<b>Staten Island</b>

A super catch of striped bass, all 10 to 20 pounds, quite a lot that were 20, was socked Saturday with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. The anglers limited out probably by 9 a.m., afterward catching and releasing more, roughly a total of 30. Joe never said where the trip fished and what bait was dunked, but the previous outing clammed them on Raritan Bay, likely the drill this time.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

After a tough day of striped bass fishing on the vessel Thursday, some of the fish were knuckled in Friday on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. The morning’s trip produced more than the afternoon’s, and smaller bass became more abundant. Shorts also showed up more frequently than before on Saturday’s trips, but some of the fish were keepers again. Miserable weather kept anglers from traveling to the docks Sunday morning, and that trip stayed in port. But the afternoon’s trip ran, and the catches were better than Tom expected. The angling began slowly, clamming for the fish at Flynn’s Knoll, but then became a steady pick, and by the end of the day, a good catch was put together. Probably one in three was a keeper, and nearly everyone reeled in a keeper. The weather was somewhat raw and damp, but seas were fine, and the fishing went well. All the trips clammed for the bass, and a population of stripers that could be jigged sounded a bit offshore, where striper fishing is closed. Trips will either clam or jig for stripers, whatever’s the better option, and Tom wasn’t going to run out to look for a jig bite on a “maybe.” Probably two bluefish and two bite offs were had on Sunday afternoon, so a few blues seemed around. The better catches seemed to be made when the tide was running, but neither outgoing nor incoming seemed best. Sometimes one was better, other times the other. Sometimes a tough day of fishing happened, and other times decent ones did, and predicting was impossible. The Atlantic Star is fishing for striped bass on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Shots of striped bass sometimes came through Saturday on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron said in an e-mail. Boat traffic was difficult for the angling, kept the fish moving, and more were read than were caught. But action was better than on the previous two days, and a few limits were bagged, and some anglers landed none. The bass were smaller than before, and the biggest weighed 12 to 16 pounds. The 20- to 25-pounders seemed to be “off doing their thing,” he said. Jigging worked best, but some were clammed toward the end of the trip. Catches were slow on the boat’s first night trip of the season Friday. A few keepers were taken. The Fishermen is striped bass fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

<b>Highlands</b>

Consistent striped bass catches were the rule on trips in the past days, except during up-and-down angling for them on Friday, said Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>. Anglers with him fished on the bay, mostly bunker-chunking or trolling plugs for stripers to the mid 20 pounds. Bluefish to 12 pounds swarmed everywhere from the ocean to the bay to the rivers. Derek’s been able to castnet bunker for bait, and the ease changed from day to day. On some days netting as many as needed went quickly. On other days blues in the river chased the menhaden around fast, making the castnetting more difficult. Charters are running, and the next open-boat trips will probably sail Friday and Saturday. Call Derek to be kept informed of the open schedule.

A group from New Jersey Saltwater Fishing climbed on deck for striped bass fishing with <b>Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures</b>, Capt. Bob said in an e-mail. Fast catches began the trip, good clamming for the fish, mostly 26- to 27-1/2 inch shorts, but some quality keepers were boxed. When the tide stopped, putting off the bite, the boat was trolled, and a 31-inch striper and a monster blue were added to the catch. No more bite developed, but the anglers went home happy with bags of fillets, Bob said. Weekends are booked until late May, but space is available during weekday evenings on open-boat trips or charters from 5:30 to 11. Give a call to go fishing.

<b>Neptune</b>

Birds worked the ocean, and fish jumped all over the waters, and two trips Saturday and Sunday loaded up on striped bass, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. A steady catch, lots of throwbacks but also keepers to 20 pounds, were whaled on Saturday’s trip. The stripers fed on rainfish, so the anglers mostly trolled, instead of fishing with bait, but one bass was jigged. Sunday’s trip limited out by 9:30 a.m., half caught on the troll, the other half on jigs. Most of the linesiders were 30 to 36 inches, and only three shorts bit. Openings are available on an individual-reservation trip for blackfish on Friday, the final day of the tog season. Two spaces remain for an individual-rez trip that will fish the offshore wrecks Wednesday, May 19, for cod and pollock.

<b>Belmar</b>

The season’s first trips on the <b>Nan Sea J</b> are supposed to fish for striped bass at the beginning of May, Capt. Tom said. The boat was undergoing cosmetic work such as on the cabin seats before the fishing is launched. Tom fished offshore on a charter he hired from Hatteras, North Carolina, a week ago, angling up a bunch of mahi mahi, blueline tilefish and snowy groupers. The trip looked for yellowfin tuna, steaming south for the fish, but none showed up. A boat at the marina returned with six yellowfins the next day. But plenty of the other fish were caught on Tom’s trip, and he had a good time. Bluefin tuna seemed to swim north of Oregon Inlet. Shark trips around June and July will be the first of the year’s big game fishing on the Nan Sea J. Those will include charters but also annual open-boat trips, a rare opportunity to tackle the beasts on an open trip. Reserve now.

