sports

outdoors _wahJ_ouJ*odi«^

Seasons Started, But Where Are Drum?

The season is upon us. Weakfish have started to bite with regularity in Delaware Bay Bluefish started early and just keep getting better. Fluke are more numerous and bigger in Delaware Bay and the back bays. Crabbing has b£en excellent for some time and

remains good. Wreck fishermen are loading up coolers, bags and buckets with sea bass, ling and blackfish. In addition to fluke, back bay anglers are catching lots of bluefish and an occasional weakfish. Jetty fishermen are finding lots of blues, a few weaks and

an occasional fluke, plus lots of blackfish. SURF FISHERMEN are enjoying an early run of bluefish. The reports are generally gwafc all over. There is one dim spot which may correct itself. Black drum has not yet started to show in any appreciable numbers. Where the drum may be and when and if they will start is a question only Mother Nature will answer in her own good time. The fish say the season has officially started. So does the calendar. When you read this it will be well into the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend. That's the official start to the summer season for lots of businesses and for lots of tourists. THI^AGGING question for a lot of us is not how good or how bad the fishing is. It is finding the time to do all of the things which are available. The choices are many. The fishing season ahead looks good, if what we are seeing is any indication. For a ball-park gaze into our crystal ball, we can say that the big. three — weakfish, fluke and bluefish — will all provide excellent action from now into fall. The best bet, of course, will be bluefish if we measure the length of the season, the supply of fish which is apparently available, and the many ways and the many places this fish can be caught. Blues have been and will be for a long time to come, the most important fish for East Coast anglers in terms of numbers caught. WHAT MAKES it look so good for blues is the wide spread of size in the fish supply There are plenty of slammer blues south of us. They are getting ready to move into our area. Meanwhile, we are seeing more two to eight-pound fish than has been the usual. And the spread boggles the mind. We have had two reports indicating that there are blues all over the place. Twice in the past two

dflEl^VHHHIE t- ■KM WHOPPING WEAK — Jay Scanlon of Narberth. Pa., hefts 13.16 lb. weakfish he caught aboard Miss Chris II on trip to Delaware Bay.

weeks, boats fishing for tilefish in Baltimore Canyon (commercial boats, that is), come into their home ports with bluefish they caught while retrieving gear One boat packed out 4,200 lbs. and another over 6.000 lbs. Boats going to and from the commercial fishing grounds that far offshore report seeing blues all the way out and all the way back. As the season progresses, these fish should move in closer to the • beach. NORTH OF US. boats have been catching blues on day and night trips a good couple of weeks early and in surprisingly good numbers. Our Crystal Ball best bet still remains with bluefish. When all else fails and you need a day of action, the blues will be there in 1986. Past performance indicated a good season when both the Delaware Bay and the Chesapeake Bay loaded up unseasonably early with blues. The blues provided the action for lots of anglers who enjoyed catching them on light tackle while waiting for the weaks to get turned on. And, even now, when weakfish are the No. 1 bay priority, it is still the blues which are providing a lot of the action. Here are some of the reports: DRUM OPENER : One of the first drum reported here was the 47 '3 -pounder landed by Bob Bethel of Court House. He caught his drum on clam bait near 14 ft. light in Delaware Bay while fishing with Dave Atkinson on Dave's boat Fish 'N Fever. Bob weighed in his fish with Aurdey Rodia at Rodia Tackle Shop in Rio Grande. CAPE MAY NEWS: Chris Spiegel of the Miss Chris fleet called to report that fishing has improved daily for weakfish. Her latest call indicated that the fishing for weakfish Tuesday was the best day of the season so far. Fish bit from the bottom all the way to the top. Jay Scanlon of Narberth, Pa. caught a 13.16 lb. weakfish on a red and white bucktail and a purple worm on the Miss Chris II. Chris Rodden of Peqnsauken caught two weaks on a white bucktail and purple worm tipped with a piece of squid. OTHER MISS CHRIS fleet catches included a 14.39 lb. weakfish caught by Wayne Adams of Cold Spring. That fish earned a Penn 710Z reel in the Miss I Chris Dock weekly ■ weakfish contest. Eric

