<b>Staten Island</b>

Anglers with <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b> fished for striped bass Monday, “and what a day it was,” Capt. Anthony said in the Captain’s Blog on the boat’s Web site. Twenty stripers to 32 pounds were busted, and live bunker really got them going, and fishing for them with jigs was slower. Another group took a twilight trip that day, racking up 22 stripers to 33 ¼ pounds, consistent catches all night. One of the anglers nailed his first-ever striper more than 30 pounds. Don’t have enough anglers for a full charter? Call Anthony anyway, because he can often schedule individual spaces. In addition to daytime trips, twilight trips are fishing.

Fishing was slow on a striped bass trip when waters had cooled 5 degrees Saturday, said Capt. Joe from <b>Outcast Charters</b>. Bluefish were around, and the trip moved to waters 3 or 4 degrees warmer, and a couple of stripers were bagged. The only positive thing, Joe said, was that one angler took the charter, so he limited out on the bass. Charters are fishing for stripers, and open-boat trips are running for stripers every Thursday evening. Previous trips pinned down lots of stripers, limiting out early. If that trend continues, trips could potentially mix in sea bass fishing, after the anglers had enough stripers. Or they could search for trophy bass at the wrecks after they had enough of other stripers.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Both trips on Monday barreled up some striped bass, said Capt. Tom from the <b>Atlantic Star</b>. Tuesday morning’s trip also sailed, putting up a few stripers. Then the weather turned nasty with rains. The afternoon’s trip stayed docked because of the weather, and Wednesday ended up a beautiful day, but few anglers showed up at the port, because of forecasts, and neither of the day’s trips sailed. Only a few of the boats ran that day. The morning trip ran today, and striper angling was slow so far on the outing, when Tom gave this report in a phone call on the trip. He might give an update about the rest of the day that would be posted here later today. All the trips dunked clams for the bass, and trips will fish with jigs for them when that’s a better option. The Atlantic Star is fishing for striped bass on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Striped bass and blues tore up the waters nearly everywhere, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Boaters could bunker-chunk stripers on the bay every day, and they could clam the fish on certain days. The fish will turn on to clams at Romer Shoal on rough-weather days, but not on calm days, for example. Boaters on the ocean could sometimes jig stripers, and could sometimes liveline bunker to hook them. Surf anglers whacked both fish, the stripers on clams during the day or plugs during low-light hours or night. Blues and stripers also flooded the rivers. Weigh-ins included: Hank Federico, 24.96-pound striper trolled on a No. 1 Julian’s bunker spoon; Joe Dalvin and Brian Morris, 31.2-pound striper and 28-pounder among their limits on a charter on Monday in strong winds; Steve Phillipone, 29.99-pound striper among a five-man limit trolled on spoons off Sea Bright; Joe DeGruttola, 36.3-pound striper caught at the Shrewsbury Rocks on bunker; Cleveland Horton, 26-pound striper clammed from the Sandy Hook surf; Dorothy Obrodta, 13-pound striper and another 32-incher from the Sandy Hook surf; and Chris Pavics, 10.52-pound striper from the Sandy Hook surf. “And he was the happiest one!” Jimmy laughed. All the baits are stocked.

A couple of hours of solid action on striped bass was jigged Wednesday on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron said in an e-mail. Then jigging became a pick, until the anglers switched to clamming for stripers to finish the day. Krocodiles and jigs with tails worked best when the anglers jigged, and rubber shads were unproductive, because no bunker were around. Butch Valentine was the hot hand, Krocodile-jigging nine bass, including the 22-pound pool-winner. Several anglers limited out, and some bagged none. At first on the boat, the trip went looking for fish, and gannets were found hitting the waters. The first few stripers all weighed 15 pounds or more, and a few blues were mixed in. The fish moved quickly, chasing bait, and the trip had to keep chasing them. No other reports rolled in from the boat since Monday, probably because of the weather, and trips through that day were covered in the last report here. Check out this <a href=" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO-SfILAZ4I" target="_blank">video of Wednesday’s trip</a>. Visit the <a href=" http://www.captainronsfishermen.com/
" target="_blank">Fishermen’s new Web site</a>, featuring reports, videos and photos. The Fishermen is striped bass fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. However, both the morning and afternoon trips are chartered Saturday.

