<b>Keyport</b>

Striped bass, some really big ones, moved in Thursday night in Raritan Bay off Mount Loretta on Staten Island, a fax from <b>Crabby’s Bait & Tackle</b> said. Thirty-pounders were reeled aboard, and sizeable stripers were trolled lately toward the 19 and 20 buoys at Reach Channel. Boaters clammed good catches of stripers on the bay at Old Orchard. On the ocean, Bran Robinson, Langhorn, Pa., on a trip with family and friends, bunker chunked a 31-pound striper at the Shrewsbury Rocks. The anglers fought their share of blues to 15 pounds, too. Fresh bunker is arriving in two deliveries a day, “so stop by any time!” the fax said.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fishing was excellent for striped bass today! Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> said in the report on the vessel’s Web site. After two days of the boat tied to the dock in the weather, he didn’t know what to expect, with the swell and runoff. Stripers to 24 pounds were whaled non-stop from the first whistle to the last. The boat limited out by 10 a.m., and the anglers were tossing back 20-pound stripers and larger the rest of the day. “These are the fish we have been waiting for, as the second wave that usually shows up in May,” Ron said. “Healthy, fat fish, and they were hungry.” He had great video to post of the trip, but hit the wrong button while editing, in his excitement, and deleted the whole film. “Sorry guys,” he said. But great day to be a party boat captain! he said. The Fishermen is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. But the vessel is chartered this Friday and Saturday.

Fluke fishing resumed with a trip this morning on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said, after the vessel’s trips had been weathered out since Monday afternoon, and the catches looked promising. A few keepers and plenty of action with shorts had already been scored by 9 a.m., when he gave this report over the phone on the outing. Each angler so far had already landed at least a couple of the flatties, a good start, and Tom hoped that meant the fishing was improving. Fluking was poor on a trip Monday morning, the last trip to sail, in terrible weather. The weather seemed fair when the trip departed, but east winds began to blow by 9 a.m., and never stopped that day. Trips since then were weathered out. The better start to the fishing on this morning’s trip was good to see, especially considering the weather in the last days, and Monday morning’s tough angling. Waters this morning were 58 degrees, slightly warmer than before the blow, and that was surprising. A new batch of fluke seemed to arrive by this morning, and smaller ones, like 14- and 17-inchers, seemed more numerous. Tom noted that anglers were asking him whether they needed to be signed up with New Jersey’s new Saltwater Angler Registry to fish aboard. But anglers do not need to register to fish on a party boat like the Atlantic Star that is already registered. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. <b>***Update, Friday, 5/20:***</b> Anglers aboard, a light crowd, were picking away at fluke already, including a few keepers and plenty of action with shorts, by 10 o’clock on this morning’s trip, Tom said in a phone call at the time on the outing. A new body of fluke seemed to move in, and lots of small ones appeared that weren’t there before, “so that means fish are coming,” he said. At 12 noon, in another quick update over the phone, he said all but two of the anglers bagged at least one keeper. Things were looking pretty good in the past two days, and the fishing’s been okay, he said.

Fishing all week’s “been very, very good,” said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. “Fish love this weather.” Rough weather might’ve scared off some anglers, but lots of striped bass hovered along the bars, and stripers and blues swam Raritan Bay. Blues ran the rivers, and fluke skittered thorough the rivers and bay. Surf anglers beached stripers on clams and bunker, and banked blues and a few fluke. No boaters bottom fished on the ocean because of the weather. But previously they began to swing aboard better catches of ling, and still claimed cod. Sea bass will be able to be bagged when the season for the fish opens May 28.

<b>Highlands</b>

On the <b>Hyper Striper</b> anglers reeled aboard striped bass to 25 pounds, limits all week on both the a.m. and p.m. trips, despite rough weather, and the fishing remained top notch, Capt. Pete said in an e-mail. Ralph Rucco’s party limited out, including with bonus tags, by 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, and released a bunch to boot. Rich Lanza’s group on Wednesday did the same, limiting out early, also releasing a bunch, from 18 to 23 pounds. Rains poured on Wednesday afternoon’s trip with Fred Hansen’s group, but that never kept the anglers from limiting out, and releasing keepers as well. They tugged in stripers 18 to 25 pounds. Clams were the bait to dunk on all trips.

