Note, Monday, 12/20: The time of year is here when coastal reports slow down through the height of cold weather. This report starting today will be posted on the winter schedule: fully updated every Monday with additions posted every Thursday. The report will resume being posted every Monday and Thursday in March.

<b>Staten Island</b>

Three trips fished for blackfish on the ocean Friday to Sunday with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. The trip Friday probably limited out by 10 a.m., catching and releasing more afterward. The fish were big, including an 11-pounder, a 10-pounder and multiple 8-pounders. The fishing on Saturday’s trip was slow, a tough pick, and the tog were smaller, up to 6 pounds, but the anglers still limited out. But the angling on Sunday’s trip was good again, and the anglers probably limited out by 12 noon on the slipperies to 10 pounds. New York’s blackfish season will close Tuesday until reopening January 17. But Outcast will continue fishing for blackfish, sailing from New Jersey, where the season will remain open, and anglers can call if interested.

<b>Bayonne</b>

A friend pounded lots of catches, mostly blackfish, on a trip Sunday that fished at Scotland, Sandy Hook Reef and the Mud Buoy, said Capt. Akira from <b>True World Tackle</b> and <b>True World Tackle Charters</b>. Akira ran a charter at Sandy Hook Reef the previous week that also whaled good blackfishing, though some boaters there scored slower catches that day. A few customers landed Tommy cod from the bulkheads at places like the Hoboken pier. Sandworms are the best bait, and clams are next best. Stores usually don’t stock the worms this time of year, because of lack of demand. None of the worms are currently carried at True World, but frozen clams and other frozen baits like bunker are stocked. The shop is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Blackfishing swung aboard good catches from the ocean Friday through Sunday on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. The weather was calm all three days for a change, a treat. Saturday’s trip produced probably the most large blackfish all season on an outing. The pool-winning fish weighed just over 10 pounds, and the next biggest weighed just under 10. Some 6- and 7-pounders were clobbered. At first on the trip 12 or 15 keepers were bagged, and the bite dropped off. The boat was moved then moved again, and that move paid off. Quite a few of the tog, and healthy-sized ones, were hauled in. On Sunday’s trip more shorts bit than on Saturday’s. But some of the anglers still limited out. The Atlantic Star is blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, including on Christmas Eve day. No trip will sail on Christmas day, but trips will sail on New Year’s Eve day and New Year’s day. The boat will keep sailing through January 2 before trips end for winter. <b>***Update, Thursday, 12/23:***</b> Angling for blackfish started a little slow on Wednesday’s trip but ended up good, not the fishing like during the weekend’s trips, but still decent, Tom said. None of the fleet sailed Monday and Tuesday because of windy weather. Sizeable blackfish were sometimes tugged aboard the trip Wednesday like on all trips lately. A 9-1/2-pounder was cranked in that day, and so were a few around 5 pounds. At first the trip fished shallower, and mostly shorts and some ling showed up. The boat was moved farther off, and the fishing became better. One angler limited out, Tom thought, and another bagged four. Some sacked three keepers, and some two, and a couple one, and all landed fish they could take home, Tom believed. Blackfishing’s been better this year than during the past couple of years, and sizeable fish were among the vessel’s catches lately. Forecasts that called for a gale were expected to keep the boat docked today. Forecasts were currently questionable for Friday’s trip, but Tom plans to sail that day, and recent forecasts haven’t always been accurate. Anglers can call the boat this evening to see whether the trip will run. No trip will fish on Christmas, but the boat afterward will fish for the tog every day, including on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s, through January 2. Afterward trips on the boat will take a break for winter. Tom wishes anglers Merry Christmas!

<b>***Update, Thursday, 12/23:***</b> A couple of the party boats and one of the charter boats blackfished on Wednesday, said Joe from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. That was a day with a break in the weather, and the trips struggled a little with the catches at first, but seemed to score all right later on the outings. One of the party boats was known to run farther offshore to 17 Fathoms for the catches later in the day. Nobody talked about heading to the deep for ling and cod. Nobody surf fished that Joe heard about. Green crabs and other baits are stocked.

