<b>Staten Island</b>

One of the better trips this season went down Saturday with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Rob said in an e-mail. The anglers limited out on striped bass and beat off blues, heading home by 11 a.m. with their quotas, leaving the fish biting. The stripers weighed 15 to 18 pounds, none big, but great action all morning. Catches of both stripers and blues really gained steam, plenty to keep everybody busy on trips. Charters are sailing, and so are open-boat trips every Wednesday evening, whether one angler or six show up. Doesn’t get any better than that, Rob said, 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.

Much better striped bass fishing came on with <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b> on live and chunked bunker, Capt. Anthony said. Bunker began to filter in. The keeper stripers averaged 16 to 22 pounds, and 6- to 9-pound blues swarmed around.  Charters are sailing, and so are open-boat trips every Tuesday and Thursday in the afternoons to evenings. Barbara Anne refunds bridge tolls with a receipt.

<b>Bayonne</b>

A trip took the season’s final shot at winter flounder fishing Sunday, said Capt. Akira from <b>True World Tackle</b> and <b>True World Tackle Charters</b>. The anglers aboard first fished in the Navesink River, where on the previous Sunday a charter picked up a fair number of the fish in heavy boat traffic. This time there was no traffic, and no flounder. Apparently all the bluefish that arrived chased them away like they’ll do. Akira saw boaters jigging blues near the Highlands. Stormy weather that day made boats scarce everywhere. In the afternoon the trip moved to Romer Shoal, trying for striped bass while fishing clams and bunker. One 30-incher was nabbed, and lots of blues were socked. Akira tried fishing for stripers on a short, 2-hour trip this morning on the Hudson River at Croton Point, but the weekend’s rains dirtied waters, making fishing tough. Small stripers and some catfish sucked in bloodworm baits. Customers fishing from the bulkhead at Hudson Park in Bayonne wormed short stripers but sometimes keepers.   

<b>Laurence Harbor</b>

Twenty striped bass from 20 to 36 inches and four blues were looted on the bay on an 8-hour charter with the Tom Leedom crew on Saturday, said Capt. Kyle from <b>Evening Tide Charters</b> in an e-mail. The trip started fishing at Reach Channel near the 19 buoy, where Evening Tide sailed all week, and fish began to hit within 10 minutes of shad rigs being trolled. Then the boat was anchored at two spots, so the anglers could try “going one-on-one” with stripers, Kyle said. A couple of stripers and blues chomped, but nothing like on the troll. So the charter went back on the troll with shad rigs, and fish began to be hooked within 5 minutes. All in all a great trip in perfect weather with a great group of guys, Kyle said.  Charters and open-boat trips are sailing seven days a week, and call or e-mail to be added to the open-boat list.

<b>Keyport</b>

With <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> striped bass fishing from Keyport kicked off this weekend, the report on the boat’s Web site said. Trips previously this spring bottom-fished in the ocean from Point Pleasant. Dave Arthur’s bachelor party trip got the striper charters rolling on Saturday, leaving the dock at 10:30 a.m. They headed across the bay to clam for the linesiders in 10 feet. The fish turned on right away, steady action on 20 of them, but all were shorts just under the mark. The boat moved to the flats, and the anglers crushed bluefish the rest of the trip, catching and releasing 40 to 50 big ones, keeping three of the smallest for the barbi. The guys were awesome, and the weather held out just long enough, the report said. On Friday the Andrea’s Toy crew took their kids on a short, 1-hour trip during a weather window on the bay that creamed five keeper bass and an equal number of shorts on clams on small circle hooks on light, 20-pound leaders. In a telephone call Capt. Fred said trips will mostly clam for stripers for the moment, because bunker became difficult to catch for bait around Great Kills, because the baitfish were spawning, holding along the bottom, not flipping around on top, where they could be castnetted. If anglers could get bunker, they’d catch big stripers around 35 inches. But they’d better bring clams. If bunker could be fished, the bay near Staten Island was a place to go. If clams were the option, Romer Shoal was a place to target. But anywhere from Reach Channel to Staten Island attracted stripers, and just get out there. Stripers were also being trolled, also an option with Andrea’s Toy. The boat’s striper trips can also mix in light-tackle action with blues on the bay for fun.