The weather kept trips docked the past days that are livelining and chunking bunker for striped bass on Raritan Bay with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, Capt. Derek said. But one of the trips is supposed to fish today, and, if the trip steams, he’ll try to give an update that will be posted here afterward. <b>***Update, Thursday, 5/19:***</b> Livelining and chunking bunker turned up tough fishing on the trip on the bay today, Derek said. Some blues and a couple of striped bass were managed, but he knew anglers who clammed for stripers and caught well. Running around much on the trip couldn’t be done because of fog. Derek will compete in the Manhattan Cup striper tournament Friday. Charters are sailing, and open-boat trips will run for stripers Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and call Derek to go, or to be kept informed about the future open schedule.

Though the weather was tough, the charter boat Hyper Striper from the docks bailed striped bass on clams, said Wayne from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>. On Tuesday the vessel was back at port at 9:30 a.m., had already limited out and released more. Another charter boat also scored well on stripers, and another trolled seven stripers, mostly on bunker spoons, on the ocean off Sea Girt. Stripers were everywhere – from the bay to the mouth of the bay to the ocean – and they were hungry. Bluefish were sometimes around on all the different waters, but no hot and heavy population was heard about. Nothing was heard about fluke fishing, and few anglers fished in the weather. But good weather is forecast this weekend through Memorial Day weekend. Live bunker, bushels of clams, huge killies and frozen salted clams, squid, spearing, Peruvian smelts and all the baits are stocked.

<b>Neptune</b>

Phenomenal striped bass fishing was plowed today with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. A trip finally got out today after the week’s weather, and the anglers limited out on stripers by 8:30 a.m. on clams on light tackle, releasing 10 afterward. Because the fishing was that good, Ralph added an individual-reservation trip for stripers on Memorial Day. One of the trips is also set for this Wednesday. An individual-reservation trip for cod is scheduled for Sunday, May 29, and was originally supposed to fish wrecks more than 50 miles offshore, but Ralph changed the outing to a mid-range trip, because the codding was super on a trip Sunday, covered in the last report. An individual-rez sea bass trip is on the books for Saturday, June 4, fishing the inshore wrecks, and another is full the next day.  Individual-reservation trips for fluke and sea bass will begin to fish every Wednesday on June 15, and kids under 12 will sail free, limited to two kids per host adult.

<b>Belmar</b>

Striped bass fishing on the ocean began to pick up on Monday, the last time a trip sailed on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, because of the weather, Capt. Chris said. The fishing had slowed a moment previously, but the angling should kick back in after this week’s full moon that passed. The bass were out there, and some anglers don’t realize the affect the moon has on the fish, or, more so, on the bait that draws in the bass. No bluefish were caught on the vessel recently, and trips avoid the blues, are targeting stripers. Some vessels gladly jump on blues if blues take over the scene. The Big Mohawk is sailing for striped bass 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Trips will probably fish for fluke and/or sea bass by Memorial Day weekend. Fluke season is already open, and sea bass season will open May 28, the Saturday of the holiday weekend.

The party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> was tied to the dock the last three days, and none of the fleet sailed the past couple of days in the weather, Capt. Alan said. Fishing on the boat on the most recent trips, during the weekend, was slow. But the boat is expected to begin fishing again Friday. The Miss Belmar Princess is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Bluefish trips are running 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, and will begin to run daily next week on Friday, during those hours. Alan’s other vessel, the party boat <b>Tropical Adventure</b>, is fishing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Those trips will begin to fish daily next week on Friday.  

A frontal system parked on the local area, bringing much rains, strong east winds and rough seas, and no trips sailed since Sunday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, the report on the vessel’s Web site said. But the front seemed to be passing, and fishing should resume.  The Golden Eagle is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays through Sundays, “until we start our night blues schedule,” a previous report said.

The boats, including party boats, stayed docked for three days, including today, because of weather, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. The party boats are sailing for stripers on the ocean, and should return to fishing in better forecasts Friday. Nobody can know whether they’ll run into stripers or lots of blues or what will happen. Fluke fishing was very good on Shark River, dishing up lots of keepers. The shop’s rental boats are in the waters for the angling. Lots of surf casters pulled in stripers on clams. Not many fished the surf with bunker, because seas were rough for bunker boats to sail. Clams were difficult to obtain, for that matter, because the clam boats also had difficulty getting out. Fluking on the river and surf fishing were about all that could be done in the weather, but both went well.

