<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

A little more business than before showed up Saturday at <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>, Sharon said. Anglers bought fresh bunker, including bushels, and Sharon guessed a few tried for striped bass on the bay with the bait. But nobody reported about the angling, and wind blew 30 knots on Sunday, making business slow. Weather was breezy on Monday, and boaters have had difficulty getting the weather to sail. Most customers were surf anglers, who can fish in rough weather. But this is the time of year when boaters begin trying for stripers on the bay, and rough weather isn’t unusual in fall. Anglers are hoping stripers begin to bite in the bay. The nor’easter forecast for this week could help striper fishing, dropping water temperatures. This week’s cold air could, too. News is rolling around that stripers are being seen more frequently than before throughout the state. The bunker netter saw schools of stripers. The Atlantic City Press reported a 46-1/2-pound striper beached from the surf at Margate. A couple of customers saw sea lice on stripers in back bays. That meant the fish migrated from the ocean. The stripers that anglers are expecting in the bay are stripers migrating from the ocean from the north for the season. White perch fishing was great on Maurice River the past couple of weeks. Lots of bloodworms were sold for bait for them. Customers also bought fresh clams for striper bait. Fresh bunker is the most popular striper bait in the bay in fall. But some anglers fish the clams and other baits. Customers bought supplies for crabbing, but not many crabs seemed to be trapped. Crabbing usually slows during this time of year, and many commercial crabbers stopped crabbing for the season. The Girls Place, located on Route 47, just after Route 55 ends, carries a large supply of bait and tackle, and is the long, one-story, yellow building on the right. It’s on the way to the bay.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Capt. Howard from the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b> is just waiting to fish for striped bass on the bay, he said. Sometimes big bluefish arrive in the bay first, but not every year. But if they do, the boat could sail for them. One of the other party boats caught a few blackfish at the lighthouses, Howard thought. Anglers on Fortescue creek reeled in a few stripers, including several keepers 29 or 30 inches. They were resident fish or young stripers yet to migrate.

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