<b>Keyport</b>

Striped bass fishing was incredible, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an email. Every trip aboard limited out on stripers and bagged all extras anglers could with bonus tags. Wednesday’s trip limited by 8 a.m. and culled stripers from the livewell. None smaller than 20 pounds was kept, and about 30 pounds was biggest. At least several dozen were landed. Charters are fishing, and space is available on an open-boat trip Friday. Four spots are available on an open trip Tuesday, Election Day, and one spot apiece is available on open trips Wednesday and Thursday. All other open trips are full in the near future. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

Bottom-fishing trips were weathered out in past days with the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>, Capt. Mario said. But striped bass catches were good. Trips are fishing for stripers mostly on Raritan Bay aboard. Charters and open-boat trips are bottom-fishing, for sea bass, porgies and blackfish, and striper fishing on the two 40-foot boats the Down Deep and the Down Deep Bull. Reserve dates for blackfish charters and open trips that will begin November 16, when the blackfish bag limit is increased to six, from the current limit of one. Join the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on Down Deep’s website to be kept informed about special open trips. Also see the site’s open-trips page for available dates.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Boaters trolled good catches of striped bass on Raritan Bay on Wednesday on Mojos, but also on bunker spoons, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Boaters lately jigged stripers and blues off the Rockaways. Surf anglers got into stripers at Sea Bright on Wednesday, despite rough seas. Bottom-fishing had been decent for a mix of sea bass, porgies and blackfish, but weather prevented the trips Wednesday and today. The ocean would need to calm afterward. All baits are stocked.

<b>***Update, Friday, 10/30:***</b> Daytime trips began fishing daily for striped bass today on the <b>Fishermen</b>, and the high-hook landed six of the bass on the trip, and all the anglers left with the fish, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the party boat’s website. <a href="http://www.captainronsfishermen.com/atlantic-highlands-fishing-reports" target="_blank">Click here</a> for a report. Nighttime trips had already been catching the bass well. The Fishermen is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. every Monday through Saturday

Trips fished Monday and Tuesday, in weather that was finally good, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. No trip fished Wednesday, and today’s trip wouldn’t sail, because of weather. Saturday might be the best time to jump back aboard, he said, because the ocean will need to settle. On the trips, a pick of porgies, sea bass and blackfish were nabbed, and all anglers bagged a few catches. Some of the porgies were especially big, and some were smaller. More sea bass were claimed Monday than Tuesday, and porgy catches were about the same on both days. Anglers who brought crabs bagged the blackfish. Clams have been provided aboard, and a few crabs will be carried Friday and during the weekend, if the delivery arrives. When dogfish that prefer soft bait or clams become a bother, the trips begin to carry crabs. Spiny dogs, the winter sharks, began to show up. Plenty of crabs will be carried starting November 16, when the blackfish bag limit is raised to six, from the current limit of one. Trips will concentrate on blackfish then, but porgies could still be hooked. The fish gather at the same places. Sea bass, porgies and blackfish gathered at the same places now. The rough weather that canceled trips Wednesday and today included strong easterly wind beginning Tuesday night, lasting the entire day Wednesday. That had to rile the ocean. Tell anglers to watch the weather forecast, Tom sad, to see when trips are likely to resume. That might be Friday, but, again, anglers might want to wait until Saturday to climb aboard. The Atlantic Star is fishing for sea bass, porgies and blackfish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Highlands</b>

Heading out from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Bob Dryer’s party boated two keeper striped bass near the 19 buoy Tuesday, Marion wrote in an email. Paul and Maddy Hess on the Boudicca eeled two 36-inch striped bass at Reach Channel on Monday. 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>

With <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, a trip limited out on sea bass Tuesday, “again,” Capt. Ralph said. Fishing was weathered out Wednesday and today aboard, and a striped bass charter is booked for Friday. Four spots remain for an individual-reservation trip November 18 for sea bass, porgies, cod and pollock at wrecks 25 to 55 miles from shore. Space is available for individual-reservation trips for blackfish November 16 and 20. The blackfish bag limit will be hiked to six starting November 16, from the current limit of one.

