<b>Staten Island</b>

Fishing for winter flounder wasn’t great over the weekend, said Capt. Joe from <b>Outcast Charters</b>. Maybe the full moon was the cause, or maybe a northeast blow didn’t help. Sometimes 20-knot winds or greater from the east can knock down fishing. Joe took a trip with his nephews on Saturday that managed 15 flounder, and he ran a charter on Sunday in somewhat strong but fishable northeast winds, and only five flounder came up. Joe was asked whether the flatties were moving to the ocean, and he said he tried fishing east of where he was normally looking for flounder in the bay, but the bite was no better. But Joe hoped the fishing would improve, and Outcast will keep dropping lines for flounder until striped bass fishing picks up. Then stripers will become a focus. Outcast this year will offer a bunch of new types of trips, marathons and combos, including striper/sea bass combos starting in mid or late May, when sea bass usually come in.  Blackfish/sea bass combos will take place in October and November, good months for sea bassing, and afterward blackfish/striped bass combos will be the deal, as the fall striper run takes off.

Flounder fishing held up until a couple of days ago but then slowed down a bit, but that was expected with the full moon, said Capt. Anthony from <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b>. Previously trips were sailing daily and bailing flounder, limiting out almost every time. The fish in the past days started moving out of the bay, and Anthony expects to look for them in the ocean by the end of the week. He might also start to run combo flounder/striped bass trips before turning all attention to stripers. A few of the linesiders were biting. Open-boat trips are running daily when no charter is booked, and limited space is available, because almost all dates are booked, so call to reserve. Only six dates are left for striper charters in May. But space is available on open-boat Blue Collar Twilight Specials that will fish for stripers in the evenings every Tuesday and Thursday.

<b>Keyport</b>

A bunch of bluefish, mostly 6- to 8-pounders, showed up in Keyport Bay, whacking any bait in their way, said Chris from <b>Crabby’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Reports also came in about big weakfish making an appearance off the Cliffwood Rock Wall and Cliffwood Beach, sucking down sandworm baits. But the tiderunners are spawners, full of roe, and please release them for the future of the weakfish population. Winter flounder started to make the move to the ocean and deeper water. Carmen Hutchinshon limited out on the flatbacks to 2.2 pounds at the 1 can off Keyport on sandworms while chumming with clam. Bigger striped bass should move into the bay on the down side of the moon that just started, and trolled bunker spoons or Stretch 25 lures should nail the big ones. Chunking or livelining bunker should take center stage for striper fishing in about two weeks, with more and more of the baitfish turning up. The Aberdeen Fishing Contest takes place 4 to 7 p.m. May 17 at Cliffwood Beach. Registration is free and starts at 2 p.m., and call the shop or stop by for more info.

A brief crew trip flounder fished in the back of the bay Thursday with Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, he said. He and the boat’s two mates, “Blackfish Doug” and Bill Fee, decked four keepers on clams and sandworms on outgoing tide. Quite a few boats worked the water. Space is available on open-boat trips 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. all week when no charter is booked, and call ahead.

Flounder fishing was tough, but two trips bagged 15 keepers each on Thursday and Friday with <b>Lucky Carm Charters</b>, Capt. Carmine said. Ryan and Nancy Beebe with children Kyle, Nathan and Jimmy took Thursday’s trip, worming 15 of the blackbacks to 2.9 pounds off Keyport. Kyle boated the biggest, and Jimmy was high hook with five. Dr. Mouravieff’s charter on Friday fished off Keyport with staff members Tiffany, Jessica, Lara, Ralph and Michael and caught 15 of the fish to 2.8 pounds. Ralph tackled the biggest, and Jessica was high hook. The fish were on the move, so flounder fishing’s probably going to become harder. Carmine heard that bluefish were sometimes spotted off Keyport, and some of the flatties on his trips had chunks bitten out of them, probably from the blues. Capt. “Shamrock” Eddie Coleman, Carmine’s friend, ran a trip on the April Anne with three anglers who boated a dozen flounders during the weekend, and some of the fish also had chunks bitten from them. Carmine also saw a 6-1/2-pound weakfish that was landed, so tiderunner weaks were apparently around. A charter with Carmine on Sunday was cancelled because of rough weather. He finally started hearing about a few striped bass catches along the shore of the bay, and the water was warming, with bay temps as high as 56 to 58 degrees over the weekend, and he expects linesiders to begin cooperating more as the moon wanes. He might switch to striped bass fishing this week. Only two or three Sundays remain for charters in May, but Fridays are left, and so are weekdays, and Carmine likes fishing on weekdays, because lighter boat traffic is better for catches. Open-boat trips are running daily when no charter is booked, and call to reserve.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Flounder were reeled to the boat last week, but catches started to drop off, said Capt. John from <b>Fluke U. Fishing Charters</b>. Trips will keep looking for flounder this week, but as soon as more keeper stripers cooperate, anglers on charters will switch to the linesiders. They’ll clam for the striped bass at first, and later they’ll mix in jigging and throwing plastic lures if the fish are breaking the surface. Besides flounder and striper charters, preferred dates for fluke trips can be booked before options narrow.

