<b>Staten Island</b>

A trip had planned to fish for striped bass Saturday with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, but opted to sail for sea bass instead, because reports talked about slow striper fishing, Capt. Rob said. But the sea bassing turned out slow, totaling 20-some bagged, he thought. His brother, Capt. Joe, ran the trip. The trip fished all the way south to off Shark River, and the ocean was cold, after all the south wind recently. That wind direction cools the ocean close to shore, because of upwelling. That seemed to slow many types of fishing for the moment. Forecasts are calling for sustained east winds in the next days. Outcast offers fishing from both Staten Island, N.Y. , and Sewaren, N.J.

<b>Keyport</b>

Fishing for striped bass was up and down, like before, but bluefishing couldn’t be better, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an email. Action was literally non-stop with blues, good-sized, some as heavy as 15 pounds. “If you like battling the hardest-fighting fish in the sea, the time is now,” he said. Telephone to jump aboard. Open-boat fluke trips will fish aboard Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and Wednesday is full. Three spaces remain for Friday, and one is left for Saturday. If anglers want a fluke charter on a weekend, book now, while some of the dates are still available.

Trips for blues and striped bass are booked for Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, said Capt. Mario from <b>Down Deep Sportfishing</b>. But mostly blues were in -- blues up the kazoo, he said. Ling showed up, and sea bass fishing was a little slow, but should become good, because of this week’s east winds. Fluke fishing is what it is, he said, and will pick up. 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-trips page for available dates.

Forecasts for possible storms forced a bluefish trip to be cancelled Sunday and a striped bass and bluefish trip to be scrubbed today with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. for blues and stripers or fluke and 3 to 8 p.m. for blues or fluke. Open trips are available daily, when no charter is booked, and telephone to climb aboard.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

For trips aboard, fluke fishing, on Raritan Bay, was about the same as before, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. When conditions were right, more of the flatfish, mostly throwbacks, just a few keepers, were decked. Action was alright on some trips, tough on others, depending on conditions. Like maybe on a morning trip, not many would bite. Maybe on the afternoon’s, wind would blow stronger, drifting the boat better, and more of the flatfish would hit. Tire John bagged four keepers on Sunday morning’s trip, though afternoons fished better in previous days. But Sunday afternoon’s trip’s fluking was no good. Every trip could be different.  The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke on two trips daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m.

Great bluefishing for a charter Saturday on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. A good shot of the fish was found at the beginning, until boat traffic soon killed that. The trip then had to search for a place to escape traffic, finally finding that. Non-stop action for 3 hours, until traffic surrounded again. The charter’s blues weighed up to 16 pounds, and open-boat trips resumed Sunday. That day’s trip had to bounce around to put together a catch of blues, unlike the past week, but managed a good day. Ron filleted a 5-pounder immediately, putting it on ice until it was time to cook. He seasoned the fish with salt, pepper, garlic and paprika, and seared and sautéed the blue in oil, a splash of wine and some lemon. It was excellent. No trips would sail today and Tuesday in bad weather predicted. This was a good time to change the oil. 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> had a good weekend of fishing for fluke and striped bass, Capt. Pete wrote in an email. Fluke weighed up to 7 pounds on trips aboard lately, and a trip Sunday morning hammered stripers and blues. Charters and open-boat trips are sailing, and some space is available Thursday through Sunday.

<b>Neptune</b>

Five striped bass to 45 inches, a great catch, and a few blues were plowed Sunday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. Another trip in past days found striper fishing slow, bagging two of the fish, but switched to bottom-fishing, cranking in ling, cod and sea bass. If one type of fishing was slow in past days, trips switched to other fishing, so anglers left with fish. Some days of bottom-fishing were good aboard, and some were tougher. But the tougher trips were able to piece together catches, at least. Only a few spaces remain for an individual-reservation trip for cod on July 7, and the trip is filling quickly. Individual-reservation trips will begin to fish every Tuesday next week. Sea bass will be targeted on the trips, until fluke fishing picks up. But fluke bait will be carried aboard. Kids under 12 sail free on those trips, limited to two per adult host.

<b>Belmar</b>

Ocean striped bass fishing was hit or miss, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. Days of south wind that cools the ocean near the coast, because of upwelling, was tough on the angling. That made the water temperature fluctuate a lot, and anglers waited for the temperature to become steadier. Forecasts are calling for much east wind soon, and that could be a solution. Stripers were there, were marked. But the water was cold. Bunker schooled the water on some days, and disappeared on others. Bluefishing was similar – hit or miss – because of the southerly. Bottom-fishing was decent for cod, ling and sea bass, when the wind direction didn’t adversely affect the angling. 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.

