<b>Staten Island</b>

Fishing socked a good catch on Raritan Bay on Wednesday with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. The catch included two 30-pound striped bass and more stripers that were each in the 15-pound class, and bluefish were mixed in. So it was a good day of fishing, he said. Chunked and livelined bunker caught them, and most of the stripers hit the chunks, and most of the blues bit the livies, though that was opposite than usual. Outcast offers trips from Staten Island, N.Y., and Sewaren, N.J., and sea bass fishing will sail from Jersey when the state’s sea bass season is opened May 23 through June 19.

<b>Keyport</b>

Striped bass, good catches, were slugged every day on Raritan Bay on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, and there was no shortage of bluefish, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. The biggest stripers weighed 30 pounds, like before, and most that were cleaned had bunker in the stomach, because bunker swam abundant. Strong northeast wind made fishing tough and uncomfortable in past days on much of the bay. But trips caught by ducking into places better-sheltered from the wind. Two spots are available for a trip 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, because of a last-minute cancellation. Several spaces are available for a Working Man’s Special 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday. Dates are open for weekday charters in afternoons. Morning charters are available the final week of May. Book fluke charters now to ensure a date! Fluke season opens beginning May 21, and Frank will try some early-season fluking. Four spots apiece are available on open-boat fluke trips 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, and Monday, May 30, Memorial Day. Another is full that Saturday.

Raritan Bay’s striped bass fishing was great aboard, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>. The fish to 33 pounds were creamed in past days on the Down Deep Bull, one of the company’s two 40-foot boats. The trips fished livelined and chunked bunker and did a little trolling. Open-boat trips are fishing for stripers daily, reservations required, on that vessel. Striper charters are being booked, and ling and cod fishing was weathered out this week on the Down Deep, the other boat. Those were open trips, reservations required, and weather looks good for that angling to sail next week. Look for Down’s Deep’s schedule for the outings. 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. 

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Many big bluefish flooded Raritan Bay, said Joe Jr. from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Did boaters catch striped bass in the bay? he was asked. Lots of blues filled the bay, he said, and wind howled. But fish were around, and stripers were beaten on rivers. The fish munched peanut bunker at Long Branch in Shrewsbury River. He saw photos of large stripers sacked there, off Atlantic Avenue. Stripers were also taken on Navesink River at Red Bank and on the Arthur Kill at Outerbridge Crossing. Surf anglers banked good catches of stripers at places like Sandy Hook’s first beach, Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach, on clams in mornings and evenings. They dealt with the wind, too. The northeast blowing in the face could be tough.

A trip this morning was the first to fish since Saturday on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. That was because weather kept anglers from showing up for the fleet, and the trip picked at bluefish and landed one striped bass on Raritan Bay. The bluefishing was “just a delicate pick,” he said. One would be caught, then anglers would wait. Then another would, and they’d wait, and so on. The striper bit bait on a wire leader fished for blues. The bluefishing isn’t knocking them dead, but putting out enough action for a blue caught, then another, and so on. That was improvement over two weeks ago, when almost nothing bit. There was action, and some anglers don’t prefer to eat blues, and some never tried them, and didn’t prefer them only because of something someone said. But the crew will fillet up the blues, and the fish can be alright, when eaten fresh. Weather was cold and miserable, but no rain fell, at least, on the trip. Friday’s weather looks like a washout, but forecasts don’t sound bad for the weekend, and weather looks better next week. The boat is supposed to be fishing for stripers, but stripers didn’t really bite, and blues did. 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, Saturday, 5/7:***</b> No trips fished in the rain yesterday aboard, but this morning’s trip sailed, Tom said at 10 a.m. on the outing. The anglers picked at blues, enough action to keep them busy. They landed some, lost some and missed some. No striped bass were reeled in, but the trip fished and caught.

<b>Highlands<b>

Was cold, wet and uncomfortable in easterly wind, but striped bass, decent catches, and bluefish were boated from Raritan Bay with <b>Tuna-Tic Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Mike said. The fish were trolled, chunked on bunker and livelined on bunker. Stripers in the mid-20-pounds were in the mix steadily, and weather looks better in the near future. Forecasts look improved throughout next week. An open-boat trip is available for Mothers’ Day this Sunday, if anglers express interest. The trip would sail 5 a.m. to 12 noon, so anglers can get home to mom. Shark fishing is only a few weeks away for Tuna-Tic. The boat is moved to Forked River to fish from Barnegat Inlet once the striper migration explodes in the ocean there and when the time comes for sharks. Striper fishing was phenomenal there last year aboard.

