<b>Staten Island</b>

With <b>Outcast Charters</b>, striped bass fishing was just okay in the back of Raritan Bay last Thursday, Capt. Joe said. On bunker chunks, a half-dozen stripers to 17 pounds were wrenched in, and big bluefish tore up the bait. “Just so many blues,” he said. Weather looks stiff through Saturday, because of Tropical Storm Andrea, the season’s first. But a sea bass charter is set to sail from Perth Amboy on Sunday. Charters are available from both Staten Island and the New Jersey port, including so trips can follow Jersey’s fishing regs, like for sea bass.

<b>Keyport</b>

Fluke including seven keepers to 22 inches and three bluefish were plumbed from the back of Raritan Bay on Bryan Ellis’s trip Tuesday with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Quite a few throwback fluke were reeled in. The six anglers fished with killies and squid on fluke rigs, and the blues also hit the rigs. Weather looks rough for fishing Friday and Saturday, and a charter is booked Sunday morning. But 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday is available for an open-boat trip or a charter. Open trips are available when no charter is booked, and telephone to climb aboard. Trips are offered 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 9 p.m. The trip above ran 4 to 9.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Striped bass fishing was “normal” on Tuesday’s trip, Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. The high hook landed four keepers, keeping no more than a limit, and a bunch of throwbacks. The angling was tough on Wednesday’s trip, and catches should rebound. But daytime trips will switch to fluke fishing starting Friday. Nighttime trips will keep striper fishing. Too many regular customers bailed on daytime trips for stripers, and the trips can’t wait for the fish, though Ron would love to wait for catches to become like two weeks ago. Starting Friday, the Fishermen will sail for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Trips are fishing for striped bass 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sundays. The evening trips will also be able to fish for porgies when porgy season is opened on July 1.

Lots of fluke were sacked from Shrewsbury and Naveskink rivers, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b> Fluke were also boated from Raritan Bay. Striped bass were clammed on certain boats, and surf casters beached stripers. Bluefish swam everywhere, and bottom-fishing swung in great catches of sea bass and ling from the ocean. “Don’t know how big crabs are yet,” Jimmy added. All baits are stocked.

On the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, all fluke trips sailed in past days, and Monday morning’s fluking was no good, Capt. Tom said. One angler, who worked for catches, bagged three of the flatfish to 4 ½ pounds on the trip. The afternoon trip’s fluking was better, not bad at all. Tuesday morning’s fluke fishing was slow, but the afternoon’s was pretty good. Different conditions, Tom said. The angling was about the same on both of Wednesday’s trips: improved. The number of throwbacks hooked picked up, and when that happens, more keepers are bagged. Some anglers who worked hard landed a dozen throwbacks. Out of a number like 12 or 15 throwbacks that an angler who worked hard might’ve totaled, the angler might’ve bagged two keepers. Another might’ve bagged one. Or somebody might’ve hooked a dozen, including no keepers. All trips fished the bay, at usual places like off the Navy Pier or Sandy Hook Point or at Flynn’s Knoll. No big fluke turned up, and the 4-1/2-pounder on Monday was probably largest. On Wednesday’s trip, killies that anglers brought caught less than spearing supplied aboard did. That was unusual. Sometimes Spro jigs were effective on trips. Other times, a combo of a Gulp and a killie on a hook was. Tom suggests anglers bring killies. They’re not always effective, but when they are, anglers will wish they had them. Six dollars for a half-pint is worthwhile. That amount should last a trip, including because anglers often fished with the different options, not just the killies, to see if one worked better than another on a trip. Buy the killies, Gulps or even ice or other supplies on the way to trips, because the harbor’s tackle shop is closed. Sinkers and rigs are available aboard. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily.

