<b>Staten Island</b>

On a night trip lots of bluefish and one striped bass were pasted on Raritan Bay with <b>Outcast Charters</b> toward the end of the week, Capt. Joe said. The fish were bunker-chunked, and though only one striper was clunked, “lots of nice, big blues,” Joe said, were crashed. Another night trip is set to sail for stripers Saturday. Ling fishing, good lately, is also available aboard. Outcast pays bridge tolls with a receipt, and trips from Jersey are also available, so anglers can follow Jersey regs, like for fluke and sea bass, when sea bass season opens May 19 in the state. Call for info.

<b>Keyport</b>

Charters are slated to fish Raritan Bay on Friday and Saturday mornings with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. The last trips clobbered 30 blues to 11 pounds and four keeper striped bass to 30 inches on Saturday, and 20 blues and one keeper striper 29 inches on Monday, covered in the last report. The trips fished the bay with clams and bunker. Open-boat trips are available 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 4 to 9 p.m. daily when no charter is booked. Call to reserve.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fair catches of fluke were boated on Raritan Bay, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Good catches of them came from the rivers. Striped bass were clammed and bunker-chunked from the clam beds on the ocean to the bay. When striper anglers fished with bunker chunks, bluefish bothered them. Stripers were hung from the surf from the ocean to the bay. Stripers and blues were fought on the rivers at night on rubber shads and fresh bunker at places like Sea Bright Bridge. Nobody reported ling fishing on the ocean. But surely ling were around. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, worms and the entire supply of baits is stocked.

Good striped bass fishing turned on Tuesday on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron said in a report on the vessel’s Web site. All the fish were clammed, and blues were in the mix, “but they weren’t wild like the past few days,” Ron said. Tom Krako was high hook on stripers with three keepers. Striper fishing was slower aboard Monday, but blues were beat on for a couple of drifts. Striper fishing was good on Sunday afternoon’s trip, covered in the last report. Watch a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu8bpXBfHU4&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">video of Tuesday’s trip</a>. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and will begin fishing for fluke 3:30 to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays this weekend.

Some keeper fluke and quite a few shorts were toggled in on both the morning and afternoon trips Monday on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. Tuesday afternoon’s trip’s catch of the summer flounder was better than he expected, and the catches on that morning and the next morning’s trips, or Tuesday and Wednesday morning’s trips, weren’t as good. The keeper ratio was lower, and throwbacks outnumbered keepers, of course, but some keepers were iced. Trips fished Raritan Bay, and most fluke that bit were 15 to 17 inches. Some were very small, and some were keepers. Gulps might’ve been an advantage on Wednesday. But spearing or killies caught. Weather was difficult through the days, and only two party boats, the Atlantic Star and a striper vessel, sailed from the fleet Wednesday morning, because forecasts kept many anglers from arriving at the docks. When forecasts call for south winds 15 or 20 knots, those are no problem in the bay.  The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke twice daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m.

<b>Highlands</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 5/11:***</b> Some of the best striped bass fishing so far this season was plowed through the past week on the <b>Hyper Striper</b>, Capt. Pete said in an e-mail. “Limits ruled the deck, for the most part,” he said. The fish, all of them clammed, weighed up to 28 pounds. Jeff Schwietzer’s party on Wednesday morning’s trip limited out on stripers to 24 pounds, and Scott Gallion’s crew that afternoon limited out on the fish to 28 pounds. Rich Gibson from Edison’s trip Thursday morning was super, limiting out easily on stripers, releasing many more keeper-sized ones, the fish weighing up to 22 pounds.

