<b>Staten Island</b>

With <b>Outcast Charters</b>, trips limited out on blackfish Saturday and Sunday, Capt. Joe said. Both trips sailed from Sewaren, N.J., and Outcast offers charters from both Staten Island, N.Y., and there. Saturday’s trip limited early on the fish. Wind and seas were rough on Sunday’s trip, at first, until the weather calmed at 10 or 11 a.m. That trip ran across birds working the water on the way back to port. So the trip stopped and jigged striped bass, but all throwbacks, at the birds. Both trips blackfished in 40 to 70 feet of water, catching the tautog to 5 pounds. The blackfish weren’t huge, but the angling was good. Green crabs and white leggers were the bait.  

Fishing is finished for the year with <b>Angler Sportfishing Charters</b>, Capt. Chuck said. He thanks anglers who fished aboard this year, and will begin fishing again in spring, for striped bass and maybe winter flounder and blackfish. Trips had been striped bass fishing aboard until now. Looking ahead, one of the highlights of the year aboard is fishing for the spring run of stripers on Hudson River. Some of the largest stripers anywhere come from the river during the spawning migration, and Chuck’s been chartering the fishing for decades. Catches from the river aboard included a 54-pound 6-ounce striper that tied for the inland record in New York in 2001.

<b>Keyport</b>

Blackfishing remained good on the <b>Down Deep</b>, Capt. Mario said. The fish weighed up to 8 pounds, and were hooked in 40 to 50 feet of water, still close to shore. Charters are fishing, and see open-boat dates on the vessel’s website. Sign up for the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on the site to be kept informed about open trips.

Sharp anglers limited out on blackfish on most trips, and the angling was excellent, when conditions were good, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an email. A good number of 5- to 8-pounders were clubbed, and a 10-pounder was biggest so far this season, on the boat. Occasional cod were mixed-in on the vessel. Green crabs and white crabs seemed to catch the blackfish equally. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips for blackfish are set for Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Six- to 8-ounce sinkers “are more than adequate,” he said, so bring a good supply. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!” 

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Was a nice day of blackfishing on Friday aboard, Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> said. Wind blew, and seas were a bit rough, but the anglers picked at blackfish. One of the tautog weighed a little more than 8 pounds, and some weighed 5 and 6 pounds. Three anglers limited out, and all anglers bagged at least a couple, he thought. The trip fished at one spot, with a little shifting. On Saturday’s trip, weather was good, but blackfishing wasn’t. Some anglers managed some keepers, but some didn’t, and even throwbacks didn’t bite well. On Sunday’s trip, conditions were a little sloppy on the way to the fishing grounds, but the day ended up decent, he said. All anglers landed at least a keeper, and three limited out. The rest bagged one to four or five, Tom guessed. The Atlantic Star is blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

After two days at the dock, the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> resumed striped bass fishing on Friday, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. Mostly throwbacks bit, but action was great at times. Three anglers in the bow landed more than 25 stripers apiece. “Plain jigs and tails,” Ron said, caught best, on a slow retrieve along bottom. Not much wind blew when the trip began, but wind blew 30 knots, by the time the boat reached Sandy Hook point. Tough fishing conditions. On Saturday’s trip, action with stripers was great in the morning. Plenty of fish, bait and working birds were around, and the bite slowed toward the end of the trip, but the fish finder never stopped reading stripers. A good area of the fish swam, and the angling was fun, for anglers who liked to fish with rubber shads. Plain jigs and tails also caught. On Sunday’s trip, the fishing gave up action most of the day, and jigs caught best. Lots of smaller stripers, he said, and seas held a roll, but 25- to 30-knot wind, from southwest, never developed that forecasts predicted. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Neptune</b>

Took a few drops to find the fish, but blackfishing on Friday was decent for the Snowden charter with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph wrote in an email. On Kevin Fahey’s blackfish charter on Saturday, some of the anglers didn’t catch, but the trip had a pick, ending up with fillets for everybody. One angler, Steve, landed more than his limit, “hot all day,” Ralph said. On an individual-reservation trip for blackfish on Sunday, some anglers bagged three or four, and some bagged two, one or none. The fishing was a slow pick, didn’t catch as many as wanted. Individual-reservation trips for blackfish will now sail every Sunday, Tuesday and Friday this month and in January when no charter is booked. <b>***Update, Monday, 12/1:***</b>Individual-reservation blackfish trips will sail Friday and Saturday, and Sunday is chartered, Ralph wrote in an email. White leggers will be provided for bait. <b>***Update, Wednesday, 12/3:***</b> Forecasts are calling for 10 m.p.h. wind from east on Friday, and that looks like a good day to sail, Ralph said. The individual-reservation blackfish trips are on for that day and Saturday, and space is available.

