<b>Staten Island</b>

The surf all around the island brimmed with striped bass, said Pat from <b>E-Z Catch Saltwater Traps & Tackle Co.</b> New York’s striper season will open Sunday, and a few of the fish were keepers. They were already caught and released on worms and clams, and began to bite bunker. Bunker in the waters were “in and out,” Pat said. A few bluefish were heard about third hand, but no blues arrived in the Arthur Kill, near the shop. Winter flounder fishing was “a dead issue,” Pat said, because of the tough bag limit. From freshwater, largemouth bass caught and released at Silver Lake Reservoir was the best angling known. A 10-pounder, the biggest Pat ever heard about from the lake, was landed and released there a couple of weeks ago. That fish punched a white spinner, and nightcrawlers will also catch the largemouths. Fresh clams, sandworms, nightcrawlers and frozen bunker and herring are stocked.  E-Z Catch is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays. The store is also a <b><i>premier manufacturer and supplier of saltwater traps</i></b> for wholesale and commercial, including custom building and servicing. See the online <a href="http://www.e-zcatch.com/catalog" target="_blank">catalog of traps</a>. E-Z Catch is also a train store.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Surf anglers banked striped bass from the bay to the ocean, said Joe from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Many were angled on bloodworms instead of clams at both places. Boaters on the bay creamed plenty of stripers, and fishing with bunker chunks for them became better than fishing with clams. But lots of stripers were trolled on the bay on Montauk bunker spoons. One angler’s trip whaled 27 stripers on the spoons, keeping no more than the bag limit. Many of the fish weighed around 18 pounds. Lots of bunker schooled around. Winter flounder were migrating to the ocean, but not much was heard about them because of the two-fish limit. When the few anglers fished for flounder this season, they bailed a load. Bottom-fishing boats on the ocean crunched a bunch of ling and some blackfish. Baits are fully stocked at the shop. “We’ve got everything,” Joe said.

Some striped bass were slugged on Tuesday morning’s trip, but a very good catch of them was socked on the afternoon’s trip, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. All the anglers had fish to take home then. Striper fishing was tough, turning out a few, on Wednesday’s morning’s trip, and was a little better on the afternoon’s trip. A couple of the anglers limited out on two, and some bagged one, and some none. The angling was a little slow on the outing, but stripers were still caught. Before these two days, winds were terrible on Monday, and striper fishing was no good aboard that day. With 40-knot winds, good fishing is difficult to score. Sunday “was no bargain,” too, Tom said. The Atlantic Star is fishing for striped bass on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m.

After the weather was tough a couple of days, and currents were stiff from the full moon, on Tuesday striped bass fishing was back on, aboard the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron said in a report on the vessel’s Web site. An excellent catch was pounded, and the dozen anglers aboard limited out. The fish weighed up to 24 pounds and were clammed. A couple of sizeable winter flounder came up, and the year’s first fluke, out of season, was hooked and released. On Wednesday’s trip, winds against tide created bad fishing conditions until noon. A couple of shots at stripers came on, “then a one-one pick,” Ron said. A couple of anglers limited out on two, and some bagged one, and lots bagged none. Not the hot bite of the previous day, but keepers were managed. A 21-pounder was the pool-winning bass. Watch a <a href=" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtbc6VVYfSw&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">video of the Tuesday’s trip</a>. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Highlands</b>

At <b>Twin Lights Marina</b> Anthony Pennemede ran a trip on the ocean all the way to Shark River, trolling striped bass the entire way, some here, some there, Wayne said. David James from the docks took his season’s first striper trip, trolling them on the bay off Keyport. A boater who fished the back of the bay said stripers caught were full of bunker. The charter boat Hyper Striper began striper fishing every day, and kept limiting out, on clams. Another charter from the marina was bottom fishing, scraping up plenty of ling, blackfish and a few cod. Waters will probably become full of boaters this weekend, because of the time of year and the warm weather forecast. Bushels of clams and 2- and 4-gallon buckets of clam bellies are stocked. Live bunker might begin to be carried next week.

<b>Neptune</b>

A last-minute opening is available for an individual-reservation bottom-fishing trip Saturday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said in an e-mail. If striped bass are around, the trip will also fish for them. Openings are also available on the bottom trips on Sunday, April 22, Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29, and stripers will also be fished for on those outings, if the bass around. One of the trips last Saturday piled up a bunch of ling, covered in the last report. Waters were cold for good blackfishing, but that will change. A striper charter aboard last Thursday, also covered in the last report, limited out.