At <b>Twin Lights Marina</b> boats began to sail for fluke, since fluke season opened Saturday, Wayne said. The Tunacredi-Luccioia party on a charter boat from the marina put together the year’s first catch of the flatfish on the vessel. Another charter on the boat, the Hani Fares party from Somerset, on Monday livelined bunker for stripers, losing two 30-pounders at the boat, bagging three stripers and a dozen blues between the 4 and 6 buoys at Reach Channel. The charter boat Hyper Striper ran charters twice daily that clammed stripers. Another charter ran at least one striper charter a day. Back to fluke: Jerry Corso and John Cuouzzo on the Elsie-Nina boated fluke to 4 pounds at Bug Light. Racy Amoroso on the Partee decked fluke to 19 inches off Sandy Hook. Ed DeMuno, Tony and Al on the Hammerhead winged fluke and blues off the Coast Guard Station. Franky Rella and crew tugged in fluke to 22 inches on Shrewsbury River. Live bunker ran out at the marina but should be stocked for the weekend. Bushels of clams and 2- and 4-gallon buckets of clam bellies are on hand. All the fluke baits including killies, big ones from a southern state, where the minnows grow big in the warmer, longer season, squid, spearing and Peruvian smelts are carried.  The full-service marina features boat slips and rack storage, all the ship-store supplies, the full variety of bait and tackle, and a fuel dock, and is located on Shrewsbury River, with no bridges before the bay. Convenient, fast access to fishing.

<b>Neptune</b>

<b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> and a couple of other local boats fished today in the weather, Capt. Ralph said. Ocean trips from Barnegat Inlet to Sandy Hook probably hooked three or five striped bass apiece at most, and anglers will probably need to wait for the next body of migrating stripers to slide up the coast for catches to pick up there. So Last Lady went bottom fishing, copping catches like ling. One wreck that was fished was littered with sea bass to 4 pounds, and Ralph can’t wait till sea bass season opens May 19. Five spaces are available for an individual-reservation trip for sea bass Saturday, May 26, and another is full May 20. Space is open on an individual-rez trip for stripers Wednesday, May 30, and an individual-rez trip for cod at 2 a.m. Monday, June 18. Individual-reservation trips for fluke and sea bass will sail every Wednesday starting June 13, and reserve spots now.

<b>Belmar</b>

Winds, winds and more winds, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. A fun trip with crew managed to fish Monday afternoon on the ocean between weather, and once bunker were able to be caught to liveline for bait, striped bass began to bite a little. But a phone call said stripers were very active on the ocean Wednesday. Few fished that day, and forecasts look better for upcoming days. With the down side of the full moon, striper fishing is expected to explode. A couple of anglers in Pete’s fishing club blogged photos of a 47-pound striper and a 43-pounder they trolled Sunday and Monday to the south. Pete’s looking forward to the size-class migrating to local waters in the next days. Charters and open-boat trips are running. For availability on the open trips, see <a href="http://parkerpetefishing.com/belmar-fishing-trips/open-boat-trips" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s open-boat page</a> online, and sign up for the e-mailed newsletter on the site. Dates are announced in both places.

The first trip of the season fished Monday on the new, larger boat with <b>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Jared. The vessel, a 50-foot Custom Sportfisherman, can accommodate large or small groups, up to 15 anglers, or up to 23 passengers on pleasure cruises. The vessel cruises fast at 25 knots, despite the size. The trip, with the MacAtee charter, ran for striped bass on the ocean, and no stripers showed up, but lots of blues were jigged. Then the charter bottom fished, pumping in a couple of dozen ling, and fluke fished, rounding up five keepers, some of them sizeable, including a couple of 22-inchers, among 25 landed, along with dogfish, skates or junk fish. The fluke were hooked in 90 feet, and deeper waters are where to find them in the cool ocean this time of year. Lots of bunker were seen, and a few were snagged for striper bait, but the menhaden were skittish, maybe because of the weekend’s full moon. The moon seemed to make striper fishing slow that day, and a couple or a few were the most any trips seemed to catch that day. But trips were limiting out on stripers last week, and the bite will rebound.

Anglers on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b> snagged bunker then livelined the bait to knock down striped bass to 40 pounds on the ocean, Capt. Chris said. The fishing was pretty good, okay, he said. Trips will keep fishing for them and will probably sail for sea bass starting May 19, opening day of sea bass season. Fluke fishing aboard usually begins on Memorial Day weekend. The Big Mohawk is sailing for striped bass 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. But a trip will run for stripers at 3 p.m. today into night, and reservations are required. More of the night trips will probably fish in the future.

