Gary Sloans' Fishing Stories

Hello and a warm welcome to all of you. I hope this wonderful early spring weather has given everyone an opportunity to get the honey-do list out of the way. Why you say? First, it will impress your significant other. Second, it will give you more time later for fishing when the bite will be better! The early warm weather gave us some early optimism, however the windy cooler weather in April has let the air out of that balloon. After all why get into a lather over something you can’t control. Tog fishing has picked up the slack this spring with good numbers and size of fish. The weather pattern seems to have caused an early arrival of most species but not in great numbers. As we go thru the transition of May and June this should drastically change.

Guess what? Marine Fisheries has a new secret. They have hired an outside consultant to help them estimate the health of the fisheries. (or as stated in Bureaucratic language “The subtainable stock level of the Biomass of the species”) They now can set the new regulations without impunity. They have hired the WIZARD OF OZ. Yes, the OZ from Kansas Fame. The OZ uses his little people (that’s us) to provide the information that only he can comprehend, understand and interpret. If you remember the Wizard of Oz movie you can’t mess with his curtain. So go on down the yellow brick road with the current fish regulations in hand, perhaps a laptop computer to check changes in the regulations, a current calendar, your current fishing license, and a measuring stick should keep you legal. On a serious a note make sure you check some recent changes to Tog, Sea Bass and Fluke.

I have been using my official dart board for the forecast on fuel prices this summer. Big oil companies have no room left in their coffers for the money, and it’s an election year to boot. I’m figuring the pressure should be off a little bit. I hope that fishery regulations and fuel cost will not discourage anglers from enjoying the great outdoors. The fluke action will start early in the back waters and bays and should be pretty decent early in the season. Try fishing warmer water like the flats, low tidal flows, lighthouses or power plants like Beasley’s. May should bust loose in the Delaware Bay for Stripers and Drum, with clams being the bait of choice. The Bluefish and Weakfish increasing numbers should make their presence felt. Fishing around the bridges at night for Weakfish and Stripers works well with lures and live baits. The surf should have Kingfish, Weakfish, and Blues by June. Bloodworms seems to be the best bait in the surf, if you can locate and afford them. Make sure you use a hook with a float to keep the crabs off the costly bloodworms. Of course, in New Jersey you will need a license to dig clams for bait or consumption. Seems like we are reverting back to the Middle ages in Europe, when only the wealthy could use the outdoors.

Boaters Warning! Remember early on with colder water temperatures you must be careful while operating any vessel on the ocean or bays. Water temperature in the 50’s gives the average person somewhere between 15-30 minutes to survive, depending on your physical condition. Above All, share an experience of a day on the water with a special person or child. Gazing into the eyes of child reeling in a fish, while all the time they marvel at the mystery and beauty of nature can be almost a spiritual moment. Those memories will long survive time and the pecking order of what’s important in this life. The opportunities abound in this wonderful part of God’s country known as Cape May County. The variety of Marina’s, Tackle Shops, Pontoon boats, Party Boats, Private Charters, Surf fishing, or just a friend looking to share expenses, puts the ways and means at your feet... you just have to create the will. Enjoy and God bless,

Capt. Gary Sloan,
North Wildwood, NJ

Excited to share his love of fishing with the ones he loves, Capt. Gary is enjoying his retirement from his “captian duties” to spend the day catching fish as well as creating memories with his grandchildren.