<b>Belmar</b>

Sailing north on the ocean, a trip Saturday played a bunch of throwback striped bass on jigs, popper lures and swimming plugs with <b>XTC Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Scott said. When the anglers became tired of that, they blackfished, and that was pretty good, decking the tautog to 6 or 7 pounds in 50 feet of water. Hear about bluefin tuna at Hudson Canyon? Scott was asked. Someone texted him, saying someone else reported bluefins hooked at the canyon. If the fish are there, XTC will take a shot at them, if weather allows. Needs to be some good weather to sail that far this time of year. Scott also heard on the radio about bluefins seen at places like Manasquan Ridge, but not about any caught.

On the <b>Katie H</b>, blackfishing was good on Saturday, Capt. Mike said. The trip, fishing in 40 or 50 feet of water, nearly limited out, and all anglers left with a healthy number of fillets. None of the tautog was huge, but some large are around, like 10- or 12-pounders docked at the marina. Blackfishing’s been super, and with the boat’s heated cabin and amenities, it’s been comfortable. Plenty of dates are available for charters this month, and Mike would say, go now, before the really rough weather in January and February. Striped bass fishing seemed about finished for the year locally. 

Really good blackfishing was plowed Friday with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Pete said. The fish included large, and, Pete thought, an 11-pounder was biggest. The tautog fishing’s been good when conditions have been. Parker Pete’s is pretty much blackfishing now, and Pete did hear about scattered striped bass boated around the channels near Sandy Hook on the ocean. Plenty of dates are available for blackfish charters this month. 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.

Lots of birds worked the water, and lots of fish were read, but striped bass were just picked at during Sunday’s trip on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s website said. No report was posted for Saturday, and weather and fishing were tough on Friday’s trip. Wind was much stronger than forecast, making angling tough, and weather was chilly. One keeper was axed, “but that was about it,” the report said. The Golden Eagle is fishing for striped bass at 7:30 a.m. daily. Offshore wreck-fishing trips will sail every Friday night this month for giant sea bass, porgies and cod, and contact the boat to reserve.

Blackfishing was good, and big ones were boated, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Jim Rice from Wall’s 11-pounder was the largest checked-in during the weekend. Another angler limited out on the tautog from 6 pounds to 9 pounds 12 ounces. Most blackfish were hooked on white leggers, and Bob is supposed to sail with friends on his first-ever blackfish trip today, with Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters. “Let you know how I do,” he said. Striped bass, mostly throwbacks, were boated on the ocean off Monmouth and Ocean counties, “with trolling the preferred method,” he said. Surf fishing for small stripers, few or no keepers, was fair. Most were hooked on small metal or Ava 17’s or 27’s with a tail. One angler did clam five throwbacks. Looks like it’s time to stow the heavy rods and get out the light ones, and have fun with the fish, because it’s going to be a long winter, he said.

<b>Brielle</b>

Though fishing was sluggish on Friday’s trip, just picking some ling at deep wrecks, it was excellent on Saturday’s, Capt. Ryan from the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> wrote in an email. On that trip, giant sea bass and porgies, and a smattering of cod and pollock, were plundered. Trang Jin from Fort Lee won the pool with a 38-1/2-pound cod, and Sigmund Molis from Hamilton caught a 32-pound pollock, the trip’s second-biggest fish. Frank and George Elsishans from Trenton totaled 30 large sea bass to 6 pounds, 41 porgies and a 28-pound cod. Wes Shourt from Howell limited out on sea bass to 6 pounds and pasted 40 porgies. The boat will now sail for blackfish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Twelve-hour wreck-fishing trips are sailing at 5 a.m. every Wednesday and Sunday, and 14-hour wreck trips are departing at 3 a.m. every Saturday.

