<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/25:***</b> Bait will be stocked for Tuesday’s opening of striped bass season in rivers and bays and winter flounder season that opens that day, said Joe from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Clams are already carried, and sandworms and bloodworms are expected to be stocked that day. Tuesdays are when the worms usually arrive, and they weren’t ordered previously, because the full moon was this week, and the quality is usually poor during the moon. The supplier of crabs, for blackfish bait, stopped potting crabs for now. No crabs are stocked, and blackfish season will be closed from Tuesday through March, reopening in April. Tuesday is March 1. No fishing was heard about. “Nothing’s running,” he said. But maybe that will change once striper and flounder seasons are opened.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/25:***</b> The party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b> will blackfish this weekend, Capt. Chris said. The trips run 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and green crabs are provided, and white crabs are available for sale aboard. Blackfish season will be closed throughout March, reopening in April.

Stop by <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>’ booth at the Greater Philadelphia Outdoor Sportshow from Friday through Sunday in Oaks, Pa. Parker Pete’s will exhibit at the show, Capt. Pete said, and discounts will be available to those who book trips aboard at the event. Parker Pete’s will also exhibit at the Saltwater Fishing Expo from March 18 through 20 in Somerset, N.J. Pete gave a fluke seminar at the New Jersey Boat Sale & Expo this past weekend in Edison. Parker Pete’s could begin fishing for the season in April, if fish like blackfish, cod and ling are biting or if the striped bass migration arrives that early. The migration and fishing aboard will most likely kick off in May, though. The boat did no fishing recently. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Contact Parker Pete’s anyway, about individual spaces available on charters. Subscribe to the email blast on  <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a> to be kept informed about the spaces.

The following report was posted Saturday as an update to last Monday’s report, and is being re-posted here, in case anybody missed it:  Fishing had been “on hold,” because of weather, but one of the Belmar party boats fished Friday, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email that day. That vessel also hadn’t sailed because of “unforeseen problems,” he said, but a good number of hardcore blackfishers joined the trip. One, named Skippy, landed the season’s biggest blackfish aboard so far, a 12-pound 9-ouncer. “With good weather on the horizon, we might see even larger fish taken,” Bob said. “I have not had any reports of herring, but it could be because not many anglers have tried for them since the snow,” he said.  Lots of new tackle is being stocked at Fisherman’s Den’s Belmar store and its new store in Atlantic Highlands that will be opened this fishing season. The crew was busy with the stocking, and anglers should be pleased with all the new gear, he said.

<b>Brielle</b>

Seas were rough on the cod and ling grounds Saturday on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, Capt. Joe wrote in an email that day. A few cod and ling were bagged on the trip, but the angling wasn’t good, because of the seas. When seas ease up, the trips should find some good cod fishing at wrecks in 150-foot depths to 200 feet. Clams have been clocking cod and pollock best on the trips, and jigging for them hasn’t been productive. The trips are fishing 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Sunday and Wednesday and 3 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Saturday.

Blackfishing was decent south of Manasquan Inlet, said John from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Sixty- or 80-foot depths probably gave them up, he guessed. Farther from shore, cod and ling were picked. Nothing was heard about herring hooked from Manasquan Inlet that were reported caught earlier this winter. The Reel Seat is open Thursdays through Sundays. Catch free seminars at the shop with Capt. Bob Bogan from the Gambler on party boat tuna fishing at 10 a.m. this coming Saturday, Capt. Bob Cope on trolling Mojos for striped bass at 10 a.m. March 5 and Capt. Len Belcaro on understanding temperature charts at 10 a.m. March 12.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Wind and a big swell made keeping a sinker on bottom difficult on Saturday’s blackfish trip on the <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the party boat’s website. A few keepers and throwbacks were landed, but the fishing was off. Conditions were better for that on Sunday’s trip, but still difficult for the angling. The day was beautiful on the water, but current ran from one direction, and a swell came from another, and wind, though light, kept changing direction. The conditions were terrible for anchoring, so keeping the boat in one spot was tough. Still, high hooks limited out on blackfish, and some anglers bagged one to three. Quite a few “had a tough day.” The pool-winning blackfish weighed just less than 9 pounds, and the trip picked blackfish. If keeping the boat in one spot had been possible, the fishing would’ve been better, Matt thought. The Norma-K III will blackfish 7:30 a.m. t 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and blackfish season will be closed beginning next week on Tuesday. The trips will be the final chance to blackfish aboard, until blackfish season is reopened in April.

