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New Jersey Inshore Saltwater Fishing Report 5-19-16


<b>Sewaren</b>

Bluefish have “been tearing up” the Triangle, said Rich from <b>Dockside Bait & Tackle</b>. Striped bass were socked at the 20 buoy and near the Statue of Liberty, usually on trolled Mojos and Stretch plugs. Some boaters fished bunker for them. All bait and tackle is stocked for the opening of fluke season Saturday, including killies and frozen bait like spearing. Bait stocked also includes fresh bunker, fresh clams and bloodworms. 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>

No striped bass were boated Monday and Tuesday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. Bluefish ferociously filled every place fished. On Wednesday, enough was enough, and a trip took a long ride, locating stripers. The trip limited out on unders to 30 pounds. The boat will keep striper fishing another week or so, and Frank looks forward to Saturday’s opening of fluke season. Fluking opened Tuesday in New York, and on the long run on Wednesday’s trip, Frank saw New York party boats catching fluke.  Charters are fishing, and a Working Man’s Special Trip, open-boat, will sail for fluke 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday. An open trip or charter is available for fluke or stripers 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 31. A Working Man’s Special, open-boat, will sail for fluke 4 to 9 p.m. June 1. More open fluke trips will be announced, and many good dates are available for fluke charters. Book ahead, because they fill, like striper trips did. Bring Gulps on open fluke trips. Gulps are provided on fluke charters.

Striped bass fishing this week broke wide open, became excellent, again with the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>, Capt. Mario said. The fishing had been up and down previously. Big stripers 30 pounds were creamed afterward. Anglers aboard are livelining and chunking bunker for the bass, and open-boat trips are striper fishing daily. Charters are available, and the company runs two 40-foot boats. On the other boat, the year’s first marathon, open fluke trip will sail Saturday, opening day of fluke season, from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. An open sea bass trip will sail Monday, opening day of sea bass season. Reservations are required for open trips, and 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>

Terrible news: Jimmy Morenz died, Jay Julian from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b> said. Jimmy worked at the shop for years, and gave reports for the store for this website for years, until recently. Jimmy is the former captain of the Miss Take II party boat from Highlands. His dad, Whitey Morenz, ran the trips previously, and the Morenzes are a venerable family in the area’s fishing. This writer used to fish for winter flounder on the Miss Take II with Jimmy at the helm decades ago, and spoke with Jimmy for reports from the store for years. See <a href=" http://fishingreportsnow.com/Product.Reviews.2015/Montauk.Striper.Bunker.Spoons.cfm" target="_blank">photos of Jimmy and the boat</a> in this article. Boaters caught striped bass, but at Shrewsbury Rocks on the ocean, on trolled Mojos and bunker spoons. The fish were migrating out. Large bluefish attacked everywhere, including in Raritan Bay. Ocean surf anglers clammed small stripers. But the blues also ran the surf and “kind of take over,” he said. Fluke season will be opened beginning Saturday, and killies and all fluke baits are stocked. All baits are carried.    

Boaters picked a few striped bass at Flynn’s Knoll, said Tom from <b>Fisherman’s Den North</b>. Lots of bluefish, big, swam the area and everywhere, including Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay at Belford and Leonardo and the ocean surf at Sandy Hook. From the surf, a couple of anglers were known about who caught blues, no striped bass, at Sandy Hook. Farther south in the surf, throwback stripers sometimes bit, like some known about from Long Branch. But some action with them began. Shore anglers on the bay were known to land a couple at Leonardo. Fluke season will be opened beginning Saturday. If the flatfish bite like they were seen recently, the opener should be good. Anglers released many fluke already on Shark River, where sister shop Fisherman’s Den is located. Killies and all fluke bait and rigs are stocked. Fluke bait carried also includes all frozen like sand eels, silversides and smelts. All other bait is on hand, including fresh clams and fresh bunker. Rental boats are available. Kayak rentals will be available beginning probably in a couple of weeks. The store is located at Atlantic Highlands Municipal Marina. 

Solid week of non-stop bluefishing for 6- to 20-pounders, Capt. Ron from the <b>Fishermen</b> wrote in a report on the party boat’s website. The bite continued today, and Frank Patillo won the trip’s pool with a 20-pound 42-incher. Monster! Some big fish swam locally for this time of year. Good, all-day fishing from bow to stern. The fish were jigged this morning, until current began to run and the boat was anchored. On anchor, fresh bunker and jigs caught well. Night trips also squashed blues, and the fish seemed to feed 24/7. But this won’t last forever. 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.

