<b>Staten Island</b>

Bottom-fishing was weathered out this weekend with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. The fishing aboard recently cleaned up on plenty of sea bass, targeting them, and some porgies mixed in, covered in recent reports. Outcast is big on bottom-fishing, including blackfishing, and will home in on blackfish when the season becomes later. The boat is also fishing for striped bass, and on Raritan Bay, anglers boated stripers on livelined bunker and on the troll. On the ocean, striper fishing sounded good farther south. Bottom trips with Outcast will stop to jig stripers, if stripers are seen, on the way to and from the bottom-fishing grounds. Charters are available from both Staten Island, N.Y., and Sewaren, N.J.

<b>Keyport</b>

Strong wind cancelled trips throughout the weekend on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. But striped bass schooled Raritan Bay and the ocean and could be jigged, trolled, livelined on bunker or chunked on bunker. The fishing looks like it’ll shape up as well as last fall. The time is now to get on the bass. Charters are fishing, and a few spots remain for open-boat trips for stripers on Wednesday and Friday. Telephone to jump aboard. Blackfish charters and open trips will sail starting on November 16, when the bag limit is increased to six of the tautog, from the current limit of one. If birds working the water are seen while sailing to and from the blackfish grounds, the trips will stop on them to fish for stripers. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

Striped bass fishing became super, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Trips aboard eeled, chunked bunker and livelined bunker for them. Bottom-fishing remained good for sea bass and porgies. Charters are sailing, and sign up for the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on Down Deep’s website to be kept informed about open-boat trips, including for stripers and bottom-fish. Open trips include ones for stripers at 5 p.m. every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.  Blackfishing aboard will begin on November 16, when the bag limit is hiked to six of the tautog, from the current limit of one.

A striped bass trip was weathered out on Saturday, and another for today was postponed until Tuesday, because of weather, with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Open-boat trips for stripers are available daily when no charter is booked, and telephone to climb aboard.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 11/4:***</b> The party boat <b>Fishermen</b> sailed for striped bass on Monday, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. The trip was the first to fish aboard since the weekend’s weather cancelled trips. On the trip, water temperature had finally dipped into the 50 degrees, but the water needed to clear up a bit, after the rain. Not much life was seen closer to port, so the trip headed down the beach, in search mode. Several areas were fished, “where we left them on Friday,” he said. But the angling was no good. Stripers and blues finally showed up toward the end of the tide, but for a short time, and they were tough to catch. They rolled right next to the boat, and anglers tried tossing everything to them. “Will give it hell (today)!” he said.  The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

Fishing was docked in the weather this weekend on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. On Sunday, he was waiting for wind to calm to see when the trips would resume.  The Atlantic Star is fishing for sea bass, porgies and blackfish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. <b>***Update, Tuesday, 11/4:***</b> Porgies and sea bass gave up lots of action today aboard, Tom said. Most were throwbacks, but all the anglers caught, and most “had dinner,” he said. A couple of blackfish were bagged, and most blackfish that bit were shorts. Wednesday looks like the best chance for anglers to jump aboard, and Thursday is supposed to be windy and rainy. <b>***Update, Wednesday, 11/5:***</b> Wind will keep Thursday’s trip from sailing, Tom said. The forecast for wind doesn’t look good for Friday currently, but looks good for the weekend. No trips will probably fish Thursday and Friday, if forecasts stay the same, but Tom expects to sail Saturday and Sunday.

<b>Belmar</b>

Surf fishing for striped bass was hot toward the end of the week, north of Shark River Inlet and, to some extent, in the Seaside area, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Many anglers landed multiple 30-pounders. Stripers in the surf were nailed on popper lures, rubber shads and swimming plugs. One fly-rodder was known about who drilled the fish to 25 pounds. Justin Carr heaved in three stripers to 25 pounds on a Bomber plug at Asbury Park’s surf. Vinny Antone weighed-in a 26-pound striper from the surf. Boaters on the ocean pasted stripers to 50 pounds on livelined bunker, trolled bunker spoons and jigged Krocodile spoons. “Let’s see what lies ahead for the fall,” Bob said. “(It’s) off to a good start.” The Asbury Park Fishing Club held its fall invitational tournament this weekend, and the Monmouth Beach club won second place, and the Spring Lake club took third. “All other clubs failed to score,” Bob said.

