This is the time of the year that most Cape May co. back bay flounder fishermen move on to the Delaware bay or Atlantic ocean summer flounder hot spots like reef 11 and the old grounds. I continue fishing the back bay for flounder all summer, only less frequently after July 15. There is always a couple of keepers lurking around, it just takes 10 times the patients to find one or two keepers in late summer. If you want to fill the cooler with summer flounder head to the upper Delaware bay from number 1 north to Fortqescue, the upper Delaware bay flounder bite continues red hot.
Tag: saltwater fishing guide nj
Kensdock report: Kensdock Flounder rig
This time of the year is great for tying your spring flounder rigs. I caught over one hundred keeper flounder last year and thousands of keepers over the years. I caught all of them on a rig I tie myself. Paying attention to detail is imperative. The bucktails and other lures you buy at tackle shops are mostly tied by a person that not only has never been flounder fishing but most likely has never seen one. The length of the bucktail hair and the flair are vey important. I have a few other details that I have found to by very effective in increasing the amount of hits. If you fish tournaments or would like to just increase the amount of flounder you catch I am putting together a package. The package will include five of my rigs, tied by me, with detailed instructions on tying the rigs and fishing them. I have not figured a price yet, if you are interested e-mail me at kmcder465@comcast.net. Remember I can only tie so many!
Kensdock report,Banned from The BassBarn 11-05-09
Ed Teise with a Cape May County Speck.
I have been banned from the Bass Barn for not agreeing with Moderator CaptJoe and other backers of the law suit to be filed by the Recreational fishing alliance against the ASMFC. The law suit reeks of greed and indifference to the future generation of sportfishermen. They have the audacity to ask sportfishermen to fund their law suit! They have been using half truths and innuendos in an attempt to exploit the sea bass stock for SHORT TERM economic benefit.
Weakfish hearing
I attended the ASMFC weakfish hearing in Toms River last night. The asmfc offered 4 options.You can view them all at the asmfc site. The only option that offers a real chance for the weakfish to recover is option 4 Harvest moratorium. The commercial fishermen’s rep was fine with option 4 moratorium. Mostly all the recreational fishermen that voiced their own opinion demanded option 4. I do not know how many members the RFA has I do know they lost at lest eight members last night. They did not support a moratorium! If you would like give the weakfish a real chance of recovery support option 4 harvest moratorium. You have until October 31 to make a comment. Send your comments nmeserve@asmfc.org 8-11-09 Kensdock fishing report 8:06 pm
If you heard someone hollering about 1:00 this afternoon it was me. I reached into a bushel to pick up a blue claw crab with tongs,some how the blue claw caught me by the finger with his claw and crunched it until it bleed. The bite has been located at the inshore ocean structure. Trigger fish, flounder and seabass. The weather has been excellent for ocean fishing the last few days. Jon L. was at the Cape May reef he limited out on flounder and was looking forward to eating trigger fish tonight. Just outside of the inlet the water visibility was excellent about 18ft.. The water temperature at my dock is 81 degrees.Kensdock fishing report 8-2-09 Help the weakfish
I have been called over the top, crazy, and more by many people that do not share the passion for salt water fishing that I possess for it and other activates in life. Here are a few examples: I was called crazy last December for taking my skiff for a 5 mile ride at 2:00 am in a 30 kt. NW wind,10 degree wind chill and no compass. Crazy was replaced with wow when I returned to my dock with a cooler full of speckled trout. I was called nuts for talking a friend into flying me to Florida in his jet for fresh ballyhoo hours before the mid Atlantic. When Governor Florio tried to dismantle the fish and game council I use the same over the top, crazy whatever attitude to start a grass roots letter writing campaign that started in Cape May County and spread through the State of New Jersey all the way to High point in Sussex County, NJ. The thousands of individually written letters helped I am sure to change the Governors mind. I used the same crazy. Nuts, attitude to personally call over a thousand people to urge them to attend the federal fish and wildlife meeting in Cape May county co… So many of our people showed they over flowed into the parking lot. The meeting went our way to say the lest. I also started a grass roots letter writing campaign to keep the land open to hunting and salt water fishing. When the manager made the decision to keep the land open to hunting he reported that 98% of the letters he received were in favor of keeping the land open to hunting, this was reported in the Atlantic City press. When the Cape May county park purchased hundreds of acres of traditional hunting land and decided to post no trespassing signs on the land. I used the same attitude to start up the grass roots machine to urge all cape may co. hunters to attend the Cape May co. Freeholders meeting. When Ruth fisher took the podium she asked if there was a sale on flannel shirts! The meeting turned out a record crowd that I think still stands today. The freeholders reopened the traditional land to hunting.
