<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fluke trips, able to keep sailing during the currently closed fluke season because the vessel obtained a Research Set Aside Permit, mostly fished down the ocean beach on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. Catches depended on conditions or whether winds and tides created good drifts, and the conditions also dictated whether the boat could fish along the beach or elsewhere. After some of the flatties were reeled in during Monday morning’s trip, the afternoon trip’s fishing was slower. Fluking started off well on Tuesday morning’s trip, until conditions became tough, and that lasted through the afternoon’s trip. The angling on Wednesday morning’s trip also began well, until conditions became crummy, and catches slowed. Trips often dealt with winds, and winds blew hard on Wednesday afternoon’s trip. The boat began fluking near the ocean beach, moved farther from shore, but had to come back toward shore because of the winds. The drift was too fast, so the boat was headed to the bay, and a few fluke were landed at Reach Channel and near the Navy Pier. The bag limit while the boat fishes with the permit is the same as during the open season. The boat might keep fluking another two or three weeks until beginning to bottom fish. On November 16, when the blackfish bag limit increases to six fish from the current limit of one, trips will start blackfishing.  The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. <b>***Update, Saturday, 9/9:***</b> Winds were calmer, so conditions were better, and both trips on Friday caught more fluke, and more keepers, than before, Tom said. Both trips fished along the ocean beach, and actions was good, and one of the fluke weighed more than 6 pounds on the morning trip, and two weighed more than 5 in the afternoon.

Fishing picked up a little, and the weather somewhat cooled, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Bottom fishing was great, and he sailed for bottom fish at Sandy Hook Reef on Monday. Plenty of sea bass and porgies were pounded, and crabs were brought for blackfishing. Michael Lamb on the trip wrenched in a 12-1/2-pounder, and Jimmy angled up a 9-pounder, and three good-sized ones were boated on the outing. Andy Dubman weighed in a 9.96-pound blackfish from a trip on Kenny Dubman’s boat. Jimmy’s trip also stopped on striped bass readings, the only striper readings Jimmy saw, and one striper was clammed. Surf anglers dragged in a few stripers during the weekend on clams and popper lures, mostly in the mornings. Joe Hanra checked in a 31-incher from the surf recently. Bluefish also swam the surf. Porgies could be found in the rivers, and lots of small weakfish and some Lafayettes and kingfish hovered around the Oceanic Bridge.

<b>Highlands</b>

Bluefin tuna, good catches, were bombed before the hurricane, and okay catches were socked on Sunday after the weather, said Capt. Brian from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b>. But the angling became tough on Monday, maybe because of crowds of boats on that Labor Day holiday, in some of the calmest weather since the storm. A big population of bluefins gathered anywhere from the Virginia wreck off Long Island to waters farther south at the usual grounds off New Jersey. Jersey Devil, sailing for bluefins on both charters and open-boat trips, usually drifts for the bluefins while the anglers jig for the fish. Depending on how many anglers join a trip, two or three rods are usually set up to fish sardines at various depths while the anglers jig. Trolling for bluefins was also productive, and other pelagics were in the mix on the troll. A friend on Monday went 1 for 2 on wahoos while trolling the waters. Call Brian if interested in the open trips, because the more who are interested, the easier to schedule. Fishing for yellowfin tuna was inconsistent, hit or miss, at the canyons farther offshore, and trips seemed better off fishing for bluefins. Closer to shore, bottom fishing was great for sea bass and porgies, and Jersey Devil is sailing for them. Eeling for striped bass nailed the linesiders in the evenings, and Jersey Devil, who specializes in stripers in fall, will fish for the bass now if charters want. Trips for stripers can currently troll in the afternoons and swim eels as the sun goes down. Brian looks forward to fall striper season.

