<b>Hudson River</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 4/2:***</b> The river was iced, said Capt. Chuck from <b>Angler Sportfishing Charters</b>. It wasn’t iced solid, but large chunks of ice, some the size of a car, maybe larger, filled the river, probably from Albany to Poughkeepsie or farther downstream. New York’s inland striped bass season was opened Wednesday, but there was no way the Hudson could be fished. But the ice could clear in a week, and herring began to migrate the water. Stripers were also around, because anglers hooked some from the creek, where the boat is docked. Chuck likes to fish the river for large, migrating stripers when the water is 53 to 57 degrees. That’s when most of the fish swim up the Hudson to spawn. That’s one of the best opportunities anywhere, or any time, to reel in exceptionally large stripers. The fish are big, mature breeders, and Chuck has fished the run many years, and will again soon, with his charters. The stripers will depart the river quickly after spawning, heading for the ocean, to swim north for summer, for cooler water. The large bass are lazy, he said, and will be seen busting bait, like the herring, along the surface once in a while. After gorging, they’ll suspend deeper a day or two, until coming up to feed again. They don’t feed much during the run, and don’t feed at all, during spawning, really.

<b>Keyport</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 3/31:***</b> A couple of small striped bass were beached from shore from Raritan Bay that were known about, said Joey from <b>Joey’s Bait Shack</b>. But the water was cold, 37 degrees, and the fishing will pick up later in the month. Then anglers fishing the shore will drag in stripers on clams and winter flounder on bloodworms. The fish favor the warmer, shallower water along the shore in the early season. Bloodworms and fresh clams are stocked. If anglers need other supplies, the shop can get it. Joey’s is open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily and will eventually be open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. this season.

The <b>Vitamin Sea</b> is ready to fish, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. A photo of the boat in the slip was attached. He’ll run scouting trips Wednesday and Thursday for striped bass and winter flounder. The stripers will be “resident” fish, or younger stripers, yet to migrate, that swim local waters year-round. He heard about both fish caught. The year’s first charter is booked for Friday, and the year’s first open-boat trip is slated for Saturday. Contact Frank to jump aboard the open trip. The trips will fish for stripers and flounder, and skimmer clams, mussels, worms and chum will be aboard. All rods, reels and tackle will be available aboard, and anglers don’t need to bring any of that. “If you are suffering from cabin fever, this is the cure,” he said. Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!

The boat was splashed Thursday, and a trip is booked to fish Wednesday with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Like every year, open-boat trips will be available daily, when no charter is booked, and telephone to climb aboard. The year’s first trips will clam for striped bass.  A couple of phone calls Sunday told Joe that keeper stripers were banked from Raritan Bay from shore. The fish usually bite in the bay’s shallows, not far from port, on trips aboard, early in the year.

Another boat was added for trips with <b>Down Deep Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Mario said. It’s a 42-foot Willis Beal Downeaster, certified for 15 passengers. Open-boat trips will fish daily on the vessel, named the Down Deep Bull. The crew will also still run the original Down Deep, a 40-foot Custom Duffy. Fishing on the boats will probably begin with trips for striped bass and winter flounder. Wreck-fishing trips, like for cod, will also sail. Charters will fish, and join the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on Down Deep’s website to be kept informed about open trips. Also see the site’s open-boat page for dates and availability for those trips. Many of those trips were already filling.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

A few winter flounder and striped bass were hooked, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. With warmer weather this week, fishing for them should pick up. Weather’s been cold, and snow fell this morning. The ocean was “nowhere near up to temp,” he said. Bait was just beginning to migrate north, toward local waters. Bunker were late. April rains are needed for herring to push up rivers and cross dams to spawn. Jimmy saw cormorants on Shrewsbury River that looked hungry! But fishing should pick up by Friday, he thinks. One of the charter boats is going to fish this weekend, for flounder, Jimmy thinks. But maybe the boat will try for stripers in the back of Raritan Bay, where the fish bite first, in warmer waters. Fish like these have usually already been bailed for two weeks. A bottom-fishing charter captain is probably not going to fish this weekend. The captain thinks he’ll “give it another week,” the captain said. The captain wasn’t going to sail 60 miles for cod. But customers are all hoping for fish. A few boats began to be seen in slips. The shop is ready for fishing, and all baits are stocked.

