Wow! The difference seven days makes can be really surprising. Easter Sunday was nice and warm, sunny and pleasant. While in Myrtle Beach, the weather was picture perfect. At that point you feel things are kicking into a warm spring weather pattern. Well, not so fast. We came back to cool, cloudy and actually, some extended woodstove weather. I had thought we were done with heating for the foreseeable future, but not yet. Despite the cool weather, some fish were caught, although it seems many were taken before the weather deteriorated. While checking the reports from afar, I saw some cancelations due to the conditions. Let’s see what has been going on.
Captain Chuck and the Sea Star III in Cape May get us going with a report on their recent trips. They have been targeting blackfish and will continue doing so till the end of the month. Trips are from 9 a.m. till 3 p.m. They have been seeing good action, but the “amount of keepers has varied.” A couple of pools went to Gary Agness with a four pounder while Frank Servocky’s winner tipped the scales at 4.7 pounds. A nice by-catch of seabass also occurred, so things are looking good for when that season opens.
Captain Chuck’s drumfish and striper trips start on May 1, also at the time listed above. They will also continue their Wednesday and Saturday night drumfish outings which run from 4 till 10 p.m. Reservations are needed, and the trips are limited to 25 people. Call (609) 884-3421 and set up your trip.
Off The Hook Bait and Tackle checked in with the results of recent Clean Sweep Sportfishing trips. They posted a couple pictures of striper catches which showed some nice fish. From what I heard, they reported that the fish appeared to be spawned out, and are very hungry.
Fishin’ Fever Sportfishing Charters continues to haul in the blackfish as the had a boat limit on a recent Thursday, even “throwing back keepers,” then two days later they did it again. This trip had Kurtis Berry bring in an 11-pound female that he released. The blackfish fishery has been mentioned as “great,” so get out if you can, and give it a shot.
Captain Bob Cope and the Full Ahead had some action on their charters recently as they had full boat limits of tog. They got out Saturday, beat the weather and returned with a respectable tally of four- to five-pound fish. Call (609) 847-2304 for stripers, bluefish and drum trip availability.
South Cape Fishing was out doing its shakedown cruise and decided to make a quick stop on potential tog spot. The quick visit paid off in three nice fish for the dinner table. Not a bad way to end the day. Tog season will be over when you read this but call about stripers, bluefish and drum trips at (609) 425-4808.
Stalker Fishing Charters with Captain Skip is covering water everywhere. He’s been in the bay finding stripers for some patrons, then he’s had the “skiff” active in the back catching the big bluefish for others. Call (609) 972-5218 and tell him what your choice is.
A picture of Luke Berkey and his fish was sent in by his proud Aunt Mary. On Saturday, Luke caught a 42-inch, 26-pound striper from a local beach. Thanks for reading and sending in a picture, and please continue to do so.
The Miss Avalon got out over the weekend, caught plenty of fish and stated that “fishing should be called catching.” This was because the blackfish were said to be “very hungry.” Hungry, aggressive fish make for a quality day on the water. Charlie Moore made it out Friday and ended his day with a solid limit of fish. He was able to help others catch a few of their own before the trip ended. Saturday’s pool winner weighed in at 6.1 pounds.
Captain Al and the Bayhound got out but changed their target. Instead of going after tog, they went after blues and bass. They succeeded by bringing in some of the big blues that have started to invade the area, from Atlantic City down to Cape May. They also had a striper in one of the pictures, so they hit their goal.
Boulevard Bait and Tackle had plenty of people stopping by and weighing in their catches. Stripers, an 11-pound blue amongst many back bay gators, late season tog and a 24-inch black drum made their way in the door, or at least to the outside scale. A highlight went to young fisherman Cale who caught his first striper off the beach. He finished by catching 12 in two days. Not a bad way for him to spend a little time off from school. The first keeper striper was a 31-inch, 11.2 pounder caught by an angler named Rich. Stop by, say hi and take care of all your fishing and bait needs.
The Osprey has been catching tog also. It had a few weather related cancellations, as did most boats. When its anglers got out they had solid catches. The highlight though was a lady named Kathrine. It wasn’t just the fish she caught, but the fact that she is 93 years old and still getting out. She caught her tog, and got a lot of much deserved respect from others on the boat. Well done, Kathrine.
One Stop Bait and Tackle has been weighing in a lot of big gator blues. The back water of Atlantic City produced a 16.6 pounder for one angler, while the T-Jetty provided a 14 pounder and a 39.5-inch, 17.3 monster for another angler. Now you see why they are nicknamed “gators.”
One Stop Bait and Tackle is also weighing in more keeper tog as that season approaches its end, plus it’s staying busy with striped bass. A nice one came in that was caught on the previously mentioned T-Jetty, while another that tipped the scales at 35 pounds was also recorded.
On May 6 and 7 the Cape May County Coast Guard Community Festival will take place. Saturday’s activities will be held from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. at TRACEN, and on Sunday the events will be held at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal. For a complete list of events, visit www.coastguardcommunity.org.
Don’t forget to check Mark’s Fishing Line on Facebook for stories, and extra and late pictures. Stay up to date on what’s happening as the season gains steam.
Submit your fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.
