<b>Sewaren</b>

Raritan Bay’s striped bass gathered at the West Bank, said Rick from <b>Dockside Bait & Tackle</b>. He ran a charter from the marina that boated four keepers there and several blues yesterday on chunks of bunker. The bay’s blues were big choppers 12 to 16 pounds, and many moved into the Great Beds at the Triangle. Boaters from the docks mostly ripped into the blues today. Fresh bunker, fresh clams and the full supply of baits is stocked. Dockside, on Smith Creek, a tributary of the Arthur Kill just north of Outerbridge Crossing, is accessible from the water at the fuel dock and from land.

<b>Keyport</b>

Bigger striped bass than before were pelted the last few days on Raritan Bay on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. Wednesday’s trip hauled in stripers 43 inches, 42 inches and 40 inches, along with 28- to 36-inchers, the size like before. Trips worked hard to avoid bluefish, and by doing that, striper catches were “very reasonable.” Once the bass were found, chunks of bunker caught them best. Being patient during the runoff was the hardest part for most anglers. Let the fish run 3 or 4 seconds, at least, before setting the hook. Otherwise, “the result is a frustrated angler,” he said. The captain’s job is to put you on the fish. But the angler actually catches them. The boat’s been on the fish all spring. If the fishing’s not good, Frank says so. No fluff. “We support our reports with pictures each and every day,” he said. Four spots are available for a striper trip 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 21. Other open-boat trips are also available for stripers, and fluke season will be opened beginning that day. Striper trips will keep sailing during fluke season at first, but fluke trips will be mixed in then. Frank previously announced open trips that will fluke in the early season. All filled, except one with one space available on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30. An open trip will also fluke Friday, June 3.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Lots of blues crammed Raritan Bay, said Joe Jr. from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Striped bass were trolled at Flynn’s Knoll and Reach Channel. Surf anglers wormed and clammed stripers, and bunker failed to catch the surf bass much. Stripers were wormed from rivers at night, like in Shrewsbury River under Sea Bright Bridge. Fluke were around, and fluke season will be opened beginning May 21. One boater hooked and released a 21-inch fluke on the ocean while jigging for stripers. Lots of fish are around. “It’s alive,” he said. All baits are stocked.

Blues to 16 pounds bit non-stop Wednesday on the <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the party boat’s website. Both jigs and bait caught, and the anglers bagged the fish they wanted, playing catch and release the rest of the trip. “Lots of bunker making their way up the channel today, headed for the bay!” he wrote. “Finally, maybe now the bite for us will be a little more consistent.” Weather looked great for today’s trip. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, 6:30 to 11 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9 p.m. Sundays.

On the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, bluefishing had been no good for some trips, terrible, but rebounded well on this morning’s trip, Capt. Tom said on the outing in a phone call. The angling picked, wasn’t “fast,” but the anglers caught and had a good time, he said. All the blues customers could want bit on Monday aboard. The angling was no good Tuesday and Wednesday, when the boat fished all over Raritan Bay, but was back on today on the bay aboard. That’s fishing, he said. You never know.  The Atlantic Star is fishing 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily. <b>***Update, Sunday, 5/15:***</b> Bluefishing ended up good on Thursday morning’s trip, and the afternoon’s picked the fish, Tom said. On Friday, the morning trip’s bluefishing was great, and no afternoon trip sailed in a rough forecast. On Saturday, the morning’s trip only picked the blues, and some anglers totaled three or four, and some none. In the afternoon, with a light crowd aboard because of forecasts, the fishing was great, once the anglers removed wire leaders. They lost some of the blues, because of bite-offs, but only wanted a few apiece to bag. 

<b>Highlands</b>

Striped bass to 42 or 43 inches were heaved from Raritan Bay with <b>Tuna-Tic Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Mike said. The fish were bunker-chunked and trolled, and the angling slowed a little, but the bass were bigger than previously. They were sizable at first this season, and then the size was smaller, and now the size was bigger again. Bluefish were mixed in, like recently. Water’s warming, and only a couple of weeks remain before shark trips steam aboard. The boat is moved to Forked River to sail for them on the ocean from Barnegat Inlet. Tuna-Tic is a major big-game boat, including sailing for sharks and afterward tuna. The vessel is also moved to Barnegat to target the migration of striped bass on the ocean, once Raritan Bay’s striper fishing slows. The ocean striper fishing was phenomenal last year aboard.

