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Captain's Focus

With bunkers not too far offshore, dedicated surfcasters have been waiting for big stripers to push them to the beach for the rare blitz just a short cast from shore or jetties. It finally happened Friday afternoon or evening at Elberon -- and perhaps at other spots.  Bob Matthews reports his scale at Fisherman's Den in Belmar Marina was being exercised this morning. Mike Duffy weighed a 34-pound striper, Vin Spahiu had a 30-pounder, Mel Martin a 28-pounder, and Scotty Pullen a 21-pound bass. Don Marantz of Clarksburg weighed a 30-pounder hooked from Miss Belmar Princess.  The shore bass mostly hit pencil poppers, and some big blues were mixed in. Matthews noted that Friday's fluke opener in Shark River was good, with some near-limit catches up to 4 pounds. At Atlantic Highlands, Capt. Rob Semkewyc had a great Friday trip with his Sea Hunter after a slow start as stripers and blues were boated, while six black drum in the 40-to-80-pound class were released. However, it was mostly blues today. The Queen Mary from Point Pleasant had striper action during Wednesday's Magic Hours trip when Kurt Bornmann boated a 48-inch, 45-pound striper. Capt. Dave De Gennaro trolled a 38-pound striper during the southeast wind on Tuesday on a white Tony Maja bunker spoon, and a 33-pounder was taken on a bunker from his Hi-Flier out of Barnegat off Island Beach State Park on Thursday as a finback whale observed the fight. Jeff Jacobson of the Forked River Tuna Club may have set a seasonal standard when he found a 51.06-pound striper that hit a bunker. Capt. Stan Zagleski got out early today to the Bug Light with his Elaine B. from Highlands only to encounter a wind against tide situation. He eventually put together a catch of up to three fluke a man. Sunday's trip is the last with the early 6 a. m. departure. Grumpy's Tackle in Seaside Park reported small blues in the park surf, and blitzing in Barnegat Bay. Though the surf is only at 59 degrees, some brown sharks have been showing up already. Sean Smida weighed a snag & drop 45-inch, 37.15-pound striper. Scott Leadbeater of Haddon Heights trolled between Flynn's Knoll and Swash Channel Friday afternoon to catch big blues. Tuesday evening he quickly trolled a 30-inch striper at Old Orchard, but only found big blues in Chapel Hill after that. Capt. Jim McFarland reported the first bluefin tuna of the Massachusetts season on Friday from his Big Mac out of Green Harbor. That 50-pounder was released as the season doesn't open until June 1. Tank Matraxia's party from Lyndhurst fished the fluke opener with Capt. Fletcher Chayes of Two Rivers Charters out of Bahrs in Highlands as they started with a couple at the Bug Light before bringing the keeper total up to 7 in the Shrewsbury. Chayes had a hot hand bucktailing and scored a limit, while Matraxia put ALS tags into nine shorts.   Kevin Markow of Jackson broke the ice with stripers early this morning at Sea Girt with a 35-inch, 12.6-pounder on clam. Allen Riley of South Plainfield fished Monmouth Beach late in the morning on Friday to catch a 22-inch striper and a blowfish on clam plus a 31/2-foot smooth dogfish and a skate on bunker.

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