This report was posted on a Tuesday instead of the usual Monday because of Memorial Day.

<b>Perth Amboy</b>

No fishing sailed on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> in several days, Capt. Frank wrote in an e-mail Sunday. Trips slated to fish those days were rescheduled, and no reason was mentioned, but weather was terrible. Striped bass seemed finished spawning, Frank said, so he expects fishing for them to improve in the next days. Raritan Bay’s fluke fishing was improving daily, he said, and bookings for fluke charters are being accepted. Many of the fish were currently throwbacks, but many sizeable fluke come from the back of the bay in early June. The area began to hold fluke already. Charters and open-boat trips are sailing, and telephone about the open trips. The Vitamin Sea also fishes from Staten Island. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

<b>Keyport</b>

Fluke, including five keepers to a 5-pounder, were rustled up Monday off Sandy Hook with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Nice action, he said, and the anglers – Bob Costello, wife Jill, their 8-year-old son Ian, Lenny, Josh and John – fished with spearing and squid. Weather was beautiful, “was a non-factor,” Joe said, after rough weather through the weekend. Open-boat trips are available in mornings and afternoons daily through the weekend when no charter is booked. Telephone to climb aboard. 

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Striped bass fishing had a short window to catch on Monday’s trip, Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. But the bite turned on, despite strong current. Gene Duda landed a 23-pound striper to win the pool. Several other anglers were hot hands, each reeling in several stripers to 20 pounds. The fishing went well, until a charter boat ran up the stern and through the lines. Catches were slow afterward. Then several more places were fished, and only an occasional bluefish and some fluke bit. On Sunday’s trip, winds blew hard but were fishable. Some big stripers were creamed aboard, “once again,” Ron said. Chris Zotti won the pool with a 24-pounder and was high hook, landing five stripers. Another angler whacked a 22-pounder. The trip’s anglers ended up with a couple of limits. No report was posted for Saturday, maybe because of weather. On Friday’s trip, striper fishing was great in the morning. A good shot of the bass, including many keepers, lit up. Throwbacks gave up action. A 29-pound 42-inch striper, a whopper, was the pool-winner. The angler who won used a rental rod after instruction from Capt. Ron Sr. Ron Sr. was high hook, landing 11 bass. Anglers missed out who didn’t jump aboard because of weather forecasts. Currents ran strong because of the full moon recently. But the tide should back off now, on the down side of the moon. Plenty of stripers were around, and Ron’s looking forward to “more great striper fishing,” he said. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sundays.

After slow fluke fishing during trips from the weekend through Monday morning – apparently because winds cooled waters – the angling turned right around on Monday afternoon’s trip, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. The trip probably shoveled up twice as many keepers as the morning’s, and lots more throwbacks. The trip was able to fish different areas in the bay, catching fluke at them, after fishing aboard Sunday had to stay in one area in the bay, because of winds. Weather was beautiful on the bay on Monday afternoon’s trip, though south winds kept the trip from fishing the ocean. Sometimes trips fished the ocean recently. Fluking was definitely better on Monday afternoon’s trip, and Tom hopes that continues. The angling had slowed after recent winds had blown a moment, cooling the bay to 57 degrees by Sunday morning. That was after fluking last week had been “respectable,” Tom said. Spearing are provided for bait, and Tom suggests anglers buy killies at a tackle shop on the way to trips, if they want to fish with them. The harbor’s tackle shop is closed, and sometimes, not always, killies seemed to catch better. A couple of anglers on one recent trip seemed to catch better on Gulps and killies, and anglers might also want to buy Gulps at a shop to bring aboard. Sinkers and a simple fluke rig that the crew feels works are available on board.  The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m.

<b>Highlands</b>

Striped bass fishing was docked Saturday and Sunday with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, but sailed Thursday and Friday, Capt. Derek said. The angling was supposed to resume Monday aboard, and many boaters were weathered out until then. But on Thursday and Friday with Fisher Price, striper catches slowed a little, because of the full moon, Derek said. But anglers picked away at the fish on every trip aboard during those days on live and chunked bunker. The trips fished Raritan Bay on Thursday and Friday morning, and the ocean Friday evening. They were the first trips that didn’t limit out on the bass in some time aboard, but they all caught stripers, weighing up to 30 pounds. Bluefish were also fought, and even catches of them dropped off compared with before the moon. But Derek expects striper fishing to break wide open again, now that the moon has passed. He’s seeing more bait than ever on both the bay and ocean, and is marking lots of stripers. They just bit less than before the moon. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips are set for the afternoons of Saturday, next week on Thursday, June 6, and Sunday, June 9.