<b>Belmar</b>

Some nice blackfish and sizeable winter flounder were waxed Wednesday on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. Even a few ling were zinged aboard in the shallow waters the trip fished. Tiger crabs and green crabs caught the blackfish, and the greens are provided aboard. Blackfishing’s been pretty good. The Big Mohawk is sailing for blackfish 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. In other news, the Shark River Surf Anglers Trout Tournament was great at Spring Lake on opening day of trout season Saturday. More than 1,000 kids entered the free event that Chris is involved in each year. The tournament is known for big trout and super prizes, and Chris’s kid even landed a 10-pounder. The event will be held again next year.

Party boats sailing for striped bass traveled south for okay catches toward Island Beach State Park and Seaside, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. They no longer found the fish locally, though striper fishing started with a bang this season locally for them, and anglers had thought the angling would hold up. “But it is April,” Bob said. The fishing locally had started unusually early, and it will get better this season. But surf fishing for stripers became considerably better locally than before, and the fish were clammed. Fishing for blackfish was reportedly good on the party boat Big Mohawk, and large winter flounder and some ling were supposedly in the mix. Flounder seemed to be migrating offshore, because angling for them was no longer good on Shark River. The first few days of flounder season produced on the river. Fluke swam the river, and fluke season will open May 5. A few of the shop’s rental boats were already on the waters for flounder fishing on the river, and all the boats will be available for fluke fishing when the season for them begins. Freshwater trout fishing was dynamite on Spring Lake. Two 10-pounders caught were heard about. Lake Takanassee’s trouting was solid.

<b>Brielle</b>

<b>***Update, Saturday, 4/14:***</b> “The beat goes on – excellent ling-dinging continues,” Capt. Ryan from the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> said in an e-mail. “Almost comes down to how many do I want to catch?! … Lots of big, fat boffos!” Anglers and their catches included: Jerome Semmon, Baltimore, 71 ling; Chester Turko, Elizabeth, 68 big ling; Tim Hart, Stafford, Va., 66 ling; Dave Tootchen, Philadelphia, 54 ling; and Joe Tyrell and Todd Pizzella, Brick, teaming up for 98 ling. Jim Rozas, State Island, won the pool with a 6-pound ling, totaling 39 of the fish. Trips aboard include ones sailing 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Sunday.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Abundant striped bass swam the ocean, were read on the fish finder, but were tough to catch, said Capt. Matt from the party boat <b>Norma K</b>. Fishing for them was picky, but when customers caught them, Krocodile spoons or Ava 47 jigs with plain or green tails worked best. Matt took a fun trip Wednesday with seven or eight anglers, and stripers didn’t show up until 12:30 p.m., but the trip limited out. No bluefish were around yet. The Norma K is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Fluke trips will begin twice daily when fluke season opens May 5. Bluefish trips will probably start in mid May.

Ling fishing was good on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. “Grab a pole, and come on down,” he said. Anglers bucketed 15 to 30 ling apiece. A few blackfish and cod were clobbered. A few out-of-season sea bass were let go. Trips fished in 100 to 130 feet, and tried fishing somewhat deeper each time, scoping out the fishing. But silver eels and dogfish swam the deeper waters. On the fishing grounds, waters were 47 to 48 degrees. That was a perfect temperature for some of the fishing aboard, but water temps were unusual this season, dropping this month, after rising in March. A few bluefish catches were heard about, though none showed up on the Dauntless. No blues were heard about from the party boats that were striped bass fishing. But a gillnetter sometimes caught blues locally, and catches of blues were heard about farther north, toward Sandy Hook. See any striped bass? Butch was asked. “Oh yeah,” he said. He saw loads late last week, but many schooled beyond 3 miles from shore, where striper fishing is closed. The Dauntless is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

