<b>Staten Island</b>

Blackfishing became somewhat better than sea bass fishing, so <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b> concentrated on them, Capt. Anthony said. New York’s blackfish season opened on October 1. Okay catches of the tog to 10 pounds were rounded up during the outings. Anthony expects sea bassing to pick up, now that sea bass season closed in both New York and New Jersey for a few weeks, and he obtained a Research Set Aside Permit that allows the boat to sail for sea bass during the closed season. In addition to charters, open-boat trips, including some that are fishing at the offshore wrecks when the weather allows, are sailing every Tuesday and Thursday by reservation. Open trips also run on other days when enough anglers are interested.

With <b>Outcast Charters</b> an alright catch of sea bass was toggled in during a trip Monday, Capt. Joe said. The four anglers made a couple of blackfish drops at the end of the trip, ending up with seven in the cooler. So the fishing wasn’t great, “but enough to get by,” he said. The weather was beautiful, and Outcast will focus on blackfish in the next weeks, because sea bass season closed on Tuesday in New York and New Jersey, and blackfish season opened on October 1 in New York. Blackfish are a specialty on the boat, too. Joe is looking forward to sea bass season reopening on November 1, because the lack of pressure during the closed season should amp up the angling. The vessel’s first striped bass charter this season is on the books to fish in two weekends. Reports talked about stripers already biting.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Striped bass finally arrived on Wednesday’s trip that had previously been reported stacked up off Fire Island, Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> said in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Anglers aboard that day jigged excellent catches, nearly all keepers, only a handful of shorts. A 32-pounder won the pool, and many patrons bagged a limit of two, or three with a bonus tag. Ron’s dad, Ron Sr., was hot hand, tackling several stripers to 25 pounds. Ava 47 jigs seemed the hot lure, and a few stripers did get hooked on jigs with tails. Great day on the waters! Ron said. Forecasts looked like Friday’s trip will be weathered out, and Ron “will keep an eye on Saturday for now,” he said. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. However, the boat is chartered this Friday and Saturday. Check out a <a href=" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEyxuzw43ic&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">video of the trip</a>.

After the season’s twice-daily, half-day trips for bottom fishing ended on Monday, the vessel began running on one three-quarter-day trip daily for the bottom angling, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. The fish begin to push somewhat farther from shore this time of year, and the longer trip allows the extra traveling time. But the first of the three-quarter-day trips on Tuesday stayed docked, because rains to the north apparently kept anglers from showing up. Wednesday’s trip got out with a handful of anglers, and all bagged a good catch. Porgies, a pick of mixed sizes including real beauties and small ones, were boated, and so were a few blackfish. Lots of sea bass bit on grounds that the vessel newly fished, after sea bassing became slower closer to shore on the previous half-day trips. But the sea bass on this trip were tossed back, because the season for the fish closed on Tuesday for a few weeks.  Porgy fishing’s been good, and some blackfish have been biting. The boat switches to blackfishing when the bag limit is increased to six of the tog on November 16 from the current limit of one. The Atlantic Star is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily for porgies and blackfish.

Boaters on the ocean off Sea Bright jigged striped bass and bluefish, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Surf casters there also banked the fish, and they beached handy catches of stripers at Sandy Hook the last three days. Stripers were angled from the rivers, including on live bait. Bottom anglers looted lots of porgies. They also scored well on sea bass until sea bass season closed. Blackfish chewed, though the bag limit is one of the fish until later this season. Ling and cod were cranked from the deep wrecks and around the Mudhole. Fishing was good, and so was crabbing, though few crabbed this late in the season.

<b>Highlands</b>

Striped bass, good catches, were jigged and eeled on trips this week on both Raritan Bay and the ocean, “all over,” said Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>. The fishing slowed a little on Wednesday. Fisher Price also did some bottom fishing, racking up porgies and limits of one blackfish per angler. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trip is set for Sunday. Anglers can call Derek to be kept informed about future open dates.

<b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> jigged and trolled striped bass and blues along the ocean front, and also jigged weakfish there, Capt. Brian said. Quite a few of the bass were around. Trips on the boat also eeled plenty of stripers off Sandy Hook Point and trolled a few on Raritan Bay on Stretch plugs. The eeling produced during the middle of the daytime on the trips, though anglers often eel at night or in low light like in the evenings. Bluefin tuna fishing on the vessel was a matter of getting the weather that allowed trips to sail. But the tuna should be around.