<b>Highlands</b>

A trip with <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> boated blackfish to 5 pounds on the ocean Saturday, Capt. Brian said. None was huge, and plenty of shorts with occasional keepers bit, a decent catch. Jersey Devil will keep targeting the tog as long as the fishing lasts and the weather is fishable. Trips can also fish for sea bass, cod and pollock, and anglers can call about availability or about whether the weather seems fishable for a trip. <b>***Update, Thursday, 12/23:***</b> No trips ran in the weather in the past days, but Jersey Devil will keep fishing inshore for blackfish and farther from shore for ling, cod, pollock and sea bass, Brian said. Sea bass season will close January 1. Brian wishes anglers Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

<b>Neptune</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 12/21:***</b> Good catches of blackfish were pumped aboard from the ocean when trips got the weather to sail, Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> said in an e-mail. A trip Saturday limited out, also releasing a few that weighed more than 10 pounds apiece. An individual-reservation trip for blackfish is full Wednesday. But four spaces are available Thursday and two are open Friday, Christmas Eve day, on more of the trips. Spaces available on the trips the rest of this month include two spots on Sunday, four next week on Thursday, December 30, and four on the following day, Friday, December 31, New Year’s Eve day. The bag limit will become four of the tog in January, compared with the current limit of six, and space is available on Saturday, January 1, New Year’s day, and Sunday, January 2, on more of the trips. <b>***Update, Thursday, 12/23:***</b> Blackfishing “knocked the donkey dust” off the catches Wednesday with Last Lady! Ralph said. Fishing for the tog always takes some “touch” by the anglers, and that’s blackfishing, but the fish are currently around in a very good population. A trip for the fish was cancelled today because of gale warnings. Spaces available on individual-reservation trips for blackfish include one on Friday and two on Sunday. None of the trips will sail this coming Monday to Wednesday. This coming Thursday is full. Afterward the next openings on the trips include three on that Friday (New Year’s Eve), five on that Saturday (New Year's) and six the next day, Sunday. Then Last Lady will keep fishing on the trips and charters for blackfish, as long as the knotheads keep biting. He was encouraged by water temps on Wednesday’s trip.

<b>Belmar</b>

Mackerel trips kicked off Saturday and Sunday on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, and the fish were just arriving, but most anglers were able to deck a 5-gallon bucketful apiece, Capt. Alan said. This was earlier than macks were boated last year, so Alan hoped that was a good sign, and he hoped good catches are tackled this weekend and through January. The Miss Belmar Princess is mackerel fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

On the <b>Nan Sea J</b> great catches of blackfish were plowed on two trips Thursday and Friday on the ocean, Capt. Tom said. The fish weighed up to 9.3 pounds, and almost all the anglers limited out. Both trips came only a few of the tog short of limiting. Blackfishing was slower on a trip Saturday, and the fish weighed up to 8 ½ pounds, but fewer bit. The trip tried fishing a different area than before. Water temps dropped to 40 degrees closer to shore and 43 a little ways off. The ocean was 47 degrees last week, so the temps plummeted quickly. Still, the tog on the trips were bagged in waters close to shore in 50 feet, and that was a good sign, the slipperies were yet to push to deeper waters. Charters are blackfishing, and so are open-boat trips. A special open-boat trip will blackfish 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Christmas Eve day. Open trips will probably also run Wednesday and Thursday, and call to confirm, and anglers can also call about the future open schedule. Today and Tuesday called for questionable weather for sailing. <b>***Update, Thursday, 12/23:***</b> An open-boat trip for blackfish is set to sail 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday on the Nan Sea J, and call if interested.

<b>***Update, Thursday, 12/23:***</b>  Party boat blackfishing pounded excellent catches when the weather was calm enough for the vessels to sail, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Winds often kept the boats from running. But one got out today, and two steamed Wednesday. Nobody really fished the surf. Herring could probably be jigged at Shark River Inlet like they were before. But nobody seemed to try for them in the past days. One customer this morning said a few anglers gave jigging for herring a shot at Manasquan Inlet, and caught. The party boat blackfishing was almost the only game in town lately. When waters become too cold for blackfishing, vessels will hone in on cod and ling farther from the coast. The shop’s been open till about 4 p.m. each day for holiday shoppers. After the holidays, the doors might only be open till 10 a.m. or so on weekdays, maybe later on weekends, depending on weather. As long as the Belmar party boats keep sailing, the shop should be open every day.

