<b>Hudson</b>

The river’s striped bass fishing was slow, and a few smaller stripers swam at Kingston, said Capt. Chuck from <b>Angler Sportfishing Charters</b>. But the migration of large stripers will probably arrive within the next week. The migration, the run of large, mature breeders, arriving to spawn, is one of the best opportunities to land the biggest stripers. He’s fished the migration many years. Chuck ran a striper trip on Raritan Bay from Staten Island today that pelted six stripers to 18 or 20 pounds along eastern Reach Channel on bunker spoons. All kinds of bunker schooled. The bay’s temperature was rising somewhat, and Chuck wouldn’t be surprised if larger stripers arrive in the bay within the next week, too. Angler Sportfishing fishes both the river, from Saugerties, and the bay, from Staten Island, this season.

<b>Keyport</b>

Lots of throwback striped bass turned out action on Raritan Bay, good fishing, and more and more keepers seemed to bite, as water warmed, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>. The angling should keep improving, now that the new moon passed. Twenty to 35 of the shorts, and two to five keepers, were reeled aboard per trip. The bay’s surf anglers banked lots of stripers at places like Cliffwood or Union beaches. Charters are fishing, 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.  Another boat was added for trips with Down Deep Sportfishing. The Down Deep Bull is a 42-foot Willis Beal Downeaster, certified for 15 passengers. Charters are available, and open-boat trips will fish daily, on the vessel. The crew will also still run the original Down Deep, a 40-foot Custom Duffy. 

Throwback striped bass outnumbered keepers in Raritan Bay, but stripers were around for action, said Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>. The bay warmed enough for the fish to be caught, and as the water keeps warming, even more will probably be cranked in. Joe saw bunker in the water, and marked good readings of bait. Charters are booked to clam for the stripers this weekend. After today’s rainstorm, space is available for charters or open-boat trips for the bass the rest of the week. Open trips are available daily when no charter is booked and enough anglers want to fish, and telephone to jump aboard.

Raritan Bay’s striped bass fishing was pretty good during the weekend, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an email. Two to three dozen schoolie stripers, mostly 24- to 26-inchers, were landed per trip, and almost as many bites were missed. Keepers were more difficult to come by, and one keeper per trip was bagged. But that’s about to change, because bigger stripers, fish that migrated in, fed nocturnally in the bay, and will begin to eat during daytime, now that the new moon passed, and the water warmed somewhat. The schoolie stripers provided great action, and boded well for striper fishing in the future. Weather looks good for the week, with west wind forecast the whole time. That direction is good for the bay’s fishing. Charters are booked daily during daytime through this weekend. But openings are available for 2:30 to 8:30 p.m. charters, and for an open-boat trip Thursday, during those hours, the “working man” open trip. Telephone to reserve.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Better bite on Saturday’s striped bass trip on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. More keepers were decked than before, and the fishing turned on, once outgoing tide began. As many as three stripers were hooked at once, at times, and the angling was a better pick than on Friday. Friday’s trip was the year’s first to fish aboard, and was covered in the last report here, in an update. On Saturday’s trip, the water was 56 degrees at one area, 4 degrees higher than on Friday. Saturday’s trip’s fishing had its lulls, but the angling lasted until the end of the tide. A 12-pound striper won the pool, and an 11-pounder came in second. A bunch of shorts bit, and the hot hand reeled up about 10 stripers. No report was posted for Sunday, at press time. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Beginning Friday, trips will also striper fish 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9 p.m. Sundays.