<b>Highlands</b>

The weather kept trips docked Tuesday and Wednesday, but a trip limited out on striped bass to a 44-pounder, including mostly 25- to 30-pounders, on Monday on the ocean on livelined bunker with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, Capt. Derek said. The bite was sort of finicky, and the fish finned the surface all over, but Derek couldn’t complain, because of the limit and the big bass. Trips are slated for the next six days, and Fisher Price is livelining bunker for stripers when possible, and otherwise trolling plugs or spoons or jigging when necessary. Trips will clam for the fish if none of those options work. Charters are sailing, and the next open-boat trips will run Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and call to hop aboard or to be kept informed about the open schedule.

Dozens of bluefish were fought and a couple of 18- and 20-pound striped bass were bagged Sunday on the <b>Katie H</b>, Capt. Mike said. Heavy boat traffic filled the waters. The boat’s season is just beginning, and a busy schedule will kick off a lot of the action on the vessel Memorial Day weekend, including because fluke season will open that Saturday, and sea bass season will open this Saturday.

<b>Belmar</b>

With <b>On a Mission Fishing Adventures</b> striped bass trips mostly livelined bunker for big fish lately, Capt. Eric said. The baitfish and the large, migratory stripers that forage on them were here, and livelining the menhaden, the preference for many anglers, was in gear. This season’s striper fishing was the best in a long time. Most of the bigger fish swam to the north, but trips caught both north and south, depending on where bunker schooled that day. When no bunker popped up, trips jigged for the stripers with bucktails and rubber shads. As a last resort, they trolled for the fish. One trip pummeled three huge stripers – a 51-pounder, a 46-pounder and a 41-pounder – at once. Three anglers were all hooked up together. Most trips lately clocked stripers to 40 pounds. Bluefish swam everywhere on a trip Monday, and Eric first saw blues appear on a trip Friday, when two or three were hooked. Eric was also guiding about two surf-fishing trips per week that were knocking down stripers, none huge, but decent-sized, up to the high 20s. His clients beached a lot of the fish on Lex Lures pencil poppers. The lures caught well and were easy to work, even if they weren’t so good-looking. The anglers sometimes tossed big swimmer lures, and they snagged bunker and dropped them back down for bait when the menhaden swam the suds. No bluefish had run the surf, but Eric expects blues to invade the waters in the coming week, because of the numbers he saw in the ocean on Monday’s boat charter. The Lex Lures are stocked at Harry’s Army and Navy in Robbinsville, where Eric is assistant manager of the fishing department. He’s also the North Jersey Coast field editor for New Jersey Angler magazine. Check out his article on pencil-popper fishing in the surf in the May issue. Eric also guides for striped bass on the Delaware River during the spring run that just ended. Coming up, On a Mission will do lots of fluke fishing this summer. Inshore tuna trips will also run, if the fish swim close enough to shore this summer and fall. In fall charters will also resume striper and bluefish angling on the ocean. On a Mission includes three captains and guides who fish for almost every type of fish in New Jersey from trout to tuna, and that’s the company’s niche.

Weather during the past two days wasn’t conducive to fishing, but previously both surf anglers and boaters, including on party boats, cracked terrific catches of striped bass, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Several big bass to 40 pounds were weighed in from the surf. But during the blow, the suds around Seaside was the only place Bob heard about surf catches. In the local wash anglers snagged bunker for bait or tossed pencil poppers or sometimes swimmers. No blues really entered the surf. The boats avoided blues, looking for stripers, but bluefishing will begin on the head boats soon. Blues 2 to 3 pounds were bailed at Shark River today. Some of the party boats will begin sea bass fishing Saturday, when the knothead season opens. Fluke season will open in two Saturdays, and the shop’s rental boats will be ready for the fishing on the river. The store will be baited up and filled with tackle for the angling.

