<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

One confirmed large striped bass was docked from the bay at a local marina, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. The 46-incher was boated Saturday, and not a lot of reports rolled in. But a few customers said stripers were taken from the bay here and there. A few of the bass seemed to show up, and the bait supplier farther north said fishing for the southern migration of stripers became pretty good toward Long Beach Island. The fish were moving south. The season was early for the migration to reach Delaware Bay, but a few of the fish seemed to begin arriving in the bay, and the migration was swimming south toward the bay. In recent years, the migration to the bay began to peak in early December. Years ago, the run peaked earlier. Fresh bunker, the popular bait for stripers in the bay in fall, is stocked when in demand and available. The storm today probably kept most bunker boats from sailing. But Sharon got a message that a supplier with a bigger boat expected to sail and provide the bunker for tomorrow, Veterans’ Day. More anglers than usual for a weekday will probably fish that day. Fresh clams are carried when possible. Eels, green crabs, bloodworms and all usual baits are on hand. Minnows, bait probably used for freshwater, are in supply. Nothing was heard about white perch catches from brackish waters like Maurice River. But a healthy number of bloodworms, popular bait for the perch, were sold. So Sharon would think the perch fishing was good. Weather was probably too warm to cause the perch to push to the bay from rivers, like the fish can do when weather cools.  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>Money Island</b>

A couple of boats sailed for striped bass yesterday on the bay from <b>Money Island Marina</b>, hooking throwbacks, Bruce said. The migration of large striped bass seemed to give up good catches farther north in the state, and anglers waited to see whether the run would swim into the bay. White perch, fewer than some weeks ago, but some of the fish, were angled from the marina’s dock on Nantuxent Creek. Fresh bunker, bait usually dunked for the bay’s stripers this season, is stocked when in demand, like on weekends and days with good weather when boaters are likely to fish for the bay’s stripers. None was carried in today’s storm, for instance.  The marina features a boat ramp, boat slips, dry-dock boat storage, a fishing dock, gas, bait and a few items of tackle. Some slips are available for striper season, the shop’s Facebook page said. 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>Fortescue</b>

A party boat trip reportedly landed 20 throwback striped bass, said Capt. Tom from <b>Erica Leigh Charters</b>. Throwbacks might’ve schooled the bay, like they do this time of year, piling out to the bay from rivers and creeks, because of dropping water temperatures. Anglers waited to see whether the southern migration of large, mature stripers would swim up the bay from the ocean this season. The migration currently held along the northern state, mostly. When the migration reaches the southern state, sometimes the migrators head up the bay. Sometimes weather can prevent that, like if weather becomes extremely cold. Then sometimes stripers keep migrating south in the ocean toward wintering grounds, without entering the bay. So far, the temperature’s been mild this season. When migrators arrive in the bay, trips boat for them with chunks of fresh bunker, the popular bait in fall. Erica Leigh jumps on the bass then.

<b>Cape May</b>

Sounded like a few striped bass began to be boated, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish were trolled on the ocean from about Ocean City to farther south, like off Corson’s Inlet, Stone Harbor and Wildwood. Reports were heard about thresher sharks chasing bunker in the area. A couple of boats seemed to begin eeling stripers at the Cape May Rips. Nick heard about a couple that bunker-chunked stripers on Delaware Bay. Surf-fishing for stripers was pretty slow, and scattered catches of throwbacks and keepers were reported, but nothing concrete. Anglers fished bunker and clams from the beach, and some threw lures.  Blackfishing was good at inlet jetties. On the back bay, fishing for smaller stripers was good, like chumming for them at creek mouths, and fishing for them along bridges. Nick sailed on a charter for sea bass on the ocean, probably 30 miles from shore, Wednesday on the Common Sense. The trip bagged not quite a limit, but a coolerful. The trip scoped the water, moving around, exploring, and Nick would say 25 miles from shore, at least, was where to fish for sea bass. Not much was happening closer in. Fresh bunker, fresh clams in the shell and shucked, eels and green crabs are stocked.

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