<b>Keyport</b>

Striped bass fishing seemed to improve every day, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an email. Eels seemed to sock the biggest, and clams seemed to bag bonus-sized stripers. Clams also hooked blackfish for an extra catch. Jigs also landed stripers, and trips are each carrying eels, clams and jigs. Be sure to bring a bonus tag to bag an extra striper 24 inches to less than 28. A trip aboard was cancelled Saturday, because of strong wind in the morning. No trip fished Sunday, because Frank attended his granddaughter’s event. “Can’t miss those things, no matter how bad I want to fish,” he said. This is a great time of year. The weather and water are cooling, “and that means good fishing is coming,” he said. If anglers haven’t booked fall trips yet, they should. Charters are fishing, and open-boat trips will sail Tuesday through Saturday. West wind forecast should be okay for fishing. Telephone to reserve.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The season’s first daytime striped bass trip was launched Saturday on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. The trip needed to bounce around to several areas, looking for stripers, but several beauties managed to be caught. A 23-pound 39-incher won the pool, and stripers bagged also included a 34-incher, a 31-incher and a couple of 28-inchers. The high hook landed three, and lost a big striper along the surface. Birds working the water were seen in the morning, but snapper blues turned out to be the fish working the bait. “Didn’t stay with that too long, as we couldn’t catch them,” Ron said. Striper fishing was tough on Sunday’s trip. But toward the end of the outing, one drift of the boat gave up five keepers, and a couple of drifts put up two apiece. All the bass were good-sized or 13 to 24 pounds. A 24-pounder won the pool, and one angler released a 17-pounder. No bluefish were seen, but plenty of bait was spotted everywhere that day. Striper fishing can only get better, because the water was 63 ½ degrees or somewhat warm. Bring a <a href=" http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/bonusbas.htm" target="_blank">bonus tag</a> that allows an extra striper to be bagged from 24 inches to less than 28. Some were used aboard this weekend. Bring a heavier rod to fish heavy weight when current rips. Twelve ounces needed to be fished when current began on Saturday. Trips are also fishing for stripers at night. Weather looks good for the next days. “It’s just beginning!” Ron wrote.  The Fishermen is sailing for stripers 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. every Monday through Saturday.

Fishing sometimes caught, and sometimes was slower, was crazy, inconsistent that way, in past days, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. On Thursday afternoon’s trip, porgies were picked at one spot later in the trip, after other spots fished slower, earlier. On Friday morning’s trip, wind picked up, making weather nasty, and fishing was a slow pick for porgies and a couple of blackfish. Out-of-season sea bass were tossed back. Friday afternoon’s trip was docked in the weather. Saturday morning’s trip returned to where the fish bit Friday morning, but only a few fish chomped. Saturday afternoon’s trip made a stop in the bay, and porgies were picked, and all anglers bagged a few. Then the bite stopped, and the trip moved to the ocean, picking porgies and blackfish. Sunday morning’s trip was similar, catching in the bay, until the fish stopped biting, then moving to the ocean, coming up with a few porgies and some blackfish, not many blackfish. Sunday afternoon’s trip stopped in the bay, and only a few porgies bit, not good fishing. Then the trip moved to the ocean, but current screamed, and angling wasn’t good. The trip returned to the bay, and a few porgies were plucked, and clams are supplied for bait. One trip daily, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., will begin to fish on Monday, October 19, for the same catches. The schedule is changed like that each year, allowing the boat to sail farther to reach the fish migrating farther from shore. <b>***Update, Tuesday, 10/13:***</b> Fishing “didn’t do much” on porgies and blackfish Monday, Tom said in a voicemail. No anglers brought crabs for blackfish, and the bait was unavailable. Out-of-season sea bass were tossed back, and that was frustrating. Quite a few were caught. This morning’s trip stayed in the bay, picking at porgies, good enough to stick with, he said. All anglers left with some.

