<b>Staten Island</b>

With <b>Outcast Charters</b>, fishing for sea bass Saturday had to move around a lot, but was good, limiting out, Capt. Joe said. The fish were sizeable, and no other fish were mixed in, not even blackfish. The ocean was somewhat rollie, maybe keeping blackfish from biting. New York’s blackfish season will be opened Saturday, and in the early season, fishing for them is sometimes “a little iffy,” Joe said. But a trip slated for that day will probably fish for sea bass and blackfish. Outcast also fishes from New Jersey from Sewaren.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Was good fishing, as simple as that, on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. Mostly porgies, 80 or 90 percent keepers, were pumped in. The fishing was good enough that some anglers threw back porgies that were questionably keeper-sized, instead of measuring them, knowing that they’d catch bigger ones. A few keeper sea bass came in on each trip, but tons of small sea bass schooled. Legal-sized ones just weren’t in, so trips tried to avoid sea bass, so anglers didn’t need to keep releasing them, or killing them. Even some places where porgies could be targeted were avoided to avoid sea bass for that. Small, size-4 hooks worked well on the porgies, with small mouths. Size-2 hooks could catch, but not as well. Worms weren’t necessary to hook the porgies, like they sometimes are. Some anglers brought worms, but the bait made no difference. Tom told anglers not to bring crabs for blackfish bait, because no blackfish were really around, where trips fished. Fishing aboard wasn’t bad on any trip since the vessel began bottom-fishing Wednesday, after fluke fishing previously. Anglers had a great time, and all went home with fish, on the bottom trips.  The Atlantic Star is bottom-fishing 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily. <b>***Update, Tuesday, 10/1:***</b> Fishing was good again Monday aboard, but on this morning’s trip was slower than on past trips, Tom said. The angling was good again on this afternoon’s trip. On the morning’s trip, currents ran stronger than on other trips, and Tom couldn’t know whether that was the reason catches were slower then. Fish were caught, but not as well as Tom would like. So it’s not a perfect world, he said, or sometimes the angling could be better than others. Mostly porgies were bagged on the trips, like before. A few triggerfish and sea bass, not many, were copped.  

<b>Highlands</b>

<b>Fisher Price Charters</b> sailed for striped bass Saturday, bunker-chunking a couple to 34 inches, “not anything special,” Capt. Derek said. A couple of bluefish bit on the trip, and a few stripers were picked aboard in past days on chunks. A couple were eeled early last week. Lots of stripers were marked on trips, but didn’t bite, and not much current flowed. The fishing should become better as tides become stronger around the new moon, and as more stripers migrate in. Lots of bait including peanut bunker schooled, and fish like spots and croakers swam. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips for stripers will run Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday morning. Fisher Price is also bottom-fishing, and porgy catches were okay, and sea bass fishing was slow locally, on the outings. Lots of small sea bass were around. Blackfishing was good, and a limit of one could be kept per angler, on the trips. An open bottom trip will fish Thursday morning. Telephone to climb aboard the open trips or to be kept informed about future ones.

<b>Neptune</b>

Sea bass fishing scratched out a catch, enough to keep anglers happy, on the ocean Friday, opening day of sea bass season, with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. Bluefishing was slow on a trip Saturday, so the anglers switched to ling fishing to keep them pleased, on the ocean. A trip Sunday was cancelled because of wind. An individual-reservation trip for inshore wreck fishing is slated for October 13, before the final day of sea bass season October 14. The season will be reopened November 1 through December 31, and another one of the trips is scheduled for November 11. An individual-reservation trip for cod is full October 7, and another is set for November 4. An individual-reservation trip for blackfish will sail November 16, when the bag limit is increased to six from the current limit of one. Individual-reservation trips for striped bass will be scheduled, when fishing for them takes off. Charters are available for all species on tap.

