New Jersey Fishing Reports

Super striped bass fishing, lock and load, was pelted Thursday evening with Outcast Charters, Capt. Joe said. The fish, up to 29 pounds, were bunker chunked on Raritan Bay. A good catch, not as good as on Thursday, was chunked Sunday on the boat on the bay. The stripers bit during the whole 4 hours of outgoing tide the trip fished, and afterward the action petered out. One weighed a little more than 30 pounds, and most of the others weighed in the teens to 20s. Only a few blues bit on Sunday, and more did on Thursday. Sea bass trips are coming up, now that sea bass season opened Saturday. If striper angling stays as solid as it’s been, charters could fish for a combo of stripers and sea bass after limiting out on stripers early in the trip. Charters are sailing, and open-boat trips are running for stripers every Thursday evening.

Twelve striped bass to 31 pounds were bunker chunked with the Tom Tomasulo group on a twilight trip Wednesday with Barbara Anne Fishing Charters, Capt. Anthony said in the Captain’s Blog on the boat’s Web site. Another group on Saturday and Sunday competed in Michael’s Bait & Tackle’s Striper Tournament, toggling in excellent catches of 18- to 22-pounders both days on live bunker. Both daytime and twilight striper trips lately produced quantity and quality, “a pleasant surprise,” Anthony said, the best spring bassing in four years. Plus the best is yet to come, when the ocean fishing really takes off in June. Daytime and twilight trips are fishing. Don’t have enough anglers for a full charter? Call Anthony anyway, because he can often schedule individual spaces. Barbara Anne pays bridge tolls with a receipt.

Atlantic Highlands

On the party boat Atlantic Star anglers on Friday morning’s trip racked up some striped bass at Romer Shoal, but the catch on the afternoon’s trip at Romer was probably one of the better ones of the season, Capt. Tom said. On Saturday morning one of the better-sized crowds this season showed up, and they picked stripers, but catches throughout Saturday weren’t as good as on Friday afternoon on the boat. On Sunday’s trips fishing was tougher, and stripers would be landed at one spot, and then the boat would have to be moved, and more would be hooked, and the boat would need to be moved, and so on. Sometimes on trips catches could be kept going at a spot, and at other times fish would be cranked in, and then a lull would take place, and more would be netted, and then a lull, and so on. At other times a few bass would be iced, and the boat would have to be moved, and more would appear, and the boat would need to be relocated, and so on. All the trips dunked clams for bait, and jigging will be done when that’s a better option. Most of the stripers were keepers, and a few shorts were mixed in. Probably four or five blues turned up on Friday afternoon’s trip, but no more were found afterward. 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. through Friday. On Saturday, opening day of fluke season, the trips will switch to fluke fishing, one of the highlights of the year on the vessel.

Jigging for striped bass never showed signs of producing, so trips clammed for the fish since Thursday, Capt. Ron said in the report on the party boat Fishermen’s Web site. Jigging was great while it lasted this season, he said. Clamming picked the fish on Thursday, and two on at a time was about the most excitement during the day. A few of the fish were clammed every place Friday’s trip fished, including at Romer Shoal, down the ocean beaches and out east, just not enough. On Saturday and Sunday stripers bit the clams, a pick of the fish, in the mornings during outgoing tide. On the first day Ron thought that if the pick continued, “by the end of the day we would be golden!” he said. But the action dropped off. On Friday a shot of the fish also bit at the end of the day, but that was short lived. 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.

Highlands

At first, fishing was somewhat slow on a charter with the Hagel party with Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures, Capt. Bob said in an e-mail. But the angling busted open, he said, when Bob Hagel, who hadn’t fished in 20 years, boated a fat, 40-inch striped bass. The Bennett party scored a good day of catches, reeling up stripers to a 39-incher, the biggest fish of one of the angler’s life, and some chopper blues. Angling was slow for the Arruda charter on a trip, and the fish weren’t cooperating, but one of the group did land a 30-inch striper that was his first-ever. Anglers from the Manning Trucking Company took an evening trip, picking stripers to 39 inches and chopper blues to 14 pounds, “filling the box,” Bob said. Striper trips will continue, and fluke trips will begin Saturday, the opening day of the flattie season. Full-day, half-day and evening charters are fishing, and open-boat trips are running when no charter is booked.