<b>Neptune</b>

<b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> was weathered out through the weekend, Capt. Ralph said. Anglers aboard got into big striped bass on the ocean Wednesday, and good bottom-fishing last week, covered in the last report. Charters are available, and individual-reservation trips for stripers are slated for Monday and June 11 and 18. Individual-rez trips for fluke and sea bass will sail every Tuesday starting June 25, and kids under 12 will sail free, limited to two per adult host.

<b>Belmar</b>

Though the weekend’s weather affected fishing somewhat, seas were less rough within a mile or two from shore than people thought, said Capt. Jared from <b>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b>. Trips sailed the ocean the whole time with Fin-Ominal, and a charter Saturday evening beat the daylights out of striped bass fishing. Striper fishing was tough on a trip Sunday, hooking only two throwbacks. So the trip switched to bottom-fishing, pumping in about 20 keeper sea bass. A charter tried striper fishing Monday morning. But nothing was doing, so the anglers bottom fished, swinging aboard sea bass and fluke, including a big fluke, probably 8 or 9 pounds.  Anglers on these trips just wanted to catch, so they didn’t spend time on stripers if the fish weren’t quick to bite. If anglers were more serious about stripers, they could spend more time on the bass. Another trip was headed out today,  probably to fish for whatever bit best. A pleasure cruise sailed Friday evening, and weather was somewhat rough, but the trip sailed the ocean close to shore to escape winds and rough seas. The 50-foot boat can host small to large groups, up to 23 passengers on cruises and 12 or 13 anglers on fishing trips, for comfort. Cruises can include trips along Shark and Manasquan rivers, the ocean coast, the Manhattan skyline or whatever customers can imagine. In summer, cruises can enjoy weekly fireworks from the ocean.

The <b>Katie H</b> sailed for striped bass on the ocean Sunday, Capt. Mike said. Weather was still breezy, and water temperature had dropped to 51 degrees, because of winds in past days. Striper fishing, on livelined bunker, was slow, and mostly a bunch of bluefish bit. One striper was bagged, and a couple of fish were dropped that were probably stripers. Bluefish kept ripping apart the baits. The bunker, plenty, were caught on the trip for bait. But even they were affected by cooler water. They no longer swam along the water surface, and the trip had to work to catch them. No boaters seemed to catch stripers much that day. Some seemed to land two, three or four, something like that. Colder water, and the full moon, weren’t helping striper fishing, apparently. But the moon now passed, and winds were supposed to blow only 5 or 10 knots Monday, and Wednesday and Thursday are supposed to reach the 80s. The 46-foot Katie H features all the amenities and speed.  

With <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, sea bass fishing was excellent on the ocean, churning up plenty of limits, on a trip Monday, Capt. Pete said. Sea bass catches were also terrific on the last trip for them aboard, last week. A striped bass trip aboard the ocean later Monday was tough so far, when Pete gave this report in a telephone call on land at 5:45 p.m., while the trip sailed. Another captain was at the helm, and bunker were difficult to catch for bait, were scarcer than before. The trip would probably end up trolling. Striper fishing seemed spotty at best for boaters that day. Another sea bass trip was supposed to fish today, and Pete heard that ocean fluke fishing somewhat picked up Saturday. Nothing crazy, he said, and cool waters seemed to make many types of fishing late this year. Charters are fishing, and <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/fishing-reports" target="_blank">subscribe to Parker Pete’s e-mailed newsletter</a> to be kept informed about individual-spaces available on charters and for the latest fishing reports. Click on that link to Parker Pete’s fishing reports online, and newsletter sign up can be found on the right side of the page. Or go to the site’s Contact page, and e-mail, asking to subscribe.

Neither wind nor rain will keep a good boat down, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an e-mail Sunday. A couple of Belmar’s party boats fished that day, reportedly scoring top-notch catches of fluke and sea bass. In a surf-fishing tournament between clubs from Monmouth Beach, Asbury Park, Bradley Beach and Berkeley Township, the anglers from Asbury Park won, and Berkeley came in second. Chris Buchta from Asbury beached the contest’s biggest striper, a 36-pound 8-ouncer. In another tournament between clubs from Asbury and Shark River, the anglers from Shark River won.

