Nick Henry of Millville set a state and Press Fishing Contest record with his 109-pound drum to win the Inshore Division prize. Steven Carmen of Egg Harbor Township caught a 13.1-pound American eel that bests the listed International Game Fish Association's mark of 9 pounds, 4 ounces. Carmen won the Most Unusual Catch award.
There were other interesting records and catches among the contest entries.
Sue Burns of Somers Point won the Women's Division this season and broke her own contest record with a 158.5 catch. Her old record was 125.5 from 2004.
Anna Welsh of Lansdale, Pa., caught a 27-pound cobia on June 21 in the ocean off Cape May for another Women's Division mark. It topped the 21.54 cobia taken by Amanda Zipf of Egg Harbor Township in 2002. Jim's Bait and Tackle in Cape May was the weighstation for Welsh.
Nuncie Sacco of Linwood won the Senior Division with a record 101-pound bluefin tuna he caught July 17 at 19-Fathom Lump. Dolfin Dock in Somers Point certified the catch for the contest. There was no previous bluefin listing in the senior division.
Raymond Buck of Millville also established a Senior Division standard with the 4-pound, 8-ounce rainbow trout he caught April 10 in Mary Elmer Lake. It was weighed at Huck's Place in Millville. That catch took a prize as the top freshwater catch in the spring segment of The Press Fishing Contest. It beat the old contest senior record of 4-6 held by Mike Wydra of Millville since 1997.
Jack Collins of Cape May Court House set a fly rod record and tied the overall contest record with an 8.7-pound speckled trout caught Nov. 12 in Hereford Inlet. Jim Leonard of West Chester, Pa., caught an 8.7-pound speckled trout in 1994. There was no previous fly rod speckled trout listing. Moran's Dockside in Avalon was the weighstation for Collins' fish.
Chris Goldmark of Cape May hooked an 8-pound, 2.8-ounce flounder on Aug. 5 at Cape May for a fly rod record. The old record was 6-10 by Paul Ripperger of Atlantic City in 1998. Goldmark weighed his fish at Jim's Bait and Tackle in Cape May.
There were two new listings in the Youth Division. John Puskas of Barnegat Light caught a 2-pound, 3-ounce bergall on Sept. 1 at an ocean wreck. Barnegat Light Bait and Tackle weighed it for the contest. Joshua Anzalone of EHT had a 2.96 redfin pickerel caught Oct. 18 in Birch Grove Park. Dolfin Dock in Somers Point handled the weigh-in.
Michael Lentz Sr. of Egg Harbor City added to the overall records list with a 7.43 Rettberg stargazer. He caught it on July 19 in Absecon Inlet and weighed it at Chestnut Neck Boat Yard in Port Republic.
Fishing report?
You might think there is nothing happening with this lovely fall weather. A few boats were out Thursday, and there actually is a report from Fin-Atics in Ocean City. Ed Bronstein said one boat captain trolled up six striped bass just about where they've been for some weeks off O.C. down to Sea Isle City. Bronstein said all of the fish were caught by trolling. The popular trolling rigs now are Stretch 25s, umbrella rigs and large diving lures such as Rapala.
Mike Shepherd is the retired sports editor of The Press. His Shep on Fishing column appears Saturday in the sports section. For questions, comments or suggestions about The Press Fishing Contest, call 609-350-0388 or e-mail: sheponfishing@yahoo.com.
Nick Henry of Millville caught a 109-pound drum in Delaware Bay back on May 28 while fishing on the Bodacious partyboat. The New Jersey Fish and Wildlife records already list Henry with the state record. Henry's fish beats the old Press Fishing Contest record of 105 pounds held by George Newett of Villas since 1995.
The state record is a fitting and accurate indication of the excellent drum season enjoyed by anglers in Delaware Bay this year. The world record listed by the International Game Fish Association is 113 pounds, 1 ounce set in 1975 by Gerald Townsend while fishing off Lewes, Del.
Henry's fish was certified at Capt. Tate's Tackle Box in Dennisville. It was the Inshore (inside three miles, bay, inlet) winner.
Henry is one of 14 category winners for this season in The Press Fishing Contest. Each receives $200. The complete list appears above.
Two heavyweight striped bass took prizes.
Walter Johnson III of Medford hauled in a 59-pound, 4-ounce striper while fishing in Beach Haven Inlet on June 6. Jingle's Bait and Tackle in North Beach Haven weighed it for the contest. It was the Striped Bass division champ.
Anthony D'Aversa of Conshohocken, Pa., caught a 48-pound striper in the Brigantine surf to take the Other Than Boat (surf, jetty pier) title. D'Aversa was fishing the north end of Brigantine on May 17 when he caught a 35-pound bass. After taking it to Riptide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine to be weighed, he went back to the north beach and hooked up with the 48-pounder, according to Andy Grossman at Riptide.
That's a pretty good day of fishing. D'Aversa said it was the third 40-pound plus bass he's gotten in the last four years at Brigantine.
Three prizes go to youth.
Tyler Demski of Fortescue took the Kingfish division with a 1-pound, 11-ounce catch. His age was listed as 13 when he caught the fish on Sept. 1 in Delaware Bay. Higbee's Marina in Fortescue was the weigh station.
John McVey of Dividing Creek won Youth Freshwater with a 9-pound, 8-ounce channel catfish taken in Cedarville Lake and certified at Huck's Place in Millville.
