Slower currents and decent water quality set the stage for some good tautog action this past week. Water temperatures remain in the low 50's, and Delaware Bay artificial reefs continue to give up tog. Sites 6, 7 and 8 have been productive.

Captain Chet's toggers on Lil' Angler II took home over 20 keepers Friday, among which were a 7.35 pounder for Mike Piasecki, and a 7.9 pound citation for Dennis Reardon. There was a hot bite on the Star Site Sunday. Tog fishermen on the Lil' Angler II brought in 62 chunky blackfish. Mike Crouse captured a 7.43 pounder, Joe Pergeorelis put an 8.23 in the box, and Doug Mickowski muscled in an 8.5 pounder. Tog sharpies aboard the Grizzly had their 50 quality fish limit by noon. Mo Wilson wrestled a 10.75 pounder, Robert Wilson wound in a 10.25, and Maurice Wilson managed an 8.75 pound tautog. Martha Marie's gang got a nice mess of tog, including Captain Les Clemmer's 8.19 pounder. Corey Newkirk nailed a 9.21 pounder at Site 8 aboard Katy Did. On Monday, the crew aboard Katy Did was togging again, and returned with 46 keepers, including Joe Walker's 6.16 pounder. The Lil' Angler II came in with 32 blackfish. The Grizzly got 30 tog, with two citations over 7 pounds. Top Fin's toggers kept 16 nice fish, and patrons on the Angler had good success Monday, with some individual limits on the boat.

Ocean tog fishing was good too, with nice catches on Site 11. Boaters traveling off to Site 11 encountered large schools of bluefish and stripers under birds, between the shipping channel and the reef. Fish were caught by casting bucktails and metal jigs, or trolling Stretch plugs. Remember that any rockfish caught in Federal waters must be released. Wreck fishing for sea bass is shaping up in deeper water. Fares with Captain H.D. Parsons had numerous knothead bass to over 6 pounds during a 12 hour trip to a snag in 160 feet Saturday. Several slammer bluefish and cod came over the rail as well. Richard Adams reeled in a 12 pound codfish. Striper catches at the Bay mouth fell off some over the weekend, but it's likely we're in between batches of fish. There has been a mass of bass moving down the coast, and hopefully conditions will be favorable for them to hook into the Bay before continuing south. Some sizeable stripers are still hanging around. Tom Lenhard landed a 35.7 pounder in The Valley Monday aboard the Adventurer. Seth Hetherington hooked a 36.2 pounder Monday with an eel at 8B buoy.

There's been a good bucktail bite recently, but the vast majority of striped bass in the area right now are shy of the 28 inch minimum length. Dave and Joe Walker, and Brent Wiest released about a dozen bass, and kept 4 plus a big blue while tossing jigs tipped with Skippyfish tails at 8B just before dark Tuesday.