On the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, striped bass fishing was best on Sunday afternoon’s trip, Capt. Tom said. The trip hadn’t fished 5 minutes, when its biggest striper was bagged. The trip ended up with nine keepers and 15 throwbacks. A couple of anglers bagged two apiece, and most of the trip’s anglers at least landed a throwback. A couple landed two or three throwbacks and no keepers apiece. A couple caught nothing. A striper would be caught, and then the anglers would wait, and another would be caught, and so on. The boat began fishing for stripers on Friday. The fishing was no good on Friday’s trips through Saturday morning’s. On Saturday afternoon’s, two keepers and two throwbacks were totaled. On Sunday morning’s, many stripers were dropped. One angler missed five or six, losing one throwback at the boat. Then the angling was best on Sunday afternoon’s trip, described above. All the stripers were clammed on the trips. No trip was expected to fish today in the storm. 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>***Update, Tuesday, 4/21:***</b> No trips fished Monday aboard, because of weather, Tom said. Too few anglers showed up to sail on this morning’s trip, and apparently the rainstorm Monday kept more from showing up. But this afternoon’s trip fished, picking stripers. A few keepers were already had, he said, when he gave this report in a phone call during the outing. Probably twice as many throwbacks were tossed back, and a couple of stripers were missed. It’s a pick of fish, he said, but the bass were hooked.

<b>Highlands</b>

With <b>Fin-Taz-Tic Sportfishing</b>, Saturday was a great trip, Capt. Pete said. More than 30 striped bass, including six keepers to 14 pounds, were plowed aboard from Raritan Bay. They were mostly clammed, and a couple were trolled. Many boats filled the water, but if a trip found stripers and cracked clams overboard to keep the fish behind the boat, stripers were caught. Many stripers filled the bay now, and the back of the bay reached more than 50 degrees. Plenty of bait schooled, and birds worked the water a little.  Charters and open-boat trips are fishing.

<b>Belmar</b>

Fishing was kicked off for the season on Saturday, a beautiful, warm, sunny day with calm seas, on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s website said. A gang of anglers joined the trip. “I only saw a few short stripers being caught,” the report said. But the water reached 51 degrees in the afternoon, and plenty of bait had migrated to the area, and striper fishing should break open soon. The boat will be docked through Friday for final maintenance to be completed for the season. Trips will fish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 or 3 p.m. daily starting Saturday.

Monster striped bass to 35 pounds were plastered Sunday morning on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, “just north of our inlet,” an email from the vessel said. Three or four were hooked at once, at times, and the trip’s stripers smacked anything thrown at them, from jigs to Krocodile spoons and rubber shads. Only a handful of the stripers hooked were throwbacks, and some of the anglers limited out, including on a bonus-tag striper. The previous day, Saturday’s, trip fished Raritan Bay, but that didn’t produce. A handful of stripers, none keepers, were caught. The Miss Belmar Princess will begin fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily starting Wednesday for stripers and blues.

<b>XTC Sportfishing</b> will probably begin charters in the beginning of May or in the middle of the month, Capt. Scott said. The boat will be hauled from the water a few days this week for seasonal maintenance. He hopes the first charters are for striped bass on the ocean. A friend said a friend trolled a 30-pound striper on the ocean near Manasquan on a spoon in past days. Stripers from Raritan Bay were the only boated that were heard about otherwise.  Blackfishing was fairly good, and Scott would like to blackfish before the tautog season is closed after this month. Maybe he’ll do that once the boat is back from the maintenance.

Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> was waiting for one part for the boat before the vessel was ready to sail, he said. He hopes to begin fishing this weekend for the season. If that happens, the boat could fish for cod, but if striped bass fishing breaks open in the ocean, the boat could sail for stripers. If a few warm, calm days like Saturday happened in a row, that could begin the striper angling. But cooler or rougher weather, like on Sunday and today, kept interrupting better weather like Saturday’s. Bunker schooled the ocean, and a few stripers probably swam the ocean. A 40-pound striper was reportedly boated in the back of Raritan Bay, but that was unconfirmed. Striper charters are booking up with Parker Pete’s for this spring. Cod fishing currently was better on some days than others. A few blackfish were picked away at. Pete saw boaters begin plucking winter flounder from Shark River in front of the party boats, while he worked on his boat. That angling seemed to turn on a little, after it was slow previously. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Contact Parker Pete’s anyway, about individual spaces available on charters. “We’ll get you out,” he said. Jump on <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a> to subscribe to the email blast to be kept informed about the spaces. Look for the place to sign up on the right side of the page, where it says Join Our Newsletter.  <b>***Update, Monday, 4/20:***</b> Stripers were heard about that were boated from the ocean just off Shark River Inlet, Pete wrote in an email this afternoon. The migration was on the move. <b>***Update, Wednesday, 4/22:***</b> Stripers are here, Pete wrote in an email! Four spots remained on Saturday, May 9, for a charter who needed anglers. The trip will sail 2:30 to 9 p.m., and more spaces like that are coming up.

