<b>Keyport</b>

Striped bass fishing sailed Wednesday on Raritan Bay aboard, after rough weather kept angling docked in previous days, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>. The fishing was a little tougher than before, but still good. “(The fish) took a day off,” he said. The anglers limited out, mostly on rubber shads. Ninety percent of the catches were on shads lately. Trollers seemed to catch better that day, but anglers aboard don’t prefer to troll. Open-boat trips are fishing for stripers daily on the Down Deep Bull, one of the company’s two boats, both 40 feet. On the Down Deep, the other vessel, blackfishing’s been picky. Lots of throwbacks bit, and keepers were mixed in, not great. The next open blackfish trips will sail Monday and Wednesday, on the Down Deep, and charters are available on both vessels. Up to 15 passengers per trip can sail aboard. Join the <a href=" http://downdeepsportfishing.com/short-notice-list/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on Down Deep’s website to be kept informed about open trips. See available dates on the calendar on the site. 

Fishing for striped bass was absolutely insane Tuesday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> on Raritan Bay, Capt. Frank said. Scores of bass, all big, were plowed. No trip fished Monday, and the angling really slowed on Wednesday’s trip. Only seven keepers and a couple of throwbacks were boated. Today’s fishing was the worst, and only three stripers were bagged, so far, he said at 12:30 p.m., when he gave this report in a phone call aboard. Others were missed, and the trip was still fishing. Stripers seemed to move, maybe to the New York side of the bay, and New York’s striper season will be opened beginning tomorrow. Fishing tomorrow aboard will see if the fish swam there. The opening will also give Frank access to places he wanted to fish where he couldn’t before. Currently, piles of fish were marked but wouldn’t bite. At some places, fish were no longer marked, where they were before. Fishing aboard cast rubber shads to hook up early this week, and currently fished bunker. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing. The season’s first Workingman’s Special Trips, open trips from 2 to 8 p.m., will begin Wednesday, and a few spaces are available that day. That’s in addition to morning trips that are already sailing.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> fished for striped bass on Raritan Bay on Wednesday morning’s trip, Capt. Tom said. No trips fished Monday and Tuesday in weather, and Wednesday’s fishing wasn’t so good. A couple of shorts and no keepers were reeled up, and a couple of fish were missed. The angling was better, including better than Tom expected, on Sunday aboard, covered in the last report here. A few keepers and some shorts were angled then, mostly on clams, a couple on rubber shads. Sunday’s fishing was the year’s first aboard, and Wednesday afternoon’s trip didn’t fish, and only a few anglers showed up at the dock then. This morning’s trip was expected to sail, and Tom expected to give an update on that fishing that will be posted here, if he does. The boat will now fish on its full schedule of trips daily, after only morning trips were mostly slated this week. The Atlantic Star is fishing for striped bass 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily. <b>***Update, Thursday, 4/14:***</b> This morning’s trip sailed, Tom said in a phone call at 10:30 a.m. aboard, but striper fishing was slow. He waited for the tide to begin, hoping that would make a difference. The tide was just beginning to run. Some fish and bait were read, but stripers were slow to bite.

Fishing will be launched Friday for the year on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron said in a phone call Wednesday. Trips for striped bass will fish day and night, beginning then. He expects to fish for stripers mostly in Raritan Bay with bunker this season. The bass have mostly been chasing bunker in the bay in recent years. Ocean fishing for stripers in the recent past hasn’t been like it used to be. Fishing for the bay’s stripers was good on rubber shads and clams in the back of the bay’s shallows for the few he knew who fished for them recently. The stripers were also hooked on bunker and were trolled, he wrote in a report on the boat’s website Monday. The bay’s stripers were a mix of sizes from throwbacks to 35- to 38-inchers. Bring Tsunami or Storm shads, jigs, popper lures and top-water lures aboard. Use single hooks, not trebles, on the lures. Bringing a bunker snag is a good idea. The trips will fish jigs or bunker, depending on conditions. Beginning Friday, The Fisherman will sail 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 Sundays.

