<b>South Amboy</b>

Fluke fishing plucked a slow pick Tuesday on a trip with <b>Reel World Charters</b> on Raritan Bay, fishing with killies with squid, Capt. James said. Still, the fish weighed up to 5 pounds, and the anglers, the Hurley party, left with plenty of fillets. A striped bass trip today on the ocean with the Shilling party limited out on the bass to 28 pounds, good fishing, on livelined bunker. “Believe me,” James aid, “the bass (were) back.” Active and retired military, first responders and law enforcement get a $50 discount on charters. To receive the discount, call ahead and let Reel World know.

<b>Keyport</b>

The back of Raritan Bay shoveled up steady action on blues to 11 pounds on Wednesday with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. The anglers, Ron Didomenico and Sue and Eddie Kaplan, fished with fresh bunker. Space is available on open-boat trips Friday 4 to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday. Open trips are available 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily when no charter is booked. Call to reserve.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Striped bass, very good catches, were pasted on  livelined bunker, jigs, clams, “every way,” said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. They were boated on the ocean, and surely the back of the bay. Lots of blues swam the bay. Surf casters banked stripers and blues. Stripers were wormed from the surf around Sea Bright. Bass and blues swam the river. Fluke fishing was okay. “Fluking’s fluking,” Jimmy said. “That’s all I can say. It’s okay.” Great catches of sea bass were yanked from the ocean since sea bass season opened Saturday. Plenty of ling were looted from the ocean. “The weekend looks beautiful,” Jimmy said, and the fish are biting. The full supply of baits is stocked.

The fluke trip Monday morning sailed with a small crowd aboard the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, the only head boat that ran from the port that day, Capt. Tom said. Forecasts kept anglers from showing up, though the weather only rained off and on. The fluking began tough, and a few of the flatfish were finally flung aboard at the end of the outing. No trip sailed afterward through Tuesday in weather. The boat steamed for fluke again on Wednesday morning’s trip with a small group. Most of the anglers grabbed a keeper, and a couple bagged two. “That’s about it (for keepers),” Tom said. Wednesday afternoon’s trip also fished, and a few fluke, a mix of throwbacks and keepers, were pumped in. One of the anglers ended up with three keepers. The trips fished on the bay, and the ocean held a ground swell. Everyplace fished gave up fluke, but one place might turn out catches, then give up slow fluking the next time. Was no way to figure out when a place would put up a bite. Figuring out the tide or other conditions that would produce wasn’t possible. Killies seemed to make a difference for bait on Wednesday afternoon’s trip. Sometimes bucktails or Spros worked better to catch somewhat. But saying what worked best was difficult. Forecasts kept anglers from arriving at the docks. But the weather often turned out fine. Only a few showed up at the docks Wednesday afternoon, but the weather was good. Some boats didn’t get out that day, because of few anglers. Yet the weather was good. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke twice daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. Check out the <a href=" http://www.atlanticstarfishing.com" target="_blank">Atlantic Star’s re-vamped Web site</a>, still under construction. <b>***Update, Friday, 5/25:***</b> Though fluking wasn’t as good as Tom would like, he said, this afternoon’s trip started with a bang, then got even better. On the first drift, Jenn Arabadjis, Middletown, walloped a 7-pound fluke, the biggest aboard so far this year. A little while later, Ralph Fantini, Scotch Plains, plowed a 10-pound 9-ounce fluke, now the largest aboard this season. The trip fished in the fog, “and we pick,” Tom said. Definitely could be better. A mix of shorts and keepers came up. Sometimes three or four keepers would be bagged on a drift, and sometimes none. <b>***Update, Sunday, 5/27:***</b> Decent fluking, better than during the last few days, was rustled aboard Saturday morning’s trip, Tom said. Jack McMillan limited out, and a couple of anglers bagged two, others one, some none. More shorts and keepers bit than before. But on the afternoon’s trip, conditions created no drift most of the outing, hampering fishing. Tire John bagged two fluke, and his son bagged two, and another bagged two, Tom thought, and others bagged one. The 10-pounder on Friday afternoon’s trip was hooked on Gulp and spearing, and the 7-pounder on the trip was taken on plain spearing on a rental rod.