<b>Highlands</b>

The boat will be launched Friday for the season, Capt. Pete from <b>Fin-Taz-Tic Sportfishing</b> wrote in an email. Fishing aboard will target striped bass and winter flounder, and special trips will fish for cod and ling. Charters will sail, and open-boat trips will fish daily, when no charter is booked, with a minimum of four anglers. That’s fewer than many boats that require six.  Few weekend dates remain for fishing aboard in April and May, so telephone to reserve. The boat will compete in the Atlantic Highlands Shark Tournament in June. Charters can book that angling, or anglers can join the fishing as an open-boat crew member.

<b>Neptune</b>

<b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> will fish when there’s a break in the weather or the weather becomes a little warmer, Capt. Ralph said. Charters and individual-reservation trips will sail for blackfish or cod or whatever bites. “We’ll see what happens,” he said.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>***Update, Saturday, 4/4:***</b> From an edited email from Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>: “Wow! We finally had a flounder brought in (from Shark River). Sad state when you report a single flounder this late in the season. I have no answer for the situation. Cold water? Too much wind, rain, snow? Maybe sun spots? LOL. No stripers seen yet, but that's another story. Trout were the bright spot … big fish in Spring Lake. Adam Waskis from Port Reading, N.J.’s, 5-pound 15-ounce tiger trout, caught on orange PowerBait, was the largest weighed-in. The offshore fishing was good, with cod to 30 pounds caught. I hope I can give a more positive report next week.”

<b>***Update, Thursday, 4/2:***</b> Fishing, sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, will begin Friday, April 17, on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the vessel said. The trips will bottom-fish for cod and ling, or fish for striped bass, “whatever is here,” it said. That Saturday is sold out. Winter was long and cold, the email said, and the crew was super busy changing the boat’s interior. Everything is new, from heating and air conditioning to new seat cushions and a paint job. If you thought the boat looked good before, wait until you see the vessel now, it said.

Fishing will begin to sail daily on Wednesday for blackfish and cod on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. That’s opening day of blackfish season, and the trips will run 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Chris noted that the annual, free <a href="http://www.sharkriversurfanglers.com/contest.htm" target="_blank">Shark River Surf Anglers Kids Trout Fishing Tournament</a> will be held at Spring Lake 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, opening day of trout season. More than 500 trout – rainbows, goldens, tigers, brooks and browns – were reportedly stocked for the event last Saturday. The fish included big, up to 12 pounds. Open to kids 15 and younger, the contest will award first through third prizes for several age categories for the heaviest trout, and a grand prize will be awarded. Donuts, bagels, hot dogs, chips, hot chocolate, juice and ice cream will be free. Each kid will receive gifts. Arrive early to register. <b>***Update, Thursday, 4/2:***</b> A few keeper cod, a bunch of throwbacks, a couple of blackfish and some good-sized ling got winged on Wednesday’s trip, the boat’s Facebook page said. “A couple of places had some decent perch life,” it said. Fishing wasn’t great, and the water was somewhat chilly, but will warm. All anglers had bites, and weather was good. “It was (a) real nice day out on the ocean to start things out,” it said.

From <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Pete is aiming to fish for striped bass starting in mid-May, he said. In April, the crew will prep the boat for the fishing season. If that’s finished soon enough, trips might sail for cod or blackfish in April. That depends on factors including weather. Fishing currently picked away at cod on other boats. One of the Belmar party boats sailed for the fish, when weather was fair, and the angling was decent on some days. Pete heard nothing about winter flounder. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Contact Parker Pete’s anyway, about individual spaces available on charters.  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 the spaces. Look for the place to sign up on the right side of the page.