<b>Fish Stix Sportfishing</b> wasn’t out in the sloppy seas, Capt. Kris said. But charters are expected to fish for striped bass Friday and Saturday, and an open-boat trip should sail for them Saturday afternoon. Open trips in the a.m. and p.m. will run for the bass Sunday and Monday. Call to climb aboard, and visit the Fish Stix Web site for info on the open trips.

The <b>Nan Sea J</b> was weathered out this week, and a trip today was cancelled because of the weather, Capt. Tom said. But the weekend’s weather looks better, and the boat’s been striped bass fishing.

<b>Brielle</b>

No fishing sailed in the weather on the <b>Big Kid</b>, but charters are slated for Friday through Monday and Wednesday through that Saturday, Capt. Ken said. Trips are mostly striped bass fishing, including charters from 5 to 9 p.m. Bluefishing is also running, and bottom fishing is on tap. Fluke and sea bass charters will be added soon, when fluking picks up, and when sea bass season opens May 28. Weekday charters are available, and the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend is open. So is the Sunday of Mako Mania, June 26, and tournaments, including big-game ones like that, are available for charter, and now is the time to book them.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Ling and cod were pelted from the ocean on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, and the catches began to bounce back after a couple of days of ground swell, Capt. Butch said. Anglers aboard averaged 10 to 25 fish, and more cod than ling were booted up on some days, and more ling than cod were looted on others. So a mix of the fish were around. Trips fished in 70 to 120 feet, and waters were slowly warming. The surface was 54 to 55 degrees at some places, but the bottom had to be in the 40s, cold. Bluefish seen swimming the surface were a sign of warmer waters, but even the blues, when the boat approached, swam off slowly, because they were cold. No blues were landed on trips, and a couple of striped bass were swung aboard. But trips didn’t target stripers, because ling fishing was so good. Butch hopes to see sea bass bite when sea bass season opens May 28. Not many sea bass were hooked as a by-catch on the vessel so far. But if sea bass are yet to snap by the opener, that’s okay, because ling and cod catches were holding up, and trips will keep fishing for them. If sea bass can be caught, trips will chase them. The Dauntless is sailing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

Bluefishing last sailed Friday and Saturday nights on the party boat <b>Norma K III</b>, Capt. Matt said. The fishing was okay Friday, and some 3- to 7-pounders were caught that swam on top. The angling was much slower on Saturday, only cracking a few blues. The boat is bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturday and will fish for them every night starting next week on Friday during the same hours. Fluke fishing was slow on the ocean on the boat the last time the vessel’s fluke trips had the weather to sail. But trips hadn’t run for them in a while, so whether the fishing picked up as the season went on couldn’t be known. But the trips should resume in the next days. The boat is fluke fishing daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

<b>Bricktown</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 5/20:***</b>  Boaters tied into striped bass on the ocean Thursday from Manasquan to Barnegat Inlet, said Capt. Rich from <b>Jersey Hooker Outfitters Bait & Tackle</b>, located in Bricktown, and <b>Jersey Hooker Charters</b>, sailing from Point Pleasant Beach’s Canyon River Club Marina. Good catches of stripers were socked the past couple of days when boaters could sail in the weather. Sometimes they snagged bunker to liveline for bait, and other times they trolled. “Just depends,” Rich said. Surf anglers axed good striped bass fishing on clams, plugs, everything,. A few blues were around for both boaters and the surf anglers. Fluke were sometimes boxed on Manasquan River. Catch the shop’s <b><i>***Shark Special***</i></b> Get three 5-gallon buckets of bunker chum, one flat of frozen mackerel and six blocks of ice for only $109.99! But wait! Order and pay before June 15, and the price is $99.99! The shop offers deliveries for shark tournaments, and orders more than $500 get free delivery the night before, from South Amboy to Long Beach Island. Tournament deliveries must be placed one week prior to the tournament. The shop is offering fresh whole mackerel and bluefish by the pound at market price for sharking. Also catch the shop’s free Skippy Fish Seminar for saltwater and freshwater fishing on Sunday.