Hollis of Swathmore, Pa. caught a 5'4-lb. fluke. Ed Monarch, of Bensalem, Pa. caught an 11-lb. weakfish to win a Penn 710Z reel. Capt. John Poppert, night skipper on the Fiesta. has had good action on blues and weaks in Delaware Bay. Wesley Fling. of Cape May won Saturday's pool with a 12-lb. weakfish. The Fiesta sails at 7 p.m. on night trips. Big fluke spiced the action on the Sea Star II on day trips with Capt. Bob Schumann. William Deardon, of Philadelphia boated an 8n«-lb. fluke and Scott Van Etten of Lawrenceville. caught an 8.66-lb. fluke. ROGER CRAIG of Drexel Hill, Pa. caught a 104-lb. weakfish and Steve Reifschneider of Pottstown. Pa. caught four weakfish which totalled 48 lb. The Sea Star II has had good action on both the a.m. and p.m. trips. The boat sails at 9 a.m. and again at 3 p.m. for Delaware Bay on six-hour trips. „ Happy Days skipper Jim Solley said his fares are catching weaks and blues on Delaware Bay trips. The Villas VFW boated lots of sea bass, tautog and ling on an ocean charter. The pool winner was Jack Moran of North Cape May. Capt Solley has some openings for charters left and has some shark trip openings. Call him at 886-7725. CAPT. DAN GUSS of the Huntress said the Doug La Rue Crew of Hatboro, Pa., caught 18 blues and weaks mixed and one keeper fluke at Brandywine Light. Tom Metts of Philadelphia weighed in a I5a4-lb. weakfish at South Jersey Marina. Day Skipper Jim Sullivan of the Fiesta said his Saturday pool went to Kurt Bailey of Folcroft, Pa. Kurt decked a 12-lb. weakfish. Sunday, Frank Johnson of Trenton won the pool with a 10 4 -lb weakfish. The Fiesta has set four hour trips at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Memorial Day only. The F#sta will revert back to all day trips on Tuesday. The first weakfish of the season on the Porgy III went to Roy Moyer of Rockledge, Pa. Capt. Paul Thompson reported a 9-lb, 14-oz. weakfish for the Pennsylvania angler. Jim Moore. 80, of West Cape May, led with three large weaks. High Hook Friday was Bill Pawlak of Philadelphia with six blues and four large weakfish. Joe Bell of Philadelphia

took Saturday's pool with a 14a<-lb. weakfish. AT WILDWOOD Crest, Capt. John Royles of the Royal Flush said his fares are doing well on sea bass and tautog. Sylvan Bender of Landsdate, Pa. caught 26 weaks and tautog. Phil Calfina of Wildwood Villas decked 42 sea bass and tog. The Royal Flush has started night chumming for bluefish. For information call 522-1395. Capt. Dave Cicchitti of the Twilight said Stan Wallace of Ardmore, Pa. took Saturday's pool with a 14-lb.. 10-oz. weakfish. John and Jean Simmons of Toms River caught 12 blues and six weakfish. Sunday, Alan Taylor of Springfield Pa. caught a 13-lb. . 9-oz. weakfish. Call 522-4839 for information. SEA ISLE City: Capt William Clark of the Starfish reports excellent sea bass and tautog action over the weekend. Lou Patterson of Woodbine, caught 35 tog and bass. The Starfish sails daily at 8 a.m. For further information, call 263-3800. On the Capt. Robbins, fares are boating lots of sea bass. Capt. N'eill Robbins said Richard Ruffin of Philadelphia caught 65 sea bass. Oscar Jenkins, of Camden, caught 90 sea bass. Percy Samuelin of Broomall, Pa. caught 55 sea bass and won the pool with a 5'4-lb. sea bass. WILDWOOD: Capt. Jay Beecroft of the Sea Raider reported good blue, weak and fluke action in Delaware Bay. Tom Reynolds of Westchester. Pa. caught a 9-lb. weakfish. Night Sea Raider trips are also producing weaks. On Capt. Joe McTommoney's Adventurer II. sea bass fishing has been excellent. John Henkcl of Rio Grande took one pool with a 7-lb., 7-oz. sea bass. The Murray family of Philadelphia decked 55 sea bass. Greg Garnett and Mark Nelson of Philadelphia teamed for 70 sea bass. The Adventurer II has started night chumming for blues. STRIPER: George Foy, of Media. Pa. and Avalon, caught a 57-lb striped bass while trolling a Rebel Deep River at Avalon Shoal. He was on his boat 0310Foyable trolling for bluefish when the striper hit. The fish was weighed in at Lou Bachman's Smuggler's Cove in Stone Harbor. CATCHES: Capt. George Algard of the Tilloe reported 10 weaks from seven to 13 lb. at Brandywine for the Dick Clayton party... Steve La Rue of Rio Grande caught a 124-lb. weakfish... Roy Locker of Wilmington, Del., boated a lOMb. weak and Joe Bergmaler of Philadelphia caught a 12-pounder on the Critter Glitter with Babe Kozlowski. They fished bucktails and plastic worms... Jim Gardler of Philadelphia, caught a 10-lb. weakfish and Dan Gural of Philadelphia caught an 8-lb., 14-oz. weak on the Billy boy. Dan Gttrai was skipper... Steve Bradshaw of Blackwood weighed in a 13V4-lb. weakfish he caught at Cape May from the jetty. He was fishing a bucktail and plastic worm combo.

