<b>Morgan</b>

Thirty-two striped bass, half of them keepers, were boated on the back of the bay Tuesday on clams on a trip with the 12 anglers from the Loreal party with <b>Black Pearl Fishing</b>, Capt. Alan said. Blues were mixed in, and the fishing started slowly, but picked up toward the end of the evening. Six anglers from the HYL baseball team jumped aboard Saturday, limiting out on stripers to the 34-pound pool-winner, playing catch and release with more, on the ocean off Monmouth Beach on live bunker. They only kept seven of the fish, landing more than 25 that were keeper-sized. No blues showed up. Ready for Saturday’s opening of fluke season? Open boat trips for fluke will sail 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Open-boat trips often run when no charter is booked on the 53-foot vessel, licensed for up to 60 passengers, but offering charters for 1 to 6 people, 1 to 15, and more. Dates remain for charters this summer, including on some weekends, available for all species including stripers, fluke, blues and sea bass. Special trips for big fluke will sometimes sail when the flattie season kicks in.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Lots of striped bass were boated all around local waters, maybe not so much on bunker the past couple of days, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b> But Bill Dowd and Don DeCorso clammed a good catch, including a 17.88-pounder and a 15.02-pounder they weighed in, at Flynn’s Knoll. Jimmy knew about a few anglers who loaded up on stripers at the Knoll on clams. Surf fishers waffled stripers, a bunch. Jose Alfonso dragged in a 44.18-pound bass from the Sandy Hook surf on clam. Stripers swam the bay and rivers, and so did blues, especially in the rivers. Bottom fishing picked up, putting out good catches of sea bass and ling. Looks to be a good weekend of fishing. All the baits are stocked.  

After a couple of days “of just getting by, watching (striped bass) swim around the boat, not biting” Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> said in the report on the boat’s Web site, all heck broke loose on today’s trip. Excellent catches, six and seven stripers on at a time, were mopped up on clams, and the boat limited out by 10:30 a.m. Beautiful, healthy fish to 24 pounds were knuckled in, and the high hook landed 16. The anglers played catch and release after limiting, until the angling slowed to a pick. A change of wind direction to northeasterly might’ve triggered the day’s catches, but the fish kept biting when winds started blowing from the southeast today, too. 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.

On the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> striped bass were dusted up on every trip, sometimes better than others, Capt. Tom said. But the trips will switch to fluke fishing, one of the highlights of the year on the vessel, on Saturday, opening day of fluke season. More on that in a moment. Tuesday afternoon’s trip produced some of the better fishing for stripers on the vessel this season. A 23-pounder was pelted, and so were 17-, 16- and 15-pounders, good-sized stripers on the outing. A small crowd jumped aboard, but the boat probably limited out. A 24-pounder was decked on another trip this week, and mostly keeper bass bit through the trips, and a few shorts showed up. No blues appeared in a couple of days. All trips fished with clams, including at Romer Shoal and Flynn’s Knoll. On some trips catches weren’t as good as Tom would like, and Tuesday afternoon was the best so far this week, and Wednesday afternoon was second best. The crew did notice that some anglers caught better than others. The Atlantic Star is striped bass fishing through Friday on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The trips will switch to fluke fishing starting Saturday, and spearing and squid will be supplied for bait.

<b>Highlands</b>

Bunker pods began to school into Raritan Bay, and a charter, a short trip, on Wednesday with Tom Cantonese and friend creamed 10 or 11 striped bass in the waters, very good fishing, said Capt. Brian from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b>. A charter on Monday with John Stankowicz ran down the ocean beaches, beating a good catch of stripers to the mid 30 pounds, fish averaging 25 pounds. So striper fishing was very good, and a few choice dates remain for charters. Open-boat trips are also running, and call if interested, because the more who do, the easier to schedule.

At <b>Twin Lights Marina</b> boaters pounded fantastic striped bass catches, one of the best years for the angling, everywhere from the ocean to Raritan Bay, and the fish were big, Wayne said. Catches docked included: Phil Chin’s 36-pounder trolled on the ocean off Asbury Park on a bunker spoon; Bruno DiDalia’s 33-pounder clocked on a live bunker off Asbury; and Brian Learn’s 25-pounder trolled on a Stretch 25 lure at the Shrewsbury Rocks. Gene Graham limited out on chunked bunker and trolled spoons on every trip several times a week. One of the charter boats from the docks kept limiting out on clams at places like Romer Shoal and Flynn’s Knoll. Basically all the different methods worked for the anglers. Blues swam around the bay and sometimes the ocean, and they schooled up the rivers. Fluke anglers should catch the fish when the flattie season opens Saturday. All the fluke baits including killies, spearing, Peruvian smelts and squid are stocked. Live bunker, frozen bunker, fresh clams, salted clams and more are carried.

