<b>South Amboy</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/8:***</b> The crew were getting the boat ready for the season, taking advantage of good weather, an e-mail from <b>Reel World Charters</b> said. The vessel should be ready to sail starting April 1 for the spring run of striped bass. Stripers are expected to bite out of the gate, because of the warm winter. Trips will chunk for the bass with clams the first week of April. Fluke trips will start when fluke season opens May 5, and the new size limit, 17 ½ inches, will result in anglers aboard bagging more of them than previously, the crew believes. Fishing for blackfish, cod and ling was good through winter, and blackfish season will reopen on the first of April. Trips aboard will get after them. Book trips early, before the best dates are taken. “We look forward to seeing you out on the water this season,” the e-mail said.

<b>Keyport</b>

Work was being done on the boat, prepping for the season, said Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>. He’ll probably launch trips toward the end of the month, if not sooner, starting with clamming for striped bass on Raritan Bay. Winter was warm, so maybe the fish will be caught early. He heard nothing about striper catches so far this season, except about stripers beached from the ocean surf south of Sandy Hook this winter. He last heard about them a couple of weeks ago. The year’s fluke regulations were announced last week, and Joe likes the size limit, 17 ½ inches, a half-inch shorter than last year. That should make catching keepers easier, Joe believes, and countless fluke had to be released last year that were just under the size limit.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/8:***</b> Striped bass were cranked from Raritan Bay from boats and shore, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Not much was heard about fishing, because of winds, but stripers were boated on the bay at the shallows on clams. Shore anglers soaked clams and worms for them there. Stripers could probably be boated and shore angled along the ocean at the state’s northern coast like all winter. Ling, fairly good catches, were snatched from the ocean, though the current full moon can affect the fishing. The weather was too warm for cod. Clams, worms and all the baits are stocked.

<b>Highlands</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/8:***</b> Striped bass were heard about that were yanked from Raritan Bay here and there, said Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>. Most heard about were boated, but Derek heard about catches from shore the other day. His boat, the Fisher Price, was in the yard, getting readied for the season. He hopes to launch the year’s charters and open-boat trips at the end of next week. At first, trips will clam for stripers on the bay. But anglers aboard will jig for the fish if schools are seen. Once bunker migrate in, trips will begin livelining the menhaden for the bass. With stripers already hitting, a couple of days of warmth should “spark them up,” Derek said Choice dates remain for spring striper charters, but don’t wait to book. Fisher Price also runs a full slate of open-boat trips during the season, and anglers can call Derek to get informed about dates.

Fishing aboard will probably kick off during the first week of April, beginning with clamming for striped bass on Raritan Bay, said Capt. Dave from <b>Raritan Bay Charters</b>. As the striper migration begins afterward, trips will liveline bunker for the catches from the bay to the ocean, wherever’s best. The bass then chase schools of the menhaden. A friend ran a trip that boated a few stripers to 16 pounds at Port Newark, after the season for the fish opened in bays and rivers last week. But otherwise Dave heard little about fishing, except about party boat trips for ling and cod from Shark River Inlet and Manasquan Inlet. Dave was glad to hear the year’s fluke regulations announced last week. The 17-1/2-inch size limit, a half-inch smaller than last year’s, should make catching keepers easier, he thinks. Charters will fish this year with him, and open-boat trips will run with him when no charter is booked, like usual.

Fishing will begin aboard during the first week of April, starting with striped bass trips. Capt. Pete from the <b>Hyper Striper</b> said in an e-mail. The fish will bite right away, because of the warm winter. Anglers should call or e-mail and lock in spring striper trips now. Pete was currently running annual trips in winter from Los Suenos, Costa Rica, on the Dream Girl. Fishing there was good for sailfish, a few blue marlin, and bottom fish. A trip aboard Thursday released a half-dozen sails then bottom fished, pumping in sizeable red snappers and 25 groupers to 20 pounds.

<b>Belmar</b>

The party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b> hadn’t said in a little more than a week, a report on the vessel’s Web site said on Sunday. That was because of weather and prep for a Coast Guard inspection. But trips aboard were slated to get back out at 7 a.m. today for mackerel, and the last trips left them biting. “Watch for (a) cod and ling schedule, or even an early striper schedule,” the report said.

