Newport

A couple of big, tiderunner weakfish were reported caught, said Jim from Sundog Marina. One was an 8-pounder that an angler from Fortescue showed off, and another was a 6-pounder that someone from Bay Point scored.  Nothing was heard about fishing for stripers or drum. Nantuxent Creek at the marina was dirty, but when it clears, perch and catfish can probably be landed in the creek on the shop’s rental boats. Rental boaters will also be able to go crabbing on the creek, and nobody had tested the waters lately to see if any keeper blueclaws were swimming around yet. Fresh and frozen bunker, fresh and salted clams and bloodworms are stocked. Live minnows should arrive soon, especially for the opening of flounder season two Saturdays from now. Frozen whole and block squid is already stocked for flounder, and so are frozen spearing. Sundog Marina is currently open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day and will be open 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Memorial Day Weekend.

Fortescue

A few stripers were being hooked at the first and second drop-offs from Fortescue, said Capt. Ralph from the Buccaneer. But drum catches were scarce, and captains from Fortescue were trying to investigate whether commercial draggers came along and scooped them up last year. He said that when draggers target a fish, they practically take them all. Drum would normally be prominent at this time of year, and a bunch were getting boated last year at this time. Reports were being heard about three or four drum caught on a boat only occasionally. But striper and drum charters will continue on the Buccaneer, and drum are usually hauled aboard through mid June, and maybe the fishing will turn around. Ralph was also seeing draggers with loads of weakfish at the docks lately, and he said the draggers were catching the trout along the edges of the bay, and that’s unfortunate, because those fish are spawners at this time of year.

The Karen Jean will start fishing Friday, Capt. John said. Stripers and drum will be the main target, but flounder charters will begin when flounder season opens May 26, two Saturdays from now. Flounder were already being caught by mistake and released when anglers were dunking baits for other fish, and John himself landed big ones and let them go. A few blues were schooling the bay, but bluefishing was sporadic.

Port Norris

A few customers fished Saturday, and the fishing seemed to pick up and be pretty good, said Jeff from Port Norris Marina. Some stripers were caught, but only a few drum were landed. Mother’s Day on Sunday kept fishing to a minimum. Walt Cannon nailed a 38-inch, 23-pound striper, and Phil Barbera tackled pair of 40-inch and 33-inch stripers. Brad Akres claimed a set of 34- and 36-inch stripers, and Eric Chew reeled in a 38-inch striper. Most stripers lately were checked in during the weekend and were hooked on bunker, and waters between Miah Maul and the Horseshoe seemed most productive. Fresh bunker and fresh surf clams are stocked for bait. Minnows, squid and a full supply of baits will be stocked for the opening of flounder season May 26. 

Bivalve

Customers who caught stripers were reporting catches from throughout the bay, including the Banana Peel, Tussy’s Slough, Bug Light and the E.P. Tower, said Pat from Longreach Marina. Those who were hooking drum were reporting success at spots including the Pin Top, 60-Foot Slough and Slaughter Beach. The Atco Hookers Striper Tournament took place over the weekend, and Joe Musso from Rosenhayn won both first and second place with a 36-1/4-pound striper and a 31-pounder. Gary Wilson from Franklinville took third with a 30-pound striper. Other customers and their catches included: Frank Przelomiec, 21-1/2-pound striper; Bob Walker from Pennsylvania, 21-3/4-pound striper; Jim Abrams from Atco, 18-1/4-pound striper; Richard Pezzella from Clayton, 19-1/2-pound striper; Jim Wood Jr. , Kyle Gleason, Donald Haught, Greg Erber and Bailey from Millville, 6 drum from 40 to 65 pounds; Steve Pierce, David Pierce and Gary DaStolfo, 3 drum to 60 pounds; John Mayville and crew from Dorothy, a bunch of blues and a drum; Ralph Charleton III and IV and Mike Smith, 3 stripers over 32 inches apiece; Brad Phillips and Nick Scott, 13, a 17-1/4-pound drum that was Nick’s first and a 19-pound drum. Fresh bunker is stocked for stripers, and frozen clams are stocked for stripers and drum. Flounder season opens May 26, and minnows and squid will be on hand for flounder.

Cape May

Copacetic Sportfishing sailed for drum and stripers on the Jersey side of the bay on Friday and Saturday, and the fishing was a little slow, but a few stripers were clammed, Capt. Mike said. He hoped drum fishing picked up with this week’s new moon, because sometimes new and full moons will trigger a bite. Drum fishing’s been slow so far this season, and usually drum are being mugged by now. Piles of the fish were being marked through the weekend, but none really bit, except a few taps or a couple of hits. Anglers were waiting for stripers to finish spawning in the Delaware River and return to the bay. A couple of sea bass charters are scheduled soon, and boaters seemed to be whacking sea bass at the inshore wrecks and reefs.

