<b>Staten Island</b>

Winds gusted, mostly keeping trips from fishing with <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b> the past several days, Capt. Anthony said. But when trips motored out, fishing was consistent for sea bass and blackfish. “People are going home with smiles,” he said. Barbara Anne will probably begin to focus on blackfish now. The season’s final open-boat trip offshore for sea bass and other fish was weathered out on Sunday. Open trips are fishing inshore every Tuesday and Thursday but also on other days when enough anglers want to sail. Call for the schedule.  

<b>Bayonne</b>

Fishing was cancelled on board this weekend because of winds, said Capt. Akira from <b>True World Tackle</b> and <b>True World Tackle Charters</b>. But a trip on the previous weekend on Saturday pummeled 10 keeper stripers to 34 pounds on eels at the channel near the Statue of Liberty. Eeling for stripers was highly productive around New York Harbor lately. On the next day a bottom-fishing trip looted many porgies and released lots of sea bass at the Mud Buoy. Sea bass season opened today. Bulkhead anglers hooked many blackfish, keeping a limit of one and releasing the rest, at the piers on New York Harbor, such as at Global Terminal, and on waters on the bay side, not the harbor side, of the Verrazano Bridge.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

All the anglers aboard bagged a few sea bass so far, Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> said on the phone at 12 noon, part way through the trip on this opening day of sea bass season. Plus they mugged plenty of big porgies, and some hooked blackfish, including a 9-pounder. None of the sea bass was hefty, but everyone reeled up some keepers. Winds somewhat backed off, compared with Sunday, when winds rolled the boat around, a cranky day that made the fishing tough. But porgies and blackfish were picked. Fishing on Saturday’s trip began slowly but turned out well in the afternoon. Lots of sizeable porgies and a few blackfish were claimed, and sea bass were released. More blackfish bit in the rough weather on Sunday than on Saturday, but porgy fishing was better, was good, on Saturday.

Winds came on strong on Sunday’s trip for the fourth day in a row, but the anglers managed a catch of striped bass and blues, said Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> in a report on the vessel’s Web site. He wanted to clam for stripers on the last of outgoing tide. One angler decked a sizeable striper immediately on the clams, and another angler almost got spooled on the bait, battled the fish back to the boat for 15 minutes, but lost the lunker when the fish spit the hook. The striper was seen and probably weighed 30 to 35 pounds. Then the anglers jigged after the tide changed, “picking and plucking here and there,” Ron said. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Check out a <a href=" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT25i46Nd8s&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">video of the trip</a>.

<b>Highlands</b>

On one day striped bass would bite strongly, and on another “(you’d) have to pull out all the stops and find feeding fish,” said Capt. Bob from <b>Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures</b> in an e-mail. The angling was up-and-down, and open-boat trips ran throughout the week, covering lots of miles to put fish in the box. Stripers were in, but just no bite concentrated in one area so far. Anglers aboard fished for the bass in whatever ways necessary: clamming, jigging, trolling or eeling. Night trips on the vessel produced outstanding catches. Both day and night trips will fish for stripers through the month.

The four anglers aboard limited out on eight striped bass and hooked blues mixed in on Sunday off Sandy Hook Point with <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b>, Capt. Brian said. The bass weighed up to 18 pounds, none huge, but all decent sized. His trips often striper fished off the Point lately and connected, and the angling was good there all weekend. The trip limited by 9:45 a.m. then returned to port, beating the strong winds that blew afterward. Forecasts had called for gusts to 30 knots during the trip that never came. Brian’s usually been meeting charters at the docks in the mornings, even when forecasts called for rough weather, checking out the fishing conditions first hand. This trip, for example, was able to take advantage of that. Brian heard no news about bluefin tuna fishing, and nobody probably sailed for them in the weather. But Jersey Devil is fishing for bluefins on charters and open-boat trips, when enough anglers are interested in open trips, and the tuna lately were bailed at places like the Atlantic Princess wreck and the Chicken Canyon. Call if interested in the open trips, because the more who are interested, the easier to schedule. Sea bass season opens today, and the blackfish bag limit will be raised to six on November 16 from the current limit of one. Then trips with Jersey Devil will be able to fish for a combo of stripers in the mornings and blackfish afterward.

Striped bass, healthy catches, were belted from Thursday through the weekend when the weather allowed trips to sail with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, Capt. Derek said. Anglers aboard eeled and clammed the fish at the mouth of Raritan Bay. Bluefish haven’t been much of an issue on trips in the area. A few blues hit when anglers jigged or trolled, but eels and clams usually fail to attract blues anyway. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips will probably run on Friday and Saturday. Call to jump aboard the open trips or to be kept informed about future ones. 

<b>Neptune</b>

Striped bass and blues were clammed, jigged and trolled with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. Trips can begin fishing for sea bass, now that sea bass season opened today, though most of Ralph’s customers prefer to fish for blackfish, hooking sea bass as a by-catch. The season’s first individual-reservation trip for blackfish will sail on Tuesday, November 16, when the bag limit is increased to six from the current limit of one. Currently the tog anglers aboard kept their one-fish limit, enjoying releasing the others that bit. An individual-reservation trip offshore for cod, pollock and hake is set for Thursday, and space is available. The trip was rescheduled for that day when weathered out previously.