<b>Brielle</b>

Charters limited out on striped bass Thursday and Saturday on the ocean on the <b>Big Kid</b>, Capt. Ken said. The Princeton Van Service charter caught the fish Thursday, and the party with Mike Mizereck landed the linesiders to 40 pounds on Saturday. Lots of blues attacked on both trips, and both fished to the north, trolling Tony Maja’s bunker spoons and rubber shads. But stripers also held off Manasquan Inlet in the afternoons, and Ken heard about schools to the south. Blackfishing is on tap on charters until the tog season closes Saturday. A trip for them is booked for Friday, but Wednesday and Thursday are available.

Blackfish got on a tear, and a new body of striped bass seemed to arrive, on a trip Sunday, said Capt. Jerry from <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> in an e-mail. The charter, from the Hi-Mar Club, limited out on blacks and released a bunch more, probably reeling in 60 total, mostly keeper-sized, keeping only their limit, and the tog finally chewed. Previously the slipperies gave up slow fishing on a couple of trips that still managed to box some keepers and cod. The trip intended to focus on blackfish, but once a limit and more were landed, Jerry got a call about stripers biting. “So in true Monger form,” he said, the crew gave the anglers the choice whether to keep togging or to try striper fishing. They switched to stripers, jigging nine keepers and a couple of blues before heading home. One of the anglers beat double a limit of blackfish, drop-and-reel angling, keeping only his quota, by 8:45 a.m. By 11 a.m. he totaled 15 keeper-sized ones, and afterward limited out on stripers. Another angler was right behind him, limiting out on blackfish soon after 8:45, totaling more than 15 legal-sized ones – again, keeping only his limit -- by 11 a.m. He had fished on a couple of slow trips, “but he made up for it today,” Jerry said. The group of six limited out by 10 a.m., playing catch and release with more afterward, before switching to stripers. “What a day!” Jerry said. He was glad to see blackfish “chewing like they should,” he said. Clams caught them, but the tog also crunched crabs, “very nice to see,” he said. A few spots are available for open-boat trips for blackfish Tuesday and Wednesday, a last crack at them before the blackfish season closes Saturday. Trips will striper fish afterward, and all trips for them produced good catches so far this season on the boat. With the new batch of the fish apparently arriving from the south, jigging for them should be good, and livelining bunker for them should fully kick in soon. “Give a buzz, let’s go fishing!” Jerry said.

