<b>Keyport</b>

Striped bass fishing took a turn for the better for anglers fishing from the bayshore, and bigger bass than before were hitting, and most anglers were limiting out, said Chris from <b>Crabby’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Fresh clams and sandworms will provide all the action anyone could want, and impale the worms on a 6/0 hook on a sinker-slide rig. Most action turned on at the top of the tides from 2 hours before through 2 hours after. Bunker were showing up all around the bay at Keyport, so big, migrating stripers should migrate in any day. Winter flounder catches were just getting better and better each day on the Keyport Flats, and lots of customers were reporting luck. A crew from the Keyport Fishing Club fished with Capt. Junior Santos, and most of the gang bagged six to eight flounder apiece. Chum, chum and chum was the key to flounder catches from the flats, Junior reportedly said, and be sure to crack fresh clams and mussels all around the boat, and setting out two chum pots will work, and two-hooked rigs, with sandworm on one hook and mussel or clam on the other, will attract attention.

Michael Short’s gang on the <b>Lucky Carm</b> loaded up on 23 winter flounder to 2.2 pounds in the bay off Keyport on Saturday, a good trip, Capt. Carmine said. Bloodworms and clams were the baits, and no mussels were used, and the weather was a little windy, but the Lucky Carm is a stable boat in such conditions. Michael’s son Fred Short, 11, and Sam Pascaiella, 12, were on the trip, and Sam boated the 2.2-pounder. Tim, Dom and Lou were also aboard, and the group was competing in the Clean Ocean Action Flounder Tournament. Flounder fishing was “hanging in there, can’t beat it,” Carmine said. The bay was as warm as 49 degrees, and the rivers were supposedly topping 50 or 51 degrees. Striped bass were yet to bite for boaters in the bay in any substantial way, except maybe a short or two, in the cold water. Forecasts were looking warmer later this week, and maybe there was hope for rising water temps that would trigger a striper bite. Carmine will try targeting stripers himself and give updates about the fishing. His log book showed 56-degree water in the third or fourth week of April last year, and stripers were getting boated then, but every year’s different. A trip was weathered out Sunday because of strong winds, even though winds appeared calm on the mainland in the morning, and the forecast for the day ended up totally wrong. Winds turned out to be howling at the dock. Open-boat trips are running every day when no charter is booked, and call to reserve.   

The boat will be launched for the season tomorrow if the weather holds, said Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>. Winter flounder and/or striped bass trips will be immediately available. Not a lot of boats were in the water yet, and news about boating for fish was scarce. Open-boat trips will sail with Papa’s Angles 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day when no charter is booked, and call ahead.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The first trip of the year on the <b>Fishermen</b> left the dock Saturday, sailing for striped bass, but “not a good start to the 2008 season,” Capt. Ron said in an e-mail. The boat headed to the shallows in the back of Raritan Bay, where bait and working gannets were found, and one good shot of stripers was read tight to the bottom, but the fish refused to bite. One short was reeled in during the last 10 minutes of the trip. “A miracle,” Ron said. He said that kids fishing the opening of trout season probably tackled bigger fish that day. The boat bounced around depths from 7 to 20 feet, and the water was 45 to 47.5 degrees, and the tide was outgoing through the trip. The weather turned out beautiful, with plenty of sun, despite forecasts for rough conditions. A northeast blow forecast yesterday and today wasn’t sounding good. But “patience will pay off, I promise,” Ron said. The Fishermen usually clams for stripers in the shallows of the bay in the early season until moving to the ocean for bigger, migrating stripers around May. The boat is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Flounder fishing was medium to fair, according to anglers, and not much was heard about striped bass boated so far, said Capt. Mick from the <b>CRT II</b>. His first charter of the season is slated for Saturday, but the boat is in the water, and he’s available for trips now.

