The Fishing Line Jan. 30

                Wow! Now we have some cold weather for some real winter fishing. There probably won’t be much though as the howling wind will keep the boats that are still fishing, tied up at their docks. However, there were some nice trips to report on that occurred before the weekend. There is also news of the first local fishing flea market of the winter. Let’s get started with a couple of boats that are wrapping up their seasons.
                 The Porgy IV had a good trip on Thursday as they “caught some nice fish but no great numbers.” The pool was won by Tony Guerrieri who landed a 12.7 pound blackfish which was released after being weighed. Another double-digit fish, a 10.75-pounder, was caught, and then released, by Mike Youcis. The fish gods smiled on Mike for that sportsmanlike gesture as he caught three other keepers. A limit of blackfish was caught by Kevin Olbrich. At the end of his report Captain Paul mentioned that he is calling it a season and will resume fishing in April. Enjoy your break, Paul and crew and I look forward to working with you again in the spring.
                The Fishin’ Fever was out on Wednesday before the weather went south and put together a good catch of blackfish. The guys who chartered the boat put 20 keepers in the box. The big fish, a 14-pound blackfish, was caught then released by an angler named Joe.  John Johansen had “a great day.” His day included three double-digit fish which weighed 11, 13, and 15 pounds. After being weighed and photographed the fish were released to swim another day.
                A few days later Captain Tom announced that due to a “little transmission issue” he was going to call it a season. He’ll pull the boat, get it fixed and be ready for the 2019 spring blackfish season. He will also be booking trips for all fisheries in 2019, so give him a call at 609-868-6014 to grab the date and trip that you desire. Enjoy some time off Tom and I’ll see you in the spring.
                The Cape May Lady stayed busy by taking a little longer ride “to the deep.” The blackfish portion of the catch “was slow but there were some bites and fish if you worked hard.” The day was productive nonetheless as “variety” was the word of the day. If you wanted something for dinner your choices were blackfish, big bergals, white hake, ling “and some other exotics.” They will have upcoming trips that will be focusing on blackfish, but if fishing for them is slow, then grab some of their other bait offerings and try to catching something different. Give them a call at 609-425-4303 or 609-780-7900 to see when they are heading out next.
                Another boat that is calling it a wrap for the winter is the Starfish. Captain Bob and the crew wanted to send a thank you to everyone for their patronage this past year. They will resume sailing in the spring of 2019. If you would like to book a cruise, or any of the trips that they offer, give John a call at 609-263-3800 to grab an open date. Enjoy your break everyone.    
                Jeannie D. Sportfishing is wintering in North Carolina and has been spending their time catching tuna. They recently “boated” their first Bluefin Tuna of 2019. That day also provided a “bunch” of Yellowfin Tuna. The next day they caught a Bigeye Tuna, some Yellowfin and some Blackfin Tuna while looking for another Bluefin. That Bluefin, a 96-incher, was caught the following day, Saturday. They had lost a much bigger one earlier in the day, but were ready for this one. After three days of fishing and with bad weather on the way, they were planning on taking a break. We hope to hear from them after the weather calms.   
                The 16^th Annual Ocean City Intermediate School Fishing Flea Market will occur on Saturday, February 2. The show starts at 9 a.m. and runs till 1 p.m. It will take place at the school which is located at 1801 Bay Avenue in Ocean City. There is free parking and refreshments and door prizes. A fee will be charged at the door. New and used items, collectables, and fresh and saltwater tackle will be available. All proceeds go directly to the schools fishing club. This will be a great opportunity to get some gear, help out a good cause, and talk to other anglers during the winter so make your plans to drop in.
                The Saltwater National Seminar Series will be in Atlantic City at the Convention Center on February 9. The show features George Poveromo, who is the host of “World of Saltwater Fishing,” a show on NBC Sports. The show has local and national anglers who discuss various fisheries that we can access in this area. Tactics and strategies for catching inshore, near shore and offshore fish are covered. Your ticket includes free give-away items, door prizes and an admission to the after party at the Bass Pro store in Atlantic City. Call 1-800-448-7360 for tickets and any additional information.
                A quick notice from the Division of Fish and Wildlife: Please be aware of Ocean Survey vessel. As part of the Ocean Wind Project, the 170-foot R/V Enterprise will be operating off Atlantic and Cape May counties, weather permitting. This survey will last about two months. For a chart of the lease survey area go to marine_advisory.pdf. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Kevin Wark, Ocean Wind Project Fisheries Liaison Officer, at 609-290-8577 or e-mail him at kevinwark@comcast.net. 
                If the weather allows, maybe you’ll be inspired to go fishing. If circumstances don’t allow for that, then maybe you’ll be able to get to the flea market. Good luck and I’ll see you around.
Submit your fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.