The Fishing Line: May Matters

The stripers are here; just in time, as tautog are no longer legal catch. Dog fish, weakfish, and drum are also reported. May is sure to make us merry.
The folks at Sterling Harbor Marina report stripers caught along the beachfront in the Wildwoods and Cape May with clam being the bait of choice. Schoolie size fish are in the Back Bays and anglers reported success using MirrOlure’s MirrOdine lures. Stripers have been caught in the Delaware Bay while chunking with bunker. There are reports of nice size weakfish in the back waters. It would be great for this fish to make a comeback. Tog fishing was red hot around the jetties, bridges and reefs, but remember, the season is now closed.
Captain Chuck on Sea Star III has seen the first drumfish of 2013, unfortunately they weren’t caught on his boat! He did manage a few nice tautog, though. The Sea Star III has been mixing it up between Bay trips and wreck trips based mainly on weather conditions. Sea Star III is beginning prime time drumfishing trips every Saturday night from 4-10 p.m. until June 1. To make reservations call 884-3421.
Bucktail Willie found that when the wind allows, there are fish to be caught. Fluke are moving in every day and most are over the legal limit, once season opens, May 18. Striped bass are also behind the barrier islands, slow trolled bucktails doing the trick. Weakfish are also here but they are little more picky and tide and wind play a big part on catching them. Everything Willie has caught so far is back swimming with a yellow tag.
Captain Ray got in some more freshwater fishing with pickerel, crappie and large-mouth taking flies well. He also got a couple of trout and large-mouth over at Cox Hall. When the weather eased up, he got the boat out with the first fly charter of the year and found stripers on the fly. They were all on the small side, the biggest only 21 inches, but Ray says it felt good to start the season on an up note and catching fish “made us feel a little warmer.” The stripers were all caught on chartreuse/white clouser flies fished on sinking line. It should only get better as the water warms. Dolphins were working along the beach so the weakfish can be around shortly. Ray saw a nice 36 inch striper caught off the rocks by an angler using a bucktail and pork rind strip and earlier he saw a nice drum fish caught by a surf fishermen using clam along the Cape May surf.
Jeff Kampf and his dad, Bill were working on the North Wildwood house fixing some damage from Sandy and decided to take a break and hit the surf at Poverty Beach in Cape May. They got on the incoming tide in the afternoon, a little rough but perfect for surf fishing. In four hours they had lots of action and caught a bunch of skates, .dog fish, two short stripers, and hit of the day, Jeff caught a 31 inch drum. Everything was caught using fresh clam.
NEWS: NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife has deployed 18 acoustic receivers in Delaware Bay to track migration patterns of Atlantic sturgeon. With the endangered species listing of Atlantic sturgeon, research on this species has gained significance. Those fishing inshore waters may encounter white buoys marking the receivers which are set at water depths generally less than 20 feet. Buoys are labeled “NJDEP Research” and should be avoided. Check out www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2013/sturgeon_research13.htm
Strictly Boaters is a different kind of boat show that is…Strictly For Boaters! This weekend, May 3-5, South Jersey Marina, Rt. 109, Cape May
Send your reports and pictures to cmiller@cmcherald.com. Column and pictures are posted online at www.capemaycountyherald.com. Let’s go fishing!