With <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> striped bass trips had been fishing off the ocean beaches, but a trip Wednesday fished in Raritan Bay, drilling the bass to 34 pounds, Capt. Derek said. Anglers aboard swam livelined bunker for the bites in both locations, and catches were very good, Derek said. The stripers that had schooled in the ocean seemed to move into the bay on Wednesday. Derek that day first motored the boat on the ocean all the way to Deal, but made the trip back to the bay, locating the linesiders. He heard about stripers caught in the bay that day that weighed 52, 49 and 48 pounds, and numerous that weighed in the 30s. A few blues bit in the bay, but Derek saw no bluefish in the ocean in weeks. Dates for morning and afternoon charters are available in June. The next open-boat trips are full, but anglers can call Derek to be kept informed about the next ones scheduled. Trips will focus on stripers for now, but trips for fluke and bottom-fish are being booked, now that fluke season opens Saturday, and now that sea bass season opened last Saturday. Derek heard about out-of-season fluke to 5 pounds caught and released in the rivers, and some released in the bay.

<b>Neptune</b>

At first, striped bass and bunker were difficult to locate on a trip Wednesday on the ocean with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, but by the end of the trip, the anglers bagged 11 stripers to 28 pounds, one fish short of a limit, on the livelined baitfish, Capt. Ralph said. He had gotten a call from a buddy who found the fish, inviting him over. The trip fished a long day but claimed the catches toward the end. Space is available on an individual-reservation trip to the offshore wrecks for cod on Thursday, June 24. The first of those trips fished last week on Wednesday, and was a huge success, covered in the last report. 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. Charters are available.

<b>Belmar</b>

Tons of striped bass were tackled from the surf and party boats, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Surf casters mostly chucked pencil poppers or big swimmers for a tug. Sometimes they were able to snag bunker to liveline for bait. Or they soaked clams, grabbing smaller bass on them. The party boat anglers mostly snagged bunker for bait. One of the party boats put anglers on good catches of sea bass, started sailing for them on this opening week of sea bass season. Some of the head boats started sailing for bluefish on weekends and will probably begin fishing for them every night this coming week or soon.  The shop’s rental boats are ready to roll on Shark River for the opening of fluke season Saturday, and the store is all baited and tackled up for the flatties, including with killies, spearing, sand eels, all the different types of squid, a big selection of Gulps and all the jigs like Spro’s.

<b>Brielle</b>

Capt. Jerry from <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> heard striped bass were scattered but were caught on readings, he said in an e-mail. So a trip Monday headed to the bite but never made it. The crew stopped on bird plays, good readings and scattered bunker, and the anglers hooked up quickly on sizeable bass. They had a couple of good cracks at the fast-moving fish, and a 40-pound 47-1/2-inch beauty was among them, caught and released after a photo. A couple of 30-pounders were also let go. Stripers would pop up, and couple of more stripers would be landed, and the six anglers ended up landing 26 sizeable stripers to the 40-pounder. They kept a few, releasing most, especially the bigger bass. They kept small ones and gut-hooked stripers. The fishing became picky at times, and there was a small lull, but the group picked away all trip. A sea bass trip broke the inlet Tuesday, setting up at the grounds. The anglers found good action, lots of shorts but plenty of keepers, including a few 2 to 2 ½ pounds. The six anglers limited out by 1 p.m. Three keeper cod were bagged, and blackfish, out of season, were let go. After limiting, the anglers decided to go striper fishing. The trip ran north to good readings and bunker popping, picking a striper here and there, until 10 of the fish to 34 pounds were landed, and five were kept. The striper fishing was slower than before, but the catches were a great way to end the day.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Limits of striped bass were pancaked on the last six trips in a row on livelined bunker, said Capt. Fred from <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>. Wednesday’s trip with three anglers – Carlene Bollios, brother Gary and Max Loiselle – limited out on the first drift. Eight more stripers, fish that weighed up to 30 pounds on this trip, were caught and released during the outing. On Tuesday, Bill Staubach and friends limited out on 12 stripers to 35 pounds in 2 hours. The fishing was going well. Andrea’s Toy offers combo striper/sea bass trips at this time of year, but all trips concentrated on stripers lately. But now was a good time for such a combo, if anglers would like.

