<b>Keyport</b>

Striped bass fishing broke wide open on Raritan Bay aboard, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>. A trip on the bay yesterday on the Down Deep Bull, one of the company’s two boats, smashed lots of stripers to a 28-pounder on rubber shads and bunker chunks. The catch also included stripers 20 to 25 pounds, and the anglers landed eight or nine keepers apiece, keeping no more than their limits. Many keeper-sized were released. Open-boat trips are fishing for them daily on the Bull, and telephone to reserve. Charters are available on the Bull and the Down Deep, the company’s other vessel. The Down Deep is booked the next several days, but a special open trip will blackfish Monday on the vessel. Telephone to reserve. A trip blackfished yesterday on the boat, and the tautog bit at first, then tide and wind changed, and the angling was tough. Charters and open trips are available for up to 15 passengers on both 40-foot boats. 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 aboard was lights out on Raritan Bay, said Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>. Basically insane, he said, and he hopes that lasts. The fish last year didn’t really bite until April 12 or 14. The bass currently were quality fish, not just shorts that can bite at first in spring. Monday’s trip landed 60, and Wednesday’s landed 33. Wednesday’s trip limited out by 9 a.m., and released probably 15 in the 20-pound class afterward. Trips are jigging the bass on rubber shads, trolling them a little, and catching a few on bait. A couple of whales even swam the bay Wednesday, feeding on the abundant herring and bunker. Gannets are diving, and this is exciting fishing. Two spaces are available on an open-boat trip Friday. The next open trips will sail Wednesday and next Thursday. Charters are being booked.  

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> will begin fishing for the year with trips that will clam for striped bass, Capt. Tom said. The trips will sail 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.  <b>***Update, Sunday, 4/10:***</b> No trips fished aboard in yesterday’s weather, but this morning’s trip sailed, Tom said in a phone call aboard the outing at 11 a.m. Striper fishing was better than he thought it would be, after the cold couple of days. The anglers picked at shorts and a couple of keepers, so far. The water was 44.7 degrees when the trip departed, and was 45.8 on the back of Raritan Bay, where the trip was fishing. All the fish except one or two bit clams, and the others, including the morning’s first, hit rubber shads. Anglers might want to bring the shads. The morning was chilly, but weather was supposed to be good this afternoon.  Toms will see what the week’s fishing schedule will be. Watch the weather and call the boat to confirm. Morning trips might only fish during the first days of the week. Maybe both trips will sail daily beginning Thursday or Friday.

Boaters walloped striped bass to 27 pounds yesterday on Raritan Bay on cast rubber shads, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Shore anglers slid stripers from the bay lately. Stripers were sometimes banked from the ocean surf. “Got to have a decent day,” he said.  Stripers were hung from Navesink River at Red Bank on bloodworms during daytime and bunker chunks at night. Nothing was heard about winter flounder. “Those days are over,” he said. Blackfish season opened beginning Friday, but how the fishing’s going was unknown, because wind prevented trips. Crabs for blackfish and all baits are stocked.

<b>Highlands</b>

Striped bass fishing will begin on April 23 with <b>Tuna-Tic Sportfishing</b>, clamming the fish on Raritan Bay, then fishing for them with bunker, or targeting them however necessary, Capt. Mike said. April’s final week and into May has usually fished most consistently for keepers in size limits like the current, even if fewer stripers, outside the limits, bite. Mike likes clamming, and doesn’t prefer to troll. But trips will troll if necessary. Once that angling slows, the fish migrate to the ocean. Then the boat is moved to Forked River to fish from Barnegat Inlet. Striper fishing was phenomenal aboard there last year on the ocean for the biggest kind of stripers. 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. Trips will jump right on them. Tuna trips will kick off afterward. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Get on the list for open-boat trips that need anglers.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>***Update, Saturday, 4/9:***</b> Fifteen keeper striped bass were jigged under birds working the ocean on today’s blackfishing trip on the party boat Big Mohawk from Belmar, surprisingly, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. A few anglers from the trip stopped by and said so, just before the shop closed for the day. “Some of the fish were large,” Bob wrote, and the blackfishing was good, the anglers told him. The stripers were hooked when birds were seen diving, and the trip sailed over and took a look. “We will see what happens tomorrow,” Bob wrote.

