<b>Hudson River</b>

<b>Hook-Em Charters</b> wrapped up its springtime fishing for trophy striped bass on the river and moved to Long Island Sound to start fishing for stripers, Capt. Don said. That wasn’t because the river’s run ended, but instead because customers started demanding saltwater fishing. The river’s striper fishing at Newburg, where Don last fished, was hit or miss or spotty, but the fish were there and probably wouldn’t drop back down to the bays for another week. Heads up bay anglers. Those are big, breeders that will be hungry after the spawn. On the sound Hook-Em began fishing from Mamaroneck, landing lots of big stripers, mostly 34- to 47-inchers, and a gazillion bluefish from 8 to 10 pounds, all on livelined or chunked bunker. Anthony King’s charter boated six bass to 28 pounds and lots of blues, and the Vitale brothers’ party decked six bass to 24 pounds and a bunch of blues. Don fishes the Hudson River’s run each spring, one of the best opportunities to reel in a trophy, and check back next year for his river reports.

<b>Staten Island<b>

A mess of striped bass were wrestled aboard on the bay Thursday and Friday with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, and the fishing on the bay was slower on a charter Saturday, Capt. Joe said. On Thursday the anglers limited out quickly, in a couple of hours, on stripers to 25 pounds. On Friday the charter limited out on bass to 23 pounds by 10 or 10:30 a.m. On Saturday two stripers to 23 pounds were bagged, and some blues were caught. Striper fishing seemed hit or miss, and all the trips fished with live or chunked bunker. Joe was seeing bunker mostly in Great Kills Harbor, and not spread throughout the bay. On Sunday anglers onboard bottom fished, bagging probably 15 sea bass apiece and some ling mixed in. So sea bassing was okay, not great, but alright, Joe said. Outcast is chartering for both stripers and sea bass, and is also offering striper/sea bass combos. One of the combos fished last Monday, splitting up half the day on stripers and half on the humbpacks, and fishing for both was a little slow. But other trips bagged plenty of both.

Anglers were slamming striped bass on the bay with <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b>, good catches of linesiders to 34 pounds, all keepers, all on bunker baits, Capt. Anthony said. The bite got progressively better for at least him in the last seven days, and he was on a hole that produced. Steven Shin’s group landed six keepers to 24 pounds, keeping three. The Alex group of four anglers limited out on the fish to 31 pounds. On Friday night a charter reeled in 10 keepers to 26 pounds, keeping five. On Saturday morning Mike Young’s gang bailed 20 stripers to 34 pounds, keeping eight. On Saturday night Joey Budd’s crew took down 18 stripers, keeping a limit to 32 pounds. Open-boat Blue Collar Specials are running for stripers every Tuesday and Thursday evenings when no charter is booked. The trips fill up, and call to reserve.

<b>Bayonne</b>

A charter fluke fished Sunday , and lots and lots of the fish bit, and two keepers were bagged, but many of the flatties were an inch or a half-inch smaller than this year’s new, larger, 18-inch size limit, said Capt. Akira from <b>True World Tackle</b> and <b>True World Tackle Charters</b>. A bunch of sea robins stole baits, and the anglers fished off the tip of Sandy Hook and along Sandy Hook Channel with spearing, Gulps and squid. The channel was 60 degrees, and the harbor was 63, not too warm. True World fished for striped bass last week on Sunday, but the fishing was tough, and one 36-incher, a decent-sized one, was caught. A customer looked for stripers yesterday but only found blues at Old Orchard, Robins Reef and Great Kills Harbor. Another customer bottom fished with another angler at the Mud Buoy, boating 10 or 15 sea bass apiece.

<b>Keyport</b>

Bill Chadwick and Roberta Rodriguez’s party sailed for fluke with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> on the bay Saturday, landing a keeper and shorts on the flats from Cliffwood Beach to Belford and at several spots on the edge of Reach Channel, Capt. Joe said. Lots of the flatfish were hooked, and most were 16 inches and would’ve been keepers before the size limit was cranked up. The anglers fished Spro bucktails tipped with squid and killies. Space is available on open-boat trips that will leave port 7 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and call to reserve. Space is also available for either charters or open-boat trips on Father’s Day weekend, June 14 and 15.

