Posted on March 15, 2020 More striper signs We’re still not up to what’s become the normal April start of the spring striper run in Raritan Bay, but there have been a few encouraging signs. Just before publishing this blog, I got word from Andrea’s Toy Sportfishing in Keyport that they got into stripers today. Presumably, that was by trolling in Raritan Bay, but I’ll have to confirm that tomorrow. At Seaside Park, Grumpy’s Tackle reports more stripers are being hooked on both bloodworms and small lure throughout Barnegat Bay. Most are under 25 inches, but a few keepers were reported Saturday. The Ocean Explorer from Belmar got out in good conditions yesterday, but didn’t find any cod. There was lots of action with dogfish and bergalls. A few ling and a pollock were boated. Monday starts with east winds at 10-15 knots and 3-foot seas. The wind will shift to southeast and blow harder at night with a possibility of showers after midnight. Bob Correll of Bay Head has had to put up with constant northeast winds in Marathon, Fl. , but his wife Mary Agnes managed to jig a good-sized cero mackerel yesterday. Ceros are the least abundant of the tropical mackerels, and rarely encountered to the north when Spanish are often common and a few kings also reported during the summer. The cero is easy to identify  by the fairly solid lateral line. Others cut the mono leader with those sharp teeth. Chris Appell of Locust Valley, N.Y. got a good fight out of a small tarpon before the release the previous evening when Correll ran his 32 See Vee to the shallows where it hit a live bait.