New Jersey Fishing Reports

Only a dozen regular customers braved the weather to jump aboard Wednesday, “(but) I’m sure glad they did,” said Capt. Ron from the Fishermen. He didn’t describe the weather, but others talked about winds, rough seas, storms and fog. The first drop on the striped bass trip only produced a keeper and a short. Ron made a wiggle to another spot, and the fish went off right away. Shots of three and four were hooked at a time. Many of the fish were an inch short, but the entire boat limited out on keepers in no time. The hot hand reeled up six legal fish, keeping no more than his limit. Seas “got a little sporty to say the least,” he said, when the tide changed to outgoing, pushing against winds when there was already a swell. The bite lasted through slack and ended on outgoing, but “didn’t matter, as we had ours!” he said. An angler won the pool with an 18-pound striper. Another added a big, knucklehead sea bass to the striper catch. 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.

On the Atlantic Star pretty darn good action went down with fluke, mostly lots of shorts with some keepers thrown in, Capt. Tom said. “It’s fluking like we know it,” he said. The boat fished different places around the bay, including the shallows near the Coast Guard Station, the deep along Reach Channel and off the Navy Pier, and every spot put out fish. They were mixed sizes, and ones that were only an inch or half-inch short were around, and a load of 9- to 11-inchers skittered about. Those smaller fish are a good sign for the future. All patrons caught, and the anglers might hook 8, 10 or 12, and they might get a keeper or more, and they might not. On Wednesday afternoon’s trip with only a handful of anglers aboard, two of the patrons bagged two keepers apiece, and some got none. On Monday morning’s outing one angler picked up three keepers, and the number of keepers was a little better that day than on others. Winds honked much of the week, but the boat is able to tuck into places on the bay to help get sheltered from winds. All the usual baits seemed to work equally well, including the spearing and squid supplied on the boat, or baits like sand eels or killies that anglers brought themselves. Some anglers like to fish with killies, and the live minnows can sometimes work better, although at other times other baits can work better. But if anglers like to fish with killies, Tom always recommends that customers bring the smallest amount they can buy from a store, and then they’ll be prepared if killies draw more attention. Crowds have been light on the boat during the weekdays, but the boat still sails, keeping the ball rolling. There’s plenty of elbow room. A good crowd was aboard during the weekend, the opening weekend of fluke season, and even on Memorial Day, when fewer people usually fish. The Atlantic Star is fluke fishing on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Big striped bass were sometimes knocked down from the ocean to the surf to the bay, said Jimmy from Julian’s Bait & Tackle. He even watched a couple of boaters worming 32- or 34-inch bass from the river at the bridge on every drift. Kim Sodin and Bill Brown, not the boaters Jimmy saw, hammered two 30.28-pound and 27-18-pound stripers from the Navesink River. Rich Graham checked in a 20-pound striper boated on the bay. Eddie Gudrich hit the scale with two 20- and 17-pound linesiders he wrenched in from the surf. Surf casters connected with fresh clams or fresh bunker. Plenty of bluefish also swam from the river to the ocean. “How’s fluking” Jimmy was asked. “How’s fluking?” he answered. “Fluking’s fluking,” he joked. Lots of short fluke hugged bottom at Bug Light, but some bigger ones were around. Vito Simone weighed in a 3.7-pound fluke. Bob Saverwin checked in a 7-pound 4-ounce fluke that sucked in a killie in the Navesink River. Lisa Sidorsky pummeled an 11-pound weakfish on either the Navesink or the Shrewsbury. Bottom-fishers cleaned up on ling and sea bass whenever the weather allowed them to sail. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, sandworms and all the baits are stocked.

Highlands

No trips got out since the last report, but one put a beating on big striped bass in the ocean on Monday, and the weather kept boats from sailing since then, said Capt. Derek from Fisher Price Charters. A trip was also weathered out today, but he hoped to pick right back up on great catches when the vessel could sail. Fisher Price will liveline or chunk bunker for the linesiders, so long as bunker can be caught for bait, The fishing was the run of large, adult stripers north up the coast, the best chance to tangle with the big ones, the highlight of springtime for Fisher Price. Derek is squeezing in open-boat trips for the fish between charters whenever possible.