■— (ape May Counly^*g ALMANAC JUNE

M«MI\ PH\5ES/PtlSITI<l\S rhr Mi»m . effect on the Tide it «rrcifi-»f ufcrn closest lo Earth tin perigee) and when in direct alignment with Sun i Eat/h I full t new moon phases) On and about these date*. tow pressure systems and-nr strong winds t depending upon direr lioni mm result in flooding and '"or exfremely low tides Moon Phase* '» Nr» Moon 7 First Quarter IS Full Moon 21 l-jst Quarter i/3»-«/2ll ^ Apogee • | FeTit.ee 21 1 TIDE TABLE Computed for Cape Mas City I beachfront, for other areas see Correction Times I um: iiii.ii I.IIM , am pm a.m. |.n. 21 Wed 12 02 12 42 6 14 6 2fi | 29 Thu I 00 I 42 7 12- 7 .45 VI Fn I 5* 2'4II 8:12 8 44 31 Sal 2:55- 3 38 9'IO- 9 45 . 1 Sun 3 54- 4 33 10.01-10 41 1 2 Mon 4 51- 5 26 10:48- 11 29 3 Tue 5 43- 6 13 11:31- I 4 Wed 6 32- 6:53 12 16-12:13 5 Thu 7:15— 7 33 1:01-12:56 1 6 Fn 7 54- 8 07 l:4S— I 36 7 Sal 8:33- 8:42 2:27- 2:17 B Sun 9- 12— 9:17 3:09- 2:55 9 Mon 9:52- 9:54 3 48- 3:33 1 10 Tue 10 32-10:32 4:24- 4 09 11 Wed 11:17-11 12 5:01- 4 44 I 12 Thu 12 02 5:38- 5 25 13 Fn 12 01-12 50 6 18 6 15 | 14 Sat 12 46- I 40 7 07- 7 23 15 Sun 1.39- 2 32 8:01- 8 33 16 Mon 2:35 -r 3:28 9:09- 9 38 1 17 Tue 3:40- 4 30 9 54-10 39 IB Wed 4 46- 5 28 10:48-11:36 I 19 Thu 5 52- • 27 11 42 20 Fri 6:51- 7:18 12:35^-12:37 21 Sat 7:46- 8:10 1:32 - 1.33 22 Sun 8 39- 9:01 2:»- 2:30 , 23 Mon 9:33— 9:52 3/22- 3:26 24 Tue 10 27- 10 47 .4:11- 4:19 25 Wed 11 24-11 40 5:01- 5:11 I 26 Thu -12:20," 5:51- 6:07 27 Fri 12 35— 1.15 6:41- 7 06 I 28 Sat I 27 - 2 06 7:33- 8:09 29 Sun 2.19- 2 58 8:27- 9:09 , 30 Mon 9 12- 3 50 9:19-10:06 I

CORRECTION TIMES Compute approximate times of hijh 8 low water for your area by adding or subtract ng the following number of minutes for each tide phase in the Tide Table IOW HIGH Great Egg Harbor Inlel Plus 12 plusio Ocean City "9th St Bridge • plus 35 plus 22 Corson Inlel < bridge i plus 21 plus 7 Sea Isle City i Lurilam Thoro Bridge ■ plus 66 plus 43 Sea Isle City Beach minus 2 minus 21 Townsend Inlet plus 21 plus 4 Seven Mile Beach plus IS 0 Stone Harbor i Great Channel Bridge i plus 43 plus 40 Hereford Inlel ' Angieva 1 plus 19 0 W ildwood Beach Minus 2 minus 17 Wesl Wildwood ■ Grassy Channel bridge i plus 46 plus 43 Cape May Harbor plus I minus 4 Five Fathom Bank plus 1 1 plus I Cape May Point plus 46 plus 34 M cCrie Shoal , plus 28 plus 22 Delaware Bay Bayshore Channel I < Bay -Canal Junction' 1 plus 47 plus 36 Miami Beach plus 75 plus 61 Dennis Creek Entrance ; plus 114 plus 97 I Brandywine Shoal Light 1 plus 77 plus 52

Cruise to the only casino in the United States with a docking facility. ciHJisirrc Haffahs MARINA S20.00 Per Person Receive $22.00 Bonus Package* 00 Co.il ; $5 00 Food Coupon V AT LEAST FOUR TRIPS .J*- ' SCHEDULED WEEKLY raHV ) B mj fri 6pm SAT 9AM & 6PM jflBnBPywgEad sun. 2pm JSi ^^9 & (0CKTAIL BAR ENJOy LUXURY ■ & COMFORT For Reservations Call 399-5011 or 628-2935 and Charge It by Phone j00j Sailing From Ocean City Marina & Fishing Center 3rd A Bay Avenue. • si 'BJFC.I !C)CfiANGV WM.HOiJI NOJICF