<b>Staten Island</b>

A striped bass trip headed out with four anglers with <b>Outcast Charters</b> and soaked bunker baits in the middle, eastern side of the bay, and fishing for the linesiders was tougher than past trips, and four keepers were bagged, Capt. Joe said. Tons of blues also slammed the baits, and there was one shot of stripers about an hour, but the fish bit lightly, difficult to hook, and bass were missed, but the anglers were not to blame. It was tough. A different class of stripers seemed to come in after the storm, because the keepers now weighed up to 15 pounds, but previous trips nailed decent numbers of 20-some-pounders. The weather and seas were beautiful, and boaters who clammed for the fish closer to the ocean seemed to connect well that day. Outcast will begin to launch combo striper/sea bass trips next week, and May and June are good times to load up on the larger lumpheads. New York’s fluke season opened today, but the state’s size limit is 20 ½ inches, causing charter and party boats to ignore fluke fishing. Didn’t seem fair, considering plenty of fluke carpeted the bottom in recent years, and few fluke grow to that size, and New Jersey’s limit is 18 inches. Not that Jersey’s size limit seems necessary either, but fluke anglers will tend to fish from Jersey instead of New York as a result.

<b>Bayonne</b>

Boaters were scarce since the storm, but customers fished from the bulkheads at Liberty State Park and Hudson Park and landed a bunch of keeper striped bass, mostly on bunker, said Capt. Akira from <b>True World Tackle</b> and <b>True World Tackle Charters</b>. A few blues, not many, were also banked, but customers said lots of big blues could be rustled from the beaches on Staten Island. The weather was looking rough for boating in the next couple of days, but charters are booked for Sunday and Monday and will probably fish for stripers but might also bottom fish for sea bass or ling in the ocean.

<b>Keyport</b>

Eleven big blues to 11 pounds put tackle to the test in the back of the bay yesterday on a trip with John Wester and Dave Hart, both from Piscataway, Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> said. Six or seven of the slammers also got off at the boat. Clams were fished in bunker chum, and a charter was also fishing today, and Capt. Joe would try to give an update to be posted. Open-boat trips are sailing daily when no charter is booked, and call to reserve. UPDATE, today: A bluefishing trip with Anthony Cirvolo’s group from the East Rutherford police fought big slammers today on the bay. The fish again inhaled clam baits in a bunker chum slick.

Five anglers on an open-boat trip walloped eleven striped bass, the best catch of bass so far this season, on the <b>Lucky Carm</b> yesterday on the bay near Bug Light, Capt. Carmine said. One of the anglers kept three with a bonus tag he brought. Six short stripers were also released, and about 10 blues were battled to the boat. “Boy were we catching fish,” Carmine said. The anglers, Willie, Joey, Jeff, Dave and Vinny, all from njfishing.com, fished outgoing tide and part of incoming, dunking bunker until blues covered them up, then switching to clams. Willie took the biggest fish, a 16-3/4-pound striper, and Joey was high hook. Fluke season opens in two Saturdays, when the Lucky Carm will offer fluke and striper combo trips. Fluke charters are starting to fill, so call to book prime dates. Open-boat trips are currently sailing both during the daytime and evenings every day when no charter is booked, and call to reserve. Both daytime and nighttime charters are also running.

