<b>Staten Island</b>

Sailing from Sewaren, sea bass fishing was phenomenal Sunday on the ocean with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Outcast also sails from the New Jersey port, including so anglers can follow the state’s fishing regulations, like for sea bass. The trip, fishing in 65 feet, limited out on sea bass, including big, in no time, around 11:30 a.m. A few ling were mixed in, and fishing wasn’t so good on a striped bass trip Monday on Raritan Bay from Staten Island. Three stripers 17 to 20 pounds and a bunch of bluefish were cranked aboard on livelined and chunked bunker. Another trip will fish for stripers tonight on the bay. 

<b>Perth Amboy</b>

A few striped bass were boated from Raritan Bay on Monday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, but bluefishing was fantastic on the trip, Capt. Frank wrote in an e-mail. The anglers wanted action, and got it, he said. The ocean only gave up a few stripers, so Raritan Bay was the place to catch them. The bay’s fluke fishing keeps improving, and is very good, when conditions are right. None was huge, but 5- and 6-pounders were clocked. Bait and bucktails caught fluke equally. Charters are fishing, and open-boat fluke trips will be launched next week, sailing Tuesdays through Thursdays, with a minimum of four anglers. Telephone if interested. An open striper trip would sail today. Vitamin Sea also fishes from Staten Island. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

<b>Keyport</b>

With <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, fluke were rustled up off Sandy Hook on Monday, Capt. Joe said. That was covered in the last report, and two spaces are available for an open-boat trip 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, probably for bluefish. Trips now are generally fishing for fluke or blues, either a combo or one of the fish. Three spaces are available for an open trip for fluke 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Open trips are available 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 9 p.m. daily when no charter is booked. Telephone to climb aboard.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

“I know stripers were clammed and bunkered (Wednesday),” Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b> said. Stripers have also been caught “along the beach,” he said. Fluke were angled, including good catches from the river. Bluefish swam everywhere. Sea bass and ling were boated along the ocean rough bottom. “Looks good for the weekend,” he said, and all baits are stocked.

Quality fish, to say the least, Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> wrote about Tuesday’s striped bass trip in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Good striper fishing lit up in the morning, like recently. The bass to 24 pounds were squashed, and one was lost near the boat that would’ve topped 30. At the change of tide, the trip was moved around, and sharks bit, no matter the location. Ron made a last ditch move at the end of the trip, and was glad he did. Three great stripers, he said, including the 24-pound pool-winner, were socked.  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.

Just a few people joined Tuesday morning’s fluke trip on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, but all bagged at least one keeper apiece, and one bagged four, Capt. Tom said. Action with throwbacks was pretty good, and fluking was slower on the afternoon’s trip, also with a few anglers. Crazy how the catches turned around, Tom said, and half as many keepers were boxed as in the morning, and fewer throwbacks chewed. Only a few anglers showed up for this morning’s trip, surprising considering good weather. The fishing was off to a good start, Tom said in a phone call aboard at 9:30 a.m., when he gave this report. Fluking wasn’t bad on the first two drifts, and a couple of better-sized ones, maybe 4 or 4 ½ pounds, were boated. The trip fished the bay, but at different areas than on Wednesday. When fluking slowed Wednesday afternoon, different areas were fished on the bay than before, and some produced, and others didn’t.  The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily. <b>***Update, Monday, 6/3:***</b> On this morning’s trip, a keeper was boated here and there, and one angler who fished hard bagged three, Tom said. Throwbacks were hooked and released, of course. On the afternoon’s trip, also with just a few anglers, fluking was better, because of conditions “or whatever,” he said. Almost everybody bagged a keeper, except one person, Tom thought, and one customer limited out on five, and bagged a weakfish. Another bagged three fluke, and some of the trip’s fish were a little larger than before, and a 4-1/2-pound fluke was the pool-winner. On both trips, anglers who fished harder, caught more. After this day, goes to show, Tom said, that morning trips could fish better, or afternoons could.

