<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/2:***</b> Surf anglers still banked striped bass, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Some were hooked on clams, some on plugs. Rubber sand eels, like from Tsunami, caught, and sometimes anglers might fish them alone, but often the sand eels, lightweight, were fished as a teaser, so they could be cast. Some anglers would hit the beach starting at 4 p.m., walloping 16 or 18 stripers, including one or two keepers. Many were throwbacks, but the fish were aggressive in relatively warm waters 48 degrees. Boaters could also catch stripers on the ocean, though hardly anyone still had boats in the waters this season. A friend who runs a charter boat, returning from a trip that limited out on blackfish, came across stripers busting the water surface between the Sea Bright can and the bell. The anglers jigged 30 of the bass, including 9 keepers to 15 pounds. Bottom fishing for blackfish and ling was very good. A few more cod than before seemed to start being caught at the Mudhole. Julian’s is open till noon daily. The doors are open at 6 a.m. on weekdays and 5 a.m. on weekends, and all the baits are stocked.

<b>Neptune</b>

<b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> will probably keep sailing on a few trips for blackfish, ling and cod, before Capt. Ralph calls it a season, because the catches were good on a trip for them Saturday, he said. That was supposed to be the final trip of the season aboard, but Ralph changed his plans, because of the angling. The weather was beautiful on the trip. Charters and individual-reservation trips are sailing. <b>Update, Monday, 1/30:***</b> An individual-reservation trip for the fishing is set for 7 a.m. Saturday.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/2:***</b> Mackerel fishing aboard Wednesday “was just plain awesome,” a report on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>’s Web site said. Anglers filled buckets, coolers and crates with mostly mediums and “some real jumbos mixed in,” the report said. The fish were found only 12 miles from Shark River Inlet, where “the mack attack is on!” it said. Mackerel fishing was good for the last four or five days, and plenty of good readings on Wednesday were expected to serve up the fish on today’s trip. The Golden Eagle is sailing for mackerel 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/2:***</b> Mackerel, excellent catches, were clobbered on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, Capt. Alan said. Patrons filled coolers, garbage cans, “everything,” he said, and the fish swam only 10 miles from Shark River Inlet. Plus a big area held them. Three head boats fished for them today a mile apart. “That’s how big,” Alan said. Fishing for mackerel was good since Friday, and the fish then swam 20 miles from the inlet. About three days ago they moved within 12 or 13 miles, and now they were 10. Maybe mackerel anglers will get lucky and the migration will remain within range the whole month of February. “The water’s warm,” Alan said. The fish now were mediums to large, and previously “were mixed sizes,” he said. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for mackerel 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Party boats that bottom-fished scooped up blackfish, ling and a few cod, good catches, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. The ones that mackerel-fished also shoveled in good catches. Lots of striped bass, including sometimes keepers to 15 pounds, were beached from the surf, mostly from Asbury Park to farther north. The angling never let up since fall, and most of the catches now came from along the jetties, not the open beach. Most were hooked on weighted rubber eels like Vision Surf Eels or Tsunami Eels. A few were plugged and fly-rodded, but the eels worked best. Fishing on the whole was better than this time last year in warmer weather this year.

<b>Brielle</b>

Good ling fishing kept up on Sunday’s trip on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, Capt. Ryan said in an e-mail. Bigger ling bit than before, and the angling was a little more difficult than previously, because of current, “but if you were breathing, you caught at least 20 to 25,” Ryan said, and sharpies nailed 35 to 60. Large ocean pout and 4-foot silver eels showed up on a couple of drops. “Good day to be fishing,” Ryan said. Anglers and their catches included: Mark Adamarek, 64 ling to 5 pounds and 2 cod; Dennis Symons, 52 ling; and Bernie Jones, 48 ling. Igor Andrulavich won the pool with a 14-pound cod, and bucketed 36 ling. Dave Torres grabbed the most cod: six of them to 9 pounds. He bagged 41 ling, and on Thursday’s trip was high hook with 76 ling. Thursday’s trip also served up good ling fishing, Capt. Joe said in an e-mail. In addition to Torres, anglers on the outing included Sam Gonzales with 53 ling and Ray Bryant with 47 ling. Anglers and their catches aboard last week also included Gene Everett with 54 ling and an 18-pound cod, and Ted Nolan with 57 ling, 2 cod and a 4-pound lobster. Trips for cod and ling are sailing to the Mudhole 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and Sundays and 3 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/2:***</b> Currents made fishing somewhat tough aboard during the weekend, making anchoring difficult, and keeping anglers from fishing deep, said Capt. Matt from the party boat <b>Norma K</b>. But customers probably iced 10 to 25 ling apiece on Saturday and Sunday, “caught fish around the boat,” Matt said. Mostly ling were hooked. “I think no keeper cod or anything,” Matt said. On Monday’s blackfishing trip, catches were slow, so that was the final blackfish trip of the season on the vessel. The Norma K is fishing for cod and ling on: all-day trips 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Fridays; 3/4-day trips 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; and Magic Hour Trips 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. However, no trip will steam in the afternoon on this Superbowl Sunday. No trips will run Tuesdays to Thursdays.