<b>Seaside Park</b>

Anglers in the surf began to drag in striped bass and blues Saturday, after slower fishing for a couple of days, said the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s Web site. But both fish chased bunker and spearing Friday evening in the suds near the shop, too. The stripers were larger lately, and a 28-1/4-pounder, the biggest of the season at the shop so far this year, was weighed in Sunday. Bunker and clams scored most stripers. Bluefish on Sunday pushed bunker up to the beaches a few times, and anglers who were there wore their arms out. Anglers today weighed in six stripers 8.1-12.5 pounds and five blues 5.9-10.65 pounds. On Sunday they weighed in six blues 8.5-9.15 pounds, five bass 10.2 pounds to the 28-/14-pounder (and a 15.5-pounder was the second biggest), and two blackfish about 3.5 pounds apiece. On Saturday they checked in eight blues 5.05-8.35 pounds and 10 bass 8.2-21.6 pounds, and the bass included an 18.75-pounder, an 18.5-pounder, a 17.65-pounder, a 16.9-pounder and a 16.3-pounder. On Friday they brought in four stripers 15.65-21.4 pounds. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishing_reports.cfm" target="_blank">Click here</a> for updates.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Fishing was excellent for blues and striped bass from Barnegat Bay to Barnegat Inlet, with few exceptions, said Capt. Steve from <b>Reel Fantasea Charters</b> in an e-mail. John Cirone and brother Mike hopped aboard the first trip of the past week. Fish chased their top-water popper lures at the 2- to 3-foot flats within minutes of the dock. They were difficult to hook, but a keeper striper was finally bagged. After a few more swings and misses, they motored toward the inlet, battling bluefish non-stop on bait. A keeper tog was even landed before they returned to port. Bob Steirs and his son Denis and grandson William beat excellent top-water fishing for blues and stripers. They began with big blues that pounced on top-waters until the sun dipped below the horizon. Then stripers began to feed, and William, new to saltwater fishing, landed his first and the most, and limited out. All three anglers continued to work over the school of stripers and some blues under diving birds, doubled up on both species at times. A coming thunderstorm chased them off the waters, and they left the fish biting. Paul Richard’s party from Massachusetts next headed out. Fishing began slowly on the flats after a cold night,   but big blues were found blitzing bait after a few moves. At times all five anglers were hooked up at once on artificials. Then they moved to the inlet for more nonstop action with blues until trip’s end. The Friday Night at the Fights open-boat trip fished with Karl Steffan, Fred Scalera, Jack Hoban and friend Mark. When Steve’s quick tutorial of popper technique drew a swirl in an unlikely place, the angling seemed like it would end up like shooting fish in a barrel again. But the trip turned out tough, “(and) Reel Fantasea was handed her first skunk of the early season, inexplicably,” Steve said. Even the blues swiped half-heartedly at the poppers, and none of the anglers connected on the few hits.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Bluefishing was turned on most of this afternoon for the anglers who stuck out the damp and chilly weather, said the report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site. No location was mentioned, but reports from previous days talked about locations such as Pebble Beach but also everywhere from the back waters to the ocean. All the blues made getting through to a striper difficult at places such as Graveling Point. But stripers were around. Somebody who e-mailed a report to the shop took trips Friday evening and Saturday morning on Great Bay, totaling 13 stripers, eight bluefish, a drum and a dog shark. All the stripers were 28 to 34 inches, except one, and the drum was 25 pounds. Fresh clams and surface plugs were fished.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Snot grass that fouls lines and hooks filled the surf today, so that killed the fishing, said the report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site. One angler said he banked one big blue. But fresh bunker and fresh clams arrived at the shop, ready for the striper onslaught that will go down Tuesday, the site said. Anglers hoped that a change in wind direction forecast for that day would clean up the waters. Good catches rolled in during the weekend, but 10,000 anglers fished. “I guess if you were going by the ratios, then the bite was not so good?” the report asked. On Friday fish weighed in included a 33-pound striper, an 18-pounder, a 16-pounder and a 9-pound blue. Drum are often an occasional catch from the island’s surf in spring, but none was heard about yet. The bait supplier netted a 1-pound 10-ounce kingfish while gathering bunker. Sign up for the Fish for Life Tournament – running until May 15, featuring prizes for the 1st through 3rd heaviest stripers – at the shop for $20. Many anglers enter for the pass that’s included with the entry fee that allows them to drive the entire length of Brigantine’s beach when accompanied by a beach permit from the town.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Surf casters banked lots of blues, tog and striped bass, and all were plentiful, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. All fishing was starting to amp up. Summer flounder, out of season until Memorial Day weekend, good sized ones, began to be hooked and released in the suds, too. The blues were 24 to 29 inches, pounding cut bait or frozen mullet or fresh bunker. One angler stopped by the shop to show Noel a slammer blue with an entire flounder in its gut. The flounder was chomped in half by the blue with one bite. Incredible. The two pieces of the fish were inside the blue, and the blue still slammed the angler’s bucktail. The tog ate crabs and clams along the jetty rocks. The stripers inhaled bloodworms, clams or bunker. All the baits mentioned and more, including minnows, in case anglers want to play catch and release with the flounder on the baitfish, are stocked. Bunker schooled the surf the other day. Plenty of spearing filled the waters, and minnows held in the bay.

