<b>Hudson River</b>

The river’s striped bass fishing slowed during the past couple of days, but was good previously, said Capt. Chuck from <b>Angler Sportfishing Charters</b>. The water became warm or 62 to 64 degrees, but the season was early for the fishing to end. Angler was going to try fishing for them at night yesterday.  This is fishing for the spawning migration of large, mature stripers, one of the best opportunities to land the biggest of the fish. Angler’s been fishing the run many years, and is also fishing from Staten Island, and see that report below.

<b>Staten Island</b>

Raritan Bay’s good striped bass fishing seemed to turn to bluefishing on Saturday, said Capt. Joe from <b>Outcast Charters</b>. A trip aboard that day fought many blues, big, to 10 pounds, and one striper, on chunked and livelined bunker. Outcast fishes from both Staten Island, N.Y., and Sewaren, N.J. New Jersey’s sea bass season will be opened starting May 27, and trips were already booked to sail for them with Outcast.   

Trips had to work for striped bass Friday and Saturday aboard, said Capt. Chuck from <b>Angler Sportfishing Charters</b>. The trips caught stripers, and a 22-pounder was biggest, while fishing from Raritan Bay to the ocean off Sandy Hook. But bluefish made catching stripers difficult. Large blues were abundant, grabbing hooks before stripers could. Stripers were trolled and chunked, on bunker and herring, in the mornings aboard. Livelined bunker only landed blues. All the anglers on Friday’s trip boated a keeper striper. The fishing was about the same on Saturday’s trip, and stripers stopped biting at 8:30 or 9 a.m. The trips tackled lots of fish. “Don’t get me wrong,” Chuck said. He was yet to run a night trip, and suspects night was best for striper catches. He’s very interested in fishing at night.  

<b>Keyport</b>

An open-boat trip Saturday with four anglers landed two keeper striped bass and a 60-pound drum on Raritan Bay with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. The drum was a beautiful fish, he said, and pounced on clam meant for stripers. A charter with six anglers Sunday pasted 10-pound bluefish, lots, on the bay. The group fished on Mother’s Day for the fourth year in a row, Joe thought, and had a great time, he said. Three spaces are available for an open trip for stripers Thursday, and room is available for open trips or charters Tuesday and Wednesday. Telephone to climb aboard. Weather and water temperature were becoming warm but very fishable. People should come out while it is.

Raritan Bay’s striped bass fishing was on and off, because of tons of blues that moved in, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Trips still bagged stripers, but picked through blues to hook them. 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 special open-boat trips. Also see the site’s open-trip page.

Striped bass fishing aboard had already limited out “with very nice fish,” Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an email at 9 a.m. today. In an email Sunday night, he said bluefish invaded Raritan Bay, affecting striper fishing. Only two keepers were managed on Saturday, and three on Sunday, aboard. Two trips on Thursday and the one trip that fished Friday limited out on stripers, and released many keeper-sized. The fish were large, up to 40 and 41 inches. The weekend’s slower striper fishing was because it was almost impossible to drop a bait in the water and not hook a blue. If anglers liked battling strong, wild, crazy fish non-stop, the bluefishing was for them. But stripers weren’t going to compete with the blues, feeding instead where they could avoid blues or during stages of tides when blues fed less heavily. “We will seek out these spots each and every trip,” he said, making every effort to catch stripers. Fluke season will open soon, beginning on May 22. Weekend dates for fluke charters should be booked now, and fill quickly. Open-boat trips will also fish for fluke. The next open trips for stripers are set for 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, May 20 and 21. The open trips for stripers have been filling quickly, so don’t delay to book. Check out photos of the “magnificent bass,” he said, on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/vitaminseafishing" target="_blank">Vitamin Sea’s Facebook page</a>. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The twice-daily trips sailed every day aboard, and not a lot of striped bass were around, but bluefish were, on Raritan Bay on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. The trips fought the blues, and though blues weren’t  the fish wanted, there was action. These were some big blues, to 18 pounds, incredible size. The anglers had fun with them, and occasionally landed a striper. The anglers could keep some bluefish fillets, if they wanted, or could release the fish. People seemed to like eating blues less than in the past, but if the dark meat was cut off, the fillets weren’t bad. The blues were hooked on clams provided aboard, and some angler brought bunker to fish for them. 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. The trips will switch to fluke when fluke season is opened beginning on May 22.

