After a tough day on Tuesday, striped bass turned on again today in the back of Raritan Bay. Capt. Lou Grazioso of Wall called me on Facetime this afternoon to let me watch Art Berkman of Pompton Plains fight a striper that had just hit a Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow. That lure seemed to be the key to attracting bites today -- and Berkman even used it to catch the first fluke of the season reported to me. Blackfishing has also responded to the nice weather. At Belmar, the Ocean Explorer had an active Tuesday during which one angler had a limit that included a tog over 12 pounds. There were some fares with two to three keepers up to 6 pounds today. The Big Mohawk also reported good blackfishing. The Jamaica from Brielle will make its first striper trip on Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Grumpy's Tackle in Seaside Park reports school bass in the surf on both small lures and clams, while the Barnegat Bay bite continues on blood worms and small lures.