The Fishing Line: Father’s Day Fun

Graduations, weddings, and proms are bombarding our June schedules but Father’s Day is the perfect celebration to spend going fishing. By next week, schools will be out and vacationers will start taking advantage of our beautiful county. Still time to get in some less crowded fishing.
Grassy Sound Marina and Pier is producing mostly flounder with a few stripers mixed in. Numerous calico crabs were found in flounder bellies. Katarina Gordon, Feasterville, Pa., caught a 30 inch striper and three flounder at the top of the tide. She was fishing with clam fingers and minnows near the marina.
Steve Haubois and Rich Devine, both of Court House, caught keeper flounder on minnows fishing the incoming tide and Tom Anderson, West Wildwood, fishing off the pier caught two flounder to 20 inches at the top of the tide with minnows.
Jared Burgwinkel, Wilmington, Del. caught a 21 inch, 3 ½ pound flounder fishing the outgoing tide in Turtle Creek with a Gulp crab. Kathy Sandefur, Philadelphia, caught 3 stripers to 30 inches off the pier on clams during incoming tide.
Sterling Harbor reports, despite the wind, flounder fishing in the Back-Bays remains steady with several nice 4-5 pound flounder being caught. Mackerel strips, Gulp!, and minnows have been producing best. Bluefish and schoolie size striped bass are mixed in and are hitting bucktails, Gulp! and surface poppers, like Smack-It Jr.’s. Nice sea bass are being caught at the inshore and offshore wrecks with a few cod and pollack mixed in at the the offshore sites. A few weakfish are hanging around the inlet jetties with Pink Finesse Fish producing best.
On the Kayak Fishing scene, Robin Goldy of South Dennis, broke in her new Wilderness Systems kayak with 3 striped bass measuring 18-24 inches and Justin Fesler of Court House, checked in with an 18 inch weakfish and a 20 inch flounder caught from his Hobie Mirage Pro Angler Kayak.
Drumfishing has been hit or miss and it seems like most of the fish are coming from the Delaware side of the Bay. Shark fishing has been good however the wind has hampered efforts. Mary Hennigan of Glenmoore, Pa., caught her first ever Mako shark. Mary released the fish for another day, but estimates it was in the 125 pound range.
Yellowfin tuna and Mahi were caught last week just inside the Canyons from some nice water that spun in from the Gulf Stream. Bill Stewart and crew of Swedesboro, had a nice catch of yellowfin tuna while trolling out near the Baltimore Canyon.
The Brynnie-B had Tim Hand, South Dennis, out for a Back-Bay trip fishing sod banks and other structures tossing plugs, poppers, and some jigs. They managed 3 Stripers and an Atlantic Herring, with Tim landing the largest striper of the night, a 30 incher using a half ounce jig with a 7 inch pink Slug-go. On another trip Captain Frank took Zach Rohrer, South Seaville, out for flounder. Heavy west winds and a strong tide made drifting tough, but they managed a few shorts and one keeper while back trolling. The hot bait was herring.
The Cape Queen out of South Jersey Marina had the Bud Heisler party from HB Frazer Co. in King of Prussia, out for a good day with 76 sea bass brought aboard. Seven Ling, a cod and a pollock also made the trip back in the cooler. Capt. Andy took a personal group including his son, grandson and other friends and family out and repeated his success bringing back 75 sea bass, 1 ling and a 5-pound pollock caught by Ed Bea. Kirk Sherry had a heart breaking catch of a 10+ pound tog that had to be thrown back as it is out of season.
Stray Cat Charters fished the wrecks for sea bass and trigger fish . Yes, triggers are here and nice size bass up to 3-pounds. The group from Chickie and Pete’s, EHT, loaded the boat with nice size sea bass and the group from Well Fargo Associates managed to load the cooler. Stray Cat is booking wreck and tuna trips.
On June 3, the GABT Foundation held its 25th annual Greater Atlantic Bluefish Tournament. These events engage anglers from all walks of life in an enjoyable fundraising campaign to aid our friends and neighbors in the fight against cancer and other catastrophic illnesses. The tournament had to be postponed from Saturday to Sunday due to a small craft advisory but still had 50 boats entered.
Results as posted: First Place, Chubby Chaser, Capt. Jerry Coombs, Little Egg Harbor Twp., total weight 37.52-pounds; heaviest single fish at 14.54-pounds. Second Place, T-Pot, Capt. George Frick, Egg Harbor, total weight 36-pounds; third place, Reel Determined, Capt. Jimmy Zavacky, Wrightstown, total weight 33.87-pounds. Fourth and fifth place to Reel Pleasure, Capt. Bob Kent, Manahawkin, and Pay to Play, Capt. Robert Pardun, New Egypt.
In the fluke division first place went to Sea Hunter, Capt. Bruce DeRites, Pittstown, 6.56-pounds; second, No Brakes, Capt. Ed Sica, Port Republic, 3.23-pounds; third, Flounder Pounder, Capt. John Kusmanick, Woodbury, 3.07-pounds.
NEWS: NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife has posted the results of the 2011 Delaware Bay Finfish Trawl Survey comparing the relative annual abundance of selected stocks. Results of the survey at njfishandwildlife.com/artdelbaystudy12.htm on the division’s website.
Send your reports and pictures to cmiller@cmcherald.com. There are terrific pictures coming in but not room for all of them. All pictures submitted are posted online at www.capemaycountyherald.com.