A charter limited out on striped bass yesterday on the bay with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> on a combo of clams and bunker, Capt. Fred said. He broke down and fished with clams, after fishing only live or chunked bunker previously, because a friend was scoring bass on clams, and lots of blues were attacking bunker. Andrea’s Toy will keep fishing for striped bass from Keyport until early June, when the boat will relocate to Point Pleasant for shark fishing, sea bassing, fluke fishing and striped bass fishing along the ocean front. Eventually big-game trips will head to the offshore canyons, including on open-boat trips. Andrea’s Toy often offers mixed-bag trips, chasing several species in one outing for fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner, and the open canyon trips are no different. The anglers fish for tuna during prime times, put out a line for sharks and swordfish, and mix it up with tilefishing, for example. The trips sail on a powerful, 31-foot Contender that cruises at 35 m.p.h., topping out at 50 m.p.h., making it to the offshore grounds in half the time of a party boat, providing more fishing time, including the opportunity for the mixed bag. To be kept on Fred’s call list to be informed when the open trips sail, simply call him.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The effects of Monday’s storm slowed bottom fishing at Scotland on the <b>Atlantic Star</b> on Wednesday, the first day the weather calmed enough to sail, but better catches of sea bass than before started coming up, and a few ling were bagged, Capt. Tom said. He was about to anchor on the first drop this morning when he gave this report, and somewhat of a ground swell lingered. He hoped catches would bounce back when conditions settled, and trips before the blow produced lots of ling with a few sea bass mixed in, and big, out-of-season porgies were sometimes reeled up and released, and so were blackfish. The storm was pretty strong.  The Atlantic Star is bottom fishing on two trips daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The trips will switch to fluke fishing when fluke season opens next week on Saturday.

Striped bass fishing busted open yesterday on the <b>Fishermen</b> on the bay, and many patrons limited out, and some kept an extra fish with a bonus tag, excellent fishing, Capt. Ron said. Sometimes five to seven stripers were hooked at a time, and some anglers landed eight or nine of the fish. Mitch Jevic and Bill Yurkovich led the way, combining for 17. The bite ended around noon when outgoing tide stopped, but it didn’t matter, because the fishing was great while it lasted. A 23-pounder was the largest, but the angler wasn’t in the pool. Jack Vilcheck took the pool with a 16-pounder. The storm helped the bay’s striper fishing if anything, and all the fish were hooked on clams. Ron couldn’t wait until today. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. But the boat is chartered Saturday.

The Burke Construction Company charter slammed striped bass to 22 pounds and blues at Flynn’s Knoll yesterday on the <b>CRT II</b>, lots of fish, Capt. Mick said. Fishing for striped bass, and big ones, was on fire, and go now if you want to hook them, he said. Every captain he talked with who striper fished that day connected. Mick’s anglers fished with clams and chummed with them. Early in the day seemed best, and blues dominated on the change of tides. Although Mick’s mind was on striper fishing, and fishing for the bass will be the focus a while, fluke season opens in two Saturdays, and the CRT II often runs fluke trips.

Bay anglers tackled very good catches of striped bass, including lots of big ones in the back of the bay, and tons of blues swam everywhere, from the rivers to the bay to the surf and ocean, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Jim Bear checked in a 38.2-pound striper that he trolled east of Old Orchard on a Montauk bunker spoon, and Chris Euro, Frank Thomas and Jerry Hewitt grabbed three bass to 18 pounds and nine blues on trolled spoons in the same area. Surf casters also beached stripers and blues. Small blues and bass ran the river, and Jimmy jigged 2-pound blues there, and the fish were so hungry that they attacked a large, A-47 jig, the only jig he had with him. Weakfish were sometimes pulled from the river. Plenty of ling and a few sea bass were reeled up from Scotland when the weather was calm. Out-of-season fluke were caught by mistake and released in the bay, and fluke season launches next week on Saturday.

<b>Highlands</b>

On the <b>Tuna-Tic</b> a charter limited out on striped bass on the bay by 9 a.m. Tuesday, and a ton of the fish filled the waters after the storm, Capt. Mike said. None was real big, but plenty were keepers. Several blues, but not many, bit on the trip, and the boat’s anglers have been fishing with clams, not bunker that can attract blues. Another charter captain had been fishing bunker with slower catches of bass, and lots of blues, and he switched to clams based on the Tuna-Tic’s catches, fished nearby, and loaded up on the linesiders. Tuna-Tic will fish for stripers from the Highlands through early June before moving to Waretown to sail for sharks from Barnegat Inlet. But inshore trips for fluke, stripers, blues and bottom fish will sail between sharking. Eventually the boat will run a heavy schedule of tuna trips, including three-day, open-boat trips, the ultimate in fishing.

Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> gave a quick report between two striper charters today, saying anglers on the boat were reeling up the linesiders to the mid 20 pounds in the bay along Staten Island. Chunked and live bunker were the baits, and plenty of blues swam the 63- to 64-degree waters. Fisher Price fishes for stripers through mid July but also runs fluke trips when fluke season opens next week on Saturday.

<b>Long Branch</b>

A couple of bad days of weather, and nothing was hitting in the surf because of rough seas, said John from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The wash was still pounding this morning, and the waters were like pudding. Previously surf fishing for short striped bass was picking up, and blues were also hooked. Anglers were fishing the Shrewsbury River instead, and John was catching short striped bass on the river around Alexander Avenue on swimming plugs. He saw no blues, though blues were probably around, but he spotted bunker here and there. The river gave up weakfish for others but not a ton like last week. Anglers were likely to find good-sized bass and blues on Raritan Bay.

<b>Neptune</b>

Striped bass fishing started to turn on, and fishing in general is breaking open, and it’s time to go, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. Four charters are on the books for Saturday, and the boat will head for the Sandy Hook area to clam stripers, but if fish are seen on the way, trips will stop and jig for bass or even blues. Space is available for an individual-reservation striper trip 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 28, and Ralph has bonus tags so anglers can bag a third keeper. A charter Monday will scope out sea bass and ling fishing, and Ralph will evaluate the bite and determine whether bottom fishing will now be an option. He’s heard about catches but will see for himself. Shark and canyon tuna trips are being booked, and reserve preferred dates while available.

<b>Belmar</b>

Very good catches of bottom fish, mostly ling but also sea bass, were pulled over the rails on the <b>Big Mohawk</b> when the weather allowed trips to sail, Capt. Chris said. The boat fished 65- to 70-foot depths. Bottom trips will keep running through Friday of next week. Then the vessel’s fluke season launches the next day, the opening of the flattie season. Bring it on! The Big Mohawk sails 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day.

A trip yesterday on the <b>Golden Eagle</b> ended up putting customers into bluefish after a slow start, Capt. Greg said. The boat fished the ocean off Sea Bright, and blues were scarce in the beginning, but began turning on around mid day. Then some drifts gave up 20 or 30 of the fish, all on jigs, and the catches became fairly good. A few striped bass had been around along the ocean front last week, and several were bagged on the vessel then, but none showed up on this trip, and none of the local boats, including the Golden Eagle, sailed the previous couple of days, because of rough weather. Customers had strictly been jigging the fish, but bait might start to be carried, because many of the blues bit in the top 10 feet of the water column yesterday, and bait would’ve connected. The boat is officially sailing daily for striped bass and bluefish, but bluefish made up most of the catch so far, though stripers should come around soon. The boat had been slated to start its first nighttime bluefishing trips of the season last weekend but got weathered out. The night fishing is likely to begin this Friday and Saturday evenings and might start running daily next week.  The Golden Eagle is sailing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

The 77-foot <b>Bandit</b> is back in port in Belmar and will start chartering this weekend, Capt. Scotty said. Blues, sea bass, ling and cod are on tap, and fluke fishing will be available when fluke season opens next week on Saturday.

The storm didn’t seem to affect fishing, and anglers were catching striped bass from Shark River Inlet and along the beaches, and a couple of 20-pounders were weighed in today, said Mike from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Clams and bunker chunks got the attention, and some dunked sandworms, and some threw big Spro jigs. Blues ran in and out, sometimes showing up in the back of Shark River, other times appearing at the inlet. Fluke jammed the river, and the opening of fluke season will be great next week on Saturday. The shop is already loaded with fluke rigs and baits, and the rental boats are ready for fluking.

