<b>Staten Island</b>

Anglers nearly limited out on sea bass, came three or four short, Friday with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe Skonieczny said. A couple of triggerfish were also swung in, and a trip Saturday limited out on sea bass. So fishing was good both days, in 50 or 60 feet on the ocean. Waters were about 70 degrees, and became somewhat rough Saturday afternoon. Outcast will keep sea bass fishing, and the season’s first striped bass trips are slated for October.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

“Still some hungry fluke around,” Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> said about today’s trip in a report on the vessel’s Web site. After terrible fishing for fluke and three days of a rough ocean, “today it turned around,” he said. He steered the boat right to where he’d been fishing for two weeks, and bigger fluke were caught than before. Eight keepers and some throwbacks were hung on the first drift. Anglers banged away all day at throwbacks and keepers, and good-sized sea bass in the mix. Andy Seney, Union Beach, was high hook with four keeper fluke – “(giving) the Monday boys a fishing lesson,” Ron said – and four sizeable, keeper sea bass. A couple of anglers boxed three keeper fluke apiece, and one patron and his son combined for seven. A 7-pound 3-ounce fluke was the pool-winner. Capt. Barry Goldman, long-time captain from the Old Salty,  Ron said, grabbed a hefty, 4-pound fluke after letting go many shorts. Beautiful day on the water, Ron said. “Nice not to have to pick everything up off the floor in the wheel house …. Five days left (of fluke season). Looks like we may end it on a happy note.” The Fisherman is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily through Friday. Striped bass trips will begin afterward.

Fishing for fluke aboard since the storm Tuesday was “pretty poor,” said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. The fishing had started to be good a moment through last Monday, then the weather turned crummy, and the angling fell apart. Currently, on some days a fair number of throwbacks bit, and a handful of keepers were iced. Crowds were light on trips, and often the anglers were regular customers who wanted to give fluking a try, and trips headed out. After rougher weather, Sunday afternoon turned pleasant. Weather was also calm this morning at 10 o’clock, when Tom gave this report over the phone on a trip. Fluking was off to a slow start on the outing. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke twice daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. Tom would like to stick with fluke fishing until fluke season closes on Saturday. Afterward trips will fish for sea bass and porgies.

<b>Highlands</b>

About 25 sea bass and 12 fluke were bagged today in deep waters along rough bottom with <b>Raritan Bay Charters</b>, Capt. Dave said. Many throwbacks were released, maybe 30 to 40 sea bass and 25 to 30 fluke. Conditions were okay, and seas mostly calmed after winds. Somewhat of a roll remained, but waters were definitely fishable. Open-boat trips are fishing when no charter is booked.

<b>Fisher Price Charters</b> sailed for striped bass Friday evening and Saturday morning, Capt. Derek. The fishing was tough Friday, and stripers were read everywhere, but refused to bite. But Saturday was a different story, and three keeper stripers were drilled, and a half-dozen throwbacks were let go, and probably 10 or 12 stripers were missed. The trips fished with eels. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trip for stripers will sail Wednesday afternoon. An open Fluke Marathon will fish Thursday, before fluke season closes on Saturday. Call to climb aboard or to be kept informed about future open trips.

<b>Neptune</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 9/25:***</b> From an edited e-mail today from Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>: “Going to have one of my favorite meals tonight: swordfish. Had a slow trip at the canyon, but caught a nice sword and one tuna. Lost a few others at night. One was a really big one that pulled the hook not far from the boat, after everyone got a chance to fight it. Weekend fishing was excellent for sea bass. OPEN TRIP SCHEDULE on Last Lady: CANYON, Oct 6-7 and Oct 14-15 (only 2 spots left); SEABASS, Oct 14, season closes after this day until reopening Nov 1-Dec. 31; OFFSHORE COD, Oct. 23 and Nov 12; and BLACKFISH, Nov 18 and 25, more trips will be added when we get closer, white leggers, clams and green crabs provided. On Last Lady II: SEABASS, Oct 2 and 9, Oct. 7, inshore wreck (up to 25 miles, also ling, cod and blackfish), and Oct 14; STRIPERS/BLUES, Oct 16, 23 and 30 and Nov 6 and 13; and BLACKFISH, Nov 16, 20 and 27, more trips will be added, enclosed cabin now, bait supplied.”

<b>Belmar</b>

Fishing was cancelled Saturday with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, because strong winds were forecast to begin, Capt. Pete said. No trip sailed Sunday either, but reports sounded like lots of small sea bass bit on that first day of sea bass season. Fishing conditions sounded tough in the morning but better in the afternoon. Parker Pete’s will fluke fish until fluke season is closed Saturday. Trips will run for sea bass, and Pete hopes porgy fishing takes off, so porgies can be targeted. Bluefish and other fish like false albacore mixed in swam plentiful, and Parker Pete’s is going after them. Trips sail for any species available, and both charters and open-boat trips are running. 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.

