<b>Keyport</b>

Striped bass “haven’t left us yet,” a fax from <b>Crabby’s Bait & Tackle</b> said. Surf anglers weighed in stripers daily, and boaters also caught them. Paul Pantano, Old Bridge, clammed a 14-pound striper from the surf at Sandy Hook, and also fought sizeable blues on the trip, but fresh bunker grabbed more bites from the blues. Will Maldanado, Cliffwood Beach, clammed a 12-pound striper from Sandy’s Hook’s South Beach. Other beaches also gave up keeper stripers and large blues. Boaters trolled stripers at Reach Channel’s buoys 19 and 20 on rubber shads, Stretch plugs or bunker spoons, and they anchored and bunker chunked the fish off Old Orchard or Bug Light off Staten Island. Fluke to 4 pounds were weighed in from Raritan Bay at the Keyport Flats and buoy 1. Reports rolled in about keeper fluke taken on the Navesink River. Killies, squid, spearing and sand eels drew the flatties to bite.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

A 5-3/4-pound fluke and some 4-pounders were iced on Wednesday afternoon’s trip, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. A 7-pound 8-ouncer, the biggest of the year so far on the vessel, was netted Sunday, covered in the last report. Lots of shorts, including plenty that were only undersized ½ inch to ¼ inch, bit on trips, as usual, and no big monsters showed up, but these better-sized fluke seemed a good sign this early in the season. Fluking seemed promising, and which trip would be better than another was difficult to say. Tuesday morning’s trip turned up tougher fluking, and the afternoon’s catches were good. Wednesday morning’s fluke angling was okay, managed to pick some, including the 5-3/4-pounder and the 4-pounders mentioned, and the afternoon’s fishing was slow. So the results of the trips on the two days were vice versa. Different winds, different conditions. Tom sounded pleased with the promising fluking, and the fish were spread through all different areas of the bay. Catches were made at all the usual spots the boat flukes.  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. Here’s an idea: Fathers’ Day is coming June 19, and if interested in a gift certificate to the Atlantic Star, give the boat a call. Better than a tie, better than a shirt, Tom noted. <b>***Update, Sunday, 5/29:***</b> Some keeper fluke were scored on Saturday morning’s trip, with a good turnout of anglers, and anglers aboard always pick shorts every place fished, but the fishing could’ve been better, Tom said. On the afternoon trip, with a light crowd, southerly winds that blew were expected to hamper fluking like they usually do, and the drift was fast, but the catch was decent, nice, better than expected. More of the anglers landed keepers than didn’t, and some copped one or two, and one put up three, and another nailed seven. Seven was an exception, but the catch showed that could be done. Many of the fluke were 17 or 17 ½ inches, or an inch or half-inch undersized, and some were 15 or 16 inches, and a wide range of sizes showed up. But the afternoon’s fishing ended up better than expected, and Tom hopes the catches hold up. 

Fluke fishing was not too bad, and the fish were cranked in from the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers and Raritan Bay, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Good catches of striped bass were cracked from the bay to the ocean. Stripers also schooled the rivers, and bluefish were around in all the different waters. Surf casters banked stripers and blues. On the bottom-fishing boats, good catches of ling were mugged, and cod were still caught. Sea bass season will open Saturday. Fishing and the weather looked good for this weekend.

<b>Highlands</b>

For anglers on the <b>Hyper Striper</b>, striped bass kept cooperating, and limits were still the rule, Capt. Pete said in an e-mail. Some of the sizeable stripers taken included Len Ruvolo’s 31-pounder, Val Zapata’s 30-pounder, Dennis Taormina’s 29-pounder, and Joe Sladdek’s 28-pounder. “Larger fish the last four trips this week,” Pete said.

Fishing for striped bass was good the last couple of days with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, Capt. Derek said. Trips aboard mostly bunker chunked on Raritan Bay for the fish. The stripers weighed up to 27 pounds, and blues also swiped the chunks. Derek ran a trip down the ocean beaches Wednesday evening, when he gave this report over the phone on the charter, and the anglers had limited out on stripers to 36 pounds on livelined bunker. Lots of bunker schooled, and no bluefish showed up, on the outing, and Derek was surprised, considering the blues that ran the bay. Some dates remain for charters in June, and the next open-boat trip for stripers will sail on Memorial Day. Call to climb aboard or to be kept informed about future open dates.

