<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Striped bass were beached from the surf, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. When weather was fair enough to boat, anglers tugged in blackfish, a few ling and occasional cod from the ocean. Sea bass mostly swam offshore, not inshore. Anything else? Jimmy was asked. “I’d say wear long Johns this week,” he said.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 1/24:***</b> On the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, fishing was docked in the week’s cold, Capt. Alan said. But weather is supposed to warm, and trips will try for mackerel again. Mackerel fishing had been slow aboard, but if the migration shows up when trips resume, the boat will keep after them. Otherwise the vessel will undergo maintenance for the coming fishing season. When the Miss Belmar Princess sails, mackerel trips are running 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 1/22:***</b> Cold that was forecast is here, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> said in an e-mail. “I can’t see myself back (surf fishing) this winter,” he said, “but I have said that before.” If a warm trend arrives in a week or so, he could venture out. Surf casters fishing with clams still caught lots of striped bass. “God bless their enthusiasm,” Bob said. But any large amount of snow would probably “end it all,” he said. All things considered, the striper fishing turned out pretty decent, he said. Bob’s seen better and worse, but the catches were better than he expected after Hurricane Sandy. “If it’s over, I am happy,” he said. “Think spring.”

<b>Brielle</b>

From the surf, striped bass were banked, said John from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Small plugs caught them most consistently, but a few anglers clammed, picking at the fish. No particular place seemed to give up the catches, but mornings and evenings mostly produced. Nothing was heard about blackfishing on the ocean, because of weather. But when weather was fair, boaters landed the tautog, including bigger ones. Good catches of sea bass were both jigged and baited offshore. Sometimes bluefish were a nuisance. Sometimes sea bass anglers latched into a fish that spooled the reel and broke off. Bluefin tuna must’ve been around. A few cod and pollock were in the mix. Closer to shore, lots of ling and sometimes cod and sea bass were boxed. A customer bailed a bunch of ling, a sizeable cod and some sea bass on the party boat Gambler from Point Pleasant Beach, probably from wrecks 20 to 40 miles from shore, John guessed. Gulps really clobbered the ling, the customer said. The Reel Seat will be open this Saturday and Sunday and will be open Fridays through Sundays afterward.

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 1/22:***</b> On the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, fishing at the Mudhole was good in the past week, Capt. Joe said in an e-mail. Mainly big ling were iced, and some cod and large blackfish were axed. Anglers and their catches included: Emil Wescott, Princeton, N.J., 41 ling, a 12-pound cod and four blackfish; Gerald Morsicano, Burlington, N.J., 33 ling and two cod; Kelvin James, Newark, N.J., 35 ling and a cod; and Conner Williams, Bristol, Pa., 38 ling and a 12-pound blackfish. The Jamaica II is fishing the Mudhole 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and Sundays for ling, cod and blackfish. Wreck Fishing Special Trips are sailing 3 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays for cod, pollock and ling.

Steady fishing for giant sea bass and jumbo porgies was pounded throughout Saturday’s offshore wreck-fishing trip on the party boat <b>Big Jamaica</b>, an e-mail from the boat said. The fishing was “very good again,” it said, and all anglers limited out on sea bass, and many limited on porgies. “The blues did not bother us much,” the e-mail said, so sea bass and porgy fishing was steady. Pool-winners were: Cai Zhong, Harrison, N.J., with a 6.5-pound sea bass, among his limit of them, and 10 porgies; and Dave Klein, Dover, Pa., with a 6.2-pound sea bass. Anglers with limits of sea bass and porgies included: Glen Padla, Hillsborough, N.J.; Dan Valis, Manville, N.J.; John Taylor, Denver, Pa.: and Ray Jasiloni, Easton, Pa.. Anglers with limits of sea bass included: Anthony St. Jaenos, Manalapan, N.J., and Ken Pojnar, Hazlet, N.J. The Big Jamaica is fishing offshore for giant sea bass, jumbo porgies, cod and pollock every Wednesday and every Friday through Sunday, departing at 11 o’clock the night before. One of the trips was also scheduled for today for Martin Luther King Day. <b>***Update, Thursday, 1/24:***</b> Just when fishing seemed it couldn’t become better, it did, an e-mail from the boat said. The trip Monday was another great one, it said, and all anglers limited out on giant sea bass, and many limited on jumbo porgies. Bluefish, a weakfish and “another bonito,” the e-mail said, were also grabbed. A mix of all these fish were marked schooling 30 to 35 feet thick under the boat. The fishing was a slow pick at first in the morning in the dark. Once the sun rose, catches picked up, and continued to improve. Most anglers fished with clams, but many used jigs in silver or gold with teasers, scoring well. Pool-winners were: Yiz Huang, Lyndhurst, N.Y., with a 6.7-pound sea bass, among a limit of sea bass, and 18 jumbo porgies; and Kevin Holden, Westhampton, N.J., with a 6-pound sea bass, among a limit of sea bass, and 18 jumbo porgies. Steve Moran, Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., caught the weakfish, and limited out on both sea bass and porgies. The outlook is good for the fishing, and waters are 53 degrees. Sea bass and porgies should keep migrating offshore to the wrecks 50 to 75 miles from the coast. One of the trips has been added for Presidents’ Day, Monday, Feb. 18.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 1/24:***</b> Fishing picked away at ling on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. A few cod were mixed in, and a couple of pollock were punched every couple of days. Sometimes sea bass still showed up this shallow aboard. A blueline tilefish 5 or 6 pounds, unusual at this location, was pumped in. No mackerel showed up, except an occasional one, usually a fish a dog shark spit up. No mackerel were read, and trips did no fishing for them. A few anglers aboard always try for mackerel this time of year. When mackerel are in, the boat mixes in fishing for them, along with bottom fishing. But the mackerel migration never really happened locally this winter. Even Long Island boats were heard about that targeted mackerel but found none. The Dauntless fished in 130 to 150 feet, and the ocean was 46 degrees at the fishing grounds, and 44 near the beach. No trip fished in the cold Wednesday, and today’s trip might not sail in the freeze. “Anglers aren’t as tough as they used to be,” Butch said. But trips fished five times a week, sometimes more, and are slated daily. The boat might be the state’s only that fishes daily year-round. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