Neptune

Good striped bass catches were looted on some days, and not so good ones were taken on others, and a trip with Last Lady Fishing Charters on Saturday afternoon whacked 12 of the fish to 18 pounds and some bluefish, and most of the fish were released, Capt. Ralph said in an e-mail. Some big cows were lambasted when on some days when boats could snag bunker for bait. But Ralph encourages anglers to think about releasing the big breeders. Killing them is one reason no large numbers were seen in recent years. A photo and measuring the fish can create a perfect mount. Unfortunately some people kill them and post photos on Web sites, he said. Ralph can put an angler on one or two bragging fish a day, but the big ones aren’t the fish anglers want to eat. Having vented, he said, Last Lady’s trips are running for stripers, battling them on light tackle when live bait is around to be caught. Charters are sailing for the linesiders, and so are individual-reservation trips every Wednesday, and a few spots remain for this coming week’s. Ralph will try to fit in individual-rez trips on some weekends. Last Lady will also take the season’s first shot at fluke this coming weekend. The Wednesday trips will switch to fluke in mid June.

Belmar

Fluke were boated on the Big Mohawk on the ocean during this opening week of the flattie season, Capt. Chris said. Saturday’s or the opening day’s catch wasn’t too great, but Sunday’s and Monday’s were decent. Winds blew too strongly since then, roughing up seas. Catches were yet to reach the level like mid-season, and waters were cold. But the fishing wasn’t bad for this time of year. There were lots of bites. One angler limited out, and Nadia Palmer waxed a 9-pound 1-ouncer, a big doormat for this time of the season or really any time. Some 5-pounders were taken, and many of the trips’ flatties were jigged. The Big Mohawk is fishing for fluke 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and spearing and squid are supplied for bait.

Striped bass were slam-dunked on the Nan Sea J on Wednesday on the ocean, Capt. Tom said. The fish were big, including a 41-pound 48-incher, and the entire charter limited out. The anglers snagged bunker and dropped them back down for bait, and the bass chased the bunker schools. Four or five large blues were also pumped in. Seas were pretty bumpy, and the boat was practically by itself because of that. Big stripers are in: Time to chase them down. A bottom-fishing trip was sailing today, and ling and sea bass would probably be caught. Some of the boat’s recent striper trips mixed in bottom fishing a little, and about an equal mix of ling and sea bass came up. Shark fishing, Tom’s favorite, will launch June 10 on one of the Nan Sea J’s weekly open-boat trips for sharks that fish every Wednesday through July, a rare opportunity to shark fish on an open-boat basis. Shark charters will also sail.

Not a lot of fishing happened during the week, but night bluefishing trips loaded up on the Golden Eagle in the past days, Capt. Greg said. On Wednesday night blues that were busted weighed 6 to 11 pounds. When the boat’s daytime trips last got out, fishing for stripers and blues was hot and cold. On the weekend bluefishing was fair to good on the daytime outings, and a handful of stripers were picked up. At night during the weekend many patrons limited out on blues or came close, decent fishing when the time was spent at the rail. The Golden Eagle is fishing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for blues 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily.

Mostly 5- to 10-pound blues were battled in on the Miss Belmar Princess, with occasional striped bass showing up, and the weather slowed down fishing on the weekend, but Monday’s catch was very good off the tip of Sandy Hook, Capt. Alan said. All the fish were jigged on the trips, and the boat was weathered out Tuesday and Wednesday, but was back on the waters today. Nightime bluefishing was productive on the vessel Friday through Sunday 10 miles from shore on bait. The ocean had chilled but was warming back up, and Alan hoped stripers would start biting as the temps rose. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Night trips for blues are running 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily.

Surf casters beached all kinds of striped bass during the weekend, but afterward the blow slowed down the fishing, said David from Fisherman’s Den. A couple of 40-pound-class linesiders were weighed in Wednesday from ocean boats, including one from the Nan Sea J. Belmar’s party boats sailing for stripers and blues mostly wrangled in a ton of blues. The word from one of the port’s head boats said its patrons made good fluke catches in the mornings, but action shut down in the afternoons, all on the ocean, of course. Shark River’s fluke fishing put anglers on plenty of the fish, but lots of shorts. The shop’s rental boats are locked and loaded for fluking on the river, and all the fluke tackle and baits are fully supplied. So are all the other usual baits.

