<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

One charter boat from Highlands kept fishing, docking blackfish, reportedly pretty good catches, from the Mudhole, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Striped bass season will be opened Friday in bays and rivers, and baits including worms and fresh clams will start to be stocked then. Stripers will be hooked in the bay at first during the season. Shore anglers will catch them, but so will boaters. However, few places were available to launch a boat, because of the hurricane. Speaking of the hurricane, an army of volunteers cleaned up Sandy Hook during the weekend. The park is reportedly scheduled to be reopened May 1, before Memorial Day. Weather looks relatively warm this week, forecast to reach the mid 40s on Saturday, and not to dip below freezing until Sunday night. That was welcomed for striper anglers.

<b>Highlands</b>

Capt. Dave from <b>Raritan Bay Charters</b> hopes to begin charters and open-boat trips on April 1, probably fishing for striped bass, he said. Trips at first will probably clam for the bass. Afterward, bunker will be livelined for them, usually in May and June, when the baitfish migrate to the area. Fluke trips will begin when fluke season opens, usually in May, but the opening was yet to be announced. Dave is supposed to sea-trial a 29-foot Wellcraft fly-bridge, and if all goes well, he expects to purchase it, replacing his previous 28-foot boat. The previous boat was dry-docked for the hurricane, then blown into the marsh and totaled, similar to many vessels. He’d been slated to sea-trial the new boat before, but weather’s been rough. The Wellcraft features an 11-foot beam, a large, 85-square-foot cockpit, a cabin with a dinette, head and v-birth, and twin 350 h.p. Mercurys.

<b>Neptune</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/28:***</b> The fishing season will be launched the first week of May with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. Charters and individual-reservation trips will start sailing for whatever fish are available. That could include plenty of striped bass, bluefish and bottom fish from ling to cod. That’s what Last Lady socked last year at that time. Trips aboard started catching sharks in late May.

<b>Belmar</b>

Blackfish and a few ling and cod were swung aboard Friday on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, a post on the vessel’s Facebook page said. On the blackfish, “we had a lot of short action, with some nice keepers mixed in,” it said. About a 9-pound blackfish won the pool, and trips were weathered out Saturday and Sunday. Trips were expected to be docked in the next days, because the Belmar bridge was closed for maintenance. But when the Big Mohawk is sailing, trips are fishing for blackfish 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. <b>***Update, Thursday, 2/28:***</b> The Belmar bridge remained closed, so no trips sailed aboard, Capt. Chris said. “We will keep you posted,” <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BigMohawkPartyBoat" target="_blank">Big Mohawk’s Facebook page</a> said. Blackfish season will close on Friday, so the daily trips will switch to ling fishing then.

<b>Brielle</b>

Trips for sea bass were the one type of fishing heard about, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in Brielle. The fishing, at offshore wrecks, was good, and porgies were also pulled in. A few pollock were also taken on the trips, Dave guessed. Nothing was heard about blackfish and striped bass. For stripers, nobody mentioned fishing the surf, and fishing for them was closed in back waters. But striper season will open on Friday in bays and rivers. Though this was a slow time of year for fishing participation, that was about to change, and The Reel Seat will remain open Fridays through Sundays through this weekend, but will expand hours afterward. Catch the shop’s 50-percent sale on Shimano inshore jigs. Most of the store’s new tackle for the year will arrive in the next couple of weeks.

Fishing on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> on Friday nailed the “best showing” of cod and pollock aboard this winter, Capt. Joe said in an e-mail. “Great day to be on the water,” he said, “and some pretty good fishing.” Ling – “nice, big, fat,” Joe said – were also caught. Most anglers left with a hefty bag of fillets. Most cod hooked were keepers, weighing 5 to 12 pounds. The pollock were larger, weighing up to 30 pounds. John Kowal, Silver Beach, won the pool with a 31-pound pollock. Anglers and their catches also included: Dave Prybylowski, Mendham, two pollock, two cod and 12 ling; Nick Huzar, Manalapan, two pollock, two cod and 10 ling; Eric Stender, Middlesex, four cod, two pollock, 10 ling and a blackfish; Ryan Sherrer, Hammonton, an 11-pound white hake, three cod and 10 ling; and Kevin Grozbowski, Princeton, three cod, three pollock and nine ling. Capt. Andy from the Pioneer and Evelyn “went home with a couple of bags of cod and ling fillets,” Joe said.