Winter flounder fishing picked up in Shark and Manasquan rivers this past week, Bob from <b>Fishermen’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Warmer water got the fish feeding, and some blackfish were nabbed at Shark River Inlet. That seemed a good sign for the coming week. Good reports about striped bass fishing rolled in from Raritan Bay and Barnegat Bay. “Some good fish taken on plugs … plenty of bunker have the fish on the move,” he said. Customers traveled to Delaware River for success on shad. Lots of options for fishing now, he said. <b>***Update, Tuesday, 4/21:***</b> The year’s first stripers were weighed-in, Bob wrote in an email. Spinelli Jackson plugged the stripers, a 24-pounder and a 23-pounder, from Raritan Bay’s shore on a Daiwa SP Minnow and released four more. Two of those released were larger than the bass he weighed.

<b>Brielle</b>

On the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, anglers picked away at cod and ling, “again,” Capt. Joe wrote in an email. That was on Saturday at wrecks and reefs 20 miles from shore. Bob Bullock from Bergenfield won the pool with a 26-pound cod. He and sons left with cod, pollock and ling. Ed Nolan from Manasquan iced four cod and five ling. The boat will be in the yard this week for bottom-painting and new, high-speed props, and should resume fishing on Wednesday, April 29. Then the same schedule as before will continue: 12-hour wreck-fishing trips for cod and ling every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. <b>***Update, Wednesday, 4/22:***</b> The boat yard was canceled for another week, the Jamaica II’s Facebook page said. So the vessel will fish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday through Saturday – for striped bass! Big stripers were caught this week. “Let’s go get ‘em,” it said.

The year’s first striped bass trolled from the ocean was checked-in at <b>The Reel Seat</b>, Dave said. The 27-pounder swiped a bunker spoon off Sea Girt. Lots of bunker schooled the ocean, and surf anglers picked away at small stripers, mostly on clams, but a few on plugs. The year’s first few bluefish, 2-pounders, were hooked from Manasquan River. Nothing was heard about stripers from back waters locally, like the river. Winter flounder fishing became slow locally, was much better a couple of weeks ago. Dave wasn’t asked where the fish might be located now, like whether they migrated to the river from Barnegat Bay, or seemed to reach the ocean. Previously, the flatfish were caught from the bay near Mantoloking Bridge. They migrate from the bay, swimming through Point Pleasant Canal, to the river, to reach the ocean. On the ocean, boaters picked away at cod and a few more ling than before. Blackfish began to bite a little on the trips, but dogfish also started to hit. The Reel Seat is now open seven days a week for the fishing season. A bunch of new tackle is arriving. Catch the store’s next free seminar at 9 a.m. Sunday, on tying flies and teasers with Jerry Fabiano, formerly from RV Lures.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Lots of life was found on all wrecks fished Saturday with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. Smaller cod and pollock, lots, were sifted through to drill keepers, and two dozen solid keepers, to 25 pounds, were smashed. The fish were hooked on bait and jigs, and weather was beautiful. Cod trips were weathered out aboard the two surrounding days, Friday and Sunday. A couple of spaces are available for an open-boat cod trip this Sunday.  Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures.

