<b>Hudson River</b>

On the first trip of the year, <b>Hook’em Charters</b> pelted three striped bass, including a 23-pounder, on the river near the Tappan Zee Bridge on Tuesday evening, Capt. Don said. Lots of herring schooled, and the fishing, targeting the migration of big stripers up the Hudson, had begun. The other two bass weighed 10 to 12 pounds, and all were hooked on chunked herring. A livelined herring was fished without a touch. The river in spring holds one of the best fisheries for large stripers. Hook’em usually fishes for them near the Tappan Zee until May 5 or 7, and then trips follow the bass farther upriver to Newburgh. The angling usually explodes briefly around the Tappan Zee at the beginning of May, until the fish suddenly swim upstream. 

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fishing for winter flounder on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> was up and down, not great, but actually better than last year, and currently turned out some catches, including sizeable flatties, along with shorts, Capt. Tom said. Trips fished the Shrewsbury River and might begin to poke out to the bay. Whether the morning trips were better than the afternoons or vice versa was hit or miss, unpredictable. Tom thought the fishing on Monday morning’s trip was going to be good, after the angling began to improve previously. But the weather deteriorated, became cold, windy and miserable. The angling was terrible in that weather on the afternoon’s trip, and conditions on land might’ve been pleasant, but the weather on the waters was a different story. Both of Tuesday’s trips gave up a few of the fish, and only a handful of anglers sailed, but most went home with flounder. Ten anglers sailed in the morning, and eight did in the afternoon. Wednesday morning’s catch was no great shakes, but the fishing on the afternoon was some of the best of the season so far. Three or four of the flatties were better-sized, 17 or 18 inches, and two of the anglers limited out, if Tom remembered. There was also action with shorts, and all the anglers seemed satisfied with the number of fish that bit. The Atlantic Star is fishing for winter flounder twice daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The season will be launched Saturday on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, starting with striped bass fishing, running 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, Capt. Ron said in a previous report. Mostly clamming will be done for the fish at first. The fare will remain the same, and the striped bass regs are currently the same: two stripers 28 inches or larger. Bonus tags allowing a third striper to be kept can be purchased online from the state for $2 per day, if anglers feel the need for a third. “Looking forward to fishing with everyone again,” Ron said, “hope to see you soon.”

A trip that Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b> took on the ocean Wednesday bailed 30 striped bass, including a limit of the fish that was kept and more keepers along with throwbacks that were released, he said. Clams caught them, and 12-year-old Chad Hacker and father Ernie also clammed the ocean, limiting out on stripers to 15 pounds, releasing a bunch of keepers and shorts. Lou Vargas clammed a 13-pound striper and an 11-pounder from the surf at Sandy Hook Point at the rip. Bass were clammed and wormed from the surf, and Jimmy heard little about fishing from the bay shore, but was sure stripers were clocked there. He paid more attention to the ocean, because water temps began to rise and produce catches. Boaters including on party boats certainly picked at winter flounder on the rivers. Bunker schooled up the rivers every day, so bluefish should invade any time. Bottom-fishing on the ocean just began to give up ling and blackfish, not good angling, but another week should do it. All the baits including fresh clams, worms and fresh bunker are stocked.

<b>Highlands</b>

The boat will be splashed for the season Friday, several days earlier than planned, said Capt. Bob from <b>Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures</b> in an e-mail. Trips will sail for striped bass, and the first will run next week on Thursday. Half-day, full-day and evening charters will take place, and so will open-boat trips when no charter is booked. Contact Bob to be kept informed of the open schedule. Special, after-work trips from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. will also fish. In a previous report he said he beached four stripers 22 to 26 inches and scored a couple of runoffs on a fun trip to the surf on Raritan Bay in Belford on April 1, and the catches were a good sign. Bob also noted that boaters can show appreciation for the military through the <a href="http://www.takeasoldierfishing.org" target="_blank">Take a Soldier Fishing</a> program. No captain’s license is required, and boaters can post their availability on the site. Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures runs three or four of the trips each year, “and I cannot tell you the emotion of our servicemen, nor can I ever express enough gratitude for what they do for us,” Bob said. “Believe me you will not regret it, and (will) be forever thankful you (participated).” If interested and have questions, you can contact Bob.