John Brittin Jr. of Marmora won Youth Saltwater with a 69-pound, 8-ounce black drum registered at Jim's Bait and Tackle in Cape May. Brittin is a 10-year-old who is in fifth grade at Upper Township Elementary School.
Sue Burns of Somers Point won the Women's Division with a 158.5-pound bluefin tuna caught Aug. 9 at the Lobster Claw. That broke her own Press Fishing Contest record of 125.5 pounds set in 2004.
Steven Carmen of Egg Harbor Township caught a 13.1-pound American eel on Oct. 24 at Longport that tops the listed International Game Fish Association world record of 9.4 set in 1995 by Jeff Pennick while fishing at Cape May. Carmen takes this year's Most Unusual Catch award with his eel, which was certified at Absecon Bay Sportsman Center.
Winners should contact Jamie Hoagland, Press promotions and community relations specialist, at 609-272-7324 to collect their prizes.
Next Saturday: Contest records and other significant catches.
(Mike Shepherd is the Press fishing columnist and a retired sports editor. His Shep on Fishing column appears Saturday in the sports section. Call 609-350-0388 or e-mail:
sheponfishing@yahoo.com)
There are several reasons: Cold water and air temperatures mean fewer boats out on the water and fewer surfcasters braving the chill, plus some of the bait and tackle shops are closing up. The opening of deer-hunting season is a big factor, too.
Matt Slobodjian at Jim's Bait and Tackle in Cape May reported that there is still good fishing in The Rips off Cape May. They are mostly schoolies with a keeper ratio of one in five. The smaller fish are more aggressive and chasing bucktails, plus captains are trolling, according to Slobodjian.
John Renson of Cape May Court House and Harry Olczuk racked up 32 bass Saturday with seven keeper-size, and all released, Slobodjian reported. Frank Kohler of Cape May had 18 fish with seven keeper-size at The Rips. He caught four on the troll with Stretch 25s, one on an eel and the others on spot.
Mike O'Neill, captain of the charter/open boat Stray Cat out of Seaview Harbor Marina in Great Egg Inlet, said the striper fishing has been great - at least up until Saturday, when he last sailed. O'Neill said the last five or six weeks have been a "killer" inshore with striper all over from Margate to Sea Isle City.
He has been taking his customers to the Ocean City and Great Egg reefs and catching limits of tautog and fishing inshore for striper off Corson's Inlet and other lumps just off the beaches. O'Neill will run the Stray Cat as an open boat starting today. He sails at 8 a.m. from Seaview Harbor.
Bill Wiggins at Fin-Atics in Ocean City verified the presence of striper off Ocean City and on up to Brigantine. Andy Grossman at Riptide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine said the boaters are trolling Stretch 25 and umbrella rigs, and fishing the bottom with Ava jigs. Try Diamond jigs and white bucktails with paddletails, too.
Surf fishing for striped bass has slowed. Slobodjian said ling and short striper were in the surf. One sizeable keeper reported Saturday at Poverty Beach at Cape May was caught on a ling head. Grossman said a couple of short bass were caught at Brigantine.
Tog have been at the Cape May and Wildwood reefs. Jim's weighed a 16.22 tog caught by Martin Daly of Havertown at the Onandaga wreck.
The Press Bent Rods Fishing Contest announces the 2008 winners on Saturday. The contest offers $200 prizes in 14 categories.
Mike Shepherd is the retired sports editor of The Press. His Shep on Fishing column appears on Tuesday and Saturday in the sports section. Call 609-350-0388 or e-mail:
sheponfishing@yahoo.com.
Matt Slobodjian at Jim's Bait and Tackle in Cape Mayreportsthe action is verygood in The Rips. There are plenty of schoolies with a keeper ratio of one in three at the well-known stretch of water off Cape May, according to Slobodjian.The bass are biting on eels, spot, bucktails and plastic shad lures.
Trolling is a popular way to fish for bass in theinshore waters out front. One of the top spots is the lumps off Wildwood, according to Slobodjian.
Zachary Robbins, 8, and Jimmy Hecton, 9, both caught their first bass recently. Slobodjian reported Robbins, who lives in Cape May Court House,got a 7-pound bass Friday on the Sea Star partyboat. Hecton's bass weighed 9 pounds and was caught on his dad's boat, Lucky Lucy.
A report from Captain Andy's Marina in Margate described the fishing as hot last week in 25 feet of wateroff Absecon Island. Trolling with Stretch 25s and umbrella rigs has become a standard practice. Also fishthe bottom with bucktails, Diamond jigs and Crippled Herring.
Absecon and Great Egg inlets have bass. Spot, eels and chunks of bunker are popular as bait.
Dave Showell at Absecon Bay Sportsman Center in Absecon continued to do his thing, and that is catching bass in, inside and around Absecon Inlet. He had a charter out Monday morning and came to the dock with two keepers out of seven hooked up inside the inlet. Showell puts out live spot to entice bass.
Trolling is working off Townsend Inlet. Avalon Hodge-Podge weighed a 21.36-pound bass caught by Doug Newbold with a white Sassy Shad. Hodge-Podge also weighed an 18.78 bass caught by a captain trolling a Stretch 25.
There are a few fish in the surf at Ocean City, but generally it's the same 1-2 miles out for bass, reports Bill Wiggins at Fin-Atics in O.C. The program is the same there as elsewhere: troll until the fish are located and then fish the bottom.
