<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

After blackfishing was docked for Christmas on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, the vessel sailed for the tautog Friday through Sunday, every day since the holiday, Capt. Tom said. But the angling was tough, not good at all. Maybe that was because of rough weather during Christmas week. “I mean, they’ve got to eat sometime,” he said. The angling improved a little on Sunday’s trip. More throwbacks, a few, bit than before, and a couple of anglers landed two keepers, and most hooked no keepers, on the trip. The three trips fished all different areas from closer to shore to farther, and none of the boats, among the small network that spoke with each other to keep abreast of the fishing, scored well. White crabs and green crabs were carried aboard for bait on the Atlantic Star, and neither seemed an advantage. Wind looks calm for this week, and Tom expects the trips to sail every day.  The Atlantic Star is blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, including on New Year’s Day, through Sunday. That will be the final day of fishing aboard, and the boat will go on winter break afterward. <b>***Update, Monday, 12/29:***</b> Blackfishing was off to a much better start on today’s trip than on the past three trips, Tom said at 9:30 a.m. aboard the outing in a phone call. The angling wasn’t great, but a few keepers and shorts were picked, and if that continued, the catch would end up decent. Conditions were better than before, and if conditions change, the fishing could. <b>***Another Update, Monday, 12/29:***</b> The trip ended up with a couple of limits today, Tom said, and two anglers hooked no keepers, he thought, and all caught throwbacks, at least. The angling was much better than on previous days, and weather looks good for Tuesday, if anglers want to take advantage, before the boat’s season is wrapped up after this weekend. <b>***Update, Tuesday, 12/30:***</b> A handful of keeper blackfish were pulled in, and throwbacks were picked at, this morning so far, Tom said at 10 a.m. today in a phone call aboard. One angler axed two keepers, and this was a slower start than Monday’s fishing, but was better than on Friday to Sunday, for sure. Weather was a little breezy, but not bad. <b>***Update, Thursday, 1/2:***</b> Wind blew, but weather was very fishable on today’s trip, “and we picked,” Tom said in a voicemail. Quite a few throwback blackfish were picked, but a few more keepers were bagged than on Wednesday’s trip, he said. That was apparently the most recent previous trip to sail, and weather looks like Saturday’s trip will fish. Sunday is supposed to be warm, but Tom will see how wind is supposed to blow that day. Forecasts are always watched for the trips.

<b>***Update, Wednesday, 12/31:***</b> A few striped bass were eased from the surf at Sandy Hook, said Joe from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish were throwbacks, but gave up action. A few boats blackfished closer to shore, and trips from Brielle steamed 80 miles offshore for big sea bass. Sea bass season will be closed starting Thursday, and so will winter flounder season. But the flounder fishing was good on Shark River.

<b>Neptune</b>

The boat was full for an individual-reservation trip for blackfish Saturday, and some of the anglers wore T-shirts, but the angling was terrible, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. Two anglers with two keepers apiece were high hooks, he thought, and the trip fished many drops from shallow to deep. On a charter Sunday, blackfishing was great an hour or two. The boat didn’t limit out, but the angling was terrific, compared with Saturday. Weather forecasts looked questionable, but rain never fell, and the ocean was flat, on Sunday’s trip. Charters are fishing, and the next individual-reservation trips are set for New Year’s Day through Saturday, and space is available. Sunday is chartered. Have a small group but too few for a charter? Call Ralph, and he’ll put a trip together. <b>***Update, Wednesday, 12/31:***</b> Forecasts are calling for 10- to 15-knot wind from west on Friday, so an individual-reservation trip for blackfish is available aboard that day, Ralph wrote in an email. East wind, and weather starting to be rough, is forecast for Saturday and Sunday. Saturday looks best, among the two days. Ralph sends Happy New Year from him, Mary Ann and Capts. Nick and Bill.

<b>Belmar</b>

Trips began to sail for mackerel, and had shots at the fish, Saturday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s website said. Mackerel appeared early and late in the trip, and anglers could deck all the herring they wanted most of the trip. That was the most recent news posted at press time on the site, but the boat was also supposed to fish for mackerel Sunday.

Mackerel trips will be kicked off Saturday on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the vessel said.