Winds kept trips docked, but from what Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> heard from trips on big boats, bluefish were beaten on the ocean, and false albacore and skipjacks were caught among them, he said. The fish swam anywhere from the Mud Dump to southeast, maybe 6 to 10 miles from the coast. The one or two boaters he talked with who bottom fished dredged up plenty of sea bass, porgies and blackfish. Nothing was heard about bluefin tuna fishing since Monday, and anglers who sailed for the fish then said the bite was tough because of boat traffic. That was a holiday and a rare break in the weather. Derek was supposed to fish for bluefins Wednesday but was weathered out. Fisher Price is running for all these species. Charters are sailing, and the next open-boat trips for bottom fish are set for Friday to Sunday. Anglers can call Derek to be kept informed about the open schedule. Open trips are also fishing for bluefins, in addition to charters.

Steve DeLorenzo docked an 8-3/4-pound fluke that he bucktailed along with other sizeable flatties before the season closed for the fish Tuesday, said Wayne from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>. Where he caught the fish was unknown. Anglers switched to fishing for sea bass this week when fluke season ended, boating probably a keeper in every 10 sea bass. Snapper blues swam the Shrewsbury River, and one angler from the marina’s buddy knew where weakfish could be caught. But few fished for weaks during the one-fish bag limit. No customers sailed for striped bass yet this season. But they might begin to eel for them in the evenings soon. Wayne heard nothing about blues in the bay, but big blues ran the ocean. Greg Schnell trolled a 46-pound wahoo at the Glory Hole on a ballyhoo on Sunday. He also boated chicken mahi mahi, and his buddy took a trip that fought a dozen bluefin tuna at the Bacardi wreck that day. No reports rolled in about tuna fishing at the canyons, and the weather was windy. A new supply of offshore baits will arrive in the next days. All different types of inshore baits are carried. When fall fishing kicks in, they’ll include live baits including bunker. The shop stocks a large selection of baits.

<b>Neptune</b>

A trip will sniff around for striped bass on Friday, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. Individual-reservation trips will begin bottom fishing inshore every Wednesday starting next week. Sea bass fishing was decent when anglers mixed in bottom fishing on a fluke trip Sunday, before fluke season closed. A few keeper fluke and quite a few shorts bit. Three spots are available on an individual-reservation trip to the offshore wrecks on Monday, September 20, for cod, pollock and ling. Spaces filled up for an overnight trip for tuna to the canyons Tuesday to Wednesday. Fishing for bluefin tuna closer to shore was viable, and Ralph heard about a few fought during the weekend.

<b>Belmar</b>

Bottom fishing on a trip Monday turned up sea bass, blackfish and porgies on the ocean on the <b>Nan Sea J</b>, Capt. Tom said. Waters were dirty from the storm at the end of last week, but the catch was fair, considering. The vessel is also bluefishing on charters, fishing for bluefin tuna on both charters and open-boat trips, and sailing for yellowfin tuna farther offshore at the canyons on overnight charters.

A slew of blues, big ones 8 to 15 pounds, good catches, were creamed on daytime trips on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> on the ocean, Capt. Alan said. False albacore and skipjacks were also racked up on the trips. The blues, loads of them, no albies or skipjacks, were also nailed on the vessel’s nighttime trips. The party boat <b>Tropical Adventure</b>, Alan’s other vessel, wrapped up fluke trips when the flatfish season closed Tuesday. Bottom-fishing trips will sail on the boat 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday on the ocean. Starting the following weekend, the trips will begin to sail twice daily 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Miss Belmar Princess is bluefishing twice daily 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Trips on the boat will sail for false albacore, bonito, skipjacks and bluefin tuna every Tuesday starting September 21. That schedule will be added on the vessel’s Web site in the next day or so.

Party boats that had been fluke fishing began sailing for sea bass, blackfish and porgies on the ocean, scoring well, since fluke season closed, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. The vessels carried crabs so anglers could hook their limit of one blackfish. The head boats that ran for bluefish cleaned up on lots on the ocean. Blues stormed Shark River Inlet the other day. False albacore began to pop in and out of the surf, and invaded this morning. Fishing for striped bass was a little slow in the surf, but a few were banked, and the season was early. Most anglers nabbed them on plugs with teasers, and a few clammed them. They connected in the early mornings or evenings or during low light. Stripers will begin to hit throughout the day once mullet pour out from the back waters, running up the beaches. Kingfish and porgies were landed on Shark River. Snapper blues that had schooled the river became bigger, were mostly real bluefish now, and few tried for snappers anymore. The blues that were hooked moved into the river from the ocean, like the ones that swarmed the inlet.