Wow! Capt. Matt from the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> wrote about Saturday in a report on the vessel’s website. What a day to be on the water, he said. Weather was warm, seas were calm, and cod bit for customers. They picked away at some keepers and shorts, “nothing fast and furious, but enough to keep you interested,” he said. A few were pumped in at almost every drop. A few were also broken off. Fresh clams caught most, and jigs and teasers hooked a few throwbacks. A 15-pound cod was the pool-winner. On Sunday’s trip, weather was somewhat cooler, but the day was another nice one on the water, he said. The ocean was nice, he said, and the anglers picked away at cod, some good-sized, and some shorts, again. Clams took all the fish, and Gary Carvatt, Bridgewater, won the pool with a 25-pounder. Most anglers left the trip with cod, and a few only boated throwbacks. Today’s trip was expected to be weathered out. The Norma-K III is fishing for cod, blackfish and ling 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

A few throwback striped bass were tugged from the surf at Island Beach State Park, mostly on clams, John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s website. Fresh clams, fresh bunker and bloodworms 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, a café and a dock for fishing and crabbing.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Fishing on the <b>Super Chic</b> will probably begin in mid-May for the year, Capt. Ted said. That will probably start with bluefishing, and maybe striped bass fishing, if stripers are in. He hopes sea bass will swim inshore, by the time sea bass season is opened, so trips can sail for them. Sea bass season is probably going to begin on May 27. New Jersey is recommending that date, and the federal government, the final authority, usually approves the recommendation. Stripers caught from Raritan Bay were the only heard about so far this season. No bluefish were heard about yet, but some probably began to swim bays. Bays were warm enough.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Lots of throwback striped bass continued to be reported from Graveling Point, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. That’s the shore-angling spot at the confluence of Great Bay and Mullica River, and bigger stripers were talked about from up the Mullica. Several drum 25 pounds were weighed-in, and the number reported caught at Graveling and nearby Pebble Beach, also a shore-angling place, was increasing. The annual $100 gift certificate remained up for grabs for the year’s first angler to stop in with a bluefish from Graveling or Pebble. Blues were expected there soon.

<b>Brigantine</b>

The year’s first keeper striped bass from Brigantine’s surf was weighed-in Sunday at <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>, a report on the shop’s website said. Anthony Daversa won the shop’s $50 gift certificate for the 23-pound 38-3/4-incher. Another $50 certificate is up for grabs for the year’s first boater to check-in a keeper. Several throwback stripers were reported banked from the surf, and a 35-pound drum was released from the beach.

<b>Longport</b>

Open-boat trips will blackfish Wednesday and Friday on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, weather permitting, Capt. Mike said. Afterward, mostly charters will be booked for the fishing season. Charters include special trips for tuna and wahoos, including a 12-hour one, and a 16-hour one that fishes the canyons in a day.  For the current blackfishing, Mike’s crab hotels have been packed with crabs for bait, mostly green crabs, and a few calicoes, white leggers and hermits. Crabs have been scarce on many boats and at stores, because water has been cold for suppliers to the north, who usually provide them. The ocean locally was 47 to 48 degrees.  Looking ahead, a marathon trip will fish deep-water wrecks for summer flounder and sea bass 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Fourth of July.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 4/21:***</b> A few weakfish showed up in the back bay, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. He heard about a couple caught, and didn’t know the size. But large weaks migrate to bays this time of year to spawn. The arrival was about a week late, and the migration of bluefish to the bay was impending. Joe knew about none appearing yet. Striped bass, mostly schoolies, were around in the bay. They swim the bay year-round, and he’s already fishing for them. He’ll soon sail for all three species, and the bay will light up with fishing for them, some of the year’s best angling. All three of the fish can often be caught in a trip for a time in spring. Joe at first during the season fishes for all with soft-plastic lures worked slowly along bottom, because of cool water. Outgoing tides in afternoons can fish best, because the water is warmer then. But Joe might clam for the stripers on a couple of trips this weekend. Summer flounder will migrate to the bay soon, too. Then all four species, called a grand slam, can be caught in a trip. Catching three of the species is called a slam. Flounder are out of season, and the season is yet to be announced, but will probably be opened in late May. Until then, the flatfish are released. In other news, a few stripers were beached from the surf, not hot and heavy, Joe said, but the bass began to bite. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The party boats <b>Captain Robbins</b> and <b>Miss Ocean City</b> will be splashed in mid-May, Capt. Victor hopes, he said. The boats are undergoing spring maintenance, and fishing aboard will probably begin with summer flounder fishing on the back bay on the Miss Ocean City starting May 22, when flounder season will probably be opened, and sea bass fishing on the ocean starting May 27, when sea bass season will probably be opened. The federal government will need to give final approval to those opening dates, but usually does.

