<b>Hudson River</b>

The run of big striped bass was under way on the river near the Tappan Zee Bridge and Croton, said Capt. Don from <b>Hook-Em Charters</b>. This was it, the migration of breeder females in the area, and the fishing might last another week before the run moves upriver to Newburgh. Anglers were hooking stripers to 35 pounds, including a bunch of 40-pounders, in the past days around the bridge and Croton. Kevin Stendel’s party limited out on stripers to 28 pounds on Friday with Hook-Em in the area, and the Mooney party also limited out on linesiders to 28 pounds Saturday night with Don there. He fished the waters himself yesterday morning and landed three stripers to 25 pounds. His charters were fishing mostly bunker but sometimes herring to connect, and lots of adult bunker, more than herring, were swimming the river, a little early, usually arriving toward mid May. When the migration reaches Newburgh, Don’s charters will relocate there, and that bite will continue until Memorial Day or the beginning of June. A friend was already fishing Newburgh and said lots of smaller, 10- to 12-pound stripers were caught. Don’s charters at Newburgh score with eels, bloodworms and sandworms, and bait like bunker can be used but usually works best at night. Don might catch them himself at night, but most charters want to fish during the day. Hook-Em fishes the Hudson every year during the migration, one of the best opportunities to catch trophy sized stripers.

<b>Staten Island</b>

Striped bass fishing was super during the early morning Saturday with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, and the three anglers on the trip limited out by 8:30 a.m., Capt. Joe said. Then they played catch and release until the bite slowed, made a move and grabbed a couple of more and a bunch of bluefish. Joe didn’t say where they fished, but he said the stripers in the area were 15 to 17 pounds. Open-boat trips are sailing in addition to charters, and call for info.

Capt. Anthony from <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b> scouted around for striped bass in the bay on his own before a schedule of almost back-to-back striper charters was about to begin Wednesday, and the fish were beginning to trickle in, he said. None was huge, and the keepers ranged from legal size to 36 or 37 inches, and lots of good-sized blues were everywhere. Only three or four dates remain for charter until about June, but open-boat Blue Collar Specials will fish for striped bass every Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Space is available on the open trips, but Barbara Anne’s open flounder trips were almost full before they ended this season, so call ahead to reserve preferred dates.

<b>Keyport</b>

Although blues took center stage for beach anglers on the local bayshore, don’t rule out striped bass, because sizeable ones sometimes hit the scales at <b>Crabby’s Bait & Tackle</b>, Chris said in a fax. Lenny Lezzion weighed in two 18-1/2- and 19-pound stripers, for example. He also released two weakfish and so many blues that he stopped counting. Stripers and blues were chasing tons of bunker that schooled all over the bay. Collin Nelson, 5, fished the shore at Keyport and nailed his first-ever bluefish, a 5-pounder. Boaters sometimes trolled good catches of stripers in the bay on bunker spoons or Stretch 25 plugs. Bottom fishers began to target sea bass after blackfish season closed and said the lumpheads were starting to move to the inshore grounds.

Two anglers left port on a charter Saturday in rough seas, with west winds against the tide, on the <b>Lucky Carm</b>, sailed no farther than the 3 buoy off Keyport, because of the conditions, took a beating, but nailed 17 big blues to 12.2 pounds, Capt. Carmine said. Steve Rubino, the high hook, and Juan Vasquez, who caught the 12.2-pounder, were the anglers, and four more anglers were supposed to come but cancelled because of forecasts. But Steve and Juan wanted to go. Carmine weighed many of the fish, and 80 percent seemed 6 pounds apiece. On Sunday two anglers, Brian Brodley and Tai Powers, who call themselves the Baltimore Boys, booked spots on an open-boat trip, and three anglers cancelled, because of forecasts for rough weather that turned out wrong, and the day ended up beautiful. Carmine called another angler, Jeff Mager, who agreed to go on the trip, because the open trips only sail with a minimum of three anglers. The group bailed blues, keeping 24, and probably fighting 100, non-stop action at the 19 buoy. They went through a bushel of clams and 15 bunker for bait, and the slammers weighed 6 to 13 pounds. Striped bass were scarce lately, and Carmine saw a few catches, but anglers were grabbing three or four in a night, and that’s not much. But bluefish were running rampant and putting rods to the test, for those who want action. Every Friday through Sunday is booked in the near future except Mother’s Day, this coming Sunday. Carmine’s going to add Sunday afternoon trips to squeeze in more time for charters. Three-quarter-day, open-boat trips are sailing daily when no charter is booked, and evening open-boat trips and charters will now also run 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with the open trips sailing when no charter is booked. Call to reserve the open trips.

