<b>Staten Island</b>

Although New Jersey’s winter flounder season opens today, New York’s flattie season begins April 1, when <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b> will kick off its season with trips for them, Capt. Anthony said. He’ll start to hear reports about the fishing now, and catches on the boat usually begin around the mouth of the Raritan River, following the migration into the bay and toward the ocean. A large slate of open-boat trips always sail for the flatfish, and many dates in April are already full. Book for May before it’s too late, and check available dates on the <a href=" http://www.bafishingcharters.com/caplog/month.php?year=2009&month=04
" target="_blank">Captain’s Log</a> on Barbara Anne’s Web site. Charters are also available for the fish, and anglers aboard slam-dunked flounder last year. Striped bass fishing will be next on the boat, with trips for the big ones from May to July. Last year’s catches were phenomenal, he said, and 40-pounders were sometimes clobbered on the vessel. Open trips will run daily for the linesiders around twilight, and reservations are required. Charters will chase the bass during the rest of the day.  In summer fluke fishing will begin, and bluefishing will be under way from summer to fall. Blackfishing also gets going in fall. 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>Laurence Harbor</b>

Anglers reported more and more catches of striped bass near the bay shore, said Capt. Kyle from <b>Evening Tide Charters</b>.  But he’ll begin his season with winter flounder fishing as soon as the marina lets the boats in the waters, and that could be any day. He previously expected to make the first catches in the 6-foot, shallow, warm flats of the bay, only minutes from the dock. Then he’d follow the fish as they migrate toward the ocean. But warmer weather lately might’ve caused the fish to start moving already. Trips by the end of the run will target the flatties in the ocean at traditional haunts like the Cedars off Sandy Hook.  But if angling for big, migrating striped bass—not the smaller, resident stripers that are beginning to be caught now—
turns on by then, charters will switch to striper fishing, usually more in demand. For striped bass the boat’s charters will often fish with live bunker, one of the specialties on the vessel. The crew often takes the anglers along to catch some of the menhaden for an extra experience. Evening Tide will fish seven days a week this season. Some <a href=" http://www.eveningtidecharters.com/" target="_blank">great rates</a> are available, including a 10-percent discount on charters booked before April 1. Anglers already grabbed up dates, so book preferred ones while possible. Open-boat trips will also fish at an economical rate, limited to six passengers, and again, reserve preferred dates.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Twice-daily winter flounder trips got started today on the <b>Atlantic Star</b>, targeting the Shrewsbury River, but conditions--north winds against outgoing tides and dirty waters--were tough, and fishing wasn’t good, Capt. Tom said. The boat fished different parts of the river, and last year’s start to the season was about the same, a slow beginning before catches came around. Tuesday is also forecast to blow, and the weather is supposed to settle Wednesday. The Atlantic Star is sailing for winter flounder on two trips daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., and worms and clams are supplied for bait. <b>*** Update, Thursday, 3/26:***</b> Flounder fishing was slow on the river, not good, and warmer waters and better weather were needed, Capt. Tom said. Winds were rough Monday and Tuesday, but on Wednesday were calm. Good laying conditions, too. The boat fished the morning trip the first two days and both the morning and afternoon trips Wednesday. Two-trips daily for the flatbacks will continue.

Patrons on one of the party boats decked 15 keeper flounder on a morning trip today, said Joe from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Too few anglers showed up for the boat to fish on the afternoon trip. The fishing generally sounded not bad on opening day. The best striped bass reports came from along the bay shore toward South Amboy, where the action was supposedly on. But the weather was cold, 29 degrees today. The shop was busy, though. Julian’s is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. until the weather warms a bit, and worms, clams and all the baits are stocked.