Catches of striped seemed to become better in the mornings, and some anglers caught, and others didn’t, said Wayne from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>. Many found the fish at Flynn’s Knoll or off the tip of Sandy Hook, and the fish were also boated on the ocean at the Shrewsbury Rocks. Plenty of blues swam everywhere. Pat Sudola and two friends on the Craiger III limited out on stripers and released a few throwbacks. Fluke were reeled in from the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers to Raritan Bay and the tip of the Hook. Dr. Cook and wife returned from the Navesink with a 20-inch fluke that was bucktailed. Jake Rozelle off the tip came up with a 20-inch fluke, one striper and plenty of blues. A 7-pound fluke was swung aboard the charter boat Hyper Striper, sailing from the marina, toward the tip. Another angler from the docks bucketed a 20-inch fluke off the tip. Live bunker, fresh and frozen clams, big killies, Pro Cut squid, trolling squid and all the baits are stocked. Peruvian smelts might’ve been re-stocked today.

<b>Belmar</b>

Anglers with <b>Fish Stix Sportfishing</b> limited out “times 10,” Capt. Kris said, on striped bass to 37 pounds on the ocean Tuesday evening on livelined bunker. A trip was sailing Wednesday evening, when he gave this report over the phone on the outing, and stripers were blowing up on the ocean, getting hooked on live bunker. No bluefish showed up Tuesday, but a couple of lines were bitten off so far Wednesday. A charter was supposed to fish for stripers today, and space is available on open-boat trips for the linesiders Friday through Monday, Memorial Day. Info about open trips is available on the Fish Stix Web site.

The boat limited out on striped bass to 36 pounds today on livelined bunker, said Capt. Tom from the <b>Nan Sea J</b>. The fishing was very good, and bluefish bit off some of the lines. Fog covered the waters the whole trip. Trips will keep striper fishing, and will begin fishing for sea bass when sea bass season opens Saturday. The first shark trip is on the books for June 8, and sharking is Tom’s favorite fishing. Annual open-boat trips for sharks, a rare opportunity to fight the beasts without chartering the whole boat, will run on Wednesdays again this year.

On the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b> striped bass fishing on the ocean was “up,” Capt. Chris said. “Very strong.” Anglers aboard were catching them when he gave this report on the phone on a trip Wednesday evening, and they beat the bass on livelined bunker. Pool-winning stripers weighed about 40 pounds. Chris will think about sticking with striper fishing for now, because catches were so good. Otherwise the vessel will begin fishing for sea bass and fluke Saturday, when sea bass season opens. The Big Mohawk is sailing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

<b>***Update, Friday, 5/27:***</b> The party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b> was steered into the fog on the ocean Thursday, and striped bass fishing was on! a report on the vessel’s Web site said. But first the crew had snagged bunker for bait. Then customers shellacked big bass on the livelined menhaden, and many limited out. A 42-pound striper won the pool, and a 45-pounder was drilled, but the angler wasn’t in the pool. Some of the fish weighed around 35 pounds. On a trip Wednesday, the last time a report was posted on the boat’s site, the weather had turned great, and striper fishing had become much better than before on the day’s trip. Big stripers were hooked on livelined bunker, and blues “were back in the game,” the report said, and many blues were jigged. The Golden Eagle is fishing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for blues 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

<b>***Update, Friday, 5/27:***</b> Both boaters on the ocean and surf anglers walloped big striped bass, phenomenal catches the last couple of days, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. A 45-1/2-pound striper was the biggest weighed in, he thought, and lots in the 30-pound range and upper 30s were brought in, by both boaters and surf casters. From the boats, anglers used snagging hooks to snag bunker from the waters, dropping the live menhaden back in the ocean right on the snagging hook for bait, the usual method. From the beach, sharpies either snagged and dropped or worked pencil poppers. Shark River’s fluke fishing was good, dominated by lots of shorts. But anglers worked through the shorts for keepers. Any blues around? Bob was asked. The party boats will kick off steady schedules of nighttime bluefish trips today, he believed.

