1) Long Beach Island/Great Bay
Kingfish moved into town at Beach Haven and big sharks are breaking lines, pulling rods out of sand spikes and getting surfcasters hopping. Margaret O'Brien reported from Jingle's Bait and Tackle that one young surfcaster who obviously knows what he is doing has been getting double-figure kingfish every time out. It has been going on for a few days now. Sand tigers and probably brown sharks are tearing it up. There is a dedicated group of surfcasters on Long Beach Island that target big sharks in the surf with heavy gear. Flounder are also in the surf off Long Beach Island. Flounder have moved into the back part of Great Bay at the mouth of Mullica River. Chestnut Neck Boat Yard in Port Republic reported Sunday was a good day for keeper flounder at the Coast Guard cans, Intracoastal Waterway marker 159.
2) Atlantic County
Flounder are in the back bays of Brigantine and in the surf along the beachfront. There are a lot of nice keepers. Kingfish are in at Brigantine. Plus, catches of striped bass and black drumfish persist even though they have slowed down considerably as the water warms up. The Duke of Fluke back-bay pontoon partyboat is drifting more toward Great Egg Inlet in Ship and Rainbow channels because flounder seem to be moving. Many skippers are still fishing the flats off Kennedy Park in Somers Point. Flounder have improved inside Ventnor, Margate and Longport at Broad Thorofare, Risley Channel, Lakes and Scull bays. Minnows, Gulp and mackerel are good bait. Captain Andy's Marina in Margate. Some 4-pound flounder have been registered.
3) Cape May County
Paddy's Hole behind Avalon gave up flounder. Croaker are mixed with flounder in the surf at Cape May Point. The ICW inside Wildwoods have flounder. Mike Prettyman of North Cape May picked one that went 4 pounds, 3 ounces at Sterling Harbor Marina Bait and Tackle in Wildwood. He was using minnows and squid. Striped bass are still around. Sean Gallagher of Yardley, Pa. got one that was 32 inches in length while fishing with clam inside Townsend Inlet, according to a report from Pier 88 in Sea Isle City.
4) Delaware Bay
Flounder Alley and Miah Maull have improving flounder action. Some nice flounder are also being caught over on the south side of Delaware Bay at Old Grounds and Reef Site 11. Cape May Reef also has its share of flounder.
5) Offshore
Flounder are on Townsend Inlet Reef and probably on many of the other inshore reefs . Eight-year-old Tommy Breazeale caught an 11-pound flounder at T.I. Reef on Monday. Pier 88 weighed seven flounder that went more than 20 inches in length that were caught at T.I. Reef. Yellowfin tuna and mahi seem to be moving from Wilmington Canyon to Lindenkohl Canyon. Yellowfin weighing from 40 to 50 pounds have been trolled. This past weekend the first yellowfin were caught jigging at night in Spencer Canyon. Sharks have been caught at 750 Square, 28-Mile Wreck, Lobster Claw, mostly blue sharks with makos. Bluefish are at Barnegat ridge.
