The Fishing Line: Let’s Find Flounder

With Fourth of July right around the corner, the fish are just waiting for you and the weather is cooperating for a change.
Grassy Sound Marina continues to produce with some nice flounder, a few stripers, and weakies consistently reported in the Grassy Sound-Hereford Inlet area. Eric Dellelis, Aston, Pa. caught his first keeper flounder of the season off the Grassy Sound Fishing Pier during outgoing tide on mackerel. Vince Edwards, Philadelphia and Tony Laurenzi, Ashtabula, Ohio caught their keepers on minnows.
Other catches included 11- year-old Dylan Sangmeister, Glenolden, Pa. using mackerel; Jim Mooers, Dennisville two keeper flounder on new penny shrimp Gulp, and Ed Welch, Philadelphia, fishing the incoming tide in Turtle Creek with clam and minnies.
Brian McHenry, Honeybrook, Pa. caught a 30 inch striper on bunker during outgoing tide from the Pier.
Despite strong winds there were still some nice flounder caught in the Back Bays and snapper blues were caught near the Inlets for those who ventured out. Just before the wind there were plenty of tuna and sharks offshore and fluke fishing is picking up at the Reefs and should continue to improve as the waters warm. Crabby Jack gives the crabbing 3.5 Claws and says there were some Jumbo’s caught this week.
Over at Frank’s Boats, the wind was an issue, too. However, the Stuck party went out on and returned with 4 keeper flounder, the largest weighing in at 7 pounds 1 ounce.
The water is beginning to warm up a bit and while the intercoastal waterway between markers 327 and 333 has been most productive, fish are beginning to show up at the mouth of Flat Creek and in the main channel from the boat ramp to markers 328 and 329.
Minnows are still the best bait, but chartreuse gulp, squid and spearing have also produced keepers for some of our customers. Other fish still being landed include blues, weakfish and a couple 30-31 inch stripers caught on bunker.
Capt. John Sowerby of the charter boat Hooked Up (South Jersey Marina) took Ed Abele and his crew to the east side of the Baltimore Canyon. The bite was on and they returned to South Jersey Marina with a nice catch of six yellow fins. As the water warms up even further, the fishing grounds will be expanded to include many of their favorite spots.
Captain Ray reports there are some decent fly fishing catches. Weakfish, blues, sea herring and fluke are providing the bulk of the action on the fly rod. Clouser and deceiver patterns are working the best using sinking lines around the inlet and the beach front with chartreuse, pink and yellow pattern producing the best. Still not seeing the normal schoolies striper action that is expected at this time of the year and the ones they are catching are all on the small side.
Ray says he is starting to see some baitfish and action around the back bay sod banks. On the fly he is catching some nicer size blues there, but again the stripers have been all smaller.
For those interested in the Atlantic Menhaden issue, the debate goes on with both sides accusing the other of misinformation. When something definite happens, you’ll find it here. Can’t wait? Just google Menhaden and catch up on the reports.
Send your fishing reports and pictures to cmiller@cmcherald.com. There are terrific pictures coming in but not room for all of them. All pictures submitted are posted online at www.capemaycountyherald.com.