Boats at Lund's

It was a crisp January morning in Cape May. A bitter wind howled out of the north, burst pipes were flooding local businesses and the ice was thick on the bay and the ocean. I stepped out of my car in the parking lot of Lund’s Fisheries on Ocean Drive in Lower Township and grimaced as the wind slapped my face.

I was here to peek into the world of commercial fishermen, “harvesters” they sometimes call themselves (– “Enjoy seafood?” asks a common bumper sticker, “thank a harvester.”) The perpetual winter gale stood me upright and the piercing fish smell on the docks assaulted my uninitiated nose and pried my eyes open like, well, like another slap in the face. I’d made arrangements to meet Stephen Spagnuola, a local guy who spends a lot of time on the water and has crewed on commercial boats. But Stephen hadn’t arrived, so, not being one to wait for an escort, I walked toward the docks.

Seagulls over the water

The seagulls were thick like a Hitchcock movie. One landed a few yards in front of me and fought off several pilferers before gulping down a fish twice the size of his mouth. He managed a mean stare in my direction before taking off. I passed a tough-looking gent in a black rimless leather hat (he didn’t look like a fisherman to me), stepped over ropes, hoses, pallets and assorted fish gear and found myself on a slippery wooden dock staring at a dozen or so commercial fishing rigs including the 120-foot Laura McCausley out of Portsmouth, NH, her hull and rails thick with ice. Crewmen onboard passed words and cigarettes to a man in work overalls on the dock. They looked at me funny.

I caught up with Frank Carroll, a crewman from the Cape May boat Starbrite. He was checking on the boat to ensure the pipes weren’t bursting from the cold – Starbrite wasn’t going out anytime soon, the weather was too rough. As Carroll stood in front of Starbrite with the sun at his back he looked right out of central casting: Carhartt jacket, weathered face, big smile, broad shoulders. I shook Carroll’s sandpaper hand and admitted I knew next to nothing about commercial fishing.

“How could you unless you do it,” he asked.

Captain Charlie Esher aboard "The Kidd"

Two centuries before Cape May became popular as a seaside resort, fishing was the lifeblood of the community. Whalers were among the first to arrive, and today Cape May is fifth in the nation for commercial fishery landings as ranked by dollars ($68 million in 2004, the most recent year available from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and 13^th for total pounds of fish landed (98 million). Tourism may be the golden goose but commercial fishing is still the backbone of the local economy in Cape May.

And the dollars that flow from commercial fishing feed many mouths.

“Commercial fishing is a huge industry,” said Kim Walker, wife of commercial fisherman Ron Walker (“Little Ronnie” to his mom even though he’s a grown man). “There’s the boat owners, the captains, the crew, their families, dock workers, truckers, ice sellers, boat sellers, fuel suppliers, equipment retailers – it’s bigger than you think.”

Still, unlike their more famous brethren who fish for crab in Alaska’s Bering Strait, Cape May’s commercial fishermen toil in relative obscurity.

A crew member aboard the "Golden Nugget"

“It’s sad they don’t get the respect they’re entitled to,” said Kim. “When people think of commercial fishermen they think of a big, fat, ugly guy with no teeth. But these guys provide food for the world. They work through the night in the dark and often don’t sleep for days. It’s a rough profession and there are a lot of rules and regulations. It’s very dangerous, one little thing can kill you.”

One group that doesn’t overlook commercial fishermen is the federal government, which keeps a close eye on every move these guys make. Commercial boats are required to purchase, at their own expense, tens of thousands of dollars worth of gear that makes it easier for the feds to keep an eye on them. Some welcome the federal regulations, arguing that it preserves fish stocks. Others decry them as destroying their livelihoods. Many are caught somewhere in between.

Ronnie Walker aboard "Constantino L."

“One thing’s for sure,” said Kim, “it’s either in your blood or it’s not.”

I met Stephen Spagnuola at the Cape May Film Festival in 2003. He had a thick portfolio of photographs featuring commercial fishermen. Since then he’s committed much time and energy to ensuring that the story of Cape May’s commercial fishermen gets told. He interviewed dozens of local fishermen to get their stories and took photos that he hopes captures the spirit of these men, their families and their way of life.

What I discovered during the journey was a way of life that harkens back to a different time. Fishermen are sometimes out for weeks at a time. Their lives revolve around factors they can’t control, mostly the weather. “If you haven’t worked in awhile,” said Kim, “and the weather breaks, you’ve got to go out – family weddings, babies, birthdays, reunions, whatever – you’ve got to go out.”

The day's catch

“My dad’s not a 9 to 5 guy,” adds Christina Walker, Ron’s twenty-something daughter. “I used to stand by the door and wave to him. Then I wouldn’t see him for two weeks. He was gone a lot but it didn’t bother me, I didn’t cry about it. But if he was in he was always there.”

The reasons that men go out onto the dark ocean are varied and personal and apparently too strong to resist. This is the reason Stephen Spagnuola is relentless about documenting their stories. He sees these guys as the cowboys of the East. Icons that represent all that’s best about Cape May and their romantic, misunderstood way of life – industrious, fiercely independent, upright and hard working.

Crew of the "Golden Nuggett" working in the cold air on deck.

Christina told me her dad had recently returned from a “bunker” trip. Bunker, or menhaden, is used mostly for cosmetics and other fish oil products; it’s not really edible. “There’s no eating bunker, it’s the smelliest fish in the world,” she said. Squid, better known as calamari in local restaurants, was the next trip. Commercial fishermen go out for bunker, porgies, mackerel, scallops, fluke, clams and more. Much of Cape May’s fish landings are sold overseas where the market for fish is stronger than in the states.

Some worry about the future of Cape May’s commercial fishermen. Some don’t. Rich Hill thinks it may be a fading industry.

“I worked all my life to get my own boat. I got a grandson coming up and all he wants to do is go fishing. I try to discourage him because the next few years I don’t think it’s gonna be there for us.”

Andrew Walker packs the net back on board the "Constantino L."

As for the feds, well, Rich has an opinion on that too. Commercial rigs are often boarded by the Coast Guard looking for safety violations, proper paperwork, permits, illegal harvests and who knows what else. “Every time I turn around we got more rules and regulations and ground closures,” said Rich. “I can’t see why we need all these rules and regulations. Mesh size – that will regulate itself. Stuff is out there and it’s gotta be caught.”

Observers sometimes accompany commercial boats when they go out. Kim Walker told me if her husband is out on a mackerel trip and lands a flounder, he better not bring it home for supper or he could end up in a lot of trouble. “Rules and regulations are another stress factor. It’s a mountain of paperwork every month.”

Commercial fishermen also suffer from the public’s ill-informed perception that they are dragging the sea dry. Kim told me nothing could be further from the truth. “Commercial fishermen have a vital interest in keeping everything in balance.”

Crew member aboard "Golden Nugget" with a full bag of porgies and sea bass after a tow.

Dan Cohen, principal owner of Atlantic Cape Fisheries is from fisherman stock. Like a lot of fishermen’s sons, he thought he could steer a course away from commercial fishing. He was wrong. He sees a change in today’s commercial fishermen.

“The last 30 years have been significant. Psychological change has occurred among commercial fishermen who previous to regulation were hunters. Since management we have become more interested in the long-term sustainability of the resource. We’re now viewing this much more as husbandry, or stewardship, or farming.”