<b>Toms River</b>

<b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> will be open daily beginning this weekend, Dennis said. The store’s been open Saturdays and Sundays the past two weekends, after being closed for a winter break. Bloodworms and fresh grass shrimp are stocked, and customers bought a few dozen of the baits for white perch fishing on brackish rivers like the Toms River. For freshwater, shiners were stocked beginning this weekend, and nightcrawlers and garden worms are carried. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River. 

<b>Mystic Island</b>

<b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> will be opened for the fishing season once striped bass season is opened in bays and rivers, Maureen said. Anglers seemed to be getting excited about the striper opener. The striper season will be opened beginning next week on Tuesday, March 1. The store will probably be opened beginning the next day, March 2, because the shop is always closed on Tuesdays. The shop’s been closed for a winter break. All usual bait will be stocked, including bloodworms, so long as the bait is available from suppliers. The annual $100 gift certificate to Scott’s will be awarded to the angler who checks-in the store’s first keeper striper from Graveling Point. That’s a nearby shore-angling spot at the confluence of Great Bay and Mullica River that’s always one of the first places to give up stripers each year in the state. Warm water from the river seems to make them bite. Bloodworms are the favorite bait for the bass early in the season. The worms are easy for the stripers to digest in cold water. Once water becomes warmer, speeding up metabolism for the fish, clams and other baits begin to catch well. Striper season is open year-round in the ocean, within 3 miles from shore. But practically no stripers swim the ocean off the state this time of year. That’s because the ocean is colder than bays and rivers in winter. Striper fishing is closed beyond 3 miles from shore year-round. The store is accepting rod and reel repairs, and telephone to confirm that someone will be at the shop, before stopping by to drop off the repairs. The crew is at the shop, preparing for the season, on most days. 

<b>Absecon</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 2/25:***</b> Striped bass season will be opened beginning Tuesday in bays and rivers, and <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b> will be opened daily starting this weekend, Capt. Dave wrote on the shop’s Facebook page. The store’s been open but for no set hours this off-season. All supplies will be stocked for striper fishing, and the store’s annual tournament will be held for the year’s first stripers checked-in from New Jersey. Jersey’s first striper catches each year are usually reported from the store, because of the contest. <a href=" http://www.abseconbay.com/fishingtournaments.html
" target="_blank">Click here</a> for results from past years. The first several last year were brought in on opening day, and the first during the previous year were brought in later. Prizes this year will be: a $200 gift certificate to the store for the first keeper striper; a $100 gift certificate for the second; a $50 certificate for the third; a $100 certificate for the first heavier than 20 pounds; and a $100 certificate for the first heavier than 30. However, if the first fish come from Oyster Creek, the warm-water discharge from the Forked River power plant, the angler will win only half the prize amount. The first came from the discharge in past years, and because that angling’s almost a sure bet, the half-prizes are meant to encourage anglers to locate the fish in natural waters. To win the full prizes, instead of the half, anglers must show a photo that proves where the striper was caught. Nearly everybody carries a phone with a camera these days, so that seems fair.  Additional prizes will also be offered, like in past years. Those will include a $100 gift certificate to the store for the first angler who checks-in a keeper who is registered for the store’s Facebook event “1st Striper 2016.” That event was yet to be posted at press time but should be soon. Keep an eye on <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/AbseconBay/" target="_blank">Absecon Bay’s Facebook page</a>. Additional prizes will also be a rod-and-reel combo apiece for the first boy and girl age 12 or younger who check-in a keeper, and a “lady” combo for the first female to check-in a keeper. Whether a striper from a warm-water discharge should be considered for the gift certificates has been controversial, the reason those certificates will be half the value. Oyster Creek will probably still be a top spot to locate stripers at first this season, but natural waters might be likely to give up the fish, because of the warm winter. People on the shop’s Facebook post reported already catching stripers by mistake and releasing them, so maybe that boded well. Somebody on the post questioned whether access was legal at the power plant’s discharge. Dave said he believed plenty of water is legal there, and also said striper blitzes were already reported from Barnegat Bay at the mouth of the creek. Whether early-season stripers should be bagged has also been controversial. Stripers like 20- and 30-pounders will spawn in early spring. Though Dave thinks that New Jersey’s legal sizes for stripers is a mistake, because the regs can encourage breeder stripers to be killed, he thinks the striper population is large enough for anglers to bag the fish. He has a vested interest in a healthy striper population and cares. No more than 10 stripers would be bagged for the tournament. Striper fishing is open in the ocean year-round, within 3 miles from shore. But practically no stripers swim the ocean this time of year, because of cold water. Striper fishing is closed beyond 3 miles year-round.

