New Jersey Fishing Reports

Winter flounder fishing was about finished, unless anglers got a shot at them in the ocean, after they migrated from the bay, said Capt. Anthony from Barbara Anne Fishing Charters. He’ll start bunker chunking for striped bass on day and night trips this weekend. Anglers could beat up lots of short bass, catch-and-release fishing, sticking an occasional keeper. Big migrators will eventually move in, he hoped. Very few bluefish came in, but a large migration could slam the waters any day. Besides striped bass charters, open-boat trips will run for the linesiders every Tuesday and Thursday. Barbara Anne refunds bridge tolls with a receipt.

The weekly open-boat trip got out for striped bass on the bay on Wednesday evening, said Capt. Joe from Outcast Charters. The two anglers aboard limited out in 2 hours or between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. while fishing with bunker, and also battled 3- to 6-pound bluefish, the first report about blues hooked on the bay this season on this site. Second-hand reports rolled in before. A fair number of blues were around on the trip. A limit of bass probably would’ve been scored quicker, but the trip arrived toward slack tide, and the fish turned on after the current started moving. The fishing was okay, not great, Joe said. Open-boat trips are sailing every Wednesday from roughly 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., whether one angler or six show up, and call to reserve. Those trips and also charters will concentrate on stripers for now, and sea bassing will be available when enough of the lumpheads migrate inshore to the wrecks, usually by mid May.

Bayonne

Winter flounder were hunted on a charter Sunday, first on the bay in the morning, said Capt. Akira from True World Tackle and True World Tackle Charters. On the bay three keepers were coolered at the Keyport Flats, not such good fishing, and boats crowded the waters. In the afternoon the charter moved to the Navesink River on outgoing tide in waters that were still crowded, and the three anglers pelted nine keepers for a total of 12 for the day. Not too bad but not too good, Akira said, and waters were cold everywhere.

Laurence Harbor

A dozen striped bass including eight keepers were trolled, clammed and released at the Keansburg Flats on Tuesday with Evening Tide Charters, Capt. Kyle said in an e-mail. At first stripers started to be picked on trolled shads as soon as the rigs were set in the waters in the morning. At 11:30 a.m. the anglers switched to clams, and the bite took a little time to get going, but then it started. The trip ended at 2:30 p.m., and the fish were 19 inches to 35 inches, none big, but fun. On the previous evening a charter with an angler and his girlfriend found slower fishing but landed three keeper bass and a short at the Keansburg Flats on trolled shads. They first trolled the rubber lures near Great Kills but saw little life. So they sailed to Keansburg and picked at bass. A great night of weather but slow fishing. Evening Tide is fishing seven days a week on charters and open-boat trips. Call or e-mail to be added to the open-boat list.

Keyport

Charters for striped bass will get under way on the bay Saturday, but the crew ran shakedown trips in the area, said Capt. Fred from Andrea’s Toy Charters. Previously the boat fished at the wrecks for tog, ling, cod and other bottom huggers on the ocean from Point Pleasant. But from Keyport the crew found lots of schoolie striped bass with keepers mixed in at Romer Shoal. They also nailed a ton of surface action with blues on light tackle at the flats near Union Beach. The boat’s schedule for striper fishing is jam packed.

Atlantic Highlands

Great striped bass fishing today! said Capt. Ron from the Fishermen in an e-mail. The fish began to be hooked as soon as the boat came back on anchor, and every angler went home with at least a limit of two, and some grabbed three with a bonus tag. Gerry Krako slammed a beautiful bass, 25 pounds on the nose, to take the lead in the season-long pool. The fishing dropped off by 11 a.m., and two more drops were tried, but the best of the catch was finished. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and on Magic Hour Trips 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

Ling, plenty of the fish of mixed sizes from small to large, including some beauties, were lifted aboard the Atlantic Star at Scotland on Monday and Tuesday, and no trips sailed Wednesday, Capt. Tom said. Several whiting and a few blackfish, mostly shorts, were also swung aboard. But the boat fished mostly in an area that held ling. All anglers kept going home with a small bag of fillets. The patrons really bailed the fish a moment at the beginning of Monday morning’s trip, and then picked catches at a couple of more drops. South winds blew against outgoing tide on the afternoon trip, crummy conditions, but the fishing was still good, and anglers bagged a half-dozen to 15 fish apiece. Tuesday morning’s trip was slower than the previous morning’s, but everybody still went home with fish. By the afternoon winds screamed, and currents ripped, and angler took a beating. But they still caught okay, and went home with dinner. Fishing was good on the trips. The Atlantic Star is bottom fishing for ling daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The bottom fishing will probably continue until the boat switches to fluke trips when the flattie season opens May 23, unless something disrupts the bite, like a bad weather pattern.