For <b>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b> charters should begin in May, Capt. Jared said. The new boat, a 46-footer, is being readied, and features an extra large cockpit, 14 by 16 feet, and can accommodate large groups to 23 people. That’s what’s new this year, and the vessel is a sport boat, quick and good-looking. The previous boat is <b><i>***For Sale***</i></b>: take a look at the beautiful <a href=" http://www.finominalcharters.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1&Itemid=8" target="_blank">42-foot sportfisherman</a> on Fin-Ominal’s Web site. The price has been reduced. The year’s first trips will sail for striped bass, blues, fluke and sea bass. Shark trips will begin in June, and shark tournaments will be available for charter like every year. Fin-Ominal is an award-winning shark boat, and won the Brett T. Bailey Mako Rodeo last year with a 197-pounder. Three weekends of shark tournaments happen in June, and often two or three dates are left open for charters in a tournament aboard, and the crew competes on one of the other days. Anglers don’t need to be experienced to catch the big game, Jared noted. The crew is experienced at putting anyone on the fish, from beginners to experienced. Fin-Ominal does lots of big game fishing in summer, including for bluefin tuna at the Mudhole and Chicken Canyon, relatively close to shore. Again, Fin-Ominal prides itself in hosting anglers from beginners to advanced for the trips, so don’t hesitate to head out. Non-fishing cruises are also available with Fin-Ominal for up to 23 people.

Not a lot was happening, since blackfish season closed, and weather was often windy, keeping boats docked, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Fishing might be like that for a couple of weeks, but will pick up soon. Blackfish season will reopen in April, and more and more striped bass will bite, and fluke season will open in May. Only one Belmar party boat sailed recently, running for bottom fish. Many of the trips stayed in port because of winds, but the trips scooped up ling and a few cod. The catch was 90 percent ling, and a few cod were bagged every outing. The boat headed out today with only a dozen customers. Stripers were banked in the surf a little to the north, including at Asbury Park, Deal and Elberon, like they were all winter, and the fishing will only get better, as the season goes on. Fishing for everything is expected to pick up early this year because of the warm winter. The bass were mostly hooked on lures, like Bombers. Nobody fished for them with bait in the cold. Striper anglers surely fished for stripers with bait along the Raritan Bay shore, fishing that always begins as soon as striper fishing season opens in bays and rivers. That happened on Thursday. No customers reported fishing the bay shore, but Bob was sure the fish were probably caught there. Fisherman’s Den is open daily for part of the day, and the hours will be increased as the fishing season picks up.

<b>Brielle</b>

The boat will probably be splashed for the season in two weeks, Capt. Ken from the <b>Big Kid</b> said. Then charters will sail for whatever’s biting, from striped bass along the beaches to cod and ling offshore. Stripers already schooled the waters, never left this winter. Blackfishing trips will be available when blackfish season reopens in April. Shark and tuna trips should be booked now that will start in June. That includes tournaments, like Mako Mania that’s available. Grab the dates before they’re gone. Ken was only waiting for new transmissions to be installed in the boat. The vessel “will be like a totally new ride,” he said.

