<b>Hudson River</b>

Big striped bass migrated along the river near the Tappan Zee Bridge last week, but by the weekend many of them disappeared, said Capt. Don from <b>Hook-Em Charters</b>. A few big fish could still be found on the stretch, but the main run was moving upriver to Newburgh. He relocated the boat there yesterday to start chartering. But near the Tappan Zee last week, Tom Brink’s charter limited out on the fish to 25 pounds on Sunday night, and Jim Dicola’s gang dusted seven of the bass to 25 pounds that Monday. Tom Branch’s group wrestled up six of the stripers to 32 pounds on Thursday night in the same area. Friday’s weather was rough, and no charter sailed, but Don and a friend landed two of the linesiders around the Tappan Zee. At night winds howled so strongly that boaters couldn’t anchor. On Saturday fishing was lousy at the same place with Aaron Elison’s charter, and only two stripers and a 12-pound blue were nabbed, and Don made the decision to move. This was the earliest he ever saw a bluefish caught that far upriver. At the Tappan Zee the charters fished with bunker chunks, mostly heads, and lots of bunker had been schooling, but they thinned out somewhat by the weekend, though herring were still thick. At Newburgh Don’s charters will catch the linesiders on sandworms, bloodworms and eels during the daytime, and the big female fish will jump on the eels. Anglers sometimes bunker chunk the stripers at Newburgh at night, but most charters want to fish during the day. At night the big cows swim onto the flats and don’t chase bait schools like they do during the day. Instead they mill around for food in the dark in the shallows. Hook-Em fishes the striper run on the Hudson each spring, following the fish as they push upriver, one of the best chances to catch a trophy linesider.

<b>Staten Island</b>

A striped bass trip with <b>Outcast Charters</b> on the bay Saturday produced seven keepers to 20 pounds, a pick, okay fishing, Capt. Joe said. Live bunker drew bites a little more than bunker chunks, and nothing was hooked until the tide started moving at 9 a.m. Other hits were also missed, and lots of blues attacked. Joe and his brother actually took the trip by themselves, because a charter was a no-show.

<b>Bayonne</b>

 A charter was postponed Sunday because of rough weather forecasts, said Capt. Akira from <b>True World Tackle</b> and <b>True World Tackle Charters</b>. But customers talked about plenty of striped bass catches at Great Kills Harbor, Old Orchard and Reach Channel, both on bunker and clams, and most were trying to catch bunker and fish the bait for big bass. Lots of blues stormed the waters. A friend striper fished on the Hudson River at Croton, and the fishing seemed to drop off toward the end of the week for larger fish more than 30 inches.

<b>Keyport</b>

The bay’s striped bass fishing definitely started to pick up on bunker chunks and live bunker, said Capt. Fred from <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>. A charter yesterday morning with a group who were entered in the New Jersey Hunters/Fishermen Tournament nailed four keeper striped bass, missing winning the tournament by 4 ounces. They started fishing on the chunk, put two of the fish in the boat right away, picked through blues and missed a good number of striper bites. After the bite slowed, they moved east and pulled up the two other keepers, and missed a few bass, and the bunker baits came back scaled. Probably a 30-pounder also broke off an 8/0 Gamakatsu 15 feet from the boat. Fred headed out with family and friends later in the day on the bay, loaded up on bunker baits at Great Kills Harbor, and caught stripers on the last drop, after fighting lots of blues at previous stops. He called it a day when the baits ran out, and good thing, because he needed to get home to his wife for Mother’s Day or “would have been in the dog house,” he said! Andrea’s Toy will target striped bass on the bay until early June, available daily for bunker chunking and livelining charters, and then the boat will move to Point Pleasant for shark fishing and sea bassing. But if stripers are on bunker in the ocean at that time, charters will also chase them from Point, and fluke fishing will also go down there. Eventually tuna trips will head the bow offshore.

