Dave Lilly’s team sweeps South Jersey fluke event

The Wizz did it again! Since weigh-ins by car were acceptable in the Holliday Beach Club Fluke Tournament, Dave Lilly’s team was able to fish their familiar and productive NY/NJ Bight waters before driving to Creekside Outfitters in Waretown to sweep everything in the contest– starting with Nick LaViola’s 9.5-pounder They added 6-and-5 1/2-pounders while releasing many 3-4-pound fluke despite wind against current conditions in the depths of Ambrose Channel.

Lilly said they ended up fishing with 16 ounces in order to hold bottom in 105 feet at the time the big fluke turned on to jigs and Gulp for the seventeenth win of his tournament career.

Dave Lully’s son Jeremy holds Nick La Viola’s 9.5-pounder plus a 6 as his father’s team weighed in at Waretown

As the annual JCAA statewide fluke tournament illustrates, the top 10 at northern Jersey ports are much larger than those at southern ports.

Striped bass are still a target in the N.Y. Harbor area. Capt. Joe Massa has not only been targeting them at times, but also released a 46-incher while drifting Gulp for fluke.

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Chris Hendo with one of the many large stripers still being caught from Capt. Vinny Vetere’s Katfish out of Great Kills.

Gen Wong with a NY/NJ Bight fluke

The cold front this morning was a negative for the school stripers and small blues that had been hitting plugs for Vinny D’Anton in the Monmouth County surf. Yet that was no problem at all for the fluke as there was a hit on every cast with Gulp — though none were keepers.

Monday’s forecast is for northwest winds at just 5-10 knots before going west in the afternoon.