<b>Keyport</b>

Striped bass fishing was no good Wednesday, and wind against tide was difficult for the angling, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an email. But Raritan Bay was loaded with bait, and false albacore fed on them. Albies put up an awesome fight. The bait in the bay was good news, because once the water cools, stripers will replace the albies. Striper fishing is unpredictable this time of year. But like how the leaves change, stripers will migrate to local waters this season. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips will sail next week on Wednesday and Thursday.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Boaters ran into striped bass, good-sized, on the ocean off Long Branch Wednesday, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The bass fed on bunker, and surf anglers probably banked a striper on occasion. Some stripers, mostly throwbacks, swam Shrewsbury River at Sea Bright. Lots of false albacore raced through the surf. Porgy fishing wasn’t so good for boaters. Blackfishing was great for them, though one blackfish is the bag limit. Sea bass schooled, and sea bass season will be opened starting next Thursday.   

On daytime trips, striped bass fishing was tough the past couple of days on the <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the party boat’s website. But nighttime trips eeled some of the fish, including several heavier than 20 pounds. About 20 good-sized, keeper stripers were eeled Monday night aboard. The bass on those trips were local stripers, not migrators that will be boated in November. The northeast “flow” this weekend should drop water temperatures and “get things moving.” Plenty of bait was around, including rainfish and bunker. A load of herring were seen down the ocean beach Wednesday aboard. No stripers were jigged yet on daytime trips, but that will change. This weekend’s daytime trips will look at new areas that usually begin to produce stripers this time of season. On daytime trips, bring a heavier rod for eeling, a rod for jigging, Ava 47 jigs, jigs with tubes, Krocodile spoons and snagging hooks to catch bunker, always a must. “And don’t forget the (rubber) shads!” Ron said. Any of the state’s tackle shops will help you get the gear you might need.  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. Ron looks forward to providing some great reports, photos and videos. “Hope you’re in them!” he said. 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.

Porgy fishing wasn’t so good in past days, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. Tuesday morning’s trip fished best, in perfect conditions, and the trip was able to fish Raritan Bay the whole time. Porgies were bagged, and not a lot were, but all anglers left with dinner. No trip fished Tuesday afternoon. Monday’s trips bounced around to different spots on the ocean, and only a few porgies and blackfish were angled. Anglers who brought crabs caught the blackfish, a couple of throwbacks, a couple of keepers. Clams were supplied for bait aboard. Out-of-season sea bass were released. Wednesday morning’s trip began fishing on the ocean between the channels. Only a few porgies and some sea bass bit, and the angling wasn’t good. The afternoon’s trip sailed to Sandy Hook Reef, a bit of a ride. A few porgies and sea bass hit, and the distance didn’t pay off. But the trip made the effort. The fishing during these days had no consistency. The Atlantic Star is fishing for porgies and blackfish 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily. Starting Monday, the boat will fish for porgies and blackfish on one trip daily from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The switch is made each year to allow time to sail farther to reach the fish migrating farther from shore.

<b>Highlands</b>

Three anglers, Roy, Chris and Frank, rustled aboard cod, porgies and blackfish at the reef Monday on a trip from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Marion wrote in an email. Twin Lights, located on Shrewsbury River near Raritan Bay and the ocean, with no bridges before them, includes a marina with boat slips, dry storage, a fuel dock, and a combined bait and tackle shop and ship’s store. Baits stocked include the full offshore selection. The fuel dock is available 24 hours a day with a credit card. 

<b>Neptune</b>

Striped bass began to be boated, Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> wrote in an email. Sea bass season will be opened starting next Thursday. A charter and an individual-reservation trip scooped up porgies, cod, pollock and winter flounder, and released sea bass, this weekend aboard. Fishing for those species should be good the next couple of months. Individual-reservation trips with space available include those for sea bass on October 27 and blackfish on November 16. Six will become the blackfish bag limit starting that day, from the current limit of one. More individual-reservation trips will be added for November and December, and a few dates are available for charters the next couple of weeks.

