The NJ DEP has announced that beach vehicles will be prohibited from a portion of Island Beach State Park from the A23 entrance to the jetty as of Thursday due to piping plover nesting. Capt. Stan Zagleski said most boats didn't sail today due to the gloom and doom forecast, but he had enough regulars to sail with his Elaine B II from Bahrs in Highlands. They ended up with decent action as catches ranged up to four keeper  fluke. The Golden Eagle from Belmar got into lots of 2-to-3-pound blues on jigs. The Queen Mary from Point Pleasant reported chub mackerel showed up on Monday to provide action when small blues don't cooperate -- as has been the case the last two summers. The south winds that have been blowing every evening lately have driven the surf water temperature down. It was chilly when I went to the beach in Spring Lake this morning, but I managed a 24-inch striper on a Tactical Anglers Bomb Jr. popper while Vinnie D'Anton of Shark River Hills had two bass on-and-off on a Chug Bug despite the low tide and rough surf.