Fishing Line: April 29

We’ve undergone another week of weather that won’t cooperate. Even if everything was normal, or what we previously considered as such, boats wouldn’t have been able to venture out more than two days over the past week.
The wind has been more troubling than rain. It would have been the stake in the heart of many trips this April. Let’s hope the blackfish use this time wisely and come back with better numbers in the near future.
Fishing for stripers, the early arriving bluefish, and some freshwater fishing are getting us through at the moment. Let’s check everything out.
Since we have had a fair share of wind lately, not many anglers, specifically those who own boats, have been able to get out. One that beat the odds and got a short trip in was Capt. Skip, from the Stalker.
He and his son, Colin, got out to the backwater for a brief outing during a small window of decent weather. They experienced a nice bite that morning while having a fun outing.
For their trip, they totaled about 25 stripers between them. They even pulled in an out-of-season flounder, which was released so it could fight when the season officially begins.
It was a great morning of father-son time, which is now even more memorable due to the circumstances we’re facing.
A good choice for some land-based fishing is to find a nice place to practice your freshwater skills.
Remember to have your freshwater license and a trout stamp if you want to keep your catches. We have some places in our area to try, including the pond at the Ockie Wisting Recreation Complex, in Rio Grande, and the ponds at the Ponderlodge, in Villas. You may also be lucky and have access to a private lake or pond.
One family that is having freshwater fun is the Becks, Phyllis and John. They sent in two reports during the past week. Their first report included a 25-inch, 9.5-pound channel catfish, plus five nice trout, and their second mentioned six trout. Thanks for reading and sending in the reports, please keep us posted, and keep fishing.
The Division of Fish and Wildlife sent out a reminder that the state’s waters carrying trout are open for fishing. Remember that state parks, forests, and county parks remain closed.
After reading the list, I saw there are still only two bodies of water in the county that were stocked, which are the Ponderlodge Pond and the Tuckahoe Lake. You would think that more of the area’s lakes and ponds would be filled. 
Atlantic and Cumberland counties have more options. For a complete list of fishing waters, visit the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife website, then look on the top right side of the page in the “What’s New” section.
This week was slower than hoped for, but it is what it is, and we will soldier on. If you get the chance to get out of the house and get to the water, enjoy it.
Good luck, stay safe, and let me know how you did. I’ll see you around.
Submit your fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.