Lots of blues showed up in the bay in the afternoons, said Dolly from Julian’s Bait & Tackle. Both boaters and shore anglers could get into them. They both could also put the breaks on striped bass at times on the bay. Doug Travert weighed in a 21.3-pound bass that he beached at Port Monmouth. A few winter flounder remained in the bay, and the party boats did a job on ling in the ocean.

Highlands

An excellent catch of striped bass got drilled on a quick, 1-1/2-hour trip on the bay today starting at 2:30 p.m., and, said Capt. Brian from Jersey Devil Charters. Six linesiders to 22 pounds, only one of them a short, were trolled on Stretch plugs on the northern side of the bay.

Fisher Price Charters bottom-fished on Monday for a catch of tog to 6 pounds and phenomenal ling fishing, Capt. Derek said. The three anglers probably pounded more than 20 times as many ling to 4 pounds. A couple of whiting showed up, too. The vessel will get back to striped bass fishing on open-boat trips Saturday and Sunday, and space is available. Call to climb aboard. Striper fishing had gotten slower on the bay by Friday and Saturday and was sort of hit or miss Sunday. The heat wave and clear skies got lots of boaters on the waters, and all the cracked clams they threw in the drink for chum seemed to make the bass ignore baits. Derek heard that Monday’s and Tuesday’s bassing was also slow, but action seemed to improve Wednesday. Fisher Price previously bailed lots of the linesiders, a mess of shorts with some keepers, on the bay. Besides charters, Derek will run open trips whenever possible.

Belmar

Catches of blackfish turned slow in the past days, but a few respectable ones came up on the Big Mohawk, and one more trip was heading out for the tog on the boat today, the last day of the season, Capt. Chris said. Trips afterward will begin bottom fishing for ling and sea bass. The Big Mohawk is sailing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

The first bluefish of the year got slammed Wednesday on the ocean on the Golden Eagle, an e-mail from the boat said. Patrons beat down several of the fish, one on bait and the rest on jigs. More blues were seen but were sluggish in the 50- to 51-degree waters, following the jigs but too inactive to hit them. A little warmer waters and “it’ll be on!” the e-mail said. The fishing should improve daily, it said. Richard Courian of Browns Mills whacked the year’s first blue. Barry Lee of Phoneixville, Pa., and Joe Bendy of Browns Mills hammered two more. Keith Pacyna from Philly, a regular on the boat, hooked three stripers that were just shy of the legal, 28-inch size. The Golden Eagle is sailing for striped bass and blues at 7:30 a.m. daily. “Bass and blues ’09 is under way!” the e-mail said.

Shark River anglers knuckled in a winter flounder here or there, but catches tapered off compared with Monday, said John from Fisherman’s Den. On Monday he said flounder fishing that day became the best in some time. No bluefish seemed to move in locally, although they materialized at Manasquan Inlet, and no surf casters seemed to connect on local beaches. Few apparently tried, though. Blackfishing became a little slow on the party boats, but the boats that were chasing them will switch to ling and sea bass, because the tog season closes Friday. At least one of the boats was fishing for striped bass and blues.

Brielle

Blackfishing trips ran every day that was sail-able in the past week with Fish Monger Charters, and good catches were creamed on half, and slow catches were found on the rest, Capt. Jerry said in an e-mail. More sea bass showed up than before, moving in from offshore. The trips included one on Sunday with the Joe Destapanos group, who limited out on healthy sized blacks. A trip Monday with another gang coolered 16 of the tog including a 12-pound giant. Another trip, on a date that wasn’t given, plucked a handful of keepers, a tough day. Now that the blackfish season is ending Friday, trips will bottom fish for sea bass and ling, clam for striped bass and jig for blues. Livelining bunker for stripers will be on the menu in June. Mako shark trips are also being booked for June. Fluke fishing on the boat kicks off with the opening of the flattie season on May 23. BYOB trips—bring your own bucktail—will sail for fluke every Tuesday and Thursday in July and August, both on 12-hour marathons and “regular, all-day” trips, the e-mail said. Fish Monger offers both charters and open-boat fishing.

