<b>Staten Island</b>

A limit of striped bass to 20 pounds made up the catch for the Janicki group on the bay Tuesday with <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Anthony said. Looked like striper fishing was starting to break open, he said. Another charter was supposed to chase bass today, and open-boat Blue Collar Specials will striper fish every Tuesday and Thursday evenings starting this Tuesday. Space is available, but the Barbara Anne gets booked as the season kicks in. Only a handful of charter dates, five or fewer, remained this month, Anthony said in a previous report, and open flounder trips that ran daily this spring were mostly full. Reserve preferred dates.

A charter on the <b>Outcast</b> limited out quickly on striped bass on the bay Tuesday night and afterward played catch and release with more, very good fishing, “really fast,” Capt. Joe said. The keepers weighed 15 to 25 pounds, and “not so many blues” bit, he said. Outcast is offering open-boat trips in addition to charters, and call for info.

Boaters and beach anglers put the breaks on striped bass, blues and weakfish, all good-sized fish, said Patrick from <b>Michael’s Bait & Tackle</b>. A 19-3/4-pound weakfish was weighed in this week that was boated in the bay. Wow! So was a 42-3/4-pound striper that was boated there. Surf casters were catching stripers to 35 pounds. Man, spring has sprung for Staten Islanders!

<b>Laurence Harbor</b>

<b>Evening Tide Charters</b> took a short, shakedown trip on the bay Sunday, started a little late in the morning and first threw a castnet a few times, catching bunker for bait at Great Kills Harbor, Capt. Kyle said. Then the bunker were drifted at Old Orchard, and bluefish were boated, and some striped bass bites were missed. The vessel’s season is under way, and charters will often liveline or chunk bunker for stripers. Charters often join the crew while the bunker is bagged for baits in the morning, all the more fun.

<b>Keyport</b>

Striped bass fishing definitely picked up in the bay, and anglers were nailing a few, and blues, big slammers that had been tough to get baits through to the bass, were still around, but the bass were responding more often than before, said Capt. Fred from <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>. He ran no charters since the end of the week, but the last charter then grabbed a few bass, an improved bite compared with before, though blues were almost unstoppable then. Anglers also began to boat big, tiderunner weakfish approaching 20 pounds that stole bunker chunks meant for stripers at night. Andrea’s Toy is offering no night trips. Charters on the boat are livelining and chunking bunker for stripers in the bay until June.

The bay kept giving up stripers and lots of big blues, said Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>. The boat is available for either an open trip or a charter 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Open trips are also running daily when no charter is booked. Call to reserve.

An open-boat trip left port at 6:15 last night and ended up bagging two striped bass 37 7/8 inches and 28 ½ inches, releasing a short and hammering lots of blues on the bay off the 1 buoy off Keyport, said Capt. Carmine from the <b>Lucky Carm</b>. The bay was like a desert at first, and Carmine found no readings until coming to the 1 buoy. Jason Price scored the two keepers, and Mike, a friend of Sinclair Lee, who was also on the trip, caught the biggest blue, a 14.8-pound monster. A charter with Ronald Rosetto Realtors from Toms River fished the bay at Round Shoal the previous day, Tuesday, and pulled in 23 big blues, nothing but blues, except one short striper that was released, and the anglers had a good time, Carmine said.  Mike Jones tackled the biggest blue, a 13.6-pounder, and Eric Salkin hooked the short. Carmine thanked the boat’s mate, Richard “Tropics” Dynes, who’s been working his tail off, filleting blues like crazy. He didn’t get done filleting last night till 11:45. A few prime dates remain for charters on weekdays, and Sunday, Mother’s Day, is the only weekend date open in the near future. Daytime, open-boat trips are running 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily when no charter is booked. Daytime charter times are flexible. Both open trips and charters are also available in the evenings from 6 to 10 p.m.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

On the <b>Bingo</b> the Bedford family limited out on striped bass to 25 pounds in the middle of the bay on clams Tuesday night, an excellent catch, Capt. Jack said. Big signs of improvement in striper fishing, he said, and no bluefish showed up that night.