<b>Belmar</b>

No trip fished Wednesday in the weather with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Pete said. Striped bass were picked from the ocean Monday and Tuesday, “up and down the beach.” Tons of bait schooled the water, and if trips could snag bunker to liveline, stripers usually came up on them. Wasn’t great fishing, but a pick. The striper fishing should turn on, once the full moon wanes more, he thinks. Anglers will see how this blow affected the fishing. Many stripers schooled Raritan Bay, and anglers hope they migrate south to the local ocean. Blackfish trips are being booked for when six becomes the bag limit for the tautog starting November 16, from the current limit of one. 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.

A good catch of striped bass was bagged Sunday with <b>XTC Sportfishing</b> on the troll and on livelined bunker, Capt. Scott said. On a trip Tuesday, 15 stripers were bagged on the troll, and some were popper-plugged.  The stripers on both trips were 35 to 38 inches, in the “under” slot size. One striper per angler 28 inches to less than 43, and one per angler 43 inches or longer, is the daily bag limit.

<b>***Update, Friday, 10/30:***</b> A slow, steady pick of bluefish to 17 pounds was pasted Friday on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the party boat said. The trip fished “out east,” it said, like the boat did previously, and the angling was a little slow in the morning, picked up, then slowed in the afternoon. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Super bluefishing was smashed Tuesday on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the party boat’s website said. “All the fish you want,” it said, and the fish were big, up to 18 pounds. Trips were weathered out Wednesday and today, and will resume Friday. “They were hungry (Tuesday), and I expect them to be that way (Friday),” the report said. The Golden Eagle is fishing at 7:30 a.m. daily.

<b>Fishermen’s Den</b> has been moved to a double-wide trailer at Belmar Marina, just across from the old store, an email from the shop said. A new building is being constructed where the shop was previously, and the store will be in the trailer about a year, until being moved back to the building, when construction is complete. The store in the trailer will completely provide the bait, tackle and service it did previously.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Sea bass, lots, were plowed Tuesday on the <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the party boat’s website. Anglers had to pick through throwbacks, but bagged many keepers. Great action, like before on trips. Just a few porgies bit on this outing. That was the most recent report at press time, maybe because trips were weathered out Wednesday and today. The Norma-K III is fishing for sea bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for bluefish 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. every Friday and Saturday.

On the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, sea bass, porgies, a few blackfish and a couple of sizable cod were cranked up, Capt. Butch said. Sea bassing wasn’t as good as he’d hoped, after trips had to release the fish before the season for the fishing was opened last Thursday. Fewer big were reeled in than expected. But enough sea bass were tackled to make the fishing interesting. The bottom-fishing was weathered out in the current wind, and trips are expected to resume Friday.  The boat fished 60- to 120-foot depths, and the water was 60 degrees, relatively warm. See any bait? Butch was asked. Lots, he said. Fish that were caught spit up small butterfish, and bunker schooled near shore. Striped bass were seen, but somewhat beyond 3 miles from shore, where fishing for them is prohibited. The stripers should push closer to shore, where anglers can get on them, Butch thinks. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

At the offshore canyons, tuna fishing remains good on the <b>Gambler</b>, a report on the party boat’s website said.  A beautiful, warm eddy’s been moving slowly south along the Continental Shelf, “and the fish are frenzied in it,” it said. Yellowfin tuna and longfin tuna 30 to 100 pounds were pummeled on butterfish, sardines and squid. Jigs are catching for anglers “that stick with it,” it said. Tuna trips had been slated to end after October. But because the angling’s good, tuna trips will now also fish once a week in November, from 8 p.m. to 8 p.m. every Monday to Tuesday. Don’t miss the angling – best in years, and no sign of slowing down, the report said. To book, telephone 732-295-7569 or <a href="https://www.zerve.com/TheGambler " target="_blank">book online</a>. Striped bass trips will kick off Sunday that will run 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every Wednesday through Monday. Special trips will fish for jumbo sea bass, porgies, cod, pollock and hake in late December. Click the link or telephone the number above for dates.