<b>Avalon</b>

Capt. Jim from <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b> tried for striped bass on the back bay on Saturday night, but none bit, he said. The tide fished was perfect, from 2 hours before the tide until 1 ½ hours after, and the water looked like a pond, perfect conditions, until wind picked up, when the tide changed. Rat-L-Traps and Fin-S Fish were fished along the sod banks from Stone Harbor and Avalon to the Townsend’s Inlet Bridge. A couple of good spots were fished, and fish marked were scattered, three or four together at a time. No big schools of them, and not much bait, was marked. Bunker were rumored to swim the area, but none was seen. The trip returned to port at midnight. Jim talked with someone who stopped at the Avalon jetty on the ocean late one morning this weekend. The person met a couple of anglers at the jetty who said they picked up a few throwback stripers from the surf at the jetty early that morning. The person, who hadn’t intended to fish, then grabbed a rod from his vehicle, giving the angling a shot, but nothing bit. Early morning apparently needed be fished to catch there, at the time. Fins and Feathers will fish for drum on Delaware Bay in May. Trips will striper fish on the ocean or bay aboard this season, if stripers give up a fishery there. Fins offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including saltwater fishing from the ocean to Delaware Bay and the back bay, duck and goose hunting on Delaware Bay and in nearby states, salmon and steelhead fishing on upstate New York’s Salmon River from Jim’s lodge, and fly-fishing for trout on Pennsylvania’s streams, like the Yellow Breeches.

<b>Wildwood</b>

<b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b> blackfished Saturday, and catches were slow, and a bunch of dogfish bit, and wind blew against tide the whole trip, terrible conditions, Capt. Jim said.  A handful of blackfish were had, and the dogs bit the bottom out of the boat. Wind canceled fishing aboard Sunday. Weather looks rough for trips until later this week. When trips resume, they can sail for blackfish or striped bass, whichever anglers prefer. Stripers could even be targeted in the back bay. The passing of the new moon will trigger some stripers to depart rivers. When stripers are within range in the ocean or Delaware Bay, the boat will sail for them.

<b>Cape May</b>

Kevin Driscoll’s charter togged on southern Delaware Bay on Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Many throwbacks and six or seven keepers were swung aboard. All the blackfish were caught on clams, and no green crabs were available from stores. Water was too cold for suppliers to trap the crabs. Most suppliers are from farther north, and the bay on the trip was in the high 40 degrees to low 50s. The Heavy Hitter did no fishing Sunday, and none of the fleet did, in sustained wind that probably blew 20 or 25 knots. Fishing aboard is supposed to tog this weekend. Other boats landed cod 30 miles from shore. Lots of the cod were just undersized or 18 or 20 inches, and a few keepers were mixed in. Charters are booking up to fish for drum on Delaware Bay in May on the Heavy Hitter. A tackle shop said a few drum were banked from shore at Reed’s Beach on the bay. Drum surely swam the bay, but never bite for boaters until the bay reaches a certain temperature. The shop said a few small stripers were banked at the mouth of Bidwell Creek.  The Heavy Hitter will sail for stripers if the fish can be boated within range of Cape May this season.

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