<b>Staten Island</b>

The boat was splashed Wednesday, and Capt. Joe from <b>Outcast Charters</b> took a short trip with friends for flounder fishing on the bay off Keyport, he said. First they fished 2 ½ hours on outgoing tide, knocking down a dozen of the flatfish, mostly good-sized to 2 ¼ pounds. Then Joe fueled the boat and returned to the grounds for an hour on incoming, and nothing bit. But he saw signs that the fishing was improving, and thought more of the bottom huggers would’ve chewed if he had fished more of the outgoing. Waters were 45 to 46 degrees, and the weather was windy. No striped bass bit, and nobody in the area seemed to land stripers among the flounder. Charters will now chase flounder, and open-boat trips will sail every Wednesday through the season by reservation. Blackfishing will be available this month, and striper trips should begin in May, when big migrators move in. Special trips for parents with kids are available this year, featuring a lower rate for the youngsters. Birthday trips for kids are also on tap. Check out Outcast’s Web site for rates and details.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Winter flounder trips were weathered out from storms and winds this week until a trip sailed Wednesday afternoon on the <b>Atlantic Star</b>, and the fishing was slow, not good, Capt Tom said. Cold waters seemed to delay catches this season compared with last. The boat’s usually been fishing the Shrewsbury River, where it always targets at first, but the trip tried both the river and the bay near the Navy Pier, with similar results at both. But Tom expected today’s trips to run in forecasted calm weather.  The Atlantic Star is fishing 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. Only the morning trip will fish on Easter Sunday.

Striped bass, lots, got creamed from the bay shore on worms and clams, said Dolly from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Winter flounder sometimes cooperated in the bay and rivers. No customers talked about surf fishing or bottom fishing. Clams, worms and all the baits are stocked.

<b>Highlands</b>

Catches of striped bass kept ratcheting up, lots of shorts but also keepers to 34 inches, said Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>. Winter flounder fishing also seemed to shovel out better catches than before in the bay and rivers. He was supposed to fish today, and might give an update afterward. Charters with Fisher Price will kick off next week, focusing first on flounder, but bottom fishing will be an option. Striper trips will be next, when the big ones migrate in. Act fast to catch a discount on trips that fish from Monday through the following week. <b>***Update, Friday, 4/10:***</b> The trip yesterday pounded 45 stripers, including three keepers to 31 inches, on the Keyport Flats on clams, Derek said. Seven winter flounder also inhaled the striper baits, and the whole outgoing tide was fished.

<b>Belmar</b>

Some good togging went down on Wednesday’s trip, and some of the anglers limited out, said Capt. Chris from the <b>Big Mohawk</b>. Catches were “looking up,” he said. No big ones were belted that day, but 7- to 8-pounders were waxed on others. Nine or 10 keeper cod to 10 pounds were also clubbed that day Waters were 44 degrees, and forecasts looked fair for the next days. The Big Mohawk is blackfishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Shark River’s flounder fishing was slow, probably because of cold waters, but winds and rains didn’t help, kept anglers from fishing, said John from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Even today’s weather was supposed to be calm, but winds increased in the afternoon, Little news rolled in about surf fishing, and few anglers tried the suds, but any word that did come in sounded like not much happened along the beaches. But party boat blackfishing gained steam on vessel’s like the Big Mohawk, and one customer said he landed five keepers on the boat today. It’s assumed he kept no more than four, his limit. John thought the boats fished in 80 feet for the tog. A few ling bit in the ocean. Rental boats at the store are ready to fish the river, and all the baits and supplies are stocked.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