<b>Highlands</b>

On Raritan Bay and at the mouth of the bay, striped bass fishing slowed a little for <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, and some trips caught better than others, Capt. Derek said. Fourteen were bagged on Wednesday morning’s trip, and four were bagged on the afternoon’s. But stripers to 25 and 30 pounds were eased aboard trips, fishing with chunked and livelined bunker. The bait that worked best was “a little different every day,” he said. Trips moved around to catch, and lots of stripers and bait was marked. The angling was a matter of when the bass “want to eat,” he said. Bluefish 2 to 12 pounds were also fought, and in certain areas had to be weeded through to land stripers. A couple of dates are available for charters in the next month, and some afternoons and mornings are available for charters. No space is available for open-boat trips in the next days, but open trips will sail when possible. Telephone to be kept informed about the schedule. 

Sailing from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Anthony Pennimede and Les boated striped bass and bluefish near Old Orchard Lighthouse on bunker, Marion said. Ed and Tony on the Hammerhead tied into five keeper fluke at Flynn’s Knoll on Gulp, killies and squid.  Weather blew out fishing during this Memorial Day weekend, but weather improved on Monday, the holiday. Live bunker ran out but will be re-stocked. Plumbing for the bunker tank was finally repaired after the hurricane. Bushels of fresh clams are available. Killies are carried, and frozen baits stocked include quarts and pints of salted clams, spearing, Peruvian smelts, the different types of squid, and scented shedder crab. Twin Lights includes a marina, including boat slips and rack space, a bait and tackle shop, ship supplies and a fuel dock.

<b>Neptune</b>

Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> delivered the Last Lady to Baltimore on Wednesday, selling the boat Saturday, he wrote in an e-mail. “A sad day, but also a good day,” he said. He had lots of memories from the vessel. But the Last Lady II is available for fishing on morning and afternoon charters daily. Trips for striped bass, fluke, sea bass and other wreck fish were productive. Time to think about a cod charter. Cod are here now, he said. An individual-reservation trip for cod, pollock and hake is scheduled for 2 a.m. June 19.  Mako shark fishing will turn on soon locally, and already gave up some to the south and at canyons offshore, and book a charter. An individual-reservation trip for stripers will run June 18. Individual-rez trips for fluke and sea bass will sail every Tuesday starting June 25, and kids will sail free, limited to two per adult host. “Book now – still have some choice dates,” Ralph concluded.

<b>Belmar</b>

Fishing for fluke was good on the ocean on the party boat  <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. Trips will try to concentrate on that, and mostly spinners hooked the fish, and Gulps for bait caught best. Customers dunked rigs with a bucktail and a trailer or high-low rigs. The Big Mohawk is fishing for fluke 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Weather kept Wednesday’s trip docked on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, and Tuesday’s trip was able to pick 8- to 12-pound blues from the ocean, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. Bait and jigs caught them, “but the striper front was quiet,” it said. Weather looks like warm, sunny days into next week. “I think that will put more effort into bluefishing … until something changes on the striper front,” the report said. The captain apparently wrote that. 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.

Some striped bass and 3- to 4-pound blues were belted from the ocean to the north during the weekend on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an e-mail from the boat said. “The latter part of the weekend it lasted about an hour and a half, and it changed with the tide,” it said. The fish were beaned on Krocodile spoons and Ava 47 jigs, and Steve Polidore, Chester Springs, Pa., won Saturday’s pool with a 22-pound striper. Danny Ilis, Edison, N.J., won Sunday’s pool with a 28-pound striper. On Tuesday’s trip, jumbo blues to 12 pounds were beaten at Shrewsbury Rocks on the same spoons and jigs and bunker. Bunker were snagged for bait among acres and acres of the baitfish before the trip sailed to the Rocks, and Van Stephens, Newark, N.J., won the pool with a 13-pound blue. On Wednesday’s trip, the boat was sailed north again, and bunker were easy to catch for bait. But nothing much went on with fishing. Lester Teter, Orwigsburg, Pa., won the pool with a 12-pound blue. The Miss Belmar Princess is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 .m. daily and, starting Friday, for blues 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily. Starting Saturday, the <b>Royal Miss Belmar</b> will fish for fluke and sea bass 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily. <b>***Update, Saturday, 6/1:***</b> Fishing was excellent Friday aboard, an e-mail from the boat said. Fish – apparently bluefish, because photos in the e-mail all showed blues, though the e-mail’s wording didn’t specify the species caught – were hooked the entire trip. Enrico Vescovi, Hamilton Square, N.J., won the pool with a 5-pound blue. The trip’s fish were jigged at different areas, on the ocean to the north, on long drifts, where schools were marked. All anglers limited out, and Ava 27 and 47 jigs, both with tails and without, and Krocodile spoons caught great.