<b>Brielle</b>

Anglers on the <b>Jamaica</b> yesterday reeled in a load of blues, mostly while bait fishing, but sometimes while jigging, and high hooks limited out on the fish to 11 pounds, an e-mail from the boat said. No striped bass showed up, but trips will look for stripers over the weekend. Trips usually begin with jigging, but clams and bunker are carried for bait. Striped bass and bluefish trips are running 7:30 a.m. every day, and the season’s first nighttime bluefish trip is slated for 7:30 p.m. Saturday and will begin to fish every night starting next week on Friday. Special 6- or 12-trip passes are available for striped bass and bluefish season. <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 Sunday and June 7 and 22, and the next two-day classes will take place Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Private classes are available for eight or more students, with a discount for 10 or more, on weekdays and weekends and during daytimes and evenings at your own location. Simply choose two 3-hour blocks and arrange an instructor. The test-out option ends June 1 but is available until then from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. Visit the school’s web site for more info about any of the options.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Sea bass were bagged in good numbers through Sunday on the <b>Dauntless</b>, and Monday’s storm, a strong one, somewhat put off the fish on trips the rest of the week, but catches should rebound with settling seas, Capt. Butch said. So the lumpheads were migrating to inshore waters at a decent pace, and a few ling were also boated. Trips fished in 60 to 80 feet, and more ling probably held in deeper waters, but sea bass were the main attraction for customers now. Way too many dog sharks were also a nuisance on deeper grounds, and dogs also stole baits in shallower waters, but not too badly. A healthy show of cod, 20 or 25 of the fish, were also boxed on Sunday’s trip and were sometimes in the mix on outings. Pollock, smaller fish but keepers, were also taken at times. Actually a number of different fish were biting, including blues, occasional stripers and out-of-season blackfish, porgies, fluke and winter flounder. Quite a few blacks, though mostly small ones, started hitting once blackfish season closed, and some of the porgies were big. A fair number of the fluke were keeper-sized, and a whopper winter flounder, a 4-1/2- or 5-pounder, was the biggest fish caught on a trip toward the end of last week. The boat will keep focusing on sea bass until waters warm and make small sea bass predominant. Then trips will push off to deeper waters and sail more for ling. Ocean temperatures dropped to 51 or 52 degrees from the storm, strong winds and southerly ones. Previously the waters had warmed as much as 56 degrees a few days.  The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

Blues, mostly 2- and 2-1/2-pounders, swam in and out of the Manasquan River system, and Point Pleasant Canal anglers reeled up blues, striped bass and 12- to 15-pound weakfish, said Ronnie from <b>Fisherman’s Supply</b>. Loads of fluke to 25 or 27 inches held tight to the river bottom, good news for the opening of fluke season next week on Saturday. A few striped bass could be found in the ocean, but ocean boaters needed a break from winds. The weather also kept the party boat Voyager, docked at the shop, from fishing. The boat was slated to run an offshore tilefish trip tomorrow that was sold out, was chartered this coming Sunday and was slated to fish open-boat at the 20- to 40-mile wrecks next week on Friday. A nighttime bluefish trip is on the books for that Friday, and half-day fluke trips will begin daily when fluke season opens.

Fishing took somewhat of a hit from the storm earlier in the week, but previously surf casters were hooking sporadic catches of small striped bass and blues, and the changes of tides seemed best, said Rob Sr. from <b>Gates Bait & Tackle</b>. Clams and bunker connected from around Brick Beach to Lavallette. Water temps dropped a bit from the weather, and a stretch of warmer weather or better weather with more consistent water temps was needed. Bluefishing at Manasquan Inlet and the Point Pleasant Canal had been good, and the speedsters moved in and out, sometimes blitzing, sometimes not. Krocodiles and rubber shads drew strikes. A few quality stripers had sucker punched live herring in the canal, and sometimes weakfish were tricked up there on pink Fin-S Fish or Ava jigs. Bottom-fishing party boats scored well on sea bass when they could sail. One party boat angler caught 18 or 20 of the knotheads, and another boated 15 on another trip. Private boaters sometimes jigged or clammed good-sized stripers in the ocean when seas were calm enough to get out. The Gates Motel, located on the grounds, is open full time and is popular with anglers. They stay the night to avoid early or late drives before or after trips on the local boats, or they visit simply for a fishing vacation. Both the motel and tackle shop are located within walking distance of the party and charter boat fleet, Manasquan Inlet and the surf.