Fluke fishing on the bay around Keyport just kept getting better, and the fish were staying put on the Keyport Flats, and lots of bait swam there, said Chris from <b>Crabby’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Joe LiBerie limited out on flatties to 4 ½ pounds at the 3 can off Keyport, and Tommy Joe Luppin caught all the keepers he wanted to a 7-pound doormat around the sailboats while fishing a bucktail tipped with jumbo spearing. On the striper front, Austin Fiikkema fished the bay off Cliffwood Beach and nailed a 20-1/2-pounder on bunker. Matt Tucker tossed a top-water plug off Cliffwood to beat a 14.02-pound weakfish and all the bluefish he could want. Bluefish swam all over the Keyport area. Crabbing was off to a good start and should get getter as waters warm. Crabby’s is now open 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day but is also open till 8 p.m. on Fridays.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

After slower fluking on the bay during the weekend, catches started to improve on this morning’s trip on the <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. He wouldn’t call the catches good, but the trip was one of the better ones so far this season, and more of the flatties were reeled in than through the weekend. Maybe conditions produced better fishing, although the drift was a little fast. Quite a few shorts bit, and two or three times the number of keepers would’ve been bagged if the size limit were 17 inches like last year, instead of the current 18 inches. But some patrons caught three keepers, and some hooked none, and a 5-pounder was probably the biggest. Sizes were mixed, and there was lots of action. The trip was a pleasant surprise and encouraging. “An improvement” is probably the best way to put it, Tom said. The boat’s been fishing at different parts of the bay, sometimes near the channels, sometimes near the Navy Pier and other times in the shallows. The fishing’s been strange this year, because normally fluke are first caught toward the mouth of the bay, like by Bug Light and the Coast Guard Station. But no fish were there at the beginning of the season, and it was like some fish had already entered the bay and spread out. Maybe now more waves would come. Spearing and squid are provided for bait, and patrons might want to pick up a small amount of killies to bring, because sometimes killies make a difference, but sometimes not. Sometimes Spro bucktails also work better than rigs, but other times not.  The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke on two trips daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.  

Capt. Ron from the <b>Fishermen</b> took the boat out to the ocean Sunday morning because he heard an unconfirmed report from a boater who said he bagged eight striped bass at a spot, Ron said in an e-mail. Ron figured that maybe the catch was actually three or four, “but what the heck?” he asked. The Fishermen pulled up to the area, was set up on a drift, and the other boater had already left. “Knew what I was in for on that one,” Ron said. He took a couple of drifts then got out of there. The boat moved back toward the bay and fished Flynn’s Knoll, Romer Shoal and in-between. Patrons dunked bunker, clams and jigs. No good, Ron said. Then the vessel fished several areas inside the bay. No good, he repeated. A couple of blues and a good-sized, keeper striped bass were jigged. “Not a happy captain!” Ron said.  The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Magic Hour Trips are running for stripers 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

<b>Highlands</b>

Striped bass fishing was up and down, and <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> found the fish from the back of the bay to the ocean, all spread out, Capt. Derek said. A trip today landed four bass along the ocean beaches, and another yesterday mugged a bunch of the fish in the bay. The ocean today was 55 to 56 degrees, but friends said the ocean was very cold yesterday, and Derek heard about temps as low as 46 degrees before today.  The boat’s charters are livelining or chunking bunker for the bass. Fluke fishing also seemed up and down, and when conditions were right, catches were made, and vice versa. A few dates remain this month for striper charters, and fluke charters are also available.

Fishing for striped bass slowed down on the bay on the <b>Tuna-Tic</b>, Capt. Mike said, so the boat will head back at little early to its summer home in Waretown, where shark charters will fish from Barnegat Inlet from June 9 to 23. Bluefishing trips will sail between shark charters, and bottom fishing trips will also run. The Tuna-Tic only fishes for sharks during the height of the season, and if you want to go, grab dates during the limited time, and don’t delay. Eventually the boat will sail for tuna on three-day, open-boat trips, the ultimate in fishing.