<b>Toms River</b>

Surf-caught striped bass began to be reported today again, after yesterday’s storm, said Mario from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. A few were reported before the weather, tugged-in on Daiwa SP Minnows, other artificials and teasers. Rough seas were impractical to fish in the blow a moment in the surf. The catches, a few throwback stripers, had been made during daylight, before the storm. But nighttime, just before dark, and at daybreak had produced better. Boaters began to whack stripers well on the ocean on trolled bunker spoons off Island Beach State Park and Seaside Park or Seaside Heights. Waders and kayakers played throwback stripers on Barnegat Bay behind Island Beach at night on small swimming lures and small popping plugs. The kayakers also eeled the fish. Blackfishing was good at Point Pleasant Canal on green crabs. Striper fishing was okay at the canal. One customer bought a couple of eels every day from the shop to fish for the canal’s stripers on foot. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Surf fishing for striped bass “is going,” said George from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. He’d like the angling to pick up, but the catches began. The water probably needed to cool a little. The fishing came to halt a moment this week because of rough seas in the storm. But a few stripers began to be reported beached again today. Some were nipped at sunrise on Deadly Dicks and Ava jigs, and some were bunker-chunked later in the day, during full daylight, at Island Beach State Park. Stripers caught before the storm were often found at night in the surf. But some were dragged in during daytime then. George fished the shore maybe an hour this morning, hooking no stripers. But John from the shop bunker-chunked two at 1 or 2 p.m. today at Island Beach State Park. George two days ago banked two stripers to 33 inches at daybreak on a Deadly Dick. Sizable stripers were commonly caught from shore at Halloween last year. Rumors kept saying bluefish sometimes were fought from the surf currently. But George saw none. He’d like big bluefish to hit the surf like they can this season, loving to catch them. The blues seemed less abundant along the beach in recent autumns. Crabs were actually still trapped from the shop’s dock on Barnegat Bay.  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 currently include fresh clams, fresh bunker, and eels.

<b>Forked River</b>

Ocean boaters sometimes trolled striped bass south of Seaside Park, including off the bathing beach at Island Beach State Park, and farther north, off the Seaside Heights pier, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. They worked bunker spoons and umbrella rigs in 60 feet of water. On Barnegat Bay, stripers were boated on livelined spots at the 25 and 27 cans. Sea bass were reeled from the ocean. Baits stocked include green crabs and fresh clams.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Weather washed out fishing Wednesday, said Vince Sr. from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. But striped bass were tied into every day, “no question,” he said. The stripers were trolled, sometimes jigged, on the ocean. They were hooked from Barnegat Bay on livelined spots along the sod banks or sedges. Stripers were also angled along Barnegat Inlet’s rocks. Blackfish were beaten pretty steadily at ocean wrecks and along the inlet’s rocks. Green crabs are stocked for bait for the tautog. Bait stocked also includes live spots and pinfish and fresh clams and bunker. 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.

Two charters absolutely mugged 10- to 15-pound bluefish this week on the <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, “offshore,” the party boat’s Facebook page said. “As hard as you can pull,” it said, and telephone if interested in one of the charters during weekdays. The boat’s been exclusively tuna fishing this month until those two trips. Space is available on tuna trips Friday and Saturday, its final open-boat trips for tuna this season. The vessel’s been reporting good catches of tuna aboard. See the <a href="http://www.missbarnegatlight.com/TunaFishing.html" target="_blank">tuna schedule</a> and reservation info online. Open trips will jig blues and striped bass 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday starting Saturday, November 7. The trips might fish on other days, “depending on the quality of the fishing,” the page said. The trips will also sail 6 a.m. to 12 noon on Thanksgiving Day and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. that Friday through Sunday.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