Chris Sauerwein clammed two striped bass to 15 ½ pounds from the shore of the bay at Union Beach, said Chris from <b>Crabby’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. David Rivera hit the shore from Cliffwood Beach to tackle a 29-pounder.  “Nice fish, Dave,” Chris said. Mike Demarest and crew limited out on bass to 18 pounds during three days of fishing. The fax didn’t mention where they fished, but on the bay from a boat is a guess. Capt. Junior Santos and three other anglers limited out on bass to 29 pounds on fresh bunker, and again, the guess is that they fished from a boat on the bay. Some anglers reported catching big, tiderunner weakfish, and Chris thanked those who took photos and showed him the fish but released the spawners. Texas Mike Ramirez slam-dunked a 14.8-pound blackfish at Barnegat Reef before the tog season closed. 

<b>Port Monmouth</b>

The first charter of the season plundered three striped bass 33 to 36 inches and some sizeable blues on Sunday, said Capt. Justin from <b>Parksea Fishing Charters</b>. The anglers clammed and trolled Stretch 25 lures at Flynn’s Knoll and Romer Shoal. Both charters and open-boat trips are running.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Striped bass fishing put out a one-here, one-there pick most of Sunday on the <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron said in an e-mail. A shot of five fish was scored, and he thought a mad-dog bite was about to begin. But then it got back to the pick. Still, some quality keepers were drilled. All the trip’s fish bit on incoming tide, and the last of outgoing was a bust. On Saturday the morning began with a slow pick, but almost all the fish were keepers. A move was made, but fishing dropped off with incoming tide slowing down. The boat moved again, and a slow pick began while outgoing tide slowly started. But Ron knew action would pick up once the tide ran, because the fish that were caught got the hooks far down in their throats: They were hungry! Then patrons got shots of two to four stripers at a time the rest of the day. Not hot, but good spring fishing for the day. On Friday strong southwest winds and a swell that rolled the anglers’ butts off proved that with striper fishing, the nastier, the better. Action was on from the start, and the fish bit their tails off. Hits slowed during the change of tide but kicked right back in when the tide started again. All patrons limited out, and the fish weighed up to 16 pounds. The whole boat also limited out on Thursday, another solid day, covered in the last report. The weather forecast kept many customers from fishing on Friday, but for the few who showed up, the day was a banner one. 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 <b>Atlantic Star</b> anglers pumped in pretty darn good catches of ling from Scotland, Capt. Tom said. No trip left port Friday because of nasty weather, and a big ground swell lingered Saturday, and Tom thought fishing would be tough, but the ling were caught even then. Both the morning and afternoon trips got out and racked up the catches both that day and Sunday. Everybody was going home with dinner, and the fish were mixed sizes from smaller ones to large baseball bats to 5 and 6 pounds. If anglers want fish to eat, this is a great trip that kept producing so far, and ling are good-tasting. Patrons with less skill bucketed five to six, and those with better skill knocked down 15 or so. Out-of-season blackfish occasionally chomped and were released. 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. Fluke trips will begin to leave port daily when the flattie season opens May 23.

<b>Highlands</b>

Boating for striped bass got outstanding on the bay, getting better every day, and four of five trips limited out on the fish to 38 inches, and bluefish were now mixed in, said Capt. Bob from <b>Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures</b>. Blues also flooded into the rivers, and the Shrewsbury River got boiling with 4- to 8-pounders on Friday. Two open-boat trips limited out on stripers and released plenty of throwbacks. The Jameson family was one, scoring a great catch of stripers, keeping three of the fish from 34 to 38 inches, but they could’ve kept more. They released another 20 bass and some blues. The Williams family was the other open trip, limiting out on bass to two 37-inchers that Jenna Williams lambasted. They released more than 25 stripers and a dozen blues. Bob and the boat’s mate Matt took a crew trip after a cancellation, limiting out on 33- to 37-inchers in less than 1 ½ hours. Some good dates are left for full-day, afternoon and evening trips for stripers and blues.

