What a strange month this has been. Here we are in the middle of April and frustration reigns. Ah, but we all believe conditions will change any minute, right?
Captain Ray, Tide Runner knows what I mean. His boat is all ready for the water. With the very cold water temperatures,it’s been a much slower start. Ocean water is in the low 40s where last year at this time it was 52 and Ray was already catching stripers on the fly. He reminds us, “Every year is a little different and all we need is a string of warm weather days the fishing should turn on.”
Ray hasn’t been sitting still though. He’s having fun freshwater fishing. Bass crappies and pickerel are providing great action on the fly rod. He even went to Cox Hall Lake where they stocked trout and the place was packed with anglers. Ray wasn’t even goimg for the trout but caught two and a largemouth bass in the hour that he fished.
Captain Chuck, Sea Star III, has some encouraging news about the Bay. Herring and Bunker are
showing up and only good things can come from having a good source of bait fish out there. Once the
weather breaks and the water temps improve, the stripers will be looking for food. Captain Chuck did have one angler pull in a striper, but, alas, it was short.
I heard from Captain John Sowerby, Hooked Up II, South Jersey Marina, and he plans to start striper trips on the Delaware Bay this week. He feels the striper bite should be in full force by then. He ran a couple of exploratory trips over the last week or so and marked quite a few fish but the water was still too cold there to be much of a bite.
Captain John had a great striper season last fall; one of the best he has had in 25 years on larger fish all caught or released bunker chunking on the Delaware Bay. He’s got a new captain working on the boat this season along with Captains John & Diana (the owners of the 55 Hooked Up II)and Captain Kobey Treadwell. Check out their brand new web page at www.cavemansportfishing.com
The Christie Administration has released a “Jersey Shore Open for Boating” fact sheet and flier to educate the public on having a safe time on the water. Waterways in some areas may be very different than before Superstorm Sandy, and boaters need to be aware of obstacles and adjust their speed accordingly for safety.
The DEP has posted two documents and a new webpage for boaters pertaining to Superstorm Sandy and its aftermath:
– FAQ for Boaters – www.nj.gov/dep/special/hurricane-sandy/docs/faq-boaters.pdf
– Jersey Shore-Open for Boating Flyer – www.nj.gov/dep/special/hurricane-sandy/docs/waterways-open-boater-flyer.pdf
– Sandy Waterway Debris Resources – www.nj.gov/dep/special/hurricane-sandy/wwdebris.htm
More information can be found in the DEP news release at www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0034.htm
The winning entrants in the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Trout Art Contest were honored at the Pequest Trout Hatchery on the opening day of trout season, April 6. The purpose of this annual contest is to encourage children in grades K through 12 to learn about New Jersey’s trout species.
For a list of the winners and links to their artwork, www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2013/fshartwinnrs13.htm
Want to lend a helping hand to our Delaware Bay Emergency Horseshoe Crab Habitat project? Horseshoe crab beach restoration efforts will proceed with a clean up on Moore’s Beach, Maurice River Township, Cumberland County, on April 20. All tools will be provided; lunch, too. Dress appropriately for the weather. Sunscreen and bug spray are recommended. Please RSVP to Renee Brecht [renee@littoralsociety.org] This is a great way to make a difference this Earth Day.
Send your reports and pictures to cmiller@cmcherald.com. Column and pictures are posted online at
www.capemaycountyherald.com. Let’s go fishing!
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
