<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Not a ton was heard about the bay’s fishing yet, but anglers sometimes talked about boating short stripers, and a few mentioned keepers landed, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. The fishing was probably improving. A few 25-pound drum were reported caught during the weekend. Commercial boaters found an occasional big weakfish in their nets, and Sharon saw ones to 8 pounds that came from the bay. So at least a few of the big, spawning “tiderunners” swam the waters, and that’s a good thing. The waters were too cold for the trout to bite a hooked bait and probably needed to warm to the 60s. The ocean was about 54 degrees, so the bay was probably close to that temp. Old timers used to target the lunkers in spring. Sharon knew about no bluefish swimming the bay yet. But she heard about out-of-season summer flounder that slurped down clam baits meant for stripers. Flounder season opens May 24. Sharon mentioned a handy phone number for real-time NOAA weather conditions including wind speeds on the bay at Ship John Shoal and Brandywine Light at 866-30-PORTS (866-307-6787). The info is also online at NOAA’s  Delaware River and Bay Ports web site.  Fresh clams, fresh bunker, fresh herring when available, bloodworms and all the frozen baits are stocked. So are Berkley Gulps, like the 3- and 4-inch, chartreuse minnows and mullets that are popular with striper anglers when the linesiders will take a lure, such as when the bass sometimes bust on herring on the surface on the bay at this time of year.  The Girls Place is located on Route 47 just after Route 55 ends, and it’s the long, one-story, yellow building on the right. There’s a large parking lot with plenty of room for trailered boats.

<b>Newport</b>

Striped bass fishing sounded better Thursday and Friday for anglers from <b>Sundog Marina</b> than afterward, according to a report that Mike and Mickie e-mailed. Locations and other details were vague, but seemed like the marina’s striper anglers were just getting into the swing of things. White perch fishing was holding up on Nantuxent Creek, and a recent high hook scored 12 of the slabs in an hour. The rental boats are available to fish the creek, and eventually crabbers will use the vessels to load up on the blueclaws. One crab was already seen scurrying past the dock, and herring also swam around the slips. One boater caught and released an 18-inch, out-of-season flounder. The docks are completed for the season, and new docks were added, so room is still available at great rates, the e-mail said. The boat ramp is open 24/7. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, bloodworms and grass shrimp are stocked. Stop by the shop and pick up the 2008 catalog of marine equipment and fishing tackle. The doors are open 7 a.m. on weekends and 9 a.m. on weekdays.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Capt. Ralph on the <b>Buccaneer</b> tested the waters for striped bass with friends on Saturday at three areas around Miah Maul, he said. But the fishing was slow, and the season was probably too early. A few bites were felt, probably from small bass that tend to come up and nick the baits, but that was the only action. Ralph thought that two keeper stripers were bagged among the entire Fortescue fleet at that time. He’ll start striped bass and drum charters in two weekends. Ralph’s been chartering for drum since 1961, when almost nobody even considered fishing for the behemoths. But by now, the bay’s anglers have long since caught on to the reasons to sail for the incredible fish, bruisers that can average 50 or 60 pounds. He runs 10-hour trips for them at quite a reasonable rate, because he wants to fish two tides. Most others only fish one tide. But in Ralph’s many years of fishing for drum, he’s learned that there’s no predicting whether they’ll bite on incoming or outgoing tides, and catching them is a matter of setting up where he knows they usually swim through, and waiting. It’s like deer hunting, he said. Drum anglers need to park themselves at a likely route where drum are known to travel to feed. But like a hunter sitting on a deer stand, the angler can’t predict exactly when the fish will travel the route.  Anglers shouldn’t move to other locations if no drum are biting, unless somebody reports that the bite is on elsewhere at that moment. But otherwise waiting for the fish is key. You’ll know when they come, because the fish will be heard drumming. His anglers usually drop down a whole surf clam or even two on a tandem-hooked rig made to hold a large bait. Sometimes Ralph will also fish a shedder crab along with a surf clam. Drum grub on food like clams and shedders. He tells his anglers to hold the rods, because although drum are huge, they bite softly, and the fish can be missed if the rod is in the rod holder. The anglers let the drum take the bait until the line comes tight, then pull the rod back and set the hook. Then hold on, because you’ve got a heck of job to land the freight train. Just fight the fish patiently and steadily, letting the reel drag do the work when the fish runs, and pumping and reeling in patiently but surely when the fish allows. You won’t wear yourself out, and you’ll land the fish. Striped bass are often mixed in with catches. Sounds awesome!

