<b>Staten Island</b>

All aboard limited out on striped bass with <b>Outcast Charters</b> on Thursday, Capt. Joe said. The fish, 15 to 20 pounds, were bunker-chunked, and a bottom-fishing trip was cancelled Sunday because of the storm. Outcast pays bridge tolls with a receipt. Trips from New Jersey will also be offered this season, so anglers can follow Jersey regs for catches including fluke and sea bass. Call for info.

<b>Keyport</b>

A 14-pound striped bass and a 17-pound drum, an unusual catch, were clammed on Raritan Bay on Friday with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. That was with the Randy Brooks group on one of the 4 to 9 p.m. trips aboard. Brad, Darrel, Jeff and Kevin were also on the trip, and Jeff bagged the striper, and Randy caught the drum. Open-boat trips for stripers will be available 4 to 9 p.m. daily through Friday this week with a minimum of four anglers. Call to reserve. Charters are also available.

Livelining bunker to catch striped bass was tried for the first time this season aboard, on one of the trips last week with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, a report on the boat’s Web site said. The season was early for that, but it worked. The angler bagged a striper on the live bait on Raritan Bay. Then the trip moved to the back of the bay, “where (he) caught one more,” the report said. So the angler limited out, and the trip at first made bait, intending to fish with the bunker livelined and chunked. A couple of stripers were missed at first while livelining. Then the trip chunked on great marks, but only pulled hooks. The trip moved, and that’s when the angler began bagging the bass. On another trip aboard afterward, bait was made on the castnet’s first throw. The charter limited out on stripers to 28 pounds, the biggest of the year on the boat so far, in 15 minutes, on the bay. Another half-dozen were landed and released.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fishing is expected to kick back off Wednesday on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, after the storm, Capt. Tom said. The weather kept the vessel docked Sunday and today, and the boat will be kept in port Tuesday, because of forecasts for 25 to 30 m.p.h. winds. But winds are supposed to begin to settle that afternoon, so striped bass fishing should resume Wednesday on the boat. Fishing for stripers aboard was very good on Thursday morning’s trip. The small crowd limited out. Just a few stripers were bagged on Thursday afternoon’s trip. Too few people showed up at the docks for Friday morning’s trip to sail. The three trips Friday afternoon through Saturday afternoon each caught a handful of keepers and a handful of throwbacks, nothing exciting. Sunday morning’s trip could’ve sailed, because winds were calm, despite forecasts for worse. Winds didn’t even really pick up until Sunday evening. But Sunday’s fishing aboard was scrubbed because of forecasts. The trips Thursday through Saturday clammed the bass at Flynn’s Knoll, Romer Shoal and down the ocean beaches.  Some trips lately produced good catches, and others were slower, and predicting the trip, location or tide that would produce was tough. Most stripers hooked were keepers. The Atlantic Star is fishing for striped bass on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m.

On the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> Thursday’s trip fished a new area, and gannets were found hitting the waters, and a very good catch of striped bass was jigged through the morning, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. The trip fished the readings, and when the action slowed, the anglers switched to fishing with clams. Some good drifts crushed “quality stripers,” the report said. Friday’s trip “worked out butts off … to produce the catch we had,” it said. Stripers were traveling fast, and the trip would stop and jig a couple, move on, and so on. Anchoring and clamming was tried, but didn’t work, because the bass chased bunker, “and never really settled up,” the report said. At the end of the trip, clams and jigs caught on the drift. Krocodiles and “plain jigs,” the report said, worked best, on a slow retrieve, on the outing. On the trip, one angler landed three keepers, and a couple bagged two. Some bagged one, and a bunch bagged none. On Saturday’s trip, striper fishing began with a pick. The boat was moved, because seas would build when the tide changed. At 11:30 a.m. gannets hit the waters, and the trip scored a couple of shots at catches. But the fish moved fast, difficult to stay on. The boat was worked away from traffic, “and found better action on some beautiful fish,” the report said. The high hook landed four, keeping no more than a limit. A bunch of anglers bagged one, and some bagged none, “as it certainly wasn’t easy fishing,” the report said. The season’s first blues were caught on the boat that day. Check out a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKtPINX0leI&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">video of Friday’s trip</a>. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Trips will also begin to fish for stripers 3:30 to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays this weekend.

