sports

outdoors ^wUhLotnRodi^ Blues on Way; Enjoy Early Weakfish

Somewhere between here and Virginia Beach are some mackerel with their tails bitten off. Their tails will have fallen prey to fast-moving, hungry bluefish which are heading north They are lean, mean and hungry. These blues were last reported off Virginia Beach is early April. The first were caught there April 3.

The ones being caught weighed 10 to 15 pounds Lots of smaller blues went into Chesapeake Bay WHY IS ALL this important I It is these signs which tell us when to expect the blues, and with them, the weakfish. fluke and black drum. It is too early to fish for any of the above except , mackerel And. if things go 1 the way they have been go-

^^2 SSZ (-aPe May Cnuniv^^m^^ ALMANAC APRIL. 19X6 MOOS PHASES/POSITIONS CORRECTION TIMES Th r Moon's r I fret on the Tide is Compute approximate limn great est when closest to Earth af high * low water /or your l in perigee! and wh»n in direct arra by adding or >ubtroctin< alignment with Sun * Earth (h, following number of I full k new moan phasen On minute* for each tide phate in and about these date*, low tb, jide Table « pressure systems and/or itrong winds (depending upon direr lion) may result in flooding and /or extremely low tides M«n I'huse* UIW HIGH I.jM tjuurter |.:» Great Egg Harbor Inlet New Moon * Plus 12 plusio 1 «»i tfujrtrr li Ocean City («h St Bridge) Ku,IMuo" plus IS plus 22 \poKer u Corson Inlet tbndge. I'rrigrr 25 P»«*H plui7 Sea Isle City i Ludlam Thoro Bridge) TIDE TABLE plus to plus 43 Computed for Cape May City Sea Isle City Beach beachfront, for other area*, lee minus2 minus 21 Correction Times Tawiaend Inlet plus 21 plus 4 DATE HIGH LOW Seven Mile Beach *•"- » m plus IS • I I Tue 12 32 I 08 S S3- 7 05 Stone Harbor • i Wed 1:37 2 IB 8 015-8 21 (Great Channel Bridge) t; J Thu 2 46 3:30 it 09 — S JO plus 43 ph»40rl | 1 En J to 4 39 10 07 10 21 Hereford Inlet (Angleaea) il 5 Sal 4 38 5 31 10 58- 1 1 22 . - ' | 6 Sun 5 50- 6 15 11 45- p n.. K 5 I 7 Mon 6 33- 6 55 12 12-12 27 .. wtwwooo Beacn * 8 Tue 7:14- 7 31 12 57- 1 07 Mini* J minus 17 i £ 9 Wed 7:50- 8 05 1 38- 1 45 West Wildwood " IU Thu 8 26- 8 39 2 16- 2 20 (Grassy Channel bridge) I II Fn 9 0O~ 9 12 2 54- 2 53 phis46 ^ plus 43 | 12 Sal 9 37 9 47 J-ft- 3 22 fSj* May Harbor i I t Sun 10 15- 10 24 4 04- 3 53 . . 7 . I 14 Mon 10 37-11 02 4 41- 4 25 I*" 1 n ™nu»4 1 *: 15 Tur II 44 II 50 5 21- 5 04 Five Fathom J 16 Wed 12 38 m I- 6 OJ Ph*ll ph* 1 I 17 Thu 12 45- I 38 7 jo 7 27 Cape May Point : 18 Fri 1 45 2 43 8 32- 8 41 plus 46 plus 34 1 19 Sal 2 53- 3 48 9 25 9 41 McCne Shoal g 20 Sun 4 02 4 44 10 15 10 34 , a , „ I 5 21 Mon 4 58 - 5 33 II 01 II 27 ^ ** v « I 22 Tur 5 49- 6 20 11 48 Delaware Boy 1 it Wed 6 18 7 02 12 19-12 35 Bayihore Channel | 24 Thu 7 24- 7 47 I 10- I Ju « Bay -Canal Junction) | 25 Fn 8 10- 8 34 I 59- 2 07 plus 47 plus 36 I 26 Sat 8 59- 9 24 2 49 2 54 Miami Beach 8 27 Sun 10 53 II 19 4 40 4 43 „ " | 31 Man II 54 5 13 5 J6 . .. Fnlr„JI I 3 Tu. 12 IB WK 6.1 SB , <-r«k Entrine* , li M I l< I SI T IS 1 SS *»»« ptaJJ Brandywine Shoal Light - f plus 77 plus 52 ' ^ VtBHHMBtoBBBBBHBBtoBBIBIMBBMBBBP