Trips limited out on striped bass on each day this week through Tuesday off Asbury Park on livelined bunker, but the bass had moved when the boat returned to the area Wednesday, said Capt. Scott from <b>High Hook Sport Fishing</b>. The trip traveled all the way north to Flynn’s Knoll to find the stripers, landing a 36-pounder and a couple of others on the bunker. On today’s trip seas were rough in a big swell with a chop, nasty conditions, off Asbury, where the fleet gathered. One 15-pound striper was bagged on the bunker. So the fishing was tougher around Asbury since Wednesday, but previously, including on Monday and Tuesday, anglers aboard nailed the fish. On Monday all the stripers boated were big, including a 43-pounder, a couple around 40 and 41 pounds, and the rest all 30 pounds and larger, a great catch. Many recent trips, including today’s, were High Hook’s 4-hour, open-boat outings offered during mornings, afternoons and evenings. Anglers seemed to enjoy the convenience. But charters also fished.

Four to 15 sea bass per person, depending on the angler, were bagged on trips, picky fishing, but okay, said Capt. Matt from the <b>Norma K Fleet</b> of party boats. The twice daily trips will switch to fluke fishing Saturday, the opening of fluke season. The year’s first bluefish trips fished Friday and Saturday nights, and a handful were caught, because waters were cold. Lots of the fish swam the water surface but refused the bunker and butterfish baits. But the blues should start to snap as the waters, 54 or 55 degrees at the time, warm. Bluefish trips will begin to sail 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. every day on Friday. Daytime trips are fishing 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m for sea bass through Friday and will begin to sail for fluke on Saturday.

Sea bass trips, the first of the year since the season opened Saturday for the fish, racked up the lumpheads, decent catches, through the week on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. Five to 15 -- some of the fish good-sized, few that were small, because waters were cool -- per angler were socked. Pretty good action, he said. Ling and fair-sized cod were mixed in, and on some days anglers won the pool with a cod, and on others with a sea bass. The Dauntless is fishing for sea bass 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Weekend bluefishing trips will begin to run 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. this weekend.

Angling for striped bass was tough today on the party boat <b>Cock Robin</b> on the ocean in rough seas, and bunker were scattered, an e-mail from the boat said. Lots of stripers were marked, and they were there, but refused to eat. Only one bunker boat was seen, and if the fleet of bunker boats gives the menhaden a rest, they’ll re-school. No trip sailed Wednesday, a lay day scheduled to install a new chart plotter and radar. On Tuesday’s trip stripers began to bite late on the outing, but then enough took off with the live bunker baits to keep all the anglers on their toes. Some anglers limited out, some bagged one, some missed run-offs and some had no action. Livelining bunker isn’t “as easy as plop this bait there and hold on,” the report said. Listen to the crew, and fish the way they recommend. The livewell was able to be kept full of bunker this day. On Monday’s trip, catching the bait was a little difficult, but the bunker were caught. No mad dog bite went down, but a steady pick of 25- to 40-pounders was belted. The anglers scored limits, bonus-tag bass, one fish or at least a run-off or two.  Trips are running 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Specials on the boat 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>Bricktown</b>