<b>Belmar</b>

A bunch of cod and some blackfish were beaten Tuesday on the <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. The cod were good-sized, including 8- and 9-pounders, and the blackfish weighed up to 5 ½ or 6 pounds. But the blackfish began to be bagged. They mostly favored clams instead of crabs at this point. But both baits are supplied on board. The fishing was slow on Wednesday’s trip, for unknown reasons. Strong, northerly currents ripped. The Big Mohawk is fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Somewhat higher water temperatures started to change fishing, and catches were coming along well, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. On the party boats blackfish began to bite more than before, but cod, a cold-water fish, still came up, and ling were landed. Surf casters began to beach striped bass locally for the first time this season. The fish were clammed at Spring Lake this morning, and someone who telephoned said stripers chased herring and bunker at Manasquan Inlet today. Lots of blackfish began to be pumped in from the Point Pleasant Canal on clams. So waters were warm enough for them to become active but cold enough to keep them from crunching crabs. Winter flounder began to move out of Shark River, a small river where the flatties leave early in spring. Fishing for them there lasted longer when flounder season opened March 1. But when the season currently opens March 23, many of the mud huggers are already migrating to the ocean. That’s unlike fluke or summer flounder that are migrating into the river when the season for them opens May 29. Trout season opens Saturday, and the shop is loaded with all the tackle and baits like meal worms, nightcrawlers and Power Baits.

<b>Brielle</b>

A group of six climbed aboard Monday for winter flounder fishing on Barnegat Bay with <b>Fish Monger Charters</b>, Capt. Jerry said in an e-mail. They limited out, including a limit for the two crew members, playing catch and release with more, about 25 fish total, on a “fun, relaxing day,” he said. The high hook probably landed six. The bay had warmed as high as the mid 50s that day, and the trip first set up on outgoing tide. The anglers picked a few stray fish at two spots at first. More bites began when incoming started, and a good pick got going, coming in flurries of two or three fish. Sandworms were the best bait, and another flounder trip, an open-boat outing, was heading out today. A blackfishing trip was on the books for yesterday. Check the open-boat forum on Fish Monger’s <a href="http://www.fishmongercharters.com" target="_blank">Web site</a> for available dates. “Give a buzz, let’s go fishing!” Jerry said. <b>***Update, Friday, 4/9***</b>: Flounder fishing broke wide open on the trip Thursday! Jerry said in an e-mail. The four anglers landed a whopping 60 to 70 of the fish, keeping their limits, releasing the rest. One of the anglers landed double his limit in 10 minutes, and was high hook for the day with 20 landed. Shots of two and three fish were hooked at once with regularity at times. Jerry never said whether the trip fished on the bay or Manasquan River, but the waters warmed to the mid 60s. “Amazing what some warm weather can do,” he said.  Lots of fish, and beautiful weather. Both clams and worms worked. Jerry took three friends back to the flounder grounds later that day, because of the great fishing earlier, and the anglers limited out and released another 12 or so, a little slower fishing. A bottom trip on Tuesday headed out for blackfish, returning with 13 keeper blacks and two keeper cod for the five anglers. One of the anglers limited out on blacks. The fishing was tough, but was good to see the blacks feed a little, and that was better than last week. The first piece gave up a few fish, and anchoring was difficult in no winds, no currents. The next wreck held more life, quite a few bites, in somewhat better currents, but most of the fish were shorts. A few keepers managed to be culled. A few more stops produced stray fish here and there. The blacks favored crabs over clams, and that was good to see, is a sign that the fish are getting active. White crabs got the attention. Blackfishing should become good any day, considering the water temps, and should only improve now, and friends caught them south of Atlantic City.

