<b>Neptune</b>

Strong winds kept fishing docked through the weekend with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph wrote in an e-mail. Charters and individual-reservation trips are sailing for either blackfish or cod, pollock and ling, and weather today looked “very iffy,” he said, for an individual-reservation trip for cod, pollock and ling that was slated. He hopes for a break in weather this weekend for fishing, and five spaces are available Sunday for another individual-reservation trip for cod, pollock and ling.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 1/23:***</b> The party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, fishing for blackfish, last sailed on Monday, Capt. Chris said. Afterward the crew waited to sail again after the snowstorm Tuesday. Some big blackfish, including a 16-1/2-pounder, and cod mixed in were shoveled aboard this past week, and the angling was good. A few were swung-in Monday. Green crabs are supplied, and white leggers are available for sale aboard. The Big Mohawk is blackfishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. 

<b>***Update, Thursday, 1/23:***</b> Some impressive blackfish were landed on Belmar’s party boats, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an e-mail. One larger than 16 pounds was biggest, and a few ling and cod were pumped in on the trips. Reportedly so were large bergals sometimes, and they’re quite good eating, he said. The fishing was for hardier anglers in the winter weather. Anglers trying to surf fish for striped bass were still heard about, but they didn’t have much success. “Older wiser guys like me,” Bob wrote, will wait until spring. White leggers are stocked for blackfishing.

<b>Brielle</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 1/21:***</b> Cod and pollock, “(a) nice mix,” were pitched aboard Friday’s 12-hour wreck-fishing trip early in the day on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, an email from the vessel said. “Some nice cod and pollock,” it said. In the afternoon, the fishing became picky. Another one of the trips sailed Monday for Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, but the angling was poor in ripping current and abundant dog sharks. Twelve-hour wreck trips are sailing at 5 a.m. Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Trips for cod and pollock are running at 3 a.m. Saturdays. “Call ahead for weather,” the email said, apparently because of snow and cold forecast for this week.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Only a handful of anglers showed up for Saturday’s blackfish trip on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. So the trip fished close to shore,  giving the shallower waters “one more shot,” he said. One spot that was fished “had a little life on it,” he said, but the fishing wasn’t good at all on the the rest of the spots fished. He plans to fish deeper for the tautog the rest of the season. Sunday’s blackfish trip stayed in port, because only three anglers showed up. But for today’s trip, a few anglers during the weekend had already said they’d jump aboard, so the trip was expected to sail. Strong winds weathered out Saturday night’s ling trip. 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. A cod trip in February, by reservation, is being planned, and more information is expected to be announced in the next day or two. <b>***Update, Thursday, 1/23:***</b> Snow was removed from aboard Wednesday, Matt wrote in a report on the boat’s website. “Brrr!” he said. Weather was cold that day, but the crew expected to shape up to fish today. Green crabs, whites and clams would be carried for bait. After this week, the blackfish trips will sail on weekends only.  A few spaces remain for the cod trip, and the date has been set: 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, February 5.

<b>***Update, Thursday, 1/23:***</b> No trips fished Tuesday and Wednesday on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, because of weather, Capt. Butch said. But when the boat fished, mostly ling and a few blackfish, cod and pollock were eased in. The bottom-fishing was okay, not good, and anglers probably averaged five to 15 fish bagged apiece. Not many mackerel were decked this season, though the boat mixes in mackerel fishing with bottom-fishing, when the mackerel migration swims close to the bottom grounds. Two to five mackerel per trip were hooked last week. Whales sometimes showed up, and lots of readings were marked on the fish-finder, probably mostly from herring. No readings were usually seen that looked like mackerel, and waters were almost too cold for mackerel, probably. The ocean was 40 degrees and colder. It was 38 ½ along the beach, but even 15 or 20 miles from shore, it was 40. Gillnetters sometimes caught mackerel. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. The vessel is one of the state’s few, if not only, boats that fishes daily year-round. Christmas is the only day the boat’s not scheduled to sail.  

<b>Mystic Island</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 1/23:***</b> Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> didn’t know whether fishable ice formed on Collin’s Cove, he said. But with temperatures dropping to 3 degrees yesterday and 12 degrees today, “it could be close,” he said. Collin’s, located on Mullica River just upstream from Garden State Parkway, is the state’s most popular place to ice-fish for white perch. Perch gather in the cove in winter to escape cold currents from the main river. No anglers telephoned to ask whether grass shrimp were available for bait for the perch, so fishable ice was apparently yet to build. Scott hadn’t heard whether ice became fishable in the last cold snap from the so-called Polar Vortex, when low temperatures broke records a moment. The current cold weather was forecast to last longer. No grass shrimp are available, and the store is closed for winter for construction after Hurricane Sandy. The shop will be reopened March 1, opening day of striped bass season on bays and rivers. That’s 37 days away, and the store’s annual $100 gift certificate will be awarded for the first striper weighed-in from Graveling Point. That’s the nearby shore-angling spot at the confluence of the river and Great Bay, one of the first places to give up stripers each year in the state. That’s because warmer waters from the river attract the fish there, and simply because the location is accessible to anglers. Though the physical store is closed, its online store, <a href="http://www.pennparts.com" target="_blank">PennParts.com</a>, is open. That features every part on the market for Penn reels, many that are no longer on the market, Penn reels themselves, every available schematic for Penn reels, and other fishing supplies.