A charter on the Heavy Hitter bailed five big stripers to 42 inches on the bay Saturday night, Capt. George said. But drum fishing was horrible, and a charter Sunday night managed to boat one 30-pound drum, a small bluefish and some sharks or junk fish. George thought he’d caught nine drum all season, and that’s very unusual, and last year his charters were loading up on drum by this time. He said drum could be found with no problem, and the fish were being marked, and he heard that the fish were seen from spotter planes at Bug Light to Tussy’s Slough and off Slaughter Beach, but they refused to bite. Drum charters are still available and are leaving the dock around 2 p.m. and fishing into nighttime. A charter Saturday morning scored alright on sea bass at Cape May Reef, landing nearly 30 keepers to 3 or 3 ½ pounds and probably a few more throwbacks, and a 20-inch, out-of-season flounder was released, and sea bass charters are now available. Flounder charters will sail when flounder season opens May 26, and bluefish trolling will be on the menu at spots like 5-Fathom Bank at the end of May and in June.

Fishing was “off” in the bay, and some drum were marked, and a few stripers were caught, but it wasn’t what it should be, said Capt. Bob from the Down Deep. Drum were seen in the bay from spotter planes but apparently refused to bite, and Bob hoped the next moon phase would make a difference. Maybe the fish were late to spawn, and they’ll only eat after they spawn, and Bob thinks the fishing will be good when it turns on, and some openings are still available for drum charters. The water over the weekend was 8 degrees cooler than this time last year, according to Bob’s log book. He heard about someone who landed nine drum, but almost all were around 20 inches, and one was about 30 inches, and they were legal fish, but Bob discourages people from keeping such small ones. But bottom fishing was good, and Will Higgins’ charter on Saturday loaded up on sea bass and tog at inshore wrecks. Bluefish were also schooling in the ocean, and bluefish charters are available. Reservations are being accepted for shark and tuna charters, and sharking will start the second week of June. Tuna fishing kicks in soon afterward

Fishin’ Fever Sportfishing fished Friday in the bay and landed a couple of drum and a couple of stripers, but the fishing was slow, Capt. Tom said. But fishing seemed better in the past few days, and more drum seemed to be caught, and stripers seemed to be returning to the bay after spawning in the Delaware River. Tom hoped the new moon this week would get the drum going. UPDATE: Tom left a voicemail and said a trip yesterday produced four drum that were 20 pounds, 25 pounds, 52 pounds and 64 pounds in 20 feet of water on clams.

Fishing in the bay was kind of hit or miss and slow, and some were catching fish, but others were catching few, said Capt. Ray from Jaftica Sportfishing. He thinks drum fishing might turn on this week with the new moon, and lots of the fish were being marked in the bay, but they refused to feed. Drum usually spawn for a couple of hours and stop feeding, so that didn’t seem to be the answer. The bay was in the upper 50s, and striped bass were starting to return to the bay from spawning in the Delaware River, and boaters scored good catches of the bass in the upper bay. In addition to drum and striper trips, Jaftica will now target sea bass, and sea bassing was good at the reefs. Flounder charters will begin when flounder season opens in two Saturdays. Shark charters will start in June.

Strong winds threw off the fishing somewhat, but drum and stripers were sometimes weighed in, said Matt from Jim’s Bait & Tackle in a fax. Drum were definitely in Delaware Bay, and they were booming on the Delaware side, but they were picky on the bite. On the Jersey side Tussy’s Slough remained the spot to try for drum. Len Verity landed four drum to 30 pounds at Slaughter Beach on the Delaware side, and Tim Wakes boated an 86-pound drum at Tussy’s. Stripers were sometimes showing up at Tussy’s, too. Surf fishers were beginning to find weakfish at the Cape May Point jetties on bloodworms on a 1/0 or 2/0 hook 4 feet under a bobber and with a split shot 8 inches above the hook. The weaks could also be taken on bucktails with a rubber worm, and Jim, the owner of the shop, hooked one on a pink Gulp twister tail grub. Stripers were also being clammed from the beach from Pittsburg Avenue to Cape May Point and Poverty Beach. Lots of sand sharks also bit, and anglers just had to fish through them. Sea bass fishing was improving at Cape May Reef and at wrecks 18 to 30 miles from shore. On the Porgy IV Malcolm Ransone caught a 5.74-pound sea bass, and David Sheldon had a 3.23-pound sea bass. Blackfish were hitting at the Cape May Inlet jetties and at the inshore wrecks, and Joe Stabone and crew limited out on blacks to 11.4 pounds at the Lisa Michelle wreck at the reef.

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