Brielle

A group got aboard for a bottom-fishing trip Wednesday but first looked for striped bass, said Capt. Jerry from Fish Monger Charters. A buddy had limited out on stripers at a spot up north before Fish Monger left the slip, and the boat ran there. A hundred vessels were on the scene by the time Fish Monger arrived, and the anglers on board dropped bunker baits in the waters. They went 0 for 1 on stripers, and the crew decided to get away from the fleet, sailing north and a little offshore. A small patch of bunker was found under a little bird play, and the baits were dropped in. Three rods went off at once, and the anglers landed all three bass. Another bass was bagged a little afterward. The action died off, and the group went bottom fishing, anchoring up. They picked and plucked sea bass, both keepers and shorts, and released a bunch of out-of-season blackfish. A keeper cod and a ling were also coolered. A couple of drifts were afterward made for fluke, coming up with some shorts. The trip wound up with four stripers to 31 pounds, 51 keeper sea bass, one cod and a ling. Plus the bunch of blackfish and the short fluke were released. A nice day on the waters, Jerry said. Good to see Capt. “Shamrock” Eddie and wife April at the dock, he said. Fish Monger is running charters for striped bass, bottom fish or a combo of both. Open-boat trips are on the books that will liveline bunker for stripers. “Give a buzz; let’s go fishing!” Jerry said.

The Katie H was docked for maintenance but is back in action, and Capt. Mike took a sea trial on the vessel Monday, seeing tremendous numbers of striped bass schooling after bunker off the Governor’s Mansion at Island Beach State Park, he said. He also saw whales. Incredible striper catches were made in the ocean Sunday and Monday, and Mike heard about 30-, 40- and 50-pounders clobbered. Most of the fishing was on bunker snagged from schools of the baitfish that paraded through. Striper trips will get back under way on the vessel. Waters were probably cold for fluke fishing in the ocean, and he’ll probably wait before sailing for them. Waters were also cold for sharks, but Mike’s looking forward to running shark trips soon. He’s also anticipating tuna fishing, the main event on the boat, probably starting with trolling trips in July. Don’t have enough anglers to fill a tuna charter? No problem. Call Mike, and he can probably schedule an individual spot or spots on a make-up trip.

Point Pleasant

Striped bass, bass and more bass were slammed all morning Sunday on a trip, said Capt. Allen from Reel Class Charters in the report on the boat’s Web site. He got a phone call early in the morning saying the fishing was going off in the ocean, so he cancelled family plans for that day on the holiday weekend, and headed out with the boat’s mate. They ran north in the ocean from the inlet, caught bunker for bait in no time, sailed farther north, and found the waters exploding with big bass chasing bunker. A 25- to 30-pounder was hooked and landed right way, and then this went on all morning! Twenty- to 40-pound stripers mauled any bunker bait that hit the drink. Allen even tried a surface lure, and the white plug got blown up on during every cast, hooking several 20- to 30-pounders. He boated his biggest striper to date, a 38-pounder, on bunker, and his biggest on a plug, a 30-pounder. The mate racked up a 28-pounder that was his biggest-ever. On Monday, Memorial Day, the fishing was nothing like the previous day, and some stripers were caught, but a zillion boats filled the waters. But Allen looked forward to charters slated to sail through this weekend. On Saturday in a cold, 47-degree ocean and pea-soup fog, no stripers showed up early on a trip. So the boat was motored back to Manasquan River so the anglers could try for fluke during that opening day of the flattie season. A few small fluke were stuck, and then the trip got bailed out when the anglers switched to fighting cocktail blues, 20 or 30 of them, on poppers on ultra-light tackle. Not the greatest day, but at least some action, Allen said.

Cold waters kept fluke fishing mostly slow on trips on the ocean, and a big ground swell hampered the bite today, said Capt. Matt from the Norma K Fleet. A couple of 20- to 30-pound striped bass were at least hoisted in on each trip lately. The ocean was 57 degrees, chilled but warmer than it had been. Nighttime bluefishing trips creamed catches. The trips are attempting to sail every night, when there’s demand and when the weather allows, and the last one ran Monday for a solid catch. Fluke trips are fishing twice daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Nighttime bluefishing trips are slated to run 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