Bluefish and striped bass started moving into the area as water temperatures rose, and trips for both will launch on the Jamaica at 7:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, an e-mail from the boat said. Waters were colder last weekend, causing poor fishing for them, but this weekend was looking much better. Daily trips for bass and blues will begin soon. Visit the boat’s Web site for a schedule of all trips, including special ones. Also visit the site to be added to the e-mail list to be informed of special trips. Reservations are now being taken for tuna trips that will begin at the end of August.

Point Pleasant

Bottom-fishing turned out mostly ling, pretty good catches, on the Dauntless, Capt. Butch said. A few sea bass started to get pulled, making their way inshore, and more blackfish than before were bucketed, although blackfish season ends Friday. An occasional cod, smaller ones, and a handful of whiting were decked, and even out-of-season fluke and winter flounder chomped. A little of everything appeared, and patrons on Tuesday bagged 10 to 25 fish apiece. Forty-five or 50 keeper blackfish were beaten, and a couple of small cod were taken. A blackfish beat out the cod to win the pool. The boat fished in shallow waters 65 to 100 feet, avoiding dog sharks that became increasingly abundant the deeper the waters. Dogs began to be a nuisance at 100 feet. Waters on the surface were 49 to 50 degrees, 3 degrees warmer than before. At mid day the surface reached 53 degrees. But that was only the surface, and the bottom was cold. The fish were frigid to the touch. Although the boat in spring mixes in mackerel fishing when the Bostons school close enough to shore, Butch ruled out mackerel fishing, too late in the season to expect a reliable population within range. He did see a small school along the surface, staying up top because of cold waters. But they ran away from the boat quickly. Butch also saw a school of bluefish a little ways from the macks, and he suddenly started seeing blues the past several days. He also saw a couple of big schools of striped bass two days ago. Spring fishing was about to pop, and action could blast off when waters warm another degree or two. The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

Trips for blues and striped bass will break the inlet at 7 a.m. Saturday and Sunday on the Sea Devil, Cindy said in an e-mail. That’s the boat’s first fishing of the year. Groups of 10 or more can receive a $5 discount if they call ahead. Groups of four or more should call ahead to reserve. Stay tuned for the results!

Bluefish invaded waters around Manasquan Inlet on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, said Eric at Fisherman’s Supply. Short striped bass were sometimes clammed in the local surf, and a couple of fly-rodders talked about wrestling shorts from Manasquan River. With the blues that arrived, winter flounder ran away from the river and local waters. Eric’s been doing more fishing toward Sandy Hook. Blues definitely started swarming the flats on Raritan Bay up there, walloping top-water lures. Blues reportedly blitzed the surf at Sandy Hook today, probably attacking bunker. The party boat Voyager, docked at the shop, is slated to run a two-day cod, pollock and hake trip at 6 p.m. Friday, and four spaces are available. Another one of the trips is on the books for late May. A couple of offshore sea bass trips are scheduled to fish 14 hours apiece in May. Trips in May also include several 21-hour tilefish trips. Daily, ¾-day fluke trips will begin in early June, lasting through most of summer, but trips for tilefish, pollock and hake will be mixed in during summer. Tuna fishing will begin in late August, potentially lasting into November. See the <a href="http://www.voyagerfishing.com/html/trip_calendar.html" target="_blank">trip calendar</a> on the boat’s Web site for the full schedule.

Forked River

Trollers boated 5-pound bluefish on Barnegat Bay this morning, said Jana from Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle. The choppers were out there. A few winter flounder were picked from the bay between the BI and BB markers, even though the season was getting late for them. One customer said he pulled in two weakfish from between the two markers on Saturday while flounder fishing. He didn’t say how big they were, and he released them. Striped bass could be played on Oyster Creek on clams, Bomber plugs, other plugs, popper lures or nearly anything. The linesiders could also be fought on the Toms River, especially on blue or black Bombers. Nothing was heard about wreck fishing since tog season was closing Friday. Fresh clams, sandworms, bloodworms, killies, frozen bunker, other frozen baits and freshwater baits including nightcrawlers and trout worms are stocked.

