The Fishing Line: FLOUNDER

The smiles are getting bigger and the laughter is getting louder. The fluke are here and everybody is happy.
Capt. Chuck, fished up in the Delaware Bay and found some 60 degree water making fluke fishing pretty good for this time of year. Anglers aboard his SEA STAR III caught many small flounder and a few keeper size fish too. His drum fish trip (Saturdays 4-10 pm) produced nice fish to 40-pounds. A really good sign.
Grassy Sound fishing has been slow going but the flounder are out there. There also has been lots of blues caught off the Grassy Sound Pier along with some short flounder and stripers mixed in.
The winners of the Flounder Opening Weekend Contest for $100 gas gift certificates are John Robinson, Court House and slip holder, Mary Bohrer, North. Wildwood. Mary caught a 19 ½-inch, 2.67-pound flounder at the top of the tide in Turtle Thorofare.
John Robinson, Court House, caught six flounder, two at 21-inches and one 23-inches weighing 4.77-pounds. He was trolling a spinner with minnows and squid on the south side of Stone Harbor with the largest and the other between channel markers 392 and 406 north of the Stone Harbor bridge. John also weighed in a 42-inch, 24-pound 12 ounce striper the following morning live lining shad.
T.J. Moore, Rio Grande, weighed in a 2.42-pound flounder and Wildwood native, Charlie McNeal caught some bluefish during incoming tide using mackerel. Ken Kang, Exton, Pa. caught four blues off the pier using mullet during incoming tide. Sonny Carlberg, Green Creek also was lucky with blues using squid and mackerel during outgoing tide.
Remember: Every Wednesday throughout the 2011 flounder season there will be no user fee for all Veterans and Active Duty Military.
Sterling Harbor Marina reports Wildwood and Cape May beaches are seeing good action with striped bass and black drum on clam. Delaware Bay beaches continue to produce striped bass while plugging and also with clam. Some nice flounder were caught on opening day. Maurice Howell of Whitesboro, Scott Pierce of Drexel Hill, Pa. and Mike Bascome of Delaware County, each had a flounder over 5-pounds.
In the Delaware Bay, larger stripers are moving back down from their river spawning and are being caught while chunking bunker up on the flats. Back-bay striper action remains good with mainly shorts around bridges and piers while using swim baits or clam bait. Crabby Jack gives the crabbing 2.5 claws this week, and says he caught a lot of crabs, but most on the smaller side.
Captain Ray was able to get some fly fishing trips in despite the winds. Stripers were caught around the inlet area and the back-bay with the best fishing along the beach front and around the inlet. Stripers were taking chartreuse/white clouser flies on sinking lines. Most were under size but he did get on nice keeper. He also caught the first batch of sea herring which run 15 to16-inches. When caught on a light fly rod they provide some fun action as the do some jumps to try and throw the hook. Ray is still waiting to see the first bluefish action as they are running a little late this year.
When it is too windy to saltwater fish, Ray says there is action to be found at Cape May County area lakes and ponds. Last week during a high wind after noon pickerel provided nice fly rod action on orange/yellow Mickey Finn flies. Fish are much smaller than most of the saltwater fish but when caught on light fly rod they provide a lot of sport.
NEWS: In April, the Christie Administration announced new rules that would reduce New Jerseyan’s rights to view, use and enjoy the state’s rivers, bays and coast for fishing, swimming, surfing, kayaking, or simply enjoying a walk in the surf or along an urban waterfront. The American Littoral Society strongly opposes the proposed rules and urges you to contact NJDEP Commissioner Robert Martin and demand that a fourth hearing be held outside of working hours (either on a weeknight or Saturday) so that the working people who will be most severely impacted by the proposed rules will actually be able to be part of the public discussion. Go to www.littoralsociety.org for updates. Next meeting is Tuesday, May 17, 11 A.M., Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Townsend Residential Life Center Multi-Purpose Room Jimmie Leeds Road, Pomona,
Send your fishing reports and pictures to cmiller@cmcherald.com. All pictures submitted, if they don’t make it in the print version, can be seen on the Herald’s Web site www.cmcherald.com, click on community, then fishing and boating.