<b>Neptune</b>

Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> had been traveling, but Capt. Mick ran a trip that rounded up cod, pollock, ling, porgies and winter flounder, an excellent catch, Sunday aboard, Ralph said. Another one of the trips was supposed to fish today, so he hoped the fishing was equally good. Space is available on individual-reservation trips for sea bass October 27 and blackfish November 16. Sea bass season will be opened starting October 22, and an individual-reservation trip for the fish is sold out that day. Six will become the blackfish bag limit beginning November 16 from the current limit of one. An individual-rez trip for cod is sold out October 20. Charters are available on some dates.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 10/13:***</b> All good on the fishing front, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Shark River’s winter flounder fishing was improving. An angler this morning landed a double header of keeper flounder from the river. “Think about it: He limited out with one cast,” Bob said. Striped bass were a little scarce in the ocean, but back waters held plenty. An angler had just telephoned, saying he boated false albacore and spike weakfish a short distance off the ocean beach. Boaters scored well on bluefish 15 to 16 pounds on the ocean. Tuna fishing was great offshore. Belmar boats returned with bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna, longfin tuna and swordfish from the trips. <b>***Update, Wednesday, 10/14:***</b> “Bass off Long Branch and Monmouth Beach,” Bob wrote in an email. One Belmar charter boat trolled 10 striped bass to a 32-pounder and a 31-pounder. False albacore were fought from the surf at Sandy Hook. Shark River’s winter flounder fishery continued to develop. Blackfish snapped along Shark River Inlet and Point Pleasant Canal. Bagging a limit of one was no problem. Offshore fishing was great for tuna and swordfish. Good catches were docked. “Time to fish – don’t wait,” Bob said!

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 10/13:***</b> Blues 12 to 20 pounds were waxed inshore, east of Shark River Inlet, Saturday on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the party boat said. Sunday’s and Monday’s trips fished the same area, cracking 15- to 20-pound blues, good fishing, great sometimes, among a few lulls. There were plenty of readings or no lack of blues. Today’s trip fished west of the Mudhole, and readings were excellent, but weather became windy, and then the fish “just did not want to cooperate,” it said. A few big blues were picked before the wind. Angling was slower than it had been. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Some reports were heard about striped bass boated, and Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> expects to scope out the angling this week, he said. Trips aboard will be all about stripers soon. Currently, sizable porgies could be scooped from the ocean. Out-of-season sea bass snapped, and Pete will see whether trips will sea bass fish, once the season is opened starting October 22. The fish were migrating offshore, so that will depend on whether enough hold within range. Blackfish trips will sail once the bag limit is increased to six of the tautog starting November 16, from the current limit of one. Pete might fish for tuna today with XTC Sportfishing. Good catches of tuna were nailed in past days. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Contact Parker Pete’s anyway, about individual spaces available on charters. Visit <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a> to subscribe to the email blast to be kept informed about the spaces. Look for the place to sign up on the right side of the page, where it says Join Our Newsletter.

Big bluefish, a bunch, were beaten Sunday on the ocean with <b>XTC Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Scott said. That was the first trip to sail in some time or since before last weekend’s nor’easter and days of wind that preceded the storm. A trip today was expected to fish for tuna aboard, during a window of weather. Tuna fishing seemed pretty good.

Lots of yellowfin tuna 50 to 60 pounds, a 145-pound bigeye tuna, a couple of longfin tuna and a bunch of mahi mahi were crushed on the <b>Golden Eagle</b> on a trip, a report said Friday on the party boat’s website. Another tuna trip Sunday to today was the final included on the tuna schedule on the vessel’s website at press time. But apparently more will sail. “Make your reservations for the upcoming tuna trips,” the report said. Fishing for big bluefish to 18 pounds was super Wednesday and Thursday aboard. False albacore were also pasted on one of those trips. Seas and wind were rough on Saturday’s trip, and blues didn’t bite like previously. Sunday was beautiful on the water, and the day’s trip picked at 15-pound blues. The Golden Eagle is fishing at 7:30 a.m. daily, when no tuna trip is running. <b>***Update, Monday, 10/12:***</b> More tuna trips are slated for the Sundays to Mondays of October 18 to 19 and 25 to 26, according to the boat’s complete fishing <a href=" http://goldeneaglefishing.com/schedules.html" target="_blank">schedule</a> online. Those dates were yet to be posted on the tuna schedule on the boat’s website at press time.

