<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fishing for blackfish was fairly good aboard, and lots of throwbacks bit, giving up healthy action, and anglers had to work through them to bag keepers, Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> said. The ratio was somewhat frustrating at times, and many of the fish were a half-inch to an inch undersized, and smaller ones chomped. No trip sailed Wednesday, because rain in the morning kept anglers from showing up, apparently. On Tuesday’s trip, a couple of anglers limited out, and some bagged two to four keepers. Everybody at least caught throwbacks on trips. A good crowd jumped on Monday’s trip, in forecasts for pleasant weather. Two anglers landed no keepers, Tom thought, and the rest bagged one to four. “It’s been nice fishing,” he said. Action’s been good. The Atlantic Star is blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. <b>***Update, Friday, 12/7:***</b> A small group jumped aboard today, and a little drizzle fell, and skies were overcast, “but it wasn’t rough,” Tom said. The anglers picked away at blackfish through the trip. More throwbacks than keepers bit, as usual, but one angler limited out, “plus,” Tom said. The angler kept no more than a limit, and some anglers landed no keepers, but most bagged one to three. Trips are sailing daily, so long as the weather is fishable, like when the trip ran today, even with a small group.

Striped bass sometimes popped up in the ocean, and boaters jigged them, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. None really clammed the bass, because the fish could be jigged. Plenty of stripers were clammed and wormed from the surf. Blackfishing produced well. Nobody was known about who steamed farther from shore for ling and cod. All baits are stocked.

<b>Highlands</b>

“Limits of blackfish again,” said Capt. Pete from the <b>Hyper Striper</b> in an e-mail, for Tito Arroyo’s party on Monday and Mark Magill’s crew on Tuesday. Jeff Schwietzer’s charter today “also beat up the togs,” Pete said, to 9 pounds. Some prime dates remain for blackfish charters.

<b>Neptune</b>

In spring-like weather, “also very calm,” said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> in an e-mail, Matt Smith’s charter on Monday nailed “a good pull of togs,” Ralph said. That was posted here as an update on Tuesday. The next trip was set for this Friday. Blackfishing finally became very good aboard lately. Individual-reservation blackfish trips have been added on: Monday (6 spots available) and December 14 (6 spots), 19 (6 spots), 21 (6 spots), and 29 (3 spots). The trips were already slated for Sunday (1 spot available) and December 16 (1 spot), 23 (3 spots), 24 (6 spots), 30 (4 spots), 31 (5 spots) and every Saturday and Sunday in January.

<b>Belmar</b>

Blackfish, good catches, were cracked on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. The angling was slower on Tuesday’s trip, but was usually great. “No issues,” Chris said. Many anglers limited out, and catches included a 13-pound blackfish on Tuesday and an 11-1/2-pounder on Wednesday. The Big Mohawk is blackfishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Green crabs are supplied for bait, and white leggers are available for sale aboard when possible. The supply of whites isn’t abundant this season.

No trips sailed on deck the past couple of days, but a bunch of striped bass, lots of throwbacks, but some keepers, were reeled in when the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> fished, Capt. Alan said. A few bluefish, not many, were caught. Trips will keep sailing for stripers, until the migration ends. Daily trips for mackerel will begin when that migration arrives, usually in late December, maybe by Christmas week. The Miss Belmar Princess is sailing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Lots of striped bass, many of them throwbacks, but some keepers, schooled the ocean, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Katie H</b>. Fishing for them was good, and so was blackfishing. Trips aboard this time of year often fish for both, splitting the day. The cabin is heated, and the Katie H features all the amenities, helpful this time of year. The boat is available.

Conditions made anchoring difficult on Tuesday, and blackfishing was picky, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. Fog had rolled in, but that wouldn’t affect fishing. But blackfishing was very good on Monday. The fish probably weighed up to 6 and 7 pounds with Parker Pete’s that day, on a short, 3-hour trip. Bigger blackfish were out there, than earlier in the season. Catching them was a matter of putting in time, sorting through lots of throwbacks. Trips that striped bass fished on other boats that day scored great. More bait was around than before. “Things are looking up,” Pete said. In other news, he was yet to see bluefin tuna that usually swim close to shore this time of year. He’d like to have a shot at them.  Charters and open-boat trips are fishing, and Parker Pete’s sails for any species available. For availability on open trips, see <a href="http://parkerpetefishing.com/belmar-fishing-trips/open-boat-trips" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s open-boat page</a> online, and sign up for the e-mailed newsletter on the site. Dates are announced in both places.