On the <b>Fishermen</b> striped bass fishing on Friday was slow in the morning in the bay in waters that looked like chocolate milk, Capt. Ron said. The boat fished all the usual spots there, and it moved to the ocean in a swell and strong currents in the afternoon. Patrons scored one pick of short bass, and Moper Charlie was high hook with four. Still not good fishing, Ron said, but lots of bait was around, so he hoped things would pick up soon. On Saturday’s trip a handful—a “very small hand,” Ron said—of small stripers were hooked, and a southeast breeze came up and blew against the tide when outgoing began “to add insult to injury,” he said. But better days were expected after the full moon and the easterly winds that were forecast. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. UPDATE, today: The Fishermen’s trip yesterday left in the fog, reached the bay and met the swell from the ocean against outgoing tide. “Need I say more?!” Capt. Ron asked in an e-mail today. A handful of shorts were hooked after four drops, and Rocco Farina worked hard to land four. The fish lay far off the back of the boat and weren’t feeding much, and the chum was screaming toward the bow. Not favorable conditions to say the least. Today few anglers showed up at the harbor, and only two arrived at the boat, so no trip sailed. But Ron hoped that things would pick up, and the weather looked like it would be calm from Wednesday on.

Fishing for flounder was slow on trips that ran every day on the <b>Atlantic Star</b> since the last report, Capt. Tom said. He would’ve loved to have tried fishing the ocean at the Cedars off Sandy Hook the first time this season, but strong easterly weather and seas refused to let up and allow trips to sail there. Conditions had just begun to calm on Thursday, then apparently an offshore storm built the seas back up again. The boat’s trips last year started flounder fishing at the Cedars around this week, and the bite continued until finally ending for the season by May 4.  Trips in the past days fished all the different spots in the bay and Shrewsbury River that were fished lately, and the blackbacks were picked at each place, but the quick drop off from the great fishing recently off the Navy Pier was surprising. The boat even fished Romer Shoal near the ocean Saturday, and a few catches were made in a slight roll. Conditions were miserable the next day or Sunday in strong winds. Tom also talked to anglers who fished far up the river and fared about the same. No bluefish were hooked on trips, but Tom heard about a few blues found in the bay. A 19-1/2-inch, out-of-season fluke was caught and released on a trip. But the boat will keep fishing for flounder, and things could turn around just as quickly, and you never know.  The Atlantic Star is fishing for winter flounder twice daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. UPDATE, 4/22: Flounder fishing somewhat improved on the Atlantic Star’s trips yesterday through today or Monday through Tuesday. Not great, but not bad, Capt. Tom said. Catches picked up a bit on Monday morning’s trip compared with before, but the afternoon’s fishing wasn’t good. Tuesday morning’s trip also wasn’t good, but the afternoon’s trip was the best in a while, so Tom called to give an updated report toward the end of the outing. One customer had caught six keepers, and some had landed one or two, and most would probably go home with dinner. The trips fished the bay, and one ventured to Romer Shoal a moment, but the ocean was still pushing in a ground swell, making the water too riled to be productive. So the ocean wasn’t an option. The river’s fishing was too slow by now. So there was improvement at least, and Tom guessed that the fishing was day by day. If western winds blow and no offshore storms come again, maybe the ocean will settle enough to fish later this week.  

<b>Highlands</b>

The week was mostly good for flounder fishing with <b>Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures</b> in Raritan Bay near the Navy Pier and at the Keyport Flats, Capt. Bob said in an e-mail. Big, flat fish were sometimes taken home from charters. Striped bass fishing was a bust during the daytime, and the season’s first striper charter sailed Saturday morning, but only skates bit. The anglers switched to flounder fishing, but the bite was finished by then. But evenings and nights put out stripers in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers and at the flats off Keansburg and Monmouth Beach. It’s only a matter of time before striped bass fishing breaks open. Flounder charters are still being booked, and reservations are being taken for both daytime and nighttime striper trips.

Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> fished for flounder on Thursday, but catches tapered down drastically, for some reason, maybe because of the full moon, he said. The ocean also held a big heave. Whether the flatties began moving to the ocean was difficult to say, and some were still located in the back of the bay. The ones that had been grabbing baits in the bay off the Ammo Pier would’ve moved to Romer Shoal toward the ocean if they did start to migrate, but the heave would’ve put off the feed there. He hoped the fishing turned back on after the moon. On the striper front, a few were claimed, but striper fishing was mostly slow. Fisher Price will keep flounder fishing but will start looking for stripers this week. Eventually stripers will be the main target.

Some bigger striped bass where bunker chunked in the bay Saturday, and the boat is in the water, and the first charter heads out Thursday, said Capt. Brian from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b>.  Flounder fishing might be done on trips a moment before all efforts concentrate on stripers. Jersey Devil is an experienced big-striper outfit, including a frequent striper tournament winner. Bunker chunking, livelining bunker and trolling are all specialties on the boat.

<b>Belmar</b>

The 77-foot <b>Bandit</b> is getting its bottom washed and painted and being geared up for the new season, Capt. Scotty said. The vessel should be back in the water Saturday, and the first charters are slated to begin May 10 or in three weekends. Trips will start bottom fishing then, and eventually bluefish and striped bass fishing will be added, when the migration invades. The crew from the Bandit just wrapped up a busy, successful winter of tog fishing from Delaware. The somewhat warmer waters and less-pressured tog grounds off the First State made for good trips, and the vessel was developing a following for the winter fishing after its second year of running for the slipperies there. Keep the boat in mind for next winter on its individual-reservation trips and charters for tog one state south of Jersey. Better fishing, bigger blacks is the word.

<b>Brielle</b>

Winter flounder fishing improved somewhat, and most of the fish, at least the bigger ones, were bagged from the Manasquan River on the ocean side of the Railroad Bridge, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. But some were probably also hooked farther upriver off Clark’s Landing, because a fleet was working the water there. Striped bass were also grabbed from the river on rubber shads. Schmegma or algae that fouled lines was the only problem on the river and showed up on some parts of the tides. Nothing was heard about stripers beached from the local surf, and nobody mentioned finding blues nearby. A bunch of ling kept hovering around the mid-range wrecks in the ocean, and cod and pollock still swam 20 to 30 miles offshore, and no news rolled in about tog fishing. But strong currents and a big heave prevailed in the ocean last week, and maybe the bottom-fishing boats couldn’t even sail. The heave also made the water dirty a couple of days. Nothing yet was heard about mackerel migrating past the coast, except: “Where are they?”  Be sure to catch a big sale at the shop May 2 through 4, featuring discounts on rods, reels, tackle, T-shirts and all kinds of stuff. Shimano will also give a workshop on fishing with Lucanus and Butterfly jigs in three separate sessions on May 17. Admission is free, but call to reserve. That will be the last chance for Shimano’s workshops on the topic in a while, because no more are slated for the Jersey area in the near future. Also be sure to sign up for the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery’s <a href=" http://ssfff.org/raffle.html" target="_blank"> raffle for a boat, motor and trailer </a>. For $20 you get a chance at a 17-foot Mako with a motor and trailer donated by the American Sportfishing Association and electronics donated by Henry’s Tackle. Plus you support the SSFFF, and take a look at its web site to find out about the organization.

Fifty cod and pollock to 20 pounds and some sea bass, ling and hake were pumped from the depths on the <b>Jamaica</b> on Saturday’s offshore wreck-fishing trip, an e-mail from the boat said. So the fishing was pretty good, and the weather was great, the e-mail said. Jig and teaser combos hooked some of the pollock, including a 20-pounder that Tony Dudley won the pool with. He also reeled up two more pollock and 20 ling. Daryl Smith was also a pool winner with the second biggest pollock—a 16-pounder—and caught two cod, 18 ling and some sea bass. Cai Chen was high hook with four cod, two pollock, 22 ling and some sea bass. Offshore wreck-fishing trips are sailing every Wednesday and every Saturday and Sunday through April until striped bass trips begin. A special, 12-trip, season pass is available for striped bass and bluefish season. The first of three tilefish and wreckfish trips will leave port Friday, and space is available. The two others will break the inlet the following two Fridays.  <b>Bogan’s Boating School</b> is offering the boating safety course and certificate required in New Jersey. The next one-day classes will take place 9 am. to 4 p.m. the next three Saturdays at Bogan’s Basin. Private classes are available at your own location. The test-out option is offered 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at Bogan’s Basin to those born before 1979.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