<b>Brielle</b>

More and more big striped bass swam the ocean, and more and more bunker schooled the waters, and the season seemed to be setting up for a tremendous run of livelining the baitfish for the bass, said Capt. Jerry from <b>Fisher Monger Charters</b> in an e-mail. A couple of striper trips were slower during the weekend on the boat, and many anglers reported similar results in heavy boat traffic. But Fish Monger broke the inlet on a striped bass trip Monday, and Jerry was glad to see loads of bunker schooling the local area. The anglers quickly made 30 to 40 pieces for the livewell. Eventually the trip landed more than 20 stripers, keeping the boat’s limit to a 35-pounder, including a couple of 30-pounders, and most of the fish weighed more than 20. The anglers scored more than 45 bites. At first, a couple of bass were landed, one where the anglers made bait, and another after the trip motored south then back north, looking for the bite. A few bass swam where the second was landed close to the beach, but boat traffic was too heavy. The trip moved farther from shore, so the boat was off by itself. Then it was game on! Stripers, all good-sized from 18 to 34 pounds, blew up on the livelined bunker. The six anglers had a bunch of bites, picking away at the catches, limiting out by 10 a.m., going into release mode afterward. The fish “still bit funny with a lot of runs, drops and tail splashing,” Jerry said. But there was lots of action with large stripers, and was good to see the fish roll on the bunker baits and flip all over them. “Pop!” Jerry said. A trip Sunday bagged seven striped bass to 29 pounds. “Not the best of days,” he said, “but glad we got a few nice ones.” On Saturday a trip clocked seven stripers and a couple of blues. That trip originally wanted to bottom fish. But that angling “stunk,” Jerry said, at a bunch of drops on good ling bottom. A couple of ling and a few cod, including a couple of keepers, were reeled up. The anglers had mixed in striper fishing at the beginning of the trip, planning to concentrate on bottom fishing afterward. But after the bottom fishing was tough, they returned to striper fishing. Winds made livelining tough for striper fishing, so the anglers went on the troll, came across a patch of fish, and landed a bass or got a hit on every pass. After the eight were bagged, they decided to call it a day. Only a couple of dates are left for charters in June, and a few spaces remain for open-boat trips.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Mostly 4-hour, open-boat trips, offered in the mornings, afternoons and evenings, fished for striped bass on the ocean this past week with <b>High Hook Sport Fishing</b>, piling up good catches, mostly on livelined bunker off Long Branch, Capt. Scott said. The big bass held there, and usually 20- to 25-pounders were axed, and some of the fish were larger. Trips would run out of the inlet, find bunker to liveline, net the baitfish for the livewell then hunt the stripers. Though the waters off Long Branch usually gave up the best angling, stripers were found anywhere from Point Pleasant to the Shrewsbury Rocks to Sandy Hook. Full-day charters also fished, but the 4-hour open trips were popular, and anglers seemed to appreciate them. When bunker is scarce, trips will jig for stripers. If jigging is difficult, trips will troll for the bass. Coming up, High Hook will begin shark fishing soon, and is big on sharking. Trips will sail for sea bass and fluke soon, when those seasons open. Inshore trips for tuna will begin in summer.

Some regular customers telephoned, itching to get out fishing for striped bass on Monday on livelined bunker, jigs or plugs, said Capt. Rich from <b>Jersey Hooker Charters</b> in an e-mail. So they left the dock at 5:30 p.m., limited out on the ocean by 7:30 p.m., playing catch and release with an additional 25 afterward. The trip first passed a fleet livelining off Spring Lake, and sailed to the waters off Long Branch. Birds dove, and stripers, 10- to 25-pounders, blitzed and were caught. When a few of the anglers had difficulty jigging and plugging, the crew jumped on the troll to get them hooked up on some fish.