Barnegat Light

The surf today shoveled out everything from striped bass to 33 inches and blues 2 to 6 pounds to drum as big as 26 inches, good fishing, mostly at Barnegat Light and Loveladies, said Nick from Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle. One angler said he saw a weakfish caught in the suds that looked like it weighed 15 pounds or more. Anglers fishing from the Barnegat Inlet jetty waxed 5- to 8-pound blues, bigger than in the surf. Was a great day for looting tog, 4- to 8-pounders, from the inlet rocks, too. It was also the last day of tog season. In Barnegat Bay better numbers of stripers started to be boated at Double Creek Channel and along the sedge banks behind Island Beach State Park, mostly on clams while anchored. One customer came in to buy live spots to try for the linesiders, after landing them on clams before. Waters were 56 degrees, on the cold side for the live bait. The spots are leftover from last season and are starting to run out. Fresh clams and fresh bunker, excellent baits for the surf stripers, are carried. So are bloodworms, sandworms, eels and just about all the baits. Nobody mentioned winter flounder fishing on the bay.

Tuckerton

Something like 12 tog to 7 pounds and a half-dozen sea bass got boxed at the ocean wrecks on a trip during the weekend, said Capt. T.J. from Legal Limit Charters. A couple of big tog 11 ½ pounds apiece were wrangled aboard in deeper waters the week before. Tog season closes Friday, but the boat will keep wreck fishing, even on long-range trips out to 30 miles when charters want. Besides sea bass, the trips might be able to pick up ling and cod. A few cod were around. A handful of bluefish showed up in the bays around Tuckerton. The season was early for blues, and the speedsters usually appear toward May 7, so a bunch will probably storm the waters next week or so. Legal Limit’s other boat is fishing from Cape May. A charter on that boat wants to sail for striped bass on Delaware Bay on Friday. But stripers got scarce there, heading up the Delaware River to spawn. So the charter will probably search for black drum on the bay. A trip on the bay last weekend grabbed four puppy drum around 12 pounds each on Delaware Bay.

Mystic Island

Boaters ran across blues on the bay, and a flurry of blues moved in for Pebble Beach anglers Sunday evening, but that was the last time beach anglers from Pebble or nearby Graveling Point reported seeing blues, said Scott from Scott’s Bait & Tackle. That was actually the first time they said blues turned on, and one angler weighed in the season’s first blues from the area from that fishing, covered in the last report. Last year’s first blue from the area was checked in on the same date. Blues weren’t expected to come on fully yet, and the weather was too volatile, with 90-degree temps followed by 50-degree ones. Anglers kept reporting catches of striped bass from Pebble and Graveling, and get them while they’re there, because blues will chase them away. Not many of the bass were big, and sometimes they reached almost keeper size, but lucking into a keeper was tough. But the fishing was fun, and bloodworms and clams were the baits. Big bass will eventually school the ocean, chasing bunker, in late May or June. An occasional puppy drum came from Pebble and Graveling, and only one angler reported catching drum, a number of them, from a boat on Grassy Channel. But Grassy is the place to boat them. Blackfish probably moved into the bay, but the tog season closes Friday. Gnats showed up Tuesday for the first time this year, and blues and blackfish usually move in when gnats do. Some anglers tried for weakfish at Sheepshead Creek, and it was time for the trout to arrive, but Scott heard about no catches. Could be 10 days before one is hooked, or could happen today. Customers stopped talking about catching white perch on the Mullica River at the Lower Bank Bridge, where the action was good before. If they stopped talking and stopped buying live grass shrimp for bait, the fishing must’ve dropped down. All the baits are stocked, including fresh clams, bloodworms, live grass shrimp and minnows.

Port Republic

Bluefish showed up in Great Bay, said Violet from Chestnut Neck Boat Yard. The warm weather seemed to pull them in. Striped bass got rounded up from the Mullica River on bloodworms or herring and at Graveling Point on bloods or clams. Today was the last day of the commercial herring season, but the live baitfish are stocked. White perch were nabbed in the river mostly on bloods or grass shrimp. In addition to live herring, the shop is stocking fresh clams, bloodworms, eels and all the frozen baits.

Absecon

Surf anglers at Brigantine put a beating on striped bass, more of the fish than expected at this time of year, said Ray from Absecon Bay Sportsman Center. The fishing was on fire, mostly on clams, and incoming tides seemed best. Short stripers were sometimes cranked in from the back bay. But Billy Lake clocked a 31-inch keeper on the bay on herring. The commercial herring season closes Friday, but live herring are still stocked at the shop, though fresh herring were out of stock. Little was heard about fishing for both stripers and white perch on the rivers. Anglers were somewhat scarce, seemed to be waiting for the spring migration to take off any day. Not much was heard about bluefish arriving, but everybody waited for them. A couple of big weakfish were drilled behind Atlantic City, and drum were occasionally caught at Great Bay. Ray limited out on tog on the local bay once again Wednesday, mostly along the bridges, and too bad the season was closing Friday. A load of out-of-season flounder carpeted the bay. More flounder filled waters than when Ray was a kid, and anglers like those on all the rental boats at Brigantine used to shellack them. In addition to the live herring, the shop is stocking fresh clams, bloodworms, eels and a large variety of baits, always does. Live spots should start to be carried this weekend or the following weekend.