Six striped bass to 40 pounds were locked up on a trip Wednesday in the ocean in tough conditions with storms, fog and bunker that swam deep so they couldn’t be seen and chased to catch for bait, said Capt. Fred from Andrea’s Toy Charters. So the bass were diamond-jigged and trolled on bunker spoons. The charter also bottom fished, rounding up 30 keeper sea bass, releasing 30 throwbacks and also letting go a dozen out-of-season blackfish. Andrea’s Toy will sometimes do combo striper/bottom fishing, going after the bottom dwellers whenever striper fishing goes on a lull, and getting back on the stripers when they start to respond again. The boat was moved to Point Pleasant on Saturday after completing its annual fishing for stripers on Raritan Bay. On Sunday a charter with Capt. Carlos on the vessel brought the angler back to port because of seasickness. But Carlos went back out and grabbed stripers. Ocean striper fishing hit the wall for big ones on Sunday for the first time this season, although rough weather made things tough during the week. A few dates remain in June for charters for the fishing. After striper fishing, Andrea’s Toy will begin to offer open-boat, offshore trips for a combo of sharks and bottom fish. If warm eddies draw in tuna to the canyons then, tuna-trolling trips will get under way.

Bottom-fishing dusted up ling and sea bass, pretty good catches, on the Dauntless, Capt. Butch said. Plenty of ling were landed, and lots more sea bass than before were shoveled up on Wednesday, because east winds “shook up” the waters, not because waters warmed. Waters only warmed a degree or two. Anglers that day who worked hard nabbed 10 keeper sea bass and 25 throwbacks, and most put the brakes on 15 to 20 ling. A total of 20 to 40 fish per patron was average lately. A cod was caught the other day, and a striped bass was socked on a recent trip, and both sometimes appeared. Blues became scarce on the boat’s daytime trips, because of cold waters a few days ago. Trips fished in 60 to 80 feet, and dogfish were too abundant in 80 feet or deeper. The only blues that were caught at the time were played on Barnegat Bay. But nighttime bluefish trips that are fishing on weekends clubbed okay catches. Dogfish were ferocious on Saturday night but weren’t too bad on Friday night. The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily and is bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. every weekend until the trips run daily later this season.

After days of northeast winds, the crew on the Cock Robin looked forward to sailing again, as the weather cleared, an e-mail from the boat said today. Intel was limited because of the blow, but trips will chase striped bass and blues. Word came in about large schools of blues to the south, well within range. Water temps rose to 55 degrees, after plummeting before, and baitfish started to ball back up. The Cock Robin is fishing stripers and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Nighttime bluefishing trips are sailing 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Winds, rains, rough seas, fog and water temps that fluctuated like a yo-yo quieted down fishing, but catches were clocked earlier in the week, said Chuck from Gates Bait & Tackle. A party boat captain said waters ranged 49 to 58 degrees. All kinds of bait filled the ocean at first during the week, and boaters sometimes cornered striped bass, big ones to the high 20s and the 30s, from Manasquan north to Belmar and to the south off Island Beach State Park. Blues were around, but bass were more common. Boaters seemed to connect with bigger bass than surf fishers did, but surf casters landed their fair share of stripers. Surf sharpies clammed, bunker chunked and plugged the fish. Dan Pillitteri beached three or four per trip from the surf from Bay Head to Lavallette on plugs and clams on a couple of days. The up-and-down water temps made fluke fishing touch-and-go at Manasquan Inlet, and anglers had to play the tides, fishing the warmer waters on outgoing when that happened. Lots of fluke were around, but the size limit was difficult. Small stripers and blues were hooked from Manasquan Inlet to the mouth of the Point Pleasant Canal. Out-of-season blackfish crammed the canal. Weakfish had been taken from northern Barnegat Bay around the Mantoloking Bridge, but none was heard about lately. Fresh clams, worms and all the baits are stocked.

Seaside

Less than perfect weather kept most surf casters from fishing, and the few who did go reported beaching either short striped bass or nothing, said the report on Grumpy’s Tackle. But a 12.3-pound striper was checked in today that sucked in a Grumpy clam, and so was a 7.1-pound weakfish that smacked a bucktail. The last weigh-ins came on Monday. Waters were somewhat dirty and sporty to fish, and a little cabbage was around at Seaside one day, but the surf began to clear, after rougher weather earlier in the week. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

