The Fishing Line: Plenty of fish in the sea

Labor Day Weekend already? While you may be thinking about packing up your summer wear, don’t put away that fishing gear. There’s lots of incredible fall fishing to experience, as there always is in Cape May County.
August saw some of the best flounder fishing of the season, be aware, though, the season closes on Friday, Sept. 4.
According to Sterling Harbor, croakers are at Cape May Point and the beachfront and snapper blues are off Cape May Point and the inlets.
The dolphin bite remains good from the 20 Fathom line and both white and blue marlin continue to bite at the Canyons.
In the back bays small stripers are being caught along sod banks, docks and bridges with top water plugs or clam bait.
Captain Ray is still catching stripers and bluefish but the bite has slowed a little in the back-bay. He says he had to work a little harder with back-bay temperatures in the lower 80s, but stripers and bluefish were still taking popping plugs and flies on both incoming and outgoing tides as long as there was low light. With the super warm water the fish are not quite as aggressive as normal.
Grassy Sound Marina reports stripers in the sod banks during early morning hours and sea bass and snapper blues are being caught along with croackers.
Fran Hahn, Flourtown, Pa. caught a 9.2-pound flounder during outgoing tide with squid near the Stone Harbor toll bridge and Tyler Wuensche, Southampton, Pa. caught a keeper flounder off the Fishing Pier using minnows during outgoing tide. He also had several sea bass and a croaker.
The Annual Big Jim Adair Family Fishing Tournament was held Saturday, Aug. 21 on the Grassy Sound Fishing Pier. Gene Semon, Philadelphia, was the winner with an 18 ¾-inch flounder caught during outgoing tide.
Crabbing continues to be excellent in the Grassy Sound area. Emery Turstall, Franklinville, came back with 36 dozen blue claw crabs from a crabbing trip behind West Wildwood.
Jerry String on his Mucho Clams was trolling at the East Lumps on Aug. 25 with his dad and two boys. They ended up with 12 false Albacore, a 7-pound Mahi and the surprise of the day was a 4-foot barracuda.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is seeking public comment on the following: Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board Draft Addendum XX; Striped Bass Board Draft Addendum II; Shad and River Herring Board Draft Amendment 3; Spiny Dogfish and Coastal Shark Board Addendum I to the Interstate Shark FMP; and Weakfish Board Addendum to Address Stock Decline. Visit the Commission’s website at www.asmfc.org under Breaking News for details.
NOAA Fisheries Service has published a final rule in the federal register to implement Amendment 1 to the Golden Tilefish Fishery Management Plan. The intent is to implement an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program, protect tilefish habitat, enhance monitoring of commercial catch and adopt new regulations for the recreational fishery. Go to nero.noaa.gov/nero/hotnews/
Personal Note: In response to the Spout Off about the photo of a ‘short striper:’ The Captain assures me the fish was released unharmed. It is legal to fish and catch small stripers, take a picture and release them. This Captain would never kill or keep an undersized fish. Most of his clients fish for the pure fun of catching. He is one of the more conservation minded skippers and many times legal fish are released after taking a picture.
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