<b>Staten Island</b>

Solid bluefish, no striped bass, were smashed Saturday on Raritan Bay with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Live and chunked bunker were fished, and a trip Sunday was canceled because of wind. Fishing is available from Staten Island, N.Y., and Sewaren, N.J., with Outcast. Sea bass trips will begin from Jersey when the state’s sea bass season is opened beginning next Monday.

<b>Keyport</b>

Raritan Bay’s striped bass fishing became picky this past week, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an email. Plenty of the fish remained, “but their eating habits are not as aggressive,” he said. A good number of bites would fail to be hooked. On Friday morning, seven solid runoffs took off with livelined bunker, but couldn’t be hooked. “The bunkers came back scaled,” he said. Even fishing with chunks of bunker was tricky. The fish are spawning, “have other things on their mind,” he thought. The bass will apparently remain in the area some time, so that’s good. Bluefish swarmed everywhere, providing constant action. Was unfortunate more anglers aren’t interested in blues. Blues are the strongest-fighting fish, pound for pound. Some say blues don’t taste good. Lobster used to be used for fertilizer. Frank guessed people thought lobsters didn’t taste good. “Right?!” he said. He remembers seeing dead ling floating in a mile area, when he was a boy, because draggers only kept whiting. Today, ling boats are packed with anglers to catch the tasty fish. Blues will be preferred one day, he thinks. Then the limit will be one, two or none. “Oh well, catch ‘em while you can,” he wrote. Fluke season will be opened beginning Saturday, and more and more reports were heard about fluke seen. Frank previously announced early-season fluke trips that filled immediately, like he expected. Book early, and last-minute callers are failing to get aboard. Frank doesn’t like turning anybody away. May 24, 26 and 31 are available for charters or open-boat.  A half-dozen dates are available in June. Weekend fluke dates are available June 12, 29 and 25. Working Man Special Trips, sailing 4 to 9 p.m., will continue in June for fluke.

Fishing for striped bass was up and down on Raritan Bay, and a ton of bluefish bit, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>. Fishing was “a beat down” for stripers to 28 pounds and blues Sunday aboard. The trips are fishing live and chunked bunker, including open-boat trips daily, reservations required. Charters are available. Down Deep runs two boats, both 40 feet. A marathon, open fluke trip, reservations required, will sail 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, opening day of fluke season. More open fluke trips will sail, and open sea bass trips will begin next Monday, opening day of sea bass season. Again, reservations are required, and fluke or sea bass charters are available. 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. 

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Bluefishing was super on Sunday morning’s trip on Raritan Bay on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. Not a lot of people joined the trip, but one stop was fished, and the anglers kept the blues they wanted, releasing more afterward a while. The afternoon’s trip couldn’t fish where the morning’s did, because strong wind had built, blowing against the tide. So the trip fished the back of the bay, picking blues. Wind against tide was still lousy for the angling. Bluefishing’s been good aboard, only a short sail from port. The fish even bit when the tide slowed on Sunday morning’s trip, like they did on the previous trip, on Saturday afternoon.  The Atlantic Star is fishing 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily. The trips will fluke fish beginning Saturday, opening day of fluke season. <b>***Update, Tuesday, 5/17:***</b> Both trips sailed today aboard, and bluefishing was great, Capt. Tom said. Not a lot of anglers showed up, but the patrons caught all they wanted. A little drizzle fell, but no rain did, really, and weather was beautiful on the water. If anglers want to take advantage, the trips will sail for blues through Friday, and switch to fluke beginning Saturday.

On the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, bluefish, great catches, were pounded two days in a row, Capt. Ron wrote Thursday in a report on the party boat’s website. Once the anglers had their fill of blues on Thursday’s trip, the trip looked for striped bass at several areas, but blues took over. Bluefishing’s been great, and near port. Friday’s bluefishing was also terrific aboard. Saturday’s trip took a ride to see if striped bass began to depart Hudson River after spawning, while 1 ½ hours of outgoing tide remained. After arriving, Ron knew the bass weren’t going to appear, as the tide slowed. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. The trip ran back to local waters for blues, and the bite was on, once the tide began. A striped bass won the trip’s pool, and a handful of stripers and a bunch of blues were fought on Thursday night’s trip, the most recent night trip Ron reported about at press time. He’s looking for striper fishing to pop at night any time. 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.

<b>Highlands</b>

Two striped bass were bagged, and two big, 20 or 25 pounds, got off Saturday with <b>Lady M Charters</b>, Capt. Steve said. The angler wanted to use the angler’s braided line, but monofilament would’ve been better, allowing “give” or stretch, so the hooks might not have pulled. Chunked bunker caught, and a few bluefish were mixed in. Practically the whole fleet fished the same area. Many departed later, but fishing didn’t sound better at new locations they fished. The old saying, don’t leave fish to find fish, came to mind. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing. Trips will fish for fluke once fluke season is opened beginning Saturday, and for sea bass once sea bass season is opened beginning next Monday.

