<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

One of the charter boats was fishing on the ocean, said Joe from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Mostly blackfish were tugged in on the trips. “The other stuff isn’t too good yet,” Joe said. Little else was reported in the cold. But the shop is open, usually during mornings. Live and fresh baits will be stocked starting March 1, when striped bass season is opened in bays and rivers.

<b>Highlands</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/21:***</b> Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> hopes to kick off his season by mid-March or, at the latest, the beginning of February, he said. He’s been fishing with friends, still catching blackfish this late in the season, and ling and cod. None of his friends surf fished, but he heard from a friend that surf anglers beached a few striped bass, nothing spectacular. “But that happens every year,” Derek said.  His charters and open-boat trips will begin with bottom-fishing for ling and blackfish, and will jump on striped bass fishing as soon as stripers bite. Derek is always one of the first to catch them. He’d also like to fish for winter flounder, and will wait till the year’s flounder regulations are confirmed. If the bag limit is kept at two flounder per angler, that’s too few to sail for them. Derek’s been getting the boat, a new one, and gear together, though cold weather has made that difficult. He picked up the boat, a 31-foot Contender with twin 225 outboards, just after hurricane Sandy. “She’s fast,” Derek said, and trips will reach the fishing grounds even quicker than before. Trips will begin from a different marina this season, because the old marina was wiped out in the hurricane. Some marinas with means, like Atlantic Highlands municipal harbor, started rebuilding quickly. But many marinas were yet to start rebuilding, waiting for insurance money. Many towns became faced with new regulations requiring buildings to be raised above flood level. Even large buildings, like maybe Bahr’s restaurant, were faced with that, though Bahr’s was reopened quickly. The shore will be changed this coming season.

<b>Belmar</b>

Blackfishing on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b> was a little slow on Friday, a post on the vessel’s Facebook page said that day. But anglers sacked “a few nice fish,” it said. Wind and snow were expected to keep trips docked Saturday and Sunday, and the crew expected to check forecasts to see whether today’s trip would sail. The Big Mohawk is blackfishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. <b>***Update, Thursday, 2/21:***</b> Weather kept the boat from fishing, and looked like it would keep it from fishing during the next days, Capt. Chris from the Big Mohawk said. But trips will continue blackfishing as soon as weather allows. Check out this <a href="http://vimeo.com/57479574" target="_blank"> video about the Jersey Shore’s restoration</a> that was posted on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BigMohawkPartyBoat" target="_blank">Big Mohawk’s Facebook page</a>. <b>***Another Update, Thursday, 2/21:***</b> Friday’s trip will sail, because of a break in the weather, a post on the boat’s Facebook page said.

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/21:***</b> <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> will probably resume charters and open-boat trips in mid-April, Capt. Pete hopes, he said. Trips will begin with striped bass fishing, so when stripers can be slugged from the ocean, the boat will get after them. Pete’ll be prepping the boat and watching the weather to make the call when to begin. The docks and port were “coming back,” Pete said, after the hurricane. Still, rebuilding was not easy. Some marinas weren’t expected to be reopened until early summer at the earliest. The tackle shop Fisherman’s Den, at Belmar Marina, was running from a trailer. But it was running, and rebuilding was happening in the community, including on the boardwalk. Pete just returned from exhibiting Parker Pete’s at the Greater Philadelphia Outdoor Sportshow this weekend. The show was awesome, he said, and was filled with vendors and people attending. The cancelling of the Harrisburg show this year probably also contributed crowds. Fishing, hunting, boating and all kinds of things, “you name it,” Pete said, were featured at the Philly show, in Oaks, Pa. He got a lot of response