For the Walkers, fishing is a family thing passed down through generations. Darren Walker, 17, is the fifth generation of Walker men to go fishing, and both his parents and grandparents wish he would choose another career path.

“I swore I’d never marry a fisherman,” said Marie, whose home near the Cape May canal is adorned with oil paintings of her family’s fishing boats. Marie is married to Big Ronnie, 67, patriarch of the Walker clan, principle of Walker Fisheries Inc. He is Little Ronnie’s father, and part owner along with Albert Cortez of Cape Port Marine Supply. Marie’s father was a fisherman, as are her sons and grandson; Big Ronnie’s father was a fisherman, his father was a fisherman – like Kim Walker says, it’s in the blood. Still Marie would like to see a change in course.

On board the "Mary Anne."

“I never wanted my sons to be fishermen and I don’t want my grandson to do it. We’ve lost two boats so far and we might not be so lucky the third time,” said Marie.

Undoubtedly, commercial fishing is a dangerous profession.

“Ronnie got stuck by a stingray one time,” added Kim. “It was in the net and got him on deck. They had to operate on him right there. They used a razor blade. Then there’s the occasional steamer that appears out of nowhere in the night and doesn’t see you on its radar. It could run right over you. There are so many factors. Ask Ronnie about the time the boat sank from under him. That story still sends chills up my spine. I went out many years ago. I remember that feeling when I couldn’t see land. It was very strange. I couldn’t do it.”

Crew member aboard "Mary Anne"

Ronnie Walker was aboard Stardust when it went down off Cape May in 1992. He took up roofing for a bit but has since returned to the sea. Many just can’t resist the siren’s song. “[After the boat sank] I bought a small conch boat and I was conchin’ inshore on a small pot boat for a year and a half, but I decided to go back. It was scary but that’s what I did all my life. I ended up going back,” he said.

In spite of the danger, the odd and unpredictable working hours, the maddening and sometimes contradictory federal regulations, the time away from family and the other innumerable reasons to avoid the commercial fishing industry, it seems some are drawn to it for reasons too strong to ignore.

“I tried to get away from it a couple times,” said Rich Hill, owner of the Tina Lynn, who’s been commercial fishing out of Cape May since the 1960s, “but once you get the water in your veins you always end up back in the water again. It’s all I know. It’s a good life if people leave us alone.”

Crew of the "Mary Anne"

Marco “Cobra” Genovese fishes from his boat White Dove.

“Real fishermen go fishin’ to make money but that’s not the main goal. It’s the thrill of the hunt. If you don’t have the thrill of the hunt you’re not going to be very successful. If it’s just a business deal then you’re in trouble,” said Marco.

“I started in 1954, that’s over 50 years in Cape May,” said Harry Axelsson who, like his father and grandfather, earned a living from the sea. Harry came from Sweden in 1954 and found a home in Cape May. “America has been good to me. I don’t regret any of it. I’ve got nothing but good to say about people and this country and everything.

A gull perches on the "Mary Anne"

“[When I started out] there was Italians, Norwegians, Swedes, Finns – It was a mix. They were all nice people and gave you straight answers. We always helped each other when something happened out there, you know? Most of them guys, they would have given their arms to help you out. If you tore a net they came around and helped you to fix it. They never charged nothin’ they just came and helped you out. But there was competition when you was out there. That was fine. Nobody had any problems with that. I enjoyed that.”

Harry’s ships are probably the most visible in Cape May Harbor, the Flicka and Dyrsten. Both are red (Harry’s favorite color is blue but red “shows up good on the water”) and are docked near the Middle Thorofare bridge.

“I thank God everyday for the ability to make a living from the sea.”

About the Photographer
Stephen Spagnuola, a graduate of Visual Arts, New York City, worked as art director for many ad agencies in New York before leaving advertising to pursue fashion photography, and worked on such magazines as Stuff, Flatiron, and Zink. Stephen is a freelance photographer and marketing director for Sea Tow Cape May. Visit Steve online

An old boat is towed to the Cape May Reef for sinking

This article originally appeared in Cape May Magazine, Winter 2008.

On any given day the most popular fishing ground off Cape May is none other than the Cape May Reef, aka the Sanctuary. Located 9.1 nautical miles from Cape May inlet on a course heading of 128 °, it is home to more marine species than any other marine structure inshore. The Cape May Reef is man-made and is the largest artificial reef, at 4.5 square miles, and the oldest artificial reef site in New Jersey. The Cape May Reef was originally started in 1982 by the Cape May County Party and Charter Boat Association. In 1984 the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Division of Fish and Wildlife took over all reef building responsibilities in the state from several private reef associations. It’s been a true success story between man and nature.

The objectives of the reef program are to provide:

• Hard-substrate “reef” habitat in the ocean for certain species of fish and shellfish.
• New fishing grounds for anglers.
• Underwater structure for scuba divers.
• Economic returns for tourism and sportfishing industries.

By constructing and managing reefs, the goal is to spread the benefits of the reef’s resources to as many people as possible.

At less than 10 nautical miles from the inlet most boats have the range to fish the Cape May Reef. There are currently two other reef sites off the coast of Cape May County within 10 miles of major inlets: the Wildwood Reef and the T.I. Reef. There are a total of 15 reef sites encompassing a total of 25 square miles of sea floor in New Jersey. Part of the reef’s goal is not to change New Jersey’s marine environment, but to enhance a small controlled portion. Reefs such as the Cape May Reef are home to over 150 marine species. Some of the most common species preferred by anglers and divers are black sea bass, summer flounder, tautog, blue fish, Atlantic bonito, porgy and, of course, lobster.

The Cape May Reef works like this: a hard substrate in the ocean provides an attachment surface for a variety of encrusting or fouling organisms called epibenthos such as mussels, sponges and barnacles. This creates a protective mat for species at the bottom of the reef’s food chain, which includes Crabs, Snails and Shrimp. In the middle of the reef’s food chain are bottom fish, like Sea Bass that feed on Crabs and Tautog that feed on Mussels. Schooling bait fish migrating through tend to like high structures such as sunken ships. Pelagic predators (free swimming) including Sharks, Blue Fish and Mahi Mahi are at the top of the reef’s food chain feeding on these bait fish and each other. Hard substrates also protect fish from not only predators but surges and current. Reefs create a cycle of life that is critical in supporting life in the ocean.

The wheel house is removed prior to sinking

Since New Jersey has a very gently sloping, shallow coastal floor with very little hard structure such as outcroppings, and, although there are an estimated 500 to 3,000 shipwrecks off  New Jersey’s coast, many of these wrecks are slowly destroyed over time by the forces of the sea. The intentional sinking of vessels helps to replace deteriorating wrecks. As of 2007, the Cape May Reef is home to 21 sunken ships such as clam boats, Coast Guard cutters, cargo ships and tug boats. Other structures sunk at the reef are subway cars, barges, concrete ballasted tires, concrete castings and army tanks. All of these ships and structures have to be cleaned of all pollutants and pass a U.S. Coast Guard pollution inspection. All loose and floating debris must be removed as well. The next step is to vent all internal water, tighten bulkheads and, in some cases, cut holes just above the water line to assist in the sinking of the vessel. These holes are covered with a “soft patch” such as plywood to prevent leaking during the tow to the reef.

