Well we’re officially done flounder fishing for the 2008 season… Overall the fishing was OK at best, with our best trip being the very last one this past weekend with 16 fish in the box. There were a few stinkers in there as well.. Fish seemed to be spread out, and hard to get concentrated under the boat for the most part.

Of course we are now making the move to switching to bass/bluefish for the next month or so… For the most part, we will be jigging these fish from the get go, and with some OK reports this past weekend from the few boats that tried for them, we might have a very good month of May!

There are still some fluke till ya puke spots available on the trips that have been posted. I will of course post more as the summer nears.. Also, I will be posting the regular summer open boat schedule in the somewhat near future… For the most part, the FTYP trips give us more time to fish, and will allow us to get to spots that are at more of a distance from Manasquan Inlet; these trips will be 8-10 hours in length and the fare is $100. The regular, local open trips will focus more on local areas, and will be 6 hour trips, with the fare being $80.

There is a possibility of a couple of bass/bluefish open boat trips before we switch over to fluke, so I will keep everyone updated on those if those become available.

The website is updated with all up to date info and pics, so check it out!

Dear Fellow Fisherman,
If you are concerned about the future of the Summer Flounder Fishery and the continuing viability of the businesses and fishermen who rely on this resource, then you need to help both the fishery and yourself by supporting the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund.

SSFFF is a new organization made up of Party and Charter boat owners, Tackle and Bait Store Owners, Tackle Distributors, Bait Wholesalers, and others whose livelihoods are dependent on a healthy and vibrant recreational fishing industry. All of these business owners and professionals realize the importance of an equitable and scientifically accurate management strategy for Summer Flounder. The tremendous economic impact of this one species, Summer Flounder, is reflected in local tackle and bait shops, party and charter boats trips, dockside and over the road fuel sales, hotel/motel accommodations, marinas, as well as shore community restaurants and cafes. We, as participants in the Summer Flounder fishery, know that the summer flounder population is NOT in trouble and that current populations are substantial. We believe that the flounder regulations we now abide by are overly restrictive, and we fully expect that the quota will be even smaller in 2008. We cannot hope to keep this fishery thriving unless we act now as a well-organized group with a common agenda and a comprehensive vision for the future! It is our aim to act now before the certainty of a total fishing ban is put into effect in 2009! For more information on how to join us in the fight to keep this important traditional fishery open and to make your donation today, visit our website at www.ssfff.net.

A 73-pound striped bass, caught on January 23rd by Frederick Barnes of Chesapeake, has been certified as the new Virginia state record by the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament, as it easily eclipsed the existing record of 68 pounds, 1 ounce.

Barnes made the record-setting catch in the Atlantic Ocean, about one-half mile north of the 4A buoy, which is located north of Rudee Inlet and off Fishermen’s Island, while fishing with Captain Pat Foster aboard the Country Girl, and the boats’ owner, Kenny Finck. The trophy striper hit a red and white Stretch 30, trolled from a Penn rod and reel, spooled with 50-pound test mono of unknown manufacture, according to the Captain. The group had landed and kept a pair of 20-pound class striped bass and released several smaller fish, when the Captain spotted bird activity at a distance. The Captain altered course and sped up to about 5 knots. The mate, Adrian Colapret, was in the process of bringing in the lines when the huge striper hit a rod still in its holder. Barnes grabbed the rod but nothing about the 10-minute fight of the fish prepared the crew for the first site of the striper. “Its head was huge, that was the first thing I noticed,” said Barnes, whose earlier thought was, “it’s just another 40-pounder.” Colapret leadered the fish and a discussion of how much the fish might weigh ensued as it lay on the deck. All agreed the fish had to be over 50 pounds. A quick measurement of the fish and the crew was now thinking they had landed a 60-pounder. It was just 11:00 AM and the group continued to fish for a brief time but decided to head back to Rudee Inlet as they became more curious of the weight of the fish.

Tournament Director Lewis Gillingham viewed the official weigh-in at the Virginia Beach Fishing Center by its weighmaster, John Crowling. “Every fin was perfect, every scale was in place and the fish just glowed. The fish was big from its head to its tail. It didn’t just have a big stomach,” noted Gillingham. In fact, when the taxidermist finished his work days later, a gut analysis revealed the fish’s stomach was empty. “To put this catch in perspective, at 73 pounds, this huge striper is one of only half-a-dozen or less striped bass weighing 70 pounds or more ever documented landed on recreational rod and reel along the entire Atlantic Coast,” added Gillingham.

The 73-pound, record-setting striper measured 52 inches in length and had a girth of 31-1/2 inches. The prior state record of 68 pounds, 1 ounce was caught in the Atlantic Ocean just south of Rudee Inlet by Clay T. Armstrong on March 4, 2006. The current International Game Fish Association (IGFA) All-Tackle World Record striped bass, caught in 1982 by Al Reynolds from the beach at Atlantic City, NJ, stands at 78-1/2 pounds.

Anyone wishing to fish, crab, or clam in tidal waters in Delaware will now be required to obtain a license to do so. This includes all waters on the Delaware side of the bay as well as portions of the Delaware River. It is also important to understand that in the section of the Delaware River between the upstream tip of Artificial Island and the Delaware-Pennsylvania state line, the Delaware state boundary extends to the New Jersey shoreline. (See area between red lines on map) This means that technically anyone fishing by boat in the part of the river is in the jurisdiction of Delaware and required to have a license. When fishing from shore in New Jersey along that section of the river, a Delaware fishing license is not required.

Fees for the license are as follows…

·          Resident annual fishing license - $8.50

·          Non-resident annual fishing license - $20.00

·          7-day tourist fishing license - $12.50

·          Charter boat license (vessel hired on a per trip basis) - $150 for Residents/$300 Non-Resident

·          Head boat license (vessel hired on a per person basis) - $300 Resident/$600 Non- Resident

·          Recreational Boat license less than 20’- $40 - Same cost for Residents and Non-Residents.

·          Recreational Boat license longer than 20’- $50 - Same cost for Residents and Non-Residents.