Winds blew like forecast on Sunday, so no trip fished that day on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt said in an e-mail. Weather was supposed to be beautiful for today’s blackfishing trip. On Saturday’s trip for the tautog, weather didn’t help fishing. “It blew pretty good,” Matt said, from the south, and seas were 6 to 8 feet, with a few 10-footers. But customers did belt a few. One limited out on blackfish, and a few bagged two or three, and some landed no keepers. Fishing would’ve been lots better if bites could’ve been felt in the seas. <b>***Update, Thursday, 1/24:***</b> Fishing began well on Monday’s trip in beautiful weather, Matt said in a report on the boat’s Web site. A good number of blackfish were slung aboard. But after the first drop, the fish were only picked and plucked the rest of the trip. “Really weird?” Matt asked. He had thought “we were in for one of those banner days,” he said. A few large blackfish broke off. He hoped this week’s cold wouldn’t affect blackfishing. Weather was brutally cold, and winds blew, and no trips sailed Tuesday and Wednesday. But Friday’s weather looks good for a trip to sail. Snow that’s forecast isn’t supposed to fall until late that day. If blackfishing is slow, the trip will move deeper to fish for both blackfish and ling. Matt should have a better idea today about the outlook for the weekend’s trips, and anglers can call the boat starting this afternoon to ask about the schedule.

<b>Toms River</b>

Throwback striped bass were caught and released, and white perch were reeled in, on the Toms River at Island Heights, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Striper season is closed in rivers and bays, so the fish must be let go there, and the season for them will be opened on March 1. Stripers were thrown back at Oyster Creek, the warm-water discharge at Forked River power plant. At Point Pleasant Canal, stripers were tossed back at night, and blackfish were toggled in during day. Surf anglers beat stripers at Point Pleasant Beach, and striper season is open in the surf or ocean year-round. But it’s always closed beyond 3 miles from shore.

<b>Absecon</b>

Little was heard about fishing, including for white perch on brackish rivers, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. But the perch were there, and fresh grass shrimp, a favorite perch bait, were stocked Saturday morning. The live shrimp will also be carried when available. Not much was heard about blackfish on the ocean, and about sea bass farther offshore. Few probably boated in winds. The store is open, and Dave is on hand more than usual this winter, but call ahead to confirm. At <a href="http://www.abseconbay.com/fishguatemala.html" target="_blank">Dave’s Guatemala charter business</a>, sailfishing was very good this winter. Dorados are always caught, and nothing much was mentioned about marlin. When lots of sailfish are in, marlin hardly to get a chance to bite, it seems.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Striped bass had been yanked from the surf a couple of weeks ago, but none of the catches was reported recently, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Water temps had risen to 45 degrees then. Blackfish had been boated at Atlantic City Reef, but no customers talked about the fishing recently. Sea bass fishing seemed okay offshore. Fin-Atics is open Fridays through Sundays, and frozen baits are stocked.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

When customers were sent to the surf with clams to fish for striped bass, they pretty much caught, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The fishing was good, and fresh clams sold out this weekend, because of demand. Mike figures he’ll have to stock more next time. One angler landed 12 of the bass, and the largest stripers known about were 35 or 36 inches that were caught. A commercial boater saw a huge school of fish that must’ve been stripers. They blitzed, and birds dove, 2 miles off Sea Isle. Nobody mentioned boating for blackfish or sea bass on the ocean, and weather wasn’t great for that. The store is open Friday through Sundays and sporadically on weekdays, based on weather. Fresh clams, green crabs, white leggers when available, eels and all frozen baits are stocked.