<b>Brielle</b>

Sounded like tuna fishing was pretty darn good on the chunk from the Notch to the 100 Square at Hudson Canyon, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. The fish, good numbers of yellowfin and longfin tuna, bit bait and jigs from late afternoon to mid-morning, and a handful of longfins were trolled during daytime. Nothing was heard about tuna fishing inshore of there, though tuna were found inshore of the Hudson in late summer. Ling fishing was fairly good, mainly at the Mudhole, and cod and winter flounder were mixed in. Porgy fishing was pretty consistent at Shrewsbury Rocks and Sandy Hook Reef. None swam nearer to Brielle, really. Party boat bluefishing seemed good for sizable slammers on the ocean to the north at usual places like the Mud Buoy. Trips looked for bait and birds to find them, he believed. Blackfishing was fantastic in 30 or 40 feet of water off Long Branch, if anglers wanted to fish for a bag limit of one of the tautog. Blackfishing was great at Point Pleasant Canal. Anglers could bag a limit of one in a couple of hours, and tons of throwbacks chewed there. The keepers were up to 17 or 18 inches, and green crabs were terrific bait but scarce. Sandworms or clams could be fished as a “back-up.” The canal’s striped bass fishing wasn’t great, but a few keepers were eeled or plugged. Stripers gathered along Route 35 Bridge in Manasquan River, and a few were picked at Manasquan Inlet. In the surf, striper fishing sounded best at Monmouth Beach and Spring Lake. Early mornings seemed most consistent, and Krocodile spoons, Crippled Herring jigs and popper lures clocked them. The bass were mostly small or 20 inches to maybe 28 or 30. A few bluefish popped into the surf at moments.  

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

A 48-hour trip offshore nearly limited out on yellowfin tuna 40 to 70 pounds Wednesday to Friday on the <b>Gambler</b>, a report on the party boat’s website said. Longfin tuna fishing lit up just before sunrise, and gave up flurries of catches throughout daytime. Two swordfish 150 pounds and 100 pounds were landed on baits meant for tuna at night. Most of the yellowfins were hooked at night on butterfish or sardines, and a few were jigged. A few yellowfins were also taken during daylight. Light leaders and flat lines helped tuna fishing during daylight. Weather was awesome, and the boat is exclusively tuna fishing throughout the month.  See <a href="http://www.gamblerfishing.net/offshoretrips.php" target="_blank">Gambler’s tuna schedule</a> online.

On the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, anglers picked away at ling and a few cod and winter flounder, decent fishing, on Sunday, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. The angling would’ve been even better, “if the conditions were a little better … where we could’ve sat still,” he said. Saturday’s trip fished inshore, because of weather, picking at porgies. “Great weekend to be on the ocean,” he said. Today’s weather looked great, and the day’s trip was expected to sail for ling. On Saturday night’s trip, big bluefish were finally in! A great catch of 12- to 20-pounders was slammed. All were caught on bait, and nobody tried jigging, Matt thought. But the fish schooled underneath the boat, so jigging probably would’ve worked. The Norma-K III is fishing for ling, cod and porgies 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and bluefish 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. every Friday and Saturday.