<b>Brielle</b>

<b>Fish Monger Charters</b> kicked off bottom-fishing trips Tuesday on the ocean, after sailing for fluke until fluke season closed that day, Capt. Jerry said in an e-mail. The six anglers limited out on sizeable sea bass early by 11:30 a.m. Double-headers flew over the rails nearly all day. “Loads of life!” he said. The trip never stopped to anchor, and the anglers “picked the cream off a bunch of wrecks and pieces,” he said. They tried for blackfish a moment, but hard south winds came up. One hefty tog and a few shorts were landed before the anglers retreated to port with the fish box full. “Doesn’t get much better!” Jerry said. “Great day on the water!” Only a few spots are available through sea bass season. “Don’t miss out!” he said. “Give a buzz; let’s go fishing!”

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Trips bottom fished on the ocean every day through the week on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, only had to be cancelled Friday because of the hurricane and Saturday because of winds, Capt. Butch said. Mainly porgies and sea bass were looted, and the anglers bagged 10 to 20 apiece. On some days mostly porgies bit, and on other days sea bass did. More sea bass were bucketed on Wednesday, and more porgies were on Monday. Almost all porgies were pounded, good catches, during the three days prior to the storm. The fishing was better then, and maybe the ocean had to settle a little since the weather. Seas were beautiful, like a lake, on the vessel this week. A few blues were hooked on trips, and a few blackfish were reeled up. Waters were warm for blackfish, and trips didn’t target the tog, because the bag limit is one. Fluke, out of season since Tuesday, bit and were released. The vessel’s nighttime bluefish trips sailed for the last time this year through Labor Day weekend, and good catches were clubbed. Demand drops after Labor Day. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

On the <b>Canyon Runner</b> an overnight, open-boat trip from Saturday to Sunday arrived at Hudson Canyon at 3 p.m., the report on the boat’s Web site said. The anglers went 5 for 7 on yellowfin tuna, mostly 60- to 80-pounders, the rest 35-pounders, on the troll that afternoon. Fishing at night was uneventful, except a 100-pound swordfish swam around the boat but refused to bite. In the morning the crew heard about a great bluefin tuna bite inshore, so the boat was headed there, “and it proved the right call,” the report said. A limit of two bluefins were bagged, and one was lost, and two were missed in waters between the Virginia and Bacardi wrecks. A sizeable yellowfin tuna was also bagged there. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing for tuna.

“Epic,” an e-mail from the party boat <b>Cock Robin</b> said. That’s how customers described Wednesday’s first trip of the season for false albacore and bonito. No bonito showed up, and they swam farther offshore, but albies raced through the chum slick, attacking anything cast: jigs, bait, bucktails and soft-plastic lures. Plus anglers limited out on bluefish. What’s more, a mahi mahi was landed. Another one of the trips will sail this coming Wednesday, limited to 20 anglers, and reservations are required. Trips are otherwise bluefishing daily, and the fishing is going well. The Cock Robin is bluefishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and is sailing for false albacore and bonito on special trips by reservation. Contact the boat for info.

