<b>Staten Island</b>

Trips for striped bass will kick off the year’s fishing probably during April’s third week with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. That’s in two weeks, and the trips will chunk bunker and liveline bunker for the bass. Plenty of bunker schooled Raritan Bay, and the baitfish began to arrive in early March. A few stripers were known to be bagged from the bay. Outcast offers fishing from both Staten Island, N.Y., and Sewaren, N.J. Sea bass trips will become available from Sewaren when sea bass season is opened beginning May 23 in New Jersey.

<b>Keyport</b>

The year’s first fishing motored out Saturday with the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>, tying into a handful of keeper striped bass and a handful of throwbacks on Raritan Bay, Capt. Mario said. That was mostly on rubber shads cast under gannets, and striper fishing is off to a much better start than last year. Lots of stripers, not big, are bunched up in the bay. On some days they bite, and on some they’re slower to bite. Looks like striper fishing will be good this spring, he hopes. He hopes the weather straightens out, he said. Wind sometimes blew horrendously. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing on Down Deep’s two 40-foot boats. The year’s first blackfish trip will sail Wednesday, and if the angling’s good, blackfish trips will be scheduled. Trips are also being booked for sea bass and fluke for when those seasons open. Join the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on Down Deep’s website to be kept informed about open trips. See available dates on the site. 

Striped bass fishing was excellent, and the fish to 20 pounds were clubbed Saturday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. Trips aboard have been clamming, trolling and casting for the fish. Gannets dove all over Raritan Bay, and plenty of bunker schooled the water. Sometimes action was fast and furious, frequently hooking multiple stripers at once. Most stripers caught are usually throwbacks this time of season, but quality keepers are being taken. The warm winter drew in stripers early this year, like Frank predicted in previous reports. He expects a fabulous run this spring. Wind forced Sunday’s fishing to be canceled aboard, but the boat was supposed to get back on the angling today. Good dates are still available for charters, and open-boat trips are fishing daily, when no charter is booked. See photos on  <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/vitaminseafishing" target="_blank">Vitamin Sea’s Facebook page</a>. <b>***Update, Monday, 4/4:***</b> Today’s trip limited out already on striped bass, Frank wrote at 9 a.m. in an email aboard. “Non-stop jigging action,” he said, and the next open-boat trip will fish Friday for stripers.

<b>Neptune</b>

One of the mates from the boat blackfished during this opening weekend of blackfish season, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. The trip whacked the fish, including a 13-pounder and an 11-pounder, limiting out, releasing just as many throwbacks. There were lots of bites, and Ralph also knew about another trip that blackfished, and the angling was excellent on that vessel, too. Last Lady’s boat will be splashed later this month. Space is available on an individual-reservation trip for sea bass May 27. Two of the trips are full for May 23 and 24. Sea bass season will be open May 23 through June 19, less than a month.

<b>Belmar</b>

Many blackfishers found the tautog biting in the ocean during this opening weekend of blackfish season, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Some good-sized were hung on Belmar’s party boats. Large winter flounder also chomped in the ocean. Anglers fishing for flounder on Shark River sometimes wormed small striped bass. “We got more reports (about that),” he said. Surf anglers banked stripers to the south, but nobody seemed to test the local surf. They might catch, if they do, Bob thinks. Severe wind kept anglers from fishing Sunday, and even blew down the flag pole at Belmar marina. That’s never happened before, for as long as Bob can remember. Some rough, windy weather was underway. But fishing should improve greatly afterward. “We hope,” he said.

Many anglers limited out on blackfish Saturday on the <b>Big Mohawk</b>, the party boat’s Facebook page said. A 10-pounder won the pool, and many 3- to 4-pounders were bagged. “There was quite a bit of action,” and the crew was “pleasantly surprised,” it said. That was apparently the season’s first blackfishing aboard, and blackfish season opened beginning Friday, but no report was posted for Friday. Friday’s trip was apparently weathered out. A few cod, a couple of ling and a big winter flounder were also swung aboard. Weather was windy since, and the next trip will probably sail Wednesday. The Big Mohawk is blackfishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Three drifts banged away at mackerel well Saturday on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the party boat’s website said. The trip had to search “a lot of ocean,” it said, to locate the fish, but found them by late morning. Then doubles, triples and some quads were hooked consistently, and some herring were mixed in. Forecasts for wind 30 to 50 knots kept Sunday’s and today’s trips docked. An update was expected to be posted today on the boat’s website about whether Tuesday’s trip will get the weather to sail. The Golden Eagle is fishing for mackerel daily.

