It’s StriperQuest week, and a rainy captains’ meeting at Gateway Marina in Highlands on the Raritan Bay didn’t dampen spirits at all for the big tagging event on Thursday, May 15, 2025. In fact, talking to folks who’ve been pre-fishing in the days leading up to the Northeast Striped Bass Study event with Gray FishTag Research and The Fisherman Magazine have reported multiple jumbo bass in the 40-pound range and up. From reports in our weekly video this week – including 50” bass along the open beaches – the post-spawn Chesapeake fish have arrived and are stretched out from Cape May to Sandy Hook. With big fish also dropping out of the Hudson post-spawn, suffice to say it’s game on! Along with stripers we’ve got fluke, weakfish, and bluefish reports throughout the New Jersey, Delaware Bay region offering up outstanding “bay slam” opportunities heading into to the second half of May. Don’t forget that New Jersey’s black sea bass fishery reopens on Saturday with a 10-fish bag and 12-1/2-inch size limit
