Update on the hurricane:

Some coastal boats and tackle shops were heard from after the storm.

But many were not. Many phone calls to them remained unanswered. Often, phones didn’t work.  

<b>Highlands</b>

The boat survived the hurricane, but docks and marinas were destroyed, Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> said. He’s trying to find a place to dock the boat to salvage the season. <b>***Update, Monday, 11/5:</b> Derek hopes to line up a new slip by the end of the week. Highlands was “pretty much destroyed,” he said.

<b>Neptune</b>

Fishing will begin Saturday on the <b>Last Lady</b>, Capt. Ralph said in an e-mail. He hopes all is well with everyone. The storm was the worst he ever saw, and he grew up at Bay Shore, Long Island. His worked as a mate at the Sayville ferries at his first job. “Thought I had seen it all,” he said. Ralph rode out the hurricane on his boats. No damage. And his family is fine. Power came back on at the house Sunday, and he had a generator for electricity before then. So Ralph was very happy for himself and his family, until he got a call this morning. The Last Lady II was between the bridges. He had just put new lines on the boat. So someone had let the boat loose. The main part of the boat was not damaged, but the new cabin he just built was damaged. But he’ll fix it, and hopes to have the boat sailing in a week to 10 days. The Last Lady, his other boat, is ready to fish. Charters are fishing, and individual-reservation trips will include the following. A trip for cod offshore November 26. The trip, leaving at 2 a.m., was originally scheduled for November 12. But Ralph won’t run in the dark, because of debris in the water, that soon after the storm. Those who are slated to go should call Ralph to let him know if the new date is okay. Space will be available on the new date. Space is available on a blackfish trip November 21, and is full on another one of the trips November 25. Individual-reservation blackfish trips will also run every Saturday and Sunday in December and January. One of the trips for blackfish should also fish November 16, if the Last Lady II is ready then. It should be. “Again, hope all is well, to you all,” Ralph said.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>***Update, Wednesday, 10/7:***</b> “We made it through Sandy,” a post on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>’s Facebook page said. “We were very fortunate,” it said, and the crew’s thoughts and prayers go out to those who fared worse. The crew hopes to resume fishing Saturday, sailing daily for striped bass and blackfish on the ocean, “if all goes well,” the post said. “Good luck to everyone on this next storm.”

Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, a fire chief, was busy with fire company work since the storm, he said. But the boat survived, and he hopes to resume fishing soon. Belmar was in “complete disarray,” he said. But the dock was in good shape.

The <b>Katie H</b> weathered the storm, Capt. Mike said. Charters will fish again as soon as fuel is available and power is back on. Maybe that’ll take a week. Many in the industry will be out of business because of the storm. Many boats were lost, and many people lost much more. Mike’s prayers and thoughts go out to them.

<b>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b> was headed 45 miles offshore today to retrieve a Rutgers University Glider, Capt. Jared said. That's a self-propelled aquatic vehicle that researchers launched with Fin-Ominal just prior to the hurricane, covered in a previous report here. The Glider collects lots of data like water temperatures and air speed, when the Glider surfaces, so researchers can learn about these storms, including for forecasting. The Glider was launched just inshore of the Mudhole with Fin-Ominal, and was now 45 miles off Long Beach Island, almost to Lindenkohl Canyon. That is likely farther offshore than any recreational fishing boats have reached since the storm. Jared will probably troll a little on the trip, and see what bites. He’ll be able to give an update on what he sees, probably in the next report. Not much debris filled the ocean, according to a few boaters who sailed the waters, and talked with Jared. Many boats, including large, were lost in the storm. That included many at Belmar and Shark River. Winds blew the vessels everywhere. Jared, who works in construction, saw the Bay Head area during work, and it was destroyed. Some places that also seemed hit worst included Keyport and Morgan, for some reason. The destruction at Seaside Heights was well covered in the news. Places like Forked River, across Barnegat Bay from the barrier islands, were reportedly very bad. But Fin-Ominal survived, and is still booking charters for striped bass and blackfish this fall. The boat has two anchors for double-anchoring for blackfish. The 50-foot vessel can accommodate large to small groups, up to 23 on cruises, and 14 on fishing trips.  

<b>Brielle</b>

The <b>Big Kid</b> survived the hurricane, and is ready to fish, Capt. Ken said. The crew rode out the storm aboard in the slip, tightening and loosening the ropes with the tide. For the past couple of days, they and other volunteers cleaned up debris in Manasquan River in tin boats. The Big Kid was fueled up, and Ken and crew prepared the vessel to resume fishing, and they’re ready to go. Striped bass trips are on tap, and blackfish trips will begin November 16, when the bag limit is increased to six of the tog from the current limit of one. Receive a $50 discount on charters on Mondays to Thursdays. The Big Kid will fish year-round, including through winter.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Clark’s Landing Marina “came out aces,” Capt. Fred from <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> said. He was shocked, considering the destruction elsewhere. All the boats, including the Andrea’s Toy, survived, and flooding, at the ship’s store, restaurant and bathrooms, was minimal. Fred couldn’t believe the great condition of the docks and marina. Some repair was being done to the docks, but boats were already being launched. Trips aboard will probably resume next week, sailing for a mixed bag of striped bass and bottom fish. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing. Fred sent big kudos to the service manager and general manager at Clark’s.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Charters will fish as soon as possible on the <b>Super Chic</b>, Capt. Ted said. The boat was moved to Waretown on the mainland, from Barnegat Light on the barrier island, so the vessel could begin fishing. But the government closed the Intracoastal Waterway from Long Beach Island to the north, preventing trips. When the ICW is opened, the boat will be able to fish. A nor’easter is coming at mid week, but Ted hopes to fish Friday to Sunday for striped bass. <b>***Update, Monday, 11/5:</b> “We are cleared to transit the bay,” Ted said in a post on Super Chic’s Facebook page. Trips aboard will start at the end of the week, departing from Holiday Harbor Marina in Waretown. The boat will be run from Barnegat Light when “conditions … allow us back there,” Ted said. The nor’easter will prevent trips before late in the week.