Sailing from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Ed and Capt. Ken on the Hammerhead boated two striped bass 41 and 38 inches and some blues at Old Orchard, Marion wrote in an email. They trolled the fish on Twin Lights chartreuse Mojos. Wasn’t a lot of news in the week’s weather, but Paul and Becky on the Second Home trolled a 30-inch striper Saturday at Prince’s 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 and live bunker are carried when in demand. A few live bunker were on hand currently.

<b>Neptune</b>

Space is available Saturday for an individual-reservation wreck-fishing trip inshore, because half the anglers canceled for a charter that day, Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> wrote in an email. Contact him if you’re an individual or a small group up to six. An individual-rez trip will also fish inshore wrecks Sunday, May 15, for cod, pollock, winter flounder and ling. A blackfish trip Saturday, the final day of blackfish season, boated no limit but was a good day on the water, and all anglers had the fish, covered in the last report here. A trip for cod, pollock, winter flounder and ling was weathered out Sunday.

<b>Belmar</b>

Big bluefish to 15 pounds lit up Shark River, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Anglers fought all they wanted at the L Street Pier and also at Shark River Inlet. Striped bass fishing is improving daily, and some small were clammed in the surf. Back-waters, like Manasquan River, gave up bigger. He landed a few to 14 pounds on rubber shads on the Manasquan. Farther north, boaters hammered large stripers in the back of Raritan Bay. These were breeders and “should be handled as little as possible, if you release them,” he said. Looking ahead, fluke season will be opened beginning May 21, and plenty swam Shark River. Anglers hooked the flatfish by mistake and released them, saying the summer flounder were sizable. Some weighed 8 pounds, and the shop’s rental boats are used for fluking on the river. Things are looking up, Bob said.

None of the charter fleet fished in the rough weather, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. But he and the crew Mohawked bluefish 10, 12 and 15 pounds on Shark River for fun, keeping some for shark bait later this season. The blues reportedly swam inlets, too, but inlets were rough in the weather. The new moon was coming, and Pete’s confident the moon will help trigger striped bass to migrate to the ocean. Fishing the migration of large stripers on the ocean is a main event aboard each spring. The fish seemed to begin departing rivers, where they spawned, and head for the ocean, where they’ll eventually trek north for summer for cooler water. Loads should school locally, like usual in spring. New this year, Pete will also run trips that liveline the bass on bunker on a party boat with limited numbers of anglers. Book the trips to ensure a date, and see info on <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a>. For Parker Pete’s, don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Book an individual space on a charter that needs anglers. Visit the website to subscribe to the email blast to be kept informed about the spaces. Also see a trip calendar, where available dates are posted, on the site.

Looks like wind will calm Friday afternoon, and fishing will resume Saturday on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the party boat said. No trips sailed in the week’s weather. The boat’s fishing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. In other news, the crew tackled 7- to 15-pound blues, “all you wanted,” the email said, at Belmar Marina yesterday.

The <b>Golden Eagle</b> was docked in the weather in past days, and will probably resume fishing Saturday in better forecasts, a report on the party boat’s website said. Trips are sailing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

Barnegat Bay churned out bluefish, and striped bass fishing was getting better since the full moon, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. A couple of stripers were keepers that were plugged from the bay along Route 37 Bridge at night. Striper fishing on Toms River was best in early mornings on small plugs, a few on popper lures. The river’s bluefishing was a little better at night, mostly on bunker, because of the cold front that slowed fishing for them with popper lures. The surf was a little rough in the weather, but surf-fishing was definitely improving for the season. Surf bluefishing dropped off somewhat in the weather, and striper fishing is improving from the shore. Bluefishing was more consistent at Manasquan Inlet than in the surf, but wasn’t the blitz at the inlet like last week. Not much was heard from ocean boaters yet this year, and weather prevented them from sailing the ocean now. Crab catches picked up more and more, and bunker sales doubled for bait for them. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> in Toms River.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Blues and more blues was “the cry of surf anglers” from Manasquan to Barnegat inlets, a report said Tuesday on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>’ website. That was the most recent report at press time, and cut bait and different lures tied into the blues. Barnegat Bay dished up a pick of blues and small striped bass at usual spots, it said. Today was supposed to reach a high of 53 degrees in 18 m.p.h. wind from north/northeast, a forecast on the Web page said today. Tomorrow’s weather is supposed to be 49 degrees. On the next days, from Saturday through Tuesday, highs are supposed to be 52, 57, 65 and 69, respectively, it said. 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.

