.m., 856-231-9110 or asaconline.org
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, October Meeting, Philadelphia, Oct. 7-9, Courtyard Marriott Downtown Philadelphia, 215-496-3200. The public is invited. All briefing materials will be posted at www.mafmc.org/briefing/october-2014 For online access during the meeting, enter as a guest at: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/october2014/
Shellfish Aquaculture Regulatory Workshop, Rutgers University Life Long Learning Center, ACCC, Oct. 8, 9 am to 3 pm. This public workshop is part of the NJDEP’s efforts to engage interested stakeholders in the conversation about how the current program will be regulated and to receive input on what rule amendments could be made to support this industry. The agenda will be posted at www.nj.gov/dep/workgroups/ Advance registration is required. Please register today. Seats are limited. Contact the Bureau of Shellfisheries Nacote Creek Office, 748-2040
Oct. 11-12, Beach Buggy Great Fall Classic Surf Fishing Tournament, 290-6480 or njbba.org
The Fishing Line runs year round so keep sending your reports and pictures to cmiller@cmcherald.com. Column and pictures (including some that didn’t appear in print) are posted online at www.capemaycountyherald.com and on Facebook. Check out Miller’s new children’s book “Counting the Fish in the Sea: The Story of the NEAMAP Trawls” on www.epektales.com