Winds and rains mostly washed out fishing since the weekend, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. One Belmar party boat sailed today, and a couple of the shop’s rental boats headed out today, and results would be seen, but waters were dirty, and winds were blowing. All the rental boats were motored out for fluke on Shark River on opening day of fluke season Saturday. The anglers nabbed alright catches, and they limited out on a couple of the vessels, and nearly all the trips caught at least some keepers. Then the weather took a dive, and little was heard about fishing. The party boats before the weather put customers on blues and striped bass on the ocean.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Ten striped bass and one bluefish were crushed on the ocean on a trip Monday with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, and striper fishing was definitely becoming better on the down side of the weekend’s full moon, Capt. Fred said. Trips aboard are livelining bunker for the bass, and that will continue at least the next several weeks. When sea bass season opens May 19, charters could go after them, or could sail for both stripers and sea bass in one outing. Trips could currently mix up striper fishing with fishing for ling or other bottom fish, but all wanted only stripers lately.

Few trips sailed aboard because of weather, but the last trip ran on Monday on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said. A few big striped bass and a few blues were reeled in from the ocean, but the angling was slow. Tilefish trips offshore in April went well. The Gambler is fishing for striped bass 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. Bluefish trips this week will begin to sail 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Wreck-fishing trips will begin to run this coming week 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sundays and Tuesdays. Fluke trips on Saturday, May 26, will begin to fish twice daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m.

Ling, fairly good catches, were bucketed on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. Anglers bagged 15 to 30 apiece, and a few fluke, including an 8-pound 11-ouncer on opening day of fluke season Saturday, and winter flounder were swung in. Out-of-season sea bass, more and more, were caught and released. Butch hopes for a good population of them to catch aboard when sea bass season opens May 19. Trips fished in 80 to 100 feet, and dogfish were too much of a nuisance in deeper waters. Waters on the fishing grounds were 52 to 54 degrees. No trip sailed Wednesday because of heavy rains, but trips got out daily otherwise. The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Nighttime bluefish trips will be added on weekends starting Memorial Day weekend and will run daily when schools let out.

<b>Toms River</b>

Not a lot happened in rough weather the past days, but three big striped bass were checked in from the ocean Sunday, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Some boaters who fished for stripers there that day caught, and some found none, and some caught blues. The fishing was a matter luck, finding the bunker pod that held fish. The stripers checked in were 30 pounds 8 ounces, 29 pounds 14 ounces and 25 pounds 14 ounces. Billy Hayes, Matt Hayes and James Kuhl brought them in from a trip that trolled the fish on white Tony Maja bunker spoons off Mantoloking. The bass were fat fish filled with bunker, and a couple of blues were hooked on the outing. Little happened in the surf because of poor conditions in the weather, but a few stripers were picked from the beach. A couple of spotty catches of fluke were heard about from Barnegat Bay during this opening weekend of fluke season. But few fished for them in windy, rough weather, and waters were cold. Outgoing, warmer tides will probably be better to try for them at places like the BI marker. Blues were picked fairly consistently from the bay around Oyster Creek Channel and the Forked River power plant. Blowfish, including big ones, could be located in the southern bay. Dennis tried trolling for blues at the Route 37 Bridge on the bay on Wednesday without a bump. The bay there seemed to hold lots of fresh, cedar waters, and it was 63 or 64 degrees. Bunker schooled all over the bay, including there and off Good Luck Point, and also up Toms River. Dennis’s trip caught lots of bunker in the river. Bunker appeared in the lagoons at Snug Harbor. Rumors were heard about weakfish caught at Berkeley Island Park on the bay, but no first-hand reports were heard. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, killies, all the frozen baits and nearly all baits are stocked.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Since south winds and the weekend’s full moon, surf fishing for striped bass turned up a slow pick on clams, said John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Keepers were heard about from Island Beach State Park. Big blowfish were reeled up from the Seaside Heights pier. Not much was heard about fluke since the season for them opened Saturday. Fresh clams, fresh bunker and all the frozen baits, including for fluke, are stocked. The rental boats will become available the week before Memorial Day.

