<b>Perth Amboy</b>

Another good day of striped bass fishing, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote about Saturday’s fishing aboard in an e-mail. On Sunday, 30 stripers, including 12 that were kept, were landed aboard. “We released as many females as we could,” he said. A livewell is used aboard to release females, replacing them with males to keep, when possible. “We need to not lose sight that this good fishery is directly related to good management …” he said “Let the big females go when possible.” Clams were fished for bait, because bunker “seem not to be schooled up,” he said. Frank didn’t mention where the trips fished, but his trips fished Raritan Bay previously. Charters and open-boat trips are sailing, and call about the open trips. The Vitamin Sea also fishes from Staten Island. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

<b>Keyport</b>

Limits of striped bass for each of the six anglers, and five bonus-tag bass, to a 26-1/2-pound 40-incher, were clammed Thursday with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Kevin Koch, Charles, Garret, Dale, Joe and Lou were the anglers. On a trip Saturday, five keeper stripers to a 24-pound 42-incher were clammed with Jeff Criswell, Tom Kaye, Rich, Tony, Bob and Matt. On Sunday, the six anglers on a trip limited out on stripers and bagged three bonus-tag bass on clams. Larry, Leon, Timmy, Brandon, Bob and Dave made up the crew. The trips fished “close to the outside,” Capt. Joe said, and one bluefish was landed on the outings. Another striper trip was supposed to fish today. Open-boat trips for stripers are available 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily when no charter is booked. Call to jump aboard.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Striped bass fishing was good on Thursday morning’s trip on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> on the ocean, Capt. Tom said. “Real nice,” he said, and weather was calm, and stripers were hooked around the boat. Later in the day, southeast winds blew up, so the afternoon’s trip fished the bay, and customers picked at stripers, not as good a catch as in the morning. Friday morning’s trip fished both the bay and ocean, picking at stripers. “Some nice fish,” Tom said, were belted on the afternoon’s trip. Both of Saturday’s trips were tougher, though stripers were caught. Sunday morning’s trip headed “back to the ocean,” Tom said, and stripers, a mix of keepers and throwbacks, were beaten all around the boat, good fishing. The ocean held somewhat of a ground swell, but currents weren’t strong. Southeast winds kept Sunday afternoon’s trip in the bay. Strong currents had to be fished, but the angling was good. Stripers were bigger than on the morning’s trip, and were almost all keepers. A couple of anglers were able to pass hooked stripers off to kids or anglers who had less luck, letting them reel in the fish. All the trips clammed for the stripers, and all trips caught. Catches were better on some trips than others. Sometimes the angling was a little tougher, and other times “was pretty darn nice,” Tom said. The Atlantic Star is fishing for striped bass on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m.

Fishing in the snot! Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> wrote about Sunday’s trip aboard in a report on the vessel’s Web site. “The ocean had a growl on again today, (when outgoing tide shoved against the east wind),” he said. But striped bass fishing was excellent, he wrote in a photo caption with shots of the fish from the day’s trip on the boat’s Facebook page. The bass on the trip were hooked right away, when the boat was anchored, Ron continued in the Web site’s report. Customers slugged away at keepers and throwbacks on clams for an hour. The tide began to slow, and Ron knew skates and junkfish would bite a long time through slack. “So we blasted off to go jigging,” he said. Bait and fish readings were off the charts, “but we certainly didn’t catch what was under the boat,” he said. Most anglers still fished clams instead of jigs. “Go figure,” he said. Large stripers were sometimes jigged, and the trip stuck with the fishing as long as possible. “Rolled our cruller off,” Ron said, and he hoped seas would calm when the tide changed. Didn’t happen, so the boat was moved. Some beauties, including Dean Lott from Bath, Pa.’s, 22-pound pool-winner, were landed to finish the day. Another angler was high hook, pulling in nine stripers, keeping no more than his limit. Vinny “Vintastic” landed eight, including five on his first five casts, keeping no more than his limit. On Saturday’s trip, some of the biggest stripers of the boat’s season were hung. Took a while for the fishing to get going, but shots of keepers and throwbacks turned on, once the angling took hold. After the fishing dried up, the boat fished another place, battling current, where the previous day’s trip finished up. That’s where the larger bass came in. A 22-pounder was the pool-winner, and a couple of 18- and 21-pounders were netted. Loads of schooling bunker came around Sandy Hook Point all day, and the year’s first whale was seen. Nighttime trips also caught stripers through the weekend on the boat. 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.

