<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Throwback striped bass swam the bay like before, but keepers were bagged, no great numbers, but probably more than all season, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. That was during the weekend, and good catches of stripers were also trolled on the ocean. On the bay, a few keepers were reported from the southern end but also near Fortescue. Winds finally calmed Sunday and Monday, after strong winds previously and last week’s storm. On the bay, most anglers fished fresh bunker. Obtaining the bait became challenging, because weather often kept bunker boats from sailing. The fresh menhaden was stocked at the shop this weekend, and is being carried when possible. Demand will drop off now, so the bait won’t always be on hand. It’ll be stocked when demand is likely, and when the bait can be obtained. The store’s bunker came from near Barnegat, not locally. Frozen bunker was fished when fresh was unavailable, but that wasn’t ideal. Nothing was heard about blackfishing since last week’s weather, though a few customers bought green crabs for bait for the tautog during the weekend. Previously, blackfishing was good. Marinas along the bay are starting to shut down for the season, and marinas at Cape May will probably be closed soon. The store will probably be open another two weeks, closing on December 16, until the bay’s fishing picks up again next year. The Girls Place, located on Route 47, just after Route 55 ends, stocks a large supply of bait and tackle. It’s the long, one-story, yellow building on the right, with plenty of parking, including for trailered boats.

<b>Fortescue</b>

The party boat <b>Salt Talk</b> is finished fishing for the season, Capt. Howard’s wife said. The boat fished Saturday, and throwback striped bass were reeled in, she thought. No large numbers of keepers migrated up the bay to near Fortescue this season, like in recent autumns. Large stripers used to swim abundantly up the bay that far in fall. Anglers will see whether they do next year. The Salt Talk usually begins fishing again for summer flounder, when flounder season is opened. That happened in May in recent years.

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