<b>Highlands</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/26:***</b> Shore anglers along the back of the bay clammed mostly short striped bass but sometimes keepers to 15 or 17 pounds, pretty good catches, said Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>. Winter flounder started to be picked from the rivers, and water temps, 39 to 42 degrees, fluctuated a lot, and a couple of warm days should get the flatties going. Trips with Fisher Price will begin during the week after Easter, first chasing down flounder, then leaving port for striped bass. Bottom-fishing for ling and whatever bites will also sail. Don’t miss out on a discounted rate on trips that fish from April 13 to 26, and call to claim.

Capt. Bob and the boat’s mate Matt from <b>Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures</b> , who’ll start chartering for winter flounder on April 3, took a look around for striped bass one evening on Raritan Bay, Bob said in an e-mail. They boated and released a few shorts to 27 inches on clams. Reports about good catches of stripers were rolling in from the southern bay. Flounder trips will launch the boat’s season, followed by striper trips, when the migration of big stripers gets hot. Full-day, half-day, evening and afternoon trips will sail. Call to reserve dates before they’re full.

Bay-shore anglers knocked the heck out of striped bass catches, including big ones to 18, 19 and 20 pounds, since last week, and action seemed to get better and better, said Al from <b>Crabby’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish swam the shallows like 3 or 4 feet, and nighttimes seemed best, but daytimes also produced. Most anglers preferred moving tides or 2 or 3 hours after highs and lows.  One kid checked in a 17-pounder he lambasted from the beach at Keyport on Sunday night. Clams and worms were the baits to soak, and those baits and a full selection of other baits, including mussels for flounder fishing, are stocked. Nothing much was heard about flounder catches on today’s opening day of the season, when Al gave this report around 3 p.m., but striper anglers were already banking flatties by mistake on striper hooks and releasing them. So flounder should be around. Crabby’s is open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/26:***</b> Trips on the <b>Big Mohawk</b> started back up for the season, Capt. Chris said. The boat is blackfishing, and a few blackfish and a few ling were put on ice during the weekend. Nothing great, and waters were cold, but catches were made, and fishing was under way. Too few anglers showed up for the tog angling during the weekdays this week, so the boat flounder fished on Shark River instead, and some got reeled aboard. The Big Mohawk is blackfishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Not all the rentals were back in, said Ben from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> at 3 p.m. today, but some returned from flounder fishing on Shark River on this opening day of the flatback season, and results were mixed. But apparently that was only because of strong winds.  One boat with three anglers came back with 15 keepers, and another returned with one keeper, and another docked with seven. The bulkhead was lined with bank anglers, and some bailed catches, but again results were mixed, like seven keepers that one bagged, and four that another nabbed, and three that another picked up. The fish seemed there, but anglers needed better conditions. Ben expects numbers to be creeled as the week goes on. All the bait and supplies are stocked, including fresh clams, fresh mussels, sandworms and bloodworms, and the rental boats are available. The shop is open full time every day, starting at 5 a.m. <b>***Update, Thursday, 3/26:***</b> After better success at flounder fishing on Shark River on Monday on the shop’s rental boats—catches like a couple of limits, 8 or 9 keepers, or 3 to 5—the cold weather affected the bite by Tuesday morning. Fishing was slow then, but Barry Young Sr. and Jr. put the breaks on 14 keepers in the warmer afternoon. On Wednesday Ed Klump swung aboard nine keepers. The weather was terrible, cold, but that could cause the fish to hang out in the river longer than usual, before migrating to the ocean. The peak in recent years was usually the first week or two of the season, but maybe the cold would keep the angling going longer. None of the party boats seemed to get out during the week on their bottom-fishing trips, not enough interest during the weather, even though ling were caught when the boats got out. But that should change soon. Striped bass fishing was excellent farther north, in the shallows along the shore of Raritan Bay, like at Cliffwood and Union beaches or at South Amboy. Surf fishing for the linesiders near the shop will pick up later in the season.