Concrete reef balls

Another very important structure are reef balls made entirely of concrete four feet in diameter and weighing 1,800 pounds each. These reef balls resemble small igloos with many holes. In the fall of 2007 over 500 of these reef balls will be towed by barge by Sea Tow Cape May and sunk on the reefs’ sites off Cape May County. It’s important to note that most of the sinkings of these structures are funded by the private sector such as the sportfishing fund and non-profit organizations that have raised donations from fishing and diving clubs. Without these clubs and organizations much of the success from the reef program would not be possible.

Most of the fishing on the Cape May Reef is done by drifting and fishing off the bottom and, since it’s such a large reef with so much structure, fishermen can make long drifts and the reef can handle hundreds of boats fishing the reef at the same time. Most of the drift fishing is done in the middle of the reef in approximately 65 feet of water. The northern end of the reef is the shallowest area – about 55 feet. Wrecks and reef balls are spaced far enough apart that boats can easily anchor. The lower end of the reef is the deepest at about 70 feet. Here there are larger wrecks and subway cars. This area is preferred by scuba divers. Many party and charter boats fish the Cape May reef daily from late spring through the fall. Most of these trips last between six and eight hours.

Artificial reefs such as the Cape May Reef ensure fishing for future generations. So, next time you fish the reef and your fishing rig gets snagged, think of what’s below you and all the work it took to enable you to catch that fish!

Stephen Spagnuola, a graduate of Visual Arts, New York City, worked as art director for many ad agencies in New York before leaving advertising to pursue fashion photography, and worked on such magazines as Stuff, Flatiron, and Zink. Stephen is a freelance photographer and marketing director for Sea Tow Cape May. Visit Steve online

This article originally appeared in Cape May Magazine, Fall 2008.

Crisp west winds awake the Cape. Yes, fall is finally here! It’s the beginning of the season, for the most sought after fish – Striped Bass! Striped Bass or “Stripers” as the locals call them, is to New Jersey what Salmon is to Alaska. Stripers have made the biggest comeback of any fish species in modern history. In the late 70s and 80s the Stripers were on the endangered list. Before the 70s they were so abundant they were used for fertilizer. The comeback of these fish has created a spark in the local economy. It’s extended the boating season six to eight weeks. In fact, up to 60 percent of boaters and fishermen keep their boats in the water through “Striper season.”

The trickle down is that bait and tackle shops are loaded with customers each morning buying fresh bait and tackle. Local bars and restaurants are filled at Happy Hour with fishermen chatting about where the “bite” is. Wawa is packed to the gills every morning at 5:00 a.m. with people going Striper fishing.

There are two local tournaments for Stripers held in Cape May that draw anglers into town as well. Talk to one out of three locals and, I’ll bet you, they fish for stripers or know someone that does. You might say Stripers are a way of life in Cape May.

Stripers have a lot going for them. They are very good eating, can be caught close to shore, and are great fish to catch because of their great fight. The two most common ways to catch Stripers are chunking and drifting live baits. Chunking generally starts the second week of October. Look for these fish in areas like Sixty Foot Slough, Twenty Foot Slough, Brandywine Shoal and the Horseshoe where chunking boats will anchor up and fish four lines. The tackle used is a 36 inch/50 pound leader tied to a 5/0 hook with a fish finder rig with a 4-8 ounce weigh.

Fresh Bunker is the key. The fresher the Bunker, the more fish you will catch, period! Fresh Herring also works well. The baits are fished whole and cut into parts such as the head and body. If you want to catch trophy size Striper, chunking is the way to go!  Stripers range in weight – anywhere from 20 pounds to over 60 pounds!

The second most common method for catching Stripers is drifting live baits such as Eels, Spot fish and Croakers. The areas that are most common are known as “the rips,” an area where the bay and ocean meet around Cape May Point. In this area there are numerous shoals in which bait fish school up. Stripers feed on these bait fish. Baits are drifted over these shoals using 5/0 circle hooks with a 34” leader and 3-ounce drail weight. Fishing the rips is not for the faint hearted. It’s not uncommon to have 5-foot breaking waves moving over the shoals. Make sure you initially go out with someone who has fished the rips before.

Prissywick, Eph, Middle and Overfalls shoals are the most common areas when fishing the rips. Late November through December you can chase birds like “gannets” and gig bucktails with white or pink artificial worms. Stripers can also be caught off the beach on lumps and clam beds. The bait of choice is clam. This fishing usually starts late November until mid December. You can use the same tackle set up as you would drifting live baits over the rips.

You do not need a boat to catch stripers. In fact the current IGFA world record of 77 pounds was caught on a jetty in New Jersey waters. When fishing from shore, use plugs and bucktails. At night, drift live eels without the drail weight. The jetties and beaches from the “gun mount” to the point are always productive, as the jetties around Cold Spring Inlet or the Cape May Inlet, as it’s commonly called.

No matter how you fish for Stripers, the most important thing is to fish for them during the incoming or outgoing tide. Fishing around the change of tide is generally most productive.

When Striper fishing, there are some things to note: These fish are considered game fish and are protected. As such, the current regulations are two fish at 28” or greater per angler. Fish must be caught within three miles from shore. Three miles or greater is illegal. You will not see striped bass on any menus in restaurants in New Jersey because it is illegal to sell them commercially. If you do see it, it’s not “wild caught” striped bass, and will not taste nearly as good.

Charter and party boats all fish for striped bass. Most trips are eight hours. Boats will target these fish from mid-October until late December. So, if you have the summertime blues or football’s not your thing, give striper fishing a shot and don’t be surprised if you, too don’t “get hooked”!

Stephen Spagnuola, a graduate of Visual Arts, New York City, worked as art director for many ad agencies in New York before leaving advertising to pursue fashion photography, and worked on such magazines as Stuff, Flatiron, and Zink. Stephen is a freelance photographer and marketing director for Sea Tow Cape May.. Visit Steve online

White Marlin. Photo by Jim Gatto

This article originally appeared in Cape May Magazine, August 2007.

August – the month when summer is at its peak. This is none the less true for fishing in Cape May. The month of August brings forth the largest variety of fish species caused by the large numbers of bait fish both inshore and off shore….and as they say “the big fish eats the little fish.” August is a great time for tournament fishing as well, boasting one of the largest and richest tournaments in the world – the Mid-Atlantic $500,000 (MA-500).

The ocean temperature inshore and offshore is at its warmest this time of the year. Offshore, warm bodies of water broken off by the Gulf Stream called “eddys” form a temperature break. Find a temperature break, there you’ll find a number of “pelagic” fish such as Tuna, Marlin, Wahoo and Mahi feeding on bait fish. It’s truly something, this circle of life out in the ocean. Most of the areas that are affected by these temperature breaks are from the 30-fathom line out to the canyons to the 1,000-fathom line.

Boats will fish these areas using a couple of different techniques. The two most popular are trolling and chunking. When trolling boats will fish five or more rods pulling lures and Ballyhoo, Spanish Mackeral and Mullet. The boat will be moving between five and eight knots. When trolling, you want to create what is called a “spread.” Your spread looks like a school of bait fish to the fish below, thus causing them to spark into feeding mode, and the next thing you know: “Fish on!” Expect to catch Longfin Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna, Wahoo, Mahi, Blue and White Marlin.

Dolphin fish (Mahi). Photo by Jim Gatto

The second method is called chunking, which can be done day and night, as opposed to trolling which is done at night. Chunking using bait such as butterfish, peanut bunker and sardines are most popular in our area. Many anglers will also jig, using a technique of jerking the pole up and dropping it down at a certain depth with a lure.