<b>Highlands</b>

Super striped bass fishing continued on the <b>Hyper Striper</b>, Capt. Pete wrote in an e-mail. “Super, super fishing,” he said. All trips aboard limited out and released many. Morning and afternoon charters are fishing.

Striped bass, very good catches, limits on both morning and afternoon trips, were plowed on Raritan Bay with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, Capt. Derek said. The bigger bass weighed up to 27 pounds, and all the stripers were bunker-chunked. Only a couple were grabbed on livelined bunker, and stripers weren’t really yet “in the bunker,” he said. So chunking caught better. A few blues were hooked. Blues started showing up, but not a mess did. One open-boat trip for stripers might sail one afternoon this week, but the week is mostly booked with charters. Call to climb aboard open trips or to be kept informed about future ones. Charter dates are still available.

<b>Neptune</b>

Weather was usually great, and striped bass fishing was good on most days, when winds from the east didn’t blow too strongly, Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> wrote in an e-mail. Most of the fish were jigged or trolled, and trips with Last Lady will mostly clam the bass, “with jigs ready,” he said, until trips can liveline bunker for stripers. The baitfish were a little difficult to catch for bait. “This will change,” he said. Morning and afternoon charters are available. An individual-reservation trip for stripers set for Tuesday won’t run. The next one is slated for Wednesday, May 15, and space is available. Then the trips will sail every Tuesday from May 21 through June 18, until the trips switch to fluke and sea bass fishing on June 25, until the seasons for the fish are closed. On the fluke and sea bass trips, kids under 12 will sail free, limited to two per adult host. New Jersey’s sea bass regulations were passed for 2013. The season will be open May 19 through August 8, September 29 through October 14 and November 1 through December 31. The bag limit will be 20 fish per person per day, and the size limit will be 12 ½ inches or larger.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 5/7:***</b> Bluefish attacked in the surf, Shark River, Manasquan River, Point Pleasant Canal and just about everywhere, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an e-mail. “Menacing, 2- to 5-pound eating machines,” he said. They attacked nearly any lure, and Bob suggested using lures with single hooks “to protect the fish and oneself,” he said. Good numbers of striped bass came from the surf, and clams caught them best. Boaters found stripers on the ocean, but the fish were “a little hesitant to hit,” he said. When they bit, rubber Storm shads and Krocodile spoons clocked them best. Winter flounder were migrating out from Shark River to the ocean, so the river’s fishing for them wasn’t the best.  <b>***Update, Wednesday, 5/8:***</b> “Quick report,” Bob wrote in an e-mail this morning. Ocean striped bass fishing was “moving along at a quick pace,” he said. Anglers on boats from Belmar talked about big stripers, many of them larger than 30 pounds, “on the bunker,” Bob said. Many were hooked Tuesday on the baitfish snagged for bait then livelined. Bob hopes anglers consider releasing some of the bigger bass “(to) keep only what you need,” he said. “Good luck. Good fishing.”

After a trip limited out on striped bass early on the ocean Friday on the <b>Katie H</b>, the fishing was slow on a trip Sunday, Capt. Mike said. Friday’s trip was covered in the last report, and Sunday’s trip fished with the fleet on the ocean. Four decent-sized stripers were bagged, and a couple were dropped, and a few bluefish were boated on the Katie H. Plenty of fish were marked, and at least the anglers went home with fish, but few bit. Just one of those days for the fleet that included Belmar party boats and Point Pleasant charters. Boaters farther north toward Sandy Hook seemed to clam stripers that day. On the Katie H, no stripers were around that could be jigged, busting the water surface, chasing bait. So the trip trolled. Seas were somewhat sporty.  Space is available for charters, and the boat features all the amenities, so anglers get comfort and speed.