Ocean boaters plowed awesome striped bass fishing, mostly on the troll, but many customers bought Ava 67 jigs and Jersey Jay’s Krocodile spoons for the fishing, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Surf casters picked away at stripers, mostly on bait, sometimes on lures. No bluefish were heard about yet from the boaters and surf casters. An occasional blue was yanked from Oyster Creek, the outflow from the Forked River power plant. Dennis tried trolling for blues but found none on Barnegat Bay on Sunday. Waters were 51 to 53 degrees, somewhat cold for blues. He’s been trying for them every two or three days. A few stripers were clammed and wormed along the sod banks on the bay. One customer kayaked 20- or 22-inch stripers, one or two per trip, at the Route 37 Bridge on the bay, on white Rapala lures. A few winter flounder remained in the bay at Meyer’s Hole and Oyster Creek Channel. Some remained in the northern bay near the Mantoloking Bridge, and they were migrating through Point Pleasant Canal, heading to Manasquan River then the ocean. Blackfish, including keepers, could be clocked at the canal. Dennis was trapping a dozen blueclaw crabs per week. Open waters of the bay were somewhat better for crabbing than the lagoons. Fresh clams, bloodworms and sandworms are stocked. Fresh bunker will probably be carried this weekend.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Tons of striped bass were boated on the ocean, said Scott from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. The fishing, great, seemed to pop up every day someplace from Mantoloking to Island Beach State Park. Rubber shads and Krocodiles were cast for the catches. Surf anglers beached a few stripers – “nothing great,” Scott said – mostly on clams. Blackfish were sometimes rounded up from along Barnegat Inlet’s jetties. On Barnegat Bay stripers were plugged at night. Bluefish turned up Wednesday in the bay off Oyster Creek, the outflow from the Forked River power plant. Nobody seemed to try for winter flounder on the bay. Fresh clams and green crabs are stocked.

<b>Forked River</b>

Boating for striped bass shoveled up lots of striped bass on the ocean on cast Ava jigs or rubber shads or on the troll, said Jana from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Winter flounder were decked on Barnegat Bay off Oyster Creek and Windows on the Bay and between the BI and BB markers. A few small blues roamed Oyster Creek, but none schooled the bay yet. White perch were plucked from Toms River at Huddy Park and Cedar Creek. Fresh clams, bloodworms, white leggers and killies are stocked.

<b>Waretown</b>

Fishing for striped bass was off the hook for boaters sailing the ocean from Barnegat Inlet, so the boat will be moved to Waretown on Friday for the angling, said Capt. Dave from <b>Relentless Sport Fishing</b>. Relentless had been poised to fish for stripers from Cape May. Charters for stripers from Barnegat are now available.

<b>Surf City</b>

Though the ocean to the north around Island Beach State Park and Seaside put out striped bass, local surf casting for stripers was beginning to amp up, said Bruce from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish began to appear, and local beach anglers landed mostly short bass and some keepers on clams. One bluefish, good-sized, was checked in during the weekend. Blackfish were hooked along the Barnegat Inlet jetty. Nothing great was heard about the fishing, but the tog were angled. Fresh clams and fresh bunker will be stocked Friday. Green crabs, bloodworms and sandworms are on hand.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Fishing will start at the beginning of May on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>. The angling begins each year with bluefish trips on the ocean each weekend through Memorial Day. Then the bluefish trips begin to fish daily.

Boaters on the ocean today bailed lots of striped bass and bluefish, said Vince Sr. from <b>Bobbie’s Boats</b>. TGT bunker spoons and diamond jigs grabbed the fish, and the striper fishing’s been good. Bluefishing was just starting. Winds kept boaters from winter flounder fishing on Barnegat Bay, though boaters toughed the winds to sail for stripers. Many anglers bought bait for blackfishing along Barnegat Inlet’s jetties, and results weren’t usually heard, but Vince guessed they caught. A couple of kids bagged the blacks today. Fresh clams, bloodworms, sandworms and green crabs are stocked, and the rental boats are available.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

Anglers aboard limited out on blackfish to 8 pounds Friday with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, Capt. T.J. said. The fishing’s been good, and striped fishing from Tuckerton usually takes off in a couple of weeks. The striper fishing was currently spotty, but the bass blitzed on Saturday. Charters are fishing, and open-boat trips will be in the mix when the fishing season picks up. When open trips start, they get listed, with availability, on Legal Limit’s Web site.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