On the <b>Big Kid</b> a charter limited out on blackfish to a 14.9-pound whopper and plowed cod to 10 pounds on Tuesday, Capt. Ken said. Somewhat warmer waters on the bottom seemed to finally make the blackfish go on the feed. The trip fished in waters where the surface was 47 degrees at a wreck 6 miles from shore. Another bottom-fishing charter is slated for Sunday, and a striped bass trip, the first off the season on the boat, is scheduled for Saturday. Stripers hit in Raritan Bay. <b>***Update, Friday, 4/9***</b>: Capt. Capt. Wally Harmstead took the boat out for a fun trip for winter flounder with the family on Thursday, and they limited out on the Manasquan River, Ken said.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Blackfish and cod, a good catch, were belted Wednesday on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said, and somewhat warmer waters seemed to improve the blackfishing in the 130-foot depths where the boat fished the wrecks. The surface was 51 degrees when Bob gave this report in the afternoon on the trip, and the bottom had probably also warmed. A couple of big blackfish, around 12-pounders, were socked. Bob Schwalje, Metuchen, won the pool with a 12-pound 1-ounce black, limited out on the tog and boxed a cod. Sue Pavel, Sayreville, creamed an 11-pound 5-ounce blackfish, limited out on the fish and bagged two cod. Most patrons put three or four blackfish apiece in the cooler, and some iced four cod. The tog mostly bit clams, not crabs, but that could change, and the cod inhaled clams, of course. Both baits are supplied on the boat. The Gambler is running cod trips 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Sunday to the 20- to 40-mile wrecks. Starting Monday during the same hours some trips will concentrate on blackfish, but cod will probably be mixed in, like they were on this trip.

Trips on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b> shoveled up ling, cod and blackfish, catches that were slowly improving, even if not as quickly as Capt. Butch would like, he said. Ling made up most of the catches, and anglers averaged 2 to 10 fish apiece, and some days were slower. The cod were healthy sized, and keepers averaged 8 to 12 pounds. Three or four of the cod weighed 10 to 12 pounds on Wednesday’s trip. Waters were slowly warming where the vessel fished in the deep in 120 to 220 feet, but south winds kept pushing the temps back down. Waters were 43 degrees on the way out on that day’s trip, seemed to warm during the day but then cool on the way home, when south winds began blowing. No mackerel were hooked, and the boat mixes in mackerel fishing with the bottom fishing during years when the spring migration schools within range of the coast. Butch was yet to give up hope that mackerel could appear, but he had the feeling they could pop up a day or two and be gone. Herring started to be seen in the waters, and gannets dived on them. The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

Blueclaw crabs became so thick that winter flounder fishing was virtually impossible on the Toms River, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Crabs were everywhere, including on other waters. But the shop stocked a couple-hundred pounds of bunker for crab bait, and Dennis was going to drop his crab pot in the waters today. Fishing for striped bass and white perch in the Toms put up catches from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on bloodworms on high-low rigs, though. The docks at Island Heights were one productive spot. Plenty of perch were also angled in at night from the river. Friends fished for flounder today on Barnegat Bay off the Forked River power plant, and they nabbed some, but crabs were so abundant they had to hold the rods to tell the difference between a fish bite and a crab. A couple of customers who fished Wednesday on the northern bay near the Mantoloking Bridge also boated a few flounder, but crabs kept eating the baits. Another customer was reeling in small striped bass, but a 29-inch keeper Wednesday night, in the mornings on rubber shads. Dennis heard about no herring caught lately, though in last week’s report he mentioned an angler who jigged some at Manasquan Inlet. But now nobody talked about finding herring at usual places like Forge Pond, but perch were picked up there. The surf was cold, 45 or 46 degrees, but occasional stripers were dragged from the waters on clams. Customers took a look at the beach Wednesday and saw a few shorts, no keepers, yanked in.  But keepers were claimed once in a while from the wash. The shop is loaded up with all the bait and supplies for the opening of trout season Saturday. Fresh clams, bloodworms, sandworms, salted and frozen bunker and all the frozen baits are also stocked.

