Whether you’re out for a tournament or just catching a few hours by yourself, fishing is the thing to do. Always cooler by the water.
On July 20, Captain Joe Pritchard on the Big Game sailed out of South Jersey Marina with only one species in mind, tile fish. He knew his destination was the Baltimore Canyon and he knew the depth to find these bottom dwelling fish was about 100 fathoms (600’). After about four hours, the crew had landed a total of 26 tile fish. The heaviest of which was 36 pounds.
Captain Ray had another good week of fishing with the inlet and ocean areas being the best as the water is a bit cooler and there was bait activity. Predawn and after sunset the best times. For both fly and spin anglers there has been all the bluefish action you could wanted. Most are small but for eating there are plenty in the 15 to 18 inch size.
When able to get past the bluefish there have been stripers to be found. They were taking clousers and deceiver flies on sinking line for the fly anglers. The spin anglers caught on a variety of different swimming plugs with no one brand being better than the other. Most of the bass were schoolie size but he did see a couple of keepers.
Grassy Sound Marina reports that crabbing is as hot as the weather. There have been some nice flounder catches with croakers, kingfish, and snapper blues being caught off the pier. Stripers are hanging around the docks taunting the fishermen. The mullet and peanut bunker are starting to appear in the back bay.
Fifteen- year-old Michael Quinn, Sicklerville, caught his first flounder and a weakfish, fishing near the N. Wildwood bridge using squid, incoming tide. Jeff Treaster, Yeagertown, Pa. caught 3 keeper flounder to 23 ½ inches, incoming tide on minnows near the sod bank in Grassy Sound.
TJ Moore, Egg Harbor Twp. had 3 nice keeper flounder. He was fishing Jenkins Sound, both tides using minnows.
According to Sterling Harbor Marina, the Old Grounds and Reef Site 11 are producing the best flounder. Some nice sea bass up to 3-pounds are also being caught. Bill Stewart Jr. of West Deptford, weighed in a 4-pound 15-ounce flounder caught on a squid/minnow combo at the Wildwood Reef.
There have been reports of flounder, small weakfish and croakers being caught off Cape May Point and near the ferry lanes in the Delaware Bay. In the Back-Bays flounder are being caught, mostly near the Inlets as they make their way toward the cooler, deeper water.
Yellowfin and bluefin tuna action remains good and steady at the Hot Dog, Masseys Canyon and the 19 Fathom Lump. Chumming up the tuna while chunking with butterfish and sardines, and then jigging with butterfly jigs, seems to be producing the best. Chaz Gallagher and crew on the “Reel Classic” out of Wildwood had a great day Saturday trolling yellowfin between the Elephant’s Trunk and the Wilmington Cayon with 6 up to 65-pounds.
South Jersey Marina held its 10th Annual Tuna Tournament last week. Big winners: Tarheel, Alex Chrysanthopoulos, 220-pound Big Eye and Game On, Willie Zimmerman, 55-pound and 57-pound blue fin.
New Jersey’s Fish and Game Council and the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife is proposing amendments to the 2012-2013 Fish Code (protection, propagation, introduction and conservation of freshwater fish). The proposed amendments will be published in the Aug. 1 New Jersey Register, initiating the sixty-day public comment period. Check the NJDEP’s Web site for more information.
Send your fishing reports and pictures to cmiller@cmcherald.com. All pictures submitted, if they don’t make it in the print version, can be seen on the Herald’s Web site www.cmcherald.com, click on community, then fishing and boating.
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