Striped bass fishing started to pick up a little in the bay, said Capt. Fred from <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, and bass to 20 pounds were beginning to be hooked. A charter Friday landed three stripers to 18 pounds, according to Andrea’s Toy’s web site. They bit lightly and were difficult to hook, and readings were great, but the fish weren’t turned on yet. More than 50 blues to 10 pounds harassed baits, not making it easy. Charters are focusing on livelining and chunking bunker for stripers in the bay until June.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

After being tied to the dock a moment, the <b>Fishermen</b> was back in action on its daily striped bass trips yesterday. And there was “finally a nice pick of fish,” Capt. Ron said in an e-mail. “Not fast and furious, but after the past three weeks, it was good enough,” he said. Rocco Farina limited out and caught the pool-winning fish. The trip caught the change of tide far in the back of the bay, and the bite turned on. “Could sink the boat with bluefish if you wanted to,” Ron said, but patrons stuck with targeting stripers. “Mortgage Man Eric” went fishless during a long, hard stretch, but Capt. Ron showed him the spot, and he was in, finally boating one. The weather was good after fog lifted and the sun came out, and Ron was looking forward to today. He usually sends an update, and if he does, it’ll be added here. The Fisherman is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. <b>***UPDATE, Today:***</b> Striped bass hit non-stop for 4 hours on today’s trip from slack into outgoing! Capt. Ron said in an e-mail. “The monkey is finally off my back!” he said. Brian Picariello nailed a 22-1/2-pounder, and Joe Handley drilled a 17.7-pounder, and Ron’s dad, Capt. Ron Sr., was high hook, landing eight stripers. Andy Seney came in second with six, and several patrons limited out on stripers from 28 to 36 inches. Big blues hit but really weren’t a problem. “Can’t wait till tomorrow,” Ron said. “Patience rewards big time!” <b>***UPDATE, Tuesday, 5/6:</b> “How’s (the saying) go? Should’ve been here yesterday?” Capt. Ron asked in an e-mail after today’s trip. A few striped bass were picked in the morning, during the last of incoming tide. Ron thought the action would kick in after the change, like it did yesterday. Four stripers were boated on the change. “Figured we were in,” he said, but no such luck. A few more bass were reeled up after some moves, and then catches fizzled out. Must’ve been the new moon, one customer said. “I agreed 100 percent,” Ron said. “Couldn’t think of any other excuses.” The weather was great on the water, and Wednesday was supposed to be even better. 

Anglers with <b>Fluke U. Fishing Charters</b> fished the bay from Keyport to Union Beach on Saturday morning and clammed four keeper striped bass to 15 pounds and lots of shorts, and jigged 15 blues to 10 pounds, Capt. John said. A decent catch, considering winds against tide that made fishing difficult.

Winds against the tide made tough fishing conditions on a trip Saturday on the <b>CRT II</b>, but the anglers put a couple of keeper striped bass to 33 inches in the box on the flats in the back of the bay off Keyport and Cliffwood Beach, Capt. Mick said. They also released shorts and tangled with 3- to 5-pound blues, not a bad catch considering the conditions, and they fished with clams. Dates remain for charters on weekdays and on a couple of weekends.

On the <b>Bingo</b> a mix of striped bass and blues were getting hooked in the back of the bay on clams or on bunker when available, Capt. Jack said. Lots of slammer blues to 10 pounds were often overpowering stripers, beating them to the baits, and many stripers were shorts, but keepers were landed, including a 23-pounder the other night that was the biggest of the season so far on the vessel. Striper fishing should only get better, and the bay was 60 degrees. In addition to charters, open-boat trips are sailing every Monday evening, and call ahead to book a spot.