A crew trip with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> clammed a couple of striped bass and a few blues in the back of the bay Thursday, Capt. Joe said. Open-boat trips are sailing daily when no charter is booked, and call to reserve.

Weather forecasts forced trips to be cancelled Friday and Saturday on the <b>Lucky Carm</b>, though Saturday’s weather probably turned out fine, Capt. Carmine said.  But he and the boat’s mate jumped on the party boat Atlantic Star on Sunday for bottom fishing, and Carmine drilled 13 ling, not a bail, but good fishing. He also reeled up three hefty, out-of-season blackfish and released them. Carmine was impressed with Capt. Tom from the Atlantic Star, because every time bluefish started to be a nuisance, the boat picked up and moved, and got right back on ling, with every drop on the money. Conditions were also a bit difficult, with somewhat bumpy seas in the morning that straightened out later. The Lucky Carm is fishing for striped bass and blues on daytime and nighttime charters and open-boat trips. The open trips sail daily when no charter is booked, and call to reserve.  Capt. “Shamrock” Eddie Coleman, Carmine’s friend, fished for stripers Saturday, and Carmine thought he caught five stripers, probably 12- or 13-pounders, in the bay.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Matt Miller’s charter on the <b>CRT II</b> put the skids on quite a number of striped bass to a 30-pounder on Saturday at Romer Shoal and Flynn’s Knoll while clam chunking and chumming, Capt. Mick said. A mix of blues to 15 pounds also put up fights. Striper fishing on a charter Sunday was slower, and three keepers to 36 inches and probably six or eight throwbacks were hooked, and more blues bit than anything, all at Flynn’s Knoll, Romer Shoal and east of Romer. Seas were sometimes a bit sloppy, depending on the tide. Striped bass were on the bite, and Mick hoped the current storm would fail to drop off the fishing, and striper fishing actually improved after the last blow. Space remains for charters in May and June, and grab the dates while you can. Stripers will continue to be a focus, and Mick will add lots of fluke fishing when the flattie season opens later in May.

On the <b>Fishermen</b> anglers picked striped bass, sometimes with two patrons hooked up at once, toward the beginning of the trip Saturday during the change of tide, and the bite slowed when the current started running, Capt. Ron said in an e-mail. Some of the fish looked like they had eaten all night, with bloated bellies. More of the fish were also males, long and lean fish, than before. Then more drops were made, and a few of the spots gave up a mix of bass and blues. A 16-pound striper was the pool winner, and the weather was beautiful, despite forecasts for rough conditions. On Sunday morning bluefish and a few short stripers bit at first, and the boat bounced around to other spots, but bluefish kept taking over. The anglers who were fishing bunker that can attract blues got rid of the baits, and the vessel moved again, and eight stripers were nailed in 10 minutes. Then patrons picked away at better-sized bass the rest of the day. Rocco Farina was high hook, landing seven stripers, including three good-sized keepers. Jim McCarthy landed six, including the 17.4-pound pool winner. Lori Berwick, celebrating Mother’s Day, caught her first-ever striper. No trip was expected to sail today in the forecast storm. “If they are wrong, I’ll flip!” Ron said yesterday. They weren’t wrong! The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Ron also said Capt. Frank ran the boat Saturday on the first afternoon trip of the season, and Ron gave no results yet, but apparently the vessel is sometimes fishing on Magic Hour trips.

Scotland kept giving up plenty of ling for patrons on the <b>Atlantic Star</b> on trips over the weekend, and a few more sea bass than before were showing up, and out-of-season blackfish and porgies were hooked and released, Capt. Tom said. Ling fishing was a little better before Friday’s blow, but the weekend’s catch was still decent, and some of the anglers bagged 12 to 15 of the hake, mixed sizes, but some big baseball bats. Everybody was going home with dinner. The porgies included very good-sized fish, and some of the blackfish were also respectable. Today’s trips were certainly going to be weathered out, and tomorrow’s were expected to be cancelled because of winds. But Tom hoped to be back on the water Wednesday. The Atlantic Star is fishing on two trips daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