Lots of striped bass, mostly throwbacks, were boated between the channels on the ocean toward Sandy Hook, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. A few throwback stripers were landed from the surf, pretty much everywhere, or at no particular location, often in late afternoon or early afternoon, or before sunup. The fishing was hit or miss, and lures like Daiwa SP Minnows or Savage Manic Prey plugs often hooked the stripers. Whether any were beached at night was unknown, because few anglers fished the surf at night, because the bass were practically all small. Not much was heard about bluefish. In Manasquan River, friends reeled in some big winter flounder. Winter flounder also bit in nearby Barnegat Bay. Back on the ocean, blackfishing was good, and the fish seemed to swim relatively shallow or close to shore. Sea bass fishing was good offshore. The season’s first report rolled in about bluefin tuna fought at Hudson Canyon. The fish were up to 65 inches, maybe up to 150 pounds. The boats that fished for them were General Category, so the trips released the tuna. Four bluefins 73 inches or larger per vessel/per day is the bag limit for the category through December.  

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

The Cantwell group sailed for sea bass and cod to mid-range wrecks on Saturday with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. Large sea bass and some cod were cranked up at the first five wrecks, but dog sharks were a nuisance. The final wreck helped with the catch, and plenty of double-headers of sea bass, 2 to 5 pounds, were reeled in. Cod and countless ling were also swung aboard there, and bags were full of fillets at the end. The Cullen group fished aboard Sunday, and a dad wanted to get young boys into striped bass. The trip sailed the distance to the channels off Sandy Hook, and countless throwback stripers were jigged on rubber shads. Bait schooled, and birds worked the bait, and one of the boys, Mitchell, landed more than 20 stripers. Mushin is fishing for stripers and blackfish and is wreck-fishing, and will continue fishing, including at the mid-range cod wrecks, he said, into mid-January. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. 

Anglers picked at blackfish Saturday and Sunday on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. Some scored better than others, and those who cast around, and bounced the sinker “to find the different bottom,” he said, seemed to catch best. White crabs seemed to hook the bigger blackfish, and 8-pound blackfish were the pool-winners on both trips. However, a 12-pounder was caught and released on Sunday’s trip. Some sizeable blackfish were already creamed aboard this season. But as water cools, more of the big ones should chew. On Saturday night’s trip, ling fishing was good. The high-hook bucketed more than 20, and Matt was fairly sure that all anglers left with the fish. Most of the ling were small to medium-sized, and a few were big. The Norma-K III is blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Magic Hour Ling and Cod Trips are fishing 3 to 9 p.m. every Saturday.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Small striped bass moved into the surf from Lavallette to Island Beach State Park on Saturday, John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s website. None was even near the 28-inch keeper size, but the fish gave up good action. Most seemed to be caught on small Ava and Deadly Dick types of metal with teasers, “signaling the possible arrival of sand eels in our area!” he wrote. On Friday, a few small stripers were banked on metal and swimming plugs at Seaside Heights and Island Beach. This all seemed a good sign that surf fishing was yet to be finished. In other news, now here’s a Black Friday sale: The store is holding a Black Friday sale through Christmas Eve. Discounts include 25-percent off gift cards, 10 percent off all reels in stock, and discounts on pre-paid boat and jet-ski rentals for weekdays and non-holidays. The Dock Outfitters, located on Barnegat 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>

Striped bass fishing was tough Thursday, Friday and Sunday on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, the vessel’s Facebook page said. “We saw enough to continue fishing next Saturday and Sunday,” it said. On Sunday’s trip, one keeper and a throwback were reeled up. Small schools of stripers were seen crashing bait in one area, but the bait was small, making it tough to get the fish to bite. But the life seen was what made the crew decide to keep fishing this coming weekend. Too few anglers showed up for Saturday’s trip to sail. On Friday’s trip, a few striper schools were seen, and one short was landed. A few bunker were snagged for bait, and all the anglers fished hard, in cold and wind. On Thursday, Thanksgiving, the fishing was no good, and one short was tugged in. The Miss Barnegat Light will fish for striped bass this Saturday and Sunday.

<b>Brigantine</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 12/2:***</b> At least six throwback striped bass were angled from the surf Monday that were known about, Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b> wrote on the store’s Facebook page. He’d like to say stripers blitzed, he said, but the stripers were the most reported from the island’s surf all fall. Fresh bait ran out of stock, because of weather, but frozen clams seemed to work on the bass, and fresh bait should arrive today at the shop. The store will now be open for winter hours: from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Now that December arrived, the store’s gift-certificate special is offered. Ten-percent will be added to any gift certificate purchased, a way to take care of holiday gifts.

