The forecast of high winds noted in last night's blog never occurred, as there was only a breeze as I caught short blackfish up to 14 inches this morning in Point Pleasant Canal. The new forecast calls for only 24-29 mph north winds tonight (though it's very light as this was being written), and 22-25 mph on Labor Day with gusts to 36 plus a 30 percent chance of showers after 11 a. m. By Tuesday it should be down to 16 to 21 mph from the north.

We went out at about 10 30 a. m., and had lots of action, but just as other experts had assured Many there were no stripers -- until a last effort when my sand worms were left alone long enough by bluefish and I reeled a bass of about 30 inches alongside, where Many removed the circle hook barely in its lip in the water for the release at 7 p. m. During late morning, Many worked some of his favorite summer spots in Raritan Bay which produced dogfish and small sea bass before he spotted a couple of breaks.

The Queen Mary from Point Pleasant also reported getting into good bluefishing today for the first time since early July. I caught the size bluefish we used to find in the ocean in other summers, but there was just one 30-incher (about 8 pounds) that hit my Tactical Anglers Bomb Jr. popper in Shark River.

Big swells are usually bad news for ocean bottom fishing, and today was no exception to that rule for Capt. Hans Kaspersetz while hosting Tank Matraxia's party from Lyndhurst for a half-day trip on Sheri Berri from Twin Lights Marina in Highlands. Kaspersetz worked rough bottoms east of Sandy Hook that had been producing for him, but it was a tough pick today as five fluke were boated along with two sea bass and a ling while Matraxia placed American Littoral Society tags into 15 of the short fluke.

Shore fishing conditions looked good this morning in Shark River, but I only had one hit on a popper -- and it shook the hooks. Capt. Tommy Joseph reports porgy fishing is still very good on his Rightaway III from Shark River.