This is the year's final Delaware Bay report!

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Striped bass were boated from the bay in the past week, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Strong wind kept reports from rolling in during the weekend, apparently keeping boaters from sailing, and the store will now be closed for a winter break. The shop is usually opened back up in March sometime. Stripers probably still swam the bay. Sharon knew about a 48-incher docked around Fortescue, and other sizable were known belted from the bay last week. Fresh bunker, the popular bait to catch the bay’s stripers this time of year, was difficult to obtain from suppliers. Some commercial boats toward Barnegat might have bunker as a “side” catch. Anglers surely tried fishing frozen bunker for the bay’s stripers, but nothing was heard about that. Stripers were probably still trolled and jigged from the ocean, like before. Surf-fishing for stripers on the ocean might’ve been slow, but a 25-pounder dragged from the surf around Sea Isle City was reported. Sharon thanks customers for the year’s business, hopes to see them in March, and wishes everybody Happy Holidays.

<b>Money Island</b>

Though <b>Money Island Marina</b> was officially closed for the rest of the year last Tuesday, covered in the last report here, the shop’s Facebook page noted that air temperature is supposed to be nearly 70 degrees on Christmas. Boaters might fish in the next days. So more gasoline was likely going to be ordered, and striped bass apparently remained in the bay. Though the store is officially closed, gas and the boat launch remain available. Bruce from the shop lives at Money Island and continues to help customers if they need, when he’s available. The marina is reopened toward springtime and 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. <b>***Heads up***: Reserve slips now for next year, and lock in 2015 rates.</b>

<b>Cape May</b>

Chunking bunker for stripers had caught well on the bay, Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> said Friday in a phone call. Strong west wind that then began was expected to rough up the bay, probably preventing boating there a moment last weekend. A couple of customers had eeled stripers at the Cape May Rips before the wind. Trolling cashed in on stripers, good catches, from the rips to the ocean off Hereford Inlet last week. Fishing the ocean for stripers probably continued this weekend in the wind, because land often protects the ocean near shore from being roughed up by west wind. No land protects the New Jersey side of the bay from west wind. That wind blows across open water on the Jersey side, and wind from that direction actually builds the bay’s seas there. The bay’s Delaware side would be protected from westerlies. Fresh bunker might no longer be available at the store, because gillnetting season, the usual way that suppliers land the baitfish, was closed beginning December 16. But seine-netting and castnetting is open through December 31, so there is a way for suppliers to gather bunker, if they’d like. Bunker will be carried if some can be found from suppliers. The shop is carrying snagging hooks, and Nick is suggesting to anglers who want fresh bunker that they boat the day before fishing to snag the menhaden for fresh bait. Fresh bunker is the popular bait for Delaware Bay’s striper fishing in autumn. Frozen, vacuum-packed bunker is stocked.

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