Ling, quite good catches, hit the deck on both the morning and afternoon trips on the <b>Atlantic Star</b> today at Scotland, Capt. Tom said. Everybody went home with dinner, and hefty, out-of-season porgies were reeled up and released, and a few sea bass were boated, but Tom wasn’t sure that any keepers were bagged, and out-of-season tog were caught and released. So ling fishing was holding up, and Tom hoped decent weather would last, so trips could keep reaching the grounds in the ocean. A trip Friday morning also produced plenty of ling at Scotland, and the weather also allowed the boat to fish there Sunday afternoon, when ling fishing was okay in lousy conditions from a swell that lingered from rough weather Saturday. On Saturday seas were too rough for the boat to fish the ocean, and a trip fished the bay for striped bass and blues. Tom told the anglers that they could jump on another boat for bottom fishing or could stay aboard and fish the bay. One keeper striper, two shorts and a few blues were hooked. Trips will keep running for ling when the weather allows, and will otherwise fish the bay for stripers and blues. If striper fishing becomes a better option at some point before fluke season opens, trips might switch to striper fishing. But ling fishing is holding up well now when the weather’s decent.  Fluke will become the target when fluke season opens May 24. 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>

After slower fishing on a trip on the bay on Thursday, but a trip where all the stripers that bit were keepers, fishing improved a lot on the <b>Benchmark</b> on Sunday, when the Dave Bower charter scored about 16 keepers to 33 inches in the bay toward Old Orchard, Capt. Nick said. Still, although Nick said the fishing Thursday was a pick, a photo of the charter showed five keeper stripers, so at least that many were bagged. Nick took a fun trip after the charter Sunday and picked up a few more stripers. The fish on the first two trips were clammed, and the stripers on the fun trip were hooked on whole, dead bunker, and blues always bit, such as 5- to 8-pound blues on Bower’s charter.

Some good catches of striped bass were boated from the bay with <b>Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures</b> when the weather cooperated, and the bite was improving, and clam and bunker baits were producing equally, Capt. Bob said. All the gator blues to 14 pounds that anybody could want were also on the hunt, and once the blues zeroed in on an area, getting past them to the bass was very difficult. Out-of-season fluke to 21 inches also stole baits, and Bob hoped fluke season would start with a bang. Winter flounder fishing became basically a dead issue once blues flooded in. Daytime, evening and nighttime charters are available, and fluke trips are being booked.

Congratulations to Capt. Brian Rice from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> on the birth of his daughter Friday morning. He ran a charter the next day that trolled five striped bass, including four keepers, on Raritan and Sandy Hook bays on Stretch plugs, he said. None were any great size (the fish—we don’t know about his daughter!), but there were keeper stripers nonetheless, and a few blues were mixed in.

Anglers had to weed through blues to catch striped bass in the bay, but four striped bass to 21 pounds were bagged Friday with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, Capt. Derek said. Two trips yesterday scored two keeper stripers apiece. But bluefishing was non-stop for 5- to 12-pounders lately. Stripers were there, but the trick was to get the bait to the bass before the blues jumped on it. Charters on the boat were fishing near Staten Island with live and chunked bunker. Striper fishing should improve, and the blues should thin out. Fisher Price sails for stripers through mid July. Dates are available, but now’s the time to reserve, because the schedule gets packed as the season kicks in.

More than 30 striped bass were hooked on a trip yesterday on the <b>Tuna-Tic</b>, and the fishing’s been a mad dog bite on stripers to 40 inches, Capt. Mike said in an e-mail. Twelve of the bass were kept, and all the fish measured more than the 28-inch minimum size, except one short. Anglers on the boat limited out, including keeping bonus-tag fish. Mike didn’t say where the trip fished, but he said he was fishing on the bay in reports for prior trips. Check the boat’s web site for available dates for charters.

<b>Brielle</b>

Nothing was heard about winter flounder catches anymore, but the Manasquan River and the inlet were loaded with bluefish, good fishing, said Dave from<b>The Reel Seat</b>. Blues to 8 pounds stormed the waters all the way to Treasure Island on Saturday. The river’s been jammed with out-of-season fluke, too. Nobody reported landing striped bass in the river, but striped bass were biting in the Point Pleasant Canal on herring, rubber shads, bucktails and plugs.  The most recent news about local surf fishing came from a customer who beached and released a mess of 18- to 20-inch, short stripers at Point Pleasant on Friday while casting plugs and metal. Anthony Pickering from Pomona, N.Y., boated a 5.45-pound sea bass on the Dauntless. A large lumphead for inshore waters. No other news came in about bottom fishing. Limited space is still available for a free workshop at the store that Shimano will offer on the Lucanus and Butterfly Jigging Systems on May 17. Call to reserve one of the three sessions. The workshop will be the final one that the company offers on its jigs in the region in the near future. Sign up for the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery’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.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

The winter flounder gear was stowed away this weekend and was replaced with striped bass and bluefish tackle, said Capt. Anthony from <b>Angela Rose Charters</b> in an e-mail. Bluefish were swarming the Manasquan River and along the local beaches, and the first of the speedsters were seen in the area April 22, and remained every day since. He expects the local striper run to kick off any day, and some of the boats from the area were making the long run north and coming back with bass. The boat is available for striper and bluefish charters seven days a week on 3-, 5- and 8-hour trips. Shared or open-boat trips are also available, and visit the Angela Rose web site for details.

