<b>Sewaren</b>

Snow fell, and winds blew, and no trips fished with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. But blackfish trips are slated for Friday and Saturday, and forecasts are calling for calm winds and warmth through the weekend. Blackfishing was good aboard previously, covered in past reports here. Outcast also fishes from Staten Island.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> sailed for blackfish today, Capt. Tom said at 10 a.m. in a phone call aboard. Weather kept the boat docked the rest of the week, and the anglers were picking some fish on the trip. Some of the tautog were keepers, and action wasn’t bad, but the keeper ratio should be better. The area held life, so Tom would see whether the keeper ratio improves. If it doesn’t, he’ll move the boat. Weather was improved today, and is supposed to be even better Friday. The next few days sound better than before, and the Atlantic Star is blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. <b>***Update, Thursday, 12/19:***</b> The catch turned out good today, Tom said. A small crowd fished aboard, and two limited out. Some of the fish were sizeable. One angler hooked no keepers, but landed quite a few throwbacks. Seas were a little rollie, but weather was calm. Anglers should join trips while forecasts call for improved weather in the next days, including Friday. There’s no reason the fish shouldn’t keep biting Friday.

<b>Highlands</b>

After the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> was docked more than a week, a trip sailed Wednesday for blackfish, Capt. Frank wrote in an e-mail. Twenty-seven of the fish to 6 pounds were bagged. That was just short of a limit for the five anglers, and though the fishing was pretty good, it should become even better, as the recent full moon wanes. Many throwbacks bit, and the keepers averaged 3 to 5 pounds. The next trips are slated for Friday and Saturday. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing, and telephone to climb aboard. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!” <b>***Update, Saturday, 12/21:***</b> Blackfishing remained good on Friday’s trip, and the fish to 10 pounds were swung aboard, Frank wrote in an e-mail. Spring striped bass trips should be booked now, and many of the dates were already booked.

<b>Belmar</b>

“The (striped) bass season still goes on,” Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote about surf fishing in an e-mail. That was “for a few guys getting small bass in isolated areas,” he said. “But the fat lady is about to sing.” Boaters targeted blackfish on the ocean, and the angling “usually (did not) disappoint,” he said. <b>***Update, Saturday, 12/21:***</b> From an edited e-mail from Bob: “Warm weather, bass on the beach, December 21 – it doesn’t get much better than that. That’s what it was like on the Ocean County beaches this morning. It looked like early fall, rather than December. Anglers lined the popular spots … and they caught fish, plenty of bass. Most were small, (and) some anglers reported some near-legal fish. Some anglers had 12 to 15 bass. Rubber eels, SP Minnows, Deadly Dicks and teasers produced fish. All and all, not bad, for December 21. You can’t ever count the stripers out. That’s why we all love them.”

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Another decent day of blackfishing! Capt. Matt from the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. He was talking about Monday aboard, and the ocean was stirred up “since the blow Saturday,” he said. The fishing took a while to get bites going, “but we had life everywhere we (fished),” he said. Six anglers in a group from New York limited out on the tautog. Those weighed up to 7 pounds, and the rest of the trip’s anglers bagged one to three keepers, “and a couple just could not pull it together,” Matt said. White leggers caught better than green crabs did. Greens are supplied aboard, and whites are for sale aboard when available. The supply of whites was running low, and no more were expected to be carried until Friday or Saturday. On Tuesday, blackfishing was somewhat slower aboard, but some anglers bagged three to five, and better-sized blackfish were sometimes hung. Skip Reese from Bordentown won the pool with a 10-pounder. No trip sailed Wednesday. “It was a nice day, but oh well,” Matt said. Too few anglers showed up to sail, apparently. But anglers had already said they would show up for today’s trip, and that outing was expected to sail.  The Norma-K III is blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Magic Hour Ling Trips are running 3 to 9 p.m. every Saturday.