Striped bass fishing was the best so far this season on a trip Thursday evening on the ocean, and the anglers went through 50 live bunkers for bait on one drift, Capt. Brian from Jersey Devil Charters said. “You couldn’t keep the baits in the water,” he said, and the fish weighed up to the low 30 pounds. A striper catch on a trip that morning was decent, though not as good as later that day, on the ocean on the live bait. On a trip Friday evening a handful of stripers, about five, were bagged, but the fish were bigger than on Thursday evening’s trip, on the ocean just north of Asbury Park on live bunker Charters and open-boat trips are running. Call if interested in the open trips, because the more who are interested, the easier to schedule.

With Fisher Price Charters striped bass fishing was really good, Capt. Derek said, down the ocean beaches, and the afternoons seemed better lately. Anglers aboard fished with live and chunked bunker and sometimes on the troll. A 46-pounder and a 42-pounder were clobbered on a trip Saturday afternoon. The fishing should only get better, because most of the fish were still to the south, migrating north to local waters. No bluefish showed up on trips in a week, but blues swam the bay. A few dates remain for charters in June, and the next open-boat trips will probably sail Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Call to confirm or to be kept informed about the open schedule.

Neptune

Fishing was super for striped bass, mostly 20- to 30-pounders, on a trip Friday on the ocean with Last Lady Fishing Charters, Capt. Ralph said. Catches were similar on Saturday on both of Last Lady’s boats, and not quite as many bit, but plenty did, “more than needed,” Ralph said. Sunday’s fishing for the linesiders was similar on both vessels. All the fish were hooked on live bunker on the trips, and snagging bunker to fish for stripers now was “premium,” Ralph said, and if anglers want to go, they better jump aboard. Wednesday’s individual-reservation cod trip, the first of the year for Last Lady, was a huge success, he said. Cod from 3 to 13 pounds or schoolies – 40 keepers and a mess of throwbacks – were plundered, and so were ocean pout to 7 ½ pounds, the biggest Ralph ever saw. He expects bigger cod to move in on future trips, like they did last year. Offshore cod charters are available on weekdays, and another individual-reservation trip for the fish is on the books for Thursday, June 24. An individual-reservation trip for sea bass this past Sunday, the second day of sea bass season, was cancelled because too few anglers were interested. But that was fortunate, because sea bass were yet to turn on, because of cold waters. That should improve any day. Combo fluke/sea bass individual-reservation trips will begin to sail every Wednesday on June 23. An individual-reservation shark trip is slated for Tuesday, June 29.

Brielle

Ocean boaters whaled away at striped bass up and down the coast, but the fish seemed to hit at certain times, said Chuck from The Reel Seat. They gave up catches Saturday evening, for example, and they got active early in the mornings. Most of the fish were hooked on bunker, and when they stopped being caught, they moved to deeper waters, and then boaters trolled them on bunker spoons or Stretch plugs. Not much was heard about bluefish in the mix, though blues popped up one morning off Takanasee. No fish really swam Manasquan Inlet in the past days. Little news rolled in about surf fishing, and that usually means catches were limited. Sea bass season opened Saturday, and a few of the lumpheads were rounded up, though waters were cold.