Not so many striped bass were weighed in this week, Bob from <b>Fishermen’s Den</b> wrote in an e-mail. But Harry Oliver, Perkasie, Pa., checked in a 48-pounder he boated on the Heidi Lynn from Belmar on a livelined bunker. That was the biggest bass at the shop during the week. Surf fishing for stripers seemed a little shower than before. Marty Westerfield plugged an 18-pounder and clammed several smaller stripers from the beach.  Lots of fluke and sea bass were flung aboard from the ocean on Belmar’s boats. Several sea bass topping 4 pounds were iced on one of the port’s party boats Wednesday. Shark River gave up abundant fluke, kingfish and blowfish. The store’s rental boats are available to fish the river. <b>***Update, Saturday, 6/1:***</b> Stripers “hit the beach” at Deal Friday evening, Bob wrote in an e-mail. “Usual mob scene,” he said, and Rick Bell from Pennsylvania checked in a 32-pounder from the fishing.

A dozen keeper fluke were part of the catch Monday from the ocean with <b>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Jared said. One was enormous. “Wow! As big as the net,” he said. The fish wasn’t weighed, but probably was 8 or 9 pounds and 27 or 28 inches. Lots of throwback fluke were let go, and quite a few keeper sea bass, probably 18 or 20, were swung in. The trip fished for striped bass two hours in the morning, and not one showed up. So the trip switched to the other fishing, and the anglers were very happy, Jared said. Twelve people joined the trip, and 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. Pleasure cruises also sail, and 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.

Bottom-fishing and more bottom-fishing, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. The angling on the ocean rustled up consistent catches: sea bass and some ling and cod. When southerly winds blew, catches seemed to slow a little, but by the end of trips, good catches were put together. Fluke fishing was hit or miss on the ocean, because water temperatures fluctuated. Fluke were hung on some days, including a few when a bottom trip aboard drifted for sea bass the other day. Striped bass fishing was very slow on the ocean, for a number of reasons, including dropped water temperatures since the weekend’s rough weather, the full moon around then, scarce bunker within 3 miles from the coast, where striper fishing is open, “and the list goes on,” Pete said. A few stripers caught Wednesday morning were heard about, but the angling’s been tough at best. Air temperatures are rising, but south winds that cool the ocean continue, so who knows how long the waters will remain in the low 50s? Pete asked. But bottom-fishing is good. 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.

<b>Brielle</b>

<b>***Update, Saturday, 6/1:***</b> Big bluefish served up good action from the ocean on Friday’s trip, an e-mail from the party boat <b>Big Jamaica</b> said. Striped bass “did not want to cooperate,” it said, but blues did. Ryan Eschback, Pennburg, Pa., won the pool with a 17.7-pound blue. Trips are fishing twice daily at 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Ocean striped bass fishing became very slow since the weekend’s storm that turned the waters cold, said Capt. Fred from <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>. So trips were put on hold a couple of days, but would resume today. Striper fishing should bounce back as water temps rebound, and Fred felt that could start happening today. Still, good catches of sea bass and fluke could be nailed from the ocean, and trips aboard are fishing for a mixed-bag of stripers and those bottom-fish, so a good catch should be made one way or another. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up, and more variety for dinner. Charters will fish for that mixed-bag another couple of weeks. Then both charters and open-boat trips will push farther out, like every year, to the mid-shore ocean. A mixed bag of sharks, tuna, cod and pollock will be targeted. The outings are one of the great adventures aboard, and telephone Andrea’s Toy to find out about them. A little later in the year, overnight charters and open trips will sail even farther out, for a mixed-bag that can include tuna, sharks, swordfish, mahi mahi and tilefish at the offshore canyons along the Continental Shelf.