<b>Reel Class Charters</b> flounder fished on the Manasquan River on charters Saturday and Sunday, Capt. Allen said. On Saturday Mike Gassin’s gang started fishing along the Dog Beach and picked up a few mudbacks, and a big fleet made fishing tough, and the Coast Guard kept pushing the boats toward shore, so Allen couldn’t fish the deeper water he preferred. The charter moved to the back of the river off Clark’s Landing for a decent bite, and they also caught fish near the Route 35 Bridge. By the end of the day they totaled about a dozen, and the mud huggers weren’t big and only weighed up to a pound or 1 ½ pounds, but the day was decent. On Sunday a charter started fishing off Garden State Marina, and lots of bites were scored, and a few flounder were landed. More were boated at the end of the channel, and the group also ended up with about a dozen keepers. A couple of the fish were small, but the overall sizes were larger than the previous day’s, and the rest of the fish weighed 2 to 3 pounds. Moving tides gave up catches, and slack tides were terrible. Sandworms seemed most productive, but clams sometimes drew attention. Anglers had to stick with the fishing to connect. The water was in the high 40s at the top of incoming, with ocean waters flowing in, and was a few degrees warmer on outgoing. Reel Class will probably flounder fish another week before switching to stripers and blues.

A combo Hudson Canyon tilefish and inshore wreck fishing trip was filmed for the Northeast Angling TV show with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> on Thursday, and a report about it was posted last week, but more details were available on Andrea’s Toy’s web site this week. The site said that after two years of preparation and scheduling, good luck finally came together, and the show was filmed. The crew on the trip included Capt. Freddy Gamboa from Andrea’s Toy, the shows hosts Capt. Andy LoCascio and Capt. Rich Tenreiro and Andrea’s Toy’s assistants Capt. Joe DeGruttola and Jim Mulvey. The boat ran to the Hudson in somewhat rough weather, and tilefish bit as soon as the lines dropped down, but the shooting of the show had to be delayed until winds calmed. But the fishing was drop and reel, and some of the anglers boated their first-ever tile. Winds calmed, and filming began, and the fishing continued, and a triple header was even hooked during the shoot. Then the boat ran inshore to a wreck, and cod and ling bit, drop and reel fishing again. Close to 40 tilefish to 15 pounds, two dozen ling to 5 pounds and some cod to 10 pounds made up the total catch. Photos of the trip will be posted soon. Andrea’s Toy is running open-boat trips for this fishing, one of the few charters that offers open tilefish trips each spring. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner. Call Capt. Fred to be kept in the loop about the dates. The trips sail on a 33-foot Contender with more speed than most vessels, making it to the canyons in half the time of a party boat. More fishing time, and less travel.

<b>Seaside</b>

Customers started reporting a few bluefish catches from the surf on Saturday, said the fishing report on <b>Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site. At least five were clammed in the wash at Areas 5 and 6 on Island Beach State Park that day. A customer on Sunday saw a couple of good-sized blues bucktailed at Ortley Beach, and someone else fought a 7-pound blue to the shore at Island Beach. Anglers were also dragging striped bass, mostly shorts but sometimes 29- to 31-inch keepers, from the suds. A 28-1/2-incher was reported clammed at Gillikins Beach on Island Beach on Sunday morning, and another angler at Gillikins released six shorts that morning. Another sharpie on the same morning released a short at Seaside Park and saw a nearby angler nail a keeper and let go three shorts. But by noon Sunday the shop was saying surf casters should concentrate on the waters at Seaside Park or on the north end of Island Beach for the best luck. The surf today was 51 degrees, 2 to 4 feet and clean. <a href=" http://www.bettyandnicks.com/fish.shtml" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for the latest.

