Fishermen seeking striped bass will be doing everything possible to get away from the choppers, but the availability of outsized blues is a unique opportunity which was emphasized Wednesday when I watched Nathan Mc Intosh (9) from Painted Post, N. Y. graduating from sunfish right up to 10-pound blues in Raritan Bay while chunking from Sheri Berri out of Baker's Marina on the Bay at Highlands. Capt. Dave De Gennaro has continued to put his customers on Hi Flier from Barnegat into big blues on poppers in Barnegat Bay, but also finally managed to get out of the inlet last Friday afternoon to troll a 38-pound striper on a white 4 Tony Maja bunker spoon for Gary Paulino of Absecon - and also a 30-pounder.

Capt. Vinnie Vetere didn't have a charter on his Katfish from Great Kills this morning, but took a shot to the east with his crew and had a catch of big stripers on live bait. Bob Danyluk boated a 20-pound striper on clam at Oyster Creek on Monday before blitz popping for blues on the east side.

Capt. Ron Santee said it seemed to take forever for a current to develop, and it wasn't until 11 a. m. that they were able to drift baits correctly and start catching the big blues that had been easy to come by. That boat has a special Sea Bass Marathon on Tuesday from 7 a. m. to 5 p. m. Call 732 528-5014 for reservations.

He has been working for years at Julian's Tackle in Atlantic Highlands, and they noted that Morenz was only 55. His father, Capt. Whitey Morenz, ran an old wooden vessel that produced more school stripers and weakfish on worms than any other boat.

Capt. Rob Semkewyc has had the same problem finding stripers among the blues on his Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands, but he's happy with the steady action on both bait and jigs with blues averaging 12 pounds. At Seaside Park, Betty Nick's reported 30-pound stripers pushed a school of bunkers onto the beach in town during the morning.