Many anglers on board limited out on striped bass, 20- to 34-pounders, and released more Friday on the party boat Jamaica on the ocean, an e-mail from the boat said. So the fishing was very good, and most of the bass, loads of the fish chasing giant schools of bunker, were hooked on bunker, and some were jigged. On Saturday’s trip the fishing was tough, until the stripers began to feed late on the outing. Still, catching them was difficult, but 35 were totaled. Plenty of stripers and bunker were marked all day, but the linesiders were reluctant to bite. Kevin Williams, Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, won the pool with a 35-pounder, bagging another and also a bonus-tag bass. On Sunday’s trip stripers willing to feed were found early, located just a few miles from the inlet, and they were only interested in inhaling fresh bunker, and bunker were somewhat difficult to catch for bait, because so many stripers were around. But once bunker were caught, the trip ended up with a pretty good catch of stripers. Lucimar Chavez, South River, won the pool with a 28-pounder. Trips are sailing for striped bass at 7:30 a.m. daily, and lots of the fish are swimming within easy range of port. Nighttime bluefish trips will resume sailing at 7:30 daily this Friday. Trips had tried for blues two weekends ago, and plenty of the fish were seen, but the angling was poor because of cold waters. The bluefishing is expected to improve with somewhat higher water temperatures.

Christa Biondo’s charter kicked off last week’s striped bass charters on Monday, limiting out on the fish to 40 pounds on the troll and on livelined bunker, said Capt. Ken from the Big Kid. On Thursday John Highland’s charter livelined bunker to nail stripers over 40 pounds. Gene Casey’s crew limited out on the linesiders on Friday on live bunker. Saturday’s fishing on Mike Shave’s party’s trip was tough, and the trip had to run all over, but put in a long day, finally limiting out. Rich Papera’s charter on Sunday limited out on bass to 40-plus pounds on the live baitfish. All the fishing took place on the ocean, and the fishing on the trips Saturday and Sunday was best later in the day, and the mornings were slow. A few spots remain for charters that leave at 4 p.m. Capt. Ken is looking forward to sea bass fishing, now that sea bass season opened Saturday, and he loves any kind of bottom fishing. A combo striper/sea bass trip on Wednesday is the first slated to fish for the bottom dwellers, and such combo trips are available. A buddy limited out on sea bass on opening day. Shark trips will begin in June, and tournaments including the Brett Bailey Shark Tournament, Mako Mania and the Jersey Coast Shark Anglers Tournament are booked. But tournaments with space available for charters include the Jersey Coast Shark Anglers’ High Rollers Tournament on July 10, the Tuna Stakes Invitational August 21 to 29 and the Manasquan River Marlin and Tuna Club Tournament, opened to the public for the first time, on August 28 to September 5.

Sea bass fishing started off great on trips Saturday and Sunday, the first days of the sea bass season, and should only get better, and striped bass fishing crushed catches galore on the boat, said Capt. Jerry from Fish Monger Charters in an e-mail. A sea bass trip headed out Saturday, the opening day of the season, but left early for a shot at mixing in striped bass catches. Four stripers to more than 30 pounds, including three of the anglers’ personal bests, were creamed right outside the inlet on livelined bunker among a zillion boats early in the morning, after the bunker were first caught for bait. Then the striper fishing slowed, and the anglers went sea bassing in inshore waters inside of 3 miles from the coast. The crew expected the angling to be slow. “Boy were we wrong!” Jerry said. Sea bass flew into the boat, instant life, quite a few double-headers. Cod, mostly shorts, but a few keepers, also came up during the day. The anglers picked away at sea bass, limiting out by 1:30 p.m. On the way home, stripers blew up, and three more were boxed. The six-person charter ended up with a limit of sea bass for the boat, seven stripers to 32 pounds and eight keeper cod. A trip the next day with anglers who love their bottom-fishing picked up right where the previous day’s fishing left off: Sea bass started flying over the rails, and better-sized one -- including a 5-pound 12-ouncer, one of the biggest Jerry ever saw in inshore waters, and some 2- to 4-pounders -- bit. A bunch of cod, but only one keeper, chewed, and keeper-sized, out-of-season blackfish were released. The six anglers limited out on sea bass. As if that fishing weren’t good enough, striper fishing on live bunker was the best ever so far for Fish Monger on Thursday on the ocean, and was also awesome on Friday. On Thursday the anglers limited out by 7:30 a.m., playing catch and release the rest of the trip. One drift alone put up 15 stripers to 39 pounds, the mother lode, in a half hour. Great shots of the fish continued to be caught and released afterward, and many of the bass weighed 30 pounds, and almost all weighed more than 20. “Everyone on the boat will remember this one for sure,” Jerry said. The high hook landed 14 stripers, including the 39-pounder and a few others over 30. About 50 big stripers were landed for the day. Friday’s striper trip was also a special day, and about 45 were landed, the anglers only keeping their limits and releasing the rest, and the fish were bigger, up to a 44-pounder. Three weighed more than 40 pounds, and a bunch topped 30. Open-boat bottom-fishing trips are nearly full, and only a few spots remain for live bunker fishing for stripers. “Give a buzz, let’s go fishing!” Jerry said.

