<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Surf anglers surely banked striped bass around Long Branch and Deal, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. But nobody returned to the shop who talked about surf fishing locally. Blackfishing was good on the ocean. Nobody mentioned fishing for ling or cod on the ocean. Sea bass season will be closed starting on January 1. The store is open, and baits are stocked.

The party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> blackfished at a few spots on Friday’s trip, ending up with some good-sized keepers, including the 10-1/2-pound pool-winner, Capt. Tom said. The fishing was decent, not great, with a few anglers aboard. Weather was a little cold, and some wind blew, but seas weren’t rough at all, and there was no ground swell. “It was pretty nice,” Tom said. Blackfishing wasn’t as good on Saturday’s trip, and lots of throwbacks bit. The trip tried different areas, fishing from a little closer to shore to a little farther out. Throwbacks gave up pretty good action, and the fishing was a matter of hooking keepers. No trip sailed aboard Sunday because of weather, and only one of the marina’s head boats fished that day. The Atlantic Star was the only one that fished today, Tom said in a phone call at 10 a.m. aboard. A few blackfish – shorts and keepers – were cranked in, a slow start compared with Friday. But somewhat of a bite began, and Tom hoped the fishing would build. Otherwise, he’d move the boat. “It’s early yet,” he said, and he’d see what happened. The trip fished another spot at first, and only a few ling were hooked. Trips aren’t fishing with clams for ling, because clams would attract dog sharks. Trips are fishing with crabs for blackfish, and green crabs are supplied aboard. Tom wasn’t asked whether white leggers are available for sail aboard, but they were previously. The Atlantic Star is blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, including on New Year’s Day through January 5, the vessel’s final day of fishing this season. <b>***Update, Thursday, 1/2:***</b> The boat fished on New Year’s in pleasant weather with a small crowd, Tom said. Good-sized blackfish were clubbed on every drop, and the fish included 8- and 9-pounders in photos posted on this site’s photo pages. Quite a few throwbacks bit, and Tom could think of only two anglers who landed no keepers. All the customers reeled in at least throwbacks. Trips were expected to be weathered out today and Friday, and Tom hoped the weather cleared for Saturday and Sunday, the last two trips slated for the boat this season, mentioned above. Tom wishes everybody Happy New Year.

<b>Highlands</b>

The Hoydich group aboard Friday, on their first-ever trip for blackfish, caught just less than a limit on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Frank wrote in an e-mail. “Nice catch …” he said. “Not bad for newcomers,” and they also sacked three cod. Waters seemed to be cooling. Blackfishing wasn’t as good on a trip Saturday, and the fishing took hard work to put together a catch. Charters and open-boat trips are blackfishing. A fair number of dates are already booked for spring striped bass fishing, so call now to reserve a good date. The boat then will sail from Keyport. “Right in the heart of bass country,” Frank said.  <b>***Update, Saturday, 1/4:***</b> After the snow from the storm melts, the cold runoff will certainly stop blackfish from biting inshore, Frank wrote in an e-mail. “Time to fish the deep,” he said. Maybe cod will also chomp in those waters this season, if sand eels that schooled since fall don’t migrate too far offshore.

<b>Neptune</b>

With <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, a trip Saturday started fishing where a trip Friday cleaned up on good blackfishing, Capt. Ralph said. A few of the tautog were batted aboard right away on Saturday, but seas were too rough, and the trip had to move inshore. Then the fishing was a slow pick, and the trip only totaled 13 keepers. On Friday’s trip, covered in the last report, most anglers cracked good blackfishing. Some landed double their limits, keeping no more than their quotas. Joe Flynn won the pool and also bagged a cod. Charters are available daily, and space is available for individual-reservation trips for blackfish on New Year’s Eve Day, New Year’s Day and Saturday and Sunday.  <b>***Update, Thursday, 1/2:***</b> Most of the anglers limited out on blackfish by 10:30 a.m. on the trip on New Year’s Eve Day, and the angling was very good, Ralph wrote in an e-mail. Green crabs and white leggers caught equally.  On the trip on New Year’s Day, blackfishing was “slow till late in the day,” he said. The three drops all held fish, and the anglers “all went home with fish,” he said. Because of the pending wintry weather, the next individual-reservation trip for blackfish will sail Sunday. Ralph thanks anglers for one of his best years in business, and reminds everybody that Last Lady will fish all winter.