Jigging and trolling for bass is also working off Long Beach Island. Basil Sheady at Barnegat Light Bait and Tackle said some of the captains there are going back to the old tube lures, plus paddletails. He said the Stretch 25 with the "broken back" that adds movementis popular. The bass there are often in 33 feet of water 1-2 miles off Long Beach Island.
Fishing sounds pretty much the same well to the north.
A report from Brielle Bait and Tackle describedsimilar fishing off central and northern New Jersey from Manasquan Inlet to Sandy Hook that we have here. They have a lot of "short, fat" bass in the 27-to-30 inch class feeding on sand eels, according to John Bogan.
One difference up north is that the bass still hit the beaches once in awhile. Here, the action is mostly in the ocean just off the beaches.
The next best thing is fishing for tautog. The consensus is that tog are starting to move more out to the inshore wrecks and reefs. There are reports of tog around the rocks and bridges, too. Captain Andy's reported Great Egg Reef and some of the other inshore reefs have tog and sea bass.
The Press Bent Rods Fishing Contest ended its 2008 season Sunday. The winners will be announced on Dec. 13.
Mike Shepherd is the retired sports editor of The Press. His Shep on Fishing column and Shep's Hot Spot appear Tuesdays and Saturdays in the sports section. Call 609-350-0388 or e-mail: sheponfishing@yahoo.com
Striped bass are hugging the inshore lumps. The Rips off Cape May has them. Bass are in the inlets, too.
A fishing pattern is developing inshore, according to several reports.The captains are trolling until they get some hits and then stopping to jig the bottom. Try trolling Stretch 25s or shad pattern umbrella rigs at 2-3 knots. When striped bass are located, fish the bottom with Ava, Fin-S, StormShad and metals.
Wesley Bandy at Gibson's Bait and Tackle in Sea Isle City said that'sworking at the lumps off Corson Inlet and Peacock Shoals off Wildwood, and inshore of the red (out of bounds) buoy at Sea Isle Lump.
Margaret O'Brien at Jingle's Bait and Tackle in North Beach Haven said the boats are doing well off Long Beach Island. The occasional 40-pound fish is mixed in with 20- to 25-pound bass, she said.
Atomic Lump located about two miles off Beach Haven, inside the Beach Haven Inlet bell and off Spray Beach are top spots for bass in the LBI area, according to O'Brien.
There are a lot of fish feeding on bunker off Ocean City, says Dan Sheeler at Fin-Atics in Ocean City. Sheeler reported Mike Magucken caught two keepers Friday fishing with Randy Young at Sea Isle Lump.
Sometimes birds are working over the schools of bait, sometimes not. And fewer blues are in the mix as the water tempssink into the 40s.
Dave Showell of Absecon Bay Sportsman Center had Joe LaTorre Sr. and Jr. out on a trip Friday morning in Absecon Inlet. They came back with two keeper bass, and they released five short bass. Ray Slemmer said spot are the ticket with a few bass taking clam.
Sean Fox and Bobby Scull had four keepers and seven others Wednesday off Atlantic City and went back Friday to catch three short bass. They were using live mullet, Slemmer said.
Slemmer reported the Dave Morris group from Philadelphia had six keeper bass among 25 fish hooked while fishing with Showell on Wednesday.
Wayne Momyer caught a 17.8-pound bass Friday with spot in Great Egg Inlet, according to Sheeler. He also reported that James Bigelow Jr., a 6-year-old from Mays Landing, caught his first striper on Thursday off Barnegat Inlet.
The Rips off Cape May has bass in the 17- to18-pound range and5- to 7-pound blues, according to a report from Utsch's Marinain Cape May. The captains are drifting with eels and clam.
The Press Fishing Contest wraps up Sunday. The 13 winners of $200 prizes will be announced Dec. 13.
Mike Shepherd is the retired sports editor of The Press. His Shep on Fishing and Shep's Hot Spot appear Tuesday and Saturday in the sports section. Call 609-350-0388 or e-mail: sheponfishing@yahoo.com
Hot spot
Striped bass are at the inshore lumps off Ocean City and Sea Isle City. Slow-troll with Stretch 25s or umbrella rigs. Some anglers are fishing the bottom with lures when bass are located.
Captains caught them 1-1 miles off Brigantine over the weekend, according to Andy Grossman at Riptide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine. He saidsurfcasters did not have them.
Mike and Kathy Horak had a 26-pound bassplus two others, Grossman reported. He said another boat had five fish to 18 pounds. The fish off Brigantine were caught mainly by trolling.
Going against the trend, Josh Powell of Brigantine caught a 20-pound bass Monday on the north end of Brigantine. Grossman said he was using clam as bait.
Ed Bronstein at Fin-Atics in Ocean City reported a few bass off the beachesoffOcean City, Strathmere and Sea Isle City.
He said captains are finding bass under birds or locating them by trolling.
The Miss Beach Haven and Capt. Frank Camarda took a group of Cinnaminson High School students to 50 feet of water and caught tautog on Thursday. The pool winner was 5 pounds.
On Saturday, Miss Beach Haven had limits of bass and blues while chasing birds. The heaviest bass went 22 pounds.
Matt Slobodjian at Jim's Bait and Tackle in Cape May reported the fish are out front on the lumps and inlets.
He reported bucktails, shad baits, Storm, Hopkins, Diamond Jigs and Crippled Herringare the lures favored by the captains, plus clam and strips of bunker as bait.
When the Rips off Cape May are fishable, schoolie bass with some to 40 pounds are being taken.
