On Nov. 9 the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) voted to reduce the Atlantic menhaden harvest by up to 37 percent compared with 2010 levels. Scientists reported the species had been overfished and needed to rebuild.
Captain Paul Eidman called it a victory. Still weary from the late hour meeting when I spoke with him early last Thursday morning, Eidman said, “Now the real work begins.“ As I reported a few weeks ago, other recreational fishers agree with Eidman that smaller schools of menhaden off the coast of NJ, had meant a drop in business in recent years.
“I think it’s great that so many states recognize how vital this fish is. It’s just a start, but it’s an important one.” Only New Jersey and Virginia opposed the new guidelines.
On the local front, Sterling Harbor Marina reports striped bass have made an appearance in the Cape May Rips and the Delaware Bay. Both live spot and eels have been producing fish in the Rips, and chunking with bunker is the ticket in the Delaware Bay.
Eight year old Brenden Mascherino of Downington, Pa., caught his first ever keeper bass which tipped the scales at 28-pounds. Brenden caught the fish on a live eel in the Cape May Rips.
Stray Cat Fishing went out in some pretty testy conditions. “The fish were there but a slow pick,” Captain Mike says. They managed to boat 30 fish with a pool winner of 2.8-pounds and the next day, the pool went to a cod fish at 8.14-pounds. Captain Mike (391-9630) will now be heading out for stripers.
At South Jersey Marina, Charlie Langan reports that since Mother Nature finally cooled down Delaware Bay waters the striped bass have arrived. Their charter boats are all loaded up with spots, eel and bunker in preparation for this event (602-6941).
Andy Merendino and Cape Queen had some luck when they took Bob Capuzzi from Drexel Hill and some of his friends to striper waters. Bob brought a 40-pound fish to the dock. Langan says if this is just the beginning, it’ll be a banner year.
Captain Ray is smiling these days, too. “Best striper fishing of the year. After the northeast storm the water temperature dropped and the migratory striped bass moved into the local back bay in numbers.” Not many of keeper size but a good numbers in the 24 to 27 ¾-inches that are great for having fun on light tackle of fly rods.
Chartreuse buck tail deceiver flies were just deadly, catching the most fish this week. Pink/white buck tail deceiver flies came in a close second. For spin anglers smack-it-jr popping plug and swimming plugs did well. All the action was in the back bay areas in 2 to 4 feet of water on the out going tides.
On the couple of days too windy to fish in the boat Ray got out and fished some local sod bank areas with the fly, catching 19 stripers one evening. With no signs of any bait fish, Ray thinks the fish must be feeding on crabs, shrimp and mantis shrimp.
NEWS: (1) The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Winter Trout Stocked Lakes Program provides trout fishing opportunities during the late fall and winter months. The fish will be stocked in 23 lakes ranging in size from five to 100 acres and with shoreline access and/or boat launching sites. Find all the information at www.njfishandwildlife.com/trtinfo_winter.htm on the division’s website.
(2) A Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) report predicts that the threshold fishing mortality rate for summer flounder will be exceeded in 2011 and that overfishing is occurring. The new information suggests that the commercial quota and recreational harvest limit recommended for 2012 are too high and may need to be reduced substantially.
The Council is scheduling meetings to review new information on summer flounder and provide recommendations at the December Council meeting.
Mark Your Calendars: The Fight Leukemia Fishing Tournament, Nov. 19. Grand Prize: Van Staal Spinning Reel, and other prizes for biggest striper, bluefish, and weakfish. Registration $30 includes fishing and awards party at Maynard’s 9306 Amherst Ave., Margate. Pre-register: Anchorage, 823 Bay Ave., Somers Point, 6–8 p.m. Nov. 18 or call Sean 602-8957. Fish from Absecon inlet to the Hereford Inlet is open to back bays, surf and boats up to 3 nautical miles. All proceeds benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The tournament honors local fisherman/surfer Chris Hagel who lost his fight with leukemia in 2005.
**Utsch’s Marina Striped Bass Challenge is on until Nov. 26. Call 884-2051.
Send your fishing reports and pictures to cmiller@cmcherald.com. All pictures submitted, if they don’t make it in the print version, can be seen on the Herald’s Web site www.cmcherald.com, click on community, then fishing and boating.
Wildwood – So Liberals here on spout off, here's a REAL question for you.
Do you think it's appropriate for BLM to call for "Burning down the city" and "Black Vigilantes" because…
