<b>Staten Island</b>

Striped bass, a good catch of the fish to 23 pounds, were boated on Raritan Bay on Saturday with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Most weighed 15 pounds, and all were chunked on bunker. One bluefish, the season’s first aboard, was socked on the trip. Blues were late to arrive in the bay this year, and sometimes a cold winter like this year’s seems to affect the arrival of fish. Joe would like to see enough blues hit the bay for anglers to add a catch of them to a striper charter aboard. But he wouldn’t want so many blues to invade that they make striper fishing difficult, like happens sometimes. Trips on the boat will begin to fish for sea bass and ling from Sewaren, N.J., when Jersey’s sea bass season is opened next Monday, if enough sea bass migrate close to shore. Trips with Outcast are always available either from the New Jersey port or Staten Island, N.Y.

<b>Keyport</b>

An open-boat trip for striped bass bagged four stripers to 19 pounds on Friday with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Another on Saturday bagged four to 34 inches, and a charter on Sunday bagged seven of the fish to 18 pounds. All the trips fished on Raritan Bay with clams, and if anglers want stripers, they should sail while the fishing’s still hopping. Charters are fishing, and space is available on an open-boat trip Wednesday. Open trips are available daily when no charter is booked, and telephone to climb aboard.

Great striped bass fishing all weekend on Raritan Bay, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an email. Limits were bagged, and additional stripers were released. “Sunday’s class of fish (was) just awesome,” he said. More and more bunker are arriving in the bay, and no bluefish were hooked on the boat yet this season. Striper fishing will keep getting better.  Charters are sailing, and the next open-boat trip with space available is on Thursday. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

Fishing for striped bass was super on Raritan Bay on the <b>Down Deep</b>, Capt. Mario said. The trips all limited out, and the fish, hooked on bunker chunks, weighed up to 30 pounds.  Charters are fishing, and 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. Fish on the marathon, open sea bass trip 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. next Monday, opening day of sea bass season.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Every trip swung in a few throwback striped bass and a few keepers in past days on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. He wasn’t asked where, but Raritan Bay seemed the place. This morning’s trip was off to a better start than any of the trips, and a handful of keepers were already boxed at 9:20, when he gave this report aboard in a phone call. He hoped the catches continued. No trips sailed aboard Thursday in weather. Striper fishing was no good on Friday morning’s trip, and gave up a few fish on the afternoon’s. Both of Saturday’s trips, and Sunday morning’s, tugged in a few stripers. Sunday afternoon’s striper fishing was slower, managing only a couple of keepers, in difficult anchoring conditions, wind against tide swinging the boat. That angling was probably the worst of the trips, maybe because of the conditions, though the reason couldn’t be known. Clams provided aboard, and bunker that anglers brought, caught stripers lately. This morning’s trip clammed all the fish so far. The Atlantic Star is fishing for striped bass on two trips daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m.

<b>Highlands</b>

Limits of striped bass or nearly limits were whaled on every trip this past week from Raritan Bay with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, Capt. Derek said. The angling was good aboard Sunday, bailing limits of the fish to 22 pounds, and releasing more keeper-sized stripers. Mostly chunked bunker caught on the outings, but a couple of livelined bunker drilled the fish. A couple of 5-pound bluefish showed up on trips aboard for the first time this season. Open-boat trips are full this week, but spaces are available on open trips next week. Telephone to climb aboard or to be kept informed about future open trips. Dates for charters are available.

<b>Neptune</b>

Trips bottom-fished on the ocean Friday and Saturday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph wrote in an email. On Friday, Rich Morley’s charter piled up a good catch of ling, and Rich won the pool with a sizeable cod. On Saturday morning, Glen Roeuber’s group from American Legion nailed 24 cod and some ling. In the afternoon, the fishing was slow on Mike Vallario’s trip, but 12-year-old Nick won the pool with a good-sized cod, and pollock and ling were taken. The ocean reached 55 degrees, so striped bass fishing will heat up any day there. Individual-reservation trips for stripers will fish this Sunday and the following Sunday, May 25. The best dates for charters are filling up, and book now to reserve.

<b>Belmar</b>

Ocean striped bass fishing started to pick up, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. The boat fished a little for the first time this season, and Pete had been waiting for the stripers. If trips could catch bunker to liveline for bait, they could usually score well on the bass. The stripers were also trolled, and sometimes jigged. Lots of stripers were marked. A few bluefish were mixed in, but no blues showed up for Parker Pete’s yet. The ocean was in the high 40s last week, and when the temperature reaches the mid-50s, the fishing should be “golden.” 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.

