The annual Governor's Surf Tournament will be contested Sunday at Island Beach State Park as anglers hope for a continuation of fine surfcasting for large bluefish in that area. That event is sponsored by the N.J. D.E.P.'s Divisions of Fish and Wildlife, and Parks and Forestry plus the N.J. Federation of Sportsman's Clubs, the N.J. Beach Buggy Association, and the Jersey Coast Anglers Association. A few striped bass are also being hooked in the surf on clams and lures, but beach fishermen won't be able to cast to the potential Governor's Award winners which are showing up in about 50-foot depths off the bathing beach. Dan DePasquale (16) boated a 42-pounder there on Saturday while trolling a Tony Maja #4 green bunker spoon with his father in rough seas. That bass was exceeded Wednesday by another youngster as Dave Armstrong boated his first striper on a white #4 Tony Maja spoon – and it was a 49-incher that weighed 48 pounds. Capt. Bud McArthur trolled off the park Thursday morning with his Splinter from Brick, and boated a 37-inch spawned-out striper that had a single bunker in its stomach. Several blues were also caught on bunker spoons, and McArthur noted that there were lots of bunkers in the area where the water temperature was 56 degrees. Most of the valuable fishing tackle prize winners in the many Governor's Tournament classes for males and females plus age groups should be large bluefish. Bunker has been the best bet in the surf for blues, but lures are starting to become fairly effective also. Registration starts in the park at 5 a.m., and the contest runs from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. For those not pre-registered, the adult fee is $20, while those 13 to 17 pay $5, and kids compete at no cost. Awards are based on length. Be sure to have your state registration by visiting nj.com/dep/saltwaterregistration. For tournament information call 609 748-4347. Shore fishermen have been enjoying a great spring of bluefishing in rivers and bays, but that fishery seems to be winding down as ocean fishing for choppers has been gaining strength. There had been a good run in Point Pleasant Canal that carried into last weekend. After Friday's rain and howling northeast winds, I released five up to 35 inches casting a 2-ounce jig head tipped with a Mr. Wiffle or Culprit Dart Baiter plastic tail, and six Saturday morning before there was nothing that afternoon and only two Sunday morning as crowds quickly dissipated. The previously good bluefishing in Manasquan Inlet also turned very spotty, but some hot fishing occurred upriver on Mother's Day. I cast from shore there Tuesday morning for spectacular pencil popper action as big blues were jumping clear of the water to attack the plug. My first cast was nailed by a 32-incher, and then they got bigger as I released six up to a 37-incher (about 15 pounds) before the ebb tide died. Unfortunately, that bite died out the last two days. That was the same report from Fisherman's Den in Belmar Marina, but they're excited about all the fluke in the river prior to the May 21 opening. The Jamaica from Brielle reported bluefish were spotted both north and south of the inlet on Wednesday, but were very hard to jig. Some were swimming on the surface, which makes them difficult to catch on metal lures. However, in the past I've found that early season ocean blues acting like that will jump on a small swimming plug (such as a Bomber) reeled directly in front of them. The Jamaica will celebrate the opening of the sea bass season on Monday May 23 with a limited Sea Bass Marathon trip from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 732 528-5014 or reservations. Raritan Bay striper fishing has been up-and-down during the Hudson River spawning period. Capt. Joe Massa said his crew fished through lots of bluefish in the West Bank area last Saturday to catch six bass while chunking and live-lining bunkers in the West bank area from My III Sons out of Morgan Marina. Tank Matraxia's party from Lyndhurst and I chunked in that area Wednesday morning with Capt. Rick Woerner on his Carnivore from Sewaren, but the rest of us might have well stayed home as far as the stripers were concerned as Pete La Boy did all the damage by catching three keepers in a row as the incoming tide started to run. Bluefish weren't a problem there, but when Woerner ran to the back of the bay everyone was into 10-to-15-pound choppers steadily. Mark Roy of Warren trolled Mo-Jo's in the back of Raritan Bay to put his girl friend, Yapping Jiang of Warren, into a limit of large stripers out of six caught from Release Me out of Raritan Marina. The Golden Eagle from Belmar reported fine bluefishing Thursday after a frustrating day before when they were spotted on top but wouldn't hit consistently. Thursday's blues were 8-to-15-pounders that hit Run-Off hammered jigs and Crocs. The Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands reported lots of big bluefish Thursday, though stripers remain hard to come by. At Seaside Park, Betty & Nick's Tackle weighed a 25 3/8-pound striper for Dot Gural of Waretown – her largest from the surf, and the shop's biggest so far this season. She caught it on clams in Island Beach State Park. Capt. Vinny Vetere, of Katfish Charters in Great Kills, had hot chunking for large stripers in the Hudson River on Thursday, and credited much of that success to a new chumming pot from Capt. Slaughter. That stainless steel devise permits chunks to be disbursed at a controlled rate in a strong current where the fish are – on the bottom. An exceptional striper was reported from Delaware Bay, where striper pro Tim Tanghare released a 57-incher that buried his 60-pound scale. Capt. Dave De Gennaro of Hi Flier at Barnegat has been catching lots of 10-to-16-pound blues in Barnegat Bay on light tackle with surface lures. He was to find them again each day as they're ranged from Buoy 42 to the south up to the nuclear power plant in shallow waters. Jim Soch from West Windsor boated a 19.75-pounder that was both his largest and a new record for Hi Flier. De Gennaro is also clamming stripers from 14 to 20 pounds on the outgoing tide at the mouth of Oyster Creek Channel when blues aren't too thick. Visit my blog at nj.com/shore/blogs/fishing for daily fishing updates plus the balance of this column.