<b>Seaside</b>

More bikinis than anglers walked the beach during the warm weather in the past days, but at least one “dinner-sized” striped bass was checked in per day, good to see considering the number who fished, said the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s Web site. Cooler weather was supposed to roll in tonight and the next days. Nighttime was best for the fishing Wednesday, but the afternoon was best Tuesday. “Guess you just have to go fishing,” the report said. “This is not a cell phone fishery,” it said on another day this week. “You just have to go and look for the fish.” Clams were the best bait, and fresh clams are stocked. Three striped bass 6.8 to 10.7 pounds were weighed in today, and three from 8 to 12.6 pounds were checked in Wednesday. On Monday and Tuesday, a 7.65-pounder and a 7.8-pounder were weighed in, respectively. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishing_reports.cfm" target="_blank">Click here</a> for updates.

<b>Forked River</b>

Winter-flounder fishing picked up, but the number of anglers targeting them increased, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. So that had something to do with more of the flatties reported caught, but the angling did improve. Customers began to boat the waters more often in the better weather, and all the flatties were taken on Barnegat Bay, such as along the Intracoastal Waterway. Otherwise all fishing basically stayed the same as last week. Small bluefish roamed the bay, and striped bass were toggled in from Oyster Creek and the Toms River. All the baits including bloodworms, sandworms, fresh clams, green crabs and trout worms are usually stocked.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Probably 10 striped bass were bagged from the surf in the past four or five days that Josh from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b> heard about, he said. They were 29 to 33 inches, and clams were the bait, and all the bass nabbed from the surf were keepers that he knew about, except a couple of shorts that Robbie Vallone threw back. Winter flounder were grabbed throughout the bay, and the BB and BI markers and off the convent at Harvey Cedars were some of the best places. Josh heard about catches at Meyer’s Hole. Small blues swarmed the bay off Oyster Creek, and small weakfish were plucked from the bay at the bridge. Blackfish were hooked along the Barnegat Inlet jetty, but more were boated at the ocean wrecks. In the ocean cod and pollock were socked in 70 feet. Fresh clams, green crabs and all the frozen baits are stocked. The shop is open Thursdays through Sundays until hours are extended later in the season.

<b>***Update, Friday, 4/9***</b>: An edited e-mail from Capt. Steve from <b>Reel Fantasea Charters</b>: “The fishing was the only thing heating up faster than Barnegat Bay’s waters. The observed  bay temps on outgoing tides were in the mid to lower 60s, and the stripers responded furiously! They ranged from 12 inches all the way to 34 inches, and with one of the fish straightening out the hooks on a plug, I’m sure there are ‘larger lunkers lurking!’ Say that thee times fast. Ken Purzycki joined by son Michael and grandpa Ken Sr. were out on a 3-Hour Bay Special to slam 15 stripers. No keepers were boated, but the guys had a blast with the stripers on light spinning tackle! Jay Simmons was out for an early top-water striper bite on poppers in the shallow flats of the bay! We had visual fish breaking water around the boat, chasing bait clear out of the waters, and competing for our poppers! I was able to land a fat, 30-inch striper, while Jay’s hooks straightened out on his plug meant for smaller fish, releasing his striper to fight another day. Closer by the inlet, we managed to go 1 for 2 on stripers, landing a nice, 34-incher on clam. With a few more schoolies boated and the wind starting to reach ‘hurricane’ strength, we headed for the barn. Though the season is early, and most boats, charter and private, are still covered up, we’ve managed more than 40 bass in only four trips! I do have a few openings for the 3-Hour Bay Specials running through April, and these trips are available 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, and all bait and tackle is included. I have two spots open for Friday, April 16. I expect the big, slammer bluefish to make an early showing any day with the extended weather forecast, looking warm, for even more drag-burning fun!”