Being over the top, crazy, nuts about a cause or activity is synonymous with being passionate. Being passionate about what you are involved in brings success.
The kind of push that it is required to bring the weakfish back has not been applied! The kind of campaign were every salt water angler on the east coast makes a phone call,writes a letter, sends a comment via email to a Congressman, Senator, Assemblymen, Governor and the ASMFC. We need letters in every News paper on the entire east coast to let all the people know about the poor condition of the weakfish. Only with this kind effort will the weakfish return to your favorite spot .
Make it happen,
I received an email from Nichola Meserve fisheries management plan coordinator for ASMFC. She will continue to accept comments for the August 19 weakfish meeting. The comments will be printed and hand delivered from this time forward.
Send your comment today. Remember there will be people at the meeting urging the ASMFC to continue to allow commercial and recreational fishing regardless of the fact that the weakfish are inches away from the endangered species list.
Send your comment to :
nmeserve@asmfc.org>
Today was filled with rain,thunder storms and downed trees. The water temperature was 67 degrees. I spoke with Bruce today, he said he has limited out on flounder in all but one trip. Bruce is an oldgrounds, Reef, ocean flounder sharp. He has made five trips so far this year. He likes to fish tight to the structure and expects to loose 8 to 10 rigs a trip. If you are planning a flounder trip in the back bay plan on not catching any fish to bring home.
7-31-09 Kensdock fishing report
Today I hit a couple of spots in the back bay that can produce some big flounder this time of the year. Unfortunately I caught the skunk for the first time this season. The water visibility was good about 6ft.. The water temperature was 67.3. Today pretty much raps up my flounder season. I may take a trip to the cape may reef before the end of flounder season. This is the time of the year I start anticipating some great off shore big game trips. I know of at lest one crew from Stone Harbor that hooked into some real big blue fin. They did not have the gear to get the job done. The sure had some fish stories. They did not want their names put out on the internet. Do yourself a big favor do not go offshore without a Roffers report. The guy is the best on the planet. Check out the list of tournament winners that have used his expertise.7-28-09 Kensdock Weakfish meeting/ answers RFA and Charter ass. President Tony Bogan
I have been bashed by JHutchinson of the RFA and Tony Bogon of the Charter boat ass. for urging people and their members to speak for them self’s by sending comments to the ASMFC asking for a closure of commercial fishing for weakfish and a closure of recreational fishing during the spawn. Here is my response:
JHutchinson,
The reason I urge fishermen to make comments directly to the ASMFC on the weakfish population and not to depend on the RFA to speak for them is right in “your mission statement”. The weakfish population would be last on the RFA mission list to be considered before you take a position on the regulations. Not only did I read your mission statement, I have witness it with fishing regulations and other issues” over the years. I am an avid reader of the NJ angler , NJ Fishermen and other national fishing magazines I have not seen your plan for saving the weakfish. There is two days left to comment if you would like your comment heard at the August 19, ASMFC meeting. I follow Capt. Tony and your mind set: We can not have Charter boats or tackle manufactures loose money” by pushing a closure to save the weakfish! ASMFC said they are all going to die anyway!! I will not stand behind that mind set!! To reiterate for the umpteen time. The first step is a complete closure of commercial fishing and recreational fishing in the spawning areas. The ASMFC is quick to respond to comments. Unfortunlitly the condition of the weakfish seems to be worse than they expected.
No hard feellings Tony and Hutchinson that is the way it is,
Best,
Ken
nmeserve@asmfc.org Send your comment time is short.
Capt.TB
If you took the time to read ASMFC site on weakfish you would find they only have “theories” on the decline of the weakfish.You can bet the farm that if the ASMFC allowed the entire commercial fishing fleet loose without a limit on the amount of fish to be killed on any species of fish you would find them in the same state of devastation. Maybe you are not familiar with the proficiency of modern commercial fishing operations. Here is an example: A good friend and a big player in the commercial fishing industry told me he caught in one set 1,000,000 individual weakfish. The estimate was made by an onboard observer. Most of the fish were released. Capt. TB, do you seriously buy into the ASMFC theory that a mysterious natural killer slaughtered the weakfish off? Capt. TB, do you still represent the Charter Boat Association? Does your family member represent the RFA? Do you have family or friends on the ASMFC council? I am wondering why you are so upset that I am encouraging people to make comments directly to the ASMFC ?