Two anglers weighed in two bluefish about 6 ½ pounds apiece that attacked in the surf on Saturday, so bluefish started showing up along with stripers that already began biting there, said the fishing report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s web site. Afterward blasts of blues began storming the wash, showing up for short runs like usual. “You have to be there to get into them,” the site said. Four striped bass from 28 to 30 inches or 7.3 pounds to 9. 5 pounds were weighed in from the suds on Saturday and Sunday, and short stripers were also caught and released from the beach and were more prevalent. Clams mostly fit the bill for the bass, because the water was 53 to 54 degrees, but one report was heard about shorts taken on small plugs.  Blues also appeared in Barnegat Bay, reportedly mostly near Barnegat Inlet. A load of closeout, high-quality, wooden plugs are on sale, and when they’re gone, they’re gone. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

<b>Forked River</b>

Capt. John from <b>Seafood Fishing Charters</b> looked around for winter flounder and striped bass in Barnegat Bay on Saturday on a brief family trip, but fishing was slow, and no fish turned up, he said. They chummed heavily at Meyer’s Hole and off the 49 marker near Harvey Cedars. Stripers should still be able to be found in the bay, but the bay’s flounder fishing might be practically finished for the season. John heard first-hand reports about catches of big, tiderunner weakfish caught in the bay near the Oyster Creek power plant outflow, and he’ll search for the trout this weekend. The weaks can reach 13 or 15 pounds, and enter the bay a few weeks in spring to spawn, and apparently showed up a little early this year. John has the best luck on them with ¼-ounce jigheads with Mr. Twister tails or Fin-S Fish. He usually targets them early in the mornings and then moves on to other fishing. Open-boat trips are sailing on the vessel every weekend, and this weekend will likely leave port for weaks and striped bass, and call to reserve. John also took a boat ride on Sunday and saw bird plays all over the bay, and he didn’t stop to fish, but the birds might’ve been working bait over bluefish, and he heard about a few blues that arrived in the bay. So blues might also end up an option during the weekend’s fishing. If the blues are appearing, mackerel might be migrating offshore, and mackerel trips are available. Here’s your chance at the Bostons. Seafood’s fishing in the near future will concentrate on stripers, blues and weaks in the bay. Then stripers should chase bunker in the ocean, and trips will head there for the linesiders. Bottom-fishing is also a favorite, and tog are biting at the wrecks, though tog season closes in May. Sea bass should move inshore next and be the catch on bottom trips. Shark fishing will kick off for Seafood in June, and tuna fishing should begin around that time. A few anglers actually headed offshore and caught bluefin tuna at warm eddies that formed early, and the crew from Seafood is certainly up for a trip. Seafood is also offering a two-day, open-boat trip that will compete in the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club Tournament, and two spaces are available.  Boats in the tournament are allowed to fish two days from July 30 to August 2, and John will choose the best two weather days. Last year the purse was $365,000. Twenty percent of any winnings go to the crew, but the rest goes to the anglers. Seafood’s boat makes it to the offshore grounds probably quicker than any other charter in the state. The 33-foot HydraSports features three 250 h.p. engines, cruises at 45 m.p.h., tops out at 60 m.p.h. and arrives at the canyons in 2 hours in fair seas. Anglers can spend more time fishing than traveling. Catch Capt. John at a seminar he’ll give on tuna fishing at the Fish Hawks Club at the Lacey Elks on July 3.