<b>Absecon</b>

A few striped bass started to be picked from the bay, just a start, not really turned on yet, said Ray from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Sean Fox picked up a couple at the Brigantine Bridge on livelined herring. Clams, live herring or chunked herring are usually fished for the linesiders. Good striper fishing was going on at Great Bay, though, and also continued on the Great Egg Harbor and Mullica rivers. Bloodworms or live or chunked herring are usually fished in the rivers, but clams are common in the saltier waters of the bays. Capt. Dave, the shop’s owner, netted plenty of herring, and a good supply of the live and fresh baitfish is stocked. If anglers want them, buy now, while the price is lowest because the supply is best. Bunker, a healthy population, schooled the ocean, and when the stripers pour out of the rivers into the ocean later this spring, they should stick around in numbers, because they’ll have plenty of bunker to eat. Some 50-pound stripers should be clobbered, because the menhaden should keep the big fish around. The shop’s annual prizes of two $100 gift certificates for the anglers who check in the year’s first 20- and 30-pound stripers remained up for grabs. Tons of tog swam the back waters. Ray, Tony Genovese and friends kept tog fishing at the bridges, sod banks or any structure, limiting out in 1 ½ hours, including some big fish to 8 pounds. Tog also fed along the surf jetties and just about everywhere. White perch fishing gave up quality catches the last week or so in the rivers on bloodworms, small minnows or grass shrimp. The bay was crammed with crabs, and commercial potters harvested more than last year, such as 40 bushels per trip this year compared with the usual 15. None of the blueclaws skittered up the creeks yet, but if boaters want crabs, drop traps in 6 to 8 feet in the bay. Fresh clams, live and fresh herring, bloodworms and just about all the baits are stocked. Fresh bunker had been stocked but were out at the moment, and herring were the baitfish to dunk anyway.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Shore anglers at Graveling Point banked short striped bass all day Wednesday, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The catches, on both bloodworms and clams, were surprising in the sunny, warm day, but the angling was happening and will last through the month. The tide stage didn’t seem to matter for the catches, but high outgoing tides are probably best, if Scott had to recommend. Bluefish could invade at the Point any day, considering the warm weather and signs that the season is progressing, such as the blooming forsythias. The shop’s annual prize, a $100 gift certificate, is up for grabs to the angler who weighs in the year’s first blue from Graveling. Black drum were yet to appear around the area, and boaters seemed yet to catch them on Delaware Bay, and they fished the bay hard for stripers. Anglers looked for migrating herring daily at the creeks around Batsto but found none. The migration of mackerel usually happens around now in the ocean, but no word was heard about the Bostons. A party boat from Long Beach Island started catching tog, so the blackfish seemed to begin feeding because of warmer waters, but the boat must’ve sailed far offshore. Little was heard about white perch fishing in the brackish rivers, and sales of live grass shrimp, the favorite perch bait, moved only a few. But perching’s got to be on at places such as Clark’s Landing and off Hays Road, both on the Mullica River. The shrimp are in good supply at the shop, and so are minnows, both small for trout and big for largemouth bass and pickerel. Meal worms, red worms and a re-supply of nightcrawlers are on hand for Saturday’s opening of trout season. Bloodworms and green crabs are carried, and fresh-shucked clams ran out, but more will come today.