<b>Bivalve</b>

<b>Longreach Marina</b> was busy on Saturday with about 30 boaters launching vessels to head out for striped bass, and they caught! Pat said. That was the best news, she said. Most said they fished around Bug Light, and nobody reported hauling in black drum, but drum should be docked soon. The gnats were out, and drumfish arrive with the gnats. Netters were finding weakfish in their catches, but the water was too cold for weaks to bite baits on hook and line. No bluefish showed up. Jimmy Wood from Millville nailed a 33-pound, 40-inch striper, probably the biggest striper heard about that was caught anywhere in New Jersey so far this season. Other anglers and their catches included: Bill Romero, 36-inch striper; Steve Roberts, 36-inch striper; Jeff Horn and crew, 36-inch and two 38-inch stripers caught at one of the lighthouses; Bill, Bill Jr. and Phil Janifzewski, three 32-inch and two 29-inch stripers; Brittnay Sencoro, 33-inch striper; and Ben Williams, Dave Miller and Mark Animal, 30-, 34- and 35-inch stripers. Longreach Marina will be open every day starting this weekend. The marina had been closed Tuesdays and Thursdays during the off season, and is closed today, but it might open Thursday this week if the weather is decent. Fresh bunker, frozen clams, frozen mackerel and other frozen baits including squid and spearing are stocked.

<b>Dennisville</b>

Striped bass catches were made in the past days, though the action was steadier a couple of weeks ago, said Rusty from <b>Captain Tate’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Most of the fish then were shorts, with a few keepers mixed in. But in recent days anglers talked about catches on the 15-foot flats west of 20-Foot Slough and along the shallows near the number 1 buoy. Sharks were pests in deeper waters. Some anglers also reported scoring fair catches near the lighthouses. A few puppy drum were boated. Clams were the popular bait for both. No bluefish or weakfish were reported seen. Word about the mackerel migration was nonexistent. Lots of tog were attacking baits at the jetties and inshore wrecks. So the blackfish could also probably be caught along the rocks of Delaware Bay’s lighthouses before tog season closes May 1. Nobody seemed to be trying. Fresh clams and bloodworms are stocked. Fresh herring is occasionally carried when available. No fresh bunker is on hand yet, and the season was a little early for the menhaden to be popular here. But Tate’s is up and running, and its season is on.

<b>Cape May</b>

Striped bass this weekend held near the edge of the shipping channel toward Miah Maul in about 20 feet, and the first charters of the year on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> caught them, Capt. George said. The bite’s location was different from the shallows closer to shore or the sloughs in the southern bay that often produce in the early season. But sharks were a nuisance in the southern bay. If George remembered correctly, four keepers were bagged, four throwbacks were released and lots of bites were missed on Saturday’s charter with Ryan Moore, John DeGeorgio, Ed and Craig Hechler, Bill Levins and Terry Hammond. More of the fish probably could’ve been landed with more attention to the bites, but the charter, a repeat group from the past, was enjoying the day on the water as much as the fishing. Sunday’s fishing was better, and nine keepers were boxed and a bunch of throwbacks were released on a charter with Kevin and Greg Driscoll, Dave Sunzi, Jeff Bromley and Brian Sheets. No fish hit at first, when the boat returned to the spot that gave up catches the previous day, but after moving and waiting until about 11:30 or 12 noon, the catches turned on. When the tide stopped coming in, the fish stopped feeding, but another angler said he scored well on slack. The water toward the Maul was 55 degrees on Saturday and dropped to 52 on Sunday. No drumfish showed up on the trips, although drum were boated on the Heavy Hitter’s first charters of the season the past three years. George heard about three puppy drum 30 pounds apiece caught on two boats over the weekend. Drum should start to appear in greater numbers in a week or two, and they can often be caught along with stripers on the same trip.

A charter put the brakes on four keeper striped bass and released 30 shorts in the bay on the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> on Saturday, Capt. Tom said. Not a lot of anglers connected with the fish that day, but certain ones did, and catches like his seemed about as good as it got. The fish on the trip were taken in 18 feet toward the shipping channel on clams while the boat was anchored. The water was 54 to 56 degrees, and no drumfish were landed, and Tom heard about one 20-pound drum that somebody hauled in. Five striper trips are on the books this coming week, but Saturday morning is available for a charter, and spots are also open during the weekdays this week. Get the dates while you can. The schedule only becomes fuller.

The boat was splashed Saturday, said Capt. Dave from <b>Fine Line Fishing Charters</b>, and he took a brief shakedown trip on the bay afterward, but striped bass fishing seemed slow for everyone. He first stopped at the Cock and Balls, and a bunch of dog sharks hit. Then he moved to 20-Foot Slough, found a pack of boaters fishing, but none was catching anything. One angler said he boated a drum at the Horseshoe. But Fine Line is in the water and ready to start concentrating on striped bass and drum, and the fishing should only pick up. The first charter is slated for the weekend.

Capt. Mike from <b>Copacetic Sportfishing</b> said the boat is in water, and everything’s running well, and a charter was supposed to striper fish Sunday on the bay but was weathered out. The bite sounded slow over the weekend anyway, maybe because of the full moon. But he expects the fishing to hit full stride soon, and water temps are right or in the low 50s. Drum fishing should pick up anytime.

Striper fishing sounded productive on the bay toward mid week but slow by the weekend, and it’s been up and down, said Capt. Eric from <b>O-Beth Sportfishing Charters</b>. But the boat gets launched Wednesday, and he expects to begin hearing about better catches around then. Striper and drumfish trips are on tap starting this week.

Back to Top