Note: This report today resumes being updated twice weekly, every Monday and Thursday.

The report, in winter through March, is fully updated once weekly, every Monday, and a few additions are posted on other days, mostly on Thursdays.

We’re tempted to say that fishing’s off to a slow start, after the cold winter. But a look at past years’ reports showed that current fishing is not unusual. Waters are cold, but fishing is starting. 

Welcome to the fishing season!

<b>Keyport</b>

A crew trip fished Raritan Bay on Wednesday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. But the fishing wasn’t good, and the water was brown because of the weekend’s heavy rains. The water had warmed to 44 degrees, and anglers fishing from shore sometimes banked striped bass from the shallows. That seemed mostly at night. “A little bit of stable weather, and things will pop,” Frank said. The season’s first open-boat trips aboard are slated to fish for stripers and winter flounder Saturday and Sunday on the bay. Telephone to jump aboard, and open-boat trips will fish daily when no charter is booked. Like the Vitamin Sea’s Facebook page for real-time reports. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!” <b>***Update, Thursday, 4/3:***</b> Three spaces are available for the trip Sunday.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Striped bass started to be caught, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. A few were beached from the ocean surf the other day, and a few were taken from Raritan Bay’s surf lately. Boaters tried for stripers on the bay yesterday, but no results were known. Not much was reported about winter flounder. Jimmy would like to see the season opened earlier for them. But in the two-flounder bag limit, not many anglers boated for flounder anymore. For two fish, they had to buy a hundred dollars in bait, by the time they bought a bushel of clams and a bushel of mussels for chum, and hook-baits. Clams, worms and all baits are stocked, including trout bait for the opening of trout season Saturday.

<b>Belmar</b>

Fishing will sail for cod, ling and mackerel at 7:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s website said. Daily trips will begin Friday, April 11. “Hopefully, we will see the stripers by then,” the report said.

The party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b> will begin fishing Monday for the season, sailing for blackfish 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, Capt. Chris said. Green crabs and clams will be supplied for bait. Chris each year gives a heads up about the annual, free <a href="http://www.sharkriversurfanglers.com/contest.htm" target="_blank">Shark River Surf Anglers’ Kids’ Trout Fishing Tournament</a> at Spring Lake on opening day of trout season. That’s this Saturday, and the event will be held 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  More than 500 trout – rainbows, goldens, tigers, brooks and browns – were supposed to be stocked last Saturday for the contest. The fish were 14 inches to 12 pounds, and the contest is known for big ones. Open to ages 15 and under, the contest will award 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes in several age divisions. The kid with the heaviest trout will win a trophy, rod and reel, and a taxidermist will mount the fish. All kids who weigh-in a trout will win a prize.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Daily trips will fish starting Saturday on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, for ling, cod and blackfish, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. Trips will lay on an occasional weekday for seasonal maintenance to be finished on the boat, and that will be posted on the site and on the boat’s Facebook page. Matt hopes the ocean will warm enough for a few blackfish to chomp. The trips will fish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Ling and a few cod were scooped aboard the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. So were a couple of blackfish, since blackfish season was opened Tuesday. Fishing was slow in the cold ocean, and anglers might’ve totaled six to eight fish apiece. Most bagged between none and six apiece. But the ling and cod caught were sizeable, and that’s what kept anglers interested. The cod weighed up to 8 and 10 pounds. Trips mostly fished deep in 180 to 220 feet, the only place with “life.” The waters were 37 degrees to almost 40. The temp might reach 40 on a day, and was 39, almost 40, the other day. The ocean’s not going to warm unless skies are sunny. Forecasts weren’t always accurate, and called for clouds and rough weather today. Too few anglers showed up for the boat to fish today, apparently because of the bad forecasts. The weather turned out sunny and good, when Butch gave this report in a phone call at 12 noon.  The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