Capt. Mike from the <b>Katie H</b> knew about an angler who dusted a good catch of stripers in the bay off Keyport on bunker, he said. Lots of short fluke seemed the catch in the bay and ocean, but a friend rounded up respectable keepers in the rivers. The Katie H is fishing for both stripers and fluke, and it usually starts sharking by mid June, depending on water temps. The temps were fluctuating a lot this spring and seemed unstable. The Mako Mania Tournament is booked on the vessel, and last year anglers on the Katie H during the tournament nailed three makos, though none placed.

<b>Neptune</b>

Forecasts for rough weather caused three trips to be cancelled Saturday on the two boats from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. But a trip Sunday bottom fished for plenty of sea bass, and Ralph was pleasantly surprised, because he was concerned the fish would be lethargic from the cold ocean. But lots of the humpheads cooperated. Before the waters chilled, Last Lady’s striped bass fishing during the week produced two to four fish per outing, but anglers had to work for catches. Ralph saw a satellite shot that looked like warmer waters were creeping up the beaches, and he was optimistic that ocean striper fishing was going to pick up. He’ll keep striper fishing and bottom fishing on charters. Last Lady sometimes runs individual-reservation striper trips, but none will leave the dock until the action takes off. Individual-reservation fluke trips are slated to fish every Wednesday beginning next week. The ocean was cold for fluking, and if that’s the case next week, then fishing for stripers and blues might be mixed in on the fluke trips until more flatties chew.

<b>Brielle</b>

Plummeting water temps along the ocean beaches—chilled at least as low as 49 degrees by Sunday morning—from strong, southerly winds brought much fishing to a halt in past days, but boaters there still picked striped bass, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Anglers on the Kimberly Ann trolled three stripers to 25 pounds and a 13-pound bluefish in the waters that morning on TGT horse bunker spoons. The crew on the Moon Dancer fished the Shrewsbury Rocks in the ocean and trolled two stripers that each weighed more than 20 pounds. Surf fishing also seemed tough in the low water temps, and Greg Hueth plied the suds for the weekend’s multi-club surf tournament and reportedly said he fished everywhere, found the fishing difficult in the cold waters and that his live herring bait looked shocked. Ocean fluking was slow because of cold waters even before the latest temp drops, and Dave heard from nobody who tried fluking or any other fishing in the Manasquan River. Dave fished for sea bass early last week and once again loaded up with the new Shimano Lucanus jigs. He also tried the jigs previously and said they were as good as billed, easy to fish, almost a matter of dropping them down and getting a bite. Anglers also said the jigs nailed fluke and striped bass. The only problem was that Shimano was starting to run low on the jigs from high demand. In offshore news, Dave heard that the party boat Voyager from Point Pleasant was leaving port on its first tilefish trip of the season last night, but no results came back yet. The boat is also fluke fishing on daily trips. The Reel Seat is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Mondays through Fridays, 6:30 .m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. Eventually the doors will be open till 8 p.m. Fridays.  Sign up for the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund’s <a href=" http://ssfff.org/raffle.html" target="_blank"> raffle for a boat, motor and trailer </a> for only $20.  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, and support the SSFFF.

<b>Fish Monger Charters</b> will launch its first trips of the season this weekend, sailing for striped bass and bottom fish, Capt. Jerry Postorino said. This season is Fish Monger’s debut, and many will know Jerry from his work as the well-known, veteran mate on local boats, including the Bandit from Belmar. He and his partner put their boat in ship shape and are ready to go. Striped bass fishing was just beginning in the local area, Jerry said, and bunker were now schooling up the coast, and on some days stripers, many of them 20 to 30 pounds, were hooked among them, and on other days they disappeared. Bottom fishing for sea bass and ling’s probably been the best in recent springs. Shark charters will begin in a moment, and the first is slated for the weekend of June 14, and bookings are being accepted for trips for the beasts. Sharking is a short season, and jump on a charter while you can. Most of the shark tournaments are already booked for Fish Monger, but a spot or two is available, and grab them while you can.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Strong winds nixed plans to fish the ocean on Saturday, so a trip that day with <b>Reel Class Charters</b> hit the Manasquan River instead, battling loads of cocktail blues toward the mouth of the Point Pleasant Canal, Capt. Allen said. Plugs, jigs and such were thrown on 6-pound tackle for lots of fun. The anglers also looked for striped bass at the bridges and in the canal a little, but no stripers showed up. On Sunday a charter headed to the ocean but found cold, 50-degree waters, give or take a few degrees, because of all the southerly winds, shutting down the bite for everyone, although good catches of stripers and blues were sometimes made earlier in the week. The anglers onboard tried jigging for stripers and blues off Sea Girt and Belmar, and then attempted fluke fishing tight to the beaches, but nothing bit, and the fluke sinkers came up cold enough to form condensation in the air. So the group moved to the river, fighting a bunch of cocktail blues near the canal again. Every day is different, and fishing could turn right back on for striped bass and blues any time, and Reel Class scored good striper fishing the previous weekend on the ocean. Trips will keep jigging for stripers and blues, and fluking will become more and more of a focus as waters warm. In addition to charters, Reel Class will run its annual Fluke Till You Puke Marathons, and anglers can check available dates on Reel Class’s web site. The marathons do become full during the season, and book now to ensure preferred dates.