<b>Highlands</b>

Boaters from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b> boxed fluke around Raritan Bay at usual places like off the Coast Guard Station, Marion said. One customer boxed them at Flynn’s Knoll. Striped bass fishing seemed to be begin slowing down. No customers talked about offshore fishing yet for big game. Live bunker are stocked. 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>

<b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> is supposed to fish next on Friday, Capt. Ralph said. Weather might cancel the trip, but if not, the anglers will probably bottom-fish on the ocean. Fishing for striped bass was tough on a couple of trips last weekend, and weather was often rough through those days. But a bottom trip Saturday piled up sea bass and ling, a good catch, before winds increased at 11 a.m. All those trips were covered in the last report. Space is available for an individual-reservation trip for cod, pollock and hake June 19. Room is available for one of the trips that will sail for stripers or bottom-fish, whichever is best, on Tuesday. Book now to ensure a spot for individual-reservation trips for fluke and sea bass that will sail every Tuesday starting June 25. Kids 12 and under will sail free on the fluke and sea bass trips, limited to two per adult host. Charters are available for cod, mako sharks, bottom-fishing, fluke, stripers and bluefish. Fireworks cruises are available for summertime.

<b>Belmar</b>

Was another super day of bluefishing on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an e-mail from the vessel said today. All passengers limited out on 1- to 5-pounders, except those “who stopped fishing,” the e-mail said. The fish were caught the whole trip, on all drifts, and fed on rainfish. The Miss Belmar Princess is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 .m. daily and for blues 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily.

Bluefishing was very good on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. Limit catches of 2- to 5-pounders, on jigs, were becoming usual, and the angling should continue. At night, bait caught blues. Trips began to fish for them every night on Wednesday, after fishing at night on weekends previously for them. Wednesday night’s bluefishing wasn’t great but was respectable. Big bluefish were picked until 11:30 p.m. aboard, and the angling turned off afterward. Then the trip looked around at several other areas, but only a few blues showed up.  The Golden Eagle is sailing for striped bass and bluefish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for blues 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily.

<b>***Update, Saturday, 6/8:***</b>Fishing was slow during the week, and weather didn’t give anglers a break, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an e-mail. Large striped bass gave up a few flurries of catches in the surf briefly around Deal, but not like previously. Smaller stripers to 14 pounds were banked around Bradley Beach to Bay Head, mostly in early mornings, on clams and lures. Fluke, including keepers, kingfish and blowfish were also beached. Tailor blues filled rivers, and “some nice fluke,” Bob said, were caught from rivers, but anglers had to fish gently to feel them bite softly in cold waters. “Remember, this time of year, the early bird gets the worm, or, in this case, the fish,” he said.   

Bottom-fishing went very well on the ocean with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Pete said. Lots of sea bass and some ling were scooped up, and out-of-season blackfish were released. When a day provided conditions to hop around to fish different places, the bottom-angling could belt good catches. Was too bad about the blackfish, because the tautog swam abundant and large, inhaling the clam baits. Some weighed 8 to 10 pounds. A few fluke were flung in from the ocean aboard, but trips mostly fished for the other catches. When sea bass fishing begins to slow, trips will probably start fluking. Striped bass fishing was hit or miss on the ocean. Sounded like they bit in evenings recently. Lots of bunker schooled. Offshore trips for sharks then tuna will begin soon. The other captain who runs the boat competed in the weekend’s shark tournament from Jim’s Bait & Tackle in Cape May, coming in fourth place with a mako. 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>

Fishing for striped bass was poor on the party boat <b>Big Jamaica</b>, so trips will concentrate on bluefish, an e-mail from the vessel said. If stripers show up, trips will go after them. The Jamaica is sailing for bluefish twice daily at 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Fair fluke fishing most of the week on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, Capt. Ryan wrote in an e-mail, and cold waters hampered catches. Gene Alexander, Jackson, N.J., on this morning’s trip took the lead in the monthly pool with a 7-pound 8-ounce fluke. Fred Morris, Ewing, N.J., iced four fluke to 4 pounds aboard today.  The Jamaica II is fishing for fluke and sea bass on two half-day trips at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. every Tuesday through Sunday and on an all-day trip at 7:30 a.m. every Monday. 

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

A one-man charter steamed for sea bass on the ocean Wednesday with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Ray said. The angling was pretty darn good, Ray said, and the trip departed at 2:30 p.m. When the boat reached the fishing grounds, currents screamed. That kept the boat anchored well on the wreck fished, but nothing bit, though all kinds of sea bass were marked. At 4:30 p.m., no sea bass were landed. Then the tide died, and sea bass chewed like crazy. A mess were pounded in an hour, and the trip went home. “Can’t argue with it,” Ray said. “It was pretty good.” Wreck-fishing’s been great. In other news, chatter on the radio talked about striped bass caught from the ocean that evening. Boaters called others to the fishing. A large mako shark, 350 pounds, was reported checked-in at one of the marinas – Clark’s Landing, Ray thought – according to the boat’s mate, who works at a tackle shop. Offshore fishing was starting, and Ray looks forward to tuna fishing. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures.  