<b>Highlands</b>

From <b>Twin Lights Marina</b> Wayne O’Neil and Scott Beim limited out on striped bass 28 to 32 pounds at the Shrewsbury Rocks on livelined bunker last Thursday, an e-mail from the marina said. A charter boat from the marina ran a fluke trip at Reach Channel on Wednesday that bucktailed seven keepers 3 to 5 ½ pounds and 17 throwbacks. On the ParTee a fluke catch at the Oceanic Bridge on Saturday included Tracy Amarosa’s 4-pounder and husband Jay’s 2-3/4-pounder, caught on killies. Jacques Baliant on the GiGi came up with fluke and blues near the Coast Guard Station. Frank Rella’s crew pancaked fluke to larger than 5 pounds each day on two trips Friday and Saturday. The full-service marina features boat slips and rack storage, ship-store supplies, bait and tackle, and a fuel dock, and is located on Shrewsbury River, with no bridges before the bay. Convenient, fast access to fishing. Baits include live bunker, bushels of clams, 2- and 4-gallon buckets of clam bellies, and big killies from a southern state, where they grow big in the long warm season.

<b>Neptune</b>

An individual-reservation trip for sea bass was added on Sunday, June 3, with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said in an e-mail. Two spots remain for one of the trips this Sunday. “Get them now, before I catch all of them,” he said. “Great fishing. Stock the freezer.” A bottom-fishing trip Saturday, opening day of sea bass season, was a huge success, covered in the last report. Sea bass, cod and ling were shuffled aboard. Two trips Friday morning and afternoon socked striped bass to larger than 30 pounds, and another trip Thursday got skunked on stripers, also covered in the last report. Fishing right now was “as good as you want,” Ralph said then. “That’s not to say that every day we do great.” Space remains on an individual-reservation trip for stripers next Thursday. Two spots are open for an individual-rez trip for cod offshore at 2 a.m. Monday, June 18. One space is left to compete in the South Jersey Shark Tournament June 7 to 10. That’s the richest mako tourn on the East Coast. Book a charter for makos for June or early July. A few dates are left. Individual-reservation trips for fluke and sea bass will sail every Wednesday starting June 13. Reserve a spot now. <b>***Update, Saturday, 5/26:***</b> Two openings remain for the sea bass trip Sunday.

<b>Belmar</b>

Weather, winds, rains and fog – “tough week of fishing,” Bob from <b>Fishermen’s Den</b> said in an e-mail. But when boaters could ease out to the ocean, they scored well on striped bass and sea bass. Steve Dallaportas from Belmar’s 41-pound striper and 35-pounder were the biggest bass weighed in. He livelined bunker off Spring Lake to catch them. Shark River’s fluke fishing was difficult because of cold, dirty waters. <b>***Update, Saturday, 5/26:***</b> Shark River’s fluke fishing improved a lot on Friday, Bob said in an e-mail. Some of the shop’s rental boaters, and private boaters, limited out, and jigging worked better than bait. On party boats, good catches of sea bass and bluefish were made. Striped bass were sometimes axed on party boats, and private boaters sometimes smacked very large stripers to 49 pounds, on livelined bunker, north of Long Branch.

Sea bass catches were very good on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. Trips began sailing for them Saturday, opening day of sea bass season. The trips will begin sailing for a combo of sea bass and fluke this weekend. Trips are also striped bass fishing on certain evenings, and one of the trips was pounding an excellent catch of stripers Wednesday evening, when Chris gave this report over the phone on the outing. The Big Mohawk is fishing for sea bass 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily through Friday. The trips will begin fishing for sea bass and fluke this weekend. Dates for evening striper trips are announced on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/BigMohawkPartyBoat" target="_blank">Big Mohawk’s Facebook page</a>. Or call for the schedule.