<b>Toms River</b>

Few anglers fished, but when they worked the surf, they caught striped bass, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. The fish were 12- to 15-inch “rats” that bit up and down the local coast, at places like Island Beach State Park, Ortley Beach and Lavallette. Many of the anglers fished Island Beach, so they could warm up inside the beach buggy. Ava 007 or 17 jigs with teasers, fished very slowly, picked away at the fish. Most boats were yanked from the waters for the season, and nothing was heard about fishing from boats. Some of the party boats bottom-fished, surely. Ice formed in lagoons and at places on Barnegat Bay. But the weekend is supposed to reach the 50 degrees and maybe 60s. Gift certificates at discounted prices are available for the holidays. The shop is open mostly 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hours will be 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. On Christmas Eve, the doors will be open at 7 a.m., until Dennis decides to leave.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

From the surf, striped bass, even some keepers, were dragged-in this morning at Ortley Beach and Lavallette, said John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Stripers, mostly throwbacks, were flung from Seaside Park’s surf previously. Small plugs or sand eel imitations, like the soft-plastic ones from Vision, hooked the fish. Only days remain for the shop’s holiday sale for great gifts for anglers. That includes rods, reels and tackle, but also gift certificates for 35 percent off boat and jet-ski rentals. The rental certificates must be used by July 1. Gift certificates to the tackle shop and café are available for 25 percent off.

<b>Surf City</b>

<b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b> is open, but no customers mentioned fishing during the week’s rough weather, Dick said. No striped bass were weighed-in from the surf in three weeks. But weather is supposed to be better, including warmer, this weekend.  Visit <a href="http://www.surfcitybaitandtackle.com/" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s Web site</a>. Keep in touch on <a href=" http://www.facebook.com/pages/Surf-City-Bait-and-Tackle/207533229268619
" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s Facebook page</a>.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Like was reported last week from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>, fishing was dead since weather took a turn for the worse just before Thanksgiving, Brian said. Fishing for striped bass locally is usually hopping that weekend, Scott from the shop said for that report. Weather became cold too quickly starting just before Thanksgiving, instead of gradually, and anglers stopped fishing then, Brian said. Scott’s will be open through Monday, and will be closed afterward, until reopening on March 1. The crew will use the time to work further on hurricane repairs, among other things. The store’s online sales will keep operating while the physical shop is closed.

<b>Absecon</b>

Stop in and make a deal at <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>, Capt. Dave said. He’s willing to make a deal on pretty much any item. Maybe some anglers will come in for holiday gifts, and the store should be open to the first of the year. Nothing was really reported about fishing, and anglers seemed more interested in holiday shopping. But small minnows are stocked for white perch fishing on brackish rivers, popular during the cold months. Dave was yet to net grass shrimp to carry for the perching. Live spots, eels and a few green crabs are on hand. Fresh clams are in supply.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Not even boating for blackfish or sea bass was heard about, but weather was windy this week, said Justin from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Weather is supposed to warm to 66 degrees by Sunday, so fishing will probably be heard about this weekend. No striped bass caught were mentioned from the surf or back bay, but few probably fished. The bay, though, was cold for stripers to bite for some time now this season. The shop is open daily through Christmas Eve. The doors will be closed on Christmas but open the next day, Thursday, through Monday, Dec. 30. On the next day, New Year’s Eve, the store will be closed through New Year’s Day. Then it’ll be open Fridays through Sundays the rest of January and in February, reopening daily in March.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

The local party boat’s been sailing for blackfish on the ocean, and some days fished better than others, but the trips landed the fish pretty steadily, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. That was about the only news, and a dozen or 18 anglers joined the trip today. The captain saw nobody boating for striped bass on the ocean in a while, but kept seeing what looked like stripers, while trips traveled to the blackfish grounds. So maybe stripers were still around. The shop is generally open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. when the weather’s fair, especially on weekends, and Mike’s somewhat “winging” the hours. He’ll see what business is like after Christmas to determine the hours afterward.

<b>Cape May</b>

Blackfishing sailed Friday through Sunday on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. Weather wasn’t the best, but all the trips “caught some fish,” he said. Several anglers limited out, and on Sunday, winds blew strongly, and the ocean held a large swell. On Saturday, forecasts called for lots or rain that never happened. Paul expected to resume sailing today, in forecasts for better weather than previously. Anglers aboard included Kevin Moran from Pennsauken, who limited out on the tautog to a 9-pounder. Rudy Barbolino from Marlboro limited out on the fish to a 7-pounder. Dan Stinsman from Atco was among other anglers who also limited. Forecasts are calling for weather as warm as the 60s this weekend. “But it’s not going to be that warm where I’m taking them,” Paul said.  An ocean in the 40s will affect air temperatures on the water. Blackfish were around, and anglers will see how the angling goes now. The Porgy IV is fishing for blackfish at 8 a.m. daily through Sunday. The vessel will be docked on Monday through Wednesday, Christmas. The daily trips will resume Thursday, Dec. 26, through New Year’s Day. Paul will decide whether to keep fishing after New Year’s, depending on whether blackfish keep biting in the water temperature.

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