Two trips apiece fished Saturday and Sunday with <b>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Jared said. Saturday morning’s trip, with 14 passengers, smoked bluefish, lots, at Shark River Reef. The afternoon’s trip whacked plenty of blues and released out-of-season sea bass. The trips stayed closer to shore, because seas became rougher. The blues on both trips averaged 6 or 7 pounds, and some were 9 or 10 pounds. Sea bass season opened Sunday, and a trip that morning with a family almost limited out on 1- to 2-pounders. A trip that afternoon, with 23 passengers, hooked lots of small sea bass and a few keepers at Shrewsbury Rocks. The 50-foot boat can accommodate large to small groups, up to 23 passengers.

Boaters from Belmar scored well on sea bass, “as expected,” said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> in an e-mail. Sea bass season opened Sunday, and fluke fishing was a little slow. Besides fluking on the ocean, fishing for them managed some keepers from Shark River. Lots of large spots and some snapper blues and kingfish swam the river. Surf fishing for striped bass was good in areas where mullet schooled. John Cuttrell bagged two stripers from the surf at Spring Lake. Catches were also heard about from Asbury Park. Stripers seemed “right on time,” Bob said. Lures caught them, but clams also worked well this past week.

<b>Brielle</b>

A bunch of false albacore and bonito and five mahi mahi to 20 pounds were whaled Saturday with the Corey charter on the <b>Big Kid</b>, Capt. Ken said. Fishing was weathered out Sunday on the boat because of winds. Canyon tuna fishing was hit or miss in past days, not producing big numbers of fish like before. There was a bigeye tuna bite. Anglers who overnighted at the canyons were skunked Friday to Saturday. Among friends who trolled the canyons Saturday, one totaled two bigeyes, and another beat one bigeye, and another boxed three yellowfin tuna. Sea bass season opened Sunday, and the crew on the Big Kid loves bottom fishing. Book a sea bass trip or a striped bass charter now for a weekday or Monday to Friday, and the cost is discounted to $700, from the usual price of $750.

A good catch of sea bass was clobbered Sunday, opening day of sea bass season, on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, Capt. Ryan said in an e-mail. Tons of the fish bit, and many were throwbacks, but lots were good-sized, to 3 pounds. Catches ranged from six to 20 keepers per angler. Triggerfish were sometimes mixed in, and not many porgies  bit yet this season. “Should get better and better as we approach October,” Ryan said. Carmen Distasio, Perth Amboy, and grandson Anthony, 8, teamed up for 32 sea bass on the trip. Open-boat trips for sea bass and ling are running 2:30 .m. daily. A 14-hour Sea Bass Marathon, reservations required, is set for Saturday, Oct. 6. A 10-hour sea bass trip, no reservations required, will run this coming Monday.

When boaters could sail the ocean between weather, fluke fishing was fair, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. The fishing was “kind of dying with the season,” he said, but a few were plucked close to shore in 20 to 30 feet, including off the Seaside and Mantoloking pipes and Long Branch. Bluefish swarmed nearly everywhere, and seemed bigger to the north, like toward Shrewsbury Rocks. But blues popped up along the whole coast, including in the surf. Striped bass began to be beached from the surf in early mornings on small swimming lures or popper plugs. Among bluefish farther from shore, fish like false albacore and Spanish mackerel were mixed in, at usual places including Manasquan and Barnegat ridges and the Klondike wreck. Ling fishing was good on the ocean, and nothing was heard yet about sea bass, when Eric gave this report Sunday over the phone. Sea bass season opened that day. Bluefin tuna were sometimes pumped in at the Glory Hole and the Triple Wrecks. The season’s first giant bluefin tuna, a 900-pounder, was reportedly docked, at Staten Island. When trips could fish farther from shore at the canyons, yellowfin tuna fishing was fair at night, sometimes producing 2 to 5 per boat. Hudson Canyon’s East Elbow gave up some of the better catches, and a few came from the 100 Square. A few longfin tuna, yellowfins and bigeye tuna were trolled during daytime at the canyon. Catch the shop’s sale on surf-fishing lures. Tsunami Timber Lures are on sale at 40 percent off. Wahoo Baitfish Bucktails and Stingo jigs are on sale at 30 percent off to celebrate the store’s 30 years in business.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

A small window of weather opened up, so a trip cruised to the Mudhole with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, after loading the bait well with peanut bunker, a report on Andrea’s Toy’s Web site said Friday. First, the trip “busted off a nice fish,” the report said, on a trolled natural, mini cedar plug, in the wash. Then the anglers cracked false albacore to 8 pounds on the peanuts. Next the trip fished for mahi mahi at the lobster-pot buoys, landing the dolphin to 15 pounds.

