The spring striped bass run finally appears to be underway in Raritan Bay, and if the weather will cooperate there should be some good catches made over the weekend. Art Berkman of Pompton Plains was out Wednesday with Capt. Rick Woerner on Carnivore from Brown’s Marina in Keyport as Brett Penedos of North Brunswick boated the first North Jersey charter boat keeper reported, a 38.5-inch bass that weighed 25 pounds. Another legal bass and some shorts were also caught. Capt. Stan Zagleski brought in the first party boat striper Sunday on his Elaine B. II from Bahrs in Highlands when John Shaffren of Newark hooked an 18-pounder. Though it hit a clam, that bass had a whole bunker in its stomach. Even more surprising was its roe, which Zagleski described as being greenish-grey. That’s the color it turns just before spawning, but that shouldn’t happen until May in the Hudson River — especially after the very cold winter. Capt. Derek Bielitz got into a hot bite of the school stripers that should be very abundant while clam chumming Saturday morning in the back of the bay from his Fisher Price out of Highlands, but there were no keepers among them. Then, only a few shorts hit the next morning in the same place under similar conditions. An angler casting clams into the bay from the Staten Island shore on Sunday night proved that big bass have arrived as I saw a cellphone picture of a 46-incher. It’s actually not unusual to have bass that size in the bay this early. When Tony Arcabascio still lived in Staten Island, I enjoyed some hot release fishing for big stripers in late April with him while bunker chunking off Great Kills before the N.Y. season opened during that time in May. The N.Y. season started this year on Tuesday. It was also in late April last year when I joined Chuck Many of Annandale on his Ty Man from Gateway Marina in Highlands as he cast-netted bunkers and four of us caught 95 bass (all but two released) over 28 inches and up to 22 pounds on those baits plus the Tsunami Deep Shad. With water temperatures warming, there could also be a jigging fishery for bass in the ocean. Look for gannets that might give away the location of the bass that should hit Deep Shads and metal jigs. The Jamaica from Brielle will be seeking those ocean bass on Saturday at 7:30 a.m. Though they’re usually located in northern areas such as Shrewsbury Rocks, those stripers could be located anywhere along the coast. Betty & Nick’s Tackle in Seaside Park had reports of gannets diving, presumably on herring, earlier in the week off Island Beach State Park. The surf has warmed up, but striper fishing has been slow to start. Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park hasn’t had a single striper on the scales to win their Polar Bear Tournament during a cold winter, so they’re going into a "sudden death overtime" for those who entered as the first three bass brought in this spring will take those prizes. Bob Matthews, at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar Marina, says winter flounder fishing picked up last weekend in Shark River, but his rental skiffs couldn’t get out in this week’s strong winds. He’s heard of some small bass and blues from the Barnegat Bay marshes. Joe Mellillo, at Castaways Tackle in Point Pleasant, reports good flounder fishing in Point Pleasant Canal, where some blackfish limits are also being caught on bloodworms. A few small stripers are being caught by flounder fishermen at the Manasquan River end of the canal. Melillo says his regulars have been keeping the stripers honest in the canal and the surf, but lures haven’t produced as yet. The RFA, N.J. Chapter, invites all anglers to a Striped Bass Forum it’s holding Wednesday, April 23 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, on Route 72 in Manahawkin — just east of Exit 63 off the Garden State Parkway. Russ Allen, of the Division of Fish and Wildlife, will be on hand to provide the scientific background to help anglers decide on various approaches to management. Jim Donofrio of the RFA had good news from the Strathmere Fishing & Environmental Club meeting where Assemblyman Bob Andrzejczak (D-Cape May Court House) told the members that the unwise striped bass legislation described in last week’s column wasn’t going anywhere in the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee that he chairs. Paul Haertel, president of the JCAA, attended a meeting with Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers and DEP in an effort to prevent "Jetty Row" from Elberon to Loch Arbor from being covered with sand during replenishment. Though it may not be possible to stop it, there was talk of not notching at least three of the longest jetties — and of adding two new access points. The winds have really been unkind to Capt. Jim McFarland, who’s still managed to get most of his trips for haddock and cusk in with Big Mac from Green Harbor, Mass., despite the conditions. Cod have been abundant, but had to be released until the season opened Wednesday — when it was impossible to get offshore for the Jackson charter from Brielle. He took them into Plymouth Harbor for flounder where they managed nine up to 2 pounds. My blog at nj.com/shore/blogs/fishing is back on a daily basis for updated fishing reports. The Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament has been moved up to May 18 at Island Beach State Park. Those from 15 up can enter now for $15, through April 21 before paying $20 at the tournament. Visit www.njfishandwildlife.com/gsft.htm for info and forms.