Stripers, flounder and blues are keeping September anglers coming back for more with plenty of crabs to fill your boat, too.
Sterling Harbor reports flounder fishing was on the slow side but Ken Freeman of Upper Black Eddy, Pa., weighed in a beautiful 6 pound, 7 ouncer caught on squid and spearing while fishing the Old Grounds. The back bays and inlets are alive with bait and schoolie stripers, plenty of weakfish and small bluefish can be found. Mirrodine Lures have been working great for weakies and the bass are hitting them as well. Schoolie stripers have been hitting top water plugs like Smack-It Jr’s on the early morning and evening high tides.
In the surf, anglers have been landing blues mainly in the 2 pound range. A few schoolie stripers and kingfish were also caught.
Captain Ray, TideRunner, Cape May, says that he is starting to see some improved striper fishing around the inlet and beach front areas where the water is much cleaner than the back bay. You’ll have to work hard for what you get but there are some decent fish around. Popping and clouser flies catching best.
Over at Grassy Sound Marina, flounder, weakies, blues, and sea bass are being caught off the fishing pier. Live mullet and mullet chunks are doing well as bait. One of their frequent anglers reported puppy drum, porgies and nice size weakfish being caught in the back bay.
Frank’s Boats saw a great variety of fish last week. Schools of mullet are being chased by 15-19 inch bluefish. Keeper flounder are still being brought in on a regular basis. This continues to be one of their best crabbing seasons in many years. The crowds have gone and the crabs continue to grow so the large number of keepers is increasing every day. Please note: Frank’s will close Sunday, so try to get out this weekend.
Ocean City resident Joyce McNeely and her sibling, Karen Csenteri, of Columbus, landed two of the top awards Sept. 15 in the 45th annual Ocean City Invitational Surf Fishing Tournament. Both are part of a family team, the McNeely Manglers, which includes husbands Joe Csenteri and Ray McNeely. Overall, their team came in third with a total of 149 points. The Surf N Land “A” team came in second with 150.50 points, and the South Jersey Surfcasters’ “B” team was high hook with 154.50 points.
Among men anglers, Ship Bottom’s John Sweet, Long Beach Island Fishing Club, won a plaque for the largest fish, a 17 1/4-inch blue. He also earned the third annual Tom Hayes Memorial Trophy for the largest fish. John Stanton, South Jersey Surfcasters, went home with a plaque for the most fish points, and Sean Pleis won for the most points fishing as an individual.
UPDATE: NJDEP reminds saltwater anglers about regulation changes: Change in the Black Sea Bass season dates approved after the Marine Digest was printed that included the season closing earlier this month and reopening on Sept. 23. The season runs through Oct. 14 and then re-opens again on Nov. 1.
Summer flounder is open until Friday, Sept. 28; closes at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29.
Anglers are reminded that in addition to the Marine Digest, the “Attention Anglers” summary sheet is on the website at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/pdf/2012/maregsum12.pdf is updated when regulations change. Anglers can call the 24-hour marine fish “listen only” line at 609-292-2083 for the latest updates.
Send your reports and pictures to cmiller@cmcherald.com. All pictures submitted are posted online at www.capemaycountyherald.com.
North Cape May – Another shout out to Officer Bohn, the school resource officer at LCMR. I admire his hard work and devotion to the students and staff as I see him every morning and afternoon, snow, wind , sleet or…