Fluke fishing was “on the slow side,” a report on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>’s Web site said. But sea bass, decent-sized, were shoveled aboard Sunday, opening day of sea bass season. The crew hopes to “get another shot at (fluke),” the report said, before fluke season closes on Saturday. On this past Saturday night’s bluefish trip, catches began well, dropped off when weather came through, and picked up again when the weather passed. The blues were 8 to 14 pounds. The Norma-K III is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily through Friday. Trips will run for sea bass this Saturday and Sunday during the same hours. Then bottom-fishing trips will sail 8 a.m. to 2:30 .m. daily through October starting next Monday. The trips will switch to striped bass on November 1. Bluefish trips are running 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily through the weekend. Afterward bluefish trips will probably fish on Friday and Saturday nights during those hours.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Great bluefishing again, a report said about angling Sunday on the ocean on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, on the vessel’s Web site. Anglers socked three to ten blues apiece. Bluefishing was excellent aboard Saturday on the ocean, and anglers averaged four to ten apiece. Some experienced anglers limited out on fifteen. The Miss Barnegat Light is bluefishing 8 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays.

On the <b>Super Chic</b> anglers fluke fished Saturday on the ocean, and the catch was “fair, not too bad fishing,” Capt. Ted said. A 4-1/2-pound fluke was biggest, and sea bass fishing was very good on the ocean aboard Sunday, opening day of sea bass season. Bluefishing on the ocean is coming up this week aboard. The 50-foot boat can accommodate up to 25 passengers on inshore trips and 10 on offshore, overnight trips. The vessel sleeps 10 passengers.

<b>Barnegat</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 9/25:***</b> From an edited e-mail from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “More wind and sloppy seas headed our way, so I’ll be keeping the Hi Flier in the bay. The weakfish slowed up quite a bit for us last week. We had four, seven, none and two on the last four trips Friday and Saturday. We did have a ton of action with all the other species, like spot, perch, blowfish, sand sharks, jacks and a 4-pound fluke that hit a shrimp bait on a 6-pound spinning rod. The trips were not without action, but there was definitely a decline in the size and quantity of weakies. Those days were heavy with wind, so I spent most of our time anchored in Meyer's Hole, where you can fish in up to 30 knots of wind, because land protects you on all four sides. Not only is it calm there, it's been holding a ton of fish this year, which makes for a good combination. I’m going to be buying more live grass shrimp and shedder crabs to fish this Thursday through Sunday. I'm also going to pack some chum and clams for the blowfish. That bite has been awesome. Lots of big ones are now in the mix. The goal is to target weakfish, the mixed bag and blowfish. Leaving 6 AM and returning 1 PM each day. Available for charter or open boat. Give me a call to set up a trip. We’ll fish the calm waters of Meyer's Hole, and when the wind isn't gusting, we could fish the west side of the bay for blowfish, and try a few of my other weakfish haunts. This time of year it’s not uncommon to find birds working over peanut bunker, with weakies and bluefish underneath. We certainly have the schools of peanut bunker this season to set the stage. It’s similar to the migration-style fishing we do for stripers along the coast. When the wind finally does subside, we’re rigged and ready to run east for the albacore/mahi/bluefin run that’s going on in the 15- to 40-mile range from Barnegat Inlet. Also, on Monday, October 1, I’ll be aboard the Gambler from Point Pleasant, headed to the canyons on an overnight tuna trip. It leaves at 6 PM and returns the next day at 6 PM. There’s still room if you’re thinking about doing a trip, or have ever wanted to, but didn't know exactly what to do. I can help you prepare, as well as offer some guidance while we’re out. These trips are always memorable. Yellowfin tuna are the target, but there’s always a chance at longfin and bigeye tuna, swordfish, mahi mahi and sometimes tilefish. Call me for more info. Thank you.”