<b>XTC Sportfishing</b> tried for striped bass at first on a trip Saturday, Capt. Scott said. But none bit, and the trip switched to bottom-fishing, pumping in cod, ling and sea bass. A trip Friday was about the same, fishing for stripers at first, without any biting, then bottom-fishing, making catches. Plenty of bunker schooled the striper grounds on Friday’s trip. On Saturday, bunker schooled right off Shark River Inlet. No stripers bit among any of the menhaden. A trip today was supposed to fish for cod and pollock at the reef.

Shots of bluefish 6 to 13 pounds kept lighting up and dying off on Sunday’s trip on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the vessel said. The trip fished off Sandy Hook Point, and some of the anglers caught, and some didn’t. Saturday’s trip’s bluefishing was good. Lots of 6- to 12-pounders were creamed to the north, and Friday’s trip’s fishing was similar. Bluefishing on a night trip was no good Saturday aboard, and none of the fish was hooked among the fleet. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for stripers and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Family Fun Days are fishing 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Friday and Sunday for fluke, sea bass, blues or whatever bites. The trips enjoy a sunset cruise on the way home. Those trips landed a few throwback fluke on the ocean and Shark River this weekend.

Weather was beautiful, and bluefish to 12 pounds, a good catch, were smashed Friday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s website said. Saturday’s trip put in a little overtime to hook up, but ended up with a good catch of blues to 12 pounds. Sunday’s trip picked at blues to 12, fishing not as good as the past days, but decent. Considering the forecast, trips might be able to be scheduled to liveline bunker for striped bass in the next days. The report didn’t explain, but apparently meant east winds that were predicted for much of this coming week. That’s usually a good direction for striper fishing, and south wind was predominant previously. The Golden Eagle is fishing at 7:30 a.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday.

Cold, cold water, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. “You don’t have to put your catch in the freezer,” he said. “It’s already frozen.” But good catches of fluke came from Shark River today from the K Street Pier. Dominic Ford from Freehold bagged three including a 6-pound 8-ouncer on outgoing tide on cut bait. Outgoing’s warmer water’s been the tide to fish, and the fluke got “lockjaw” on incoming. Trips on the shop’s rental boats reeled in 30 to 40 fluke including two or three keepers apiece lately on the river. Surf anglers banked striped bass sometimes. Scotty Pullen from Shark River Surf Anglers nailed two that weighed 21 and 18 pounds. Belmar’s party boats caught blues, but sailed far north for the fish.  “My thoughts are the fishing is way off (because of cold water),” Bob said. <b>***Update, Wednesday, 6/3:***</b>
Thank God for northeast wind that warmed the water, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email this morning. “Some nice fluke are showing in the river,” he said. The flatfish to 6 pounds 8 ounces were checked-in Tuesday. Johnny Keating from Ocean Township stopped by with three keepers to 6 pounds this morning. “There were several more keepers taken on the K Street Pier and (off) the tennis courts,” Bob said. “Wet weather has not helped (ocean fishing), but that will change with some sun.” The warmer water and rough seas should improve striped bass fishing on the ocean. “We hope,” he said. “Better days ahead.”