<b>Neptune</b>

The Fritchman charter loaded the box with big blues Saturday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph wrote in an email. That was on bait, and the anglers trolled late in the trip, bagging a healthy-sized striped bass. A trip the previous day, sailing a little shorter time than usual, tried for stripers. But only two bluefish were caught. An inshore wreck-fishing trip was cancelled Sunday because of wind. Sea bass season will be opened beginning next Monday, and the only individual-reservation trip for sea bass with space available is June 8. The season will be open less than a month, and a few dates are available for sea bass charters: May 29 and 31 and June 6, 9, 13, 15 and 16. Annual individual-reservation trips for fluke, sailing every Tuesday, will begin June 21. Individual-reservation trips for cod are filling fast and will sail July 13 and 27 and August 3, 17 and 31. Fish for cod in shorts! Those trips have been great. Charters are available daily.

<b>Belmar</b>

Big striped bass swam the ocean, and fishing was heating up, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. “This is your time – grab your rod and go,” he said. Boaters stopped by with stripers to 40 pounds from the ocean. Trolling bunker spoons and Mojos caught, but some boaters hooked large stripers from the ocean on bunker snagged for bait and then livelined. Smaller stripers swam the surf, biting bunker chunks and clams, sometimes plugs and metal. Bob reeled in several stripers 10 to 12 pounds from back waters in Monmouth and Ocean counties on rubber shads. Giant bluefish 10 to 18 pounds swam “our rivers … a blessing to the tackle shops selling all sorts of metal,” he said. The shop’s crew are expecting a good opening of fluke season Saturday. Shark River seemed to harbor a large number of the fish, some estimated to weigh 8 pounds and heavier. The shop’s rental boats are available for the river’s fluking. <b>***Update, Monday, 5/16:***</b> Short report! Bob wrote in an email. A 52-pound striper was weighed from the ocean today at the store that Nick Alfonse from Hamilton nailed on a Belmar charter boat. The fish was hooked on a livelined bunker off Ocean County very tight to shore on a light rod, and was one of three stripers decked on the trip. “They are here,” Bob said. “Get it in gear, or miss out.”

Angling for big blues was super Thursday and pretty good Friday on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the party boat’s website said. Saturday’s trip banged away at big blues, pretty decent fishing. Sunday’s trip took the whole trip to put together a catch, working a little overtime, but the catch was pretty decent by the end. The blues ranged 6 to 15 pounds on the trips, and were hooked on Run Off hammered jigs and crocodiles. Sometimes one worked better than another on a trip, like gold crocs that caught better on one trip. The Golden Eagle is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Eight- to 15-pound bluefish were pummeled Saturday on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> north of Shark River Inlet, an email from the party boat said. Both tides and all drifts produced, and crocs and plain or tailed Ava 47s caught great. Bluefishing’s on fire now. Time to get after them. Sunday’s trip “picked with shots,” fair bluefishing for 8- to 14-pounders, north of the inlet. On today’s trip, the angling was good, also north of the inlet. The boat drifted fast in wind, but all drifts hooked up, some better than others, with 8- to 15-pound blues. Tailed Ava 47s worked best. No trip is slated for Tuesday, because of an annual Coast Guard inspection. Trips for stripers and blues will resume Wednesday, sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.  

Some striped bass to 30 pounds, the year’s first aboard, were clubbed Thursday from the ocean with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Pete said. On two trips previously last week on the boat, the fish were found in the ocean but failed to bite aggressively, some spitting the hooks, on the troll, some refusing to bite at all. That was because of cold water, covered in the last report here. The water began to warm enough now. A trip Saturday scored good action with big stripers to 42 pounds and lots of blues on the ocean on the boat. The angling was slower Sunday aboard, because of fierce wind, but a 32-pound striper was bagged, and the fleet plucked a few of the bass. Most stripers in the ocean were trolled so far. Parker Pete’s has caught and then livelined bunker, attempting to catch the stripers that way this season, including on Sunday. But the water seemed slightly cold for the bass to chase the baitfish, and none hit the menhaden. The livelining is a main event aboard each spring, though. New this year, Pete will also run the livelining trips on a party boat with limited numbers of passengers. Reserve now to ensure the dates, 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>Brielle</b>