Bass on the Rips are biting on eels, spot, clamand bucktails.
The cove from Second Street to the gunmount in Cape May has had the occasional blitz in the surf, while Poverty Beach has had some bass. Jimmy Kershaw caught a 22-pound bass at Poverty and Bill Berry got a 31-pounder at the Cove with a Storm Shad.
Fishing for tautog is strong.
Green crab and clam are taking them from the Atlantic City jetties in Absecon Inlet, according to Noel Feliciano at One-Stop Bait and Tackle in A.C.
Bronstein said tog fishing is getting better on the inshore wrecks and reefs.
Tog are on the inshorewrecks and the inlet rocks at Cape May. Slobodjian weighed a 13.25-pound tog among a limit taken Friday morning on south jetty by Joe Stabone.
The 54th Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic ended Sunday, and the grand prize winners of $1,000 each went to David Smith, an 18-year-old from Beach Haven Park, with a 47-7 striped bass and to Nick Sabatino of Little Egg Harbor Township with a 16-3 bluefish.
Darcy Kolodzej of Ship Bottom and Jennifer Awad of Bernardsville won $150 each in theladies division. Kolodzej caught a 22-12 bass and Awad a 14-pound blue.
Peter Bartolomeo of North Beach Haven with a 37-4 bass and Jack Sachleben of Laurel Springswith a 13-0 blue won $150 senior division prizes.
Two-week segment $400 winners: first segment Gregory O'Connell, Mays Landing (47-2 striper), Tom White, Ship Bottom (16-3 blue); second segment John Mark Jordan, Beach Haven (37-12 striper), John Parzych, Trumbauersville, Pa. (13-10 blue); third segment Brian Andersen, Spray Beach (33-6 striper), Joe Carmelengo, Long Beach Township (15-3 blue).
Windy, chilly, off-and-on overcast, a few snow flurries. For some anglers, that's striper weather.
Andy Grossman at Riptide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine saidfishing is steady in the Brigantine surf. The lastest run of striped bass and bluefish there moved in Tuesday and continued Wednesday into Thursday, according to Grossman.Paul Lavigna of Brigantine topped the list of recent weigh-ins at RipTide with a 20-pound bass. Gail Snyder got her first striper, a 16-pounder. Grossman said the striper and blues favored bunker over clam in the surf.
Striper are moving through Absecon Inlet, too. Grossman reported that Chris Ciullo boated a 29-pound bass while drifting eels Thursday in Absecon Inlet. Grossman said there are a lot of short bass with the keepers in the inlet.
Striper fishing off Cape May County is also steady, says Matt Slobodjian at Jim's Bait and Tackle in Cape May. Slobodjian reported that Bob Cope on the charterboat Full Ahead was among the captains fishing Friday inshore off Wildwood, Stone Harbor, Avalon and on up to Sea Isle City. Cope called back to Slobodjian to report he had boated three bass out of 30 hooked up by midday.
Slobodjian said the skippers are jigging and trolling, and fishing the bottom with clam and spot.
Ross Hartley got out of the wind asmuch as possibleThursday by fishing inside Prissywicks Shoal off Cape May. He paid for it, Slobodjian said, but came back to the dock with two keepers among seven caught.
Slobodjian expects good striper fishing through the end of December off Cape May. That's what happened last year, he said.
Some distance to the north, Barnegat Light Bait and Tackle was weighing in a lot of striped bass and bluefish Friday, according to Nick Sabatino. Blues between 10 and 12 pounds and striper to 22 pounds were taken in the surf at Loveladies and Barnegat Light. Sabatino saidsurfcasters were having success with spot, bucktails and plugs.
Boat captains were takingbass 1-1 miles off LBI with bunker, sand eels and anchovies for bait, plus trolling. Sabatino said there was a good striper bite with clam inside Barnegat Inlet at the sedges and the dike.
The entries for The Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classicwere off recently. No striper were entered Wednesday or Thursday. Ron Solewski of Bernardsville caught one that weighed 24 pounds, 4 ounces, and Patrick Ciervo of Gibbstown got a 21-7 to topTuesday's striper catches. Jonathon Law of Manahawkin caught a 14-1 blue that day. Two blues topped by a 10-12 caught by Lester Smith Jr. of West Creek were entered Wednesday. Gus Acosta of South Amboy had a 13-8 blue Thursday.Matt Onofrio of Westhampton caught two of the other five blues registered Thursday. They weighed 10-10 and 10 pounds.
There are two days left before the LBI Classic wraps its 54th contest. The grand-prize leaders are David Smith of Beach Haven with a 47-7 bass caught Monday and a 16-3 blue by Tom White of Ship Bottom.
Monday was agood day for bass and blues in Corson's Inlet. Paul Ribble, the head of the Ocean City Beach Buggies Association, caught a 37.8-pound bass with a Gator spoon at the point in Corson's. Ribblereported bassblitzed bunker for hours and there were lots of limits by surfcasters with the good timing to be on the scene. A couple of days before that, Ribble got a 25-pound bass, according to Al Windish at Pappy's Fish N Stuff in Ocean City.
Tautog fishing is great from the Barnegat Inlet rocks. Sabatino said anglers areworking the rocks from the lighthouse out.
Bob McDonald won the Local Boy's Big Bass Tournament on Nov. 9 with a 15-9 striper. Fred Howard was second at 14-9 and Roy Parker was third at 10-6. The contest was held in the Margate area.