<b>Longport</b>

A trip blackfished Sunday in 8-foot seas and 30-knot wind on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. But the trip actually put together a catch, he said, and a few limits were bagged, and a couple of the tautog weighed 6 pounds. Rough, rough, rough, he said, but the seas kind of settled down by 11 a.m. Striped bass fishing aboard was slow so far this morning, he said on the trip at 10:30, when he gave this report in a phone call. Bird play hovered off the bow during Sunday’s blackfishing, but the striper trip this morning couldn’t get a bite, so far. The ocean was 48 degrees, and charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips look like they’ll fish on Wednesday and Friday, and maybe Saturday. Fishing will be weathered out on Tuesday and Thursday, for sure. But Mike will try to fit-in an open trip on Wednesday, fishing for blackfish or stripers.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

More than 20 striped bass to 18 pounds were jigged Thursday on the ocean with Rich Duffy and brother Joe aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Blues to 10 pounds were also jigged on the trip. On Friday, seas were rough, and three stripers to 17 pounds were landed with Peter Rotelli and friends aboard the ocean. The fish were trolled, the way that could be fished in the conditions. On Saturday, 12 stripers were jigged, and a couple of blues were mixed in, on the ocean with Kevin McCarthy, son Zach, Kevin’s brother-in-law Chris, and Chris’s son Ben. One small striper was also trolled on the trip. There was bird play during the trip, and, during the trolling, bunker schooled. No bunker schooled when the fish were jigged, and the fish were on smaller bait then. But bunker were sometimes around on the trips. The ocean was 46 to 49 degrees, and the fishing’s still good, and some dates are still available for trips this month. Annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys will fish from Christmas to Easter. 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>.

<b>Avalon</b>

<b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b> duck hunted along Delaware Bay on Friday and along the back bay on Saturday, Capt. Jim said. The shooters bagged 28 ducks, a great hunt, and Fins was supposed to striped bass fish on Sunday. But forecasts for strong wind cancelled the trip, and Jim was disappointed, because he listened to anglers whacking stripers, apparently lots, on the ocean, on the radio during the duck hunting Saturday. They trolled the fish in 50 feet of water on 9er umbrella rigs with rubber shads fished 5 feet off bottom. Fins offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including saltwater fishing and duck and goose hunting. Anglers can even enjoy a combo of striper fishing and duck hunting over a series of days. The guided waterfowl hunting also hunts in surrounding states, depending on where the migration is abundant. Salmon and steelhead fishing, and snowmobiling, is also available from Jim’s lodge in upstate New York. Trips also fly-rod for trout on Pennsylvania’s streams like the Yellow Breeches. Pennsylvania’s deer season opens today, and Jim wishes the hunters good luck.

<b>Cape May</b>
 
Seven striped bass to 37 pounds and a couple of blues 5 or 6 pounds were trolled on the ocean Saturday with Lou Nicole’s charter on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. So the catch was pretty good, he said, and the trip fished toward Corson’s Inlet with Stretch plugs. The ocean was clearer farther north like that than toward Cape May, and some of the best striper fishing seemed to be toward Atlantic City. The water was 49 degrees, still a good temperature for striper fishing, “still up there pretty good,” he said. A striper trip aboard Sunday was cancelled because of forecasts for 30-knot wind. Striper fishing seemed slow in the Cape May Rips and on Delaware Bay. One angler from the docks talked about a good catch from the bay, but that was unconfirmed, and other reports talked about slow results.

Blackfish moved deeper, said Capt. Frank from <b>Melanie Anne Sport Fishing Charters</b>. Some keepers remained on the reef, but anglers had to weed through small blackfish to bag them. So trips aboard now pushed deeper for the tautog. Small sea bass also bit on the reef. A trip clobbered striped bass Sunday on the ocean to the north. Seas were terrible in wind, and few boats fished that day, but the anglers wanted to go. A trip also boated stripers aboard Saturday on the ocean to the north, and both trips trolled the fish. The fishing seemed spottier than before, maybe because of southerly wind. That wind frequently slows fishing, because it cools water close to shore, because of upwelling. But wind direction is changing now to north and then east. Only small stripers about 24 inches swam Delaware Bay.

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