<b>Forked River</b>

Bluefish tore around Barnegat Bay, and 8- to 14-pounders were weighed-in, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. They bit nearly anything, but trolled ponytails and cast popper lures were popular. Striped bass were now clammed along the bay’s sod banks. When boaters could reach the ocean before the windy, cold, rainy weather, they trolled some stripers off Seaside and Lavallette on bunker spoons.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Rough weather caused few to fish, said Vince from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. Previously, lots of bluefish, many 10 pounds, were pasted from Barnegat Bay. Not much was heard about striped bass, but again, few fished. Plenty of blackfish had been boated from the ocean, before blackfish season was closed beginning Sunday. Anglers on foot had hooked plenty along Barnegat Inlet’s rocks, too. Weather was 51 degrees, cold and windy this morning at the shop, and yesterday was 53 degrees. The rentals boats are available for the fishing season, and fresh bait is stocked. The store is known for bait supply, including live bait in season.  Bobbie’s features a complete bait and tackle shop, a fuel dock and boat and kayak rentals. The boats are used for fishing, crabbing, clamming and pleasure.

<b>Barnegat</b>

<b>***Update, Saturday, 5/7:***</b> From an edited email from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “Had to cancel (yesterday's) trip in the bay because of high winds and rough water where we needed to fish. (A trip today will throw) top-water lures at the biggest kind of bluefish in the bay. The weather clears up -- no rain, light winds, and moderate air temps – and that should ignite the surface bite. On Sunday and Monday, we’ll target bass and blues in the bay, with a good chance on Monday of seeing the ocean for our first time since we went in the water 2 ½ weeks ago. The wind finally goes west on Sunday, and after a day of that direction, the ocean could be flat enough to feed bunker spoons to the big stripers that are waiting off Island Beach State Park. No bunker to snag yet, so be ready to troll. The biggest bass of the season, 25- to 40-plus pounds.” On Sunday, two trips could sail: one for blues on the bay in the morning, and one for blues and striped bass on the bay in the afternoon, because the tide is right for clamming the bass. On Monday, a morning trip could sail for the blues on the bay or stripers on the ocean, if the ocean is calm enough. On Monday afternoon, a trip could sail for blues and stripers on the bay or stripers on the ocean. Open-boat trips and charters are available. On open trips, all fish are shared.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Bluefishing was still good around Graveling Point, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Anglers came in this morning, talking about steel leaders that the blues bent up. An almost 20-pound blue was biggest weighed at the store from the fishing, so far this season. Incoming tides seemed to fish a little better, and bunker and mackerel hooked the blues. Weather was awful, and Scott saw snow yesterday. Few anglers fished in the weather in past days. A striped bass and a drum were checked-in from the same area at the store Monday. So, cooler weather arrived, and stripers and drum were seen again. Who knows if fishing for them is going to happen again, because of the weather? Once blues show up each year, they chase stripers and drum away from the area. Graveling is a shore-angling spot at the confluence of Great Bay and Mullica River. The blues even swam up the river to the Mullica River Bridge. Nothing was heard about striper fishing on the river, and only blues were heard about. Boaters trolled the river, trying for stripers, catching blues. Fresh clams are stocked in the shell and shucked. Fresh bunker were stocked Tuesday and are still carried. When the next will arrive is a question in the weather. Live grass shrimp and minnows are on hand but running low. When Scott last netted for shrimp, they were scarce in the cold and because of freshwater from rain. 