<b>Belmar</b>

Fishing for sea bass wasn’t as good as hoped, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den<b/> wrote in an e-mail. Sea bass season was opened Friday. “But the fish are there (in the ocean), and fishermen are taking a decent number,” he said. The season is only opened through October 14, and will be closed afterward, until it’s reopened November 1 through December 31. “So get out, before it’s too late,” he said. Huge bluefish and good numbers of false albacore were boated on the ocean. A keeper striper was taken on the Belmar party boat Golden Eagle on one of the trips. In the surf, a pick of striped bass was banked, but winds made the angling tough during the weekend. Small stripers were seen beached on Daiwa SP Minnows with teasers. In Shark River, snapper blues, kingfish and small porgies bit. “Keep the faith – the (striped) bass are on the way,” Bob said.

Large bluefish 8 to 15 pounds and false albacore were beaten Saturday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. Anglers who wanted to fish for the albies landed as many as 10 apiece. Big blues, including five that topped 20 pounds, shots at albies, and two 18-pound stripers were axed Sunday aboard. On today’s trip, 4- to 5-pound blues showed up where the previous trips ran into big ones. Customers nailed the smaller ones as fast as they could catch them a while. Afterward, the trip searched for large blues, finding some after a while. The fish were chummed and caught on bait on anchor. All in all, a very good day of fishing, the report said, and several anglers limited out on blues. Albies, some, were first reported caught Friday on the boat. The Golden Eagle is bluefishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Thursdays through Sundays.

<b>Brielle</b>

On the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> fishing for sea bass on the ocean this weekend was “less than stellar,” Capt. Ryan wrote in an e-mail. The season for sea bass was opened Friday, and some were caught every place the boat fished, both inshore and offshore. But not enough bit anywhere. “Fair fishing at best,” he said. Lots of porgies were plundered aboard Sunday, for those who wanted to fish for them. Anglers “with just a hint of talent,” he said, could limit out on porgies with little effort. Pool-winners were Will Correa, Perth Amboy, with a 5.4-pound sea bass, Jim Harrigan, Princeton, with a 5-pounder and Kenny Raines, Philadelphia, with an 8-pound blackfish. Jim Eagan’s crew sailed on a fifth annual charter aboard Saturday night, with a bunch of 10 and 12 years olds. They bailed big bluefish to 18 pounds, a whole mess. Most of the kids nailed three to seven. The Jamaica II this week is fishing for sea bass on ¾-day trips 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday. Ten-hour sea bass and porgy trips will sail 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and Sunday.  “Will be digging around in deeper water,” Ryan said, especially on the ¾-day trips.

Sea bass fishing, on the ocean, was sort of picky, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Unsettled weather and “confused” seas didn’t help, and plenty of the fish seemed around before sea bass season was opened Friday. Surely they didn’t depart. Porgy fishing was good on the ocean. Resident striped bass, not yet migrating stripers, could be found at Shrewsbury Rocks. Boaters trolled them on umbrella rigs with tubes or shads. Small stripers, bluefish, hickory shad and out-of-season fluke swam Manasquan River. Not a lot of surf fishing was heard about. But some surf casters consistently beached a striper or two in a trip. Many fished before first light with plugs. But one customer caught them on new Hogy epoxy jigs that started to be stocked. No bluefish were heard about from the surf. The shop originally began carrying the Hogys for bonito and false albacore. Fishing for them seemed hit or miss on the ocean, but good catches were heard about at mid-week. A party boat got into them at Manasquan Ridge. Fishing for big blues was good on the ocean, and, on Saturday, an 18.7-pounder was the largest weighed-in. Tuna fishing wasn’t so good at the offshore canyons. Party boats struggled to catch yellowfin tuna at night. A customer on the Goin in Deep trolled two bigeye tuna. Longfin tuna were run into once in a while on trips. A new line of shad umbrella rigs in different varieties, like different colors, was stocked. AA shads for jigheads began to be carried. The store is now open at 7 a.m. on weekends, instead of 6 a.m.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