A trip crushed striped bass and blues on the ocean Wednesday with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Pete said. Mayhem, he said. The outing left port at noon, and loaded up on bunker for bait tight to the beach. Then the trip went on search mode, and fog made that somewhat difficult. But bluefish were found, and the anglers started catching them on jigs. All the sudden, stripers began to whack the jigs, and the bass to 38 pounds were clobbered. The outlook seems great for the fishing, and the ocean swell was knocking down. The weather looks awesome for the weekend, and Pete’s hoping to load up on catches. Trips for sea bass and fluke are also available, and Parker Pete’s sails for any catches on tap. 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.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Waters from Manasquan Inlet to Manasquan River were alive with fish, said Chuck from <b>Gates Bait & Tackle</b>. Blues schooled the waters, and fluke fishing along the inlet was picky, sometimes serving up two or three keepers for an angler, other times none. But, again, the waters were alive with fish. Surf fishing seemed to produce stripers toward Asbury Park to Monmouth Beach. The surf angling seemed hit or miss locally. Weather was rough for boaters to fish the ocean. But when they got out, they hammered blues and stripers. They scooped up sea bass galore, since sea bass season opened Saturday. Fresh clams, killies, worms and the entire supply of baits is stocked. The shop is within walking distance of the surf, charter boat fleet and party boat fleet. The grounds include the Gates Motel, popular with anglers. <b>***THIS TACKLE SHOP IS FOR SALE! CALL: 732-899-5760.***</b>

Livelining bunker for striped bass cracked very good catches on the ocean for <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>,  Capt. Fred said. The stripers were 25 to 40 pounds. The season’s first combo trip aboard for stripers and bottom fish on Wednesday slugged a very good catch of sea bass. Trips will keep after these fish, and shark and tuna trips will begin in June.

Sea bass, now that sea bass season opened Saturday, and ling, good catches, were toggled-in on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. Anglers aboard Wednesday bagged 10 to 20 sea bass apiece, and some limited out on 25. Some would add a dozen ling apiece to the catch. On some days, when sea bassing was slow, the trip would target ling, copping good catches. A few cod and blues were in the mix on trips, and so were winter flounder, but flounder season closed Tuesday. A few out-of-season blackfish were let go. Trips fished in 65 to 90 feet, and waters were 56 degrees on the fishing grounds.   The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Nighttime bluefish trips will begin probably around the second week of June, when schools let out.

<b>Toms River</b>

Blues schooled Barnegat Bay at Route 37 Bridge, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Most were trolled, but boaters, including Dennis, sometimes popper-plugged or swimming-lured them while drifting. Waters were 68 to 70 degrees, and on Toms River, anglers fought 2- to 3-pound blues, not a lot, enough to keep it interesting, from the Island Heights bulkhead. Blues gathered in the bay off the Forked River power plant. So did blowfish, nibbling bits of clam or squid while boaters chummed with clam. Fluke fishing was tough on the bay, and lots of slime grass fouled tackle. Moving waters toward Barnegat Inlet were lots better. In a previous report Dennis explained that the slime is built up from the past year, and when the bay turns over soon, the slime will disappear. Slime had been affecting crabbing, but crabbing rebounded, was good, the past three days. Dennis nabbed good catches in his pot. A few striped bass were eeled, sometimes clammed, along the bay’s sod banks, but few fished for them in the weather, so not much was heard. Eeling was best. A token weakfish was reported caught from the bay. None was mentioned this week, but a few of the trout were around. The weather kept most boaters from fishing the ocean this week. Little was heard about boating for striped bass there. Getting socked in by fog was the biggest problem, more than rough seas or winds. A customer said his buddy bailed tons of sea bass at Axel Carlson Reef on Wednesday. Surf anglers picked stripers, all on clams. Six or 8 ounces of weight was needed to hold bottom, but anglers caught who put in the time, and dealt with conditions. The bass weren’t big but weighed up to 12 or 14 pounds. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, eels, killies and all the baits are stocked.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

In the surf, striped bass were picked at Ortley Beach on clams, said John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Fluke fishing was very slow on Barnegat Bay. Small, 2-pound blues schooled the bay. Cut bait caught them when anglers found the blues chasing bunker, but the anglers couldn’t get the blues to jump on popper lures. Crabbing began to turn out a few of the blueclaws. Crabbers at the shop’s docks plucked seven to ten keepers in an outing. The rental boats are in the waters for the season, now that Memorial Day weekend is this week. All the baits and supplies are at the ready.