<b>Bricktown</b>

Blues 2 to 4 pounds were played at the Mantoloking Bridge on northern Barnegat Bay on surface popper lures or Ava 007 jigs with tails, said Ray from <b>Pell’s Fish & Sport</b>. Just toss the jigs, let them sink and crank like crazy. Small, 16- to 22-inch striped bass were mixed in. Striped bass and bluefish fishing sort of “laid back” in the past few days, but Gary Bell slammed a 12- to 13-pound weakfish there. Blues and small bass swam the Manasquan River between the bridges, and chuck Fin-S Fish for the stripers. Surf anglers were waiting for waters to clean up after the storm, and lots of clams covered the beaches from rough seas. Ray was tying fluke rigs today to get ready for the opening of fluke season next week on Saturday. Fluke rigs are well stocked, and all the fluke baits including killies will be carried for the opener. Fresh clams, fresh bunker and sandworms are stocked.

<b>Toms River</b>

The biggest news was weakfish catches in Barnegat Bay behind Island Beach State Park, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Dan Turton drilled a 12-pound 10-ounce weak, and Phil LaGrossa hammered four that each weighed more than 13 pounds. Dominic Talerico Sr. and Jr. reeled in five of the trout to 12 pounds. The tiderunners were smacking Fin-S Fish, rubber shads and Mr. Twisters in the early mornings or at night. Another customer picked up smaller weakfish and a bunch of blues in the bay off the power plant. The bay’s fishing, mostly made up of bluefishing in the past weeks, was bouncing back quickly after the storm stirred up waters. Anglers boating along the sod banks in the bay near Barnegat Inlet were tricking up a few small stripers, mostly on eels, sometimes on clams, so far. Point Pleasant Canal anglers nailed stripers at night on rubber shads and lots of blues during the day. Surf fishing turned back on after the storm, offering a decent striper bite from Brick Beach to Island Beach State Park on bunker, and a few bluefish.  Crabbing was okay, and crabbers bought 50 pounds of bunker for bait a day, usually for overnight pots, and not too many daytime crabbers were out yet. Dennis nabbed eight keeper blueclaws in his overnight pot on his most recent catch. All the fluke rigs and tackle are loaded up for the opening of fluke season in two Saturdays, and fluke bait will be ordered Monday to be ready.

<b>Seaside</b>

The surf was calming down and cleaning up, and the ocean was 56 to 57 degrees, said the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s web site. Reports were heard about catches of bass, blues and weaks, though the report didn’t say where the fish were landed, and nobody weighed in a catch. It’s assumed the bass and blues came from the suds and the weaks came from Barnegat Bay. “That was rough!” the report said after Monday’s storm! <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

<b>Waretown</b>

Bluefishing petered out in Barnegat Bay from the storm, though the fish turned on again this morning in the bay off the Oyster Creek power plant discharge, and lots of 3- to 6-pounders attacked in the bay before the blow, said Dale from <b>L&H Woods & Water</b>. Lenny Areno and buddies clammed for striped bass off the bay’s sod banks this morning, claiming three keepers to 31 inches so far, during slack tide. Not a lot of weakfish catches were heard about from the bay, but a few of the big tiderunners were wrangled up, including a 14.19-pounder that Fred Bogue weighed in Sunday. A few short striped bass were reported beached from the surf, but not a lot was doing there, and the run was yet to break loose. One charter captain was headed out for sea bass in the ocean today. Dale heard about no herring caught, and he hadn’t been to Forge Pond lately to see if anglers were trying to catch the baitfish, but that didn’t mean none was around. The shop is filled to the gills with fluke rigs and baits for the opening of fluke season next week on Saturday, including carrying killies, sand eels and three or four different types of squid.