Raritan Bay gave up good striped bass fishing from about the pier to farther back, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish were hooked on cast rubber shads, clams, bunker and on the troll. Surf anglers banked a few stripers from the bay and rivers. Maybe a few stripers were beached from the ocean surf, but anglers waited for that angling to “open up.” Lots of bunker schooled the bay, like before. A couple of bluefish were seen when bunker first moved in. Blackfishing was good on the ocean. All baits are stocked.

<b>Highlands</b>

<b>Twin Lights Marina</b> was busy Sunday, Marion wrote in an email. Scott and Dave on the Cara Marie socked striped bass to 30 pounds, releasing more than 15 up to that weight, on Raritan Bay. T.R. Dempsey and Dan Shields put the brakes on 15 stripers at Reach Channel on the bay. Bob Dreyer from the Patty Girl and Phillip Row from the Quick Pick also reported good striped bass fishing aboard. Greg Hanna on the Annie H today trolled a 22-pound striper on the bay. Twin Lights, located on Shrewsbury River near Raritan Bay and the ocean, with no bridges before them, includes a marina with boat slips, dry storage, a fuel dock, and a combined bait and tackle shop and ship’s store. The fuel dock is available 24 hours a day with a credit card. Fresh clams will be stocked when demand kicks in. Live bunker are carried when in demand. 

<b>Tuna-Tic Sportfishing</b> will begin fishing Wednesday for the year, first sailing for striped bass on Raritan Bay, Capt. Mike said. The boat is ready and could fish immediately, but that’s the first trip booked. More and more keeper stripers were showing up every day, he said. When the bay’s fishing slows for the season, the boat is moved to Forked River to fish the ocean for stripers from Barnegat Inlet. The angling was phenomenal for big stripers there last year aboard. Stripers swim the back waters at first in spring. Then they spawn in the back and migrate to the ocean, heading north for summer. Shark trips will begin on Memorial Day weekend, fishing into the first couple of weeks of June. But trips will mix in striper fishing still then, like if birds are seen working. Tuna trips will get underway afterward. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Get on the list for open-boat trips that need anglers.

<b>Belmar</b>

Blackfishing was super Wednesday on the <b>Big Mohawk</b> on the ocean, Capt. Chris said. Very good, he said, and some sizable to 7 or 8 pounds were pummeled. Trips were weathered out previously, and the weekend’s blackfishing was okay aboard, nothing special. Green crabs are provided, and white crabs are available for sail aboard. Clams are provided, and all three baits hooked the tautog on Wednesday’s trip. Today’s trip was expected to fish in weather that looked good, and whether Friday’s and Saturday’s trips will get the weather to run will be determined. The Big Mohawk is blackfishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

The <b>Norma-K III</b> will be brought to the dock today, and daily trips for blackfish will begin Saturday, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the party boat’s website. The dock had been getting refurbished, and the crew had been waiting for that to be finished to return the vessel to the slip from the boat yard. Seasonal maintenance was finished on the vessel at the boat yard some time ago. A few odds and ends remain to be completed before the trips begin. Beginning Saturday, the Norma-K III will blackfish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Trips sailed a few days between weather on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. Strong wind sometimes prevented fishing, and the angling aboard cracked cod, blackfish and pollock, not great catches, but alright. Anglers probably averaged two to eight fish apiece, a mix of the species. An angler might bag two or three cod and a blackfish, or two blackfish and a cod, and so on. Cod and blackfish made up most of the catch, and pollock weren’t always hooked. No pollock were decked on Wednesday’s trip, but a bunch were pounded on one trip recently, maybe Sunday. The pollock were just keeper-sized, like 5 pounds. One angler limited out on blackfish on Wednesday’s trip. Lots of dogfish hit, and conger eels began to bite, lately. A couple of striped bass, not huge, but 15 or 17 pounds, were bagged Wednesday aboard, a bonus, and Butch hopes more show up, so trips can get after them. The trip was fortunate to find them just inshore of 3 miles. Striper fishing is closed beyond 3 miles. Trips mostly fished shallow in 60- to 90-foot depths. Sometimes plenty of bunker schooled close to shore at certain places, seen when trips motored out and returned. But not a lot of bunker schooled the coast. Butch didn’t notice the water temperature on Wednesday’s trip, but the water was 46 to 47 degrees on Sunday’s. No mackerel were caught on the last couple of trips, and two dozen were taken on a previous trip recently, maybe on Saturday. Another party boat that had been targeting mackerel seemed to switch to other fishing. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. 