Blackfishing was excellent again Wednesday on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b> on the ocean, Capt. Chris said. None of the fish weighed more than 5 or 6 pounds, but many of the anglers limited out, and many of the tautog were reeled in, and a bunch of cod were also cranked up. Saturday’s trip also bailed blackfish, covered in the last report here, and those were the only trips that fished, between weather, since blackfish season opened Friday. Crabs and clams both hooked the fish on the trips, and green crabs are provided, and white crabs are available for sale aboard. The Big Mohawk is blackfishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. The annual <a href="http://www.sharkriversurfanglers.com/contest.htm" target="_blank">Shark River Surf Anglers Kids Trout Fishing Tournament</a> will be held at Spring Lake on Saturday, opening day of trout season, Chris noted. The free contest is known for good-sized trout, prizes and a good time. The club stocked the lake with big trout last Saturday, like it does every Saturday before the event. Food like hot dogs and ice cream will be served.

Trips for striped bass will begin Friday on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report said on the party boat’s website. The boat’s been fishing for mackerel, but a trip Wednesday searched for mackerel with no success for many miles. Unless another body of mackerel shows up, the boat will striper fish now. Water’s warming, and some stripers were caught in past days. The bass are usually hooked on bait or swim shads in the early season aboard. “So bring the whole tackle box … Friday and over the weekend,” the report said.

Fishing will begin Wednesday on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> for the year, sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily for striped bass, an email said from the party boat. Fishing aboard had been slated to begin Friday, but weather’s been too rough to return the boat to the slip from the boat yard. Purchase three gift certificates for daily trips for blues and stripers, and get one free, another email said today from the boat. Hurry, because the offer will last only another week, it said. The certificates are valid any time and never expire. Call the boat to purchase.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Mostly cod were swung aboard the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. The angling, not good, but catching some, seemed to be slowly improving. Trips predominantly targeted cod and pollock, but some blackfish were caught when blackfish season first opened last week. Crabs for blackfish bait were unavailable the first days of the season. Trips fished 120-foot depths to 140 for cod and pollock and 60-foot depths to 90 for blackfish. If deeper than 140 were fished, dogfish were too much of a nuisance. Though the shallow water was fished for blackfish, a few blackfish, mostly small, bit in the deep, too When the ocean warms a little, bigger blackfish will probably bite in the shallower water. The ocean failed to warm in rough weather recently. South wind that cools the ocean near shore, because of upwelling, blew hard yesterday. The water was 41 to 44 degrees, depending on location. A few mackerel had been caught on the trips. The trips didn’t “sail all over” looking for them. But 10 to 15 were hooked on some trips, and on others, 75 to 100 were. The mackerel weren’t the biggest, but were mackerel, he said. Lots of bunker schooled the ocean. No bluefish were reported to arrive locally. Butch heard about blues found in South Jersey back bays and in Jones Inlet, at mid Long Island. The blues in South Jersey were 1 to 2 pounds, and Butch heard the bluefish reports first-hand from fishermen who targeted them. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

Barnegat Bay around Mantoloking Bridge turned out good winter flounder fishing, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. The Murphy family, no relation to the shop, banged them out, all 2-pounders, and also landed a keeper blackfish there. Striped bass were fought on the Toms River at Island Heights and Ocean Gate at dusk and after dark on bloodworms and swimming plugs like Rapala X-Raps or those from Baker Lures. Stripers were clocked in Oyster Creek, the warm-water discharge from Forked River power plant, on plastics like Slug-Gos and Fin-S Fish on bucktail jigs. Flounder chomped in the mouth of the creek, beginning to migrate out. A few anglers fished the surf, wrestling only small stripers on Ava 007s or 17s or Daiwa SP Minnows with teasers. Probably 85 percent bit teasers, because of spearing and rainfish in the water. Dennis expects bluefish to arrive locally between April 12 and 18. Tuesday is the twelfth. A few crabs began to be trapped. Fresh clams, bloodworms and sandworms were stocked. A few fresh bunker were on hand. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>Forked River</b>

Tough weather this week, but striped bass were yanked from Oyster Creek on bloodworms, clams and white lures, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Winter flounder began to migrate to Barnegat Bay off Forked River from rivers. A couple of anglers boated them along the Intracoastal Waterway, and crab dredgers picked up flounder from the bay as by-catch. Bloodworms and fresh clams are stocked. Trout season will opened beginning Saturday, and baits also include trout worms, nightcrawlers and meals worms. Snow is forecast for the opener!