The <b>Atlantic Star</b> fished for winter flounder on Saturday in the Shrewsbury River between rough weather, and Capt. Tom said he wouldn’t call the fishing good, but there was somewhat of an improvement in the last couple of trips compared with before. Four or five keepers was the high hook Saturday, and some patrons bagged one or two, and some landed none. On Thursday morning’s trip fishing produced more of an improvement, not great, but encouraging, and see the report that day for details. On the trip Thursday the boat had started fishing far up the river, but nothing bit, not necessarily a sign that the fish had left the area, but possibly instead caused by cold nights that kept them from feeding. So afterward the boat fished farther down the river, and anglers caught. On Saturday the boat also fished farther down the river for catches, a little early in the season for Tom to fish there, so the fish were a bit spread out, good to see. Inaccurate weather forecasts wreaked havoc on plans, because the weather was supposed to be pleasant Sunday and rougher Saturday, but the opposite happened. Because of the forecast, Tom told patrons with children to wait till Sunday to fish, but Sunday ended up stiff, and no trips sailed. Tom hoped that the better fishing lately, again, not good fishing, but somewhat improving, would keep up, if bad weather that’s often been rolling through didn’t nix the trend. 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, 4/8: Two flounder trips sailed today on the Atlantic Star in weather that was somewhat rough in the morning but cleared up with calm winds and sunny skies by the afternoon, the first trips on the vessel since Saturday. On the morning trip today all patrons landed at least one or two keepers, and the high hook scored five, and only a few fish landed were shorts and released. The boat fished the main river and also the mouth, and both produced. In the afternoon a few more people jumped aboard, and nothing bit at the mouth, so the boat moved upriver toward the mountain, and several patrons boated three keepers, and a couple took two, and some bagged one, and a couple landed none. So the fishing was at least showing signs of being decent when the weather was fair enough to fish, and rough weather on the previous days didn’t hurt the fishing. Capt. Tom said it was also good to see the fish at the mouth at times, because the fish were spread out. Slack tides were still not producing a blast of fish like they sometimes do on the Shrewsbury, and the bite was also spread out on different tides. Not a lot of people were showing up to fish, and they were probably waiting for forecasts to improve. Tomorrow looked like fair weather on the river.

<b>Highlands</b>

Winter flounder fishing was on and off in the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers, depending on the day, said Capt. Bob from <b>Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures</b>. His charters kept focusing on the flatties, and anglers would score on one day, and the bite would be tough the next. But charters with Bob were bagging some nice ones to 17 inches. Chumming heavily was a must, and Bob was using twice as much chum as usual. Bunker continued to splash around the Navesink, but no stripers were hooked on the boat in recent days, though a few stripers were mixed in with catches before. Charters are being accepted for flounder fishing, and reservations are being taken for striped bass trips. Weekends were starting to fill in late April and the beginning of May, but plenty of weekdays were available.

Bayshore surf anglers were supposedly beaching lots of striped bass, but boaters in the bay seemed to have more difficulty landing stripers, and a local party reported that only one short was hooked on a trip, said Capt. Matt from <b>Knot Easy Sportfishing</b>. He’ll kick off his charters for the year with striped bass fishing on April 27, probably clamming the fish in the back of the bay at first. The boat will be launched a week before, but then he’ll take shakedown trips and make sure everything’s in order.

Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>  heard that striped bass were sometimes boated in the bay off places like Cliffwood and Pebble Beach at night, but the bite wasn’t good yet, he said. Flounder were bagged in the back of the bay, and the flattie fishing sometimes broke open in the rivers. Flounder charters are available through April, and striped bass trips are being booked that will start when the fish turn on.

<b>Belmar</b>

The <b>Bandit</b> is back in Jersey for the season after fishing in Delaware for tog all winter, Capt. Scotty said. Tog fishing sounded good, according to the boat’s reports through the cold months, and the waters there get less pressure than off the Garden State, and the boat will likely target the First State’s blackfish again next winter. From Belmar the Bandit will begin bottom fishing on May 10, and Scotty was hoping sea bass would swim along the edge of the Mudhole then. In the meantime, the boat is winter flounder fishing from Brielle this month, and charters are available.