Forked River

Ocean fishing for striped bass went nuts Monday in 30 feet from the Coast Guard Station to the Ferris Wheel, said Grizz from Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle. Frank Garriel’s 41-pounder was the biggest weighed in, and numerous 30- to 35-pounders were hefted through the doors. Probably 18 big ones were checked in at the shop starting at 10 a.m. Livelined bunker pummeled most of the catches, but previously trolling did best. On Barnegat Bay anglers who anchored and clammed for stripers grabbed half stripers and half blues. Three or four customers limited out on fluke on the bay since the opening of the summer flounder season Saturday. Oyster Creek and Double Creek channels served up fluke. Andy Scott showed off a 10.7-pound weakfish he waffled on the bay. Weakies were found off Bayville and Berekeley Island Park, willing to inhale sandworms or grass shrimp, if anglers could get shrimp, or attack pink Fin-S Fish, salt-shaker Fin-S Fish with paddle tails, pink Gulp swim baits, Bass Assassin paddle tails and so on. Few people crabbed yet, and most go crabbing starting July 4. But some of the blueclaws were around, and commercial crabbers picked nine bushels from the traps on a recent day. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, eels and all the fluke baits including killies, spearing, sand eels, smelt, squid and more are stocked.

Barnegat Light

Few anglers, both surf casters and boaters, hit the waters during the week’s weather, said Basil from Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle. But 30- and 40-pound striped bass were punched from boats toward Seaside on Sunday. The report on the shops’s Web site said fluke season began during the weekend with a few healthy weigh-ins. A 9-pound 8-ouncer inhaled a live herring at Barnegat Inlet. A couple of 5-pounders came from Barnegat Bay off Gulf Point near the 40 marker. The big doormats probably scurried up onto the flats for warmth when ocean temps dropped to the 40s toward the beginning of the week. Basil said he heard about fluke fishing that was on fire in the ocean at Barnegat Ridge. The site said that to target the big doormats there, anglers should fish live baits such as spots or snapper blues in the deeper waters, and those who persist will get dialed in. Basil also heard about bonito found at the ridge, he said. The shop is a weigh-in station for the LBI Club Tournament that starts Saturday for boaters. Fresh clams, fresh bunker and other baits are stocked, and Basil is trying to stock spots.

Mystic Island

Bay boaters landed flounder, but the number of keepers was no blitz like would be expected right after Memorial Day, said Scott from Scott’s Bait & Tackle. Then again, waters were cold, the temps fluctuated drastically and the holiday this year was a week earlier than usual. Seven days could make a big difference. Waters were as cool as 49 degrees at some point during the weekend, and lately they reached up to 55 degrees. The coolest range wouldn’t be so bad for fishing, but the fluctuation was a killer. Sixty-eight and zero was the highest ratio of short flounder to keepers that Scott heard about. Some talked about trips that produced 30 shorts and one keeper. A few said they hooked no flounder, and that was difficult to understand, because lots of the fish were around. The first 10 days of flounder season usually turn up the best fishing, the most keepers, before most of the legal fish get caught. Bluefish in the bay were also small, only ¾ pounds instead of the normal 1 ¼ to 2 pounds for this time of year. No weakfish were nabbed at traditional places like Little Sheepshead Creek, and probably 1,000 hours were spent looking for them, and maybe four were hooked this year. Striped bass were hammered in the ocean to the north around Barnegat Inlet and to the south, but were a no show in the local area off Little Egg Inlet. For a while last year the bass were all gathered near Little Egg and nowhere else. But last year big stripers and the bunker they chased became thick off Little Egg around June 8, and they might very well come. Anglers bought up tackle like snagging hooks to catch the bunker for bait in anticipation. Hardcore striper anglers searched for the fish locally during the weekend and marked them, but cool waters appeared to make the fish refuse to feed. Cold waters also seemed to keep sea bassing from being the best at the ocean wrecks. Lots of small ones gathered. White perch fishing apparently went well on the Mullica River at the Lower Bank Bridge. Many customers bought the shop’s live grass shrimp for bait for the slabs. Minnows for flounder fishing had been scarce for a moment during the weekend, actually ran out, but are now re-supplied. The cause was more from mix ups, like one supplier had the baitfish but didn’t know the shop needed it, and another supplier’s stock died because of a mistake, than from any shortage of the killies that can happen in the early season. But Scott’s got the cell phone numbers in his pocket, and expects the supply to be fine with any luck. Fresh clams, although fewer of them after the high demand that’s usual earlier in the year, bloodworms and all the other baits, including the live grass shrimp, are stocked.