Brigantine

Anglers might want to get to Brigantine. Catches of striped bass 25 to 35 inches were steady in the island’s surf from Saturday to Tuesday, said Capt. Andy from Riptide Bait & Tackle. The north end was most productive, but Dave Parker telephoned today to say he walloped a 32-inch striper on the south end, a good sign. But north-end anglers today creamed the fish, although action slowed yesterday. Tom Leehan put a stop to a 34-incher on the north end today. Bloodworms started to be the bait, for some reason. Clams are usually best, but one customers said he whaled 17 bass, including four keepers, on bloods. Andy heard two reports about bluefish banked and two reports about kingfish caught, though one of the kings was found in a commercial net, while the other was angled on a rod. Fresh clams and bloodworms are stocked, and the bunker boat is supposed to try for the menhaden Friday. Bunker is carried when available, and frozen baits are on hand. Catch the Fishlanders Surf Fishing Tournament on Brigantine on Saturday, open to individuals and teams. Registration is from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the American Legion, and anglers can call the shop for info.

Longport

Bottom-fishing for tog and sea bass was a slow pick at the deep pieces Monday, said Capt. Mike from the Stray Cat. Loads of small fish fed, but the big ones refused. Still, the previous trips smoked catches Friday and Saturday. A slew of sizable sea bass migrated in to take the place of tog that go out of season Friday. The boat’s daily, open-boat trips will switch to them. Call to reserve, and Saturdays were mostly full, so don’t delay. Open trips will run through Saturday, May 30, and then only charters will sail through summer. Shark trips are around the corner, weeks away, and booking up. Specials will be offered on sharking, fluke fishing and inshore tuna fishing for bluefins. Call for info. Special fluke trips will hunt the big summer flounder in 100 to 120 feet. “Might as well go for the gusto,” Mike said.

Ocean City

Surf casters could beach striped bass, maybe a puppy drum and sometimes bluefish, said Ed from Fin-Atics. He heard about one weakfish landed at Corson’s Inlet. A handful of small stripers were copped in the bay at Beesley’s Point and along the Parkway Bridges. Tog were taken from the reefs and near-shore wrecks, but tog season ends Friday. Sea bass were collected from the structure farther from shore. Fresh clams, bloodworms and frozen mackerel, herring, bunker and other baits are stocked.

Sea Isle City

A few kingfish were yanked from the surf, mostly at Ocean City, said Wes from Gibson’s Tackle. Anglers expected them to show up, tried for them with bloodworms, and hooked the fish. Occasional striped bass were clammed in the suds, and sometimes a black drum to 17 pounds sucked in a clam at Corson’s Inlet. The surf was cold or 50 degrees, and the back bay was also chilly or 55 to 56 degrees. Bluefishing should explode in the back bay any day. Striped bass could be convinced to inhale a clam in the bay for boaters anchored far back in the waters. Sea bass, ling and even cod hovered around the ocean wrecks. So did tog, but tog season closes Friday. But a smorgasbord could be claimed at the wrecks. Fresh clams, bloodworms, eels, mackerel, herring and other baits are stocked.

Winds squashed the chance to get out on the boat during most of the past days, even though much of the weather was sunny and warm, said Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service, affiliated with Gibson’s Tackle. But he’s looking forward to the impending arrival of bluefish in the back bay, a favorite time of year for his charters. They fight the scrappy fish on soft-plastic lures, surface poppers and flies. Striped bass could already be hung on soft plastics, flies or clams in the bay at the right places at the right times. The blues always overshadow striper fishing a few weeks when they arrive, until most of speedsters leave for the ocean for summer. Then striper fishing will bounce back to the forefront. If big, tiderunner weakfish are going to migrate to the bay, they’ll come with the blues. A chance to hook a trophy trout can develop a few weeks. They come some years and are scarcer during others. Joe heard about a couple of tiderunners reportedly checked in at a Cape May tackle shop. Summer flounder, out of season until May 23, paved the bay, and if the population during the opening is anywhere near as thick as now, the catching should be great. The early season flattie fishing is usually some of the best, and Joe’s got the opener available. Jump on the date before it’s gone. He’ll also run drumfish charters on Delaware Bay on a 26-foot Regulator, and that angling should be about to break open. His charters fish the back bay on his flats boat. When summer approaches, offshore trips will begin fishing for big game including tuna. Anglers should think about going tuna fishing in the early season, because Joe’s lambasted some of the best catches of yellowfins at the canyons in June and July while trolling. Catches were incredible. Joe will also offer mixed-bag offshore fishing, trolling for tuna in the mornings, then casting lures, bait or flies to mahi mahi in the afternoons. Offshore trips fish on either the Regulator or a 42-foot Liberty, depending on the number of anglers and type of fishing, like angling with conventional tackle or fly gear.

