Shep on Fishing: Blues, kingfish plentiful for anglers not c

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Shep on Fishing: Blues, kingfish plentiful for anglers not c
Published: Thursday, October 4, 2007
The fishing scene has not changed much over the past few days.
There didn't seem to be much happening Wednesday afternoon. Maybe it was the fact that the Phillies' playoff game against the Rockies drew some attention away from fishing for awhile.
Here's the rundown of what's going on: Bluefish in the 1- to 5-pound range rule the waves, while kingfish are scattered throughout the surf. Weakfish are thriving in the bays behind Long Beach Island and off the Maurice River in Delaware Bay.
The surf temperatures are still in the 70s, which means the fall run of striped bass hasn't developed. But there are some keeper bass moving around, mainly at night.
A solid fall run of weakfish continues in Delaware Bay. Kingfish have gotten into the mix off the Maurice River. Pat Harris at Longreach Marina reported that it's not unusual to find kingfish there, but there seems to be more this year than most.


Boaters are using frozen shedder and clam to pick up the weakies and kingies at No. 2 and No. 3 not far off the Maurice River.
Ben McDonald, Joe Pierce and Wayne Lutz caught 12 kingfish, 12 weakfish, six blues and spot; Gerry Hoffman got five weakfish and eight kingfish; Tony Scarpa and Steve Horvath Jr. and Sr. got 20 weakfish and one kingfish.
Harris said some of the blues were getting a little bigger and that small striped bass showed up.
Surfcasters try to get tuned into what's going on at Long Beach Island this time of the year for a heads-up to what's coming down the coast.
Josh Falcone at Barnegat Light Bait and Tackle said weakfish are in the back bays and under the lights of Barnegat Inlet. Plus, there have been a couple of striped bass taken. Croakers are in the surf at Long Beach Island.
Margaret O'Brien at Jingle's Bait and Tackle had a report of jellyfish that cling to the fishing lines. Holgate has small blues. O'Brien said the water temp in the LBI surf is still in the 70s, so it needs to chill off some to trigger the fall run of bass and blues.
The Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic opens a six-week competition Saturday. The contest has two divisions - striped bass and bluefish - and numerous daily, weekly, two-week segment and grand prizes.
Registration is $25 for adults and $15 for students 18 and younger. Sign up at the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce office in Ship Bottom or at Surf City Bait and Tackle, Fisherman's Headquarters in Ship Bottom, Barnegat Light Bait and Tackle, Oceanside Bait and Tackle in Brighton Beach and Jingles Bait and Tackle in North Beach Haven.
There is a free surf-fishing clinic put on by the Surf City Anglers in association with the LBI event. It takes place from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday at Ship Bottom. Interested anglers will meet 9 a.m. at the Chamber of Commerce on 9th Street. Pre-registration is required. Call (609) 494-7211 (ex: 100) or (800) 292-6372 (ex: 100).
Croakers and decent-size kingfish are in the Brigantine surf, according to Andy Grossman at RipTide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine, with small blues all over inshore waters. They are taking the 2- to 4-pound blues in Ocean City and around Townsend Inlet. Whale Beach and Sea Isle City have kingfish, too.
The second week of the Atlantic County/Atlantic City Surf Fishing Derby also was pretty much the same as the first week: not a lot of entries. The first striped bass showed up when Donald Yeskey of Somers Point caught an 18.5-pound fish. Paulus Sulaiman of Somers Point caught a 3.5-pound bluefish, Kevin Hodge of Bayville got a 5.5-pound tautog and your neighborhood fishing columnist had a 1.07-pound kingfish.
There was a revision to the first week's standings when a 1.43-pound kingfish caught by George Allen of Brigantine was added.
Mike Shepherd is sports editor of The Press. His Shep on Fishing column and Shep's Hot Spot appear on Thursday and Saturday. Call (609) 272-7180, fax (609) 272-7191 or e-mail mshepherd@pressofac.com
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