<b>Waretown</b>

Fishing on Barnegat Bay and the nearby ocean will probably begin in a week with <b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b>, Capt. John said. He hopes bluefishing will be turned on by then, and maybe tiderunner weakfish catches will be possible. Both populations of the fish usually peak simultaneously, usually starting sometime from the next week to the beginning of May. Mackerel might also migrate close enough to the coast, and if they do, trips might target them. Small striped bass could already be caught in Barnegat Bay, but the area’s striper fishing really turns on by mid May or so. Then charters will begin clamming for stripers at Barnegat Inlet, and if bunker schools attract big bass in the ocean, the boat will shoot out to the ocean to meet them. The bay’s flounder fishing sounded slow. One angler told John he flounder fished three days straight and landed five keepers total. A buddy’s been flounder fishing and boating one or two per trip. When bluefish migrate to the bay, flounder usually depart. Fishing in general might be running somewhat late this year. Farther south, Cape May’s fishing seemed yet to take off, and the Barnegat Bay area’s action usually begins about 10 days afterward. After Perfect Drift fishes for blues, weaks and stripers, fluke trips will begin when fluke season opens May 24. The bay’s fluke fishing is best early in the season and should be well under way by the opening. Don’t delay in fluke fishing once the opener takes place, because then some of the best days follow. Fluke are found in the bay through summer, but the first days of the season offer the only practical time to concentrate on them. Afterward they’re more of a by-catch. But Perfect Drift does aim trips for fluke in the ocean in summer.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Rods were bending on Brigantine’s beaches on Friday and Sunday, the fishing report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site said. Striped bass, bluefish, black drum and even kingfish were dragged from the wash, and so were smooth and spiny dog sharks. On Friday the fishing erupted at 2 p.m., and customers reported catching two keeper stripers, 30 shorts, three 24-inch blues and a 2-pound kingfish. On Sunday anglers packed the beaches. “Even if you didn’t catch a fish, I’m sure you were standing next to somebody who did,” the report said. Lots of anglers reeled in 28- and 29-inch stripers, and a school of the fish seemed to swim through. James Chapman nailed a 14-pound striper and a 10-pounder.  Pat Cooke caught and released a 35-pound drum. Plenty of tog could be lifted from along structure like the jetties. “The fishing season has finally begun,” the report said. The surf was 53 degrees during the weekend. The shop over the weekend was loaded with live clams, fresh bunker, bloodworms and green crabs. The doors are open 5 a.m. daily.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Surf fishing sometimes offered up excellent catches of schoolie stripers, an occasional 32-inch keeper, a drumfish here or there, big kingfish that first appeared Saturday, spurts of the season’s first bluefish and a bunch of big tog along the jetty rocks, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Clams drew the stripers and drum, and bloodworms also attracted the stripers. Bloods also picked up the kingfish, and the blues attacked frozen mackerel or mullet. Green crabs did a number on the tog, and all the baits are stocked. So are other frozen baits, eels and minnows.

<b>Longport</b>

Tog fishing was a slow pick on trips that ran every day on the <b>Stray Cat</b> since the last report, but a few big ones to 14 pounds were hammered, Capt. Mike said. Still, there was a ground swell, full moon and east winds. “You do the math,” he said. The only good news was that the fish should snap like crazy when the conditions subside, because they’ll be hungry. A few sea bass and out-of-season flounder were mixed in. Mike wasn’t looking for bluefish, but he saw birds working the water and fish busting and rolling on the surface at several places, including at the inlet and off the bell buoy, and the fish looked like stripers and blues. The bay was reaching 56 and 57 degrees, and those temps might’ve been sucking the fish in. The water on the tog grounds was 52 degrees. Mike knew about nobody fishing for mackerel, so he couldn’t be sure whether mackerel were around. He’d like to sail for macks, but the demand wasn’t there. No commercial boats were even running locally that might accidentally net macks while catching bunker, because they were conch fishing farther south for the money. Open-boat trips will continue sailing for tog daily, and tog season closes May 1 for two months. Then it jumps to a one-fish limit that’s impractical for running trips, until increasing to a six-fish limit November 16, when the boat’s tog fishing will start again. So get your tog fix now or hold your peace for a long time. Tog fishing was quite good on the boat when conditions were favorable recently. Open sea bass trips will begin when tog season ends.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

The first bluefish of the season were battled from the back bay on charters, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Out-of-season summer flounder were also hitting in the bay, and Joe’s second weakfish of the year was hooked on a trip in the waters. Blues first appeared Saturday morning, when John Martin took a trip and tackled five and, if Joe remembered correctly, released a flounder. In the afternoon Bradford and Andrea Clemens were on deck and released multiple flounder, including one that was a 20-inch, good-sized flattie that no doubt made the size limit, if it could’ve been kept. They also pinned down a bluefish and a small striper. On Sunday bluefishing picked up considerably when Rich Linus was aboard and probably fought 20 of the fish, not wide-open, but a consistent pick, and he also caught and released a 4-pound weakfish, and let go probably a half-dozen flounder. Bluefishing will only improve, as the choppers flood the bay for a number of weeks during the spring migration. The 2- to 3-pounders, a typical size in spring, were taken on soft plastic lures retrieved slowly with a stop-and-go action on the bottom, unlike the violent attacks they’re known for later in the season. But the water was cold, and the blues were grubbing shrimp and bait on the bottom, and anglers needed to entice a strike. The water surface was 57 to 60 degrees on Saturday and was warming. Charters will switch to lots of bluefishing on light tackle and fly rods for fun, fast action as long as it lasts, until the blues leave for the ocean to stay for the summer. Quite a few flounder were hugging bottom, and the late opening of flounder season is unfortunate in this area, because the prime flattie fishing in the bay usually lasts now through Memorial Day, though the fish will also be caught afterward. Joe saw a good number of boaters catching and releasing the fluke, good to see that the regs failed to discourage them from fishing.   