The biggest kind of bluefish flooded Raritan Bay in past days, Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. That wasn’t a bad thing, but getting past them to fish for striped bass was tough. The blues to 16 pounds gave up good action all weekend on the boat. Some stripers were belted on nighttime trips aboard, “when the blues went to sleep,” he said, but striper fishing was tough during daytime. “Still haven’t seen the long (male stripers) that usually follow the females in for the spawn,” he said. “No new bunker coming around the Point into the bay yet either.” He hoped that happened this week. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Trips are also striper fishing 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9 p.m. Sundays.

<b>Highlands</b>

Great fishing Saturday and Sunday aboard, Capt. Pete from <b>Fin-Taz-Tic Sportfishing</b> said. A load of blues were pounded on the trips, but stripers to 35 pounds were taken on Saturday’s trip. Fishing now needed to pick through blues, but if anglers worked hard, they’d catch stripers. Livelining bunker worked well on the stripers in the weekend’s fog, if the bunker could be obtained. But stripers were also trolled on Stretch 25 lures and Mojos, chunked on bunker and clammed. If anglers want to take children or first-timers, this is a terrific time, because they will catch. An angler who hadn’t fished in 25 years enjoyed himself on Sunday aboard.

<b>Belmar</b>

The year’s first fishing, for striped bass, sailed Saturday on the ocean to the south with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Pete said. Two striped bass, a 30-pounder and a 20-pounder, were trolled on Tony Maja’s bunker spoons. Afterward, all big bluefish, as many as anglers could want, were trolled. The trip searched for bunker to liveline for bait, at first, but fog prevented that. After that, the trolling began, at readings, and the stripers were caught immediately. Was a great first day, he said. The blues could’ve been jigged, but the trip was trying for stripers. Stripers were read underneath the blues, but getting a hooked past the blues was impossible. Two trips daily will begin fishing aboard this week. 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 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.

Boaters began to catch striped bass, a few, on the ocean in past days off Island Beach State Park, said Capt. Scott from <b>XTC Sportfishing</b>. Many bluefish schooled the water, and the stripers were trolled. One trip was known about that jigged and popper-plugged the blues. XTC will fish for the stripers this week, and will now begin to fish a lot for the fishing season. A trip Thursday afternoon bagged 20 cod to 15 pounds, a good catch. A trip Wednesday only landed blues 5 and 6 pounds, no stripers, on Raritan Bay.

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 5/12:***</b> From an edited email from the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>: “(We’re) a little behind on fishing reports, so here’s a recap. Over the weekend, we had really good fishing, (on Saturday for) mixed sizes of blues 6 to 12 pounds on Ava’s and Krocodiles … and on Sunday for the same-sized blues on Ava 27s and 47s, both plain and tailed, and Krocodiles.” Saturday’s trip fished the ocean south of Shark River Inlet, and Sunday’s fished the ocean off the inlet. On Monday, fishing was slow aboard, compared with the weekend. “There’s not much to report,” the email said, “other than we managed to catch some blues to 11 pounds.” But fishing turned excellent again on today’s trip. Blues 6 to 14 pounds were drilled on Ava 27s and 47s, plain and tailed, and gold Krocs. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for striped bass and bluefish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Bluefish, good catches were smoked Friday through Sunday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s website said. The fish to 14 pounds were jigged, sometimes as many as anglers could want. Twenty were hooked at once on some of Friday’s drifts. A few striped bass were caught aboard that day, when the bass rolled along the surface in several areas, and a few were jigged. Thursday’s trip picked at blues, and stripers were seen crashing bunker on the outing. Some of the bunker were livelined to the stripers, but bluefish kept chopping them up. Large bodies of stripers and blues seemed to move into the area, and now was the time to land them. The Golden Eagle is fishing at 7:30 a.m. daily.