Barnegat Bay became dirty, dirty, dirty from the beginning of the week’s storm, said Capt. John from <b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b>, so even the bluefish that had been raising Cane in the bay turned off. Now the weather looked like another storm would roll in during the next days, so plans for trips were probably on hold. But John will jump right on fluke fishing in the bay when the flattie season opens in two Saturdays. Perfect Drift runs lots of fluke trips, and the bay’s flatback fishing is best early in the season. The fish are found in the bay all summer long, but the first weeks of the season offer the best opportunity to target them specifically. Afterward they become more of a by-catch on trips for other fish. But at that point Perfect Drift moves to the ocean for fluke charters, usually with good results, including last year. If you’re interested in Barnegat Bay fluking, jump aboard early. Perfect Drift also fishes for striped bass, and although striper fishing is usually turned on by now in the bay or along the ocean, nothing was doing yet. The weather seemed the culprit. Storms and winds kept pushing through every few days a long time now. The bass should arrive any day, and Perfect Drift either clams for them around Barnegat Inlet or moves to the ocean to troll, jig or fish bunker for them among schools of the menhaden.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Striped bass “were all over” during the past two days after the storm, “and I don’t even know if anyone knows,” said Nick from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. Fishing for them in the surf today was slow but was steady yesterday. Some large ones to 12 and 15 pounds were beached, and so were blues, apparently 6- or 7-pounders, according to reports from anglers. Clams were the popular bait for stripers, and bunker was difficult to find. Blues to 10 pounds were also fought non-stop from the Barnegat Inlet jetty today, and occasionally so was a striper. Many of the jetty anglers threw metal, but those who tossed clams caught more bass. Surf casters saw birds working the waters a mile or so from the beach, but a lingering ground swell through at least this morning might’ve kept boaters from reaching any fish under the birds. Lots of bait including bunker, herring and anchovies schooled the ocean, and bunker disappeared in Barnegat Bay after the storm, maybe swimming to the ocean. Bay anglers who clammed for striped bass pulled up fish weighing in the teens and high teens to the mid 20s. Stripers were also hooked in the bay on Storm lures and Fin-S Fish, and so were bluefish. Second-hand or “friend of a friend” reports said big, 12- to 15-pound weakfish were hauled from the bay, and places to find them included off Oyster Creek, off the Barnegat dock and behind the Dike. Drum also swam areas like behind the Dike, unusual for them to enter the bay. Plenty of out-of-season fluke hovered along the bay bottom. Fluke rigs are fully stocked, and all the fluke bait including minnows will be ready for the opener.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

A bunch of sea bass, including a couple of big knuckleheads more than 5 pounds apiece, bit on a trip Sunday on the <b>Miss Beach Haven</b>. All patrons went home with dinner. So sea bass fishing was going well. Lots of big, out-of-season blackfish were also reeled up and released. Can’t keep them, but catching them was fun. The Miss Beach Haven is sea bass fishing 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. Fluke trips will probably begin during the end of June.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Bay water temps dropped as low as the low 50s or high 40s at one point because of the storm, and previously temps were up to 56 and 57 degrees, and lots of debris filled the waters, including scary stuff, like parts of docks, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Lots of anglers finally fished again Wednesday, two days after the storm, pulling in a handful of bluefish. A few striped bass were eeled around places like Grassy Channel and Big Creek, though maybe only a few tried for them, and eels are stocked. Very few weakfish were reported caught lately, and water conditions now weren’t going to help, but Big Creek during outgoing tides gave up the only weaks heard about. Pink Fin-S Fish and the similar pink Berkley jerk shads worked, and pink always seems best, for some reason. Perch fishing held up on the rivers, especially on the Wading River, and Scott was cleaning a fresh supply of live grass shrimp for perch bait when he was called for a report today. Reports had been heard about out-of-season flounder caught by mistake in the bay before the storm, and the flattie season opens next week on Saturday. The best flounder fishing in the bay usually takes place the first week to 10 days of the season, when the biggest flatbacks are bagged, before undersized ones dominate. Fluke tackle and rigs are well stocked, and bait for the fluke should be on hand for the opener. The ocean was too rough for fishing, but previously sea bass had started to be caught on the inshore wrecks. In addition to the eels and grass shrimp, the store is stocked with fresh clams, both shucked and in the shell, and bloodworms.