Fluke fishing, on the ocean, began during the weekend on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said. Striped bass trips are still sailing Thursday through Saturday nights. Weather was crummy for fluke fishing Saturday, so the angling was tough. But the fluking was actually decent aboard Sunday and Monday, Memorial Day. Lots of throwbacks gave up action, but a decent percentage of fluke hooked were keepers. Some anglers bagged two or three, and high hooks bagged four. Pool-winning fluke weighed about 5 pounds. When winds and currents drifted the boat, that helped. Wednesday’s trip drifted slowly, but managed to catch some. One customer that day cast a bucktail, working it back to the boat, landing three keepers. A few sea bass, not many, were mixed in on trips. Weather was too rough for last weekend’s striper trips to sail. But Bob hopes this weekend’s striper trips, aiming to fish bunker schools, get out. The Gambler is fluke fishing 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily and is striped bass fishing 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. daily.

Bottom-fishing was picking up on the ocean on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. A mix of sea bass and ling were scooped aboard, and most anglers bagged 10 to 20 fish apiece. Some nabbed up to 30, “when you throw in ling,” Butch said. Sea bass hooked included throwbacks but sometimes good-sized fish, too. Trips fished shallow in 55 to 85 feet, and pesky dog sharks were usually abundant deeper. Waters were cold or 49 to 52 degrees, different every day. Action was becoming better, Butch said, “and why don’t you grab a pole and come out fishing?” The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Nighttime bluefish trips will probably be added in two weekends, probably sailing Friday and Saturday nights at first, and every night starting the first weekend in July.

<b>Toms River</b>

The ocean’s striped bass fishing was slow since the weekend, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Whether colder waters or the weekend’s full moon or something else was the reason couldn’t be known. A few kayakers hooked the fish. Surf anglers banked stripers and blues, mostly on bait or clams and bunker. A few were honked on swimming lures or popper plugs, but waters were chilly for them. Blowfish and a few kingfish nibbled in the surf. Blues and stripers were wrestled on poppers and swimmers on Toms River at Island Heights. But bunker caught lots. Angling for both was decent on Barnegat Bay near Dock Outfitters. Farther south on the bay, bluefish were trolled, and blowfish were boated toward the BI marker. A few weakfish were picked from the bay toward Forked River nuclear plant and Berkeley Island Park. Somewhat of a mixed bag came from the area. Little was heard about the bay’s fluke fishing, and participation was slow. But some were picked at the BI and BB markers and Oyster Creek Channel. Live bait or killies netted them a bit better than frozen bait. One customer found a couple of soft-shelled crabs in his pot. For Dennis in his pots, crabbing became slow, not as good as it should be, because of cooler waters this year, he thought. But waters also cooled recently, so though a few crabs had begun to be trapped, that tailed off. Dennis previously had begun to trap eels in an eel pot, too. But that stopped, apparently because of cooler waters. 

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Fishing stayed about the same, except was a little slower than before, said John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Striped bass and bluefish were zapped from the surf on clams and bunker. Lures didn’t often catch them, surprisingly. Good-sized blowfish were toggled in from the surf on strips of clam. Fishing on Barnegat Bay was actually a little better than in the surf, John said, for a mixed bag: stripers and blowfish on bunker and clams, and blues on metal and poppers, along the flats. Not much was heard about fluke. The shop wasn’t a good barometer, John said, for crabbing, because few people headed out on the store’s rental boats this weekend. He wasn’t asked why, but weather was horrendous. Plus, the shop’s docks were destroyed in the hurricane, and are being rebuilt. They were unavailable for crabbing. Crabbers began to pick the blueclaws in overnight pots, John thought. But feedback wasn’t heard about crabbing from docks and bulkheads. The Dock Outfitters features bait and tackle, docks to fish and crab from, once the docks are repaired since the hurricane, and boat and jet ski rentals. The end of June is the target date to complete the docks.