Mike Shepherd is the retired sports editor of The Press. His Shep on Fishing column and Shep's Hot Spot appear Tuesday and Saturday in the sports section. Call 609-350-0388 or e-mail: sheponfishing@yahoo.com.
A47-pound, 7-ounce striped bass caught Monday by 18-year-old David Smith of Beach Haven Park added drama. It wasbeached at 10:30 a.m. at Holgate and was 50 inches in length when certified for the contest by Margaret O'Brien at Jingle's Bait and Tackle in North Beach Haven. Smithused a small chunk of bunker for bait.
O'Brien saidSmith bumped previous striped bass division leader Gregory O'Connell of Mays Landing, who caught one that weighed 47-2 back on Oct. 25.
Some of the surfcasters who regularly fish on the south end of Long Beach Island reported back to Jingle's that Monday was theirbest day so far, according to O'Brien.Fifteen-pound blues joined the striper in the Holgate surf.
She said it was a good weekend of fishing on the south end of LBI despite sometimes windy and rainy conditions. Courtland Foos of Wilmington, Del., caught a 24-15 bass Sunday and Brian Andersen of Beach Haven got a 33-6 bass Saturday. Jingle'sregistered both.
The six-week LBI contestcontinues to Sunday.
Several other 40-pound class bass have been reported from around the area. Three came out of Delaware Bay.
Joe Napolean won the two-week Captain Tate's Tackle Box Striped Bass Tournament that ended Sunday with a 44-pounder.
George Duffield finished second at 39 pounds and Ed Dempsey third at 36 pounds. Tim Hand at Captain Tate'sweighed another 44-pound bass,caught by Walt Sutton that was not in the contest.
Jack Hughes of Churchville, Pa., hooked up a 46-pound striper in Delaware Bay aboard the Laura Marie II charterboat.
Matt Slobodjian at Jim's Bait and Tackle in Cape May had a neat report about 5-year-old Grace Moore catching two striper - one weighing 28 pounds and the other 20. The Cape May native caught a drumfish in the spring, according to Slobodjian.
The 24-hour Absecon Bay Sportsman Center Striped Bass Tournament held Friday and Saturday was won by Pete Mazor on the Foxy Skiff skippered by Sean Fox with 24.7 - the heaviest of the contest - and 12.75 fish. They were caught Friday night when the fog was really bad, according to Ray Slemmer at Absecon Bay S.C. Slemmer said 120 anglers competed. Ethan Neal, a 5-year-old fishing with dad Eric, caught a 7.85-pound bass.
John Elwood of Northfield won the Joseph "Bear" Curran Memorial Striped Bass Tournament headquartered at Kelly's Corner Pub in Atlantic City over the weekend. He had a 23-11 bass. Tom "Buzz" Smith of Atlantic City was second at 17-10 and Shawn McGinley of Galloway Township third at 12-5.
Slobodjian reported eels and spot are taking keeper and short bass in The Rips off Cape May. He also said bass and big blues hit the beach a couple of times near the gunmount at Cape May.
Trolling the sand bars just off the beaches has also been producing bass. Doug and Noah Gomersal trolled them up with Stretch 25s at the Wildwood lumps, according to Hand.
Tautog catches are also going strong from the rocks, bridges and sod banks throughout the area. Ryan Morse of Fishing Creek in Lower Township has been getting them to 5 pounds at the rocks in North Wildwood. Noel Felicano at One-Stop Bait and Tackle in Atlantic City said the A.C. jetties have them, too.
Mike Shepherd is the retired sports editor of The Press. His Shep on Fishing column and Shep's Hot Spot appear Tuesday and Saturday in the sports section. Call 609-350-0388 or e-mail: sheponfishing@yahoo.com
Hot spot
Striped bass along with big blues hit the Holgate surf on the south end of Long Beach Island. Chunks of bunker is the best bait.
Pat Harris at Longreach Marina in Bivalve on theMaurice Riverhas reports of recent catches that back up her statement that the fall bass run there is better now than it was during the spring and last year.
One trip by Chuck Umba, Gerry Johnson, Brian Weber and Sean Kempmerer, all from the Woodbury area, racked up keeper bass that measured 401/2, 381/2, 371/2, 371/2 and 321/2 inches. Another trip by Jason Bates of Magnolia and Luke Mangaro of Pine Hill resulted in bass that went 33, 33, 32, 30 and 28 inches.
Tyler Smith, an 8-year-old from Millville, pulled in a 311/4 inch bass on one outing and went back out again with Rob, Angel and Zach Smith and Brandon Green for bass that were 39, 36, 32 and 28 inches.
Still more: John Laurella and Jim Mortarana, both from Rosenhayn,caught bass of 39, 38, 37 and 34 inches. Chuck Smith and Les Ebner, both of Woodstown, caught four bass between 30 and 34 inches.
Plus, Craig Smith of Cedarville and Chuck Marriner of Cape May Court House got into bluefish that weighed between 8 and 12 pounds, and they had a 36-inch bass.
Seems like it's good time to be an angler named Smith or to go fishing with somebody named Smith in Delaware Bay.
The improved bass fishing has been goingonfor three weeks, according to Harris. She said the bass are to the south of the Maurice River, not to the north. Fish are biting from the No. 2 and 3 buoys at the entrance to the Maurice River down to 60-Foot Slough, including off Thompson's Beach and at Bug Light, and the tide doesn't seem to make any difference.
The locals prefer bunker head, but chunks of bunker work, too. They anchor up.Harris said they hook the bunker head under the bone with the hook point sticking out.