Fishing will be launched Friday for the year on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the party boat said. The trips will sail 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily for either mackerel or bluefish and striped bass, whatever’s in. <b>***Update, Monday, 4/4:***</b> Purchase three gift certificates for daily trips for blues and stripers, and get one free, an email from the boat said today. “Hurry, (because) this offer is only going to last for another week!” it said. The certificates are valid any time and never expire. Call the boat to purchase.

Striped bass trips on the ocean will probably kick off the year’s fishing in the beginning of May with <b>XTC Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Scott said. He fished for cod a couple of weeks ago. A handful of cod were bagged, and a couple of blackfish were released that were out-of-season then, and loads of dogfish bit.

The boat is hoped to be splashed in mid-April, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. Blackfishing was good Saturday, he heard. Some cod were clocked on the trips. A couple of boats even caught striped bass on the ocean, and that looked promising. Maybe striper fishing will start early this year there. See a Trip Calendar for available dates that was recently added to <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a>.  Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Book an individual space on a charter that needs anglers.

<b>Brielle</b>

Winter flounder fishing was fair, not great, on Barnegat Bay toward Mantoloking Bridge and Point Pleasant Canal, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Most anglers landed three or four. So they could limit out on two, and they chummed heavily and fished with sandworms and clams. Blackfishing seemed pretty good on the ocean on this opening weekend of blackfish season. Up to 7- and 8-pounders caught were heard about, and the fish bit in 30- to 50-foot depths, shallow water. Both crabs and clams hooked them. Cod fishing was pretty good at local wrecks 30 to 40 miles from shore, if anglers fished the right wrecks. Some of the cod were jigged, not just caught on bait, because lots of herring schooled the wrecks. A good run of striped bass hit the surf early last week from Manasquan to Island Beach State Park. The fish were small or 14 to 24 inches, but some anglers beached 10 to 20 apiece. They had fun on light tackle: small plugs and bucktails. Fishing for stripers to 30 pounds was “pretty darn good,” he said, on Raritan Bay on trolled umbrella rigs with white shads or Mojo rigs with the shads. The fish were also clammed at Romer Shoal on outgoing tides. Dave, the shop’s owner, will give the store’s next free seminar, on tilefishing at 10 a.m. Saturday. He’s a tilefishing expert, and often fishes for them on party boats, including chartering the trips that anglers can pay the fare to join. Check out The Reel Seat’s custom tilefish rod. 

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Fishing began slowly on Saturday on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, “with continually changing conditions,” Capt. Bob wrote in an email. But the angling improved, “wound up with some cod,” he said, during the second half of the trip. That was apparently the season’s first trip, and the vessel was supposed to begin fishing Friday. But he didn’t mention Friday, and fishing was probably canceled because of rough weather that day. The crew took a scouting trip Wednesday, catching cod, covered in the last report here. By Saturday, the ocean had changed or was clearer, and was probably cooler near bottom. On the trip that day, much fewer dogfish bit, and a better percentage of cod were caught on bait, after dogfish kept pouncing on the bait on the scouting trip. The anglers switched to jigs on the scouting trip, and caught cod. On Saturday’s trip, one angler landed five cod – three keepers and two shorts – on bait. Another jigged two keepers, including one nearly 10 pounds. He retrieved a rubber-tailed jig slowly. “I tried jigging again today, but never had a hit,” Bob wrote about Saturday’s trip. “I was thinking that a slow-retrieved bucktail with a penny-colored Gulp might work well,” he said. Saturday’s trip didn’t try for blackfish, but blackfishing’s an option on the trips. The scouting trip released blackfish, and the angling looked promising, covered in the previous report here. On Saturday, plenty of bait was seen on the fish-finder on the way back, but none looked to hold striped bass. The boat will sail for stripers once the migration arrives. Trips were weathered out Sunday and today. Weather looks okay for Tuesday and good for Wednesday. The Gambler is fishing for cod, ling and blackfish 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every Monday through Saturday. Twenty-hour trips for golden tilefish, reservations required, are slated to fish every Saturday night to Sunday in April. Wind canceled this past weekend’s tilefish trip. Daily trips will fish for striped bass beginning May 1. If stripers show up earlier, the trips will begin earlier. A trip benefitting the Recreational Fishing Alliance will sail Saturday, April 30, for cod, pollock and ling, and <a href="http://www.rfanj.org/prod/events_spring.php" target="_blank">click here</a> for reservations.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Things were beginning to happen, a report said on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>’s website. Small striped bass were slid from the surf last week on rubber baits on small jigs or bucktails and on teasers. The fish were spread in decent numbers along the surf. Bays and rivers gave up stripers from throwbacks to keepers. Winter flounder fishing was a pick at usual places, and good flounder fishing seemed to come from Barnegat Bay near Mantoloking Bridge. A few keeper crabs were plucked from the dock beginning on Easter weekend.  The Dock Outfitters, located on Barnegat Bay, blocks from the ocean surf, features a bait and tackle shop, a dock for fishing and crabbing, a café and, in season, boat and jet-ski rentals. Baits stocked included bloodworms and fresh clams.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Many reports rolled in about throwback striped bass and some 30-inch keepers banked at Graveling Point, a report said Sunday on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s website. Bloodworms and clams hooked them well, and Graveling is a shore-angling spot at the confluence of Mullica River and Great Bay. A report Wednesday on the site said lots of small stripers swam Mullica River from the Parkway Bridge to Ohio Drive the last few days. High tides and outgoing fished best then, because that flushed baitfish out, “a good time to fish off Graveling Point, Ohio Drive and Iowa Court,” it said. Bloodworms were the preferred bait then, but customers then began to buy clams, because the fish began to be less “picky.” The worms, easily digested, fish best in the early season in cool water that slows the metabolism of the stripers. But clams become a better bait when the water warms. Stripers were reported seen chasing bunker and herring in the river over the past week, Wednesday’s report said. Black drum should show up at Graveling any moment. The annual $100 gift certificate is up for grabs for the year’s first angler to check-in a bluefish from Graveling or Pebble Beach, the nearby shore-angling spot. Blues could arrive there any time, too. Scott’s Tent Event, kicking off the fishing season, was great, the site said. The turnout was wonderful, despite downpours at times. The event featured discounts, prizes and reps from companies including Accurate, Avet, Berkley, Green Beret Spray, Joe Shute, Penn, S&S Bucktails, St. Croix, Tsunami and 1PotatoTwo. Scott’s thanks all for attending.