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/2:***</b> Very good ling fishing was crushed Wednesday on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said. The ling were good-sized, 1 to 3 pounds, and not a lot of cod, but a few, were clocked. A 7-pound cod was probably biggest. Rich Kowlick, Brick, socked about 40 ling. Mackerel were sometimes hooked at the wrecks fished, in 140 feet. The Gambler is fishing 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, except no trip is fishing on Tuesdays. A special benefit trip for a young girl with leukemia and a brain tumor will sail Sunday, February 12, for cod, pollock and probably ling.

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/2:***</b> Bottom fishing aboard, mostly grabbing ling, was okay, a little slower than before, because of a ground swell and a terrible current, said Capt. Butch from the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>. But catches will probably bounce back, and the angling was still fair, putting up 10 to 20 fish per angler. That’s compared with 20 to 40 fish apiece previously. “But it’s still steady fishing,” Butch said. A few cod and blackfish were in the mix. Some of the cod were sizeable to 20 pounds. Out-of-season sea bass, including large ones, sometimes bit and were released.  A few mackerel were landed, some of the first macks of the season aboard. Mackerel seemed to be migrating closer to port, and if they keep moving that way, trips seem likely to be able to mix in mackerel fishing soon, bottom fishing the rest of the day. Trips do that each year, when the mackerel migration swims close enough to the bottom-fishing grounds. Interest in mackerel seemed to wane this late in the season, but if trips start running into them, interest might revive. Trips bottom fished in shallower waters 100 to 150 feet, because pesky dogfish were too abundant deeper. Dogs were somewhat of a pain in the depths fished, but were ferocious in 200 feet or deeper. Waters on the grounds were 48 degrees, sometimes slightly warmer like 51 degrees, but that was probably only the sun warming the surface. Still, the ocean remained relatively warm this winter, so warm that striped bass continued to be seen. Big piles of stripers and birds working the waters above were sometimes run across 1 ½ or 2 miles from shore when trips returned home. Was surprising that anglers on private boats weren’t seen going after them. The weather was also warm this year, and anglers seemed more active as a result. Herring swam Manasquan Inlet, and eight or ten anglers were often seen jigging for them. Usually anglers are scarce there by this time of year. The Dauntless is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Absecon</b>

A customer headed to the Brigantine jetty a couple of days ago or so, saw movement in the waters, tossed a lure, and banked a couple of throwback striped bass, said Capt. Dave from  <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. With the weather and waters relatively warm this season, striper fishing will probably only get better when the season for them opens March 1 in the bays and rivers. The store is usually the first to report the catches then, because of annual gift-certificate prizes for the first several checked in, like a $200 certificate for the first last year. Stay tuned for this year’s prizes to be announced. Striper season is currently open in the ocean within 3 miles from shore. Though the weather wasn’t bad this winter, that was about all that was heard about fishing. Dave guessed cabin fever was yet to set in enough to make more anglers cast a line. Dave might travel to Guatemala soon to visit his Guatemala charter business, and if he does, he’ll post a report on his Web site. See <a href="http://www.abseconbay.com/abseconbay/main.html" target="_blank">Absecon Bay Sportsman’s Web site</a> for info on the Guatemala vacations. The store is open during no set hours this season, but Dave is usually around, and customers can stop by if they need anything. Call ahead to confirm that somebody will be there.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Nothing first-hand was heard about fishing, but unconfirmed rumors said a few striped bass were banked from the surf, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Blackfish and cod were surely boated on the ocean. The shop is open Fridays through Sundays and will be open daily starting March 1.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

One customer fished the Deepwater Reef and 28-Mile Wreck, rounding up a fairly good catch of ling, a handful of cod and a couple of blackfish, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The local party boat steamed for blackfish on most fishable days, and catches were better on some days than others, but a few of the fish were bagged on each outing. Nothing was heard about striped bass. Green crabs and all the frozen baits are stocked. Fresh clams are carried on weekends with good weather. The shop, when the weather is fair, is open a couple of hours on weekday mornings and until about noon on weekends.

<b>Cape May</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/2:***</b> Anglers aboard bagged blackfish during the weekend’s trips, so the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b> will keep sailing for the tog this Saturday and Sunday, Capt. Paul said. Anglers with limits included John Callahan from Philly, Dick Viancone from Reading and Chris Kobik from Cape May. Vinny Bruno from Matawan won Saturday’s pool, boxing three blackfish to 9 ½ pounds. The Porgy IV is blackfishing 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

No trips ran with Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, and he heard about no charter boats that sailed, he said. But he’s available for charters, one of the few captains who is this season. Mainly cod fishing is on tap, but blackfish trips are available. George stowed away the Heavy Hitter for the season but has access to another boat he’s chartering this winter. Looking ahead, drum trips are booking up that will begin around May. Dates are also being reserved for early-season striped bass trips. The spring run of stripers in recent years arrived in Delaware Bay in March, earlier than most charter boats are in the waters. But George has been one of the few captains available for the fishing, and will be this year. Call if interested in any of this fishing. 

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