Some of winter’s annual traveling trips to the Florida Keys fished aboard this weekend, with Mike Spaeder and son Mike, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Fishing was awesome, great, Joe said, including for sizeable fish. Sunday’s trip began fishing near Cape Sable in the Everglades, bombing redfish to 8 pounds, snook to 8 pounds, speckled sea trout, jacks, ladyfish, mangrove snappers and “a bunch of stuff,” Joe said. Toward nighttime, tarpon were targeted, and one was missed, and a 150-pound lemon shark was released. Saturday’s trip also began fishing near Cape Sable, tackling reds, snook, specks, jacks, sheepshead, bonnethead sharks, a remora eel, pufferfish and bluefish. Toward the end of the day, tarpon were hunted, and two were released: a 70-pounder and a 40- to 50-pounder. The fishing’s been averaging one, if not more, tarpon landed per night. When the anglers first arrived, they also played with tons of jacks, ladyfish and mangrove snappers on a short trip close to port. The Florida trips fish each year from Christmas to Easter. Anglers can arrive on a Friday, fish all day Saturday and part of Sunday, and be back to work Monday. The trips can be a mini, fish-filled vacation. See info on Jersey Cape’s <a href="http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page4.html" target="_blank">Traveling Fisherman Charters</a> Web page. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>. <b>***Update, Thursday, 1/24:***</b> The Spaeders were back aboard Monday, Martin Luther King Day, fishing the flats behind Islamorada, near port, a short time, before they returned home, Joe said. They sight-fished in shallow, crystal-clear water, while the boat was poled, targeting and releasing four bonnethead sharks to 10 pounds, two redfish and three barracudas on live shrimp on circle hooks. The fish could’ve been fly-angled in those conditions, Joe noted. More of the Florida trips will fish this weekend.

<b>Wildwood Crest</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 1/22:***</b> Winds blew somewhat stronger than forecast on Saturday’s wreck-fishing trip offshore on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. That made fishing challenging. Still, anglers who fished hard easily limited out on sea bass, bluefish and porgies. Willie Thomas, Philadelphia, won the pool with a 6-1/2-pound sea bass. Notable catches also included Lower Township Councilman Jim Neville, North Cape May, N.J.’s, limit of sea bass to 6 pounds and some porgies, John Kushmanick, Cherry Hill, N.J.,’s limit of sea bass to 6 pounds and a mix of blues and porgies, John Menchicci, Long Island, N.Y.’s, limit of sea bass to 6 pounds and some blues, and Sang Yoon, Brooklyn, N.Y.’s, limit of sea bass to 6 pounds. The Atlantic Star is sailing offshore for giant sea bass on 18-hour trips every Saturday and Sunday, and is fishing offshore for a combo of sea bass and tilefish on 19- or 20-hour trips every Wednesday. <b>***Update, Thursday, 1/24:***</b> Good trip, a report on the boat’s said about fishing offshore aboard Monday, a special trip for Martin Luther King Day. All anglers limited out on sea bass and socked as many 2- to 3-pound blues as they wanted. <b>Trip added</b>: A combo sea bass and tilefish trip has been added for Monday.

<b>Cape May</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 1/24:***</b> Blackfishing sailed Saturday in strong wind on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. One angler limited out, but the fishing was slow, and only 11 or 12 keepers were totaled for the day. But blackfishing was good on a trip Monday for Martin Luther King Day in beautiful weather with light winds. Several anglers limited out, including Craig Constantino and Ken Minett, both from Voorhees. Carlos Verlanga from Flushing, N.Y., limited out and won the pool with a 10-pounder. One or two other anglers also limited out, Paul thought. After the good catches Monday, anglers telephoned to ask whether blackfish trips would sail this weekend. Paul had planned to sail this weekend, and the ocean on the last trips was 44 degrees, and blackfish kept biting, and next week’s air temps are supposed to reach the 40s. But after this week’s extended cold, Paul will make a decision about the upcoming schedule, and anglers can call the boat to confirm. If the boat sails, the Porgy IV will fish for blackfish at 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

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