A couple of big striped bass were weighed-in during the weekend, said Brian from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Most migrating stripers swam the ocean as far south as a little farther than Barnegat Inlet. Good reports were talked about from trips sailing from the inlet. Most anglers said good catches were made as far south as the ocean off Surf City at the middle of Long Beach Island. So anglers would expect the run to reach the shop’s local ocean, out of Little Egg Inlet, this weekend.  One of the stripers weighed this weekend was a 42-inch 23-pounder trolled off Long Beach Island’s red tower Saturday on a No. 4 Tony Maja bunker spoon. The angler said 10 boats trolled the area, and he and another boat, also trolling Majas, seemed the only to catch. The rest of the boats seemed to troll Stretch lures. Tony “Maja” Arcabascio, owner of Tony Maja Products, will be at the shop this Saturday, and see more about that at the bottom of this report. The angler with the striper trolled from the red tower to Harvey Cedars, most of the length of Long Beach Island, a long way, bagging the one bass. Brian thought he trolled deeper water, from 35 feet to deeper, but was unsure he remembered. A photo of the striper was posted on the shop’s website. A photo was also posted of a 25-pound 40-inch striper another angler bunker-chunked from Great Bay on Saturday, late in the morning. The ocean was too rough for the angler to fish, the caption said. Not much was doing with striper fishing at Little Egg Inlet, though people tried for the bass there. Occasionally one striper was boated there. Brian hated to say, he said, but the inlet was hardly worth fishing. Boaters would be better off fishing the ocean for stripers. If the anglers didn’t want to troll, they could try jigging or fishing bunker chunks on the ocean for stripers. On Mullica River, stripers were eeled when anglers began fishing at dawn, at places like Collins Cove, the Garden State Parkway Bridge or any of the “cuts,” the nearby, dug canals connecting bends in the river for straight-though, quicker navigation. Boaters couldn’t leave the dock at dawn, but needed to be fishing at dawn. Outgoing tides fished best, flushing bait from creeks. Nothing was reported about white perch fishing on the river, but the perching should be good there, usually is, and at the different creeks in the area. Outgoing tides also fished best for the perch, because of bait flushing out. Fishing for sea bass and blackfish was good at ocean wrecks, and porgies were mixed in. Bait stocked includes fresh clams in the shell and shucked, eels, green crabs, bloodworms and a few live grass shrimp.  Catch the owner of Tony Maja Products, Tony Arcabascio, at the shop at 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. He’ll educate about trolling for stripers, hosting questions and answers, and the complete line of Maja striper trolling spoons and tackle, including outrodders, will be available.

<b>Absecon</b>

Weather seemed less severe than forecast, so this should be one heck of a weekend for fishing, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. The back bay’s striped bass fishing was decent for him early in the week, before weather cancelled trips. On a 10-year average, he’d say the fishing’s been no better than average, but average. “A good shot,” he said.  His charters landed at least five of the stripers apiece, and, on Monday, a 17-pounder. He should’ve fished for the bass today, he said, but forecasts called for rougher weather than happened. The striper charters began to book up, but dates were still available. Anglers seemed to realize the fish turned on. Dave’s trips fished livelined spots and the new Gulp Nemesis soft-plastic baits for the bass. Spots were stocked, but would probably run out, by the time anybody read this, and no more were available from suppliers this season. The Nemesis worked well for Dave, and good reports were heard from others about the bait.  The success seemed confirmed. Plenty of eels and fresh clams are stocked. The store’s working with a new fresh-bunker supplier, and the bait will arrive about every other day. Blackfish were picked at bridges pretty well, and green crabs are stocked, after they ran out a moment. Not much was heard about blackfish when the bait ran out, but now that the bait was in, blackfishers stopped by and reported.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Linda Davoli checked-in a 31-inch 11-pound striped bass from the surf, moving into second place in the Fall Riptide Striper Derby, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. The tournament is for the biggest stripers and blues from the island’s surf, and Linda’s fish was beached a little before sunrise. She landed other stripers from the town’s shore this season, and puts in time. Anglers waited for the migration of stripers in the local surf, and now that could happen anytime. The Riptide Striper Bounty, awarded to the entrant who weighs-in the season’s first striper 43 inches or larger from Brigantine’s surf, was up to $680. “So it’s getting up there,” Andy said. A larger striper from the surf was already brought to the shop, covered in previous reports here, but the angler wasn’t entered in the bounty. Entry is $5, and all the cash is awarded, so the bounty will grow. It reached almost $2,000 when awarded last spring. Anglers must sign up 24 hours before entering a catch.  Back-bay striper fishing was good for boaters at nighttime, not during daytime. One customer’s trip live-baited three good-sized, and he’s decked a couple of others recently, from the bay. The <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>

Blackfish, plenty, were bombed along Absecon Inlet, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. An 8.9-pounder was weighed-in, and customers fish the jetty-lined inlet on foot. They also clutched ling, bluefish and striped bass from the inlet. For the blackfish, they dunked green crabs. For the other fish, they soaked clams, bloodworms and mullet. The stripers, almost keeper-sized, bit on high tides, and were also plugged. Lots of spearing and some bunker schooled the water. All baits mentioned and more are stocked, a large supply.