<b>Highlands</b>

A few striped bass to 18 pounds were bunker chunked in the bay with <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> on Saturday, somewhat of a slow pick through bluefish that hit, Capt. Brian said. The bass weighed up to 18 pounds, “nothing too, too big,” he said, if you don’t call an 18-pounder a big fish by any standard! The boat left the dock at 11 a.m., later than usual, because of forecasts for rough weather that turned out wrong. Brian heard that others scored decent catches earlier in the morning. Jersey Devil specializes in targeting trophy striped bass, and the season is prime time.

The weather kept trips from fishing a couple of days, but when charters could sail, they got into a good mix of striped bass and blues with <b>Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures</b>, Capt. Bob said in an e-mail. They targeted waters from the back of Raritan Bay to the clam beds off Sandy Hook, depending on tides and seas, and bunker was best bait for bass in the back, and clams scored most bites from them in the bay near the ocean and in the ocean itself. They found fair to good fishing for the linesiders, and most trips limited out on the fish to 34 inches, keeping only as many as they wanted to eat, and releasing the rest. The 5- to 14-pound blues could be found almost anywhere. Weakfish to 30 inches could be caught in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers on sandworms, bunker chunks or bubblegum-colored Fin-S Fish. Dates for charters in May are becoming full, but prime evening times are available, and more dates are on tap in June.

Four anglers on a trip Friday with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> nailed 14 striped bass to 29 pounds, keeping a limit of eight and releasing the rest, very good fishing, all in the bay on bunker chunks, Capt. Derek said. They also pinned down a load of blues to 8 pounds on chunks. Striper fishing is full steam ahead, and that means dates fill fast, so book now. Charters will fish for the linesiders into July, and fluke charters will be added when fluke season opens May 24.

<b>Belmar</b>

The <b>Nan Sea J</b>’s season got under way with trips for blues and striped bass along the ocean front, and bluefish catches were consistent in the 55-degree waters, while striper fishing was up and down, Capt. Tom said. The blues, 3- to 7-pounders, and sometimes stripers were hooked on jigs, but linesiders to 17 pounds were also clammed toward Sandy Hook. Charters will keep targeting both fish, and bottom fishing trips are also available, and sea bass and ling can be caught. Tom also said that the Nan Sea J’s annual, open-boat trips for sharks will continue running every Wednesday in June and July, a rare opportunity to do battle with the beasts on open trips, instead of having to book a whole charter. Sharking is Tom’s favorite fishing, and book spots now, because the schedule jams up. Shark charters are also offered.

Patrons jigged bluefish and not many striped bass, but a couple of 38-inch, keeper stripers, on the <b>Golden Eagle</b> on Saturday and Sunday along the ocean front, well north of the inlet, Capt. Greg said. The fishing was best and very good on Sunday in calm seas, and there was a heave and dirty water on Saturday. Patrons usually only jig for both fish on the daytime trips, and no bait is tossed. The boat was ready to start bluefishing at night on Saturday for the first time this season, but too few anglers showed up at the docks, maybe because of rough weather. Night bluefishing should begin this coming Friday and Saturday, and the night trips might start running daily the following week. The Golden Eagle is sailing for striped bass and blues from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Brielle</b>

Blues schooled the Manasquan River, mostly from the hospital to the Route 70 Bridge, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Bluefish also swam the Point Pleasant Canal, and striper fishing in the canal was spotty. But when stripers were hooked there, they usually grabbed herring, bucktails, rubber shads and sometimes plugs. A few weakfish were landed by accident when anglers fished for stripers with jigs at the Route 70 Bridge. Out-of-season fluke carpeted the Manasquan River, seeming to bode well for the opening of the season in two Saturdays. In the ocean a handful of striped bass were boated near Manasquan Inlet, but otherwise local striper fishing was mostly yet to kick off along the coast. But lots of blues raced the ocean front. Space remains for a free workshop at the store that Shimano will offer on the Lucanus and Butterfly Jigging Systems on Saturday. Call to reserve one of the three sessions. Sign up for the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund’s <a href=" http://ssfff.org/raffle.html" target="_blank"> raffle for a boat, motor and trailer </a> for only $20.  Get a chance at a 17-foot Mako with a motor and trailer donated by the American Sportfishing Association and electronics donated by Henry’s Tackle, and support the SSFFF.