Long-range cod trips to waters off Montauk got weathered out last week on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, Capt. Alan said. One more of the outings is slated to sail Saturday evening. Previously the trips were scheduled for both Thursday and Saturday evenings, but the fishing recently was slow.  The crew will keep an eye on the bite, and if catches fail to pick up, Saturday’s trip will be cancelled. But if the fishing rebounds, the trip will go. The vessel bottom fished Sunday, and anglers picked at ling and occasional blackfish.

<b>Brielle</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 3/24:***</b>  The season got under way for <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> with a winter flounder trip with six anglers on Monday, Capt. Jerry said in an e-mail. They took home 12 keepers and released three shorts on a cold day that really slowed the fishing. So the crew was happy to land a few, and the blackbacks should cooperate more as the days warm. Waters somewhat warmed on outgoing tide. One of the anglers nabbed a fish on the first cast, then nothing was doing for 2 hours. The rest of the fish were picked when outgoing came on, “a little flurry,” Jerry said. “Nice to be on the water on the Fish Monger again,” he added. Charters will focus on flounder, and open-boat trips will chase them daily when no charter is booked. Blackfishing will be added to the menu in April. Visit <a href=" http://www.fishmongercharters.com" target="_blank">Fish Monger’s Web site</a> for info, or call to climb aboard. <b>***Update, Thursday, 3/26:***</b> Waters were 41 degrees at the end of incoming tide when an open-boat flounder trip hit northern Barnegat Bay on Tuesday, Jerry said in an e-mail. After a few of the fish got picked shortly after the boat was anchored, the anglers waited as the tide changed. Waters reached 43 degrees, 3 degrees colder than on the previous day, on outgoing. Some more fish were picked, and the gang ended up with nine keepers, throwing back one short. Bob Bates was high hook with four keepers. Wednesday’s weather was pleasant, the best of the week, and no charter or open trip was scheduled, so the crew took a fun trip, short, only 4 hours, in the afternoon on the bay. One flattie was plucked right away, then nothing. They made a move, got into a flurry of action on the tide change, and ended with 10 keepers and one throwback, not bad for a short trip, considering the way the fishing’s been in the cold. Mike Wells was the hot hand, decking five keepers. Fish Monger was supposed to be back on the grounds today.

Local winter flounder anglers will probably get the first shot at the fish on northern Barnegat Bay, like near the Mantoloking Bridge  and the Mantoloking River, when the flattie season opens today, said Chuck from <b>The Reel Seat</b>.  The fish will probably be yet to migrate to the Manasquan River. Rumors said small striped bass whacked surface plugs near the bridge. Anglers might think worms would be more likely to draw strikes in the early season, but customers said surface lures did the job.  That was about the only news, but things will pick up with the opening of flounder season. The Reel Seat is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays until the hours are extended later in the season. The <a href=" http://www.ssfff.net/fundraiser.html" target="_blank">Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund</a>, spearheading the movement to prevent the summer flounder or fluke season from closing and from harsh bag limits that are essentially a closure, very much needs the continued support of anglers. See the fund’s Web site for details and how the fund is attempting to solve the crisis. The fund says it hired a scientist that this past year proved that the government’s surveys of the fluke population were flawed, preventing the catch quota from being decreased this year, reversing a trend of decreases. Dave, the shop’s owner, previously said that helped prevent a closure of the fishery this year, but a closure is imminent if anglers fail to fund further science that is needed to prove to the government that a closure and harsh bag limits are unnecessary. Anglers might be largely unaware of the progress the SSFFF has made. Press coverage has dropped off since the economy forced newspapers to stop carrying some of the outdoor articles. If anglers fail to donate to the fund, the next steps in the science will not be done.