<b>Forked River</b>

Boaters on the ocean put a beating on striped bass again today, trolling the fish off the bathing beach at Island Beach State Park, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. In Barnegat Bay good catches of bluefish were drilled, and blowfish were plucked off Oyster Creek, the warm-water discharge from the Forked River power plant. A few fluke were managed from the bay since the season for them opened Saturday. Four keepers was the most heard about from any trip. Killies, spearing and all the usual baits are stocked.

<b>Waretown</b>

Six striped bass, fat fish to 41 pounds, were trolled on the ocean a few miles from Barnegat Inlet on an open-boat trip this morning on bunker spoons with <b>Relentless Sport Fishing</b>, Capt. Dave said. A few were also missed, and no bluefish showed up, and lots of bunker schooled. Seas were sporty, too rough to snag and drop, or snag the bunker for bait then liveline it for stripers. A trip this afternoon was cancelled because of seas and winds. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

The party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b> began sailing for the season during the weekend, and the bluefishing “wasn’t the best,” a report on the vessel’s Web site said. “Capt. Lenny could see some blues … (but they were) just not biting,” it said. A few blues and some dogfish and sand sharks were axed. Waters were somewhat cold, and the fishing should amp up as the ocean warms, and more of the blues migrate from the south.   The Miss Barnegat Light is bluefishing 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Mothers will sail free this Sunday for Mothers’ Day.

<b>Barnegat</b>

From an edited e-mail from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “We got into an awesome bite of big stripers on the troll today in 60 feet of water off Island Beach State Park, from the Bathing Beach to a few miles south of the Seaside Piers. My friend, Lenny Araneo of Barnegat, who taught me more than a thing or two about fishing Barnegat Bay, joined me for a morning shot at trolling bass. We had four fish, 25, 33, 35 and 38 pounds, all weighed on the Boga Grip. All on white or green No. 4 Tony Maja bunker spoons. I have room tomorrow, Friday, on the 1 PM to 7PM trip. On Saturday there is room for two on the same slot in the afternoon, and on Sunday (Mothers’ Day), room for one in the morning, 6AM to noon, sharp! No afternoon trip … You know the deal! Give a call to reserve one of these spots, the fish are here. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjDx9xn6lRY" target="_blank">Here’s the video</a>.”

<b>Surf City</b>

A few striped bass, not many, were beached from the surf, said Sue from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. Maybe south winds that cooled waters affected the bite, but that couldn’t be known. A 17.6-pound striper was weighed in that was bunker-chunked from the surf at Barnegat Light on Wednesday. The same angler landed one a bit bigger another time recently from shore. Fresh bunker was the choice bait for stripers from the surf, and the bait ran out at the store, but the bunker boat was expected to sail today. Vacuum-packed bunker is on hand, and so are fresh clams. Nothing was heard about bluefish or fluke. Blowfish were bagged from the bay. One angler loaded up on them on one trip, caught none on the next, then caught even more on the next. The fishing seemed to fluctuate. The store this season will offer the free Surf Fishing Classes in the parking lot like last year. Crab races for kids will be held at the store this season. Kids can bring their crabs they caught, and race them on the store’s race track, for prizes. The start of these events will be announced this season, including on the shop’s Web site and Facebook page.  Keep up with news in <a href="http://www.surfcitybaitandtackle.com/" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s fishing reports</a> on the shop’s Web site. Or keep in touch on <a href=" http://www.facebook.com/pages/Surf-City-Bait-and-Tackle/207533229268619
" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s Facebook page</a>.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Weather was absolutely difficult, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. No doubt summer flounder, many throwbacks, but some keepers, swam the bay. They bit around low tides, when waters were warmest. Waters were 62 degrees on low and 53 on high, and the fluke fed when waters were 59 to 62. A photo was seen of 11 keepers on a dock from a trip. But that many keepers was an exception. A couple of anglers attempted blowfishing at Graveling Point, because of rumors and hints of blowfish there. But the fishing didn’t pan out, and that might’ve been because of difficult weather. White perch fishing was good on the rivers, and the slabs now spread throughout the rivers, instead of holding far upstream like previously. That meant creeks like Nacote and Ballangers probably held the fish. But Mullica River at Lower Bank Bridge and Green Bank Bridge gave them up. When anglers line up at a bridge like that, they must be catching. Lots of live grass shrimp were sold at the shop for perching. Fresh, shucked clams, bloodworms and minnows are also stocked. Green crabs are even on hand, if anglers want to catch and release out-of-season blackfish that probably still bit along the banks of the bay and in the ocean.