<b>Egg Harbor Township</b>

Catches of striped bass were heard about from the back bay, not the ocean, recently, said Austin from <b>24-7 Bait & Tackle</b>. Many anglers who fished the bay targeted the fish along bridges. For bait anglers, bunker caught most during daytime, and clams landed most at night. But many anglers fished soft-plastic lures for the stripers, mostly at night. Surf-fishing was quiet in recent days.  Nothing was heard about blackfish and sea bass recently. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, eels and practically baits are stocked, except live spots that ran out. <b>The company also owns 24-7 Bait & Tackle in Marmora</b>.

<b>Longport</b>

“Man, the ocean is ripped up!” Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b> said Wednesday in a phone call. No trips sailed in rough weather, and angling will resume on the boat Friday. Open-boat trips will steam for sea bass to the deep Friday and Saturday at 7 a.m., earlier than usual, to sail farther from shore to the depths, where the fish are holding. Clams, squid and crabs will be carried aboard for bait. Anglers can use the crabs for blackfishing. The next open trips, sailing for the same fishing, are set for Wednesday through Friday. Combo striped bass and blackfish trips will begin on November 16, when the blackfish bag limit will be hiked to six, from the current limit of one. Those trips will depart at 8 a.m., the usual time. Open trips will run on weekdays, and Saturdays are booked with charters around then. Mike saw quite a few birds working the surf in the weather. Striped bass were “on the move,” he thinks. Trips from New Jersey will fish through December 5. Afterward, the boat will be moved to Islamorada to fish from the Florida Keys in winter.

<b>Ocean City</b>

All anglers limited out on sea bass Saturday on the <b>Captain Robbins</b>, Capt. Victor said. The trip fished 25 miles from shore, and the anglers also hooked triggerfish, a bunch of throwback porgies and quite a few out-of-season summer flounder, including big. But they mostly socked sea bass. So the fishing was good, and the trips are limited to six anglers, and that was also good, “not like having 20 people on a wreck,” he said. He’s trying to run the trips daily. The Captain Robbins is fishing on 10-hour trips for sea bass at 7 a.m., limited to six anglers, reservations required, and the fare is $110.

Weather was tough, but forecasts look good for Saturday, and some good fishing should be had throughout the weekend, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Blackfish were still yanked from along bridges in the weather. Before the blow, striped bass catches were kind of scattered up and down the surf and in the back bay. Some anglers still fished for the bass in the back and along bridges, often on lures, mostly at night, in the weather. They threw soft-plastics in colors like white, pink or black-backed. During the first days of sea bass season that opened last Thursday, good catches were made on the ocean, but in deep water, 90 feet or deeper. Bigger sea bass seemed to migrate farther from shore like that. Closer to shore, lots of blackfish bit. The tautog chewed at Ocean City Reef. More sea bass, along with blackfish, hit at Great Egg Harbor Reef than at Ocean City Reef. But sea bass were small, closer to shore like that. Baits stocked include green crabs and fresh clams. Bill hopes to stock fresh bunker this weekend, if bunker boats sail in the better weather forecast.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Lots of weather during the week, but some good reports about striped bass rolled in during the weekend, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. A 23-pound striper was weighed from the surf then, and a couple of other stripers bagged from the beach were heard about. So that was good, and some quality reports came in about stripers boated on the ocean during the weekend. The boated stripers were big, too, and were trolled on a variety of tackle, including Mojos and Stretch plugs. One boater even said he caught them well on trolled Clark spoons. The ocean striper fishing was still sporadic, but a couple of customers reported really good fishing for them. Back-bay anglers picked away at stripers pretty steadily. More were reported taken on eels than spots, for whatever reasons. Mike was unsure whether that was because spots were more expensive. The spots and eels are stocked, and so are green crabs for blackfishing. Blackfishing seemed great, both from land and boats. The crabs sold like crazy. Sea bass fishing was good. Boaters picked through lots of small sea bass close to shore. But good-sized were creamed in 100 to 120 feet of water, farther from shore.