<b>Toms River</b>

Surf casters mostly banked small, 2-pound blues, but sometimes 8- and 9-pounders crashed through, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Many anglers used mullet to coax a tug, and some dunked fresh bunker. Others cast Hopkins, Kastmaster or A.O.K. Tackle metal lures. Striped bass, one here, another there, were occasionally yanked from the surf, and waters were warm, hovering around 68 to 70 degrees. The fish were clammed, but a few were taken on big metal like Ava 47 lures when waters were rough. Nothing was heard about stripers caught at the Barnegat Bay sod banks so far this season, but if anglers tried for them, they could probably hook up, and eels are stocked for bait. Fluke fishing was improving like always this time of year, now that the season closed, of course, Dennis said. Blackfish were mongered up from along the Barnegat Inlet jetties, and small blues schooled around the inlet. Blowfishing was pretty darn good in the bay around the BI and BB markers. Anglers landed 20 or 25 with no problem, and probably 20 boats fished for them daily. Anchor and chum with clam, fishing with bits of clam or squid. A few croakers, kingfish and small sea bass, a variety of fish, chomped the baits. Snapper blues 6 to 8 inches, fewer than before, schooled from the Toms River to Barnegat Inlet, pouncing on spearing on Snapper Zappers or other offerings. Big, female eels began to migrate toward the ocean. Crabbing was super, and September is a solid month for the catches.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Big bluefish tumbled into the surf today at Midway Beach, and lots of false albacore dumped into the waters, said Scott from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. The albies were overdue. Keeper striped bass occasionally began to be beached from the surf on small metal like Ava 007’s with teasers, usually at first light or during low light. But one angler bagged a keeper during the middle of the day at 1 o’clock. So surf fishing began to come alive. Scott fished from the Seaside Heights Casino Pier on the ocean Wednesday, picking up hickory shad and weakfish six straight hours. A few of the weaks were keeper-sized, and most were 10 to 12 inches. He fished with small metal like 007’s and Deadly Dicks and Sabiki rigs. Snapper blues swam around the shop’s docks, and crabbing slowed. Blowfish bit farther south on Barnegat Bay, mostly at the 40 marker, but also at the BI and BB markers. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, killies and the full supply of baits is stocked. Catch Wacky Wednesdays every week, when clams are $2 per dozen. The rental boats are in the waters for fishing and crabbing, probably through the end of the month. The jet skis are ready to rent.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Fishing along the Barnegat Inlet jetty was great for catching blackfish, said Nick from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. Bluefish 10 pounds occasionally rushed through the inlet, and a handful of 30-inch striped bass were socked in the inlet on bucktails or clams. A few stripers were rounded up from the surf, but waters were warm. One or two reports were heard per day about the catches from a wide area from Barnegat Light to Harvey Cedars. Blues 2 to 5 pounds sometimes entered the surf. Excellent catches of sea bass were pumped in from the ocean wrecks. Croakers also came from the wrecks, and anglers hoped they moved closer to shore like they often do. No reports rolled in from Barnegat Ridge. In Barnegat Bay blowfish were collected at the BI and BB markers. A few weakfish were around in the bay. Nothing hot and heavy was heard about striped bass catches along the sod banks so far this season.

<b>Barnegat</b>

Winds are forecast to blow, gusting to 25 northwest, through Friday, said Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b> in an e-mail. “No fishing, right?” he asked. “Wrong,” he said. No matter how hard a northwest blows, the ocean will be flat close to shore, protected by land. His trips will keep fishing for striped bass along the Barnegat Inlet jetty with live grass shrimp. Lots of the bass are 22 to 27 inches, but keepers sometimes show up. The big ones usually run the line, 10-pound test, over the rocks and break off, though. Anglers aboard fish with 10-pound spinning gear for sport. Dave does, though, carry heavier tackle “(for) when we grow weary of break offs,” he said. But then anglers don’t take advantage of the more common sizes. Porgies and blackfish are in the mix, and when the trips are finished fishing the jetty, they run to the back of Barnegat Bay for weakfish, kingfish and blowfish. So anglers have no need to stay on land because of the forecast. However, forecasts did keep the Hi Flier’s trips docked that sail to Barnegat Ridge farther offshore. But word had it that the ridge was heavy with false albacore. As soon as winds calm, trips will steam there and also to the Mudhole for bluefin tuna, mahi mahi, skipjacks and bonito, trolling, jigging, chunking and live-bait fishing. For the smaller fish, trips chum with fresh spearing when available. For the bluefins, trips chunk with sardines, though the tuna love a spearing slick, too. Charters are sailing for all these fish, and so are open-boat trips frequently. Open trips for the combo of striper and back-bay fishing are set for 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and Friday. Saturday is booked. Open trips for bonito, false albacore, bluefin tuna, mahi and skipjacks are slated for 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday. On the open trips only one angler is needed to sail, and the price does not get increased. The open trips are limited to three anglers, and reservations are required. Here’s a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMmVr-EVUXE" target="_blank">video</a> of the striper fishing from a few weeks ago “if you want to get a feel for what we are doing,” Dave said.