Point Pleasant

Two of the 4-hour open-boat trips that High Hook Sport Fishing is running pancaked striped bass, lots of them, to 25 and 30 pounds Thursday and Friday on the ocean right off Manasquan Inlet on jigs, Capt. Scott said. The trip Friday also motored south to Ortley Beach and belted lots of action. Most trips lately swam live bunker for bites, but jigs hooked up on these trips, so the anglers stuck with them, no reason to change. The open trips are fishing mornings, afternoons and evenings, and anglers seem to appreciate the convenience. Charters are also steaming for stripers. Sea bass charters are now on the menu, because sea bass season opened Saturday, and fluke fishing will be on tap starting Saturday, opening day of fluke season. High Hook is also big on shark fishing, and shark charters will set a course for the grounds beginning in June. Charters for shark tournaments are available.

The season’s first trip sailed Saturday on the party boat Cock Robin, an e-mail from the boat said. The size of the crowd was great, and when a striper smacked a Krocodile and was landed on the first drift, the crew thought the fishing would be great. But it turned out tougher in boat traffic, and the learning curve was somewhat steep for many first-time anglers to drift live and fresh, chunked bunker. But some stripers, including a 40-pounder, managed to be dusted “for all to at least share in the excitement of these big bass inhaling the bunker,” the e-mail said. The crew expects better fishing this week when fewer small boats will jam the waters. Sunday’s trip stayed docked when too few anglers showed up, though the boat was shaped up to go, and the crew had high hopes of making bait and pummeling big bass. “The real heartbreaker was getting the calls of those out as the big bass were there for the taking,” the report said. Trips are running 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Specials on the boat this season 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.

Bricktown

Racer blues were jigged at the Point Pleasant Canal, said Capt. Rich from the tackle shop Jersey Hooker Outfitters. Diamond jigs got hit, and rubber baits like Storms or Tsunami’s worked, if anglers were willing to let the toothy blues tear them up. Rich heard about striped bass sometimes socked on the Manasquan River on high tides in the evenings when boat traffic was gone. Six-inch Tsunami’s especially got grabbed, but other swim baits like Storms could gain a strike. Surf casters copped shots at stripers, smaller fish than boaters found. Some customers bought bunker at the shop, fishing chunks of the bait in the Long Branch surf for stripers no larger than 20 pounds. Another said he snagged bunker from the surf, dropping the baitfish back in the waters to liveline, catching stripers to 30 inches somewhere. Another angler talked about a good run of striper catches, none of the fish huge, on clams in the surf off one of the roads south of Manasquan Inlet. Boating for stripers was unreal on the ocean, and the linesiders to 40 pounds schooled just off Manasquan Inlet on a couple of days. Not many blues roamed the ocean around the stripers. Anglers on Sunday with Rich’s Jersey Hooker Charters, sailing from Point Pleasant, wanted to troll for stripers instead of the usual snagging and dropping, and the group of six limited out on the bass to 39 pounds, keeping only six, on bunker spoons off Deal. A couple of customers at the shop tried for sea bass on Saturday, opening day of sea bass season, bucketing 30 at Axel Carlson Reef. They were novices, so the catch seemed to bode well for the angling. Sea Girt Reef probably served up the catches, too. Freshwater anglers at the shop said they hit trout hard on Friday at the small tributaries of the Manasquan. Fishing for white perch produced catches at Forge Pond, nothing crazy, but some, on sandworms or garden worms. Fresh clams, fresh bunker when available, eels and all the saltwater baits are stocked. The full supply of fluke baits like spearing and killies is on hand for the opening of the flattie season Saturday. All the freshwater baits are carried.