<b>Brielle</b>

Striped bass began to be landed in back bays, like a few heard about from along Mantoloking Bridge in Barnegat Bay, and from Delaware River, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. None was boated from the ocean yet. A few anglers tried for winter flounder, but reported no success. Cod fishing seemed okay on party boats. Catch the monthly plug swap at the store 8 to 11 a.m. this Saturday. The shop’s next free seminar will be on Sunday, April 26, on tying teasers and flies with Jerry Fabiano, formerly from RV Lures. That will be at 11 a.m., Dave thought. The Reel Seat is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

“Catching some codfish every trip,” Capt. Ryan from the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> wrote in an email Saturday. All customers left with fish that day. “Nothing thrilling, but something to fish for, at least,” he said. Some of the anglers are decking two to four keepers on some trips, and cod 8 pounds to heavier than 20 won pools. Carl Weigand from Philadelphia bagged four cod to 14 pounds and six ling. Ezra Cloister from Trenton reeled in 12 cod, including four keepers to 10 pounds, and eight ling. Trips are fishing 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. However, no trip will fish this Easter Sunday.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 4/2***</b> The party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> is back in the water, after seasonal maintenance, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. He hopes trips begin fishing on the weekend of April 11. A few odds and ends of maintenance remain in the meantime. The boat fishes ocean wrecks in the early season. Stop at the dock and peek at the boat. “She looks great!” he said.

Trips will begin to fish 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily on Wednesday for cod, ling and blackfish on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said. Blackfish season will be opened starting that day. <b>***Update, Thursday, 4/2:***</b> Fishing was a little slow on Wednesday’s trip, “but it was nice just to be out,” the boat’s Facebook page said. One angler swung in an 8-pound blackfish. “He also had a few smaller cod as well!” the page said.

Happy spring! Capt. Alan from <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> wrote in an email. But he didn’t think the weather knew it was spring, he said. The boat was tied to the dock this weekend. But the crew is looking forward to cod fishing in April. Cod catches were great, when boats had the weather to sail. Trips for cod and blackfish are being booked for April. Striped bass fishing aboard will fish from about Mother’s Day, May 10, into the first week or two of June. Trips will fish for sharks, and, at the canyons, tuna in June. The boat will fish for sea bass when sea bass season is open. Sea bass regulations are yet to be announced. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures.

<b>***Update, Thursday, 4/2:***</b> Cod, a handful of ling and a couple of pollock were booted aboard the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. Fishing was slow in the cold, 37- to 39-degree ocean. “We need spring to get springing,” he said. Actually, quite a few cod were hooked, but not a lot were keepers. Sometimes 40 or 50 were landed, and 15 of them were keepers. Some were large or 15 and 18 pounds. The ling fishing was very slow, and Butch hopes it becomes better. No pollock were caught the last couple of days aboard, but some were taken during the weekend’s trips. They weighed 4 or 5 pounds, just keeper-sized, not big. Trips fished in 130 feet to 200, and most life held in 130. No mackerel migrated the coast yet. Sometimes the boat will mix in mackerel fishing, along with the bottom-fishing, during the spring run. But the ocean will need to warm 10 degrees for mackerel to appear. A couple of commercial boats said they mostly landed porgies. They said a couple of commercials specifically sailed for mackerel, found none, and returned to port. One of the cod on the Dauntless had a tiny mackerel inside. Most of the cod were full of tiny sea bass. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

Striped bass and winter flounder were rounded up from Oyster Creek and the Toms River at Island Heights, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. He saw one white perch nabbed on the Toms. White perch also came from Forge Pond. Lots of small stripers scurried around both Oyster Creek and the Toms. A few boaters sailed Barnegat Bay during the weekend, easing aboard a few small stripers and sometimes flounder along Route 37 Bridge. Bait stocked includes bloodworms and fresh clams. Sandworms will arrive Tuesday. Chum logs are on hand. Shiners and killies are carried.  Murphy’s, open daily, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River. Go Fish is open Thursdays through Mondays.