At Asbury Park surf anglers sometimes live-eeled sizeable striped bass at night, said Capt. Rich from the tackle shop <b>Jersey Hooker Outfitters</b> in an e-mail. Closer to the shop, 28- to 36-inch stripers were clammed in the Mantoloking surf. At Island Beach State Park surf casters used clams or bunker chunks to put an occasional linesider on the shore. Blues popped up here and there in the wash, and sand tiger sharks began to be spotted from the beaches. Ken Jelnicki from Surf Rocket, the air cannon that launches bait from shore, picked up chum at the shop to head to the surf this weekend to catch and release the monsters. Short fluke pounced on baits at Manasquan Inlet, and blues and stripers shot up the inlet once in a while. Point Pleasant Canal anglers swam live eels or cast plastic swim baits at night to knock out a striper. Racer blues stormed through the canal on a daily basis. The opening of sea bass season this week produced the fish at the local reefs in 50 to 60 feet. Anglers on the Panic Attack on the ocean got on striped bass mayhem on the fish to 40 pounds o livelined bunker. After they limited out, they trolled Tony Maja’s No. 2 bunker spoons for catch and release action, including on the 40-pounder, the biggest of the trip. “A few select anglers,” Rich said, scored success on stripers on drifted eels when the fish were read close to the bottom day or night on the ocean. Catch the shop’s <b>Shark Tournament Bait Special</b> for only $99: three 5-gallon buckets of bunker chum, one flat of mackerel and five bags of ice. 

<b>Toms River</b>

For ocean boaters, the bulk of the striped bass catches seemed to push north, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. They picked the fish from Barnegat Inlet to Manasquan Inlet, so trolling became best there, instead of snagging bunker to liveline for bait. Surf anglers picked stripers and blues, and fresh bunker was the No. 1 bait, and fresh clams were No. 2. Blues 3 to 6 pounds schooled Barnegat Inlet, pouncing on metal like a Hopkins, Kastmaster or T-Hex. Lots of big blues traveled Barnegat Bay from the mouth of the Toms River to the 40 buoy, and trolling Ponytails, Bombers and metal honked them. Stripers were clammed in the bay toward Barnegat Inlet, and very few anglers livelined eels for the linesiders, like along the sod banks at night. Fluke should be caught on the bay when the flatfish season opens Saturday, and the fish certainly hovered along the bottom. If anglers try for them from the 40 to Barnegat Inlet, they’ll connect. The shop is loaded up on all the fluke baits and tackle. Sea bass fishing on the ocean started off slowly when the sea bass season opened Saturday, but better catches were made once the anglers figured out the bite, scoring okay, five or ten keepers per person. Forecasts looked like the ocean will be 3 to 5 feet Saturday. Crabbing was a little off because the blueclaws were shedding around the full moon, but catches should be hopping afterward by mid week. They were good previously. A super shed was taking place, and shedder crabs are even stocked, if anglers want to use them to look for weakfish or stripers. Fresh clams and fresh bunker are stocked. Fluke baits carried include killies, spearing, sand eels, squid and more.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Surf casters picked lots of fish, mostly stripers, occasionally blues, said Scott from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Sizeable stripers were beached, and the fish from 20 to 43 pounds were weighed in. Bunker chunks, big swimmer lures and snagged and livelined bunker were fished. Bluefish were bucktailed at Barnegat Inlet, and blues 3 to 10 pounds were scattered throughout Barnegat Bay from the inlet to locally off the shop at Seaside Heights. Anglers often worked popper lures for hook ups. Fluke should be rounded up from the bay when the season for them opens Saturday, and surf anglers sometimes landed them by mistake. Lots of crabs were trapped. Fresh clams and fresh bunker are stocked, and clams are on special for $2 per dozen every Wednesday, called Wacky Wednesdays. The full supply of bait is on hand, including plenty of fluke bait, including killies, spearing, sand eels and all the different types of squid from Pro Cut to tubes. The rentals boat will become available daily during this holiday weekend for the first time this year.

<b>Seaside Park</b>

The time arrived for wreck-fishing on the inshore ocean with <b>Fishguts Inshore Charters</b>, after a few shake down cruises that fought 2- to 4-pound bluefish on Barnegat Bay, Capt. Rob “Birch” Birchmeier said in an e-mail. Catching good numbers of quality sea bass at the wrecks through summer is one of the specialties on the boat. A trip that was planned to be a short one to look around the wrecks Monday turned into a cooler-filler. Quality sea bass, plenty of them larger than 16 inches, flew over the rails. On Wednesday a three-man charter ran back to the wrecks. Great action on quality sea bass was crushed again, and the anglers limited out after not too long. A 4-pound 13-pounce 22-inch jumbo was the biggest, and six of the fish topped 3 pounds. More than a dozen healthy-sized, out-of-season blackfish were tossed back, and so were two short cod. Plenty of life filled the waters, and plenty of bait currently filled the inshore grounds. Sea bass still seemed to be migrating to the waters. “Hard to believe,” Capt. Birch said, “but the fishing should get better,” as the fish spread to more areas. After the anglers limited out, they headed to Barnegat Bay to fight blues on top-water lures on light tackle. The blues were less active than a few days previously, but then again, the time was noon on a sunny day. Still, the anglers rose two dozen blues, landing six good-sized 3-pounders. They went home with plenty of fillets from the day. Wreck-fishing trips will fish the inshore ocean straight through summer on both charters and 10-hour open-boat trips. Combo ocean-wreck and bay fluke trips will be available. Special trips that target trophy blackfish will begin when the tog season opens July 16.

