The Fishing Line: No A’s for summer season

Results are still coming in but so far it is a mixed bag of comments about your fishing experiences this summer. No one gave it an A, if fact, I’d have to day, most grades were Cs.
One respondent wrote, “In the Cape May area we are only seeing minimal amounts of bait and there has been a steady decline for the past 7 to 8 years. I personally attribute the decline to chemical spraying for mosquitoes, (ever since they started spraying to prevent West Nile the decline started) Maybe it is just a coincidence. The constant dredging in Cape May Harbor and the run off from Cape May and Wildwood doesn’t help the condition of the water as everything from the streets goes into the bays or the ocean front.
“Many friends further up the coast in Cape May Country are starting to see a decline also. Would be nice if we could figure out the exact cause and maybe be able to turn the situation around before it is too late.”
There were also comments about the Federal registry and the debate over a NJ recreational saltwater fishing license.
More on these topics next time.
Recent reports from Sterling Harbor have been slow due to weather and wind; those who did venture out found schools of bluefish just off the beach and good catches of keeper sea bass and triggerfish at the reefs.
Inshore trolling has schools of bonita and albacore with an occasional dolphin still in the mix.
Offshore at the Canyons, from the Lindenkol north, yellowfin tuna are caught while chunking or trolling. Mako sharks and swordfish are in the Baltimore and Wilmington Canyons.
In the back-bays, schoolie stripers are being caught along the sod banks, docks and bridges on surface plugs and Clam bait. In the surf, mullet are starting to show.
Captain Ray says he has had decent striper action early mornings and evenings but slower than normal around the inlet and beachfront as the water was a bit dirty from all the wind. The back-bay shallows provided good action for the light tackle spin fishermen, with smack-it-jr popping plugs accounting for the most fish. No keeper size bass, but the ones caught provided plenty of surface action on light rods.
Fly anglers also were able to catch stripers using Steroid Rattling Gurglers and Deceiver bait fish patterns fished on floating or intermediate lines at high tides along sod banks or creek mouths on the out going tide.
With the days getting cooler and shorter the fish should start to feel the need to feed and fishing through out the day should continue to improve, plus soon we should start seeing larger migratory fish moving into our local waters near the end of the month.
Hope your right, Captain Ray.
Members of South Jersey Coastal Fly Anglers Fly Club provided volunteers to help The South Jersey Chapter of Casting for Recovery for their weekend fly fishing retreat.
It started in Ocean City where women recovering from breast cancer gathered for a weekend retreat to learn to fly cast and share experiences with other survivors. On the last day they went to Lake and Shore Outdoor World in Ocean View where the women tried their luck at actual fly fishing.
It was a perfect day, weather and fishing wise, with lots of fish caught, mostly small largemouth bass and sunfish. A good time was had by both participants and volunteers.
More than 800 anglers enjoyed a great day of family fishing fun at the 18th annual Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament. Held at Island Beach State Park, this annual event raises funds for important conservation projects and improved beach access.
The grand prize went to Gene Brendel of Nutley, for catching a 32-inch striped bass. Brendel received a plaque along with two rod and reel combos, and will have his name engraved on the Governor’s Cup, which is permanently displayed at the park.
The list of tournament winners along with information about the tournament can be found at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2009/gsft09-winners.htm
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) closed recreational black sea bass fishery in federal waters (3-200 miles offshore) effective Oct. 5 for the next 180 days. New Jersey State waters (0-3 miles offshore) are still open for the recreational harvest of black sea bass with a limit of 25 fish and a minimum size of 12.5 inches.
Party and charter boat operators with a Federal black sea bass permit are prohibited from harvesting black sea bass from both State and Federal waters as of the effective closure date.
Please see press release at www.nefsc.noaa.gov/press_release/2009/News/NR0913/index.html
Draft Addendum IV to Amendment 4 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Weakfish is available for public comment at http://www.asmfc.org/breakingNews.htm. It was developed in response to the findings which show weakfish stocks at an all time low and unsustainable under existing stock conditions. Comment by 5 p.m. EST Oct. 30, at nmeserve@asmfc.org (Subject line: Weakfish Draft Addendum IV).
Calendar: Oct. 24, W.S.F.C. Tournament, beaches of Sea Isle City, 264-7754.
Oct. 29-31, Striper Classic, $100,000 in prizes, fee $400, Utsch’s Marina, fish two of three days, www.capemayharbor.com , 884-2051.
All photos submitted appear online at SeeMyBigFish.com. Be sure to send your fish stories to cmiller@cmcherald.com. This column appears first online at