<b>Forked River</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 4/2:***</b> <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b> is being moved to 103 Lacey Road in Forked River, the old Fishbonz Bait & Tackle, next to the German butcher, Kyle said. The store will probably be open for the season starting the weekend of April 11. Winter flounder and small striped bass were beaten at Oyster Creek at the Route 9 Bridge. That’s the warm-water discharge from Forked River power plant. The flounder inhaled bloodworms or sandworms, and the stripers jumped on the worms or soft-plastic lures.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

None of the boats from Barnegat Light fished yet, said Capt. Ted from the <b>Super Chic</b>. But one of the party boats might begin fishing this good Friday or during the weekend from the port, he thought. The Super Chic should be ready to fish by May, and will probably begin with wreck-fishing. Open-boat trips for tilefish will probably fish offshore May 16 and 24. Those trips sale each year aboard, and the angling’s been good on the outings. Telephone to reserve. Charters are also being actively booked for spring to fall. Anglers probably fished Oyster Creek for striped bass and winter flounder. Weather was cold this season, and was 23 degrees Sunday morning, when Ted left the house.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Wind blew Saturday, and the morning was 21 degrees, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Few fished during the weekend’s weather, and snow fell this morning. But a batch of small striped bass, all 18 inches, have been biting in Mullica River between Lower Bank Bridge and Green Bank Bridge. Occasionally one of the bass pushed keeper size, but nobody bagged a keeper there this season, he thought. Throwback stripers also bit at Graveling Point, but the angling was better last week than this. “I’m really anticipating that it’s going to have to happen,” he said. The annual, $100 gift certificate to the store remained up for grabs for the angler who weighs-in the year’s first keeper striper from Graveling. That’s the shore-angling spot at the confluence of the Mullica and Great Bay. Scott didn’t want to guess the water temperature there, because of conflicting reports. But the water had to reach the low 40 degrees, breaking the 30s. Green crabs began to be stocked, because blackfish season will be opened starting Wednesday. Fresh, shucked clams, live grass shrimp and minnows are carried. Lots of bloodworms are ordered to arrive Friday. <b>***Update, Thursday, 4/2:***</b> Lots of throwback stripers were banked at Graveling Point on Wednesday, a report on the shop’s website said. Customers bought bloodworms and fresh, shucked clams to fish there. “The first keeper is going to be here any day,” it said, and the water was 43 degrees. Fishing for plenty of throwbacks was better on Mullica River toward Hay Road. That’s the same area as between the Lower Bank Bridge and Green Bank Bridge mentioned above. White perch were in the mix there.

<b>Absecon</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 4/2:***</b> Throwback striped bass to 23 or 24 inches were heard about from Mullica and Great Egg Harbor rivers, said Curt from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Large, migrating stripers were yet to be reported, but the current full moon is when they usually begin to appear, and herring were reported to migrate the Great Egg. That was a good sign, he said, and the stripers around currently could be hooked on bloodworms, on a fish-finder rig along bottom, or lures that imitated herring or milroaches. A milroach is a golden shiner that swims the waters and that stripers often eat, along with herring. Lures with blue or black backs with golden or silver sides could work. Eels will begin to catch stripers by mid-month or late in the month on the rivers at places like the cuts on the Mullica. White perch were around, Curt said, and he’s a perch angler. The perch swim brackish rivers like those. Blackfish season was opened Wednesday for the month, but none was reported caught. Inshore water might be too cold for blackfish, and boaters might need to head farther off in the ocean to round some up. Fresh clams, bloodworms and eels are stocked. Curt was unsure whether the shop owner was going to order green crabs to carry for blackfishing. But if the crabs were going to be stocked, they’d be stocked Friday.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 4/2:***</b> Small blackfish, none big, were hooked along the jetties that line Absecon Inlet, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Clams and green crabs were fished for them, and blackfish season was opened Wednesday for the month. Striped bass, schoolies, were sometimes latched into in the back bay toward Harrah’s and off the T-jetty, at the ocean end of the inlet. Clams and bloodworms were dunked for them. All the baits mentioned and more are stocked. “We’re full board now,” he said, and the shop is open daily.