Fishing began for the season this weekend on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the vessel said. The anglers on a trip Sunday that sailed north hooked striped bass but lost them at the boat. But they landed bluefish to 9 pounds, and the high hook axed four of them. Gold diamond jigs caught best, and the fishing that day “was a big improvement over (a trip Saturday),” the email said. The crew hopes the catches keep improving. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for striped bass and bluefish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

For anglers on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, fishing today was very good so far, a report on the vessel’s website said during the trip. It was a while since a report could say that, it said, but some of the anglers had already limited out on bluefish, and were releasing more. Some striped bass to 20 pounds were also bagged.  “Folks, we have waited a long time for these fish …” the report said. “…now is the time to get down here and catch … .” A light crowd joined Sunday’s trip on Mothers’ Day, tying into a few stripers and blues, on jigs. On Saturday, a few bunker were able to be snagged to liveline for bait, and each got bitten by a striper. Not all were landed, but the crew believed that if more bunker had been able to be snagged, more stripers would’ve been cracked.  A 25-pound striper was the pool-winner. Friday’s trip was weathered out, and the Golden Eagle is fishing at 7:30 a.m. daily. Bring tackle to snag and liveline bunker, including snagging hooks and a lighter rod for the snagging.

Bunker, striped bass and bluefish are here, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. What a difference a week makes, he said. Boaters had the best of fishing Sunday, and reports rolled in all day from them, about sizeable stripers to 30 pounds and blues to 12 pounds they caught. Some were livelined on bunker, and some were trolled on Stretch lures. Some were beaten on rubber shads.  Bill Mayfield from Manasquan iced a 23-pound cod on a private boat. In the surf, Matt Sickler from Shark River Surf Anglers beached a 14-pound 4-ounce striper, and Tom Cook from the club eased in a 12-pound 2-ouncer. The store’s rental-boaters on Sunday reeled up winter flounder and lots of 5- to 10-pound blues, and released out-of-season fluke, a good number. Fluke season will be opened on May 23. All in all, some awesome fishing, Bob said. Weather was also nice, and he hopes both continue. Keep the fish you need, and release the rest, he reminded.

<b>Brielle</b>

Boaters on the ocean landed striped bass pretty well, off northern Monmouth County, from about Lake Takanassee to Highlands Bridge, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Most of the fish were found toward 60-foot depths, along the border of 3 miles from the coast. Striper fishing is closed beyond 3 miles. The fish were trolled on spoons or diving plugs, and some began to be livelined on bunker snagged for bait. Bluefish 3 to 8 pounds were in the mix. Surf anglers picked away at stripers, and not a lot of surf anglers fished. Those who did caught more on bait than lures, but lures hooked some. An angler might bank two or three stripers in a day, and pick up none or miss a hit on another. No bluefish were heard about from the local surf, but maybe just nothing was heard about them. Anglers from shore fought blues at Manasquan Inlet. The blues and loads of small stripers swam the inlet and Manasquan River to Route 70 Bridge. A 30-inch blue was the biggest heard about, and the stripers were played on rubber shads on leadheads, small lures and bucktails. A few stripers, not big, 22 or 23 inches, were picked at Point Pleasant Canal, and unconfirmed reports said a couple of weakfish were found at the canal. Dave didn’t know how accurate that was. A bunch of out-of-season fluke were caught and released from the river, and anglers weren’t even trying for them. Fluke season will be opened on May 23,  and nothing was heard about winter flounder from the river, because the waters were dirty. Flounder traditionally remain in the river to the end of the month. Nothing was heard about flounder from the inlet either. Maybe that meant the flatfish were yet to substantially migrate that far downstream, but that was unknown. Back on the ocean, ling fishing started to shape up. Cod fishing on the ocean was kind of more hit than miss. At the shop, some things are always on sale, like a bunch of diamond jigs, an anglers choice of type, that are currently two for $5, until the jigs run out. The shop’s next free seminar will be with Greg Thumel from GT Lures at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 22. GT Lures provides lures for tuna and marlin fishing, and Greg will talk about the lost art of trolling artificials at the canyons. Dave, a tilefisher, himself will give a free seminar on tilefishing at 7 p.m. the following Thursday, May 29, at the store. Dave sometimes hosts party-boat tilefish trips, and his first two this season are sold out, and the next one with openings is in August. Check out the Reel Seat’s custom tilefish rod.  The store’s second annual striped bass surf-fishing tournament will be held June 6 to 8, and will be catch-and-release this year, unlike last year.  Prizes will be a Van Staal Reel for first place, a FiberStar surf rod for second and a Gear-Up surf-fishing bag for third. Entry is $10, required by June 5.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