Conditions were tough for fishing, going into the weekend, with strong winds and rains, a report on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>’s Web site said. Winds still blew 30 knots on Saturday’s trip, making fishing difficult, but lots of striped bass were seen on the ocean, and a 40-pounder was the pool-winner. Sunday’s trip took a 30-mile run to jig bluefish, picking at them in the morning, but the angling was slow in the afternoon. New engines installed this winter gave the speed to reach the distance. Striper fishing was slow that day, Sunday, and boat traffic might’ve been the reason. Sunday night’s bluefish trip was successful, picking at large ones the whole time on the ocean. Winds had stopped blowing, but Friday and Saturday nights’ bluefish trips were weathered out. The Golden Eagle is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for bluefish 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fridays through Sundays.

<b>Brielle</b>

Sea bass fishing was very good on the ocean the past three days aboard, Capt. Joe from the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> wrote in an e-mail Sunday. Some anglers limited out, and all “(went) home with nice bags of fillets,” he said. Sea bass trips were slated to sail through Monday, and combo fluke and sea bass trips were set to begin today, running twice daily at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. All Day Fluke and Sea Bass Trips will now sail every Monday at 7:30 a.m.

Boaters picked away at striped bass on the ocean before weather kept most from sailing, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Surf anglers seemed to pick stripers, including through weather during the weekend. A 15-pounder was weighed in. Bluefish sometimes barreled into the surf. Surf anglers hooked both stripers and blues on pencil-popper lures. Manasquan River, not the ocean, was the only place that served up fluke locally, really. The fishing was good or decent, and a Gulp on a jighead was all that was needed to catch them. Fluke jigheads designed by the shop for Gulp soft-plastic lures were recently introduced, featuring a head shaped for Gulps, a coil to hold them on, and colors that match all Gulp colors. Blues, stripers and weakfish also swam the river. Customers talked about scoring sea bass on the ocean on the party boat Jamaica II from Brielle. One jigged his limit. Dave sailed on a cod trip that caught well Tuesday on the ocean. He landed four keepers to a 22-pounder he jigged.  Good-sized ling were mixed in on the trip.  One space remained for a tilefish trip for beginners that Dave booked on the party boat Voyager from Point Pleasant Beach. Set for next Tuesday to Wednesday, the trip is limited to 21 passengers, and includes a free seminar at the store on the fishing Sunday. Anglers can call or stop in the shop for details or to sign up. Dave is an avid tilefisher, and introduced probably the first-ever off-the-rack tilefish rod this past year. Stop at the store to sign up for the Garden State Surf Classic tournament Friday to Sunday, June 7 to 9. Prizes for the largest stripers will be a Van Staal reel for first place, a Century Sling Shot rod for second and a Reel Seat gift certificate and a subscription to On the Water magazine for third. For the largest bluefish, a Reel Seat Gift Certificate and an On the Water subscription will be awarded. Entry is $10 and includes a T-shirt and refreshments outside the store the final day, when prizes will be awarded.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

A combo striped bass/sea bass trip sailed with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, a report on Andrea’s Toy’s Web site said early Monday morning. In pea-soup fog, the trip caught bunker for bait, and the plan was to head north. But a drift for stripers was taken instead, and the anglers went 1 for 2 on the fish. The crew looked for more fish, made a drift, and another striper was bagged. “Decided to head deeper,” the report said, “(and) found a nice herd of cows.” The anglers went 3 for 6 on stripers that blew up the baits beside the boat. By now, all the anglers had tackled a striper, fish that weighed up to 38 pounds. So the trip went sea bassing, grabbing two-dozen keepers, releasing twice as many throwbacks. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up, and more variety for dinner. 

Excellent sea bass fishing was smashed Monday on the ocean with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b>, Alan, the boat’s owner, wrote in an e-mail. The anglers easily limited out by lunchtime on good-sized sea bass to 6 pounds on bait and jigs. Most snags fished held sea bass, but dog sharks were a nuisance on some. At spots where dogs were less abundant, sea bass fishing was drop and reel. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures. 

On the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, fishing was weathered out Saturday, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. On Sunday morning’s fluke trip, catches were a little slow, but fluking totally turned around on the afternoon’s trip. Lots of action, with both throwbacks and keepers, was crushed on every drift. A 4-pound fluke was the pool-winner, and pink or white feathers and Gulps bagged the most keepers. On a bluefish trip Sunday night, a handful of blues were managed, but catches were slow. Maybe that was because waters cooled since a trip caught them the previous weekend. On the recent trip, blues were even seen swimming along the surface, but were difficult to get to bite. The Norma-K III is fishing for fluke on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. and for bluefish 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Fishing began for the year on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. Winds kept a trip from sailing Saturday, but trips sailed Sunday and Monday, Memorial Day, for bluefish. None was caught … “yet,” the report said. Lots of bait was marked, and trips will bluefish again starting this weekend. “Hoping for the big blues to come in soon,” the report said. Beginning Saturday, the Miss Barnegat Light will sail for bluefish at 8 a.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays. 