Ocean striped bass fishing was picking up, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. Seas were somewhat bumpy from easterly winds, but the ocean began to reach temperatures needed to get stripers to bite, hovering around 49 and 50 degrees. Good catches began to be made, and bunker began to be seen schooling, and the easterlies would probably warm the ocean more. Pete was probably going to bring his new boat, a 35-foot Donelle, to Belmar today. That would replace his 25-foot Parker, and seas kept preventing him from delivering the new vessel on a long ride from the south. But he was probably going to take the trip anyway today, before seas were supposed to deteriorate worse afterward. Parker Pete’s is fishing for stripers, and Pete looks forward to fluke fishing when fluke season is opened May 18. Anglers fishing Shark River hooked fluke by mistake and released them while fishing for winter flounder. Fluke were migrating in. 

<b>Brielle</b>

Fishing to the north, trips limited out on striped bass on the ocean daily on the <b>Big Kid</b>, Capt. Ken said. Charters jigged Krocodile spoons and, when boat traffic made the bass swim deeper, trolled rubber shads for the bass. Trolling bunker spoons didn’t yet “come into play,” he said. A charter is booked for the first day of sea bass season on May 19. But the boat will sail for sea bass, and fishes for any species available. At the moment, that can include stripers, ling, cod and, farther from shore, tilefish. Mid-week dates are available for charters, and shorter, evening charters are also available from 4 to 9 o’clock.

Jigging and trolling for striped bass was pretty good on the ocean, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. The fishing was more consistent to the north, and rubber shads and plugs were trolled. Trolling with bunker spoons was yet to take off. Stripers were clammed, and a few were trolled, on Raritan Bay. Surf fishing for stripers was really consistent, all the way from Island Beach State Park to Sandy Hook, on clams. Windy weather made plugging difficult in the surf, but surf casters plugged the bass when weather allowed. Nothing was really heard about bluefish in the surf, and blues swam rivers and bays. Stripers were hooked in Manasquan River, and lots of blues were mixed in. Anglers often fished the river with tins, because of the blues, catching a few stripers, too. Stripers also swiped soft-plastic lures in the river, and Eric fished the plastics there, and blues kept chomping them in half. Winter flounder mostly left the river for the ocean when blues showed up. Flounder fishing was mostly finished for the season. Anglers looked forward to fluke fishing when fluke season is opened on Saturday, May 18. Eric heard about fluke landed and released on Shark River, so the summer flounder must’ve swam Manasquan River, too. Back on the ocean, ling fishing was fair at best or was slow this season. Cod fishing sounded fair or not half bad.  A handful of spaces remained for a tilefish trip for beginners that the shop’s owner, Dave Arbeitman, booked on the party boat Voyager from Point Pleasant Beach. Set for Tuesday to Wednesday, June 4 to 5, the trip is limited to 21 passengers, and includes a free seminar at the store on the fishing on Sunday, June 2. 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 from 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 like sandwiches at the weigh-in on the final day.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

On the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, fishing for large, 15- to 25-pound striped bass and bigger was good all week, Capt. Bob wrote in an e-mail. Most were socked on big Krocodile spoons or on rubber swim shads. The Gambler is striped bass fishing 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.

Lots of striped bass swam throughout the weekend, but getting them to bite was difficult, Capt. Matt from the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Fishing for them was tough aboard Saturday and Sunday. A few stripers and some bluefish were picked both days. Readings underneath the boat looked like a bunch more should’ve been caught. “Eventually, they will open their mouths and chew a little better,” he said.  But stripers, a decent catch, were picked and plucked aboard Friday. Krocodiles, other spoons and Ava jigs caught them well, and an angler with a 20-pound striper won the pool. A few bluefish were also decked. The Norma-K III is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Bluefish trips will begin to run 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday, May 17. Fluke trips will start to sail 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily on Saturday, May 18, opening day of fluke season.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Fishing should begin this weekend on the <b>Super Chic</b> for the season, Capt. Ted said. If not, it’ll begin the following weekend, when sea bass season is opened that Sunday, May 19. Currently, striped bass and bluefish could be chased aboard. The boat is also available for offshore tilefish. Fluke fishing will be available later this season. Fluke season will be opened May 18, but the ocean, where the boat mostly fishes, will need to warm for fluking to take off there.  The 50-foot boat can accommodate up to 25 passengers on inshore trips and 10 on offshore, overnight trips. The vessel sleeps 10 passengers.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Mostly bluefish, sometimes a drum and not many striped bass were boated at Grassy Channel on Great Bay, Chris from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s Web site. Sharks and skates also bit, and blues were scattered throughout the bay. But Grassy and Graveling Point were some of the better places to find them. Shore anglers at Graveling, at the confluence of the bay and Mullica River, banked the same mix of fish and occasional white perch and blowfish. Perch bit like crazy up the river. Mostly clams were sold for bait for the stripers and drum, and mostly mackerel was sold for the blues. The perch bit small minnows, bloodworms and grass shrimp. Long Beach Island surf anglers sometimes tugged in stripers. Summer flounder  began to arrive in bays, and the season for them will be opened on Saturday, May 18.