<b>Absecon</b>

Another striped bass, a 23-pounder, was checked in from Absecon Inlet, Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>  said Sunday  in a post on the shop’s Facebook page. “No excuses,” he said. “They’re here!”  A striper was also bagged at the inlet on a charter Dave ran that day. At first on the trip, wind blew against tide at the inlet, and fishing was tough. The trip ran to the back bay, but nothing was doing. It returned to the inlet at high, slack tide, and Joe Fichetola was seen hooked up.  He and his crew landed five stripers in a short bite. The striper with Dave was bagged on the first drift, and the fishing died when the tide began to run strongly. “Considering the hurricane,” Dave said, “I have to consider a one-bass trip a success.” He knows better fishing is coming. Eian Donati returned with a good-sized striper he clammed from Mankiller Bay on Saturday. “So they must be coming in through the Brigantine Bridge,” Dave said. <b>***Update, Tuesday, 11/6:***</b> Though plenty of live bait is stocked, fresh clams in the shell ran out, and frozen clams are running out, Dave said in a Facebook post. “I have my doubts that any clam boats will be able to get out,” he said. If anyone has a wholesale connection, or if any wholesalers are in business, please call him, he asked. The store’s live bait supply includes spots, peanut bunker and mullet, and Dave is able to get more.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

All marinas were ruined at Tuckerton and nearby, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>. “Brutal, brutal, brutal,” he said. They were destroyed in the hurricane. But Legal Limit’s two boats survived. He couldn’t know whether his boat that fishes from Tuckerton will sail from there the rest of the year. Unless a marina reopens, it might not. But his boat that sails from Cape May is ready to fish. See the report below. Cape May, south of the hurricane’s eye, escaped much damage, compared with ports north of the eye. But Tuckerton, farther north, was wiped out. Most of Legal Limit’s charters from Tuckerton in fall fish for blackfish. Striped bass sometimes invade the Tuckerton area in fall. Then trips go after them. But blackfish are the mainstay. From Cape May, most trips target striped bass in fall. Plenty of blackfish are usually available, though. Stripers are more popular.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Fishing for striped bass at Absecon Inlet was “on fire,” a post on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Facebook page said. Two boaters said that, after catching double-headers of the stripers all morning today, it said. They limited out on two stripers apiece, releasing the rest. Back-bay boaters also caught stripers, and surf fishing was slow.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 11/6:***</b> <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b> was reopening today, after the storm, a post on the store’s Facebook page said. “They’re catching big stripers,” it said. A photo of a 16-pound striper landed from the T-jetty was posted on the page.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Sea Isle City suffered damage, said Capt. Joe from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. But his boats and the store survived, and he felt fortunate. He even fished on Sunday, searching the ocean for striped bass and blues. The migration of both usually begins any time. None bit, but trips are booked to fish the run this weekend. Bait was marked. The hurricane’s eye passed over Sea Isle and Ocean City, sparing the towns the worst of the damage. But docks were turned upside down, and buildings were flooded. Big piles of trash were stacked in front of them from the clean up. Four feet of water surrounded Joe’s building, a newer one in the middle of town. But his house, on the second and third floors, wasn’t damaged. The mainland at the bay got ripped apart. Barrier islands to the north of Sea Isle and Ocean City, north of the eye, were crushed.

<b>Cape May</b>

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> joined a short trip on a friend’s boat for striped bass on Delaware Bay on Sunday, he said. Only a bunch of dogfish bit the fresh bunker baits, but George heard about three or four stripers caught. Good striper fishing is usually happening by Election Day, and charters are slated to fish for them this weekend on the Heavy Hitter. A nor’easter is forecast for the middle of the week. George’s friend got the bunker for bait at a Cape May tackle shop. But fresh bait like that will probably be scarce because of the storm. Bunker boats farther north probably can’t sail because of damage like destroyed harbors.

The first striped bass trip after the hurricane is supposed to sail today on the <b>Down Deep</b>, Capt. Mario said. Mario, the boat’s owner, is from Staten Island, and the island suffered very badly from the storm. “It’s tough,” he said. But Cape May is intact. Looking ahead, blackfishing through winter will launch aboard on November 16, when the bag limit is increased to six from the current limit of one. Check out the re-vamped <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/" target="_blank">Down Deep Web site</a>. Visit the site including for the winter blackfishing schedule that will be posted.

Striped bass fishing will probably resume this week with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, Capt. T.J. said. Legal Limit’s two boats survived the storm. Cape May, south of the hurricane’s eye, escaped much damage, compared with ports north of the eye. But Tuckerton, to the north, where T.J.’s other boat sails from, was wiped out. No marinas were left around Tuckerton. “Brutal, brutal, brutal,” T.J. said. He couldn’t know whether trips will fish from Tuckerton the rest of the year. Unless a marina reopens, they might not. But trips from Cape May are ready to sail. A few, not many, dates are left for striper charters this season.

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