We have a lot of fishing activity to cover this week. Flounder, tuna, kingfish and stripers get a mention, and we even report on a young angler who caught a nice crappie. Let’s get right into it.
Sterling Harbor Bait and Tackle, with Cathy reporting, says “flounder fishing was good” at the reefs and in the back when the wind allowed anglers to get away from their docks. Three-pound back bay flounder went to Jim Dickinson and Charles Breon, while Joe Smugeresky reeled in a 23-inch, four-pound fluke caught “near the Cape May drawbridge.”
Small stripers are in the back and can be caught in the early morning or in the evening, especially around docks or any bridge structure. The cool water in the back has also allowed some weakfish to remain in the area. A nice keeper striper, an 18 pounder, was caught at the Cape May Inlet by Roy Lucadema of Cape May Court House.
Kingfish are in the surf along the Delaware Bay and are hitting on bloodworms or Fishbites Bag O’Worms. Others along the beaches are catching dusky, brown and sand tiger sharks. Please remember to use circle hooks so any protected species can be safely returned to the water.
Crabby Jack gives crabbing 5 Claws and reports “the best we have seen in years.”
A reminder that the 24th Annual Duke of Fluke Tournament is scheduled for July 15. A Captain’s Meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on July 14. For information, call the shop at (609) 729-1425 or visit sterlingharbor.com.
The Royal Flush had a good week on all its trips. The two, four-hour trips and the night excursion produced some nice catches for their fares. Alex Boros and Mark Logan caught triggerfish, while Gina Moore had a keeper flounder and Cindy James caught some bluefish. Mike Natale caught a nice sea bass. It’s good to hear of a nice variety of fishing being caught.
Sailor’s Delight Back Bay Fishing finished June on a high note. A log showed 114 flounder during 14 trips with a 23 incher leading the way. Even with the windy weekend weather, fisher-folk were out and catching fluke in the back as June ended and July began. Fluke were hitting the deck, keeping up the pace set in June. The July 4th morning trip saw 37 “flatties” ranging up to 22 inches, “plus a lot of bass, sharks and bird play.” That update concluded by saying the “back bay was on fire this morning.” Check out the Wildwood-based pontoon boat for your back bay fishing trips.
Grassy Sound Marina recently held its 11th Annual Flounder Tournament. The Boat Division was won by Wayne Peterson with a six pounder. The “Three Heaviest Fish” category was won by Joe Muravsky with a total of 10.8 pounds. The Women’s Division was won by John Dailey with a 3.6 pounder, while Ken McDermott IV won the Children’s Title with a 2.2 pounder. The Kayak Division was taken by Ed Hughes with a 3.4 pounder, while Tom Scibek won the Pier Division crown.
Captain Mike from the Miss Chris reports that “fluke fishing continued to improve throughout the week despite tough winds.” Keeper weakfish and more kingfish are also getting into the mix. Abbey Casio caught a nice 17-inch weakfish on one of the recent outings, while Christian Moldanado got a nice fluke at the Cape May Reef.
Captain Chuck from the Sea Star III had some nice fluke catches despite a 10 degree drop in water temperature. Others also reported this drop in temperature which made fishing conditions a little more challenging than desired. Tony Caputo led pool winners with a fluke of 3.85 pounds. George Schoell won another pool with his 3.5 pounder.
Tide Runner Charters led by Captain Ray reports a few lost trips due to windy weather, but when he got out, his customers were able to produce. Good dusk and dawn fishing resulted in schoolie stripers, weakfish and fluke “on the fly.” The ocean was good, but the “best action,” especially for stripers, was in the warmer back bay waters. Regardless though, the beachfront and inlet areas showed some promising activity. Dan Kubiak, visiting from Denver, Colo., caught a weakfish plus a striper while fly-fishing during his trip. Jack Terrill of Harrisburg, Pa. also landed a fly-caught striped bass.
Off The Hook Bait and Tackle reported a good tuna outing for Steve Cowan and his crew. The picture I saw had five guys with each holding a yellowfin tuna. They were fishing aboard the “Really Wired.”
Fishin’ Fever Sportfishing Charters had a charter for tuna on the Monday of the long holiday weekend. They caught three yellowfin to 65 pounds, plus a “nice” mahi. They also caught and released three smaller tuna.
Captain Skip took the Stalker II out for tuna over the holiday and scored big-time. Multiple yellowfin came aboard. They were caught on the “chunk” and on a “jig.” It “gets no better” was a popular way to describe the weekend haul. Michael Munizza got his first and second tuna on one of the trips.
A plump 7.5-pound flounder was caught on July 3 by Jason. He was fishing aboard the Porgy which sails out of Cape May. Thanks for sending in the picture and information.
Tammie at Avalon Hodge Podge reported that some nice fish came out of the back. Notable catches went to Kevin Harvey with a 10.8-pound, 28-inch fluke. Meanwhile, Rich Ziegler caught several stripers behind Stone Harbor, with the largest hitting 10.68 pounds and 30.5 inches in length.
Avalon Hodge Podge sponsored the Avalon Invitational which resulted in a number of yellowfin tuna being weighed in. Jason, aboard the Exile, had the largest at 56.8 pounds and 45 inches long.
The Miss Avalon is hitting the ocean and collecting some keeper flounder as well as triggerfish. They are getting sea bass as well. The season for them recently re-opened, so it’s good to have another tasty fish to target. Remember that if you can’t get out to fish, you can still catch a Sunset or Nature Cruise. If the backwater is more to your liking, then check out the Miss Avalon’s sister vessel. The Avalon Lady covers the intercoastal waters and channels behind the barrier islands. She also offers fishing, various cruises and summer camps for the kids. Call (609) 967-7455 for information on either boat.
Cameron at Boulevard Bait and Tackle mentions lots of kingfish being caught from the Sea Isle surf. They have been hitting bloodworms and have been hanging in the wash. Plenty of flounder have been weighed in also, with some from the back and some coming from the local reefs. He reported that Ricky, a young angler, caught a “big crappie” while fishing at Bauer’s Fishing Preserve. It is just south of the Routes 9 and 50 intersection.
There’s a lot going on despite the wind and the colder water that’s in the area, but get out and get the line wet if you can. Let me know how you do. When sending in pictures, please have them oriented from top to bottom. Pictures with the subject photographed sideways are difficult to work with.
Submit your fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.