<b>***Update, Friday, 5/13:***</b> Six keeper striped bass to 36 inches were trolled at the West Bank on <b>Twin Lights Marina</b> Mojos on Ed, Tony and Capt. Ken’s trip on the Hammerhead on Wednesday, Marion 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, dry storage, a fuel dock, and a combined bait and tackle shop and ship’s store. The fuel dock is available 24 hours a day with a credit card. Baits like live bunker and fresh clams are carried when in demand.

<b>Neptune</b>

A couple of trips were slated to try for striped bass today and Friday on the ocean aboard, so Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> ran a crew trip yesterday to scope out the angling, he said. Two 30-pound stripers were trolled in a short time on bunker spoons. “People say I got lucky,” he said. But he’s been doing this a long time, he said. Still, ocean striper fishing wasn’t quite “ready,” he said. Space is available Sunday for an individual-reservation wreck-fishing trip for cod, pollock, winter flounder and ling on the ocean. A trip clubbed the fish Saturday aboard, covered in the last report here. The only individual-rez trip for sea bass with space available is on June 8. Annual, weekly individual-reservation trips for fluke will sail every Tuesday beginning June 21. Kids under 12 sail free on those trips, limited to one per adult host. Individual-reservation trips will sail for cod July 13 and 27 and August 3, 17 and 31. Fish for cod in shorts! The angling’s been good with Last Lady. Charters are available daily.

<b>Belmar</b>

Afternoon trips will begin livelining bunker for striped bass next week on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. Telephone the boat for the schedule, and a charter is booked aboard for Saturday, May 21, opening day of fluke season. An open-boat trip will fluke that Sunday, and daily, open trips will sea bass beginning Monday, May 23, opening day of sea bass season. However, reservations are required for the first two days of sea bass season. The boat will sea bass a while in sea bass season and then switch back to fluking.

Super day of fishing for big blues, a report said about today on the <b>Golden Eagle</b> on the party boat’s website. All you wanted, it said, and all anglers landed plenty of the 8- to 15-pounders. Run Off hammered jigs and crocodiles caught, and in previous days, bluefishing was on and off. On yesterday’s trip, the angling wasn’t so good. Large blues swirled and followed jigs and popper lures, but were “very hard to hook,” it said. The good news was that plenty were around, and the crew hoped they’d bite today like they should, the report said yesterday. The fish did. The Golden Eagle is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Bluefish bonanza! an email said about today on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> from the party boat. The trip was fishing when the email was sent this morning, and catches were off the hook in a massive area of the fish to the north. The 8- to 15-pounders were jigged. “It looks like the fish are finally here to stay!” it said. Yesterday’s trip picked away at 10- to 16-pound blues, until the angling dropped off. The Miss Belmar Princess is sailing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Bunker showed up in the ocean the last few days pretty well, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. A trip Tuesday snagged the baitfish and then livelined them on the ocean, trying for striped bass, but the bass were yet to chase the bait. Then the trip trolled, hooking four that got off. That was the “fishiest” day he saw on the ocean this year so far. “All the makings were there,” he said. The ocean temperature needed to rise a couple of degrees for them to eat more aggressively, he thinks. On the next day, Wednesday, he saw stripers and blues along the ocean surface. A few stripers were trolled each day locally and to the south on the ocean. Ocean striper fishing is going to break open any day, he thinks. The fishing is a main event on board each spring. New this year, Pete will also run trips that liveline bunker for stripers on a party boat with a limited number of passengers. Reserves dates to ensure a spot, and see info on <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a>. For Parker Pete’s, don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Book an individual space on a charter that needs anglers. Visit the website 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. <b>***Update, Friday, 5/13:***</b> Pete got a call Thursday saying stripers bit on the ocean, he wrote on Parker Pete’s Facebook page. He grabbed a friend, fished, and began catching them immediately. Game on. The bass were trolled, but he thinks they’ll be livelined on bunker on the next trip.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Better catches of ling were pasted Monday than before on the <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the party boat’s website. Life was much better, and ling were scooped from each spot fished.  The weekend’s ocean swell had calmed, and Matt hoped ling fishing would keep improving throughout the week. Out-of-season sea bass were released, and the season will be opened beginning May 23. The Norma-K III is fishing for ling and cod 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