Capt. Fred from <b>Andrea’s Toy Charter</b> was on a charter, couldn’t talk long, when he gave this report Wednesday evening over the phone, he said. But sea bass fishing was on fire, he said, and striped bass fishing was slow. Charters are fishing for a mixed bag of stripers, blues, sea bass and ling, all in one outing, on the ocean another week. Then both charters and open-boat trips will push farther out, to the mid-shore ocean, for a mixed bag of bluefin tuna, sharks, cod and pollock, like every year. Telephone if interested in the unique outings. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner.

Bottom-fishing was okay, pretty good, on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. A mix of sea bass and ling were shoveled up. On some days, more of one than the other came in, and on other days, including the last couple, more of an equal mix were hung. Anglers probably averaged 10 to 25 fish apiece lately. Trips fished in 60 to 80 feet, and the ocean was cold. Waters seemed to begin warming the past couple of days. The temperature was 51 to 54 degrees Wednesday. Fifty-four was the warmest seen recently, and on a couple of days, when south winds cooled the ocean, waters plummeted to 49.  “Come on down and enjoy the action,” Butch said about the fishing. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Nighttime bluefish trips will be added in two weekends, sailing Friday and Saturday nights at first. A few more nights will be added, probably on Wednesdays through Sundays, starting around the Fourth of July.

<b>Toms River</b>

The season’s fishing began awesome, but south winds that cooled the ocean and rains that dirtied waters slowed catches, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Northwest winds and a couple of days without rains would help. Surf fishing was slow in the past week, and more bluefish bit there than striped bass did. Mostly bait like bunker chunks caught. For boaters on the ocean, striper fishing was slow, but sometimes trolled the fish. Most stripers in the ocean schooled north of Shark River Inlet. In Barnegat Bay, fluke were sometimes boated around the BI and BB markers. The angling wasn’t great, but gave up some. Weakfish were hooked in the bay near Forked River power plant. One customer loaded up on blowfish on the southern bay in an hour during the weekend. Bluefish and sometimes stripers were angled from Toms River and in the bay around Route 37 Bridge. Crabbing picked up a little, and a customer trapped a dozen in a few hours. 

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

This was the calm before the storm, John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s Web site. The approaching front might “wake up … sleeping fish,” he said. Surf angling for striped bass was slow in cold waters, and only a few keepers were managed each day. Fishing with bait, instead of lures, was the way to go. Clams or bunker were baits to soak, Mario from the store said in a phone call. Bunker schools had begun to swim within casting distance, but no stripers were on them, really, John continued in the Web report. “In case the need arises,” he said, keep with you snagging hooks to snag the bunker to liveline for bait and large pencil popper lures that can work when bunker are in. Bluefish and blowfish also swam the surf, Mario said. In Barnegat Bay, small bluefish attacked popper lures and metal, John said. Crabbing “seemed to be starting,” he said, “with some decent keepers taken … .” Fresh clams, fresh bunker, sandworms, eels and a large selection of frozen baits are stocked. 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>

Some fluke were boated from Barnegat Bay at Double Creek and Oyster Creek channels and toward the research buoy, the yellow buoy between the BI and BB markers, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>.  Between the BI and BB, the fish came from 7-foot depths, so they seemed not to swim deep. A few weakfish were around in the bay, and bluefish swam all over the bay, pretty much. Blowfish hovered in the local bay. Stripers were still clammed in the bay toward Barnegat Inlet. A few stripers came from the ocean, either trolled or caught on bunker snagged and livelined along bunker schools. But the angling was spotty. Some fished ocean reefs, toggling in fluke and sea bass. A few sharks began to be heard about that were battled offshore. In back waters, crabbing was just beginning, and waters were apparently cold. Killies, big, good-looking ones, are stocked. Fresh clams and all frozen baits are carried, like local and Canadian spearing, sand eels, the different types of squid, and mullet. “You name it,” Grizz said.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Trips attempted bluefishing Saturday and Sunday, but without luck, on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. Tons of bait was marked, and blues were reported schooling farther offshore. The crew waited for them to move closer, and expects them any time. The fish were more than a month late. The Miss Barnegat Light is bluefishing at 8 a.m. daily and at 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, except no trips will sail this Tuesday and Wednesday.