<b>Highlands</b>

For trips on the <b>Hyper Striper</b>, striped bass fishing was good through the past week, Capt. Pete said in an e-mail. The angling was super on Tuesday for the Pat Collins party. They limited out and released more. On Wednesday Jeff Schwietzer’s charter bagged 11 stripers and released lots of shorts. On Thursday Anthony Monaco’s crew limited out on stripers and released more. On a trip Friday morning, the Tom Colouris charter limited out and released many keeper-sized bass. On a trip that afternoon, Leno Scarcia’s party also limited out on the fish. On Saturday Bill Shuster’s group in the morning boxed nine stripers to 23 pounds, scored good fishing, and Frank Mills’ party in the afternoon struggled, bagging four stripers, releasing shorts. On Sunday Ed Stealy’s trip limited out on stripers and released more.

Striped bass fishing with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> during the weekend was decent, Capt. Derek said. The bass to 25 pounds were livelined and chunked on bunker on Raritan Bay, and a few bluefish hit the baits. Derek doesn’t remember ever seeing the amount of bunker on the bay that he did now. Anglers will see whether the storm affects that, but the weather should only make the fishing better. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips are slated to fish for stripers Thursday and Friday mornings and Saturday afternoon, probably livelining and chunking bunker. Call to climb aboard or to be kept informed about future open trips.

<b>Neptune</b>

With <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> an individual-reservation trip Saturday fished a wreck that Capt. Ralph hadn’t fished in 20 years, he said in an e-mail. “Sometimes a plan comes together,” he said, and ling to 3 pounds, a very good catch of them, were plowed. One of the bottom trips on Sunday was weathered out. Two spots remain on another from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, again for ling and blackfish. One of the trips that Sunday is full. Striped bass are biting, and charters are available to catch them on bunker, clams, jigs or on the troll. Sea bass season will open May 19, and individual-rez trips for sea bass are set for 6 a.m. Sunday, May 20, and Saturday, May 26. An individual-reservation trip for cod will fish offshore at 2 a.m. Sunday, May 27. Heads up: If anglers want mako sharks, think early. All shark tournaments are already booked aboard. Trips are available on weekdays “to catch the big one,” Ralph said.

<b>Belmar</b>

The boat limited out on striped bass in 37 minutes on Saturday on the <b>Big Mohawk</b>, the vessel’s Facebook page said. The party boat’s been splitting fishing between blackfish and stripers lately. After limiting on stripers, the trip bottom fished, and little was said about results. But photos of blackfish, including an 11-1/2-pounder, were posted from the angling. Posts from anglers on the trip talked about the great fishing aboard that day. On Friday’s trip, not much striper action showed up, so the boat moved on to bottom fishing. A slow pick of blackfish was copped, but some anglers limited out, and the tog weighed up to a 10-pounder. Weather forecasts looked rough for Sunday’s and today’s trips.  The Big Mohawk is fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

<b>Brielle</b>

Boating for striped bass on the ocean was good, mostly to the north, like off Asbury Park to Sea Bright, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. A couple of days would be slow. If anglers concentrated on jigging for the bass, the fishing was mostly about right place, right time, but they would catch, if they kept at it. But anglers who trolled were who really cleaned up on the fish. They dragged lures like Stretch 25s, spoons and umbrella rigs. Dave and John from the shop jumped aboard one of the party boat Gambler from Point Pleasant Beach’s striper trips. They nailed 20 stripers apiece, and Dave’s weighed up to 28 pounds, and John’s weighed up to 18 or 20. Dave caught all his fish on one Tsunami weighted, plastic shad. John worked a variety of lures, including shads on leadheads, Jersey Jay’s Krocodile spoons and Butterfly jigs. They also caught a 6-pound bluefish apiece, and more and more blues were showing up along the coast. Not much was heard about local surf fishing for stripers. But stripers were banked from shore at Sea Girt during mornings last week, on plugs. Blackfishing was so-so on the ocean, and most customers said lots of shorts were hooked. Out-of-season sea bass were caught and released on the trips. Ling fishing was very good on the ocean. Bluefish swam Point Pleasant Canal. Little else was heard about fishing from northern Barnegat Bay to the canal and Manasquan River. Wahoo Baitfish Bucktails and Stingo jigs are on sale at 30 percent off, and the shop’s been holding 30-percent sales on different items to celebrate 30 years in business. A few of the Stingo’s remain and will be on sale until the supply runs out.