<b>Brielle</b>

<b>***Update, Saturday, 5/28:***</b>: From an edited e-mail from Capt. Jerry from <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> on Friday: It doesn’t get much better than this ... truly world-class fishing for trophy-sized stripers. We’ve had limits + c&r on the last six trips, up to 39 lbs! Had Carmine Litterio's charter … a very fun four-man crew aboard today for a day of striper fishing. Headed out and was greeted with a lumpy inlet and pea-soup fog. Cleared the inlet, and was in some bunker, but it was scattered. Looked a mile or so to the south n didn't see much. Got a call from Rayman bnr that he was in some bunker with a few fish in it, so off we went. Thanks again bro! Got on scene and had a fish on right away ... missed a few others ... fish seemed to prefer the snag n dropped bunker versus the ones put on a regular hook. Boxed up five fish outa 10 bites. Then the bite stopped as quick as it started! Took our bait to the deep, and bounced on reads for the rest of the day. Slow pick, but ya get a couple bites on every drift. Big fish of the day was Tanks personal best at 39 lbs, which was tagged n released. The four-man crew fished hard, the guys managed over 20 bites, and caught 11 nice stripers to 39 lbs. They chose to only keep the five that came on trebles, and tagged and released the other six, including the big one at 39 lbs! The guys called it a day around 1 p.m., and we headed for the dock. Not crazy fishing like we had yesterday ... Had to work for em, but overall a nice day of fishing on the water. Awesome crew, loads of chop bustin ...We look forward to seeing the guys on their June charter! Thanks again guys! <b>(Next report)</b>: Had Raider Rob and the boys along with Andrew, Anthony and Pat aboard for an afternoon bass trip. Still had a bunch of livies so we went out and fished them in some bunker while getting some more. Bounced around and ran over some good readings, and it was game on ... not an insane bite, but we had fish blowing up on our baits every drift. Seen a few fish on the surface, and managed to get two good drifts where we had three on at a time! Picked at them all afternoon. Rob and the boys all got their first big stripers today from 28-32 lbs. Had over 35 bites, landing 17 big bass to 30 lbs+, keeping a legal limit. Nice afternoon on the water! Thanks again guys! <b>(Next report)</b>: Had the Craig VonOrden annual striper charter aboard today. Craig couldn’t make it due to last minute circumstances, but the rest of his crew was there to get a crack at the big bass. Well, guys, the Red Hot Liveline Striper Fishing continues! Some days are tougher than others, but the big fish seem to pop up somewhere everyday! Headed out, and made bait local pretty quick, then Capt Freddy topped off the well for us! Looked around local, both north and south, in the bait and in the deep, but no takers. Heard about a bite to the north, so we worked our way up there, stopping on the way. Got to a pod of excited bait just north of Belmar, and had four bites right away, only connected on one. Thought we were in, but that was the end of that. Was heading up farther north, and ran over the mother lode of readings. Put the baits out, and they all got crashed. Boated three more and lost a couple.
Looked around, but couldn’t find the good marks again. Stopped on scattered readings, and made long drifts, and had lots of bass playing with, and trailing behind, the baits, but they were hard to get to commit. Managed to pick one here, one there. Then got a couple good cracks at them, with them crashing two or three at a time. Kept working it, getting bites every drift. Got a good shot at them our last couple passes to top off the box. Amount of bass popping and swirling on baits was pretty crazy, though picky to eat. The guys fished hard, made the most of the good run-offs, and put a great catch together! By days end, the guys had over 30 Bites, boxing a five-man limit, plus four bonus fish to 36 lbs! Crew was a blast, looking forward to seeing them in the fall. Thanks again guys! <b>FIVE TRIPS in a row</b> with limit+ catches to over 30 lbs+, and a bunch more personal bests! The bite is on … now is the time to land a big one! <b>(Next report)</b>: Set out for another day on the red-hot liveline striper bite. Mark Sr, Mark Jr, Bob, Ralphy, Rob and Tony Lovehislabs rounded out today’s crew! Headed out and made some bait local, but wasn’t as thick. Headed farther to find tons of bunker and bass busting through them ... managed to go 5 for 9 on that bite, before it died. Moved off on some reads. It took a bit, but we had another 5 runoffs, and put two in the box. Capt. Kris Fish Stix said that he had a couple fish. Sounded a little better than our pick, so off we went. Got on scene, and had a couple drifts with nothing. But finally read the mother lode, and got covered up. Fish were busting on top on the baits, and it was a little mayhem with three on. Boxed up a boat limit+, and Bob had the big fish of the day at 36 lbs, released for another day! Checked out some bottom, inside 3 miles, looking for a few cod or ling on the way home. None inshore, but the good news was that there was some big sea bass we threw back for tomorrow! By day’s end we had over 35 bites, keeping a six-man limit + four bonus fish to 36 lbs! And one ling! Another great day on the water! <b>Perfect week, with limits+ six trips in a row!</b> Thanks again guys!”