Barnegat

Striped bass fishing flew off the charts Thursday on the ocean with Jay Simmons and his clients Scott Kindness and Carl Bird aboard! said Capt. Steve from Reel Fantasea Charters in an e-mail. Trophy stripers, bass to a 49-pounder, were walloped. The anglers limited out on huge ones, and afterward the captain even got to score a limit. The fish were creamed on live bunker snagged for bait, and sometimes the snagged baitfish couldn’t even be reeled in without a striper attacking. Stripers 30 to 50 pounds could be seen within feet of the boat, wolfing down the snagged baits or plowing through bunker schools “Way cool!” Steve said. The 49-pounder, the biggest on the boat so far this year, was nailed toward the end of the trip like an exclamation point. Will the fish be the top striper in Reel Fantasea’s season-long tournament for the different species? “Who knows?” Steve asked. “Stay tuned.” John Magosin, brother Steve and father Jack jumped aboard for a trip on Barnegat Bay, and the fishing was slower than normal. Small stripers were seen free jumping on bait at Barnegat Inlet, but conditions were difficult for hooking the fish. As the sun dropped below the horizon, bluefish appeared, picking up the tempo a little, swirling on the top-water popper lures. The anglers had fished with a mix of top-waters and plastics. Sean and Sandy Castle and nephew Sam took another trip, trying to encounter more trophy stripers on the ocean. The trip covered more than 50 miles in heavy boat traffic, only to find the stripers difficult to catch, digesting their “binge eat-athon,” Steve said. But the anglers located a fairly solid bite on big blues at the inlet to end the day. Capt. Steve added videos to <a href=" http://www.facebook.com/pages/Barnegat-Bay-NJ/Reel-Fantasea-Fishing-Charters/106096239410753" target="_blank">Reel Fantasea’s Faceboook page</a>, including a video of the 49-pounder dumping line off the reel. “I’m not a video wiz by any means, but some of the clips are pretty cool ….” he said. “Be sure to let me know what you think of the videos, and if you have any technical advice or ideas.” Become a fan of the page and get the latest on what’s happening on board. A couple of dates are left in June “for those interested in some of the best action found anywhere,” he said.

Surf City

A few striped bass were banked from the surf, mostly on bunker, and some stripers were clammed or eeled in the bay, if anglers knew how to catch them in the bay, said Bob from Surf City Bait & Tackle. He heard about no blues in the surf in a few days, though blues crammed the surf a couple of weeks ago. Fresh clams and fresh bunker are stocked. The shop will be open seven days a week starting Tuesday, after being closed on Mondays previously.

Tuckerton

Some quality catches of sea bass, fish to 4 pounds, were wrangled up from 100-foot depths with Legal Limit Charters on Saturday and Sunday, the opening weekend of sea bass season, Capt. T.J. said in a voicemail. Open-boat trips will begin to sail for sea bass and summer flounder every Tuesday and Thursday in June, when no charter is booked. T.J.’s other boat, fishing from Cape May, headed out for drum on Delaware Bay every evening lately, and see the report from that port.