<b>Longport</b>

Cod fishing was weathered out this weekend on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. Open-boat trips had been planned to fish for them, and one of the trips fished last week on Sunday, pulling in some of the fish, covered in the last report. Blackfish season will be opened in April, and open blackfish trips will run 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily from Wednesday through April 9. Telephone to jump aboard. Water temperature jumped up to 42 and 43 degrees at the marina this weekend. Blackfish should snap, and Mike hopes some cod will be mixed in. Crabs were difficult to obtain from suppliers for blackfish bait. So Mike set out his pots, and had a few green crabs and hermit crabs. <b>***Update, Thursday, 4/2:***</b> Weather was beautiful, and the ocean was gorgeous, and the open trips aboard, mentioned above, began Wednesday, Mike said. That was opening day of blackfish season, and the trip’s anglers scored a few bites, a few scratches. No fish were landed, and the ocean was cold or 40 degrees, almost 41. But the angling will turn on any day, he said. A few shrimp baits were stolen, and clams and green crabs grabbed no bites. Not a single dogfish was seen, and that’s a positive, he said. The trip fished in 60 feet and 90 feet.  No trip will fish this Easter Sunday. 

<b>Ocean City</b>

White perch and small striped bass were known to be hooked from Great Egg Harbor and Tuckahoe rivers, mostly on bloodworms, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Was a quiet week for reports, he said, in cold weather, and snow fell this morning. Bloodworms and frozen baits are stocked.

Fishing will probably begin in early May on the party boat <b>Captain Robbins</b>, Capt. Victor said. The trips will probably wreck-fish for ling on the ocean. Sea bass will be fished for on the ocean, when sea bass season is opened, probably in June. New Jersey is expected to determine seasons and bag limits for sea bass at a meeting on April 9. The company’s other party boat, the <b>Miss Ocean City</b>, will begin fishing when flounder season is opened, probably in late May. The year’s flounder regs are also yet to be decided. The flounder trips will fish the back bay. Charters are starting to be booked on the boats, for large and small groups, for the fishing season.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Lots of bloodworms and fresh clams were stocked for last weekend, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. But weather was cold and windy, and no customers really showed up. Not even white perch were heard about, from brackish rivers. Recently, if weather wasn’t cold and windy, it was rainy. But the local party boat is supposed to fish starting Wednesday, opening day of blackfish season. Green crabs were difficult to obtain for blackfish bait, but the boat is supposed to begin fishing full-time then. Previously, a few anglers fished for the perch on Tuckahoe River, and some sailed for cod on the ocean, covered in the last report. The perching didn’t sound like it loaded up, but did catch some. One of the cod trips fished wrecks 30 miles from shore a short time, landing 38 cod, including eight keepers, a couple of ling and, Mike thought, a pollock or two, for two anglers. Not a bad catch, good numbers.

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 3/31:***</b> Fishing was a little behind, and weather was cold, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. In past years, he’s reeled his first striped bass of the year from the back bay in the first week of March sometimes. He’s currently sure the fish are there, but weather’s just too cold to make much of an effort at the angling. He’ll travel to the Florida Keys in the next days to trailer his flats boat back to Sea Isle City for the fishing season. The boat was in Florida for annual traveling charters to the Keys he offers each winter. He already splashed his larger boat, a 24-foot center console, for the year at Sea Isle. He also runs a 35-foot boat for offshore, big-game fishing from Sea Isle.  Joe didn’t know the bay’s current temperature, but if the water’s above 45 degrees, he’d be shocked, he said. Still, he’ll fish for the stripers when he returns, and is one of the first captains to catch stripers each year. Bluefish and weakfish migrate to the bay by mid-April. Water temperature never seems to affect the arrival much, and time of year seems the thing. His trips should fish for all three species by then, and the angling is some of the best of the year. Out-of-season summer flounder also migrate to the bay soon afterward, and will be caught and released on the trips. This will be one of the rare times to score a grand slam, a catch of all four of fishing’s popular species in the bay, on one trip. The stripers don’t migrate to the bay, but live there year-round. They’re younger, juvenile fish, yet to migrate. They begin biting when the bay becomes somewhat warmer than the coldest of winter. Joe’s trips will fish for all four species with soft-plastic lures, worked slowly along bottom, at first during the year, in the cool water. Places like creek mouths, pushing warmer water into the bay, on outgoing tides, will be fished. Afternoons, when the water has warmed, can fish best. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Avalon</b>