Fair catches of striped bass and bluefish were boxed on the <b>Jamaica</b> on Saturday, and very good catches of the fish were stuck on Sunday, an e-mail from the boat said. Some stripers and blues were boated on both days, and 12 keeper stripers and loads of blues were bailed Sunday. Jigs hooked most fish, but bait sometimes connected. Marco Prisco was a pool winner with a 21-pound striper. Striped bass and bluefish trips are sailing 7:30 a.m. daily, and the season’s first nighttime bluefish trip heads out 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and the night fishing will take place daily starting May 23. A tilefish and wreckfish trip is on the books for 12:30 a.m. Friday. <b>Bogan’s Boating School</b> is offering the boating safety course and certificate required in New Jersey, and the next one-day courses take place 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday and June 7 and 22. The next two-day courses are slated for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. May 21 and 22.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Two anglers hopped aboard for a striped bass and bluefish jigging trip in the ocean with <b>Reel Class Charters</b> on Saturday, but somewhat snotty seas and waters the color of Yoo-Hoo from the previous day nixed those plans, Capt. Allen said. They decided instead to fish Manasquan River, Point Pleasant Canal and northern Barnegat Bay with light tackle, rubber lures and jigs. The morning gave up a slow pick of 3- to 5-pound blues from Osborne Island to the Route 70 Bridge. Then the anglers fished the canal on slack tide, looking for striped bass around structure and hoping for a few more blues, but nothing was doing. Still, the morning was good, Allen said, and the anglers reeled up about a dozen feisty blues on 6-pound tackle. Can’t beat that! he said. Reel Class’s season for jigging bass and blues in the ocean is under way.

<b>Seaside</b>

Surf-fishing traffic was light on Mother’s Day, but a few “overachievers” put in time, including two who weighed in an 8-1/2-pound striper and a 9-pound blue, said the fishing report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s web site. The blue hammered a white bucktail, and the striper sucked down a Grumpy’s clam. The surf was riled up on Saturday from the previous day’s winds, so fishing was tough, but some blues and a few short stripers were reported caught. Grumpy’s Annual Pool Tournament is up and running. Anglers enter by weighing in a keeper striped bass and handing over $2, and can enter every time the sharpie weighs in a keeper, increasing the chances of winning the contest’s drawing. One dollar will be donated to the New Jersey Beach Buggy Association Kids Fishing Fund, and the other dollar will go into the pool The winners will be drawn after 4th of July Weekend. About 400 bass were checked in during last year’s tournament, so a few bucks should be available. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

