Real (reel?) fishers ride out the weather to find drum, weakies, blues, sea bass, stripers, ling, and flounder. Can you ask for anything more?
Over at Grassy Sound Marina, Haven Taddei, Reading, Pa., brought in her first flounder and the Schwegels along with Jerry Dilisandro, Vineland, took home 5 keeper flounder, a striper, and 5 blues. The incoming tide was best and bait of choice was mullet, minnows and fresh clams. Grace Boyd, Upland, Pa. caught an 18.5 inch flounder on minnows, outgoing tide. She also caught some nice bluefish. Joe Sandefur, West Deptford, caught a tagged striper, outgoing tide on clam.
Sterling Harbor reports surf fishing off the North Wildwood beach was red hot. Striped bass blitzes had fish in the 30-45 inch range with black drum mixed in too. Drum fishing in the Delaware Bay was excellent with many boats catching and releasing fish up to 70 pounds.
Back bay fluke fishing remains excellent with fish up to 4.5 pounds reported. Hot baits are Gulp!, live minnows and mackerel strips. Weakfish are being caught in the back bays on Bucktails tipped with pink Finesse fish, Gulp! Swimming Mullet, Fishbites Bloodworms, and Mirrodyne lures.
When the weather cooperated, Captain Ray managed some pretty good fishing for both fly and plug anglers. Chartreuse/white clouser and deceive flies worked well along with YoZuri and Bomber plugs for spin anglers. He caught stripers, bluefish, weakfish, sea herring and fluke. He saw nice size weakfish up to 26 inches. Flies are most effective. To help speed up the build-up of the stock, Ray released all weakfish even though they were keepers.
The Irish Fly found a perfect day amidst the strong winds and landed 34 weakfish, releasing 31 in good shape without being handled. All fish were taken on the incoming tide, 10 on a fly and 24 on swimming baits. Most fish were 4-5 pounds.
NEWS: Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has approved the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Black Drum. The FMP requires all states to maintain current regulations for black drum and implement a maximum possession limit and minimum size limit (12 inches) by Jan. 1, 2014. States will be required to increase the minimum size limit (14 inches) by January, 2016. Go to www.asmfc.org or call Kirby at 703.842.0740.
Revision to release of May 22: ASMFC’s Winter Flounder Management Board approved Addendum III to Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for the Inshore Stocks of Winter Flounder. The Board maintained existing management measures for the 2013 fishing season for the SNE/MA stock due to its continued poor stock status and for the GOM stock because of its unknown stock status. This action is consistent with recommendations (www.asmfc.org)
Send your reports and pictures to cmiller@cmcherald.com. Column and pictures are posted online at www.capemaycountyherald.com. Let’s go fishing!
North Cape May – Another shout out to Officer Bohn, the school resource officer at LCMR. I admire his hard work and devotion to the students and staff as I see him every morning and afternoon, snow, wind , sleet or…