At <b>Twin Lights Marina</b> boaters plucked a few striped bass here and there, picking through smaller ones to land keepers, none too large, at places like Flynn’s Knoll and Romer Shoal, Wayne said. They had been eeling the bass, but lately found that livelined peanut bunker worked best. Party boats reportedly lambasted stripers on Wednesday on the New York side, but could hardly buy a bass there today. Anglers figured that the storm coming tonight could kick up seas, somewhat drop water temperatures, and increase striper catches. Bluefish are always around everywhere. But apparently not many blues held at places like Flynn’s or Romer, because striper anglers did no complaining about blues. Bottom fishers bucketed porgies, probably including at the Shrewsbury Rocks, and one angler said he bagged huge porgies. None of the boaters from the marina sailed offshore, and that starts to be typical this time of year. The fishing can be good during this season, and Wayne heard tuna catches indeed were solid at the canyons. But autumn typically brings one storm after another, or one windy day after the next. So boaters who sail to the canyons often pack it in by this time of the season, weighing the benefits of keeping the boat in the waters for the rare window of weather to run offshore, when they might not even be able to fit that day in the schedule. But again, tuna fishing was apparently productive right now.  Baits including fresh clams, eels and all the frozen baits are usually stocked. A full selection of frozen offshore baits, including flats of herring, sardines and butterfish, are carried.

<b>Neptune</b>

Lots of striped bass and a limit of blackfish around the boat were bombed on a trip Tuesday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. The striper fishing was great, and the blackfishing was super, and a mess of the blacks were also released. The anglers were some of Ralph’s diehard blackfishers. An individual-reservation trip will sail for a mix of stripers, blues, porgies and blackfish next week on Friday, October 22. The porgy fishing’s been good. One of the trips will run for stripers on Wednesday, October 27. Another individual-rez trip will steam offshore for cod, pollock and hake on Thursday, November 11. The previous offshore trip nailed 30 keeper cod, no big ones, big ling or red hake, and white hake. The season’s first individual-reservation trip for blackfish will fish on Tuesday, November 16, when the bag limit is increased to six from the current limit of one. <b>***Update, Friday, 10/15:***</b> A few anglers are needed to make up a charter that will depart at 6 a.m. Monday, fishing for striped bass then bottom fish.

<b>Belmar</b>

Anglers fished at Hudson Canyon on two overnight trips on the <b>Nan Sea J</b>, Capt. Tom said. The angling was slower on the first outing, from Saturday to Sunday, and one yellowfin tuna and a mahi mahi were trolled. The fish bit at night, and blue sharks plagued the chum slick at night. But the second trip, from Monday to Tuesday, was much better. On the way to the canyon, the charter went 4 for 6 on bluefin tuna 50 miles from shore, keeping a limit of two, an over and an under, as anglers call the size limits, and the over weighed 90 pounds. At night five yellowfin tuna 70 to 80 pounds were mugged, and at least a couple were lost. At daybreak five mahi mahi 4 and 5 pounds were decked. Eight tilefish to 15 pounds were pumped in afterward. Party boats sounded like they put customers on lots of tuna. A charter on the Nan Sea J before the canyon trips jigged striped bass – keepers – and blues closer to shore.

Lots of porgies and good catches of blackfish were pounded on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. Many of the anglers limited out on porgies the last couple of days. Anglers should take advantage of the porgies – good tasting, plentiful fish that are a ball to catch – while the fish are around. The blackfish weighed up to 7 and 8 pounds, and angling for them was good. The Big Mohawk is sailing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and clams and crabs are provided for bait.