A mixed-bag trip with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> on Thursday began looking for striped bass with livelined bunker in a school of bait marked in the ocean just off Manasquan Inlet, the report on the boat’s web site said. After no bites for hours, the boat ran far north, where others hooked fish earlier, but none of the bass turned up now. So the anglers decided to save the day and target blues and bottom fish, landing blues to 6 pounds, keeper sea bass and decent-sized ling. At the end of the day the anglers gave the original bait school another try, but still no stripers showed up. The crew wished they had stayed with the bait and not broken the cardinal rule not to leave it, because on the next day, Friday, another mixed-bag trip fished the same marks, stayed with the bait and eventually got the anglers into a short bite, and they bagged two 20-pound stripers. When currents dropped off, they ran offshore and loaded up on ling and sea bass. They ended the day with bunker chunking in hopes of more bass, catching blues and scoring some run-offs. On Sunday Capt. Fred from Andrea’s Toy fished with a friend and the friend’s kids, and they hooked cocktail blues in the river then moved to the ocean to try for bigger quarry. No stripers bit, but one of the kids nailed her biggest-ever fish, a 10-pound blue. Andrea’s Toy Charters is fishing for stripers and sea bass, including on combos, and shark trips will start soon.

<b>Seaside</b>

Lots of blues from little bitty ones to monster tackle busters were hooked from the surf and ocean yesterday, and striped bass were scattered there, and not many hit the scale, but the ones that did were big, said the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s web  site. The first fluke of the season from the surf got weighed in, and that was no fluke, because there were two, the report joked. Ocean water temps were “still on something of a yo-yo,” it said. A 26-pound striper and a 17.3-pounder, 13.8-pounder and two 10.1 pounders were weighed in from the surf yesterday. Half were hooked on bunker, and half on clams. Boaters weighed in two stripers 26.4 pounds and 25.3 pounds. The shop’s Ladies Only Striper Tournament is under way, and entries were being made. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

<b>Forked River</b>

A charter was cancelled Saturday because of rough weather, but a trip fished Friday, said Capt. John from <b>Seafood Fishing Charters</b>. The anglers broke Barnegat Inlet and found unbelievable numbers of bunker spread not in individual schools but more like one huge school in the ocean from the inlet to Brant Beach, probably 10 to 12 miles. It was like anglers could walk on the baitfish. However, few striped bass swam among them, and none was landed, though the anglers tried trolling, bunker chunking, livelining bunker and even casting rubber shads. A few striped bass swirls were seen, and John’s friend landed one, and somebody else caught one, but the bunker seemed too abundant to make stripers hit hooks better. Waters were 54 degrees, not too cold at that point, compared with substantially colder waters by the end of the weekend. More stripers were supposedly found early in the morning. Charters with Seafood absolutely creamed stripers last Monday in the ocean among bunker schools, and the linesiders were apparently moving through on some days and not on others, but bunker were generally schooling. A few thresher sharks were starting to make appearances among the bunker like they do in spring. More charters for stripers are slated for Wednesday and Saturday, and two back-to-back, 8-hour striper trips are on the books for that day. Seafood is gearing up for shark fishing that will start soon, and shark charters are available. Trips are already booked to compete in the Mako Mania and Mako Fever tournaments. Tuna charters are starting to be booked, and reserving preferred dates is a good idea. Seafood’s boat makes it to the tuna 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. Besides charters for all these species, a bunch of open-boat dates are available and are listed on Seafood’s web site. One space remains on a two-day, open-boat trip that will compete in the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club Tournament.  Boats in the tournament are allowed to fish two days from July 30 to August 2. Last year’s purse was $365,000, and 20 percent of any winnings go to the crew on the trip, but the rest goes to the anglers.