Another great day of bluefishing, Capt. Tom said about yesterday on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> on Raritan Bay. All patrons have been beating plenty, just fun fishing. Sometimes anglers kept a few, like three or five, playing catch and release afterward with more, and sometimes an angler kept all landed, like one who kept seven, saying he had people to give some to. These were big blues, found only 30 minutes from port.  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, Saturday, 5/21:***</b> A handful of keeper fluke and a few handfuls of throwbacks were boated on the bay on this morning’s trip, so far, Tom said at 10:30 on the outing in a phone call. That was the year’s first fluke trip aboard, on this opening day of fluke season. The water was 59 degrees, and how many fluke migrated to the bay was difficult to say, in temperature that low.  “It’s our normal fluke fishing on the bay,” he said. Trips would sail for them twice daily now.

<b>Highlands</b>

Trips were docked the past few days, and weather was pretty windy early in the week, said Capt. Steve from <b>Lady M Charters</b>. Fishing will resume this weekend aboard, and space is available for striped bass trips Saturday and Sunday. Fluking will become available beginning Saturday, opening day of fluke season, and sea bassing will be on tap beginning Monday, opening day of sea bass season. Special fluke marathons will run. Once sea bass season is closed beginning June 20, special trips will bottom-fish at the Mudhole. Sea bass fishing will be open less than a month, though will be opened for periods later in the year, too, with different bag limits and size limits. Fluke season will be opened Saturday through September 25. Charters and open-boat trips sail aboard.

<b>Neptune</b>

Fishing is next slated for the weekend, including two charters on Saturday, with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. The trips might even test the ocean for fluke, because fluke season will be opened beginning Saturday, though the ocean was probably cold for the flatfish. Annual individual-reservation trips for fluke, sailing every Tuesday, will begin June 21. Kids under 12 sail free on those outings, limited to one per adult host. The boat’s been fishing for striped bass and blues, and for cod, pollock, ling and winter flounder, covered in previous reports here. June 8 is the only individual-reservation trip for sea bass with space available, and sea bass season will be opened beginning Monday. About six dates are available for sea bass charters, and sea bass season will be less than a month.  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, though maybe three are available between now and June 9. <b>***Update, Friday, 5/20:***</b> One space is available for an individual-reservation trip for sea bass Monday, opening day of sea bass season, Ralph said.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>***Update, Saturday, 5/21:***</b> From an edited email from Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> today: “Another fluke season opened today with much anticipation. Mother Nature tried her best to put a damper on it, but anglers were having none of that. When I arrived at the shop at 4:30 a.m., anglers were already waiting. The day started okay, but deteriorated as the morning went on. We had good early reports of fish, some very nice-sized, but the wind against the tide and rain put a damper on some anglers’ enthusiasm. I expect tomorrow to be much better. Anglers and spearfishers should be careful not to keep any fish under-sized, as the fish and wildlife wardens gave out violations to these groups today. We have our rental boats ready in both Fisherman’s Den in Belmar and Fishermen’s Den North in Atlantic Highlands. Good way to spend a day on the water. The striper fishing by surf anglers got better, with some good bass being brought to the shop. Scotty Pullen had a 19-pound fish, and Thomas Cook had a 17-pound one. The boats continue to catch very large bass. We saw fish to 47 pounds this week, and many 30-plus-pound fish. These fish are on live bunker, bunker spoons and Mojos. Bluefish are here in very large numbers and size. Jump on a party boat and have a ball. The fish are here – get out and have fun.”

The boat was hauled out Monday and would be splashed again today, said Capt. Scott from <b>XTC Sportfishing</b>. Two trips trolled striped bass last week on the ocean on spoons. One bagged six of the fish to 30 pounds, and the next bagged three to 43 pounds. The two trips previously reeled in blues from the ocean, no stripers, and fishing will resume Saturday on the boat. Striper angling will continue, and the season’s first sea bass trip will fish Monday, opening day of sea bass season. Scott knows sea bass are in, he said.