From <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>, Dennis saw a gazillion bluefish finning like bonefish on Barnegat Bay off Good Luck Point on Sunday morning, he said. But they were hardly eating. None bit when he trolled, and then he landed a few on cast popper lures and swimming plugs. The fish weren’t aggressive, apparently because the water had dropped to 51 degrees from 55 in a week. But later in the day, he cast a spoon while drifting the boat in the bay nearer to Route 37 Bridge, and blues ate up the lure. Bluefishing was sometimes great for anglers farther south in the bay, toward the BI and BB markers, mostly on cast plugs. Striped bass, including keepers, were hooked along the 37 Bridge on different lures like Rapala X-Raps, small pencil poppers and Fin-S Fish. Plenty of blues remained in the Toms River, and anglers mostly fished for them at night with bunker. They sometimes cast plugs for the fish in daytime. Barnegat Inlet was loaded with blues. Manasquan Inlet also gave up good bluefishing sometimes. In all the wind this past week, anglers began focusing on Point Pleasant Canal, tackling some blues. Nothing was heard about anglers boating the ocean yet this season, and boaters had no reason to leave the bay to fish anyway. Surf fishing improved every day. Stripers and some blues were beached, and the angling could be good.  Dennis pulled in his overnight crab pot after 24 hours, and was surprised. At least two dozen keepers were trapped, including some of the biggest males he’d seen. Many of the crabs were dirty, having just emerged from the mud for the season. But some were spotless. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River. Go Fish is now open at 10 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Friends of the shop whaled big striped bass to 44 pounds on the ocean off Ortley Beach a quarter of a mile or an eighth of a mile out, said Phil Dirt from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Bunker were seen as far in to the beach and out to the ocean, and north and south, as could be seen. Bluefish were smashed in Barnegat Bay from Barnegat Inlet to Island Heights on metal, popper lures and bait. Three of the store’s rental boats sailed, and all returned with the blues. No striped bass were heard about from the bay. Friends of the store tried for them all night but only caught blues, fishing along Route 37 Bridge and all around the bay toward the shop. Crabs stopped being trapped from the dock that began to be nabbed previously. They seemed to bury back into the mud. 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, boat rentals and, in season, jet-ski rentals. Baits stocked include fresh bunker, fresh clams, bloodworms and sandworms. A whole new shipment of rods, reels and tackle arrived.

<b>Forked River</b>

Ocean boaters nailed striped bass off the bathing beach on Island Beach State Park the last two days, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish were trolled on bunker spoons and Mojos, according to the two reports, and a 38-pounder and a 36-pounder were weighed-in today. Bunker reportedly swarmed all over the area. “So (anglers) were glad to see that,” he said. Big blues schooled Barnegat Bay from Bayville to Barnegat Inlet. They were trolled on ponytails and fought on cast popper lures and metal. Very few weakfish, just a few, were heard about from the bay this season. Striped bass began to be clammed in the bay. Grizz caught none in two attempts, but customers landed some. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, bloodworms, killies, meal worms, trout worms and nightcrawlers are stocked.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Barnegat Bay dished up lots of blues medium-sized to larger, said Alex from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. Many good-sized currently schooled Barnegat Inlet. Customers sometimes saw bunker in the ocean recently, saying they found no striped bass chasing them yet. A few stripers, not many, were heard about from the bay near the inlet. 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 bait in season. 