<b>Waretown</b>

Good day today for striped bass and blues on the <b>Hi Flier</b>, Capt. Dave DeGennaro said in an e-mail. Outdoor writers Al Ristori and Nick Honachefsky were aboard, breaking the inlet at 5:45 a.m. They headed north, then south, then north again, looking for striped bass under bunker schools. The menhaden were finally found off Seaside Park, but they swam deep, difficult to snag for bait. They had to be read on the depth finder. But the baitwell got a boost when Tony Maja, from Maja bunker spoons, on the Maja passed off a dozen live ones to Dave and crew. They tried fishing a few places in the ocean, but after no bites, moved to Barnegat Bay, as high tide was just starting to dump out. They hooked up on drift after drift! Three good-sized stripers from 15 to 22 pounds, only one of which was kept, and gator blues from 10 to 15 pounds were boated. Lots of bunker are schooling the ocean, and every day brings a new adventure, as far as where the bait appears and how many stripers are underneath. But the fishery is “full on” and will last at least through the month. Anglers on the Hi Flier are also clamming a few healthy sized bass in the bay at Oyster Creek Channel, mixing up trips with fights with 2- to 4-pound blues on popper lures in the shallows in the back of the bay on light tackle.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Enormous schools of bunker kept migrating past the coast, sometimes attracting trophy striped bass, monstrous, alligator bluefish, dolphins, whales and occasional thresher sharks, said Capt. Steve from <b>Reel Fantasea Charters</b> in an e-mail. On Thursday regular customer Jay Simmons was aboard with clients Jerry and Mike from Seafood Distributors from Rio Grande to experience fishing among the bunker. Stripers were difficult to find that day, but a huge school of 10- to 15-pound blues devoured the livelined bunker baits to keep the guys busy. “The visual excitement was incredible,” Steve said. Two to five blues shadowed each slammer that was reeled in, and sometimes the anglers were doubled and tripled up on the fish. On Friday the Green Briar Fishing Club gang jumped on deck for a Barnegat Bay trip. They warmed up with fights from 1- to 3-pound blues in the morning on light spinning tackle. Then they loaded up the livewell with bunker, livelined the menhaden and started wailing on 7- to 12-pound blues pretty much non-stop. Sometimes four rods were bent at once. They also got into excellent light-tackle action on blues on bucktails crawled along the bottom.

<b>Brigantine</b>

The surf gave up its share of kingfish, said the report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site. A group from North Jersey checked in four striped bass to 42 inches that they sandwormed from the suds, and no dog sharks bothered the baits. “Could this be the new South Jersey bait?” the report asked. “Not from this shop,” the report joked. Capt. Andy, the owner, joked that he was just getting used to handling bloodworms, let alone sandworms. Last week he said bunker were the main bait for beach bass, with all the bunker now swimming waters, though clams could still produce, and drum were a by-catch on clams.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Bunker, herring and lots of bait schooled the ocean, and surf casters kept reeling up striped bass, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Fresh bunker, fresh herring and clams got the bites, and eels drew the attention in the back bay. A few drum also sucked down clam baits meant for stripers in the wash, and kingfish nibbled at bloodworm baits in the suds and along the jetties. Flounder could be hooked in the bay. All the baits mentioned, minnows for flounder and other baits are stocked.