<b>Port Republic</b>

Mullica River and Graveling Point anglers kept reeling in striped bass, fishing with bloodworms or clams, said Violet from <b>Chestnut Neck Boat Yard</b>. On the river they also piled up white perch, using bloodworms or grass shrimp. Migrating herring were around, and live herring will eventually be stocked. Chestnut Neck is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Phenomenal fishing for striped bass was pounded from the surf Friday to Sunday, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. The angling was okay Monday, nothing great, dying down Tuesday and Wednesday, and today was windy. The fish scarfed up fresh clams and fresh bunker chunks. Pat Cooke and son P.J. checked in a 21-pound bass from the surf. Dave Colasurdo plopped a fat, 20-pound 36-incher on the scale today, landing the fish north of the sea wall. Joe Nield banked two smaller bass, an 11-pounder and an 8-1/2-pounder, on back-to-back days. Joe Manali boated a 12-pounder on the back bay on a live herring. Tog snapped along the sod banks and bridges. But one angler checked in a 10-pound 2-ounce tog he caught at the inlet. One angler said green crabs took the tog on one day, and clams worked on another. Fresh clams are stocked, and fresh bunker ran out, because winds kept the bunker boat from sailing. But the bunker is usually on hand, stocked when available. Bloodworms and frozen baits, including bunker, are carried. Sign up for the Fish for Life Tournament at the shop for $20. The event features prizes for the first through third heaviest stripers entered, and many anglers enter for the pass that’s included with the entry fee that allows them to drive the entire length of Brigantine’s beach when accompanied by a beach permit from the town.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Fishing amped up all around, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Lots of striped bass were bailed from the surf, and a few blues began to pop up in the wash. Both Corson’s and Townsend’s inlets held bigger bass, and clams, bunker and sometimes lures got the strikes from the linesiders. Metal hooked better-sized, 33- or 34-inch stripers at the railroad bridge off 51st Street and at the 34th Street Bridge. Schoolie stripers and small blues schooled along the Parkway Bridge, and the bay along the sod banks began to produce stripers. White perch were whacked in the rivers and in the bay near the power plant. Tog snatched baits at all the reefs and along the jetties and bridges.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>, hooked a striped bass that got off on the bay Wednesday when he gave this report on the telephone while on the waters. The fish felt sizeable and swiped a Gulp on a jighead at dusk. Joe had just returned from his final fishing trips from the Florida Keys that he ran since winter. Now he’s back in Sea Isle for the season, and trips will keep hunting striped bass at first. His charters at this time of year fish for them on the bay with soft-plastic lures, flies or bait, if bait is warranted. But the plastics and flies usually work better. Delaware Bay’s striper fishing was going off, and Joe also runs trips there, and hopes to hit the area this weekend, probably fishing with clams. Striper fishing on the back bay had started slowly because of the cold winter, but April and May are usually some of the best months, and the angling will be Joe’s focus. Coming up, now is the time to book flounder trips on the back bay, especially for opening weekend of the flattie season, Memorial Day weekend. The fishing is best in the early season on the shallow, warm bay that makes the fish more active than in many other waters in the state at first. Holiday boat traffic fails to affect the bottom huggers. Bluefish will invade the bay soon, and Joe’s charters wrestle lots of the scrappy fighters.

Surf casters started plucking striped bass from the beach, said Wes from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Reports said surf temps ranged from 55 degrees at Cape May Point, warmed by Delaware Bay, to 45 or 46 at Atlantic City. So temps at Sea Isle were probably 50 or 51, Wes guessed. Clams, bloodworms, herring, mackerel and bunker, if anglers could find bunker, were popular baits. Nobody mentioned seeing migrating herring, but the baitfish probably gathered at the bridges in the middle of the night. A couple of customers said they hooked and lost stripers in the back bay or got bites. To target the bay’s linesiders, anchor at a hole and fish with baits like clams in a chum slick. Chumming is underrated at this time of year but is needed. Otherwise boaters could drift the bay and cast lures like soft plastics for the bass. One customer landed three small blues, the first blues Wes heard about this season, in the bay behind Avalon. Soon, in the warmer weather, blues will invade the bay, and boaters will be able to cast to them, and a striper or a weakfish is often mixed in. Nobody reported weakfish caught so far. Small tog chomped along the bridges and jetties, and green crabs are stocked for bait. Bloodworms, fresh clams and frozen baits including herring and mackerel are stocked. Speaking of mackerel, a popular early-season bait when cut in strips for flounder: Out-of-season flounder, including big ones, began to be hooked by mistake and released on the back bay. The early season is a great time for the flattie fishing once the fishery is opened May 29. The shallow, warm waters of the bay give up some of the state’s best catches first in the year. Blueclaw crabs started to be trapped, and the shop carries all the crabbing supplies.

<b>Cape May</b>

Delaware Bay boaters banged out great catches of striped bass, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. They fished with clams, and a few surf anglers pummeled the fish at moments. One pulled in three bass, including one keeper, from the surf at Dias Creek along the bay, fishing with clams. Nick heard about three other keepers drilled from the suds at Cape May Point. A few tog were probably willing to chew around the jetties, because Nick sent one customer to the surf to try for stripers with clams, and the angler came back with a tog. Stripers and tog should be found in the back bay, too. Clams or lures, such as soft plastics, could attract the bass at places like the inlet or the bridges in the evenings. No bluefish were heard about so far this season.

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