<b>Belmar</b>

Just when you thought you could put away surf-fishing tackle for the season, more striped bass were caught, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an e-mail. Good numbers of the fish were banked Sunday morning at local beaches in Monmouth County. Bill Massey from Wall fly-rodded 15 on Friday and Saturday, and spin anglers reported similar results. Nobody can know how long the fishing will last, so enjoy it while you can, Bob said. But blackfish boated on the ocean“dominated” news, he said. “Full report on (that) will follow later this week.” Happy New Year, he said. <b>***Update, Thursday, 1/2:***</b> Bill Massey from Wall fly-rodded 38 small stripers in 2 hours from the surf Monday, returned Tuesday to the same place, and only landed two, Bob wrote in an e-mail. Bill was also mentioned above, and surf fishing for stripers was like that for Bob and most of his friends this season. “It was a rocky road,” he said. “A few good days, and a lot of bad ones.” Larger, older stripers were scarce. Maybe striper regulations should be changed. “Game fish status would be a good start,” he said. For boaters, some impressive-sized blackfish were nailed. Bob Hawley smashed a 14-pound 12-ouncer, and his brother Dan limited out on the tautog to an 8-pounder, on their boat Laura Ann. They’re from Levittown. Happy New Year, Bob said.

<b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> was out for blackfish on the ocean a couple of days, Capt. Pete said. Currents ran strongly, and dog sharks bit somewhat abundantly, but the trips picked away at blackfish, including healthy-sized. The fishing just wasn’t the best it’s been. A few cod chomped on the blackfish grounds. No trip blackfished Sunday, because of weather, and Pete didn’t hear a lot about mackerel. But boats began to sail for mackerel, and the fishing sounded like some were caught, but mackerel didn’t bite that well. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Contact Parker Pete’s anyway for individual spaces available on charters. Or <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">subscribe to Parker Pete’s e-mailed newsletter</a> to be kept informed about the spaces. Look for the place to sign up on the right side of the page on the boat’s Web site.

<b>***Update, Thursday, 1/2:***</b> No trips fished aboard in past days because of weather, an e-mail from the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> said. But the crew hopes to resume sailing Saturday for mackerel at 7 a.m. daily, after the storm forecast for Friday.

Trips for mackerel were launched Friday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, and the fishing was bad that day, and improved on Saturday, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. But the catches were off to a slow start this season. On Saturday, mackerel and herring were picked on some drifts aboard. The fishing looked like it would become good a few times, when several doubles and triples were hooked. But the catches dropped back off, and the fishing was inconsistent. Sunday’s trip was expected to be weathered out, the report, posted on Saturday, said, and a weather front was moving through on Sunday and today. The fishing should improve afterward, the report said. The Golden Eagle is fishing for mackerel at 7 a.m. daily.

<b>Brielle</b>

Blackfishing was slow Friday on the <b>Big Kid</b>, Capt. Ken said. But a trip Saturday limited out on the fish, with an awesome bunch of veteran blackfishers, he said. They made it look easy, he said. Some dates are available for trips, and the Big Kid fishes all winter, including for blackfish, ling and cod.

Fishing was nothing spectacular Saturday on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, Capt. Ryan wrote in an e-mail. But a few good-sized cod were picked at most drops, and sea bass, porgies and ling came in. “… needless to say, the pout were really hungry,” he said. Seas were sloppy in the afternoon, “but all in all … (a) nice day,” he said. Dale Isaacs from Manchester won the pool with a 41-pound cod, and Ray Bryant bagged three cod. Trips are fishing for cod at 3 a.m. on Saturdays all winter.