A report from Utsch's Marina in Cape May supported Harris. Pete Poillon said Steve Bent on the Free Spirit had a 42-pounder in Delaware Bay.
Poillon said striper in the 28- to 35-pound range are in the Rips off Cape May with11- to 15-pound bluefish. Take some wire leader, Poillon said. One angler caught a 30-pound bass on a Cape May jetty with clam on Friday morning, according to Poillon.
Bass are solid on the northern range of the coverage area. Basil Shehady at Barnegat Light Bait and Tackle said spot and eel are taking bass in Barnegat Inlet and inside at the Sedgesand Oyster Creek.
Shehady said trolling Harvey Cedars Lump can result in bass. He said to work East to West over the top of the lump, not North to South. Skim the top of the shoal with an umbrella rig or bunker spoon. Troll as slow as you can go and drop the lure over the edge of the lump, hesaid.
Veteran's Day was also bluefish day on Long Beach Island. The Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic, which is in the fifth of its six weeks of competition, had another outstanding blitz of blues Tuesday. Surfcasters caught 44 bluefish along with five striper. The heaviest blue weighed 13 pounds, 8 ounces and was caught by Randy Swartley of Manahawkin. He was fishing at Holgate with bunker.
The secret's out. Speckled trout are biting in Hereford Inlet. Jack Collins of Cape May Court House caught one that weighed 8 pounds, 7 ounces at Moran's Dockside in Avalon. Ken McDermott, also of CMCH, got a 5-4 speckled trout among four he caught Nov. 3 at Stone Harbor.
Tautog fishing remains good throughout the area. The daily possession limit on tog increases to six fish beginning Sunday.
The Fight Leukemia Fishing Tournament is Nov. 22 in the Cape May area. Proceeds benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
The entry fee is $50. Call 609-602-8957.
Mike Shepherd is the retired sports editor of The Press. His Shep on Fishing column and Shep's Hot Spot appear Tuesday and Saturday in the sports section. Call 609-350-0388 or e-mail: sheponfishing@yahoo.com
Hot Spot
Striped bass take bunker heads and chunks at No. 2 and 3 buoys in Delaware Bay at the entrance of the Maurice River.
Boat captains had blues to 13 pounds off Long Beach Island and surfcasters got them in Townsend Inlet.
Cassie and Bill Taylor of Woodbine caught blues with clam and bunker at Townsend Inlet, according to Wesley Bandy at Gibson's Bait and Tackle in Sea Isle City. It was a short 20-minute blitz, Bandy said.
Margaret O'Brien at Jingle's Bait and Tackle in North Beach Haven said big blues and small stripers were off Brant Beach on LBI. Andy Grossmanat Riptide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine said some big blues were around the Brigantine area, too. Matt Slobodjian at Jim's Bait and Tackle in Cape May reported blues were stacked up at Five-Fathom Bank off Cape May.
The presence of these blues are not likely to overshadow striped bass fishing, however. Many local anglers have striper fever and are looking for little else. And there a lot of striped bass around,says Ray Slemmer from Absecon Bay Sportsman Center in Absecon.
Dave Showell hadseveral stripers in the boat for a charter by mid-day Monday, according to Slemmer. Showell had his customers using spot for bait while he was casting Gulp. He radioed back to Absecon S.C. so Slemmer could tell anglers looking for information that bass were in Absecon Inlet, and to send them out.
The Absecon Bay Sportsman Center's 24-hour striped bass tournament goes from noon Friday to noon Saturday. Contestants can sign up at Absecon Bay S.C. for $20, plus a $5 captain's fee for boat crews. Anglers can fish from boat or land. Weigh-ins are to midnight Friday and to noon Saturday. Call 609-484-0409 for information.
Ken Parnell and 8-year-old son Tyler, with Jeff Korsak, caught seven bass to 24 pounds off Brigantine on Monday. They were trolling Stretch 25 and 30 lures, Grossman reported. Grossman said striped bass catches were steady Sunday. Surfcasters were getting them on the north end of Brigantine beach.One weighed 29 pounds.
O'Brien said a 31-12 bass came from Beach Haven Inlet. She said one boat crew racked up seven bass with clam at Mordecai Island in the back bays of LBI. O'Brien reported that some of the skippers are trolling with Gulp eels on light bucktails in the LBI area, and having success with bass.
She reported a 35-inch bass caught by a surfcaster using bunker as bait at Holgate on Monday. James Braack of Wilmington, Del., picked off a 37-2-pound striper with bunker at Barnegat Light.
Slobodjian reported two women hooked up big stripers on Sunday while fishing on the Miss Edna Jane in 60-Foot Slough in Delaware Bay. Taylor Remster got a 41-pound bass and Ruth Foley got a 38 pounder. Al Fennimore had five bass, two more than 30 pounds; and Paul Catanose got a 42-pound bass, both in 20-Foot Slough in Delaware Bay.
Pat Daugherty beached a 36-pound bass at Baltimore Avenue in Cape May.
Irene Budd of Budd's Bait and Tackle in Villas reported a 45-pound bass caught by Joe Randazzo at the first dropoff of Bayshore Channel in Delaware Bay. Budd's weighed several bass between 22 and 35 pounds recently.
Mike Shepherd is the retired sports editor of The Press. His Shep on Fishing column and Shep's Hot Spot appears Tuesday and Saturday in the sports section. Call 609-350-0388 or email: sheponfishing@yahoo.com.