<b>Wildwood</b>

Delaware Bay anglers wrestled up striped bass and a few drum, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> in an e-mail yesterday. By the time you read this, she said, blues and weakfish should make an appearance. She was right about that. The inshore ocean doled out excellent tog catches, and the crew on the Saint Sandy limited out on the blackfish. Sterling Harbor’s Grand Reopening takes place Friday, launching the season. The annual penny-per-yard fishing line sale will run through May 3, and specials on Hobie and Ocean fishing kayaks will be offered through Memorial Day. The folks at the shop look forward to seeing everyone. 

<b>Cape May</b>

Delaware’s Bay’s striped bass held near the edge of the shipping channel near Miah Maul in about 20 feet this weekend, and the first charters of the year on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> caught them, Capt. George said. The bite’s location was different from the shallows closer to shore or the sloughs in the southern bay that often produce in the early season. But sharks were a nuisance in the southern bay. If George remembered correctly, four keepers were bagged, four throwbacks were released and lots of bites were missed on Saturday’s charter with Ryan Moore, John DeGeorgio, Ed and Craig Hechler, Bill Levins and Terry Hammond. More of the fish probably could’ve been landed with more attention to the bites, but the charter, a repeat group from the past, was enjoying the day on the water as much as the fishing. Sunday’s fishing was better, and nine keepers were boxed and a bunch of throwbacks were released on a charter with Kevin and Greg Driscoll, Dave Sunzi, Jeff Bromley and Brian Sheets. No fish hit at first, when the boat returned to the spot that gave up catches the previous day, but after moving and waiting until about 11:30 or 12 noon, the catches turned on. When the tide stopped coming in, the fish stopped feeding, but another angler said he scored well on slack. The water toward the Maul was 55 degrees on Saturday and dropped to 52 on Sunday. No drumfish showed up on the trips, although drum were boated on the Heavy Hitter’s first charters of the season the past three years. George heard about three puppy drum 30 pounds apiece caught on two boats over the weekend. Drum should start to appear in greater numbers in a week or two, and they can often be caught along with stripers on the same trip. Some space is still available for striper and drum charters.

A charter put the brakes on four keeper striped bass and released 30 shorts on Delaware Bay on the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> on Saturday, Capt. Tom said. Not a lot of anglers connected with the fish that day, but certain ones did, and catches like his seemed about as good as it got. The fish on the trip were taken in 18 feet toward the shipping channel on clams while the boat was anchored. The water was 54 to 56 degrees, and no drumfish were landed, and Tom heard about one 20-pound drum that somebody hauled in. Five striper trips are on the books this coming week, but Saturday morning is available for a charter, and spots are also open during the weekdays this week. Get the dates while you can. The schedule only becomes fuller now, because the fishing is here.

The boat was splashed Saturday, said Capt. Dave from <b>Fine Line Fishing Charters</b>, and he took a brief shakedown trip on Delaware Bay afterward, but striped bass fishing seemed slow for everyone. He first stopped at the Cock and Balls, and a bunch of dog sharks hit. Then he moved to 20-Foot Slough, found a pack of boaters fishing, but none was catching anything. One angler said he boated a drum at the Horseshoe. But Fine Line is in the water and ready to start concentrating on striped bass and drum, and the fishing should only pick up. The first charter is slated for the weekend, and things could be hopping then.

Capt. Mike from <b>Copacetic Sportfishing</b> said the boat is in water, and everything’s running well, and a charter was supposed to striper fish Sunday on Delaware Bay but was weathered out. The bite sounded slow over the weekend anyway, maybe because of the full moon. But he expects the fishing to hit full stride this week, and water temps are right and in the low 50s. Drum fishing in the bay should pick up anytime. Striped bass charters are running, and drum trips will follow, and Copacetic is under way.

Striper fishing on Delaware Bay sounded productive toward mid week but slow by the weekend, and it’s been up and down, said Capt. Eric from <b>O-Beth Sportfishing Charters</b>. But the boat gets launched Wednesday, and he expects to begin hearing about better catches around then. Striper and drumfish trips are on tap starting this week.

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