Ocean boaters trolled striped bass from Barnegat Inlet to Shrewsbury Rocks, and the location changed at different times, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. White bunker spoons and white Mojos caught best, and a few of the bass, not many, but large, were hooked on bunker snagged and then livelined for bait. A gazillion bluefish also bit for the boaters. Surf anglers beached blues from Island Beach State Park to Sandy Hook. A scattering of small stripers, maybe 20 inches to 29 or 30, were landed from the surf. Some better catches of the bass from the surf seemed to come from Bay Head early last week on bunker chunks. Blues schooled Manasquan River toward Treasure Island, swiping Daiwa SP Minnow lures, 2-ounce spoons and bucktails. Blues to 20 pounds were fought in Point Pleasant Canal, mostly on bucktails. Scattered reports about stripers caught from the canal, just-keeper-sized, were heard. Back on the ocean, cod fishing was fair toward Shark River and Sea Girt reefs and the Mudhole. Ling fishing was also fair, including at Shrewsbury Rocks. Quite a few bluefin tuna began to be sighted in the Mudhole area, and no confirmed catches were reported.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

The Gallin Contracting charter sailed for striped bass and blues on the ocean Friday with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. First, the trip tried for stripers, finding them, a couple rolling along the water surface. Bunker were livelined for bait to them, but no stripers were hooked. So the trip pushed north for blues to bend the rods, joining other boaters catching them. The charter, including a couple from Britain who never fought fish before, jigged the blues. On Saturday, crew from Mushin explored for jumbo cod a little farther from shore than usual, 50 to 60 miles from the coast. Cod fishing was known to be decent closer in, but the crew wanted to test waters farther out. A handful of quality cod were picked. The trip also fished nearer to the coast, on the way back, cranking in a handful of keepers, tossing back a bunch of shorts. A couple of large, out-of-season blackfish were released there, too. When the trip fished farther out, lots of dogfish and huge pout bit. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures. <b>***Update, Monday, 5/16:***</b> Two spaces just opened for a striped bass trip 6 a.m. to 1 or 2 p.m. Sunday, Alan said. Telephone to jump aboard, and the trip will snag bunker to liveline, jig, troll or do whatever it takes to catch stripers.

Fluke fishing will be launched Saturday, opening day of fluke season, on the <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the party boat’s website. Trips are sailing for ling and cod 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily until then, and no reports about that were posted for the weekend, maybe because of rough weather. Beginning Saturday, trips will sail for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily. Nighttime bluefishing will begin aboard before long.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Surf anglers dragged in blues and sometimes striped bass from Lavallette to Island Beach State Park on popper lures, metal, cut bait and clams, a report said on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>’ website. Ten-pound blues crashed poppers and metal on Barnegat Bay at the 23rd Street Pier in Seaside Park, only a short ride on one of the shop’s rental boats, the report said Saturday. Weigh-ins were busy Wednesday at the store. Highlights included three stripers in the mid-30-pounds that were trolled on the ocean on bunker spoons, and five blues in the mid-teens popper-plugged on the bay behind Island Beach State Park from a boat. The shop is now open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. 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.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Bluefishing went crazy last week, a report said Saturday on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s website. Good spots to fight them included along the Intracoastal Waterway from the 120 to 144. Chris from the shop slammed them at the 139 Friday morning. The fish trashed one of his Bomber lures, and that’s how the fishing was for boaters from Great Bay to the ocean, once anglers found the fish, on nearly any lure. Just reel like crazy. Shore-angling for blues was good that week at times from Graveling Point and off the end of Seven Bridges Road. Bunker and mackerel were fished for them. Good numbers of striped bass were plowed from Mullica River in early mornings on eels and clams. Ocean striper fishing began to pick up locally last week. A 22-pound striper was weighed from the ocean off Ship Bottom when the store was opened Saturday. Other boaters sometimes showed photos of stripers trolled from the red tower on Long Beach Island to Barnegat Inlet on the ocean on bunker spoons, Mojos and different tackle. Summer flounder were in, and flounder season will be opened beginning Saturday. Typical spots harbored them like along sandbars in the bay.