<b>Port Republic</b>

Bluefish were dusted on Great Bay and up the Mullica River, though not as far upriver as before, because of freshwater from rains from the storm early this week, said Jerry from <b>Chestnut Neck Boat Yard</b>. The blues were good news, because the Nunzi Bruno Kids Bluefish Tournament will be held at Chestnut Neck on Saturday. The entry fee is only $5, and the kids get a free grab bag and T-shirt. Previously blues swam far upstream, past Lower Bank, unusual for them to head up that distance, but saltwater had creeped in. Striped bass could be hooked at the mouth of the river and in the cuts, and a couple of keepers were checked in this morning. Most of the stripers were shorts, but keepers swam among them. Customers fished bloodworms, salted clams and even strip baits for the linesiders at this time of year, and some threw plugs to the fish when winds were calm, and others tossed different types of bucktails to them, and the bass will even hit Hopkins metal jigs. A few drum were hauled aboard on the bay, and Grassy Channel is a spot to look for the bruisers. Weakfish were sporadically caught before the storm. White perch fishing seemed to pick back up on the river today after stirred up waters from the storm, and the slabs are always around, and dunk bloodworms for the bites. Bloodworms, salted clams and mackerel are stocked, and so are other baits, including typical flounder baits, and so are flounder rigs, and flounder season opens next week on Saturday.

<b>Absecon</b>

Stirred up waters after the storm kept hook-ups to a minimum, said Ray from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. That included in the back bay, but things should settle, get back on track by the weekend. More weather was forecast for the next days, but not like this past storm’s brutal winds, so things should be okay. Before the storm the bay’s fishing wasn’t bad, and small stripers were plentiful, and bluefishing was alright. Anglers weren’t setting the world on fire, but fishing wasn’t okay. Capt. Dave, the shop’s owner, was landing the bay’s stripers on 7-inch Berkley Gulp jerk shads. Stripers were still reeled in from the rivers like the Mullica and the Great Egg, and one customer today bought eels, hit the Mullica and nailed two 27- and 30-inch stripers. Ray heard about no herring migrating the rivers recently. He also heard about little action in the surf. A few live herring are left in the shop’s livewells, but the supply was down to the nitty gritty. Farm-raised spots are stocked, and so are eels, fresh clams and practically any bait available.

<b>Brigantine</b>

The surf settled after Monday’s storm, and sharpies started catching striped bass and blues again through the past two days, said Tom from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Short stripers turned on this morning, and clams continued to be best bait for the linesiders. Tom wasn’t asked about drum, but drum are usually an occasional catch on the clams meant for stripers on the island. A few kingfish bit in the suds before the storm, but nobody mentioned landing them afterward. Back-bay fishing was slow with dirty water and weeds from the weather. Clams, bloodworms, mackerel, mullet, herring and live spots are stocked.