<b>Toms River</b>

Barnegat Bay near Mantoloking Bridge still tossed up winter flounder, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. They were also plucked from Point Pleasant Canal on slack tides, so they were migrating toward the ocean. Fishing for small striped bass was fantastic in the Toms River and along Route 37 Bridge on the bay. The fishing was best from 6:30 to 9 p.m. or dusk until after dark. One angler clocked 12- to 18-inchers on the river on a jig under a bobber reeled in slowly. He saw bunker schooling the water. Another reported plugging a keeper on the river, and occasional keepers swam the water. Stripers were also cranked from Oyster Creek, the warm-water discharge for Forked River power plant. But striper fishing seemed best in that area in the bay near the creek. Sometimes stripers were landed off the sod banks off Island Beach State Park, in the bay near Barnegat Inlet. The fish were spread all over. No bluefish were heard about, and Dennis thinks they’ll appear by next week. In the surf, small stripers were sometimes beached, though not a lot was heard about the surf in rough weather recently. One angler bunker-chunked a 10-pounder during the weekend. Teaser rigs mostly caught the surf stripers.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Barnegat Bay’s striped bass fishing was on fire, said Phil Dirt from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. He landed five from shore on the island in two days, including a keeper. He lost one that “easily” weighed 15 pounds  and another that he couldn’t budge to reel in. He’s been fishing bloodworms and clams, and had a double-header on spearing on a high-low rig. Large spearing filled the water, and the shop is sometimes stocking them fresh. Lots of stripers were also fought along Route 37 Bridge at night on the bay, mostly on Gotchas and small swimming lures, because big spearing schooled there, too. Some anglers reported landing 10 to 15 in a trip.  Small stripers filled holes in the surf at times on high tides. None appeared on low tides, and the bass pounced on metal like small Avas, Hopkins and Deadly Dicks, feeding along bottom. They also chewed clams. Sometimes bigger stripers were caught from Toms River at Ocean Gate. Back on the bay, bluefish, not many, but big began to be reported wrestled toward the mainland. No winter flounder reports were heard. Crabs bit voraciously. The rental boats should be splashed in a week or two. The Dock Outfitters, located on Barnegat Bay, blocks from the ocean surf, features a bait and tackle shop, a café, a dock for fishing and crabbing and, in season, boat and jet-ski rentals. Baits stocked include bloodworms and, again, sometimes fresh spearing, the ones schooling the bay. Frozen spearing are also on hand, and fresh clams are stocked when available. They were unavailable at the moment, and frozen, salted clams are carried.

<b>Forked River</b>

One angler said bluefish began to be hooked from Barnegat Bay, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>.  That was only one angler, but then another bought Ponytails that are commonly trolled for blues in the bay. Schoolie striped bass bit in Oyster Creek. Nobody mentioned winter flounder recently, but flounder were likely still around. Previously they were reported from the creek and the nearby bay. Bloodworms and fresh clams will be stocked for the weekend. Killies and nightcrawlers are on hand. So are Ponytails.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Smaller striped bass were banked at Graveling Point, said Brandon from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The fishing was okay, not great, but not bad. Bloodworms and clams, mostly bloods, hooked them, and a 22-pound striper was clammed in the area, off Great Bay Boulevard, on Tuesday. This is all fishing from shore, at the confluence of Great Bay and Mullica River, near the store. Black drum were occasionally heaved from the same area, not often, but catches. They were a mix of sizes from 15 pounds to a 48-1/2-pounder that was the largest seen. They were decent-sized and hooked on clam. The annual $100 gift certificate to the store remained up for grabs for the angler who checks-in the year’s first bluefish from Graveling. Brandon saw fish busting the water in Little Sheepshead Creek, and couldn’t be sure if they were blues. A couple of customers bought green crabs to fish for blackfish at Barnegat Inlet. If blackfish bit there, they should bite locally, like along the sod banks near the Coast Guard Station. Baits stocked include clams in the shell, bloodworms, live grass shrimp and the crabs.

