<b>Keyport</b>

Recon trips fished for sea bass and blackfish on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, releasing some super catches, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. The sea bass fishing was especially good, and many of both species were sizeable. Some of the sea bass were real knuckleheads, and sea bass season will be opened starting Saturday. The angling should be good, and porgies, blowfish and triggerfish were also reeled up. Open-boat trips for sea bass and blackfish will sail Saturday and Sunday, and some of the spaces are booked. Don’t wait long to reserve, and clams and crabs will be supplied for bait. Striped bass fishing was a little slow, but will improve, as water cools. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

Great fishing for porgies, big ones, was crushed, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>. A ton of sea bass bit, and sea bass season will be opened starting Saturday. Open-boat trips will fish for sea bass starting then and next week aboard. Striped bass fishing was a little slow, but open trips are eeling for stripers 5 to 11 p.m. every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and charters are also available for the angling. Daytime trips for stripers will begin later this season. Blackfishing will begin on the boat on November 16, when the bag limit is raised to six of the tautog, from the current limit of one. Sign up for the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on the Down Deep’s website to be kept informed about open trips.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Weather was some of the best lately on Friday, or wind finally didn’t blow, but current ran, and both trips that day swung in porgies on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. The angling wasn’t great, but all anglers left with fish, he thought. None of the fleet fished Saturday in the storm. On Sunday morning’s trip, porgy fishing was just a pick, and all anglers bagged the fish, he thought. On the afternoon’s trip, current screamed, and the fish just didn’t bite as well. A few porgies would be plucked, and then the boat would be moved, and a few more would, and so on. Current still ran strong lately, though the full moon passed, between the channels, where the trips fished. Current especially ran strong on outgoing tides. Anglers might want to bring an extra rod that’s stout, for when up to 10 ounces of weight needs to be fished. Some of the porgies were sizeable on the trips, and lots were small, of course. Some beautiful sea bass were released, and trips will be able to keep them starting Saturday, opening day of sea bass season. The Atlantic Star is bottom-fishing for porgies and blackfish on two trips daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. Sea bass will be able to be targeted starting Saturday.

The season’s first keeper striped bass on a daytime trip was decked today on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. “Couple of shorts on eels and jigs – nothing to write home about,” he said. Plenty of bait swam, and water temps were a little high for the fishing. Daytime trips were supposed to begin fishing for stripers and blues this past Saturday aboard, and the report was the first posted about the angling. Nighttime trips have been fishing for stripers aboard for some time. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for stripers 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. The night trips weren’t scheduled to sail this past Friday and Saturday.

<b>Neptune</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, October 14:***</b> Big cod gave up good fishing on an individual-reservation trip for cod on Monday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph wrote in an email. An individual-reservation trip for bluefish clobbered big ones on Thursday, covered in the last report. Charters are available, and individual-reservation trips for striped bass are set for November 9 and 11. Three spots remain for an individual-reservation trip for blackfish on November 16, when the bag limit is jacked up to six of the tautog, from the current limit of one. More of the blackfish trips are slated for November 20, 23, 26, 28 and 30, and sign up now.

<b>Belmar</b>

Striped bass started to show up, at least for local boaters, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Big stripers moved in off Monmouth County this past week, feeding on bunker. Multiple reports rolled in about the bass to larger than 30 pounds boated. Farther from shore, party boats smashed big bluefish. The boats that bottom-fished scooped up winter flounder, triggerfish, porgies and blackfish. In the surf, fishing was quiet, “with small blues being the norm,” he said. Small to keeper-sized stripers sometimes came from the surf, but no big numbers did. “All in all, not what us surf fishermen are looking for yet,” he said.

Fishing for striped bass was cancelled Saturday, because of the storm, with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Pete said. A few stripers started to be boated on the ocean, and bluefishing was phenomenal on the ocean. A trip aboard is supposed to fish for sea bass on Saturday, opening day of sea bass season. Blackfishing on the boat will begin on November 16, when the bag limit is hiked to six of the tautog, from the current limit of one. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Jump on <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a> to subscribe to the emailed newsletter to be kept informed about last-minute, individual spaces available to fill in charters. Look for the place to sign up on the right side of the page.