<b>Brigantine</b>

It’s still blowing 15 to 20, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said this morning. But two anglers who stopped by said they had a blast fighting bluefish and two throwback striped bass from the surf. Waiting patiently for the bigger stripers to move tighter to shore, the report said, “so we can get our game back on.” Surf fishing’s generally been good for stripers and plenty of blues, according to the shop’s recent reports. If anglers want blues, they’re all over, this morning’s report said. Another angler had a blast with blues Sunday from the surf on metal and plugs, “hooking up left and right,” the report said.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Weather was windy, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Weakfish, bluefish, striped bass and out-of-season summer flounder swam the back bay, but winds blew relentlessly. The fish bit despite that, but when weather calms, the angling will be especially good. Weakfish and blues were reeled aboard a trip Sunday, but the trip was cut short, because of winds. Joe’s been fishing for all the species with soft-plastic lures on lead jigheads worked slowly along bottom in the season’s chilly waters. If anglers want flounder when flounder season is opened starting Saturday, May 18, they should book. Tons of the flatfish already carpeted the shallow, relatively warm back bay, attracting them in the early season. Many of the fluke will push to the ocean when the bay warms. Take an afternoon, after-work trip for any of these fish. That’s a great time to angle for them, when the day is warmed, and few if any other boats are on the waters. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Avalon</b>

A charter was cancelled Saturday, and winds blew fiercely through the weekend, but Capt. Jim from <b>Fins and Feathers  Outfitters</b> spent a couple of hours both Saturday and Sunday attempting to fish himself, he said. He sailed Delaware Bay to try clamming for striped bass and drum, but the angling wasn’t productive in the weather. Winds were beginning to dirty the waters badly, and nothing bit. He fished 20-Foot Slough, Bug Light and the stakes nearby. Weather was too rough to sail to the Delaware side of the bay, but a few drum began to be caught off Slaughter Beach there. A 19-inch, out-of-season summer flounder was hooked and released on clam, and flounder began to show up along the coast. The fluke season will be opened on Saturday, May 18. Fins and Feathers fishes Delaware Bay in spring and fall and the ocean from Avalon in summer. To fish the bay, the boat is trailered to wherever’s closest to fishing, like Cape May or Reed’s Beach. Fins and Feathers offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including duck and goose hunting on Delaware Bay, when the seasons are opened. Anglers can even enjoy a combo of striper fishing and duck hunting over a series of days. Fins and Feathers also fishes for salmon and steelhead on upstate New York’s Salmon River from Jim’s lodge, and guides trout trips on Pennsylvania streams like the Yellow Breeches. Jim will travel to Florida to fly rod for tarpon soon, and will try to give a report about the angling.

<b>Cape May</b>

A drum charter, the season’s first, was cancelled Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, because of winds, Capt. George said. A few drum were boated on Delaware Bay on the Delaware side. “Nothing great,” George said. Sea bass fishing on the ocean will begin aboard when sea bass season is opened May 19. Call if interested in drum or sea bass fishing.

Drum began to show up in Delaware Bay, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Striped bass fishing was slow for boaters around Cape May. 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 special sea bass and wreck fishing trips. Sea bass season will be opened May 19. Also see the boat’s site for a schedule of open-boat tuna trips that will be posted soon. The trips will probably begin in late June or early July.

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