This is the final Delaware Bay Report of 2007!

The report kicks off again in April with striper and drum fishing.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Boaters at 60-Foot Slough seemed to score quite a few striped bass on Sunday, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. So the fish were still there, and big, 10-pound blues were scattered throughout the bay. Winds were horrendous the past couple of days and prevented boating, and days can especially be like that during this time of year. But anglers should keep an eye on factors like whether winds are blowing with the tides or against them. Obviously winds with the tides can cause a lot calmer seas than winds against them. The bay can also be protected from easterly winds that are blocked by land on the Jersey side, while strong westerly winds can whip across open water and kick up the bay near Jersey. That’s just the opposite of the ocean. The shop is carrying fresh bunker for striped bass bait when available. Some was still left from the weekend, and Sharon will do her best to carry a supply this coming weekend. Availability at this time of year depends on whether commercial netters decide the weather and demand are good enough to sail for the menhaden. 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>Fortescue</b>

On the <b>Buccaneer</b> a trip was good Sunday, and four big striped bass and two big blues were boated, Capt. Ralph said. Charters will fish through the weekend before he calls it a season.

Striped bass fishing was good during the weekend, and a bunch of nice stripers and several big, 30- or 32-inch blues were fought to the boat, said Capt. John from the <b>Karen Jean</b>. The blues reappeared, and anglers onboard fished the bay off Fortescue, dropping down bunker chunks for the bites. Most of the fleet got into striper catches in the past few days. The Karen Jean will fish through the weekend, and afterward Capt. John will wrap up the year.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Customers bagged striped bass off Thompson’s Beach, Bug Light, 60-Foot Slough, 14-Foot Slough and other places, and the fish seemed scattered throughout the bay, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. One of the notable catches included 7-year-old Sean Emigholz from Pittsgrove’s 25-, 24- and 18-pound stripers, and he’s quite a young fisherman, Pat said. Anglers also fought big blues, such as Jim Maturo from Paulsboro’s 8-1/2-pounder. Longreach was stocking fresh bunker for striper bait when available, but the supply was getting sketchy. Boats must be pulled from the slips by December 15, but the launch ramp will remain open during the mornings. Longreach is open full time but eventually will only be open Mondays through Fridays during winter. 

<b>Cape May</b>

On the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> the final charters of the year left the dock Friday through Sunday, and striped bass fishing was all right at the Cape May Rips on live eels, and the bite improved, Capt. George said. The crew on Friday’s charter bagged six keeper stripers to 34 inches, released three shorts and landed several bluefish. They started the day with clamming for stripers along the ocean beaches, because forecasts were calling for conditions that would create rough seas at the rips, but the weather turned out fine, so they moved to the rips. Saturday’s charter scored four keeper stripers in strong winds at the rips, and no blues were hooked. Sunday’s group put together a good catch of stripers to 31 or 32 inches at the rips, and one or two blues bit. The rips were 50 or 51 degrees, and lots of the stripers there were 25- to 27-inch shorts, and George wished the slot size limit of 24 inches to less than 28 inches was still in effect. He thanked everyone who fished on the boat and wished everybody Happy Holidays.

Two charters on the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> sailed for striped bass Saturday, and they hit the waters off the ocean beaches instead of the Cape May Rips, because of strong winds, Capt. Tom said. They chased working birds, and the morning trip nailed 15 stripers including two keepers and 15 big blues. The afternoon charter bailed 31 stripers including three keepers and 30 blues, and the fish on both trips preferred metal jigs. Another charter fished the rips Sunday morning and pinned down 25 stripers including two keepers between two anglers, and the fish preferred live spots but also bit live eels, bucktails, Storm shads and pretty much everything.  A good number of striped bass were around, and more were arriving from up north, and fishing was great, and the water was 50 degrees. The boat’s final charter of the season is slated for December 16.

Good catches of striped bass to 18 pounds were hauled aboard on a few trips with <b>Copacetic Sportfishing</b> through the past week at the Cape May Rips between days that were blowing, Capt. Mike said. The fish bit on both incoming and outgoing tides on eels and bucktails, and eels seemed to draw the bigger ones, and no bluefish were landed. Sometimes double and triple headers of stripers were scored, and the bite was hot. Lots of shorts were beginning to show up, and probably one in three was a keeper, but keepers were there. Copacetic will also chase the fish along the ocean beaches under working birds with jigged metal when that action is turning on, and tog and sea bass charters are also available. Friends bunker chunked good catches of stripers in Delaware Bay. Copacetic will keep fishing as long as possible until the weather closes in or the fish stop hitting.

Striped bass fishing was very good at the Cape May Rips, although stripers in Delaware Bay seemed a lot smaller than before at most areas, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Stripers also gathered at the lumps in the ocean off the Wildwood Ferris wheel. Surf fishing was pretty good, and stripers to 32 pounds were beached. Poverty Beach in Cape May and the Wildwood wash produced throughout the week. Jimmy Jones, 9, nailed a 22-1/4-pound striper at Poverty on Saturday, and Bart Terwilliger claimed a 32-pound striper and three big blues from the beach at Hereford Inlet. Capt. Tim Sweeney fished by himself and jigged and released 50 stripers at Overfalls Shoal on diamond jigs. Blackfishing was on fire at the inshore wrecks, and the rock piles also attracted the fish but fewer than earlier this season.

Back to Top