<b>Forked River</b>

Blowfish, great catches, were mugged on Barnegat Bay at the 40, BI and BB markers, said Dave from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. A few kingfish, weakfish and other fish were scattered among them, and small sea bass swam around the bay. Big bluefish started running the ocean close to shore. Word was mum on striped bass fishing so far this season. Crabbing was good.

<b>Surf City</b>

Little was heard about catches, but a few snapper blues, not a ton, were played in the bay, said Bob from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. News typically dries up a moment this time of year, when anglers do other things for a few days once Labor Day passes. Crabbing was good. But nobody talked about other catches from the bay, surf or ocean.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

Bluefish, bonito, a bunch of croakers, healthy-sized ones, and some sea bass were drummed up from the ocean Monday on the <b>June Bug</b>, Capt. Lindsay said. So that was a good catch, and the croakers schooled in 30 feet in different places. The other fish were hung in 60 feet, except the bonito, trolled on No. 2 Clark spoons and a bird a friend makes. They were socked a little deeper. A trip offshore for tuna and big game is tentatively set for Saturday, and Lindsay heard from nobody who ran offshore since the storm, and the weather was windy much of the time since the storm. Previously he saw reports about catches at Wilmington Canyon. Satellite charts this week showed warm waters from southern Hudson Canyon to Toms Canyon and a finger of warm waters at the Wilmington.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

<b>Legal Limit Charters</b> finished summer flounder fishing for the year on a trip Monday, plundering a bunch to 7 pounds, a good catch, on the ocean, Capt. T.J. said. That was the final day of the season for the fish, and lots of sizeable sea bass started to be pulled from the ocean wrecks and reefs. T.J. hopes the catches continue to amp up, and trips are sailing for them. Charters are running, and check the <a href=" http://www.legallimitcharters.com/c-11-open-boat.aspx" target="_blank">Open Boat/Shared Charter Schedule</a> online for those trips that will target the humpheads. Winds are forecast to blow today and Friday, and no trips will fish then. But the boat is supposed to fish offshore for tuna during the weekend. One of T.J.’s two boats will make the annual move to Cape May for striped bass fishing during the third week of October. His other boat will keep fishing from Tuckerton.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

After a tough weekend of weather, the Labor Day holiday on Monday and the shop being closed on Tuesday like usual, news was scarce, and the few customers on Wednesday either fished for spots on the bay or crabbed, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Some fished for summer flounder on Sunday and Monday when the weather calmed, before flounder season closed the next day, and all the flatties were boated on the ocean. Some bagged a few keepers, and others only landed shorts. Nobody mentioned big bluefish this week that had showed up along the ocean close to shore last week. Whether that was only because no customers tried for them was unknown. No feedback came in about sea bass fishing on the ocean. Abundant spots seemed to swim Great Bay and even the lagoons, and anglers boated them on clams or Fishbites artificial worms to keep for live bait for the fall striped bass run. Lots of bait like peanut bunker jammed the bay, holding potential for good fishing during the fall migration of bass and blues. The baitfish pour out to the ocean then, and the bass and blues jump all over them. The more bait that a year produces, the better the fishing usually is. Shore anglers reeled in spots from Graveling Point. Occasional kingfish, some big and others 3 inches, were mixed in. But kingfish were scarce, though lots held in the bay two weeks ago. Blowfish swam most prevalent at the clam stakes near the Fish Factory. Snapper blues swam the lagoons, offering fun fishing, and they began to gain size, reaching 6 or 7 inches. No weakfish were reported caught. One angler pulled in tog from along the sod banks across from the Fish Factory last week. Scott imagines that during the right conditions, the blackfish should be able to be caught. Crabbing was okay or fair, not “record breaking,” Scott said. Fresh shucked clams and bloodworms were being restocked today. Minnows will still be carried, though flounder season closed. Anglers use them for other fish including in freshwater.