On the <b>Jamaica</b> fishing at the offshore wrecks gave up varied results during the weekend, an e-mail from the boat said. Extreme currents cooked on Saturday’s trip, making fishing difficult. But sea bass to 7 ½ pounds, nearly all big, were belted, ranging from a few fish per angler to limits.  Fish were marked, but lots of weight was needed to hold bottom. Such currents rarely last more than two or three days, and the crew expects the area to turn out better fishing again. Sunday’s trip fished different grounds, where currents were calmer. Catches ranged from 20 fish on up, a mix of sea bass, ling and a few cod and pollock. Pool winners included Julius Curley from Philly with a 10-pound white hake and a 7-pound sea bass for first and second place, respectively. Curtis Schofield from Glassboro took the money with an 18-pound pollock for that category. The overnight trips to the 50- to 80-mile wrecks are leaving port at 12:30 a.m. Wednesdays and 11:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays through April. A Cod Special will fish the 60- to 80-mile wrecks to the east/northeast, different grounds than the sea bass trips, this weekend, leaving at 11:30 p.m. Saturday, returning at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.  See bigjamaica.com for the full schedule and reservation info, and check the site or get added to an e-mail list by e-mailing fish@bigjamaica.com for additional trips, including Cod Specials.  <b>Bogan’s Boating School</b> is offering the boating safety course required in New Jersey. The next one-day classes will take place at Bogan’s Basin from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Sunday and April 11, 19, 25 and 26. Private classes are available for a minimum of eight students, with a discount for 10 or more, on weekdays, weekends, daytimes or evenings at your own location. Simply select two 3-hour blocks of time, and arrange an instructor. Private classes can also be held on one day when scheduling permits.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/26:***</b> Bottom-fishing somewhat improved, wasn’t fantastic, but became better than during the past two weeks, said Capt. Butch from the <b>Dauntless</b>. Patrons picked up 10 to 25 fish apiece, mostly ling, but a few cod, not bad. Blackfish showed signs of getting more active. Instead of about one short blackfish landed per trip, probably 8 to 10 shorts were caught Wednesday, for example. No keepers yet, but the fish were apparently waking up from the winter slumber. Trips fished shallower than before, in 120 to 150 feet. Dog sharks started to be a nuisance in deeper areas. Waters were 41 to almost 42 degrees on the surface and 38 degrees on the bottom, still cold. But catches were okay, a good time to get back out on trips. If mackerel migrate close enough to shore this spring, the Dauntless will mix in mackerel fishing with bottom angling. The Bostons were scarce close to shore during the past five springs or so, but one never knows. They usually migrate north past Jersey by the second week of April, but that depends on water temperatures. Waters 50 to 55 degrees usually trigger the run. The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/26:***</b> Cold put a damper on the week’s opening of winter flounder season, but boaters reported scattered catches on northern Barnegat Bay, said Ronnie from <b>Fisherman’s Supply</b>. One of the party boats that fished there on opening day Monday reportedly scored none. But striped bass fishing was turned on at places including along the shore of Raritan Bay, near the Mantoloking Bridge on northern Barnegat Bay, along the Route 37 Bridge on the bay toward Seaside and farther south. Clams were the bait on Raritan, and soft- and hard-plastic lures got smacked at the bridges. Offshore sea bass trips were weathered out on the party boat <b>Voyager</b>, docked at the shop, but will continue. The shop wrapped up its show season with the Saltwater Fishing Expo in Somerset during the weekend. The shows went well, and Ronnie thanked everyone who stopped by the store’s booths. The staff is now busy with plans for the store in the coming season, including free fishing seminars like last year, a new surf day and new deals with manufacturers. Lots of new goodies for 2009 are already stocked, and visit and take a look around.

