The N.J. sea bass season opened Friday, and so far there have been mostly good reports. Limit catches seem to be common, and there haven’t been too many complaints about having to pick through lots of shorts. Most boats are also reporting ling in the mix, as well as a few whiting.

Today was somewhat of an exception as the Golden Eagle from Belmar reported “It was a slower start today with the SEA BASS so we picked with shots along with lulls.

We made a few moves and it got better as the day went on. Anglers that stayed at it had their limits of SEA BASS along with LING in the mix. There was also a showing of WHITING and WINTER FLOUNDER.“

Chuck Many reported from his Tyman out of Highlands a couple of days ago”

Great day with the Kings of the Musky world, Mike, Bob, & James!!! 40 Giant Bass to 52 pounds. Definitely one to remember!!! Love these guys!” See photos below.

That was the first 50 I’ve heard of so far this season.

The forecast is for northeast winds at just 5-10 knots before going east in the afternoon.

Sorry for no blog last night, but I got delayed in traveling after a “wild” second birthday party in Palm Beach Gardens for my grandson Alex Gonzalez.

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Capt. Michael Ardolino reported good opening day sea bass fishing on both Miss Belmar and Miss Belmar Princess — including many limit catches. They sail at 7:30.

He also noted there are only three spots left on “the OFF THE GRID” FAR DISTANT CANYON TILEFISH TRIP. Imagine 60 hours of YOU being off the grid! Deep Blue Water fishing in the abyss. Do you follow reports or do you make reports? Do you follow trends or do you set them? GO FOR IT!

www.captloufleet.com or call 516 623 5823 for reservations. Wednesday May 22nd 10pm sail return Saturday May 25 by 4am.

Capt. Ron Santee Jr. of the Fishermen at Atlantic Highlands reported as follows:

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Wasn’t sure what to expect today with all the crappy weather and nasty ocean the past few days…

Was pleasantly surprised once we hit the ocean. Had a swell but it was fishable. First drop was not good with only a few fish coming up. Made a move to a little shallower water and found a better pick for the rest of the day.

Nice mix of Sea Bass, a couple big whiting, some ling and a keeper fluke. Fish were ice cold. A nice 2 pound Sea Bass took the pool.

The forecast is for northeast winds at just 10 knots before going east in the afternoon.

One of many releases this week on Chuck Many’s Tyman from Highlands,

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The long-awaited sea bass season in N.J. opens Friday with marginal weather.

A small craft advisory is up through Friday afternoon, with 10-15-knot northeast winds, but seas up to 5 feet. That shouldn’t bother the party boats, but check with your favorite for a sailing time.

The Viking Fleet at Montauk reports “We are definitely sailing on our 38 Hour Tile Express Trip abaord the 144FT “Cadillac” Viking Starship leaving Friday night at 6PM and returning Sunday morning @ 9AM. There are a couple of spots available and the weather forecast looks great! If you want to get offshore for a full day of sun up to sun down fishing, come and jump on! You can reserve your bunk and fishing position when you reserve. Give us a call at (631) 668-5700, or book online at www.vikingfleet.com

Though striper results in NY/NJ Bight have been up and down, there have been several reports this week about red hot action with live bunkers which often take more time to net than is normally the case at this time.

Capt. Frank Massereia of Vitamin Sea at Keyport reported this week “

Had Steve and the Milford gang on board this afternoon. The boys must’ve brought some western luck with them because we saw a great improvement from the recent fishing we’ve been having. Started the trip off with loading the net with all the bait we needed in one throw and the guys went to work.

All the fish came in flurries with several double and triple headers and they were all JUMBOS. Fish from 40” to 47” with an odd keeper mixed in. All in all a great trip with a great crew.”

Frank reported for today as follows:”

Great live line bite this morning for our open boat guys that included Capt Art of Wild Bills fishing from Keywest Florida.

Even caught a bunch on poppers. Beautiful morning with little wind, very little rain and flat water.”

Betty & Nick’s Tackle in Seaside Park reported jumbo blues are now hitting poppers in Barnegat Inlet, the surf and the bay.

Matt Calabria’s cast net full of bunkers almost ensures a good day of striper action on Capt. John Contello’s Just Sayin

A small craft advisory is up from 4 p.m. through Thursday afternoon. The forecast is for northeast winds at 15-20 knots plus gusts to 30 with seas increasing to 9 feet and likely rain.

Party boats in N.J. have been releasing sea bass for weeks. but that changes Friday when that prime food fish becomes legal through June 19 with a bag limit of 10 at a 12.5-inch minimum.

Check with your favorite party boat as some may be running special trips for the opener.

Chuck Many continues to release big stripers on live eels from his Tyman out of Highlands .

“Great day on Sunday with Kristian Henriksen & Cesar Carranza!!!”

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The forecast is for southeast winds at just 5-10 knots before going east at 10-15 in the afternoon. Rain is possible in the morning, and likely in the afternoon.

Jim Hutchinson Jr. of The Fisherman reports:

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Looking forward to a great event, StriperQuest ’24, with Captains Meeting on Wednesday at Ross Brewery in Belford, NJ, and a 100% ‘catch, tag and release’ striper contest on Thursday. Awards ceremony afterwards back at Ross Brewery. If you have a Raritan Bay charter already booked for Thursday, check with your captain and fish for $$$ and science! Gray FishTag Research

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In the normal course of striped bass fishing, it’s a lot harder to catch a trophy striper than small ones, but that hasn’t been the case lately.

The Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands has found volume fishing with shads, flutter spoons and even topwaters has been so inconsistent that Capt. Ron Santee Jr. has given it up. He’ll resume fishing Friday from 7:30 to 2:30 when the sea bass season in New Jersey opens. After two weeks of that, Santee will switch to fluke.

Yet, Chuck Many has had no problem catching big bass on live eels from his Tyman out of Highlands in NY/NJ Bight.

Paul Castelli had the following report from Atlantic City today. “

This morning my 94 year-old Dad got up at 2:00am, jumped in with some neighbors and rode 2 hours to meet my son Michael and I at a boat ramp before sunrise. It was 40 degrees, colder with wind chill, but Dad hung tough and managed to winch in a 50”striper! As usual his was the biggest fish of the day!

John Santos caught one almost as big. Tim Chelius, Michael and I struck out, but it was a stellar morning on the ocean nonetheless. Sun rising, birds wheeling, porpoises jumping, whales spouting all shared with some of my favorite people on earth!

The first strike was also the big one for Eric Kerber this morning as it was a 47-inch. 40-pound release from On A Mission out of Belmar.

The Golden Eagle from Belmar got out for stripers on Saturday, and found both bait and bass — but the stripers wouldn’t hit.

The forecast is for south winds at 10-15 knots before increasing to 15-20 in the afternoon with seas to five feet plus showers.

Famed NJ marine artist Steve Goione reports “Big congratulations to Team Catch 23, Top Angler Michael Jordan, Top Captain Stetson Turney and the entire crew on their 1st Place finish at the Custom vs Production Shootout last week in the Bahamas. Also congratulations to the crew at Bayliss Boatworks for creating another winner on the water, the committee of “skips tournaments” and to all the 58 teams who competed and released 197 billfish.

The Asbury Park Fishing Club Catch & Release Tournament was won by the only shore-caught entry -a 29-incher by Gennaro Amato.

Betty & Nick’s Fishing Club reported this morning :

24 UPDATED 4:00 AM Pretty much what a lot of people have been waiting for has happened. Big bluefish in the surf and Barnegat inlet now on metal. Mullet will work perfectly as well. Can’t shake the easterly winds, but at least they are not cranking and probably helping the bite. Looks like a decent day ahead.”

“These is the biggest freaking bluefish I’ve seen in decades.’

Dave Hershberger

They were loving bucktails in the inlet yesterday.

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The forecast is for southwest winds at 5-10 knots before going south 15-20 in the afternoon.

Capt. Ron Santee Jr. tells it like it is, and today was a tough one on his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands.

” Today was beyond painful….lack of bait everywhere we went, read a few fish here and there and only had one fish on for a minute.

Spent the rest of the day searching and hoping the change of tide would turn the bite on, no such luck. Seems it was the same scenario with everyone I talked to, lack of participation, lack of bait, lack of fish. “

It may well be completely different tomorrow, and he’ll be sailing at 7.

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The forecast is for southeast winds at just 10 knots with a chance of showers.

Though there have been varying opinions about the quality of this spring’s striped bass fishing. Chuck Many has proven there are plenty of big bass every time he’s fished for them. This week’s report follows :

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Good day on Tuesday with Kil Song, Cesar Carranza, Paddy Sciortino, & Alex Katyan!! Never total Mayhem, but never a long lull between fish either. Ended the day with 22 up to 2 48 pound fish and 2 46 pound fish. Smallest went 26 pounds. Can’t wait to do it again!!!!

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Many slow trolls live eels from his Tyman out of Highlands in the Chesapeake Bay style with planer boards. All bass are tagged and released.

A small craft advisory is up through late tonight.

Saturday’s forecast is for southeast winds at 10-15 knots plus gusts to 20 before shifting to east in the afternoon.

The Hudson River Fisherman’s Association has posted memoriam for one of their oldest and most involved members — Butch Pawson, who passed away at 76 on April 26.

A skilled bottom fisherman, Butch got involved in the fishing tackle business in the 1980’s by producing Butch’s terminal tackle rigs. He was born in Englewood and grew up in Carltstadt before moving to Little Egg Harbor. It’s likely that many of his friends didn.t know his first name was actually Howard.

Capt. Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star from Ocean City, Md. has been doing a great job building reefs in his area with help from volunteers and customers. His latest report follows: “

A bit shocked by Sunday’s event – supports what I’ve said many times: Folks see you working they’ll stop to help.

Sure has been a busy time. We just built three reefs that will be contributing to our marine ecology for hundreds of years, perhaps a thousand. Now, thanks to a small platoon of dedicated volunteers and the good folks at Hoopers Crab House–plus an army of supporters, we had our best fund raiser ever..”

Concrete building blocks

The end results of reef building may involve catches such as the 13.8- tautog released this week by George Poveromo while doing a segment for his TV show. He was fishing with Capt. Tom Duffin off southern N,J, The season there is now closed, so all tog were released unharmed.

A small craft advisory is up from late tonight through Friday afternoon in NY/NJ Bight. The forecast is for east winds at 15-20 knots plus gusts to 25.

As a result, the Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands will not be striper fishing tomorrow.