The Fishing Line: June Is Jumping

June is Jumping’ and it’s a great time to celebrate National Fishing and Boating Week, June 1-8. This is just the beginning of a terrific season. I can just feel it.
BILL (bucktail willie) Shillingford fishing out of Whale Creek Marina found bluefish in 16-24 inch range all over. Fluke are steady with fish up to 24 inches. Willie had a Grand Slam of 1striped bass, 4 legal fluke, 11 bluefish and 2 weakfish, 22 and 24 inches .
Sterling Harbor reports drumfish caught in good numbers on both sides of the Delaware Bay. Weakfish are being around the jetties and throughout the back bays with fish up to 8 pounds. Back bay fluking started slow due to the wind, but improved throughout the weekend with many keepers being caught on both Sunday and Monday. Sea Bass season is open with the best reports coming from the wrecks around the 20 fathom line. Stripers are being caught along the beachfront and in the back bays. Clam baits are producing the best results.
Grassy Sound Marina had a great opening day for flounder. Both tides did well, minnows, squid, Gulp (white & chartreuse), mackerel, spearing; you name it, they took it. The sod bank by the Stone Harbor toll bridge, just off the rocks at the Greek Church, Turtle Creek, Jenkins Channel, all produced a memorable opening day. The fishing pier produced some nice stripers to 32 inches on mackerel and clam and flounder and bluefish, too.
Offshore, Atlantic Star made another tile trip with good results. The pool was won by Anna Miglio, Eldora, for her 30 pound golden tile with High Hook honors went to Jin Lin, Queens, NY, for a limit of golden tiles to 30 pounds and 12 blue lines to 12 pounds.
The Starlight has been running daily. Pool winners Sophie Jung, Rio Grande, 3 pound, 9 ounce flounder and Spencer Sprague, Villas, with a 5 pound cod.
Dan Schafer, Insomniac Guides, says the bass are on the marsh and flounder are snapping. Dan met up with Carmen and his Dad at first light this morning and it only took a few minutes to start hitting blues and bass on top for the next hour and a half before running to a shell bed that was holding flounder in 12 feet of water. The fish were taking a combination of both chartreuse/white Gulp, top/bottom hooks, and bucktails and jig head all equally well.
Cape Queen Sportfishing Charters had a drum trip in the evening with the Joe Pellecchia Party and came in with 2 nice ones at 35 and 81 pounds. Patrick Ciera had the pleasure of reeling in the monster which bit right as they were about to haul anchor. On another beautiful day the Kulak party fishing and Frank, from Langhorne, Pa., brought in a 4 pound sea bass while Colette Willent of Northfield, caught one at nearly 4 pounds for a total of 23 keeper sea bass and 8 ling.
Stray Cat Fishing had a great week wreck fishing. Ling and sea bass dominated the action with keepers for everyone. Nice to see him on the boat. Also the Rob Wiggens group from the com cast crew had a fantastic day with plenty of 2 lbs sea bass and some red hake…. averaging 2 lbs…. nice We are still catching blackfish out on the 20 mile wrecks…. Blackfish up to 5 lbs and we have a few crabs in the hotel…. There are a few open boat trips left before we go to Charters, If your looking to catch some nice fish, give us a call
Captain Ray, too, is seeing some pretty good fishing. Clousers flies, chartreuse/white, pink/white and yellow/orange have been the prime producers when fished with sinking lines. Most of the fish have been sea herring and bluefish, with the stripers and fluke being below keeper size. Still have to work for the weakfish, but those that they did catch were nice size.
Take your friends and family and join Jeff Dement, the Society’s Fish Tagging Director for a fun and educational day of fishing and become a citizen scientist by helping tag fish safely and responsibly. Started in 1965, the Fish Tagging program is the world’s largest all-volunteer fish tagging program and the data you collect is sent to the National Marine Fisheries Service in Woods Hole. Mass. $75 ticket price includes hot coffee, boat, bait, tackle, fish tags and fresh fish for your fridge. Feel free to bring your own bait and tackle. Space is limited. Contact Jeff@littoralsociety.org or call (732) 291-0055 x 106.
NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife has confirmed that a carp taken by Adam Faatz of Hawthorne while bow fishing in Greenwood Lake is a new state record. The 45 pound 6 ounce carp, was 42 inches long with a girth of 32 inches. www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2014/reccarp14.htm
The Fishing Line runs year round so keep sending your reports and pictures to cmiller@cmcherald.com. Column and pictures are posted online at www.capemaycountyherald.com and on Facebook. Check out Miller’s new children’s book “Counting the Fish in the Sea: The Story of the NEAMAP Trawls” on www.epektales.com