Anglers on the <b>Super Chic</b> wreck-fished on the ocean during the weekend, Capt. Ted said. The fishing was pretty good, producing no limits, but between sea bass and ling, healthy catches were made. The boat mostly fished in 80 to 90 feet, and a wreck in 65 feet was tried, and angling was okay there, but was better deeper. Waters were cold or 56 to 57 degrees at those depths during the weekend. Ted hopes the ocean warms soon, so bluefishing will pick up. Blues were fought farther north, but too far from Barnegat Light. A bluefish trip was slated for this Friday aboard, but the coming tropical storm would probably weathered out the trip. Bait started to move back toward shore starting last week on Wednesday, “after that storm,” Ted said. By Saturday, he saw bait in the 5 to 8 mile range. By Sunday, he saw even more. Also, sea bass caught had eaten sand eels, and that was a good sign for bluefishing. When sand eels are seen, bluefishing usually picks up soon. The 56-foot boat can accommodate up to 25 anglers on inshore trips and 10 on overnight, offshore trips. The vessel sleeps 10 passengers.

Mostly striped bass and fluke were docked, said Vince Sr. from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. The stripers were mostly socked on the store’s livelined spots from Barnegat Bay at usual places like Oyster Creek Channel and along sod banks. Ocean striper fishing was okay, but the bunker population was spotty, and to find stripers, ocean boaters needed to find bunker the stripers sometimes foraged on. More and more fluke were caught, or fluking really picked up, including at Oyster Creek and Double Creek channels and around Barnegat Inlet. Some anglers fished the ocean for fluke, reeling them from reefs. Killies are now stocked, including for fluke bait. Anglers also used live spots to catch fluke well. Blowfish hovered in the bay, and were big. Bluefish swam everywhere. No customers really crabbed yet, and the season was early for this area, with colder waters, located near the ocean. None clammed yet, though clamming is usually very good on the bay from Bobbie’s. The shop rents boats for fishing, crabbing and clamming and kayaks. Bobbie’s includes a bait and tackle store and a fuel dock, and is known for a large bait selection. In addition to baits mentioned above, fresh clams, fresh bunker and all frozen baits, like spearing and mullet, are in. Live grass shrimp usually begin to be carried in July.

<b>Surf City</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 6/6:***</b> From the surf, striped bass were sporadically beached, said Joe from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. The fishing was slow, he thought, but to try for one, toss a bunker chunk or head. A 40-pound striper was checked in 1 ½ weeks ago from the shore. Beach anglers sometimes landed blowfish and blues. Kingfish were reported whipped from the surf early in the week. Any fluke caught from the surf? Joe was asked.  Three fluke were entered in a fluke tournament he judged last week, he said. One, a 20-incher, was hooked while a bunker chunk was reeled in. Fresh clams, fresh bunker and frozen bait like mullet and squid are stocked. Use the mullet for blues. Killies are scarce, because of cold waters, he said, and none are stocked. 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>

When weather gives anglers a break, summer flounder can be hooked from Great Bay, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Catches eased off compared with before, but three to five keepers per trip, a reasonable amount, still came in. That’s compared to limits that were more common before. Weather often kept anglers from fishing, and now Tropical Storm Andrea was coming for the weekend. The bay’s blowfishing was fair, not producing hundreds like before, but catches. Nobody mentioned bluefish, but 1-1/2-pounders traditionally school the bay this month. A few brown sharks, fish that must be released by law, were heard about that were hooked in the bay. Anglers usually target large sand sharks in the bay by the second week of June, and browns jump on hooks and are let go. The bay’s sharking is a chance to fight big fish without sailing offshore, and the shop sells a bay shark rig made for the angling. Later in the season, it usually sells a chum ball perfect for the sharks, and none is carried yet, but other chum is available. The staff can give advice on the sharking. Sea bass fishing was phenomenal Wednesday on the ocean. Boaters got the weather to sail, and the fishing was probably so good because of lack of pressure, because of weather. A couple of anglers hooked spots at Roundabout Creek when trying for white perch. The season was early for spots. Crabbing was good. Fresh, shucked clams, bloodworms, grass shrimp and eels are stocked. The minnow supply is in good shape, though minnows are scarce in the state. 

