<b>Staten Island</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/12:***</b> Winter flounder will be the first fish targeted this season, said Capt. Anthony from <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b> in an e-mail. The angling will get under way on the vessel April 1, with daily, open-boat trips for the flatties. Charters will also be available, and anglers on board last year slam-dunked the fish, good-sized ones, too. Blackbacks 2 ½ pounds were not uncommon. Trips did fill up last year, so book while available. Striped bass fishing will be next on the boat, with trips for monster linesiders from May to July. Last year’s catches were phenomenal with Barbara Anne, he said, and 40-some-pounders were sometimes clobbered. Open trips will run daily for the linesiders around twilight, and departure times will depend on the tide. Reservations are required. Charters will chase the bass during the rest of the day. In summer fluke fishing will begin, and last year, despite tough regulations that made no sense, anglers on deck “still managed to experience some of the best fluke fishing our area has to offer,” he said. Whether bucktailing in the ocean to the south or fishing big sand eels at Ambrose Channel or around the wrecks near the Fisherman Buoy, some big fluke to 8 pounds got hauled in. Bluefishing on the boat will last from summer to fall, and last year’s bluefish trips were some of the best, lock and load, and large striped bass were mixed in. Blackfishing also gets going in fall, and although last year’s weather wreaked havoc, forcing many trips to be cancelled, the quantity and quality of the tog were above average when trips could sail. Up to 11-1/2- and 12-pounders were creamed. Available dates for all trips will be listed on the Captain’s Log on Barbara Anne’s web site. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? No problem. Call Anthony, and he can usually pair you up with other anglers to create a full charter.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

A couple of surf anglers stopped by during the weekend to pick up supplies, but they never returned and reported results, said Joe from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. That was about the only news, and Joe apologized that there was nothing else to say. “Time to work on the boat,” he said. Fresh clams are stocked for bait for the surf or fishing elsewhere, and worms will be carried starting March 1, when striper season opens in the bays and rivers. Julian’s is open daily until noon or 1 p.m. when the weather is fair.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/12:***</b> Party-boat anglers belted a few blackfish in the past week, but some of the boats were now supposed to start taking long-range trips for cod that anglers from Montauk were already hammering at Cox’s Ledge, said Ben from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. That’s a run from Jersey, and one of the Belmar boats slated a 24-hour trip that will leave Friday. The cod were supposedly good-sized, and pollock were also caught. Nobody really did any other type of fishing along the coast, including surf angling. Fisherman’s Den is open until 10 a.m. daily.

<b>Brielle</b>

Anglers whacked sea bass and jumbo porgies, a good catch, a mix of the fish, at the offshore wrecks Friday on the <b>Jamaica</b>, an e-mail from the boat said. Many limited out on sea bass and put quality numbers of porgies on ice, and ling and pollock were sometimes beaten. A trip Saturday at a different area clocked larger sea bass, but fewer fish, much slower angling. Plenty of life was marked around the wrecks on the trips, but currents were strong. Pool winners on Friday included Frank Graziano from Wilmington, Del., with a 24-pound pollock. He also limited out on sea bass and bagged 20 porgies. On Saturday Ray Roscoe from Newark, N.J., limited out on sea bass but was the exception. Water temps lately held steady at 49 degrees, and fish kept migrating to the grounds. Overnight trips are sailing to the offshore wrecks every Wednesday and every Friday through Sunday, and visit the boat’s web site for the full schedule, additional trips and specials. Or visit the site to be added to the boat’s e-mail list to be kept up-to-date on that info. <b>***Update, Thursday, 2/12:***</b> A trip Wednesday produced, an e-mail from the Jamaica said. A mix of sea bass, jumbo porgies, ling and a few cod were swung over the rails, a mess of the fish. Pool winners were Buford Sullivan from Irvington, N.J., with a 10-pound cod and Bill Bollendorf from Warminster, Pa., with a 5-1/2-pound sea bass. The scope marked lots of life around the wrecks fished. Space is available on this week’s trips, including the one leaving Friday night. Keep in mind that a trip will fish on Presidents Day on Monday, leaving Sunday night. Special cod trips might be added to the schedule soon.

<b>The Reel Seat</b> reopened on weekends, Chuck said, after the doors had been closed in January for a winter break. Although the shop opened, no customers reported fishing. The most recent news was that Chuck and Dave, the shop’s owner, loaded up on sea bass on the party boat Voyager a couple of weeks ago. Chuck was asked whether anybody mentioned herring fishing at Manasquan Inlet, but he said no. The Reel Seat is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays until the hours are increased in March. The <a href=" http://www.ssfff.net/fundraiser.html" target="_blank"> The Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund’s second annual fund-raising dinner </a> will take place 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, March 6, at Crystal Point Yacht Club in Point Pleasant, and visit the web site to purchase tickets.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/12:***</b> Mostly ling were wrangled aboard the <b>Dauntless</b>, but a few cod, somewhat more than before, and occasional blackfish, not too many, were also decked, Capt. Butch said. Some of the cod were hefty, like a couple on Wednesday that weighed 10 to 20 pounds. Depths 120 to 150 feet were fished, and the water surface was 38 degrees. The warmer bottom was apparently chilling down, getting closer to the surface temp, because ling fishing tapered off a bit. Still, patrons probably averaged 10 to 20 fish apiece. The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and is one of the few boats in Jersey that targets the inshore waters all winter long.