<b>Belmar</b>

Striped bass showed up the past few days in the ocean, and boaters pounded big ones all day Wednesday on bunker snagged and then livelined for bait, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. The fish were also jigged and trolled sometimes at different areas. These are the fish he’s been waiting for, and Parker Pete’s is all about striper fishing, once the migration moves in. Some of the fish seemed to arrive. Charters will sail for them, and individual spaces on charters will be available, when charters need more anglers. Plenty of those spaces are on tap. Now’s the time to fish for stripers, he said. Pete joined an offshore trip Monday that whaled tuna with XTC Sportfishing from Belmar at Hudson Canyon. Yellowfin tuna and longfin tuna from 50 to 90 pounds, including some of the biggest longfins Pete ever saw, were chunked from 2 to 10:30 p.m. As many tuna bit as anglers could want, and the trip’s anglers fought them until they had enough, and then headed home, instead of overnighting. Longfins with a couple of yellowfins mixed in bit during daytime, and yellowfins bit at night. “So call me for stripers and XTC for tuna,” Pete said!  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.

Sounds like a big striped bass bite on the ocean off Monmouth County, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email Wednesday afternoon. Boaters snagged bunker and livelined them for bait that day. Earlier in the day, he sent an email first reporting the fishing, and the news was included in an update posted here in the last report. In that email, he said the fish were taken off Monmouth Beach and Long Branch, and one charter boat trolled 10 of the fish to a 32-pounder and a 31-pounder. In that email, he also said false albacore were fought from the surf at Sandy Hook, and Shark River’s winter flounder fishery continued to develop, among other news included in the update.

Five “over” striped bass and five “unders” were trolled on the ocean Wednesday with <b>XTC Sportfishing</b> on bunker spoons, Capt. Scott said. Overs are 43 inches or larger, and unders are 28 inches to less than 43, the two sizes legal to bag, except another, smaller size legal to bag for those who have a bonus tag. XTC was supposed to fish for tuna that day instead, but seas were too rough. A trip fished for tuna Monday aboard, pummeling 24 yellowfins and longfins while chunking from 2:30 to 9:30 p.m. The anglers had enough of the fishing, and the trip returned home. The yellowfins weighed up to 80 pounds. So fishing was good on both trips.

On the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, porgy fishing was okay on the ocean, and some of the fish were great size, Capt. Chris said. A few cod and pollock were mixed in, and trips are fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. A special trip for sea bass is sold out next Thursday, opening day of sea bass season. Two spaces are available for another the next day, Friday, October 23, and some remain for another on Saturday, October 24. Afterward, daily open-boat trips will resume, for sea bass.

Lots of striped bass, and big blues to 18 pounds, were smashed today on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the party boat’s website said. All were jigged, and some false albacore and a 70-pound drum were also creamed. Bluefishing was good aboard Tuesday and Wednesday for 10- to 18-pounders, on jigs and bait the first day, and jigs the second. Trips are fishing at 7:30 a.m. daily. Tuna fishing was great on an overnight trip Sunday to Monday. Many of the anglers limited out on yellowfin tuna 40 to 70 pounds. Lots of longfin tuna 30 to 40 pounds were smoked. A 235-pound bigeye tuna, a 100-pound swordfish and lots of mahi mahi were landed. Space is available on tuna trips on the next two Sundays to Mondays, October 18 to 19 and 25 to 26. Tuna fishing is terrific now, and contact the boat to reserve.

Jumbo blues 15 to 18 pounds, a decent catch, and a striped bass were bagged today on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the party boat said. The trip, on the ocean, fished near shore at first, looking for catches as far north as Shrewsbury Rocks. Plenty of bunker were seen, and fish were read a couple of times. Then the trip pushed “out east,” finding the blues and the striper. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for stripers and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Solid reports rolled in about striped bass catches, Capt. Alan from <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> wrote in an email. So did reports about blackfishing, and an overnight trip for tuna will be weathered out Saturday to Sunday aboard, because of wind. Space is now available for open-boat trips for stripers and blues 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The westerly wind won’t be a problem for that angling. Telephone to get in on the fishing. 