<b>Absecon</b>

It’s all happening now, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Striped bass finally turned on, eating livelined spots, in back-waters like behind Brigantine Bridge in Absecon Inlet and pretty much “all the holes,” he said. Tops of tides when waters were coolest seemed key. Nothing was heard for sure about stripers in the ocean, but bunker sometimes schooled the ocean. Anglers sometimes snagged them for bait, boated them back toward Brigantine Bridge and the inlet, and livelined the baitfish to catch good-sized stripers. Dave ran a charter today that bagged two stripers and released a few throwbacks on spots near the bridge. When the tide changed, the trip summer flounder fished, hooking at least a dozen to 4 pounds, more than half of them keepers. A 4-pound weakfish was also bagged, so the fishing was good. Flounder fishing’s been very good in the back bay. Kingfishing was reportedly good in the surf. Not much was heard about blowfish, but spots started to move around. Some were big, if anglers wanted to eat them, not just use them for bait. Bluefish were really absent, unusually. Crabs are shedding, so soft-shell crabs are available for eating, and shedders are available for bait. 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>. White perch fishing was on a tear on brackish rivers, like at the mouth of Mullica River, and the perch were eating shedders, so look for them wherever the crabs are. Shedders are currently the bait to dunk for them. In addition to shedders, live spots and fresh clams are stocked. Fresh bunker will arrive today. A few minnows are on hand, and more were supposed to arrive today but didn’t, so Dave will check on that.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Surf fishing for striped bass was slow, but large ones were clobbered, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. News was quiet about the angling Wednesday. Then a 44-incher, something like 35 pounds, was hammered. A couple of 27-pounders were tackled lately. A 15-pounder was reported banked today. A 30-pound drum was reported taken from the beach in a phone call. Kingfish were in heavy in the surf. Spots and bluefish were around in the waters. Summer flounder began to be found in the surf. One angler bagged two good-sized ones. Fresh clams began to run low today, but more are coming. Three-hundred pounds of fresh bunker will arrive Friday.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

From nearby Absecon Inlet, anglers on foot tied into weakfish, striped bass, kingfish and some croakers and spots, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Summer flounder were also bagged from the inlet and back bay. Weaks and bluefish swam the bay. Fishing was good, and the weaks and stripers at the inlet, lined with fish-attracting jetties, were cracked daytime and nighttime. Fish bloodworms, mullet, pink or black Zooms or pink Fin-S Fish for both. Weigh-ins in past days included a 17-1/2-pound striper and weaks that included a 24-1/2-incher, a 4-1/2-pounder and a 4-pounder. For the kings and spots, fish bloodworms or Fishbites artificial worms.  Waters were filled with bait, including spearing that balled up at night. Grass shrimp gathered along the sea wall at Gardner’s Basin. Plenty of minnows are stocked, even if they’re scarce at some places. Baits stocked also include fresh clams, fresh bunker, 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.  One Stop’s second store, located at Gardner’s Basin at 800 North New Hampshire Avenue, has been reopened for the season. The original, remaining open, is at 416 Atlantic Avenue.

<b>Margate</b>

From the back bay, summer flounder and, here and there, weakfish were angled on the party boat <b>Keeper</b>, Capt. John said. A striped bass was in the mix this week. Fishing aboard wasn’t bad, and more keeper flounder than before, good-sized, just started to be iced on Wednesday morning’s trip. Bluefish were also fought on the trip. Mackerel, minnows and Gulps beat the flounder. Mackerel are supplied aboard. So are minnows, “<i>some</i>,” John said. The baitfish are scarce. Anglers brought their own Gulps. 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>

A customer today talked about boating 12 summer flounder, including five keepers, on the back bay off 17th Street, said Dan from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. The fish held along the edge of the channel that’s 6 to 12 feet deep there. Those depths might be a place to look, and the bay’s been carpeted with the fish. A weakfish was reported bagged from Corson’s Inlet today. Lots of weaks were around this season at places like that or the bay. Bluefish popped up along the 9th Street Causeway today. Kingfish bit in the surf on bloodworms lately, and no area was better than another for the fishing that was heard about. Catches still seemed spotty. Nobody at all mentioned offshore fishing for big game. Waters were frigid. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, bloodworms and minnows are stocked, and minnows are scarce at many places. 