The party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>’s sea bass trips made a lot of drops on Friday through Sunday, but catches were slow, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Those were the first three days of sea bass season, and most places fished turned out a few keepers and some throwbacks. Some of the places were “dead.” Lots of readings were marked at most spots, “but they (did) not want to cooperate with us,” Matt said. A few anglers who fished crabs did reel in a few blackfish to 5 pounds. An 8-pound cod was clocked Friday “inshore,” he said. On nighttime trips, bluefishing was slow Friday, for no apparent reason. But on Saturday night’s trip, anglers were “back in action,” he said. They punched 7- to 15-pound blues, much better fishing than on the previous night. The Norma-K III is sailing for sea bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for bluefish 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

In the surf, bluefish tumbled in and out, and a few striped bass were mixed in, a report on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> Web site said.  From the dock, crabbing actually picked up a little, it said. Plus, one of the rental boats returned Sunday with more than 40 of the blueclaws. Also from the dock, plenty of snapper blues were played on spearing or small metal, and a few kingfish and small weakfish, spikes, were hooked. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, fresh mullet, sandworms and frozen baits are stocked. The Dock Outfitters, located on the bay, features an extensive supply of bait and tackle, a dock to fish and crab from and boat rentals for fishing and crabbing.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

An overnight trip steamed offshore Friday to Saturday on the <b>Super Chic</b>, and fishing was slow, Capt. Ted said. A good-sized wahoo, a small swordfish and a mahi mahi were decked. Seas were bumpy, and “water conditions were good,” he said. Waters were 70 to 71 degrees, “which for this time of year, is fine,” he said. The Super Chic was the only charter boat in the area, and five party boats fished there. Ten or twelve tuna were caught on one, but like one or two were landed on each of the others, Ted thought. Space is available on a tilefish trip offshore October 19, and that fishing was good on all past trips for them on the boat this fishing season. Closer to shore, big bluefish schooled. Small blues held around places like wrecks, but the blues jigged aboard were 10 and 12 pounds. Lots of false albacore were fought, and a few bonito were. Whether the bonito population was smaller, or albies beat bonito to the hook, was difficult to say. Sea bass season, opened Friday, was off to slow start. Maybe that will pick up when winds calm, but Ted couldn’t know. The 56-foot boat can accommodate up to 25 anglers on inshore trips and 10 on overnight, offshore trips. The vessel sleeps 10 passengers.

Trips for bluefish, bonito and false albacore launched during the weekend on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. In rough seas, Saturday’s trip fished closer to port. A few bonito and false albacore were fought at the first stop, until dog sharks “took over.” A couple of more places were fished, and lots of dogs bit. On Sunday’s trip, “we headed in a different direction,” the report said. Bluefish 8 to 12 pounds were picked, and high hooks caught six apiece. Anglers who fished with jigs seemed to catch a little better than those fishing with bait. Lots more blues were marked than were landed, “so when they turn on, it should be great fishing,” the report said.  The Miss Barnegat Light is fishing for bluefish, bonito and false albacore 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Weather was somewhat rough during the weekend, Brian from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s Web site. Sea bass were sometimes bagged at Little Egg Reef. Bluefish were “spotted this past week (at the reef),” he said. On Great Bay, blues were wrestled at Pebble Beach, near the mouth of Mullica River. “Right now we are changing the store over to striper season,” Brian said. A few stripers caught began to be heard about. Two bagged on Mullica River were known about, and a 28-1/2-incher was lifted from Roundabout Creek.