On the <b>Dauntless</b> anglers mostly lifted aboard ling, sometimes creamed a few cod, okay fishing, Capt. Butch said. On Sunday 30 cod were tackled around the boat, and some patrons clocked two or three apiece. One of the cod weighed 22 pounds, and another was 16 pounds, and the rest were 5 to 8, measuring 21 to 24 inches. Trips fished in 120 to 220 feet, the same depths as before, and dog sharks were a nuisance in deeper waters. A handful of blackfish bit in the shallower, 120-foot areas, and five or six keepers were bagged Sunday, and about the same number of shorts were released. The ocean was 40 to 43 degrees, no real change since last week. Better weather was needed to raise the temps, and an occasional calm, warm day rolled in, but then several days of clouds, rains and winds predominated. No mackerel were around, and with the cold waters, two weeks will pass before mackerel might show. If the Bostons migrate close enough to shore, the boat mixes in mackerel fishing with its bottom angling. Waters will have to warm another 20 degrees before sea bass are caught on the vessel. The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Angela Rose Charters</b> ran no winter flounder trips in the week’s weather, but the fish mostly mostly stacked up in northern Barnegat Bay, Capt. Anthony said. A few were plucked from the river, but that’s typical. The best catches should begin to come from the river soon, and trips on the boat last year by this time were already bouncing back and forth between the bay and river, wherever the angling was best on a day. By May the migration will pretty much reach the ocean. After flounder trips Angela Rose will hunt striped bass in the ocean, snagging bunker from schools, dropping them back down for bait, or trolling. But anglers aboard will also work top-water plugs for bluefish that usually begin blitzing the river by the first week of May. Both charters and shared charters are on tap, and rates are reduced this year, because fuel prices dropped. Check out <a href=" http://www.angelarosecharters.com" target="_blank">the boat’s Web site</a>, updated for the new season.

The weather, rough until calm this morning, kept most anglers from winter flounder fishing, but most of the flatties remained in northern Barnegat Bay, yet to migrate to the Manasquan River, said Chuck from <b>Gates Bait & Tackle</b>. None of the party boats seemed to make it out for the flatbacks during the week. Private boaters who chummed heavily with four or five pots picked up occasional flounder from the bay. Waters were cold. The only striped bass catches heard about came from the bay farther south toward Seaside. Chuck passed along the road at Oyster Creek in Forked River, and saw only two anglers trying for stripers or flounder there. Plenty of fish might fill the creek, the outflow for the power plant, but the waters can become too warm to hold them after a moment in spring. One angler said the tails of two of his Ava jigs got chopped off while he fished at Manasquan Inlet. The season’s first bluefish? Maybe, but the inlet was cold, and nothing was reported about blues caught so far this season. Party boats that bottom fished put patrons into ling and cod. Clams, mussels, bloodworms, sandworms and chum are stocked. 

<b>Seaside</b>

Surf anglers were scarce during the day, and that meant surf reports were scarce, but anglers sometimes slung clams into the wash for striped bass late at night, after the store closed, said the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s Web site. One of the night anglers showed off a photo of a 24-pounder he shellacked. Otherwise little news rolled in, because the night owls were active when the store was locked up. But a tip the shop shared: More fish are caught from the beach than from the living room! <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.   

<b>Forked River</b>

Barnegat Bay’s winter flounder catches jumped up a little, but winds and weather kept grinding down opportunities to get after them, said Dane from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. One customer limited out on the fish Sunday, and most fished for the flatties between the BI and BB markers. Occasional striped bass, mostly shorts but sometimes keepers, were pulled from all over the bay, improved fishing. Stripers were also whacked on the Toms River on Wednesday night on popper plugs. Stripers, more than flounder, were also fought on Oyster Creek, but the creek’s anglers certainly got stripers. Dane heard about striper catches from the surf to the north and to the south but not along the beaches closest to the shop. But few anglers fished the local suds, too. White perch angling seemed to pick up in the brackish rivers. Clams, mussels, bloodworms, sandworms, clam chum and green crabs, for tog fishing, are stocked. Not much was heard about tog fishing, but a flounder angler boated a 5-pound tog, unusual, because it came from open waters, instead of along structure.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Boaters definitely picked at winter flounder in Barnegat Bay, like between the BI and BB markers, and the fishing was improving, said Nick from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. They also got them in the bay near Harvey Cedars. Striped bass were sometimes boated in the bay along the sod banks and behind the Dike, usually on clams, but the most recent report came from someone who drifted bloodworms for bites. A few linesiders were also looted at Barnegat Inlet, and surf casters banked pretty good catches of stripers. Clams seemed the ticket in the suds, and Bob Mazza checked in a 25-pound 3-ounce bass that mouthed a clam in the wash. Fresh clams, worms and live spots, kept in the tank over winter, are stocked.