In the surf, small striped bass were beached from Long Branch to Manasquan, mostly on lures and teasers, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> in an e-mail. But the only better-sized stripers he saw were clammed. The stripers were usually 11 to 18 inches, and that was the only “problem.” That size usually appears toward the end of the striper migration. “I would suggest you get out,” Bob said. Have fun with the fish, “before it ends,” he said. John Cuttrel, Wall, this week clammed a 16-pound striper at Spring Lake. On party boats, blackfish weighing in the double-digits were nailed on most trips. For bait, white leg crabs seemed to “hold an edge,” Bob said. 

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

The party boat <b>Gambler</b> today was returning from good striped bass fishing on the ocean to the north, Capt. Bob said in a phone call at 1:30 p.m. on the trip. Plenty of throwbacks turned out action, but a fair number of keepers were sacked, through about 12 noon, until the fishing slowed. Every angler bagged at least one striper, and Tony Mann, Holmdel, bagged two, giving away a third. He also landed 12 throwbacks and two bluefish. A substantial area, at least 2 miles, held the fish, bait and working birds. No striper life was seen on the waters on the way home, so far, to the south, Bob said. The stripers fed on rainfish, he thought, but wasn’t sure. The fish swam depths 25 to 50 feet, and the warmest waters were 49 degrees. The stripers ranged in size from peewees to a pool-winner that was probably 12 pounds. No larger bass like 20 pounds showed up, but healthy-sized keepers did. The angler who caught best fished a gold Ava 47 jig. Most others fished silver Ava’s, like with a green tail, “or something like that,” Bob said.  The Gambler is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Plenty of blackfish were swung in Wednesday on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, just not many were keepers, Capt. Matt said in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Occasional keepers were mixed in, and the high hook bagged four. A few large blackfish were hooked but lost. “I know, because I broke off two,” Matt said. All the trip’s fish were hooked on green crabs, and none of the anglers brought white leggers. Blackfishing was tough on Tuesday’s trip, and anchoring was difficult, in a swell from one direction, the current from another, “and the little breeze we had from another,” Matt said. He had to keep the boat in gear the whole time, just to keep the vessel in one place. The trip moved to a lot of different spots, and the tautog began to bite somewhat better to the north late in the trip. “But it was a little too late,” Matt said. Still, the high hook bagged five, and an 11-pound blackfish, caught on a white legger, won the pool. Some customers bagged one to three keepers, and some landed no keepers. Plenty of blackfish swam locally. “We just need the conditions to sit still and build the life,” Matt said. Blackfishing on Saturday and Sunday’s trips was “decent,” Matt said, covered here in the last report. The Norma-K III is blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays. Magic Hour ling and cod trips are running 3 to 9 p.m. Saturdays.

<b>Toms River</b>

One group of three anglers trolled one striped bass, 20 pounds, on the ocean off Barnegat Inlet on Tuesday on an umbrella rig, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. The boat was being hauled from the waters for the season afterward. A couple of customers headed to fish for white perch on Toms River with nightcrawlers today. A few perch were lifted from the river at Huddy Park last week on killies. Anglers bought green crabs for blackfish party-boat fishing that was good. No surf fishing was possible, because access to the barrier island was available only to residents or employees on Route 37 Bridge, since the hurricane. Gift certificates are available for the holidays. A bunch of new gear is arriving for the new year, including rod holders for truck beds, Rapala fish-cleaning stations and new coolers.

<b>Forked River</b>

More started to be heard about fishing at the beginning of the week, after not much was heard, said Jana from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Weather became good in the beginning of the week. Striped bass were sometimes trolled on the ocean. Sometimes so was a bluefish. Stripers were plugged or clammed along Barnegat Inlet. They were also clammed or eeled along the sod banks. Nothing was reported about blackfish. “I know they’re out there,” Jana said. But no customers mentioned fishing for the tog.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

A few boats fished, and the anglers landed striped bass, mostly throwbacks, on the ocean, said Vince Sr. from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. Blackfishing, along the ocean wrecks, was better, becoming the main target to bag a catch. Green crabs and fresh bunker are stocked, and the fuel dock is open. The shop might be open through next week before being closed for the season.