Fishing will be launched for the year on Memorial Day weekend, from that Friday to Monday, sailing for blues, on the <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, the boat’s website said. The trips will also fish on the weekends of June 3 through 5 and 10 through 12. Afterward, fluke trips will begin to fish daily.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Many blues were pounded from the Graveling Point and Pebble Beach area to Grassy Channel and far up Mullica River, as far upstream as Chestnut Neck Boat Yard, said Brian from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Shore anglers bunker-chunked the blues around Graveling and Pebble, and striped bass were slugged from the river upstream from Chestnut and the Parkway Bridge, on eels livelined under bobbers. White perch fishing was good around the river or waters like that, and lots of live grass shrimp were bought for the angling from the store. A few drum had been caught in the Graveling and Pebble area during the weekend, when water had cooled. But water began to warm, and blues took over now. Crabs began to be trapped, but crabbing wasn’t worthwhile. Water was a little cold for the blueclaws, and people who tried to crab trapped small ones and an occasional keeper. Baits stocked include fresh clams in the shell and the grass shrimp. Fresh bunker should be carried for the weekend.

<b>Absecon</b>

Things are finally looking good, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. The weather or the fishing? he was asked. Both, he said. Weather was supposed to be warmer today, and now was pretty much the time to get on striped bass and blues. Stripers were spawning far up Mullica River, in freshwater. He’s been fishing there, and a charter with him there this week released a huge, 46-inch, female striper that weighed more than 40 pounds that bit a live eel under a bobber. The bass was fat as Dave had ever seen. The charter kept male stripers instead. Incredibly, two male stripers swam into the net with the female. Amazing, Dave said. The stripers were still spawning, and were almost finished. They should become hungry, and angling should turn on for them in the river. They won’t bite much during the spawn. A few stripers came from bays, and few boats sailed the ocean in recent weather. But if boaters can reach the ocean, surely they can troll stripers that must’ve begun migrating the water. Sizable bluefish swam the mouth of the river and nearly everywhere. The number of blues was fewer than last May, but many were around. Great Bay’s fishing was good for them. Surf anglers picked the blues and some stripers. Especially good reports rolled in about large stripers from Absecon Inlet in Atlantic City from shore anglers. If anglers are crazy enough to fish at night there, Dave said, many stripers 40 inches and larger were hooked from the inlet in the dark. Mostly big rubber baits on jigs took the bass at night. In the Atlantic City surf, bunker and clams were often fished for blues and stripers. Surf catches seemed to pick up somewhat at Brigantine yesterday afternoon and this morning, too.  All baits are stocked, and Dave is trying to load up on minnows for the opening of summer flounder season beginning May 21. The store’s annual <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/events/1765718870324947/" target="_blank"><b><i>***Grand Slam Customer Appreciation Sale***</b></i></a> gets underway Friday through May 20, the day before flounder season. Stock up before the season, because almost everything in the store will be discounted at least 25 percent. That includes rods, reels, rigs, lures and much more. Live, fresh and frozen bait is not included. The shop’s <a href=" http://www.abseconbay.com/ssffftournament.html" target="_blank">Take It to the Limit Summer Flounder Tournament</a>, benefitting the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund, will be held May 21, opening day of the season. The event features great prizes and major sponsors.