<b>Margate</b>

Flounder trips started fishing the back bay around Margate with <b>Fine Line Fishing Charters</b> since the flattie season opened, Capt. Dave said. One keeper and 15 shorts were stuck on opening day. A dozen shorts were reeled up the next day, and more keepers would’ve been bagged if the size limit were last year’s 17 inches instead of this year’s 18. Some shorts were pulled aboard on a trip yesterday, but yesterday’s action was slow, maybe because of a big fluctuation in water temps because of a cold ocean. When the trip started, the harbor was 51 degrees at dead high tide, when the ocean had already pushed in. As the tide went out, sucking waters from the creeks and back waters, the bay warmed to 61 degrees. Dave on that day also blew out to the ocean, where a short was lifted up in 60 feet, but spiny dog sharks were rampant. That also seemed the effects of cold waters that hamper flounder fishing and attract dogs. So the fishing might’ve been in a holding pattern until waters warmed, and they’ll certainly warm.

Capt. Eric from <b>O-Beth Sportfishing Charters</b> mated on another boat on drum trips on Delaware Bay in the past days, and the drum fishing was good, he said. O-Beth is now gearing up for shark fishing and runs lots of charters for the monsters. Eric hopes waters warm enough to begin sharking by the end of the week. Shark charters are being booked, and space is available for charters to compete in the Cape May shark tournaments in the next weeks. O-Beth is also open for flounder fishing, but Eric was hearing no substantial news about flounder catches so far. Last year flounder anglers were banging the flatties by this time. But waters seem colder this year.

<b>Longport</b>

Big numbers of sea bass, triple, quadruple headers, made the catch on daily, open-boat trips on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, along with a few undersized fluke and bruiser, out-of-season tog, including a 14-pounder that was released, Capt. Mike said. Ling and a few out-of-season porgies also nabbed baits. Plenty of keeper sea bass got stacked up in coolers, though the keeper ratio was probably 1 in 5, because lots of little ones showed up, like usual at this time of year. Sizes ranged from inches to 4 pounds. Still, weeding through the throwbacks produced good catches of keepers. The largest fluke were a quarter-inch under the new, 18-inch size limit, and the flattie bite was a little slow in the cold waters, but some were hitting around the edges of the wrecks that the sea bass covered. The ocean was 57 degrees. Patrons couldn’t keep the out-of-season tog from jumping on the hooks. What a problem to have! Mike noted that if you do the math, a space on an open-boat trip like this costs no more than heading out on your own boat, and probably costs less, considering the current fuel prices. That seemed true. Stray Cat’s actually been running a number of strips to catch squid, and two more are coming open. Five openings are available on one Saturday, and eight are available on Saturday, June 21. Charters will start to dominate the boat’s schedule through summer after Saturday, but open trips will still run on Thursdays and Saturdays. Stray Cat charters for just about any fish available, including sharks. Shark season is almost here, and Mike heard about nobody shark fishing yet. He was hardly seeing any boats fishing beyond 10 miles from shore. Two boats or so were all that he was usually spotting on each trip to the sea bass grounds. But that’ll all change in the next couple of weeks, as anglers start to set sights on blue-water big game, as summer approaches. 

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

A bunch of bigger bluefish than before, speedsters to 4 ½ pounds, showed up on a trip on the back bay last night with Brian Trevor and Matt Roberts, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. The anglers started fighting blues at Townsend’s Inlet, smaller ones there, under working birds with lots of life, including spearing and herring. A couple of the herring, 12- or 15-inchers, also grabbed the soft plastic lures on jigheads meant for blues, and were landed. Flounder fishing was also done on the bay, but catches were slow, and three or four throwbacks were released. Joe wanted better action, so he moved to one of his flats for great catches. The anglers then landed bigger blues, the ones to 4 pounds, including a couple on top-water Skitter Pops. The fish were breaking and busting the surface, and two short striped bass also smacked the poppers and were released, the first stripers of the season that hit on the surface for Joe’s anglers. Otherwise all the fish were taken on soft plastics, but the surface bass were awesome news, because the top-water fishing was beginning.  Fishing for stripers on the bay with top-waters will soon become the focus for Jersey Cape through summer. Waters need to warm enough for the linesiders to attack on the surface. The bay’s stripers lie low a moment when the more aggressive blues take over the scene a few weeks in spring. The blues were still around, but they’ll soon move to the ocean. Then stripers will dominate.  On Friday night John O’Conner and Paul Berger were onboard and fought tons of blues on the bay on soft plastic lures, and released a flounder that hit one of the lures. On Thursday night Rich Duffy and friends tackled loads of blues and released one striper while fishing soft plastics on a trip on the bay.

