The Fishing Line: Fishing, slow but steady

It’s been tough getting a handle on this year’s fishing trends. All the old tales are being tested. One thing I know for sure, the reports are very positive and there’s no reason to stay home.
Captain Ray, Tide Runner, says fishing was a bit tougher in the back bay with the new moon tides covering the sod banks almost back to the parkway. It made fishing them at night difficult.
Nonetheless, he was able to put together some catches of stripers and small blues for fly rod anglers with rattling chartreuse popping flies that drew some fun to watch surface strikes.
The weakies seemed to disappear from along the beach but the best striper action was around the inlet jetties using both plugs and flies. The biggest bass of the week was a 31 ½- inch keeper caught on an over size clouser fly that looked like a large spearing. The fish was released to fight another day.
Outside the inlet there was small bluefish activity creating fast action for anyone who spotted them working.
Captain Bittmann, Top Shelf, South Jersey Marina, took a family out to the reef and after a few hours of bottom fishing that produced several flounder and 30 sea bass, they trolled for bluefish. Within an hour they caught 28 of them. That’s a good trip.
The tuna are approaching our waters. Captain Sowerby on the Hooked Up II, caught 25 yellowfin. Another sign of warming waters, Slammmer weighed in a 13.6-pound dolphin caught by Joe Laird of Gilbertsville, Pa.
The eight-hour party boat Porgy IV weighed a huge flounder at 9.8-pounds caught by Rick Moody of Philadelphia.
Call South Jersey Marina Charter Agent at 884-3800 for rates and availability.
Grassy Sound Marina is seeing a lot of short flounder with some nice ones in the mix. Minnows, Gulp, & mackerel are doing well. Stripers were caught early morning on clam and bluefish can be had on mackerel in Turtle Creek. Some weakfish were spotted under the lights at the Pier.
Sterling Harbor Marina echoes Grassy Sound’s report. Cape May Reef, Reef Site 11 and the Old Grounds are all producing flounder and flounder are being caught in the Delaware Bay along the edges of the shipping lanes.
Shark fishing remains excellent between the 20 and 30 fathom lines.
Along the beach, some stripers are still being caught on clam in North Wildwood and Wildwood Crest.
Don’t miss Sterling Harbor’s 16th Annual Duke of Fluke Tournament July 11. Registration forms are available at the shop. Call 609-729-1425 or visit www.sterlingharbor.com.
Captain Jim, Starlight Fleet, Wildwood Crest, reports that flounder fishing has picked up on the days with a decent drift. On the six-hour boat, Joe “Hit Man” Gallagher, Drexel Hill, Pa., had a great week. He had the pool on one day with a 6-pound 9-ounce flounder and then made another trip, where he and Hank Lisotto, Wildwood Crest, tied for the prize with a matching pair of 7-pounders. The 4-hour boat is targeting sea bass.
All photos submitted appear online at SeeMyBigFish.com and will appear in print as space is available. Be sure to send your fish stories and photos to cmiller@cmcherald.com. This column appears first online at capemaycountyherald.com