<b>Forked River</b>

Lots of blowfish hovered anyplace within a mile of the BI marker on Barnegat Bay, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Fluke were boated from the bay between the BI and BB and at Oyster Creek and Double Creek channels. One boater caught fluke at the Tire Reef on the ocean when trying for sea bass. Sea bass were snatched from ocean wrecks. Back on the bay, striped bass were clammed at Oyster Creek Channel. Back on the ocean, stripers were livelined on bunker, when bunker could be found to snag for bait, and were trolled on bunker spoons or umbrella rigs. On the bay again, bluefish swam everywhere, and a few weakfish were wrangled up. A little of everything bit in the bay. Crabs just started to be trapped, or crabbing was fair. Fresh clams, killies and frozen baits like spearing and sand eels, “all that good (stuff),” is stocked, Grizz said.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

A trip was supposed to sail for bluefish on the ocean Wednesday, but wreck-fished instead, on the <b>Super Chic</b>, Capt. Ted said. The ocean was cold, so no good bluefishing was around. But wreck-fishing was good on the ocean, piling up sea bass, ling and a couple of cod on the trip, and has been “consistent,” Ted said. Waters were 55 ½ degrees in 80 and 90 feet, where the trip fished, 15 miles from shore. The temp would normally be in the low 60s. Water temps dropped from the weekend’s storm, and with frequent south winds lately, the ocean wasn’t going to warm soon. A trip today was supposed to sail for blues, but would probably wreck-fish, instead.  The 56-foot boat can accommodate up to 25 anglers on inshore trips and 10 on overnight, offshore trips. The vessel sleeps 10 passengers.

Many striped bass were cracked on the shop’s livelined spots on Barnegat Bay the last two days, said Vince Sr. from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. Nothing really happened with ocean striper fishing. Boaters trolled bunker spoons for the bass on the ocean, but not a lot of bunker schooled, though some were seen today. Sea bass fishing was “crazy” on the ocean, Vince said. A bunch of bluefish schooled the bay. Not a lot of fluke were lifted in, but when one was, it was often better-sized, a keeper. Nobody really crabbed or clammed locally. But clamming should be good, Vince would think. Bobbie’s features rental boats and kayaks. The boats are used for fishing, crabbing and clamming. The season is early, or waters are cold, for crabbing locally. Though clamming on the boats in the bay is more common later in the season, the clamming is completely possible now. Bobbie’s also features a bait and tackle store and a fuel dock, and is known for a large bait selection. Live spots are stocked, already mentioned, and fresh clams are on hand. The supplier’s been unable to provide killies, scarce currently. All frozen baits like spearing and mullet are in, and live grass shrimp usually begin to be stocked in July.

<b>Surf City</b>

More and more keeper striped bass were tugged from the surf, said Sue from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. So that was good, and a 40-pound 14-ouncer was weighed in this week. Fresh bunker seemed best for bait at the moment, and outgoing tides especially gave up catches. But surf casters sometimes used fresh clams or a combo of bunker and clam on a high-low rig. Cocktail blues tumbled into the surf, and plenty of skates and dog sharks littered the waters. Good-sized fluke were slid from the surf during the weekend at times. Bucktails with teasers and Gulps could be fished for the summer flounder. Blowfish, lots, were boated on the bay, and were sometimes angled from places like piers from the bay. Fresh clams and bunker are stocked.  No killies are carried, because the livewell needs to be repaired since the hurricane. Killies were also scarce, Sue knew.  The store’s annual, <b><i>Free Surf Fishing Seminars</i></b> will be held once again this season. Held in the parking lot, they feature experts talking about how to catch what’s biting currently. Bring a beach chair, and the starting date will be announced soon. When the season gets rolling, keep up with the news in <a href="http://www.surfcitybaitandtackle.com/" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s fishing reports</a> on the shop’s Web site. 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>

Photos of summer flounder and reports about them caught started to roll in, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The catching was happening again, mostly on the Mystic Island side of the Fish Factory, after the weekend was a washout, because of weather. Waters had become churned up, but fair flounder fishing was copped Monday, Memorial Day, in improved weather. Some trips totaled nine keeper flounder, a good catch. Shad darts and small Spro jigs or bucktails worked. Minnows and squid hooked up, and lots of spearing began to be sold again for flounder bait. That was great, because that meant the angling was on. Bluefish 1 ½ pounds will keep schooling Great Bay. They can pop up randomly, and need to be found. Not a lot of boaters managed to fish for striped bass on the ocean, because of weather. So they also didn’t sail for sea bass, though good sea bassing was available, guaranteed. Crabbing began to come on. Fresh, shucked clams are stocked, and bloodworms will arrive Friday. Minnows are stocked, but will probably run out during the weekend sometime. The baitfish are scarce, and Scott could only net three quarts today, working hard for them, and he knows what he’s doing. But live grass shrimp are completely stocked, and every place the store keeps them is full. Scott’s been able to net lots. 

