Here are fishing reports recently received at the Herald –
Capt. Ray Szulczewski, Tide Runner, reports high temperatures really slowed down the bite for certain types of fishing. Super warm water temperatures and bait shortages in some areas has meant working work extra hard to find fish willing to take flies or plugs. It was tough at times, but he reports getting some blues, weakfish and a few stripers on the fly. Water this warm, this early in the season has a negative effect on fishing in the back bay waters.
Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle reports flounder fishing at the Cape May Reef, Reef Site 11 and the Old Grounds continues to improve with nice catches coming in every day. It looks like it’s going to be great flounder fishing for the 19th Annual Duke of Fluke Tournament which will be held Saturday, July 14th! Back bay fishing slowed over the weekend; however, some keeper flounder are still being caught closer to the Inlets and in deeper water. Along the beach some kingfish and some small snapper blues are being caught occasionally. Crabby Jack gives the crabbing 4 Claws this week and says there are some nice-sized crabs being caught.
Casey Roohan offers this report: Offshore, the fishing has been heating up in the Canyons with strands of 78-79 degree water pushing up on the 100 line. Quality catches of yellowfin tuna in the 40-50 pound range are being brought back to the docks with the bigger fish being caught outside of 100 fathoms. There is a fairly steady bigeye tuna bite in the Wilmington Canyon. Most of these fish have fallen to dark colored lures, just as the sun is coming up. Surprisingly, but very welcome at the same time, is the amount of blue marlin that have made an appearance already. Inshore, there’s been some bluefin tuna caught on the jig and the troll along the Inshore Lumps. Greg Bulifant and crew of the Big Bully out of Wildwood had a 38-pound bluefin tuna while trolling near the Lori Dawn. With this heat, the water is warming up fast; it won’t be long until we see more action on the Inshore bite.
Frank’s Boats reports, “Crabs, crabs, crabs.” The crabbing season is heating up early this year and the crabs are starting to get bigger. We had nearly half of our customers this past week going crabbing and all have returned with keepers in the 5″ range. All the boats have reported catching more small ones than keepers but the number of keepers brought in is much higher than last year at this time. Even our fishing customers are reporting that some of their minnows are being eaten by the crabs while they are trying to land a keeper flounder. The smaller crabs will keep growing and this should be one of our best crab seasons in a while. Flounder are still being landed in good numbers, but it seems the action changes from day to day , hot one day and then cold the next. The best fishing area this past week has still been the junction where Flat Creek, the main channel and Strathmere Bay meet, but there were a couple keepers landed while drifting along the docks between the toll bridge and the boat ramp. Minnows and squid have still been the best bait for flounder and bunker has been working well for the crabs.
Recent Catches: Brian Bausman & Nick Bowen – Havertown & Hatfield, PA – 15″ weakfish and 18″ flounder; Farinecca & Badel families – Wynnewood, & Garnet Valley, PA – 25 crabs; Eamon (6yrs old); O’Meara & dad – Rockland, NY – 18 3/4″ flounder; Paff, Labardor, Calamiti & Quorm families – 3 dozen crabs; Olivia (5yr) & Ciera (11 yr) Reitnauer & parents – Zieglerville, PA – 10 crabs; Dan Gardner – Brookfield, CT – 20 1/8″ flounder; Neal DeMarcantonio & daughter Taylor – Media, PA – 18″ flounder
Amy Harris & friends – Mullica Hill, NJ – 18 1/2″ flounder; Gary Stilp – Broomall, PA – 18″ flounder; Joey Williams & dad Steve – Douglassvillle, PA – 17 1/2″ flounder; Marrington party – Langhorne, PA – 1 dozen crabs; Cory Schleyer – Lincoln University, PA – 19″ flounder; Bogorowski & Podraza families – Ocean City, NJ 3 dozen crabs; Robert Rarr & Party – Swedesboro, NJ – 20 crabs.
Grassy Sound reports croakers showing up off the Grassy Sound Pier, blow fish, flounder & sea bass also being caught. The windy conditions were difficult to fish this week but there was plenty to report. Richard Hughes, Elkins Park, PA, and Todd Billings, Ann Arbor, MI, fishing on a rental boat under the North Wildwood bridge; they caught a 20” flounder & two shorts on minnows. First time out on a boat for 4 yr old Brianna Califano, Glenolden, PA, caught a weakfish, a short flounder, and a sea bass; she was fishing the incoming tide in Turtle Creek with minnows and is now hooked on fishing. Jennifer Brown, Newport Beach, CA, caught five flounder with one keeper at 19.5”; she was fishing at marker 439 with minnows on a top & bottom rig, top of the tide. Pat Chase, PA, caught a 14” croaker on minnows at slack tide off the fishing pier. Jack Bradley, Colwyn, PA, caught three flounder with one keeper at 18.5” and a nice croaker; he was fishing the outgoing tide with minnows off the fishing pier. 13 year-old Mikey Reese, Doylestown, PA, and his dad caught two flounder with one keeper at 19” and a 15” weakie; they were fishing Turtle Creek on a rental boat, incoming tide.
Capt. Chuck reports the Sea Star III pool winners: Tom McKenna with a 3.5 lb fluke; Mary Anne Rambo with a 4 lb fluke; Ed Fiedler with a 3.5 lb fluke; Jim Flannery with a 3 lb fluke; Bob Costello with a 4.1 lb fluke; and a couple of Happy Anglers with their prizes.
Send your fishing reports and pictures to cmiller@cmcherald.com. There are terrific pictures coming in but not room for all of them. All pictures submitted are posted online at www.capemaycountyherald.com.