Mystic Island

Cloudy, foggy, cool weather kept most from fishing today, but a few bluefish wandered back into Grassy Channel by Sunday, said the report on Scott’s Bait & Tackle’s Web site. “The action is far from hot and heavy, but a tug on the lines is possible again,” the report said. A 33-pound 44-inch striped bass was boated right off Graveling Point on Sunday. Not much else was reported about stripers, except that some were weighed in Friday that came from the mouth of the Mullica River, and the big bass chasing bunker in the ocean remained to the north. But in recent years they slipped down to the local area in June. Two different anglers weighed in a 76.1-pound drum and a 64-pounder from Grassy Channel on Sunday. Anglers who fished for sea bass during the opening weekend of the season pumped up a few, mostly small ones, not many keepers, from Little Egg Reef. A slight increase in water temps should turn on the angling, was the general consensus.

Atlantic City

Surf casters dragged in lots of good-sized striped bass tied into on clams or cut baits like bunker or herring, said Noel from One Stop Bait & Tackle. Stripers checked in included ones that were 19 ½ pounds 37 inches, 18 pounds 38 inches, 17 pounds 36 inches, 15 pounds 36 inches, 14 ½ pounds 33 inches, 14 pound 33 inches, 13 pounds 31 inches and 10 pounds 29 inches. Out-of-season flounder chomped baits in the surf and bay, and flounder season opens Saturday. Blues sometimes schooled the bay but not the surf. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, minnows and all the baits are stocked.

Longport

Lots of sea bass, double-headers, were mopped up on daily open-boat trips on the Stray Cat on Saturday and Sunday, Capt. Mike said. Those were the first two days of sea bass season, and the trips will now concentrate on them. Sea bass were everywhere. “You couldn’t get away from them,” he said. Cod were also pulled aboard on both trips. Waters were 59 degrees and gin clear. Openings are available Friday and Saturday, and call to grab the spots, because all spaces were reserved this past weekend through today. Space is also available during the week. 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.

Ocean City

A trip scoped out sea bass 8 miles from shore on Saturday, the opening day of sea bass season, with Fish Tale Charters to see how the fish bit, Capt. Craig said. A decent catch, including some large ones, was rustled up, and sea bassing will now kick off on the vessel. Waters were 58 degrees, a bit cool, and a few pockets of 60-degree waters, the warmest seen, were passed when the boat was running around. The bay was 55 degrees when the trip motored out. A couple of trips are slated to fish the bay for summer flounder Saturday and Sunday, the opening weekend of flounder season. Monday, Memorial Day, is available for a charter for sea bass on the ocean or flounder on the bay, if anglers want to get out. A buddy took a catch-and-release flounder trip on the bay Friday, reeling up the fish from start to finish. One topped 28 inches, and probably five were larger than 20 inches. Trips with Fish Tales will fish for the flatties mainly with minnows and mackerel strips. Craig never had much luck with squid on the bay’s flounder. The flounder will eventually mostly move to the ocean when waters warm. Craig heard about no substantial populations of bluefish or striped bass in the past week. Chatter on the radio was heard on his sea bass trip when boaters trolled the ocean without a touch, no blues or stripers.

