Fishing Line: April 26

Well, the fishing is starting to pick up as the weather conditions improve. Not much of a surprise there and, well, the better weather is welcomed after the string of nasty weekends we have endured.
Stripers, blackfish, and weakfish were caught this week as the surf started to heat up and as the wrecks and reefs showed signs of nice fish. More favorable conditions should only make things better.
We’ll see what occurred locally, as well as check on a place that I visited recently and that you may want to fish from if you head to the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Let’s get started.
Congratulations go out to Ken Raines, who’s been in the column before, as just before my deadline, he walked into Peace Token Bait and Tackle with a 30-inch, 20.18-pound blackfish, which he caught on a Peace Token jig. Robin, at the store, was more than happy to weigh it in for him. Ken was fishing aboard the Maggie May, out of Wildwood, with Capt. Ray at the helm. They were fishing the Cape May Reef.
The Sea Star III christened their new season with two trips for blackfish over the weekend. The outings were part of a “fun” weekend that saw lots of action but not many keepers. Both trips had good fish, but the two largest, a 4.9-pounder for Jarren Howard and an 8.4-pound fish for Gary Agness, claimed the first two pools of the season. The Sea Star III sails daily from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Capt. Chuck mentioned that his Prime Time Drum Fishing trips are filling up fast. You’ll need a reservation to sail on these trips, so call 609-884-3421 to secure a seat.
The Sailor’s Delight hit the local rock piles for the first time this season. Their patrons pulled in plenty of nice blackfish and were kept busy during the various trips. Their proximity makes for short trips and more fishing time. It’s helpful now and is even better when they are hitting the Intracoastal Waterway later in the year for flounder.
The Miss Avalon went out for three trips over the weekend. They were targeting blackfish and caught some nice fish for their efforts. Many anglers had multiple fish in their coolers or on their stringers.
The Miss Avalon isn’t sailing every day, so check their schedule online, on Facebook, or call prior to the date you want to fish to make sure that date is available.
The Starlight, and Capt. Paul, are busy fishing various blackfish strongholds. The highlight of the weekend went to Kevin Keenan who had a 7.25-pound fish among his keepers.
A few anglers went home with three keepers while, unfortunately, some caught none. It would seem that at one point or another, we have all felt the sting of a day with no keepers in our coolers.
Boulevard Bait and Tackle was a busy place recently. Keeper striped bass were caught by Chef Bill (36 inches, 18 pounds), Heather (36, 18), Arsenio and Hunter (30, 10), Chuck (31), Luis (30), and Tony T. with two keepers at (28.5 and 36 inches). Short fish were also being caught so there was a good mix of action.
Most of these fish came from various locations along the Sea Isle beaches as well as from the inlet areas. Clams, both salted and fresh when available, were the most popular bait.
Sea Isle Bait and Tackle reported a 36-inch striped bass that was caught by Heidi G. during a good night of fishing. Another angler who recorded a nice catch was Dom, who stopped by with a nice weakfish for the camera.
Cape May Bait and Tackle reported that striped bass, ranging from shorts to 40-plus-inch fish are being caught from the Cape May beaches. They feel the earlier than usual spring season is due to the mild winter and the recent warm weather we have experienced.
The blackfish season is off to a decent start as party boats are reporting good action at the reefs with many fish being short of the legal size, but as mentioned earlier, some nice fish are being caught.
No drum fish action has been recorded yet.
An angler named Mike checked into the shop with a picture of a 34-inch striped bass he caught from a Cape May beach.
The Fortescue beaches continue to produce striped bass with a nice mix of keepers and throwbacks. Some big stripers are being released that will hopefully contribute to the gene pool and the future growth of the population. Bloodworms are the bait that these fish seem to be most focused on.
Some of these larger fish were those caught by Carl Dutton (48 inches), Angelo De Cesero (43), Buddy Oakes (45), and Eric Adams (46) who has been catching his share of big stripers. For good measure, Carl Dutton also caught a legal striper (37.75 inch), but he released it. That’s a sportsmanlike gesture, Carl.
Continuing our visit to the Outer Banks, which I started last week, finds us at another great spot for you to visit. If you like pier fishing, then the Bonner Bridge Pier is a spot you’ll want to visit.
The pier, located on the Hatteras side of the Oregon Inlet, is about 20 minutes south of the Route 64 Causeway. Stay on Route 12 and head south toward the town of Rodanthe.
You’ll cross the new Basnight Bridge, then exit left into the parking lot at the southern end of the bridge. Here you’ll find a 1,046-foot pier, which is actually a portion of the original bridge that was built in 1963. That’s 60 years of growth on those pilings to attract fish.
The management of the pier is handled by the National Park Service. The pier is open 24 hours a day, subject to any special circumstances, and best of all, it’s free. There are obviously rules to follow with a few of note. First, there is no fishing allowed with more than two rods per angler. Next, when fishing, you are asked to use underhanded casts. If you like to bring
a fishing cart you may, but it must be attended at all times. Finally, don’t forget that a valid North Carolina fishing license is required. Check online for a complete list of rules for fishing on the pier.
Larry Eames sent in a report of a good trip he had down in Port Aransas, Texas. He was visiting family and they were able to get away for a couple of trips. They totaled six red fish, 20 sheepshead, three pompano, and a reddish-colored fish identified by the captain as a mullet. It looked more like a red snapper than what we think of when we speak of a mullet. I’ll take the captain’s answer, though, since he’s in his home waters.
It was a good week with a steady increase in fish being caught. As the water and the weather warm, it would appear that the action will only increase. We can hope those projections prove accurate. Good luck if you get out, take care, and I’ll see you around. 
Submit fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.