Only livelined bunker were fished for striped bass on the ocean the past two weeks with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, and the season was early to be able to rely on grabbing the baits, but the angling was already as good as it gets, Capt. Fred said. Twenty-five to 30-pound stripers were commonly socked, and catching the big ones was a matter of having the bunker, and Fred is good at catching the bait. Andrea’s Toy won first place in the live release division of Friday’s Manhattan Cup tournament, and won the junior anglers division in the American Striper Association tournament the next day, the report on the boat’s Web site said. The ASA trip also won fourth place overall. In the Manhattan Cup, the crew was introduced to their assigned team, and had planned to fish the river “for quantity,” Fred said in the report. “However, I got a great vibe from these guys,” he said, so the crew decided to go for broke, running 50 miles to the south on the ocean to where big bass were expected to be swimming. Five stripers were boated in 15 minutes, and schools of linesiders attacked bunker schools. Feeling confident about the size of the stripers in the release tubes, the trip ran back to the river to try that fishing, though that angling fell apart. The trip ran to the weigh station early to make sure the stripers survived in the tubes, “(and) sweated it out for an hour until it was official.” They won! In the ASA tournament, Fred made the annual trip with his two sons, and some friends. They landed more than 20 stripers on the ocean, the fish pounding the bunker baits as soon as they hit the waters, and many stripers followed the hooked bass on the way in. The boys won the junior anglers division, and the boat took fourth place overall. An “extreme bottom fishing” trip headed for the offshore canyons the previous week. Andrea’s Toy is often one of the first boats to fish the blue waters each season. The anglers first hooked cod instantly at two stops inshore, though dog sharks were a problem. They steamed farther offshore for tilefish, and the drift was slow, difficult for covering ground, but a few tiles, including two 20-pounders, were pumped in, and so was a 20-pound snowy grouper. Unusual to see the grouper that far north, especially in the cold waters off New Jersey this year. Weather prevented a move to another canyon, and the anglers fished inshore again on the way home, and a cod and some ling came up, until dog sharks became a problem again. Andrea’s Toy’s annual offshore, mixed bag, open-boat trips will launch in late June, fishing for sharks at night and tuna, tilefish and mahi mahi during the day. The unique trips, running for years with Andrea’s Toy, are popular, so call now to be on the list of who wants to go. Inshore trips will keep livelining for stripers, and sea bass fishing will be added starting Saturday, the opening of sea bass season. Combo striper/sea bass charters will run. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for more fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner.

Fishing for ling was slowly improving on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, and cod were also caught on trips, Capt. Butch said. A few big winter flounder were heaved aboard, and the flattie season closes Saturday. Not a lot was heard about flounder fishing this year, because the angling was “off” earlier in spring, when most anglers target them. But the fish usually begin to bite now in the depths where the boat bottom fishes, and that always coincides with the closing of the season these days. Anglers on trips looted a half-dozen to 20 ling apiece, lifted aboard from the 90- to 150-foot depths. Waters reached 53 degrees, after they had plummeted to 48 degrees recently. The current temp remained low for the time of year. The Dauntless will focus on sea bass starting Saturday, the opening of sea bass season. The crew expected to start scoping out sea bass today, so Saturday’s trip would be in the ball park. No sea bass were hooked lately on the vessel, and trips fished too deep. But trips starting today would snoop around shallower depths to locate the lumpheads. Trips did no striper fishing in recent days, fishing beyond 3 miles from shore, where striper angling is closed. A few trips in the recent past mixed in striper fishing close to the coast.  The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Bluefishing trips will be added on Memorial Day weekend, running 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. At first the bluefish trips will sail on weekends, and later, when the beach season kicks in, they’ll sail daily.

Stormy weather knocked out trips on the party boat <b>Norma K</b>, Capt. Matt said. But here’s the upcoming schedule. The boat will fish for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday. Bluefish trips will run 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and daily bluefish trips, fishing those same hours, will kick off next week on Friday. On Saturday, the opening day of sea bass season, trips will start sailing for sea bass twice daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Those trips will switch to fluke fishing in two Saturdays, the opening day of the flattie season.

The season will launch Saturday on the party boat <b>Cock Robin</b>, an e-mail from the vessel said. The e-mail never mentioned the fish the trips will target, but the vessel usually chases striped bass when the linesiders are around, like they are now, and then runs for blues. Specials on the boat will include: $1 from every fare donated to the Recreational Fishing Alliance; Captain Jim’s Customer Appreciation Program, where every 12th trip is free; pay up front for eight adult trips and get two free; Captain Jim’s Camp Cock Robin, featuring a dedicated mate for kids 8 to 15 from Mondays through Fridays; dads sail free on a trip June 18 to 20 when accompanied by a paid adult in celebration of Father’s Day, limited registration; children sail free on their birthdays when accompanied by a paying adult; the new program Captain Jim’s Jersey Mike’s Lunch Plan – pre order lunch to arrive from Jersey Mike’s at  the dock at 7 a.m.; PinkDay every Wednesday, when women sail for a child’s fare, in partnership with the Komen Foundation, and this program can be supported by purchasing a pink Cock Robin/Komen Foundation T-shirt; and a fireworks and ice cream cruise every Thursday, when passengers will enjoy fireworks seen from the ocean, and the fixings for an ice cream sundae will be available to everyone. Captain Jim’s Grog is included on those trips.