<b>Barnegat</b>

Waters were cold, and a few winter flounder and striped bass were clocked, but <b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b> will begin charters probably in two weeks, when bluefish invade Barnegat Bay, Capt. John said. The migration of mackerel that blues follow north to local waters was probably two weeks away. Then fishing for everything—blues, striped bass, flounder and tiderunner weakfish—begins to take off, and charters can mix up the day, seeing which opportunity is best, or deciding to try a combo, like blues and flounder or blues and stripers. Anglers on deck will troll ponytails for blues or will cast soft-plastic lures and poppers to them. The weakies, big ones that enter the bay a few weeks in spring, will slam the ponytails and plastics. Striper fishing on trips will begin with clamming in the bay, eventually moving to the ocean for big, migrating bass, clobbering them on bunker snagged from schools and dropped back down for bait. In the past two or three years the migrators appeared at the end of May and in June. That’s later than many places in the state, but catches were excellent in recent years. Fluke trips will also launch in late May.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Graveling Point’s striped bass fishing was in full swing, waves of the fish, probably coming from the ocean, moving through, spurts of catches, but sometimes impressive, double-digits, for anglers, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Shore anglers socked them, but so did boaters. One crew on a boat pummeled 18, including three keepers. A 13-pounder is typically the largest. Boats usually fished on the opposite side of the Mullica River from the point. Some boats invaded the side with the shore anglers, but why fish there, when beach anglers are trying to sling a cast to the other side? Set up the boat on the other side at structure similar to where bank anglers catch. Both bloodworms and clams got attention, sometimes one out-fishing the other, and anglers should bring both. On Tuesday night the fish favored bloods. Nobody talked about landing stripers on the Mullica River anymore. Nobody saw herring arrive either, but the baitfish should move in to places like the Batsto Falls any hour.  One tide could suddenly bring them in. White perch fishing started to pick up a bit around the bridges on the Mullica River estuary, like at the Wading River and on the Mullica at Lower Bank and Green Bank. The fishing was a pick, but it began, like it should at this time of year. Word said the Lower Bank Bridge was best earlier in the week, and live grass shrimp are always the favored bait, and the shop stocks them. Winds blew too strongly for tautog fishing on the ocean this week, but customers bought green crabs for bait, planning to tog fish in the pleasant weather forecast for today. Besides live grass shrimp and green crabs, the shop is stocking fresh clams, bloodworms, minnows and nightcrawlers. Trout baits including meal worms, red wigglers, small minnows and assorted Berkley artificials are on hand for the opening of trout season Saturday. Some anglers even use the grass shrimp for trout.

<b>Absecon</b>

The first striped bass larger than 20 pounds this season was checked in one week ago today at <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>, Ray said. Frank Siderio from Williamstown bunker chunked the fish—a 26.1-pounder—on Delaware Bay, winning the shop’s annul $100 gift certificate awarded for the first larger than 20. One more annual prize, another $100 gift certificate, remained up for grabs for the angler who weighs in the season’s first bass over 30 pounds. Edward Egnor Jr. from Pomona checked in a 27-1/2-pounder that tried to swim off with a herring chunk in the Great Egg Harbor River, and Matt Walker from Egg Harbor Township also dunked a herring chunk in the river to come up with a 14-pound striper. Herring migrating in the river sometimes showed up in droves at the Mays Landing bulkhead and other times disappeared. Capt. Dave, the shop’s owner, netted 400 so far this season, and live herring, not a ton, but enough, are stocked. Grab a dozen for $30. If enough are in supply, anglers can order 100 or more at a special rate. Short stripers also started to be caught in the bays around Absecon for the first time this year. Clams or herring will get strikes. White perch fishing up the rivers seemed to fade somewhat. Ray guessed that stripers made them shy, but only guessed. He heard about a few tog taken from the T-jetty at Atlantic City. But he scored no luck while trying to hook one of the fish in the back waters so far this year. Customers were buying green crabs for blackfish bait, so seemed the slipperies were biting. In addition to herring and green crabs, the shop is stocking bloodworms, eels and the full supply of baits.