Offshore wreck-fishing is slated every day through Thursday this week on the party boat <b>Big Jamaica</b>, “to take advantage of this great fishing,” an e-mail from the vessel said. Sea bass and porgy seasons will be closed on Friday. On one of the trips Saturday, all anglers limited out on giant sea bass, and many limited on jumbo porgies. The fishing was excellent, “once again,” the e-mail said, and a few ling and pollock also came up. Pool-winners were Walter Pacruski, South Amboy, with a 10-pound pollock and John Dertouzos, Hamilton, with a 6-1/2-pound sea bass. On one of the trips Friday, all anglers limited on sea bass, and many limited on porgies. Anglers and their catches included Emanuel Niotis, Union, with a 7-pound sea bass and Vasilios Papagiannis, Highlands, with a 6-pound sea bass. Both limited on sea bass and porgies, and so did Russ Bryk, Wall. The fishing on the trips showed no signs of slowing down, and the angling was expected to remain excellent on the trips this week. Win a free bluefish/striped bass trip for this year on the boat by Liking the <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/TheBigJamaica" target="_blank">Big Jamaica’s Facebook page</a>. The winner will be randomly chosen on March 11 and notified on Facebook. Liking the page will also keep you updated on fishing reports, photos and specials.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/28:***</b> The party boat <b>Dauntless</b> was in dry dock a few days, and was shaped up to start fishing again Wednesday, but was weathered out, Capt. Butch said. But daily trips will now begin again, fishing for ling on the ocean, and cod and pollock could be mixed in. A few blackfish had also been hung when the boat last fished, but today is the final day of blackfish season. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 2/26:***</b> Striped bass were scored and released at Oyster Creek, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. That’s the warm-water discharge from Forked River power plant, and the bass must be let go until Friday, when striper season is opened in rivers and bays. Four- and 5-inch, rubber shads hooked them, and Dennis hopes to stock bloodworms beginning on Thursday. Clam chum “and all that stuff,” will be carried. He hopes to stock fresh clams beginning mid-day Friday. Salted clams, killies and nightcrawlers are on hand. Shiners, for freshwater, will be stocked starting Thursday. A few anglers poked around for white perch at places like the Toms River. But rivers and Barnegat Bay were cold or 32 or 34 degrees. Once bloodworms are stocked, more anglers will fish for perch. The shop will be open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The doors will be closed Monday and Tuesday, but the shop will be open daily at 8 a.m. starting Wednesday of next week.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

The store will be open at 7 a.m. Friday, and bait will be stocked, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Striped bass season opens in bays and rivers that day. The store’s opening was good news, because the shop’s been closed for rebuilding after flooding from Hurricane Sandy. The annual $100 gift certificate will be up for grabs for the first angler who weighs in a striper from Graveling Point. “Just don’t get it on my floor,” Scott said. He was apparently talking about the store’s new floor. Graveling is a nearby shore-angling spot at the confluence of Great Bay and Mullica River, one of the state’s first places to give up stripers in the early season each year. Bloodworms, easy for the fish to digest in cold waters, are the bait to fish for them in the early season, and the worms will be stocked. So will live grass shrimp, two sizes of minnows, including small, and green crabs. Later in the season, toward the end of March, clams will become the preferred bait for stripers at Graveling. Warmer waters will enable the fish to prefer them. A few fresh, shucked clams will be stocked when the store opens Friday. Stripers are caught at Graveling in the early season because it’s one of the few places where anglers can easily access a spot where stripers gather. The river is warmer than bays this time of year, one thing that attracts them. Stripers also migrate up the river and other rivers this time of year. The reason, like maybe because of spawning or because of the bass chasing herring that swim upriver to spawn, was unknown. In past years, the shop’s first striper from Graveling has been weighed in at all different times, from March 1 to April 28. Last year, the first hit the scale on March 8, and see a list of past year’s dates on the <a href="http://www.scottsbt.com/fishing/stripers/springrun.htm" target="_blank">Graveling Point Spring Striper Run Page</a> on the store’s Web site. Other info about the fishing, including a link to a map, is also featured on the page. Other places that turn out stripers in the early season include, farther north, the warm-water discharge at the Forked River power plant, and, farther south, the discharge at the Beesley’s Point plant.

