First mako shark shows up before annual tournament

[Sam]

Offshore sportfishermen gearing up for the South Jersey Shark Tournament scheduled for Friday and Saturday have not had much to guide them this spring. There hasn't been a lot of action on sharks off southern New Jersey. But Wednesday afternoon, the first mako of the season was headed back to the dock at South Jersey Marina in Cape May. Charley Langan at S.J. Marina said the mako weighs around 150 pounds and was caught on the Hooked Up by captain John Sowerby. There was no word on where the shark was caught. Langan speculated that some of the captains competing in the tournament might be aiming for the Elephant Trunk. Or, they might take the shorter ride south of Cape May to the Old Grounds off Delaware, where thresher sharks were reported.

One fish does not mean that sharks are moving in, but it's about the right time. Late registration for the tournament is 6 p.m. today with the captain's meeting following at 7:30 at the Canyon Club in Cape May. The entry fee is $450 per boat. There are a number of cash prizes and calcuttas. Call (609) 884-2400 or online at www.southjerseymarina.com. Meanwhile in the bays and along the beaches, flounder and striped bass are not backing off.

Flounder fishing started out hot on Memorial Day weekend and has stayed pretty much that way ever since. It's been so good, even miserable weather has not stopped at least a few flounder fans from getting out and catching fish. Robin Scott at Ray Scott's Dock in Margate had three boats go out from the marina in the rain and wind Sunday. Dan Greenberg of Margate was one of them. Joe Hatefi and Evan Bell also caught flounder Sunday. Greenberg was using Gulp and Hatefi and Bell had frozen spearing. Most of the flounder are in the 3- to 6-pound range, Scott said.

The good flounder action continued into Wednesday. Sterling Harbor Bait and Tackle in Wildwood reported that one boater had a limit north of the Cape May Bridge. Look for clean water to fish for flounder. Some of the back bays have been stirred up and murky since the rainstorms earlier this week. Tom Rakus of Sea Isle City caught a 4.12-pound flounder in the back bays Tuesday, according to Wesley Bandy at Gibson's Bait and Tackle in Sea Isle City.

Bill Down of Cape May Court House got flounder weighing 4, 3.5 and 3 pounds on Saturday while fishing out of Dad's Place in North Wildwood. Mary Ann Anagnou said they were fishing behind Stone Harbor. Flounder have moved into Flounder Alley in Delaware Bay. That's a stretch of water from Miah Naull, 14-foot Light and No. 19 Buoy, according to Tim Hand at Capt. Tate's Tackle Box in Dennisville.

A run of middleweight striped bass has spread out along many of the beaches. A number of 20- to 30-pound bass have shown up with a few into the 40-pound class. The 8th Street Jetty in Avalon is one of the areas that has had sustained bass catches. John Tatem of Lindenwold added a 28.52-pounder to the 34.68 pounder he caught last week. He weighed them both at Avalon Hodge-Podge. Bass are taking clam, mackerel and Bombers. Tammie Carbohn at Hodge-Podge said a school of bunker has been holding right off the jetty, accompanied by bass, and bluefish in the 3- to 5-pound range. Boaters have been parking right off the jetty to get in on the good action.

Bandy said a 12.63-pound weakfish was picked right in the middle of a school of blues in Townsends Inlet by Fran Bouchard with a -ounce jig and a pink Fin-S. Chris Bender caught a 12.8-pound blue Sunday with mackerel in the surf at Loveladies. Fisherman's Headquarters in Ship Bottom was the weigh station.

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