Another great idea when chunking is to fish live bait such as bluefish or spotfish. Most boats will fish four to five fishing rods with baits at different depths and drift or anchor over structures such as lumps, canyons and depressions. On the chunk, you’ll catch yellowfin tuna, longfin tuna, mahi, and, at night, swordfish. Both chunking and trolling involve running out 35 to over 75 miles offshore, and most trips run by charter boats are from 12 to 30 hours.

Fishing inshore is also a great way to spend some time on the water. It’s a great month for Flounder, Sea Bass, Bluefish and Bonita. Flounder can be caught in the back bays, Delaware Bay and in the ocean. In the back bays Grassy Sound and in front of the Coast Guard base are always great spots for Flounder. You’re fishing the bottom using Flounder rigs, live minnows or stripped squid as bait. This holds true for fishing the Delaware Bay as well. Areas such as Brown Shoal, and the light houses such as Brandywine, Fourteen Foot Bank Light, Abandon Lighthouse, aka the Oldhouse or Blockhouse, and Miah Maull Shoal are great spots.

Wahoo. Photo by Stephen Spagnuola

When fishing for Flounder in the ocean, areas like the Cape May Reef and the Old Grounds are two of my favorites, except to catch larger flounder, but make sure you make your baits a bit longer. Do not be surprised to catch a mixed bag of sea bass and bluefish when fishing in the ocean, as well. The last couple of years have been banner years for inshore trolling for bonitas and bluefish at East Lump. FA buoy and Five Fathom Shoal are a few of the more popular spots. Both party boats and charter boats run inshore and offshore trips. Most trips are from four to eight hours long.

If fishing off a boat is not your game, try fishing under the Ocean Drive bridge and the back bay sod banks during the incoming tide. You’ll catch Bluefish and Striper using lures such as “bucktails,” plugs and jig head with artificial worms or sassy shads. On the ocean side fishing Poverty Beach and all the jetties down past The Point will produce just as well, both day and night.

Well, the month comes to the end with the MA-500 August 16th through the 21st. Boats from around the world come to compete in, boat for boat, the richest fishing tournament in the world! This is also one of the biggest White Marlin tournaments. In 2006 over 250 boats competed in the MA-500 with total prize money close to $2 million. Weigh-ins start at around 4 p.m. and are open to the public free of charge. It’s a standing room-only crowd with hundreds of people on the dock during weigh-in hoping to catch a glance at some of the biggest fish in the ocean.

So, if you’re ready to get in on some of the hottest fishing on the east coast the month of August in Cape May is where it’s at. Fishing not only makes great stories, it brings family and friends together for more than just the average everyday at the beach.

Stephen Spagnuola, a graduate of Visual Arts, New York City, worked as art director for many ad agencies in New York before leaving advertising to pursue fashion photography, and worked on such magazines as Stuff, Flatiron, and Zink. Stephen is a freelance photographer and marketing director for Sea Tow Cape May.. Visit Steve online

Most are born into fishing families, many lose loved ones to the sea. It’s difficult for one to become a fisherman, it’s either in the blood or not. Oh, one can go out and buy a rod and reel, even a 110’ fishing boat, but to really feel the sea, live and die by it, is something else entirely.

I know this first hand because I just ain’t got it in me though I should as I’m surrounded by it. But learning through osmosis doesn’t work. By now I should at least understand some of the lingo — fishermen speak a different language — and be able to catch a fish. I can do neither.

Crab and lobster traps are called “pots”. The “canyon” is a place to fish, not climb. Ropes are sheets and of course the bathroom is called the “head”. Fishermen also tend to drop the “g” from most verbs ending in “ing” and usually omit pronouns or anything that gets in the way of fish.

For example:
Question: “Catchin?’”
Answer: “Caught some weakies yesterday.”
Question: “Keepers?”
Answer: “Nah.”

Translation:
“Have you caught any fish lately?”
“We caught some weakfish.”
“Were they big enough to keep?”
“No.”

The ability to keep a fish depends on size. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in Massachusetts sets limitation on various species which are over-fished or likewise, under-fished. Serving as a sort of scale, the NMFS promotes ecological balance deep beneath the waves. A current point of issue is a proposed ban on catching white marlin. For tournament and sports fishing, this ban is an annoyance and inconvenience which could also be financially devastating to some sports fishing captains and marinas. These captains make their living from charters. And here in Cape May , the South Jersey Marina hosts the Mid-Atlantic $500,000 tournament — the marlin most sought after. Fortunately, most fishermen understand the need for regulations — the striped bass being a prime example.

“That’s good eatin’” everyone says of the striped bass or “striper” in fishermen lingo. Because this fish was such good “eatin’” it was over-fished for years heavily depleting the species.

After a size regulation was placed by the NMFS, there was a lot of grumbling, but as little as two years made a difference in stock quantity. Today the size regulation has been minimized and there are plenty of “stripers” frying in pans across Cape May County .

The commercial fisherman feels these regulations a bit differently. Lives depend on “the catch.” It can be feast or famine. Unfortunately, and certainly unintentionally, endangered fish can get snared inside nets or dragged fishing lines, and are killed. Hence, commercial fishermen face stricter rules and regulations, and livelihoods suffer.

As the non-fisherman-type, I should be lauded by the NMFS. If I had to live on the fish I catch, well, you’d all be saying your adieus to me. I went once on what’s called “the mackerel trip”. It’s the first catch of the spring season, and sports fishermen stock up on mackerel to use as bait for the summer season. Each rod is loaded — I know that’s the wrong lingo, but what the heck — with six or seven, even up to nine hooks and fish are hauled in such. It’s a lot of hard work, but well worth the effort. Summer charters mean money.

I’m not sure why I was along, I rocked back and forth, green at the gills standing mostly in everyone’s way. Perhaps it was to take photographs. If it was, there weren’t many pictures taken that day.

Nevertheless, I was determined to do my share. I cast my line, tugging the pole like the others, and caught nothing. Meanwhile, fish after fish were landed on deck and promptly put on ice. I recast my line, still hopeful — how hard could it be? — and suddenly felt a tug. I had a fish! Perhaps a whole school of fish! I reeled and reeled in the line, ecstatic in my victory, when there at the end flayed one little fish. A tiny fish, certainly not a mackerel or anything like one.

“She caught a herring!” everyone laughed. “Look at the little herring!” That’s when I learned that herring “run” — a real fishing term — with mackerel. And that’s when I knew I had a lot to learn about fishing which might take a couple of lifetimes of experience to even catch up with these folks.

I haven’t caught a fish since, though I’ve tried. Fly fishing off the beach and off the jetties (called “rocks”). It’s a bit ironic, any fish caught would be thrown back. Catch and release. If only they knew.

Sea Star

But I’m not the only hard-luck fisherman out there, but maybe the only truthful one. I could tell you about “the one that got away” — that quintessential avowal one uses when asked “catchin’?”

Martin Dipper, captain of the Sea Star, told CapeMay.com of his “secret” spot. “I always tell my charter we’re going to a secret spot. Then we don’t find any fish, and I tell them that’s the secret!”

Dipper is a bit sarcastic and a bit of a joker. The Sea Star fleet has been operating for at least 20 years and is one of Cape May ’s most popular charter fleets along with the Miss Chris boats. They do catch fish.