<b>Longport</b>

The <b>Stray Cat</b> is fishing from the Florida Keys this winter, and bottom-fishing’s been great, Capt. Mike said. All kinds of catches like mangrove snappers and yellowtail snappers have been hitting in 20- to 40-foot depths, close to shore. Drop and reel. Somewhat farther from shore, king mackerel, wahoos and sailfish chomped on livelined bait fished from kites. The sailfishing was on and off and mediocre, not catching the numbers that bite farther north, like toward Palm Beach. Mike might fish farther north before bringing the boat back to home port in Longport to fish from New Jersey from spring through fall. Bait fished from the kites can include goggleyes, speedos, blue runners, pilchards and ballyhoos. The goggleyes are caught at the reef at night. The pilchards are caught in the canals, and are beginning to show up in large numbers. Ballyhoos are difficult to obtain. The inshore edge of the reef is 4 miles from port, and the offshore edge is 5 ¼ miles from port. The kings, wahoos and sails swim just off the offshore edge, where the water plummets to 150 feet deep. Mike had wahoo and yellowtail snappers on the grill Sunday night, when he gave this report in a phone call. He had today off from fishing, and angling is slated aboard daily from tomorrow through March 1. He might return to the Keys to offer fishing next winter, and might call the trips Capt. Mike’s Fishing Camp. Anglers can stay on the boat, and that’s cheaper than a hotel. They can cook on the gas grill aboard, and so on. Pretty cool, he said. He’ll bring the boat back to Jersey by maybe mid to late April, and definitely by May 5, because a Coast Guard inspection will be done then.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Some of the traveling trips to the Florida Keys fished this weekend aboard, Capt. Joe said. The anglers, Darryl Cooper and two buddies, had a great day Saturday, including going 4 for 4 on permit to 15 pounds. “Awesome,” Joe said. They also released a tarpon, hooked several more that got off, and landed all the mangrove snappers, mutton snappers, jacks, blue runners and other fish they wanted, non-stop action all day. That was on Florida Bay near port in Islamorada, and on Sunday, they fished both on the bay and in the Everglades near Flamingo. They released a tarpon and caught speckled sea trout, jacks and ladyfish. All the fishing was on 10-pound line on light spinning rods. Traveling charters fish the Keys annually from Christmas to Easter aboard, mostly on weekends. See <a href=" http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page3.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s traveling charters Web page</a>. Back at Sea Isle City, Joe in the past has reeled in his first striped bass of the year during March’s first week on the back bay. The fish bit a little later the past couple of years, but this winter’s been warmer, so maybe the fish will be caught earlier. Sometime in mid to late April, the bay’s fishing blows wide open near Sea Isle. Then Joe’s charters whack stripers, blues, weakfish and summer flounder. Many anglers don’t think about fishing that early in the year, but they should. The blues last year were huge, and the size can be different each year. The weakfish are the big, so-called tiderunners. The flounder are usually out-of-season then, but are released. The dates for flounder season will probably be announced before long, like every year. Joe keeps a boat in Florida and another in New Jersey this season, and when he’s not in Florida then, he’s at Sea Isle. Keep up with his fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>.

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