<b>Belmar</b>

Bottom fishing barreled up porgies and blackfish on a trip Sunday on the <b>Nan Sea J</b> on the ocean, Capt. Tom said. The blackfish weighed up to 7 pounds, and the anglers kept their limit of one apiece, releasing the rest for fun. Sea bass were also released but will now be able to be kept, because sea bass season opened today. Seas were rough on the trip on Sunday and during the past several days, and strong winds blew. Many boats sailed the ocean on Saturday, but few did on Sunday. Anglers on the Nan Sea J lately also jigged for striped bass and blues on the ocean, mostly catching big blues. Tom heard about bluefin tuna boated close to shore, and trips will fish for them if anglers want. 

<b>Brielle</b>

A few boaters who worked hard put the brakes on striped bass on the ocean on Saturday, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b> in a phone call on Sunday morning. One customer ran a trip that trolled five in 60 feet that day on special sand eel rigs the shop makes, and the rigs imitate the sand eels that are abundant in the waters. Other boaters on the ocean that day picked at stripers, one here, another there, while jigging, and even fishing for blues sounded tough that day for them. Lots of boat traffic filled the waters that day, but Dave couldn’t know if that was a cause. Surf fishing for stripers was better to the south toward Seaside and to the north in northern Monmouth County than close to Brielle. Blues 2 to 3 pounds reportedly invaded waters at Manasquan Inlet on Sunday morning. Dave heard that blackfishing slowed at the Point Pleasant Canal. Stripers bit at the canal as far as he knew, and that’s a fishery where anglers can be sure the bass must be there, but not a lot might be heard from the anglers in the know. They fish for them at night around slack tides, because of the strong current, with bucktails, jigs or live bait. Not much was heard about striper fishing on Manasquan River, and Dave tried for the linsiders on the river behind the shop a few times, coming up with none, though the fish would normally be there. Bottom fishers on the ocean scored alright catches, including lots of porgies, and they released plenty of sea bass when blackfishing, potentially boding well for the opening of sea bass season today. Blackfishing was “eh,” Dave said, but he imagined the chillier weather and colder nights will drop water temps, helping the angling. Cod were around farther from shore in 120 feet. No customers ran offshore for tuna in the windy weather, and two local party boats sailed on overnight trips for tuna on Friday, but no results were heard. Nothing was heard about bluefin tuna fishing closer to shore in the weather, but good bluefin catches were pounded two Sundays ago.   

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Conditions for fishing were awesome all weekend, except for boat traffic on Saturday, and anglers on deck clubbed big striped bass and huge, enormous blues on the ocean, an e-mail from the party boat <b>Cock Robin</b> said. The fishing was better on Sunday than on Saturday. “For those of you aboard Sunday, we are <i>not</i> discussing the <i>dogfish</i> situation,” the e-mail said. Bait, bait and more bait schooled within 15 minutes from port. “No reason for the bait to move; gonna be here for a while,” it said. The Cock Robin is sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

With <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> a trip on Thursday first searched for fish to jig on the ocean, a report on the boat’s Web site said. The charter headed north, and birds were found working the waters, and the anglers jigged three keeper striped bass, six shorts and a dozen blues to 12 pounds. Sand eels swam in tight schools around the boat. Once the action stopped, the trip began tog fishing, topping off the box with a limit of one of the blackfish per angler. The tog weighed up to 5 pounds, and most of the anglers had never fished for them previously, but they caught on quickly.

Blitzing fish blew up on the ocean, ridiculous action with birds dive-bombing bait, off Lavallette, Ortley Beach and Seaside Heights on an open-boat trip on Sunday with <b>Reel Class Charters</b>, Capt. Allen said. The five anglers scored a couple of good shots at striped bass, landing 10, including seven keepers from 29 to 30 inches, not big, and fought a load of blues to 15 pounds. Allen also hooked another striper that was lost at the boat, and landed a 9.6-pound bonito that hit his Krocodile jig. Then the anglers called it a day early, because winds blew fiercely. Not many boats were on the waters in the weather that day, but Allen was glad the trip sailed, because of the fishing. On Saturday Jim Fell’s charter sailed for a combo of stripers and blackfish on the ocean. Three keeper stripers, including two 15-pounders and a 28-incher, and a ton of blues were belted. The bass were hooked near Manasquan Inlet, and the blues were battled there and, earlier in the trip, off the Thunderbird Hotel and Seaside.  Once the bite near the inlet ended, the charter fished for blackfish at the reef, nailing a hot catch, including a 6-pounder, a 4-pounder and a one-fish limit of the tog for the six anglers. Charters and open-boat trips are sailing, and watch <a href=" http://www.reelclassfishing.com/rates/open-boat-info" target="_blank">Reel Class’s open-boat schedule</a> online, or call Allen, for upcoming open-trip dates.

