Barry Gibson of Seven Fields, Pa. shows off his 37-pound drum caught while fishing on the Top Shelf.

Have your gear ready? It’s time to fish!

The Starlight fleet, Wildwood Crest, reports some nice fish – sea bass up to 4 pounds as well as some released blackfish up to 10 pounds. Kathy Steinmetz, Havertown, Pa., won the pool with a 4-pound sea bass. On another trip, Jack Brown, Camden, had the pool fish with a 3 1/2 –pound sea bass and Michael Budd, Court House, won the pool the day he went out with a 3 pounder.High hook honors went to Bill Morgan, Philadelphia, who boated 14 sea bass and Tony Wilde, Edison, who caught 13.

Captain Jim is running six and four hour trips every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and has some 18 hour tile fishing trips on the schedule. Call 729-7776.

Bucktail Willie fishing out of Whale Creek Marina in Strathmere has found fluke in all their normal summer locations from south Ocean City to Patty's Hole Avalon.

Larger fish are getting little harder to find but did manage to get nine fluke between 18-20 inches out of total of 57 while checking out all the local spots that hold fluke in the summer.
The first wave of bluefish has thinned out but another wave should arrive any day. The stripers in back waters are scarce and those being caught are all shorts.
So far this year there are 157 fluke swimming around with a yellow tag of American Littoral society. If you catch one please return information to address on card, Even if a fish is re-caught the same year in the same location, it provides critical information to scientist on health of summer flounder

Captain Ray, Tide Runner, Cape May, reports the action heated up this week for the fly and light tackle anglers. They were getting stripers on flies and plugs around the inlet and in the back bays. Spearing type flies provided good action, taking stripers, bluefish and sea herring. Rapala swimming plugs were doing it for the spin anglers.
Incoming tide was best around the rocks and warm outflows of creeks and sod bank drain off areas produced the best action in the back-bay. He expects the weakfish action any day now.

On May 3, 46 boats entered the annual spring tournament organized by the American Striper Association. When they left South Jersey Marina, the fog had really set in and visibility was very poor. As the day wore on, the cold winds picked up making fishing even more difficult.
The winning fish weighed 38.6 pounds and the team that won first place was Pirasea.
On the same day, Captain Bill Bittmann, Top Shelf, South Jersey Marina, returned to the dock with a nice catch of four drum fish. Barry Gibson of Seven Fields, Pa. and five of his friends were in the Delaware Bay for a combination drum and striped bass trip. When Gibson weighed the heaviest fish of the day, he was proud of his 37-pound catch.

Captain John Sowerby is in his home slip at South Jersey Marina. He’s hoping to see the black drum and striper bite break wide open this week with the new moon. Call 425-1970 to schedule a trip.

Trout in the Classroom (TIC) is an educational activity supported by NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife and Trout Unlimited. Raising trout is a hands-on activity. The program encompasses science, language arts, mathematics, social studies and art and is easily adapted to the needs and abilities of middle and high school students.

Trout Unlimited members will assist teachers in setting up the classroom.
To get started, register to attend a training class. Call 908-637-4125 or e-mail Jessica.Griglak@dep.state.nj.us

An exiting program “Let’s Go Offshore Fishing!” will be held at 3 p.m., Friday, May 16 at the Lower Cape Branch Library, 2600 Bayshore Rd., Villas. Charlie Langan of South Jersey Marina will give the presentation. Call 886-8999 or visit the library’s website at www.cmclibrary.org

Middle Township Drum Fishing Tournament, May 16, noon - 2 p.m. & Saturday, May 17. Register at www middletownship.com. or call 465-8743.

Boating Safety classes, Price Hall, Seashore & Academy roads, Cold Spring, May 17 & 31, eight-hour session, $45, 889-8575.

Tri-State anglers will hold their monthly meeting May 17 at Seashore Line campgrounds, 7 p.m. The first Club tournament is scheduled for May 31.

Check out www.SeeMyBigFish.com and be sure to send your fish stories and pictures to Be My Guest reporter. Send info to cmiller@cmcherald.com.