The <b>CRT II</b> was undergoing minor maintenance  but will get back to striped bass fishing on the bay this weekend, Capt. Mick said. The bay’s anglers scored well on bass in the past days, and some bigger stripers came from the back of the bay. But stripers ranged all over, from the clam beds off Sandy Hook to Romer Shoal to the flats off Keyport and Keansburg. Jumbo blues kept things wild on the bay, too. Both clams and bunker worked on the bass, but too much bunker drew in the overpowering blues. The CRT’s charters therefore clam for bass.

Good catches of ling held up at Scotland for anglers on the <b>Atlantic Star</b> when the weather was decent, Capt. Tom said. No doubt everyone went home with fillets, and even when conditions were difficult, like winds against the tides that made lying on anchor challenging, the fishing dropped off somewhat but still produced for everyone. Enjoyable fishing, he said, and a few sea bass were in the mix, and very big, out-of-season porgies were released, and out-of-season tog were sometimes boated and released. Monday and Tuesday afternoon’s trips dealt with winds against tides, but patrons caught, just not the real, real good fishing in better conditions. Wednesday afternoon produced similar winds against the tide but not as badly, and customers scored a healthy, steady pick all afternoon. The boat will stick with ling fishing while it lasts, at least if it lasts until fluke season, when trips will switch to sailing for the flatties. Scotland is a little bit of a ride but worth it. 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.

A few blues were boated on the <b>Fishermen</b> yesterday morning, and later some good-sized striped bass were picked, with a couple of patrons landing two, and a few pinning down one, not great fishing, but enough to keep interest, the report on the boat’s web site said. John Schwanis nailed an 18-1/2-pounder. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b> had just talked to a friend who was on the water at 9 a.m. today, around the time Jimmy gave this report, and the friend was rolling his butt off out east somewhere. Weather was rolling in for the next days. But a bunch of striped bass and bluefish were boated in the back of the bay yesterday, and striper fishing improved in the bay this week. The weather shouldn’t put off the catches, unless too much freshwater flows through from rains. Bass and blues, small fish but also some bigger ones including keeper bass, were also fought in the rivers, like on small swimming plugs during the day and on bunker or clams at night along the bridges. Waters around the Oceanic Bridge gave up catches toward 8 or 9 a.m. today, and Jimmy knew that anglers connected at the Sea Bright Bridge the other day. The fish were probably all over the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers, though he mostly knew about catches on the Navesink, because that’s where he fishes, instead of the shallow Shrewsbury. Customers reported catches of bass and blues from the surf, some saying they beached a couple, others saying more. A few keeper bass were in the mix, and lots of blues swam at times. Plenty of ling catches kept coming up when the weather was calm enough to reach the grounds in the ocean.

<b>Highlands</b>

Striped bass were targeted in the bay near Staten Island on Monday afternoon with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, and the fishing improved, Capt. Derek said. Bass to 20 pounds were bunker chunked, and anglers still had to weed through lots of bluefish to 10 or 12 pounds. The waters were probably in the high 50s or low 60s. Fisher Price will keep striper fishing through mid July, and dates remain for charters but should be reserved, because the schedule fills as the fishing picks up. Derek was asked whether anyone landed tiderunner weakfish, and he said he heard about one or two that swallowed bunker chunks meant for bass on Sunday, and some were also reportedly hooked in the Shrewsbury River on the opposite side of Sandy Hook the other night.

Bunker chunking for bass in the bay supposedly broke open the last few days, said Capt. Brian from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b>. His boat was docked at the time, but he heard about fish to 34 pounds bailed during the week, and 20-pounders were probably average size, so that was decent. Loads of blues continued to slam the waters apparently. Jersey Devil specializes in hunting trophy stripers, and dates remain for charters.