<b>Absecon</b>

The back bay’s fishing was about as good as ever, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Summer flounder blanketed the bay nearly everywhere, and the couple of better-weather days this week picked up fishing for them more than ever this season. Weakfish also swam the bay, and striped bass held mostly “along the beach,” Dave said. He was busy, “which is a good thing,” he said, so he couldn’t say more. “Just give everybody a big thumbs up (about fishing),” he said. However, Dave on his Facebook page wrote about shedder crabs arriving for bait at the store for the first time this season, and soft-shell crabs starting to be sold for eating at the shop for the first time this year. The crabs are raised at the store, and see <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SoftshellCrabs" target="_blank">Absecon Bay Sportsman Center’s Softshell Crab Facebook Page</a>.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Surf anglers still clubbed striped bass, good catches, said Fred from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Mike Lerario weighed in a 25-pounder, his first-ever from the beach, today, clamming the fish. Surf catches also included kingfish and blues. Justin Gordon, 7, weighed in a 4-pound summer flounder. Fred was unsure about the location of the catch, but Justin and mom drove up in a four-wheeler, so the fluke seemed likely beached from the surf, maybe at the cove. Brigantine’s north beach was closed Wednesday afternoon and today for beach replenishment, but is supposed to be reopened at 1 p.m. Friday. Fresh clams and bloodworms are stocked, and fresh bunker is hoped to be stocked for the weekend.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

For anglers on foot, nearby Absecon Inlet was loaded with kingfish, big numbers, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. They bloodwormed 15 to 22 apiece. A few croakers, spotty numbers, not many, swam the inlet in past days. Summer flounder, very good catches, were wrenched from the inlet at Massachusetts and Vermont avenues and the T-jetty. The inlet is lined with jetties, attractive to fish. Minnows and squid caught the flounder. Striped bass and weakfish were plumbed from the inlet at night on lures, anything pink, and clams, bunker and bloodworms. A few especially large stripers were weighed in last week. See photos on the shop’s Facebook page. Fishing was really good at the inlet, and bluefish swam the back bay. Baits stocked include fresh clams, fresh bunker, minnows, bloodworms and frozen sand eels, herring, peanut bunker, spearing, mackerel fillets, mullet fillets, boxed squid, scented squid strips, unscented squid strips, trolling squid, tube squid, chicken necks and more. 

<b>Margate</b>

After the weekend’s weather, dirtying waters, summer flounder fishing was somewhat affected on the back bay aboard, said Capt. John from the party boat <b>Keeper</b>. But the flatfish were still caught on every trip, and the angling will probably continue to improve in better weather now. Not as many keepers were hooked as before, or more throwbacks were than previously, but better-sized keepers were in the mix. Bluefish were fought here and there, and lots of blowfish were angled. No weakfish were decked since last week’s report, though they were previously, and weaks were currently known to be around. Minnows began to catch better than before, and mackerel and Gulps hooked up. Minnows and mackerel are supplied on trips, and minnows seemed scarce around the state, but were able to be kept on the boat so far. The Keeper is fishing for summer flounder 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. daily. Prices are great, because the pontoon boat is economical on fuel, and the fishing on the bay is close to port. Trips are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for kids.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Typical places gave up good catches of summer flounder on the back bay, including off 15th Street, along Rainbow Channel and off Kennedy Park, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. A few weakfish, not a lot, were plucked from the bay, mostly on jigheads with soft-plastic lures like Zooms, Fin-S Fish and Z-Mans. Cast the lures and let them swing slowly along bottom across current. Striped bass were sometimes beached from the surf, mostly at Corson’s Inlet, the south end of the island. A 34-pounder was weighed in from the south end.  But a few stripers came from along the island’s north end surf. Not many stripers were talked about from the back bay. A few anglers plugged small stripers along sod banks at night. Kingfish began to appear in the surf somewhat more frequently than before, and a few blowfish hovered in the surf. Fewer bluefish were heard about than before. The ones caught were reported from Corson’s and along bridges. Customers began to gear up for shark fishing for Cape May shark tournaments the next couple of weekends. That was the season’s first activity from offshore anglers. Fresh clams, fresh bunker and bloodworms are stocked.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 5/31:***</b> Summer flounder, plenty, paved the back bay, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Not a lot of large ones were known about, but a healthy number were keepers. Plenty of weakfish swam the bay, and blues were mixed in with catches from the bay. Surf fishing for striped bass seemed to slow a little, but quite a few were beached for the time of year. Many surf anglers switched to fishing for kingfish, dunking bloodworms, hooking kings, spots and even croakers that were heard about. Mike wouldn’t say sea bass fishing was good on the ocean, but sea bass were boated. Sharks seemed around in the ocean. Crabs apparently shed recently, so crabbing slowed, but the blueclaws began to be trapped again. Fresh clams, minnows, bloodworms and the different frozen baits are stocked. Shedder crabs are trying to be carried.