<b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> had been trolling great catches of striped bass on the bay but would now begin livelining bunker or chunking bunker, because enough of the baitfish could be castnetted, Capt. Brian said. Fishing with the menhaden is one of his specialties.  Six linesiders to 22 pounds, only one of them a short, were trolled on Stretch plugs on the northern side of the bay on a quick, 1-1/2-hour trip Thursday afternoon. Blues and big, tiderunner weakfish were also around lately.

The season’s first bunker-chunking trip for striped bass sailed Saturday with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, limiting out on the linesiders to 22 pounds, also whaling a load of 6- to 10-pound blues, Capt. Derek said. The anglers just had to weed through the blues to get to the stripers. Still, they limited out in 2 hours. They lost two bass that were probably 30 pounds apiece, too. Previously Derek’s trips clammed for the bass. He heard from anglers who had difficulty finding bunker to net for bait, but he caught the baitfish at a different place and had no difficulty. A few dates remain for striped bass charters in May and June. Open-boat trips will run for stripers whenever Derek can squeeze them in. The boat is available for bottom fishing, and ling catches were great. But most trips will go after the linesiders. 

Bluefish got whaled in the surf, both along the Raritan Bayshore and in the ocean on Sandy Hook, on Saturday and Sunday on fly-fishing trips with <b>Skylands Angler</b>, Bill Hoffman said. Sometimes the 6- to 8-pounders slammed the flies on every cast, as good as it gets. Toad flies were tossed, but nearly any fly would work, and wire tippets kept the toothy blues from slicing through the leader. Eight-weight rods were used when winds were calm, and 10-weights were cast in winds. Floating and intermediate lines worked best, but type-4, fast-sinking lines were used to try to sink flies to reach striped bass below the blues, but no stripers attacked, and getting past the blues was pretty impossible. But the bluefishing was awesome, no better fight, and no better time to go. If beginners want to try saltwater fly rodding, this is the time. So many of the fish stormed so close to shore that a minimum amount of skill was needed. Or if experienced anglers just want the best chances to catch, this is it. But it won’t last long, so don’t delay. Skylands Angler guides surf fly-fishing trips during the spring and fall migrations in the Sandy Hook area and farther south at Island Beach State Park. Skylands also guides freshwater fly trips for trout and nearly all the major species in New Jersey.

<b>Neptune</b>

Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> scoped out striped bass fishing on Friday, after he had said in the last report that he’d check out catches himself and then determine his striper fishing schedule. That he did, and catches were very good in the ocean and Raritan Bay, all on clams on light tackle, he said in an e-mail. Individual-reservation striper trips will fish this coming Sunday and then every Wednesday the rest of the month. Call to reserve.

<b>Belmar</b>

The numbers and sizes of striped bass and blues increased since the <b>Golden Eagle</b> started sailing for the fish early last week, and the action was fair to good, about to bust open any time, Capt. Greg said in an e-mail. On Saturday’s trip the fish came in waves, a little spotty. But roughly 20 to 30 stripers, including about nine keepers, were decked. Most of the bass were 24 to 27 inches, and clams got most of the bites, but some were picked on jigs. Bluefish 5 to 7 pounds “filled in” when no bass bit, Greg said. Notable catches included Sam Malone from Lebanon, Pa.’s, 14-pound striper. One youngster boated his first-ever bass, a 28-1/2-incher. On Sunday a small crowd braved rainy, chilly weather. The fishing started slowly, but a few blues attacked jigs. Eventually clamming for bass kicked in, and “stripers began to fly,” Greg said. “Limits were taken,” he said, and probably 30 shorts were released.  Another youngster reeled up his first-ever striper, a 29-1/2-incher, and yet another tackled his first-ever blue, a 6-pounder. Take a kid fishing! Greg said. The Golden Eagle is fishing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and will begin sailing for blues on nighttime trips from 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Striped bass were shellacked on two trips at the clam beds off Sandy Hook on Saturday and Sunday on the <b>Nan Sea J</b>, Capt. Tom said. Most of the fish were clammed, but some were also jigged along with bluefish when working birds were run across in the ocean. Those were some of the first of the fish to be reported to be jigged in the ocean on this site this season. A mess of bass and blues were jigged on the first trip, and a few were jigged on the second trip, but the bird play was scarcer that day, so the anglers fished the blitz a short time. The charter Saturday limited out on stripers including bonus-tag fish, and the charter Sunday, with more anglers aboard, nearly limited. A trip today was cancelled by yesterday because of rough forecasts, especially because the anglers were going to travel a ways. The Nan Sea J is also available for bottom-fishing for ling and sea bass.    