<b>Barnegat</b>

From an edited e-mail from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “The last two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) of fishing have been tough. The trolling, casting, jigging (for striped bass) bite we had (on the ocean) off Island Beach State Park slowed up. The readings are still there -- at times the depth recorder blacks out from top to bottom, with big balls of bait, in every part of the water column. Having the bait staged is the hardest part. Now we just need the next body of fish to collide with it. Every day the weather allows, we’ll keep revisiting this area, until it pops again. There have also been some good reports off Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach, with jigging and casting stripers under birds. Although it’s a good ride, it’s well within my range to make the trek north, if it means putting us into fish. I just need to hear from the sources I have there that's it's on, before we take the ride.  The good news is that Barnegat Inlet delivers fish every day. We’re catching 25- to 32-inch stripers daily, drifting live spots. On some days, 10 or 15 fish, on others, just a couple. But it’s the most dependable part of this fall fishery, so far. It's also a blast to experience. The bait does all the work. We use light conventional tackle, spooled with 20-pound line. Thread on a 2-ounce egg sinker, tie to a good-size, two-way swivel, big enough to not get caught in the opening of the egg sinker. Add 30 inches of 30-pound fluorocarbon, and a 4/0 hook. Free spool him down to the bottom, and keep your thumb on the spool, until the bass picks it up. Normally I like to give a four or five count when live bait fishing. But in the colder water, these fish have been dropping the bait after a few seconds. So we’re hitting them right away, like a two count, and seeing a better hook-up ratio. This Plan B fishery -- drifting live spots -- is now becoming Plan A. Even if the ocean is too rough for us to get out, we can still catch these fish in the inlet, and well into the bay. I will be sailing open-boat or charter this Saturday through Monday, 7 AM to 1 PM. Three passengers max on the open boats. All fish are shared. See you on board.”

<b>Mystic Island</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 12/7:***</b> <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> will be open for no formal hours the rest of the season, and Scott and crew are hard at work rebuilding from the hurricane, he said. But if Scott’s at the store, and customers want to stop in for supplies like eels, “I’m going to help them,” he said. Otherwise, the store is closed and will be reopened in March, and little was heard about fishing. Business dropped off at all local stores. Places like Rite Aid were laying off employees. Businesses like restaurants were busy from recovery workers, though. Green crab sales were popular, because blackfishing was very good on the ocean. Small striped bass had been clammed at Little Egg Inlet last week, but nothing was heard about the catches this week. Like six boats were still in the waters. No stripers were around to troll on the ocean. Hurricane Sandy seemed to cause stripers to migrate south early. Someone from Virginia said striper fishing was good there. That was early for Virginia. Stripers swam Delaware Bay. <a href="http://www.pennparts.com" target="_blank">PennParts.com</a>, the store’s online business featuring every Penn part available on the market, and many that are no longer available, is up and running, and will continue to be.

<b>Absecon</b>

“We’ve got stripers,” said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>, even if the fish are scattered. Striped bass were boated from the back bay to Absecon Inlet to the ocean. The bay’s angling became as productive as anywhere, on clams while boaters anchored or on livelined spots while they drifted. The fish there were decked along the “major waterways, pretty close to the inlet,” Dave said. Striper fishing at the inlet was better on Sunday than at any time this season. Everybody caught, and Dave ran a trip that iced two keepers and threw back 10 shorts at the inlet that day. He returned Monday, thinking he’d repeat, but only two throwbacks were reeled in. Blackfishing was the “bright spot,” Dave said. Anglers scored well on the tautog, but at the wrecks deeper than 50 feet. No catches were heard about closer to shore. A few anglers began fishing for white perch up the rivers. The bloodworm supplier stopped providing the worms for the year. So perch anglers caught their own grass shrimp for bait. Live spots, eels and green crabs are stocked. Fresh clams are on hand, and the netter had difficulty finding bunker. So the supply of fresh bunker is “iffy,” Dave said.

<b>Brigantine</b>

One angler yanked in five striped bass including one keeper from the surf on Tuesday, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. But getting news was tough, because of few anglers. A boater today checked in a 12-pound striper from the back bay on a livelined spot. The shop is open every day, and fresh clams are stocked. Whether fresh bunker will be stocked couldn’t be known. Depends on whether the supplier can net them. The shop’s bounty is up to $600 for the season’s first striper 43 inches or larger checked in from the Brigantine surf. Entry is $5, and the angler who checks in the fish wins all the cash. Anglers must enter 12 hours before catching. Riptide’s annual Striped Bass Derby is under way, awarding cash prizes for the biggest stripers beached from Brigantine’s surf, until December 23. Weekly and monthly prizes are also awarded, and entry is only $20. What’s more, with a Brigantine beach buggy permit, entry allows anglers to drive the entire Brigantine beach, unlike the permit alone.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Mostly blackfish and striped bass were pulled in from shore at Absecon Inlet, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. The blackfishing went well, on green crabs or clams. Striper fishing was good for boaters on the back bay and the ocean. More bait than before, including spearing, appeared in the bay. But surf casters definitely beat a few stripers from the inlet, on fresh bunker, fresh clams or eels. A few black drum were in the mix, grabbing clams. Ling had been slung in from the inlet, but Noel only saw one in past days. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, green crabs, eels and the full supply of bait is stocked.