An overnight trip fished for tuna Friday to Saturday on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, the vessel’s Facebook page said. Wind blew stronger, and seas were rougher, than forecast. “It was an uncomfortable trip,” it said. But a fair catch was put together, though the catch probably would’ve been better if weather were better. The boat fished on another one of the trips Sunday to Monday, was turned right back around, and headed offshore. Weather was perfect the entire trip, and tuna fishing was slow at first, but broke loose at 3 a.m. Yellowfin tuna 35 to 75 pounds were mugged, sometimes five at once. An 80-pound swordfish was landed. Butterfish were best bait, and some of the tuna were jigged. At 5 a.m., longfin tuna appeared, and a good number of 30- to 60-pounders were gaffed. Once the sun broke the horizon, an occasional tuna and flurries of mahi mahi hit. The trip drifted almost 10 miles. “Great, exciting trip,” the page said. The boat is fishing for tuna through the month, and room is still available on some of the trips.  See the <a href=" http://www.gamblerfishing.net/offshoretrips.php" target="_blank">tuna schedule</a> online.

<b>Toms River</b>

The angler who kayaked the 48-3/4-pound striped bass on Barnegat Bay on Saturday on an eel headed back to eel for the fish this morning, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. The catch, landed behind Island Beach State Park, was covered in the last report here, and anglers now eeled stripers along the sod banks on the bay. Blowfish remained in the southern bay, were boated off the Forked River power plant on anchor in chum, but the fish were migrating out for the season. In the surf, a mixed bag of small bluefish, a couple of weakfish, a couple of croakers, sharks and skates were landed all week. None of the fishing was super, and a token striped bass, a few throwbacks, were beached. No bait schooled the surf to attract more stripers. A few rainfish, not many, were the only bait. Mullet no longer migrated the surf, and bunker were yet to swim the surf. Most bunker schooled off New York, and the fresh bunker stocked at the shop was from New York. In the Toms River, crabbing remained good, and the water was warm enough. Snapper bluefish migrated out of the river, pretty much. A few remained in the southern bay. Blackfishing was good at Point Pleasant Canal, even if one blackfish was the bag limit. A few flounder began to appear in the area. Blackfishers reeled them in at the mouth of the canal at northern Barnegat Bay. One angler bagged one flounder, and another bagged a limit of two in a trip, there. If flounder arrived at the canal, they must’ve also swam Manasquan Inlet and Manasquan River, because they migrate from the ocean. Flounder hooked are usually big this time of year. Flounder fishing years ago kicked in on Election Day in the Toms River. But water was warmer now, and the arrival seemed about two weeks later in recent years. That would be the beginning of December.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

A couple of striped bass to 30 inches were clammed from the surf at Seaside Park, said George from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>.  A few blues 2 to 4 pounds popped into the surf at times. Blackfish were tugged from Point Pleasant Canal and along Barnegat Inlet’s north jetty. Lots of crabs were actually trapped from the dock. 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 eels, green crabs and fresh clams.