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/12:***</b> Offshore trips came back with decent sea bass catches, though the bite dropped off a little, said Ronnie from <b>Fisherman’s Supply</b>. That remained the best game in town, and almost the only one. Customers bought Sabiki rigs to try jigging for herring at Manasquan Inlet, but nobody came back and talked about results. Ronnie kept seeing anglers try for the herring but saw none catch. Nobody reported surf fishing. Anglers preparing for winter flounder season will be the next big thing, and the season usually opens toward the end of March. After the opening the local flatties typically begin biting in northern Barnegat Bay, making their way down the Manasquan River to the ocean, as the offshore migration unfolds. New products for 2009 are always arriving at the shop, and stop by to look around. Also catch new products and special deals at the shop’s exhibits at the outdoor shows this winter.  <a href=" http://jssfishingclubsurfday.com/Surf_Day.html " target="_blank">Surf Day</a> at Brookdale Community College on Saturday, February 21, is one of the first.

Twelve-hour cod trips were cancelled that were supposed to start running on Fridays on the <b>Voyager</b>, because reports said cod fishing was poor on the local grounds, the report on the boat’s web site said. A friend who runs a party boat from Long Island even said catches there were slow. So the Voyager’s crew thinks cod fishing should at least be postponed. But the cancelled cod trips meant the boat would now add overnight sea bass trips to the schedule on Thursdays. The offshore trips will run every Thursday through Saturday. No report about sea bassing on the Voyager was posted for the weekend, but if one rolls in, it’ll be added here. During trips the previous week lots of sea bass were creamed.   

<b>Seaside</b>

A few anglers actually hit the beach Sunday to try for a first keeper striped bass of the season, said the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s web site. No catches were reported, but “just getting out of the house for a few hours was good for the personal mental health index,” the site said. A few also fished the wash Saturday, but no catches were mentioned. At least the cold weather broke for a moment, especially on Sunday. “Enjoy it while it lasts,” the site said.  Winter wasn’t over yet. New products kept coming in for the new season, including Accurate’s new twin-drag spinning and baitcasting reels that offer the ability to stop strong fish in a smaller-sized reel; Reaction Strike’s 6- and 10-inch Striper Candies in several colors; and VMC hooks to replace worn out hooks on lures. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.   

<b>Mystic Island</b>

People were out and about Sunday during spring-like weather, the first pleasant day in some time, and quite a few minnows and grass shrimp were sold for bait, said the report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site. Nothing was posted about catches, but maybe that news will go up today or soon. Check <a href=" http://www.scottsbt.com/fishing/report.htm " target="_blank"> the site’s report</a> for an update. Scott was out Sunday to try to catch more minnows to re-fill the supply after the rush that day. Although nothing was mentioned about the fish customers chased with the bait, they likely hunted white perch on the rivers like the Mullica or pickerel on the ponds and lakes, the usual fare in winter. Live grass shrimp are the favorite perch bait, and the shop is one of the few, if not the only one, that carries them through the cold months. Minnows and bloodworms, also carried at the shop, can also be used for perch. Minnows are also a top bait for pickerel that especially become active in winter.  <b>***Update, Thursday, 2/12:***</b> Boaters picked up bait for perch fishing at Collins Cove, but none came back and reported whether they hooked up, Scott said. Ice certainly disappeared at the cove. Anglers also stopped by to get spinners and crank baits for fishing on the lakes, and interest in freshwater fishing was heating up. The anglers likely hoped to land a largemouth bass but were more likely to tangle with pickerel that bite in cold waters. Atlantic blueback herring might start to show up, traditionally appearing in places like the Mystic Island lagoons around Valentine’s Day. Some anglers leave lights on overnight at their docks, and that must attract some sort of forage for the herring, because the bluebacks, 9- or 10-inch fish, show up about a week afterward. Small gold spoons flung under the lights will catch them. Anglers land them for fun more than anything. Herring can be excellent bait for striped bass, but local stripers only key in on herring around May, when warmer waters get them active. Probably little use freezing herring now for bait later, because in May live or fresh herring that will be around will be the bait to use. In the early season bloodworms are the go-to bait for local striped bass, like at Graveling Point on Great Bay at the end of Radio Road at Mystic Island. That’s actually one of the best spots in the state for early season striper fishing, and anglers will gather along the banks as soon as striper season opens in the bays and rivers on March 1. The countdown is on: only 17 days. The shop was beginning to catch up on rod and reel repairs. Get them in to be ready for spring, before a waiting list develops. Business was cranking at the store’s web site <a href="http://www.pennparts.com" target="_blank"> PennParts.com</a>, because anglers in winter tinker with tackle. PennParts.com features mail order for every Penn part manufactured, and many that are no longer made. But the site is also a public service with a wealth of information, like schematics available free online. Check it out.