Along the ocean, sometimes blackfishing was good, and sometimes it was slow, said John from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. But when the fishing turned on, good catches of the tautog, including good-sized, were boated. A charter was known about that docked 13-and 14-pounders early last week. John sailed for blackfish on a Belmar party boat Friday, and the angling was slow, though the fishing was good on other days. He caught the trip’s largest blackfish, a 6-pounder, and currents ran strongly, but otherwise fishing conditions were fine. A few ling were landed on the trip, and one of the anglers bagged a 15- or 20-pound cod. Fishing for sea bass was good offshore, but sea bass season will be closed starting on New Year’s Day. John was supposed to sail for sea bass on an overnight party-boat trip offshore Sunday that was weathered out. Not much was heard about surf fishing. A few anglers were known about who surf fished for striped bass, but no results were heard. Sunday was the final day the store was open, until it’ll be reopened at a new, bigger location by February 15. The shop’s crew will spend January moving the shop. The store will be relocated to 307 Union Avenue in Brielle. That’s Route 71, and the new location will be 4,100 square feet, compared with 1,500 currently.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Ling, blackfish and a few cod, pollock, sea bass and mackerel, a variety of fish, were scooped aboard the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. A few whiting were mixed in among ling on Saturday’s trip, even. Fishing was a little slow, but okay, on trips. A few of the sea bass hooked were keepers this close to shore where the boat fishes. Trips fished in 120 to 200 feet, and when the boat stayed close to shore and blackfished the other day, waters were 47 degrees. When a trip fished deeper, waters were 42 to 44. The boat mixes in mackerel fishing, bottom-fishing the rest of the day, when mackerel migrate close enough to shore. Not many mackerel were in, and only a few were swung-in during each trip. Trips didn’t target them, and maybe three dozen were totaled Thursday aboard. Maybe a dozen came in Saturday.  Mackerel caught were medium-sized. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily, including on New Year’s. Christmas is the only day the boat’s not scheduled to sail each year, and the vessel is one of the few, if not the only, party boat that fishes daily all winter in the state.

Anglers picked away at blackfish Thursday on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Five or six anglers limited out, and quite a few clocked three to five keepers. A few landed two or no keepers, and two spots fished “had decent life, and two did not,” he said. Friday’s blackfishing was a lot slower aboard. The anglers tried hard, catching a few of the fish. “But the bites were just not there …” he said. Saturday’s blackfishing was also slow aboard, but the ones caught were sizeable, from 5 to 10 pounds. Ling fishing was slow on the boat that night. A few were tied into, and anglers tied for the pool with a cod and a pollock. Dog sharks and eels were somewhat of a nuisance. No trip sailed for blackfish Sunday, because no anglers showed up, apparently because of forecasts for the rainstorm. The Norma-K III is blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Magic Hour Ling Trips are running 3 to 9 p.m. every Saturday.