Big, monster blues were smashed on the ocean in past days, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. Striped bass fishing slowed on the ocean, because water temperature dropped a little. Stripers previously were boated to the south at first light and dusk. Plenty of bunker are schooling to the south, and the baitfish and stripers are migrating north to the local area. Space is available on a Magic Hour Trip this evening. New this year, Pete is running trips on a party boat that are livelining bunker for stripers on the ocean 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.

The party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b> is livelining bunker for striped bass on the ocean, Capt. Chris said. A charter will fluke aboard Saturday, opening day of fluke season, and an open-boat trip will fluke Sunday. Open trips will fish for sea bass daily beginning Monday, opening day of sea bass season. That day and Tuesday are full, but anglers can telephone Sunday and see whether cancelations make space available. Space is available Wednesday, and reservations are required. Reservations are typically required for the first two or three days of popular seasons like that, and sometimes on other popular days, and sometimes the trips depart early on the popular days. Otherwise, open trips sail 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Trips that liveline bunker for stripers usually also continue to fish on certain evenings this time of year aboard. Watch the boat’s website or Facebook page for the schedule, or telephone the vessel for dates.

On the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, bluefish were crushed again today, an email from the party boat said. The fish were pummeled previously aboard, and today’s fishing jigged them all, 8- to 15-pounders. At times, most of the anglers, as many as 30, were hooked up at once. “It honestly doesn’t get any better than this,” the email said. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Bluefishing, “as good as it gets,” was whipped the past several days on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, including today, a report said on the party boat’s website. “Super, super excellent” and “super crazy,” it said about the days. On today’s trip, the anglers smoked all the blues they wanted to 17 pounds. Run Off hammered jigs and crocs hit the fish on the trips, and the Golden Eagle is sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

A few more ling than before began to bite, said Capt. Butch from the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>. Fishing for them was slowly picking up aboard, and the catch was fair Tuesday, not even slow. On the trip, patrons averaged 10 to 20 ling apiece, and also bagged a few cod and winter flounder. Lots of good-sized, out-of-season sea bass were tossed back currently, and Butch looks forward to the season opening beginning Monday, so trips can target sea bass. The ocean was 50 to 52 degrees or chilly where trips fished, in 60- to 100-foot depths. Butch hopes the water doesn’t warm too quickly, because the cool water will encourage sea bass to keep migrating in. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

Cod and ling were picked during the weekend on the <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the party boat’s website. The angling was a little tougher on Sunday because of strong west wind. “We did see life on most drops,” he said. Out-of-season sea bass bit and were released, and sea bass season will be opened beginning Monday. The boat will fish for cod and ling 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. through Friday. Beginning Saturday, opening day of fluke season, trips will sail for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily. Bluefishing will sail 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays through Sundays beginning May 27. The bluefish trips will run every night later in the season.

Pretty good action with big bluefish was lit up during the weekend on the <b>Gambler</b>, the party boat’s Facebook page said. “Not too much success on live-bait striped bass yet,” it said. But trips are hunting stripers and blues 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. through Friday. Beginning Saturday, opening day of fluke season, trips will sail for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily. However, no trip will fish Monday, because of an annual Coast Guard inspection. Beginning May 27, striper trips will also sail 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. every Thursday through Saturday through June, ready to catch on live bait or cast lures. Accurate Reels was hosting a trip today aboard, so the boat’s customers could try the company’s gear.