<b>Brielle</b>

Fishing for sea bass was very good on party boat trips to offshore wrecks, said John from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Porgies and occasional cod and pollock were cranked aboard the trips, and sometimes the outings stopped to catch ling closer to shore at wrecks after limiting on sea bass. The boats fished when possible between weather, and John planned to jump on one of the trips Tuesday that seemed likely to be cancelled because of 20- to 30-knot winds forecast. Trips that fished closer to shore nabbed the ling and spotty catches of cod. Nothing was heard about striped bass except about stripers caught and released at Oyster Creek, the warm-water discharge at the Forked River power plant. But striper season is closed in back-waters like that until opening on March 1. Catch the 50-percent sale on Shimano inshore jigs. Check out Century surf-fishing rods that were recently stocked. The Reel Seat is open Fridays through Sundays. <b>***Update, Monday, 2/18:***</b> Stop by the store’s booth at  <a href=" http://jerseyshoresurfcasters.com/Surf_Day.html
" target="_blank">Surf Day</a> on Saturday at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft.

Ling, okay catches, were swung aboard Saturday from the ocean on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, an e-mail from the vessel said. Other fish were mixed in, and anglers and their catches included: Paul Bender, Bayville, 19 ling and three sea bass; Doug Prugh, Hillsborough and buddy Frank, who teamed up for 48 ling; Mark Adamerak, Garfield, 32 ling and a cod; and Ray Bryant, South Orange, 21 ling and three sea bass. A trip Sunday picked at ling, not as well as on Saturday, “but also picked at some cod and pollock,” Capt. Joe said in another e-mail. Randy Magden, Brick, won the pool with a 15-pound pollock. Anglers and their catches also included Hai Wang, Princeton, with 14 ling and four pollock and Harry Kotelius, Trenton, with 19 ling, two cod and three pollock to 14 pounds. The Jamaica II’s is wreck-fishing 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Wednesday through Sunday for cod, pollock, ling and blackfish. That’s a schedule change.

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 2/19:***</b> Offshore wreck-fishing trips on the party boat <b>Big Jamaica</b> ran on calm days, rough days and “days when ripping current would normally slow the bite down – but not this year,” an e-mail from the vessel said. On a trip Saturday, all anglers limited out on sea bass, and most limited on porgies, and a few bluefish were decked. This was late in the season for blues offshore. Pool-winners were Adam Nowak, Passaic, with a 7-1/2-pound sea bass and Raymond Rascoe, Newark, with a 7-pound sea bass. Both limited out on sea bass and porgies. On a trip Friday, the fishing was also excellent. All anglers limited out on sea bass, and “those who wanted them,” the e-mail said, limited on porgies. A few ling and blackfish were in the mix. Pool-winners were Alfred Jenkins, Teaneck, with a 7-pound sea bass and Scott Cicogna, Brick, with a 5-1/2-pound sea bass. Only about 1 ½ weeks are left before the sea bass and porgy seasons close on March 1, and the outlook for the fishing seems good. The fish are “running strong,” the e-mail said, at wrecks 50 to 70 miles from Brielle.  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 has been added for Thursday, Feb. 28, the final day of the sea bass and porgy seasons.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/21:***</b> Trips bottom-fished through the weekend, staying in port the rest of this week in weather, on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Willie said. Mostly ling were landed, and a few blackfish and cod came in. The fishing was okay, or was good on one day and slow on the other. Customers probably averaged five to 20 fish apiece, “depending on the angler,” Butch said. Blackfish ranged from just-keeper sized to 3 or 4 pounds, and cod weighed 5 to 8 pounds. So they weren’t large. The boat fished shallow in 130 to 150 feet, and the fishing didn’t seem good deeper. Eels and dog sharks gathered there. Waters were 38 to 40 degrees. “It’s gotten chilly,” Willie said. Manasquan River was 35 degrees, and that temp was seen when the boat was motored to dry dock Wednesday for maintenance. The boat will be splashed back on Monday, so no trips will sail until Tuesday. Then the boat will resume bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

On the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, blackfishing on Saturday was pretty good, Capt. Matt said in a report on the vessel’s Web site. The angling was very good at the first place fished. Good-sized blackfish 4 to 6 pounds were clobbered, and a few especially large ones broke off. Matt wanted to stay at that spot longer, but anglers wanted to fish for ling. The boat was moved to a drop that usually holds both ling and blackfish, but fishing was slow there. A handful of ling and a handful of blackfish were bagged. Still, “it was a decent day, if you can catch the (blackfish),” Matt said. Pat Farley, Point Pleasant Beach, drilled a 12-pound 4-ounce blackfish, the trip’s biggest. A handful of anglers limited out on blackfish and caught more, keeping no more than their quota. Others pumped in two or three keeper blackfish, and some bagged none. Sunday’s trip and a trip today, for Presidents’ Day, were cancelled because of weather. The Norma-K III is fishing for blackfish and ling 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and for ling and cod 3 to 9 p.m. Saturdays.

