The Jim McCann family out from Del Haven, had a wonderful day fishing with Fins&Grins.

The Fishing Line
By CAROLYN MILLER

Despite what you may have heard, fishing is still going strong. I heard from readers who were disappointed to find that their favorite charter boat had already shut down until the spring. Luckily they found one and got out on a great trip.
I’ll be running winter schedules soon of as many charter boats as I can get information on. For now check out these:
Capt. John Sowerby, Caveman Sportfishing Charters, South Jersey Marina, had Bob Wilson from Eastern High Voltage Company and his guests out early this week for an overnight trip to the Baltimore Canyon. Things started out slowly but really turned on when they went to 10-ounce hammered diamond jigs and boated all the nice 60-90 pound yellow fin tuna they wanted by 4:30 a.m. Then they concentrated on big swordfish.
Captain John is still planning overnight trips and will be running some open boat tuna and swordfish trips as soon as the weather allows. His plan is to fish offshore through at least the second week in November if the fish are within range. They will start striper fishing targeting the bigger stripers (20-50 pounds plus) up the Delaware Bay chunking bunker around Nov. 7 or so. Captain John also plans on going down to Morehead City, NC in early December to start giant blue fin tuna fishing where the fish can up to 500-600 pounds plus.

Sterling Harbor is still open. Cathy Algard tells me that tuna fishing is good while chunking at the Baltimore and Wilmington Canyons and out along the Wildwood beachfront there are loads of croakers and bluefish. There are also croakers, bluefish and mostly small sea bass at the Cape May Reef.
North Wildwood surf fishing action was red hot with bluefish blitzes along the beach from Fifth to 15th avenues. In the back bays, small stripers are being caught along the Sod Banks with top water plugs or clam.
The Sterling Harbor Marina shop is fully stocked with live eels and live spot in anticipation of the fall striper run. Cathy also says that the 2008 Hobie Mirage Kayaks have arrived, and are ready for you to test ride. She says the back bay stripers are a blast when fished from the Hobie Mirage Kayaks. Try it out.

Captain Ray, Tide Runner, Cape May is still finding a slower start to the striper season than he is use to butthey have still been able to get schoolie size bass and blues on flies and plugs around the inlet and back bays, but they have had to work harder than they should for each fish. Water temps are key to turning on the fish. A few cool days should trigger a good bite. He is just waiting to the action to heat up.

Bucktail Willie, fishing out of Whale Creek Marina, Strathmere, is finding small stripers (22-27 inch) being caught behind Strathmere along with an occasional weakfish. He says there are still summer flounder around and he has tagged and released 1024 so far this year. Sometime in the next month he will tag his 12,000th fish lifetime.

Captain Fred at Harbor View reports yellow fin and some swordfish in the Wilmington and Baltimore Canyons. He says there is still a good mix of fish from the Ferris Wheel to Hereford Inlet. Croakers, small blues, some keeper weakies, and an occasional king fish can still be had.
On the wrecks from the beach to 20 Fathom there are lots of sea bass; however, most are short.
Blackfish continue to bite on the inlet jetty with more showing up on the inshore wrecks all the time.
Stripers caught in the back bay are still short and the rips have only blues.

NEWS – WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jim Saxton introduced legislation to bolster the stocks of Menhaden (Bunker).
“Menhaden are an important part of the food chain,” Saxton said. “It is strongly suspected that they are a primary food source of game fish that are crucial to Jersey Shore tourism. I’m not telling fishermen anything they don’t know. What’s good for menhaden is good for the stripers and the blues.”
Menhaden stock appears to be on the decline. They are believed to be a food source for ospreys, loons seals, whales and other marine life that live or visit the Jersey coastal areas and fish such as weakfish and Spanish mackerel. Because menhaden themselves feed on rotting sea vegetation and plankton, they have a positive effect on water quality.
Saxton’s bill, H.R. 3840, is modeled after the successful Atlantic Striped Bass Act and establishes a moratorium on commercial Atlantic menhaden fishing for reduction purposes in Atlantic coastal waters until a scientifically-determined catch level can be established that also considers the role of menhaden in the ecosystem and it prohibits commercial Atlantic menhaden fishing for reduction purposes in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone that extends 200 miles into the Atlantic Ocean from the coast.
The bill directs the Departments of Interior and Commerce to conduct annual stock assessments, and investigations into population dips and the impact of menhaden on water quality. The bill authorizes a total of up to $1.05 million to pay for the studies.
“Menhaden may not be the daily special at a New Jersey diner, but to a bluefish or striped bass, they’re meat and potatoes,” Saxton said. A copy of the bill is available by calling 261-5801.

At their meeting in New Bern, N. C., Oct. 16-18, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council set allowable by-catch limits for Spiny Dogfish at 8 million pounds and to have 600 pound trip limits covering two different periods. The vote flies in the face of a new Magnuson-Stevens Act that requires councils to follow the scientific advice when setting catch levels. The Spiny Dogfish Monitoring Committee, recommended a 6 million pound catch. The National Marine Fisheries Service did not support a higher catch level and even questioned whether the scientific recommendation of 6 million pounds should be lowered.
Many anglers are anxious to declare “open season” on Spiny Dogfish, attributing the demise of other important fish stocks to the voracious appetite of Spiny Dogfish.

Be sure to send your fish stories and pictures and Be My Guest reporter. Send info to cmiller@cmcherald.com.

Cutline: Be My Guest – The Jim McCann family out from Del Haven, had a wonderful day fishing with Fins&Grins.

1) Bob Wilson charter with his guests on an overnight trip with Captain John Sowerby.

2) Capt Ray with a schoolie striper caught on a bunker fly while on a personal trip in the back bay.

3) Striper taken on a popping fly in the pre dawn back bay behind Cape May on Tide Runner