<b>Bricktown</b>

Jason from <b>Pell’s Fish & Sport</b> fished today’s opening of winter flounder season on northern Barnegat Bay this morning, but catching was tough, he said. Cold winds honked, and he double-anchored, but the weather was nasty. He tried off Dale’s Point and the Mantoloking yacht club, and lots of boats, including a couple of party boats, were around, but he saw nobody catch. Waters seemed cold, appeared to keep the fish from being active. Still, customer Jack Hahn reportedly boated six keepers south of the Mantoloking Bridge. Another angler reportedly bagged four keepers off Beaver Dam Creek. Clams, mussels, sandworms, bloodworms, chum and rigs are stocked for the fishing, and Pell’s is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 3/24:***</b>  Waters were cold, putting a damper on winter flounder catches Monday, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. He heard about a catch of one flounder and two striped on one boat on the Toms River at Island Heights in the morning, and about another catch of four flounder at the same spot on another boat in the afternoon, when the sun warmed the area. A friend said friends on another boat coolered six flatties on northern Barnegat Bay near the Mantoloking Bridge. But flounder fishing should pick up with warmer weather, and the chill might extend the season, keeping the fish from migrating offshore too soon, a possible advantage. Stripers, including a few keepers, were also hooked on Barnegat Bay along the Route 37 Bridge on 3- or 4-inch plugs or the same-sized rubber shads. Several customers attempted to surf fish, but nobody reported success. The surf needed to reach 45 degrees for stripers to cooperate, and the waters were 40 to 41. Bloodworms, sandworms and fresh and salted clams are stocked, and Murphy’s is open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day.

<b>Seaside</b>

Few anglers fished the surf, might be a while before the first keeper striped bass from the suds is weighed in, said the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s Web site. Fresh clams were stocked for bait for the first day of spring on Friday, though. Today’s weather was rough with strong winds for the opening of winter flounder season. The temp wasn’t bad, in the low 40s, and some days were warmer and pleasant. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.   

<b>Forked River</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/26:***</b> Some anglers rounded up winter flounder, and some did not, and the weather was windy and cold, didn’t help, said Dane from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Among those who sailed for the fish on Barnegat Bay, one said he belted a bunch, but many were shorts, and he also got chased away by winds. So then he fished the Forked River power plant outflow to escape the blow, ending up with 17 flounder, including 5 keepers, for the day. Another customer also said he knocked down flounder but lots of shorts. Reports were scarce because of winds. Nobody mentioned fishing the inflow of the power plant, but those waters traditionally turn out catches too. Striped bass were also played at the outflow, and bloodworms will attract strikes. But lures will also work, including 4- and 5-inch Storm shads, X-10 Rapala X-Raps and bucktail jigs or Spro jigs with curly tails. Bloodworms, clams, mussels and clam-chum logs are stocked, and the shop is open daily.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/26:***</b> If anglers wanted to try for striped bass locally, they should probably begin along the bridges on the bay, drifting sandworms and bloodworms, working their way toward Harvey Cedars, said Nick from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. He heard unconfirmed reports, both from a few customers and from reports published by a local, about stripers hooked at Tice’s Shoal on the bay. He was unsure what the fish were landed on, but sands and bloods would probably be the bait there, too. Across the bay, stripers were reeled from Oyster Creek, and word floated around about winter flounder lifted from the bay just outside the creek. Bloodworms, sandworms, surf clams and flounder chum are stocked, and the shop is open every day.