At Graveling Point striped bass and bluefish were sometimes banked, but no blitzes of the fish erupted since last Thursday, said Scott from  <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. A few stripers, including a 29-incher, were heard about that were beaten there Wednesday. Drum were eased in from the waters now and then, but none was weighed in since the final day of March. Winds didn’t help the fishing, made angling difficult. Nothing was doing with striper fishing on the ocean around Little Egg Inlet, but stripers were definitely boated on the ocean farther north toward Barnegat Inlet. Boaters caught them like in fall. One angler who fished Barnegat Inlet’s jetties saw tons of birds working the ocean, apparently above stripers. Winds kept news from rolling in about blackfish since the season for them opened on the first of the month. Winds were usually too strong for boaters to sail for blackfish. So nothing was reported about the fishing in the twelve days of the season so far. Lots of live grass shrimp were sold, so white perch were caught. Most chatter was heard about the perch from Lower Bank Bridge on Mullica River and from Beach Haven West, at a spot on a lagoon that’s popular for perching. Different honey holes that anglers knew about also gave up perch, but fishing far upstream was key. Fresh, shucked clams, bloodworms, grass shrimp and green crabs are stocked.

<b>Absecon</b>

Winds look like they’ll calm down this weekend, after all the winds in past days, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. He thinks striped bass fishing will break loose if that happens. Stripers were reeled in, but reports were scattered. Not many fished in the winds. Anglers who ducked out of winds on the bays clammed stripers. Stripers and blues were caught all week from the banks of Lakes Bay off Route 40. The blues ranged from 3 pounds to slammers nearly 10 pounds. Dave’s next charter is set for Monday and will fish for stripers with clams, now that herring became prohibited this year. His spot supplier says the outlook seems good for a supply of the baitfish once the season for them opens April 15. Crabbers found spots in traps. Stripers were reported scattered around the rivers like Great Egg Harbor River. Not a lot was heard in the winds. White perch fishing on the rivers was some of the most productive angling, because anglers could somewhat escape winds on the rivers. The perch were far upstream, maybe because of spawning or because freshwater was far upstream because of the drought. The perch were whaled on the Great Egg at Mays Landing, and a freshwater fishing license is needed there. The herring migration ran strong in the rivers during the full moon. Now was between moons, so nothing much was heard about herring, but more should be heard around the new moon in a few days. Blackfishing was good around the Brigantine Bridge, and winds failed to dirty waters there. In freshwater, trout season opened Saturday, and the catches were off to the best start yet at Heritage Park, probably because waters were warmer than usual. Fresh clams, bloodworms, eels, minnows and all the frozen baits are stocked. Fresh bunker is carried when available, and the bunker supplier planned to sail Friday, because winds are forecast to stop. So the menhaden should be stocked Saturday.

<b>Brigantine</b>

The island’s surf fishing for striped bass lit up Friday and Saturday, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. A school of the fish around 25-pounds apiece moved through, and the fishing’s been like that: Quiet in between, with a few stripers rolling in then, until a couple of days or so of better catches. Steve Wiltkowski beached a 24-pounder, and Harry DeCrescenzo banked a 28-pounder. An angler called “Tank” dragged in a 24-pounder and a 20-pounder. Joe Karinga totaled six or seven stripers, including a 20-pounder, so far. Mostly fresh clams caught, but some anglers used fresh bunker. The bottom of outgoing tides in the afternoons seemed best lately. Six or eight drum were hauled from the surf around the full moon that Andy heard about. No bluefish were around. Fresh clams and fresh bunker are stocked. A few bloodworms remain, probably the final bloods until kingfish move into the surf.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

The surf and the back bay churned out striped bass and blues, said Jeremy from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Clams or chunks of bunker jabbed the bass, and chunks of bunker or mullet nabbed the blues. Bunker schooled the bay. Blackfish were hung from along the jetties, like off the Flagship or at the T-jetty, on green crabs or clams. All the baits mentioned and more, the full supply, are stocked. Catch deals on three bunker for $5, a dozen bloodworms for $10, a dozen green crabs for $4 or three dozen greenies for $10.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Lots of striped bass were pulled from the back bay during the weekend, and not many were tugged from the surf, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Corson’s Inlet was the place to be for the fishing in the back, and many of the bass were winged on lures like pink Zooms, pink Fin-S Fish or other soft-plastics on jigheads. Gag’s Whip It Eels worked well. Many of the bass were small, but some were keepers. Lots of out-of-season summer flounder pounced hooks meant for stripers. Nothing was heard about bluefish. Little was heard about striper fishing on the Great Egg Harbor River, since herring became prohibited to use for bait this year. White perch were plucked from the river. Anglers tried to figure out how to catch stripers that migrated up the river, now that they couldn’t liveline herring like they usually would. Little was heard about the herring migration, for the same reason. Lots of bunker schooled from the bay to the ocean. A couple of big bird plays were seen above the bait in the surf during the weekend. Nobody fished the bird plays, so whether stripers chased the bait was unknown. Blackfishing was good from the bridges or places like the pier off the island’s north end. Boaters bombed blackfish at spots like the 9th Street Bridge and Seaview Harbor. Many of the blacks were taken on green crabs, and not many were clammed. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, bloodworms and frozen Atlantic herring, legal to possess, are stocked. Eels are yet to be carried this season.