<b>Surf City</b>

Surf fishing sort of slowed, and fewer blues swam the waters than before, but sizeable striped bass were beached here and there, said Steve from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. The striper catches seemed to spread out along Long Beach Island more than previously. Fresh bunker grabbed most of the fish, and fresh bunker is almost always carried at the shop, arriving nearly every day. Fresh clams are usually on hand. Boaters on the ocean sometimes battled big blues with occasional stripers mixed in, and the anglers had to search out the fish. Blackfish were tugged in from along the Barnegat Inlet jetty.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

A big run of striped bass weigh ins rolled into the shop late Friday afternoon, but only a few of the fish were landed on Saturday, said a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site. The fish were clammed at Little Egg Inlet, and trollers on the ocean found bait and birds working the bait, but no stripers chasing the bait. Anglers thought the ocean, in the low 60s, was a bit warm. “Good news is it’s only going to get better over the next couple of weeks,” the report said. Only a pick of stripers were clammed at the inlet on Sunday. Tides were extremely low because of strong southwest winds, and anglers joked that the slow fishing was because “there wasn’t any water,” it said. Winds finally calmed today, and inlet anglers scored a good day on stripers. The fishing was best on outgoing tide, and “a so-so blitz,” the report said, went down at the bottom of the tide. Customers were thinking sea bass and tog fishing on Tuesday in calmer seas.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Anglers, mostly from the surf, pounded a great day of striped bass fishing on Brigantine on Sunday, even if the angling became slow today, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. On Sunday customers weighed in at least eight to ten stripers, including a 30-pounder and a 17-pounder. The angler with the 30-pounder took over third place in the shop’s striper derby. Steve DiGiacomo was in first place with a 46-1/2-pound 51-incher he banked last Monday. Phil Fors from Rolling Tackle Box donated a 13-foot Breakaway HDX surf rod, worth $280, that will be awarded to the entrant with the biggest striper today through Sunday. That’s in addition to any other prizes the angler might win in the event. The tournament, the 5th annual Riptide Striped Bass Derby, lasts 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. 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>Sea Isle City</b>

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> was away for a moment, and he heard no confirmed reports about migrating striped bass and blues arriving locally yet, he said. The fish were late and could arrive any time, and he’ll run lots of trips this weekend. His anglers target the bass and blues with jigheads with soft plastics like Fin-S Fish and sometimes with bucktails or metal. They also fly rod for the fish. November is usually a peak month for the angling, and once the fish arrive, the catches are usually sustained or continue instead of stopping and starting.  The angling is mayhem, the best fishing of the year. Keep up with Joe’s fishing, photos and videos on <a href=" http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Longport</b>

An open-boat trip was postponed to Wednesday that was supposed to run for sea bass at the 30-mile wrecks today, the opening day of sea bass season, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>. Forecasts for the offshore grounds were too rough today, but Mike was going to try to target the lumpheads inshore today and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Sea bass should be stacked up at the wrecks, because of lack of angler pressure during the closed season. The trips also carry green crabs for tog bait. Mike tried for striped bass on the ocean toward the end of the week, but nothing was doing with the fishing yet. The migration could arrive any moment. Fishing was cancelled on the boat Sunday because of forecasts for 30-knot winds that failed to blow that hard. Open-boat trips and charters are running.

<b>Cape  May</b>

<b>Legal Limit Charters</b> fished a long day on Delaware Bay on Saturday, and waters were warm, holding lots of croakers and fish that like higher temps, but one 35-1/2-pound 48-inch striped bass was hauled in, Capt. T.J. said. That was the only striper bite on the trip, but the fish was landed. Charters and open-boat/shared charters are sailing for stripers, and see <a href=" http://www.legallimitcharters.com/c-11-open-boat.aspx" target="_blank">Legal Limit’s open-boat/shared charter schedule</a> online.

A couple of striped bass 25 or 28 pounds were plowed on a charter who fished on Delaware Bay on Sunday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. The anglers – the Chris Nardone charter with daughter Marian and Scott, Austin and Danny – fished with bunker chunks. Few boats sailed that day, because of forecasts for strong winds. Seas began rough on the trip then calmed down. But then winds came on like a light switch around 12:30 p.m., blowing hard, roughing up seas. Anglers who are patient are boating the bass on the bay on bunker, and the stripers that are caught are healthy sized. George heard about no stripers showing up yet in the Cape May Rips or along the ocean front, and he heard about a couple of boats that fished on the ocean front with no luck. On Saturday a charter on the Heavy Hitter cancelled, so George mated on another boat. Only a few croakers, no stripers, were picked up from the bay on that boat. Lots of boats fished on the bay on that day, and George heard about a few friends on private boats, good anglers, who sailed on trips on Saturday that totaled five or six stripers apiece on the bay. A charter on the Heavy Hitter is supposed to sail for sea bass on Tuesday, now that sea bass season opened today. A couple of dates remain for charters on weekends with George, and weekdays are available, and call if interested. 

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