<b>Forked River</b>

Two charters tested the waters for striped bass on Saturday with <b>Seafood Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. John said. They clammed Barnegat Bay, clammed the ocean and trolled the ocean, but no stripers turned up. The season was a little early for stripers, but you can’t be the first to find them if you aren’t the first to fish for them. Another charter is slated for this coming weekend and will look for stripers, and maybe the fish will finally turn on by then. But 2- to 3-pound bluefish were trolled on the bay with Seafood that day, both on metal and salmon-colored Bomber swimming plugs, and the plugs were the hot ticket, like they were for Seafood the previous weekend. Loads of dog sharks, more dogs than John ever saw, bit the clam baits in the 49- to 50-degree ocean. Seafood will keep trolling for blues in the bay and looking for stripers in the bay and ocean, and fishing for big, tiderunner weakfish on the bay might also be mixed in. Soft plastic lures tossed in the early mornings will sometimes get attention from the trout.  Fluke charters will begin when fluke season opens May 24. Tuna charters are now starting to be booked, and reserving preferred dates is a good idea. Seafood’s boat makes it to the tuna grounds probably quicker than any other charter in the state. The 33-foot HydraSports features three 250 h.p. engines, cruises at 45 m.p.h., tops out at 60 m.p.h. and arrives at the canyons in 2 hours in fair seas. Anglers can spend more time fishing than traveling. Space is also available on a two-day, open-boat trip that will compete in the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club Tournament.  Boats in the tournament are allowed to fish two days from July 30 to August 2. Last year’s purse was $365,000, and 20 percent of any winnings go to the crew on the trip, but the rest goes to the anglers.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Regular customer Joe Franke took a trip with Cy Collins with <b>Reel Fantasea Charters</b> on Barnegat Bay, Capt. Steve said in an e-mail. At first the fishing was tough, so the trip stayed on the water longer than scheduled. “Double overtime,” Steve said. Still, two good-sized fish that pulled the hooks and were lost were the only results for a while. But the anglers were troopers and stuck it out, and they were rewarded. A school of 2- to 5-pound blues was found under working birds, serving up non-stop action on surface popper lures and Bass Kandy Delights. Blues free-jumped from the bay at times and worked schooling spearing. Another trip on the bay with Bill Saure, dad Bob Sr. and brother Bob Jr. was super, despite sporty conditions, with 30-plus knot winds and steady downpours. One of the anglers scored the year’s first grand slam, walloping a weakfish, a bluefish, a striper and an out-of-season fluke that was released. The anglers scored non-stop action on the BKD’s, poppers and mullet. Fishing is an outdoor sport, Steve said. If the weather allows, “Just Fish!” he said.  UPDATE, today: On a trip yesterday with two anglers, the bay temperatures dropped, and so did fishing. They managed a few blues, a few misses and some bite-offs. Enormous amounts of algae and seaweed that pushed into the bay in the past days might’ve also been suspects.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Surf sharpies saw lots of action with stripers on the north end of the island on Saturday, said the report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site. Most landed shorts or just barely keepers, but one guy reportedly bailed five or six keeps, throwing back four, and somebody else supposedly threw a line in the same hole and came up with a couple of more legals. Weeds were annoying in the wash that day.

<b>Longport</b>

A ground swell apparently slowed down sea bass fishing on the <b>Stray Cat</b> on Saturday, but a few cod and pollock were boated, and so were a few squid, Capt. Mike said. Out-of-season tog and fluke were also hauled aboard and released. The weather dropped the waters to 52 degrees. With the squid that were schooling, Mike actually scheduled a trip just to fish for them in two Fridays, and it’s already full. He might schedule more, and give him a call if interested. Open-boat sea bass trips will keep fishing daily, and healthy numbers of the lumpheads were coming up lately. Fifty flounder must’ve also grabbed baits meant for sea bass in the past couple of weeks, and open trips will switch to flounder fishing in the ocean when flounder season opens May 24. Space is already full that day, but spots are available May 25 for a special, 10-hour, open-boat sea bass and flounder trip 20 miles offshore, limited to 10 passengers. Call to reserve. Charters will fill most of the schedule starting June 7, but Stray Cat might run open-boat on Thursdays or Sundays or something. Space is available on very few Saturdays through the month, and some are open in June in July, but that’s all.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Jim Ferrell, his nephew and two nieces cleaned up on a bunch of blues to 4 pounds on a charter on the back bay on Saturday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. They tossed soft plastic lures at the top of the tide, and the blues have been biting both on incoming and outgoing, so long as the tide’s been moving. The fish were moving from day to day, but the fishing was good, solid action for charters who were casting light spinning tackle and fly rods. Joe took a trip with his wife on Sunday and fly rodded the speedsters on Clousers and also on surface poppers when he came across a school of blues blitzing along the Intracoastal Waterway. Blitzes weren’t happening every day, but when they did, the fish would hit surface flies and lures. The blitzing blues seemed to feed on bay anchovies, and otherwise they grubbed grass shrimp hard on the bottom, when soft plastics and sinking flies drew the strikes. The charter on Saturday also caught and released an out-of-season flounder, and a  large population of flounder covered the bottom. Joe expects flounder fishing to be gangbusters when the flattie season opens May 24, and the early season is the best time for chasing the fluke in the bay. The bay this weekend dropped to 56 to 57 degrees from winds, the cold front and spring tides that sucked in cold ocean water. In other news, Joe heard his first reports of the season about kingfish beached in the surf. Short stripers were also pulled from the suds during the weekend, and a few blues popped up for bank anglers along the inlets.