<b>Absecon</b>

White perch and a few striped bass were tapped from Mullica River, but not a lot was heard in windy weather, keeping anglers from fishing, said Jay from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. A few black drum began to be eased from Pebble Beach and Great Bay. An angler on one of the boats from the docks canned a few keeper blackfish from the back toward Brigantine. Farther north, a few bluefish were reportedly slid from Brant Beach from the surf, and a few weakfish were reportedly rustled from Barnegat Bay. Baits stocked include bloodworms, fresh clams, green crabs and eels.

<b>Brigantine</b>

In the wind, not much was reported, or few fished, said Justin from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. But throwback striped bass were yanked from the surf here and there lately. Clams or bloodworms were fished for them and are stocked. <b>***Update, Thursday, 4/14:***</b> A trip “found a steady bite” on small stripers in Brigantine’s surf, the angler posted on the shop’s Facebook page today, along with a <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1002837639771697&set=o.63681841626&type=3&theater" target="_blank">photo of one of the fish</a>. The catches were made at high tide on clams and bloodworms. Mullet was also fished, and a huge bluefish was tied into on the bait. The fish broke the hook and got off at the angler’s feet. “Had to be 20lb …” the angler wrote.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

A 30-pound 37-inch striped bass was crushed from the surf off Massachusetts Avenue on Tuesday night, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Otherwise, small stripers, but lots, bit from there to the T-jetty to up Absecon Inlet, mostly on bloodworms. The T is on the ocean end of the inlet. The 30-pounder was bloodwormed and seemed a good sign. Anglers waited for big stripers to flood those same waters, like they did in past springs. Anglers also waited for the bluefish migration to shove into those waters, and fishing for big blues was also excellent there in past springs. The anglers also waited for kingfish that could arrive any time there. The kings would nip the same bloods fished for the stripers. Blackfish, just keeper-sized, were grabbed along the inlet’s rocks occasionally. The inlet is lined with jetties.  Baits stocked, a large supply, include bloodworms, fresh clams and green crabs. Bloodworms are on special on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for $20 for two dozen.

<b>Egg Harbor Township</b>

Throwback striped bass were tugged from Great Egg Harbor River, said John from <b>24-7 Bait & Tackle</b>. The angling was better on Mullica River, but lots were still plumbed from the Great Egg. Mostly bloodworms caught them, and white perch fishing began to pick up on the Great Egg. Crabs began to be reported trapped on the bay off Kennedy Park, and most were females. Some crabbers prefer not to bag females, saying that’s better for the population. Bloodworms and fresh clams are stocked. The bloods are $10 per dozen. “Cheapest around,” he said. Green crabs will be carried for the weekend. The rental boats are in the water and are available. They’re used to fish and crab from Patcong Creek, where they’re docked at the shop, to the Great Egg and the bay for catches including stripers, perch and, later in the season in the bay, summer flounder. Patcong is one of the best places for crabbing. That’s a tributary of the Great Egg, meeting the Great Egg near where the river meets the bay. <b>The company also own 24-7 Bait & Tackle in Marmora</b>.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Small striped bass bit in the back bay along 9th Street Bridge and Beesley’s Point, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Quite a few swam Corson’s Inlet, and mostly soft-plastic lures and bloodworms connected with stripers. A few were hooked on clams. Wind and rain were relentless recently, keeping anglers from fishing and seeing what bit. But weather seemed improving now. A few blackfish chomped along the bridge. A few out-of-season summer flounder were caught and released in the bay. Those are the year’s first flounder reported on this site, and hearing about them by this time isn’t uncommon, Bill noted. A few small bluefish were heard to be caught so far this year locally. Sometimes bluefish catches like a single, big blue were heard about in the state recently. The leading edge of the bluefish migration seemed to reach Delaware Bay, Bill thought. Maybe they’d invade New Jersey by next week. Why small blues were occasionally reported already at different places in the state seemed unusual, and the reason was unknown. That’s fishing. Justin from the shop saw weakfish in the water under the bridge at night this week, and couldn’t get them to bite. Those are some of the year’s first reported on this site.  In Great Egg Harbor River, white perch reportedly gathered far upstream.  Baits stocked include bloodworms, fresh clams and green crabs.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Not a lot of anglers fished in the week’s weather, but some did, and fishing was similar to before, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Small stripers were played on the back bay on lures, and nighttime fished best, under lights at docks and bridges. On days when weather was fit to fish the surf, beach anglers clammed some small stripers. Seemed unusual that so many small stripers were around, but maybe fishing was like that at many places currently. One angler reported catching three 10-inchers. Some blackfish were nabbed at places like along Townsend’s Inlet’s rocks and bridge and docks in the area. The local party boat is hoped to sail for blackfish Sunday to Tuesday, at least, when wind calms. One bluefish and one weakfish were known to be caught so far this season, and Mike talked about those in previous reports here. A couple of blitzes of blues reportedly smashed into Delaware’s surf, according to the Internet. Mike wasn’t asked about crabbing but previously said crabbing was supposedly awesome in the back bay. Green crabs, white crabs, fresh clams, bloodworms, spots and eels are stocked.