<b>Forked River</b>

Ocean boating put anglers on striped bass from Island Beach State Park’s bathing beach to Lavallette on snagged and livelined bunker or trolled bunker spoons, said Dave from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Barnegat Bay boaters cranked in blues, and a few weakfish were supposedly plucked around Berkeley Island Park on pink Fin-S Fish. Dave heard about a couple of anglers locating out-of-season fluke on the bay, and the fish should be around for the opening of fluke season Saturday. Crabbing produced catches. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, eels and all the fluke baits including killies, spearing and squid are stocked.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

In the ocean on Friday big striped bass went wild on bunker off Island Beach State Park, Ortley Beach and Bay Head, and the fish were weighed in all day, said the report on <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site. But the angling slowed by Saturday, though boaters could come up with the fish with persistence. Surf fishing was quiet during the weekend, but some sharpies bagged stripers at the hot spots. Bluefish were there to be claimed at the Middle Grounds and the channels in the bay. The bay’s striper anglers had to look for fish, but they caught. Clean waters were key to clamming the stripers on anchor. One person said blowfish started to show up in his crab pots. Another sailed for sea bass on Saturday, opening day of sea bass season, boxing 17 keepers and a couple of cod, saying bergals wreaked mayhem on the clam baits. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, killies and spots are usually stocked among other baits.

<b>Barnegat</b>

Open-boat trips and charters this coming Tuesday through Friday will break Barnegat Inlet early in the mornings, cruising along the ocean shoreline, hunting big striped bass, averaging 20 to 30 pounds, sometimes more than 40, said Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b> in an e-mail. The stripers have been balled up in the area, and the first choice on the trips will be to locate schools of bunker to snag the baitfish, dropping the menhaden back in the waters to liveline for the bass. But if bunker are difficult to find on a trip, or if no stripers can be caught among the pods of the bait, bunker spoons will be on board for trolling. Often such trips result in no stripers, and if anglers can live with that, these trips are for them, because when the trips do connect, they usually whack multiple, big stripers. The hook-ups are also usually visual, making for a trip anglers won’t soon forget. Every experience level is welcome aboard, and the captain will help anglers as much or as little as they like. But when no stripers show up on a given day, there are other options to catch fish. Trips can move to Barnegat Bay for top-water popper-lure fishing for blues in the shallows. Even when the striper fishing connects, fishing for the blues is a possible bonus, if time allows. On the open trips, all anglers will have a vote on the next course of action, “and I will do my best to keep us pointed in the right direction,” Dave said. The open trips sail approximately 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. They’re limited to three passengers but will fish with a minimum of one. Pack a lunch, camera and deck boots. Dave will bring the rest.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