<b>Brielle</b>

Local winter flounder fishing was sort of inconsistent and didn’t really improve after winds and rough weather affected catches last week, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Flatties might’ve been picked from the Manasquan River here and there, but more bites still came from northern Barnegat Bay, and lots of runoff from rains was filling the river. Nobody was even reporting surf fishing so far. Two interesting reports rolled in about 2- to 3-pound bluefish trolled in Barnegat Bay near Barnegat Inlet on small nylons, early in the season to hear about blues. Bottom fishers on party boats were picking away at mostly ling, a few cod, a few pollock, and some pretty good blackfish catches. Rob Jenkins on the Moby’s Mistress fished the 30-mile wrecks and scored a pair of 18-pound pollock and a couple of 8- and 10-pound cod on Thursday. Tickets for $75 can be purchase through this evening for a fund raising dinner and auction for the  <a href="http://www.ssfff.net" target="_blank"> Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund</a> on Friday evening at the Crystal Point Yacht Club in Point Pleasant. Visit the fund’s web site to order before the tickets become unavailable afterward, because a head count has to be provided to the yacht club. Items offered at the event’s Chinese auction and a silent auction feature a bunch of charter boat trips, including an offshore charter on the Canyon Runner, party boat trips, original art work from Guy Harvey that’s now on the SSFFF’s T-shirts, Shimano tackle and lots more. The SSFFF continues to hold a $20 fund-raising raffle for a 17-foot Mako with engine and trailer donated by the American Sportfishing Association and electronics for the boat donated by Henry’s Tackle, and visit the fund’s site to enter. The Reel Seat is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. Be sure to catch the tent sale on the first weekend of May to celebrate the shop’s 26th anniversary, and the events will include Shimano reps that will demonstrate the company’s new Lucanus jigs for sea bass and bottom fishing and their popular butterfly jigs.

The <b>Bandit</b>, normally sailing from Belmar, is winter flounder fishing from Brielle this month, and charters are available, Capt. Scotty said. The 77-foot boat just returned from tog fishing all winter from Delaware, and the blackfishing was good. Delaware’s waters get less pressure than off Jersey, and somewhat warmer water keeps them biting through the cold months, when Jersey’s tog turn off.  The boat will return to Belmar on May 10 to start bottom fishing.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Winter flounder fishing had finally rebounded on a trip Thursday with <b>Angela Rose Charters</b> after slower fishing the previous days in strong winds and other weather, and 15 were bagged, and see that day’s report for details. The boat was back at it on Friday with a full-day charter. The flounder fishing was a slow pick in the morning, tapered off to a 2-hour lull, then picked up again, and the anglers “fell shy of a bakers dozen in keepers” by the end of the day, Capt. Anthony said in an e-mail. Stiff winds failed to stop the bite, but slack tides were unproductive, and the water was 49.3 degrees to 51.7 degrees, and that’s 5 degrees higher than the previous week. On a trip Saturday an early morning flurry produced nine keepers, and then the fish got lockjaw the rest of the day, after the tide changed. There would’ve been a simple solution: a longer incoming tide. A trip Sunday was weathered out from strong, northeast winds. But a buddy fishing from a Jon boat said he was into a number of the fish.

A few tog charters might start running on the <b>Andrea’s Toy</b> at the reefs only 5 miles and 15 minutes from shore, because the blackfish were supposedly biting, Capt. Fred said. He and the crew will scope it out themselves and make a decision. If the fish are there, the charters will run till tog season closes May 1. Open-boat trips will head to the canyons for tilefish and then move inshore for sea bass, cod and pollock on the same outing during weather windows, and if you want to be kept in the loop about potential sailing dates, call Capt. Fred. Local winter flounder fishing was very picky, and on some days the fish bit, and on others they didn’t. When the water gets consistently above 50 degrees, the fishing should pick up.

<b>Seaside</b>

One customer was fishing the surf, and that’s almost all the news that was on the report on <b>Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site today. But it said the surf was 2 to 3 feet and choppy but not dirty and was 47 degrees. Stay tuned, though, because surf fishing’s going to come into its own soon. <a href=" http://www.bettyandnicks.com/fish.shtml" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for the latest.

A few anglers actually fished the surf Sunday and clammed a few short striped bass, said the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s web site. Sharpies also beached a few on Saturday. Clams were the ticket, and no action was expected on plugs yet, because the ocean was in the high 40s, but get your small plugs ready for when the temps rise. Ever see bait from the surf that was out of casting range? Check out the <a href="http://www.surfrocketfishing.com" target="_blank"> Surf Rocket</a>, now available at the store. “This thing is cool!” the site said. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updated reports from Grumpy’s.  