Port Republic

The Intracoastal Waterway began to attract a few weakfish, and the shop should carry shedder crabs, the favorite weakfish bait, in a week or so, said Violet from Chestnut Neck Boat Yard. Decent numbers of flounder were pulled from the bay toward Absecon, and very few blues, small ones, were around locally. White perch were plucked from the Mullica River, and striped bass fishing slowed down. Fishing should get hopping within about a week. Minnows, bloodworms, fresh clams, eels and frozen baits are stocked.

Absecon

Back-bay charters for striped bass averaged five keepers per trip with owner Capt. Dave from Absecon Bay Sportsman Center, Ray said. Dave’s anglers fished with live spots, and Dave Morris’s party batted down five with him today. Surf anglers at Brigantine shellacked stripers, including big monsters 50 inches. Big flounder were checked in from the bay: Chris Dager’s 14.95-pounder that swallowed a clam meant for stripers at the Brigantine Bridge on Wednesday; Joe Carnell’s 11.4-pounder on Monday; and a 12-pounder on Sunday. Small blues finally appeared in the bay, and no weakfish were heard about. Crabs started to shed, so they should become more difficult to catch for a while. The shop is carrying shedder crabs for bait, and soft-shelled crabs should be available for eating in a week or so. A few anglers who really fished for white perch up the rivers put together quality catches. Check out the <a href=" http://www.abseconbay.com/abseconbay/Tournament/grand%20slam%2009/results%2009.htm" target="_blank">results</a> of the shop’s Grand Slam Weekend Customer Appreciation Tournament last weekend.

Brigantine

Boaters banged up 25- to 40-pound striped bass in the ocean around Brigantine, said Capt. Tom from the Fishin’ Fever. He’s been sailing from Cape May for drum, pounding catches, and see the report from that port for the news. But the striper fishing’s been so crazy around Brigantine, the Fishin’ Fever’s home port, that Tom’s gotten use of another vessel to run trips for the bass. Call to get in.

The island’s surf anglers ransacked striped bass, including big ones to a few 50-inchers on the north end, said Mike from Riptide Bait & Tackle. Clams were the bait, and a few sharpies fished bunker, but clams were really the choice. No bunker moved into the surf since waters cooled some days ago. Not too many drum were hauled from the surf, and blues were scarce in the suds, but small blues roamed the back bay. A few flounder were bagged on the flats of the bay. Fresh clams are stocked, and fresh bunker is usually carried, and all the frozen baits, including for flounder, are in supply.

Margate

Rains had somewhat clouded the bay, but the waters began to clear by today, and that helped pick up flounder catches, said Capt. John from the Keeper. On this afternoon’s trip loads of shorts gave up action, and a few keepers were bagged. A mess of small blues were added to the catch on the morning’s trip. So fishing definitely started to pick up, after a slower start during the weekend’s opening of flounder season. The Keeper is fishing for flounder on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Longport

Steady sea bassing got collected at the wrecks 12 to 15 miles from shore, and anglers averaged 7 to 12 keepers, including hefty ones, said Capt. Mike from the Stray Cat. Not much bluefishing was mixed in, but big blues sometimes chopped off the sea bass. Open-boat trips are fishing for sea bass daily.

Ocean City

Lots of striped bass, including large ones, filled the surf, mostly chomping on clams, said Ed from Fin-Atics. Bud Lyons clammed a 54-pounder. Boaters who backed in toward the suds caught stripers and usually failed to hook up farther out. But a few ran across catches while trolling Stretch plugs around bunker schools, usually farther north off Atlantic City or Brigantine. Short flounder carpeted the back bay, willing to bite, but big flounder were lazy, reluctant to feed, in cold waters. Stripers could be snatched up here or there on the bay along the sod banks, often on dark-colored plugs at night. A few small blues, not a lot, swam the bay. Not much was heard about wreck fishing in the ocean for sea bass, and boaters concentrated on stripers while the linesiders were around. Ed heard about a blue shark beaten at 28-Mile Wreck, the first shark reported caught on this site this season. He also heard about football-sized bluefin tuna boated in offshore waters to the south, one of the first tuna reports on the site this year. Fresh clams, eels, bloodworms, minnows, frozen herring, sometimes fresh herring, frozen bunker, all the frozen flounder baits and more are stocked.