<b>Absecon</b>

Spots, kingfish, maybe some weakfish and small fish like that flooded the bay, said Curt from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Now was the time to anchor and chum for a mixed bag of the catches. The fish might not be big, but many are good-eating. Chum with fresh clams, and the shop is stocking them, and fish with pieces of clam, bloodworms or squid. Lots of spots filled the waters, and anglers caught them to keep for bait for the fall striped bass run, if they had a bait pen or someplace to keep them. The shop is running a tournament for anglers who catch croakers, kingfish and white perch. First place wins $50, and second winds $25, and anglers must enter at least 24 hours in advance. Croakers ran the ocean and surf. Curt, a perch angler, found that the fishing for the slabs was consistent, even if he wouldn’t say the angling was excellent, on the Mullica River. Many of the fish were around, but the big ones fail to school up in the warm waters, and instead become scattered, so anglers have to search for them. Fishing with shedder crabs, bloodworms or small minnows will hook them, and Curt also hooked a few kingfish and weakies among the perch. He also landed a 25-inch striped bass while perching on the river at the Parkway Bridge, and heard about a few reeled in there. Ten-pound drum were sometimes hauled up there. Customers sometimes bought eels, but little was heard about stripers rounded up on the bait from the back bay. Curt was sure that if anglers tried for the fish, they could probably grab one here or there. Nothing was heard about stripers plugged on lures along the bay’s sod banks. Tog fishing was mediocre anywhere from the sod banks to the bridges to the dock pilings and the surf jetties. Not much was heard about triggerfish found at places like the jetties, maybe because water temps dropped a little. Crabbing was consistent, and customers bought lots of crab bait. Catch the shop’s sale starting Friday, featuring 25 percent off most items except priced-locked Shimano reels. But the reels come with free PowerPro line.

<b>Brigantine</b>

The surf was full of spots and kingfish, and snapper blues moved into the waters fairly abundant, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Bloodworms drew more gobbles from the kings and spots than Fishbites artificial worms did. Bobby Fields beached a 14-1/2-pound striped bass from the surf off the Brigantine Hotel. Someone said a 40-inch striper was heaved in from the jetty. Youngsters Dennis and Anthony Scelza came up with a 2-1/2-pound 30-inch eel in a crab trap. The 5th annual Riptide Striped Bass Derby will launch September 22, lasting until the end of the year. Entrants will win cash awards for the biggest stripers caught from the surf along Brigantine’s front beach. First place will win $750, and 2nd will cop $400, and 3rd will earn $150. The entrant with the biggest bass each month will win $25. The rest of the proceeds will be donated to charity, and the event donated more than $13,000 to charity since the tournament began, Andy said. The entry fee will be $20 or $25, and entry must be accompanied by a Brigantine beach buggy permit. That way all entrants will get to drive the beach to fish.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Kingfish and healthy sized weakfish were cranked in from the surf, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Bloodworms and mullet landed both, and the belly of the mullet worked well. Spots nibbled bloodworms on Sabiki rigs in the surf, and big tog were knuckled in from along the jetties the past two days on crabs and clams. No triggerfish were seen from the jetties anymore. A few striped bass, stragglers, were plugged in the surf at sunrise and sunset. Bluefish roamed the back bay, and mullet and spearing schooled the waters. Mullet, 6- to 8-inch corncobs, showed up along the ocean during the storm last week. Flounder were hooked everywhere, but anglers could keep none, because of the closed season. All the baits mentioned and more, including minnows, are stocked.