Trips last fished Sunday aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. A few striped bass were copped from the back bay during the angling, covered in the last report here. No trips fished in the weather since. No confirmed reports about bluefish were heard yet, but the bluefish migration is impending in the bay. The bay’s fishing will rip wide open one day in the near future. That’s what happens, like the flip of a switch. Then blues will be fought, and striper fishing should keep improving, and weakfish and summer flounder can also be boated, sometimes all in one trip, called a back-bay grand slam. This is the only time of year that happens, and is some of the best angling of the year. The flounder will be out of season until the May 21 opener, and are released until then. Trips aboard for all these species fish with soft-plastic lures like Bass Assassins on lead jigheads in the early season, slowly along bottom in cool water. Even the blues, fish that are aggressive, prefer the slow presentation in the water temperature. Eventually this season, the stripers and blues will smack popper lures and flies along the surface, warming up enough for that. The blues depart for the ocean after some weeks, but the stripers, younger fish yet to migrate, live in the bay year-round. Joe popper-fishes for them from spring through summer, a specialty aboard. Popper fishing draws explosive, visual attacks along the water surface. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>. <b>***Update, Friday, 4/15:***</b> Blues are here! Joe wrote on his blog today. “Right on schedule,” he said. Bluefish to 11 pounds were clobbered today aboard. A few fluke were also released, and stripers were around. “It has begun,” he said.

<b>Cape May</b>

Blackfishing sailed Sunday and was weathered out the rest of the week on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. Several anglers limited out on the trip, and 6 pounds was the biggest of the tautog. Don Mark from Philly limited out on the tog to 6 pounds. The trip’s anglers who also limited included Ken Minett from Mays Landing, John Ricciardi from Williamstown and Sam Oh from Broomall, Pa. Strong wind blew at first on the trip, then dropped out, and weather became fair. A trip probably could’ve sailed Wednesday, and Paul wished it had, but the outing was canceled when previous forecasts looked windy. The Porgy IV is blackfishing at 8 a.m. daily.

Wind kept much fishing from happening, but a couple of reports said striped bass were beached from the surf at Avalon, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. The fishing in the ocean surf like that seemed to begin sometimes. Surf anglers tossed plugs for stripers on Delaware Bay in Cape May. A couple of people said a couple of boats were seen fishing Delaware Bay at spots like 20-Foot Slough, probably scouting whether black drum showed up yet in the bay. A couple of boats tried for stripers on the back bay between the weather. Blackfish seemed to be slowly picked along Cape May Inlet’s jetties. No bluefish and no weakfish were heard about yet this season. Fresh clams and bloodworms should be stocked for the weekend. Green crabs will be on hand for the weekend.

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