Sea bass fishing served up good catches on the <b>Captain Robbins</b>, Capt. John said. On yesterday’s trip Bob Moore limited out on sea bass and won the pool with a 10-pound blue, and a few bluefish were sometimes fought on recent outings. Also yesterday, James Katavolpes limited out on sea bass to 4 ½ pounds, and William Cunningham limited out to 3 ½ pounds. Gloria Cunningham, his mother, who was sailing on a Mother’s Day trip, limited out to 3 pounds. On Saturday Al Cornlins took the pool with a 4-1/2-pound sea bass and bagged 16, and Dwight Chase scored 21 of the fish. On the same trip father and son Bob and Dallas Ferko combined for 35 sea bass. Friday’s fishing was weathered out, and on Thursday LeRoy Cooper won the pool with a 5-1/4-pound sea bass, and Jessie Foster boated 19, and Sunday Davis took 17, and Bill Wade nailed 14. The Captain Robbins is sailing for sea bass 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, and fresh clams are supplied for bait.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Bluefish and occasionally striped bass were plucked from the back bay, and plenty of out-of-season flounder hugged the bay-bottom, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> in an e-mail. Flounder season opens in two Saturdays. Weakfish and sometimes speckled seatrout were jigged or bloodwormed along the jetties in the surf, and Bill Gordon from Cape May jigged a 7-1/2-pound speck at Cape May Point and weighed the fish at the shop. Sea bass catches were picking up at Cape May Reef and farther offshore. Delaware Bay anglers boated drum, sometimes as big as 70 pounds, on the Jersey side. Got your boating safety certificate? The course for the certificate, required in New Jersey, will be offered at the store at 9 a.m. Sunday. Call the shop or e-mail <a href="mailto:sterlingharbor@comcast.net" target="_blank"> sterlingharbor@comast.net</a> for more info.

<b>Cape May</b>

Three 30-pound black drum were loaded aboard on a trip Saturday evening and night with <b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b> on the Jersey side of Delaware Bay, Capt. Ray said. A single drum was also taken on the boat in the middle of the day Sunday on the Jersey side in the 60-degree waters. These trips might’ve produced some of the better catches of drum this weekend, and the bite seemed somewhat slow. The fish seemed to turn on all at once, for an hour or so, and anglers parked at the right spot connected with a few, and others didn’t. Lots of fish were marked, but not a lot of drum bit. No striped bass were hooked with Jaftica, but Ray heard about a couple landed in the lower bay at the end of the week. All kinds of bunker schooled the bay. 

A 32-pound drum was boated with <b>O-Beth Sportfishing</b> on Delaware Bay on Sunday, right in the middle of Tussy’s Slough, probably mid morning, when incoming tide just began, Capt. Eric said. Drum fishing was just beginning, and an unbelievable number of dog sharks covered the bottom in the 59- or 60-degree waters. Eric heard about one striped bass that a boater reeled in from the bay, a third-hand report. O-Beth will fish for drum until about flounder season, when the boat will be moved to Margate to start fishing for the flatties and also sharks.