<b>Forked River</b>

Winds and weather kept news scarce from the ocean, but striped bass were out there for boaters, said Jana from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. They previously snagged bunker from the waters then livelined the baitfish to catch. Not much was doing with fluke in Barnegat Bay. Blowfish bit in the bay, and blues schooled the waters. The blues could be trolled on Pony Tails, metal or plugs. Fresh clams and sandworms will be stocked. Killies and all the frozen baits are in full supply.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Great day of bluefishing, a report on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>’s Web site said about fishing aboard Saturday. “Finally found the 6- to 10-pounders not too far from the beach,” it said. “Looks like the blues are back.” The Miss Barnegat Light is bluefishing 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Friday through Monday for Memorial Day weekend. Daily trips for blues will begin Friday, June 1. Ice is free on board to keep the catch fresh.

<b>Surf City</b>

Surf casters started to bank catches more steadily than before, said Sue from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>.  They dragged in striped bass 17 to 20 pounds and blues 3 to 6 pounds at high tide on Wednesday, all on bunker. No fish were weighed in today, but a report was heard about stripers and blues on bunker in the surf at Barnegat Light. Fresh bunker and fresh clams are stocked. Sue hopes to stock eels. All the frozen baits are carried. Keep up with the 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>Waretown</b>

Fishing was weathered out Monday for <b>Relentless Sport Fishing</b>, Capt. Dave said. The ocean remained somewhat sporty Tuesday, but a trip sailed. Some of the anglers became seasick within 5 minutes of breaking Barnegat Inlet, so the trip stayed nearby. Four striped bass, sizeable ones 35 pounds and larger, were boxed. Pretty good, especially considering the rough conditions. All were trolled, and bunker were seen, but couldn’t be snagged to liveline for bait, were skittish. The trip returned to Barnegat Bay by 11 a.m., catching 3- to 4-pound blues on stick baits on the troll. The anglers ended the day fluke fishing on the bay, but slime grass was terrible. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

When boaters could sail between the weather, summer flounder fishing was somewhat better than before on the bay, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Nothing exciting, not as good as expected, but catching. Shad darts, and bobbers to fish them on, kept selling for the fishing, because anglers tried to avoid slime. Spin-and-glow float rigs were also popular. Occasional drum were hauled from Grassy Channel and Little Egg Inlet. Lots of smooth dog sharks toward the inlet, and gnats that would eat anglers alive at Grassy when winds were calm, were the challenges. A couple of 60- and 65-pound drum, good-sized, were reported caught. Not a lot of drum were found, but sometimes a catch was made. “It’s fishing,” Scott said. Blues 1 ¼ pounds to 3 pounds roamed the bay. They were mostly a by-catch when anglers flounder fished. But the blues could probably be trolled. No weakfish were heard about since a few were caught a couple of weeks ago.  Striped bass were eeled on Mullica River. No stripers were hooked at Grassy or the inlet. Stripers in the ocean swam far north. White perch fishing was good on the Mullica, and anglers no longer had to fish way upstream for them. Hardly any news was available about sea bass, because of weather. But someone who tagged sea bass for Rutgers said he had to stop catching them because they made him tired. Apparently sea bassing was phenomenal if boaters could reach them. Nothing was known about the depths. Fresh, shucked clams, minnows, live grass shrimp, bloodworms and even green crabs, for catching and releasing out-of-season blackfish, are stocked.