<b>Brielle</b>

Sea bass, outstanding catches, were creamed offshore on party boats, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. He joined one of the trips Friday, and anglers who fished would’ve had difficulty <i>not</i> limiting out on sea bass. Keepers 12 ½ inches to 5 and 6 pounds were seen, and plenty of good-sized ones came up. Porgies and, unusually, loads of 2- to 4-pound blues bit. One pollock and dog sharks were hooked, and anglers on another party boat scored well on sea bass on the same day, and more pollock and some cod were supposedly mixed in. Blackfishing was good lately on the ocean, and catches included healthy-sized ones. A customer checked in an 11-1/2-pound blackfish during the weekend. Ling at the Mudhole seemed to give up lots of catches one day and fair catches another. Dave knew nobody who boated for striped bass on the ocean anymore this season, and heard from nobody who surf fished. Some anglers said they gave up in the cold. He saw nobody fishing at Manasquan Inlet. He knew about herring swimming Shark River Inlet some time ago, and they might’ve still held there, but nothing was heard one way or the other. The shop will be open through Christmas Eve day before closing through January for a winter break. The doors will open back up on weekends in February. Gift certificates are available for the holidays. Catch the shop’s <b><i>Big Sale</i></b> on Shimano’s original Butterfly Jigs and long jigs that the company no longer makes.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 12/23:***</b> Ling, blackfish and cod, fairly decent catches, were drummed up on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. Trips sailed Wednesday, were weathered out Monday and Tuesday, and fished through the weekend. Mostly ling were jabbed, but some blackfish were in the mix, and a few cod were cracked every trip. A quality catch of blackfish was mixed in with ling on Wednesday’s outing. A few small mackerel were hooked on the boat lately, and trips each year target mackerel when the Bostons migrate through, but no substantial schools of big mackerel yet appeared on the grounds fished. When they arrive, each trip puts a bead on them a while, so anglers can add them to the cooler, then bottom fish the rest of the day. Trips fished in 120 to 150 feet, and waters there were probably in the high 40s, and were cooler close to shore. The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. No trip will run on Christmas, the only day the vessel is ever scheduled not to sail through the year.

<b>***Update, Thursday, 12/23:***</b> One of the vessels from <b>Canyon River Club Marina</b> headed  out Wednesday, said Carl LaManna, owner of the marina. He wasn’t sure about the fish the anglers targeted on the 35-foot Maine coaster, but cod and wreck fishing might’ve been the focus. Jersey Hooker Charters, sailing from the marina, is slated to fish for tog this weekend. Several boaters already reserved slips for winter wreck fishing from the docks. Carl recently returned from fishing from South Beach, Florida, where he keeps his C-Annamal in winter. Winds kept him from crossing to the Bahamas. But his trips fished near South Beach, tackling Spanish mackerel along the reefs and mutton snappers at the wrecks. The outings also caught mahi mahi, finding a mediocre population of the fish. The mahi swim a couple of miles from shore in 600 to 700 feet. The ocean drops off quickly there. Water temps at Florida plummeted to 74 to 76 degrees from 77 to 79 degrees on trips 10 days prior. Carl travels back and forth between South Beach and Point through winter. When he sails the boat to the Bahamas, wahoo fishing is currently spectacular, and good catches of yelloweyes and groupers are claimed when bottom fishing. Canyon River Club Marina, located on Manasquan River, features all the amenities, is open all winter and offers convenient access to fishing, with no bridges before the inlet. Boaters take advantage for wreck fishing through winter. Carl in May will open a new, state-of-the-art, trendy restaurant called 709 Point Beach, featuring Executive Chef Michael Jurusz, formerly from Seaside Park’s Atlantic Bar and Grill. The menu and atmosphere are to be superb, and the opening is to be exciting. Visit <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/709-Point-Beach/163256227044063?ref=nf" target="_blank"><b>709 Point Beach’s Facebook page</b></a> and Like the page to be kept up on the doings. Check out the reconstruction of the building that’s currently happening.

Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> ran trips for blackfish on the ocean the past couple of days, and the angling was tough, but the fishing lately was better on some days and worse on others, he said. Ocean temps were 40.5 to 41.4 degrees on Saturday, compared with 46 on Tuesday. Derek in the past days began running a boat for blackfishing from Point Pleasant Beach, after he wrapped up blackfishing on his own vessel from the Highlands last week. Charters and open-boat trips from Point Pleasant are fishing for blackfish, and the next open trips are slated for Wednesday and Friday. The vessel’s owner is also planning an open trip for blackfish on Christmas. Call to climb aboard open trips, and anglers can call to be kept informed about the future open schedule. Trips might soon fish for ling and cod, especially when waters become cold for blackfishing. <b>***Update, Thursday, 12/23:***</b> A good catch of blackfish was crunched on a trip Wednesday, Derek said. The fish took a while to locate, and the trip first looked for them in shallow depths where the tog bit before. But the bites were located when the trip moved to deeper waters in 80 to 90 feet. Charters are fishing for the tog, and the next open-boat trips for them will probably run next week, depending on weather. Cod and ling trips might sail soon.

Anglers aboard tried jigging for striped bass on the ocean in the morning Friday with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, a report on the boat’s Web site said. They fished “to the east,” the report said, but only herring hit the jigs, despite great marks and tons of working birds. The anglers switched to blackfishing to put catches in the cooler, and the fishing was a slow pick, and many shorts bit, but 15 keepers were bagged. The group tried jigging for stripers again at the end of the trip at more marks and birds, but only herring jumped on the hooks again. Andrea’s Toy will continue blackfishing inshore, but special, open-boat trips – <b><i>Extreme Offshore Trips</i></b>, the crew calls the outings – are running offshore for sea bass, cod, pollock, ling and porgies through the end of the year, before sea bass season closes January 1. Sea bass lately went wild in the waters, and the last trip that took advantage, a charter, bailed a boat limit of jumbo sea bass quickly, and nailed giant porgies, a few cod, a 30-pound pollock and some ling. The charter wanted a trip to fill the freezer, and that’s what the anglers got. The trip was covered in a previous report. Maybe two of the open trips will sail before the end of the year, because the trips need to run in windows of calm weather. Anglers should call quickly to reserve if they expect to go. <b>***Update, Thursday, 12/23:***</b> Andrea’s Toy is finished sailing for the season, Fred said, and he thanks everyone who fished with him and the crew this year. Trips will begin again in April with light-tackle angling for striped bass. Fred wishes everyone Happy Holidays and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

<b>Bricktown</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 12/23:***</b> Windy, cold weather was dreadful much of the week, so no customers said they fished, but blackfish should still be biting in the ocean, said Capt. Rich from <b>Jersey Hooker Outfitters Bait & Tackle</b>. He would imagine the tog could still be boated close to shore at the reefs, probably in depths 50 to 65 feet, maybe 70 feet, and were yet to push farther from shore, like at the Klondike wreck or 17 Fathoms. He heard about solid catches at the AC Reef to the south during the weekend, but heard nothing about anyone angling for the fish locally. Rich will probably sail for the slipperies Friday or this weekend with his <b>Jersey Hooker Charters</b>, that runs from Point Pleasant Beach’s Canyon River Club Marina. A few customers stopped by the shop to pick up rigs for offshore bottom fishing and cod fishing on the party boats. The shop will be open next week but closed during some periods that week while the crew visits family and such during the holidays. But otherwise the store will be open full time. Starting January 14 the doors will be open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 6 a.m. to 12 noon Sundays during the peak of winter.

<b>Toms River</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 12/23:***</b>  Customers stopped in for holiday shopping but didn’t fish, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Too cold, he said. The store will be open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through December 30. Afterward the doors will be open sporadically, whenever the crew happens to be there, until regular hours are held again after the height of winter. Frozen clams and bunker and live killies, shiners and nightcrawlers are stocked.

<b>Forked River</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 12/23:***</b>  Blackfish surely bit, but nothing was heard about fishing, said Jana from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. The shop is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays but will be closed this weekend for Christmas.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