<b>Forked River</b>

The 48-3/4-pound striped bass kayaked from Barnegat Bay this weekend on an eel was the only report, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. “We’re just waiting,” he said. Lots of eels were sold for striper fishing. Blowfish still hovered the bay near the 40 marker in 5 feet of water. The angling was probably slowing for the season, and no direct reports were heard, but he knew people still fished for them.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Big bluefish 15 to 20 pounds were clobbered on the ocean during the weekend on bait and jigs on the <b>Super Chic</b>, Capt. Ted said. An offshore trip Monday to Tuesday axed 15 yellowfin tuna and longfin tuna, two swordfish 90 pounds apiece, a wahoo and 50 mahi mahi at Hudson Canyon aboard. The yellowfins, 35 to 70 pounds, and longfins, 40 to 60 pounds, were chunked at night. That’s when the trip began fishing for them. The swords were chunked at night, of course. Before the tuna fishing, the trip landed the mahi and wahoo on bait cast to lobster pot buoys. Mostly tuna trips are booked for now. One was weathered out Wednesday to today, and another might be weathered out Friday. Two are booked for Saturday to Sunday and Sunday to Monday that will probably be weathered out. Another is booked for next Wednesday to Thursday. Other boaters reeled in a handful of striped bass from the ocean Sunday, somewhere north of Barnegat Inlet. The fish were big, and Ted was unsure what caught the bass, but suspected bunker snagged for bait and livelined did. One of the anglers he knew who caught the fish hates trolling. A handful of anglers hooked stripers in Barnegat Bay recently. The fish probably weren’t big, but one of the stripers weighed 48 ¾ pounds and was kayaked in the bay. News about the catch circulated.

An overnight trip cleaned up on good tuna fishing Sunday to Monday on the <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, the party boat’s Facebook page said. Weather was great, so more than 100 boats fished the canyon. A handful of yellowfin tuna and two swordfish were picked on a 5-hour drift that covered 10 miles. The boat was moved at 3 a.m., and longfin tuna catches erupted at first light, on bait and jigs. All trips are fishing for tuna this month aboard, and space is available on some of the outings, and don’t wait to book. See <a href="http://www.missbarnegatlight.com/TunaFishing.html" target="_blank">Miss Barnegat Light’s tuna schedule</a> online.

A good number of striped bass were docked Saturday and Sunday at <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>, Vince Sr. said. They were angled at Barnegat Inlet and on the ocean just off the inlet on livelined spots and pinfish that are stocked. Blackfish bit well along the inlet’s rocks and ocean wrecks, and green crabs are stocked for them. Some anglers came in with cod, ling and porgies from the ocean. So a healthy amount of fish were seen. Bobbie’s features a complete bait and tackle shop, a fuel dock and boat and kayak rentals. The boats are used for fishing, crabbing, clamming and pleasure. The store is known for bait supply, including live baits in season.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Was lots of optimism about fishing, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. This was sort of in between fishing seasons, but the three weeks of strong, northeast wind passed, topped off by the nor’easter. Weather cleared, and anglers looked forward to good fall fishing. When the striped bass migration will arrive can be different every year. In 2000, the run peaked from September 20 to 30. Last year, the fish began to show up on November 7 and 8. No stripers were around at Halloween weekend, and some began to appear the next weekend. Currently, resident stripers were heard about a bit. The stripers were eeled in Mullica River around Garden State Parkway Bridge. Thirty-four inches was biggest, but anglers weren’t going to complain. A couple of stripers 20 inches were clammed around Little Egg Inlet. Anglers weren’t specific about location, and that might’ve been somewhere like off Little Beach or at Grassy Channel in Great Bay. Anglers were excited to see the fish, because maybe the inlet will give up a striper fishery this fall. Blackfish held everywhere from along the bay’s sod banks to the ocean wrecks, and lots of green crabs were sold for bait for them. Finding a blackfish bigger than 15 inches was difficult in the bay, but anglers could easily boat 5-pounders at ocean wrecks. No fish like kingfish, blowfish and porgies were able to be reported from the bay. Any reports about those fizzled, and fish like that failed to give up much of a catch this year. Lots of bloodworms were sold for white perch fishing on rivers like the Mullica this weekend. Anglers in the know will score well on the perch. Inexperienced will take a little effort to find the fish. Live grass shrimp are now stocked, too, and can be used for the perch. In addition to the crabs, bloods and shrimp, baits stocked include eels, fresh, shucked clams and minnows.