<b>Absecon</b>

A few anglers started to stir around this weekend, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Weather wasn’t so bad, at least on Sunday, and some anglers fished for white perch on brackish rivers. Eian Donati fished for the perch and also released 17 throwback striped bass. Stripers will probably at least give up action when the season for them is opened Friday in rivers and bays. Whether any keepers will be caught will be seen, but the start of striper fishing seemed promising, at least. Last year, the first was weighed in on opening day. Bloodworms are stocked, and clams should be carried by Friday. Minnows are on hand, and live or fresh grass shrimp will be carried if possible, when Dave can net them. “They’re already starting to hide from me,” he said. The shop’s annual striped bass tournament will be held starting Friday, awarding gift certificates for the first stripers weighed in: a $200 certificate for the first keeper, a $100 certificate for the second, a $50 certificate for the third, a $100 certificate for the first larger than 20 pounds, and a $100 certificate for the first larger than 30 pounds. Plus, like last year, a $100 gift certificate will be awarded to the first angler to weigh in a keeper who is also registered for the Event named 1st Striper 2013 on <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/AbseconBay" target="_blank">Absecon Bay Sportsman Center’s Facebook page</a>. To register, Like the page, then go to the Event to sign up. Last year, one angler won both certificates for the first striper and being registered on Facebook. He won on March 1, opening day of striper season. The shop will also hold a white perch tournament from March 1 to April 28, featuring first- through third-place prizes for the heaviest five-fish stringers and another prize for the single largest perch. See details on <a href=" http://www.abseconbay.com" target="_blank">Absecon Bay Sportsman Center’s Web site</a>.

<b>Brigantine</b>

<b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b> will reopen on March 1, a post on the shop’s Facebook page said. Striped bass season opens on that day in bays and rivers, and jumbo bloodworms and fresh clams will be stocked. A $50 gift certificate will be awarded for the season’s first keeper striper weighed in from Brigantine’s surf. Last season’s bounty was never claimed for the season’s first striper 43 inches or larger from Brigantine’s surf, so the bounty will be rolled over to this season. The bounty was currently $600 and is the entry money, so it should grow. Entry is only $5, and is required 24 hours before catching the fish to win. Beach replenishment was finished, and the island all the way to the north end was now drivable, but be careful, because Hurricane Sandy caused hazards and objects dug up. The beach and surf were changed a lot in the storm, and there should be new fishing holes. The Fish for Life Tournament is being readied to present to city council, and would allow beach buggies to “drive the front part of the beach along with a valid Brigantine 4x4 permit,” the post said. The permits are available for $15 less if purchased before March 1. “Any little bit helps,” the post said.

<b>Ocean City</b>

A few party boats fished, landing a mixed-bag of catches, depending on how far offshore the trips ran, said Ed from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Sea bass, blackfish, ling and cod were reeled in, and Ed heard about the fishing in depths from 80 to 300 feet, depending on the boat. Anglers began to fish for white perch on brackish rivers, also hooking small striped bass they released. When striper season opens Friday in rivers and bays, anglers will fish for them on the rivers at first. They might catch at places including Great Egg Harbor River, even as far upstream as Mays Landing, and Tuckahoe River. Later the anglers usually “work back down this way,” Ed said. Bloodworms are usually fished for the bass early in the season, but chunks of frozen baitfish might be fished. No live bait will be carried this weekend, but plenty of frozen baits are stocked. The store will be open daily starting Friday, after being opened this winter from Fridays through Sundays. The <a href=" http://home.comcast.net/~nverducci/site/" target="_blank">Ocean City Intermediate School Fishing Flea Market</a> will be held Saturday.

<b>Wildwood Crest</b>

Wind 30 m.p.h., from southeast, and rain created tough fishing conditions on an offshore sea bass trip Saturday on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. However, “all that fished,” the report said, limited out on sea bass, and a few large bluefish were mixed in. Willie Thomas from Maryland won the pool with a 7-pound sea bass, and limited out on the lumpheads. The Atlantic Star is sailing offshore for sea bass and tilefish, including on a combo sea bass and tilefish trip recently added for 12 a.m. this coming Thursday, the final day of sea bass season. Call to reserve.

<b>Cape May</b>

The <b>Down Deep</b> is in the water and will begin fishing for striped bass in March sometime, Capt. Mario said. Stripers in recent years arrived in Delaware Bay in March, and if they do again, the boat will be available to go after them. Drum fishing will begin aboard in spring on the bay. Four, 6- and 8-hour trips are being booked for striper and drum fishing.

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/28:***</b> The <b>Heavy Hitter</b> will be splashed in late March or early April, Capt. George hopes, he said. Whenever the marina allows. Trips will start with striped bass fishing and blackfishing. Afterward, drum trips will begin. Striped bass showed up as early as March in Delaware Bay in recent years. George might start fishing for them in March on a friend’s boat, if the Heavy Hitter isn’t in the waters yet. George has run striper charters on the friend’s boat then, if anglers were interested. Today is the final day of blackfish season, but the tautog season will be opened again in April. Drum fishing usually begins in May on Delaware Bay. A few charter boats remained in the waters in Cape May through this winter, fishing for sea bass offshore. Today is the final day of sea bass season. Sea bass season last year was reopened on May 19, but the government has said those regs are likely to be changed this year.

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