A few blackfish were boated on a trip Saturday on the ocean, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, and that was the final trip of the year for Legal Limit. T.J. thanks everyone who sailed aboard this year, and his fishing will begin again on April 1 with trips for striped bass from Cape May. Drum trips on Delaware Bay will follow from Cape May. Legal Limit runs two boats, and one of the vessels always sails from Tuckerton, and the other fishes from Cape May in spring and fall, sailing from Tuckerton the rest of the season.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Winter settled in, and not a lot of anglers fished when temps dipped into the 20s, and skim ice covered waters, the report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. “You guys give up too easy,” one angler said in a report he posted on the site. “Save me some of those grass shrimp,” he said. If the weather stays this cold, he said, anglers will ice fish for white perch through the ice at Collins Cove before too long. Live grass shrimp, the favorite perch bait, are stocked, and the cove, located on the Mullica River just upstream from the Parkway Bridge, is the most popular place in the state for ice fishing for the perch. The angler had a good point, the shop’s report said, and the cove might freeze early if the weather stays this cold, and the ice-fishing season might last longer than usual. The site noted that anglers might want to register free for the federal saltwater angling registry before the end of the year, because that can prevent anglers from paying a new fee for the required registry in 2011. The $15 that will be charged is the first-ever fee. But anglers reportedly can’t register for free with 30 or more days left before their current registration expires. New Jersey is attempting to pass legislation that would keep registration free in the state. But whether the measure passes is no guarantee. Therefore anglers who can register free before the end of the year are doing so. Visit the Count My Fish Web site for online registration and information. <b>***Update, Thursday, 12/23:***</b> No ice formed on Collins Cove and the Mullica River, and the crew at the store kept busy re-vamping the shop, painting and so on, Russ from Scott’s said. Nobody reported fishing, and only a couple of customers stopped by. Live grass shrimp are out of stock. The store, always closed on Tuesdays through the year, will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays in January and February, but will be open the rest of the week. That’s more than many shops in winter! If fishable ice forms on the cove, the store usually either carries grass shrimp for the perch fishing or lets anglers know who is carrying the shrimp.

<b>Longport</b>

Anglers on the <b>Stray Cat</b> steamed for blackfish on Saturday, and the angling was a “goofy, slow pick,” Capt. Mike said, but the trip caught, including some sizeable ones. The fish bit at every wreck, but the big ones chewed at one wreck. The fishing sounded a bit off for everyone that day, and the tog are like that, they bite when they want to bite. The crew on the Stray Cat likes intensifying low fronts for the best blackfishing. Waters were 41 degrees 8 miles north of the inlet and 42 or 43 degrees to the south. So the ocean was somewhat warmer toward Avalon Shoal. The next trips, open-boat outings for blackfish, will probably sail starting Sunday, and call to reserve. Forecasts call for rough weather through Wednesday, and anglers will probably be busy with the holiday from Thursday through Saturday. Next week will probably be the last week for blackfishing on the vessel, before waters become too cold for the bite. Afterward open trips will motor to wrecks 30 miles from shore, concentrating on cod and pollock. Boaters landed striped bass 1 ½ miles from shore at the Cuma Lumps in the past days. Stripers were stacked up farther from shore, beyond 3 miles, where fishing for them is closed, at Avalon Shoal. The Coast Guard kept an eye on the area, making sure anglers stayed in compliance. <b>***Update, Thursday, 12/23:***</b> Open-boat blackfish trips will sail every day the weather allows, starting after Christmas, Mike said. Call to reserve. The trips will hunt the blackfish until January 2 and afterward will move to deep waters for cod and pollock. The Stray Cat will sail as long as possible this season, until winter weather closes in.  

<b>Ocean City</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 12/23:***</b> The weather was nasty, and waters were cold, and nobody fished, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. “Not conducive,” he said. But the shop is open daily through New Year’s Eve. The doors will be open on weekends starting in January and will be reopened seven days a week in mid February.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 12/23:***</b> Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> is booking trips to the Florida Keys that he runs each winter, he said. Anglers on the weekend getaways can arrive Friday evening, fish all day Saturday and part of Sunday, and return Sunday evening. Fishing’s been good for anglers in the Keys. Lots of cero and king mackerel swam at the reef, and sailfish roamed just outside the reef, and blackfin tuna and mahi mahi held farther from shore. In the back country and the Everglades, redfish, ladyfish, speckled sea trout and occasional snook bit. The weather was normal: highs in the mid 70s and lows in the low 60s. See <a href="http://www.gibsonstackle.com/page6.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Traveling Charters Web page</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

No trips sailed in the past days with Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, he said. But charters are available if anyone wants a last shot at tog this fishing season. He’ll run for the blackfish as long as they keep biting, and call if interested. No many striped bass were around to catch anymore.

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