The weather kept fishing in port Saturday and Sunday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s website said. On Thursday’s trip, striped bass fishing began well, producing a few dozen of the bass to 30 pounds caught on the first few drifts. “And now we are in search of more,” the report said. On Friday’s trip, the anglers picked away at stripers to 30 pounds and some blues on Krocodiles and gold, hammered jigs. “But the afternoon bite that (we had) most of the week did not materialize,” the report said. The Golden Eagle is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 or 3 p.m. every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and on Striperthons 6 a.m. to 3:30 or 4 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

<b>XTC Sportfishing</b> got the weather to sail on an overnight trip offshore Thursday to Friday, Capt. Scott said. A handful of small yellowfin tuna, a 100-pound swordfish and 30 tilefish were decked at Hudson Canyon. Seas weren’t bad, weren’t great. They became somewhat snotty on the final 20 miles of the trip home. The crew hopes to have the weather to sail for striped bass on Tuesday and Wednesday. Striper fishing sounded good last Thursday, and definitely on Friday.

<b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> fished for striped bass on the ocean Thursday and Friday, before the weather, Capt. Pete said. The fishing was great for stripers to 38 pounds, all on livelined bunker. Lots of bunker schooled. Only a few dates remain for charters and shared charters this month. Plenty of dates remain in December for striper or blackfish trips. A few anglers tested the ocean for blackfish on Friday that Pete knew about, and the fishing was good. Trips will target blackfish aboard once the bag limit is raised to six of the tautog on November 16, 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.

<b>Brielle</b>

Before wind prevented trips during the weekend, boating for striped bass was exceptional on the ocean, mostly to the north, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. But the fish were boated from Monmouth Beach all the way through Island Beach State Park. Sometimes the stripers popped up to the north, sometimes off Manasquan Inlet, sometimes to the south, and so on. But there were lots, and lots were big. They were livelined on bunker, trolled on bunker spoons and jigged. Krocodiles caught while jigging, and Tsunami heavy shads worked especially well for jigging. But so many of the fish were around, that popper lures and swimming plugs also caught. Stripers were also beached from the surf, and that angling was epic on Friday and Thursday, before the fierce wind. The surf fishing was great at Monmouth Beach. Many large stripers to 30 pounds were banked, and metal-lipped swimmers and pencil poppers worked well on the fish. The angling was similar at Island Beach State Park on Friday: was great. Large bluefish stormed the surf at Monmouth Beach, too. Bait in the water included bunker but also butterfish and squid. At Point Pleasant Canal, blackfishing was off the charts. “Stupid fishing,” he said. Not a lot of the blackfish were keepers, but if the tide was fished, an angler would likely bag a limit of one. Green crabs were the bait to dunk. A handful of stripers, mostly throwbacks, were hooked from the canal. Back on the ocean, sea bass fishing was good, if boaters found a spot that wasn’t picked over. Then anglers could limit out easily. A fair number of large porgies were cranked in. A few cod chomped at the deeper wrecks. Tons of blackfish filled the ocean, and the angling looked likely to be good when the bag limit will be raised to six of the tautog on November 16, from the current limit of one. For offshore boaters, windows of weather to reach the big-game grounds were limited. But when the boaters got the weather, fishing was good at Hudson Canyon for lots of longfin tuna and some yellowfin tuna on the chunk. A handful of bigeye tuna showed up, and some big swordfish were taken. One sword weighed 380 pounds dressed. Plenty of life filled the water, if anglers could get there.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Anglers picked away at sea bass Thursday and Friday on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. Dog sharks and bergals had to be picked through, and the angling wasn’t super. But all customers left with fish. A 5-1/2-pound sea bass was the pool-winner on Thursday. The Norma-K III is fishing for sea bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Barnegat</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 11/4:***</b> From an edited email from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “Forecasts are really good for Wednesday and Friday:  westerly wind. Sailing open-boat 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.  Three people max. All fish are shared. We’ve been fishing every day, catching a mix of stripers and big bluefish. Trolling spoons has been the most productive, but we’re catching some while snagging bunker and jigging. The ‘where’ changes every day. On Monday, we caught fish at the Shrewsbury Rocks in the morning and at Ortley Beach in the afternoon. Currently sailing from Manasquan Inlet. Saturday and Sunday are already booked, but I do have Monday available for an a.m. departure.”

