The Fishing Line: Welcome tourists

There’s a new NOAA report out that is very positive about the state of saltwater fishing based on 2008 statistics. Even with a slight decline in numbers the overall picture is stable and healthy.
“Saltwater recreational fishing is one of the most popular outdoor sports in America, and those who take part in it bring economic vitality to coastal towns and cities,” said NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco.
“Saltwater anglers have their eyes on the water and a vested interest in sustaining fishing opportunities for their children and grandchildren,” Lubchenco added.
“They are natural champions for ocean stewardship.” (www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/)
Local fishing is really attracting a lot of interest from out of towners. Tourists from Illinois, Texas, and California have all sent in pictures this week.
In Ocean City, The OC Marlin and Tuna Club tournament weighed in 10 tuna and 26 Mahi-Mahi. Jack Davidson and the crew of the Breakaway won the heaviest fish category while the team of Oh Well and Jackie C won top honors beating out Diamond Girl and Lisa Marie by six points.
The Club will be hosting its 32nd Overnight Billfish Tournament Aug. 9-15. It has a rather unusual format so go to www.ocmtc.com/overnight.htm or call Brian Logue at 609-827-0820 or Jack Davidson at 856-982-5250 for details.
Charlie Langan, dockmaster at South Jersey Marina, reported on their latest tourney. With a total purse of $161,620 available for prize money, 40 boats entered the Eighth Annual Tuna Tournament. The forecasted bad weather held off and the three-day event saw 44 tuna weighed.
Top prizes went to: Moore Bills, Rob Skillman, 169-pound bluefin (see photo); Liquidity, Ed Katzianer, 163-pound bluefin; Trust Me, Jim Foulke, 68-pound yellowfin; Sea Mistress, John Raimondo, Heaviest Stringer. All the results and pictures: southjerseytournaments.com.
Captain Ray reported that the bulk of the action he saw was provided by schoolie size bass with one super four-hour trip for three anglers from Texas catching 27 bass and 12 blues. All the fish were caught on swimming plugs around sunset.
On other trips in the back bay, smack-it-jr popping plug took the majority of the fish.
Ray did sneak a middle of the night trip in for himself and got seven bass on the fly rod up to 25 1/2 inches using a variety of bait fish flies.
He also got back the information on a tagged 21-inch striper caught a week ago behind Wildwood Crest. It was tagged in the Delaware River May 3 2007 and was 17 1/2 inches at that time.
Sterling Harbor reports excellent flounder fishing at the Cape May Reef, Reef Site 11, the Old Grounds and in the Delaware Bay above Miah Maul.
William Meyer of East Greenville, Pa., stopped to weigh in his 3-pound 10-ounce porgy caught while fishing on the Starlight out of Wildwood.
Blue fin tuna are being caught at the 19 Fathom Lump, Massey’s Canyon while chunking, trolling, and butterfly jigging. Yellow fin tuna are being trolled up along the 40 Fathom line with some dolphin in the mix.
There were plenty of flounder weighed in at Grassy Sound Marina and most were caught on Gulp, all colors, all sizes, all shapes. A.J. Candeloro, Phila. fishing the Grassy Sound Fishing Pier caught two 20″ flounder using minnows, outgoing tide.
Marc Fineberg, Jenkintown, Pa. caught a 21-inch flounder using pearl white swimming mullet Gulp and minnow, outgoing tide in Turtle Creek; Thomas Garlick, Philadelphia caught a 20-inch flounder at slack tide using minnow off the Fishing Pier; and Denise Gordon, Grassy Sound, caught a 22-inch flounder using minnow and white Gulp near the marina at the top of the outgoing tide.
The Grassy Sound Fishing Pier is producing some nice crabs also.
New entry in the Cape May County Fishing Tournament: Craig Manco, Wildwood, Bluefin Tuna, 153-pounds, July 19, at Tea Cup in the ocean on the Electric Ark, Captain Russell Jost.
All photos submitted appear online at SeeMyBigFish.com. Be sure to send your fish stories to cmiller@cmcherald.com. This column appears first online at capemaycountyherald.com