Fishing for striped bass that was excellent was the rule on the <b>Tuna-Tic</b> on the bay Sunday and Monday, with all trips limiting out, including with bonus-tag fish, and catches dropped off somewhat Tuesday and Wednesday, Capt. Mike said. On Tuesday six keepers were produced on a trip, and on Wednesday two anglers reeled up five keepers on a short, 5-hour trip. But who knows what another 3 hours would’ve done? Mike asked. Lots of blues were also slamming baits on trips. Not everybody was catching stripers, and Mike saw lots of boats coming back with no bass. He knew only a couple of charters that were loading up. The Tuna-Tic’s anglers were mostly clamming for the fish but sometimes fishing with herring. Two charters a day are pretty much booked until the last week of May, when a couple of dates are available. In June the boat will move to Waretown to start shark fishing from Barnegat Inlet, though inshore trips will continue for everything from stripers to fluke, blues and sea bass. Tuna trips will begin soon afterward, and the boat runs a heavy schedule of tuna trips, including 3-day, open-boat trips, the ultimate in fishing. But inshore trips will fish in between.

Nearly a limit of striped bass was clammed in the bay on an annual Cinco de Mayo trip for a charter on the <b>Benchmark</b>, the report on the boat’s web site said. Good fishing, and good weather that everyone had been waiting for. A charter on the bay Sunday hooked more than 50 bass, limiting out and releasing the rest, an excellent catch. Charters are available this month and next.

<b>Long Branch</b>

Striped bass surf fishing was starting to pick up, said John from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b>. He dusted a couple yesterday, and he’s landed no keepers from the suds so far this season, and most of the fish were 22 to 24 inches, but the run of larger fish has got to bust open soon, he thinks. Keepers were supposedly bagged in the bay, including along Staten Island, and a rumor was heard about a 50-pounder taken, but that was unconfirmed. John also caught and released a 7-1/2-pound, out-of-season blackfish on his trip. Blues schooled everywhere, from the ocean to the surf to the bay and the river, so thick that they even chomped on John’s clams in the wash. Weakfish were thick in the river, and Al Payer and Eric Peterson, both from the Highlands, checked in a 6-pound 2-ounce weak and a 6-pound 3-ouncer, respectively, that they hauled from the river on a trip together.

<b>Neptune</b>

Stripers could sometimes now be found in the ocean, and so could sea bass and “too many blues” everywhere, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. For stripers Last Lady will run as far as the clam beds, Romer Shoal and Flynn’s Knoll off Sandy Hook if necessary. Last Lady is available for charters and will also sail on a number of individual-reservation striper trips when striper fishing seriously kicks in. So fish were starting to be caught, and the only problem was the third weekend in a row with forecasts for rough weather.

<b>Belmar</b>

On the <b>Golden Eagle</b> patrons pulled aboard lots of blues to 8 pounds along the ocean beachfront in 40 to 50 feet, Capt. Greg said. A few striped bass were mixed in, “no great shakes,” he said, but bluefishing was solid in the 53-degree waters. The Golden Eagle is sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, officially on striped bass and bluefish trips, but blues were dominant at the moment. Nighttime bluefish trips will now be added, running 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. this Saturday. Then two of the night trips will probably leave port the following Friday and Saturday, and afterward the nighttime fishing will probably begin daily.

Blues moved in, and 5- to 10-pounders filled waters from the ocean to the surf to Shark River for at least a week, said Mike from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Striped bass fishing, including for good-sized ones, turned on during the past two nights inside Shark River Inlet and waters surrounding the inlet. When the bite was on, the fish hit nearly anything, including big, 6-inch rubber grubs, metal and chunks of bunker. At other times surf anglers clammed the linesiders. The local party boats came back with decent catches of sea bass and ling, and others scored lots of blues and a few stripers, and some of the vessels will run the season’s first nighttime bluefish trips this weekend.