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 10/13:***</b> After weather canceled many trips, an open-boat, overnight trip fished the offshore canyons Sunday to Monday with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. The anglers loaded the boxes with yellowfin tuna, longfin tuna, two swordfish and some mahi mahi. They decided they bagged enough, released more tuna afterward, and chose to leave the fish biting, returning to port. At first on the trip, the outing fished for mahi mahi, hopping around the lobster-pot buoys. Mahi to 15 pounds were picked, but lots of other boats fished the pots, making the angling tough. A fair amount of bait was read deep, so the trip trolled there, trying for longfin tuna. But none bit. The trip moved, and readings were better, and the trip began to chunk on the drift. This was still during daylight. Two fish bit but got off, one on bait, the other on a jig. By dark, nearly 150 boats crowded the area. So Mushin moved some miles away from the fleet, and drifted the boat again. The two swords, 100 pounds and 90 pounds, were nailed, back-to-back. A white marlin was then chunked and released that “gave an eye-to-eye … dance boat-side,” before the release, he said. A flurry of yellowfin tuna then erupted, and the trip went 5 for 5 on them on bait and jigs. Next, yellowfins 60 to 80 pounds and longfins 35 to 50 pounds were picked here and there on that drift. One, two and three were hooked at once.  Afterward, the trip reset the drift, and the outing’s best fishing took off at 4 a.m. Yellowfins and longfins cut through the chunking slick, and the anglers couldn’t keep them off jigs and bait.  That’s when they decided they bagged enough, released more afterward, and left them biting. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing offshore. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures.

<b>Toms River</b>

A 48-3/4-pound striped bass (!) was weighed-in Saturday at <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>, the shops Facebook page said. Kevin Morrison kayaked the fish on Barnegat Bay behind Island Beach State Park on an eel. Good catches of small bluefish were reported from the surf Saturday on chunks of bunker and mullet. Throwback stripers were clammed and bunker-chunked from the surf that day. Not much was heard about the surf Sunday, except about scattered blues banked by those who “moved around to find them.” Blackfishing was good at Point Pleasant Canal. Fresh clams are stocked, “and more fresh bunker should be in today, as well as more live eels,” the page said.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Larger striped bass began to be boated on the ocean, a report said on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>’ website. The fish to 28 pounds were hooked on bunker snagged and then livelined for bait. The surf tossed up bluefish small to medium-sized on cut mullet, metal and poppers. From the dock on Barnegat Bay, small blowfish bit, and keeper crabs were still picked. The Dock Outfitters, located on Barnegat Bay, blocks from the ocean surf, features a bait and tackle shop, boat and jet ski rentals, a café and a dock for fishing and crabbing. Baits stocked include fresh-frozen mullet and fresh bunker and clams.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

A good catch of tuna, 36 yellowfins and longfins that the 15 anglers bagged, was plowed on a trip Friday to Saturday aboard, the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>’s Facebook page said. Tuna, “too many,” it said, were also lost. The fishing was slow at first, when current ran strongly. A few pup swordfish were released then. Next, the current slowed, and yellowfins to 70 pounds were picked steadily throughout the night. “Later in the night, we had blasts of longfin tuna,” it said. One mahi mahi was also decked. On a trip Saturday to Sunday, current never let up, and tuna fishing was slow. A 150-pound bigeye tuna was cranked in at first. Then yellowfins and longfins were slowly picked, and 20 tuna bagged were totaled on the outing. Another tuna trip was set to sail Sunday to today.  All trips are fishing for tuna this month aboard, and see <a href="http://www.missbarnegatlight.com/TunaFishing.html" target="_blank">Miss Barnegat Light’s tuna schedule</a> online. <b>***Update, Monday, 10/12:***</b> Tuna fishing was good on the trip Sunday to today, the boat’s Facebook page said.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

Tuna trips are slated for the next two weekends on the <b>June Bug</b>, Capt. Lindsay said. One boat overnighted for tuna from Beach Haven on Friday, he thought. Results were yet to be heard, and party boats farther north sometimes put together good catches of tuna this weekend. “Yeah, but (the boats) are 100 feet long,” he said. Sometimes the party-boat fishing was tougher during those days, because of strong current.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

No recent report was posted on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s website at press time, but a <a href=" http://www.scottsbt.com/fishing/report.htm" target="_blank">guide to striped bass fishing this fall</a> was posted. Check it out.