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

A charter jumped aboard Monday, for the second time in two weeks, with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, a report on the boat’s Web site said. Bait was made at the inlet in one throw of the castnet, and the boat was motored off with the menhaden to find the fleet to the south. The anglers limited out on striped bass to 35 pounds on the first drift, and the fish were netted two at a time. Afterward the trip “decided to troll spools to keep the guys busy to end the day,” the report said. “Great day with some good guys.”

Big striped bass were pounded on the ocean on livelined bunker the last few days on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said. No stripers showed up yet on today’s trip by 8:45 a.m., when he gave this report onboard over the phone. But the catches were pretty darn good in the last days, and the bass weighed 25 to 40 pounds. Large fish. The Gambler is currently striped bass fishing 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. Fluke trips will kick off Saturday that will run twice daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Then striper trips will run 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Wreck-fishing trips for cod and ling are on the schedule for 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sundays and Mondays.

Fluke fishing improved on the ocean on the <b>Norma K III</b>, Capt. Matt said. Quite a few shorts and a few keepers were angled on Wednesday morning’s trip, and dog sharks were somewhat a nuisance, but Matt thinks the dogs should back off in the next days, as warmer weather increases water temps. The vessel is fluke fishing twice daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Bluefishing improved on the boat’s nighttime trips last weekend, and Matt expects good catches again this weekend. The blues weighed 4 to 8 pounds, and bluefishing trips had only been sailing on weekends, but will begin to sail daily Friday during the same hours: 7:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Ling and cod were shoveled up on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, and the catches were slower on Wednesday’s trip, but good catches of ling and a few cod were clocked previous days, Capt. Butch said. Dog sharks became a problem on Wednesday’s trip, and anglers aboard Wednesday picked up 5 to 15 ling or cod, mostly ling, apiece, fighting through the dogs. Fewer cod were managed than before, because the trip fished shallow to avoid the dogfish that were more abundant deeper. The trip concentrated on 60- to 65-foot depths, and dog sharks were enough trouble there, but were out of hand in 75 to 80 feet. On previous trips the anglers bucketed 15 to 30 ling or cod apiece. Not many bluefish were around on the fishing grounds, and only a couple of tiny ones ½-pound apiece appeared in Wednesday’s catch. Big blues swam the ocean surface during trips last year at this time. Waters were 52 to 55 degrees, depending on location, on Wednesday trip. The ocean was 50 degrees, chilly, on the way out at first on Tuesday’s trip. Butch is keeping his fingers crossed that dog sharks won’t be too abundant for the vessel to fish for sea bass starting Saturday, when sea bass season opens. If trips can target sea bass starting then, they will. The Dauntless is sailing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

