The best area based on wind direction and resent reports was far from the spots I fished today. I did not have the time to fish the hot/correct location. However, after spending an hour and a half on the water, three keepers were flopping in the cooler. The fishing pressure was none existent . The water temperature was 65 degrees. Water clarity was good – fair. The special ingredient during this fishing trip was patience.
First weakfish of the morning
The early rise was tough but quickly forgotten. The sun peeked from the crystal blue atlantic. The outgoing tide formed an eddy in front of me. Moments later I felt the distinct thump of a weakfish hit. Great way to start the day! Flounder fishing on tap this afternoon. Update to follow.
Summer flounder season 2014 is underway.
Slaughter beach on the Delaware Side of the bay is still producing black drum. That spot is a 12 mile run from the Cape May canal. The good news for fishermen docked in NJ is the black drum have set up on our side of the bay. Bob Lasko and crew boated nine black drum on a recent trip, some topped out at over 60 pounds. Jason and crew won the middle twp. drum fish tournament with a 89 pounder. If you want to catch a black drum now is the time.
The summer flounder opener was good. However, here in Cape May County most of the flounder caught were under the 18″ size limit. Gary had three nice size keepers. Reeves and crew boated 7 keepers . Debbie from the Grassy Sound marina reportedly weighed in a nine pounder. I have been busy catching spring weakfish. I will make my first flounder trip this week and I will post the results. The water temperature in the back bay today was 62 degrees on the top of the tide.
There was at least one nice tide runner weakfish caught today in a back bay area of Cape May County. A few nice summer flounder were caught and released in grassy sound today also. There was also some weakfish caught by perch fishermen in their fyke nets in Atlantic County today. There was one confirmed 24″ striper caught from the beach yesterday.
Spring weakfish On The Water TV show:
Commercial fishermen are not an enemy of sport fishermen. Bad regulations are the enemy. Sustainable yield fish stocks ensure the future of both commercial and sport fishing. Commercial fishermen supported a moratorium on weakfish, when some recreational fishing groups would not do so.
Today, Atlantic sea scallop vessel owners voluntarily contribute $10 million a year from their harvest to pay for ongoing scientific research on scallop populations.
They also earned a sustainable yield certification recently:
“This is an American fisheries success story,” said Attorney John Whiteside, who represents the ASA and led the certification effort for the industry group. “The certification is further validation for the efforts of an industry which worked together to progress from the brink of oblivion to prosperity.”
Dr. Kevin Stokesbury, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Fisheries Oceanography at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) who served as the ASA’s lead consultant through the three and one-half year review process said “The industry deserves this. It’s a well-managed fishery. It has come back to sustainable levels. The sort of cooperation offered by the scallop industry doesn’t come along every day.”
Their road to recovery included closed seasons and financial sacrifice. Sport fishermen should bring the same tenacity to the fish management table. Here in New Jersey it is free to saltwater fish. However, we do not have a reliable funding source for marine fisheries management. As the scallop fishery has proven , NJ saltwater fishermen would be much better served by funding marine fisheries management with their own dime.
Spring Weakfish 2014
The first weakfish of the spring has been caught in Cape May co. NJ. They have also been caught just south of Cape May in the Delaware canal. If you are interested in catching weakfish check out the May issue of On The Water magazine: http://www.onthewater.com/issues/
Missy Alcorn with a nice late season Striped Bass
The striper bite here in Cape May County has been hot over the last week for those in the know. For those that are not in the loop it has been slow fishing. The lumps just off the beach about two miles have produced a good amount of keeper stripers for the fisherman that have stayed dialed in. The Delaware Bay has consistently produced some heavyweight stripers for a few sharpies, they are not the information sharing type.
CJ Polhamus with a beautiful Red Drum. CJ has been targeting Red Drum this fall from the beaches of Cape May County,NJ and obviously doing well. Many have been catching red drum this fall with bait, however CJ has been catching them exclusively with lures.
Fred with a Red drum that he caught this fall in the back waters of Cape May County,NJ. He caught the red drum with a mirro-lure.
Jeff Polhamus and Sharpie with a few nice New Jersey red fish .
CJ Polhamus with his 22″ New Jersey red fish, he caught the beauty on 9-30-2013.
Mark is high hook of this elite group, this is one of his many 2013 New Jersey red fish.
Here is June 2012 flounder fishing report, worst June flounder fishing in my lifetime…. My Son and I did have one limit day, on Memorial weekend. At this point, most fishermen are catching zero keeper flounder and maybe two shorts after an entire day of flounder fishing.
On Thursday, December 3 at 10 a.m., the New Jersey Senate Environment Committee will meet in Room 10 on the third floor of the State House Annex in Trenton. At the top of the day’s hearing agenda is Senate Bill 2194 sponsored by Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May) and co-sponsored by Sen. Christopher “Kip” Bateman (R-Somerset), a bill which create a free recreational saltwater registry in New Jersey in order to comply with new federal fisheries guidelines for data collection.
As written S2194 would specifically direct the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in consultation with the Marine Fisheries Council, to establish and implement a registry program for saltwater recreational anglers modeled on the registry program to be established by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
This bill will keep NJ in step with its reputation for investing in short term economic solutions. It will not provide the smart investment in the future of salt water fishing that a salt water license will provide.
Ken's Dock 