Ling fishing scored fairly well on the ocean, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Some anglers pulled in 15 or 20 ling, and some who were skilled totaled 35 or 40. But anglers could round up a catch. A few cod were mixed in here or there. Nothing was heard about striped bass catches in the back waters locally, now that striper season opened in bays and rivers. But stripers were hooked in the back waters farther south toward Barnegat Inlet. Stripers were beached from the ocean surf to the north, like around Deal, like they were all winter. Many fished for them with plugs. Nobody was known who had a boat in the waters yet this season, so whether the bass could be landed on boats on the ocean there was unknown. New Jersey last week voted on this year’s summer flounder or fluke regulations, passing a 17-1/2-inch size limit, a five-fish bag limit and a season from May 5 to September 28. That’s compared with last year’s regs of 18 inches, eight fish and May 7 to September 25. Dave, a founding member of the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund, doesn’t like the new regs, because the smaller size limit and longer season could mean more of the fish will be caught this year, and the government could determine fluke are overfished, resulting in tighter regs next year.  Plenty of space remains on four buses the SSFFF is providing for anglers to travel for free to the rally in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, March 21. Recreational and commercial anglers will march on the city to support reform of the Magnuson Stevens Act. To sign up for the buses, visit the <a href="http://www.ssfff.org" target="_blank">SSFFF’s Web site</a>. The Reel Seat is open Saturdays and Sundays and will open Wednesdays to Sundays starting next week. Check out tackle that’s arriving at the store for the new season, like a bunch of tuna jigging and popping tackle that came in recently.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/8:***</b> The party boat <b>Dauntless</b> was hauled from the waters Monday, but was about to get splashed back in, and bottom fishing aboard was good on the weekend, Capt. Butch said. Anglers averaged 15 to 30 fish apiece, mostly ling. A few sizeable cod were in the mix, and even a few pollock were creamed the other day. Occasional, out-of-season blackfish were tossed back. So was a good catch of sea bass, also out of season, on a trip. “But fishing’s still pretty good,” Butch said. The Dauntless is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

Anglers tugged in striped bass from Toms River and Oyster Creek, the outflow from Forked River’s power plant, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Bomber plugs, Mambo Minnow lures, white Fin-S Fish soft-plastic lures and bloodworms clocked the fish at both places. Reports started to be heard about a few striped bass beached from the local surf, including at Seaside Heights. None of the bass was big, but one angler bagged a 33-inch keeper on bloodworm. Previously the surf catches were only reported from farther north toward Asbury Park and Long Branch, and those bites continued. White and yellow perch and chain pickerel were plucked from the Toms River at Trilco, the closed down building supply. No sign identifies the building as Trilco, but locals know the stretch by the name at the Garden State Parkway. Pickerel and largemouth bass were slung in at Lake Riviera. Murphy’s is now open daily: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. Bloodworms, killies, shiners, nightcrawlers, trout worms and frozen baits are stocked.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/8:***</b> Barnegat Bay anglers sometimes plugged striped bass at night and bloodwormed them during the day, “at all the usual back-bay spots,” said Scott from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Occasional stripers were clammed from the surf. Winter flounder will be able to be targeted on the bay when the season for them opens toward the end of the month. The store is open, and fresh clams and bloodworms are expected to arrive Friday to be carried through the weekend.

<b>Forked River</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/8:***</b> Anglers pumped in striped bass from Oyster Creek, the warm-water outflow from the Forked River power plant, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Small plugs, soft-plastic shads, bloodworms and sometimes clams grabbed the fish. A few black drum and winter flounder also came from the creek. So did three or four speckled sea trout that Grizz heard about. White perch fishing didn’t sound so great in local brackish waters. But angling for them sounded good farther south at Bass River. Grizz’s is open about noon to 4 p.m. daily, when the weather’s fair. Sometimes the doors are open earlier or later. Striper anglers usually fished first thing in the mornings or around evenings, Grizz explained. Full-time hours will begin when winter flounder season is opened later in the month. Bloodworms and nightcrawlers are stocked. Killies will be carried by mid month.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Cooler days didn’t help striped bass fishing at Graveling Point, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. The year’s first striper was yet to be checked in from the point, since striper season opened last week in bays and rivers. Water temps fell on outgoing tides, though waters this time of year usually warm on outgoing. But waters hovered around 40 degrees, the temp when striper catches should begin. The shop’s annual $100 gift certificate remained up for grabs for the angler who checks in the season’s first striper from shore at Graveling or nearby Pebble Beach. Both are shore-angling spots at the confluence of Great Bay and Mullica River that usually turn out the year’s first stripers locally. For info about Graveling, including location and the season’s first catches in previous year’s, visit the shop’s <a href=" http://www.scottsbt.com/fishing/stripers/springrun.htm
" target="_blank">Spring Striper Run Page</a> online. <b>***Update, Thursday, 3/8:***</b> The season’s first striper, a throwback, was reported caught and released Wednesday at Graveling, Scott from the shop said in a report on the store’s site. Warm weather since Wednesday “should help bring fish to the point,” he said. He expects that to happen today at low tide around 3 p.m. Waters at the point varied from 43 to 49 degrees on Wednesday. That was a big difference. Scott had thought the year’s first keeper striper would be weighed in from Graveling on Wednesday, “(because) conditions were right, with a low tide just about 2 p.m., and the south wind blowing hard at the bank,” he said. But at least the throwback was good news. More from the shop might be posted here later today from a phone call that’s expected to be made to Scott to get the latest.  <b>***Update, Friday, 3/9:***</b> The year’s first striped bass was weighed in Thursday from Graveling Point! Scott said on the store’s site. Jack Ross, South Hampton, banked the 30-inch 9.54-pounder at 12:20 p.m., and won the shop’s annual $100 gift certificate. Anglers also released a handful of shorts around the time Jack fished. Now an annual $100 gift certificate for the year’s first bluefish from the Graveling area will be up for grabs from the shop, and blues will migrate in after some weeks. Waters were 49 degrees when Jack landed the fish on the 60-degree day. “It’s only going to get better from here!” Scott said. A fairly good crowd of anglers fished the point that day.