<b>Absecon</b>

Back-bay summer flounder fishing was very good during the weekend, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. The shop’s annual Customer Appreciation Fishing Tournament, a free contest with great prizes, went well during the weekend, and plenty of flounder were checked in from the bay. The weather was difficult since. But the flounder were caught from the shallow flats in warmer waters. Anglers who fished deep failed to score well, and that’s a common mistake this time of year: fishing deeper areas that anglers usually fish in summer. Many trips came in with four or six keeper flounder. Striped bass seemed to remain up the rivers, yet to migrate back down to the bays and ocean. That meant lots of striper fishing should remain this season. A charter with Dave on Monday pummeled 10 stripers, three of them larger than 20 pounds, the rest at least 15 pounds, on a river on eels. A charter with him on Tuesday in winds was trickier, but three stripers were bagged. Reports came in about eeling for stripers working well on Great Egg Harbor River. Surf fishing for stripers reportedly produced good catches. Little was heard about bluefish anywhere locally. White perch fishing was solid in the rivers, and the perch spread throughout the rivers, after holding far upstream previously. Fresh clams, eels, plenty of minnows and all the Gulp baits are stocked. Fresh bunker is carried off and on, and the menhaden are yet to school thick. Dave hopes to stock live spots soon.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Winds blew, and surf fishing was slow in the last days, but Ron Devine weighed in a 24-pound striped bass from the beach today, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Craig Piedman checked in a 17-pounder from shore today. Striper fishing was good from the surf Friday, covered in the last report. A 37-pounder was brought to the shop from the bite. Fresh bunker, fresh clams and bloodworms are stocked.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Striped bass fishing was phenomenal along the rocks and jetties at Absecon Inlet, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. “Super phenomenal,” he said. A whole lot were especially walloped at night. Places like off Melrose Avenue, the Flagship and the T-jetty produced. The fish were clammed and plugged. A 32- or 33-inch weakfish was checked in from the area. Kingfish and blowfish were sometimes heard about from the surf. Good-sized summer flounder, healthy numbers of keepers in the year’s smaller, 17-1/2-inch size limit, were pounded from the back bay.  Fresh clams, fresh bunker and all the baits are stocked. Green crabs are no longer carried, since blackfish season closed. But the tog, sizeable, were caught and released from along the rocks. Catch deals on three bunker for $5 and a dozen bloodworms for $10.

<b>Margate</b>

On the party boat <b>Keeper</b> fishing for summer flounder on the back bay, through this first week of the season for them, was pretty good, Capt. John said. Waters dirtied after the weekend, somewhat slowing the angling, but lots of healthy-sized flounder were boxed. Keepers were almost all larger than 18 inches, and several 4-pounders were nailed. A few bluefish and a 2-1/4-pound weakfish were in the mix. Mackerel was best bait for the flounder, and minnows and Gulps also caught them. Mackerel and minnows are supplied on the boat.  The Keeper is fishing for summer flounder twice daily from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. The fare is only $25 per adult, $20 for seniors and $16 for kids.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

