<b>Keyport</b>

Larry Clouse’s charter fought many bluefish to 10 pounds and bagged an 18-pound striped bass aboard Raritan Bay on Monday, said Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>. The fish were hooked on chunks of bunker, began biting that, though clams that the fish bit before were also carried aboard. The boat is booked with charters today through Sunday, and space is available for charters and open-boat trips starting Monday. Open trips are available daily, when no charter is booked, and enough anglers want to fish. Telephone to jump aboard.

Good bassing this morning, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an email aboard at 10 a.m. That was apparently on Raritan Bay, and the striped bass included a 35-pounder shown in a photo in the email.

Raritan Bay’s striped bass fishing was becoming good again, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Lots of blues still bit, but plenty of stripers did, to keep anglers happy, he said. The trips aboard fished the bay closer to the ocean now, and stripers will probably school the ocean in a week or two. 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-boat trips, including special ones, including for fluke and sea bass, when the seasons for those fish are opened starting on May 22 and 27, respectively. Also see the site’s open-trip page.

Bluefish teemed Raritan Bay, for both shore anglers and boaters, said Joey from <b>Joey’s Bait Shack</b>. From the shore, bunker or metal tied into them, and for both the beach anglers and boaters, the bay’s striped bass fishing slowed somewhat, because the blues often couldn’t be fished through. The boaters fished bunker or trolled Stretch 25 lures for the bass. A few stripers, none “to brag about,” were seen from the shore. Baits stocked include fresh bunker and fresh clams. All fluke baits will be stocked next week for the opening of fluke season starting on May 22, next week on Friday. Joey hoped that would include killies.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Boaters hit striped bass on Raritan Bay on bunker chunks, and lots of bluefish flooded the water, but stripers were caught, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. On some days, the bass were also boated at Flynn’s Knoll, at the mouth of the bay. The bay’s shore anglers fought blues, sometimes a striper. Ocean surf anglers wormed and clammed stripers. Stripers were wormed on Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers, including at the Rumson Bridge and at Red Bank. Nighttime fished better, because of fewer blues. But the bass could be hooked all day, during moving tides. Ocean bottom-fishing was becoming good. Ling catches picked up on the trips, and a few cod were hung. Blackfish bit on the trips, though blackfish season was closed starting May 1. Whether out-of-season sea bass bit was unknown, but they probably did. Sea bass season will be opened starting May 27. All baits are stocked. “Everything,” Jimmy said.

Mostly bluefish were crushed, and an occasional striped bass was landed, on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. The trips fished Raritan Bay, and no bass were decked on some of the outings, and some trips fished better than others, and there was no pattern. The blues were big, and up to 18-pounders were fought aboard. Some anglers kept the blues to eat, and some released them. The blues really weren’t bad, if cooked right. Clams supplied aboard caught, and some anglers brought bunker to fish. Wire leaders were fished, because of the toothy blues, and a couple of stripers were even hooked on the wire, “though that might seem strange,” Tom said. The Atlantic Star is fishing on two trips daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. The trips will fluke fish when fluke season is opened beginning on May 22. <b>***Update, Saturday, 5/16:***</b> The trip this morning gave up a little bit of a pick of bluefish, Tom said.  Fishing on this afternoon’s trip started slowly, but developed into a decent pick of blues. One throwback striper was released on the outing, but so was a 9-pound 9-ounce fluke. An 18-inch fluke was also let go. The fluke were interesting, because the boat will begin fluking Friday, opening day of fluke season. Action with blues remained good on trips.

Late bite in overtime, Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> wrote about Wednesday’s trip aboard, in a report on the vessel’s website. At quitting time, he decided to sail to a new area, and the biggest kind of bluefish were hammered, as soon as the boat was stopped. Catches were non-stop for the extra hour. The trip at first landed a few blues, then moved around to find better fishing. A 15-pound striper, the pool-winner, was bagged at one place, where five other big stripers were lost, and a short was landed. A few stripers began to show up in the ocean that Ron heard about, so he hoped that would give up a couple of new places to fish. Tuesday’s trip put out good action, including a few sizable stripers on bunker throughout the outing, when anglers could fish through blues. A 15-pound striper was the pool-winner. Monday’s trip served up some non-stop action. The fish included the 24-pound, pool-winning striper, and a 22-pounder that was second biggest. Probably 200 blues were released. Trips were “going through” some nets, because blues were netted, not gaffed, unless anglers wanted to keep them. “Great action, great fun, come give it a try,” Ron wrote about the fishing. 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>

