<b>Keyport</b>

Raritan Bay’s striped bass fishing was up and down in past days, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an email. Readings were incredible, but getting the fish to bite was much more difficult than before. Two to 12 keepers were decked per trip. They were large, and frankly, mostly females. Trolling caught them best, and fishing for them with bunker was unproductive. “When the bass put the feed bag back on, it will be game on again,” he said. The fishing should be excellent, considering the number that swam the bay. A “pull back” like this happens each year. More and more bluefish arrived in the bay. The tackle busters will rip through gear before long.  Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips with space available are on next week from Tuesday through Thursday, April 26 through 28. <b>***Update, Monday, 4/18:***</b> Eight big stripers were boated today aboard, Frank wrote in an email sent during the trip. “Nice big fish today,” he wrote.

Striped bass fishing was super previously on Raritan Bay, but 300 boats must’ve fished at once for them in past days, and that made angling tough, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>. The fish were trolled on Mojo rigs, and chunking bunker failed to catch well, in past days. Plenty of the bass were throwbacks, but good-sized keepers to 28 pounds also bit. Open-boat trips are fishing for stripers daily on the Down Deep Bull, one of the company’s two boats, both 40 feet. The Down Deep, the other vessel, will fish on open trips for blackfish a few more times this month, while blackfish season is open. One of those trips is set for Wednesday, and blackfish season is open this month and will be closed throughout May. Charters are available on both boats. Join the <a href=" http://downdeepsportfishing.com/short-notice-list/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on Down Deep’s website to be kept informed about open trips. See available dates on the calendar on the site. That includes dates for sea bass trips, and sea bass season will be open May 23 through June 19, less than a month.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Not a good way to begin the fishing season, Capt. Ron from the <b>Fishermen</b> wrote in a report on the party boat’s website. The vessel began fishing, for striped bass, this weekend for the year. The trips read and anchored on the fish, but couldn’t get them to bite. The anglers fished with fresh bunker and, when the boat was drifted, rubber shads. Friday night’s trip caught some stripers to 24 pounds. Weather looks good for the whole week. Will see what happens, Ron said. A few bluefish began to appear in Raritan Bay. “Any day!” he said. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9:30 Sundays.

Fishing for striped bass was no good on Thursday’s through Sunday morning’s trips on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. Two keepers and two throwbacks were landed on Sunday afternoon’s trip, still not good, but a slight improvement, and the only good news. Two keepers and a throwback were also reeled in when this morning’s trip moved to a new location at about 11 a.m., when Tom gave an update in a phone call aboard. Trips fished on Raritan Bay, and boats seemed spread everywhere on the bay this weekend. Smaller boats that trolled hooked a striper occasionally, but the angling seemed slow for them, too. Tom’s trips fished different places on the bay. Fish were read, but wouldn’t bite, and bait was read. A few more of the fish were caught aboard the previous weekend, when the boat began fishing for the season. Last year, stripers didn’t even bite for the boat’s trips until around April 16 to 18 on the bay. No bluefish were hooked from the bay yet this year on the boat. One blue caught on another party boat was heard about, and the bay’s shore anglers supposedly banked blues someplace the other night. The Atlantic Star is fishing for striped bass 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily.

<b>Neptune</b>

Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> hopes to be back in action, he said, this week. He’s been completing maintenance on the boat. A few spaces are available for an individual-reservation trip for sea bass May 27. Two of those trips sold out for May 23 and 24. Sea bass season will be open May 23 through June 19, a short time. Good blackfishing was belted on the ocean. Stripers were boated on Raritan Bay.

<b>Belmar</b>

The year’s first charter will sail April 30 with <b>XTC Sportfishing</b>, targeting striped bass, Capt. Scott said. If no stripers are around, the trip could sail for blackfish or cod. Openings are available in early May for charters.

The <b>Katie H</b> was hauled out for maintenance, including “(to add) some nice stuff to the boat,” for about the next week, Capt. Mike said. That was to the north, so the trip to the boat yard this weekend tried for striped bass on the back of Raritan Bay. Nothing but big bluefish were run into, and striper fishing was slow for the fleet. The bay’s striper fishing went from great to slower recently, but that could change. The Katie H will fish for striped bass from Belmar on the ocean, when that fishing takes off this season. If anglers want sea bass, a few spaces remain, and should be booked now. Sea bass season will be open May 23 through June 19, less than a month. The 46-foot Katie H features speed and all the amenities.

The boat was splashed Saturday after seasonal maintenance, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. He hoped to run a shakedown trip today. Blackfishing was reportedly decent on the ocean. He did hear about striped bass boated on the ocean, and he’ll take a look today, if he gets out. Fishing for the ocean’s migration of stripers, when the migration kicks in along the ocean, is the main event aboard at first this season. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Book an individual space on a charter that needs anglers. Visit <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. Also see a trip calendar, where available dates are posted, on the site.