Sea Isle City

Here’s the first offshore report of the year: Father and son John and Will Martin took a traveling charter to Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, during the weekend with Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service and Gibson’s Tackle, Joe said. They fished 35 to 40 miles off the coast, trolling two small yellowfin tuna and two mahi mahi on spreader bars and Ilanders with ballyhoos. They also took shots at cobia close to the beaches, throwing bucktails while sight fishing, seeing six, but connecting with none. The fleet caught some tuna, including bigeyes, but the fishing seemed nothing hot and heavy. Joe offers traveling charters to various places, and this trip was a special request, fishing on a trailered Regulator center console, one of several boats Joe runs. Some of the common <a href=" http://www.gibsonstackle.com/page6.html" target="_blank">traveling charters</a> he runs include trips to Cape Cod, Montauk the Florida Keys and more. At Sea Isle plenty of bluefish swam the back bay, swiping popper lures and flies. So did striped bass, and Joe specializes in the light-tackle fishing. He’ll kick off his year’s flounder trips during the weekend, the opening of flounder season, on the bay. Catches should be good, and usually are during the opener, and the flatfish seemed to hold in the waters, were hooked by mistake and released when Joe fished for other species. His anglers usually fish with a rig that includes a bucktail with a Gulp mullet on the hook and a minnow on a trailer hook. Or they fish with a bucktail alone with a Gulp shrimp. Anglers often hear about strips of bait like mackerel working better than minnows in the early season. But flounder season currently opens when flounder fishing would normally already be in full swing in the back bay. If the fishing were done in April or so, strip baits would be the choice. The fishing in the shallow bay is best in the early season, before warm waters push many of the flounder to the ocean. The catches should be hopping during the opener, and flounder fishing is a good choice during the holiday weekend, because boat traffic fails to affect the bottom huggers. A bit of space remains for charters for flounder or any of the fish available this weekend. Drum trips are also available on Delaware Bay, and anglers could even take an evening drum charter during this weekend. Keep up with Jersey Cape’s fishing and photos on <a href=" http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

Wildwood

Spectacular surf fishing for striped bass to 50 pounds was lambasted at North Wildwood and Cape May’s Poverty Beach, said Cathy from Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle in an e-mail. Mike Ludlam reported beaching a 48-1/2-pounder at North Wildwood. Catches weighed in from the North Wildwood surf included Mike Sorgentoni’s 36-pounder, Nickolia Ruck’s 23-pounder, Jason Kotyk’s 35-1/2-pounder and Joe Mammarella’s 25-pounder. In the back bay stripers were clammed, and Edward Douthett checked in a 12-pounder he nabbed from the back bay behind Wildwood Crest. Anglers said flounder paved bottom all over the back bay, just in time for the opening of flounder season Saturday. Enter your flattie that day in the shop’s second annual Opening Day Flounder Contest. No entry fee or registration is required, and the prizes for the heaviest are a $100 gift certificate for first place, $50 for second and $25 for third. On Delaware Bay drum were mainly boated off Delaware’s Slaughter Beach. But a few were taken on the New Jersey side near Tussy’s Slough and the Pintop. Drum weighed in from Slaughter were Marianne Lewis’s 77-pounder caught on fresh clam on her Mared and Doug DeBlieu’s 66-pounder caught on fresh clam on his Never Say Never.

Cape May

Drum trips on Delaware Bay probably averaged one of the fish per angler on the Down Deep, Capt. Bob said in a voicemail. So the angling was pretty good, he said, and a few openings remain for drum charters. The Harvey Miller group fished for sea bass on Saturday, the opening day of sea bass season, rounding up a healthy catch of the knotheads and some cod.

Howard Bly’s charters on Delaware Bay hauled in seven drum on Thursday and five on Friday on the Heavy Hitter, Capt. George said. Steve Scherf’s group boated drum to 40 pounds on the bay Saturday. Another gang was on the waters on a drum trip Sunday evening, when George gave this report over the phone on the outing, and they had boxed four drum, including three bigger ones 65 or 70 pounds, so far. The other probably weighed 40, and George expects to give an update on the final results in the next report. On Saturday morning, before the drum trip, Tom Ebicke’s charter from Accresce Nursery in Newfield sailed for sea bass for opening day of sea bass season, bailing a load of the fish to 3 or 4 pounds. About a dozen were 17 or 18 inches, and cod, about 10, including three or four keepers, were also waxed. The cod probably measured 19 to 25 inches.

Catches of drum, some of them large or 75 or 80 pounds, were made on trips that fished for them every evening lately on Delaware Bay off Delaware’s Slaughter Beach, said Capt. T.J. from Legal Limit Charters in a voicemail. His other boat, fishing from Tuckerton, targeted sea bass Saturday and Sunday, the opening weekend of sea bass season, and see the report from that port. In addition to charters, open-boat trips are fishing for drum, and check the boat’s Web site or call for the latest dates.