<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Weather was cold last week, and almost all local boats were finished fishing for the season, said Joe from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Only one of the local party boats still fished, and a few boats still sailed from farther south, around Belmar and Point Pleasant Beach. Nothing was heard about fishing in the weather, including about surf fishing. But Julian’s is open, usually in mornings, and fresh clams and worms are stocked.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 1/31:***</b> The party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b> is still sailing for blackfish this winter, and catches were very good on a trip Tuesday, Capt. Chris said. The tautog weighed up to a 13-pounder that day, and a few ling and cod were mixed in on trips lately. Special blackfish trips, limited to the first 25 anglers who show up, will run 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and, because of the Super Bowl, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. The fare on both trips is $70, and green crabs are supplied for bait, and white leggers are available for sale aboard.

<b>***Update, Thursday, 1/31:***</b> The party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> is finished fishing for the season, Capt. Alan said. Trips had been fishing for mackerel, and will resume in late March or early April, starting with striped bass fishing, whenever stripers start schooling the ocean.

<b>***Update, Thursday, 1/31:***</b> “Some bass still in the surf,” Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> said in an e-mail. The population of striped bass was down from a week ago, but the fish just seemed to be “hanging out, moving in and out, as the water temp goes up and down,” Bob said. He expects them to remain all winter “for anglers willing to put in some tough love fishing,” he said. One angler from his fishing club beached two throwbacks at Sea Girt on Tuesday on a Daiwa SP Minnow. But Bob also heard about stripers clammed from the surf. One of the Belmar party boats scored a good catch of blackfish to a 15-pounder and some cod and ling, and was slated to fish daily. “Looking forward to spring,” Bob said.

<b>Brielle</b>

The cold weather last week failed to affect great offshore wreck-fishing on the party boat <b>Big Jamaica</b>, a post on the vessel’s Facebook page said.  Warm water from the Gulf Stream pushed ocean temps as high as 55.5 degrees on the fishing grounds, and if that keeps up, “bluefish and bonito (might be) in the mix,” it said. Actually, blues were already part of the catch, and photos on the Facebook page included a bonito or two from recent trips.  On Sunday’s trip, limits of sea bass “were the norm,” the post said, and anglers sometimes limited out on porgies, and bluefish were boated. Friday’s trip was also good, an e-mail from the boat said. Limits of sea bass were belted “all around,” it said, and many anglers limited out on porgies. Bluefish were also caught, and pool-winners were: Rob Finkle, Sparta, N.J., with a 9-1/2-pound pollock, limits of both sea bass and porgies, and several bluefish; Troy Hammel, Belchertown, Mass., with limits of sea bass and porgies, on his first-ever offshore trip; and Buford Sullivan, Irvington, N.J., with limits of sea bass, porgies and bluefish.  Anglers with limits of both sea bass and porgies also included: Tim Finkle, Sparta, N.J.; Dan Grosso, Mahopak, N.Y.; Guy Hoffman, Putnam Valley, N.Y.; Hyang Kyu Park, Bronx, N.Y.; Robert Blue, Newburgh, N.Y., and Ted Gudkins, Newark, N.J., who also decked five blues. 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.

Offshore sea bass fishing was good, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Porgies and bluefish were also cranked in on the trips, and so were occasional pollock, cod, weakfish, “believe it or not,” Dave said, and ling. He knew about at least one bonito fought aboard the trips. Little else was heard about fishing, because of last week’s cold. Blackfishing might’ve been “getting towards the end,” Dave said, because water temps became low. A few boats still planned to fish for the tautog, but one of the well-known charter boats that sailed for the slipperies was hauled from the waters for the season. Nobody talked about surf fishing for striped bass. The Reel Seat is open Fridays through Sundays. Shimano inshore jigs are on sale for 50-percent off. Bluefin tuna lures are newly stocked for anglers heading to North Carolina to fish for them this winter.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 1/31:***</b> Mostly ling were shoveled aboard the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said, and a few cod and pollock were cracked, and a fair number of blackfish were pasted a couple of days in deeper waters. A handful of sea bass continued to be landed aboard this close to shore. Fishing was a little up and down, good one day, not on another in strong currents, then great on another. Anglers averaged 10 to 20 fish apiece, and on some days, when fishing was good, they caught 30 or 35. Trips fished shallow in 120 to 150 feet. On a couple of days, deeper waters were tried, but silver eels were hooked. Some anglers like to keep them, but once eels begin to be hooked, that’s all that’s caught. Waters ranged from 44 to 48 degrees. During last week’s cold snap, the temps were as low as 44, and were 48 in deeper waters. No mackerel were seen, though trips mix in mackerel fishing with bottom fishing this time of year, when the mackerel migration is in. But mackerel never showed aboard this year. Commercial mackerel processing boats were seen sailing around, looking for fish. But Butch spoke with one, and the captain said the vessel had quit looking for mackerel, and had switched to herring. Loads of mackerel were reportedly caught way north toward Nova Scotia and Iceland, and apparently never schooled south. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

Few anglers showed up at the docks in past days, Capt. Matt from the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> said in a report on the vessel’s Web site. A blackfish trip was slated for today, and afterward the boat will only fish on weekends, after being scheduled to sail daily until now. The Norma-K III will fish for ling and blackfish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and for ling and cod 3 to 9 p.m. Saturdays. <b>***Update, Thursday, 1/31:***</b> For Monday’s trip, the final weekday one this season, at first, too few anglers seemed to be showing up to sail, Matt said in a report on the boat’s Web site. Then a few more arrived, and the crew decided to blackfish on a ¾-day trip, instead of the full-day trips for the tog that had been fishing each Monday. The trip picked away at blackfish, and ling were mixed in. Matt then decided to fish deeper, because of cold weather the past week. He was “pretty shocked to see the water temp at 46 degrees,” he said. “Lots of bites. Hard to hook.” Anglers who chose to fish for ling there caught them well, and Gulps worked best. Skip Reese was the trip’s high hook with a limit of blackfish to a 7-pounder and more than 20 ling. Most customers decked one to three keeper blackfish, and some managed no keepers. All boxed ling.