Two striped bass caught in the last week of the Atlantic County/Atlantic City Striped Bass Derby wrapped up overall tournament grand prizes. That's when Tom Leehan of Brigantine beached the heaviest bass of the six-week contest. It weighed 30.19 pounds. Linda Davoli of Brigantine caught the second- and third-heaviest bass of the final week, which ended Sunday. A 30-pound bass gave her the Mable "Doc" Johnston Award for heaviest fish caught by a woman in the contest. The other bass she caught last week weighed 21.38 pounds.
Pat Cooke of Brigantine was the overall bluefish winner with a 13.5-pounder. Mike Behrle of Egg Harbor Township won weakfish at 5.78 pounds. Roberto Acromonte of Pleasantville won tautog at 13.5 pounds, and Gary Born of Brigantine was the kingfish winner with a 2-pounder. Other sixth-week winners were Born with a 12.88-pound bluefish and Joe Tarsitano of Galloway Township with a 5.5 tog.
The latest report from the Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic indicate striped bass and bluefish are around into this week. Two striped bass and two bluefish were registered Thursday. One of the bass topped 30 pounds. It was 31-3 and caught by Frederick Imof Jr. of Philadelphia with bunker at Barnegat Light.
A 37-12 striper was taken Wednesday by John Mark Jordan of Beach Haven with bunker at Brant Beach. Nick Sabatino of Little Egg Harbor Township got a 13-3 blue Wednesday at Barnegat Light. Fourteen bass and 13 blues were entered Wednesday, seven bass and and eight blues on Tuesday, and 12 bass and seven blues on Monday. A total of 291 blues and 141 striper have been caught by 874 registered anglers in the LBI contest, which continues to Nov. 23.
Nuncie Sacco of Linwood and Richard Coe of Somers Point made a trip to Delaware Bay pay off with striped bass that weighed 34 and 32 pounds, according to Joan Barrett at Dolfin Dock in Somers Point.
Barrett also reported "local" fish, meaning in the Great Egg Inlet area. Jimmy Lane and Don Slota got 31 and 17 bass fishing the south bar in GE Inlet. Rob Barrett got a 21-pound bass and Bobby Attack three 10-pound blues, also in GE Inlet. Gene Doebley had three bass at the Ocean City toll bridge.
On Friday morning, 14-year-old Frank Pino and 11-year-old brother Mark of Linwood caught five-pound tog in Longport.
Moran's Dockside 21st Surf Fishing Tournament continues to Nov. 15 in the Avalon area. Pete Fricano is the striped bass leader with a 24-12 bass, and Ed Rutecki is second with a 24-8 catch. Kevin Coyle leads bluefish with a 10.65 fish. Al Gonbar caught a 6.36-pound speckled trout to lead the weakfish category. Jim Moran said all of these fish were taken in the past week or so.
Moran said striper are chasing Sluggos on heavy lead heads at the seawall in Townsend Inlet.
The Kelly's Corner Pub Striped Bass Tournament is Nov. 15-16 in the Atlantic City area. The entry fee is $15, and registrations can be made at Kelly's, 2721 Arctic Ave. in A.C.; Ship Shop in Ventnor; One-Stop Bait and Tackle in A.C. and Captain Andy's Marina in Margate. Fishing can take place from boats, beach and docks. It's a two-heaviest-fish contest, and fish can be weighed at Kelly's between 2-4 p.m. each day of the contest. Call 609-348-4925 or 609-441-1323.
Mike Shepherd is the retired sports editor of The Press. His Shep on Fishing column appears Tuesday and Saturday in the sports section. Call 609-350-0388 or e-mail: sheponfishing@yahoo.com.
The striper are certainly here. Good reports are coming in from everywhere.
Don Brown answered the phone Monday morning with, "Captain Andy's, striped bass headquarters."
He earned that right Saturday by winning the Captain Andy's Marina and Maynard's Cafe Striper Tournament with a 34.3-pound bass he caught on the Sea Fox with captain Joe Touhy and crew Jamie Farrell and Kevin McDonald.
Dan Speciale ran the tournament, which had 162 contestants. It was the best tournament in the nine years it's been run, according to Brown. The tournament raised more than $1,600 to be split among charities, including the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation.
Mike Snyder was second with a 22-pound bass, the heaviest of 30 he hooked up that day in Great Egg Inlet, and Charley Elwell was third with a 20-6 pound bass.
Tony Eason weighedstriper recently at Captain Andy's that were caught in the surf at Longport. Mike Shipton of Absecon got a 24-pounder with a popper Friday, and Bob Mauriello picked a 23-13 with clam Sunday.
John Monzo caught a 36-inch bass Monday morning anchored up with bunker as bait in Great Egg Inlet.
Delaware Bay has them, so does Long Beach Island, and they are spread along the beaches and in the inshore waters in between. They often have bluefish mixed with them. Bunker is the main bait, but clam and lures also take them. Striper fishing in The Rips off Cape May is hampered by the presence of spiny dogfish.
Jim Wallace at Jim's Bait and Tackle in Cape May said Bob Cope on the Full Ahead had 42- and 39-pound bass among nine, and Tim Tanghare on the Clean Sweep boated a 55 pounder. Both captains were out Sunday in Delaware Bay.
George Duffield caught a 39-pounder in the lower end of Delaware Bay, according to Rusty Zeigler at Captain Tate's Tackle Box in Dennisville.