A wreck-fishing trip 30 to 40 miles offshore put patrons into good catches Friday, so much so that one more of the trips was added to the schedule 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. this coming Friday, Capt. Bob from the <b>Gambler</b> said. The boat will striped bass fish all other days. On the wreck trip, the trick was to get through dog sharks and conger eels, but Bob thought everyone boated at least one or two cod apiece, and some scored more, and ling were also taken. Rich Johnson and John Cole, both from Point Pleasant, beat six cod apiece and combined for scores of big ling. Anthony Mignoli from Point Pleasant reeled up five cod and some ling, and another angler also pulled up five cod, and came back with a bunch of ling. The deck hands cleaned fish the whole 30 miles home, so it was a good trip, Bob said. A trip sailed for striped bass Saturday in the ocean in pretty rough seas, and Bob got a couple of calls from other boaters fishing up north, so the boat steamed there. Low-flying birds and lots of bait readings were seen, and the vessel headed into the shallows to fish, and very good fishing for 5- to 8-pound blues took place while the crew chummed with clams and patrons dropped down clam baits and jigs. The rough seas limited options for striped bass fishing, although a few drifts for stripers were tried. The Gambler will sail for stripers every day, except when the wreck trip runs this Friday.

<b>Seaside</b>

Several striped bass from about 9 ½ to 15 ½ pounds were checked in over the weekend and were beached from the surf, all on Grumpy clams, said the fishing report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s web site. Other catches of keepers were heard about but weren’t brought to the shop, and lots of shorts were clammed. Waters were 56 to 57 degrees, and a couple of days of sun might warm the wash enough to trigger the bass to attack plugs. Bluefish were also “out and about” in the suds, the report said, and bunker or mullet attracted the strikes. A new batch of fresh bunker arrived, and a load of fresh clams was supposed to be delivered today. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

<b>Forked River</b>

Trips with <b>Seafood Fishing Charters</b> trolled tons of blues in Barnegat Bay on Saturday and Sunday, Capt. John said. The fish were probably 4 pounds, a little smaller than the previous week, and were hooked at Tice’s Shoal, usually in 8 to 10 feet, but sometimes in 5 or 6 feet. Not everybody who was fishing connected with the speedsters, especially on Saturday morning, when lots of boats filled the waters in thick fog. Bomber plugs in a salmon-pink color with a little green were almost the only lures that worked for Seafood, but a few of the fish attacked metal. The action was non-stop, especially great for kids who were aboard. A couple of striped bass charters are slated for the weekend, and John hoped striper fishing would turn on. He heard about a few bass hooked, but not a lot, and most stripers seemed to bite farther north or farther south. The charters will either clam for stripers in the bay or run to the ocean for the fish, whatever it takes. Space is 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 the purse was $365,000, and 20 percent of any winnings go to the crew on the trip, but the rest goes to the anglers. Seafood’s boat makes it to the offshore 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.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Smaller but “just as feisty” bluefish bit in Barnegat Bay this last week, compared with the previous week, said Capt. Steve from <b>Reel Fantasea Charters</b> in an e-mail. Regulars Jay Simmons and Ernie Rosenburg and business associate “Carlton” took a trip, reeling in plenty of 2- to 4-pounders that hit top-water popping plugs and Bass Kandy Delights. The trip was Carlton’s first saltwater fishing, and “by trip’s end (he) was a seasoned veteran,” Steve said, battling bluefish on light tackle, and even catching and releasing an 8-pound, out-of-season blackfish. The Dr. Ken Purvis gang found tougher bluefishing on another trip, and the fish preferred BKD’s worked slowly along the bottom instead of poppers. Calm waters, unlike the winds and rains forecast, kept the fish from feeding on the surface. A big blackfish was also released on the trip. The clarity of the bay lately was “astounding … (like) the crystal clear water of the Caribbean,” Steve said. Great Bay and the waters around Tuckerton were full of 2- to 4-pound bluefish, and charters were usually catching as many as they wanted on the <b>Legal Limit</b> on a number of trips from Thursday through the weekend, Capt. T.J. said. They cast top-water plugs, and on Thursday two anglers on a charter limited out in a half-hour. Early mornings and late afternoons produced best. The boat was supposed to relocate to Cape May today to start offering striped bass and drum charters immediately. T.J. visited Cape May yesterday, and Delaware Bay boaters seemed to hook a few drum.