Sea bass fishing was okay, not great, and many of the fish chomped, and many were throwbacks, and the ocean was a little cold, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>. But a trip Tuesday caught the fish, and ling also, and out-of-season blackfish were tossed back. A wreck would be fished 10 minutes, until the chew ended, and then another would be fished, and so on. Charters are fishing, and open-boat trips will sail every Tuesday and Thursday for sea bass when no charter is booked, starting in early June. T.J.’s other boat, sailing from Cape May, fished for drum, and the see the report under that port.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Summer flounder anglers will probably find the bay teeming with the fish, but not many keepers, when the season opens Saturday, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. “Because that’s what anglers caught and released?” he was asked. He chuckled, “Yeah, caught and released.” Anglers in the early season usually search for the fluke in shallow waters at the 139 marker in Great Bay and at the clam stakes on the Mystic Island side of the Fish Factory. Minnows, one of the favorite baits for them, were in good supply for a change, and Scott caught lots to stock. The baitfish were scarce in the early season in recent years. All the different types of squid from strips to boxed to tubes are on hand for bait for the flatties. All the shop’s usual baits including fresh-shucked clams and grass shrimp are well-stocked. Bluefish that had crammed the bay kind of disappeared, the angling fizzled. Striped bass in the ocean swam to the north from Island Beach State Park on up, and to the south at Wreck Inlet. Surf anglers at Absecon, basically at Wreck Inlet, clobbered big stripers 30-pounds-plus on Tuesday. Catches had been happening there lately. In recent years, large stripers schooled the local ocean in June near Little Egg Inlet. A keeper striped bass was checked in at the shop from the shore at Graveling Point on Wednesday morning, and that was one of several the shop reported seeing from shore at Graveling and nearby Pebble Beach lately. The fish were few and far between, an unusual catch at this time of year, but a little consistency seemed to be happening: a rare striper tugged from the banks in the area, on a day here or there. A few stripers were tied into from the mouth of the Mullica River. Striper fishing at Grassy Channel dried up, at least for now, that had been copped in recent weeks. Black drum kept being boated at Grassy this week and last, and no large numbers are ever located there, but catches were relatively strong for that fishery for the moment. Sea bass fishing on the ocean wasn’t so hot, was a job to put a catch together, since sea bass season opened Saturday, and waters needed to warm. But some were caught, and deeper waters produced best, and the AC Reef fished better for them than Little Egg Reef and Garden State reefs north and south did. White perch angling was best at the Wading River Bridge for the past weeks.

<b>Absecon</b>

Striped bass were sometimes raked in from the bay, but fishing for them at the inlets and along the ocean was the better producer, was going alright, said Curt from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. A big swell was currently on the ocean from an offshore disturbance or something. But when boaters could sail the waters, they looked for bunker to snag and liveline for bait. But they brought along fresh bunker or fresh clams as a back up. Blues sometimes roamed the ocean, and smaller ones swam the bay. For stripers in the bay, fresh clams were probably the preferred bait. Summer flounder fishing should begin well on the bay when the season for them opens Saturday, and Curt heard about 6-pounders caught either incidentally or when anglers practiced. White perch fishing was going okay on the brackish rivers as the slabs came off the spawn, and should improve after the current crab shed on this full moon ends. The perch always move toward saltwater in the next weeks, and then the angling should amp up. Curt heard nothing spectacular about sea bass fishing on the ocean since sea bass season opened Saturday. But sea bass were out there, and boaters will catch them again when the ocean calms.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Good catches of striped bass were banked from the surf on fresh clams and fresh bunker, when bunker was available, said Curt from <b>Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle</b>. Bunker started to become scarce because of rough seas keeping the bunker boats docked. When boaters could fish in calmer seas, they trolled a few stripers on the ocean on bunker spoons and Stretch plugs. But surf fishing for stripers actually seemed better, regularly tossed up 20-pounders. Smaller stripers, many of them shorts, were played on the back bay, usually on clams, but lots of sharks grabbed the baits. Smaller bluefish swam abundant in the bay. Anglers scouting for summer flounder nabbed a few they released, getting ready for the opening of flounder season Saturday. Waters were a little cold. The shop’s offshore charter boat, the <b>Carly A</b>, is fishing from Oregon Inlet, smoking yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna and mako sharks, a good season for the angling. The boat will return to New Jersey to begin fishing soon, first for sharks around June. Fresh clams are stocked, and the shop is trying to stock fresh bunker as soon as the menhaden becomes available. Baits stocked for flounder include minnows, spearing, mackerel, mullet and the different types of squid. Live spots are on hand.

<b>Margate</b>

Big summer flounder were sometimes landed and let go on the back bay on bluefishing trips on the party boat <b>Keeper</b> this past week, and trips will begin to flounder fish twice daily on the vessel this weekend, Capt. John said. That’s the opening weekend of the flattie season, and the Keeper specializes in flounder, fishing for them the whole season on the bay. Bluefish trips would probably continue today and Friday. Anglers aboard the flounder trips will probably fish with mackerel and Gulps at first, and in the early season, mackerel usually works better than minnows that will be carried aboard later this year. A bunch of 2- to 3-pound blues were fought on the boat this past week. The vessel’s twice daily trips sail 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

