Hot, humid, late day thunderstorms. But people are catching fish. That’s the name of the game, and we can put up with it. Some nice flounder were caught, plenty of tuna were taken, the surf is picking up with kingfish, a cobia showed up, and tog (with only a bag limit of one) are now legal. Lots to check on, so let’s get started.
Jim’s Bait and Tackle checks in with Matt starting with word of two recent fluke catches of note. With a little warmer water came a 7.6-pound fluke for Aaron Rothberg that was caught at the Wildwood Reef. An 8.2 pounder came from the Cape May Reef, caught by Martin Miller. Both anglers limited out on their trips. The Old Grounds and Delaware Reef Site #10 are also “starting to show some action.”
Offshore, early week action was good in the Canyons to the north, while the weekend saw the Wilmington Canyon heat up. Most fish were yellowfins in the 40- to 60-pound range. A “few” blue marlin were caught, plus some wahoo are starting to show.
Yellowfin, on the troll and the chunk, were “very consistent at the Hot Dog.” Massey’s Canyon had bluefin on the chunk. Some makos were also landed there.
Kingfish are “showing up” in better numbers in the Rips, while weakfish and some fluke are accompanying them.
The surf is mainly busy with kingfish and fluke. Most are shorts, but a few keepers are mixed in. Matt mentioned that “the size limit north of the lighthouse is 17 inches.” Brown and sand tiger sharks are active along the beachfront and also at Sunset Beach. This is a catch and release fishery. Shop workers saw pictures of fish up to eight feet long.
Some sheepshead are showing up around the rocks and bridge abutments. Doug Vaules caught three fish to eight pounds.
Captain Chuck aboard the Sea Star III says that flounder fishing has been a little slow, but the recent Sunday showed “some improvement.” He hopes “it is a sign of things to come.” He had a couple of four-plus-pound fluke recently take pools. Frank Servocky (4.65) and Denny Hughes (4.1) took those honors. Don Fagan limited out on fluke, while Skip Leach limited out with seabass. Russ Marvin won a pool with a 1.75-pound seabass. Denny Hughes and Bobby Scrivani both had two-fish days. Get a couple fluke, mix in some sea bass, throw in some kingfish that are also increasing in numbers, and you have the makings of a rewarding day.
The Miss Chris, marina mate of the Sea Star III, is running her 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. half-day schedule daily. She has been catching kingfish, weakfish and some nice fluke. Giuseppe Tromba recently won a pool during a half-day trip with Captain Mike. His winning fluke weighed six pounds.
Cape Queen Sportfishing continues running her bay shark trips and has had sharks up to 200 pounds. On another trip, she had sea bass, 83 bluefish and a “surprise” 38-inch cobia. She had over 150 throwbacks during this trip.
Caveman Sportfishing has been on the tuna recently. One recent trip had fish while jigging and chunking. The anglers in the picture looked happy while posing with their fish at the dock.
From Grassy Sound Marina comes word of a very nice flounder that was caught by 9-year-old Matthew Dever. It was his first keeper of the season, and appeared to be in the 23-inch range. The Moore family had a nice outing recently that was highlighted by a 23-inch flounder. Joe Dymond caught a 20-inch flounder while fishing the outgoing tide from the pier.
If you want crabs, get to the pier or rent one of the marina’s boats. Tom and Justin Parker recently caught a bushel of crabs while staying right at the pier. Another successful crabbing trip was experienced by a family who rented a boat for a belated Father’s Day outing. The wait was well worth the reward.
The 24th Annual Duke of Fluke Tournament at Sterling Harbor Bait and Tackle was held on Saturday, July 15. The winners in the various divisions were as follows:
- Single Heaviest Fluke – Wayne Reichle at 6.36 pounds
- Kayak Division – Joe Muravsky at 4.20 pounds
- Five Heaviest Fluke – Christopher Voss at 23.03 pounds
- Duchess Award – Dana Townsend at 3.50 pounds
- Heaviest Sea Bass – Clint Clement at 3.06 pounds
- Heaviest Bluefish – Mike Schaeffer at 3.96 pounds
A total of 87 boats and 42 kayaks entered.
The Royal Flush reports “a big improvement” in action as the ocean temperature starts to rise. They are “out front in the ocean” and have been mainly catching kingfish and weakfish. Also being caught, but only “here and there,” were triggerfish, snapper blues, sea bass and flounder. Catches of note were made by Matt Wilson with a weakfish, Amanda Long with a snapper bluefish, Luke Tretter, Joe Black and Joe Black III with kingfish, and finally, bothEd Moriarty and Kevin Miller with triggerfish. Warmer water can only help to drive up the action even more.
Sailor’s Delight Back Bay Fishing continues to have the catch meter going. An angler named Gage caught a fluke that took the boat past the 500 catch level for the season. They got right up to the brink with the Friday trips, then were safely back in before the thunderstorms rolled in. That trip featured a few ladies who contributed to the grand total with their catches. If you can’t make the day trips, or just can’t get enough fishing whatsoever, then call about the night fishing trips at (609) 827-8309.
Boulevard Bait and Tackle has been having patrons stopping by regularly to have their flounder weighed, and to show off their stringers of kingfish. David White caught a 21 incher from the inlet, while the back bay gave up a 25-inch, 6.1 pounder to John Mel. The reefs had a limit taken by Jerry Rau recently. An angler named Nick has been on the kingfish lately. He had two solid days scouring the surf. You have to work for them, but they can be taken and they do taste good. I like to blacken them in a cast-iron skillet and serve them in fish tacos.
Tammie, of Avalon Hodge Podge, checks in after a week that was “interesting to say the least.” With water temperatures “rarely” getting “into the mid-60s,” the fluke developed “lockjaw.” The outgoing tide seemed to be the “only” time that any bites occurred, and minnows or gulp were the best producers.
Kingfish, mostly on bloodworms but with some on clam, are being caught from the surf. Further along the beach at the inlet, snapper blues are chasing shiners.
The reefs and wrecks are “spotty at best.” Good catches are occurring one day, but not the next. The squid and minnow combo has been the best bait when catches are happening.
The Miss Avalon has been sailing at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. and scoring for her patrons with flounder, sea bass and kingfish. There is mention of “calm seas all week” in the forecast, so the Miss Avalon will be looking to add to the productive trips she’s recently had. The warmer water we’ve mentioned should push the catch totals even higher.
The Avalon Lady has had a lot of nice quality flounder going in the coolers. The pictures posted showed many happy anglers with their catches. Lots of flounder dinners will be served. Don’t forget to check out the Avalon Lady’s summer camp program for the kids, plus the other trips offered.
Here’s a reminder for the week of Aug. 20-25. The 26th Annual Mid-Atlantic Tournament is occurring during those days. It will be based in Cape May at the Canyon Club and in Ocean City, Md. at Sunset Marina. For information, call Aaron Hoffman at (609) 884-0177 or visit the tournament website at www.themidatlantic.com. While there, you will find news on the schedule, rules, Calcutta breakdown, and a printable tournament brochure and entry form.
Submit your fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.