<b>Barnegat</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/26:***</b> <b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b> will probably start chartering in mid to late April, Capt. John said. He never found much luck on winter flounder in Barnegat Bay in March, and April was better. But most of his first trips will likely chase striped bass, blues and weakfish on the bay in the early season. Blues usually migrate to the bay beginning around the third week of April or later, and weakfish, the big tiderunners that come in to spawn a few weeks, arrive with the blues. Both can be trolled on ponytails or nailed on cast soft-plastic lures like Bass Kandy Delights. The blues will also attack popper lures on the surface. Early season stripers will be resident fish in the bay, getting active because of warming waters. They’ll hit anything from soft plastics to clams or bloodworms, a good early season bait, and will eventually chase live bait. The local area’s run of big, migrating striped bass usually takes off in June and July. That’s later than many areas in the state, but the fishing’s been great the past several years. At that point the linesiders get drilled on live bunker snagged from schools or get trolled on bunker spoons. Blues and big thresher sharks that feed on the menhaden are mixed in. Perfect Drift also does lots of fluke fishing once the flattie season opens in late May. In the past days John heard that Delaware Bay anglers started to bail striped bass that always move through in early spring on their way to spawn in the Delaware River. He stopped by his marina on the opening day of winter flounder season on Monday, and cold, rough weather seemed to hamper catches of the flatties. One boater waffled three keepers, and another got one, and another scored none.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Waters at Graveling Point, the early season haunt for striped bass fishing, reached 50 degrees, well within the range for the fish to get active, and the first striper run-offs seemed to be scored, but no customers banked any, said the report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site. The annual prize of a $100 gift certificate stayed unclaimed for the season’s first angler who weighs in a keeper from the Point. Nobody landed any of the fish at nearby Pebble Beach either. However, anglers should fish for white perch elsewhere and accidentally catch stripers, the report said. One customer did that at Nacote Creek, across the Mullica River from Graveling Point, on Saturday afternoon, weighing in two stripers 11.6 pounds and 8.7 pounds, measuring 30 ½ inches and 30 inches, respectively.  Check out the wealth of info about Graveling Point, including the scoop on the gift certificate, on the shop’s <a href=" http://www.scottsbt.com/fishing/stripers/springrun.htm
" target="_blank">Graveling Point striped bass run Web page</a>.   <b>***Update, Thursday, 3/26:***</b>. One angler at Graveling Point on Sunday banked three short striped bass, the first stripers anyone reported caught from the Point this season, but that was the last catch heard about from there, Scott said. The first keeper from the Point was yet to be checked in. More than one witness confirmed the shorts landed. Waters ranged 46 to 50 degrees, plenty warm enough for stripers, and the fish at Graveling seemed past due. However, last year the first short, a 15-incher, was reported hooked on March 22, the same date as this past Sunday, and then nothing else bit until the first keeper was checked in on March 26, today’s date. Although waters somewhat warmed up, air temps were cold. “It’s February, not March,” Scott joked. A mix of white perch, stripers and catfish bit in the Mullica River a ways upstream from the Parkway Bridge, like along the shore at Clarks Landing. Nobody tackled great numbers of keeper stripers, and the fish ranged 8 to 30 inches. Bloodworms are the bait of choice for the linesiders at both places. Clams can also work at Graveling, are a back-up bait. Sometimes clams can work better, if blueclaw crabs are a nuisance, keep stealing worms. A big hunk of clam then comes in handy.  Clams will draw no attention, are too unnatural, farther up the Mullica. Scott heard about no migrating herring yet. One customer tried for winter flounder farther north at Oyster Creek, the warm outflow from the Forked River power plant, launching a paddled skiff. He landed two shorts, and another two keepers were taken on another boat there. Not many anglers at the shop gave effort to flounder fishing. Flounder catches locally used to be fairly good at a certain area of the bay near Tuckerton. Now the angling is almost not worth the effort, Scott said. Seemed like all the bait that anglers fished there attracted the flatties back then, and now that few people fish for them on the waters, the mudbacks are scarce, he said. One customer took a trip for tog in the ocean in 80 feet but got none. Bloodworms, fresh clams, green crabs, live grass shrimp, minnows and nightcrawlers are stocked. The shop will load up on trout bait like meal worms for the opening of trout season April 11.

<b>Absecon</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/26:***</b> Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b> kept hearing about a few more better-sized striped bass beaten, and the rivers, especially the Mullica, were still the place to land any, he said. He heard about none lifted yet from the back bays and the ocean front. However, Delaware Bay anglers were already knocking off decent numbers. Some customers bought clams to fish down there. A few herring schooled up the Mullica River all the way to Mays Landing, and anglers caught a handful for bait since Sunday. Dave’s also been catching some, and enough are probably in the tank at the shop to last through the weekend, because demand wasn’t too high yet. White perch anglers connected up the rivers, and stripers that were caught were either part of the catch on perch trips or were simply grabbed when anglers tried only for the linesiders. Besides the herring, the shop is stocking bloodworms and fresh clams. Most of the stripers were fooled with the bloods so far. The doors are open every day.