<b>Fin-Taz-Tic Sportfishing</b> is boating striped bass, mostly on bunker chunks, Capt. Pete said. The trips caught in Raritan Bay early in the week on the bait, but nailed some of the fish recently on the ocean on Tournament Grade Tackle bunker spoons and M&M Lures umbrella rigs. Lots of bluefish swarmed all around, and will probably remain so abundant about a week in these waters.  About two charter openings are available on weekends in the near future. Open-boat trips are fishing on weekdays.

Paul and Maddy Hess on the Boudicca clammed striped bass and blues at the West Bank in Raritan Bay today, Marion from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b> wrote in an email. Twin Lights, located on Shrewsbury River near Raritan Bay and the ocean, with no bridges before them, includes a marina with boat slips and dry storage, a fuel dock, and a combined bait and tackle shop and ship’s store. Bait stocked includes live bunker when available and in demand. The fuel dock is available 24 hours a day with a credit card. 

<b>Neptune</b>

Coast Guard inspections were completed on the boat this past week, and <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> will resume fishing this weekend, Capt. Ralph wrote in an email. The most recent trips fished for striped bass on Raritan Bay and cod on the ocean, covered in previous reports here. Trips in June will mostly fish for sea bass, sometimes for fluke. An individual-reservation trip for sea bass is full on May 27, opening day of sea bass season. Space is available on another on May 28. Individual-reservation trips will sail for sea bass and fluke every Tuesday in June. Fifteen sea bass will be the bag limit from opening day through June. Two will be the limit in July, and the season will be closed afterward, reopening from October 21 through the end of the year, with a 15-fish limit. Charters are available daily, and most weekends are full, except in afternoons, this month and in June. Book weekend charters now for July through September, while dates are available.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>***Update, Saturday, 5/16:***</b> A couple of striped bass were finally weighed from the surf, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Andy Yourth from Shark River Surf Anglers checked-in a 16-pound 8-ouncer, and Tommy Cook from the club brought in a 14-pound 8-ouncer. “Blues still are top fish in our area, but things are starting to look up for bass,” Bob said. Some big were reported trolled from the ocean. Not a lot were, “but a good sign,” he said. All the bait and tackle, and the rental boats, are ready for Friday’s opening of fluke season. The rental boats are used to fish Shark River for the flatfish.

<b>***Update, Saturday, 5/16:***</b> Bluefishing was good from the start on Friday on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the boat said. Fishing the ocean north of Shark River Inlet, scattered readings were marked “in a nice area, and we held a good amount of fish on,” it said. Sometimes only one or two of the blues, 6- to 14-pounders, were fought at once. But sometimes the blues bit on good, long drifts, and the day was great, overall. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. 

All the blues you wanted, a report said about today’s fishing on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, on the vessel’s website. The fish weighed 5 to 10 pounds and were hooked on jigs and Krocodiles. No report was posted for yesterday, Wednesday, maybe because weather prevented fishing, and bluefishing was good aboard in previous days. Weather looked good for trips today through the weekend, and the Golden Eagle is fishing at 7:30 a.m. daily.

<b>Brielle</b>

<b>***Update, Saturday, 5/16:***</b> Catches were okay on the most recent 12-hour, bottom-fishing trip on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, Capt. Joe wrote in an email today. Mostly cod, a few ling mixed in, were swung aboard, and Ray Costanza, Lodi, pasted a 21-pound cod. The trips will sail two more times, at 5 a.m. Sunday and Wednesday, and fluke trips will begin on Friday, opening day of fluke season. Sea bass trips will start on May 27, opening day of sea bass season. See the <a href="http://www.jamaicaii.com/component/option,com_eventcal/Itemid,33/" target="_blank">Jamaica II’s schedule</a> online.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Ling fishing began to improve on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. The number caught slowly increased, and the anglers bucketed five to 15 apiece the past couple of days. Cod were reeled in, and many were small, but some anglers who could land six or eight could boat a keeper or two among them. Out-of-season sea bass began to be hooked, and Butch hopes the bites keep increasing for when sea bass season is opened starting May 27. Trips fished shallow in 65- to 120-foot depths. The ocean surface there was 52 to 53 degrees, not very warm yet. A diver said the bottom during the weekend was 39 degrees or cold, and that was only a degree higher than a week previously. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>***Update, Friday, 5/15:***</b> Trips aboard the ocean are trying for striped bass daily on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, coming up with good action on 6- to 12-pound blues, so far, Capt. Bob said. Few stripers were located, but that could change any moment. The trips, running 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., will continue, until fluke season is opened starting on May 22. Fluke trips will begin sailing that day, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily. But striper trips will also sail then, running 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on the Friday and Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, May 22 and 23, and on Thursdays through Saturdays, during those hours, starting May 28. <a href=" http://www.gamblerfishing.net/offshoretrips.php" target="_blank">Gambler’s fall tuna schedule</a> was posted on the boat’s website. The dates began to be booked, and weekends fill quickly. Plenty of weekdays remained, but will book up.