Fishing was launched for the year Saturday on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, sailing for striped bass and blues, an email from the party boat said. The daily trips fished through today, marking fish and bait, but “the fish just didn’t want to cooperate,” it said. A handful were angled aboard, “amongst all the boats,” it said. But the crew hopes the fish begin biting in the next days. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for stripers and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

A few striped bass to 23 pounds were sacked Sunday on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the party boat’s website said. Lots more of the fish were seen on the trip than on the previous few days. “They didn’t bite the way we saw them, but at least some of them ended up in the boat,” it said. All the fish were hooked on gold Run Off crocodiles and hammered jigs. On Saturday’s trip, stripers seemed to “take the day off” up and down the ocean beach. The fish were read, but none bit. “It was a weird day of fishing,” it said. Birds worked bait that schooled, and sometimes bluefish swirled the water surface, but they were difficult to catch. Mackerel were caught well on one half-hour drift, and that was strange, “considering the bluefish were around,” it said. Anglers began to use the mackerel for bait, but hooking the bluefish continued to be difficult. Some of the mackerel were bitten in half. On Friday’s trip, lots of birds worked, and lots of bait and fish were read, and fish even followed the jigs to the boat. But getting them to bite was difficult. The trip fished lots of different spots, with the same results, giving good effort. Weather looks great for the next days, and striper fishing should keep improving. More and more fish are moving into the area. That includes bluefish, and that angling should break open. The Golden Eagle is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Brielle</b>

The <b>Jamaica II</b> fished Sunday for the first time in a while, the party boat’s website said. Departing at 5 a.m., the trip met a large swell on the ocean, but the seas became calmer “as we worked our way offshore,” it said. Cod and pollock were picked in the morning, and the angling slowed or the fish stopped biting in the afternoon. An 18-pound cod was the pool-winner. Trips will next sail at 5 a.m. Saturday and Sunday for cod. Then the vessel will be in the boat yard a week for maintenance.

Sounded like a few striped bass, good-sized to the low 20 pounds, were boated on the ocean Saturday between Manasquan and Belmar, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. They were trolled on Mojo rigs, and a few were jigged on heavy Tsunami shads, mostly white ones. Farther north, striper fishing had been great on Raritan Bay, mostly on the troll. Stripers to 30 pounds, sometimes 40, were boated there, on Stretch 25 lures, Mojos, bunker spoons, rubber shads or whatever anglers wanted to troll. White was the most popular color. The bay’s shore anglers had banked stripers on big, metal-lipped swimming lures, clams and bunker chunks. The lures had beaten some good-sized to 15 and 20 pounds. In the surf near the shop, schoolie stripers were beached, and bigger will be soon. The schoolies were often fought on clams and sometimes on small plugs like Daiwa SP Minnows or Bombers and small bucktails. A quick shot of bluefish invaded Manasquan Inlet Saturday morning. Bluefish probably arrived for the season, and the year’s first fluke, a 21-incher, was reported hooked from the inlet. Hickory shad, not a ton, reportedly showed up in the inlet sometimes. On Manasquan River, winter flounder fishing improved a little, toward Route 35 Bridge. The fish seemed to be migrating toward the ocean, and plenty of anglers limited out on two. A few schoolie stripers were fought on the river. Loads of blackfish bit in Point Pleasant Canal. Clams and sandworms or soft baits caught them best. On the ocean, blackfishing was pretty good, depending on the wreck fished.  The catches were made at Axel Carlson and Sea Girt reefs. Cod fishing was “relatively decent” on the ocean, mostly on clams. An angler might bag a couple on a trip. 

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Fishing resumed Saturday with blackfishing on the ocean on the <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the party boat’s website. The boat had been in dry dock for maintenance to be ready for the fishing year, and the docks had been refurbished, before the vessel could be splashed back into the slip. The ocean was beautiful on the trip, despite small-craft warnings and forecasts for 6- to 9-foot seas that ended up inaccurate. The fishing was good most of the trip. Every stop gave up life, “(and) you just had to be patient and wait for the right bite,” he said. An 11-pounder won the pool, and a handful of anglers limited out and caught more, keeping only their limits. Some new-timers had a tough time.  On Sunday’s trip, the ocean was beautiful again, and some anglers limited out early, some limited within the trip, some bagged one to three, and just a few caught only throwbacks. A 7-pounder won the pool, and weather looks great for this week. The Norma-K III is blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Barnegat Bay was the place to be for fishing in this early season, a report said on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>’ website. Small to medium-sized bluefish and small striped bass were angled from the bay near Sedge Island and Oyster Creek. Keeper crabs were plucked from the dock Sunday. “Wow!” the report said. The season was early for that. Fresh clams and bunker and sizable bloodworms were stocked. The Dock Outfitters, located on Barnegat Bay, blocks from the ocean surf, features a bait and tackle shop, a café, a dock for fishing and crabbing and, in season, boat and jet-ski rentals.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

The year’s first bluefish was checked-in from Graveling Point on Thursday, a report said on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s website. The angler won the annual $100 gift certificate to the store for the first for the 9.8-pounder, and also banked a drum on the trip. Graveling is a shore-angling spot at the confluence of Great Bay and Mullica River. Bluefish arrived there, but not in full force yet, a report said Saturday on the site. That blue and another about 10 pounds was reported caught in the area by then, and others were surely landed that weren’t reported. Drum fishing was good in the area. Incoming tides fished best for them, and nighttime is usually best for drum. Clams are the usual bait for drum. Boaters should also be able to tie into blues and drum on the bay, probably, like at Grassy Channel. The blues might also be able to be boated at places like behind Holgate and at Little Egg Inlet. Striped bass fishing was sporadic toward Graveling. The fishing could be on fire one day, and no stripers could be around the next. Striper fishing went pretty well on Mullica River toward the mouth at different areas. Outgoing tides were preferred, and clams, bunker, bloodworms “and even lures now,” the report said, hooked them.