Fishing for drum slowed down this past week compared with before, and big piles of readings kept being marked, and the fish might’ve been spawning and refusing to bite, Capt. Rob from <b>First Cast Sport Fishing</b> said. Readings were stacked up at Tussy’s Slough, for example. But he thought the fishing was probably about to break loose. John Hable’s charter on Thursday or Friday nailed five drum, including a 70-pounder. Drum fishing Saturday night with the Derek Morris gang was slow, and on Sunday with Steve Fowler’s group produced “a few fish,” Rob said, and lots of sharks and skates. Most charters were able to land a drum or two here or there.  A striped bass or two were mixed in with the drum, but trips last year at this time were pulling up both drum and stripers at the same time. That never really happened this year, and either drum or stripers came up. Drum can spawn in a couple of days and then completely go on the feed. A spot is open for a charter this weekend.

<b>Daisy May Sport Fishing</b> headed out for drum on Delaware Bay on Saturday night, read fish on the fish finder, heard drum booming, but no takers, Capt. Dave said. Fishing for them seemed to be just starting, and he thought they were spawning. The fish were there, no doubt, he said. The only striped bass catches he heard about came from far up the northern bay, like around Ship John. Charters will keep targeting drum in the near future, but the trips always look for both drum and stripers, fishing bunker chunks far in the back for the bass, along with clam baits dropped closer to the boat for drum. Daisy May will compete in a fishing tournament Friday and sail on charters Saturday and Sunday.

Charters fished for drum Saturday and Sunday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, and catches were kind of slow, Capt. George said. Joe Faulkner’s gang on Saturday afternoon landed a couple to 40 pounds. On Sunday a Take a Vet Fishing Trip with Dan Romano, Jim Stadlar, Frank Snock and Jim Dorn from McGuire Air Force Base got into sharks and skates. Unfortunately no drum showed up, but George tried his best, and he sends his gratitude to the men for serving the country, and enjoyed spending time with them. The drum that were hooked were full of roe, so the fish weren’t finished spawning. Sometimes boaters seemed to find them and get a quick shot at three or four, but that was all, and otherwise anglers might’ve landed one or two per trip. Maybe the fishing will take off after the current storm. Last year the fish suddenly turned on, and one trip on the Heavy Hitter bailed 30 of them, and then the fish kept biting. Drumfish so far were at least hooked sometimes, but nothing hot and heavy. About the only striped bass that George heard were hitting were lots that were reeled in from the Delaware River at Pennsville. Drum charters will keep sailing, and mainly only weekdays are left for trips until mid June.

Drumfish, mostly 20- to 40-pounders, but a few 60- to 70-pounders, were caught mostly around the Banana Peel Slough and Tussy’s Slough in Delaware Bay on fresh surf clams, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Don McDaniels and Fred Jacobs fished the Banana Peel on Wednesday and hauled aboard six drum to 50 pounds, and Carmen Lanza and crew took a trip to the bay and came up with three drum to 40 pounds. Striped bass fishing was slow in the bay, but some were landed in the far northern areas, including Reef Site 2 toward Cross Ledge and the northern tip of Joe Flogger Shoal. Anglers on the Clean Sweep reeled in 17 bass at Reef Site 2, and Jim Cleaver took down three stripers to 30 pounds at Joe Flogger. The Cape May surf gave up stripers, and weakfish bit a little more than before along its jetties. Ryan Miller weighed in a 30-pound striper that he banked at Poverty Beach on clam, and an angler next to him tackled and released a 15-pound drum. Dan Olsen bucktailed three weaks to 5 pounds at the convent jetty at the bottom of the tide, and John Kornick caught his first weak of the season at Cape May Point. Sea bass held pretty thick along the 25- to 30-mile wrecks. Howard Stenberg and crew bagged scores to 5 pounds at the Dry Docks, and Pete Marle and gang took a mess from the Jacob Jones wreck.

Back to Top