<b>Beach Haven</b>

An offshore trip on the <b>June Bug</b> left port at 10 p.m. Friday, arriving at Lindenkohl Canyon at 3 a.m., and began chunking for tuna, Capt. Lindsay said. One tuna bit and got off, just as daylight barely began. That was the only tuna bite on the trip, and no good catches were heard about on the radio. Two or three tuna that bit in a flurry, with one landed, on some boats was all that was heard about. The June Bug trolled in morning until 1 p.m., then was headed home. A mahi mahi crashed the spread. The storm Tuesday seemed to change waters. During night on the June Bug, squid 5 or 6 inches schooled past. Before the storm, squid all different sizes, including large, were around. Anglers on the June Bug fished with the squid through the dark, but the bite came on a chunk of bait. Waters were 71 on the fishing grounds, and were 68 to 69 on the way to the grounds. Seas were calm, with a little swell, during the night fishing, and became sloppy on the way home.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Reports were “spotty” in winds, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. But a few boaters – “brave souls,” the report said – fished. Croakers were lifted from the ocean in 35 feet off Little Egg Inlet. About a dozen different species, including schoolie striped bass, nipped in Great Bay on clams and bloodworms. Blowfish hovered in Tuckerton Bay. A boater posted a report on the site about a trip that intended to fish for false albacore, mahi mahi and wahoos at the Cigar early Saturday, before winds and seas were forecast to build. At first, the trip ran into an easterly swell and southeasterly winds with no problem. But as the boat was motored farther from shore, seas picked up more than expected. The anglers decided to stop short at Atlantic City Ridge. They went 5 for 6 on albies on trolled feathers in clean, 73-degree waters. Blue-and-white, 3-inch feathers caught best, for sure. The anglers tried chunking for the fish, but got no takers. Seas were building, so the anglers began to head back. They stopped at Atlantic City Reef, and tried drifting. “Only two other brave souls out there,” the report said. A few small bluefish were hooked on the trip, and the anglers couldn’t hold bottom with 10 ounces of weight. They sailed back to Little Egg Inlet, and made a few more drifts, reeling in a few blues and some blowfish on clams. “Not great, but not a terrible day, for what we were working with,” the report said.

<b>Brigantine</b>

<a href="http://riptidebaitandtackle.com/articles.php?category_id=6" target="_blank">Click here</a> for a report from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>

<b>Ocean City</b>

Winds blew so frequently, and storms rolled in so often, that fishing news was scarce, said Dan from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Mullet schooled Corson’s Inlet. But little else was known about fishing, because no customers reported going. Bluefish probably swam around. Striped bass might’ve bitten in the back bay at night. Most summer flounder swam the ocean reefs before the weather, and nobody reported reaching the reefs in the weather. Nothing was heard about offshore. Dan didn’t want to make predictions about fishing without actual reports.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Mostly bluefish were tackled, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Blues were fought everywhere, including in the surf. Mostly mullet or metal spoons winged them there. Mullet schooled the waters. Blues were yanked from the inlets, too. Spots and kingfish swam the surf, and nothing was heard about striped bass from the surf yet this season. Stripers were socked from the back bay at night at the bridges and docks on Fin-S Fish. Nothing was heard about summer flounder, and weather was rough for fishing the ocean. Nobody was heard about who tried for flounder or any other fish on the ocean. No reports rolled in from offshore, because of weather.

Winds blew strongly, but Kevin McCarthy and buddy Joe aboard Saturday fought bluefish on the back bay on jigs, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. First they hooked several in a couple of flurries of action. Then the trip ran into a small blitz of blues, busting on mullet, on the way home, and pulled more of the fish from there, “kind of saving the day,” Capt. Joe said. Fishing conditions weren’t good. Mini bluefish blitzes were currently around, and lots of mullet schooled. Fishing seemed about to bust open for the season. Croakers schooled the ocean in 40 feet. A variety of small fish swam the ocean, and anglers weeded through for larger ones. The migration of large striped bass and blues will storm the local ocean in late October and November. Book trips now to get in on the fishing. Joe might head to Montauk, New York, Wednesday, depending on weather, to launch his traveling trips to fish the legendary migration of stripers, blues and false albacore. The fishing’s been epic for Jersey Cape in recent years. Also reserve dates for annual weekend trips to Florida in winter. The trips can fish for a large variety of catches including redfish, speckled sea trout and tarpon in the back country to king mackerel, blackfin tuna and sailfish out front. See info about both trips 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>

A load of weakfish, croakers, kingfish and blues were reeled in from Delaware Bay on Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George. Action was non-stop, and many of the weaks were good-sized, to 20 inches. The anglers, Butch, Dan, Renee, Savannah and another George, kept their limit of one weak and released the rest. Most of the trout hooked were keeper-sized, and a few were throwback-sized. The kingfish were healthy-sized, and about a dozen were kept. The croakers were small or hand-sized, and some could’ve been kept if anglers wanted, but instead the hardheads were stripped out for bait. The blues were 2 pounds. Seas were a little sloppy at first but became calm most of the day. The anglers originally planned to steam offshore for tuna on an overnight trip that day, but forecasts were rough for the offshore grounds. Capt. George had planned to take them inshore, along 20-fathoms, to fish for mahi mahi instead. But winds turned out too strong for that even. Lots of action is available on the bay trips. Sea bass season opened Sunday, and trips for them are available. Tuna fishing is on tap. Call if interested in any of this fishing.

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