<b>Brielle</b>

Patrons on the <b>Jamaica</b> pulled plenty of blues to the boat on Sunday, slow going at first, but better later in the day, an e-mail from the vessel said. Jerome Gadson won the pool with a 15-pounder. Striped bass fishing should turn on, and trips will look for the linesiders on daily striper/bluefish outings at 7:30 a.m. starting Saturday. Combo tilefish/wreckfish trips leave port 12:30 a.m. tonight and the following Friday. <b>Bogan’s Boating School</b> is offering the boating safety course and certificate required in New Jersey. The next one-day classes take place 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and May 18, and the next two-day class is slated for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. May 21 and 22, and all are held at Bogan’s Basin. Private classes are offered for eight or more students, with a discount for 10 or more, at your own location during the daytime, evening, weekdays or weekends. Simply select two 3-hour blocks of time and arrange an instructor.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Bluefish jammed waters from Manasquan Inlet to Manasquan River at the Route 70 Bridge from Saturday through Tuesday, said Rob Sr. from <b>Gates Bait & Tackle</b>. The also showed up in decent numbers at the inlet yesterday. A few striped usually swam among the blues, and so did a handful of weakfish. But striper fishing was better in the Point Pleasant Canal and from the surf. Canal anglers were reeling up a few of the bass at night on rubber shads or on live herring or bunker. Surf casters were beaching the bass on the Manasquan side of the inlet, mostly on clams, but maybe also on Ava jigs or Deadly Dicks. Striper fishing sounded improved in the Sandy Hook area in the past days, and the fish typically turn on there first, and all the bunker in Raritan Bay draws them in. Bunker schooled the back of Manasquan River last week, but local bunker schools were inconsistent so far. The menhaden usually begin schooling locally, lalong the beachfront, a little later in the season, and the linesiders follow them. Rob heard that the party boat Gambler from Point Pleasant got into stripers but had to sail all the way to Sandy Hook, near the Verrazano Bridge or something. Rough weather was moving in for a few days, and this spring has seemed like that: fishing turns on, and then weather disrupts. But the hope was that the weather would fail to keep the striper fishing from continuing to improve. He also heard that the head boat Dauntless was coming back with decent numbers of sea bass, as the lumpheads migrated inshore, but that the boat also had to head north for catches. Winter flounder fishing in the Manasquan was finished for the season. Some anglers tried for the flatties through the weekend, but they caught like two, then one, then none. The flatbacks started to high tail offshore when bluefish swam in, typical each spring. So fishing continued to come along. That meant the season was also coming along for anglers who visit the Gates Motel, located on the grounds along with the tackle shop. The motel is popular with anglers who stay the night to avoid early or late drives before or after fishing trips on the local boats. Other anglers simply stay for a fishing vacation. Both the tackle shop and motel are located within walking distance of the charter and party boat fleet, the inlet and the surf. Motel, tackle shop, lots of fishing options. Ideal!

Lots of bluefish ran the ocean and Manasquan Inlet, and one charter captain said he took a trip that gathered up blues with a few striped bass in the ocean as far north as Asbury Park, said David from <b>Fisherman’s Supply</b>. Stripers were slowly starting to make their way to local waters. David assumed stripers could sometimes be pulled from the  Point Pleasant Canal and knew that small blues loaded the waters there. The <b>Voyager</b>, docked at the shop, is running a tilefish trip tomorrow evening, a trip to the 20- to 40-mile wrecks Sunday and the following Friday, and a cod and pollock trip next Thursday. A couple of nighttime bluefish trips are coming up this month, and two half-day fluke trips begin to fish daily when fluke season opens May 24.

<b>Bricktown</b>

Surf anglers were starting to beach striped bass, though one this morning said the bottom was full of grass that fouled the line, said Ray from <b>Pell’s Fish & Sport</b>. The Point Pleasant Canal was lined with bank anglers and full of boats, and producing good fishing for striped bass and blues. One customer nailed two keeper stripers to 26 inches at the canal this morning, and anglers there often fished herring or popper lures. Nothing was heard about fishing on nearby northern Barnegat Bay and the Manasquan Inlet area. Another customer trolled the ocean from the inlet to the bell buoy and bagged two striped bass, including a 38-incher that probably weighed 20 or 22 pounds, on umbrella rigs with tubes. He tried dragging bunker spoons with no luck. Ray took a trip north and plugged a striped bass and wormed five others on the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers and could’ve fought 3- or 4-pound blues but targeted bass instead. He saw the largest bunker school in his life at Red Bank. Baits at the shop include fresh clams, frozen bunker for crabbing and shiners for freshwater fishing. Sandworms are no longer carried since flounder left local waters.