ing. the mackerel won't be around too long. Our Jersey Cape boats get the first shot at mackerel on the Jersey Coast We also get the first shot at weakfish. bluefish and fluke. It is part of what gives us the long season we ■ftijoy here in Cape May County. ' As soon as there are reports of weakfish being caught in the nets in Delaware Bay. anglers should start to think in terms of fishing the lower Jersev Cape jetties. IIIGBEE'S BEACH and Cape May Point are good places to start If you can get them, bloodworms are a good early season weakfish bail If not. try squid, clams or cut herring or mackerel. One of the better ways to fish the early season weakfish on the jetties is with a float about five or six feet above a 1/4 -or 3/8-oz buck tail tied to the end of the line. The bucktail serves as a sinker to take the bail down below the surface. The hair and color on the bucktail impart action to the cut bait you are using. The float tends to kfcep the bait off the bottom. The float also serves another purpose Since the water around a jetty is constantly moving, the float keeps moving up and down, imI parting a jigging motion to the bait suspended below it. TRY THIS fishing with a medium action spinning outfit with 12 to 15 lb. test line. If you can find one. use a sliding float which can be set to allow the lure to be fished at whatever depth you want. Why not use bucktails and artificial lures in this early season action! Mainly because "The first fish of the season are going to be caught in fnarginally cold water and they won't be too active When the water is just around 55 degrees, the fish are just starting, to get active and they won't or can't chase baits with too much movement L(M)K FOR the activity

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to start in the next week or so. Water temperature is the key Watch the thermometer When the water starts to reach the 55-degree mark, it is time to head for the jetties. Jetty jockeys should be sure to have a long handled net or a long gaff hook with them when they journey to the jetties. You can utilize any of the many kinds of nets available, particularly those w i t h* h o 1 1 o w aluminum handles. Find an aluminum clothes prop and fit it inside the net handle. Drill a couple of holes through the handle and the clothes prop and you have created an extension handle for your ' net SINCE THE net and the handle are separate pieces, they can be transported in sections in the car and fastened together on the site of the fishing action If you have a problem finding a net which will accommodate an aluminum clothes prop because the prop will not fit inside the net handle, make a bushing out of copper tubing or smaller aluminum tubing. A. good gaff hook with a Lohg handle for jetty fishermen can be made from an aluminum clothes prop. Get a 12/0 or 14/0 hook at your local tackle shop. Grind off the barb, leaving the point. Drill a hole a couple of inches above the end of the aluminum clothes prop Bolt the hook to the prop by passing a bolt through the eye of the hook and the hole you drilled through the prop. Bind the hook to the pole with some soft copper wire. Cover the wire with several layers of epoxy glue or several layers of plastic electrician's tape COVER THE gaff point with a short piece of rubber tubing or a cork when transporting it to and from your fishing spot It pays to have a long handled net or galLajong when fishing file jettieS^ Don't depend Von otter \ fishermen to haVC"^ one ' since the one time you hoolt a big weakfish and neeq help landing it. there will W be fishermen present but none will have a long handled gaff or net to help your Don't forget the jetties are slippery Make sure you have some kind of creepers to give you firm footing on the rocks It makes fpr much safer fishings B ^prepared ( APE MAY: Macherel are the main target for Cape May boats Mackerel have been caught from McCrie's Shoal to Delaware s Lightship Fares on the Miss Chris are doing well on mackerel The Anglers Fishing Club scored well on the Miss Chris and Art ( astrigiovinni of Bellmawr filled his coolers on the Miss Chris all-day trip Six-hour trips are planned on the Nadu Jane All day trips are scheduled on the Miss Chris and the Lit | lie Chris Charters for large and small groups are available Call 884-5445 or 886-8164 for- fishing or charter information. Capl. Bob Schuman of Sea star II has scheduled daily mackerel trips at 9 a.m. The Fiesta is sailing all day leaving at 8 a.m. £ with Skipper Jim Sullivan