This was going to be a good weekend, and lots of anglers were stopping by the shop already this morning, Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> said on the phone then. Surf fishing was a spotty pick all week, and anglers who put in the time, soaking clams or bunker, banked a few stripers. Ralph Wilborg checked in a 29-pounder and a 24-pounder he beached on livelined bunker at Seaside. Bunker schooled thick this morning in the ocean, though fog was also thick. Bluefishing began to pick up in the surf, and became more consistent around Manasquan and Barnegat inlets. One of the crew from the shop saw kayakers catch fluke, including a couple that were definitely keepers, a little ways off the surf. A customer who fished Barnegat Bay from Berkeley Island Park the past couple of mornings saw one weakfish landed, and one angler ice three keeper fluke. Bluefishing was good off Goodluck Point and throughout the bay. A token striper was boated on the bay along the Route 37 Bridge. But striper fishing was better at Oyster Creek Channel and Double Creek Channel near Barnegat Inlet. Some customers stuck stripers at night on the bay on eels. Dennis was busy with customers, so he wasn’t kept on the phone long for this report, and wasn’t asked how boaters fared on fluke on the bay and stripers and blues on the ocean, and some other details about fishing. But he said crabbing was good along the Route 37 Bridge and was okay on the Toms River. Deeper waters seemed better for crabbing.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Surf fishing was alright, and the waters were sort of dirty, but the Talerico brothers, Dominic and Billy, weighed in two striped bass 35 and 32 pounds from the surf today, said Scott from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. They plugged the fish at the Seaside Heights Casino Pier on Big Bass King or BBK swimmers. Surf casters caught lots of stripers around Asbury Park and Spring Lake on bunker. Some were beached at Bay Head. Plenty of cocktail blues schooled Barnegat Bay, and nothing was heard about fluke in the bay locally. No crabs were really nabbed yet this season locally. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, killies, eels and the complete line of baits is stocked. Catch Wacky Wednesdays, featuring clams for $2.75 per dozen. The Dock’s rental boats and jet skis will become available for the season Saturday for Memorial Day weekend.

<b>Seaside Park</b>

Sea bass season will open Saturday, and the first trip of the year for sea bass is slated for Tuesday with <b>Fishguts Inshore Charters</b>, Capt. Rob “Birch”  Birchmeier said. That’s May 31, and Fishguts specializes in fishing for good numbers of quality sea bass during the hot months. The boat’s season is always launched in June, sailing to September. Charters and 10-hour open-boat trips for sea bass sail. Charters also fish for other fish, including fluke and light-tackle blues on Barnegat Bay, and combo trips, called a Captain’s Combo, fishing for sea bass on the ocean and fluke and/or blues on the bay in one day. Check out the unique fishing, and the sea bass expertise, on the <a href="http://www.fishgutscharters.com/" target="_blank">Fishguts Inshore Charters</a> Web site.

<b>Forked River</b>

Fluke, good catches, were drilled on Barnegat Bay at Double Creek and Oyster Creek channels, and now they started to be drummed up from the Intracoastal Waterway in the middle of the bay from the BI to BB markers, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Nothing at all was heard about fluke from the ocean yet this season, but the weather was rough for boaters to reach Barnegat Ridge, where ocean fluke are usually found first. Lots of blues swarmed everywhere in the bay, and Grizz heard about the catches from Berkeley Island Park to Barnegat. A couple of weakfish, the first of the year, were finally weighed in, and other weakfish catches were heard about, but nobody really fished for them. The weaks were caught by chance while anglers bluefished on the bay. Striped bass fishing was very good. On the bay, stripers were landed while boaters anchored and clammed, but also while they drifted the flats, throwing popper lures. On the ocean, stripers were trolled on bunker spoons, Stretch 25 and 30 plugs, and umbrella rigs, and were hooked on livelined bunker anglers snagged for bait. Crabbing was okay, pretty good, even if not many large ones were around this early in the season. Bait will be fully stocked for the Memorial Day weekend, including killies, fresh clams and fresh bunker.