<b>Longport</b>

A sea bass trip got out on the <b>Stray Cat</b> today after the rough weather, but fishing stunk in filthy, gray waters that dropped to 53 degrees, Capt. Mike said. Temps two weeks ago reached 58 or 60 degrees. Some quality lumpheads were taken, but there were long periods of time between pulls. Anchoring was almost impossible, with currents pushing 180 degrees against winds, and staying in one spot wasn’t working. But lots of sea bass hit before, and daily, open-boat trips will keep fishing for them, and a few spots were available tomorrow, but Saturday through Monday were sold out, and Tuesday was the next day with openings. Open trips will target a combo of sea bass and flounder when flounder season opens next week on Saturday. A special trip to the 20-mile grounds for sea bass and flounder is sold out that Sunday. A trip is also full next week on Friday that will fish for squid, and if the squidding is good, and if anglers express interest, more squid trips will be slated. The boat mostly begins running charters in early June, but Mike decided that open trips will continue every Thursday and Sunday.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Seven keeper striped bass and 13 shorts made up the catch that a former employee and friends bailed on the back bay in the dark last night on soft plastic lures and Mag Darters, said Dan from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. The surf was beat up and suffering effects from the storm, a powerful blow that did lots of damage. Dan knew about nearly 30 boats that were under insurance claims for damage, and some got flipped over, rammed against pilings and so on. Ocean fishing was on hold because of leftover seas from the storm. But anglers along the inlets and banks of the bay hooked stripers, mostly on artificials, and bait didn’t do it. Bluefishing slowed down from effects of the storm, including bay water temps that dropped to 55 degrees. Lots of flounder filled the bay, and many will be caught when flounder season opens next week on Saturday. The bay will produce good catches the first 1 ½ weeks, and afterward fishing for them will start to become better in the ocean. Big strip baits like mackerel fished on bucktails will be best baits at first.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Dave Waverson wrestled aboard bluefish on the back bay Tuesday after the storm, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Rains can bug out blues a moment because of lower salinity levels in the bay, but the fishing was decent nevertheless, and Joe was happy to see that. The blues were fought on soft plastic lures on spinning tackle, and the action wasn’t hot and heavy like previous trips, and the fish had to be found, but searching for clear waters was the key. So despite the storm, a very strong one from Sunday to Monday, with uncommon amounts of flooding, sustained, 45 m.p.h. winds and gusts to 60, power outages, downed trees and waters that cooled to 55 degrees, bluefishing was recovering rapidly. A surge of higher tides than usual from the storm probably also helped push in saltwater from the ocean to counter-affect freshwater from the rains. Spring fishing’s been great so far, Joe said, and charters lately were tackling all kinds of blues in the bay on light spinning tackle and fly rods. The fish usually held tight to the bottom in the cool waters, but sometimes blitzed bait on top, when Joe’s anglers nailed the blues on surface popper lures and flies, early in the year for that action. Fishing could hardly get better. Jersey Cape’s got a rare opening for a charter Saturday, if anyone wants to take advantage. Saturdays are always in short supply, so call quickly or miss the opportunity. The bluefishing should last right through the opening of flounder season in two Saturdays and even a little beyond. The blues will leave the bay for the ocean sometime around Memorial Day. Then striped bass, fish that lie low during the competition from blues that storm the bay a few weeks every spring, will start to dominate catches on charters again. Striper catches were good for Jersey Cape before the bluefish migration and should pick right back up. Plenty of out-of-season flounder have been hitting the soft plastics and flies meant for blues on Joe’s trips, and he expects healthy catches of the flatbacks on his charters in the early days of the season, traditionally the best flounder fishing of the year on the bay.

<b>Cape May</b>

<b>UPDATE, 5/16:</b> Delaware Bay’s drum fishing really turned on last night, and Charles Katzmer’s charter beat nine of the fish to a 76-½-pounder, said Capt. Bob from the <b>Down Deep</b>. An angler named Terry hefted in the big one, and most of the boomers weighed 50 to 60 pounds. That was great news, because catches had been slow, and Bob hoped that was the fishery’s turning point. Another charter was going after the fish today. Bob hadn’t seen a striped bass from the bay in 3 ½ weeks, but he thinks the fish were moving down to the bay from the Delaware River after spawning, because a few were reported caught toward Miah Maul.

Delaware Bay boaters were trying to find drum again after the storm riled up waters, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. They hoped to get back on the action at spots like Tussy’s Slough’s north tip. Boaters looking for stripers on the bay seemed to keep heading north, and places like around Flat Top and the oyster beds near Fortescue seemed to put out any bites. The bass still swam the Delaware River, too. Nick hoped they’d drop back down to the southern bay like at the Banana Peel soon, after they spawned. Cape May surf fishing gave up pretty good catches so far this spring. Stripers and blues could be reeled in from Poverty Beach, and soak clams for the bass, and oily fish like mackerel or metal jigs could be tossed for the blues. Fairly good catches of weakfish were possible at Alexander Avenue and Higbee’s Beach on bloodworms with a split shot to hang them maybe 3 feet under a bobber. Back-bay anglers could connect with blues and schoolie stripers, and out-of-season flounder hugged the bottom. Flounder season opens in two Saturdays, and the shop is fully supplied with rigs for the flatties. Minnows, squid and other flatfish baits will be well stocked for the opener. The store is also carrying fresh clams, and is trying to stock fresh bunker, but quality frozen bunker is stocked. A few eels are also carried, including for boaters trying to catch stripers at the Cape May Rips. Mackerel fillets and other baits are also on tap.

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