<b>Absecon</b>

Charters boated striped bass from back water every day with Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>, he said. The fishing slowed or became harder and harder as the week went on. Still, the angling was good. Monday’s trip landed 15 stripers, and all were throwbacks, but all hit artificials, and the fish were good-sized, mostly longer than 24 inches, within the slot size that allows one to be bagged with a bonus tag. The tag allows an extra striper 24 inches to less than 28 to be bagged, so bring a tag. A trip today with Ralph Simone landed four stripers to a 27-3/4-incher he bagged with one of the boat’s bonus tags. The new Gulp Nemesis soft-plastic baits were the artificials fished on the trips, and they seemed to work well. Live bait was also fished on the trips, and the 27-3/4-incher smacked a live mullet. The trips fished fairly shallow, so the artificials usually worked best. Looks like “everything’s ready to go” with striper fishing, Dave said. He expects the best striper fishing probably in the last week of the month, when tides are highest, because of the full moon. But plenty of stripers were around now, and anglers shouldn’t wait to fish for them. Blackfishing was reportedly pretty good at jetties, bridges and inshore wrecks. Baits stocked include live eels, spots and green crabs, and fresh clams. Good, fat, live mullet are stocked, but fewer than Dave would like, because mullet departed south in the nor’easter.  

<b>Brigantine</b>

Joe Connelly weighed a 33-1/2-pound 47-inch striped bass from Brigantine’s surf Saturday at <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>, Capt. Andy said. That was covered in the last report here, and the fish bit the head of a fresh bunker from the store, and is in first place in Riptide’s Fall Striper Derby. 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. Joe wasn’t entered in the Cooke Plumbing Riptide Striper Bounty for the season’s first striper 43 inches or larger weighed-in from Brigantine’s surf. The bounty is up to $500, and entry is $5, and all the cash is awarded, so the bounty will grow.  After Connely’s catch, one or two more stripers were heard about from the surf. Then three anglers yesterday said they released a bunch of throwback stripers from the surf along the Absecon Inlet jetty. Later that day, Andy received a photo from someone of a keeper the anglers bagged, and posted the shot on the store’s Facebook page.  Lots of ling were around, unusually. So were lots of pinfish that anglers probably began livelining for stripers. Plenty of stripers up to just barely keepers were boated on the back bay on livelined mullet and eels. Wind blew strongly, recently. Eels and fresh clams are stocked. Plenty of fresh bunker was expected this afternoon. Mojo rigs are carried that were the hot tackle that boaters trolled when the striper migration took off in the ocean last fall. The store’s like “Mojo central.” The Brigantine <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/events/101452876877022/" target="_blank">Elks Fall Fishing Classic</a> will take place November 13 to 15 at Brigantine. Click the link for more info.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Customers zonked blackfish and lots of ling, 15 to 18 per angler, a mix of small and big, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. They winged snapper blues and occasional striped bass, and still hooked out-of-season summer flounder they released. The anglers fished on foot along nearby Absecon Inlet, lined with jetties, from the T-jetty, on the ocean end, to Caspian Avenue, near the bay end. They fished clams, green crabs, bloodworms and eels. For the stripers they cast eels, clams, bloods and plugs. Plenty of green crabs are stocked, though the crabs are scarce at many stores. The crabs are only $4 a dozen. Some shops charged $7, but Noel will keep the price at $4. Bloodworms are two dozen for $20 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. All the baits mentioned and more, a large supply, are stocked.

<b>Egg Harbor Township</b>

Small striped bass sometimes popped up in the bay, said John from <b>24-7 Bait & Tackle</b>. Fresh clams and bunker were fished for them, or, at night, eels were. Blackfish were socked along the rock piles at Longport. That was about all the fishing happening. Nothing was really heard about white perch from brackish rivers. The shop’s rental boats are still available to fish this season. They’re docked on Patcong Creek, running past the shop. The boats can be used to fish waters including Patcong, Great Egg Harbor River and the bay. Patcong is a tributary of the Great Egg. Crabbing was pretty much finished for the season. But the boats are used for crabbing in summer, and Patcong is one of the best places to crab. Baits stocked include fresh clams and bunker and live green crabs. Live spots ran out but are trying to be re-stocked, and 24-7’s shop in Marmora has live spots. <b>The company also own 24-7 Bait & Tackle in Marmora</b>.