<b>Longport</b>

Blackfish to 10 pounds were pumped up Saturday on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, and cod, good-sized fish to 9 pounds and some 5-pounders, mostly 26- to 28-inchers, and no shorts, were mixed in, Capt. Mike said. The fish still hovered around the wrecks, and he had taken a break from the fishing a moment to relocate a boat from Florida. The blackfish grabbed green crabs, no longer took only clams like in cold waters early in the season. Another one of the daily, open-boat trips was supposed to sail for the tog today, and more will continue through Friday, the last day of the season for the slipperies. Plenty of green crabs will be on board. Sunday’s trip was nixed because of weather forecasts, but seas turned out fine. On Saturday’s trip, with the Ted Fletcher Club aboard, the fishing began slow, but the fish were stacked up at the final piece targeted. Mike looked for striped bass at the end of the week, and none was found, but that doesn’t mean none will come through. The bottom-fishing trips will mix in striper jigging along the ocean front if the linesiders appear. Bunker swam thick in 50 feet.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The boat will be splashed for the season next week on Wednesday, and charters will be ready to fish immediately, said Capt. Craig from <b>Fish Tale Charters</b>. Trips at first will work the blues that are swimming the back bay, trolling and casting jigs for a fight. By May 22, when sea bass season opens, charters will begin to fish for the lumpheads at the ocean reefs. On May 29, the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, summer flounder season opens, and anglers aboard will start to search out the flatties on the bay. Eventually flounder will move to the ocean, when the bay warms, and the boat will follow them to the lumps and reefs. Shark fishing for threshers and makos will kick off in June on the boat. Bluefin tuna fishing on the inshore ocean out to 40 miles will take off in July on the vessel. Other fish including mahi mahi, Spanish mackerel, bonito and false albacore will haunt the blue waters. The bluefins usually depart by mid to late August, but fish including bonito will remain. Bonito, a member of the tuna family, are good-tasting and fight hard. But the early season offers great opportunities, and take advantage of the blues while they abound in the bay. Space is available, and call to ensure a date.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Back-bay fishing was as good as it gets, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Bluefish, 2- to 4-pounders that invaded the bay last week like every year, were pillaged. Striped bass -- bigger ones willing to eat up clams, and lots of schoolies eager to smack jigs or flies -- kept hitting in the waters. Plus out-of-season flounder carpeted the bottom, a good sign for the opening of the flattie season that’s coming. On Friday evening Fred Betz and Bob Solarz took advantage of the excellent opportunity to fly fish for blues on the bay this time of year. They waxed a couple of dozen of the scrappy fighters on Clouser Minnows. Now is a moment when fly casters can fight the blues one after another to work on the angling skills. It’s a great time for seasoned anglers and newbies alike to gain the reps. On Saturday Rick Hogan and friends Bob and Bobby jigged scores of the blues on Bass Assassins and Gulp Shrimp, triple- and double-headers all day. Joe fished with his dad on a short trip Sunday in misty weather, and they hooked the blues on every other cast. The bluefishing usually lasts until Memorial Day, when boat traffic begins to decrease the peak of the action, and then some of the fish move to the ocean for summer, though some remain in the bay through the season. These trips concentrated on the action with blues, but stripers are on tap. Go now for either fish. They’ll continue to bite later, but don’t miss out, take advantage of this time of year. Special, after-work trips are a great option, because the fishing is on. Flounder season opens the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, and the early season is usually best on the bay, before waters warm. Book flounder trips now to lock in dates, especially for the holiday weekend. In other news, surf fishers at Sea Isle City belted good catches of striped bass on clams or bunker. Keep up with Joe’s fishing and photos on <a href=" http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

<b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> reopened for the season, Cathy said in an e-mail. Excellent tog fishing was clocked at the bridges, jetties and inshore wrecks. Charlie Labar from Philly checked in two tog he kayaked at Cape May Inlet on his Hobie Pro Angler. Sterling Harbor is a kayak fishing headquarters, featuring sales of kayaks and accessories, rentals and expert advice. Check out the shop’s Hobie Kayaks displays at the Strictly Jersey Boat Show on Friday through Sunday and at the Stone Harbor Sail Into Summer Boat Show and Seafood Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Stop for show specials, or anglers can call the shop for info about the specials:  609-729-1425. The annual penny-per-yard sale on fishing line is under way through May 9 that has kicked off the shop’s season for 17 years. Call the shop for details. Striped bass were clobbered on Delaware Bay at Ship John.

<b>Cape May</b>

On the <b>Down Deep</b> several trips ran after striped bass, motoring far, 30 miles up Delaware Bay, to clam the fish through the week, and one trip headed for tog at an ocean reef,  Capt. Bob said. Chris Amelung’s party last Monday decked stripers to 20 pounds. Anglers from O’Rourke Steel Company on Wednesday limited out on tog to 10 pounds. George Porpele’s group was back on the striper grounds Thursday, bagging seven stripers, if Bob remembered. On Saturday a crew from the Roman Construction Company coolered seven stripers to 22 pounds. Charters will switch to drum fishing on the bay next week. A few drum were heaved in so far, and this week’s full moon usually kicks off the fishing.

The boat was steamed far up Delaware Bay for a catch of striped bass to 30 inches Friday with Paul Frank’s charter, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. Waters were 58 degrees, sometimes as warm as 60, on outgoing tide. The lower bay was 54. John Stonick’s charter on Sunday looked for bluefish at Avalon Shoals on the ocean, and word was heard that blues schooled off Sea Isle City recently, but none popped up this day. The anglers switched to wreck fishing, pulling in tog, lots of small ones but some keepers, and one cod at Cape May Reef. Kevin Driscoll’s charter on Sunday blistered tog to a 10-pound 1-ouncer at a different spot, limiting out by 10 a.m., playing catch and release with more afterward, and all were keeper-sized, except probably three. A banner catch! If anglers want to tog fish before the season for the blackfish closes Saturday, climb aboard. Looking ahead, George is waiting for drum fishing to kick in on the bay. He heard his first verified report this season about two puppy drum landed on a boat this weekend. The angling should begin soon. Dates are open, and call if interested.

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