Yellowfin tuna, 45 of the fish, mostly 50 to 70 pounds, were waffled at the canyons on an overnight trip Monday to Tuesday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, Capt. Greg said. Another 22 of the tuna were lost, so the bites came at a good pace, and a healthy population of the fish was around. The next tuna trip is slated for this coming Monday to Tuesday, and space is available. A couple of trips are scheduled to fish closer to shore for bonito and bluefin tuna. See the <a href="http://www.goldeneaglefishing.com/html/tuna_reservations.html" target="_blank">Golden Eagle’s tuna reservations page</a>. The boat’s inshore trips began clubbing striped bass in addition to the blues the trips were already catching. The inshore trip on Monday, before the tuna trip, for example, drilled 23 keeper stripers to 23 pounds and some blues, all on jigs. The Golden Eagle is fishing for stripers and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. That schedule changes when the boat is fishing offshore. See the schedule on the boat’s Web site or call the vessel.

<b>Brielle</b>

Five yellowfin tuna and a dozen mahi mahi were creamed at Toms Canyon on the <b>Big Kid</b> on an overnight trip Tuesday to Wednesday, Capt. Ken said. Three tuna were lost, and the angling was now hopping. All the fish were chunked at night, and seas were fine, except were somewhat snotty on the way home. Inshore trips are currently striped bass fishing. They’ll sail for a combo of stripers and sea bass when sea bass season reopens on November 1. The Big Kid will start full-on blackfishing, some of the favorite angling for the crew, on November 16, when the bag limit is hiked up to six of the tog from the current limit of one. 

A couple of mixed-bag trips fished with <b>Fish Monger Charters</b>, Capt. Jerry said in an e-mail. Unlike in past years, sea bass season closed, so the crew planned to take advantage of early-season jigging for striped bass, afterward bottom-fishing for porgies and blackfish on the trips, and that worked out well. A trip Tuesday with six anglers limited out on 12 stripers to 31 pounds, put a few blues on ice that were mixed in, and plowed a load of porgies and a limit of one blackfish per angler. Leaving a little before first light in rains but on a flat ocean, the anglers first reached the jigging grounds. Scattered bird plays were seen, but the trip never made it to the birds, because incredible readings were marked. Jigging didn’t take long before multiple stripers, with a few blues mixed in, were hooked up. The anglers limited out on stripers in a couple of drifts, and threw back a few more. Then they were off to the bottom grounds. At the first drop, in shallow waters, the anglers picked away at sizeable porgies, though bergals and small sea bass were difficult to weed through. The next drop gave up only a few porgies and short blackfish. But at the next stop big porgies were picked, and a good number were boxed. The trip made a blackfish drop on the way home, and the bite was slow and scratchy, but the anglers managed to bag their limits of one apiece. Awesome jigging, and a great mixed bag by day’s end! Jerry said. A trip Thursday with six anglers also limited out on stripers, fought a bunch of blues and hit the mother lode of porgies. The anglers headed to the ocean just before light, first jigging for stripers. They picked at the fish and blues, got one really good crack at the bass with mulitiple hook ups, and limited out on the fish by 10 a.m. Then they moved to the porgy grounds inshore. The first drop was loaded with big sea bass that had to be released. But the second spot dished up drop-and-reel porgy fishing. “Awesome fishing!” Jerry said. “Lots of double headers!” The coolers were filled quickly. Blackfish refused to bite, “but we had enough fish,” he said. “Guess you can’t have everything.” Big sacks of fillets went home with everyone. “Fall fishing at its finest!” Jerry said. A few spaces are available on open-boat, mixed bag trips that will jig for stripers at first then bottom dunk for porgies and blackfish.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

The boat was motored to Hudson Canyon on an overnight trip Monday to Tuesday with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, a report on Andrea’s Toy’s Web site said. Four yellowfin tuna 60 to 75 pounds, a 100-pound bluefin tuna and a bunch of mahi mahi were bailed. The anglers went home with plenty of meat. The trip first trolled on the east side of the canyon. No tuna showed up, but the mahi that were bagged did. Once the anglers saw the mahi were around on the troll, they broke out light spinning rods to catch them for fun. The trip set up for nighttime fishing at the 100 Square. Waters were filled with squid that porpoises chased, and tuna were read, but none bit. The boat was moved to the East Elbow, and big blue sharks were wrestled, and a couple of mystery fish were lost. Tuna fishing hit the wall at 6 a.m. A tuna screamed off with every bait tossed in the waters, and the four yellowfins were landed, and more than a dozen bit. On the way home the trip ran across acres of bluefin tuna crashing the surface. The anglers tossed out large Storm Shads to match the hatch. Four bluefins were hooked on four casts, and the 100-pounder was landed. A trip on Saturday was the first to sail in a while after a stretch of severe weather. The plan was to try for lots of different fish. Peanut bunker were netted for live bait, and the two anglers first fished at Manasquan Inlet, jigging a dozen blues to 12 pounds. They sailed to the Mudhole to look for bluefin tuna with the peanuts, and one good bite ran off with one of the baits, but spit the hook. Some good-sized mahi swiped the peanuts but never connected. The charter ran back inshore to some rock piles for sea bass, bagging a dozen keepers among 30 tossed back. Next the anglers fished for tog, bagging a limit of one apiece, releasing a couple of dozen. To end the day, they jigged along the ocean front, reeling up keeper-sized weakfish. Inshore charters are fishing for a mixed bag of striped bass and bottom fish. Mid-shore and canyon trips are running for a mixed bag of bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi and more. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, more variety for dinner and better chances of hooking up.