<b>Toms River</b>

Barnegat Bay boaters trolled blues from Cedar Creek to the BB marker on ponytails, Gator spoons or Gag’s Grabbers, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. A few striped bass, not a lot, were nabbed along the bay’s sod banks, mostly on eels at  night, but sometimes on clams. A handful of weakfish were plucked from the Toms River, but more were boated or bulkhead-banked from along Berkeley Island Park. A school of bunker swam a ways off the ocean beaches yesterday. More bunker were appearing along the beaches, so Dennis figured that ocean boaters would start to get into decent striper fishing by next week. One boater, Bob Tice, checked in a 22-pound striper yesterday that he plugged at the Tires in the ocean off Barnegat Inlet, and he saw a couple of schools of bunker and other boaters land stripers in the ocean. Maybe that was the beginning of jig fishing for them. Surf casters mostly hooked blues, and the water was still cold and 52 degrees.

<b>Seaside</b>

Customers said the average blues weighed 8 pounds that were fought from the sands at Island Beach State Park, Ortley Beach and Lavallette, and one or two popped up here or there, and more gave up occasional fast bursts of action, like usual, said the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s web site. Short striped bass were clammed in the suds, but a 28-3/8-inch, 7-pound keeper was checked in that slurped down a Grumpy’s clam. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

<b>Waretown</b>

A 15.7-pound weakfish was weighed in Tuesday that came from Barnegat Bay, said Dale from <b>L&H Woods & Water</b>. But tiderunners like that seemed scarce. Lots of bluefish were picked up from the bay a couple of days at the beginning of the week, but yesterday and today were slower, for some reason. Dale was hearing about no striped bass clammed in the bay, and a buddy was soaking clams along the sod banks through the tide today with not even a touch. Shorts, but not keepers, that were lifted from the surf seemed to be the only stripers clammed. One customer was playing them at Brant Beach. Bigger stripers should come around any time, and catches of them and tiderunners are usually hopping by Mother’s Day. Out-of-season fluke were known to carpet the bay, because anglers tossing Rat-L-Traps for weakies were sticking 18- to 20-inch flatbacks by mistake. The only news Dale heard about herring was that one angler hit lots at Batsto one day last week. On the freshwater front, Joe Santorelli caught and released a 4-pound 6-ounce largemouth bass at Waretown Lake.

Blues could be picked up from Barnegat Bay, and weakfish seemed scarce in the bay, and so did striped bass, said Capt. John from <b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b>. Perfect Drift catches the blues and weaks on trolled ponytails and also tosses popper lures to the blues and soft plastic lures to the weaks. The season’s a little early for the area’s striper fishing, but when it turns on, anglers onboard fish for  them with clams around Barnegat Inlet or head out to the ocean to chase schools of bass that are on bunker. Charters will begin fluke fishing in the bay as soon as fluke season opens May 24, and the bay’s population of flatties is usually largest early in the season. They stick around in the back all summer, but enough to target hug the bottom in the first weeks of the season, becoming a by-catch in the bay afterward. By July 4 Perfect Drift is usually fluking in the ocean. Last year’s fluking produced good numbers of the fish for Perfect Drift, despite a larger size limit, and John hoped for a return of that action, though the somewhat larger size limit this year could make catching a keeper more challenging.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Sharpies on the north end of Long Beach Island dragged lots of blues and striped bass from the surf, and stories now started to be heard about the big ones that got away, said Nick from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. The south end might’ve also gave up fish, but customers usually hit the north end. Stripers that were weighed in ranged 12 to 16 pounds, and the blues weighed 8 to 10. Anglers talked about bird plays, gannets diving, adult bunker forced onto the beach. Bunker worked well on the stripers if the menhaden could be found, and the shop was sometimes able to stock the bait, but it sold out quickly each time. Fresh clams also got the bites and were used more consistently. Few boaters seemed to fish the ocean yet, but surf casters saw birds working out there, and one couple of boaters over the weekend nailed 20- and 30-pound stripers off Barnegat Light, Loveladies and Harvey Cedars on jigs under working birds. A bunch of boaters from Barnegat Bay were talking about clamming an average of 9 to 12 bass per trip. Anglers casting lures sometimes walloped big weakfish in the bay, and lures also tricked up stripers on the bay at times. But bluefish, decent-sized ones as large as 6 and 8 pounds, were most common on the bay. Lots of bunker schooled the bay, and if people were looking to catch them for bait, the bay from Barnegat Light to the bridges held plenty. Bunker probably also schooled farther south, but again, reports at the shop come from the north. The shop is carrying fresh clams, fresh bunker when available, but it’s running out quickly, eels and other baits.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