<b>Absecon</b>

One angler bought grass shrimp to fish from shore along Mullica River on Saturday, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. That was before rough weather in the rainstorm Sunday, and the angler posted a Facebook photo of a throwback striped bass he landed on the trip. Throwback stripers swam the waters, but the angler hooked no white perch. A boat was probably needed for perch fishing on the river. A few green crabs were sold for blackfishing, and nothing was heard about catches, but the anglers were going to fish the bridges or jetties, Dave thought. They apparently weren’t headed to boat on the ocean, where blackfish catches are likely. Sea bass season will be closed starting New Year’s Day. The store is open for no set hours in winter, but Dave is there most of the time. Telephone ahead to confirm. He’s been in contact with his <a href="http://www.abseconbay.com/fishguatemalaparlamasportfishing.html" target="_blank">Guatemala fishing charters business</a>, and the trips are ready to go this winter. Sailfishing usually peaks there from late January to March, and plenty of other fish bite, including dorado.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Anglers were known to blackfish, but results were unknown, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. One or two fished for striped bass on the back bay. Few people seemed to fish, really, but the store is open today, and will be open Fridays through Sundays afterward. The store will be reopened daily in March.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys began aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The trips fish each winter, mostly on weekends, also on holidays, like these current holiday weeks. Mike Deckart joined one of the trips Sunday, fishing the Everglades. At least a dozen snook to 12 pounds, 10 black drum to a 30-pounder, speckled sea trout and other fish, including ladyfish, jacks and sheepshead, were bailed. The 30-pound drum was huge for the South, where they’re a different species than the large ones that swim New Jersey waters, like Delaware Bay. Most of the trip’s drum weighed 3 to 5 pounds. On Saturday, Joe fished with his family close to port in the Keys. They tugged in specks and a bunch of jacks, and had shots at redfish that didn’t connect, and jumped a 100-pound tarpon, a large one. Tarpon fishing was excellent on the trips in January and February last year. The fishing was usually best at sunset then. Another trip fished the Everglades the other day, tackling a bunch of snook, a load of specks, and other fish, including ladyfish and barracudas. Fishing was firing on all cylinders now, Joe said. Weather was windy in past days, and rain fell on Sunday, but temperatures reached 78 to 80 degrees on the outings. The trips can be a mini, fish-filled vacation. One option is to arrive on a Friday, fish all day Saturday and part of Sunday, return on Sunday evening, and be back to work on Monday. See <a href="http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page3.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s traveling charters Web page</a>. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Avalon</b>

<b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b> didn’t fish, but hunted sea ducks on Delaware Bay, Capt. Jim said. The guided duck trips have been good aboard, and interestingly, Jim saw some kind of bait, maybe bunker or butterfish, that was chased like something crazy on the bay just north of Cape May Rips. He had no fishing rods aboard, but wondered whether striped bass were on the bait. He also saw baitfish along the Intracoastal Waterway on the back bay, but saw only one boat with rods in seven days on the waters. Striper season will be closed in bays and rivers starting on January 1, reopening on March 1. But when the season for them is open, Fins and Feathers runs charters for the bass, and even offers a combo of duck hunting and striper fishing that customers can do over a series of days on Delaware Bay. Currently, the duck trips alone are available on the bay. Jim will guide goose hunting in Pennsylvania this week. Then he’ll return for four days of duck hunting on the bay. Fins and Feathers offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including fishing charters on Delaware Bay and the ocean, the duck and goose hunting, fly fishing for trout on Pennsylvania’s streams like the Yellow Breeches, and salmon and steelhead fishing on upstate New York’s Salmon River from Jim’s lodge. The steelheading lasts from late fall to early spring, and the salmon fishing happens in fall. A buddy landed a 12-pound steelhead and another recently on a pink worm on a center-pin rod on the river. Jim often fly fishes for the steelheads. But center-pin rods are 12 feet long, and tackle like the pink worm is fished on them on a light, 6-pound leader, under a bobber. So, 20-pound steelheads are fought on the light line, and six or eight split shots are used on the leader. Heavier split shots are used above, and lighter ones are used below, because current is stronger on top of the river than on bottom. The weights make the leader hang straight up and down on a drag-free drift. Jim’s next fishing along New Jersey’s coast will be for stripers and drum this spring on Delaware Bay. Book preferred dates while they’re available.

<b>Cape May</b>

On the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, blackfishing on Thursday and Friday was pretty good, Capt. Paul said. On Saturday, a big crowd joined the trip, and blackfish were caught, but were “spread among lots of people,” he said. A few of the anglers scored well, and most bagged one or two or none. Sunday’s trip was weathered out, because of rains all day, and winds gusting to 30 and 35 knots in the afternoon, though winds weren’t bad in the morning. Catches on Friday and Saturday included blackfish that weighed in the double-digits. Sung Hwang from Deptford bagged five of the tautog to a 13-pounder on Friday. A few customers limited out that day, including Rudy Barbolini from Wildwood Crest. Three anglers among a group from New York also limited that day. The next trips will blackfish at 8 a.m. on New Year’s Eve Day, New Year’s Day and Saturday and Sunday.

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