<b>Surf City</b>

A few small blues 1 to 2 pounds were beached from the surf, and so were skates, and stripers were around in the wash, and fishing for them wasn’t on fire, but anglers had a good shot at a striper for dinner, said Joe from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. Fresh bunker was best for the keepers and bigger stripers, and clams could be used for bait, but caught smaller stripers. No really big stripers were weighed in, but Joe himself hung a 30-pounder on the scale from the surf, and a customer also checked in a 30-pounder from the beach. Nothing was heard about fluke. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, killies and the full supply of baits is stocked.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

A trip for summer flounder was slow on the bay Wednesday, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>. But trips are fishing for flounder, and blues swam the bay, and charters will begin to bottom fish for sea bass on the ocean once sea bass season opens Saturday. T.J.’s other boat, sailing from Cape May, fished for drum, and see the report below.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Catches improved each day for summer flounder anglers on the bay, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> in the report on the shop’s Web site. “I wish I could say everyone is coming home with keepers,” he said, “(but that’s) just not the case. I am happy to report the action, though.” The fish were plucked from the bay at the stakes on the Mystic Island side of the Fish Factory and from along the Intracoastal Waterway around the 139 marker. On the ocean, the first boaters up the beach Wednesday morning found bunker pods, and one of the anglers weighed in a 32-pound striper. Once the breeze came up, spotting the bunker became impossible, and striper fishing ended for the day. Cod catches were rocking twenty-plus miles from shore. “Beg a friend for some wreck numbers,” Scott said. “I’m kicking myself for not paying attention 20 years ago when anglers were catching cod, (because I’m) not remembering where they found them.” Sea bass season will open Saturday. “(If you) care to escape the busy bays, then maybe a wreck-fishing trip is in your weekend plans,” he said. 

<b>Absecon Bay</b>

Catches of summer flounder began picking up in the bay, were pretty good, and waters were warming, said Joe from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Waters were 71 degrees today, and Capt. Dave, the shop’s owner, ran a charter that boated three keeper flounder, including a 5-pounder. His charter the day before decked three striped bass larger than 34 inches each near the 178. Stripers, good catches, were whacked in the surf at Brigantine. A few were picked in the bay. Clams were fished in the surf, and live spots were swum in the bay. A few blues began to move into the bay. Reports came in about blues seen there Wednesday evening, and so did reports about spearing in the bay that evening. The blues chased the spearing in, Joe guessed. Crabs began to shed, so crabbing began to drop off until the shed ends. The shop began raising the season’s first soft shell crabs for eating, and the first batch became ready today, so a good supply will probably be on hand in the next week. Live spots, fresh clams, minnows, shedder crabs and eels are stocked.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Surf fishing for striped bass, with drum mixed in, definitely remained on, said Jim from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Clams were the bait to dunk, but an angler from Stratford checked in a 19-pounder that inhaled bunker. Gary Kloss weighed in a 10-pound striper. Bluefishing was yet to be up to par from the beach. Capt. Jim Ferguson ran a trip that boated a 32-1/2-pound striper. Bill Hopf kept scoring well on summer flounder on the back bay at a few spots. His most recent trip clocked five keepers. Fresh clams are stocked, and the shop’s bunker suppliers were out catching today, so the store’s supply of fresh bunker is expected to be in good shape for the weekend.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Lots of striped bass were creamed from the surf, and lots of big ones were weighed in, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish were cornered all along the surf, on clams, bloodworms or plugs, and weigh-ins included a 45-inch 35-pounder, a 47-inch 33-pounder and a 41-inch 31-pounder, a skinny one. Tons of kingfish crammed the surf, nipping bloodworms. Stripers and kings were the main event, but blues swam the back bay and toward the Flagship. Summer flounder fishing wasn’t too popping yet. All the baits, including fresh clams, fresh bunker, bloodworms, minnows, filleted mackerel and spearing, are stocked.