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Trips are underway with <b>Reel Fantasea Charters</b>, but they were weathered out so far, Capt. Steve said. A couple of charters had to be cancelled because of the conditions, but they were going to dunk lines for winter flounder in Barnegat Bay and also maybe try for striped bass in the bay. The bay’s flounder fishing was pretty slow so far, for some reason, although the water temp was right and generally between 49 and 52 degrees. The warmer, fish-holding water was on the mainland side of the bay. The striper fishing would be to plug for the bass in the evenings toward the same area, without giving away a specific location. Few of the stripers were keepers, and a handful were sizeable, but large ones couldn’t consistently be relied on. It’s just a way to shake off the winter doldrums and get in on action. Later in April, maybe the middle of the month or the third week, charters will start to clam for stripers in the bay at Oyster Creek or Double Creek channels or behind the Dike. Schools of larger, migrating stripers chasing bunker usually arrive toward late May or the beginning of June in the ocean, and then charters on the boat will either fish for them with bunker for bait or will troll big spoons or plugs to bag the linesiders. By that time Reel Fantasea should also chase big, tiderunner weakfish that arrive in the bay in spring, and also fluke in those waters. Wreck fishing will also take place on the vessel at that time. In other news, a good population of seals was living in the bay, typical for this time of year. Probably eight to twelve seals were hanging out on the sod banks along the bay on Island Beach State Park, and boaters could see where the seals matted down the saltwater grass. Steve was told by Fishing Reports Now that reports about a few small bluefish picked up toward Barnegat Inlet were heard (see the Brielle report), and he said he thought that any blues there at this time of year probably swam inshore from waters like around the wrecks, where a certain number of the fish spend the winter instead of migrating south. In other words, the blues are probably not migrators from the south at this time of year. Migrating blues usually don’t arrive till about the beginning of May.

<b>Port Republic</b>

Mullica River anglers were hooking striped bass on high tides while either livelining herring or soaking bloodworms, said Violet from <b>Chestnut Neck Boat Yard</b>. A mess of big white perch were being pulled from the river on bloods. Herring were just starting to migrate up the river, and live herring are stocked, and so are bloods.

<b>Brigantine</b>

One angler beached three striped bass or a 32-inch keeper and two shorts from the Brigantine suds, and then he told another about the catch, and the other angler hit the same spot and reeled in a 36-inch 24-pounder, a fat fish, and two shorts, said the report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site. The report didn’t say what day that was, but it sounded like today. The surf yesterday was angry in rough weather, but a few stripers were taken. The shop weighed in its first keeper striped bass of the year from the island’s suds on Thursday, and see the report that day for details. Other stripers were also reeled from the Brigantine wash that day, but none was reported a keeper.

<b>Margate</b>

The <b>Fish N’ Fun</b> from the <b>Jessie O’ Fleet</b> took its maiden voyage of the season yesterday, a striped bass trip in the back bay with a dozen anglers, Capt. Jay said. They braved winds and rains, but the fish refused to cooperate in the conditions. Clams and bloodworms were the baits, and the boat both drifted and anchored. But stripers were caught in the bay recently, and the boat is now offering two striped bass trips daily from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., mostly on weekends. Anglers can call the boat to confirm whether trips will sail. Jay was trying to put together a trip that would scout for winter flounder in the bay Thursday and see if the fishing was an option for the future.  Some of the staff from The Fisherman magazine was looking into going, and Jay was maybe going to call some of his customers to see if they wanted to hop aboard.  Keep an eye on the fleet’s web site for special discounts on trips.