Also, check out this bluefish recipe that was posted on Gamblers fishing reports page on the boat’s website:

“I cooked up some bluefish filets twice this week. I like my blues fresh. Rather than freeze the extras filets, I give some away to friends along with this great recipe:

--Rinse bluefish filets off with cold water and run your fingers across to look for any stray bones. For marinating purposes, I cut my filets in half but you don't have to. Pat excess water off with a paper towel.

--Marinate filets 6 to 24 hours in any combination of the following: Italian dressing, balsamic dressing, Teriyaki sauce or marinade, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, lime juice or equal parts mustard and ketchup, with brown sugar, melted butter and a little clove.

--Pre-heat oven to 350.

--Lightly sprinkle filets with salt, pepper or other herbs.

--Place filets dark-side down into a baking dish.

--Bake at 350 for 15 minutes -- do not over-cook. Once fork can go through filet with no resistance, it is done.

“I just flake the darker meat aside as I'm eating it (nothing wrong with it, just a little strong). If I have enough leftovers, I'll make a bluefish salad with mayo and chopped-up vegetables. This is great eating. I think that bluefish has been maligned as a food fish due to mishandling (left on the deck to bake) and over-cooking. Try bluefish this way, and you’ll not be disappointed.”

<b>Toms River</b>

The Toms River still harbored some blues 8 pounds, not the huge monsters like previously, but big for the area, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Mostly bait, bunker chunks, laid into them. Sitting, waiting, he said, and the fish weren’t really caught on lures. Some striped bass and a few blues remained along Route 37 Bridge in Barnegat Bay. But most blues schooled the bay from the BB marker to Barnegat Inlet. Smaller blues 3 pounds began to be hooked, but some big like 12 pounds remained. Loads of blues ran the inlet, and small striped bass were reeled from the inlet, among blues.  Weakfish, mixed sizes from spikes to big, were landed at the Forked River power plant, here and there. A few out-of-season fluke were cranked from the bay and released, and fluke season will be opened starting May 22. A fluke was heard about from near the BB this week, on a bunker chunk meant for blues. Not a lot of boaters fished the ocean, but a few striped bass were trolled from the ocean on bunker spoons. The stripers didn’t really hit anything else, and the spoons had to be used for a chance to avoid blues. Some boaters jigged the blues, but, again, not many sailed the water.  Surf fishing was good for blues. The angling was consistent from 6 p.m. to dark, and dropping tides seemed best, in past days. The bluefishing in mornings was a little off, and the blues in the surf, again, weren’t the monster ones like before, but were sizable or 6 to 14 pounds. Diminishing bluefish size was typical for the time of season. A few striped bass were beached from the surf, usually while anglers bluefished. The annual Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament will be held at Island Beach State Park on Sunday. All baits are loaded up at the shop. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Many blues schooled up and down the surf, from Island Beach State Park to Point Pleasant Beach, said George from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. An hour before high tides fished great for them. A few better-sized striped bass were mixed in, taken on bunker. Many small stripers were winged from the surf on lures like metal or poppers. Blues in Barnegat Bay gathered more toward Barnegat Inlet. They also schooled Manasquan Inlet, and George saw lots of out-of-season fluke released at the inlet, when bluefishing there. Stop in for the shop’s special fluke bucktail rig that’s killer, and fluke season will be opened beginning on May 22.  Blues at Manasquan Inlet schooled in evenings and mornings. 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>Forked River</b>