<b>Toms River</b>

Boaters mauled large bluefish, lots, on the ocean off Island Beach State Park on Wednesday and three days straight, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. An angler showed a video of the blitz, and the water was packed with bunker. The angler’s trip landed one striped bass among the fish, but the blues were difficult to fish through. In the Toms River, blues mostly pushed out, but stripers remained in the river and along Route 37 Bridge. More and more keeper stripers were hooked along the bridge. The river was warming and was 60 degrees, though the temperature fluctuated like 10 degrees every week. But the river was mostly 60, and the largest concentration of blues in back waters now was toward the BI and BB markers in Barnegat Bay. The fish were headed south, toward Barnegat Inlet and the ocean. Surf anglers lambasted big blues, 14- to 18-pounders, Wednesday at Island Beach State Park, often on popper lures. A token striper was hooked among the blues. The store is running a free bluefish tournament that ends June 15, awarding gift certificates. A few blowfish bit toward the south end of Point Pleasant Canal and toward Forked River power plant in Barnegat Bay. Big female blowfish show up this time of year, and those seemed the ones toward the canal. More will probably be heard about blowfish once fluke season is opened beginning Saturday. Killies and all fluke baits and rigs are stocked. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Four striped bass 41, 34, 32 and 28 pounds were weighed-in today that were boated from the ocean, said Phil Dirt from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. One trip trolled three of them, and the 34-pounder was bagged on bunker snagged and then livelined for bait, on another trip. Some big stripers came from the ocean now. Bluefish ran rampant in the ocean. Most were reported beached from the surf, and the fish had bunker pushed against shore. Those blues weighed 10 to 16 pounds. Solid bluefishing could be found in Barnegat Bay from Barnegat Inlet to Toms River. Fishing looks good, promising. Killies will be stocked for the weekend, including because of Saturday’s opening of fluke season. A full line of Gulps, four types of squid, spearing and all other fluke baits are carried. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, bloodworms, sandworms and eels are in supply. 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>Forked River</b>

Ocean boaters sometimes decked big striped bass now, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. They scored on bunker snagged and then livelined for bait, or on the troll, when no bunker were found. The fishing was “pretty decent.” Large bluefish tore around Barnegat Bay still, and a neighbor latched into them this morning, and was smoking some in the smoker “as we speak,” Grizz said today, when he gave this report in a phone call. Bait including killies, spearing, squid and mullet is fully stocked for Saturday’s opening of fluke season. The shop carries fresh spearing when the baitfish grow large beginning in July. Fresh spearing can’t be beaten, and small swam waters currently, but customers won’t buy small, though small can catch just as well. Veteran anglers know, and sometimes impale several small on a hook at once. White perch bit in brackish water. A few crabs were trapped, and a few blowfish showed up in crab traps. Bait stocked also includes fresh clams and fresh bunker.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

“It’s all blues,” said Vince Sr. from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. But a fair number of striped bass were slugged from the ocean, and green and white Tournament Grade Tackle bunker spoons stocked at the store whaled them better than anything else. No stripers were heard about from Barnegat Bay, but not a lot of anglers tried for them, and getting passed the blues in the bay was a challenge. Blues were fought from the bay to Barnegat Inlet to the ocean. Fluke season will be opened beginning Saturday, and all bait, like minnows and spearing, and tackle is in supply for them. Bait stocked also includes fresh clams. 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. 

The <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b> will begin fishing for the year on Memorial Day weekend, the party boat’s website said. That’s two weekends from now, and the first trips will fish for blues that Friday to Monday. The bluefish trips will also run on the next two weekends, from June 3 to 5 and 10 to 12. Half-day fluke trips will fish daily beginning June 17. Evening cruises will head out in summer, and <a href=" http://www.missbarnegatlight.com/TunaFishing.html" target="_blank">tuna trips</a> will steam in fall. Striped bass fishing will also run in fall.

The <b>Super Chic</b> will be ready to fish for the year on Memorial Day weekend, Capt. Ted hopes, he said. That’s in two weekends, and new fuel tanks have been getting installed, and the tanks are in, and finishing touches need to be completed, then the vessel will be ready to roll. Rainy weather hasn’t helped the maintenance get completed. Trips for sea bass and bluefish are the first booked aboard. Striped bass were boated on the ocean, mostly on the troll. The water was cold, but not too badly, in the low 50 degrees, he thought. Bluefish were also found in the ocean, and in Barnegat Inlet. Lots might’ve moved to the inlet from Barnegat Bay, but blues still popped up in the bay. The blues were large, like 10 and 12 pounds. In the bay, they just might not have been caught as well as before. They had been shellacked there. Friends talked about hooking them on every cast previously.

<b>Barnegat</b>

From an edited email from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “The marine forecast is tough to figure for this stretch coming up. So we’re going to have everything on board to fish the bay and/or ocean. There’s been a good bite on the big coastal stripers on both the troll and snagging bunker. But I'm not so sure my boat will break the inlet this weekend, given the early look at the forecast. The good news is that the bay continues to give up solid action on the big, gator blues on top-water lures and respectable, 14- to 20-pound striped bass on clams. Not bang-up quantities of stripers, but one, two or three fish an effort. Enough size and quality-action to commit a few hours of our trip, as well as filling up a few Ziplocs to take home. Then it's on to some great action with the big blues. It makes for a great combo trip. Sailing open-boat 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Trip times are determined by the tide – I like to fish outgoing for the bass. Three people max. All fish are shared. If weather shapes up to have calmer seas, and you want to fish the ocean, we’ll modify our departure to 6 a.m., returning at noon, and the cost per person goes up. If everybody is happy with staying in the bay, that's fine, too. Just let me know your preference when you call.  These dates and any dates are also available for your private charter.”