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Water temps were low, so striped bass were still claimed from the surf, said John from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>.  That’s where any keepers came from, but smaller stripers were played in the back bay. More on that below. First, despite stripers in the surf, most shore anglers switched to targeting lots of kingfish that held in the waters. Lots of blues tore around the inlet. Plenty of weakfish remained in the bay, and a 10-pounder was lambasted on a trolled bucktailed this week. Summer flounder began to move toward inlets in the bay, but fishing for them remained good. Back to the bay’s small stripers: Catch and release fishing for them began to pick up somewhat. Many anglers had fun with plenty, more reports than before said. Not a lot of customers crabbed yet, but John knows crabs are out there, and crabbing can be good. Crabbers with overnight pots were currently more common, typical in the early season. Fresh clams and bloodworms are stocked. Many anglers just fished bloods for the bay’s weaks, though talk is often heard about fishing soft-plastic lures for them. Minnows are carried, and began to run out today, but more are hoped to be stocked Friday. Shedder crabs are trying to be kept on hand.   

Popper plugs and jigs smashed a bunch of bluefish from the back bay flats Monday with Ben and Dave Friedman aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. A couple of striped bass were missed on poppers on the flats on the trip. A large “mystery” fish, unidentified, was also hooked but got off. High tides currently coincided with evenings, ideal conditions for striper fishing with poppers. Joe’s trips toss Skitter Pop lures and crease flies, a modified version Joe ties with a larger cup to throw more water. Popper fishing is a specialty aboard. Also in the bay lately, weakfish and summer flounder kept biting. So things were good, Joe said. Inshore shark trips usually begin later this month. The fishing is a chance to fight large catches 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, should arrive next week.  Arrival had been planned for this weekend. The vessel will feature everything Joe wants for his fishing, and nothing he doesn’t, and will be used on the ocean. He also runs a flats boat on the bay and two larger boats for fishing the ocean farther offshore for big game.  Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Weather could be better, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. Not a lot customers rented boats to fish, because of winds. But when they did, they pulled in some good catches of summer flounder from the back bay. Weakfish were around in the bay, and the size of blues, large, in the bay, was surprising. They’re usually smaller. Crabbing was “light” so far, he said. A couple of drum banked from the surf were heard about during the week. Stripers were tugged from the surf at times.  Spots and croakers appeared in the surf, early for them. Not many kingfish were known about from the surf.  Canal Side rents boats for fishing and crabbing and stocks the full supply of bait. Baits currently include minnows, scented and unscented squid strips, scented pink and green squid strips, trolling squid, tube squid, pints and quarts of salted clams, non-salted clams in both 1 pound and 9 ounces, whole mackerel, filleted mackerel, mullet, spearing and herring. Crabs for eating became available for the first time this season. Prices can change, but currently No. 1’s are $20 per dozen, and No. 2’s are $12 per dozen. The price for 1’s will probably be increased to $24 this season, but Mike will try to keep the 2’s at $12. 

Water temperatures dropped, so not a lot bit, said Fred from <b>No Bones Bait & Tackle</b>. Weakfish and kingfish were nabbed from inlets, and that was about all. For the weaks, bucktails with any pink soft-plastic lure seemed to catch. Bloodworms hooked the kings. Waters dropped to 57 degrees along the Intracoastal Waterway, and were 64 degrees previously. The waters were also dirty or murky. So nothing was heard about summer flounder fishing from the back bay. None of the hardcore surf anglers fished the beach since beach buggy access was closed for the season, so nothing was heard from the shore. Drum were heaved from Delaware Bay, farther south. One of the charters from the shop’s docks returned with six of the fish. At the shark tournament in Cape May during the weekend, a 260-pound mako came in first place. A 230-pounder came in second, and, Fred thought, a 178-pounder won third. A friend who competed caught so many blue sharks that he ran out of tags he was tagging them with. Lots of sharks seemed landed in the event. Another shark tournament is slated for this weekend from Cape May, but offshore forecasts look tough around the tropical storm.  Speaking of sharks, a potential all-time record 1,300-pound mako was caught off California, media reported. The shop’s rental boats are available to fish the bay. Baits stocked include frozen quarts and pints of salted clams, bulk bags of clam bellies, mullet, herring, mackerel and all the usual. Fred wasn’t asked whether minnows were stocked this week, but minnows were scarce previously.