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

The party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b> will begin fishing on Memorial Day weekend for the year, Karen said. That’s the usual schedule, and trips will begin with bluefishing. Fluke trips will begin in mid-June. The boat’s <a href=" http://www.missbarnegatlight.com/TunaFishing.html" target="_blank">tuna trips</a> that were re-launched last year, after a hiatus, will steam again this fall. The boat currently was about to be brought to the ship yard for seasonal maintenance.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

They’re here. Black drum began to show up, said Brandon from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. A 28-pounder was weighed-in, and the angler also caught an 18-pounder. A 49-pounder was heard about. These were hooked on clams, and bloodworms hooked throwback striped bass, occasionally a keeper. This was all at Graveling Point, Ohio Drive and Iowa Court, shore angling spots at the confluence of Mullica River and Great Bay. The $100 gift certificate o the store remained up for grabs for the angler who checks-in the year’s first bluefish from Graveling. A few bluefish were heard about from up the river. Was surprising none was reported caught from Graveling, considering. White perch fishing was very hit or miss on the Mullica. Whether they were spawning and that was the cause was unknown. But a trip would hit some, and otherwise trips had to search for bites. A couple of customers bought green crabs for blackfishing, but no results were reported.  Fresh clams are stocked in the shell and shucked. Bloodworms, green crabs and live grass shrimp are carried.

<b>Absecon</b>

Wind blew, rain fell and weather was cold, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Fish were definitely around to be caught, but there wasn’t much feedback, because of the weather. Before the wind, small striped bass bit along the Absecon Inlet jetty. Striper fishing was a steady pick at the mouth of Mullica and Great Egg Harbor rivers and Great Bay and Great Egg Harbor itself. Clams seemed to catch stripers the past couple of days, and sales of them picked up. But bloodworms still seemed to catch best. The worms, easier to digest, work best in cold water that slows striper metabolism in the early season, and clams begin to catch as waters warm. The herring migration arrived at dams in rivers. Dave keeps getting fresh bunker to stock from fyke netters in Great Bay. Bloods and clams are carried. So are green crabs for blackfishing. Blackfish season opened beginning Friday, but no feedback came in about the angling in the weather. Water was dirty from the wind, and blackfish bite best in clear water. But surely blackfish are around to be caught. Even white perch anglers on the brackish rivers “got blown off their seats.”

<b>Brigantine</b>

Two anglers fished the surf all day today, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. A 13- or 14-inch striped bass and two skates were banked in the fishing. Otherwise, weather’s made past days unfishable. Today’s weather was just as crummy. Bloodworms are stocked, and fresh clams will arrive Friday. The Expert Fireplace Spring Riptide Striper Bounty was up to $400. The annual contest awards the cash to the angler who weighs-in the year’s first striper 43 inches or larger from Brigantine’s front-beach surf. The bounty will grow, because entry is $5, and all the money is awarded. Gift certificates to the store for $50 will be awarded for the year’s first angler to check-in a keeper striper from the island’s surf and the first to stop by with a keeper striper boated or kayaked from the back bay. The Riptide Spring Striper Derby is underway until May 22 for the three heaviest stripers and three heaviest bluefish weighed-in from the town’s surf. Entry is $25, and the prizes for stripers will be $500, $300 and $150, and for blues will be $300, $200 and $100. Entry includes a permit that allows anglers to beach-buggy the entire Brigantine front beach, when accompanied by a Brigantine beach-buggy permit. Without the tournament permit, not all the beach can be driven. New this year, Brigantine beach-buggy permits are free for veterans and active military. A DD214 Form must be shown to receive the free permit. The Brigantine permits are available at the Brigantine Community Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays at 265 42nd Street in the town. The derby permits are available at Riptide.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

