The Fishing Line: The good news contines

It’s great to report on the fishing club at Ocean City Intermediate School. They spent a day aboard the Duke O’ Fluke, Somers Point, and nine of them—including Principal Pamela Vaughn, went home with tasty fillets.
Captain Brook Koeneke said the youngsters had a steady pick of summer flounder and small blues for nearly three hours during an outgoing tide on Ship Channel, between Somers Point and Ocean City. Baits included cut mackerel and strips of flounder belly, shark and sea robin.
High hook was the school principal. Vaughn told Captain Brook that the 24.75-inch fluke was the biggest she’d ever caught. If it holds up as the season’s largest flattie on the pontoon, she is guaranteed a free trip next year on the Duke O’ Fluke.
Students who landed keepers were Jake Mann, 19.5 inches; Mackenzie McGuckin, 21 inches; Jeff Brown, 18.25 inches; Jimmy Naplacic, 18.25 inches; and Blake Faunce, 19.75 inches. In addition, Myron Jenkins, an eighth grade teacher, boated an 18.25 incher.
Bucktail Willie Shillingford fishing out of Whale Creek Marina found a steady pick of short stripers. Everything was caught on surface poppers working the sodbanks. He says the waters are full of short flounder but still some legal fish are being caught.
Captain Ray, Tide Runner, Cape May, saw a good mix of fish last week. Stripers and bluefish provided most of the action. School size stripers and blues were taking bunker and jiggies flies and swimming and popping lures for the spin anglers. Near the end of the week fluke, weakfish and sea herring were hitting orange/white and chart/white jiggie flies along the beachfront as we got into the warmer weather.
On one trip we released six keeper weakfish, where the anglers enjoyed the fight and sport of catching and hoping it might help future weakfish stocks. As always low light conditions have proven to be the most productive. Early mornings and evenings have been best and night fishing nearly as good.
Captain Fred, Harbor View Bait and Tackle reports lots of drum up to 89 pounds at Pin Top. Amanda Rhodes, Mechanicsburg, on the All Geared Up, had one that size. There are some sea bass and tog on the inshore wrecks and bluefish on the Southeast Grounds and the Cigar. The fluke in the back-bays are decent at 19 buoy and reef site 11.
The Miss Chris, Cape May, is finding fluke and sea bass on eight-hour day trips. Wally Hilmont, Philadelphia, caught a 3.25-pound sea bass and a 19 inch fluke. Peter Hilison, Cherry Hill, had a sea bass weighing in at 2.75 pounds and a fluke at 20.5 inches.
Their night drum trips remain strong. Derek Walker, Philadelphia, Harry Postilini, Philadelphia, and Terrance Black, Camden, each caught three beauties.
The Lady Chris reports a mixed bag of fluke, small blues, and sea bass. She goes out on four-hour trips.
The charter boats at South Jersey Marina are having a great time. Schmedley Charters (The Big Game) calls the drum bite extraordinary. The Butler group from Trenton came back with their limit of 18 fish. The Sam Le group from Philadelphia did quite well for their first time, 12 hits and four home runs. You know they’ll be back for more.
Captain Joe says there are some nice sea bass on the reefs and bluefish are showing up as well.
Top Shelf and Big Game were among the other charter boats that caught a significant number of drum fish.
The Hooked Up II has started all offshore fishing for sharks and, in a couple of weeks, tuna. They are looking for anglers for Jim’s Bait and Tackle and Hinch’s Marina Off the Hook Shark Tournaments on June 21-22. You could have the opportunity to fish both tournaments on the same day. Contact 425-1970 for details.
A potential world record black drum- 88 pounds–was weighed in by junior angler, Daniel Senico, age 9 of Court House. He was part of a charter on the “Noreaster II”. Captain Mark Adams is in the process of filing this record with the IGFA.
Sterling Harbor also reports excellent drum activity near Tussey Slough and the Pin Top area. Dave Brown of Franklinville, had three drum fish up to 70 pounds near Tussey Slough on his boat Night Stalker.
Flounder fishing is best in the back bays with more shorts, but some keepers mixed in. There are reports of flounder up the Delaware Bay between 14 foot and Miah Maul and small stripers are being caught along the back-bay sod banks and near docks and bridges towards the top of the tide on clam or lures.
On the Kayak fishing scene, Billy Bittman of South Dennis, was night kayak fishing around dock lights and reported bluefish averaging 2 pounds with a few short stripers in the mix.
On the North Wildwood beach, Charlie Labar of Philadelphia had four striped bass to 48 inches using clam for bait. Andrew Applebaum of Cherry Hill, had ten striped bass up to 38 inches and Tom McMullen reported a 28 inch and a 44 inch striped bass on clam bait.
Shark fishing is turning on just in time for the tournament season. Alan Ritter released a small Mako from the East Lump. There are reports of other Mako’s and blue sharks as well as bluefish offshore.
Can’t get a crew together? Many captains can get you onboard with a mixed group. Just give them some advance notice.
Latest entries in the Cape May County 2008 Fishing Tournament: Trevor M. Sawyer, drum fish, 76.5 pounds, June 3, on the Kokomo IV with Captain Thomas M. Sawyer, Sr. and Henry Sjwala of Cape May, striped bass, 44 pounds 1 ounce at Poverty Beach Surf.
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