<b>***Update, Friday, 10/15:***</b> One of the boats from <b>Canyon River Club Marina</b> cleaned up on tons of sea bass until the season closed for the fish on Tuesday, Carl LaManna said. Afterward the vessel, a well-known charter, fished for striped bass this week, averaging 18 keepers per trip south of the Shrewsbury Rocks on jigs. Forecasts called for winds to scream through the weekend, probably keeping boats docked. The marina, located along Manasquan River, is open all year, including winter. It features all the amenities, including a locker with electric to fit a freezer, rods and tackle. The docks are only a half-mile from Manasquan Inlet with no bridges.

Porgies were piled up on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. The fishing was good, and blackfish, triggerfish, a few blues and occasional striped bass were mixed in. Trips switched to porgy fishing after sea bass season closed on Tuesday, and will probably return to sea bass fishing again when the season for the lumpheads reopens on November 1. But a healthy population of porgies provided lots of good catches now in 40 to 60 feet. When the blackfish bag limit is increased to six of the tog on November 16, from the current limit of one, trips will probably hunt a mix of sea bass and tog. Sea bass usually begin moving farther from shore around mid November, but trips can usually follow them a while. The ocean was 62 degrees where the boat fished, and seas and the weather were gorgeous since Tuesday. Sunday’s and Monday’s trips were weathered out. The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

Aboard the trip Wednesday, striped bass, false albacore, fluke, sea bass and orange roughy, excellent catches, were all hooked on the ocean on the party boat <b>Cock Robin</b>, an e-mail from the boat said. Some anglers limited out on two stripers, and some bagged three with a bonus tag. Jigs with green tails and no tails “were the ticket,” it said. No trip apparently sailed today, because another e-mail from the boat today said nothing about a trip fishing. But it said Friday’s trip will be weathered out because of winds, but trips will resume Saturday. The Cock Robin is sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Bricktown</b>

Tuna fishing seemed spotty for the fleet at Wilmington Canyon overnight Saturday to Sunday, said Capt. Rich from <b>Jersey Hooker Outfitters Bait & Tackle</b>, located in Bricktown, and <b>Jersey Hooker Charters</b>, sailing from Point Pleasant Beach’s Canyon River Club Marina. Some boats scored well, others not so great. On a charter with Jersey Hooker then at the canyon, a 100-pound mako shark and a couple of mahi mahi were bagged at night, and a short swordfish was released in the dark. In the morning a 75-pound yellowfin tuna was trolled, and so were six or seven mahi at a lobster pot buoy where the dolphin gathered. Not the greatest catch, Rich said, but some fish. At the tackle shop anglers talked about beaching striped bass here or there from the surf, nothing solid yet, on clams, lures or  “a little of everything, really,” Rich said. But good catches of stripers were trolled and jigged at the Shrewsbury Rocks. Lots of porgies were picked up from 35-foot depths off Long Branch. At the Point Pleasant Canal blackfish chomped, and stripers were hooked at night.