One angler landed 37 throwback striped bass and lost one he thought was a keeper on a trip, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Surf fishing for stripers remained good along the T-jetty and nearby surf, but few fished in the weather. More large stripers, like the keeper the angler thought he lost, are swimming the water, Noel thinks. But anglers weren’t out to find out. This would be prime time to begin fishing the water otherwise, he thinks. Lots of birds worked the water. The migration of bluefish, big, probably arrived on about April 15 last year. They gave up excellent fishing for weeks in the area. A couple of small blackfish were hooked along the area’s jetties this week, and a couple of keepers were pulled in last week. The T is located at the ocean end of Absecon Inlet. The inlet is jetty-lined and located near the store. Customers fish there on foot for all these catches. A good number of blueclaw crabs began to stir around bays, like along Routes 30 and 40. A photo of a healthy catch of them in a cooler was posted on the shop’s Facebook page. They were trapped along Routes 322 and 40. Baits stocked include bloodworms, fresh clams, fresh bunker and green crabs. Bloodworms are on special on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for $20 for two dozen.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The back bay cooled considerably and became dirty in the week’s wind and rough weather, said Ed from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. That seemed to slow fishing, but angling was pretty good until the weekend. Lots of small striped bass were tugged-in from far up Great Egg Harbor River to the bay at 9th Street Bridge and near Corson’s Inlet, and farther south toward Sea Isle City and Avalon in the bay. A couple of bluefish, the year’s first, were heard about from the river. Some white perch were nabbed from the river. Fishing looked promising, and should pick back up when weather straightens out. No catches were heard about from the surf yet this year. Anglers bought green crabs for blackfishing since blackfish season opened beginning Friday, but no results were reported. Baits stocked also include bloodworms. Fresh, shucked clams ran out but are stocked when available. Clams can become scarce in weather, keeping clam boats docked.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, did no fishing in rough weather in past days, he said. But he’ll fish this weekend. Fishing already caught the year’s first striped bass aboard from the back bay. April 15 is when mayhem breaks loose on the bay. The bluefish migration should tear into the water by then, and stripers will keep biting. Weakfish, big, so-called tiderunners, usually hit the bay then, and so do out-of-season summer flounder. The flounder are released until the season opens. Sometimes all these species are hooked in one trip, called a back-bay grand slam. This is the only time of year that happens, and is some of the best fishing of the year. Some anglers don’t jump on fishing that early, but they should. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>.

Anglers didn’t fish in the weather, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Even diehards didn’t really, because conditions were so bad. But striped bass were picked in the back bay, like along lights and bridges, and from the surf. People on shore saw birds working the ocean beyond casting range. Mike reported the year’s first weakfish known to be caught from the bay locally in last week’s report, and heard about the first bluefish this week. An angler reeled in a 5-pound blue, and location was unknown, but from the back somewhere. Nobody boated for blackfish who was known about, because of the weather. Crabbing was reportedly awesome in the bay. Green crabs, white crabs, fresh clams, bloodworms, spots and eels are stocked.

<b>Wildwood</b>

A trip will fish Saturday with <b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b>, Capt. Jim said. The anglers will blackfish. But if striped bass catches pop up, the trip could go after them. Jim is opportunistic, if anglers want, and sails prepared for that. Few fished in the weather in past days. But blackfishing was pretty good on some boats on the ocean. A couple of boats landed stripers from Delaware Bay. Any striper trips currently would probably clam the flats of the bay, like near Bidwell Creek or Maurice River. Fins is available to fish every day, and reservations aren’t required but suggested. Telephone for availability.

<b>Cape May</b>

Blackfishing kicked off the year’s angling Saturday and Wednesday on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. The daily trips were weathered out on every other day since blackfish season was opened Friday. Several anglers limited out on the tautog on Saturday’s trip, including John Callahan from Philly. His brother bagged two blackfish to the 6-pound pool-winner. Ken Minnett from Mays Landing and Val Schuster from Williamstown also limited on the outing. The rest of the trip’s keepers were 15 and 16 inches, not especially big. On Wednesday’s trip, some better-sized blackfish were grabbed, but fewer blackfish were hooked than on Saturday. Maybe the trip fished the wrong place, Paul said, or maybe the days of wind and rough weather affected the angling. Maybe the trip was fortunate to catch any, considering the previous weather and that this was early in the year. In some years, cold water can slow the angling this early. Ed Cassar from Mantua bagged three blackfish to 6 pounds on the trip, and all his blackfish probably weighed 5 to 6 pounds. Blackfish aren’t biting everywhere, Paul said, but the angling is encouraging. The fishing was slow last April. The Porgy IV is blackfishing at 8 a.m. daily. 

A couple of keeper striped bass were tackled from the surf, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. “So, starting to get some fish,” he said. Stripers were hooked from the surf, mostly on the Delaware Bay side, on bloodworms and lures like Bombers. Not much was heard about boating for stripers on the bay, but some big were boated far up the bay, like at Ship John, he thought. In the back bay, resident stripers were fought on soft-plastic lures, swimming plugs and bloodworms. No bluefish were heard to migrate to local waters yet. Blackfish season opened beginning Friday, and a couple of boats seemed to tie into them on the ocean, when they could sail between rough weather. Baits stocked include bloodworms, fresh clams and green crabs.

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