Plenty of 8- to 18-pound blues were pummeled Sunday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s website said. No report was posted for Saturday, maybe because of weather, but the angling was fantastic on Friday for blues to 16 pounds and on Thursday for blues to 18 pounds. Trips were weathered out before Thursday, and bluefishing was also awesome on Friday and Saturday nights’ trips. The blues weighed up to 18 pounds on the two trips, and blues on all the trips were mostly jigged, including at night. Sometimes bait is more effective at night. 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. Fridays and Saturdays.  Also see the <a href=" http://goldeneaglefishing.com/tuna-reservation.html" target="_blank">Golden Eagle’s tuna schedule</a> online.

Excellent bluefishing was ransacked today and Sunday on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the vessel said. The fish weighed from 12 pounds to a 20-pound pool-winner today and a 19-pound winner Sunday.  Carol from Jackson and William Villalobos Sequira from Trenton subdued those two, respectively. The trips fished on the west side of the Mudhole, catching on both bait and jigs. Plenty of blues are around, “so come on out and get in on this excellent fall fishing,” the email said. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. every Friday and Saturday.

<b>Brielle</b>

Hudson Canyon’s east wall seemed to give up a fair number of longfin tuna at night on the chunk and on jigs, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Butterfish caught best for bait, and jigs like Ava hammered ones connected. Boaters willing to deal with weeds trolled the longfins during daytime on typical tackle like ballyhoos on Joe Shute skirts or spreader bars. Closer to shore, fishing for mahi mahi was great at the Glory Hole and Chicken Canyon. Practically every lobster-pot buoy held the fish, and trolling caught best, on usual tackle like ballys on Joe Shutes, jet heads or spreaders. Closer yet to shore, not many boaters bottom-fished, but they will, once sea bass season is opened starting Saturday. Lots of sea bass were hooked when trips jigged for blues. Jigging for blues was terrific at the Mudhole, and the fish weighed up to the high teens. Trolling for striped bass was actually good from Long Branch to Monmouth Beach in past days, mostly on rubber-shad umbrella rigs. Some of the bass to 30 pounds were actually taken on bunker snagged and livelined for bait. Surf fishing produced stripers to 18 or 20 pounds, good catches, at Sandy Hook, on bucktails, rubber shads or metal-lipped swimmers. Surf fishing locally was fair for lots of 3- to 5-pound blues and a few stripers. The blues pushed rainbait into the beach. The stripers were hooked on the same artificials, and the blues were beaten on metal. Blues pushed into Manasquan Inlet a couple of times. A bunch of blowfish hovered in the inlet.  

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Anglers picked away at ling during most of the trip Sunday on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. The fishing was okay, slowing when current became stronger later in the trip. Some anglers scored well, “and a few just caught a handful,” he said. Most of the ling were small to medium-sized, and a few were large. A few cod and winter flounder were also iced. No report was posted for Saturday, apparently because of weather, but ling fishing was good on Friday’s trip. All anglers left with plenty of the fish, and no cod and flounder showed up that day. A few cod and flounder were nabbed on Thursday’s trip, and ling fishing bailed good catches that day. Most anglers bucketed 15 to 25 ling, and some bagged 30, on the outing. On nighttime trips, bluefishing was strong. Friday and Saturday nights’ trips smoked lots of 8- to 15-pound blues. The Norma-K III is fishing for ling and cod 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for blues 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. every Friday and Saturday. The daytime trips will target sea bass starting Saturday, opening day of sea bass season.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Small bluefish chased rainfish everywhere in the surf, and reports kept increasing about short and keeper-sized striped bass banked from the surf, a report on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> website said. Ocean boaters to the north began to bag stripers to the low 30 pounds on bunker snagged from schools and then livelined. From the dock, medium-sized blues were fought in evenings on Barnegat Bay. The Dock Outfitters, located on the bay, blocks from the ocean surf, features a bait and tackle shop, boat and jet ski rentals in season, a café and a dock for fishing and crabbing.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Was too rough for the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b> to fish on Saturday, a report on the vessel’s website said. But Sunday was another good day of bluefishing aboard, it said. At first, the 8- to 16-pounders were hooked on bait, but later, “they turned on to bait,” it said. The outlook seemed good for future trips. The Miss Barnegat Light is fishing for blues, bonito and false albacore 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. A trip was also supposed to fish today for Columbus Day.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Bluefish swam the surf, and the water was down to 66 degrees, Capt. Andy wrote in a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s website. No striped bass were weighed-in for the Riptide Striper Derby yet this season. “But I’m thinking we should start to see some … soon,” he said.  The annual derby, under way until December 23, awards prizes, but also allows beach-buggy access to Brigantine’s entire length, when accompanied by a Brigantine beach-buggy permit. Otherwise, not all the beach can be driven. The annual Riptide Striper Bounty, sponsored by Hess Plumbing, for the season’s first striped bass 43 inches or larger checked-in from Brigantine’s surf, was up to $685, and growing. Entry is $5 and required before catching the fish, and the winner takes all the cash.