Bluefish, lots, big, remained in Barnegat Bay and Barnegat Inlet, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. A customer tackled them today off Forked River, and blues 15 and 13 pounds were weighed-in lately. Many of the fish were 8 or 10 pounds, and popper lures, metal – everything – caught them. Striped bass were trolled off the Coast Guard Station in the ocean. Abundant blues made catching the bass difficult. But some boaters managed to hook the stripers on trolled bunker spoons. Some were big, and one weighed 51 pounds. Bunker schooled the ocean there, but if the baitfish were livelined for stripers, blues tore up the menhaden. A customer boated cod at two wrecks near the Resor wreck. The Resor gave up none on the outing, so the trip was moved to the other wrecks. Weakfish, a few, were heard about a week ago. They were big or 7 or 8 pounds, so-called “tiderunners,” breeders that enter Barnegat Bay and other back-waters to spawn in spring.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

The <b>Super Chic</b> will be splashed in the slip this weekend, ready to fish on Sunday for the season, Capt. Ted said. The year’s first charter is set for the following Saturday, May 23, unless somebody wants to fish before. That trip is slated to bluefish, and sea bass trips are lined up for when sea bass season is opened starting on May 27. Fluke season will be opened beginning on May 22, but fluke trips aboard usually begin later, because they usually fish the ocean, and the ocean would need to warm. Fluke could be landed from Barnegat Bay, warmer water, earlier. Bluefish already schooled abundant. They were reportedly large or 6 to 12 pounds, and locally, they were caught in the bay and Barnegat Inlet. Ted guessed blues also schooled the ocean to the north, and was unsure whether they did locally in the ocean. Any locals who sailed for blues fished in the bay or inlet. A few striped bass began to be trolled in the local ocean last week, off Island Beach State Park. Nobody was spoken with who since knew about them. But some trips probably tried for the bass this week. Nothing was heard about stripers bagged from the bay yet. All that was heard about stripers from back waters was that a friend played 16- to 20-inch, throwback stripers and white perch in a creek or lagoon near Tuckerton.

A mess of blues, all big, were pounded from Barnegat Bay to Barnegat Inlet and the ocean, said Vince Sr. from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. Some big striped bass were docked from the ocean. Stripers weren’t really caught from Barnegat Bay yet, like they usually are eventually in spring, like on clams near the inlet and livelined bait along the sod banks. Vince expects maybe they will this weekend. This was getting to be time, but the water was cold. No weakfish were heard about yet this season. A couple of customers released out-of-season fluke on the bay, and fluke season will be opened beginning on May 22.   Bobbie’s features a complete bait and tackle shop, a fuel dock and boat and kayak rentals. The boats are used for fishing, crabbing, clamming and pleasure. The store is known for bait supply, including live baits in season. Vince hopes to stock live spots soon. Fresh bunker and all the frozen baits are on hand.

<b>Surf City</b>

The surf tossed up blues, fewer than in the last week, but still blues, said Holden from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish were 25 to 30 inches last week, and he’d assume they were the same size now, but that was unconfirmed. Small striped bass, a few, were claimed from the surf. The blues jumped on bunker, clams and metal. All the stripers reported were hooked on bunker. Fresh clams ran out of stock, and 70 pounds of fresh bunker was supposed to arrive any moment.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

For shore anglers at Graveling Point, bluefishing slowed, but was better in mornings and evenings than in the middle of the day, said Brian from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Graveling is at the confluence of Great Bay and Mullica River, and bluefishing was awesome for boaters at the 139 marker and Grassy Channel on the bay.  Bluefish were heard about from farther south, like at Townsend’s Inlet, so they should still be migrating north to the local area. One boater ran into a blitz of drum at Grassy on a trip that landed 22 in early morning. Out-of-season summer flounder were in the mix, when anglers fished the bay, and anglers hoped for a good flounder season that will be opened starting on May 22. No weakfish were known about. Brown sharks, required to be released, were hooked and let go in the bay, beginning to show up. Striped bass were reported boated from the ocean off Wreck Inlet and the Coast Guard Station at Island Beach State Park. Tuna were reportedly found along the 100-fathom line at Toms Canyon offshore. Seventy-degree water flowed into the area, including a temperature break of 72 to 77 within 5 miles. Fifty-pound yellowfin tuna, and bluefin tuna, held in the area. All baits are stocked except fresh bunker, and the bunker was trying to be obtained. The baits include live grass shrimp. Minnows, a favorite summer flounder bait, are on hand. The shop will carry new T-shirts soon, including one featuring mako shark, another featuring flounder, and another featuring crab. Those should be available by Memorial Day weekend, and the crew is talking about another that would be available afterward.