<b>Absecon</b>

“Just got a phone call, Maybe striper #3,” <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>’s Facebook page said on Saturday morning. But no further news was posted about a third striper of the season checked in at the shop. The first two were checked in on Thursday, opening day of striper season in bays and rivers, covered here in the previous report. Short stripers, no keepers, reportedly were mixed in with white perch that bit in the Mullica River at Clark’s Landing. When keepers migrate to the river, the news will be posted immediately on the Facebook page. Heads up: The store’s only got a few boat slips left, for vessels from smaller than 17 feet to 20 feet at Absecon Creek. Bimini Bay products, including the full selection of Tsunami rods, are on sale at the store. The rods are “equal to anything out there with prices that can’t be beat,” the page said. Opening day of summer flounder season will be Saturday, May 5, announced last week. The store’s annual Customer Appreciation Tournament will be held May 5 and 6. Anglers can enter at the store or on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/abseconbay" target="_blank">the store’s Facebook page</a>.  Special prizes will be available for entrants who Like the page.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Catches of striped bass were actually heard about, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. The fish were hooked at the Beesley’s Point Bridge and Corson’s Inlet, from shore and boats at both places, on lures and bloodworms. Nothing was heard about stripers landed on the Great Egg Harbor River. “The fish are out here,” Bill said, meaning from the back bay to the inlet. Eventually the river becomes a place for striper fishing, as the fish migrate up to spawn in spring. Nothing was heard about striper fishing in the ocean surf, but Bill wouldn’t doubt stripers could be found there. Nobody seemed to boat the ocean. Fin-Atics had been open Fridays to Sundays and is now open daily. Bloodworms will be stocked for the weekend.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

A few striped bass, including a few keepers, banked from the surf began to be heard about in the past few days, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The catches were only occasional, but were encouraging. Fresh clams for bait were difficult to obtain from suppliers, but the shop hopes to carry them steadily any time now. Anglers usually dunked salted, frozen clams for the bass in the meantime. A few anglers began to fish for white perch, reporting good catches, including sizeable ones, on brackish rivers like the Tuckahoe. So, anglers began to stir around for the season, and participation should build. Anglers were glad that the year’s summer flounder and sea bass regs were decided last week, so they had season-starting dates and bag limits to plan on. Sea Isle Bait & Tackle is open a moment on weekday mornings and longer in mornings on weekends. Hours will be increased as the fishing season comes on. 

