<b>Absecon</b>

Striped bass fishing began to catch at the Cape May Rips, said Jay from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Absecon is farther north in the state, not usually a source for Delaware Bay reports on this website. But a charter captain bought 700 eels from the shop last week for the angling at the rips, because the catches began, and eels were scarce. Jay had been clobbering stripers boated on the ocean last week. That fishing might’ve been tougher for anglers this weekend for whatever reasons, maybe boat traffic, maybe something else. He was in tune with boating for stripers lately, so the news about the rips seemed credible.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

The bay’s striped bass fishing turned on, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. The catches were heard about from throughout much of the bay, including 60-Foot Slough, 20-Foot Slough, off Bidwell Creek, near Miah Maul and at the stakes near Fortescue. One trip was known about that boated five keepers. Another tackled a 48-inch 40-pounder. Many of the trips fished fresh bunker, the popular bait for the bay’s stripers in autumn. Weather was beautiful for boating, with calm wind, in past days. The ocean’s striper fishing seemed to slow a little. The fish there were usually trolled, and maybe the ocean stripers migrated into the bay, the reason for the slower catches on the ocean. Fresh bunker were becoming difficult to obtain from suppliers this time of year. Many commercial boats stop sailing for the baitfish now, because of demand. But the bait will be stocked at the shop as long as it’s available. It was carried this weekend, though Sharon had to drive a distance for it. A few green crabs are stocked, and ran out this weekend. But some are usually carried, and customers often said the tautog failed to bite along jetties and seemed to migrate farther from shore, typical for the time of year. Baits stocked also include bloodworms and fresh, shucked clams. Clams in the shell aren’t usually carried this time of season, unless a customer orders the clams. The store usually closes for a winter break beginning December 21, but this year will be open at least through December 20, this coming Sunday, and maybe longer, depending on demand, because stripers are in. Nobody knows how long the stripers will remain. 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 few sizable striped bass were docked form the bay this weekend at <b>Money Island Marina</b>, Bruce said. The fish included one trip’s limit of four stripers from 33 inches to a 48-inch 41-1/2-pounder. A photo of those anglers was posted on <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/MoneyIslandMarina" target="_blank">the marina’s Facebook page</a>. The shop does a great job of posting local news there, and Like the page to follow that. Today was the official final day of business for the year at the marina. Though weather might feel like early fall, the crew needs to get the boats out of the slips and prepare the docks for ice that could form later this month. Still, Bruce lives at Money Island, and will continue to help customers at the marina if they need, and the boat launch will remain available. Heads up: Reserve slips now for next year, and lock in 2015 rates. 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 the creek, during the season. The rate this year was $40 for 3 hours and $80 for a full day.  

<b>Cape May</b>

The <b>Heavy Hitter</b> had been trolling striped bass on the ocean, but trollers crowded the ocean this weekend, so trips then fished the bay for stripers aboard, Capt. George said. He’d heard stripers were bunker-chunked on the bay, and Henry Engle’s charter on Saturday on the bay aboard bagged nine stripers to 41 inches and lost a couple. On Sunday aboard, Ryan Moore’s charter bagged four stripers to a pair of 44-inchers, and four or five got off, on the bay. If the bass weren’t hooked well at first, sometimes they got off.  So the fishing was good, and stripers were bigger on Sunday’s trip, including the two overs, than on Saturday’s. Saturday’s trip’s stripers bagged were all unders. Still, again, they were up to 41 inches. A throwback apiece was landed and let go on each of the trips, George thought. Both trips bunker-chunked the stripers. Boats that headed to the ocean for stripers this weekend were so abundant that police had to direct boat traffic at the free launch ramp near Cape May Canal. Weather was beautiful on the water during this unusually warm weekend. The bay was 52 degrees, relatively warm, on the Heavy Hitter’s trips, and bunker schooled the bay. Some anglers who chunked the bay caught no stripers who George spoke with. Stripers were also trolled at Cape May Rips in past days, George knew.

A striper bite took off at 20-Foot Slough in the bay and Prissy Wicks Shoal in the Cape May Rips the last couple of days, Joe from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> said Thursday in a phone call. Weather was dropped-dead gorgeous for boating. Hardly a breath of wind blew, skies were sunny and days were warm for December around then. A few stripers began to be tugged from the surf. Trolling for stripers on the ocean was super last week on Mojos and Stretch plugs.

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