For <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, blackfishing was spotty, or good on some days, not on others, Capt. Pete said. On some days, the fish bit in deeper water, and on others, they bit in the shallows. Some sizable were still around, and some keeper cod began to swipe the crabs fished for blackfish. Trips will continue into January, as long as weather allows, and charters want to fish.  Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Jump on <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a> to subscribe to the emailed newsletter to be kept informed about last-minute, individual spaces available to fill in charters. Look for the place to sign up on the right side of the page. Parker Pete’s will exhibit at outdoor-sports shows this winter, and will hold seminars at them on bucktailing for fluke.

<b>Brielle</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 12/30:***</b> Fishing was kind of sluggish during the weekend aboard, because of current, Capt. Ryan from the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> wrote in an email. A few sizable cod were managed, but the angling was better on Monday, especially for ling and some cod. Carl Grady from Tuckerton won one of the pools with a 27-pound cod on the recent trips. Fernando Arellano from Perth Amboy won another pool with a 13-pound cod, one of three he landed, and also bagged 10 ling. Maurice Whitmann from Lincroft totaled three cod and six ling. Twelve-hour wreck-fishing trips are sailing every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday for cod, ling and blackfish. Whiting trips are fishing every Friday.

Blackfishing was great, anywhere from Shrewsbury Rocks to Axel Carlson Reef, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Many of the fish swam water that was 50 to 60 feet deep, and some 12- and 13-pounders were boated this weekend. On trips offshore for sea bass, limits were usual, and big porgies, and a handful of cod and pollock, were caught. Sea bass season will be closed starting Thursday. Small striped bass, a small handful, he said, were beached from the surf. Yellow Bomber plugs fished in afternoons seemed to grab most. Nothing was heard about winter flounder fishing on Manasquan River, because participation seemed to drop off. The flounder season will be closed starting Thursday. Sea herring showed up in Manasquan Inlet and were jigged on incoming tides on Sabiki rigs. After New Year’s, the store will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Lots of big sea bass were piled up on offshore trips for them on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said. Any anglers who really tried limited out on the fish, and big porgies were also swung in. So were a few pollock, but mostly sea bass and some porgies were. Jumbo Offshore Sea Bass Trips, reservations required, are slated for 3 a.m. to 6 or 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. Sea bass season will be closed starting Thursday. Starting Friday, trips will fish for cod and whatever else bites, like ling, porgies, blackfish and pollock, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Wednesday through Sunday, and no reservation are required for those outings.

On the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, blackfishing was slow on Saturday, but improved on Sunday a lot, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. “Caught some nice size fish on a few spots,” he said about Sunday. Only a handful of the tautog were hung at some spots, and the high hook limited out, and some anglers bagged five, on the outing. Some had a tough day, he said, and two anglers with 9-1/2-pound blackfish tied for the pool. On Friday’s trip, blackfishing started off well, and picked at the fish afterward. High hooks limited out, and some anglers had a tough day. A 9-pound blackfish won the pool. Weather felt like spring on Friday’s trip, in relatively warm temperatures and calm seas. Current began to run in early afternoon, maybe slowing the fishing. Seas were calm, and air temperature was perfect, he said, on Saturday’s and Sunday’s trips. On Saturday night’s trip, fishing was slow. A handful of ling were bucketed, and lots of silver eels, conger eels and dog sharks were a nuisance. Matt hopes more cod start to show up on the night trips. The Norma-K III is blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Magic Hour Ling and Cod Trips are fishing 3 to 9 p.m. every Saturday.

<b>Toms River</b>

A couple of reports talked about throwback striped bass banked from the surf Sunday on plugs  and teasers, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Otherwise, the only news was about throwback stripers played at Oyster Creek, the warm-water discharge from the Forked River power plant. White or pearl-colored soft-plastic lures, like Storm eels, Tsunami paddle tails, and shads hooked the bass from the creek. Some anglers brought clams as a back-up, but all the fish seemed taken on the plastics. A few fished for winter flounder during the weekend, but no results were heard. A few netters caught the flatfish, so the flounder were around. The biggest issue seemed that many anglers didn’t know flounder season was open this season, because it was closed in recent years. Places like the Toms River usually give up the fish. The flounder season will be closed starting Thursday, the first day of the year, and reopened on March 1. Striper season will be closed and reopened during the same time in rivers and bays, but is open in the ocean year-round. The store will be open today and tomorrow. Afterward, the shop will be open sporadically this winter, and anglers can telephone and listen to the voicemail for an update. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, this year bought <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b>, on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River, and began running both shops.