A solid catch of striped bass was smashed Thursday with four anglers aboard with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Ray wrote in an email. Bigger bass to 30 pounds turned out plenty of action. That was apparently on the ocean, though the location wasn’t mentioned. The fish are moving in, and that looks to be “building to a great season,” Ray said. The water was 52 degrees or chilly, but that was better than below 50 earlier that week. The fish were caught “on wire and spoons, on plugs and on live baits,” he said. Another captain delivered the live bunker netted from Raritan Bay. Bunker swam the ocean, but fish didn’t chase them enough to bunch up the menhaden to be netted or snagged for bait. Choice dates for charters are limited, and telephone or email Ray to reserve.

<b>Toms River</b>

Monster bluefish slammed the surf since yesterday, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. They were still out there today, and he couldn’t talk long for a report, because customers jammed the store for the fishing. One customer landed 12 of the blues, weighing-in an 11-pounder that wasn’t even his biggest. Bunker schooled all over, and some other kind of bait, maybe herring, swarmed the surf, too. Sometimes striped bass were taken among the blues, but mostly bluefish were fought.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

The surf gave up most catches, John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s website. “Things are popping (there),” he said. Throwback and keeper striped bass were beached on clams, and 3- to 5-pound bluefish were banked on cut bunker. Blowfish nibbled worms and Fishbites for surf casters. Pods of bunker were seen from shore. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, bloodworms and eels were stocked.  The Dock Outfitters, located on Barnegat Bay, blocks from the ocean surf, features a bait and tackle shop, boat and jet ski rentals in season, a café and a dock for fishing and crabbing.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Boaters ran into good catches of bluefish and striped bass on Great Bay at Grassy Channel, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. Shore anglers sometimes slid-in drum and throwback stripers mixed-in from Graveling Point and Pebble Beach, toward the confluence of the bay and Mullica River. The shore casters talked about light taps that chewed up bait, maybe from white perch or blowfish.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Surf fishing got off to a blazing start on Friday morning, <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Facebook page said. Striped bass were weighed-in from the angling, and sometimes drum and bluefish were caught. One angler started to throw a plug at 38th Street, finding a good school of blues. The fishing tapered off somewhat through the afternoon, and was slow during the weekend. But sometimes fish were managed from the shore during the weekend, including a 40- to 50-pound drum and a couple of sizeable weakfish. The Riptide Striper Bounty was up to $1,860, when the total was last reported here on Thursday, and will be awarded to the angler who weighs-in the season’s first striper 43 inches or larger from Brigantine’s surf. A 41-1/2-incher was released from the beach last week. The bounty was never won last fall, so the money is available now. Entry is $5, and anglers must register at least 24 hours before entering a fish. The Fish for Life Tournament, sponsored by The LePera Real Estate Team, is under way until May 26. Entry allows beach buggy access along Brigantine’s entire front beach with a Brigantine beach-buggy permit, instead of limited access with a permit without entering. Sign up for the tournament at the shop.