<b>Margate</b>

Summer flounder bit well on the back bay on the party boat <b>Keeper</b> when trips got out, Capt. John said. Rough weather nixed some trips in the past week. But when the weather was good, lots of the fluke were hooked, and when the weather was rougher, not as many did. Some better weather was forecast through this holiday weekend. Lots of throwbacks showed up, but so did sizeable keepers. A healthy number of 3-1/2- to 4-pounders were seen. Bluefish, not a lot, were hung here and there. Mackerel and Gulps worked best on the flounder, and minnows claimed a few, but waters were cool for the best minnow fishing yet. The fishing was pretty good, not bad, John said. The Keeper is fishing for summer flounder twice daily from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Summer flounder catches seemed to pick up the past couple of days because of the warm, sunny afternoons, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Catches of keepers came more consistently, and none was big, but more were found. Lime and white Andros bucktails were the hot item selling for the fishing this season, and more kept needed to be ordered. Some blues swam the bay, and reports about decent-sized ones, 4-pounders, were sometimes heard. Popper plugging for stripers was good on the bay in the evenings. Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service, affiliated with the shop, caught them, and so did several customers. Not much was heard about clamming for stripers on the bay, and either clamming became slower, or anglers mostly started popper plugging. Two weakfish caught were heard about, probably only a by-catch while anglers tried for other fish like flounder. Surf fishing for stripers slowed compared with the onslaught of stripers and drums from the surf previously. Stripers could still be tugged from the surf, mostly on clams, but many anglers started fishing for kingfish from the shore instead, scoring well. Many anglers fished for the kings with a FishBites artificial worm with a piece of bloodworm impaled on top on the hook, especially because of the price of bloods. That way when a fish hit, even if the piece of worm disappeared, the king still held on, because of the FishBite. Waters were cold for FishBites alone to work the best. A few customers planned to take the first shark trips of the year this weekend, and news should be heard about sharking afterward. Fresh bunker are being delivered, and fresh, shucked clams and live clams are stocked. All the frozen baits like mackerel are loaded up. 

A trip that poled the flats on the back bay clobbered six striped bass to 29 inches or 10 pounds on popper lures Tuesday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The anglers, Tom and Alex Swainton, worked Skitterpops, and the stripers were good sized, including the 29-incher, a 27-1/2-incher, a 26-incher and a 25-incher. Several small blues 2 pounds apiece hit the lures, but the fishing was about the stripers, and targeted them. Fishing with poppers, both lures and flies, is a specialty for Jersey Cape, for explosive, visual attacks on the surface. Ideal tides for the fishing, high tides in the evenings and mornings, will happen though the next week or so. The bay’s summer flounder fishing was all right, and throwbacks were abundant, but the fishing was good. Limited openings are available for trips this Memorial Day weekend, including flounder trips. Moving offshore, indirect reports were heard about decent bluefin tuna catches that had gone down at Poorman’s Canyon, and someone said a sailfish was landed at Spencer Canyon, unusual, but possible. Sporadic yellowfin tuna action kicked in “up and down the bank,” Joe said, and mahi mahi were around. The bottom line was that big game were out there, and the fishing was only a matter of getting the weather to sail. Joe has trolled some of his best catches of yellowfins in the early season, before most boaters sail to the waters, and is open for the trips. In other news, surf fishing was strong around Sea Isle on clams. Keep up on Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Ocean City</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 5/27:***</b> Cod hovered in 100 to 125 feet in the ocean, and tons of sea bass were mixed in, and sea bass season will open Saturday, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. So sea bass should be socked, and bluefish schooled the ocean at Sea Isle Ridge and the Triple Lumps. In the surf, lots of big striped bass were beached, mostly on clams. But some anglers worked lures, plugging quite a few in the mornings and evenings along any structure like jetties. Drum 10 to 17 pounds were an incidental catch when anglers fished clams for stripers from the beach. Summer flounder fishing picked up in the back bay, and good catches were swung aboard, including off Kennedy Park and the airport and from the Intracoastal Waterway from 34th Street to the south. Gulps, mackerel and minnows got strikes.