<b>Longport</b>

Double- and triple-headers of sea bass, even four at a time, came up on daily, open-boat trips on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. Many were small, but the anglers averaged eight to twelve keepers apiece. The fishing was red hot at Great Egg Reef, and a 5-pound 1-ouncer, a huge sea bass for inshore waters, won the pool the other day. Lumpheads 2 ½ or 3 pounds usually take the pool. But cod and ling were also caught, and the cod claimed pools most often. A big, 2-1/2-pound porgy, out of season, was hooked and released. “Don’t know where he came from,” Mike said. Currents screamed the past few days because of the full moon. Space is available on Saturday’s trip.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Plugging for striped bass plowed good catches on the bay on lures like Mag Darters or poppers, said Brian from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. The fishing began to enter the summertime pattern, because the stripers started to smack poppers on the flats. The angling’s almost predictable, usually starting around the same week each year. He popped up a bunch one morning and then hooked the fish later that day in the evening on Mag Darters, all from a kayak. Surf fishing for stripers somewhat slowed because of rough seas and grass in the waters from the offshore storm. But Brian knew one angler who beached a few at Strathmere Wednesday evening. Kingfishing was slow in the surf, but the fish began to appear. When seas were calmer boaters found sea bassing hit or miss, not as good as they expected during this opening week of sea bass season, but waters needed to warm, and catches will improve. Brian and friend tested the bay for out-of-season summer flounder, catching and releasing probably 40 between them in two hours, probably including four that topped keeper size. They fished Gulp shrimp on jigheads and white bucktails. So the fish were there, and anglers will bag them when the season opens Saturday. Fresh bunker and fresh clams are stocked, and baits loaded up for flounder season include minnows, squid, mackerel, herring, mullet and all the different Gulps.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Lots of striped bass were weighed in from the surf, said Wes from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. The fish included sizeable ones, like a 40-inch 30-pounder. Clam was the bait to dunk, and a few blues popped up in the suds, but mostly stripers were around. But blues and stripers ran around the inlets, and Corson’s Inlet was a hot place to look for them. A few kingfish, not a lot, scurried around the surf, and more should come in soon. Soak a bloodworm for a bite. The back bay was full of blues that could be bucktailed or caught on popper lures. Bait anglers could fish mackerel or mullet for them, but Wes recommends the artificials. Stripers in the bay could be hit on poppers late or early in the day, and otherwise could be clammed or taken on bait. A solid population of summer flounder carpeted the bay, and flounder season opens Saturday. The early season is a great time to catch them, and anglers can work minnows, spearing, mackerel or Gulps on bucktails or top-and-bottom rigs to pick them up. Wes saw a couple of coolers full of sea bass during the weekend, the opening weekend of sea bass season. Angling for them was alright at the ocean wrecks and reefs. Fresh clams, fresh bunker and bloodworms are stocked. So are flounder baits including minnows, spearing, squid, mackerel and Gulps.

A bunch of 2- to 4-pound blues were bombed on 3-1/2-inch Rapala Skitter Pop popper lures on the flats of the back bay on a trip Wednesday evening with Rich Duffy and friend Dave, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. The fish blitzed spearing, hitting on every cast, at two different spots. But they were also spread over a wide area, and bit all evening. On Tuesday evening Joe took a solo trip, banging out another bunch of blues and a striped bass on the poppers on the flats, including in a blitz, when the fish fed on spearing. When anglers can find a place where spearing gather, the fishing is fast and furious. The fish on the trips could’ve been fly-rodded on poppers, and Joe’s anglers throw a modified Crease fly he ties and Gurglers. The Crease fly features a bigger cup that splashes more waters. Trips concentrated on blues, taking advantage of the scrappy fighters, but striper fishing is also on tap, including on poppers. Jersey Cape specializes in such light tackle fishing for both species. Water temps varied a lot in the back waters, depending on location, and 76 degrees was the highest Joe saw, and the inlet was 62. Joe looked forward to the opening of summer flounder season Saturday, and the outlook seemed good for the angling for them on the bay. His charters will begin fishing for them then, often using a rig with a bucktail with a Gulp and a trailer with a minnow. Jersey Cape is up for drum fishing on Delaware Bay, and anglers can take a trip for any of these species this holiday weekend. Coming up, June was a better time to go tuna fishing offshore in the past couple of years, so if anglers are thinking about sailing for tuna, June is a good month to consider. Catches don’t always happen in June, but if they do, be ready. 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>