If you took the time to read ASMFC site on weakfish you would find they only have “theories” on the decline of the weakfish.You can bet the farm that if the ASMFC allowed the entire commercial fishing fleet loose without a limit on the amount of fish to be killed on any species of fish you would find them in the same state of devastation. Maybe you are not familiar with the proficiency of modern commercial fishing operations. Here is an example: A good friend and a big player in the commercial fishing industry told me he caught in one set 1,000,000 individual weakfish. The estimate was made by an onboard observer. Most of the fish were released. Capt. TB, do you seriously buy into the ASMFC theory that a mysterious natural killer slaughtered the weakfish off? Capt. TB, do you still represent the Charter Boat Association? Does your family member represent the RFA? Do you have family or friends on the ASMFC council? I am wondering why you are so upset that I am encouraging people to make comments directly to the ASMFC ?
I said, The “obvious first step” would be a complete closure to all commercial fishing for two years and a closure to recreational fishing during the spawn. If the ASMFC would do at least this, we will see a spike increase in the weakfish population. I will bet the farm on it!
The flounder bite has been slow the ast couple of days in the back bay. The offshore flounder bite has been slow due to ocean conditions. I will poke around tomorrow in the back bay for flounder and the inlet and right outside the inlet. The flounder should be hiding in that area some where. I just spoke with a commercial fishermen that was fishing off of Cape May NJ the last seven days at a place called the elegant trunk.They did not see a tuna the entire time. The water was blue with 50ft. of visibility. Usually this time of the year they have a school oftuna behind the boat all day. If you are thinking of making a tuna run you may want to wait a few weeks.
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6-30-09 Kensdock report 6:45 pm
At this time the US coast Guard is trying to resuscitate a 28 year old black female in a yellow bathing suit. Earlier they were doing the same to a five year old. The two were swimming in the Herferd inlet area.Today it was blowing to hard in the afternoon for me to flounder fish. A few reports from those that fished the back bay early this morning. ED T caught 4 keepers to 4.1 pound, Dr. Gary had two keepers, CJ P. caught one keeper it weighted 4 pounds. Wally Bachman fished yesterday he had over 50 throw backs and one keeper. George and crew on the Cutty Caught a 125 pound Mako today. He said that was his last shark trip for the season. Tuna time! The Ocean flounder bite continues to be red hot.
6-27-09 Kensdock fishing report 7:00pm
Beautiful day on the water no bugs, not to hot and very light boat traffic in the area I was fishing. I did encounter a conservation officer patrolling the area in a boat for the first time. I have been fishing and duck hunting the area my entire life. We have all seen the guy that keeps all the flounder he catches regardless of size and bag limit. That person was not fishing in this area today. There was just a few boats and everybody was law abiding.I have a couple of reports, Ed T caught two keeper flounder Dr.Gary had two also, they fished from 5:30 am to 9:30 am. I fished from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm I caught 3 keeper flounder.The time of year when limits of flounder can be caught in the back bay in a few hours is now past.If you are looking for your limit of keeper flounder it is now time to head for the old grounds or any offshore structure. Myself, when I head offshore it is for big game.I will continue to poke around the back bay for flounder all season. The water temperature was 70 degrees on the top of the tide. The water was very clean.Cape May Ray is concerned about the lack of bait fish and oyster crackers in Cape May co.. Ray, I have not seen any bait fish in my area. The minnows are usually here by March. This is the first year in a life time, that the minnows are completely absent from my area. The oyster crackers aka Tot fish are being sold to the Asian market. This has been going on for a few years. The poaching is the problem. If you have the fish they have the cash! This is one reason we need a NJ salt water license! NO license no money.No money no studies and not enough law enforcement to make a difference. How much pressure can minnows and crabs take before the population drops out. Anybody can buy a commercial bait license.WE have minnow pots in every creek in the State. We have crab pots every so many feet in the back bay in the spring. Is this the problem? Ray thinks that heavy malathion spraying for mosquitoes is killing our back bays from the bottom up. NJ is one of the few States that it is legal to use this pestiside. I sure hope he is wrong. I sure enjoy life without mosquitoes. We will never know what the problem is without the money from a NJ salt water license!! Please do not misconstrue, NJ conservation officers do an outstanding job !, the problem is they are way under staffed. 
I just got a report of keeper stripers floating on top of the water in the back bay of Stone Harbor.One was dead and the other was alive, it was brown on one side and very lethargic. It had just enough energy to stay under water. I hope this is not related to the bait problem. Note:
Cape May Ray is a fishing guide that is passionate about fishing and the marine envirorment. He also catches fish.
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Ken's Dock 