<b>Lonport</b>

An open-boat tog trip was supposed to head out Saturday on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, but weather forecasts caused anglers to cancel, because Sunday was supposed to be the better day, and then Saturday turned out fine and Sunday ended up with 20- to 30-knot winds, and the boat couldn’t even leave port, Capt. Mike said. Forecasts were awful lately, and it you’re waiting for a good forecast to go fishing, don’t, because you can’t tell what’s going to happen. Tog are snapping, and trips lately were limiting out so quickly that Mike now planned to jig for mackerel at first on trips, because there’s time. Wednesday through Friday looked super in the forecasts, and open tog trips should run those days. Winds were supposed to keep blowing through today, so the water would probably be too stirred up tomorrow. If anyone’s interested in fishing the 20- to 30-mile wrecks for sea bass, ling, pollock and cod on open trips, Mike’s willing to go, and just let him know you’re interested.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

John Martin fished the back bay and nailed four striped bass on Saturday with Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>, Joe said. A striper charter was cancelled Sunday, because of stiff weather, and forecasts ended up backwards, because Saturday was supposed to be rough but turned out beautiful, and Sunday was supposed to be calm but cranked out 40-knot winds. John caught the fish on Bass Assassins on ¾-ounce jigjeads reeled in with a slow, steady retrieve in 3-foot shallows. The water was 54 degrees far back from the inlets and was 50 to 51 at the inlets. Joe’s trips started connecting with stripers in the bay in mid March, and the action now is on. His anglers toss soft plastics like the Bass Assassins or flies like Clousers for the best catches in spring, and the fishing can be great, usually lasting until about the beginning of May. Then bluefish usually storm into the bay and take over for a few weeks before they leave, when striper fishing kicks in again. Tiderunner weakfish also enter the bay with the blues, if weakies show up this year. They were scarce in recent years, but every year’s different. The best summer flounder fishing also takes place around this time, but the season for them isn’t opening until late May this year. Joe was hearing about a few winter flounder taken from the bay in the past days, and he even saw a 3-pound whopper, the biggest winter flattie he’d ever seen, that a friend bagged Saturday. Winter flounder fishing used to be popular in the bay, but then the fish mostly disappeared, for some reason. But somewhat of a resurgence happened lately, and anglers catch the fish while anchored, chumming and fishing with clams, bloodworms, grass shrimp or small pieces of other baits.

<b>Cape May</b>

Lots of striped bass, small ones, and not lots of keepers, were biting in Delaware Bay, said Capt. Tom from the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b>, and he heard about three puppy drum, 20- to 25-pounders, hauled aboard in the bay, he said. Friends reeled up as many as 70 short stripers, releasing them, in 5-hour trips. The fish held along the edges of drop-offs in both the shallow flats and the deeper water, and all seemed to be caught on clams, and Tom heard about no decent plug fishing, although plugs often connect with the bay’s stripers in the shallows in the early season. Clear water was a key to finding a bite, and the water was probably 46 or 47 degrees. Charters on the Fishin’ Fever will start chasing stripers and drum on Saturday.  The season is here!

Striped bass and black drum charters will start fishing Delaware Bay with <b>Fine Line Fishing Charters</b> on April 20, Capt. Dave said. The charters will continue until Memorial Day Weekend, and then the boat gets moved to Margate, especially to fish for summer flounder during the height of the flattie season.

Capt. Eric from <b>O-Beth Sportifishing Charters</b> hopes to splash the boat next week or the week after, and then charters will start targeting striped bass and drum in Delaware Bay, clamming for the fish, he said. Stripers should bite right away, and the best drum fishing often takes hold starting the beginning of May. Toward the end of May the boat will move to Margate for the summer, and charters will start fishing for summer flounder and sharks. O-Beth will also tuna fish when tuna are running.

The marina is officially supposed to allow boats in the water by April 19, but sometimes boats are allowed to be launched earlier, and if so, the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> will be splashed then, Capt. George said. He’ll start fishing by April 19 or earlier, if the boat is allowed in the water earlier, and charters will clam for striped bass and drum in Delaware Bay. The season’s early for the best drum fishing, but charters on the vessel landed a few big drum on the first trips the past three years. Few boaters were fishing yet, so George heard little about action. But a couple of charter captains who always fish early in the season were posting reports saying they were hooking loads of short stripers, maybe 25- or 26-inchers, in shallows like 12 feet around Bug Light. George thought all were taken on clams. A friend who owns a tackle shop said big, 30-pound stripers were sometimes nailed in the Delaware River, maybe a good sign that bigger bass were already moving in.  The weather’s often been rough for boating anyway, and George was at the dock yesterday morning, and winds were honking at 30 or 40 m.p.h.

Back to Top