<b>Brielle</b>

The party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> fished for striped bass and blues this weekend, in place of the Jamaica that was in the boat yard, the Jamaica II’s Facebook page said. Photos of big blues were posted on the page from the fishing. The Jamaica II will fish for cod and ling on 12-hour trips at 5 a.m. Wednesday and Sunday and will bottom-fish on a three-quarter-day trip at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, the page said.

What’s happening? Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b> was asked. “Bluefish,” he said. “Bluefish are what’s happening.” Blues swam everywhere. They were fought from Manasquan River at Route 70 Bridge to Manasquan Inlet. They were banked from the surf from Island Beach State Park to Sandy Hook. On the ocean, blues plagued boaters who trolled for striped bass. If anglers wanted to bend a rod, jumping on a party boat for blues was almost a guarantee. The blues were big, up to 18 pounds. A few striped bass were caught. In the surf, a few stripers were picked in early mornings, mixed in with blues, on metal-lipped swimming lures and popper plugs. Blues were fought from the surf all day, even into night. For boaters on the ocean, stripers were picked on occasion, among the blues, mostly in early mornings. A 41-1/2-pound striper was the biggest heard about from a boater, and a customer trolled the fish off Seaside Park on a bunker spoon. Cod fishing was up and down on the ocean. On some days, they bit, and on others, they didn’t. Boaters who sailed offshore trolled 40- or 50-pound yellowfin tuna and small bluefin tuna on ballyhoos with Joe Shute skirts or spreader bars. Occasional weakfish, not huge, but up to 5 pounds, began to be reported from Manasquan River. An angler would hook one by chance on a plug like a Savage Minnow or a Bomber 15A, mostly in late afternoon to evening or into dark. Catch the shop’s big Memorial Day weekend sale for savings on items including clothing, bucktails and offshore lures.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

On the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, anglers picked at ling, a few keeper cod, a few throwback cod and out-of-season blackfish throughout the weekend, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. The blackfish were released, and weather was foggy, but the ocean was “nice.” The Norma-K III is fishing for ling and cod 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Bluefish trips will begin to run 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. this Saturday and Sunday. Some blues were seen this weekend aboard, so Matt hoped they’d still be there this coming weekend. Bluefish trips will sail Friday through Sunday, May 22 through 24, during the same hours. That’s Memorial Day weekend, and the bluefish trips will fish daily starting on May 29. Trips will fluke fish beginning on May 22, opening day of fluke season, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Big bluefish remained from the surf to Barnegat Bay, John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s website. The number and size of the blues wasn’t this good in some years. Whether you prefer bait or lures, hit the beach! he said. They’d bite nearly anything, and striped bass were sprinkled in, in the surf. Anglers hooked them on cut baits and swimming plugs, if they could get past the blues. Was difficult to tell, because of the blues, but larger stripers seemed to move in than before. Sometimes stripers weighing from the mid-teens to the mid-20s were dragged from the surf, and sometimes stripers in the 20- to 30-pound class were boated from the ocean on trolled bunker spoons. One angler weighed-in an 18-1/2-pound striper that was bunker-chunked, putting the angler in the lead for the $50 gift card to the store. One of the cards will be awarded each month for the angler with the heaviest fish checked-in that month. Blues 5 to 19 pounds kept being weighed from the surf from Ortley Beach to Island Beach State Park on Saturday. On the bay, two anglers on one of the shop’s rental boats headed out this weekend, returning in 4 hours with six good-sized blues. “Not bad for their first trip of the season!” John said. 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>Mystic Island</b>