<b>Toms River</b>

Livelining eels along Barnegat Bay’s sod banks at night turned out the best striped bass fishing, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Ron Fidalco and Ralph Borg, who fished together, checked in a 27-pound 5-ounce striper and a 31-pound 1-ouncer, respectively, that they eeled at night along the sod banks at the beginning of the week. Dan Peterson weighed in a 42-pound striper he boated along Barnegat Inlet’s north jetty off Island Beach State Park on Monday. Anglers fishing from the inlet jetty eeled a few stripers at night and pulled in blackfish through the day. Warm waters, like the 66- to 67-degree ocean, was the biggest issue currently. The storm tonight should help lower the temps, and winds during the storm are supposed to blow from the west, not from the east like most storms, so the weather shouldn’t rough up the surf too badly. Sands might be blown into the wash, but the waters should clear up quickly. Surf fishing was slow through the week, and the weather was too nice. A few striped bass were clammed or plugged from the beaches, and some blues and kingfish were landed from the shore. Ocean boaters jigged good catches of stripers at the Shrewsbury Rocks during the weekend. One boater on Tuesday came across 2- to 3-pound blues and hickory shad a couple of miles from shore that foraged on sand eels. Lots of small bait was around, and much of the bait departed the bays and rivers, migrating to the ocean. Only a few blowfish and panfish remained in Barnegat Bay. Crabbing was still hopping in the Toms River, and, again, waters were warm. The bay was 60 to 61 degrees, normal for the time of year. Fall trout stocking took place in freshwater this week, and customers nabbed the fish. A couple of them creeled trout on the North Branch of the Metedeconk River. Sizeable trout are stocked in fall, and Dennis trout fished on the Metedeconk after the stocking, banking a 14-inch rainbow.

<b>Forked River</b>

Jigging, plugging and clamming grabbed striped bass from the surf, said Dave from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Stripers were boated on Barnegat Bay toward Barnegat Inlet. The fish were also eeled along the sod banks of the bay at night. Nobody mentioned blowfishing on the bay, but anglers surely still tried for them, though with no reports, Dave couldn’t know how the angling went. Not a lot of fishing was going on yet this fall. But that was about to change, and the fall run of stripers of blues was about to bust open.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Surf angling tossed up a few striped bass, actually more and more, it seemed, said Basil from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. Cast fresh clam or fresh bunker, and eels could be livelined at night, but clams and bunker were the main baits. A 30-pound striper was supposedly hauled from the surf at Beach Haven. Rumor said a few striped bass were trolled on the ocean today on shad bodies, but no exact location was heard, and Basil couldn’t know how true the reports were. Weakfish were jigged in 30 feet on the ocean north of  Barnegat Inlet on smaller metal like Ava 27s or 17s. Anything silver like that or a Krippled Herring worked. Plenty of blackfish hovered along the inlet jetty. Stripers, none huge, were live-baited on spots around Barnegat Inlet and Barnegat Bay. The fish could be bucktailed or hooked on shad bodies like a Storm lure, too.  Nothing was heard about blowfish in the bay the last couple of days. But Basil was sure some remained, and he would say they were located at places like the 42 marker or Double Creek Channel. Live spots, fresh bunker, fresh clams and all the baits are stocked.

<b>Barnegat</b>

Barnegat Bay put up excellent striped bass fishing, said Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b> in an e-mail, and he spent more time on the waters than on land lately, and this was the first chance he had to give an update. Livelined spots were the best bait for the 10- to 20-pounders, but Dave noticed there was no set tide or time that produced the fish. “It is completely random,” he said. A trip last Thursday hit the fish on outgoing tide in the morning. On Friday incoming tide, just before the change, was better. On Saturday Dave watched a friend land 10 of the stripers, while a trip on the Hi Flier went 0 for 3. “I don’t know why,” Dave said. “We were doing everything the same.” On Sunday a trip with Mike Kainec and Steve Dressig from <a href=" http://www.redirig.com/ " target="_blank">Redi-Rig Tackle</a>, the makers of unique floats that allow baits to be fished at any depths, sliding down on the hook-up, went 2 for 3 on stripers, good-sized ones, on slack tide. On Monday the same anglers headed offshore with Dave, looking for bluefin tuna at the Mudhole. No life or readings were found at the Monster Ledge and Little Italy, so the trip began to sail to Oley’s Lump. False albacore surfaced 2 miles from there, and the machine lit up with fish and bait from top to bottom. The anchor was dropped, a chunk line of sardines was set up, and the anglers banged away at albies and big blues on livelined peanut bunker, under Redi-Rig Floats. The Hi Flier is sailing every day for stripers on charters or open-boat trips.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