at the helm PORKY 111 Skipper Paul Thompson said mackerel were plentiful and big. High hooks included Betty Warfel and Joyce Kougue of Pottstown. PA., and RufutTwITatley and Frank Pontari. of Philadelphia. They filled cans and coolers. The Porgy ill is sailinbg daily At Ocean Drive Dock. Happy Days fares are reporting good to excellent mackerel catches. High hookers included Joe Jeffe. Tay Nolle and Leon Duffieid. all of Woodstown The First Class Association from the Philadelphia Navy Yard caught good numbers of big mackerel For fishing information, call Capt Jim Solley at 609-884-7725. Capt Dan Guss of the Huntress said, the Joe Lawyer Construction Co. of Flemington. boated over 600 lb. of mackerel 21 miles south of the Cape May Inlet. WILDWOOD: Capt Bill Henfv of the Sea Raider said his six hour fares are producing mackerel on daily trips. Capt Joe McTommoney of the Adventurer said anglers boated 20 to 30 mackerel on four hour trips on Saturday Call Capt Joe at 729-7777 for charter and fishing information. Ocean City: The Adven turer VI will be sailing for the summer from Sampson Bros. Marina in Ocean City with Capt Don Zimmerman at the helm. Daily trips from 8 a m to 2 p.m are set for mackerel Call Capt Zimmerman at 399-3111 for information Stone Harbor: Capt l>on Cramer of the Capt. Cramer is now sailing daily on six-hour trips for mackerel CLL'B EVENT: Anglers are invited to participate in the 18th Invitational Surf Fishing Tournament at Brigantine Saturday. June 7 Registration will take place at the VFW Hall. Post No 6964. 121 31st St in \ Brigantine. starting at 6:30 \ a m Fishing teams of up to six members and individual anglers are invited Addi tional information is available from the N.E Philadelphia Surf Fishing Club, c/o Bob Shay. Tournament Chairman. 117 Lawrence Rd . Broomall. Pa.. 19008 or by calling 215 353 2785 Fluke or Flounder — Many anglers lend to confuse winter flounders and summer fluke One of the biggest differences is that winter flounders have small mouths and summer fluke have much bigger mouths Thus, it is important to fish both species with proper rigs and proper size hooks WINTER FLOUNDER fishing is basically done

from anchored boats. Fish are chummed to the boat by stirring the bottom and by using an assortment of chum Summer fluke are caught mostly from drifting boats The winter flounder rig is tied with smaller hooks igenerlaly No. 8 or No. 10 Chestertown) and summer fluke are caught with a broad variety of rigs tied with hooks from No 1 to 4/0 in several patterns Spinners and beads and bucktail or nylon teasers enhance the attractiveness of summer fluke baits Make sure you have the proper rigs for winter flounders or summer fluke It is important. Ask the local tackle dealer where you fish to shop you the proper rigs TO STIR CP the bottom, use the push poles provided by some boat liveries Make one of your own on a long pole with^a plumber's force cup on the end Some use sash weights tied on the end of a rope Chains tied to the end of a line can also be used Chum logs put into a chum pot and lowered to the bottom help draw winter flounders Crushed fresh mussels or crushed fresh clams also make good chum Buy a big can or two of generic low cost kernel corn or whole grain rice and use either or both for chum. WINTER FLOUNDER fans find that when they open up their catch they will find bits of bloodworm and other marine growth, ^kernels of corn or rice, as well as bits of mussels or clams, indicating that these fish do feed up a chum slick to the angler's baited hooks. On windy days, it pays to anchor the boat fore and aft to keep the boat from yawing back and forth Using a double anchor keeps the boat over the chum slick Rescue Squad Breakfast Set NORTH WILDWOOD - A pancake breakfast 8 a m i pm with "all you can eat" will be held Sun day. May 4. at the Rescue Squad. 400 New Jersey Ave For ticket information, call 729-5555 Italian Buffet SEAVILLE - The Ladies Auxiliary of the Seaville Volunteer Fire Co. will have an Italian buffet 5-8 p.m Friday. April 25. at the .Social Hall on Route 50. Children under 10 will go for half price.

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