<b>Ocean City</b>

A striped bass here, a striped bass there, were plucked from boats and the surf, said Ed from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Sometimes the fish were picked at Great Egg Harbor Inlet from boats. Clams caught them more than before, though not necessarily more than bunker did. A few stripers were trolled or jigged from the ocean once in a while from places like Cuma Lumps or Sea Isle Lump. Birds working the waters rarely appeared. Usually stripers are jigged at birds feeding on abundant bait, where stripers might be gathered numerous enough to jig. Otherwise boaters troll to cover waters. Stripers were around, and more catches were heard about than a moment previously, and water temperatures remained “okay,” Ed said. But fishing for stripers wasn’t hot and heavy. Blackfishing was terrific, but farther from shore, in 60 or 80 feet. An occasional blackfish was cranked in from along the jetties and bridges. But “you can tell,” Ed said. Hardly any green crabs were bought for bait for them. In addition to the crabs, the shop is stocking fresh bunker, fresh clams, eels and all the frozen baits. 

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Trips will next sail Saturday and Sunday aboard, for striped bass on the ocean, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle City</b>. He heard scattered reports about a few of the stripers caught this week. Most were probably trolled, Joe imagined. Grab a gift certificate for a charter for the holidays. Annual weekend trips to Florida will fish this winter, about to launch at Christmas. The trips can be a mini, fish-filled vacation. A large variety of catches are possible, including redfish, speckled sea trout and tarpon in the back country, to king mackerel, blackfin tuna and sailfish out front. Anglers can arrive on a Friday evening, fish all day Saturday and part of Sunday, return home that evening, and be back to work on Monday.  See info on Jersey Cape’s <a href="http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page4.html" target="_blank">Traveling Fisherman Charters</a> Web page. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May<b>

Six striped bass, including four keepers, were bunker-chunked on Delaware Bay on Monday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. The bay’s stripers measured up to 34 or 36 inches, and the fish remained, and the bay was 49 to 50 degrees, a good temp for stripers. Stripers also swam Cape May Rips but seemed small, a lot of throwbacks. George heard about private boaters who blackfished. They caught, some days better than others. Charters are available for any of this fishing, and call if interested.

Striped bass to 20 pounds, good catches, were tied into, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>.  The fish were bunker-chunked or live-baited from Delaware Bay to the ocean. Trips aboard will keep striper fishing, but will blackfish soon, when the striper run ends or on December 21, through winter. See the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/special-trips/" target="_blank">Down Deep’s winter blackfishing schedule</a> online, and book now. Also join the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Down Deep’s Short Notice List</a> to be notified when winter trips will wreck fish on short notice in weather windows.

Blackfish bit at some places, and none did at others, and the fish “aren’t jumping in the boat,” said Capt. Paul from the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, but some were around to be caught. The angling improved compared with earlier in the season, when practically none bit, and wasn’t as good as last year. But a couple of customers limited out during the weekend. Phil Leo from Brooklawn and Harry Pilkup from Quakertown both did. Dave Thompson heaved in a 10.2-pounder, and Shelly Stillwell hauled in a 10-pounder. Those were the only keepers both anglers bagged, but the fish were sizeable. Ray Spohn aboard Tuesday bagged four of the tautog to a 10.6-pounder. The bottom still seemed stirred up from weather, and that lasted longer than Paul expected. That lasted since at least the hurricane, more than a month ago, and might’ve affected the fishing. Research divers on the radio were heard saying visibility was 1 to 2 inches on bottom at the reef off Delaware. Other divers elsewhere talked about zero visibility. But some of the fish bit, and there was a chance to catch blackfish. The Porgy IV is sailing for blackfish at 8 a.m. daily.

Delaware Bay boaters bunker-chunked striped bass, mostly on the bay’s “middle,” around Tussy’s Slough, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Many stripers were landed at Cape May Rips, and many were throwbacks. A few were keepers. Surf fishing for stripers was spotty, but a few were beached. One customer dragged in a 39-incher and a 41-incher from shore. Nick a couple of weeks ago smashed a 36-pound 42-inch striper from the surf, reported here previously. In the surf, fish bunker or clams. Blackfish were tugged from the wrecks in the past week. Baits stocked include fresh bunker, fresh, shucked clams, clams in the shell, and eels.

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