<b>Mystic Island</b>

For anyone who caught fish, “boy did you earn it,” Chris from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s Web site. Winds blew 25 to 35 knots from northwest. “It was not fun on the water,” he said. From the few who fished, reports sounded like winds made the bay murky, turning off fishing a little. Lots of bluefish schooled Grassy Channel. A 3-pound summer flounder was weighed in from the clam stakes. Blowfishing began to slow down in the bay, but the puffers still hovered in the waters. Sharks and skates gathered around Little Egg Inlet. Sea bass fishing was good at ocean wrecks.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Charlie Michalek won the shop’s bounty Monday for the season’s first striped bass 43 inches or larger beached from Brigantine’s surf, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. He met the store’s owner, Capt. Andy Grossman, at the door at 5 a.m., when Andy arrived, with a 46-inch 32-pound 6-ouncer, winning $2,005. A large school of bunker had moved in, and rods started bending, when Charlie banked the fish, reportedly. Entry for the bounty was $5, and all the money was paid to the winner. Nobody won the bounty last fall, so it was rolled over to this spring. <a href=" http://riptidebaitandtackle.com/articles.php?category_id=6" target="_blank">Click here</a> for more reports.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Mike Spaeder and son Mike aboard Sunday morning walloped a bunch of blues, on every cast a while, some summer flounder and two large weakfish, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The fishing included double-headers, and they fished the back bay. The weaks weighed 5 ½ and almost 8 pounds. All the trip’s fish were clocked on soft-plastic lures on jigheads. Trips had to adjust to strong winds through the weekend, but the fish were there. On Saturday, Kevin McCarthy, son Zach, buddy Chris and his son Benji were able to fish the bay a couple of hours aboard, before winds became horrendous, and the trip returned to port. They pulled in flounder, including three keepers to 20 inches, on a three-way-swivel rig. The rig had a bucktail with Gulp on bottom and a minnow on a plain hook on a trailer above. Joe’s trips should also be able to land striped bass on popper plugs and popper flies on the bay now. Waters are warm enough, and the fishing is a specialty for Joe, and bluefish already smacked poppers in the bay on his trips. Inshore shark trips usually begin fishing aboard in late June or early July on the ocean. The angling is a chance to fight big fish without the long trek offshore. Joe’s new boat he’s adding to his fleet, a 24-foot custom center console that Eastern Boat Works is building, will arrive in a couple of weeks. The vessel will feature everything Joe wants for his fishing, and nothing he doesn’t, and will be fished on the ocean close to shore, including for the sharks. Joe also runs a flats boat on the bay and a couple of larger boats for offshore tuna and other big game. 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 fishing remained good on Delaware Bay, and catches included large ones, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>. The boat kept fishing for them on the New Jersey side, after sailing for them on the Delaware side previously. A trip attempted to fish for drum aboard Sunday morning, but conditions were nasty, because winds blew against tide. So the trip tried fishing a wreck, but out-of-season blackfish bit that had to be thrown back. Winds also blew against tide when a trip would’ve begun Sunday afternoon, and the fishing was cancelled. Charters are fishing, and open-boat trips are sailing, including this week. Sign up for the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on Down Deep’s Web site for dates for open-boat trips for drum and sea bass.

Fifteen drum were plowed from Delaware Bay on Sunday with George Parker’s family on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. One of the fish weighed 85 pounds, and more could’ve been caught if wanted. Drum fishing was very good, and Parker’s grandson Brandon, 11, landed three. George Parker Jr., Morgan, George Sr.’s brother Brian, and Mike were also aboard, and the charter fished on the Jersey side of the bay. The trip departed at 11 a.m., and seas were somewhat bumpy but improved throughout the day, and the trip left for port before sunset. George thought no boats drum fished Saturday in rough seas. He thought some fished Friday morning, departing very early, but that seas became rough afterward that day. Anglers aboard were supposed to sea bass fish on the ocean Monday. George heard nothing about summer flounder. Telephone if interested in any of this fishing.

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