<b>Brielle</b>

The ocean’s striped bass fishing was kind of off and on, said Dave Arbeitman from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Sunday’s fishing for them seemed better than the previous couple of days’. Some might’ve been hooked on livelined bunker, but the bass were trolled on bunker spoons most of the past week. That was especially on the new Spoon Fed Bunker Spoons. The shop is carrying the spoons, but the spoons are so new, they’re not even on the shop’s online store yet. Googling them produced no results, too. Schools of stripers and bunker were heard about off Atlantic City during the weekend, so maybe they’ll migrate to the local ocean soon. Stripers were banked from the surf here and there. A bunch of small stripers swam Manasquan River. On the ocean, sea bass fishing was better in the middle of last week than during the weekend. Ling fishing was poor, but cod were around. A Point Pleasant Beach party boat scored a good catch of cod offshore Saturday. A customer fought blue sharks and brown sharks and broke off a large mako shark during the weekend. That was 30 miles from Manasquan Inlet, and the water was a beautiful clarity and 68 degrees. The store’s next free seminar will be on shark fishing at 11 a.m. Saturday with Dave Schunke from the television show Fish Mavericks. Schunke used to appear on an ESPN2 east versus west fishing show, and is a shark tournament winner, including locally.  Lots of yellowfin tuna were crushed during the weekend, mostly at Toms Canyon and farther south. Arbeitman’s first tilefish trip of the season was good last week. Greg Hueth caught the biggest, a 47-pound 9-ouncer. Mel Deak decked a 40-pound 2-ouncer, and Arbeitman heaved in a 40-pounder. Those were the three biggest, and probably a half-dozen of the trip’s tiles weighed in the 30 pounds, and about eight weighed in the 20s. Arbeitman, an avid tilefisher, sometimes books a party boat for tilefishing on charters anglers can join. The next with openings is on July 7 to 8, and anglers can telephone the shop for details and reservations.  Check out The Reel Seat’s custom tilefish rod.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Striped bass fishing was tough Saturday aboard, Capt. Alan from <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> wrote in an email. South wind had cooled the water, and 58 degrees was the highest water temperature found. That’s where the trip’s one striper, a 25-pounder, was bagged, on a trolled, white spoon. But northeast wind this week should warm the ocean on the striper grounds, and Mushin expects that to pick up striper fishing. The anglers on the trip had a great attitude about the day, Alan said, and will return for a tuna trip next aboard. When the trip began, it met fog from Manasquan Inlet to far north. That made seeing bunker difficult. Bait was read, “but never really … what we wanted,” Alan said. So the trip trolled to the north at usual places that hold stripers, and the one bass was bagged. A couple of other boats picked stripers there, so the crew hoped the angling would take off. It never did, so the trip ran around to lots of different areas, but no stripers turned on. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Barnegat Bay served up bluefish of all sizes, from Sedge Islands to Toms River, John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s website. Southerly wind dropped the surf temperature, slowing any fishing there. But easterly wind now would surely warm the surf, and anglers hoped that would draw baitfish back into the water, and fish that chase them. Crabbing was slow getting started this season, but persistent crabbers began to trap good-sized keepers.  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>

On the <b>Super Chic</b>, trips fished since Friday, and sea bassing on Friday was fair, at best, Capt. Ted said. Sea bass fishing wasn’t good on Saturday’s and Sunday’s trips, but the ends of the trips caught 3- to 10-pound bluefish at Barnegat Inlet, hitting outgoing tide  that pulled them out. The blues sort of saved the days. The ocean held a swell, pretty big, Saturday, and an even bigger swell Sunday, and that never helps sea bassing. Southern wind cooled water, and the ocean along the beach was 47 or 48 degrees on Thursday. The water at the sea bass grounds was 68 on Friday and 59 on Saturday and Sunday. That was the surface, and the bottom must’ve been colder. Wind is switching to east now, and another sea bass trip is set for Wednesday.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

The <b>June Bug</b> was returned to New Jersey this weekend for the fishing season, Capt. Lindsay wrote in an email. The boat was brought back from its winter home in North Carolina, and trips will begin fishing from Jersey now. Lindsay had possibly planned to fish for bigeye tuna on the trip, if enough of a crew wanted to sail. But not enough could. Bigeye fishing was good near Oregon Inlet, N.C., written about in the last report here. Possible fishing from Jersey currently includes trips for blues, striped bass, sea bass and yellowfin tuna.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

The best place to fish on foot currently was at the fifth bridge on Seven Bridges Road or Great Bay Boulevard, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. Summer flounder, blues and maybe weakfish were possible to land there. One angler banked three good-sized blues at Graveling Point. Wind made flounder fishing difficult for boaters on the bay, since flounder season opened. White perch fishing was great on Wading River and Mullica River at the Green Bank and Lower Bank bridges. Lots of live grass shrimp sold for the angling. The price was $5 for half a pint, $10 a pint and $20 a quart. Crabbing turned on lots more than previously.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Lot of catching, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Good catches of striped bass and blues were pounded. Kingfish, sizable, showed up, and summer flounder, not especially large, not photo worthy, were hooked. Customers fish for all of these on foot from along Absecon Inlet, lined with jetties, to the back bay, behind the inlet. The fish-rich waters are less known than some popular places, but this is a surprisingly rich estuary. Two hours before and after high tides fished well for all these catches. The stripers bit at night and dawn at the T-jetty on the ocean end of the inlet, other jetties at the inlet, and the surf. The blues hit in the bay during daytime. The kings nibbled along the T on bloodworms during day. The flounder chewed off the T and all the way to the Flagship area, along the inlet, during day. Bloodworms are two dozen for $20 on Mondays and Tuesdays and $10.75 per dozen the rest of the week. Minnows are only $8 a pint. Catch the special on bucktails at $1.79 for 1/8 ounce, $1.85 for ¼ ounce, $1.89 for 3/8 ounce, $2 for either ½ or 5/8 ounce, $2.20 for 1 ounce, $2.29 for 1 ½ ounce, $2.99 for 2 ounce and $3.49 for 3 ounce. The bucktails come in white, pink-and-white, yellow-and-white, chartreuse-and-white and red-and-white. One Stop will hold a flounder tournament this month, probably from the Saturdays of June 13 to 20, benefitting the Leukemia Society. First place will be a 40-inch TV, and first through third places will be awarded. Entry will be $5 and required in-person at the store, and more details will be announced.