<b>Absecon</b>

Many summer flounder carpeted the back bay, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Few fished in the weather, including fog, but a couple of reports talked about very good flounder fishing. But anglers had to fish far back in the bay, in the shallows and at the narrow cuts. Solid reports about weakfish were heard from usual holes like Meadow Cut and Main Marsh Thorofare. The mouth of Mullica River was one of the best places, and weaks were even heard about from Beesley’s Point farther south. Lots more 2- to 3-pound blues appeared in the bay than before. Striped bass seemed to hang around Absecon Inlet, mostly getting caught at night. Sometimes they were beached from the surf during daytime. Boaters never got a chance to try for stripers on the ocean, because of weather. They could’ve today. The shop began raising shedder crabs for the season, and plenty are stocked. Fresh clams, minnows and nearly all baits are carried. Fresh bunker’s been challenging to get. Live spots are yet to arrive. No reports were heard about spots in Chesapeake Bay, where the shop gets them.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Catches from the surf started to pick up on Wednesday, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. Striped bass, including sizeable ones, were weighed in from the angling. Charlie LaPollo checked in a 38-pound 46.5-incher on Wednesday. He won the shop’s bounty, $210, for weighing in the season’s first striper 45 inches or larger from Brigantine’s surf. Seven other stripers 10 to 22 pounds were weighed in that day. “Just like every Thursday and Friday for the past two weeks, the bite has turned on!” the report said. “It actually started on Wednesday this week, with some big fish being weighed in.” The crew from the shop were also “looking for more kingfish to move in (with this weekend’s warm weather),” the report said.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Lots of striped bass hit at Absecon Inlet, mostly at night, on clams and plugs for shore anglers, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Weakfish bit like crazy at night on the plugs meant for stripers. Bluefish 9 to 15 inches moved through the inlet at times. Kingfish and summer flounder were beached from the surf along the ocean during daytime. Flounder chomped in the back waters. Bunker and mullet schooled the back off Harrah’s on Wednesday night. Anglers caught them for bait. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, bloodworms and the entire supply of baits is stocked.

<b>Margate</b>

Lots of summer flounder, probably the most in a long time, were reeled from the back bay aboard the party boat <b>Keeper</b>, Capt. John said. Good numbers were legal-sized. The fishing was very good, and the fluke weighed up to a 6.33-pounder boated Wednesday. A few bluefish were mixed in on trips. Mackerel and Gulps worked well on the flounder, and the flatfish began to bite minnows somewhat better than before. Mackerel and minnows are supplied on the boat.  The Keeper is fishing for summer flounder 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The fare is only $25 per adult, $20 for seniors and $16 for kids.

<b>Ocean City</b>

A rumor said bluefish schooled 5 or 6 miles from the coast, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Stiff weather kept most from fishing, but today was better. Bill wouldn’t be surprised if sharks are caught this weekend on the ocean. Water temps are right or 61 or 62 degrees. Kingfish came from the surf, and sometimes striped bass were wrenched from the surf. Not a lot of stripers were, but a few were weighed in. Clams caught them, because seas were rough, washing clams onto shore. Small blues 1 or 2 pounds ran the back bay. Summer flounder, good catches, were scraped from the bay in 8- or 10-foot shallows. Fresh clams, eels, minnows, bloodworms and all the frozen baits are stocked.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Striped bass fishing took off in the surf, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Many anglers limited out, and many of the fish were sizeable. Probably four or five stripers were weighed in that topped 20 pounds this week, and a couple were larger than 30. The fish mostly came from Corson’s and Townsend’s inlets, but also came from the ocean front. Lots of salted clams were sold for bait for the fishing. So were fresh clams, but salted really moved. Kingfish, including large ones, were banked from the surf. Cocktail blues swam the inlets and all over the back bay. Summer flounder fishing was good in the bay, and many of the fish held in 3- to 6-foot shallows, but catches from deeper started to be heard about. Minnows, Gulps and mackerel seemed best baits. Anglers talked about all different colors working on flounder rigs and tackle. But the high hook caught on yellow or yellow-and-white bucktails. Stripers remained in the bay and will all season. Lots of sea bass were cranked from the ocean since sea bass season opened Saturday. Fresh and salted clams, minnows, bloodworms and “frozen everything(!),” Mike said, is stocked.

Another captain invited Capt. Joe Hughes, from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, to fly rod for weakfish on the back waters Tuesday, Joe said. Catches of the trout, scarce in recent years, were like 20 years ago, he said. More than a dozen weakies to 4 pounds and two blues were fly-rodded and released in an hour, on Clouser Minnows in Electric Chicken color, on fast-sinking lines. On Joe’s charters, summer flounder fishing was strong on the back bay. Striped bass fishing was excellent on the bay on clams. The bay’s striper fishing was good on popper lures and flies, a specialty for Jersey Cape, at the tops of tides. High tides at dusk, ideal for the fishing, will happen next week. Bluefish could also be popped or jigged on the bay. Nothing was heard about tuna fishing offshore in the weather this week, but tuna trolling, for both bluefins and yellowfins, has been good at the canyons. If Joe gets the weather to sail, he’ll go after the tuna soon. Tuna trolling’s been good in the early season in recent years, and this year appears to be the same. If anglers want tuna, the fish are in. Surf fishing reportedly doled out good catches of sizeable striped bass in past days on clams. Catches were even heard about on frozen bunker. “They must be thick,” Joe said.  Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>. Take an After Work Special Trip from 4:30 p.m. till dark, a convenient, productive time. That’s a solid time for the popper fishing for stripers in the ideal tides next week, too.