Lots of throwback striped bass and some white perch were lifted from Toms River, said Mario from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Winter flounder swam the river, but a few sunny days were needed to improve fishing for them. The weekend’s rainstorms and colder weather didn’t help. But the fish were there. Small stripers also hit in Oyster Creek, the discharge from the Forked River power plant. Mario saw them landed there on a trip, but saw no flounder hooked from the creek, and didn’t hear how the creek’s flounder fishing went.  Surf anglers along the ocean caught “minimal” stripers, he said. A few anglers connected. Baits stocked include boodworms, sandworms, fresh clams, chum logs, killies, shiners, nightcrawlers, garden worms, and meal worms. All supplies are on hand for the opening of trout season Saturday at Murph’s and also at <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b>. The owner of Murphy’s recently bought Go fish, located on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River, and is now running both shops. Murphy’s is on Route 37 in the town.   

<b>Forked River</b>

Anglers played small striped bass at Oyster Creek at the bridge, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. A few winter flounder, not many, were heard about from the creek. That’s the warm-water outflow from the Forked River power plant. Most customers fished bloodworms there, and a few fished clams. Sometimes they tried fishing Fin-S Fish, and occasionally a popper-plug. That was about the only fishing, and the shop was fortunate fish bit there, or it might not be open yet this season. Blackfish season opened Tuesday, but nobody mentioned fishing for them. Bloodworms, frozen, salted clams and killies are stocked. Nightcrawlers and trout worms are carried, and trout season opens Saturday.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

At <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>, the gift certificate was still up for grabs for the angler who weighs-in the year’s first striped bass from Graveling Point, Brian said. That’s an annual $100 certificate to the store. But the water there reached 45 degrees today, so maybe the first will be checked-in by the weekend. Scott from the shop, in a report earlier this season, said the first was always caught in March in past years. The cold winter apparently affected the fishing this year. Throwback stripers were sometimes beached at Graveling, and Brian saw some yesterday on a trip. He scored a few nibbles. White perch, including sizeable to 12 and 15 inches, were sometimes flung-in from the point lately. Graveling is a shore-angling spot at the confluence of Mullica River and Great Bay that traditionally gives up some of the state’s first stripers each year. The warm river attracts the fish at the confluence, and the place is simply a location where stripers bite in the early season that’s accessible to anglers. Bloodworms, easy for the bass to digest during slow metabolism in cold water, are the bait to fish in the early season. Clams will be the bait to dunk as the water warms. Perch and small stripers were also pasted along the Mullica at places like Hay Road and the Lower Bank and Green Bank bridges. A few anglers telephoned to ask for green crabs for blackfish bait, since blackfish season was opened Tuesday. The crabs are stocked, and so are bloodworms, fresh, shucked clams, grass shrimp and small minnows. All the supplies are ready for the opening of trout season Saturday.

<b>Absecon</b>

From <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>, Curt on his last three trips, in about the last week, found 44-degree water temperatures on the first, 39 on the second and 37 on the third, he said. That was cold, but weather’s been warmer in past days. He’s a white perch angler who fishes waters like Mullica River. Lots of the perch and lots of small striped bass to 25 inches swam the river. Fishing for stripers was yet to turn on at places like Graveling Point, at the confluence of the river and Great Bay. Capt. Dave, the shop’s owner, on the store’s Facebook page shared news from another store that said herring migrated thick in Great Egg Harbor River at Mays Landing, and that the migration of large stripers should follow before long. Curt heard about no blackfishing, since blackfish season opened Tuesday. But a few blackfish were probably boated at ocean wrecks. Bloodworms, fresh clams and small minnows are stocked. Grass shrimp are sometimes carried, and telephone to confirm. Trout baits including PowerBait, earthworms, trout worms and meal worms are on hand, and trout season will be opened Saturday.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Straggler striped bass and some blackfish were tugged from Absecon Inlet, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. That included off the front of the T-jetty and at the Flagship and Melrose Avenue. Customers fish the inlet, lined with jetties, from shore, and the stripers, some of them keeper-sized, just barely, were plugged or caught on bait, including bloodworms. The blackfish came on green crabs or clams. Bloodworms, fresh clams, green crabs, minnows and all baits are stocked.