<b>Absecon</b>

Weather decreased participation, but plenty of fish are around, and when weather improves, catches should break loose big time, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Fishing up rivers was especially good. A large tournament for white perch was held during the weekend, and many anglers chased the perch on rivers like the Mullica, catching well. A few eeled for striped bass on the Mullica, locking into big ones. Sizable bluefish swam everywhere, including pushing up rivers. They schooled bays, and in the cool weather, weren’t aggressive, so bait caught most. Plenty of fresh bunker is stocked that will hit them. That was because plenty were netted in Delaware Bay. Some anglers don’t think about this, but Dave’s found that the good-quality, frozen finger mullet stocked works excellent on blues in spring. However, the best fishing seemed to be for large striped bass that poured along Atlantic City’s jetties along Absecon Inlet this week. Anglers smoked them on incoming high tides on rubber lures on lead-headed jigs. Nighttime was the right time, but the tides coincided with mornings and evenings in past days, so anglers didn’t necessarily need to fish at night. A couple of customers stopped in to buy larger rods, because the stripers weighed 20 and 30 pounds. Dave’s hoping for better weather this weekend, for more angler participation. The fish are there.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Mark Hanson stopped in with a 19-pound 39-1/4-inch striped bass he bunker-chunked from the town’s surf, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. That put him in second place in the Riptide Spring Striper and Bluefish Derby that lasts until May 22. A 27-pounder is in first place. Keith Marnell came in today with a 13-pound blue that put him in third place in the tournament. An almost 16-pounder is in first place. Wind beat up anglers, but surf casters who fished beached some blues. They also banked a striper here and there, like a 30-incher that was seen at the shop. The blues chomped Riptide’s finger mullet that are beautiful and vacuum-packed fresh and then frozen. Customers are loving the bait. Fresh clams are stocked, and Andy’s trying to stock fresh bunker for the weekend. Bloodworms are being blown out for $8 a dozen. Gulps are offering huge rebates of $15 cash back for buying four packs and $10 cash back for buying a pint. Load up for summer flounder season that begins May 21. The Expert Fireplace Spring Riptide Striper Bounty was up to $610. The annual contest awards the cash to the angler who brings in the year’s first striper 43 inches or larger from Brigantine’s front-beach. The bounty will grow, because entry is $5, and all the money is awarded. The shop’s derby, mentioned above, is for the three heaviest stripers and three heaviest blues from the town’s surf. Entry is $25 and includes a permit 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.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Fishing for big striped bass fired up at Absecon Inlet, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Bluefish 9 to 12 or 14 pounds were tackled from the surf beside the inlet, but the stripers were caught more than anything. Anglers on foot landed these fish. Watch a video of the striper fishing at the Madison Avenue jetty this week along the jetty-lined inlet. Watch more videos here. One Stop is down the street from the inlet. Stripers weighed at the shop included a 38-incher, a 36-incher, a 35-1/2-incher and more. The blues were also caught from the bay near Atlantic City High School, off Route 322, according to a photo posted on the shop’s Facebook page. A weakfish, 18 inches, the year’s first weak at the store, was also checked-in from the inlet. To catch the stripers, mostly fresh clams and fresh bunker connected. The blues were also mostly pounded on bait. Keep it simple, Noel said, or fish the bait on simple fish-finder rigs with hooks and wire leaders.  But the stripers were sometimes hooked on artificials, especially a soft-plastic bait from Scully, a New Jersey company, the shop is stocking. Bubble-gum pink and the pink with a fleck worked well.  Two hours before and after tides produced. Low light like early morning also gave up the bass. Cash-in on your catch: sign up for the shop’s <b><i>free tournament</i></b> that will award $250, $150 and $100 for first through third places, respectively, for the three largest stripers caught from land in Atlantic City. Registration is required before making the catch, and the fish must be weighed at the store. Fresh clams, fresh bunker and all baits, a large supply, are stocked. Fresh bunker are $2 apiece or three for $5.  Bloodworms are on special on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for $20 for two dozen.