<b>Wildwood</b>

One angler, a local, and another angler on a trip limited out on summer flounder to 23 inches this morning on the back bay at North Wildwood, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. They worked the whole area, landing plenty of flounder a half-inch or quarter-inch undersized. Experienced anglers might be the ones to nail the keepers, but the fish seemed there. Another customer, who fishes the bay every two or three years, reeled in a couple of throwback flounder and four or five skates from the bay. Nothing was heard about blues or other fish from the bay. But not a lot of anglers fished in the weather through the week. The local mentioned above beached a couple of striped bass from the surf nearby. Cape May Point had been a hot spot for beach catches. Clams, including frozen, caught. Anglers make a big deal about fresh bait like clams. But frozen bait like the shop carries, including clams and bunker, is frozen quickly when caught and works well. Minnows, beautiful ones from the South, where warmth helps them grow, are available for $5 per pint. Live shedder crabs and chopped shedders in salted brine are on hand. A load of bait is stocked, and the rental boats are at the ready to fish the bay.

<b>Cape May</b>

With <b>Legal Limit Charters</b> a trip aboard was fishing for drum on Delaware Bay a couple of hours Wednesday evening when Capt. T.J. gave this report over the phone on the outing. That was the first trip for Legal Limit since anglers aboard fished for drum during the weekend, when T.J. said drum catches were good, covered in the last report. Trips are slated to fish for sea bass on the ocean and summer flounder on Great Bay this weekend on T.J.’s other boat, running from Tuckerton.  Charters are fishing, and see <a href=" http://www.legallimitcharters.com/open-boat.php" target="_blank">Legal Limit’s open-boat page</a> online.

No trips fished aboard since the weekend on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Weather was rough through much of the week. Drum to 70 pounds were heaved aboard from Delaware Bay during the weekend, covered in the last report. Drum were picked on the bay lately. Trips for drum and for sea bass on the ocean are coming up on the vessel.

The party boat <b>Porgy IV</b> began sea bass fishing Saturday, Capt. Paul said. That was opening day of sea bass season, and catches since then were “hot and cold,” Paul said. Waters were stirred up from weather, and Paul did try fishing deeper, and that somewhat helped. But some days produced good catches, and some were tough. “Guess you have to take the good with the bad,” Paul said. High hooks were in the teens. The fishing began tough in a heave on the ocean and rough weather through the weekend. But some of the anglers caught in the teens. Anglers aboard and their catches since the opener included: Dick Spots, Phoenixville, Pa., 19 sea bass to 4 ½ pounds; Ralph DeAngelo, Hamburg, Pa., 19 sea bass; and Phil Barrett, Harleysville, Pa., 15 sea bass. A handful of summer flounder including a 21-inch keeper were decked Wednesday. The Porgy IV is sailing for sea bass at 8 a.m. daily.

Fishing for striped bass kept producing in the surf, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>.  The catches were clammed at places like Poverty Beach, the 2nd Avenue jetty, off Cape May Lighthouse, Higbee’s Beach and the ferry or Cape May Canal jetties. Weakfish and speckled sea trout were bloodwormed at Higbee’s. Summer flounder fishing was good on the back bay, and a couple of catches were heard about today. Good drum fishing was sacked on Delaware Bay, and most trips sailed off Delaware’s Slaughter Beach for them. But few boated in the weather. Nothing was heard about sea bass since the season for them opened Saturday. But the ocean wrecks were reportedly littered with them when boaters sailed before the weather and the opener. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, bloodworms, minnows, shedder crabs and all the frozen baits are stocked.

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