As did Bob Pacilli, owner the sports fishing boat, The Penguin, who told CapeMay.com of the 615 pound marlin he caught this summer, though he laughs when he says he caught it “before” the Mid-Atlantic tournament he participated in.

A highlight of the Cape May fishing season is the “Special Kids Fishing Day” sponsored by organizations like the Cape May Marlin Tuna Club and the Elks Club. Last year 47 vessels were donated allowing more than 200 developmentally-disabled children a chance to “hook the big one”.

Miss Chris

Captain Jim Heinhold chairs the event and told CapeMay.com he has used his own vacation time to organize the Association of Retarded Citizens (ARC) clients since 1990. Ironically, despite one of the driest summers on record, the event was canceled due to a northeastern storm. Says Heinhold, “It’s not the rain that cancelled the day but the wind. And I hate disappointing the kids.”

But fishing has been good this summer in Cape May despite — or maybe because of the weather. Flounder has been abundant, as has bluefish, marlin and tuna. The only fish that has been rather sparse is the weakie, that no one has been catchin’.

Fishing has been a major industry in this area since the 19th century, but it is the area’s history and development that has led to the success that the fishing industry enjoys today. Cape May, or Cape Island as it was originally called, did not really begin as an island, but a soil-based part of the mainland. To this day, though one must cross  over the Cape May Canal to reach it, the area where the dock and fish packing plant are located are not a part of the City of Cape May, but rather Cold Spring, a section of Lower Township. The harbor was created in the first few years of the 20th century when the existing wetlands were dredged using hydraulic dredges and suction pumps. In 1901, land east of the harbor was purchased for $10,000 by developers from Pittsburgh.  They filled it in with the dredged soil, with intention to turn it into another Newport, RI.  One million dollars was set aside for the Army Corps of Engineers to accomplish this project, but that turned out not to be enough. The land developers experienced huge cost overruns and eventually were bankrupted.

Due to Cape May’s strategic position at the southernmost tip of New Jersey, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Delaware Bay, the area has historically seen a great deal of activity. There have been reports of piracy, sugar and slave smuggling, rum-running, German U-boats and drug smuggling. The Cape May Canal, connecting the Cape May Harbor with the Delaware Bay, was excavated during World War II as a way to get ships safely from the Atlantic Ocean to Philadelphia while avoiding German U-boats, which lurked off Cape May Point. Today the canal remains an active thoroughfare for recreational boaters and ferry tours. The Cold Spring Fishing Supply Company was started in 1925 and has been owned and operated by the Laudeman family since 1936. “My grandfather came down in the 1920s,” says Keith Laudeman, third generation owner, “he was a fish dealer in Philadelphia.” The Laudemans own three of the boats docked at the wharf, all used for scalloping. A typical trip takes a crew fifty to seventy miles out to sea where they work the continental edge. They are usually gone for two weeks at a time, a typical voyage for most commercial fishermen. Other individually owned boats at the dock are used for catching squid, flounder, lobster, fluke, and round fish, such at trout.

Before a boat can set sail, a captain must go through a series of preparations, from hiring a crew to filling the tank with gas. A typical commercial fishing boat consists of a Captain, First Mate and 5-7 crew. Commercial fishermen are tough, enduring weeks at a time away from family and friends in a labor-intensive job that requires them to rise before dawn and work all day, sometimes until midnight. It is also extremely dangerous work, and is considered to be the single most dangerous industry. Every year in Cape May County fishermen’s lives are lost.

In an effort to take every preventative measure possible, each ship is outfitted with the latest in scientific equipment, including radar, loran (long range navigational device), and the best ship to shore radio. Some boats even have fax machines, and many are hooked up by satellite. The latest high-tech fishing equipment is also on board, including a depth sounder, to sound out depth and outline contours of the ocean floor, and fish scope, to find the schools of fish. The deck of the ship is large for working, and the boat itself is designed with a seaworthy hull that provides maximum refrigerated storage space below for the catch, and minimum, but comfortable, space above for the crew. The engine is economical but powerful enough to hurry the catch back to port. Before a boat leaves port it is filled with up to 10,000 gallons of fuel, 10-15 tons of ice, and enough food and supplies for the crew for the voyage.

Plenty of ice is needed for a voyage to keep the catch fresh. On the dock is an icehouse which produces all the ice needed for each vessel. Once made, large tubes are used to transport the ice to the hull of each ship. Ice is also produced for use in the dock’s packinghouse, where fish is packed before being taken to distribution or processing companies, or retailers interested to sell the fish. Ice is also used for the Lobster House Restaurant, cocktail lounge and fish market. Elmer Widerstrom is captain of the Captain Buckey Smith. He is a third generation fisherman whose grandfather came from Norway. Many fishermen share a Scandinavian ancestry.

“It’s all I’ve known since I could walk.” says Widerstrom. Widerstrom and his crew fish mainly for Bunker, used for industrial purposes such as animal feed, fish meal and oil, though a small percentage is used as bait for fisherman who catch crabs, lobster, tuna and shark. For their purposes, Widerstrom and his crew use two boats and the assistance of an airplane to spot and catch the fish. The fish are located from the sky and the boats are radioed the location. One boat is used to actually catch the fish, and because there is so much of it, a second boat is used just to carry the catch.  The Bunker season begins in May and lasts six months. A good season may bring in as much as 10 million pounds. Strict government regulations restrict the type, amounts and length of time a certain fish can be caught. For example, fluke and lobster are harvested all year long, but flounder and trout can only be caught seasonally.

Arnie Jensen is Captain of The Courageous, a boat used for scalloping. During their time at sea, Jensen and his crew use a process called dredging to find their catch. Each side of the ship is equipped with dredges, which somewhat resemble a lady’s purse with fishing net as the fabric of the purse, connected to a clasp that shuts tight at the top.

For this process, the dredges are lowered into the water and opened, and the net is dragged across the ocean floor. When a sufficient amount has filled the net, the dredges are closed shut and brought back up to the boat with the catch inside. The catch is dumped onto the deck where the crew collect the shells, open them up, and take out the meat, or scallop. The scallops are separated by size and put into bags. The bags are lowered into the boat’s hull and packed in ice. When the hull of the boat is full, Mr. Jensen radios ahead to Bob Walters, Wholesale Fish Manager at the Cold Spring Fishing Company, that they are headed back to port. It is the job of Mr. Walters to find a place to buy the catch.

“He finds a place to sell it,” says Jensen, “cuz there’s no point in getting the fish off the boat if there’s no place for it to go.” Each fishing boat captain must provide Mr. Walters with information about the type of species coming in and the approximate time of arrival. When the boats dock, the fish are shoveled onto a conveyor belt, which goes into the packinghouse. Inside the packinghouse, fish are put into a whirlpool to clean them up, their heads and tails are cut off, and they go through a device that skins them. Then the fish are separated by size and species and put into a container with ice until the combined capacity reaches 55lbs. They are loaded into a truck and sent to the retail markets or distribution and processing companies, some as far away as France or Japan.

Depending on the catch and what it will be used for, some fish are suctioned right off the boats and into refrigerator trucks headed straight to their destinations. Compared to what is caught, only a very small amount is actually sold at the Lobster House fish market or in the restaurant or raw bar. In addition to selling fish caught locally, the fish market also sells imported seafood, including Salmon from Japan, halibut from Alaska and crabmeat from Louisiana.