<b>Brigantine</b>

A couple of anglers fished the surf today for striped bass, a report said on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s website this morning. No results were heard, and no reports rolled in Sunday. Small stripers invaded the surf last weekend, covered in the last report here. That was the year’s first run of the fish in the island’s surf. Big stripers were sometimes heaved from rivers, this morning’s report said. “We should start to see some action soon,” it said.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Surf anglers played throwback striped bass, a good number, from the surf from Massachusetts Avenue to the T-jetty, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish swiped bloodworms, and blackfish season opened Friday, but wind blew since. The tautog were hooked and released along Absecon Inlet before the opener, and surely remained now. Customers also fish the inlet, lined with jetties and located near the shop, on foot. The T-jetty is on the ocean end of the inlet. All baits, a large supply, are stocked, including bloodworms, fresh clams, fresh bunker and green crabs. Bloodworms are on special on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for $20 for two dozen.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Weather wasn’t the greatest, and no trips fished this weekend aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. If he gets the weather to fish this weekend, he expects to catch striped bass. His trips already cranked his year’s first striped bass from the back bay, covered in a previous report here. The bluefish migration usually invades the bay by mid-April. That date’s the sweet spot, he said. The bay’s fishing usually explodes by then for him, fighting stripers, blues, summer flounder and weakfish, sometimes all in one trip, called a back-bay grand slam. That’s some of the year’s best angling, and some anglers don’t think about fishing that early, but they should. The flounder are released until flounder season is opened beginning May 21. Flounder fishing’s best in the early season in South Jersey’s shallow, warm back bays. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Capt. Jim from <b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b> heard about two boats that limited out on small blackfish during this opening weekend of blackfish season, he said. He also knew about a trip that boated striped bass on Delaware Bay in past days. Fins is now available for fishing, including for either type of trip. Drum should begin to bite by mid-month in Delaware Bay. Sea bass season will be opened beginning May 23, and shark fishing will begin around then. Fins fishes for all catches available. Reservations aren’t required but suggested, and telephone for availability. Plenty of dates are open.

<b>Cape May</b>

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> hopes to splash the boat this weekend, he said. That’s a new vessel, a 35-foot Bertram, replacing the previous Heavy Hitter. Boats fished from Cape May on Saturday, he saw when he was there. But he was yet to hear results. They probably blackfished, because blackfish season was opened beginning Friday. The boats apparently included the party boat Porgy, because the Porgy wasn’t in the slip that day. Porgy is slated to blackfish daily. Nobody probably fished on Sunday in severe wind. Heavy Hitter will blackfish this month and will fish for drum in May on Delaware Bay. Telephone if interested in any of this fishing.

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