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Next to nothing happened with fishing in the weather, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. In past years, Halloween weekend, this past weekend, was when striped bass first showed up at Little Egg Inlet, near the shop. Currently, stripers seemed to be caught like crazy on the ocean toward Shark River Inlet, farther north. They seemed the first wave of stripers migrating south, and the shop hopes more are coming. Closer to the store, stripers were reeled from Absecon Bay and Absecon Inlet last week. Those were usually younger, smaller stripers, yet to migrate. Sea bass schooled thickly in the local ocean, and boaters limited out on them, or came close. The store is carrying a new jig called the Octopi jig from S&S Bucktails that’s doing a job on sea bass. The Octopi glows and is stocked in nine colors, and can also be ordered on the shop’s website. Blackfishing was good along the sod banks, and along Barnegat Inlet’s rocks. Many of the fish were throwbacks, but some good-sized keepers were mixed in. This might be a time for shore anglers to fish for the tautog along the banks near the Old Coast Guard Station, at the end of Great Bay Boulevard.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Forecasts called it right this weekend, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said on Saturday. Wind gusted to 30 knots and stronger that day, and rain was supposed to end later in the day. But wind was supposed to keep blowing on Sunday, and it did. But surf anglers fished on Saturday, when the report was posted, and they bought bait that morning, “but it is ugly,” the report said about the weather. A striper was reported caught from the surf on Friday. The striper migration blitzed the northern state last week, and anglers waited to see whether the fish arrived at Brigantine now.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Was too rough to fish this weekend, said Capt. Victor from the party boat <b>Miss Ocean City</b>.  The boat last fished on Wednesday, and the anglers, a small crowd, limited out on sea bass and shoveled in bluefish, from the ocean, a good day, Victor said, covered in the last report. Open-boat trips are fishing every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Groups of 10 or more receive a discount.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

The migration of large striped bass is impending in the ocean at Sea Isle City, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. “It’s on deck,” he said. “Anytime, really.” Big bluefish also migrate to the water this time of season, and fishing for the bass and blues is some of the best angling of the year aboard. The trips should be booked, while space is available. Everybody books when the fish show up. Fishing for smaller stripers on the back bay should remain good on popper lures and flies, drawing explosive, visual attacks along the surface, good sport, and a specialty aboard. Those fish are younger stripers, yet to migrate, that live in the bay year-round. Looking ahead, annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys will fish from Christmas to Easter, mostly on weekends. That can be a mini, fish-filled vacation, targeting a variety of species, from speckled sea trout and redfish to tarpon and sailfish. Joe can arrange flights and accommodations, if anglers want. See <a href="http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page3.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s traveling charters Web page</a>. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

Two shore anglers on Saturday fished Townsend’s Inlet, the only place they found shelter from wind and rain, and the effort paid off: They landed a 25-inch, throwback striped bass, <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>’s blog said. On Friday, wind only blew 10 to 15 knots, and seas were only 2 feet. But forecasts that day called for wind building to 40 knots, and seas building to 6 to 9 feet, on Saturday. Saturday ended up stormy, and wind kept blowing a gale on Sunday. Before the weekend’s weather, striper fishing was good on the back bay, and more and more reports rolled in about that. Those fish are usually throwbacks, but some are keepers. A photo of a 30-inch keeper was posted on the blog that was popper-plugged along the sod banks. But the bay’s bigger bass like that began to swipe eels and spots. The migration of large stripers in the 30-pound range, swimming south, had reached places farther north in the state, before news dried up, because of the weekend’s weather. Blackfishing was good locally, and the blog didn’t say where, but the shop reported here previously that the tautog were hung at places like Townsend’s Inlet on the Avalon side. The blog on Thursday included a report about two anglers who bagged their limits of one blackfish apiece to 22 inches.

<b>Avalon</b>

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 in the southern zone, and ducks in the Pocono Mountains, in the northern zone, north of Interstate 80. Fins doesn’t guide fishing on the Susquehanna, but fishing on the river was good for smallmouth bass, including sizable, and huge flathead catfish. Both anglers and waterfowlers lined the river. Fins and Feathers offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including saltwater fishing in New Jersey, duck and goose hunting on Delaware Bay and in surrounding states, salmon and steelhead fishing on upstate New York’s Salmon River from Jim’s lodge, and fly-fishing for trout on Pennsylvania’s streams like the Yellow Breeches.

<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.

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