<b>Longport</b>

One of the season’s first tog reports: Anglers on the <b>Stray Cat</b> beat blackfish, not gangbusters but a fair pick, at the 80-mile wrecks 10 miles from shore on Saturday and Sunday, Capt. Mike said. All the fish gobbled up clams, refusing crabs. Waters were 42 ½ to 43 degrees, and a trip a couple of weeks ago also tried for tog on the boat. Waters then turned out too cold for the slipperies to supp, but now things changed. The trips did no looking around for mackerel, but if the Bostons migrate close enough to shore this spring, customers will jig for them. Hordes of herring were marked 3 to 5 miles from shore, and no herring run seriously started yet in the rivers. Seas blew up a little on the first day of the weekend, and on the second day seas were gorgeous at first, but built in the afternoon in 20-knot south/southwest winds. Daily, open-boat trips on the Stray Cat will now go after winter flounder on the bay the next 1 ½ weeks or so, because the season opens today. The rate is very reasonable, and trips sail 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Even if only one angler shows up, the boat will still flounder fish. Trips for the mudbacks used to be popular on South Jersey’s bays, until the fish mostly disappeared, for some reason. But flounder returned in recent years, and Stray Cat will get after them. Here’s the chance to catch the tasty critters. Open sea bass trips to the offshore grounds are sold out on April 4 and 18. But space is available on more of the trips on Good Friday, April 10; Easter Monday, April 13; and April 18. Call to reserve. Charters are available April 11 and 12 for any species around.  <b>***Update, Thursday, 3/26:***</b> Open-boat blackfishing trips will break the inlet Saturday and Sunday, and space is available, Mike said. Crabs were out of the mud, and the blacks should be “on the hook,” he said. Open flounder trips will fish daily on the bay each weekday next week, and a sold out offshore sea bass trip will sail next week on Saturday. Another open blackfish trip is on the books for the next day, Palm Sunday, and space is available. Space is also available for more sea bass trips listed above, including on Good Friday.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Herring started to run up the rivers, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. The migration reached the dams at Mays Landing on the Great Egg Harbor River and at Millville on the Maurice River. That began to make striped bass, small ones that were fairly abundant in the bays, somewhat more willing to feed than before. Waters were still too cold at the inlets and in the surf for striper fishing. In the bays anglers dunked bloodworms for bait or caught herring and livelined or chunked them for bait.  Lots of white perch could be bucketed on the rivers. In the ocean tog were boated 15 miles from shore, and sea bass were on a tear at the wrecks 60 to 70 miles from the coast. Bloodworms, clams and spearing are stocked, and more bait will gradually be carried as the season progresses. The doors are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays for another two weeks. Then the hours will start to be extended.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/26:***</b> No customers reeled in striped bass yet, but <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> is open, and bait is stocked for anglers to try for the first catches, Wes said. He and Capt. Joe Hughes looked for the linesiders on the bay but grabbed no bites. But the first fish will be pulled in one of these days, and tomorrow was supposed to reach 67 degrees, warmth that’s welcomed for the fishing. Maybe anglers could coax a tog to clamp down on a bait dunked along the bridges. Fresh clams and live bloodworms, green crabs and eels are stocked, and the shop is open daily. The doors closed this afternoon in inclement weather, but were open all morning.