<b>Waretown</b>

Ocean striped bass fishing slowed on the past couple of trips with <b>Relentless Sport Fishing</b>, Capt. Dave Bart said. But the angling will pick back up, and tons of stripers and bait were read. They were there, and the bass seemed unwilling to bite. The fishing was like that – great days, and slow days – and the season was early. The last couple of trips were weathered out because of the storm, and Relentless will be back out for stripers later in the week. Trips have been trolling the bass, and jigging them when possible.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

A number of reports rolled in about striped bass boated Saturday at Grassy Channel on Great Bay from the 126 to the 139 on clams, mackerel and bloodworms, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. But one boater who checked in two 12- to 14-pound stripers, caught from Grassy on Friday evening, used plugs, saying that was key to avoiding skates and sharks. From shore anglers, word was heard about bluefish and stripers banked at Graveling Point. “(But) if you’re in a boat, it will be a lot better,” the report said. Graveling churned out decent fishing for stripers, including keepers, on Thursday night from 8 to 10. Bluefish, including sometimes schools of big ones 30 inches, swarmed all over, from Little Egg Inlet to halfway up Mullica River. The river gave up white perch, stripers and blues. Blackfishing went well along ledges like at Sheepshead Creek.

<b>Brigantine</b>

A 9-pound striped bass was checked in from the surf Sunday morning, and the storm was forecast for later that day, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. Saturday’s check-ins from the surf included a 16-1/2-pound striper, a 10-pounder and a 12-pounder from three different anglers. Two brothers that day also stopped by with two stripers to 16 pounds from the beach. Ken Biondi that day showed up with three stripers he axed from the surf. He beached one on Friday night and two the next morning, all from the same honey hole, on Riptide Rotter clams with Gulp spray.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

A back-bay slam was pummeled on a trip aboard Saturday: bluefish, out-of-season summer flounder that were released, and an 8-pound weakfish, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The fishing, on soft-plastic lures on jigs, was excellent. Flounder were most abundant, and most were keeper-sized. The outlook was good for the opening of flounder season May 5, and space is available for charters for them opening weekend. The early season is best for the fluking in the shallow, warm bay. The bluefish bit on the last half of outgoing tide. The weakfish just showed up in the middle of the tide, and one or two of the trout, sometimes large, appeared on each trip recently. The weaks, more of them than were around in years, were a mix of sizes, healthy for the fishery. Joe gets concerned when only large ones are seen. Striped bass could be caught in the bay, and clamming for them on anchor was the way currently. If anglers put in the time, they could nab plenty. If a striper had been caught on the trip, that would’ve made a grand slam. But the trip was concentrating on jigging and the blues and weakfish. The weather was terrible for fishing the bay on Sunday, in the storm. Coming up, the ends of outgoing tides will coincide with afternoons this week, great for after-work special trips from 4:30 p.m. to dark. Take advantage while the fishing is on. This is one of the best times to fish the bay, including because of the variety of species. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Drum, the first of the season aboard, were hauled in from Delaware Bay on Friday on the <b>Down Deep</b>, Capt. Bob said. The Wojcik Landscaping charter clammed the five 25- to 30-pounders. The Pete Roman charter aboard angled in blackfish from the ocean. They released out-of-season sea bass, and Bob hopes the sea bass, good-sized, remain for the opening of sea bass season May 19. Openings for charters remain for drum, blackfish, sea bass and other fishing that will kick in later this year.

A blackfish trip limited out Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Al Albertson and John, Dave, Matt and Sean grabbed the tog to 7 pounds. A trip aboard Sunday was weathered out. The Heavy Hitter will keep sailing for blackfish until the season for the tog closes on May 1. Drum trips aboard usually begin in May on Delaware Bay, and a few of the drum were reported caught in the past days. Maybe the fishing was starting. 

Back to Top