Sea bass, plenty of the fish and some sizeable ones, were reeled aboard on the <b>Miss Beach Haven</b> on Saturday, Capt. Frank said. The catch was all sea bass, nothing else mixed in. Trips are fishing for sea bass 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

The boat that’ll fish from Cape May this spring was moved there from Tuckerton on Monday, and the crew trolled a little along the beaches on the way, and a few blues, not a lot, were boated, Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b> said. He also fished Great Bay on Tuesday and once again loaded up on blues on any type of top-water lures from swimmers to poppers. Charters fished the bay last week and pinned down all kinds of blues. “They’re everywhere,” T.J. said. From Cape May, Legal Limit will now be available for drum and striped bass charters. T.J. heard about a few drum hauled in Sunday but heard nothing since then.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Fishing was kind of going through an in-between period after most stripers left and blues came in, but even blues thinned out somewhat during the week, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. More and more people were reporting landing out-of-season flounder while fishing for other species, and that gave hope for the opening of the flounder season May 24, and that was the next big thing. Fishing was also like a mix of a few catches of several species. There were the blues throughout the bays, and sometimes short stripers were played at Sheepshead Creek, probably time to drift eels or dunk clams there. Occasional weakfish were caught at the creek, but none consistently, and an angler might nab one or two one evening and a few blues the next. The fishing on the creek was definitely a dusk affair. Drum certainly swam the bays, but anglers were tight lipped. Grassy Channel in Great Bay is a traditional spot for drum, and Tuckerton Bay should also give up the boomers. Last but not least, white perch were plentiful at the Wading River Bridge, and live grass shrimp are in good supply for bait. Not much ocean fishing happened, because seas were rough, and one customer tried the ocean but didn’t even turn up bluefish. May is usually a decent month for striper and drum fishing, and both were mediocre at best, but that could change. Besides the grass shrimp, the store is stocking bloodworms, fresh clams and frozen bunker for crabbing. Crabbing was just beginning, and fresh bunker doesn’t become a popular bait at the shop till fall. Other baits are also on hand.

<b>Port Republic</b>

Bluefish were all over, even far up the Mullica River, above Lower Bank, unusual for them to swim that far, but saltwater reached the area, said Jerry from <b>Chestnut Neck Boat Yard</b>. They were spitting up bay anchovies, also doing the same on Great Bay, and the blues ranged anywhere from 2 to 4 pounds to 12 or 13 pounds. The blues were here just in time for the Nunzi Bruno Kids Bluefish Tournament to be held at Chestnut Neck on Saturday, May 17. The entry fee is only $5, and the kids get a free grab bag and T-shirt. Herring still schooled up the river, but none was left for bait at the shop, after the commercial netting season closed. A few striped bass could be found from the bay to the river, and white perch are always around on the river and the beginning of the bay. Use clams or bloodworms for the bass and bloods for the perch. Black drum seemed few and far between in the bay, and skates and sharks were stealing baits. A few weakfish were reported caught, but they’re tough to target at this time of year. Bloodworms and frozen clams, bunker, mackerel and other baits are stocked.