<b>Brigantine</b>        

Karl Stock banked a 19-pound striped bass Wednesday from Brigantine’s surf on Riptide bunker, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish moved Stock into third place in the Riptide Spring Striper and Bluefish Derby. Tom Daley weighed-in a 24-pound 14-ounce 41-1/2-inch striper he beached from the surf on a Riptide rotter, the name that customers call clams from the store, tongue in check. That pushed Daley into second place in the derby, and a 27-pounder remained in first place. Some action came from the surf, not heavy, but some, and that’s good, Andy said. A 19-pound 4-ounce bluefish was checked-in from the surf. The blue was the largest that Mike Shepherd, from the column Shep on Fishing in the Atlantic City Press, heard about from the state this season, Andy said. Blues came from the island’s surf here and there, but the bluefishing seemed to slow a little. Maybe that’s why the striper fishing picked up, Andy thought. A 35-pound drum was released today in the surf.  The derby is underway until May 22 and is for the three heaviest stripers and the three heaviest blues caught from the town’s surf.  Cash is awarded, and entry is $25 and includes a permit to beach-buggy the entire Brigantine front beach, when accompanied by a Brigantine beach-buggy permit. Without the tournament permit, not all the beach can be driven. New this year, Brigantine beach-buggy permits are free for veterans and active military. The Expert Fireplace Spring Riptide Striper Bounty was up to $640. The annual contest awards the cash to the angler who brings in the year’s first striper 43 inches or larger from Brigantine’s front-beach. The bounty will grow, because entry is $5, and all the money is awarded. Berkeley is offering rebates of $15 for buying four packs of Gulps and $10 for buying a pint. Stop by and save, and load up for summer flounder season that begins May 21.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Big striped bass, larger than 40 inches, a good number of the fish, were cranked from Absecon Inlet, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Fishing’s on, he said, and anglers on foot landed the bass from the jetty-lined inlet on fresh bunker, fresh clams, frozen finger mullet, bloodworms and a few on lures, both during daytime and nighttime. Places that fished well in the inlet included off the Flagship and Madison, Melrose and Caspian avenues. Lures that worked well were soft-plastics from Scully, a local company, that are scented like shedder crabs and are stocked. Big bluefish were drilled from the surf near the inlet in town and from the back bay on fresh bunker, frozen finger mullet, fresh clams and bloodworms. Cash-in on your catch: sign up for the shop’s free tournament that will award $250, $150 and $100 for first through third places, respectively, for the three heaviest stripers caught from land in Atlantic City. Registration is required before making the catch, and the fish must be weighed at the store. Currently, a 29.3-pound 45-incher was in first place, and a 25-pound 41-1/2-incher was in second. All baits mentioned and more, a large supply, are stocked. Fresh bunker are $2 apiece or three for $5.  Bloodworms are on special on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for $20 for two dozen.

<b>Egg Harbor Township</b>

Everywhere harbored blues, from Great Egg Harbor River to the bay and Great Egg Harbor Inlet, said Collin from <b>24-7 Bait & Tackle</b>. The river’s white perch fishing was good, and catfish were angled from the water. Surf anglers dragged-in blues and striped bass at Atlantic City. Nothing was heard about crabs trapped yet. Fresh bunker, bloodworms, sandworms, eels, minnows and all frozen baits are stocked. Fresh clams might arrive Friday or Saturday, depending on weather. Friday might be stormy. The rental boats, docked on Patcong Creek, running passed the shop, are available. They’re used for fishing and crabbing from there to the river and bay. Patcong is a tributary of the Great Egg that meets the river near its mouth on the bay, and is one of the best crabbing places.  <b>The company also own 24-7 Bait & Tackle in Marmora</b>.

<b>Margate</b>

Want to get in on the good-sized blues swimming the back bay? The party boat <b>Keeper</b> will sail for them 8 a.m. to 12 noon Saturday and Sunday, Capt. John said. A bunch supposedly swam the water, and the trips will be the year’s first aboard. The boat is Coast Guard inspected and ready to fish. Summer flounder trips will fish 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. daily beginning Saturday, May 21, opening day of the flounder season. The vessel is a flounder boat, fishing for them daily throughout flounder season, this year lasting through September 25. Trips are only $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and $20 for kids, because fishing is near port, and the pontoon boat is economical on fuel.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Mainly blues, that’s it, said Justin from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Bluefish were almost all the catches heard about. They were fought along 9th Street Bridge and behind Corson’s Inlet on bait and lures. During the weekend, 12- to 15-pounders were reported. Today and yesterday, 15-pounders and heavier, like 38-inchers, were. A few striped bass caught were talked about from Great Egg Harbor Inlet, mostly from shore on plugs, and nighttime fished better for them. No striper catches were heard about from places like along 9th Street Bridge anymore, because of the blues. Stripers were reeled from there previously. Though the surf and wind calmed, the water was full of long, stringy weeds impossible to fish through.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