<b>Brigantine</b>

A 36-pound, 45-inch striped bass, the biggest seen at the shop so far this season, was beached from the Brigantine surf on Friday and checked in at <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>, the report on the shop’s web site said. A “Riptide rotter”—clams offered at a discount that are, well, riper than the shop’s fresh clams, but that some anglers reportedly use for the smell—was the bait. A few blues were fought from the beach yesterday.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Surf casters reeled in weakfish, spurts of action, but more than during past years, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Some of the fish were keepers, 18- to 20-inchers, and they grabbed plugs, pink Fin-S Fish or pink Gulp swim baits. Striped bass and bluefish also popped up in the suds at times, and so did a few kingfish and blowfish. So surf fishing was like a mixed bag.  Dunk clams or bloodworms for the stripers and mullet or mackerel for the blues. Bloodworms will get the strikes from kings and blowfish. All the baits are stocked, and so are eels and minnows. Green crabs are even carried, because people are asking for them, although tog season is now closed. Lots of the blackfish hugged the jetty rocks.

<b>Longport</b>

Lots of sea bass were pulled aboard on open-boat trips on the <b>Stray Cat</b> on Saturday and Sunday, after the boat started targeting the humpbacks after its open tog trips stopped because tog season closed last week, Capt. Mike said. So that was good news, and enough of the fish migrated inshore to focus on them. The keeper ratio was probably 50/50, and one patron landed 16 keepers, and double and triple headers were scored at times. A good-sized cod, one ling and one big sea robin were also boated. The catch was even more impressive because strong, new moon currents were pushing through. The trips fished in 75 to 85 feet, and the water temperature dropped to 53 to 54 degrees, and the clarity was gin clear, and anglers could probably see 25 feet through the water. Sea bass fishing was just starting and should get better each day through the middle of the month, before smaller fish start to be abundant. Trips will sail for fluke when fluke season opens May 24, and lots of out-of-season fluke were biting lately, though currents were too strong to drop baits near the flounder this weekend. But Mike expects good flounder fishing at places like the G.E. Reef when the season gets going. Seas were kind of rough Saturday, and tight swells started off Sunday but calmed later, and lots of fog rolled through during the weekend. Bluefish were scarce, although abundant blues were seen on previous trips. But currents were too strong to work bluefish lures anyway. Out-of-season tog were running rampant, grabbing the clam baits sometimes. One wreck, a low-lying structure that shouldn’t have produced tog, was loaded with them.

<b>Cape May</b>

Drum finally started to turn on in Delaware Bay, just a beginning to the fishing, said Capt. Bob from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Two charters nabbed drum over the weekend: The Moreno party boated two to 40 pounds, and Mike Guererro’s group hauled up three to 25 pounds. Boaters had been marking the fish before, but the boomers started to bite Saturday. Bob thinks the fishing might turn on more after the new moon that’s now taking place. He saw no striped bass caught from the bay in two weeks, and knew about only a few that were taken. The striper fishing would normally be peaking now. Even the American Striped Bass Association Striper Tournament in Cape May this weekend produced something like a half-dozen weigh ins. Some big flounder were hooked in the bay on Bob’s drum charters, and he hoped that boded well for the opening of flounder season later this month. Openings are still available for drum charters, and spots also remain for shark and tuna trips coming up soon. Flounder trips are also available, and so are trips “for everything that swims,” Bob joked.