One cool day sets in, and everyone thinks striper season is here, Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> said on Wednesday. Striper mania seemed under way, and the back waters, not the ocean or Little Egg Inlet, were the place to be for the catches. A few stripers no doubt came from the mouth of the Mullica River, and Scott knew about two that were banked from shore at Graveling Point, and one from shore at the end of Great Bay Boulevard. Not a lot were landed yet, but a few were, and the keepers were usually 28 to 32 inches. The striper migration usually invades around October 25, only about 10 days away. Once the run kicks in, the bars at Little Egg Inlet serve up the dominant striper fishing. Clams and sometimes fresh bunker are the baits to dunk at the inlet. But the bass will also show up at other places like Grassy Channel in Great Bay. No customers talked about trying for the 1-1/4-pound blues that previously were reported schooling toward the western shoreline on Great Bay. But Scott assumes the fish still swam there, and the mouths of creeks like Mott’s and Oyster creeks traditionally attract the fish on outgoing tides, dumping into the bay bait like peanut bunker that the blues chase. Spots were still around in the bays and back waters, and some places held them more than others. One angler caught less than a couple of dozen on two trips in a row at Mystic Beach. A few porgies, small sea bass, sharks and eels swam the bays, but Scott heard no word about blowfish and kingfish. Weakfish were sporadically reported hooked from the bays and along the ocean front. In the ocean a few weaks were mixed in with croakers at places including off the towers on Long Beach Island. White perch fishing was on, and look for them toward the mouth of the Mullica and at Ballanger and Nacote creeks. Tog were on the bite along the banks of the bays, and anglers had to weed through shorts to grab a keeper, but the angling was fun. Fresh, shucked clams, bloodworms and green crabs are stocked. Scott was yet to make the effort to catch grass shrimp, a favorite perch bait, to stock.

<b>Absecon</b>

More striped bass than before began to be weighed in, and the fishing seemed to start turning on, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Stripers checked in from Great Bay included: Bill’s Ellis’s 25- and 22-pounders on Tuesday, and he also landed a 28-pounder and a 21-pounder; Carl Wilson’s couple that weighed around 20 pounds on Wednesday, and he landed six total; and Bob Dunne and Frank Mahoney’s 25- and 22-pounders today, and they landed two more keepers, limiting out. The stripers swam everywhere, and most catches were heard about from the bays. Some were reported caught around the bridges, and good reports about stripers were heard from the surf. The season was somewhat early, and waters were warm, but the coming storm will probably turn the fishing on more. Dave’s striper charters are filling fast, and about 25 dates are already full this season, and anglers should soon call if interested. Tog fishing was good, including along the bridges, and Mike Manson checked in a 5-1/2-pound tog he reeled in from along the Brigantine Bridge. Tides finally slowed down after the new moon, helping the angling. Tog even bit along Little Panama, and fewer keepers will be found along the sod banks, but the fishing was definitely picking up. Not a lot was heard about weakfish, but some were around. If anglers fish along the ocean front, they should be prepared with squid or small jigs, because weakfish sometimes schooled there. Plenty of white perch were hooked in the Mullica River, and Curt, who works at the shop, a white perch angler, was catching them, not finding super angling, but the slabs were there. Most spots seemed to depart the bays and back waters, but the shop is stocked with plenty, if anglers didn’t catch enough for striper bait. A load of surf clams is on hand, and so are a few live mullet and peanut bunker.  Dave’s new <a href=" http://www.fishguatemala.com/FishGuatemala/fishguatemala.htm" target="_blank">Guatemala charter service</a> is up and running, ready to fish. The fishing lasts all year, but many anglers travel to the country in winter to escape the weather. Some of the best sailfishing in the world comes from Guatemala.