<b>Longport</b>

Fishing steamed for blackfish on the <b>Stray Cat</b> on Tuesday, fishing 6, 8 and 12 miles from shore, Capt. Mike said. That was opening day of blackfish season, but nothing bit. Not even a bait was lost, and waters were 41.8 degrees or cold. Crabs hardly crawled from the mud, and Mike only trapped two dozen in seven traps in two or three days, for blackfish bait. No fish were marked at any wrecks on the trip. Yet 30 porpoises swam the inlet when the trip departed. “What are they eating?” Mike asked. So open-boat trips will fish for cod and pollock at 6 a.m. Saturday and Sunday farther from shore, around 28-Mile Wreck. Telephone to reserve. Open trips sail daily when no charter is booked, and fish with even one angler.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Just a few striped bass landed were known about, from places like Tuckahoe and Great Egg Harbor rivers, said Ed from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. White perch nipped at the same places, and no news rolled in about herring migrating in waters like that. A couple of stripers hooked were also known about from the back bay around Beesley’s Point. Customers occasionally tested the surf for stripers, and fresh, shucked clams will try to be stocked for the weekend for that. Green crabs for blackfishing will also try to be carried, and the store will know Friday whether they’ll be available. Water temperatures rose a couple of degrees, and were lower this year than in recent years.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

The local party boat from Sea Isle fished Tuesday, putting customers on a few blackfish bagged, and some bites, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. That was opening day of blackfish season, and not many of the fish were hung, but the angling scored better than on some trips. A trip on a private boat fished farther from shore, probably 30 miles out, pumping in some blackfish, a couple of big ling and, Mike thought, a couple of cod and maybe a pollock, a nice mess of fish. Not much was heard about striped bass, but a couple of old-timers said that striper fishing can become good on the back bay, like chunking clams for them, after a cold winter like this year’s. Whether that will happen will be seen. The shop’s fresh clams are being sold regularly to anglers mostly fishing the surf and inlets. Some want to be the first to check-in a striper this year. Mike’s debating whether to stock bloodworms this weekend, depending on demand. Once the worms are in demand, he’ll carry them. 

<b>Cape May</b>

A few striped bass were beached from shore along Delaware Bay, like at Reed’s Beach or the ferry jetty, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Mostly bloodworms on float rigs fished along jetties hooked them. But sometimes clams did. Waters were 45 degrees, and will probably need to reach the mid-50s for blackfish to show up and snap along the jetties. The store is open at 7 a.m. on weekdays and 6 a.m. on weekends until 6 p.m. Bloodworms are stocked, and fresh clams will arrive Friday. Nick’s trying to stock green crabs on Friday, but was yet to hear whether they’ll be available.

Blackfish season was opened Tuesday, and the <b>Porgy IV</b> began sailing daily for the tautog on Wednesday, Capt. Paul said. A few keepers were bagged, and a few shorts were let go, but not many of the fish bit in the cold ocean on the trip. A couple of anglers bagged a couple apiece. Still, some anglers thought the trip might not even score a bite, and only sailed because of cabin fever. Paul also knew that getting skunked was possible, but anglers kept telephoning, wanting to fish. This was a start to the angling, and Paul hopes the fishing keeps improving as waters warm. He had planned to kick off the trips Tuesday, opening day. But by the middle of the day Monday, only a couple of anglers had telephoned to fish, so the trip was nixed. Then anglers kept telephoning Monday evening to go, and Paul wished he hadn’t put off starting. Some of those anglers joined the trip Wednesday, and the trips now will be scheduled for every day when weather’s fishable. The Porgy IV is sailing for blackfish at 8 a.m. daily.

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