<b>Avalon</b>

Here’s some of the first news about offshore fishing. The crew from <b>Over Under Adventures</b> is making its annual trek north as the warm months progress, after spending the winter in Florida and other points south, and will eventually arrive in Avalon to start chartering for big game offshore. The Low Profile, the boat that will fish from Avalon, is actually still sailing from its winter and spring home in the Bahamas. But one of Over Under’s vessels, That’s Right, arrived in Ocean City, Md., to start fishing, running its first trips of the season from there, an e-mail from Over Under said. The first trip sailed for bluefish, and the anglers practically filled the boat with them. The slammers were a bit farther offshore but plentiful. Then the season’s first shark trip sailed, and the anglers caught and released 12 blue dogs and an 80-pound mako at a wreck just offshore of the Jack Spot, with rods bending all day. Conditions sounded just right for sharking to bust wide open, and trips were starting to compete in shark tournaments over the weekend. Pretty Work, another boat from the company, arrived at Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, to start fishing offshore with a captain, a new member of the OU team, who’s been sailing from the inlet 13 years. The trips got off to a good start and began two Saturdays ago, when six yellowfin tuna and a gaffer dolphin were boated. The next day produced slow fishing for the fleet, but two gaffer dolphin were landed on Pretty Work, and three boats that fished at dawn got into a bigeye tuna bite. The next day, last Monday, gave up a good catch on Pretty Work: 12 gaffer dolphin, including a 38-pounder, and a 50-pound yellowfin. That charter wanted meat, but marlin fishing was going off “down the road,” the e-mail said. Several boats caught multiple blue and white marlins and sailfish from the 280 rock pile to the 900 line, and that water was moving toward Oregon Inlet and was expected this week. In the Bahamas, trips on the Low Profile were probably into the height of blue marlin season, with multiple catches on recent trips. Dolphin fishing was also consistent, and tuna were caught, and so were late-season wahoos. 

<b>Wildwood</b>

Flounder to 9 pounds, and lots of shorts, were dragged from the back bay, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> in an e-mail. Larry Shafer weighed in an 8-pounder that he caught near Grassy Sound. Blues to 2 pounds also put up tussles in the bay, and scattered weakfish cruised the waters. Surf casters still sometimes beached striped bass on clams, and kingfish appeared in the suds this past week at north Wildwood and farther north. Delaware Bay drumfishers were on excellent catches near Tussy’s Slough and the Pin Top. “Monday Morning” Jack Jaskel weighed in his first-ever drum, a 52-pounder boated near Tussy’s. Sea bass were sometimes pulled from Cape May Reef.

<b>Cape May</b>

All anglers on charters landed at least one drum apiece on Delaware Bay, outstanding fishing, said Capt. Bob from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Andy Goneringer’s party’s catch included two 70-pounders, and Roger Yerdon’s crew scored at least one 70-ponder. Two 11-year-olds, Mike Higgman and Brandon Poe, boated a 74-pounder and a 67-pounder, respectively. Russ Mount drilled a 65-pounder, and Randy Roash’s group limited out on the fish Thursday night. Openings remain for drum charters. Trips will start shark fishing in a couple of weeks, and an opening might be available to compete in the South Jersey Shark Tournament. Tuna trips are also being booked.

An angler was fighting a drum last night with <b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b> as Capt. Ray gave this report, and the charter had been on a drum bite for two hours. The fishing’s been great, he said, and all the drum seemed 50 to 80 pounds, good-sized. Charters will probably keep drum fishing through the month’s full moon.  Not much was heard about flounder fishing, and catches of the flatties seemed slow.