<b>Absecon</b>

Bluefish are the report! said Jay from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Blues filled Great Bay, and Capt. Dave, the shop’s owner, filmed the fishing with Bo Higbee for Higbee’s television show today. Jay assumed blues swam Mullica River, like they did before, including because bunker still schooled the river. Bunker didn’t really school the bay, maybe because they were afraid of the blues in the bay! Jay thought. Capt. Dave’s been netting lots of the bunker to stock, so the shop’s carried the freshest daily. Fresh clams and live eels are on hand. Dave expected to telephone today to see when live spots might become available. A few weakfish were heard about from the Tuckerton side of the back bay. They seemed sizable, and a friend landed two 6- and 7pounders there on grass shrimp. Plenty of summer flounder skittered around the bays, and flounder season will be opened starting May 22.  Catch the store’s annual <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/events/502101479937504/" target="_blank">Grand Slam Customer Appreciation Sale</a>, starting Friday through next Thursday, the day before the fluke opener, and <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/events/746251912139350/" target="_blank">Grand Slam Customer Appreciation Tournament</a>, during opening weekend. Click the links for details.

<b>Brigantine</b>

An angler checked-in a 47-inch 38-pound striped bass from the town’s surf today, winning the Riptide Striper Bounty from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>, the store’s Facebook page said. The crew at the store was unable to give a report in several telephone calls today, because the shop was too busy. But attempts will be made to get a report to post here Friday. In the meantime, the bounty is awarded for the year’s first striper 43 inches or larger weighed from the island’s surf at the shop, and the Facebook page kept reporting stripers, including big, checked-in from the beach today. Bluefish were also punched from the surf today. <b>***Update, Friday, 5/15:***</b> Stripers began to be banked from the surf on Saturday, and the fishing picked up throughout the week, Joe from the shop said. The angler with the 47-inch 38-pounder won $1,995 for the bounty, landing the fish Wednesday night, checking-in the catch Thursday morning, when the doors were opened. A 30-pounder and a bunch of 30- to 34-inchers came from the surf. A good number of drum bit in the surf, and the surf’s bluefishing slowed somewhat, and the blues caught were smaller than before, weighing 8 and 9 pounds. But fewer blues was good for striper fishing. Fishing was good, he said.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Customers lit into bluefish and striped bass, said Jeremy from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. The blues included big, but snappers also began to show up. Some weakfish, not big, but keepers, were nipped at night. The blues and stripers were hooked on bunker, clams or lures like pink, bubblegum colored soft-plastics and Daiwa SP Minnows. The weaks were taken on worms or lures. All the catches were made on foot at places like the T-jetty or off Melrose Avenue. The entire supply of baits, including fresh bunker and clams, is stocked.

<b>Egg Harbor Township</b>

Large bluefish schooled all over the back bay, up Great Egg Harbor River and somewhat in the ocean, and smaller ones, like 20 inches, began to show up, said Colin from <b>24-7 Bait & Tackle</b>. Blues swam almost everywhere, and fishing for them was fantastic along 9th Street Bridge. Some raced around Corson’s Inlet. Fishing for them was good at the Longport Pier and the Ocean City toll bridge. Striped bass weren’t really seen recently. An 18-pounder was checked in last night. That was the one striper the angler caught in 12 hours of fishing. He said he banked the fish from the surf, not naming where, specifically. Crabs began to be trapped in the shop’s pots. Not a lot. But some began to nabbed. Crabbing is available on the rental boats at the shop, located on Patcong Creek, one of the best crabbing waters. Patcong is a tributary of the Great Egg, so the boats are also available to fish, including for the blues, on the river and bay. Summer flounder will be fished for on the boats on the bay, once flounder season is opened, starting on May 22. Fresh clams ran out, and the supply of fresh bunker became very low. When bunker is scarce from suppliers, mackerel can be fished for the blues. <b>The company also own 24-7 Bait & Tackle in Marmora</b>.