<b>Margate</b>

Annual summer flounder fishing will be launched on the back bay on May 21 on the party boat <b>Keeper</b>, Capt. John said. The boat only fishes for flounder, the entire flounder season, lasting through September 25 this year. But the vessel will probably run some pre-fishing trips within 10 days or around the weekend before the opener, scoping out the bay, releasing any flounder caught. The Coast Guard inspected the vessel this week, and the boat is ready to fish. John’s just got a little work to do on rods and stuff like that.  The trips, fishing 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. daily, are economical. That’s because the fishing is near port, and the pontoon boat is economical on fuel. Rental rods are free, too. John wasn’t asked if the price will be the same this year as last, but the trips were only $28 last year.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Not a lot of anglers fished in the weather, keeping news scarce, but fishing was about the same as before, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Bluefish, not a ton, but good-sized, were mixed throughout all different places, including Corson’s Inlet, off the island’s north end and in the bay behind Ocean City. Small striped bass swam Corson’s and along 9th Street Bridge. Corson’s fishing was good one day, slow another, depending on whether dredging dirtied the water. Stripers in the bay were clammed and bloodwormed. Lots of little stripers, lots, nibbled in the surf, mostly on clams. A few drum, not many, were clammed in the surf. Nothing was heard about Great Egg Harbor River recently, just like little was heard about any fishing, because weather kept anglers scarce. Forecasts look like weather will break next week. 

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

If you look at the mouth of Ludlam Bay from the bridge to Sea Isle City, boaters there were fishing for blues and striped bass, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. That was Mike the crew member, not Mike the owner. The large blues were fought on soft-plastic lures on ½-ounce or 1-ounce jigheads. The stripers were 18- to 22-inchers, swiping the plastics fished for the blues. Nothing was heard about catches from the surf, including from the inlet. The bay’s blues and stripers were all the news, and the bluefishing could be good.

After a lull on one trip, fishing for big blues was good Tuesday evening aboard the back bay, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Real good, he said, and the one-day lull was covered in the last report here. Now the angling kicked back in. The fish had still been around, and he needed to get dialed back in, he said. The fishing changed, and the trip smashed them on top-water lures. Previously, trips caught on lead-headed jigs with soft-plastic lures and sunken Clouser Minnow flies. Was good to be back into the fish, he said, and he expects the angling to last “a little while longer.” Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Blackfishing steamed Friday and Saturday on the ocean, and drum fishing will be launched Saturday on Delaware Bay, on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said.  The blackfish trips were the final, before blackfish season was closed beginning Sunday, and more of the tautog were totaled on Friday than on Saturday. But Saturday was nasty weather, and a few of the trip’s anglers limited out, and a few big were landed. Some places gave up nothing, and some gave up a good pick. Anglers typically want more fish, but the angling was fair, in rolling seas and wind. Some anglers might not have bagged blackfish. Some threw back big females. Some kept a couple of big females, thinking the fish might win the pool. The angling didn’t begin well, but ended up with some blackfish. The boat will drum fish now from 2 to 10 p.m. on certain days, beginning Saturday. Reservations are required, and Paul couldn’t know how the fishing will go Saturday. A few drum were boated from the bay, no great numbers. When weather improves, the angling will pick up, he thinks. Twenty people were already signed up for a drum trip on Saturday, May 21.

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> might scope out Delaware Bay’s drum fishing this weekend, he said. Drum charters are impending aboard, sailing each May. A few of the drum were already caught this season, and the angling seemed to slow last weekend. But the fishing should be coming on. Little was heard about fishing in past days in the weather.

Lot of northeast wind, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Few fished the ocean in that, except at Cape May Point. But not a lot bit at the point, except blues, maybe stripers. Still, striper fishing was pretty good from Delaware Bay’s shore from Reed’s Beach to Cape May Point. The angling slowed a little in the cold and weather like no sun for two weeks. But stripers did begin to be hauled from the beach this season. A 34-incher was bunker-chunked from the bay’s shore. A 28-incher was bloodwormed along a jetty. Another 34-incher, 24 pounds, was plugged from the bay’s beach. Most of the surf stripers were nailed on fresh bunker chunks. Clams caught the next most, and plugs did the next. Some blues were still around in the bay’s surf, and seemed to chase bunker schools. A couple of weakfish began to be nabbed along the jetties on bloodworms under a bobber, soft-plastic lures and even sometimes on clams. For boaters, Delaware Bay’s drum fishing seemed to slow a little, because of water that became colder in the weather, after a few of the boomers began to be caught. A couple more of the catches will probably be heard about this weekend, because more anglers will sail for them, and the drum fishing is expected to take off once weather improves. In the back bay, small stripers and occasional blues were played, and toward inlets seemed best. Despite the weather, fresh clams and fresh bunker have been carried. Bloodworms began to be scarcer from suppliers, as demand drops for the season. Jumbo bloods were unavailable. But the regular-sized that are stocked are good-looking.

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