<b>Villas</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 5/27:***</b> Plenty of striped bass, with drum mixed in, were dragged from the surf, said Mike from <b>Budd’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Fish with clams for both, and Elizabeth O’Briant checked in a 16.9-pound striper from the North Cape May surf. David Taylor brought in a 13.6-pound striper and a 14-pound drum from the Cape May surf. Kenrick Moore stopped by with a 31.9-pound striper he plugged from the Cape May ferry jetty on Delaware Bay on a Bomber plug. A photo of him with the fish was posted on the shop’s site, and the bass was especially a whopper to be plugged from the surf. Boaters bunker chunked stripers on Delaware Bay at the stakes toward Pierces Point and Bug Light. Summer flounder were sometimes reported boated from the back bay, and not many anglers flounder fished yet, but they’ll probably begin this weekend. Drum were winched in from Delaware Bay at Tussy’s Slough, the Pintop and off Slaughter Beach. The fishing was slow during the week, but a few were landed. On the <b>Ho-D-Doe</b> from <b>Budd’s Tackle Charter Services</b>, sailing from Cape May, a charter Thursday netted one drum, and another Tuesday pumped in four. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, beautiful minnows, and bloodworms are stocked. The store’s well-known steamer clams for eating are on hand. Crabs for eating are out of stock, because the females are covered with eggs, can’t be kept. But crabs are on hand when available, usually daily. 

<b>Wildwood</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 5/27:***</b> The back bay’s summer flounder fishing began to pick up for customers starting last weekend, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. The fishing went pretty well, and anglers sometimes ran into small bluefish on the bay. No crabs to speak about were trapped yet this season. Canal Side rents canopy boats and kayaks for fishing, crabbing and sightseeing. Baits stocked include minnows 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 during the season.

Sea bass fishing will kick off Saturday, the opening day of sea bass season, on the party boat <b>Adventurer</b>, Capt. Gary said. The fishing was usually good for the vessel in June, and the crew was anxious to start. Trips will eventually fish for summer flounder, usually starting in late June, when sea bass catches begin to wane, and the flattie fishing begins to amp up. Trips sail 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, but call to confirm this time of year.

<b>Cape May</b>

Trips will begin to steam for sea bass Saturday, the opening day of sea bass season, on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b> on the ocean, Capt. Paul said. How many keepers will be around was hard to say, but anglers should have a good chance at bringing home a dinner and getting some bites. Sea bass fishing should put up more consistent bites and catches than summer flounder fishing at the moment. Trips currently were flounder fishing on Delaware Bay, and the angling wasn’t as productive this week as last, the first week of flounder season. Trips will sooner or later switch back to flounder fishing, when enough of the flatties begin to appear on sea bass trips. Trips in some years have begun fishing for flounder in early June, and during others in July. The Porgy IV is fishing for a full day at 8 a.m. daily.

<b>***Update, Friday, 5/27:***</b> Drum fishing was slow on Delaware Bay during the week, said Mike from the <b>Ho-D-Doe</b> from <b>Budd’s Tackle Charter Services</b>. But a few of the fish were managed at Tussy’s Slough, the Pintop and Slaughter Beach. Steve Westhead’s charter on Thursday netted one drum, and Jim McGill’s charter on Tuesday pumped in four. The vessel will keep sailing for drum as long as the boomers are biting, and anglers currently were still calling to the book the trips. But coming next, the boat will sail for sea bass, once sea bass season opens Saturday, and summer flounder.

Drum – not a lot, but some – were boated on trips on Delaware Bay, and the fishing was on and off, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>. On one trip three or four might be boxed, and on another, one or none might be. On one trip with Legal Limit in the past days five were hauled aboard, and one was lost. On another, one drum was cranked in. T.J.’s other boat, sailing from Tuckerton, is fishing for summer flounder and blues on the bay and bottom fish on the ocean. See the report above. 

On the beach fishing was pretty good for striped bass, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. A 35-pounder was weighed in the other day from Poverty Beach. A couple of anglers who kept surf casting at North Wildwood said the fishing went well. Mostly clams were fished from the surf, and the catches were also made along Delaware Bay’s shore. A “ghost report,” Nick said, circulated about a 53-pound striper tackled from the surf. A few weakfish were reported landed from Higbee’s Beach on bloodworms. Summer flounder fishing served up good catches, and the top of the tide was best for the angling on the back bay. Flounder were boated on Delaware Bay, and a couple of customers reported scoring alright on the bay at Miah Maul. Small blues roamed the back bay, and sometimes ran the surf. A few drum were heaved from Delaware Bay at Tussy’s Slough, 60-Foot Slough and Brandywine Shoal. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, minnows and all the frozen baits are carried.

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