<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Nobody fished in the weekend’s weather, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. But the good news was that fresh bunker should be stocked now, she said. That’s the most popular bait for the bay’s stripers this time of year, and the weather previously kept bunker boats from sailing. But Sharon found someone sailing for the baitfish on Monday, despite wind, and expected to stock the bait that day. Strong wind continued on Monday, but was supposed to calm later in the day. Today’s weather was supposed to be reasonable, too. Whether the striper migration arrived in the bay was impossible to know, because maybe one day was boatable last week. Nobody reported trying for stripers on the bay, but the fish could arrive any moment, if they haven’t already. The first couple of weeks of November, through Thanksgiving, is always the most popular time to fish for the bass on the bay. Stripers arrived farther north in the state last week, when reports were last heard about anybody fishing. The migration can quickly swim to the southern state, including Delaware Bay, once it arrives in the northern state. This weekend’s storm, wind and seas could’ve helped draw the fish south. Before the weather, Sharon heard about a migrating striper caught here and there in South Jersey, but not about many. Baits stocked also include fresh, shucked clams. Some anglers like to fish them for the bay’s stripers. Anglers can telephone to order bushels of clams in the shell ahead of time. Clams in the shell are stocked when demand picks up. 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>

The party boat <b>Salt Talk</b> was supposed to fish for striped bass on the bay this weekend for the first time this season, but none of the boats sailed in the weather, Capt. Howard said. Boats didn’t even fish for white perch on rivers, because of the weather. But a striper charter is booked to fish the bay aboard this Saturday, and anglers already telephoned to confirm an open-boat trip will fish for stripers on the bay this Sunday, and a trip will. Open-boat trips and charters are fishing for stripers. The open trips might be most likely to sail on weekends this time of year, and anglers can telephone the boat to confirm the schedule.

<b>Cape May</b>

Striped bass fishing was supposed to start for the season last weekend on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, but was weathered out, Capt. George said. Saturday was stormy, and George checked on the boat Sunday, and wind screamed. The harbor and canal were white caps. Striper charters are supposed to fish aboard this weekend, and maybe toward the end of the week. Telephone if interested in a striper trip. Autumn’s striper trips aboard usually fish Delaware Bay first. The charters could fish the Cape May Rips, if the rips hold the most stripers, this season. But the bay gave up the best angling for them in recent years. On the bay trips, chunks of fresh bunker are fished. On the trips to the rips, live eels or spots or bucktails are. Sometimes the ocean, like off Hereford Inlet, offers the best striper fishing at moments in fall, and the boat will fish there, if so.

The season’s first striped bass fishing is set for November 10 with <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b>, Capt. Jim said. That will be a Cast and Blast Trip, a combo of striper fishing and duck hunting, over two days on Delaware Bay. A Cast and Blast can be booked, or simply a striper charter can, of course. Another Cast and Blast is booked for Thanksgiving weekend, and Fins hauled a 52-pound striper from Delaware Bay that weekend a couple of years ago. Trips aboard fish for stripers from the bay to the Cape May Rips to the ocean, wherever the angling’s best, in fall. Jim spent the weekend guiding waterfowl hunting in Pennsylvania. The trips hunted geese along Susquehanna River and ducks in the Pocono Mountains.

A couple of striped bass were boated on Delaware Bay last week, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. They were chunked on bunker, and one came from the Cock and Balls. A few were decked at mid-bay, like at 20-Foot Slough. Lots of stripers bit in the back bay.  Stripers started to be beached from Cape May’s surf, and Nick, a surf angler, would dunk clams or bunker for them. Blackfishing was good along the town’s jetties, like along Cape May Inlet. Fresh clams and bunker and live spots, eels and green crabs are stocked.

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