<b>Absecon</b>

A few fish were rustled up in the back bay if anglers worked at it, and they weren’t setting the world on fire, said Ray from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Capt. Dave from the shop took a trip on the bay by himself and landed one short striper and a bunch of blues. A few weakfish were picked from the bay, mostly on rubber lures. Herring were beginning to thin out at the rivers, so Ray figured stripers up the rivers would start to drop back down to the bays this coming week, and then fishing will be a whole different ball game. For now, decent striper catches came from the Great Egg Harbor and Mullica rivers, and real sluggers were plugged at Mays Landing on the Great Egg. Bluefish swam far up the Mullica because saltwater reached the area. Any substantial freshwater, like from rains that could fall this weekend, would send the saltwater farther downstream. Live herring, live spots, live eels, fresh clams and just about any bait needed for the local area was stocked. The supply of minnows started to get bumped up to prepare for flounder season, and plenty of flounder hugged the bay bottom.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Brigantine surf fishers claimed striped bass and blues as usual, and when  the blues were in, the bass seemed gone, and vice versa, like it alternated, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Drum were also a by-catch as usual, and both the bass and the drum picked up clam baits, and sometimes the bass swallowed bunker chunks. James Chapman was leading the Fish for Life Tournament with a 17-pound striper. Another customer bloodwormed three kingfish from the suds. The back bay was full of bluefish. All the baits anyone needs, including fresh clams, fresh bunker and frozen herring and mackerel, are stocked.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Local surf fishing was okay, and any stripers that were caught were mostly taken there, said Dominic from <b>Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle</b>. Use clams for a hook-up, and you could also luck into a black drum that sucks down the clam in the suds. Blues swam the surf and everywhere, including plenty in the back bay. Striper fishing in the bay never really happened this season. Nobody reported fishing the ocean, probably both because no fish were really there but also because seas were too rough. Some big stripers started to be caught in Delaware Bay, and Dominic knew about a 53-pounder and a 50-pounder from a reliable source. The <b>Carly A</b>, the shop’s offshore charter boat, will launch its season in June with bluefish and striper trips, and then will shark fish by the second week of June, before concentrating on tuna through summer. The store’s rental boat, a 17-foot Angler with a 50-horsepower engine, is available to fish the bay. Fresh clams are stocked, and the shop is trying to stock fresh bunker. All the frozen baits including bunker, mullet and mackerel are on hand.

<b>Longport</b>

An open-boat sea bass trip whacked the fish yesterday on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. “Boom boom boom, bang bang bang,” he said. “Heavy duty. It’s on!” Depths about 85 feet put out non-stop action on the humpbacks to 2 pounds, and everybody limited out in the 58-degree waters. Two tog 4 and 7 pounds, out-of-season fish, also ate the clam baits and had to be released. Sea bass trips began during the weekend after open tog trips ended last week because tog season closed, and flounder season was already closed, and anglers were concerned whether enough sea bass had migrated inshore to switch to them. All’s well on that front. Open-boat trips are fishing for sea bass daily, and call to reserve.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Blues swarmed around, including in the surf at the north end of Ocean City and in the bay around Corson’s Inlet, and many anglers tossed metal, mackerel or mullet for a fight, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. A few spurts of striped bass showed up, including on Wednesday at the north end and on Tuesday at Corson’s. Lures would connect, and surf anglers dunked clams for a pull on the line. Weakfish occasionally made the catch in the bay, and some held behind Margate and off Beesley’s Point, and pink lures got attention. Out-of-season flounder packed the bay, and tons of out-of-season tog covered the ocean wrecks and waters along the jetties and other structure. Decent numbers and sizes of sea bass migrated onto the inshore pieces. The season’s first real catches of drum were pulled from Delaware Bay, and striper fishing seemed quiet on the bay. Fresh clams, bloodworms, eels and frozen baits are stocked.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Fishing for sea bass at the ocean wrecks seemed to be decent, and the Captain Robbins was supposedly coming back with a bunch of the fish, Ted from <b>Minmar Marina</b> said. All the frozen baits are stocked.