<b>Brigantine</b>

The Riptide Expert Fireplace Striper Bounty was won for the season’s first striped bass 43 inches or larger weighed from Brigantine’s surf at <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>, a report on the shop’s website said. Rodney Wert heaved in the 44-inch 28.5-pounder late Friday, bringing the fish to the store Saturday morning, when the doors were opened, winning the $670. The annual derby is $5 to enter, and all the cash is awarded. A new bounty is always begun afterward and either awarded for the next striper that big this season or in fall. A couple of good-sized stripers were weighed from the town’s surf around then.  Another angler stopped in with a 47-inch 43-pound striper boated from the ocean off Brigantine on a 14-foot Zodiac on a trolled Mojo. He’s known for catching some large from the inflatable, and had to straddle the vessel to get the bass aboard.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Big numbers of kingfish, like 10 to 15 per angler, large fish 8 to 10 or 12 inches, began to be nabbed, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Anglers on foot hit the fish from Absecon Inlet from Atlantic Avenue to the T-jetty, the jetty on the ocean end of the inlet, on bloodworms. The anglers still tugged in striped bass at night from the inlet, not huge like before, but stripers were there, including off the Flagship, Madison Avenue and Melrose Avenue. Blues were still fought from the surf along the inlet and nearby, not the numbers like before, but catches. A 16-inch weakfish was checked-in, the second photo of a weak posted on the shop’s Facebook page this season. Baits stocked, a large supply, include bloodworms, fresh clams, fresh bunker and minnows. 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. Minnows stocked will be popular for Saturday’s opening of summer flounder season. A photo of a flounder hooked and released from the surf near the T was posted on the Facebook page earlier this season. All fish were in.

<b>Longport</b>

Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b> was headed to Crisfield, Md., to check on the boat’s repowering, he said. The boat’s getting two new engines and was built at the port. That’s a big project involving new shafts positioned elsewhere than the old, new struts and so on. Sea bass fishing will be some of the first angling aboard afterward, once sea bass season is opened beginning next Monday.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

With Lou Pearlstein aboard, bluefish to 14 pounds were jigged and fly-rodded from the back bay on practically every cast Thursday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. With Mike McClure and sons Saturday aboard, blues to 14 pounds, another great catch, were jigged from the bay. They also released a half-dozen out-of-season summer flounder on the bay. With Rick Clark, son and buddy aboard Sunday, bluefishing was much slower on the bay. Three or four of the fish to 9 pounds were jigged, and a couple were missed. Sometimes strong wind blew on the trips. Trips aboard will continue bluefishing but will also begin flounder fishing on the bay Saturday, opening day of flounder season. How flounder fishing will be, will be seen, and sometimes it’s been great on the opener, sometimes slower. But the early season usually fishes best for flounder on South Jersey’s shallow, warm bays. The warmth can trigger the fish to bite well, and best there than in deeper water, early in the year. Eventually, many of the flounder depart to the ocean from the bay, seeking cooler water, when weather becomes hot.  Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>.

<b>Avalon</b>

A rainstorm weathered out fishing Friday with <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b>,  Capt. Jim said. The trip probably would’ve sailed for striped bass on the ocean, and a friend boated some that week. Charters with Fins will drum fish on Delaware Bay this season. A few stripers swam Delaware Bay currently, and a buddy took a charter that hammered big stripers on Chesapeake Bay. Summer flounder season will open beginning Friday, and trips with Fins will chase them on the back bay at first, following them to the ocean in summer. Flounder depart for the cooler ocean, once warm weather heats the bay.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Many anglers want to fish for drum on Delaware Bay around this weekend’s full moon, said Capt. Jim from <b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b>. May’s full moon is a traditional time, but the drum fishing becomes best at different times each year, and the fish just began to be caught substantially. That’s later than during some years. Fins will fish for them in coming days. A few striped bass bit in Delaware Bay’s shallows close to shore. Those were apparently stripers that spawned in Delaware River and were migrating to the ocean. Fins will sail for them, if anglers want. Summer flounder season will be opened beginning Saturday, and the flatfish usually bite in the back bay first in the season, because that’s some of the warmest water. Fins is docked on the back bay, and fishes for all species available. Trips are slated to run every day, and reservations aren’t required but suggested. Telephone for availability.  

<b>Cape May</b>

Boaters reported dynamite, lights out, fishing for drum Thursday and Friday on Delaware Bay, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. The fishing became slow Saturday, and a trip that day aboard caught none. A few were landed among the fleet that day, and anglers hope the fishing lights back up. Just seemed a slow day. George heard the fish drumming a few times, and marked drum. Weather began pleasant, then stormy weather began rolling through, then weather calmed again, that day, Saturday. George canceled a trip Sunday for the drum, because of forecasts for wind. The day ended up windy. Anglers are reporting boating a few striped bass in the bay’s shallows, close to shore, off places like the Villas and Bidwell Creek, on bunker chunks. Sometimes as many as seven or eight stripers were reported from a trip, and that angling seemed slow Saturday, too. A few of the bass were reeled in. George looks forward to sea bass fishing on the ocean, once sea bass season is opened beginning next Monday. Telephone if interested in any of this fishing. Summer flounder season will be opened beginning Saturday, but Heavy Hitter’s flounder trips usually sail later in the year, because they usually target ocean reefs. The ocean warms enough for flounder to bite there later in the year. Flounder will probably be caught in back bays – warmer, shallower water – when the season opens.

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