Sea Isle City

Surf fishing served up striped bass, sometimes big ones, like a 40-pounder and a couple of 20-pounders checked in, said Wes from Gibson’s Tackle. Clams were the bait to soak, and boaters failed to grab stripers in the ocean, but in the bay they could clam them up or hook them on lures, popper plugs or bucktails on high tides along the sod banks. Kingfish were around in the surf, but fluctuating water temps made getting them to bite tough. A few bigger blues swam the ocean, surf and inlets, and 1- to 2-pound blues were more abundant in the bay. Flounder fishers racked up the fish on the bay, and strip baits like mackerel and bluefish work best in the cold waters in the early season, but minnows, squid and usual baits did the trick, too. A few weakfish, just a few, held in the bay. Sea bass hovered around the ocean wrecks. Crabs could be copped in the back waters, and the shop carries many sizes of traps at many different prices. All the crabbing supplies are carried, and so is frozen bunker for bait. Fresh clams are stocked, and fresh bunker is carried when available. All the flounder bait is on hand, including minnows, frozen squid, frozen mackerel, frozen herring, Berkley Gulps and more.

Jay Vonczoernig and son Luc stepped aboard for a brief trip to fish the flats of the back bay on Monday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service, affiliated with Gibson’s Tackle. A striped bass was landed on a Skit-R-Pop lure, and another was missed on one of the poppers. Again, the trip was short. But Joe likes what he’s seen with striper fishing on poppers on the bay. Even on that trip, he saw more action than usual for the time of year, and lots of bait. The popper fishing, both with lures and flies, started earlier than usual and is one of Joe’s specialties through summer. He poles the shallows on his flats boat during the trips, like a Florida or tropical guide, but right here in South Jersey. It’s also cool to catch stripers, usually considered a cool-weather fish, in the warmth. A variety of sizes of blues to 3 pounds could also be fought on the bay. At this time of season Joe’s charters have a blast battling them on soft-plastic lures or Clouser flies along the bottom. The bay’s flounder fishing dished out plenty of action on the right tides, though the 18-inch size limit was challenging. The first of outgoing tides was key lately, and if anglers fished on the wrong tides, the fishing could be tough. An occasional weakfish, not many, could be found on the bay. The weather after Monday became stiffer, and no trips fished on the next couple of days. Joe is strongly considering making his season’s first offshore run for tuna this weekend, and the warm water eddies that should hold the fish were there. He might also fish for drum on Delaware Bay this weekend. Jersey Cape is offering after-work special trips on the back bay from 4 p.m. to dark, a great time to fish, when nobody else is on the waters, and action can be best. Convenient, too. Delaware Bay’s drum fishing is on tap with Joe on a 26-foot Regulator. His back-bay charters fish on his flats boat. As 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. 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.

Wildwood

Wreck’s at Cape May Reef gave up decent sea bassing for anglers on the Adventurer, Capt. Gary said. They had to work through shorts to get keepers, but they got them. A couple of big ones 4 to 4 ½ pounds won the pools Sunday and Monday. Out-of-season tog were also caught and released. The Adventurer is bottom fishing 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but call to confirm, making sure no charter is sailing instead. Charters are available for wreck fishing in the ocean or drum fishing on Delaware Bay.

Cape May

Six drum were already boxed on Delaware Bay when Capt. T.J. from Legal Limit Charters gave this report 2 hours into a trip at 7 p.m. Wednesday, he said. So the fishing was looking good, and the beasts were hauled up from 23-foot depths at the Pin Top. T.J.’s other boat, fishing from Tuckerton, ran no bottom-fishing charters since the last report, but the bottom angling will resume with trips slated for this weekend and next week. Quality catches of sea bass came up so far, even if the anglers had to weed through shorts and dog sharks. Shared charters are running every Tuesday and Thursday for drum and bottom fishing when no full charter is booked. T.J.’s flounder trips from Tuckerton in the ocean will launch in some weeks, when the water’s no longer too cold.

Fifteen drum to 75 pounds were shellacked Monday on Delaware Bay with Anthony Metea’s charter, said Capt. George from the Heavy Hitter. The trip anchored at one spot and stayed the whole time. Three teenagers—Anthony’s daughter Justine and her friends Felicia and Samantha—were aboard to wrestle in the fish, and so were anglers Frank and Bill. George knew about a couple of boats that drum fished in all the winds Tuesday, and they still caught plenty.