<b>Brigantine</b>

One angler plugged a couple of striped bass Sunday morning, saying one had sea lice on it, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. The report didn’t say the location of the catch, but the surf seemed likely. Sea lice are usually believed a sign that the fish was a migrator. Anglers waited for the migration of striped bass from the north. The sea lice meant “the rest should be following him down the beach,” the report said. Another angler stopped by with a good-sized weakfish Sunday. Again, the location of the catch wasn’t mentioned, but apparently was the surf. The angler landed one weakfish the past three days in a row. The shop’s annual bounty will be awarded for the season’s first striper 43 inches or larger checked in from Brigantine’s surf. The bounty was already up to $160, and entry is $5 and required 12 hours before catching the fish. The winner takes all the cash. Also, the Riptide Striper Derby, the annual Brigantine surf-fishing contest, is under way until December 23.  When entrants purchase a Brigantine beach-buggy permit, the tournament provides another permit to drive onto the beach along the entire island, instead of only at the cove, south jetty and north end. Prizes are $500, $300 and $150 for first, second and third prizes, respectively. Plus, a monthly $100 prize and a weekly $25 prize are awarded.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Montauk was fished for the second weekend in a row this weekend aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Annual traveling charters to the New York port were launched to fish the migration of striped bass, bluefish and false albacore on the trips. On this weekend’s trips, on Saturday and Sunday, Peter Rotelli and friend clobbered stripers to 27 pounds and bluefish larger than 12 pounds on fly rods and spinning rods. The fishing wasn’t as wide open as it can be, but was good. Joe told a friend that if the location were anyplace else, the angling would’ve been called great. But for Montauk, it wasn’t the best it can be, and the trips worked for the fish, but caught. Jigs on spinning rods caught better than flies, because many of the fish swam deep, though the fishing is often better on flies at Montauk. No false albacore appeared, and the trips will fish until late October. If you’ve ever wanted to experience the legendary run, Joe is going. Afterward, trips aboard will fish the migration of stripers and blues from Sea Isle City in November and December. Book those trips now. In Sea Isle currently, high tides at dusk are ideal for popper fishing for striped bass on the back bay with spinning and fly rods, and those charters are available. Take an After Work Special Trip on weekdays, fishing 4 p.m. to dark, a great time for angling. Also book now for annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys from Christmas to Easter. A large variety of fish, from redfish and speckled sea trout to tarpon and sailfish, can be landed on the trips, mostly fishing on weekends.  Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Avalon</b>

<b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b> was going to fish for sea bass on the ocean during the weekend, but cancelled because of winds, Capt. Jim said. Sea bass season was opened Friday. Angling for small striped bass is available aboard at night under bridge lights. That’s usually catch and release for sport, because the fish are usually smaller than legal size. Jim is waiting to fish the migration of large striped bass at the Cape May Rips, mostly on eels. That usually begins during the first week of November, and last fall’s hurricane changed the rips a lot. Book those trips now. Salmon fishing was on at upstate New York’s Salmon River. Customers fish the migration from Jim’s lodge. He likes to fly rod for them with chartreuse or pearl egg patterns. But big stoneflies – Jim ties them in size 8 – can work well on the river’s brown trout and steelheads. Fins and Feathers offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including fly fishing for trout on Pennsylvania’s streams like the Yellow Breeches, and goose and duck hunting in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Eighteen geese were bagged in two hunts from Pennsylvania recently with Jim. Anglers can even enjoy a combination of striper fishing and duck hunting on Delaware Bay over a series of days with Fins and Feathers. Duck seasons there include one around the first week of November and another in December into January.

<b>Cape May</b>

Winds weathered out sea bass fishing during the weekend on the <b>Down Deep</b>, Capt. Mario said. The season for sea bass was opened Friday. Bluefishing was super aboard lately. Charters are fishing, and sign up for the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on Down Deep’s Web site to be kept informed about open-boat trips, including for sea bass. Dates are being booked for fishing for striped bass and blackfish later this season.

No fishing sailed in rough weather on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Skies were sunny, and the shore was beautiful, but hard winds blew. Boaters from the dock who sailed talked about sea bass fishing that was kind of slow on the ocean, since sea bass season was opened Friday.  Bluefish could be boated off Cape May Point. Nobody seemed to fish for tuna offshore in winds in past days. Previously, catches of yellowfin tuna 30 to 60 pounds sounded pretty good along the 30-fathom line, all on the troll. Lots of false albacore apparently swam the area. A tuna trip is supposed to fish in two weekends aboard, but George will see whether the anglers want to go this weekend, if the tuna along the 30 are still biting. The only other tuna recently that bit substantially were at Washington Canyon. That’s out of range for most Cape May boats, except vessels with large fuel capacities like party boats. The fish were caught on the chunk at night there. The season’s first striped bass charter is scheduled for November 2 on the Heavy Hitter. The fishing started in November in recent years, though it used to begin in October.

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