<b>Brigantine</b>

A 14-pound 34-inch striped bass on Sunday was the first keeper bass of the season weighed in from the Brigantine surf at <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>, Capt. Andy said. Joe Wologen wrestled in the fish, winning the shop’s $100 gift certificate for the first. A bunch of 27-inch shorts were played in the suds, and 29-inch keepers were landed here and there on the beaches. So catches began to heat up, not on fire, but starting. Most of the bass sucked up clams. Fresh clams, bloodworms, frozen herring and other baits are stocked, and Riptide is open daily.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Striped bass, tog and winter flounder were angled, and things finally started, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Stripers nibbled bloodworms or clams in the bay and surf, but mostly in the bay. Tog crunched green crabs along the jetties, and flounder Hoovered bloods and worms at places like the Flagship and Captain Stearns. No bluefish were reported caught so far, and nothing was heard about mackerel. All the baits mentioned and more are stocked, and the shop is open full time.

<b>Longport</b>

Some healthy tog got looted on today’s open-boat trip at the reef 9 miles offshore, and sea bass showed up too,  said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>. “Sea bass are in,” he said. Anglers copped a nice pick all day. “We had a hell of a time,” he said. “Bring plenty of sinkers, and see you on the boat.” Open trips sail daily, and call to reserve. 

<b>Ocean City</b>

Bunches of tog chomped around the A.C., O.C. and G.E. reefs, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Surf casting for striped bass got on the upswing, with plenty smacking both bait and lures. The back bay was alive with small stripers that could be coaxed to punch artificials like Gulps, bucktails and the new Z-Man soft plastics. One boater hooked 47 of the fish on Z-Mans north of the Parkway Bridge. Many striper anglers fished the bay toward the power plant. The herring run up the Great Egg Harbor River seemed healthy. No bluefish were reported to arrive, but rumors said a few were seen up north at Raritan Bay. Fresh and frozen clams, bloodworms and frozen bunker, mackerel and herring are stocked.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Back-bay striped bass fishing was gradually amping up, said Wes from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Bloodworms are the best bait at this time of year, but most anglers soak clams, also effective, and a few of the fish hit lures like soft plastics for the first time this season this past week. Waters were generally 47 to 48 degrees, but temps as high as 52 were seen. So the bay was cold, and the fishing took work. If a stretch of warmer, clear-weather days would come, things would turn on. But more than one day like that never happened this season. Wes also heard about a few stripers dragged from the surf for the first time this year. Tog were just beginning to bite in the bay. Bluefish and weakfish usually migrate to local waters toward the end of April. He’s seen blues appear as early as March, but waters need to reach 53 to 55 degrees consistently.  Fresh clams, bloodworms, green crabs, eels and all the frozen baits are stocked, and the shop is open every day.

Fishing for striped bass started to improve on the bay, and trips on the boat got the season’s first linesiders to woof down clams and chase artificials, included in the last report. But Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>, fished from the Florida Keys this week, he said. He was on the ocean off Tavernier Key today when he gave this report over the phone, and a 90-pound tarpon had already been hooked, jumped a few times and got off. Six or seven pods of tarpon were seen, and fishing for the silver kings looked like it would be the focus on the trip. Joe and friends Jay Vonczoernig and Dave Stewart, who were also on the trip, looked around for bonefish a little, but few were around, and they scouted around for redfish on the bay side of the Keys the previous day, finding one or two decent shots at them. Back at home, the bay’s striper fishing will get better and better, and Jersey Cape’s charters will put a bead on them with clams, soft plastic lures and Clouser flies. Joe will also offer charters on Delaware Bay for stripers and drum this month and next. Looking ahead, mixed-bag offshore trips will be on the menu in summer that will troll for tuna in the mornings and tangle with mahi mahi later in the day, pitching live and dead baits or flies to the dolphin.