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Large striped bass like 30 pounds were sometimes nailed from the ocean from Long Beach Island’s red tower to Lavallette on bunker snagged and then livelined for bait, said Brandon from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Anglers who fished off LBI didn’t even report catching blues, only mentioned stripers. Bunker schooled the ocean in that whole area, and bluefish were tackled from the ocean off Island Beach State Park. Blues were boated on Great Bay, and shore anglers sometimes banked the blues in the Graveling Point area. The shore angling was hit or miss, maybe turning on an hour. Throwback stripers were played on Mullica River. Sometimes a larger was pulled in, if an angler found the right hole. Nobody really crabbed yet, but a few customers bought bunker for crabbing. Summer flounder season will be opened beginning Saturday, and minnows and all sorts of bait and tackle are stocked for them. Fresh bunker and live grass shrimp are on hand. Fresh, shucked clams will arrive for the weekend.

<b>Absecon Bay</b>

Things look good, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. A charter he ran today with three anglers limited out on four under striped bass to 18 pounds and released a throwback toward the mouth of Mullica River. That was on weighted eels fished along bottom, and his trips previously found the bass far up the river. The stripers were spawning then, so the bass seemed to be migrating out of the river currently. When the trips hooked the bass far up the river, that was on eels under a bobber. Speaking of the migration, ocean striper fishing began to turn on. Not a lot of boats were in the water yet for the season, but stripers were definitely migrating north to the local ocean, and boaters should intercept them. Some were hooked off Brigantine, and the ocean stripers were clocked on bunker snagged and then livelined for bait, and some were trolled on spoons and Mojos. Surf fishing for stripers was a lot more consistent now at Brigantine, and good striper catches could be expected in the surf all along South Jersey. Summer flounder season will be opened beginning Saturday, and some anglers who tested the waters talked about good catches released. Dave saw a couple of the flatfish hooked by mistake aboard with him and let go, including one that bit an eel meant for stripers. Water hovered around 60 degrees, sometimes in the 50s. Flounder fishing would be lots better if the temp rose a couple of degrees, but that’s unlikely in rough weather forecast for the first days of flounder season. Forecasts were rough enough for 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, to be postponed until Saturday, May 28, rain or shine. That was supposed to be held on opening day, and the event features great prizes and major sponsors. Today is the final day of the shop’s annual <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/events/1765718870324947/" target="_blank">Grand Slam Customer Appreciation Sale</a>.

<b>Brigantine</b>

“Reds” Wilburn stopped by with a 31-pound 43-3/4-inch striped bass from Brigantine’s surf, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Joe “Smitty” Smith released a 28-pound 45-incher, his personal best, from the town’s beach. He chucked his trip’s first clam into the surf, knocked the fish on the head, Andy said, weighed and measured the fish, and let it go. A bunch of fish were seen from the island’s surf at the store. Big stripers swam the water, and so did big blues. Al Jones subdued a 15-pound blue and an 11-pounder today from the shore. Linda Davoli heaved a 72-pound drum from the surf Tuesday on a Riptide Rotter, the tongue-in-cheek name for clams from the shop. Fishing clams or bunker was the way to go in the surf. Frozen mullet could also be fished for the blues, and all those baits are stocked. Minnows should be stocked for the weekend, because of Saturday’s opening day of summer flounder season. The Riptide Spring Striper and Bluefish Derby will conclude at 4 p.m. Sunday, 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. 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.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Catches of big striped bass erupted again from Absecon Inlet and the surf next to the inlet at night in town, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Eight stripers 36 to 42 inches were checked-in at the shop today from the fishing. Anglers on foot wax the bass at the jetty-lined inlet and, of course, the surf. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, bloodworms and soft-plastic lures hook the fish. During daytime, anglers on foot mugged kingfish at the same waters on bloodworms. Experienced anglers probably landed 12 in a trip, and others nipped three or four. Many kingfish hovered the waters. Large bluefish were pounded from the back bay. Three anglers on foot banked 30 of the slammers to 30-some inches at Lakes Bay in a trip.  All baits mentioned and more, the fully supply are stocked. Baits include plenty of minnows for Saturday’s opening of flounder season. Fresh bunker are $2 apiece or three for $5.  Bloodworms are on special on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for $20 for two dozen. Cash-in on your catch: sign up for the shop’s free tournament until May 29 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.