<b>Brielle</b>

Manasquan Inlet anglers cranked in blues and striped bass, mostly blues 3 to 4 pounds but also stripers from shorts to 30-inchers, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Metal or plugs were smacked, and anglers who fished shads got the rubber lures chopped up. News about catches of both from the surf was scarcer, but that was probably because of less participation. Dave heard about surf casters hooking up at Mantoloking, Sea Girt and Spring Lake, sometimes on plugs, other times on clams. Metal-lipped swimmers were happening plugs. Stripers were also clubbed on the Manasquan River near the hospital and definitely from the Point Pleasant Canal on herring or leadheads with shads. Nobody mentioned wrangling up blues at the canal, but blues swam the river, so they should be in the canal. Dave and John from the shop took a ling trip last Monday on the Paramount, totaling 28 of the fish between them, not a great catch, making ling fishing seem so-so. But then again Dave hadn’t been ling fishing in a while. “So maybe that’s what it was down to,” he said. The <a href=" http://www.ssfff.net/fundraiser.html" target="_blank">Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund</a>, spearheading the movement to prevent the summer flounder or fluke season from closing and from harsh bag limits that are essentially a closure, very much needs the continued support of anglers. See the fund’s Web site for details and how the fund is attempting to solve the crisis.

The season’s first trip for striped bass and blues beat a good catch, mostly stripers with a few blues mixed in, on the ocean to the north on Saturday on the <b>Jamaica</b>, an e-mail from the boat said. A number of passengers limited out. At times two or three stripers chased the jigs at once, and most of the linesiders, mostly keepers 29 to 32 inches, swiped jigs, but a few sucked up clams. Yoanny Nagarino from Union won the pool with an 18-pound striper. Big readings of stripers and baitfish were marked in the area. More and more stripers and blues were appearing as water temps rose. The trips are sailing on the weekends, and daily trips will begin Friday or Saturday, May 15 or 16. Check the schedule on the boat’s Web site to stay updated. Another trip was slated for the next day or Sunday, but no report yet rolled in from the boat. Also see the boat’s site for special trips or to be added to the e-mail list to be informed about special trips. Reservations are being accepted for canyon tuna fishing that will begin in late August.

Fishing for striped bass and blues on the ocean, the season’s first trips for them, are on the books to begin May 16, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Katie H</b>. Maintenance was currently being done on the vessel, but if the boat gets squared away, trips for the fish will be available immediately, because catches started being made to the north. The preference on the boat is to snag bunker and liveline the baitfish for the bass, the most fun way to catch them. But anglers aboard will fish whatever way necessary, clamming, jigging or trolling, if livelining isn’t possible. Sometimes a combo of methods becomes best. But the good news is that the fishing started for the first time this year. In June shark trips will head out, and sharking’s been solid in recent years. Tuna fishing, the specialty on the boat, usually starts in July. In addition to tuna charters, the Katie H will offer make-up trips for the big game this year. Don’t have enough anglers for a full charter? Call Mike, and he can probably arrange a spot on a make-up trip.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

When a couple of trips were weathered out last week with <b>Reel Class Charters</b>, Capt. Allen, fishing by himself, fought bluefish on Manasquan River, the Point Pleasant Canal and northern Barnegat Bay on white Storm shads on Wednesday, he said in an e-mail. No striped bass bit, and the trips that were blown out were supposed to bottom fish for blackfish and sea bass that day and the previous day. They were originally supposed to sail for winter flounder, but the flatties mostly migrated to the ocean by early last week. On Friday Allen took a trip for rest and relaxation along the Raritan Bayshore, battling 8- to 12-pound blues from Port Monmouth to Sandy Hook on metal and poppers “until my arms felt like they were going to fall off,” he said. Reel Class by this weekend will start jigging stripers and blues in the ocean, maybe mixing in bottom fishing. Both charters and open-boat trips are sailing, and check the vessel’s Web site for the latest open-boat schedule.