This was the season when trips, like those with kids, could anchor and chum in the back bay to load up on a variety of small fish like spots, blowfish, kingfish, small croakers and baby sea bass, said Curt from <b>Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle</b>. Kids could have a blast. Snapper blues could be found in the bay, and throwback summer flounder, out of season, hugged the bottom. Experienced anglers should be able to scare up striped bass on the bay at night on lures like Bombers. Nobody mentioned surf fishing, and customers were scarce this week after Labor Day, a typical lull during the time. Few fished the ocean between windy weather. But offshore boaters returned to fishing at the canyons on Monday during a break in the weather, after the hurricane at the end of last week. Fishing was tough, and tiny yellowfin tuna like 12 inches were around, but bigger ones were mostly a no-show. Anglers practically stopped speculating where the fish relocated lately, like 150 miles offshore or closer to shore than where everyone fished. But if the tuna were closer to shore, somebody should’ve run across them. The fishing had started off well this year. Everyone generally hooked a white marlin, and a few wahoos were around. A friend broke off a blue marlin in the morning on an overnighter Monday to Tuesday when a commercial boat ran over the line. Lots of mahi mahi gathered around the lobster pot buoys and debris.

<b>Margate</b>

On the party boat <b>Keeper</b> summer flounder were decked on the back bay through the final day of the season Monday, Capt. John said. Trips will keep sailing for the flatties on the bay with a <b><i>Summer Flounder Research Set Aside Permit</i></b>. The government distributes a limited number of the permits that boats bid on, and the Keeper obtained one. The bag limit is the same as during the open season, and the government collects data on the catch for research, the purpose of the permit. Trips are fishing for flounder once daily on Thursdays and Fridays, twice daily on Saturdays and once daily on Sundays and Mondays.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Boaters were able to sail Sunday and Monday after the storm, but winds blew too strongly since then, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. The surf was too rough to fish at the beginning of the week because of the storm. But kingfish began to be beached from the surf Wednesday, and spots were mixed in. John heard about a few small striped bass that hit bloodworms on kingfish rigs from the beach on the south end of the island. Some who anchored in the back bay landed kings on bloods while chumming with clam or bunker. Bluefish 1 to 3 pounds marauded the surf occasionally. Lots of summer flounder remained in many waters, but anglers must release them, because flounder season closed. A tog or two were sometimes plucked from along the bridges. Fair catches of sea bass were boated at G.E. Reef on Monday, but winds prevented the trips afterward. Townsend’s Inlet Reef served some up. No customers reported fishing for tuna and big game at the canyons offshore, apparently because of winds.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson's Tackle</b>, fished with Dusty Laricks on a short scouting trip Wednesday evening, Joe said. They clocked and released a short striped bass, missing another, and some blues on the back bay on popper lures. Joe scouted the fishing solo for a short time Tuesday evening, releasing a 26-inch striper and a blue. Popper fishing for stripers on the bay, a specialty for Jersey Cape on both spinning and fly rods, will only get better, and will “explode,” Joe said, in the next couple of weeks. He’ll concentrate on the fishing currently like every year. High tides at dusk are ideal, and anglers can call Joe to find out the days when the tides are right for a charter. Trips fish for the bass while Joe poles his flats boat on the bay’s shallows, a unique experience. Joe noted that surf fishing for stripers usually becomes excellent around Sea Isle starting when the first cold front arrives some time between the last two weeks of September and Columbus Day. When mullet leave the back waters, migrating along the ocean, surf angling for stripers can also be super. Croakers probably schooled the ocean close to shore, though Joe focused on bay fishing. Sharks, mostly browns and duskies, limited to catch and release angling by regulation, should still swim the ocean 8 to 10 miles from shore. Joe’s charters nailed and released the fish lately, and anglers can still take trips for them, though, again, much of Joe’s fishing will go after stripers on the bay. He’ll also fish offshore at times, and white marlin, lots of mahi mahi and a few tuna held there. Joe will offer annual charters to Montauk to fish the fall migration of stripers, blues and false albacore soon, and will guide annual trips to the Florida Keys, weekend packages, during winter. See <a href="http://www.gibsonstackle.com/page6.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Traveling Fisherman Web Page</a>. Keep up with Joe’s fishing, photos and videos on <a href=" http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