<b>Toms River</b>

Barnegat Bay gave up small bluefish on trolled Ponytails or sometimes spoons, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Striped bass were toggled in from the Toms River on clams or swimming plugs like Rapala X-Raps that one angler used. A few striped bass had just been weighed in from the ocean today: Justin Kwiatek’s 40-pound 8-ouncer hooked on a snagged, livelined bunker among a pod of bunker off Manasquan Inlet; and Charlie Chiarello’s 29-pound 2-ouncer and 23-pound 1-ouncer trolled in 55 feet off Seaside Park on Tony Maja’s spoons. Little was heard about surf fishing, but surf anglers bought lots of fresh clams and fresh bunker. More stripers filled the surf than blues did. No customers reported catching weakfish. Fresh clams and fresh bunker are stocked.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Loads of bunker and many big striped bass crammed the surf from Lavallette and Ortley Beach to Seaside Park in the past few days, said Scott from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Catches were solid Friday and Saturday too, and anglers either fished the bunker, snagging them from the waters for bait, or threw big swimmer plugs or pencil poppers. Bluefish swam abundant in Barnegat Bay, and blues were bucktailed in Barnegat Inlet every day. Stripers were thinning out in the bay, but some were plugged on lures at night, like good catches that were taken behind Island Beach State Park. Weakfish were sometimes picked at Berkeley Island Park on lures like Fin-S Fish. Anglers looked forward to the opening of fluke season in two Saturdays. Fresh clams, fresh bunker and all the baits are stocked. The clams are only $2 per dozen on Wednesdays, called Wacky Wednesdays. The shop’s rental boats might be available this weekend for the first time this season and will certainly be available Memorial Day weekend.

<b>Forked River</b>

Boaters trolled striped bass, sometimes jigged them, on the local ocean, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Sometimes they tried to snag bunker to use for striper bait, but not many bunker were seen in the area yet. Barnegat Inlet was full of blues on incoming tides and the bottom of outgoing tides, and anglers chucked popper lures, metal or nearly anything to hook them. Plenty of blues held in Barnegat Bay, swiping Ponytails, poppers or metal. Grizz heard that weakfish were snatched from the northern bay at the Mantoloking Bridge on sandworms or pink Fin-S Fish. Anglers will find out how sea bass are biting in the ocean after sea bass season opens Saturday.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

In the surf striped bass and blues, decent catches, were slugged, and fresh bunker was really the bait to soak for the stripers, though clams could be dunked, said Nick from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b> Quite a few anglers said bunker schooled beyond the breakers, just out of reach of snagging them for bait from shore. Bunker ran up Barnegat Inlet, and pods of the baitfish were fairly abundant in Barnegat Bay. Lots of big blues appeared in the inlet at times, and outgoing tides seemed best. Anglers had a blast fighting them on popper lures, or they flung out metal like Ava jigs. The bay’s striper fishing was coming into its own for boaters anchoring and clamming or drifting live bait. One customer eeled a 21-pounder at night, and more of the fish could probably be eeled, but eeling was less popular than other types of striper fishing at this time of year, more popular in fall. A few worked popper lures for stripers at the flats at Tice’s Shoal. Some anglers landed and released out-of-season fluke on the bay. Blues swam the bay, but sounded like fewer than before, like when some considered them a nuisance. Nick heard about none off the tiderunner weakfish usually caught in the bay this season. On the ocean a few stripers to 30 and 40 pounds were trolled near Barnegat Inlet, but more seemed boated off Seaside. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, eels and more baits are stocked.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Boaters had trolled a bunch of striped bass on the ocean and had fought lots of blues and some stripers and drum on Great Bay until Sunday, and then the weather deteriorated, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Rainstorms washed out opportunities to fish Monday and Tuesday, and some anglers returned to the waters Wednesday, but catches were slow. Only a few blues were found at Grassy Channel on the bay, and smooth dog sharks, big ones, were a nuisance, including off Little Beach and the Fish Factory and at the end of Grassy Channel toward the ocean. Whether the slow down was weather related, moon related or whatever couldn’t be known. Water temps rose to 57 degrees from 54, a small difference. The ocean stripers had been trolled on Stretch 25 lures. One boater before the weather snagged a bunker, using the baitfish to nail a striper on the ocean. But that was the only report of a catch on bunker, though anglers waited for the “snagging and dropping” to begin. Big stripers were caught that way – on bunker snagged on weighted treble hooks and dropped back into the waters on the hooks for live bait – on the ocean in June in recent years. The blues and stripers taken from the bay before the weather came from Grassy Channel toward the ocean and Little Beach. The stripers were clammed, and many of the blues were trolled and jigged. The drum also came from Grassy on clams toward the end of the week, after they had only appeared in Tuckerton Bay previously. The trip that was high hook on drum at Grassy tackled four on Friday or Saturday. One angler banked a 15-pound striper at Pebble Beach on Sunday, giving hope that shore anglers could connect. Fishing from shore at Pebble and nearby Graveling Point for blues and stripers usually tapers off at this time of year for the most part. White perch were abundant at the Wading River Bridge. Not one weakfish was reported caught, though the trout would’ve been expected some time ago. Customers bought up supplies for the opening of sea bass season Saturday. Live grass shrimp, fresh-shucked clams, minnows and eels are stocked.