<b>Longport</b>

Blues were trolled on the ocean Tuesday on the <b>Stray Cat</b> “in the deep,” Capt. Mike said. Blues 4 to 6 pounds, false albacore, bunker and all kinds of bait are swimming the ocean, and charters today, Friday and Saturday will troll for the blues and albies. The ocean was 65 degrees and gin clear on Tuesday’s trip. A few spaces are left for open-boat trips for sea bass next week on Thursday and Friday, the first days of sea bass season. More of the open trips will sail October 26 through 28. Looking ahead, combo striped bass and blackfish trips will fish in November and the beginning of December. Open trips for blackfish will sail during Thanksgiving week. December 5 will be the final trip from New Jersey aboard until spring. Mike will take the boat to Florida to fish after that day, returning about May 15.

<b>Ocean City</b>

A few keeper striped bass were slid from the surf at the southern end of the island, mostly on bunker, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. A bunch of throwbacks were dragged from the surf at mid-island on clams and bunker. Blues 1 to 3 pounds were fought from the surf on frozen finger mullet. Not much was heard about kingfishing in the surf anymore. Surf anglers switched to stripers and blues. Along bridges and structure like that, blackfish were the No. 1 catch. A few small stripers were played along bridges at night, and only one keeper was heard about. Swimming plugs like Daiwa SP Minnows and Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows were fished for the stripers. A few anglers tossed soft-plastic lures like Kalins or shads to them.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

A 30-inch striped bass was beached from shore at Townsend’s Inlet on a Gulp, of all things, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. No other catches from the surf, like more stripers or kingfish, were heard about. No blackfish, like from along the jetties or other structure, were reported, but surely some were around. Few boated the back bay this time of year, but small blues seemed the catch there. Stripers might be able to be hooked in the bay, like at night under lights on clam or bunker. Live spots and eels and fresh bunker were stocked. A limited number of green crabs, scarce from suppliers, were on hand.

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, hopes to run more of his traveling charters to Montauk this weekend, but the fishing might be weathered out, he said. The trips have been fishing the fall migration, like every year, and last week pummeled false albacore, big blues, large sea bass and a 24-pound striped bass, covered in the last report here. The trips fish through October, and Joe turns all attention to the migration of stripers and blues in the ocean off Sea Isle afterward. Last year’s striper fishing was good, even surprisingly good, for him. Reserve the trips now, while dates are available. Trips might sail for sea bass from Sea Isle on the ocean once sea bass season is opened starting next Thursday. 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, mostly on weekends. The trips can be like a mini vacation for a large variety of catches. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> mostly waited for sea bass season to open starting next Thursday and for the striped bass migration to arrive, he said. He spoke with anglers who tuna fished, and they talked about catches made at Hudson Canyon: yellowfin tuna, longfin tuna, bigeye tuna and swordfish. Mahi mahi bit at canyons farther south. If tuna fishing lights up nearer to Cape May this fall, the Heavy Hitter will sail for them. Blackfish trips will sail, once six becomes the blackfish bag limit starting on November 16, from the current limit of one. Telephone if interested in any of this fishing.  

Surf anglers wrangled up bluefish from tailors to 2 pounds, good catches, on mullet and metal, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Blackfishing was good along jetties, and green crabs for bait were scarce, but Nick expects to stock the crabs Saturday. A couple of throwback striped bass were eased from the surf. Striper fishing was good in the back bay for mostly shorts and a couple of keepers. Soft-plastic lures were fished for them, and first light and just after dusk seemed best. Eels, fresh clams and bloodworms are stocked.

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