The cold--chillier than recent years--refused to let up, a normal end of winter and beginning of spring, compared with unusual warmth in the past years, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. So conditions were unfavorable for striped bass fishing on the bay, but bites could start soon. He scored great striper catches last year in the waters at the end of March through April, until bluefish always take over in the bay a few weeks, and expects action to be the same this year. The striper fishing starts like the flip of a switch, suddenly on, not gradual. Joe throws flies like Clousers and soft-plastic lures to them, just a preference, but also a way to cover more waters than bait. Stripers in the early season are small anyway, less likely to inhale a big gob of clam. They’re also feeding on baits like grass shrimp, spearing or small minnows. A stretch of warm weather three days or so never happened this month. Only a day or so did. Takes more to get the linesiders going. Joe will also fish for stripers at the Susquehanna Flats on Chesapeake Bay this spring, if the fishing materializes. Last year it never kicked in, but it’s great during some years. He offers charters there, and also offers other traveling charters through the year, including striper fishing on the Merrimack River in Massachusetts. Check out <a href="http://www.gibsonstackle.com/page6.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Traveling Fisherman Web Page</a>. Joe will also offer charters back home for big stripers and black drum on Delaware Bay this season.   

<b>Cape May</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/26:***</b>  A little fishing started, said Capt. Joe from <b>Schmedley Charters</b>. Short striped bass, quite a number, and a few keepers got whacked on Delaware Bay a bit inshore of Bug Light, in 8 to 10 feet.  His boats are in the waters and will be ready to fish this weekend, so call to get going on the first trips of the year. Most of the bass were clammed while boaters anchored, and water temps were 42 to 43 degrees during the weekend. A few anglers also fished from shore at Reeds Beach to clam or bloodworm a few stripers, all shorts, no keepers. Besides running a 37-foot Topaz, Schmedley this year is offering a new option: trips on a 19-foot center console for one or two anglers, light tackle-charters that are more personalized. Many of the trips on the center console will focus on fishing the back bay, including for stripers, blues, flounder, weakfish and tog. But the 19-footer is also currently available to run up to the Bug Light area for stripers. Drumfish will probably begin to appear in Delaware Bay during the last two weeks of April. The full moon afterward is on May 9, and the moon that month is the traditional beginning of full-out drum fishing, but the start can be different each year. At first during drum season anglers have a chance at catching both drum and stripers on a trip, but catching both can never be a guarantee. Still, it does happen. Eventually during drum season waters will warm too much for stripers, and the linesiders will mostly leave. From now until about mid May is prime striper season on the bay. Don’t rule out going now, because although many boats fail to begin the fishing until later, the early season can sometimes put out some of the better fishing.

Boaters who already put their vessels in the waters sometimes smoked striped bass on Delaware Bay, said Capt. Tom from the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b>. Friends who fished two days waxed 30 or 40 of the fish per trip, limiting out on one day, and sticking five keepers another, releasing the rest. Most of the linesiders, fish that measured up to 38 inches, were clammed, but some were clubbed on surface plugs or rubber shads. The bay’s boaters throw the lures in the early season to imitate herring that school up the bay to spawn up the Delaware River. But Tom was unaware whether his friends saw herring. The Fishin’ Fever will be splashed April 1, ready to begin striper fishing on the bay on both open-boat trips and charters. Charters 6, 8, 10 and 12 hours will be available, and tog and sea bass fishing will also be options. Drumfish should start to be mixed in with stripers toward late April. By the full moon around mid May more drum should turn on, and even more should be tackled by the new moon in late May and the full moon in mid June. 

Delaware Bay striped bass fishing should begin on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> by the third week of April, Capt. George said. Seasonal maintenance like bottom painting is being done, and the marina should allow boats in the waters around then. Charters will clam for the fish, and George heard nothing about catches so far. His first drumfish charter is on the books for May 9, because a customer wanted to catch May’s full moon. But nobody can say whether that date will be too early, and if no drum are turned on at the time, he’ll reschedule the trip. George has also found that drum fishing is often best a couple of days before or after the moons, although many anglers believe the moons are the time to go. Sometimes charters on the boat have whacked catches as early as April, usually a flurry of activity before the main action takes off. George mated on a friend’s boat on offshore sea bass trips 60 miles offshore this winter. A fair mess of the fish including jumbos 3 to 6 pounds were pummeled.

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