Fishing Updates - November 20, 2006
With water temperatures starting to dip more rapidly, fall fishing is taking off. As of November 15, the limit on blackfish/tog is 8 fish per day at 14″ or more. Action on the jetties and bridges, as well as on inshore wrecks has picked up and green crabs are paying off as the best bait for these fish. Larger blackfish are the norm these days with pool fish on the Atlantic Star of Wildwood Crest being in the 8 and 9 pound range.
The back bay striper action picked up in some locations, but not everywhere. Clam dunkers have been doing better than pluggers and bucktailers. However, the rips are experiencing the usual November striper run. Charter boats like those listed on the Charter Boat page on Cape May Times are doing well, mostly using eels and clam. The Rips have produced a number of bass in the 20-35 pound range, with some large blues mixed in. The largest bass are coming from the Delaware Bay, mostly with clam, bunker, or spot as bait. To date, the big fall runs have not arrived at most of the beaches of southern Cape May County, but should be here any day. Smaller blitzes have occurred in a few locations for those anglers who have put in their time.
A few specks have also been caught, although the numbers and size haven’t been great. Instead of the flats near Stone Harbor, the traditional place for specks, they have been caught farther back in the bays and creeks. Fish in the 18-22 inch range seem to be the norm.
Charter Boats are also doing some mixed charters for those who want to try the rips for bass. Call ahead for details. The Atlantic Star has set dates for 18 hour offshore trips for sea bass. After Thanksgiving trips will be on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday through the winter. If these trips are anything like last winter’s, there will be lots of happy anglers!! The Twilight continues to sail at 8 am for bass in the rips.