<b>Cape May</b>

A trip clammed for striped bass on Delaware Bay today with <b>Schmedley Charters</b>, and the weather was beautiful, and seas were flat as could be, and fishing was spotty, Capt. Joe said. Two keepers, sizeable ones 30 and 31 ½ inches, and four shorts were drilled, and everybody Joe talked with reeled up only one or two legal fish. The full moon was probably the culprit, because a trip Sunday on the boat lambasted the bass, some of the best fishing Joe had seen in several years. Lots of grass filled the waters today. Joe also gave the season’s first report about a drumfish hauled from the bay: He heard about a puppy drum boated in the waters during the day. The trip fished in 8 to 20 feet at the tip of 60-Foot Slough, and waters were 48 to 50 degrees.  Schmedley will be back after the bay’s stripers Friday, and charters and open-boat trips are sailing. In addition to trips in the comfort of a 37-foot Topaz for up to six anglers, Schmedley is offering personalized trips on a 19-foot center console for one or two anglers. That boat will mostly fish the back bay through the season for stripers, blues, weakfish, flounder and tog, but Delaware Bay’s bass angling was the best option for now, well within reach of the center console.

<b>O-Beth Sportfishing</b> will splash the boat Wednesday, chasing after striped bass on Delaware Bay off the bat, Capt. Eric said. His anglers will clam for the fish, and catches were being made. He expects to start drum fishing on the bay during the first or second week of May, when the boomers should begin to turn on. Check out <a href=" http://www.obethfishingcharters.com " target="_blank">O-Beth’s Web site</a> for monthly specials on trips.

Friends put the breaks on 70 striped bass, including 20 keepers to 36 and 37 inches, on a trip during the week, said Capt. Tom from the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b>> His boat was being launched today, and he expected to fish, and will try to give an update to be posted here. Besides currently striper fishing, the boat’s charters and shared charters will begin drumfishing on the bay probably by late April or the beginning of May. Drum can be mixed in with stripers by the end of April, and trips should start focusing on the behemoths by early May.

Charters will get going next week with <b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b>, dunking clams for striped bass on Delaware Bay, and stripers were slam dunked from the bay to the Delaware River, apparently all the way to Trenton, Capt. Ray said. Drumfishing on the bay will start in the beginning of May on the boat, and May’s full moon, early in the month, should coincide with the start of drumfishing, Ray hoped.

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> hopes to put the boat in the waters Saturday, depending on whether the marina is ready for vessels to go in, he said. His first charter is slated to clam for striped bass on Delaware Bay the following Saturday. Depths around 20 feet were attracting the fish, and waters were probably in the high 40s to 50 degrees. During some years the Heavy Hitter’s first charters in late April banged up drumfish out of the gate. These were big ones, 60- and 70-pounders, not the pups that are sometimes the first caught. Last year drumfishing started around May 15, after the beasts kept being marked a while but refused to feed, maybe either because they were spawning or waters were cold. During other years drum can turn on during flurries of action in late April, before biting steadily in May. But every year is different. George’s first drum trips are on the books to fish around the full moon in early May, but they’ll be rescheduled for later if the action is yet to begin. Everybody always expects May’s full moon to trigger drumfishing, but the month’s moon is early this year. 

Delaware Bay doled out striped bass, really good fishing, earlier in the season than some people typically get out, but they should consider going now, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. The early season’s was hot for the fishing in recent years, and many anglers missed out. Boaters now clammed the bass in 10- or 12-foot depths at places like toward Bug Light and 20-Foot Slough. Reeds Beach seemed the best surf spot, and clams or floated worms did the job. Little was heard about back-bay fishing, but stripers can always start to be plugged at this time of year in the back, and tog were tackled along the bridges and jetties. Fresh clams, bloodworms and green clams are stocked. The shop is open at 6 a.m., usually until 3 p.m. on weekdays, depending on the weather, and later on weekends. Hours will be extended around April 15, when marinas start operating full bore.

Back to Top