For shore anglers, bluefishing still produced at Graveling Point and Ohio Avenue, but not as many as for boaters at Grassy Channel, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. Graveling and Ohio are at the confluence of Great Bay and Mullica River, and Grassy is in the bay. The boaters could score lots better. Anchor, chum with bunker and fish with either bunker or swimming lures, popper plugs, spoons or nearly any lure. “Every couple throws we had fish on, doing that,” the report said. Striped bass should arrive in the local ocean soon, from farther south. When trolling for stripers with bunker spoons, let the spoons sink almost to bottom before kicking the boat into gear. If the spoons aren’t fished near bottom, bluefish will be hooked. “And the two bass that were caught doing that” weighed 35 pounds apiece, the report said. “(White) perch are starting to come down our way, so for anyone who likes to go around the creeks, you can give them a shot,” it said.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Hot fishing continued from the island, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. Bluefish 12 to 16 pounds “destroyed tackle” in the surf on the island’s north end Sunday morning, the shop’s Facebook page said. The blues began to be caught from the south end’s jetty later that morning, at 10 a.m., the page said at that time. Sometimes sizable striped bass were checked-in from the surf. That included a 17-1/2-pounder and a 19-pounder in past days. One customer clobbered a large blue from his dock on the bay. At 4 p.m. today, surf fishing “was very quiet the last couple of hours,” the Facebook page said. One angler had just weighed-in a 10-pound blue, saying the trip beached three blues and a keeper striper. Those fish and another angler’s striper were the only catches heard about through 4 p.m. today, the last time news was posted on the page today. “We have to give the fish a day to rest up and recuperate for their next feeding,” the page said.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Many big bluefish, massive, kept hitting for shore anglers from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>, Noel said. They fished from places like the T-jetty, elsewhere along Absecon Inlet and at the Vermont Avenue jetty. Many striped bass were landed in the same waters, and bigger ones began to be hooked than before. Fishing for big stripers, when the run arrives, is going to be the best ever, Noel thinks, based on how fishing looks now. That’s so long as a storm doesn’t knock out the fishing. In past years, one of the state’s largest concentrations of big stripers filled these waters. The fish seemed to come from rivers, after spawning, and spawning was probably finishing now. The blues and stripers were currently cracked on fresh bunker, fresh clams, bloodworms, Tsunami popper lures, Daiwa SP Minnows and bucktails. The Tsunamis were the best lures, and caught at sunset. Lots of bunker schooled all the waters. A few weakfish began to be lifted from the inlet off Melrose and Madison avenues. Out-of-season summer flounder began to bite and be released. The flounder season will be opened starting May 22, and the shore anglers will then nail the flatfish off Harrah’s and the sea wall at Gardner’s Basin. One Stop also owns a shop at Gardner’s. All the baits mentioned and more, the full supply, are stocked.

<b>Longport</b>

On the <b>Stray Cat</b>, bluefish were smashed this weekend on the ocean at two pieces on trips, Capt. Mike said. The 6- to 8-pounders were hooked along bottom on bait, and lots of out-of-season, good-sized sea bass bit. Sea bass season will be opened beginning on May 27, and the Stray Cat will steam right after them. Herring, mackerel and squid were fished, and plenty of dogfish bit. The ocean was 58 degrees, and the days were foggy. Open-boat trips will fish for summer flounder on the back bay at 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. daily from May 22 through 26, for only $25 per angler. Rental rods will be free, and anglers are whacking and releasing the flatfish already. The flounder season will be opened starting May 22, and open trips for sea bass will be launched on opening day of sea bass season. Again, that’s on May 27. Bluefish also swarmed all over the bay, including along the sod banks and the 9th Street Bridge, and off the power plant. Anglers slammed blues at Corson’s Inlet all weekend. Only a couple of Saturdays remain in July for charters, and only a couple do for August. Also, if anglers have a group of 15 or 20 and want a fund raiser or picnic aboard, give a call.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Fishing aboard will begin on May 22 for the season, said Capt. Victor from the party boats <b>Captain Robbins</b> and <b>Miss Ocean City</b>. That’s opening day of summer flounder season, and trips will run daily for the flatfish on the back bay. Sea bass fishing will begin on May 27, opening day of sea bass season, aboard the ocean. Trips will fish for both then.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