<b>Barnegat</b>

<b>***Update, Wednesday, 12/31:***</b> Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b> and son Nick fished for tilefish and sea bass offshore Monday to Tuesday on the party boat Atlantic Star from Wildwood Crest, Dave said. “Brutal trip!” he said. Seas were 6 to 8 feet and cresting, and wind blew 20 knots. “Snow, sleet, cold,” he said. But Dave and Nick combined for three golden tiles, one blueline tile and two sea bass. Sea bassing was slow. For the tiles, lots of dog sharks had to be fished through, and 3 to 4 pounds of lead needed to be used to fish near bottom, because of quick drifts. “Quite a task, when hand-cranking in 400 feet of water,” Dave said. Despite rough conditions, he was glad he went. “Nick was dying to catch a golden, so mission accomplished,” Dave said.

<b>Longport</b>

The <b>Stray Cat</b> blackfished Saturday and Sunday, Capt. Mike said. The fishing was a slow pick Saturday, and the fish just didn’t want to chew Sunday, and water was dirty that day. The trips fished in 70 feet, and charters and open-boat trips are blackfishing. An open trip is sold out on New Year’s Eve Day, and the next open trips will probably run on Saturday and Sunday. Mike will probably travel to Florida a moment, sometime after the holiday. When he returns, besides blackfishing, he’ll look at sailing open-boat for cod and pollock to the 30-mile wrecks. Winter seems warm enough.  <b>***Update, Friday, 1/2:***</b> Open-boat trips will blackfish Saturday and Sunday, departing early, sailing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mike wrote in an email.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Boaters cranked in sea bass from 130-foot depths, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Small striped bass, one here or there, were reported landed from the back bay. Stripers used to be landed from the bay in warm water at the power plant throughout winter. But the plant only runs once a week now, not enough to attract the fish. Sea bass season will be closed starting on New Year’s Day, and striper season will be closed starting that day in bays and rivers. Striper season is open year-round in the ocean. Fin-Atics is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 12/30:***</b> Striped bass were trolled and jigged from the ocean, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish had been in autumn, until the angling lulled. But they bit again in past days, and he wasn’t surprised, he said. Joe in past days began annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys. Snappers, including mutton snappers, groupers, jacks, bonnethead sharks and lemon sharks were angled from the bay. A trip there today was expected to fish the Everglades for snook, redfish and speckled sea trout, and maybe tarpon this evening. Joe expects to fish the reef on the ocean side this week, maybe including for sailfish, from the Keys. The trips fish from Christmas to Easter each year, mostly on weekends and holidays.  See <a href="http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page3.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s traveling charters Web page</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Sea bass were bailed Saturday, and striped bass were nailed Sunday, with <b>Melanie Anne Sport Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Frank said. The sea bass fishing loaded the boat with big ones, 3 to 7 pounds, 63 miles from shore, between two canyons. No other fish were mixed in, except dog sharks. One place gave up too many of the dogs, so the boat was moved. The stripers showed up within 3 miles from shore again, and seven were bagged on the trip. Striper fishing is closed beyond 3 miles, and the fish only schooled farther from shore recently. Striper catches had been good within 3 miles this fall. Only a few boats remain in the water and are fishing from Cape May this season.

<b>***Update, Wednesday, 12/31:***</b> A few blackfish were still around to be caught, and a few big showed up, said Capt. Paul from the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>. The fishing was alright, not fast, but picking some fish, occasionally big. Good weather was had, and healthy-sized crowds fished aboard, “so that spreads the fish around, you know?” he said. A couple of 12-pound blackfish won pools, and a few other large blackfish were smashed. John Carmichael from West Grove, Pa., and Ken Minett from Voorhees won pools with a 12-pounder apiece. The Porgy IV will blackfish at 8 a.m. daily, including on New Year’s Day, through Sunday, whenever weather’s fit, and enough anglers show up. Paul in the next days will decide what the schedule after Sunday will be.

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