<b>Longport</b>

On the <b>Stray Cat</b>, ling and sea bass were shoveled aboard, Capt. Mike said. Hackleheads, sea ravens and sand sharks also bit during the fishing. Sea ravens are a different species than sea robins, and the year’s first sea robins were landed aboard, too. That should mean better numbers of summer flounder will migrate to the ocean soon. But for now, the Stray Cat is sailing for sea bass and ling on charters and open-boat trips, including on open trips Thursday and Friday. Telephone to climb aboard. Purple eels were also hooked during the angling. Mike tried eating the eels, hearing they tasted good. A mouthful of bones, don’t eat them, he said. A trip aboard Sunday sharked, but that was no good, in water that looked green as Ireland. “Now, look,” he said, he’s got a great spot to catch mako sharks. Yellowfin tuna 40 pounds were also whaled farther from shore. If anglers want either, jump aboard. Mike was going to take off from fishing today and Tuesday, letting the green water clear up in easterly wind. South wind dirtied the water previously. A charter from Chickie’s and Pete’s is booked for Wednesday.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Fishing was a little slow, but managed to pick up sea bass and a few ling from the ocean Saturday and Sunday aboard, said Capt. Victor from the party boats <b>Miss Ocean City</b> and <b>Captain Robbins</b>. Trips are fishing for sea bass 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Doug Gillespie aboard beat five striped bass to 27 inches, blues to 6 pounds and a bunch of throwback summer flounder on the back bay Sunday, Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> said. Darrel Cooper and kids fought blues, a bunch of throwback flounder and one keeper on the bay Saturday. The bay’s clarity became an issue later on Sunday, because of wind. Some places looked like chocolate, but other spots were clearer. The bay was 64 or 65 degrees, a good temperature, on the trips. The stripers and blues were jigged, and the flounder were hooked on a rig with a bucktail on bottom, with a Gulp on the hook, and a minnow on a red hook on a leader that trailed above. Inshore shark trips will begin aboard late this month. Sharks like browns and duskies are released, usually within 10 miles from the coast, on spinning or fly rods. The trips are a chance to fight big fish without the long trek offshore.  Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Avalon</b>

Wind was brutal, but a trip Saturday aboard fought 5-pound bluefish and bagged a 27-inch summer flounder on the back bay, said Capt. Jim from <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b>. The blues seemed plentiful, and on a trip on the bay Friday, throwback flounder were released. He had wanted to fish for drum on Delaware Bay, but wind blew 20 m.p.h., and reports about drum weren’t good in previous days. So he nixed that, though drum fishing might’ve changed since. Drum fishing might become good again. The angling was great a moment, and slowed, and that often happens with the fishing. Drum seem to feed then stop a moment, maybe because of spawning, then feed again, each spring. Water was cool enough for drum to remain. The back bay was 58 to 61 degrees, cold, on the trips. The temp dropped 5 degrees on incoming tides, because of ocean water. Southerly winds last week cooled the ocean near the coast, because of upwelling. Wind was switching to east now, though. The back bay was clear on Friday’s trip but muddy on Saturday, because of the wind. 

<b>Cape May</b>

Drum fishing was good on Delaware Bay on two trips Saturday and Sunday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Trips on some boats struggled to hook the drum those days, but Tom and Dave Stackhouse’s charter, and Ray DeCrane’s, the two trips on the Heavy Hitter, caught the fish to 65 or 70 pounds. Most of the drum weighed 40 or 50 pounds. Some drum got off, too. The bay’s drum fishing usually doesn’t last much longer, so don’t delay. Telephone if interested.

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