<b>Toms River</b>

Lots of short striped bass but a few keepers could be won on Barnegat Bay on fresh clams, fresh bunker, white, rubber shads and sometimes popper lures, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. They swam in different areas, including in the southern bay toward Barnegat Inlet but also farther north around the Route 37 Bridge. At the bridge popper plugs were popular, but bait should also work. Stripers roamed the Toms River, and so did white perch and bunker. The perch became a little more common to catch than before but seemed more reluctant to feed than they should be, for some reason. Waters were cold, but perch tolerate cold more than other fish. Both the stripers and the perch in the river favored bloodworms. Oyster Creek, the warm water outflow from the Forked River power plant, attracted stripers, and Jeff fished there Saturday, landing all stripers and one perch on bloodworms on a flounder rig. No flounder showed up, and nothing was heard about flounder anywhere. Blues 6 pounds and larger could be clobbered on the bay on anything from popper lures to trolled ponytails.  Surf fishing was a little slow, but plenty of short stripers and a few keepers were beached on fresh clams and fresh bunker. An occasional blue, not many, charged through the surf. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, bloodworms, sandworms, frozen baits and other baits are stocked.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

More striped bass and blues than before stormed Barnegat Bay, leaving mayhem and disaster for all fish and crustaceans they fed on! said Capt. Steve from <b>Reel Fantasea Charters</b> in an e-mail. Both fish definitely made their presence known, and catches soared. The stripers were 22 to 32 inches, and the large range of sizes was a sign of a healthy stock, and everything pointed to a good spring run this year on the bay. Anglers aboard fished for the stripers and the blues with soft-plastic lures, popping plugs, clams, bunker and other things. Wayne Salvi was the hot rod of the week, wrestling in eight stripers to 28 ½ inches on clams, and battling big blues on popper lures on light tackle, all on the mainland side of the bay. The stripers on the trip were taken on bunker, smaller baitfish, shrimp and soft-shelled Jonah crabs. On a solo trip that Steve took, he searched for stripers and blues at five places, and all five produced.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

A huge swell and no winds created less than perfect fishing conditions on Saturday on the <b>Miss Beach Haven</b>, but patrons caught sea bass anyway, and everybody took home fish, an e-mail from the boat said. Quite a few out-of-season blackfish were reeled up and released. A good day of fishing over all. On Sunday the crowd was light, and apparently the weather scared off anglers. But excellent sea bassing was scored. Sal Rosa from Manahawkin was high hook with 17 of the lumpheads. “He still can’t believe he out-fished everybody,” the e-mail said. “He was in the zone,” it said, and won the pool with a 4-pounder. The Miss Beach Haven is bottom fishing 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Charters are on tap for any species available during weekdays. 

<b>Mystic Island</b>

The shore at Pebble Beach and Graveling Point shoveled out striped bass, pretty good catches, through the past week, said the report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site. Gray, rainy days put out, and sunny days made the fish swim deeper, out of range for shore casters. The site mentioned no bluefish in the past several days, even though blues were previously reported caught, almost all boated, not beached from land, from the bay previously. The inevitable disappearance of most stripers from the back waters once blues invade was yet to begin. The stripers lately were a little bigger than usual: 25 to 36 inches. Boaters and bank anglers on Sunday picked away at the linesiders along the shoreline from Big Creek to Motts Creek. Boaters at Grassy Channel and Little Egg Inlet had tough luck on bass, said the waters were cold, and skates became abundant. Catches of drumfish from the banks and boats were heard about once or twice a day now. Some were large too, 50 to 80 pounds. Weakfish began to be found on Friday, and the fishing became worth the effort. Little was said about the trout, probably because the fishery is susceptible to angling pressure.  No news was heard about kingfish, although reports of a few catches came in before.  

