Well, it’s now official, so say goodbye to flounder fishing for another season. But as they say, when one door closes, another opens. More appropriately, our saying would focus on fishing seasons closing and opening. The next phase of sea bass season is Oct. 8, so you have a little time to prepare. You can also bide your time by trying for stripers and bluefish which have begun to increase their presence in the area, or trying for your one blackfish. Their bag limit increases on Nov. 16, which is another marker on our trip through fall fishing. Let’s see what went on recently.
Captain Chuck reports that the Sea Star III and his patrons “finished out the fluke season strong.” They now will focus on “blues and other fishes” as they await the Oct. 8 sea bass season. They will be sailing daily at 9 a.m.
Fluke took four of the final pools during the recent stretch with a 4.05-pound triggerfish, caught by Don McErlane, being the one that broke up the group. Fluke winners, with weights, were caught by Frank Servocky (3.25), Bob Costello (4.65), Kathy Mulvehill (4.75) and again to Kathy with a 5.55 pounder. That fish, caught “with only minutes left in the trip,” narrowly missed winning the season-long progressive pool. That added a little excitement to the fluke finale for 2018.
The Cape May Lady continues to find the fish for their patrons. They were targeting flounder (till the season ended), bluefish and triggerfish. Other assorted species such as “some jacks,” albacore and bonita were also caught. They are sailing as steadily as the weather allows on their wreck and “exotics” trips, and even some longer-distance tilefish excursions. Take the time to call ahead and see what they are planning to fish for, and then reserve your seat. The number is (609) 780-7900.
Good fishing was reported aboard the boats of the Miss Chris Marina. During the final weekend of flounder season the “nicer weather produced triggerfish and blues.” Those fish will still be targeted, plus you could catch other fall fish such as kingfish, weakfish and stripers. And don’t forget sea bass are legal again on Oct. 8. Fall fishing is just starting to get good.
Captains Andrew and Stan from the Sailor’s Delight will be staying busy even though the flounder season has ended. They are reporting “a ton of bluefish in our waters” at the moment. Some fish “in the 20+ inch range” have been caught, while many others fall into the snapper-size category. They also reported hearing about “the first stripers making their appearance.” They’re always fun to run into when you’re fishing the backwaters.
They will continue to run their open boat, four-hour schedule, starting at 8 a.m. They also have the option to run a second daily trip as demand dictates. Your trip includes rod, bait and tackle. Top-water gear is available upon request. They will also charter the whole boat for your group for an hourly fee. That’s always a nice option for a workplace outing. Call (609) 827-8309 to set up your reservations. Also check them out at www.sailorsdelightfishing.com.
Sterling Harbor Bait and Tackle had a couple of nice catches brought in over the past weekend. Randy stopped in with a three-pound triggerfish that he caught near the bell buoy outside of Cold Spring Inlet. Joining him at the scale was 9-year-old Brady who weighed in a 2.87-pound Spanish mackerel that was caught at the Five Fathom Bank.
Grassy Sound Marina played host to the Heroes on the Water kayak fishing event this past weekend. They were able to take advantage of the last day of the flounder season. A number of “yaks” got out and enjoyed the weather and the scenery. One angler was very busy as he tallied three fluke with one keeper, 20 bluefish, three skates, four sharks and a couple of small sea bass.
Boulevard Bait and Tackle concluded the flounder season with visits from Joe and Dan who each brought in nice fluke. Also stopping in were Captain Chuck from the “Flyin’ Hawaiian,” and Deana and Scott who all caught nice fish for dinner.
Mike and Phyllis from the Jersey Devil Fishing Club hit the Sea Isle beachfront. They didn’t get any flounder, but did catch some bluefish, kingfish and pompano. “Lots and lots” of surf fishing action was reported on Saturday with spot being mixed in with the previously mentioned fish. The beach seems to be a good place to find some fall fishing action.
Avalon Hodge Podge registered one final keeper for the season when Fred came in with a 23-inch, 4.5-pound flounder. He was fishing the back bay and using fresh mullet. Another fish to come in from the backwater was caught by Greg S. He stopped in with an 18-inch, 4.5-pound sheepshead. The back is still full of activity and will hopefully continue to be an active area.
The Kayak Fishing Store is preparing to open their new store. It will be located at 380 Route 47 in Green Creek. This new location will allow them to be centrally located from all the beach communities. Their Facebook page lists Saturday, Oct. 6 at 9 a.m. as their scheduled grand opening. Stop by and say hi to Chris and his staff, and check out the deals they are offering.
Hopefully the weather will cooperate and allow for some productive fishing. If you get out, let me know how you did. Take care and I’ll see you around.
Submit your fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.
