The black drumfish season in Delaware Bay has been the best in decades. Appropriately, two of the four prizes in the Spring Segment of The Press 2008 Bent Rods Fishing Contest went to anglers who caught big drum. The black drum winner is a no-brainer. Nick Henry of Millville caught a pending state-record 109-pound drum in Delaware Bay on May 28. That fish is also a Press Fishing Contest record, breaking the old mark of 105 pounds caught by George Newett of Villas in 1995. Henry earns a $150 prize offered by Jim's Bait and Tackle Shop in Cape May. The Spring Segment orginally had three $150 prizes, but Jim Wallace added a fourth to the list to include drum. John Brittin Jr., a 10-year-old from Marmora, is the Youth Division champ in the first segment with a 69-pound drum he caught on June 7 in Delaware Bay. Brittin can claim his $150 prize from Gibson's Bait and Tackle in Sea Isle City. The other hands-down winner was Walter Johnson of Medford, taking the striped bass award with a 59-pound, 6-ounce fish he caught on June 6 in Beach Haven Inlet. That $150 prize is from Absecon Bay Sportsman Center in Absecon. Raymond Buck of Millville won the Freshwater Division with a 4-pound, 8-ounce rainbow trout he caught in Mary Elmer Lake. Capt. Howard's Bait and Tackle in Egg Harbor City sponsored that prize. The Spring Segment of The Press Fishing Contest ran from April 1-June 21. The Summer Segment began on June 22 and continues to Sept. 13. It carries three original $150 prizes: Flounder offered by Ray Scott's Dock in Margate, Offshore (3 miles and out) from Moran's Dockside in Avalon and Inshore (inside 3 miles including inlets, rivers and bays). Robin Scott at Ray Scott's Dock is putting up an addition $150 prize for kingfish. To be eligible, fish must be caught within the Summer Segment time frame. The Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament held June 21 is always a season highlight. The contest attracted 348 women who competed on 68 boats. They raised $60,000 for the AtlantiCare Ruth Newman Shapiro Mobile Mammography Fund. The crew of the Fish Story III won the heaviest-fish title with a 15.75 bluefish. The anglers were Jodi Botteri, Joann Cort, Tracy Tullio, Erin Geary, Nancy Stites and Trish Borges. John Botteri was the captain and Eric Brown the mate. The Good Grief had the three-heaviest fish for a total weight of 43.53. The anglers were Danielle Brooks, Michelle Wechsier, Helena Penza, Mary Grace Cooke, Bridgette Pierce and Natalie Maga. John Brooks was the captain and Pete Brietinger was the mate. Tournament director Kim Kirk said the 10-year total money raised hit $380,000. *** The back bays are 'teeming' with flounder, according to Scott at Ray Scott's Dock. The latest example is an outing by Bill Mendenhall Sr. and Jr. and a third angler known as Skip on Wednesday. The Mendenhalls have been fishing out of Scott's for many years. Bill Sr. told Scott that this was the best fishing day he's ever had. Here's why: 162 throwbacks and four keepers to 20 inches. Scott said Mendenhall reported most of the fish taken were 16-17 1/2 inches in length. They left the dock at 5:30 a.m., fished the Margate back bays over the top of the tide until 2 p.m. or so. They returned to the dock once because they ran out of bait. They were using a variety of baits, according to Scott. Striped bass are in Great Egg Inlet and Absecon Inlet. They are taking live bait such as snagged bunker plus herring. There are still bass in the 30-45 pound range hanging around. Atlantic City firefighter Joe DiMelia got a 46-pound bass while fishing from his paddle surfboard off Brigantine, according to Andy Grossman at Riptide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine. Kingfish are heavy in the Brigantine surf, and along some of the other southern New Jersey beaches, recently appearing along the southern end of Long Beach Island. Margaret O'Brien at Jingle's Bait and Tackle in North Beach Haven said the bluefish moved out and the kings moved in. She said surfcasters can fish one side of a jetty and catch kingfish and fish the other side and get flounder. Neat surfcasting combo going on a LBI. Flounder are thick in the LBI back waters, too. O'Brien said Middle Grounds and Intracoastal 109 are two good stretches, and Gulp are the hot item to catch them with. She said the keeper ratio there is sometimes as high as one in five. Mike Shepherd is the retired sports editor of The Press. His Shep on Fishing column and Hot Spot appears Tuesday and Saturday in the sports section and Thursday in At the Shore. Call 609-350-0388 or email: sheponfishing@yahoo.com

updated on: Monday, 06/30/08