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The feeling of Spring is really in the air. Satunlay was the first day of spring, and I waited till the hist minute to 'see if I had any good fishipg news for all you anxious anglers (me included). There’s still not much to get excited about. I attended the Capo May County Chamber of Commerce meeting at the Golden Eagle, in Cape May on Thursday, and there was a lone angler fishing in front of the mbtel off the jetty, but I didn't see him

catch anything. -

Bob Neely said he saw a good catch of white perch at Bidwell’s Ditch that Russ Esher's son got in the Bay. In nets, and Randy Laudeman told me he'd gotten about a box *of shad somewhere in the bay — so that part of the Cape is starting to show some production. I understand frorh other sources' L — Who 'understandably don’t want their name used — that there’s a pretty good body of stripera up the Bay. This presents a problem: because of the STUPID striper laws. These fish will have to be removed from the gill nets and returned to U>e water as they move dowrtlhe Bay, and there’s no way these fish will live after, they’ve been gill netted. You can’t fish'for them with hook and^ine either, because that season doesn’t'come in till May; *and then there’s some doubt as to whether you can catch a striper legally by rod and reel in the Bay

anyway.,

THE WHOLE GROUP of striper laws needs revamping, preferably by someone who has fishing experience, and not by people who don’t know Port from Starboard. This is probably an impossibility, .But that’s the only way we’ll ever get

spons:

1

AT THE SAME meeWngTy Wilfred as he liked to help got a chance to view the'

21

rid of this unworkable set

of laws.

I roamed around the

docks a little at the endidf

e.aordss

the week, and came, Cpt* Bill Garrison Sr. putting some paint oh the S«j

railroads. At the Cbdnty Chamber of Comfherce , meeting Jack Salve*on and Pat Nagel presented a complete report on the situation - Out of six companies bidding for use of

ting some paint ah the S<o panics bidding for use of M!*t. She’ll be sailing oqt of the rail line, only one is South Jersey ’Fishing planning on rail service to

Cape May County. The one company that is still proposing trains to the Jersey Cape is Atlantic City Railway Co. (I did an article on thi»m around

Christmas 1981) *

. When you stop and realize that railroads built our reports, shipped our fish, and brought weekend excursions of fishermen to us in the ’30s — than you start to realise what we are losing. Whether we can stop this loss is debatable at this point, but there’s still a small group trying to keep it from happening. Maybe we should devise a slogan: Stop the rape of the Jersey Cape-;, preserve our railroads. It could gain Us some time while people realize the seriousness of this, and muster forces.

Clinic Set MAYS LANDING - The Amateur Athletic Union will hold a free style wrestling clinic at Atlantic Community College 3:30-5 p.m. March 24 in the ACC Gym-

nasium.

Russian and American Olympic coaches will be involved in the clinic, which is open to the public for an admission fee. For further information, contact ACC Athletic Director Robert Zardus, 625-1411 or 646-4950, ext. 235.

Centpr this year. Cpt. Bill thinks it won’t Be-too long before those mackerel move withiifi reach, and so

do I.

I WAS ALSO glad to see Cpt. "Scott” Knop back at South Jersey after the terrible accident he had last fall. He’s wearing a plastic neck brace,’ and coming along wonderful. ,1 also had a chance Id talk to Cpt. Dick Weber, and he’s ex'pecting seven new charter boats to be fishing out of the center this year. Chris Fells will be captaining the Miss Flag out of there, and Cpt. Jay Beecroft will be skippering (he Bonito for

1982. ’

As the fleet develops I’ll try to keep you abreast of the additions. A lot of the boais are getting ready for the first weekend in April, and this.should be the first news time unless those “Bostons” show up sooner. A lot of fellows are asking “what’s happening down around Hatteras because they know that bodies of fish that show up there usually move north to our area. News reports from the Outer Banks have been scarce, but I did hear that they’ve had some good "trout" (weakfish) catches in nets, which bodes well for our early spring

weakfishing.

ONE OF MY old friends, Bobby Scarborough, ran his trawler,- the Brothers Pride aground in Oregon Inlet, and lost 270 boxes of sea bass. If it hadn't been . for the quick action of the Coast Guard, and the Corps of Engineers he might have lost his whole rig. We can really count our blessings as we view Cold Spring Inlet, which is about the best inlet on the Eastern

seaboard.

• • •

4 NOW I’M GOING to veer off fishing r and explore what’s happening to our

new movie about Cabe May -that was produced last . yaar, and itia very good! J. Fred Coldren, Cape\May ' City manager, showed. U. and stated that they will make it available to r.ny civic groups that have a 16mm sound; projector. I submit this would be a fine program for any meeting to' illustrate vfrhat Cape May., is .doing I to attract tourists. Harry Lozour, President of Cape MajfGof C was also plugging the Tulip Festival on Capfc May’s mall which will be a unique feature this spring. Watch for it! WE’VE SUFFERED another Joss to our world of angling on the Jersey Cape. Wilfred Swain, of Shunpike Road, Lower Township, passed away last week. Wilfred fished with Cpt. Fred Jake Boise on the Sea Toy for many years. When I was a young fisherman he helped me many times to understand ocean fishing, and particularly blue

fishing.

He worked for many years as tax accessor for Lower Township, and he leaves behind a host of friends. Nothing was ever tqo much trouble for

people, but in later years the pain of arthritis sort of governed His activities. He

was a good fisherman, and a good friend. Farewell, Wilfred, as you journey to greener pastures!

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THE TOUCH OF SPRING IS JUST THE THING TO DRIVE WINTER'S BLUES AWAY. THERE'S SO MUCH IN IT. ENJOY EACH MINUTE OF EVERY PRECIOUS DAY. BE GLAD IT'S HERE. GIVE IT A CHEER WITH A GLASS OF DELICIOUS ICE COLD BEER

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