Eleven drumfish, including 10 big ones, like 70-pounders, were hauled aboard yesterday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> on Delaware Bay, Capt. George said. One of the fish weighed about 80 pounds and almost spooled the reel, because it was foul hooked. Ray and Rob DeCrane’s group with Dan, Jimbo and Dave were the anglers. On Saturday six drum, including one 70-pounder, were taken on Paul Frank’s charter. That trip got interrupted by a storm, when the boat headed back to port, but the weather started to clear when the vessel reached the Cape May Canal, so the anglers turned around and went back out. On Friday Brian Ritchie’s gang boated four drum and broke off several in strong currents. Mark Marquez II from Fishing Reports Now joined the trip and broke off a big one. On Thursday Alex Limbanovnos’ crew drilled a limit of 12 drum and came back early. The anglers included Dean and Dave Iacobucci, George Paupas, Steve Artmont and Dave DiGeorgio. All the trips fished starting at 2 p.m. and were slated to return by 10 p.m. The Heavy Hitter will probably fish for drum through next week, before other types of trips take over the schedule. Space is available tomorrow, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday and next week. Last call for drum, and the peak might not last too much longer.

A bunch of drum were muscled up on trips Friday through Sunday on Delaware Bay, said Capt. Rob from <b>First Cast Sport Fishing</b>. Chris Lutz’s gang on Friday walloped a great catch of the boomers to 75 pounds, and Paul Strenger’s group also pinned down a great catch, but their fish included a 94-pound whopper! A big one that Paul himself subdued. An opening looks like it’s available Sunday for a drum charter, and call to claim it. A flounder charter will sail Tuesday, and shark trips are being booked that will begin soon.

<b>Copacetic Sportfishing</b> switched gears a bit and targeted sea bass at wrecks 10 miles offshore Sunday, Capt. Mike said. Lots of small ones hit, probably 10 shorts for every keeper, but a few keepers were bagged. Charters will also keep drum fishing probably another week before placing all attention on ocean fishing. Then bottom fishing will continue, and flounder will be chased, and the first shark trip is slated for Sunday. Tuna charters will start plying the inshore lumps for bluefins by the end of the month.

Three drum were boated and several broke off on a trip west of Tussy’s Slough on the <b>Daisy May</b> last night on Delaware Bay, Capt. Dave said. There were also lots of swings and misses, so the fish were still around. The boat will sail for drum through the weekend, and the best of the bite might last through then. Afterward charters usually request other types of fishing, and drum catches usually begin to peter out by mid June anyway. Sharks, flounder and sea bass will become focuses. Sharking should begin soon, and Dave wasn’t hearing much about flounder catches on Delaware Bay. But more of the fish were probably swimming the back bays, and flatties should pick up in the ocean as waters warm. A buddy landed a decent catch of sea bass at Cape May Reef. He had to move around a lot, and many of the fish were small, but he picked up some sizable keepers. A thresher shark also spooled a reel on the trip.

Plenty of drum kept biting for <b>Legal Limit Charters</b> on Delaware Bay, mostly a little west of Tussy’s Slough, Capt. T.J. said. Both incoming and outgoing tides produced, and it didn’t matter, so long as the current was moving, he said. T.J.’s other boat fished from Tuckerton and loaded up on sea bass Friday. Previous trips also bagged good numbers of the lumpheads.

Delaware Bay’s drum fishing picked right back up through last week, after slowing down during boat traffic on Memorial Day weekend, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Double-digit catches were once again scored just west of Tussy’s Slough and the Pin Top. Brandon Poe, 11, checked in a 67-pounder he hefted aboard on the Down Deep. Grace Moore, 5, caught a 30-pound 8-ouncer with a little help from the gunwhale. Karl Jones’ 85-pounder was the biggest weighed in. Flounder fishing remained mostly a back-bay deal. To land the best numbers, but a 1-in-8 keeper-to-throwback ratio, fish the edges of the channels, where most fish were holding. The only reports about flounder catches from Delaware Bay still only came from Flounder Alley from the 19 buoy to Miah Maul Lighthouse. Grace Barnhart showed off a 6.22-pound flounder, and Colin Quinn claimed bragging rights for a 5.44-pounder. Surf fishing tapered off quite a bit, and only a few striped bass were beached through the week. But the weakfish population picked up along the suds. The Higbee’s Beach and Cold Spring Inlet jetties were most productive for the trout, and the best fishing took place at night. Try bucktailing or bloodworming. Christian Torres nailed an 8.23-pound weak, and Dan Jeffers bagged a 6.77-pounder.

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