When anglers had the weather to fish, back-bay summer flounder fishing was good, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The weather rained buckets Tuesday, and today was blowing. Meat, or baits like mackerel, herring, bluefish or flounder belly, was the ticket, at least for bigger flounder. Minnows and Gulps were tied for second-best. A few sizeable striped bass 20 pounds were being heard about from the surf and inlet. A report rolled in about a few kingfish starting to show in the surf. Stripers were clubbed in the bay, and the final 2 hours of evening seemed best, but the fish were sporadically caught through the daytime and at night. During daytime, popper lures whacked them. At night, soft-plastic lures and swimming lures did. A few bluefish were around, mostly in the bay. Fresh clams, minnows and nearly all baits, including frozen baits like herring and mackerel, are stocked. <b>***Update, Friday, 5/11:***</b> Check out, from the shop, this <a href=" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssi3YAeLbLU
" target="_blank">video of a summer flounder colored brown on both sides</a>, instead of the usual brown on one side, white on the other.

Weather was rough, keeping fishing docked in past days, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. But fishing’s been good on the back bay aboard. Striped bass and blues began to attack popper lures and plugs, early in the year for that. Popper fishing, a specialty on the boat, was in “full swing,” Joe said, and should only get better. Joe’s trips toss Skitter Pops on spinning rods or popper flies like Crease flies for strikes. The visual attack along the water surface is the thing. Weather made conditions lousy for summer flounder fishing on the bay, but trips on the boat have been scoring well on the flatfish. The trips fished a rig with a Gulp on a bucktail on bottom and a minnow on a plain, gold hook on a trailer tied above. Join an After Work Special Trip from 4:30 p.m. to dark, convenient, and a productive time to fish. In the surf, a smattering of stripers and occasional drum were beached, mostly on clams. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Back-bay summer flounder fishing was decent, said Phil from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Better catches came from shallow waters 12 feet or less, and some anglers even fished 3 or 4 feet. Bigger flounder held in skinny waters like that for warmth. Striped bass were slugged along the sod banks and bridges on soft-plastic lures. Stripers and drum were pulled from the surf at Corson’s Inlet. Clams caught both, and bunker also caught the stripers. Not many bluefish were heard about from anywhere locally. Lots of white perch filled the rivers like the Tuckahoe at Holtz’s Marina and Middle River. Lots of 8- to 15-inch stripers bit the perch baits. Fresh clams are stocked, and a few fresh bunker are on hand, and more might arrive today. Minnows and all the frozen baits are carried.

<b>Cape May</b>

No boats were known about that sailed in the weather in the past days, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. Monday was breezy, and Tuesday was windy, and winds weren’t strong on Wednesday, but rains fell. A trip on the boat is set to fish for drum on Delaware Bay on Saturday. Drum were eased aboard last Saturday, covered in the last report. Dates are available, and call if interested.

Trips for summer flounder are slated to fish Delaware Bay on Saturday and Sunday on the party boat <b>Keeper</b>, Capt. Paul said. The boat was kept in port since blackfish season closed. Trips for sea bass will begin May 19, opening day of sea bass season. Paul heard about a few drum boated on the bay on the Delaware side and an occasional drum from the New Jersey side. Most boaters fished the Delaware side for them.

Surf anglers were bailing striped bass, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Fishing incoming tides with clams was best, and the bass swam all over, including at the Cape May Canal or ferry jetties, Higbee’s Beach, 2nd Avenue or Cape May Cove, Cape May Point and Poverty Beach. One angler today landed seven. Scattered drum were sometimes clammed from the beach all over. Boaters decked drum on the Delaware side of Delaware Bay, but sometimes on the Jersey side at places like Tussy’s Slough and 60-Foot Slough. Maybe drumming will take off on the Jersey side this weekend. Nothing was heard about bluefish, and the back bay was a place to go for summer flounder, since flounder season opened Saturday. The changes of tides seemed best, and a trip today on the bay at Wildwood grabbed flounder including a couple of 18-inchers and a couple of 17-1/2-inchers. Fresh clams are stocked, and the shop is working on stocking fresh clams. Bloodworms, minnows and all the frozen baits are carried, including frozen mackerel fillets and squid strips. All the freshwater worms are on hand.

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