<b>Keyport</b>

Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> worked on the boat a couple of times this past week, making progress, he said. Weather needs to warm a little, reaching at least 60 degrees a few days, to paint the bottom. Maybe that’ll happen next week if not sooner. He hopes the boat will be ready to fish by the first week of April or early that month. Charters will sail, and open-boat trips will be available twice daily, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m., when no charter is booked.  Trips at first will clam for striped bass, and during recent years, the fish swam Raritan Bay near port in the early season. A friend fished the bay from shore at Cliffwood Beach this past week, missing a couple of bites. He fished incoming tide, Joe thought.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

At <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>, a few anglers stopped in for supplies to fish during the weekend, Jimmy said. No results were heard, but a few striped bass were banked from shore on Raritan Bay previously, when weather became warmer. So were a few from the ocean surf at Sea Bright. A dusting of snow fell this morning. Worms and clams, mostly worms, are stocked.

<b>Belmar</b>

The rental boats were splashed Sunday at <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>, “our welcome to the new season – we hope a good one,” Bob from the store wrote in an email. Anglers will rent the boats for winter flounder fishing on Shark River, once flounder season is opened Sunday. Old friends, not seen all winter, always show up when the season is opened, and that’s welcomed at the shop, he said. Flounder fishing could be good this year, he expects, because flounder tend to swim the river longer, before migrating to the ocean, when waters are cold like this year. The river is one of the best places to fish for flounder in the early season. “If we get some sun this week,” Bob said, “the fish will be very active.” The store will be fully stocked for the opener. “Hope to see you all then,” he said. “Hope for an end to this long (winter).”

<b>Brielle</b>

A few anglers cod fished, picking a few, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Fishing for ling was relatively slow. A few anglers tried striped bass fishing in the backs of bays and in rivers, catching and releasing a few throwbacks on warm afternoons. They caught on bait, mostly clams, not lures, in cold waters. The Reel Seat this winter was moved to a new, bigger location at 707 Union Avenue in Brielle. That’s Route 71, and a grand opening will be held on Saturday, April 5, featuring door prizes, tackle-manufacturers on hand and more. The shop is now also carrying freshwater tackle, like a full selection for trout fishing that’s popular in spring.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

The party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> was in the yard for annual painting, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. He hopes that will be finished this week, and expects to post the upcoming fishing schedule within the week. <b>***Update, Thursday, 3/20:***</b> The boat looks great, and is expected to be splashed Friday, Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. No trips will sail this weekend, but he hopes trips will fish the following weekend, the weekend of March 29. The annual Coast Guard inspection is slated for Tuesday, and if all goes well, the boat will fish soon.

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/20:***</b> Fishing was still slow, and weather was still tough, but anglers picked away at mostly ling on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. A couple of cod were copped per trip, and a pollock or two were hung every couple of trips. Waters were cold or 35 to 38 degrees near the shore and 36 to 38 on the fishing grounds. Temps were the same throughout the whole stretch now, after the deeper waters were somewhat warmer before. Trips fished the deep, and angling was dead in the shallower waters. Warmer weather would help fishing, but sunny skies would help more. That’s what warms the ocean quick. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/20:***</b> Out-of-season winter flounder were caught and released from Oyster Creek, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. The season for the fish will be opened starting Sunday, and all the bait and tackle for them is stocked, including bloodworms, fresh clams and chum logs. Small striped bass were also released along Oyster Creek, the warm-water discharge from the Forked River power plant. Nothing was heard about flounder from the Toms River, but small stripers were let go there. Four to six inches of snow fell Monday but melted quickly.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

No striped bass bit yet at Graveling Point, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. “But we are hearing activity out towards Absecon and some farther up the Mullica,” it said. Graveling Point is the shore-angling spot at the confluence of Mullica River and Great Bay. The store’s annual $100 gift certificate is up for grabs for the angler who weighs-in the year’s first striper from the point. Each year, that’s one of the state’s first places to give up stripers, because of the relatively warm river that meets the bay, and simply because Graveling is an accessible place that attracts the fish. An angler posted a report on the site about a trip he took Tuesday, breaking in the boat for the year. On the trip, the river was 44 degrees at Garden State Parkway Bridge on outgoing tide. Waters were 39 to 40 degrees “at markers behind Brigantine,” the angler wrote, on outgoing. Many anglers fished the river from shore during the outing, and that looked like a summer day. The boat’s fish-finder marked many big arches up and down the river, in 25 to 35 feet. The angler wished he had bloodworms to test the waters for stripers. He heard that many sizeable white perch were nabbed from the river. <b>***Update, Thursday, 3/20:***</b> Waters were 37 degrees at Graveling Point, and snow remained on the ground at some places, and nobody even fished, Scott from the shop said in a phone call. Temperatures might reach 65 degrees on Saturday, but waters might remain cold because of runoff from previous snow, and forecasts are calling for maybe a wintry mix and 35 degrees on Tuesday. Lots of big white perch had suddenly started biting in Mullica River for anglers at Hay Road, fishing from shore. But the fish disappeared afterward. Live bloodworms and grass shrimp and fresh, shucked clams are stocked. Minnows ran out, but Scott will try to catch more this afternoon on low tide. Minnows were difficult to obtain recently.