<b>Brigantine</b>

A drum was heaved from the surf, Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b> wrote in a report Saturday on the shop’s website. That was the most recent report at press time, and drum were taken at other locations, “so it wouldn’t surprise me to see them moving with the full moon (this) week,” he said. Throwback striped bass were sometimes nabbed Friday from the surf. The water was 49.6 degrees Thursday, and the temperature’s been climbing. Bloodworms and fresh clams were stocked. Plenty of frozen mullet were carried, “if you are looking for the blues,” he said. Bluefish will chomp frozen mackerel that was stocked, too.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Lots of striped bass, mostly throwbacks but becoming bigger than before, currently 22 to 24 inches, were crushed at the T-jetty and the jetties off Massachusetts and Vermont avenues, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. The T is at the ocean end of Absecon Inlet, and those other jetties are the next two south of the T. Bluefish, big, were caught, but from the back bay off Route 40 at the Atlantic City High School bridge. Big blues eventually showed up at the T and those two other jetties last spring. The stripers at the jetties now were abundant, and the fishing was great. An angler this morning released 14 throwbacks. Another yesterday landed 23 throwbacks and a keeper, just over legal-sized, 28 inches. Two anglers on foot caught four keeper blackfish at Absecon Inlet off the Flagship on a trip. So blackfish swam the inlet, lined with jetties. All baits, a large supply, are stocked.  Bloodworms are on special on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for $20 for two dozen.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

The bluefish migration smashed into the back bay, and the bay’s fishing was about as good as fishing gets, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Doug Gillespie aboard Sunday plowed 8- to 13-pound blues on every cast for them, four striped bass to 26 inches and a 20-inch summer flounder on the bay on soft-plastic lures on jigs. Peter Rotelli on the boat Saturday tackled a bunch of blues 9 to 13 pounds, some on the jigs, some on flies. The blues have been fly-rod-able. The plastics and flies were fished slowly along bottom on a stop-and-go retrieve on 60-pound fluorocarbon leaders. A few blues bit off the leaders. The blues showed up Wednesday or Thursday, and Joe first Mohawked them Friday on a trip, covered in the previous report here. Big, so-called tiderunner weakfish can also show up in the bay this season. None was heard about locally yet this year. All four species, a back-bay grand slam, could be caught now in a trip. This is some of the year’s best fishing, and only lasts into May. The blues could remain until late May, if they stick around like in previous years. Blues can be found in the bay all summer, but these big slammers mostly migrate to the ocean after some weeks of living in the bay in spring. The stripers usually are undersized and are released. They’re younger stripers, yet to migrate, that live in the bay year-round, beginning to bite because of warming water. After waters warm, Joe will popper-plug and –fly the blues and stripers along the water surface. He does that with the stripers all summer. The flounder are out-of-season and are released, until flounder season is opened beginning May 21. Flounder fishing’s best in the early season in South Jersey’s shallow, warm back bays.  When the bays warm toward summer, many of the flounder depart for the cooler water of the ocean. 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> will fish for drum in May on Delaware Bay, Capt. Jim said. May’s full moon is said to be a time to catch them. A few puppy drum were reported caught at places like Great Bay. They usually show up at places like that first each spring, before drum, including big, fill Delaware Bay. If striped bass are around that can be boated this spring, trips can sail for them aboard. Fins fishes from the ocean to the back bay and Delaware Bay. When Delaware Bay is fished, the boat is trailered to wherever’s nearest the angling, and launched there. Otherwise trips fish from the slip at Avalon. 

<b>Wildwood</b>

Just need fishable weather, said Capt. Jim from <b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b>. No trips fished aboard this weekend, but the boat is available for blackfishing on the ocean. Striped bass were sometimes decked on Delaware Bay, and if those fish are available, trips can get after them, too.  A few bluefish seemed around. He imagined they swam the back bay, but without sailing, he couldn’t say. Ten-pound blues schooled the bay last spring around this time. Fins is slated to fish every day, and reservations aren’t required but suggested. Telephone for availability.

<b>Cape May</b>

Wind caused blackfishing to be weathered out this weekend on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Wind blew hard on Saturday, kicking up white caps. Weather turned out better on Sunday, and a trip probably could’ve fished that day. But none of the five or six boats sailed in the forecasts this weekend that are fishing from Utsch’s Marina. That’s the Heavy Hitter’s marina, and the angling would’ve been the year’s first aboard. The boat was splashed at the marina the previous weekend for the year. Blackfishing is available aboard, while blackfish season is open this month. The season will be closed throughout May. Trips for drum will fish Delaware Bay in May on the boat.

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