A trip with three anglers was fly-rodding bluefish to larger than 10 pounds, all big, on the back bay aboard Sunday evening, when Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> gave this report in a phone call on the boat, he said. Out-of-season summer flounder were also hooked and released on the flies, Clouser Minnows, and things were good, he said. The trip actually ran across tailing blues, like redfish, in shallows, and sight-fished to the blues. The anglers actually spotted individual blues and cast to them. Joe has only seen that a couple of times before, and the blues weren’t this big. This spring’s blues were large. The flies were fished on 60-pound fluorocarbon shock tippets, because of the bluefish teeth. Sometimes the 60-pound wasn’t strong enough, and the blues bit through the line. Considerably fewer blues would be landed if wire tippets were used. Other trips aboard fished jigs with soft-plastic lures on the fluoro. A trip aboard Saturday afternoon with four anglers Mohawked the blues to 12 pounds, all big, with flounder to 4 pounds mixed in, on the jigs, on the bay. A trip that morning on the bay also whaled the blues and some flounder on the jigs. Get the bluefishing while it’s hot, Joe said. They will depart. Flounder trips should be booked now for when flounder season is opened beginning on May 22. Flounder fishing is best in the early season in South Jersey’s warm, shallow back bays. 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> plans to fish for drum on Delaware Bay this weekend, Capt. Jim said. Then trips will probably keep after them this month, and will begin summer flounder fishing on May 22, opening day of the flounder season. The fishing should be good in the back bay then, and flounder trips are some of the primary fishing that Fins does. Trips will hunt them on the ocean this summer, when warming water causes the fluke to migrate there. Fins fishes from the back bay to the ocean to Delaware Bay. When angling on Delaware Bay, the boat is trailered and launched wherever’s closest to the bite. To fish the back bay and ocean, the boat departs from the slip at Avalon. Jim spent this weekend becoming water-rescue certified. Fins offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including saltwater fishing, duck and goose hunting on Delaware Bay and in nearby states during the waterfowl seasons, salmon and steelhead fishing on New York’s Salmon River from Jim’s lodge, and fly-fishing for trout on Pennsylvania’s streams like the Yellow Breeches. Saltwater fishing in summer includes inshore trips for tuna and other pelagics, like mahi mahi, wahoos and bonito.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Anglers, a bachelor party, wanted to wreck-fish on the ocean Saturday and Sunday with <b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b>, Capt. Jim said. But a few drum began to be boated from Delaware Bay, and trips aboard will target them. The drum fishing just began, and usually peaks in mid-May, though the bites began earlier last year. A few drum were heaved from the Delaware side of the bay last week. But they began to be caught this weekend on both the Delaware and New Jersey sides. The boat fishes every day, if enough anglers want to sail, and reservations aren’t required but suggested. Telephone for availability. Jim will try to fish for drum as much as possible, but if a group wants to fish for striped bass, that’s available. Sometimes stripers can be mixed in, during drum fishing, biting the clams for bait. If trips strictly striper fish, bunker is usually the bait. The wreck-fishing reeled in lots of fish, and that’s what the anglers wanted: action. But the abundant fish on wrecks are mostly out-of-season. Many out-of-season blackfish, including good-sized, were released. So were sea bass, including sizable, and sea bass season will be opened soon, beginning on May 27. A throwback cod and an out-of-season porgy were tossed back. The trips fished different wrecks, in fog both days, moving from wrecks just to move. Plenty of fish schooled. Jim encourages anglers to become involved politically, if anglers disagree with fishing regulations, like the blackfish season that was closed starting on May 1. Blackfish hardly bit in cold water then. Or like the sea bass season that’s closed, while sea bass are biting. Get online and write your politicians. In other news, big, slammer bluefish filled the back bay at Wildwood. Blues aren’t usually that big in the bay. Out-of-season summer flounder, including big, bit and were released in the back bay. The flatfish season will be opened beginning on May 22.

<b>Cape May</b>

The <b>Heavy Hitter</b> sailed for drum on Delaware Bay on Saturday, Capt. George said. The fishing was okay, and one was landed, and three or four were missed. Three or four caught should’ve been totaled, and the New Jersey side of the bay was fished. Most boats in the fleet picked up a couple of drum. A few drum were seen caught on surrounding boats. The fish weighed 25 pounds, and drummed away, could be heard. The angling was reportedly good Friday night. The water was 66 degrees during the fishing on the Heavy Hitter, and was 63 on the ride back to port, because of colder ocean water on incoming tide. This was the beginning of drum fishing, and charters aboard fish for them in May. Telephone if interested.

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