At the end of a trip the catch is weighed and a value is determined based on the selling price per pound. Forty percent of what is caught goes to the owner of the vessel, then the costs for fuel, ice, food and repairs, fronted by the Cold Spring Fish Packing Plant prior to a trip, are paid back. With the left over money, the boat’s captain and first mate are paid, and whatever is left over is divided among the crew.

Professional fishing is obviously hard work with rewards that are often uncertain.  But it is work that’s as old as civilization and it goes on daily from Cape May’s “Fisherman’s Wharf.”

You can tour Fisherman’s Wharf and see for yourself…

Sponsored and Hosted by The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC)

“I don’t even like fish!” was Nora Dirvin’s response when she was approached to write a tour of the Cold Spring Fish Packing Plant, known to Cape May, New Jersey locals as the Lobster House Dock.  But Dirvin, a retired school teacher and veteran tour guide with the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC) in Cape May, agreed, and thus was born the “Fisherman’s Wharf Tour.”  Twelve years later, the tour continues to bring in locals and visitors, and has seen tour groups as large as 140 people.

The tour begins at the edge of Cape May Harbor, where the dock, sometimes three-deep in commercial fishing boats, is often alive with activity as fishermen unload their catch or prepare their boats for the next journey.

At the end of each Fisherman’s Wharf Tour, visitors are invited to explore the dock and stroll through the fish market.  Visitors are also encouraged not to miss the 37 _ lb. Lobster displayed in the entryway to the Lobster House Restaurant, a surprise catch by Arne Jensen during a routine fishing trip in July of 1985.

After serving for twelve years as tour guide, Nora Dirvin has retired. She is no longer comfortable maneuvering the dock’s misaligned planks, fishing nets and icehouse hoses, and feels the time has come for her to give somebody else the responsibility of telling the fisherman’s story.

Over the years Nora had become a familiar face to the dock’s rough and weathered men. She has weathered a bit herself, but knows it has all been a part of the fun. “People come and look at me and think ‘what does she know about fishing?’ says Dirvin. “I look at them and say, ‘I wrote it!’”

A guided tour of the Fisherman’s Wharf at the Lobster House. Learn how your seafood gets from the sea to your table and discover how Cape May has become the 2nd largest commercial fishing port on the East Coast. Tour lasts approximately 45 minutes.

The tour is available to Cape May visitors on Saturdays and Tuesdays, June through August at 11am, Lobster House Dock, Cape May; Tickets sold here 15 minutes before tour begins: $6 for adults; $3 for children 3-12

As the daughter of a sport fisherman, I watched from afar, and learned to respect the ocean early in life. I saw the passion and enthusiasm this powerful body of water put into my father’s eyes.

The month of August is inarguably one of boating’s busiest. Be it the party boats, filled with first-timers heading out to the bay; 55-foot sport fishers, filled with tanned fisherman with stars in their eyes hoping to catch that big one in the canyon and winning a tournament’s big purse; or sailors, spinnakers flying, all vying for first place rounding the mark.

Purposeful Sailing

The Corinthian Yacht Club of Cape May hosts its seventh annual Volvo Leukemia Cup Sailing Regatta from August 11 to 13. Sailors compete in two days of sailboat racing raising funds for the Leukemia Society’s research grants and patient service programs. The Leukemia Society sponsors some twenty regattas around the nation including Annapolis, Maryland and San Diego, California.

Ralph De Simone, Leukemia Society public relations manager, told CapeMay.com that in the past six years the regatta held in Cape May has raised at total of $235,000 for the Leukemia Society – one of the most successful in the country.

“Every year it’s built upon itself,” added regatta chairman David Schultz.

“The Leukemia Society does an outstanding job organizing the races. Their full-time staff does all of the leg-work and logistics of the event,” Schultz continued. “They organize the parties, dinners, and awards.”

Schultz, who has played an active role in organizing the regatta for the past seven years told CapeMay.com volunteer efforts from the Corinthian Yacht Club members also make the event possible. He said he has six to eight committees with more than one hundred people working to make the weekend a success.

“There’s something for everyone to participate in,” Schultz added, “It’s a family event.

A new addition this year is a Junior Sail-A-Thon. On August 11, young sailors, ages eight to 16, will participate in a sailing parade and help raise further funds for the society.

Raising money for to help those with cancer is the Leukemia Cup’s main objective. Being able to sail for such a worthwhile cause has made it one of the most popular events the yacht club sponsors. For all of their hard work and dedication, regatta participants receive awards and incentive prizes such as gift certificates and entrance into a nationwide drawing for a Volvo car and a $5,000 West Marine shopping spree.

All the incentive prizes are donated by national corporations and local businesses, and volunteers, like Lisa Thorndike, work throughout the year to collect them

Thorndike told CapeMay.com an auction open to the public is held the last night of the regatta with one of the prizes being auctioned off a one-night stay at the The Southern Mansion in Cape May.

Thorndike, who was the top fundraiser in last year’s regatta, has also placed collection boxes throughout Cape May in the following locations: WaWa, Swain’s True Value Hardware, Uncle Bill’s Pancake House, Dry Dock, Whiskers, McDowell’s Gallery, Carney’s and Mother Grimm’s Bears.

Direct donations can be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Southern New Jersey Chapter, 216 Hadden Ave. Suite 328, Westmont, NJ 08108.

“The Richest Marlin & Tuna Tournament in the World”

The Mid-Atlantic $500,000 Tournament, scheduled to begin August 20, is advertised by its sponsor, South Jersey Marina, as “the richest marlin and tuna tournament in the world.” This is indisputable, with $1,290,500.00 in prize money paid out last year alone. One hundred and fifty boats from California to Texas to New York travel annually to Cape May to participate in this tournament. The pressure is high, as are the expectations, while the captains and crew prepare for three days of competitive fishing.

The rules are simple and limited: five days are allotted for the tournament, each boat fishes only three of those days – the captain’s choice, and all-tackle International Game Fish Association (IGFA) rules must be followed.

Sport fishing, specifically off-shore tournament fishing, is truly the rich man’s sport. The entry fee alone is $6,000. This does not include money for calcuttas (side wagers), which are optional and cost an additional $10,000. Add on bait, tackle, food, drink, lodging, the captain’s wages, the mate’s wages, wear and tear on a boat, approximately $2,500 in fuel, you’ll find – excuse the pun – the tournament awash in money.

With over 2,000 people to accommodate during the week of August 20, assistant tournament director Rob Starr is a busy man. He did take a minute to talk to CapeMay.com. Starr told this magazine that fishermen participate in the tournament for the money but added that the other important aspect of the tournament is the friendly competition among the fishermen.

“The initial attraction to the tournament is the money,” Starr said. “But it’s just as much about the camaraderie.”
Starr said the Mid-Atlantic $500,000, now in its eighth year, was the first million-dollar tournament of its kind in the United States. It has started a trend of big money tournaments spreading from its origins in Cape May all the way to California.

Another Special Cause

The month of August comes to an end with a third boating event on August 30 in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape May. The Special Kids Fishing Tournament, begun in 1987, has become a favorite of local party, charter, and private boat owners and captains. These men and women forfeit a day’s revenue to treat the Association of Retarded Citizens’ members and coaches to a day of fishing.

Approximately 100 area boats participate in the tournament, the sole purpose being to show the more than 300 athletes and coaches a good time.