John Doorly and family pumped in lots of summer flounder, including several keepers to 20 inches, a 5-1/2-pound weakfish and a few blues aboard the back bay Monday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. On Tuesday, Rich Linus and Ryan Whitney pasted flounder to 19 inches and a couple of blues from the bay. Rick Hogan on Wednesday climbed aboard so son Josh, 6, could catch a fish. Josh landed his first-ever: a flounder and a blue from the bay. Each trip mostly fished a three-way-swivel rig with a bucktail with a Gulp on bottom and a minnow on a plain hook on a trailer above. But Joe’s trips still caught all these fish, and striped bass, on soft-plastic lures on jigheads on the bay, like before. He mostly fishes the jigheads early in the season, switching to the rigs once flounder season is opened. Stripers should also smack popper lures and flies on the bay, a specialty for Joe. Waters were warm enough, and bluefish already smashed poppers aboard this season. Joe’s new boat, a 24-foot custom center console that Eastern Boat Works is building, should arrive in two weekends. He runs several boats, from a flats boat on the bay to large vessels offshore for big game. Inshore sharks trips on the ocean, beginning in late June or early July, are one of the trips that will fish on the new vessel. The trips are a chance to fight big fish without the long trek offshore. The new boat will feature everything Joe wants for his fishing, and nothing he doesn’t. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>. For those who know Joe, check out the blog post about nominations for the Top 50 Captains from Saltwater Sportsman magazine. If you think Joe deserves a chance, nominate him.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Weather during the weekend churned up the back bay, so summer flounder fishing became very slow in the waters, said Fred from <b>No Bones Bait & Tackle</b>. That should improve every day, and the fishing was good previously. Strong northwest winds for three days shoved the bay’s waters out, around the weekend. Tides became the lowest boaters from the dock saw in 30 years, and all boats sat on ground.  Low tides like that expose the bars, and waves break them down, muddying the waters. Fred couldn’t see 2 inches down into the waters, and when anglers can’t see, fish can’t see, and fishing drops off. During northeast winds the opposite happens: Winds push waters into the bay, and not all of that water can flush out on outgoing tides, because of the winds. So tides become higher in the bay. On to the other fishing, occasional bluefish were around. Fred keeps telling anglers weakfish are “back,” he said, and he and a buddy fished Hereford Inlet, landing 20 weaks to 28 inches in an hour on pink Zooms on bucktails. Both anglers hooked the trout on the first cast. Kingfish swam the inlet, and striped bass could still be beached from the surf. Many of the hardcore anglers stopped fishing the beach, because beach buggy access was closed for the season. But if anglers felt like lugging tackle on foot, they could find stripers. Farther south, drum fishing was good on Delaware Bay. A friend’s trip Wednesday evening got tired of pulling them in after three hours. Baits stocked include frozen quarts and pints of salted clams, bulk bags of clam bellies, mullet, herring, mackerel and all the usual. Minnows aren’t stocked, because they’re scarce, but that should change.