The back bay’s bluefishing was off the charts, and one customer trolled large striped bass on the ocean, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The blues were big, some pushing 18 pounds, and abundant. Most anglers fishing for them threw lures, a hodgepodge including often soft-plastics and some poppers and metal. Bait also caught, and the customer who trolled the stripers departed from Townsend’s Inlet, and the trip landed multiple large bass and some blues at 40-foot depths on Mojos and umbrella rigs. From the surf, a couple of blues and some striped bass just began to be slid-in, not good angling, but a start. Crabbing’s been awesome. The couple of recreationals who crabbed mugged them, and commercials bailed the blueclaws. Summer flounder season will be opened beginning Saturday, May 21, and the shop’s annual flounder tournament, sponsored by JK Construction, will be held that Saturday and Sunday. Entry is $20, and every angler on the boat must be registered. First place will win 70 percent, and second will win 30 percent. Third place will win prizes from the shop and JK Construction, and Calcuttas will be available: $10 for flounder, and the entrant with the three heaviest will win it all; $5 for the heaviest blue, winner take all; and $5 for the heaviest weakfish, winner take all. Registration ends at 6 a.m. sharp on opening day, and all fish must be weighed by 5 p.m. that Sunday at the store.

Trips aboard last fished during the weekend, including because of weather during the week, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. But friends fished for the big blues that Joe’s trips have been catching on the back bay, and the fish were still there. He’ll get back after them now.  Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Better weather was just needed for trips to sail, said Capt. Jim from <b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b>. That might’ve been improving now, and drum were eased from southern Delaware Bay. Sizable striped bass were locked-into all along the bay, as they migrated from Delaware River, where they spawned, to the ocean. Boaters might likely find them in the ocean now, whenever weather allowed them to reach the water. Sometimes bluefish tumbled along the ocean. Fins fishes for all species available, and trips are slated to fish every day. Reservations aren’t required but suggested, and telephone for availability. Drum trips are booking up around the full moon, when some anglers like to sail for them.

<b>Cape May</b>

Five drum were decked from Delaware Bay on Saturday on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. That was the year’s first trip for them aboard, and seven drum were totaled on Monday’s trip. On Wednesday’s trip, four were caught, and two broke off, so far at 6 p.m., when he gave this report on the outing in a phone call. Another was hooked and was being fought when he spoke. Drum began to bite, and the trips fished on the Delaware side of the bay. Wednesday night’s trip fished 2 to 3 miles off Delaware, when he gave this report. No drum really bit on the New Jersey side yet that Paul knew about. But that will change any time, and the boat will fish the Jersey side then. A couple of boats fished the Jersey side, looking for the fish, Wednesday, when he gave this report. Most of the drum were smaller or 25 to 35 pounds so far, but a couple of better-sized were landed on Wednesday’s trip so far. Leam Ewing from Cape May County won the pool with a 35-pounder Monday. Karl Ziegler from West Cape May bagged two drum on the trip. Val Shuster from Williamstown won the pool on Saturday’s trip. The Porgy IV is fishing for drum 2 to 10 p.m. on every day when enough anglers sign up and weather is fit. Telephone for availability.

Drum trips are supposed to fish Delaware Bay aboard this weekend, and a few of the fish were reported boated, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. The catches might’ve been reported off Delaware, but some seemed found off New Jersey, too. A friend pumped-in two off the Villas in Jersey on Sunday afternoon. A few striped bass are getting boated in the bay shallows, close to shore, like off Reeds Beach and the Villas, talked about here in a past report from George. Telephone if interested in drum fishing.

Fishing was pretty good, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Striped bass, big, including 40-inchers, were picked from the surf. They all seemed quality fish, hooked on fresh bunker. They were mostly weighed from Delaware Bay in town, but also came from the ocean surf in Cape May. A few drum were clammed from the surf. Bluefishing seemed to slow locally, and mostly produced farther north. But blues probably still popped up in the ocean, and at Cape May Rips, like chasing bunker. Boaters on Delaware Bay began to fight drum to 35 or 40 pounds. That was on the New Jersey side, and a few boaters headed to the Delaware side, off Slaughter Beach, to catch. On the Jersey side, the drum came from places like close to shore off Coxhall Creek. Boaters bunker-chunked a few large striped bass in the bay tight to shore, like in 4- or 5-foot depths, in areas like off the Villas. A few customers worked the back bay for smaller stripers. A few pre-fished for out-of-season summer flounder on the back bay, releasing the fluke, trying to figure where they swam for the season opening beginning May 21. The population of the flatfish seemed to be picking up. Fresh clams, fresh bunker and bloodworms are stocked.

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