Striped bass arrived in the local ocean, and Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, will probably sail for them this weekend, he said. Rumors said bluefish were also around in the water, and that was unconfirmed, but Joe would like to fish for them, too. The season was a little early for the migration of stripers and blues locally, and the run was just starting. But that’s great, and meant fishing for them should last throughout November. For the stripers, Joe will be prepared to fish however necessary. He prefers to fish with artificials or soft-plastic lures on lead jigheads. But he’ll troll if necessary. Or he’ll troll until the bass are located, then stop and jig for them. Fly-rodding is also a specialty for him. This fall migration is the fishing event of the year aboard, and was good for Joe last year. Don’t wait for reports to book a trip, because often, people telephone when the catches are under way, and preferred dates are booked.  The back-bay’s striper fishing was good. Popper-plugs and –flies caught, and when weather becomes colder, Joe will switch to fishing plastics and jigs or sub-surface artificials for the bay’s bass.  Anglers are also grabbing the bay’s bass on bait and livelined spots. But Joe usually fishes lures. Sea bass are biting in the ocean, and Joe will fish for them. The consistent catches came from the deep, farther from shore, and usually do this time of year. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>. Looking ahead, traveling charters to the Florida Keys will fish from Christmas to Easter. Joe can make travel arrangements, or anglers can make the arrangements themselves, if they prefer.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Striped bass should be around now, said Capt. Jim from <b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b>. Trips were weathered out in past days, but Fins will begin sailing for stripers, and is fishing for sea bass. A few stripers boated off Ocean City were heard about from the ocean, when trips last had the weather to sail. Good dates are available for trips, and grab them while they are. That includes on Thanksgiving weekend, and Jim will try to run a trip on Thanksgiving Day itself. Fins fishes every day, and reservations aren’t required but suggested. Telephone for availability.

<b>Cape May</b>

Sea bass fishing began on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, once sea bass season was opened starting last Thursday, and the fishing went better on Saturday, and was slower on some days, Capt. Paul said. Saturday’s trip pushed to deeper water, and some of the anglers limited out on sea bass, and some of the fish were good-sized. Better-sized sea bass didn’t swim everywhere now. On trips closer to shore, triggerfish and porgies, warm-water fish, bit, and not many sea bass did. Trips were weathered out the last two or three days, and the boat is expected to resume fishing Friday. The Porgy IV is fishing at 8 a.m. daily.

The <b>Heavy Hitter</b> is supposed to sail for sea bass this weekend, Capt. George said. The angling was good aboard last weekend, giving up lots of small, but keepers mixed in, 30 miles from shore, covered in the last report here. Striped bass trips are impending aboard, and the fish could show up any moment now. Blackfish trips will begin once the blackfish bag limit is lifted to six starting November 16, from the current limit of one. Telephone if interested in any of this fishing. Dates are available, and not too many are booked for weekdays. Everybody wants weekends.

A few striped seemed to begin to be picked from Delaware Bay, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. A couple of boaters said somewhat bigger stripers than before seemed to start dumping into the bay from Delaware River. The fish were hooked on bunker chunks and trolled on Mojos and rubber shads in that upper part of the bay. A few stripers were picked in Cape May’s surf. Many were throwbacks, but occasionally a keeper was bagged. Bluefish were mixed in, and surf casters fished bunker and clams. Striper fishing was great in the back bay. Boaters chummed for them with bunker and fished sardines or chunks of sardines. But any cut bait could work. Or back-bay anglers cast soft-plastic lures at night. A couple of customers caught stripers well at Cape May Bridge during daytime during weekdays this week. Sometimes clam caught best for them, and sometimes squid did. Sea bass fishing sounded good during the weekend. The fish were boated in the deep, 25 miles from shore, but also shallower at Cape May Reef. Blackfish were landed at jetties and while boaters sea bass fished at Cape May Reef. The tautog still swam shallow. Baits stocked include green crabs, fresh clams in the shell and shucked, fresh bunker, eels and bloodworms.

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