<b>Sea Isle</b>

Winds were rough, but on better-weather days, good catches of striped bass were made at Townsend’s Inlet on clams, mostly from shore, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. A few small drum were in the mix. Striper fishing was excellent at night under the lights in the back waters. Mike on Saturday night fished for them a couple of hours. He landed a couple, and his brother and friends caught them on the trip, and once high tide ebbed then began to roll out a little, stripers broke the surface, and the catches were on. The fishing might be cold and windy and is at night, but the bass are there. Nothing was heard about bluefish, and Mike didn’t know if he just didn’t hear, or the fish weren’t around. Blackfishing was good. On Sunday morning one friend fished for the tog at Townsend’s Inlet Reef, and another sailed for them at Wildwood Reef, and both limited out. Fresh clams, bloodworms, green crabs, white leggers and frozen baits are stocked.

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, returned his flats boat to Sea Isle this week, he said. He had been running the boat on annual charters in the Florida Keys he offers each winter to early spring. Now he’ll begin fishing from Sea Isle full time, starting with striped bass and blues on the back bay this weekend. Stripers in the bay already hit Bass Assassins or Clouser Minnow flies during daytime on outgoing tides. At night in the bay they attacked Bass Assassins, black Bombers or Clousers. Joe heard about no bluefish, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there. He wouldn’t be surprised if he runs into blues this weekend. The fishing for stripers and blues is some of the best action of the year. Summer flounder trips will begin aboard the bay when flounder season opens May 5, and the fish were already caught and released. Spring can be best for flounder fishing in the shallow, relatively warm bay. Because of the water temps, the area is one of the first in the state to give up flounder each year. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

The only boats heard about that bagged striped bass were ones that sailed far up Delaware Bay, a long trip, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>. Legal Limit will fish the bay when other fishing turns on, like for drum. But his other boat, sailing from Tuckerton, was blackfishing. A trip on the vessel Friday limited out on the tog to 8 pounds. Striper fishing from Tuckerton usually takes off in another couple of weeks. Boating for stripers there was currently spotty, but the bass blitzed there on Saturday. Charters are sailing, and open-boat trips will be in the mix when the fishing season picks up. When the open trips begin, they get listed, with availability, on Legal Limit’s Web site.

On the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b> lots of short blackfish and occasional keepers were swung in on most trips, but Sunday’s trip was better, Capt. Paul said. Winds often kept the boat docked, but on Sunday, catches aboard included Doug So from Philly’s limit of blackfish to 7 pounds. Anglers with blackfish limits on Saturday aboard included Steve Weiss from Staten Island and Ray Cha from Philly. A cod was copped on a trip, and that was the only one, because trips fished inshore. The Porgy IV is blackfishing at 8 a.m. through the month. When blackfish season closes in May, Paul will decide the fish trips will target. Possibilities include drum on Delaware Bay. Trips will eventually fish for summer flounder, but flounder might yet to be around in the areas the vessel fishes when flounder season opens May 5. Fishing for sea bass could be an option when sea bass season opens May 19.

Beach fishing kept wrangling up striped bass from the ocean to Delaware Bay, on clams, said Mike from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. No bluefish moved in yet, and lots of sharks and skates bit in the surf. Good blackfishing was juked from the Cape May Inlet jetties on green crabs. Boaters got on striped bass on Delaware Bay three weeks ago. But the fishing seemed to back off since. Fresh clams, bloodworms, green crabs and eels are stocked.

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