<b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b> was opened for the first time this season during the weekend, Mike said. Was a good opening day, he said, but winds that blew terribly killed fishing since then. That made waters filthy, slowing summer flounder catches on the back bay. But now weather “flattened out,” he said, and flounder catches were slowly rebounding. The weakfish population was strong in the bay, and a 10-pound bluefish was tackled from the waters. That was a big blue, and nobody really targeted blues, but when anglers ran into them, they couldn’t get away from them. Canal Side rents boats for fishing and crabbing and stocks the full supply of bait and tackle in season. The store will be open Saturday through Monday and will probably be open Wednesdays through Sundays starting next week, until the doors will be open daily later in the season. Not all baits are stocked yet. Minnows are scarce locally, but 6 gallons are expected to arrive today from Virginia. Beautiful frozen spearing, Mike said, are expected probably by Friday from Virginia. Crabs for eating are sold when available, and aren’t available yet. Some are being caught, but the blueclaws aren’t potting well. During some springs, including this one, minnows and crabs can be scarce. But they should become abundant.  

<b>Cape May</b>

A charter limited out on sea bass, and a dozen ling were mixed in, Monday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. The fishing was good, and the trip, Tom Ebecke’s charter from Accresce Nursery in Newfield, fished three wrecks 20 miles from shore. Sea bass would bite okay at a wreck, then blue sharks would be seen swimming, and sea bass would stop hitting, maybe because they became spooked. One wreck with no sharks produced best. The sea bass spit up sand eels, interestingly. Drum fishing remained good on Delaware Bay. The fishing sounded slow on Monday, Memorial Day, in a large crowd of boats. But a friend’s trip cleaned up on drum Tuesday in less boat traffic. A trip on the Heavy Hitter limited out on drum Sunday. That was covered in the last report, saying 15 drum were taken. But that was mistaken, and the six anglers limited out on 18. That trip, like recent ones aboard, fished on the New Jersey side of the bay. Nothing was heard about summer flounder fishing, and the boat usually sails for flounder on the ocean later in the season, when waters become warmer. But if flounder turn on in Delaware Bay earlier, fishing for them is available aboard. Telephone if interested in any of this fishing.

Drum fishing was good on Delaware Bay, and catches included large ones, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Healthy catches of sea bass are being tugged aboard marathon, extended-hours, open-boat trips for them on the ocean. Charters are fishing, and 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 to be kept informed about dates for open trips for drum and sea bass. Several spaces are available for an open trip for drum Friday. Remember to book offshore tuna charters now, and keep an eye on Down Deep’s <a href="http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/special-trips/" target="_blank">Special Trips</a> page online for open tuna trips.

On the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, sea bass fishing was slow on the ocean, Capt. Paul said. A few were boxed, but not many keepers were around, and not many sea bass at all were around on some days. The angling was very slow on Wednesday’s trip. Nobody limited out on trips, and no numbers of the fish were decked. But the angling is a chance for anglers to bring home some dinner, and no summer flounder are really around to catch, so trips will stick with sea bass, until switching to flounder, when flounder fishing picks up. Flounder probably bit in back bays, but not in the ocean or in Delaware Bay near the ocean, where the boat fishes. The Porgy IV is sailing for sea bass at 8 a.m. daily.

A few striped bass, including large, were dragged from the surf, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Thirty-pounders and bigger were sometimes whacked, and mostly fresh clams caught on the ocean surf, though some anglers fished fresh bunker there. Mostly fresh bunker did the job on Delaware Bay’s surf, but fresh clams gave a chance to hook a drum there.  Drum fishing was super for boaters on the bay at Pin Top and Tussy’s Slough. One angler parked right on Pin Top’s coordinates, landing nine drum himself. Summer flounder fishing was good on the back bay, and along the Intracoastal Waterway was the place to be. Not much was heard about flounder from the ocean and Delaware Bay. Many throwback sea bass were reported from the ocean reefs closer to shore. But wrecks farther from shore put up good sea bassing. Anglers began to gear up for shark fishing. A few sharks caught were talked about. Fresh clams, fresh bunker and bloodworms – nice ones, Nick said – are stocked. Minnows are supposed to arrive this afternoon.

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