<b>Brigantine</b>

A 35-1/2-pound 47-inch striped bass was hauled from Brigantine’s surf Saturday, <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Facebook page said. The angler, Joe Connelly, hooked the fish on the head of a fresh bunker from the shop, winning a $25 gift card to the store for the season’s first striper checked-in from the island’s beach. Connelly was not entered in the Cooke Plumbing Riptide Striper Bounty for the season’s first striper 43 inches or larger weighed-in from the town’s surf, so he didn’t win that prize. The bounty was up to $420, and entry is $5, and all the cash is awarded, so the bounty will grow. “(It’ll) grow rapidly now that we have proof that there is life in the surf,” the page said. Anglers must enter 24 hours before weighing-in a catch. The shop’s Facebook page also shared a photo of a 34-pound striper banked from Long Beach Island’s surf this weekend. These were some of autumn’s first large stripers reported from New Jersey’s surf on this website. This weekend was the first time any were reported here this season. Connelly also entered his striper in the Fall Riptide Striper Derby that’s under way. The contest is for stripers and blues caught from Brigantine’s surf. Entry includes a permit that allows beach buggies to drive the entire Brigantine front beach, when accompanied by a Brigantine beach-buggy permit. Without the tournament’s permit, not all the beach can be driven. The Brigantine <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/events/101452876877022/" target="_blank">Elks Fall Fishing Classic</a> will take place November 13 to 15. Click the link for more info.

<b>Longport</b>

Fishing is next booked to sail Thursday and Friday on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, and the two charters will probably bottom-fish or troll on the ocean, Capt. Mike said. He hopes to offer an open-boat trip Saturday for croakers or catches like that on the ocean.  Mike’s waiting for sea bass season to be opened starting October 22. That’s next week on Thursday, and he said in past reports that trips will jump all over sea bass, sailing to the deep, not messing around closer to shore, on open trips and charters.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The party boat <b>Captain Robbins</b> will fish next starting October 22, for sea bass on the ocean, Capt. Victor said. That’s opening day of sea bass season.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Traveling trips to Montauk, N.Y., resumed this weekend aboard, fishing the fall migration, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The trips were weathered out the previous weekend, and one of the trips this weekend plowed 30 false albacore and a bluefish on Deadly Dicks. That was as good as albie fishing gets, was great, and spinning rods were fished. But the albies could’ve been fly-rodded, and Joe also fly-fishes. Another one of the trips whaled big blues 10 to 15 pounds and a 24-pound striped bass this weekend. The fish foraged on bunker and were jigged on soft-plastic lures. Both of those trips fished in 40-foot depths. The final one of the trips this weekend pushed deeper, pummeling 10- to 15-pound blues, a bunch, and sea bass in 80 to 90 feet of water on jigged soft-plastics. Sea  bass season is open in New York and closed in New Jersey, and jigging the sea bass, more commonly caught on bait, was terrific. Weather ranged from gorgeous to rough during the weekend, and when rough, the anglers, Darrel Cooper and friends, fished other times of day, like starting later in the morning than usual on one of the days. Traveling charters fish the migration from the legendary port each year from late September through October. Afterward, Joe will turn all attention to the migration of striped bass and blues off Sea Isle City. Striper fishing was surprisingly good for him last fall on the ocean off Sea Isle. Lock in those dates now, while they’re available. Visit <a href=" http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page3.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s traveling charters Web page</a>. Annual traveling charters will fish the Florida Keys from Christmas to New Year’s. A large variety of catches can be targeted, from speckled sea trout, redfish, snook and jacks to tarpon, sailfish and blackfin tuna. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Striped bass will probably begin to migrate along the northern state in the next weekend or two, Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> guessed, he said. He said in past reports that striper fishing usually starts becoming best off Cape May at the beginning of November. If anglers are interested in striper fishing, the charters are beginning to book aboard. The first trips for stripers will probably bunker-chunk on Delaware Bay on the boat. Trolling for the bass usually begins to catch on the ocean in mid-November from Stone Harbor to Ocean City. Some boats sailed for tuna this weekend on overnight trips from Cape May, and George will hear how they fared this week. Charters will tuna fish on the Heavy Hitter this season, if the fish show up within range. Sea bass charters will begin once sea bass season is opened starting October 22. Blackfish charters will fish once the bag limit is jacked up to six of the tautog, from the current limit of one. Bluefish might currently school off Cape May Point, and usually do though mid-October. Telephone if interested in any of this fishing.

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