Sea bass fishing produced plenty of catches on the <b>Captain Robbins</b>, Capt. John said. On Tuesday patrons generally scored catches in the high teens, and Wayne Nelson limited out, and Ryan Reed limited out and won the pool with a 4-1/2-pounder. On Wednesday Mike Williams, John Brown and Mark Francis limited out, and James Adams came back with 22 of the lumpheads, and Guy Silcster won the pool with a 5-1/4-pound cod and bagged 15 sea bass. On Thursday Laurie Cooper won the pool with a 5-1/2-pound humpback and pulled aboard 15 of them, and other catches included Sandy Davis and Tom Carlson with 14 sea bass apiece, Richard Gaines with 13 sea bass and Tom Stone with 11 sea bass. A few ling were also boated. The Captain Robbins is sailing for sea bass from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, and fresh clams are supplied for bait.

Pete Lee was onboard and fly rodded a gang of blues, a good number, Tuesday evening on the bay, mostly on Clousers along the bottom but a couple on popper flies on the surface, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Good to see the fish hit on the surface already in the cool, springtime waters.  But the fish usually wanted the fly down deep, or otherwise nothing was doing. The bite was finicky, not the vicious attack that blues are known for. Those who believe blues always eat anything should take a springtime trip with Joe. The Clousers were stripped on a stop-and-go, sharp, jigging retrieve, and some of the fish were also taken on soft plastic lures on a spinning rod. The tide was incoming, while previously Joe was finding catches on outgoing, so both tides were producing.  The trip fished the 62- or 63-degree waters at first along the Intracoastal Waterway to catch deeper water while the tide came in. On the flood the boat was moved to the flats 3 feet or less. Both spots gave up action, and the flats produced a mini blitz of blues nailing large, 3- or 4-inch spearing, some of the largest Joe’s seen at this time of year.  Joe also took his dad, Joe Sr., on a trip Wednesday night and hammered blues on incoming, but this time on soft plastics, also worked on a stop-and-go, jigging retrieve, and the fish were biting on the fall. No striped bass or out-of-season flounder smacked the flies and lures meant for blues on the outings, but previous charters sometimes hooked bass and flatties on the bay. The flatbacks have been abundant on the bay bottom, and plenty of stripers were surely around, but blues, a more aggressive fish, tend to hog any quarry. The blues fill the bay a few weeks until about Memorial Day and then depart for the ocean, and then striper catches become dominant again on the bay for Jersey Cape. Stripers turn on first in spring, then blues come in, then striper fishing picks back up. Joe was also expecting flounder fishing to be most productive during the first days of the flounder season, like usual, that opens May 24. Go early for best catches.

<b>Cape May</b>

Cape May surf fishing offered up pretty good numbers of striped bass, including some big ones, and blues, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. He didn’t really hear about weakfish beached, but some should be found any day. One angler reportedly landed a kingfish in the North Wildwood suds. Clams will take the stripers, and oily meat like mullet or herring will attract the blues. Bloodworms floated on a bobber along the jetties is the usual bet for weaks, and bloods on a bottom rig will usually draw the kings. Boaters started to pick up more drum than before on Delaware Bay at spots like Bug Light, Brandywine and Tussy’s Slough. Some scored well, and some boated one or two a day. Fishing for striped bass, including big ones, also seemed to begin improving on the bay. Blues, a few weakfish, schoolie stripers and out-of-season flounder swam the back bay. Not much was heard about ocean wreck fishing, but sea bass should be on the wrecks. Out-of-season tog also probably covered the pieces. Fresh clams are stocked, and so is frozen bunker, mullet, herring, mackerel and other baits.

The <b>Heavy Hitter</b> stayed tied to the dock in the last few days, but Capt. George knew about a few drum, mostly smaller ones but sometimes a  60-pounder, wrestled aboard on Delaware Bay on other boats Monday and Tuesday, he said. Some anglers reeled up a half-dozen Monday afternoon. So fishing on the bay was at least better than it had been, since the disappearance of striped bass recently. Drum fishing was probably just beginning, and last year turned the corner in mid May, when George ran a charter that waxed 30 of the fish, and afterward the chew was on. Although nobody seemed to find a bunch of stripers on the bay this week, George did hear about a private boater who said he nailed three large stripers, in the 40-inch range, far up the bay on Tuesday. George didn’t know whether the catch was luck or whether something was brewing.

Back to Top