<b>Absecon</b>

Skim ice mostly kept anglers from fishing for white perch up the rivers, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. But with the warmer weather, that might’ve changed, and Dave knew a couple of anglers who took trips for perch in the balmy weather Sunday but were yet to report back. The opening of striped bass season on March 1 in the bays and rivers was only weeks away. Customers will especially become active then, including to claim the shop’s annual awards for the season’s first keeper stripers weighed in. The awards traditionally make the shop one of the first in the state to report the catches, and the first bass are usually nailed at places like the Great Egg Harbor River and the warm shallows in Delaware Bay. Keep an eye on the store’s web site for info about the prizes that will be posted. The shop is open during no set hours until striper fishing kicks in, but Dave is usually there. Call ahead to confirm.

<b>Longport</b>

Sea bass got pounded on an open-boat trip to the 70-mile wrecks Saturday on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. The five anglers aboard each came close to limiting out, and the fish weighed up to 6 ½ pounds, and each patron scored some that weighed 3 pounds or more. Small tilefish were also caught, and seas were calm at first. Double- and triple-headers were smoked on the first two or three drops, and then winds started to build seas, and 20- to 24-ounce weights were needed to hold bottom. Fishing became too difficult, so the trip ran home in stiff seas with plenty of fish in the box. Still, the trip lasted 13 hours, and the official schedule is 12 hours or 4 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Mike was willing to stay, but the anglers had enough. Sea bassing is dishing up solid catches, and bagging the fish is a given when the weather cooperates, and the season’s been good this year. Open-boat trips are chasing the knotheads daily whenever weather-windows open up, and call to reserve and to be kept informed of when the trips will run. Cod and pollock trips to the 40- and 50-mile wrecks will head out this coming Monday, Presidents’ Day; and on the Saturdays of February 21 and 28. Those fish were surprisingly active last year in late February into March, and again, the trips will run 4 a.m to 4 p.m., and call to reserve. <b>***Update, Thursday, 2/12:***</b> Open trips on Sunday and Monday, Presidents’ Day, will hunt down cod and pollock at the 30-mile wrecks, Mike said. The open trip in two Saturdays will go after sea bass farther offshore. Call to claim spots.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Long-range trips to the offshore wrecks walloped sea bass, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Several local boats this winter were running overnighters for the fishing, and one of the trips that left Thursday limited out on the knotheads to 7 or 8 pounds at the 60-mile wrecks. That fishing and angling for white perch up the brackish rivers were the main options for anglers along the coast. The perch fishing was great on the Tuckahoe River toward Tuckahoe and Corbin City and on Patcong Creek around Linwood.  Check out the store’s Wilderness Systems Kayaks for fishing, available in all sizes and styles. The ‘yaks are newly stocked both rigged and unrigged for fishing, and all the accessories are available for custom rigging. Waters around Ocean City are full of areas perfect for kayak-fishing that are inaccessible by boat. Kayaking can be a great way to reach honey holes that can be fished practically no other way, and is also suitable for anglers previously without a boat to get a feel for fishing from a vessel. Sales of the vessels were going well, and customers were showing lots of interest. Fin-Atics is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, resuming full-time hours March 1.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/12:***</b> Today is about two weeks until March 1, the opening of striped bass season in the bays and rivers, so it’s not a bad time to start thinking about going after the linesiders. Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>, almost always the first captain on this site to catch a striper each year, will be disappointed if he doesn’t land his first by March 15, he said. He’ll first hit the bay where the outflow from the Beesley’s Point power plant warms waters and maybe other haunts that traditionally make the fish active in the early season. Flies usually catch his first, because shallow, warmer waters are best fished with flies. The stripers tend to stack up in the warm areas and wait for bait to come by, and a drifted fly is perfect. But he’ll also toss soft plastic lures. Joe took a trip to Virginia Beach in the past days to check out striper fishing there. He found that the fleet from Virginia was gathered far offshore, even beyond the sight of land, maybe 15 miles, to catch and release the fish. Striper fishing is closed beyond 3 miles from shore. But waters that close were in the high 30s, too cold for the rockfish, because of the previous cold snap. Joe did no fishing far from shore, but he traveled in his boat up and down the coast, mostly in the area where the fishing is open, and the waters were devoid of the bass. But boaters from the marina who targeted the fish far offshore apparently drilled big stripers, and lots. Big, breeder-class stripers winter off Virginia Beach, and Joe did find a dead bass floating on the surface that was humongous, at least 60 pounds! Striped bass off Virginia Beach sometimes invade the legal waters in February, and catches can be good. If waters warm, they could still move in. January is a more reliable month, but the fishing can last a while afterward.

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