Cape May

Seven drumfish were hauled in during a trip on another boat on Delaware Bay this week, and six were tackled on another, said Capt. George from the Heavy Hitter. He thought a 55-pounder was the biggest and that the rest weighed 20 to 40 pounds. So that was a start to the fishing at least, the first substantial catches reported on this site so far this season, besides an occasional pup. The wait was on for drumfishing to turn on any day. George heard about no striped bass caught on the bay since the fish seemed to move up the Delaware River to spawn. He also heard about no bluefish migrating to the local area so far. Boaters belted tog, but the blackfish season closes Friday. Sea bass began to appear at places like Cape May Reef. The Heavy Hitter runs a busy schedule of drumfish charters when the boomers begin to feed. But the boat is also available for bottom fishing, bluefishing or whatever fishing’s possible.

Drum began to bite in Delaware Bay, sporadic catches but a fair number, the first action with the boomers besides a few of the fish snatched up before, said Capt. Tom from the Fishin’ Fever. He heard about decent sized ones to 60 pounds caught. Striped bass might’ve started to trickle back down to the bay after spawning in the Delaware River, and fishing for them might get going again on the bay toward May’s full moon around the eighth. Plenty of sea bass could be pumped in from the ocean wrecks, and bluefish should be able to be found by now. The Fishin’ Fever will chase down drum, and trips will be available for stripers when they return to the bay. Most of the stripers will be big breeders, a chance for a trophy, and anglers can call Tom to be kept in the loop about when they can be targeted on trips. Sea bassing is also on tap, and bluefishing is probably possible. The boat runs both charters and shared charters.

Four drum, puppies 12 pounds apiece, were reeled up Friday from Delaware Bay with Legal Limit Charters, Capt. T.J. said. The trip tried to catch striped bass, but no stripers cooperated. Another charter this Friday wants to sail for stripers but will probably end up looking for drum. The behemoths began to be picked up here and there and will become the target for trips. Legal Limit’s other boat is wreck fishing from Tuckerton and had been landing tog. Now that tog season closes Friday, the vessel will wreck fish for sea bass, ling and cod on short or long-range trips to 30 miles offshore. A trickling of bluefish began to appear in the bays around Tuckerton, but T.J. heard about no blues around Cape May. But the season was early for blues, and T.J. expects to see more next week.

Fishing on Delaware Bay was slow during the weekend, but striped bass fishing reportedly dropped off on the Delaware River, and either the fish refused to feed or began to leave the river, said Capt. Joe from Schmedley Charters. So he hoped they’d start to move back to the bay. He’s got trips on the bay this coming Saturday and Sunday that will fish from about 2 p.m. to evening to look for drum. A few were muscled in, and drumming could pop any time. Joe heard that surf anglers sometimes banked stripers and drum at Poverty Beach. Besides the comfort of Schmedley’s 37-foot Topaz, personalized trips are also offered for the first time this year on a 19-foot center console for 1 to 2 anglers. That’ll especially work well for back-bay trips for stripers, blues, flounder, weakfish and tog through the season. The back bay’s catches were yet to kick in but should take off soon.

Beach fishing for striped bass was happening, said Nick from Hands Too Bait & Tackle. The fish were clammed along the ocean surf at places like Poverty Beach. Surf anglers on the Delaware Bay side of Cape May Point dunked worms along the jetties for the linesiders. One of them caught and released three 28-inch keepers at Higbee’s Beach while fishing worms. Sharpies at the Coast Guard jetty said they saw a few weakfish but hooked none. Nothing was heard about bluefish, and boat anglers seemed to find slow fishing on Delaware Bay. But some started to try for drumfish, and that fishery could bust open any time. Cape May Reef was probably the best spot to sock sea bass. Fresh clams, bloodworms and frozen baits are stocked.