The season’s first bluefin tuna trips will launch this week from Oregon Inlet, N.C., with <b>Canyon Runner Sport Fishing</b>, an e-mail from Canyon Runner said. The fish started showing up in the past 10 days, and fishing for them seemed to become better and better. “It’s on …!” the e-mail said. Ninety trips are already booked for the fishing on Canyon Runner’s boats, so lock up the dates now. The fishing, only 20 to 30 miles from shore, can last from mid February to mid April. In the past three years, since Canyon Runner began the trips, the fishing averaged 10 to 15 bluefins landed per day with Canyon Runner. The fish averaged 100 to 300 pounds, and dozens weighed 350 to 600 pounds. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing. Canyon Runner sails from Point Pleasant Beach from spring through fall.

<b>Toms River</b>

Striped bass were caught and released at Oyster Creek from the bridge on rubber shads, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. The creek is the warm-water discharge from the Forked River power plant, and striper season is closed in back-waters like that until opening on March 1. Jeff fished the Toms River at Island Heights, trying for anything that would bite, even winter flounder that are required to be released, because the season for them is closed, just to see if flounder swam the waters. But nothing bit, and he tossed Fishbites artificial worms, plugs and spoons. White perch and stripers can also swim the river. The opening of flounder season is yet to be announced, but last year it opened on March 23. Murphy’s is open during limited hours, and will be open daily starting March 1. Call for current hours. Killies, nightcrawlers and frozen clams and bunker are currently stocked. Bloodworms and shiners will be stocked starting March 1.

<b>Absecon</b>

White perch fishing seemed good on Mullica and Great Egg Harbor rivers, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. He’s trying to keep live or fresh grass shrimp stocked for bait for them, and bloodworms, another top bait for perch, were delivered to the shop Saturday.  Dave nets the shrimp himself, and would keep them stocked as long as the shrimp could be caught. Recently the shrimp were “coming out of their winter holes,” Dave said, making them more challenging to find. The shop will hold a perch tournament in March and April, and Dave will probably announce details this week. Healthy numbers of throwback striped bass bit in both rivers all winter, and Dave hopes larger ones chew when striper season opens in rivers and bays on March 1. The shop’s annual striper tournament will be held again this year for the season’s first several weighed in, probably similar to previous years. Last year’s prizes were a $200 gift certificate for the first keeper, a $100 certificate for the second, a $50 certificate for the third, a $100 certificate for the first striper larger than 20 pounds, and a $100 certificate for the first larger than 30 pounds. Tackle for spring is starting to be stocked, and will be ready before anglers start fishing more frequently. Fishing was good at <a href="http://www.abseconbay.com/fishguatemala.html" target="_blank">Dave’s Guatemala charter business</a>, and so was weather. Give Dave a call to get away, and plenty of dates are available.

<b>Ocean City</b>

When weather allowed, party boats steamed offshore, catching sea bass and a few cod, ling and hake, said Ed from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Little was reported about blackfish closer to shore, but a few seemed to be boated. Nothing was reported about white perch fishing on brackish rivers, probably because of tough weather. Fin-Atics is open Fridays through Sundays and will be open daily in two Fridays, March 1. 

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

The back bay’s clamming and oystering was excellent, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. He knew because he filled himself with the oysters Friday, he said. The local party boat sailed for blackfish once or twice a week. Anglers didn’t seem to bail the fish, but most seemed to nail a couple of keepers and a couple of ling. An occasional cod was copped on the trips. Nobody was heard from who sailed for sea bass offshore. The shop is open when weather is fair and anglers are likely to fish, like during fishable mornings around weekends, and will probably be open full time starting the second Friday of March.