A few drum were boated with <b>Copacetic Sportfishing</b> on Delaware Bay this weekend, Capt. Mike said. The fish began to turn on in about 25 feet. Striped bass were nonexistent in the bay, although striper fishing is usually prime now. He wondered whether the fish migrated up the coast and past the bay for some reason, like maybe because the bay warmed quickly and was 63 to 64 degrees over the weekend. He heard that striper fishing was on fire father south on Chesapeake Bay, so maybe there was a chance that linesiders would still migrate to Delaware Bay. Maybe stripers that were spawning in the Delaware River would drop back down to the bay after the current new moon. Mike heard that among 46 boats that competed in Cape May’s American Striper Association Striper Tournament this weekend, only eight stripers were entered. He also heard that two or three of the boats traveled down the C&D Canal to find fish in the Chesapeake. In the meantime, Copacetic will focus on drum, unless striper fishing rebounds.

Eight anglers on Saturday morning split up in two groups of four, and one group fished on the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> and nailed three drum from 25 to 30 pounds on Delaware Bay, and the other group fished on another vessel and bagged two, Capt. Tom said. He got on the fish in 17 to 22 feet and called the other boat in, and the other vessel moved near him and connected. The anglers on Tom’s boat also pulled the hook on several, broke one off and missed 10 or 12 other bites that definitely seemed like drum. The crew on the other boat also pulled the hook on two and missed several bites. Tom also saw drum pulled aboard on other nearby vessels. He fished during outgoing tide, and he knew others who fished on incoming later and caught nothing. He also knew boaters who fished that night and scored nothing. Striped bass were sometimes landed far up the bay, and Tom was waiting for the linesiders to travel back down to the bay after spawning in the Delaware River, when the bay’s striper fishing should pick up again. He figures that the action will begin with the full moon this month. When the linesiders return, his charters will fish for them either in the bay with bunker or in the Cape May Rips with live spots or artificials. Although fishing for the bay’s bass is popular with clams in early spring, he targets them with bunker when they return from the river. The fish in the early season are grubbing around, taking their time and are likely to bite clams. But when they return, lots of bunker are swimming the bay, and the bass are moving quickly and honing in on the menhaden. A friend of Tom’s was catching plenty of sea bass, and the Fishin’ Fever is available for sea bass charters.

The first drum of the season were reeled aboard the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> on Delaware Bay on Saturday, Capt. George said. Mark and Adam Seimen’s charter from Matco Tools pinned down a couple of the fish from 25 to 30 pounds and broke one off. George knew about other boaters who wrestled aboard  a few, and yet others who found none. After his trip caught the fish Saturday, he did no fishing that night, but thought the bite would kick in then. But others who sailed that night turned up none of the fish. George’s charter also hooked smooth and spiny dog fish but didn’t get bombarded by them. Drum fishing might’ve been beginning later than other years, but George thought last year’s bite might’ve started late, in about mid May. By then it was good, and he ran a charter that suddenly hammered 30-some of the fish around that time, and then catches broke wide open. The drum that were caught on the trip Saturday were full of roe and hadn’t spawned, and the fishing could take off after the current new moon might trigger the spawn. Drum usually keep biting into mid June, although charters by then usually want to fish for sharks, flounder, bottom fish and maybe early season tuna. Striped bass were nonexistent in the bay, George said, and mid April to early May is usually the time to catch them. Last week, boaters were weathered out from striper fishing on the bay Monday and Tuesday, but George knew boaters who striper fished Wednesday through Friday and hooked nothing. He heard that only few bass were entered in the weekend’s American Striper Association Striper Tournament in Cape May and that the biggest fish were only 13 or 14 pounds. Dates are available for charters, mostly only on weekdays, till sometime in June, when the schedule opens up more, at least for now.

Delaware Bay’s striped bass fishing dropped off dramatically, and very few reports about catches rolled in, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax.  But drum began to bite in the bay, and today’s new moon should make them chew even more. Capt. Bob Cope caught and released three drum at the Horseshoe, and Charlie Schaeffer hauled up two drum northeast of Tussy’s Slough, where the crew of the Red Beard also whacked two. Others said some drum held at the oyster grounds south of Brandywine. Most drum were smaller fish, 15 to 30 pounds, but a few 50- to 60-pounders were mixed in. Drum fishing should only get better from here. Sea bass started to appear on the reefs and wrecks, and many were small, but keepers also bit. Surf fishing was pretty steady for lots of short stripers with good-sized ones mixed in. Poverty Beach produced on most days at the top of the tides. Good numbers of 1- to 2-pound blues appeared around the Cold Spring Inlet jetties. Reports also started to come in about weakfish sometimes hooked tight to the jetties on bloodworms and bucktails. Mike Brown plugged a 3.2-pound speckled seatrout along the north jetty.

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