On the Fishin’ Fever on Delaware Bay five drum were drilled Friday, and a trip Sunday went 12 for 19, and a trip Monday went 15 for 25, Capt. Tom said. The fish Monday weighed 55 to 85 pounds and on the other two days weighed up to 75 pounds. Drum fishing was on fire. The fishing wasn’t as great as last year, but it still smoked. Tom does encourage anglers to be careful about how many drum they keep. Anglers on the boat can keep as many as they want up to the limit of three apiece, but these are big fish, and he encourages them to keep just one apiece so the fishery continues. The fish take a long time to mature to that size, and lots of boats get after them, and it’s a great fishery. Those who say the leviathans don’t fight are wrong. The 85-pounder was one angler’s first drum, and he took a half-hour to subdue the bruiser. On another front, decent amounts of flounder, a bunch with a few keepers, were reeled in on Delaware Bay and on the back bay, and the boat charters for them on both waters. Sea bass littered the wrecks, and those trips are on tap. Bluefish, slammers to 10 and 12 pounds, finally appeared in deep waters along the 20-fathom line in the ocean, and trolling trips fight them on the vessel. Tom heard about a couple of thresher sharks that commercial boaters began to see, so it’s time to consider running after sharks on a charter. Tom even heard about a few tuna caught, and that is the season’s first tuna report on this site. Someone he knows landed three bluefins, keeping a 65-pounder, in southern waters, probably Baltimore Canyon. If anglers looked at temperature charts, they’d see the obvious warm eddie where the fish came from.

Double-headers, non-stop action and a full-boat limit of drum to 75 pounds were scored on Delaware Bay on Monday on the Jaftica, Capt. Ray said. The fishing was great, and picked up just where it had left off on the last trips through Saturday. This trip first fished at one spot a while and then moved to another place where catches happened before, and then the bite took off. A body of striped bass seemed to move into the upper bay from the Delaware River, producing good fishing on bunker chunks. Jaftica will fish for stripers if anglers want, but only when catches are good. Ray heard nothing overly spectacular about flounder fishing, but bay anglers caught the fish, lots of shorts but some keepers to 20-some inches. He heard nothing solid about shark catches so far, only rumors. Second-hand reports said tuna began to be boated to the south, and Ray wouldn’t be surprised if they were.

Schmedley Charters will resume drum fishing on Delaware Bay on Saturday and Sunday, didn’t get out during the week, but Capt. Joe knew boaters who whacked double-digit catches on Wednesday evening, he said. Drum fishing was “hot, hot, hot” lately, he said. A charter on the boat Sunday evening leadered 12 drum, keeping 10, at Tussy’s Slough. A 78-pounder was the largest, and one weighed 60-some, and a couple were 50 pounds, and others were 40. Drum fishing had definitely picked up by then. Besides trips on Schmedley’s 37-foot Topaz, personalized charters for 1 or 2 anglers are fishing the back bay on a 19-foot center console for the first time this year. A trip Saturday on the 19-footer put anglers on steady action with quite a few short flounder and three or four keepers to 22 inches. A few small blues also showed up, so blues were now also on the menu on the back bay. Joe’s got a couple of anglers who want to compete in the Mid Atlantic offshore tournament and are willing to share a trip. Call if interested. Sharking will get going when the season’s first shark tournaments launch in two weeks.

Boaters who fished Delaware Bay came back saying they creamed 8, 12 or 15 drum, said Nick from Hands Too Bait & Tackle. Waters around the Pin Top and Tussy’s Slough gave up the mid-sized to 70- or 80-pound fish. Plenty of flounder were wrangled up from the back bay, and strip baits like mackerel usually score well in the early season during cold waters, but the usual minnow-with-squid combo also worked. Surf fishing for striped bass was great and had been for weeks. A 40-pounder was weighed in, and fresh clams were the main bait, but the shop is carrying fresh bunker when available. Bluefish were spotty, only found here or there. But weakfish were hung along the jetties on floated bloodworms. Sea bassing seemed productive at the wrecks. One angler who fished in 120 feet off Atlantic City said he smoked 20 of the lumpheads that weighed more than 3 pounds apiece on a day out. Fresh clams are stocked, and fresh bunker is on hand when available. Bloodworms and all the frozen strip baits and squid are carried.