There’s no money involved — the owners, captains, and crews of the boats volunteer their time in exchange for the smiles and celebrations that follow the catch of a flounder, weakfish or even a pesky stingray.

The event is sponsored by the Cape May Marlin and Tuna Club, the Cape May County Party and Charter Boat Association and the Elks Lodge of Somers Point, New Jersey.

Bob Rasmussen, a member of the Cape May Marlin and Tuna Club, owns a 53-foot Ocean Yacht sport fishing boat and has volunteered his time and boat, Razzy’s Raft, in the Special Kids Tournament for more than ten years.

“It’s a great thing to do,” Rasmussen said. “It’s my best day on the water.”

One can quite literally see its affect on land and ocean, along the beach front and under bridges, on jetties and rock piles be it bay or sea, and on skiffs and dinghies and dories and cruisers and crafts of all shapes and sizes.

Its fervor is heard everywhere.

The gas station attendant invariably questions, “you catchin’ yet?” this time of year. “The weakies are running,” reports the mailman. And the woman standing in line at the local hardware store? That woman who’s a member of the Board of Education as well as the city’s Planning Board, and the one who manages the church food closet? “Caught a keeper striper yesterday!” she boasts.

Yes, fishing fever is here. It’s more like a fishing frenzy in Cape May, a town with eleven commandments — thou shall fish rounding out the bunch. A place where being “seaworthy” is next to Godliness. An island uniquely placed where the Delaware Bay shakes hands with the Atlantic Ocean.

Fishing begins earlier in the year in Cape May than in most other seaside towns along the New Jersey coast. The warmer bay waters lure mackerel and herring mid-March, followed quickly by weakfish and the most revered of all local fish — the striped bass, known simply as “striper” in these parts. To land a “keeper” striper, one measuring 28 inches or longer, is certainly a trophy to brag about.

Living by the sea — and for some, from the sea — generates extraordinary circumstances and responsibilities. It becomes a way of life with its own language, both verbal and physical.

Notice the barefoot man riding an old bike, milk carton strapped to the back and fishing pole in hand. Anywhere else, one would consider him secondary, hardly worth the glance. But in Cape May, he’s the vice president of one of the largest insurance agencies in the state.

Annually, spring fishing begins on land and sea. Party boat captains — those who earn their living running charters — fish for the mackerel and herring for use as bait during the summer months when fishing for the larger catch. During this mackerel “trip” as it is called, the fish are caught hand over fist, most poles averaging six hooks apiece.

“Captain Fred” Ascoli runs the Miss Chris Fishing Fleet out of Cape May.

With eyes ever watchful and words matter-of- fact, his face does not belie the fact he’s a man who’s spent most of his life at sea – respectful and reverent of its ways, reaping its benefits. Living off the sea is a difficult existence, financially inconsistent at best and deadly at worst. A life governed solely by the weather where one checks wind conditions and tide tables as regularly as a landlubber glances at a watch.

But Captain Fred says he wouldn’t have it any other way. The sea is everything, he says and plans to fish as long as he’s able.

“I’ve loved to fish since I was a kid,” he told CapeMay.com. “And I’ve always liked taking care of other people fishing. My dad would take me out and I’d help net and cut the bait. As soon as I turned twenty-one, I got my captain’s license.”

Twenty years later, Captain Fred says his knowledge of ocean’s bottom is “priceless.” “Forty miles out, I know every wreck, hole, rock and slew,” he says. “I fish eleven months of the year in every kind of weather imaginable.”

From February through December, the Miss Chris ventures to the “rips” — the natural area at the mouth the bay where the “upwelling” of water entices marine life of all sizes to feed – and further.

“Between the weather, the varieties of fish and the ocean itself, no two days are ever the same,” Captain Fred says. “And that’s the challenge and thrill of it for me. I enjoy seeking out the fish and watching my charters catch them. For many it’s their first fish. Their excitement is mine, and that’s what it’s all about.”

So it seems it’s the challenge of finding and catching – whether keeping or releasing – that leads people to dedicate hours to the hobby and lifetimes to the profession.  On the water, or off, the same thrill is there.

On the Rocks…

For Bob Jackson, this thrill of the catch combines with a passion for nature.

He fishes the beaches, jetties and rock piles along the bay and the beach.  A surf fisherman, Jackson owns a bait and tackle store in West Cape May where he rents equipment and leads surf fishing expeditions. He told CapeMay.com it’s the same challenge on land as sea and of the integral part nature plays in a fisherman’s world.

“I come out here practically every day,” Jackson said during an interview on the beach. “Right now, I’m waiting for the weakfish to come in. I heard a few were caught already.”

Jackson explained his passion for fishing as he wedged the four poles into the sand. “I love the beach and the ocean, watching the birds and other life,” he said emphatically. “Watching the birds, where they flock and feed tells fishermen where to look.”

“This place we have here, this place we call home, is one of the most unique areas around. And I worry about it. If we don’t protect it now, it won’t be here for the next generation.”

“I don’t always take the fish home that I catch,” he continued. “Mostly I catch and release, unless I know I’m going to have it for dinner that night. I’ll never freeze fish, if I know I’m not going to eat it that night I always throw it back.”

Over-fishing, in fact, has forced state and national regulations on most types of fishing. The striper population, for example, was so depleted that strict rules have been enforced this last decade. Until this year, only two fish — both measuring 28 inches or longer — were allowed to be kept. This year, a third is being allowed and must measure at least 24 inches — a good sign that these regulations are working.

But over-fishing is but one threat Jackson sees. Over development and man’s seeming insensitivity to nature could put Cape May’s current “quality of life” as well as its economics in jeopardy.

“Cape May is one of the world’s foremost bird migratory paths,” Jackson said. “Thousands of bird watchers from all over the world come here. The World Series of Birding is held here. And birds follow food. Over development removes exhausts their food supply and natural habitat.”

Jackson cites the town’s beach cleaning machine as another infringement on the environment. It’s a large sweeping machine which does its job well, removing all debris from the beach. Jackson thinks it does its job a bit too well.

“I remember for years there were huge amounts and varieties of crabs that lived on the beach,” he said. “Today I’m hard pressed to find any. The beach cleaner eats up that which they need to feed on. And remember, sea birds and fish feed on crabs. It’s all connected. And we as a people are connected to that, too. We must think about these things.”

In the Canyon…

Captain James "Rookie" Heinold

Nature’s vulnerability is not lost on those who “fish the big ones” like marlin, shark and tuna. Beginning in  mid-June, these “sports fishermen” often fish near the 100 fathom line, locally called “the Canyon,” the edge of the Continental Shelf which attracts small bait fish that draw in the larger ones.

Captain James “Rookie” Heinold fishes the canyon every summer in various tournaments including the prestigious Mid-Atlantic $500,000 — one of the largest cash purses in the sport. Rookie — captain of the 48-foot Ocean Yacht Second Time Around — told CapeMay.com tournament fishing is a “gentlemen’s sport,” mostly catch and release.

“Most of the big fish caught in tournament fishing are catch and release,” he said. “Because there are no tournament monitors per se on the boat, your word is your honor. Often there are hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake. If you’re caught cheating, odds are you’ll never be allowed to enter another tournament.”

These fishermen go so far as to tag the fish before releasing them so they may be monitored by the Billfish Foundation, a non-profit organization conserving and enhancing billfish populations worldwide through scientific research, education, and advocacy. If by chance the fish is caught again, the original angler receives a plaque from the foundation.