<b>Toms River</b>

The surf seemed somewhat rough in the weather, but anglers didn’t seem to avoid fishing there, said Lou from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. They toggled in striped bass, sometimes blues. During the weekend lots of fish were landed from the surf around Seaside, not so much from Island Beach State Park. Boat reports were scarce in the weather. When boaters last sailed the ocean, they ran into lots of keeper striped bass and a few blues. Most of the anglers tried to snag bunker for bait to liveline. Three- to 6-pound blues swam all over Barnegat Bay. Little was heard about fluke fishing anywhere, and not much was heard about stripers in the bay. Mostly blues, plenty of them, filled the Toms River at Island Heights. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, killies, eels and all the frozen baits are stocked.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 5/20:***</b> Fishing for striped bass went off in the surf Monday at the Seaside Heights Casino Pier, the report on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>’ Web site said. Cocktail blues ran the surf there that day, pouncing on metal, and big bass were sometimes bombed at Island Beach State Park Monday on popper plugs, metal or bunker chunks. By Thursday the surf was cleaning up quickly after the weather, and stripers were seen landed at Island Beach, and blues were spread throughout Island Beach and Seaside Park. A couple of sharpies weighed in two stripers 15 ½ and 10 pounds they clammed at Seaside Park Thursday.

<b>Forked River</b>

Ocean boaters north of Barnegat Inlet trolled striped bass to about 40 to 55 pounds and jigged stripers to about 30 to 45 pounds, said Jana from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Most of the keeper fluke heard about at the shop were plucked from Double Creek Channel, but fluke were found on Barnegat Bay from Double Creek to the BI and BB markers. Lots of shorts were around. A few fluke were located at Barnegat Inlet, but nothing was heard about fluke from the ocean yet. Lots of bluefish swam the bay nearly everywhere, including from the 40 to the inlet. Blowfish could be boated on the bay near the 40 while anglers anchored, chummed with clam and fished with small pieces of clam or squid on blowfish rigs. A few weakfish, not many, were taken at Berkley Island Park, off Sunrise Boulevard and at Stouts Creek, often on pink Fin-S Fish on jigheads. Or if anglers could find grass shrimp, the shrimp worked best. Crabs began to be caught in commercial traps or on drop lines while boaters anchored on the bay, but were yet to be really trapped in the lagoons. Fresh clams, sandworms, no more bloodworms since winter flounder fishing dropped off, killies, all the different types of squid, local spearing, Canadian spearing, sand eels, other frozen baits for saltwater, and freshwater baits like all the worms, are stocked.

<b>Barnegat</b>

Nothing was available to report while the weather was coming through the last days, said Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b> in an e-mail. Trips aboard last got out Friday and Saturday, fighting lots of blues on popper lures on the Barnegat Bay flats, and some “under/just over” striped bass he said, on soft-plastic lures cast around Barnegat Inlet on 10-pound spinning rods. Clams were yet to produce stripers for Dave at the channels toward the inlet, but he’ll keep trying the clamming, on days when the weather won’t allow the boat to sail the ocean. On the ocean, big stripers are on bunker, and can be drilled on bunker snagged from the waters then livelined, or on trolled bunker spoons. Charters or open-boat trips will fish 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, “chasing bass up and down the beach until we find them,” Dave said. “I have no north/south limit.” Charters or open trips are also running 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily for top-water blues on Barnegat Bay. <b>***Update, Thursday, 5/19:***</b> From an e-mail from Dave: “The NOAA forecast took a turn for better sea conditions tomorrow (Fri). I'm game. Had a friend out there today who tore them up snagging and livelining off IBSP …. We meet at the dock at 5:30 AM, return at noon. Three spots available.”

<b>Surf City</b>

Surf catches took off especially one day this week, maybe three days ago, said Joe C. from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. A 27-pound striped bass was dragged in, and so was a 24-pounder, and Joe himself nailed two 17-pounders. Nothing spectacular was reported from the beach the past couple of days, but plenty of stripers were around. Many were rats or shorts, and the keepers were no exceptional size, but were good eating size. The weather was rough, but the surf looked good. Fresh clams or fresh bunker were the baits, and many anglers will fish two poles, one with each bait. But now was getting to be the time to fish bunker, because bigger stripers were around. A few 2-pound blues swam the surf. Two anglers checked in two keeper fluke, including a 7-pounder, they beat at High Bar Harbor this morning. Otherwise not a lot was heard about fluke yet this season. Fresh clams and fresh bunker are stocked.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