<b>Margate</b>

Fishing was launched for the season last weekend on the party boat <b>Keeper</b>,  beating big bluefish to 9.2 pounds on the back bay, Capt. John said. The boat usually sails for summer flounder on the bay, and the flatfish, out-of-season, were caught and released on the trips. The Keeper will fish for the blues 8 a.m. to 12 noon Saturday and Sunday. Trips will fish for flounder starting May 22, opening day of the fluke season. Then trips will fish 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. daily on the bay. The trips are only $28, and rental rods are free.

<b>Longport</b>

Wind was supposed to calm today, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>. That was expected to allow fishing to resume sailing, and bluefish crammed waters from the back bay to the inlet to the ocean lumps. Forecasts looked iffy for Saturday, but this coming Sunday looked calm for an open-boat trip. Open trips are sailing when no charter is booked. Special open trips will fish for summer flounder 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. May 22 through 26, for only $25, with free rental rods. May 22 is opening day of the flounder season. Sea bass open trips and charters will begin on May 27, opening day of sea bass season, and Mike can’t wait. Sea bass are a specialty aboard and are already biting. Fishing aboard during the weekend released them. Book an office trip or another get-together aboard. Bluefishing is great for that, and the blues are here. Flounder and sea bass will also become options.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Plenty of blues swam the back bay, and they were fought this morning, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. They seemed different sizes every day, but were 30 inches this morning. That’s big, and blues schooled “behind” Corson’s Inlet, and along the surf. They were kind of heard about from all over. Bluefishing was really good, not this good in 20 years. A handful of striped bass were socked, mostly from the bay. Some were weighed from the surf last weekend, and a 40-inch 21-pounder was biggest, Bill thought. Many anglers fished bunker and clams. Bluefishing was often best on artificials, and metal was often fished. Z-Mans fished well, because they were durable, could stand up to a few of the fish caught. Anglers sometimes fished clams to try to catch stripers and avoid blues, but the blues bit clams, even. Lots of summer flounder flooded the bay. The population was good, and Bill had the feeling the first week of flounder season, beginning on May 22, would fish well. Baits stocked include fresh clams and fresh bunker. Minnows, a favorite flounder bait, will arrive today. Eels are on hand.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Not only bluefish, big, were fly-rodded on the back bay on a trip Tuesday evening aboard, but tailing blues were, like bonefish or redfish, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>. That doesn’t happen often, and the three anglers, Tim and Tiffany Adkins and friend Zeph, sight-cast to the blues in the shallows, while Joe poled the flats boat. Ten-pound, individual slammers were spotted holding in the water, and the flies, Clouser Minnows, were cast to specific fish. The anglers watched the fish charge and smash the flies, then fought the fish to the boat. It was very special, not something that can be planned. What’s more, one of the anglers caught that way on a popper fly, a Crease fly that Joe ties with an extra wide mouth to throw more water. The anglers also caught while sight-casting popper lures, Rapala Skitter Pops, on spinning rods. This all took some technique or skill, and the anglers were up for the task. The anglers also nailed the fish while sight casting previously aboard his past week, including on Monday. Monday’s fishing wasn’t as good as Tuesday’s that Mohawked the catches, but the fishing was world-class on both trips. On this current trip, on Tuesday, the blues weighed 6 to 11 pounds, averaging 9 and 10. They were all big. The anglers also landed two striped bass 24 and 26 inches. Joe’s been able to sight-cast to the bay’s blues previously, but not often, and the blues this year were larger than usual. The blues on this trip were large, but the bay’s blues were smaller on average in past days than recently. Still, the current blues were sizable. A trip Wednesday with Matt Deiner and son fly-rodded and spin-cast the blues 2 to 4 pounds, more like usual size, a good catch, including an 11-pounder, and a throwback striper. They caught in deep channels and along the flats on the Clousers and soft-plastic lures, worked slowly along bottom, the usual way to catch this time of year. That’s because of cooler water in spring, but the bay this week reached 69 to 72 degrees on average, up to 80 in shallows on the leeward side. The water was coolest closest to the inlet. A few were also popper-plugged on Skitter Pops on the trip. The blues will depart the bay, so fish for them without delay. More stripers began to be hooked on trips than previously, because of where the blues now swam.  Summer flounder might’ve been caught on Monday’s trip, but Joe didn’t remember. These trips didn’t fish in ways or areas likely to hook many flounder, but Joe’s trips have already been catching and releasing the out-of-season flatfish. Flounder season will be opened beginning on May 22, and those trips should be booked without delay. The early season fishes best for flounder in South Jersey’s shallow, warm back bays. In other news, surf anglers banked blues and stripers along inlets and the front beach around Sea Isle.  Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Drum fishing was good on Delaware Bay, said Capt. Jim from <b>Fins & Grins Sportfishing</b>. The fish were heaved from the southern bay off New Jersey, and whether any local boats even bothered to try the Delaware side was unknown. The drum fishing would be expected to be good this weekend, because it usually is in mid-May. One trip aboard this weekend is booked in the morning, and Jim will run someone else’s boat on Saturday night. But he’s looking for anglers for fishing on Sunday. Fishing aboard is available daily, and reservations aren’t required but suggested. Telephone for availability. Daytime and nighttime trips are available, and drum trips will be limited to about 10 anglers, though the trips will sail if five or six want to go. Big, slammer blues swam Delaware Bay and the back bay. Anglers fished for the 9- and 10-pounders in past days, and a population of blues like this hadn’t been seen in a long time. Blues, striped bass and drum bit in the surf. Weakfish chewed along the surf jetties on bloodworms with a float or on bucktails.