Of course, not all fish must be thrown back and certainly not all are. Fish caught and cooked the very same day is commonplace in these parts. And it’s the rare resident seen during fishing season at a market buying fish.

“Caught a bunch of weakfish, want some?” asks the neighbor around the corner. “How ’bout some sea bass? The drumfish are starting to run. I’m goin’ fishin’ next week. They’re good eatin’!”

Whether fishing the rocks, chartering a party boat or deep sea fishing, the thrill and challenge of fishing can be addicting. “Hooked on fishing,” reads many a bumper sticker in Cape May.  Smiled Jim “Rookie” Heinold, “It’s something you’ll never forget.”

If you go …

Party Boat Fishing

• Fish run at different times of the year. The early spring season starts with mackerel, herring, striped bass and are followed chronologically by tautog, flounder, weakfish (or sea bass), bluefish, croakers, porgies, shark, marlin, swordfish and tuna. Striped bass return in the fall.
• Party boats run daily through the summer. Captain Fred Ascoli says it’s important to show up at least a half-hour before the boat is due to sail. Usually, a 4-hour trip and an 8-hour trip are available.
• Captain Fred also says soft-soled shoes should be worn and it is imperative to dress for the weather. It is also advisable to take along sunscreen, a hat and a jacket or extra sweatshirt.
• Rods and reels are available at extra cost. Bait is supplied.
• Professional crews are on board to handle the “first-timer” through the expert.
• Any fish caught will be cleaned any no charge. “Just take it home and cook it,” Captain Fred says.
• Photographs are available at the end of the day.

Surf Fishing

• Bob Jackson also says it is important to dress for the weather agreeing sunscreen, a hat and a jacket or extra sweatshirt are necessary items to bring along.
• Bob offers two and four hour surf and fly fishing trips as well as seminars..
• “Come visit the center to get your needed bait and tackle,” invites Bob. “Or take one of my fishing seminars so you too can enjoy the outdoors with surf fishing.”

Sport Fishing

Boat charters to the Canyon can be booked by calling the South Jersey Fishing Center at 884-0177.

And if you get lucky!

Striped bass has been long admired as one of the finest “eating fishes” around. Firm and white-fleshed, it’s subtle flavor can stand alone grilled, baked or pan-fried. For a delicious treat — especially with freshly-caught striper — try this simple beurre blanc sauce.

Lemon Beurre Blanc

4 Tbs. shallot, minced
4 Tbs. fresh garlic, minced
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (lime juice may be substituted)
2/3 cup white wine
8 Tbs. lightly salted butter, cut into pieces and chilled

Combine shallot, garlic, lemon or lime juice and white wine in small saucepan. Over medium-high heat, reduce mixture to 3 tablespoons. Set aside. Grill, bake or pan-fry fish. Just before serving, return pan to low heat and whisk in butter, a piece at a time stirring just until soft (not melted), removing pan from heat if necessary, until mixture emulsifies. Spoon over fish and garnish with fresh chives, if desired. Serves four.

When people sit down to enjoy a meal consisting of a fine fillet of sole, or lobster, or clams and other treats from the sea, they are partaking in the final step of an arduous progression through a major industry.

The seafood industry, which includes the dangerous occupation of commercial fishing, the processing and wholesale distribution of catches, and retail sales to consumers by shops and restaurants, is a vital and well-established aspect of life on Cape Island. Second only to the tourism industry, the Port of Cape May — which includes Wildwood and the stretch of Lower Township that lies between the two communities — is the second busiest site for the off-loading of seafood on the East Coast. New Bedford, Massachusetts, is number one.

Commercial fishing vessels and their crews from East Coast ports including clammers, lobstermen, scallopers and net fishermen, stop here throughout the year to off-load their catches.

The major fishing and processing operations in Cape May include Lund Fisheries, Atlantic Cape Fisheries and Axelsson and Johnson, all on Ocean Drive, as well as the Cold Spring Fish and Supply Co. and its associated Lobster House operation located on Fisherman’s Wharf at Schellenger’s Landing.

Commercial fishing is dangerous — very dangerous. Just last month, a local fisherman working aboard a vessel out of Atlantic Cape Fisheries was washed overboard in rough seas. A thorough search by the Coast Guard and other fishing vessels proved fruitless and he was presumed lost.
Through the decades, many Cape May fishing families have lost loved ones to the sea. A 22-day period between December of 1998 and January of 1999 saw five commercial fishing vessels sink and 11 lives lost.

When the 33-foot Predator sank on its way back to Ocean City, Maryland, one man was lost and one rescued.

The four men aboard the 84-foot Beth Dee Bob on its way back to Point Pleasant, New Jersey and the four aboard the 74-foot Adriatic returning to Atlantic City were all lost when their vessels foundered. And the 105-foot Cape Fear went down off New Bedford, Massachusetts, with two men lost and three survivors. A fishermen’s memorial dedicated to those lost at sea stands at the end of Missouri Avenue in Cape May. A stone statue of a woman with two children gaze across the harbor towards the sea. Often, it is found surrounded by fresh flowers put there by friends and relatives.

Despite the danger, the industry continues to thrive. Seafood is caught, processed and distributed so that people can enjoy a fine meal on any given day of the year.

The Cold Spring Fish and Supply Company and its associated Lobster House operation are among the most frequented sites for visitors to Cape Island. This enterprise, owned by the Laudeman family, encompasses all aspects of the seafood industry from fishing to the dinner plate. The company owns three commercial fishing vessels and about 20 independent boats.

From humble beginnings as a one-man operation, the business now employs about 500 people at the height of the season. Its goes back about some 75 years.

Jesse Laudeman, born in the late 1890s, moved from Philadelphia to Wildwood in 1926 and started a wholesale fish business which he operated from Otten’s Harbor. He moved to the Two Mile Dock on Ocean Drive several years later.

In 1939, he purchased the Cape May dock (known today as Fisherman’s Wharf) from the Reading Railroad. The property contained Bateman’s Restaurant and a marine bar, which Laudeman leased out while running his wholesale fish operation. Jesse, his wife Veaud and his 21-year-old son Wally took over the 60-seat restaurant in 1953 and renamed it The Lobster House. Over the years the family expanded the restaurant to the 650-seat facility it is today.

The Grand Bank Schooner American was acquired and moored to Fisherman’s Wharf in 1965, a seafood take-out was added in 1970, the Raw Bar becoming part of the operation in 1985.
Approximately 11-million pounds of seafood are off-loaded annually at Fisherman’s Wharf for distribution to points throughout the globe. 600,000 pounds of flounder, 120,000 pounds of lobster, and 1.5 million pounds of sea scallops as well as numerous quantities of at least 18 other seafood varieties pass through the plant on its way to stores throughout the world. A good portion ends up in markets within a 300 to 400-mile radius of Cape May.

The processing, distribution and supply operation consists of a packing house, an ice-making plant, a cutting room, and conveyer belts to move the fish from point to point within the facility.

The Lobster House Restaurant and its Fish Market also purchase a great deal of seafood to supply its large operation. Most visitors to Cape May don’t leave the island without dining at the Lobster House, or stopping for a plate of clams-on-the-half-shell at the scenic raw bar, or without a “goodie” bag from the fish market or take-out counter.

The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC), well-known for its various tours of historic Cape May, also provides tours of the Laudeman operation. They are scheduled at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from June 20 through the end of summer.