The Fishing Line: Sweet September

September is here and anglers are smiling just thinking about the possibilities of fall fishing. Great weather, no crowds, fish, fish, fish. Keep your eye on the regulations: black sea bass goes out of season Sept. 6; summer flounder ends Sept. 27; tog (black fish) remains 1 fish at 15 inches until Nov. 15. Stripers, blues, drum, croakers, all legal.
Warm water in the mid-70s and means fly fishers have to wait until the fish want to feed. For Captain Ray’s fly and spinfishing charters, primarily targeting stripers, it means only fishing at prime tides, predawn, dusk or at night. Ray is still not seeing as much baitfish as he normally expects but there is enough around to hold stripers if you fish at the prime times and search them out. For fly anglers steroid gurgler popping flies and others that resemble wounded baitfish on the surface are catching well. For spin anglers popping and swimming plug are working well. Ray is only seeing a few bluefish here and there and they are mostly small.
Sterling Harbor Marina reports the best action is on flounder. When the winds allow, flounder fishing at the reefs is on fire with many anglers reporting limits. Frank Hennigan, Glenmoore, Pa., reported a limit of flounder to six pounds while fishing at Reef Site 11.
Offshore, tuna action slowed a little, but there are plenty of mahi-mahi and the white marlin action is picking up. Along the beachfront, inshore, and in the back bays, croakers, kingfish, and flounder are being caught and a surprise visit from some nice sized bluefish has anglers excited. Several anglers reported excellent bluefish action with fish up to 8 pounds being trolled at 5 Fathom Bank and off Cape May Point with Clark Spoons. There are plenty of schoolie stripers in the back bays hitting on chunked sardines and also on top water lures along the sod banks.
The Four-Hour Starlight has been seeing lots of action both day and night catching plenty of blues, kingfish, croakers and weakfish. Some keeper flounder are mixed in, too. Locals Steve Gindville and son, Steve, teamed up for a nice mixed bag and took the pool with a three and a half pound bluefish. Steve Black and daughters Maggie and Katie, also caught a good mix of blues, kingfish & croakers. Starting Sept. 8, the Starlight will begin six-hour fishing on Mondays – Fridays; four-hour trips will be going out on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Royal Flush is sailing three trips a day in the ocean catching flounder, snapper blues, croakers, weakies, kingfish and a few triggers.
Please check with your favorite captain about changes in fall schedules.
CALENDAR: ASMFC Striped Bass Management Board Meeting to discuss new regulations, Sept. 4, 7-9 p.m., Galloway Twp. Branch, Atlantic Co. Library, 306 East Jimmie Leeds Road, Galloway. Meeting will immediately follow the NJ Marine Fisheries Council meeting. Call Russ Allen at 748-2020 for details.
Sept. 6, South Jersey Surfcasters Tournament, Avalon, call Dan at 287-8411.
The deadline for the 2014 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards (GEAA) is 5 p.m., Sept.17. This is New Jersey’s premier awards program for recognizing outstanding environmental performance, programs and projects throughout the state. These awards recognize individuals, businesses, institutions, communities, organizations, educators, youth and others who have made significant contributions to environmental protection in New Jersey. For details www.nj.gov/dep/eeawards/ Questions can be directed to Tanya Oznowich, 984-9802, Tanya.Oznowich@dep.nj.gov or Caroline Kirkland, 633-7821, Caroline.Kirkland@dep.nj.gov
Sept. 20, Women’s Surf Fishing Club of NJ Tournament, Brigantine, call Chris 264-7754 for details.
Early deadline for Labor Day edition meant a couple of reports did not get in. I’ll have them for you next week. The Fishing Line runs year round so keep sending your reports and pictures to cmiller@cmcherald.com. Column and pictures (many which do not make it into the print edition due to space limitations) are online at www.capemaycountyherald.com and on Facebook.
Check out www.epektales.com for info on Miller’s book, “Counting the Fish in the Sea: the Story of the NEAMAP Trawls.”