<b>Longport</b>

Capt. Mike was on the <b>Stray Cat</b> on a trip that would troll for false albacore or blues, or catch whatever would bite, on the ocean this morning, when he gave this report in a phone call, he said. Weather was rough on the outing. But a trip trolled albies and blues last week aboard, covered in the last report. Sea bass season will be opened starting Saturday, and trips for sea bass are booked that day and Sunday. But space is available on open-boat sea bass trips next Monday and next week on Tuesday and probably that Thursday. The trips will leave at 7 a.m., earlier than usual, to push farther from shore for the catches.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The party boat <b>Captain Robbins</b> will begin fishing for sea bass 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily on the ocean Saturday, Capt. Victor said. That’s opening day of sea bass season. No trips fished aboard the vessel or the <b>Miss Ocean City</b>, the company’s other party boat, this weekend. The Captain Robbins was undergoing maintenance previously, and the sea bass trips will be the boat’s first since then.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Rain fell, skies were overcast and wind blew on Saturday – perfect conditions for striped bass fishing, <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>’s blog said. Two surf anglers had great fishing for the bass in the morning and afternoon that day. None of the fish was a keeper, but the stripers smacked popper lures along the jetties, good action. Stripers were also played on the back bay lately, mostly on poppers, like Skitter Pops, Popa Dogs and Talking Poppers, when the sun was up, and swimming lures, like Bombers or Daiwa SP Minnows, at night.

Traveling charters to Montauk fished this weekend aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The fishing, with Darrel Cooper and buddies, was great. Tons of false albacore, lots of blues to 12 pounds and a few striped bass were plowed. The trips targeted albies, and the fishing was off the charts, exceptional. Mostly Deadly Dicks were fished, but sometimes soft-plastic lures on lead jigheads were. Jersey Cape also fly-rods for the fish. Huge porgies, 2 or 3 pounds, bit the lures, pulling drag, surprisingly. The annual trips to Montauk will fish through this weekend, before Joe turns all attention to New Jersey fishing. Charters that will fish the migration of stripers and blues from Sea Isle City on the ocean should be booked now that will sail in November and December. Currently, Jersey Cape is fishing for smaller stripers on popper lures and flies on the back bay, good sport. That angling’s been good, and could last until Thanksgiving. But anglers should jump on the trips now, to be sure the fishing is still on. Bluefish, from micros to 2-1/2-pounders, swam from the bay to the ocean around Sea Isle. To see about the trips to Montauk, visit <a href="http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page3.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s traveling charters Web page</a>. Traveling charters also fish the Florida Keys each winter, mostly on weekends. A large variety of fish, from redfish and speckled sea trout to tarpon and sailfish, can be targeted. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> visited the boat on Sunday, he said. Anglers at the dock said Saturday was rainy and windy. But weather was good at the boat on Sunday. Sea bass season will be opened starting Saturday.  The season’s first striped bass charter is booked for November 1. But striper trips will begin earlier, if the fish arrive earlier. Blackfishing aboard will begin on November 16, when the bag limit is increased to six of the tautog, from the current limit of one. Contact George if interested in any of this fishing.

Striped bass seemed to begin showing up, said Capt. Frank from <b>Melanie Anne Sport Fishing Charters</b>. He seemed to mark the fish at the Cape May Rips on a trip, but they wouldn’t bite. The water, 65 degrees, needed to cool. But anglers started to land stripers from the surf, where water was cooler. Seemed a good sign. The trip steamed to bag bluefish for bait for shark fishing that’s sailing aboard. Big blues were preferred, but only small schooled. The boat will begin sea bass fishing when sea bass season is opened starting Saturday. A friend’s trip trolled two bigeye tuna at Wilmington Canyon.

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