Nobody can know what will happen with the bay’s summer flounder fishing after the weather and because of the freshwater runoff from rains, but trips for the fluke are set for Saturday and Sunday with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, Capt. T.J. said. Blues swam the bay and were fought on a trip Saturday. Striped bass could be trolled on the ocean, nothing hot and heavy, but available on charters. Sea bass season will open May 28. Sunday, May 29, and the next day, Memorial Day, are open for charters. T.J.’s other boat, sailing from Cape May, is fishing for drum on Delaware Bay.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Summer flounder fishing was coming around a little, not much, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. More flounder filled the bay than before, but not many were keepers. The bay’s striped bass fishing mostly fizzled, but stripers were boated on the ocean, mostly toward northern Long Beach Island. Trolling for them was good, and 40-pounders were clobbered, and bunker schooled the ocean. Drum, an occasional one or two, were boated at Grassy Channel. They were still around. Bluefishing was good on the bay, and not so many blues showed up in the ocean. Cod seemed surprisingly plentiful farther from shore, probably the most cod in the store’s 25 years. Maybe a cod fishery was rebounding off New Jersey. No specifics were heard about locations, and whether the fish were spread out or hovered at specific locations, like specific wrecks, was unknown. Maybe anglers were tight-lipped about wrecks fished, returning to the wrecks themselves. Or maybe not many fished for the cod. Was good to hear about the fish, though. Back in the back waters, nobody talked about white perch fishing on the rivers, but live grass shrimp, the favorite perch bait, were sometimes sold. Scott guessed perch could be located at the Lower Bank Bridge. One weakfish, the only weakie known about at the store this season, was checked in at the shop. One angler bought pink Fin-S Fish and jigs. Seemed either he knew something about weakfish, or maybe he heard about the one weak checked in, and was going on that! Fresh, shucked clams, bloodworms, live grass shrimp and plenty of minnows are stocked. 

<b>Absecon</b>

Good weather finally seemed on the way, and the weather was “the killer” most of the week, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Terrible tides, both flooding and dropping low, because of the full moon and the weather, caused drastic conditions on the back bay. But now that the moon passed and the weather was leaving, boaters would get back on the bay and see how summer flounder fishing was shaping up. The fish seemed to be there, but not many anglers fished this week. Fishing for the flatties was okay in the tides and weather. The state staked the channel through Absecon Bay, so boaters can sail through without worrying. Not a lot of stripers came from the bay, but they began to be boated on the ocean, though the weather prevented most of the fishing. Dave ran a charter Monday, and one sizeable striper, a 34-inch keeper, and a short were reeled in, and one big one got in the pilings at the bridge and got off. The trip took one drift for flounder off the Borgata, bagging a 19-incher. Surf fishing for stripers took off a couple of times during the week and was very good. Stripers were angled from the inlets, and the dock guy and another angler beached two 30-inch stripers from the Brigantine side of Absecon Inlet Wednesday night. The weather kept commercial boats from sailing for clams and bunker, but fresh clams are expected to arrive at the shop late Friday, and will definitely be carried for the weekend. Fresh bunker could arrive any time. Lots of spots are stocked, and so are lots of minnows. Dave suspects some shops might run out of minnows this weekend, because freshwater from rains made minnows disappear. But he stockpiled lots at the shop, and plenty are on hand.  

<b>Brigantine</b>

A striped bass bite was happening in the surf when Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b> gave this report over the phone this afternoon. Lots of short stripers 12 to 15 inches showed up today, he heard, like the beginning of a big school moving in. A few keepers were bagged, and anglers kept checking in stripers from the surf at the shop in the past days. Almost all the stripers from the surf were caught on clams, though many anglers wanted to buy bunker. A good number of drum came from the surf, including big drum. Rich DiCola heaved a 68-pounder from the surf. Susan Eckert, fishing with her husband and a friend, eased a 45-pound drum from the surf Sunday. Linda Davoli checked in a 30-pound drum today that bit almost as soon as the bait landed in the surf. Joe Ammendola this week brought in his first striper of the year, an 18-pound 38-incher, from the surf. Bruce LeBlanc carried in a 20-pound 40-inch striper to the shop from the surf, and the fish was bled, so it weighed more previously. A few blues came from the surf, but none was really around. No kingfish nipped in the surf that were reported caught from  shore farther south in the state. Summer flounder were cranked from the back bay. Rob “Pin Cushion” angled a total of 18 flounder, including 10 keepers, from the bay the past couple of nights on Gulps. Plenty of fresh clams are stocked, and many shops won’t have the clams, because the weather kept most clam boats from sailing. But Andy had a clam boat go out, and is stocking lots.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Lots of fish, lots of striped bass, blitzes the past couple of days and nights, swarmed the surf off the T-jetty and off the Flagship, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish were plugged, and anything pink worked, and pink Zoom soft-plastic lures were hottest. Kingfish, good-sized, were claimed from the surf on bloodworms. No blowfish were around, and a few blowfish, not many, came from the surf two or three weeks ago. Bluefish swam the bay, and summer flounder fishing was a little slow, might’ve been that way everywhere, but some of the fluke carpeted the bay. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, plenty of minnows, green crabs for out-of-season tog that were caught and released, filleted mackerel, mullet and all the baits are stocked.