<b>Brigantine</b>

A few striped bass began to swim the surf, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. The season’s first striped bass was weighed in for the shop’s striper derby: Mark Rappanecker’s 23-pounder that inhaled fresh bunker from the surf at the middle of the island on Wednesday. Ralph Kearney and Skip Biancaini stopped by with a 14-1/2-pound striper that pounced on a spot along the island’s north end. Laurie Malia checked in a 14-1/2-pound striper she clammed in the surf. A storm was rolling in, but should be good for striper fishing. A load of fresh bunker arrived at the shop, and plenty of surf clams are on hand. Catch the shop’s big, 30-percent sale on all summer flounder tackle and crabbing supplies.  The 5th annual Riptide Striped Bass Derby is under way, lasting until the end of the year. Entrants win cash awards for the biggest stripers caught from the surf along Brigantine’s front beach. First place wins $750, and 2nd cops $400, and 3rd earns $150. The entrant with the biggest bass each month wins $25. The rest of the proceeds are donated to charity, and the event donated more than $13,000 to charity since the tournament began, Andy said. Phil Fors from Rolling Tackle Box donated a 13-foot Breakaway HDX surf rod that will be awarded to the entrant with the biggest striper during the week after Halloween or November 1 to 7. The entry fee for the tournament is $20, and entry must be accompanied by a Brigantine beach buggy permit. That way all entrants get to drive the beach to fish.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Angling for striped bass was heating up in the back bay and the surf, and some might’ve been trolled on the ocean, said Curt from <b>Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle</b>. A few kingfish were yanked from the surf. Spots were migrating to the ocean and were practically gone from the bay, reportedly. Tons of tog littered the bridges and jetties. Sea bass fishing had been good in 100 feet in the ocean until sea bass season closed earlier this week. If boaters got the weather to reach offshore, yellowfin tuna definitely remained at the canyons, and the angling was by no means finished. That wasn’t to say the fishing was easy, because the bite mostly moved from one location to the next constantly. “Should’ve been there yesterday kind of thing,” Curt said. No particular canyon seemed the go-to place, and the good, fish-holding waters skirted the whole 100-fathom line. The <b>Carly A</b>, the shop’s offshore charter boat, was set up at Wilmington Canyon on Saturday night, and the fishing sounded spotty for everyone, but two yellowfin tuna and eight mahi mahi were chunked on the boat at night. Eight or a dozen tilefish were pumped in during the day. Eight tuna, mostly longfins, gaffed on one boat was the best catch Curt heard about from the Wilmington during that time. Tuna catches sounded good at Baltimore Canyon around that time. The weather and seas were beautiful offshore Saturday night. Anglers should especially be careful about fishing offshore during this season with typically volatile weather, carrying all the safety gear, and back-ups to the gear. If the boat breaks down, and anglers are stuck on the waters, the calm window of weather can turn rough.

<b>Margate</b>

Tons of tog snapped on the back bay on a charter Tuesday on the party boat <b>Keeper</b>, Capt. John said. A half-dozen of the blackfish and a couple of triggerfish were kept. A 12-1/2-pound 28-inch tog was clobbered on an open-boat trip Saturday morning. The year’s final trips will sail open 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 12 noon Sunday. Trips on the boat will kick back off next year when summer flounder season opens. John thanks everyone who fished aboard this year! He spends each winter in Key West, Florida, doing some commercial fishing, some relaxing and running a few trips on his charter boat, a different, smaller vessel than the Keeper. Anglers can call the Keeper’s phone number to reach him if interested in a charter from the Keys from November to April.