<b>Cape May</b>

Drum were picked from Delaware Bay, on the New Jersey side, Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> said, and the fish were also boated on the Delaware side. The drum probably weighed up to 50 pounds, and bigger ones, 60 or 70 pounds, were sometimes clobbered. Charters aboard are sailing for drum, and summer flounder season will be opened starting May 22. The Heavy Hitter usually begins fishing for flounder toward late June. That’s because the trips fish deeper water, mostly on the ocean, occasionally on Delaware Bay, and the depths become warm enough for flounder then. Anglers on smaller boats could fish for flounder immediately on the back bay. The angling seems good in the shallower, warmer water in the early season. The Heavy Hitter will be available for sea bass fishing on the ocean when sea bass season is opened beginning on May 27.

Drum trips were launched Saturday on Delaware Bay on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. One of the trips also fished on Tuesday, and the catch was good on that outing. Sixteen drum were totaled on the trip, and a couple of the anglers limited out on three. Three drum were totaled on Saturday’s trip, and the trips are running 2 to 10 p.m., whenever enough anglers want to sail. Telephone for availability, and clams also need to be ordered ahead for bait, and aren’t always available, another reason for telephoning. No anglers wanted to sail on Wednesday, and strong wind blew anyway. But demand could pick up, when word gets out that the fish are biting, and the drum are. The trips will be limited to 20 or 25 anglers, though not enough anglers wanted to fish for that to be necessary on these two trips. So Tuesday’s drumming was good, and some trips will be worse, and some will be better. On that trip, three of the drum weighed 20 or 25 pounds, and the rest weighed 50 or 55. Lot of nice fish, he said.

Surf anglers got into good striped bass fishing, including along the ocean, at Cape May Point and the 2nd Avenue jetty, and Delaware Bay, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. They fought some blues, not giant, but 6 and 8 pounds. Sometimes they were able to cast bait for stripers on a bait rod, then cast plugs on a plugging rod, while the bait rod sat in the holder. Pretty cool, he said. Two customers the other day limited out on four stripers from the surf, including a 35-pounder and a 30-pounder, and released five more that were keeper-sized. They couldn’t believe the big stripers they released. A few weakfish were picked up at inlets and along jetties on bloodworms under floats and bucktails. For boaters on Delaware Bay, drum fishing was good, on both the New Jersey side and the Delaware side. On the Jersey side, the fish were found off Coxhall Creek, close to shore, where they showed up last year for a time. Also for boaters on Delaware Bay, stripers chased bunker, so were difficult to pinpoint at a reliable location. But when trips found the bunker that stripers followed, the angling produced. Bluefish swam the bay, too. Summer flounder season will be opened starting on May 22, and flounder had been heard about from the back bay at Ocean City, but now began to be mentioned from the back bay locally, too. Fresh clams were difficult to obtain for this weekend, but Nick hopes to stock more. Fresh bunker should be stocked, and bloodworms are on hand. 

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