<b>Absecon</b>

Fishing was good enough that Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b> couldn’t break away from customers to give a report, he said to say. The shop’s annual Customer Appreciation Sale, featuring at least 25-percent discounts on almost everything in the store, will run Friday through the following Friday.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Big striped bass ran all over the surf, and stripers were weighed in all day today from the waters, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. “It’s on fire, is the only way to describe,” he said. Weeds would come and go in the wash. Don Lemons beached a 26-pounder and a 21-pounder at the north end on clams. Peter Myszka clammed a 20-pounder and a 12-pounder. Lisa Simmons pulled in a 19-pounder off the Brigantine Hotel. Scott Wheeler limited out on two identical 14-1/2-pounders. Barry Voss and Carl Stock fished from a boat at the white waters, reeling in five stripers to 47 ½ pounds. Fresh clams and fresh bunker are stocked.

<b>Margate</b>

Want to bone up on summer flounder fishing before the season opens in two Saturdays? Or simply can’t wait? Catch-and-release flounder trips are already underway on the party boat <b>Keeper</b>, and the trips are hooking them, Capt. John said. Mackerel is the bait like usual in the early season. Bluefish are occasionally reeled up, and sometimes a striped bass is swung aboard. Anglers will be able to bag the keepers starting on opening day. Trips are sailing twice daily 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Anglers can call John for further info: 609-823-6428.

<b>Longport</b>

Daily, open-boat trips on the <b>Stray Cat</b> will become all about sea bass starting Saturday, the opening day of the season for the fish. Saturday’s through Monday’s trips are sold out, Capt. Mike said, but openings are available starting Tuesday. The last trip on the boat mopped up ling and released big sea bass. If no charter is booked on Father’s Day, an open-boat trip will fish the deep-water reef for sea bass for the holiday. The season’s first tuna charters are on the books for July 6 and 17. The 12-hour trips fish for bluefins on the inshore ocean along the 20-fathom line until after July sometime.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The surf began to shovel out striped bass and  blues, and the blues were few and far between, but some shuffled in, because bunker began to school the waters fairly heavy, said Ryan from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. He heard about a few 40- and 30-pound stripers pancaked on the south end of the island. On a few days anglers were able to snag bunker, dropping the baitfish back in the surf for striper bait. Otherwise the striper anglers fished with clams. The surf was only 53 degrees. “So that’s not good,” Ryan said. But occasional kingfish were plucked from the wash, though Ryan heard about one good catch of them. Catch them on bloodworms. At Corson’s Inlet, Ryan, who fishes twice a day, totaled more than 100 stripers to 38 pounds in the last week on Sebile lures.   Stripers were sometimes lifted from the back bay, usually on artificials including Sebiles, Yozuri Mag Darters or any soft plastics lures like Fin-S Fish and Zooms. Lots of summer flounder jammed the bay, good news for the opening of flounder season in two Saturdays. Sea bass season opens this Saturday, and Ryan heard a report about one angler who tried catching and releasing sea bass to see the potential, slamming none smaller than 4 pounds at one of the reefs. Fresh clams and fresh bunker are stocked.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Anglers were back out fishing today, after rough weather the past two days, said Wes from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Striped bass and bluefish roamed the surf, the stripers scarfing up fresh clams or bunker, the blues jumping on mackerel or mullet. Scattered stripers swam the inlets, and blues moved in and out of those waters. But Wes would recommend fishing the surf out front. Some of the anglers today hit the beach for a few kingfish that seemed around, fishing with bloodworms. A few kings were beached during the Delaware Valley Surf Anglers Tournament during the weekend. Bluefish swarmed the back bay, attacking popper lures or jigs. Stripers also chased poppers and jigs in the bay or in the sounds and quiet channels away from boat traffic. Or bay boaters trying for stripers could anchor, chum and fish with clams. Bay anglers caught and released out-of-season flounder, anticipating the opening of the flattie season in two Saturdays. Sea bass season opens Saturday, and anglers will look for them at the ocean reefs. One angler caught a cod at the reefs after only 15 minutes of jigging there. Bluefish schools could be searched-out on the ocean. Crabbing was good in the back waters, and Gibson’s carries tons of crabbing supplies, and the baits. Fresh clams are stocked for fishing, and Wes hoped to stock fresh bunker today or Friday. Bloodworms are on hand, and so is the full selection of quality frozen baits.