<b>Toms River</b>

Nothing was doing in the cold, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. But weather will become warmer this week, and Island Beach State Park was partially opened for the first time after the hurricane. Customers will probably report about fishing this week. Before last week’s cold, striped bass were caught and released at Point Pleasant Canal, Toms River and Oyster Creek. The fish were required to be released because striper season is closed in rivers and bays. Striper season will be opened on March 1 in rivers and bays, and is open year-round on the ocean, except it’s always closed beyond three miles from shore. Stripers were banked from the ocean surf at Point Pleasant Beach before the cold. Blackfish were tugged from the canal then.

<b>Absecon</b>

White perch probably moved back to winter holes in brackish rivers because of last week’s cold, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. That could help fishing for them, making them easier to locate, and the fish had begun to spread away from those areas previously. Live or fresh grass shrimp, a favorite perch bait, will continue to be stocked at the shop this winter. More anglers will probably fish in this week’s warmer weather. The shop is open, but call ahead to confirm this time of year. If anglers can’t take the cold, he said, fishing’s been great at <a href="http://www.abseconbay.com/fishguatemala.html" target="_blank">Dave’s Guatemala charter business</a>, mainly for sailfish. Dorados are always caught.

<b>Ocean City</b>

A couple of customers fished farther north at Oyster Creek, catching and releasing striped bass, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. That’s the warm-water discharge from the Forked River power plant, and the fish were required to be released, because striper season is closed in river and bays until reopening March 1. That was all that was reported about fishing in the cold. Fin-Atics is open Fridays through Sundays and will be open daily starting March 1. Frozen baits are stocked.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

After lots of striped bass were dragged from the surf two weekends ago, hardly anyone fished, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. One angler picked up dozens of fresh clams from the shop Friday to fish. Waters frozen in the slip kept the local party boat from sailing on daily trips for blackfish. But anglers wanted to fish on the vessel, and the boat would resume trips as soon as possible. Weather is supposed to be warmer this week, and more anglers should fish.

Two anglers jumped aboard some of the traveling trips to the Florida Keys this weekend with Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The annual trips are offered each winter, usually on weekends, and the anglers, Darrel Cooper and friend John, fished close to port Saturday, the day they arrived. They reeled in a bunch of jacks to 10 pounds and some mangrove and mutton snappers. On Sunday they fished the Everglades, whaling large snook, some bigger than 10 pounds, one of them 15 pounds. They axed speckled sea trout, redfish, jacks and ladyfish. The trips fished with live shrimp on jigheads and Gulp shrimp on jigheads. The anglers had no opportunity to fish for tarpon, because of travel plans, but the trips this season have scored good fishing for tarpon. Weather was pleasant Saturday and Sunday morning. Winds blew strongly Sunday afternoon, but one of the great things about the trips is that no matter the weather, lots of fish can be caught. This winter’s been warm at the Keys, helping fishing. 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>Wildwood Crest</b>

A combo sea bass and tilefish trip was expected to sail offshore today on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, a post on the vessel’s Facebook page said. Fishing was good on a sea bass trip offshore last Monday, Martin Luther King Day, covered in the last report. All anglers limited out on sea bass and socked as many 2- to 3-pound bluefish as they wanted. Both trips were special ones slated for a Monday. The Atlantic Star is usually sailing offshore for giant sea bass on 18-hour trips every Saturday and Sunday and for a combo of sea bass and tilefish on 19- or 20-hour trips every Wednesday. Results of today’s trip should be posted here when available. <b>***Update, Thursday, 1/31:***</b> Weather was a little breezy in the afternoon on a trip for sea bass offshore Sunday, a report on the boat’s Web site said. But all anglers limited out on sea bass. The fish weighed up to 7 pounds, and a mix of blues and porgies also came in. On the combo tilefish and sea bass trip Monday, winds became a little challenging for fishing starting at mid-day for some anglers, after calm weather earlier. Still, all anglers limited out on sea bass and caught blues and porgies, and tilefishing was good “for the conditions that developed,” the report said, for anglers who tried for them. Dennis Muhlenberg, Dover, Del., won the pool with a 20-pound golden tilefish. “Another high hook aboard,” the report said, was Brad Warren, Malvern, Pa., with a limit of sea bass and a dozen tilefish.

<b>Cape May</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 1/31:***</b> Capt. Paul from the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b> decided to keep the vessel’s blackfishing docked in last weekend’s cold, he said. “Everything was frozen,” he said, but fishing for the tautog is planned for this weekend on the boat. Saturday’s weather looks fair, and if a few blackfish are caught, trips will keep sailing for them at 8 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

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