<b>Margate</b>

The party boat <b>Keeper</b> fished for summer flounder on the back bay Monday, before the weather forced trips to stay in port the rest of the week, and some good catches of the fish were managed, Capt. John said. Fishing for the flatties finally began to pick up, and the catches seemed to improve each day, when the boat sailed. Mackerel, provided on the boat, and Gulps seemed to catch them best. Minnows were supplied onboard, but waters seemed cold for minnows to work. Low water temps from the cold winter seemed to delay flounder fishing once the season for the fish opened on the first Saturday of the month. Lots of flounder used to bite this time of year, before the season was opened later on Memorial Day weekend in recent years. A few blues 2 to 3 pounds were seen on each trip. A 15-inch weakfish, the first of the season, was yanked aboard. The Keeper is summer flounder fishing on the back bay twice daily from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

With the weather the past couple of days, no trips were out, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. But his trips are catching striped bass and blues on the back bay with popper lures and flies, and stripers on the bay on clams, and summer flounder on the bay. Back bay charters include After Work Specials from afternoons to evenings. Drum trips are also available on Delaware Bay.

Most customers fished the surf, many of them targeting striped bass, and they seemed to score well, said Mike Cunningham from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Three anglers this morning surf fished throughout the island – one at one end, one in the middle and one at the other end – and they each caught the same. Each landed four stripers and one drum. Clams were mostly fished in the surf for both, and drum are always a by-catch in the surf, whenever they’re around. An occasional one will grab a clam meant for stripers. But Mike never saw so many drum come from the surf before. Fresh clams were mostly fished, but anglers said frozen, salted clams worked as well. They took the frozen as a back up, for when fresh clams ran out, and kept right on catching on the frozen, they said. Kingfish were clocked fairly steadily in the surf on bloodworms. Waters seemed cold for FishBites artificial worms to work, but some anglers fished a combo of a real worm and a FishBite on the hook. A second-hand report was heard about one blue taken from one of the inlets, the only report heard about a blue caught from shore. Blues were in the back bay, and stripers bit in the bay. Most were clammed, and everyone who fished for the stripers with clams seemed to pick up a couple. Some anglers worked poppers or other lures with success on stripers in the bay.  Mike is the owner of Sea Isle Bait & Tackle, a brand new shop this season, located at the same location as the old Gibson’s Tackle, that closed down after 30 years. Fresh clams are stocked, but clams were scarce because the weather kept the clam boats from sailing, and a limited supply was currently on hand. Fresh bunker ran out, because the bunker boats stayed docked in the blow, but is carried when available. Pretty much all other baits are on hand, including frozen clams, mackerel, spearing, mullet and herring. New tackle is arriving every week.