<b>Brigantine</b>

The surf was bombarded by striped bass this morning, according to several telephone calls to the shop, said the report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site. This spring was the best for the fishing so far. Not many of the fish were big, but there were plenty. A 38-inch 18-pounder was checked in Sunday, after it was beached at the sea wall. Another sizeable bass was also landed there this season. A 33-incher was reported taken Sunday from an undisclosed location. Be patient, and large stripers should arrive, following bluefish that will chop up bunker that lunker linesiders will scavage underneath. Bunker schooled farther offshore but were moving closer, and the bunker supplier was able to provide 200 pounds of the baitfish to the shop. 

<b>Atlantic City</b>

A 15-1/2-pound 36-inch weakfish that Lucy Smythe from Egg Harbor City checked in a week ago today, covered on that day’s report, reportedly topped the Atlantic City Press’s Women’s Record that was set more than 30 years ago, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. The paper said the old record was a 15-pounder caught in 1976. Lucy grabbed the fish behind Atlantic City, and the trout also topped a 6-1/2-pounder, the first tiderunner of the season at the store, weighed in at the shop the previous week, belted at the T-jetty. Customers creamed plenty of striped bass, lots of shorts, from the surf on fresh clams, fresh bunker and bloodworms. They also beached a few drum on clams while striper fishing and sometimes bluefish, not a good number but some, in the suds. The blues weren’t big but were decent-sized. A handful of kingfish, not many, began to nibble bloodworms in the wash. All the fish were taken along the ocean front including in front of the T-jetty and off Vermont Avenue.  Out-of-season tog kept hitting along the jetties and should be released, but One Stop still carries green crabs for bait for the blackfish. All the baits mentioned and more are carried. 

<b>Longport</b>

Excellent, fantastic, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>. He was talking about Sunday’s open-boat sea bass trip. “Big fish,” he said. “Limits all around the boat.” Knotheads 2 and 3 pounds came up on double- and triple-headers. Good size and good numbers, he said. If anglers were waiting for the migration of the fish inshore, wait no more. It doesn’t get any better, he said. The wreck-fishing was done 12 miles offshore in calm seas wit a lazy swell and some rains. Open-boat trips are sailing daily through May 30, then charters will take over the schedule. Call to reserve.

<b>Somers Point</b>

Daryl and Kashey Mazurek walloped two striped bass 36 inches and 33 ½ inches, about 15 pounds apiece, at Ships Channel on Saturday, one on a Gulp on a bucktail and the other on a pink Zoom on a jig, said T.C. from <b>Brennan Marine</b> in a fax. Stripers and white perch were plucked from the Great Egg Harbor and Tuckahoe rivers, mostly on bloodworms or clams. The season might’ve been getting late for the best striper fishing in the rivers, but they were landed. Tog season closed Friday, but many customers had a last go at the fish. Sean Reilly and crew on the Low Tide pummeled mostly 3- to 5-pounders, but also a 7-pounder, at wrecks off Atlantic City on clams and green crabs. At Birch Grove Lake Bill Troehler reeled in a 1.94-pound, 17-inch brook trout, and others hooked largemouth bass and pickerel.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Bluefishing started on the back bay around Sea Isle, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. A trip Saturday with Rich Duffy and son Shane Duffy, 7, boated blues and a 5-pound weakfish and caught and released six or eight out-of-season flounder on the bay. All the fish pounced on Bass Assassins on bucktail jigs worked along the bottom. Even the blues, about 2-pounders, fed along the bottom. Waters were cold or 57 degrees, and the blues were sluggish, just starting to respond. Striped bass could be fought on the bay on the right tides, falling waters. But the trip fished incoming tide, and no stripers were targeted. Blues will end up overshadowing striper fishing a few weeks while the speedsters tear up the waters until mostly departing for the ocean through summer. Then striper fishing will bounce back. The stripers will remain in the bay while the blues wreak havoc, but blues will attack before stripers get a chance. The fast action with blues is a favorite with Jersey Cape’s anglers and only lasts a moment, so get on them. The flounder population was thick, looked primed for the opening of the flattie season May 23. Fishing for them in the relatively warm, shallow bays is best in the early season, and a few dates remain for trips around the opening, and grab them now. The flounder this weekend, plenty of keepers to 19 inches, had dirty stomachs, so apparently they dug down in the bottom in chilled waters. The weather on Sunday was fishable but Joe decided to stay in port in the rains. Although the weather lately was warmer or more spring-like, storms and winds often continued.  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. Joe is also running drumfish charters on Delaware Bay on a 26-foot Regulator, and that angling should be about to break open, and he heard about catches in the past days. 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. 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.  

