The Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands had good action with short bass. Joe Melillo reports from Castaway's Tackle in Point Pleasant that Gerald CeCe released seven short bass from dark to first light this morning at Mantoloking.

Though daytime surfcasting remains very picky, there has been some action with mostly short bass in the dark -- particularly around the high tides. Joe Melillo, at Castaway's Tackle in Point Pleasant, got into a few bass Thursday night at Bay Head, and said everyone fishing from there to Mantoloking seemed to do well on plugs.

Gary Quon, of Tady Lure Co. in California, is in N. J. to test his jigs on our stripers, so Capt. Hans Kaspersetz and I made a special effort to get him out this afternoon in between gale warnings on Sheri Berri from Baker's Marina on the Bay in Highlands. We found lots of bird action off the Highlands Bridge, but had already heard from Capt. Rob Semkewyc on the Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands that there were only fussy short stripers under them.

Joe Melillo, at Castaway's Tackle in Point Pleasant, weighed several surf stripers from Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Gerald CeCe of Point Pleasant plugged two of 12 1 2 and 19 1 2 pounds in Bay Head.

Bob Longo of Brick had a 14-pounder plugging at Manasquan, and Jesse Shore from Point Pleasant caught a 12 5 8-pound bass on a teaser at Bay Head. Bob Matthews, at Fisherman's Den in Belmar Marina, reported lots of bass caught by boaters while surfcasters cast plugs and teasers at night to hook shorts plus a few keepers up to 15 pounds.