<b>Villas</b>

Even with the winds and rains, striped bass to 40 inches and larger were beached from the surf at Cape May Point, said Mike from <b>Budd’s Bait & Tackle</b>, located in the Villas, and the Ho-D-Doe, from <b>Budd’s Tackle Charter Services</b>, sailing from Cape May, in the report on the shop’s Web site.  Fresh clams were the bait of choice. Drum were boated on Delaware Bay off Slaughter Beach, and a few were reported caught on the Jersey side. Stripers were boated on the bay off Pierces Point and in the stakes. Bunker was the bait, when available. Live crabs for eating for the first time this season recently began to be sold at the shop when available, and so did steamer clams. Eventually this season both will be carried daily.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Nobody really fished, because of the weather, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. Or at least they didn’t fish because of forecasts. Rains fell on an off, but forecasts called for rains most of the week that mostly failed to happen. Even today, the weather was cloudy but calm, a good time to fish, actually. When anglers did fish so far this season, a few summer flounder were mopped up from the bay. How the flounder fishing was coming along now couldn’t be told, until boaters got out and gave it a go. Friends landed a couple of short striped bass on the bay for fun, letting them go. Nothing was heard about crabbing on the bay, but eventually crabbing becomes big on the rental boats. Canal Side rents canopy boats and kayaks for fishing, crabbing and sightseeing. Baits stocked include minnows, plenty, and frozen squid strips, whole squid, spearing, mackerel fillets, mullet, clam strips and packaged clams. Live crabs for eating are sold when enough blueclaws become available.

The party boat <b>Adventurer</b> fished Saturday on Delaware Bay, and a few striped bass and small drum were seen caught in the fleet, but only trash fish bit on the trip, and the weather was somewhat rough, Capt. Gary said. Some stripers are still in the bay, and drum are in, and the fishing is a right tide, right place sort of thing. Trips this weekend will try fishing for stripers and drum on the bay again. Gary looks forward to the opening of sea bass season on May 28, and trips will begin fishing for sea bass then. Trips usually score well on sea bass in June. Open-boat trips on the vessel each year begin fishing on the weekends, eventually adding more days, until the trips sail daily, except when a charter is booked. A few trips will probably sail next week, for example. Call to confirm the schedule this time of year. The open trips fish 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

<b>Cape May</b>

Fishing for drum was slow on Delaware Bay on a trip Monday, but a couple of the fish, decent-sized to 50 pounds, were hauled aboard off Delaware on the outing, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>.  A charter will fish for them again today, and nobody can know whether the rough weather this week affected the fishing, or whether the fish will bite, or where. T.J.’s other boat, sailing from Tuckerton, is running for summer flounder and blues on Great Bay, and striped bass and bottom fish on the ocean. The bottom fish will include sea bass when the season for them opens May 28.

No trips fished in the weather since the beginning of the week on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. But he talked with someone who boated for drum on Delaware Bay Tuesday night, who said seas were like a sheet of glass. The trip wrenched in two drum: one big, the other medium. Anglers on a nearby boat heaved in several. Drum fishing is set to resume this weekend on the Heavy Hitter. A few striped bass might’ve been around on Delaware Bay, but the striper fishing seemed to be fizzling for the season. The Heavy Hitter will be up for sea bass fishing when sea bass season opens May 28. Some space is available for drum or sea bass fishing, and call if interested.

The vessel was kept in port the last days, said Capt. Eric from <b>O-Beth Sportfishing</b>. But drum trips are lined up to fish Delaware Bay this weekend. A few openings are available for drum trips next week. O-Beth will make the annual move to Margate on June 1 for the rest of the year. The summertime schedule is about to kick in. Sea bass season will open May 28, and trips will sail for them from Margate. Margate trips will also run for fluke, blues, sharks and tuna in the near future. Sharking, a specialty on the boat, usually begins Memorial Day weekend, lasting through June or so. So the time is here: time to lock in dates for sharking.

Surf casters banked striped bass and sometimes drum, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. The fishing held up well, and the weather, like everywhere in the state, was rough, but was only too windy for surf fishing a day or so. The stripers were clammed, and plugging for stripers in the surf somewhat slowed toward the Cape May ferry jetty, with lures like Bombers,  but the fish seemed larger now, up to 40 inches. Summer flounder fishing seemed to pick up a little, and will only get better as waters warm. A buddy bagged three flounder this morning at the Cape May Canal. When boaters could fish in the weather, they found drum at Delaware Bay’s sloughs like Tussy’s Slough. For stripers, the boaters searched for bait, like bunker that were found in 4 feet close to shore one day. One weakfish was heard about that was caught: a 26-incher bloodwormed at Higbee’s Beach. Fresh clams were difficult to stock, because the weather kept clam boats from sailing, and whether clams will be stocked Friday morning was unknown, but the clams should be available through the weekend. Fresh bunker is on hand when available, and bloodworms, plenty of minnows and all the frozen baits like mackerel are carried.

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