<b>Egg Harbor Township</b>

Bluefish 8 to 12 pounds, even 14, tons, swam nearly everywhere, said John from <b>24-7 Bait & Tackle</b>. Practically every back bay held them, and a few sizable striped bass were brought in. Most came from anglers on foot who fished from Atlantic City’s T-jetty, the jetty at the ocean end of Absecon Inlet. Early morning like 5 o’clock until sunup seemed to produce most. Mostly bunker were fished for them, he guessed. Lots of fresh bunker were sold. A few stripers seemed to come from piers on the bay, too. Summer flounder season will be opened beginning Saturday, and minnows, a favorite flounder bait, are half-price: $3 for half a pint, $6 for a pint and $12 for a quart. John could almost guarantee that was cheaper than anywhere, he thought. Water might be a little cold for flounder, but a few hooked and released were heard about, and he’ll try for flounder this weekend. Big white perch, 1 pound to 1 ½ pounds, bit in the bay off Beesley’s Point. Baits stocked also include fresh bunker, fresh clams, bloodworms and practically everything. All flounder rigs and tackle is stocked. The rental boats are available and are used to fish and crab from Patcong Creek, where the boats are docked at the shop, to Great Egg Harbor River and the bay. Patcong is a tributary of the Great Egg, near where the river meets the bay. <b>The company also own 24-7 Bait & Tackle in Marmora</b>.

<b>Margate</b>

Trips pre-fished for out-of-season summer flounder, releasing the catches, on the back bay last weekend on the party boat <b>Keeper</b>, Capt. John said. Flounder bit, and twice-daily trips for them will be launched Saturday, opening day of flounder season. The flatfish included good-sized, including a 5-pounder, and big bluefish were also landed during the angling. A big crowd shows up for the opener always, and rough weather forecast might hamper the angling somewhat. But it should improve during the week. Minnows and mackerel will be supplied, and anglers should bring Gulps. The bay was 53 degrees, and flounder usually begin to bite Gulps at about that temp. Beginning Saturday, the Keeper will fish for summer flounder 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. daily. The 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>

Fishing will get underway on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend for the year on the party boat <b>Miss Ocean City</b>, Capt. Victor said. That’s next week on May 27, and trips will fish for sea bass on the ocean and summer flounder on the back bay.

Many blues, including big to 20 pounds, raced all around, including in the back bay off Beesley’s Point and along 9th Street Bridge, Corson’s Inlet and the surf, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Fishing was pretty good, and the blues seemed to average 10 to 12 pounds, but ranged 5 to 20. Anglers often threw lures for them in the bay and bait for them in the surf: bunker, mullet and mackerel. Some striped bass to 25 pounds were weighed in. Stripers began to be picked in the surf, bit at inlets and still hit in the bay. The biggest seemed to come from inlets currently. Bait and tackle is fully stocked for opening of summer flounder season Saturday, including minnows and all the frozen. Fresh bunker and fresh clams are also carried.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Doug Gillespie fished on the back bay Tuesday aboard, putting the brakes on several bluefish 2 to 4 pounds and releasing two throwback striped bass, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The fishing, on jigs, was good, and the blues in the bay seemed smaller before, and that was usual this time of year. Summer flounder trips will kick off on the bay aboard this weekend, opening weekend of flounder season. Fishing was in transition on the boat, and Joe’s trips target the flounder with a rig with a 1-ounce, white bucktail with a chartreuse Gulp mullet on bottom and a minnow on a red hook trailing above. Flounder fishing can be best in the state in South Jersey’s shallow, warm back bays in the early season. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>.