Back-bay fishing should really heat up from mid April through May, Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, said. Striped bass and blues usually swarm the bay then. Joe’s trips fish for them with spinning rods and jigheads with plastic baits or fly rods with Clouser Minnows. He looks for warm waters in the bay in springtime. Thomas Scranton joined one of the weekend getaways to the Florida Keys on Saturday and Sunday that Joe offers each winter. Thomas tackled snook, redfish, speckled sea trout, barracudas and more. Saturday’s trip fished near the mainland at Flamingo in good weather. Sunday’s trip fished near Islamorada in the Keys in rough weather. Thomas tried tarpon fishing Sunday, but the weather was lousy, and the fishing wasn’t happening. But tarpon fishing’s been good on the trips this season. Thomas fished with spinning rods, but the trips can also fly fish. Joe will offer the Keys trips until early April like every year. Anglers can arrive on a Friday, fish all day Saturday and part of Sunday, and get back to work Monday morning. The trips can be a mini, fish-filled vacation. For more info on the Florida trips, visit <a href=" http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page4.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Web site</a>. To keep up with Joe’s fishing, visit <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Angling aboard with <b>O-Beth Sportfishing Charters</b> will begin for the season the first week of April, starting with clamming for striped bass on Delaware Bay, Capt. Eric said. Drum trips will begin on the bay probably in mid May, depending on water temperatures. Waters were warm this year. Afterward O-Beth will relocate to Margate like every year to sail for summer flounder, sea bass, sharks and tuna.

The boat and tackle were being worked on, getting readied for the season, and trips aboard will probably begin in a couple of weeks, Capt. Dave from <b>Relentless Sport Fishing</b> said. The first trips will clam and jig for striped bass on Delaware Bay. Many anglers only clam for them in spring, but the fish can be jigged if the schools are located. Anglers with Dave jig for them with a variety of lures including butterfly jigs, diamond jigs and bucktails. A few boaters began fishing from Fortescue, where Dave lives, but he heard about none catching stripers so far on the bay. But beach anglers at Fortescue bloodwormed small stripers, “rats,” Dave said. No keepers were heard about yet. Dave will start shark trips at least by June if not earlier on the ocean. Mako sharks should migrate along the coast when waters reach the mid 60s. Tuna trips will begin next, as soon as the fish show up at the offshore canyons. Bluefin tuna usually arrive by late May, and Dave hopes they show up by mid May, considering the warm winter.

The year’s first trip is tentatively slated for March 24 on the <b>Down Deep</b>, Capt. Bob said. Then trips will begin fishing for striped bass on Delaware Bay with clams. Bob knew about one trip that fished the bay on another boat so far this season, landing one short striper. He heard from gillnetters who said stripers swam all over the bay, but Bob guessed the fish were yet to bite in cold waters. But the bay’s temps were “getting there,” he said. The bay was 46 or 47 degrees, and Bob figures the fishing will turn on once the waters reach 50. He heard about ling caught offshore. Drum trips aboard will begin on the bay afterward. Drum will probably migrate to the bay by the third or fourth week of April, and fishing for them will only improve from then. Bob will be interested to see whether the warm winter affects fishing, like making drum bite early this year. Or maybe the fish will bite when they always do, no matter. Cold waters would keep drum from spawning, though. The year’s summer flounder regulations were announced last week, and Bob, who’s involved in conservation, doesn’t prefer the 17-1/2-inch size limit, a half-inch smaller than last year, because flounder could end up being overfished, causing tighter regs next year. He would’ve supported a bag limit where one or two smaller flounder like 17-1/2-inchers could be kept among several larger ones. But law enforcement said they couldn’t enforce a limit like that, because anglers on party boats could give away extra fish they caught to anglers who caught none in the smaller size. Bob didn’t see why that mattered, but that’s what they said.

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> was working on the boat, getting it ready for the season, he said. But he’s got access to another boat to run charters on this winter, is one of the few captains available currently. Cod might be currently available offshore, and striper charters will begin on Delaware Bay, clamming for them, as soon as the fishing picks up. If interested in the fishing, feel free to call him, and he’ll let you know if the bass are biting. He heard about nobody catching them yet but heard about one trip on another charter boat that tried for them with no luck. George won’t charter for the fish until they can likely be caught. Stripers usually bite in the shallows close to shore in the southern bay, like off Reeds Beach, at first. Then they swim up the bay, usually getting caught at relatively shallow areas somewhat farther from shore, like at the number 1 buoy. Then they always move up the Delaware River to spawn. Drum trips on the bay usually start aboard in May. Call if interested in any of this fishing.

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