<b>Absecon</b>

If weather forecasts are accurate, the cold front in the next days should form ice that’s fishable for white perch on Mullica River by the weekend, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Grass shrimp, a favorite bait for the perch, are currently stocked, and anglers can telephone to ask whether the bait is still on hand for the weekend. Dave expects it to be. A few minnows are stocked, and no green crabs are. The store is open for no set hours this season, but Dave is usually there. Telephone ahead to confirm. Dave’s been busy updating his <a href="http://www.abseconbay.com/fishguatemalaparlamasportfishing.html" target="_blank">Guatemala charter business’ website</a>, and anglers can telephone him if looking to escape the cold to Guatemala. “I know I sure am!” he said.

<b>Longport</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 1/23:***</b> Time to think about the coming fishing season: Trips for cod and pollock will kick off the <b>Stray Cat</b>’s season on March 1, Capt. Mike said. Fishing wrecks 30 miles from shore, the outings will steam from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Afterward, trips will fish for sea bass and summer flounder, when the seasons for them open, usually in May. Charters are being booked, but open-boat spaces are available. Stray Cat used to participate in this site’s reports frequently for years. Mike dealt with things like Hurricane Sandy’s destruction to the community, though the boat weathered the storm fine, and tightening fish regs, in recent years. But Stray Cat is back!

<b>Ocean City</b>

A few party boats, one from Ocean City, another from Atlantic City, and one or two from farther south, sailed for a few blackfish, cod, pollock and ling, said Ed from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. That’s about all that was heard about fishing, and if weather improves, or becomes warmer and winds stop blowing, somewhat more might be heard, like about white perch fishing on brackish rivers like the Great Egg Harbor. The store is open Fridays and Sundays and will be reopened daily on March 1.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Some of the traveling charters to the Florida Keys fished this weekend aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The trips fish each year from Christmas to Easter, mostly on weekends and holidays, and Mike Spaeder and son Mike joined the outings Friday and Saturday. They fished the Everglades, and on Saturday reeled in 15 snook to 26 inches, most not big, a half-dozen redfish to 27 or 28 inches, a bunch of mangrove snappers and some black drum, sheepshead, jacks, ladyfish and more species. On Sunday, they tackled close to 20 snook and some black drum, ladyfish, jacks, speckled sea trout and more. So the fishing was very good, and they also had a shot at a tarpon, not much of a shot, back near port on Saturday evening. The tarpon didn’t connect, but the anglers caught jacks there. Chillier weather recently affected tarpon fishing. The air was 51 degrees, cold for the Keys, when Sunday’s trip left port in the morning. The trips fished mostly with live shrimp on jigs. Sometimes Gulps were fished, and the tarpon was targeted with a livelined ladyfish. A trip was also going to fish the Keys today for Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. One option on the trips 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.   The trips can be a mini, fish-filled vacation. 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>***Update, Monday, 1/20:***</b> Weather warmed and was beautiful today, so the trip from the Keys today sight-fished for sharks on the flats this morning with live shrimp on 10-pound test, Joe said. Three lemon sharks to 50 pounds and two bonnethead sharks were released, and two sharks pulled the hook, and two broke off. The fishing gave up action the whole morning.

<b>Cape May</b>

Blackfishing was slow, Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b> said. But open-boat trips and charters will start fishing for cod and ling. Sign up for the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on the Down Deep’s website to be kept informed about open-boat trips. The boat will sail from Cape May until March. In spring, it’ll be moved to Raritan Bay in the northern state to fish for striped bass from Keyport. Book those trips now for excellent striper fishing, Mario said.

In windy weather gusting to 30 knots Saturday, only a few blackfish were bagged on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. On another trip for the tautog Sunday, fishing was slow at mid-range depths. So the trip pushed to deeper waters, but the farther from shore the trip moved, the worse the blackfishing became. The angling ended up poor, totaling about five keepers to Sam Oh from Broomall’s 7-1/2-pounder. The biggest on Saturday’s trip was an 8-1/2-pounder that Bud Callahan from Philadelphia caught. A trip was also supposed to blackfish today for Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, and Paul will try to give results afterward that will be posted here as an update if he does. Blackfish trips are planned for 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, depending on weather and demand. <b>***Update, Monday, 1/20:***</b> As poor as blackfishing was on Sunday’s trip, it was good on today’s, Paul said. The trip sailed “in a different direction,” he said, and the anglers hooked a bunch. Rudy Barbolini, Wildwood Crest, limited out on the fish to an 11.4-pounder. Anglers who limited also included John Riccardi from Williamstown, Ken Minett from Voorhees, Ralph DeAngelo from Hamburg, Pa., and Mike Hernandez from Hollis, N.Y. Weather and seas became good for today’s trip, and though the trip fished a different place than the weekend’s trips, maybe blackfish would’ve bitten at those places today, too. But that couldn’t be known. Six to nine inches of snow is forecast for tomorrow, and weather’s supposed to become cold. Telephone the boat to confirm whether this weekend’s trips will sail, depending on weather.

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