Lots of bluefish, 2- to 4-pounders, were tackled, mostly on top-water popper lures, on the back bay Monday afternoon on a trip with Dustin Laricks, great top-water action, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. The fish began smacking poppers, Skitter Pops on Joe’s trips, this season recently, and the fishing became increasingly reliable. The bluefish population ran thick in the waters. Striped bass also started hitting poppers in the bay, good fishing, especially on high tides. Jersey Cape specializes in the light-tackle angling, including with flies, specifically Crease flies, a modified version Joe ties with a larger cup to splash more waters, and Gurglers. He also looks forward to the opening of summer flounder season in two Saturdays, and the flatties already paved the bay. Flounder fishing should hit the ground running that day, and is best in the early season, before warm waters push the fish to the ocean. Call now to lock in trips, and a little space is even available that holiday weekend. Joe also fishes for drum on Delaware Bay, and those catches began. Drum trips including nighttime outings on the holiday weekend are available. Special, after-work charters are fishing the back bay, and go now, while so many fish fill the waters. Keep up with Jersey Cape’s fishing and photos on <a href=" http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Daily sea bass trips will kick off Saturday, the opening day of sea bass season, on the party boat <b>Adventurer</b>, Capt. Gary said. Catches at the ocean reefs, where the boat will fish for them, might be especially good the first week or so, because the season was closed for the first time ever. A special trip for drum on Delaware Bay will sail Friday, and reservations are required. Drum were boated on the bay. All trips will sail 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and for the sea bass trips, call ahead to confirm trips will run at this time of year.

<b>Cape May</b>

Good numbers of drum, mostly 20- to 40-pounders and occasional bigger ones, were clobbered on Delaware Bay, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. The weather kept many trips from fishing this week, but boaters did a job on drum Monday. Tuesday was a washout in the rainstorms, and George knew about three boats that headed out Wednesday. His drum trips will resume, now that the weather had cleared. An opening is available for a drum charter Sunday. Go while the fish are snapping. The charter that was originally going to drum fish Sunday decided to take a sea bass trip on the boat instead on Saturday, the opening of sea bass season.

A few striped bass seemed to get burned from the surf each day, and a few customers said they tabbed good catches at Poverty Beach and Cape May Point, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Clams were popular bait, and the shop is stocking a few fresh bunker some used. On angler plugged a couple of stripers at the Alexander Avenue jetty on a black bomber. A few weakfish were found along the jetties on bloodworms on float rigs. Surf casters should be aware of impending beach closures on the Delaware Bay side for bird nesting. Boaters on the bay dusted up good fishing for drum off Delaware’s Slaughter Beach. A few drum were dredged up from the New Jersey side, but more, and bigger, hovered off Slaughter. If anglers wanted to seek drum on the Jersey side, the Pintop was a place to look. Good action with blues was had along the back bay’s Intracoastal Waterway. Sea bass season opens on Saturday, and Nick expects quality catches to be quaffed at Wildwood and Cape May reefs on fresh or salted clams. The fish should be plentiful sea bass because of the closure. Fresh clams shucked and in the shell, fresh bunker, bloodworms and all the frozen baits are stocked.

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