Capt. Jim from <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b> wrapped up guiding snow goose hunts for the season, he said. He scoped out the birds in the past week, and decided to discontinue the trips for the season. Now he’ll focus on fishing, when the catches pick up, probably two or three weeks away, at least. The campground with his summer place in Avalon will be opened April 15, and he might look around for fish starting then. The boat is ready to fish, including with one new motor this season, and the other motor that was new last year. Some of the year’s first charters usually fish for drum on Delaware Bay in May. Jim will also sail for striped bass this spring, if striper fishing kicks in. He might also fish for steelheads on upstate New York’s Salmon River in April from his lodge. That’s the best month for the angling, he thinks. Pennsylvania’s trout season will be opened Saturday. Fins and Feathers offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including saltwater fishing on Delaware Bay and the ocean, duck and goose hunting on Delaware Bay and in surrounding states, steelhead and salmon fishing on Salmon River from the lodge, and fly-fishing for trout on Pennsylvania’s streams like the Yellow Breeches.

<b>Cape May</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 4/2:***</b> Anglers fishing warm water at power plants tied into striped bass, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. But a few fished the sod banks in the back bay, sliding in throwback stripers, a few, on warmer days, on soft-plastic lures, worked slowly along bottom. The fish might be able to be popper-plugged when bait busts the water surface, though water was cold, early in the season. Water was 44 degrees at the Cape May ferry. Throwback stripers were angled along Delaware River and other rivers. Plenty of white perch often had to be fished through to reach stripers there. Later this spring, local surf anglers will nail stripers at places like Reed’s Beach, along Delaware Bay. Blackfish season was opened Wednesday for the month, and none caught was reported. Stripers might bite in deep, warmer water in the ocean. Whether they’d bite closer to shore yet was unknown. Bloodworms are supposed to be stocked this afternoon, and fresh clams are supposed to arrive Friday. For freshwater anglers, trout worms will be on hand for Saturday’s opening of trout season. The store is open daily, even if the hours will be flexible, depending on weather.

The party boat <b>Porgy IV</b> might begin fishing this Good Friday and Saturday, Capt. Paul said. No trip will fish this Easter Sunday, but starting next Monday, he expects trips to fish daily, when weather allows, and enough anglers want to sail. The trips will wreck-fish on the ocean, mostly for blackfish, but other fish, like cod and pollock, might turn up. Trips will try to take advantage of blackfish, while blackfish season is open in April. In other news, Paul heard about no striped bass caught at places like Delaware Bay. The newspaper said a few stripers began to be hooked in Delaware River. The Porgy IV fishes at 8 a.m.

Capt. George worked on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> this weekend, he said. That was on seasonal maintenance like waxing, after the boat was painted. No boats fished from the port yet this season that he knew about. He heard about no striped bass from Delaware Bay. But one of the mates from the boat banked six or seven throwback, 22- or 23-inch stripers on Delaware River, at Elsinboro from shore, on bloodworms. A friend on Sunday fished from Hatteras, North Carolina, on a trip that tackled five or six wahoos and some amberjacks and blackfin tuna. All the fish, including the amberjacks, were trolled. So the angling was good, and fish bit the whole time, and seas were 6 to 8 feet. Drum trips are beginning to be booked on the Heavy Hitter that fish on Delaware Bay, usually in May. Blackfish charters can sail in April, and blackfish season will be open that month. Striper charters could fish this spring, if the bass are around.

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