Fishing on the back bay was sort of in transition between summer flounder season closing and striped bass fishing taking off, said Ryan from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. But stripers were around in the waters, and so were small blues and baby sea bass. The blues, sea bass and a few small weakfish gathered at the inlets, and kingfish could be caught in the surf on bloodworms. A 31-inch striped bass was bagged from the surf at 49th Street. To locate stripers in the wash, fish the structure at night with clams. Sea bass hung along the ocean wrecks, and so did flounder, if anglers wanted to catch and release them. Crabbing was good.

<b>Wildwood</b>

After summer flounder season closed after Labor Day, the party boat <b>Adventurer</b> will concentrate on sea bass, and croakers and blues will probably be caught among them, Capt. Gary said. Previously trips targeted flounder. Crowds became light at the docks after the holiday, and that and winds on Wednesday kept the boat from sailing since then. Winds were expected to keep today’s trip in port, too. But the boat will resume sailing afterward. The vessel had been fishing for blues on open-boat trips on Saturday nights, and those trips finished for the season last weekend. But charters in October can usually jump on blues in the ocean. Charters are available, and open-boat trips are running 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Call to confirm that the open trips will sail.

Plenty of summer flounder remained in the back bay, though none could be kept, because the flattie season closed, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. But striped bass were seen busting on the water surface of the bay for the first time this season, appearing to be a good start to action with them this year. One of the employees at the shop and a buddy saw a big school of the linesiders, the first they saw this season, in a frenzy on the bay Wednesday evening. Mike fishes for the bass with clams, setting up a chum slick with chunks of clams. But when stripers are feeding, they’ll hit almost any bait, like chunked ballyhoos, minnows or whatever. When the fish bust on the surface, he throws popper lures or bucktails. Crabbing was good, and a commercial crabber said catches somewhat dropped off, but September is a prime month for crabbing. Low tides coincided with afternoons in the last days, so no customers crabbed. But the blueclaws were out there, and the tides will change. The shop will probably stay open this season through the first two weeks of October. Canal Side rents canopy boats and kayaks for fishing, crabbing and sightseeing. A few minnows, the favorite flounder bait, are stocked, but the supplier stopped carrying them for the season, so no more might be stocked at the shop this year, unless another supplier shows up with some. Other baits stocked include frozen squid strips, whole squid, spearing, mackerel fillets, mullet, clam strips and packaged clams. Live crabs for eating are carried, and currently No. 2’s are $12 for the first dozen and $10 for each additional dozen. No. 1’s are $20 for the first dozen and $18 for each additional dozen. Crabs are sold according to market prices that can change.

<b>Cape May</b>

Surf anglers jabbed 1- to 5-pound blues along the ocean, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Mackerel worked well for bait-fishers, but the shop also carries a selection of metal lures to connect, including from Hopkins, Krocodile, Ava and Deadly Dick. Boaters in the area also grabbed the blues. Anglers fishing the surf for kingfish with bloodworms picked up striped bass at 2nd Avenue the other day. The ocean surf was the place to find kings. Surf casters on the Delaware Bay side wrangled up croakers on bloods, squid or clam. Weakfish were around for both surf anglers and boaters around Cape May, and they were small this year, but the population could be promising for the future. In the back bay small blues popped up along the Intracoastal Waterway, and stripers, fish that live in the bay all year, could always be hooked at night at places like along the bridges on soft-plastics including swim shads, Fin-S-Fish and Mr. Twisters. Nobody really boated the ocean farther from land because of winds. But plenty of sea bass should remain at the reefs and wrecks, and big game catches should continue offshore. Bloodworms are stocked, and minnows, the favorite summer flounder bait, are on hand, because a couple of the party boats carry the permit that allows them to fish for the flatties during the currently closed season. Fresh clams are in supply, and so are frozen baits including mackerel and mullet.

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