He said Ed Dempsey of Mullica Hill had a 36-pound bass among eight he caught at 20-Foot Slough. Both were taken Friday when Delaware Bay heated up.
Captain Tate's is running a striper tournament. It began Friday and goes to Nov. 16. The entry fee is $25. Call 609-861-4001.
The south end of Long Beach Island had blues in the surf all day Sunday beforebass to 30 pounds moved in around 2-3 p.m. Margaret O'Brien at Jingle's Bait and Tackle in North Beach Haven said they mostly took chunked or live bunker. Bunker drew the bass into the surf at Holgate again Monday morning, O'Brien reported.
Two 30-pound bass were entered in the third week of the Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic. Kevin Eichman of Tabernacle caughtone weighing 33-4with bunker at Brant Beach on Sunday and Tom White, from Ship Bottom, caughtonethat wenta 33-3 on Saturday at Holgate, also with bunker.
John Parzych of Trumbauersville, Pa., caught a 13-10 bluefish Sunday at Brant Beach and Joe Ryan of Beach Haven caught a 13-5 blue Friday at Holgatein the third week of the LBI Classic, which has three more weeks of competition.
A rare offshore report comes from Avalon Hodge-Podge in Avalon. Len Warren on the Enure Fin caught a 147-pound swordfish at the Baltimore Canyon with live squid.
Tammie Carbon at Avalon Hodge-Podge said striper arein the Townsend Inlet-area waters - surf, back bays and inshore.
Mike Shepherd is the retired sports editor of The Press. His Shep onFishing column and Shep's Hot Spot appear Tuesday and Saturday in thesports section.
Call 609-350-0388, or e-mail: sheponfishing@yahoo.com.
Hot Spot:
Striped bass are in Great Egg Inlet. Drift with eels or anchor up with clam or live spot.
It was Atlantic County's turn on Thursday.
Thewaters of Brigantine and Atlantic City had the same kind of invasion of striped bass and bluefish that occurred a couple of times recently on Long Beach Island.
RipTide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine weighed 50striper Thursday. Fred Hynes said he certified bass to 41 pounds with many more than 35 pounds. A 41-pounder caught by Ralph Gilesled the charge. Hynes reported that 30 anglers fishing off the Brigantine Hotel all came back with fish.
Blues in the 10- to 14-pound class mixed in. Hynes reported that surfcasters and boat captains were hooked up all day all along the Brigantine beach.
An example of Thursday's actionat Brigantine: Jack Dever had striper weighing 30 and 24 pounds and four of the big blues in the suds.
Pat Erdman, who runs the Atlantic County/Atlantic City Surf Fishing Derby, was awed by the action. The Ventnor resident has been fishing these waters forever, so he knows something about the subject.
It spreadthrough Absecon Inlet to the Atlantic City beachfront and inshore waters, according to Noel Feliciano at One-Stop Bait and Tackle in Atlantic City.
The heaviest bass he weighed Thursday went 25 pounds and the heaviest bluefish was 10 pounds.
Absecon Inlet was filled with boats drifting on the outgoing tide Friday.
Hynes and Feliciano said good fishing continued Friday morning, but it was not quite like Thursday.
Long Beach Island also had bass and blues Thursday. Margaret O'Brien at Jingle's Bait and Tackle in North Beach Haven said surfcasterswaded out to the sandbars exposed by an extreme low tide during the day to catch striper, mostly in the 18- to 20-pound range, and bluefish.
They were using bunker heads as bait. That's whatsurfcasters were doing in Atlantic County, too.
Erdman said anglers fishing thesurface with plugs and lures were taking blues and those fishing underneath with bunker were hooking up striper.
Fishing in boats off the beaches seemed to be just as exciting. O'Brien said one captain reported hooking 58 striper in Beach Haven Inlet. The biggest went 38 inches, and half of them were shorts.
Joan Barrett at Dolfin Dock in Somers Point said the south bar in Great Egg Inlet turned on. George Mack of Somers Point picked up a 36-inch striper drifting eels.
Ocean City had a touch of the same kind of action. Dan Sheeler at Fin-Atics in Ocean City said it was more striper in the morning and more bluefish in the afternoon. He said the north bar in GE Inlet had a lot of big spiny dogfish.
Wesley Bandy at Gibson's Bait and Tackle in Sea Isle City said striper in the 42- to 44-inch class were "out front". He said there was a lot of bunkerinshore until dolphins came through and chopped them up.
Feliciano said kingfish remained through it all. Gary Pettit had 16 Thursday in the Atlantic City surf. Sheeler reported a few weakfish at Great Egg Inlet bell buoy. Tautog action remains excellent around the rocks, bridges and piers.
The fifth week of the Atlantic County/Atlantic City Derby is history. There are just two more days in the final week before Sunday's wrap. Mike Edwards took the week's striped bass honors with a 20.13-pounder and Pat Cooke landed a 13.5 bluefish. Both folks are from Brigantine. Three other striper were caught last week. Ken Innella of Wayne, Pa., got a 17-pounder. Pat Lynn of Brigantine and Skip Trockenbrod of Brigantine each got a 16-pounder.
Mike Shepherd is the retired sports editor of The Press. His Shep on Fishing column and Shep's Hot Spot appear Tuesday and Saturday in the sports section. Call 609-350-0388 or e-mail: sheponfishing@yahoo.com
Hot spot:
Striped bass with bluefish have beenthick in the surf at Brigantine. Bunker, plugs and lures take them.