A couple of great reports rolled in about bluefishing in the surf and inlet from shore the last couple of days, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Bluefishing remained good, and the fish seemed to be filtering out of the bay last night. But some were still taken in the bay, mostly on lures like Bass Assassins and Fin-S Fish. Some terrific striped bass, including several in the 40-inch range, were seen from the surf during the weekend. Anglers in the surf fished for blues and stripers with bunker, clams and mullet. Anglers fishing for blues in the bay with lures saw a big increase in the number of out-of-season summer flounder hooked by mistake and released, and hoped the number was a good sign. Flounder season will be opened beginning Saturday, and the shop is loaded with bait and tackle for them, including minnows and all the frozen like mackerel and squid. Mike will try to obtain fresh bait like squid and mackerel for the opener. Fresh bunker and fresh clams are stocked. The shop’s annual flounder tournament, sponsored by JK Construction, will be held 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. Sunday at the store.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Trips for a combo of drum and striped bass are poised to fish Delaware Bay throughout this weekend with <b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b>, Capt. Jim said. Rough weather is forecast for Saturday, and water temperature dropped 6 degrees. May’s full moon, this weekend, is the traditional time for drum. Drumming has begun later than during some years, in cooler water than usual in rough weather. How that will affect drum season will be seen. About two sunny days, including yesterday, happened recently. Summer flounder season will be opened beginning Saturday, and flounder should bite in the back bay, probably not in the ocean yet. Ocean flounder fishing usually picks up when water warms. Jim, in addition to his larger boat, has a smaller boat, a center console, that anglers can fish the back bay on. Up to three passengers can sail on that vessel. Crabbing was phenomenal on the back bay, and crabbing’s available with Fins. The full moon will probably turn off crabs a couple of days. Sea bass season will be opened beginning Monday, and Jim looks forward to that angling on the ocean. Fins fishes every day, and reservations aren’t required but suggested. Telephone for availability.     

<b>Cape May</b>

Not much was doing with drum fishing on Delaware Bay on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b> since Capt. Paul reported better catches of the fish in the report a week ago here, he said. All who fished for them seemed to struggle at the catches since the weekend. The Porgy IV had been catching the fish on the Delaware side of the bay last week. Then the catches began to be reported from the New Jersey side, and the boat fished there. But now the vessel was back on the Jersey side, including last evening, when Paul gave this report in a phone call at 6:30 aboard. No drum were landed on the trip so far. But drum fishing can be up and down and change in an instant, depending on when the fish want to bite. Trips are fishing for drum 2 to 10 p.m., reservations required, and telephone the boat for availability. Beginning Monday, opening day of sea bass season, trips will switch to sea bass fishing at 8 a.m. daily on the ocean.

The <b>Heavy Hitter</b> will next fish this weekend, for drum on Delaware Bay, Capt. George said. He knew a few who sailed for the fish Tuesday, and was yet to hear back from them, when he gave this report Wednesday evening in a phone call. Weather was rough during the week, and striped bass might still bite in shallows in Delaware Bay, like near the Villas, close to shore, like they did previously. But nothing was heard about them in the weather. Sea bass season will be opened beginning Monday, and George looks forward to fishing for them on the ocean.

Good striped bass catches were still had, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Both boaters and surf anglers pasted them, and boaters hooked them in Delaware Bay in shallows near shore on chunks of bunker. Or they trolled the bass on the ocean. Surf casters banked the fish on the bay on bunker or the ocean on bunker or clams. Lures connected well at both places for shore anglers. When the boaters and surf anglers found the stripers, the fish often seemed big, in the mid-30 inches to mid-40s. Photos were posted on <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/Hands-Too-Bait-and-Tackle-195457833829380/" target="_blank">Hands’ Facebook page</a>. Boating for drum seemed a little slow the past couple of days on Delaware Bay. But the fishing might amp up during the weekend’s full moon, and May’s moon is often a time for that. Bluefish were sometimes around, like blues that popped up at Poverty Beach the other day. Anglers began to report weakfish taken at times at jetties on bloodworms under a float or soft-plastic lures on bucktail jigs. A couple of trips scouted for summer flounder on the back bay, before this coming Saturday’s opening of flounder season. They picked the fish and released them and also some on Delaware Bay. Minnows, favorite flounder bait, and all frozen flounder baits and flounder rigs are stocked. Fresh bunker are in, and fresh clams were difficult to obtain, but some were on hand. Bloodworms are carried.

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