<b>Cape May</b>

Drum fishing remained good on Delaware Bay, and some of the fish were big, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>. The boat fished the New Jersey side for them. Sea bass to 4 pounds were belted on the last trip for them aboard 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 for dates for open-boat trips, including for marathon sea bass open trips. The season’s first open tuna trip is set for June 23. Mario this week loaded up on winter flounder on a charter he and friends hired from Quincy, Massachusetts. The angling was phenomenal.

Plenty of drum, some of them large, still swam Delaware Bay, Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> said. Trips hauled them in from the New Jersey side, and George heard nothing about sea bass from the ocean in past days. But his most recent trip for sea bass, covered in a previous report, bailed a good catch two weekends ago. Trips on smaller boats might’ve fared better on sea bass than trips on larger ones, like party boats. Angling on a smaller boat, with fewer anglers, might’ve grabbed catches like a limit from a wreck. That can be impressive for six anglers on a charter, but the same number of fish on a large boat, with lots more anglers, wouldn’t compare. On the last sea bass trip on the Heavy Hitter, small wrecks were fished without other boats on them. George heard little about summer flounder, except about trips on back bays that bagged a few. A shark tournament is slated for Cape May this weekend. Forecasts for winds and seas don’t look bad for drum fishing on Delaware Bay on Saturday and Sunday, despite the coming storm. But offshore forecasts, like for sharks, look rougher for those days. Telephone if interested in sailing for any of these fish.

Sea bass were decked Tuesday on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. “Caught some fish,” he said, but the angling was tough in general. More of the fish had been booted aboard last week, but Paul didn’t even want to mention that. On Wednesday’s trip, sea bass fishing was tough. Lots of small sea bass and small, out-of-season blackfish bit. Almost no keepers did.  The angling was becoming more difficult, and was never really good aboard, since sea bass season was opened, and trips will switch to summer flounder fishing daily on Monday. Weather forecasts look rough for the boat’s trips through the next day or two. But trips will keep sailing for sea bass through the weekend, when weather allows. No substantial catches of flounder seemed around where the boat fishes for them, from Delaware Bay to the ocean. But weather will warm, and the angling will pick up, and anglers want to fish, and trips will give them a chance. The Porgy IV is sailing for sea bass at 8 a.m. daily through Sunday. Starting Monday, the trips will fish for summer flounder.

The surf’s weakfishing was good along Cape May Point and at jetties elsewhere locally, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Bucktails with soft-plastic lures or bloodworms on float rigs hooked them. When soft-plastics were fished, pink was most common, but other colors were also used, like green and red, and sometimes the fish preferred different colors. The weakfishing was probably the surf’s best angling. But striped bass were sometimes banked from shore. A 30-pounder was dragged in the other day. Kingfish sometimes appeared in the surf, and croakers sometimes showed up in Delaware Bay’s surf at Cape May. For boaters, drum fishing remained good on Delaware Bay. Trips were known about that decked nine and seven drum apiece on Wednesday night. Tussy’s Slough and the Pin Top gave up drum most often. But other places also attracted drum, like along structure like an edge or someplace that created current. Customers have been able to be told, go here for drum, and they caught. Summer flounder fishing was fairly good, and waters needed to warm a little for the catches to really light up. But the back bay served up decent catches, like toward Wildwood and along the Intracoastal Waterway. Bluefish had begun to appear off Cape May Point a couple of weeks ago. But now they popped up on occasion when bait schooled near shore. Offshore boaters began to fight sharks – blues, makos and threshers – pretty well. Crabs were trapped. Fresh clams, bloodworms, minnows and all frozen baits are stocked.

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