<b>Longport</b>

Sea bass were creamed on Monday, the last day of sea bass season, 30 miles from shore on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. The anglers limited out, really whacked them, including two of the humpheads more than 6 pounds apiece. They also clocked 10 cod, and a cod was the pool-winner.  They released 8 or 10 out-of-season summer flounder and an out-of-season winter flounder. Mike can’t wait until sea bass season reopens on November 1, and anglers need to reserve open-boat trips for them, because the trips will be limited to 12 anglers. Big blues lately bit sea bass in half that were reeled up, and the choppers should be able to be trolled on trips. Trips are now fishing for blues, croakers and the occasional blackfish. The boat will target the migration of striped bass and blues that will arrive soon. Annual Cast and Blast Trips, charters that fish for whatever’s biting and gun for sea ducks on the same outing, are coming up soon.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Striped bass fishing was on par for the time of year, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. The fishing wasn’t much to talk about, but a few were hooked from the surf and inlets, and all were young, non-migrating fish. So they were small, but a better-sized one was landed once in a while. Fish with artificials, clams or bunker. A few spots remained in the surf, and so did an occasional kingfish, but not many. No bluefish were really around, except boaters might run across a pod of 1- or 1-1/4-pounders on the ocean on occasion. Sea bass anglers, before sea bass season closed on Tuesday, found big blues biting their sea bass in half farther offshore, like at 28-Mile Wreck and the Cigar. Blues might be able to be targeted there still. An excellent number of blackfish hovered everywhere from the bridges to the jetties to the ocean wrecks. Some anglers reeled in 50 or 60, releasing all but a one-per-person bag limit. Boaters at Wilmington and Spencer canyons during the weekend bagged a few tuna and wahoos and plenty of mahi mahi.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 10/15:***</b> Customers started weighing in more striped bass than before from the surf, said Wes from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. That was predictable for the time of year, and the anglers fished with clams. But a 40-inch striper was checked in that ate a whole mullet. A 32-inch 14-pounder was dropped in the scale that was clammed. A few blues ran through the surf, and look out for dog sharks in the suds. Stripers were also angled on the back bay on lures or on baits like clam or bunker fished in a chum slick. The tops of tides were best in the bay. Tog were plentiful along structure like the bridges, and the bag limit is one of the blackfish, until increasing to six in mid November. Sea bass fishing was great on the ocean, before sea bass season closed on Tuesday for a few weeks. Wes’s buddies fishing at the Offshore Reef during the weekend whaled a mess of sea bass and some cod, ling and other fish like bergals. They also blistered a bunch of big blues to 15 or 16 pounds. A few smaller blues could be found closer to shore. False albacore blitzed on the surface at Sea Isle Lump, only 2 miles from shore. Nobody really crabbed anymore. Fresh and salted clams and green crabs are stocked. Fresh bunker and mullet are carried when available.

Harry Franks and son on a trip Monday spin-rodded three small striped bass on the back bay on soft-plastic lures then clammed croakers on the ocean, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Stripers on the bay could also be livelined on spots, and sporadic blues could be found on the ocean. The migration of large stripers and blues was now impending. The run could slam the coast off Sea Isle City as early as next week, and often arrives during the second half of October, lasting into November. Charters that will fish the migration in November are booking up quickly, and if anglers are interested, they better contact Joe. Check out a video of the November blitz fishing. Joe will be interested to see how the storm that’s forecast to begin today might begin to pull in the migration. One of Jersey Cape’s annual weekend getaways to Montauk, charters that fish the migration that already arrived off the legendary port, is slated for this week. The getaways will be available at least through the weekend of October 23 and 24, and some anglers already expressed interest in that weekend, but space is available. The charters have been cleaning up on stripers, blues and false albacore this year. See <a href="http://www.gibsonstackle.com/page6.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Traveling Fisherman Web Page</a> for info about the trips to Montauk and other destinations. Keep up with Joe’s fishing, photos and videos on <a href=" http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

On the party boat <b>Adventurer</b> a decent catch of sea bass was shoveled up on Saturday, Capt. Gary said. Blues, a keeper blackfish and a throwback blackfish were also hooked. Sea bass season closed on Tuesday for a few weeks. Trips currently will probably fish for blues and croakers on the ocean close to shore, and, if a trip ends up near a wreck, could fish for tog. If striped bass show up along the beach front this season, trips will probably fish for them. The ocean on the trip Saturday was in the low 60s, and the cooler waters could begin to draw in stripers soon. No catches of the linesiders were heard about locally. Open-boat trips are fishing 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, and charters are available.

<b>Cape May</b>

Surf casters along the ocean sometimes banked blues and short striped bass, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. They soaked clams for the bass. They also plucked a few spots and kingfish from the wash. Boaters hauled in good-sized croakers on Delaware Bay south of the 1 buoy.

Lou Nicolo and Wanda Martinez loaded up on a bunch of croakers on the ocean close to shore and tugged up some tog to 7 pounds at an ocean wreck on Tuesday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. The tog didn’t bite too aggressively, probably because of warm waters, but some of the fish were there. Charters are also fishing for blues, and striped bass trips are being booked, and call if interested.

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