Some of the traveling charters to the Florida Keys fished this weekend aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The trips fish each winter, mostly on weekends, and another was headed out today for Presidents’ Day. On the trips Saturday and Sunday, John Martin and Steve Luski climbed aboard, and Saturday was fiercely windy, during the season’s strongest cold front to arrive in Florida. Still, they fished, and that’s the great thing about the trips: There’s always someplace to catch fish, no matter the weather, important on vacation. On that day, they fished near port in Islamorada, tackling a bunch of jacks, including large ones, snappers, ladyfish and all kinds different fish, on live and Gulp shrimp on jigheads. In the evening, they landed a tarpon and jumped three. At first, they weren’t targeting tarpon, fishing with Gulp shrimp on light rods for the other fish. Three tarpon were jumped and got off, and one was fought a while. When tarpon were known to be around, a pinfish was livelined on a heavier rod, and the fourth tarpon was landed and released. Tarpon fishing’s been good on the trips this winter. On Sunday, weather was better, and the anglers boated across the bay to fish in the Everglades near Cape Sable. They whacked a bunch of snook to larger than 15 pounds, big ones, and redfish, speckled sea trout, snappers and jacks, on live and Gulp shrimp on jigheads. Weather for today’s trip was supposed to be breezy but better than on Saturday. Joe will probably give a report on that trip that will be posted here as an update afterward, if he does.  Anglers can arrive on a Friday, fish all day Saturday and part of Sunday, and be back to work on 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, Tuesday, 2/19:***</b> Weather remained rough during Monday’s fishing aboard, Joe said, but redfish that were sizeable, barracudas and jacks were squashed nevertheless.  A trip also fished briefly in better weather this morning, before the anglers departed the Keys. They caught six bonnethead sharks and a lemon shark along the flats near port.

<b>Wildwood Crest</b>

Good day on sea bass, tough on tilefish, a report said about Wednesday’s combo trip for sea bass and tiles offshore on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> on the vessel’s Web site. Dog sharks were a nuisance on the tilefish grounds, because water temps had dropped 6 degrees. But Robert Vafalamazie, Broomall, Pa., won the pool with a 32-pound golden tilefish, and limited out on sea bass to 6 pounds. Alan Strassler, Margate, totaled six tiles to 12 pounds and limited on sea bass to 6 ½ pounds.  Stratos Tiniakos, Galloway Township, beat six tiles to 10 pounds and limited on sea bass to 6 ½ pounds, and Ralph DeAngelo, Hamburg, Pa., waxed four tiles to 10 pounds and limited on sea bass to 6 ½ pounds. The Atlantic Star is 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. A combo sea bass and tilefish trip was also set for today for Presidents’ Day. <b>***Update, Thursday, 2/21:***</b> The boat limited out on sea bass on an offshore sea bass trip Saturday, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. Patrick Taylor, Queens, N.Y., won the pool with a 7-pound sea bass. <i>TRIP ADDED</i>: A combo sea bass and tilefish trip offshore has been added for 12 a.m. this coming Thursday, the final day of sea bass season. Call to reserve.

<b>Cape May</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/21:***</b> Blackfishing was weathered out during the weekend on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. Weather was bearing down by this time of year, but Paul’s got bait, and “you never know with these anglers,” he said, because they still might want to try for blackfish, and might be likely to telephone about it, so he plans to sail for the tautog this weekend, if enough anglers want to go. Anglers can telephone the boat Friday and Saturday evenings to see if trips will sail. Forecasts are calling for rain a moment, but if the boat can fish, it will. This weekend will be the final time the boat is slated to sail, before being hauled from the waters to be prepped for this coming season. This might be the last chance to fish aboard for a moment. Trips might resume with striped bass fishing if stripers show up along the ocean front or in Delaware Bay. Or the boat might resume sailing for blackfish on the ocean in April.

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