<b>Cape May</b>

Delaware Bay’s drumfishing took off during mid week for the first time this season, and boaters started bailing double-digits, and the angling somewhat slowed by the weekend, said Capt. Joe from <b>Schmedley Charters</b>. But weekend boaters still caught, and a trip with Schmedley on Saturday evening went four for six. Joe gave this report at 7:30 p.m. Sunday over the phone while on the waters on another trip, and the charter had already boxed four drum. Most of the fish were pups about 30 pounds apiece at this point, and Joe heard about 70-pounders caught but saw none. But drum were definitely in the bay and starting to feed, and anglers always say the catches begin around Mother’s Day, he said, and they were beginning on schedule. Waters were 56 degrees, and Joe expects the fishing to last four or five weeks. Both charters and open-boat trips sail.

With <b>O-Beth Sportfishing</b> anglers got into a decent day on drum, about 30-pounders, on Sunday despite the rainstorms, Capt. Eric said. The fishing was starting to turn on and should keep becoming better because the bay was warming. The waters were 54 to 55 degrees on the trip. Eric heard about no striped bass landed anywhere locally except in the surf like around Cape May Point. Keep an eye on O-Beth’s home page for monthly specials, including a special on drum fishing this month.

Three drum were hauled aboard and one was broken off during a trip Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> on Delaware Bay, Capt. George said. The drum were puppies 25 or 30 pounds and seemed about to spawn, full of eggs. George was supposed to mate on another drum trip that got cancelled during the weekend on another vessel. Anglers nailed decent catches of the boomers Wednesday to Friday, but the fishing became somewhat slower by Saturday. The bites were a start. A few sharks grabbed baits on the trip, and George heard about no stripers boated on the bay, but one of the tackle shops said lots of stripers were beached along the Cape May surf. He also heard about no bluefish found around Cape May.

Drumfish to 30 pounds, a decent bite, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, were clocked at the Pin Top on Delaware Bay on the boat Friday, all on incoming tide. On Sunday a couple around the same size were decked on the vessel, also at the Pin Top, but this time all on outgoing. “So don’t know which (tide) is better,” he said. Bay boaters were beginning to pick a fair number of the fish, and waters started to warm to the mid 50s, apparently helpful.

Puppy drum about 25 pounds apiece began to turn on in Delaware Bay, not great fishing, but not dead, probably the start of the season’s drumming, and the chew might get better with the full moon toward the end of the week, said Capt. Rob from the <b>First Cast</b>. A few prime spots are available for trips around the moon, and space is open Saturday because of a cancellation.

Surf fishing for striped bass broke loose along the ocean front at Cape May, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Most sharpies fished at Poverty Beach, but the fish were banked all along the ocean and at the cove near 2nd Street. Clams, bunker, and worms all worked, and swimming plugs and soft-plastic lures like Storms and Calcuttas connected along the jetties. Many of the bass were shorts, but keepers were around. Drumfish were sometimes landed from the surf. One angler, regular customer Alan (no last name was given), bailed 19 bass, including two keepers, on Thursday. John Mallory put the skids on six of the linesiders, keeping three with a bonus tag, at the cove on Friday on clams and worms. Drum started snapping for Delaware Bay boaters last week. Anglers on the vessels Unreel and Full Ahead hammered double-digit catches on most trips that the boats fished. Most of the drum were small or 20 to 30 pounds and were located near Bug Light and Tussy’s Slough. But bigger drum—fewer of them, though—were supposedly muscled in from the Pin Top. Sea bass showed up in better numbers at the wrecks and reefs in 80 to 120 feet. A few cod swam among them. “Would sure like to see a comeback off our coast,” Matt said.

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