<b>Longport</b>

Ocean City Reef tossed up croakers and bluefish on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. Out-of-season sea bass and summer flounder were let go, and small stripers were also released. The sea bass boded well for the opening of sea bass season next Monday. Four spaces are left for an open-boat trip for sea bass that day, and some remain for more of the trips next week on Thursday and Friday, May 22 and 23. The trips will fish 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., longer than usual, and wrecks have been loaded with the fish. “I’m going through some bait,” he said. Open trips sail daily when no charter is booked, fishing with even one angler. Mike is going to head offshore to see if bluefin tuna arrived on Wednesday. He heard about some showing up at Baltimore Canyon, and with bluefish arriving, he’s confident the tuna are around. Sharks should also be on tap, and the Stray Cat is offering special night trips for sharks this year. If anglers want to fish on weekends, they better book. Dates are filling.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The party boat <b>Captain Robbins</b> was steamed 27 miles from shore on Saturday, putting anglers on a good catch of ling, Capt. Victor said. Greg Wendt from Mays Landing won the pool with a 3-1/2-pounder, and out-of-season sea bass and some conger eels and spiny dogfish also bit. There was lots of action, and the next trip that far from shore will probably sail this coming Saturday for 10 to 12 hours. The times should be known by Wednesday. Daily trips are also being attempted for ling, if enough anglers want to go, and reservations are suggested. Sea bass fishing aboard will be launched when sea bass season is opened next Monday. The company’s other party boat, the <b>Miss Ocean City</b>, will fish for summer flounder on the back bay, probably starting in late May or early June. That vessel will fish for striped bass on the bay in fall. Keep up with the latest: Like the <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/captrobbinsfishing" target="_blank">Captain Robbins on Facebook</a>.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Weakfish, summer flounder and bluefish all bit in the back bay now, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Fishing for them was good, and his season’s first blue, a 4-pounder, was fought aboard Friday from the bay. The flounder, out of season, were released, and flounder season will be opened on May 23. Fishing for them is often best in the early season in South Jersey’s warm, shallow bays. Some space is still available for fishing aboard that weekend, Memorial Day weekend, and grab it while it is. On Friday evening on the bay, Dick Lackman aboard landed weaks and flounder, good catches of both, and the blue, on soft-plastic lures on jigheads. One of the flounder weighed 4 ½ pounds, and the weaks weighed up to more than 4 pounds. On Sunday on the bay, Ed Robertson and son aboard tackled weaks to 6 ½ pounds, flounder to 5 ½ and blues to 3. They caught on both soft-plastics on jigheads and Clouser Minnows on fly rods. The Clousers were fished along bottom on sinking lines, and the plastics on the trips were also fished along bottom, on spinning rods. The jigs and flies were worked slowly along bottom, and the bite was subtle, typical in relatively cool waters in spring. But the bay is warming quickly, reaching 66 to 67 degrees on low tide on Sunday. Take an After Work Special Trip on a weekday, a great time to fish. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Avalon</b>

<b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b> trolled the ocean for striped bass this weekend, but no stripers were hooked, Capt. Jim said. The boat was trolled on two trips from Avalon to Strathmere then, and fish were marked in 20 feet. Clams and bunker were also fished along the ocean jetties from the boat during the weekend. But no stripers bit, and the ocean was 49 degrees or cold. The sinkers were cold to the touch. Another trip looked for stripers in Delaware Bay during the weekend, and stripers supposedly swam the bay’s shallows, like 7 to 9 feet off Pierce’s Point. But none showed up.  Trips are supposed to fish again this weekend, and might sail for drum on the bay. Fins and Feathers offers a variety of fishing and waterfowl hunting, when duck and goose seasons are open. The fishing ranges from saltwater trips on the ocean and Delaware Bay to trout fly fishing on Pennsylvania’s streams like the Yellow Breeches. Salmon and steelhead fishing are available on upstate New York’s Salmon River from Jim’s lodge.

<b>Cape May</b>

Delaware Bay’s drum fishing began to produce, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. A few small drum, like 30 pounds, but a start to catches, were boated in past days on both the New Jersey and Delaware sides of the bay. Trips will start to fish for drum on the Heavy Hitter, and a friend ran trips that heaved in five or six of the fish on Friday and four or five on Saturday. George heard from nobody who fished for drum on Sunday, Mothers’ Day. Every now and then striped bass were caught from the bay, at places like off Pierce’s Point. Someone might land three, and the angling was a matter of right place, right time. Charters aboard will sail for sea bass on the ocean once sea bass season is opened next Monday.  Shark fishing is impending on the boat any time for blue, thresher and mako sharks on the ocean.

Drum started to bite in Delaware Bay, said Capt. Frank from <b>Melanie Anne Sport Fishing</b>. A trip aboard during the weekend decked a few from the middle of the bay. The drum were small but keepers, and bit one after another. Then the catches stopped, and Frank knew about boaters who fished for them on the Delaware side of the bay that day, catching none. His trip also tried for striped bass on the bay, and none was hooked, but other boaters grabbed some farther north in the bay. Trips on the Melanie Anne have been catching a few stripers from shallows close to shore on bunker in the bay. The bay on the trip was 60.8 degrees, and is warming quickly. Another trip will sail aboard Tuesday for a mix of drum and stripers. Sea bass trips will begin once sea bass season is opened next Monday, and trips for summer flounder will start when flounder season is opened on May 23. A flounder trip is already booked for two days later.

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