Wreck-fishing wrangled up pretty good catches of sea bass on the party boat <b>Adventurer</b> on the ocean this past week, Capt. Gary said. This was the first week of sea bass season, and a 4-1/2-pounder was the pool fish Wednesday, and one patron that day bagged 18. Anyone who knew what they were doing would catch on the trips, he said. A few porgies and summer flounder, both out of season, bit and were released, but sea bass made up most of the catch. Daily, open-boat trips will keep sea bass fishing. Charters are also available, and if a group of anglers wants to fish for drum on Delaware Bay, trips are also on tap for that angling. Drum were caught on the bay, not the red-hot action like in recent years, but some were boated. A few began to show up on the New Jersey side of the bay, after the bay off Delaware’s Slaughter Beach had been the main place to find them previously.

The opening of flounder season on Saturday could shovel out good catches from the back bay, because minnows, a favorite forage for the flatties, were abundant, a strong run of the baitfish, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. That’s unlike recent years, when the minnow population was scarce early in the season, and stocking them for bait was a problem. But Mike is now catching all kinds of minnows, and good-sized ones, and a big supply is stocked. The rental boats are ready for anglers to fish for flounder. Bluefish could be nabbed on the bay, and squid or mackerel were top baits for them, though blues will eat nearly anything. Striped bass could be clammed from the bay, and many were shorts, but fishing for them, “seems to be coming around, getting better,” he said. Surf anglers pounded stripers, great catches, locally. Catches of crabs started to amp up on the bay, and not a lot of people crabbed yet, but a decent number of the blueclaws seemed to be caught. More will start to crab during this holiday weekend. The shop rents boats for fishing and crabbing on the bay and carries all the tackle and baits. Minnows, squid, salted clams, mackerel, mullet, spearing and bunker are stocked. Canal Side will probably be open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily starting this weekend, but call to confirm in the early season.

<b>Cape May</b>

Fair drum catches, not great, were hauled from Delaware Bay, and a few of the fish began to appear on the New Jersey side, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>. His trips, sometimes clobbering good-sized drum 70 pounds, began to fish both on the Delaware side, off Slaughter Beach, and on the Jersey side, after the boomers previously were only located off Slaughter. Charters picked at the fish every day, and just had to be patient. T.J.’s other boat, sailing from Tuckerton, ran for sea bass, and see the report under that port.

Big striped bass got walloped in the surf, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. His buddy axed a 50-pounder the other night, and also beached a 45-incher. A couple of big ones seemed to be blistered every day. Many 45-inchers, like a cookie cutter, were checked in, and those fish weighed 30 to 35 pounds. Nick’s been telling anglers to head for the beach from the Cape May Lighthouse to North Wildwood, but the Delaware Bay side also produced catches. Fresh clams were the bait, but some used fresh bunker or salted clams. Nick’s brother landed his first-ever, a 38-incher, on a salted clam Wednesday night. Moving tides were best, but the top of the tides seemed good. With surf fishing, some anglers go a long time without a catch, and others bust ten or a dozen quality stripers in that time. Along the bay surf, good reports rolled in about striper catches along the ferry jetties on Bomber lures or clams. Maybe the clams were fished from a float, because abundant horseshoe crabs jumped on any bait on the bottom. Not much was heard about weakfish from the surf. But if anglers try for weakfish, fishing bloodworms from a float rig along the jetties like the rocks off Alexander Avenue is usually the deal. Drum showed up on the New Jersey side of Delaware Bay, after they had mostly gathered off Delaware’s Slaughter Beach. Tussy’s Slough reportedly turned them out. One crew on a boat returned with four drum 50 to 76 pounds from the Jersey side. A neighbor of the shop fished for sea bass at Reef 11, bailing a limit of 25 good-sized ones, now that sea bass season opened last Saturday. Anglers who scoped out fishing for out-of-season summer flounder found the fish piled up in the back bay off Dad’s Place Marina in North Wildwood, usually a place to be for the early season. The season opens Saturday, and the shop is ready with flounder tackle and baits, including minnows, squid, mackerel and mullet. Fresh clams, fresh bunker and bloodworms are carried. Small bluefish roamed the Intracoastal Waterway. Crabbing sounded excellent this season. Even the wholesale price was way down.

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