The Fishing Line: May 1

Well, more and more fish are being caught. That is, when you can fish around the weather. The weekend storm that blew through the area was the catalyst for many lost fishing trips. Previous to that, stripers, drum fish, weakfish, blue fish and blackfish had been caught. The weather may have caused a little inconvenience, but overall the fishing community has seen an increase in the amount of action recently that should only continue to escalate. We’ll check out what has been going on and learn of an honor for a local business, but there is another topic to address first.
We start off on a sad note.  One of the local good guys, whom many of us knew, Rusty Zeigler, has lost his battle with the illness he was fighting. Rusty, known for his easy going style and willingness to lend a hand when needed, passed away on Saturday, April 20. I knew him from his time at Captain Tate’s, and later on from his work at Off The Hook Bait and Tackle. He was, as described, always friendly whether you saw him at work or out around town. Condolences to Rusty’s family, his friends, and the crew at Off The Hook.
The Miss Avalon, like a few other local boats, was able to get out on the Monday after Easter and their patrons were able to enjoy the day catching some blackfish. They had “great action around the boat.” A few of the patrons, including a regular named Austin, had multiple catches. Even though the skies were gray, the fishing action was good.
The Wednesday trip had “great action.” There was “fish all around the boat” with keepers, plus plenty of shorts providing action for everyone.
The Cape May Lady was out Monday and “finished the day with a decent catch, including three big ones.”  They reported that “some spots were decent and some spots were tough”. They had a “gorgeous day on the water with a great bunch of anglers.” One angler had a limit while a few were able to land two or three keepers. Overall, there weren’t many short fish caught.
The Tuesday trip provided “decent” results despite “tough anchoring conditions. A few guys had their limits, while a few guys had a few.” The pool-fish was an 8-pounder and caught by an angler who kept his identity a secret. I guess he didn’t want the boss to know he was fishing.
The Wednesday trip ended up being a family affair as an angler named Ray Jr. took the pool with a “gorgeous 13-pounder” while his “pops” was the runner-up with a 7-pounder. The high-hook of the day had a limit but most “had to work for them today” as the bite was slower than desired.     
The Porgy IV also made its way out to the local blackfish haunts on Monday. They reported that Ken Minett had a four fish limit. Two other anglers also caught their limits while others on the boat either caught one, or none. They reported there was a lot of good, short-sized fish action, early in the day.
Their Tuesday outing proved tougher as they too had tough conditions early while anchoring. They caught fish, and had keepers, but just not as many as they would have wanted. But a day on the boat is better than a day wishing you were on the boat.     
The Sea Star III was, like all others, short on trips due to the windy, stormy weather over the past week. They caught mainly blackfish, which won pools for Gary Agness (4.2-pounds) and Frank Servocky with a four pound fish. Another angler, named Bob, caught a nice ling during one of the outings. Captain Chuck will switch over to drum fish on May 1, and continue sailing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. His “Prime Time” Drum Fish trips will start on Saturday, May 4 and sail from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. The evening trips are by reservation only and sell outs are common, so please call ahead for reservation as soon as possible. Call him at 609-884-3421.
The Fishin Fever, led by Captain Tom, was out catching blackfish throughout the week. Mon produced a boat limit, plus releases of 8 and 12-pound females. Tuesday saw a double-digit fish for Frank Land who landed a 10-pounder. It was Frank’s first blackfish over the magic double-digit plateau. Thursday provided another boat limit and six fish over 10 pounds. That sounds like a solid week.
The Full Ahead, with Captain Bob, was out catching drum fish last recently. A young angler named Masha was a willing student as she learned how to catch a drum fish on Thursday. Call 609-847-2304 if you would like to set up a charter as they are filling up fast. Captain Bob is targeting May 3 to start his official season for drum.  
Boulevard Bait and Tackle recorded a good beginning to their week. Over Monday and Tuesday they weighed in an 11.3-pound blackfish for Matt, which represents his personal-best. He caught it at one of the local reefs. Clay, not to be outdone, weighed in a “nice 25-inch, 5-pound weakfish.” He caught it from one of the local back bays.
Congratulations go out to Grassy Sound Marina as they were named Business of the Year 2019 by the Middle Township Chamber of Commerce. They cover all your boating needs including marine sales and service and a full-service marina with seasonal slips. They can also take care of your fishing and crabbing needs which include a pier where you can pay a fee and go out and crab and fish. Stop in, say hi, and get ready to go fishing or crabbing.
Grassy Sound Marina also released the date and time of their 13th Annual Grassy Sound Marina Flounder Tournament. It will be Saturday, June 29 at 7 a.m. There will be Boat, Kayak, and Pier Divisions. There will also be excellent prizes, a barbeque, and a live band. Make your plans now to attend.  
Submit your fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.