<b>Absecon</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/20:***</b> Fishing just came off another cold front, but now the sun came out, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Several days of warmer weather will precede the weekend, so maybe that will be good for fishing. In the weekend’s cold combined with the full moon, a few striped bass and a few white perch were eased in. Before the weather, Dave in a report talked about the perch fishing “blowing up” in Mullica River, and maybe other rivers, though the Mullica was the one heard about. Some of the catches were also reported from Great Egg Harbor River then. On the Mullica then, large perch, and more perch than in years, pushed into shallows, apparently to feed. A healthy number of throwback stripers were mixed in. No more keeper stripers were weighed in, since the year’s first two were during the weekend of March 8. The anglers won the store’s annual gift certificates for the first. Prizes that remain are: a $50 certificate for the third keeper striper checked in; a $100 certificate for the first larger than 20 pounds; and a $100 certificate for the first larger than 30. Kids’ prizes are also up for grabs: two Sea Striker rod and reel combos, one each for the first boy and girl ages 12 or younger to catch and check in a keeper striper. Bloodworms and fresh clams are stocked. Dave dropped the minnow trap in the waters, but not many of the baitfish showed up, and waters were way too cold. No grass shrimp are stocked, but a few of the shrimp are around, if anglers want to net them themselves.

<b>Brigantine</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/20:***</b> Anglers bought bloodworms and clams, but not even a bite was reported yet this season, Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b> wrote on the shop’s Facebook page. Water temperatures dropped to 37 degrees, but should rise because of warmer weather this week. Lots of new inventory arrived, and two more cases of Stock’s famous pound cake were delivered, from Stock’s Bakery in Philly. If anglers want the cake for Easter, telephone and reserve now, and the cake will be available. The Riptide Striper Bounty is up for grabs, and was up to $1,220, the last time Andy reported the total here, in the first days of March. The bounty, awarded to the angler who weighs in the season’s first striped bass 43 inches or larger from Brigantine’s surf, was never won last fall. So the money will be awarded this spring. Entry is $5, and anglers must register at least 24 hours before entering a fish. Last spring, the bounty reached $2,005, and was won on May 27, with a 46-inch 32-pound striper. The prize was also rolled over from fall that year. A $50 gift certificate will also be awarded to the angler who stops in with the year’s first keeper striper from Brigantine’s surf. Another will be awarded to the angler who comes in with the first keeper from a boat off Brigantine. No registration is necessary for those two prizes.

<b>Longport</b>

Winds blew too strongly to fish Saturday, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>.  Sunday’s weather was calm, and no anglers wanted to sail that day. But a few already want to fish aboard this coming Saturday, if weather allows. Open-boat trips are fishing for cod and pollock 30 miles offshore on weekends, and telephone to reserve. The ocean warmed, reaching 41 to 42 degrees 6 miles from shore. <b>***Update, Thursday, 3/20:***</b> The trips will fish for cod and pollock Saturday and Sunday, if the weather holds, Mike wrote in an email. “Start on the 100 edge, and go from there,” he said. Forecasts looked good, and the waters were 41.6 degrees, “so we should have some life,” he said. Winds kept him docked the last three weekends. “Time to go!” he said. Clams and squid will be carried for bait, and the trips are limited to 10 passers.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

White perch were tugged from places like Tuckahoe River, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Nobody really fished yet this year for striped bass at spots like the back of the bay at Beesley’s Point. The power plant there wasn’t turned on and generating warm water that used to attract stripers in past years. Mike fished for chain pickerel in freshwater, landing a couple of whoppers at Pickerel Factory Pond, aka West Creek Mill Pond, and Menantico Ponds. He fished with a rainbow-colored spinner, and his friend fished with a small Rapala. Pickerel Factory Pond holds large picks and lots of stumps, Mike said when he was asked about the pond for this report. Menantico Ponds, well-known for fishing in South Jersey, are located in Millville. The store stocks a full selection of freshwater tackle, in addition to saltwater. Fresh clams were stocked since the beginning of March, and a few were sold. The store is open Fridays through Sundays, and will be open during more hours as fishing picks up. Mike’s also at the shop at other times during the week, filling orders that are coming in, and doing other work, but for no set hours.

<b>Avalon</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/20:***</b> <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b> might hunt snow geese this weekend, Capt. Jim said. He took off from the hunting last weekend, after a busy stretch of the guided trips previously. He scouted the birds this week, and they were migrating quickly, about 30 miles north per day. He found them in Pennsylvania, and a friend saw the first flock of 400 or 500 in New York on Monday. Jim previously hunted the geese from New Jersey along Delaware Bay, and hunts them from Maryland and Delaware to New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York, following the migration. He might wrap up the hunting soon, and start steelhead fishing on upstate New York’s Salmon River from his lodge, maybe by the first weekend of April. The fishing lasts all winter through part of spring, and usually peaks in April. Fins and Feathers a variety of outdoor adventures, including saltwater fishing, duck and goose hunting, steelhead and salmon fishing from the lodge, and fly-fishing for trout on Pennsylvania’s streams like the Yellow Breeches. The saltwater fishing will kick off with striped bass charters on Delaware Bay or the ocean, usually starting in April, and drum charters on the bay in May. Those dates should be booked soon.

<b>Cape May</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 3/20:***</b> Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> hopes to splash the boat by the first weekend of April, he said. He’s been trying to ready the boat, but weather’s been cold and windy. Nine inches of snow fell in Cape May on Monday. The first trips will sail for blackfish on the ocean and striped bass on Delaware Bay, if stripers are around. Drum trips will fish the bay in May. Waters were colder than usual or 36 to 38 degrees. In recent years, stripers migrated to the bay in March, sometimes even early in the month. But waters this year were cold for stripers so far. Nothing was heard about anybody fishing. Not a lot was heard about stripers boated from the bay in the early season the past couple of years, though shore anglers banked the fish at places like Pennsville in the early season. George used to boat the bass in March in the bay several years ago. The fish lingered in the bay longer then, but in the most recent years seemed to migrate quickly through the bay to spawn in Delaware River. The bay’s striper fishing used be good later, even into May. This year’s cold water was different than in the recent past, and anglers will see what the stripers will do.

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