<b>Money Island</b>

Nobody fished at <b>Money Island Marina</b> in the weather in the past week, Bruce said. The weather included strong wind and then the nor’easter through the weekend. But at least this week’s hurricane passed offshore, instead of hitting New Jersey. “We dodged a bullet,” he said. The area flooded. “That goes without saying,” he said. But no other problems seemed to happen. The bay’s striped bass fishing usually begins in late October, as soon as the water cools. Almost all anglers fish for them with fresh bunker. The shop stocks the bunker when available. Minnows are no longer carried this year, because summer flounder season closed. Whether live grass shrimp will be stocked, like before, will depend on weather. When the shrimp are available and in demand, the store usually carries them on weekends.  The marina features a boat ramp, boat slips, dry-dock boat storage, a fishing dock, gas, bait and a few items of tackle. A 12-foot aluminum boat with a 6 h.p. outboard is available to rent to fish Nantuxent Creek, running past the shop. The rate is $40 for 3 hours and $80 for a full day.  

<b>Newport</b>

Crabbing from the rental boats is finished for the season at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, Paul said. The shop was closed this weekend in the storm, and the parking lot was flooded with 8 to 12 inches of water. Though less rain fell on other areas, more than 8 inches dumped on Newport. “We got crushed,” he said, and wind gusted to 40 and 50 m.p.h. Today was the first day the driveway could be driven and wind calmed. The crew thanks customers for a great season, and hopes to see everybody next year. Though the rental boats are no longer available for the season, the shop will remain open daily for supplies. Beaver Dam carries everything needed for crabbing, and some fishing and other outdoor supplies. Customers will also duck hunt on Oranokin Creek, running past the store, using the boat ramp for that. A 6-3/4-inch crab was the biggest blueclaw that customers trapped this year, and the crabber with that crab won a free boat rental next year, the annual prize for the biggest. Crabbing was definitely better this year than last from Beaver Dam. Recreational and commercial crabbers reported lots of small crabs in recent weeks. The crew at Beaver Dam is hopeful that bodes well for next year’s crabbing. Those crabs could grow to keeper size for next year. That partly depends on how cold the winter is or whether extreme cold kills any crabs. Visit <a href=" http://www.crabulousnj.com/Home_Page.php" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s website</a>.  

<b>Avalon</b>

If the fall migration of striped bass arrives, the week before Thanksgiving usually offers some of the  best angling for them with <b>Fins & Feathers Outfitters</b>, Capt. Jim said. His trips fish for them from Delaware Bay to the ocean, wherever the angling’s best. Fins is headquartered in Avalon much of the fishing season. But to fish the bay, the boat is trailered and launched wherever’s nearest the angling. Charters aboard include Cast and Blast Trips, a combo of striper fishing and duck hunting on the bay, that time of year. Those trips usually fish for stripers a day and hunt ducks another day. Fins also offers duck and goose hunting, without the fishing, on the bay and in nearby states, from fall to spring, during the waterfowl seasons. The trips follow the migrations. Fins offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including salmon fishing on upstate New York’s Salmon River from Jim’s lodge. That angling is currently beginning for the season. Guests also fish for steelheads on the river in late fall to spring and snowmobile in winter from the lodge. Jim and his guides also offer fly-fishing for trout on Pennsylvania’s trout streams like the Yellow Breeches. A buddy had been scoring well on stripers along the back-bay’s sod banks at Sea Isle City or nearby on lures like Fin-S Fish and top-waters. Sounded like he didn’t catch well recently, but that could’ve been because of the weather. Those stripers are younger, juvenile ones that swim the back bay year-round, are yet to migrate. The fall migration of stripers brings large, mature ones that are headed south for winter.

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