Posted on April 27, 2019April 27, 2019 Gale is tough on anglers, but Sunday looks good Though today’s west gale kept most boaters off the water, that warning comes down by 6 p.m., and drops to 5-10 knots by midnight. Though the morning will be only 5-10 knots from the south, there is an afternoon shift to east winds of 10-15 knots with gusts to 20. There’s a chance of showers in the morning, and they are likely in the afternoon. Most boats will sail with that forecast, and the west winds should have flattened the ocean. There were stripers on the surface in Raritan Bay in poor weather on Friday. The Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands reported they didn’t hit well, but Capt. Chris Di Stefano of Wall heard from a friend who fished near the Ammo Pier and caught legal-sized stripers trolling, jigging, casting on the surface — and on bait. Joe Melillo reports from Castaways Tackle in Point Pleasant that stripers have been hitting jigs in Point Pleasant Canal, and blowfish showed up there Wednesday. Blackfish are biting, but the season closes at the end of the month.  Melillo hasn’t heard any word of bluefish so far. At Seaside Park, Grumpy’s Tackle weighed a 29.5-inch striper at 9.25 pounds for Ralph Esposito, who caught it Friday at IBSP on clam. Some small black drum have been released in the surf, and there was a report of a bluefish hit on bait in the park surf. Grumpy’s will be open to 10 p.m. tonight for the American Anglers Surf Tournament.