<b>Keyport</b>

On the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> on Monday, striped bass fishing was good early in the day on Raritan Bay, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. “Then it became a (bluefish) feast of the biggest kind, tearing through anything you threw at them,” he said. Tuesday’s trip was weathered out in the storm. On Wednesday’s trip, Frank discovered that the weather had scattered the bait. The trip had to search to find the bait, but a few quality stripers were boated, and a bunch of runoffs were missed. The bait will “come together” again, he said, and striper fishing will continue for some time, it seemed, until the bait departs the bay. Trips will probably be weathered out Friday and Saturday. Three spaces just became available for an open-boat trip Sunday for stripers. A charter could also sail that day, if someone books. Frank is faced with a decision whether to sail for blackfish or stripers beginning Monday, when the blackfish bag limit will be increased to six, from the current limit of one. Maybe he’ll run combo trips for blackfish and stripers. “We will have to see how and when the bait migrates,” he said. Get your dose of Vitamin Sea! <b>***Update, Thursday, 11/12:***</b> “Good fishing today,” Frank wrote in an email at 12 noon. “Full boat limit plus bonus,” he wrote. “Big blues mixing in.”

Fishing for striped bass was good on Raritan Bay before the week’s weather, and wasn’t so good Wednesday, when angling resumed aboard, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>. He’d see what happened during fishing today. Mario looks forward to blackfish trips that will begin Monday, when the bag limit is hiked to six, from the current limit of one. The Down Deep Bull, one of the company’s two 40-foot boats, will continue fishing for stripers on charters and open-boat trips. The Down Deep, the other vessel, will sail for blackfish on open-boat trips daily and charters. Enjoy the comfortable, heated cabin, and plenty of deck space, he said. Once stripers migrate away, both boats will sail for blackfish.  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>

Fishing was some of the best in some time Monday on the <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the party boat’s website. Large blues with striped bass mixed in shoveled up action from the start. Rubber shads and jigs “were the ticket.” But a bunch of bunker were netted to liveline, and the fish engulfed the bunker as soon as the baitfish hit the water. The number of bunker was amazing that poured out from back bays. Anglers landed as many as 20 blues. The high hook on stripers reeled in four. Chris Zotti won the pool with a 14-pound striper, catching two.  Action was non-stop on the trip. Tuesday’s trip fished in the “snot,” the only boat that fished from the marina that day. Ron loves fishing in the snot reports. Fewer anglers seemed interested in sailing in the weather than used to. Twelve anglers showed up to fish, and at first, throwback stripers and a couple of keepers were hooked near port. Ron took a ride to where trips fished previously, “not wanting to short change anyone, and looking for the bonanza bite,” he said. But the millions of bunker were gone that were there the previous day, Monday. Nothing bit, and not much time was wasted there. Ron next banked on taking a 45-minute ride to the only place left to look. Fishing was lights out! Stripers and big blues bit, birds worked the water and loads of bait schooled. Fishing kicked butt the rest of the trip, and the high hook landed 11 stripers while top-water plugging. A good mess of keeper stripers, some bonus-tag bass, a bunch of throwbacks and all the large blues anglers could want were plastered. Wednesday’s trip was tough. Wind blew 25 to 30 knots from north, and the trip put on many miles, looking for the mother lode. A few blues and a handful of stripers were pulled in. Amazing how all the fish and much of the bait disappeared from previously. “After seeing the bellies on the fish (Tuesday) that were gorged with bait, you had to figure today would be a bummer,” Ron said. The Fishermen is sailing 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.

Many striped bass and big blues were plowed from Raritan Bay, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Boaters trolled them on Mojos, jigged them on Tsunami shads or metal, or caught them all usual ways. The fish were also boated down the ocean beach. Surf casters tackled stripers and big blues a few days. Cod and ling were decked at 17 fathoms. Fishing for sea bass and porgies slowed somewhat. Lots of blackfish snapped, and the bag limit will be jumped up to six starting Monday, from the current limit of one. That’s essentially the opening of blackfish season. All baits are stocked.

The party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> fished today, after trips were weathered out Tuesday and Wednesday, Capt. Tom said at 11 a.m. aboard in a phone call. Yesterday’s trip probably could’ve sailed, and on today’s trip, seas were a little lumpy, but not bad, and the trip didn’t sail as far as 17 fathoms, where trips fished previously. Anglers so far picked at blackfish on today’s trip. All would leave with fish, at least, because a limit of one blackfish apiece was landed, and some anglers released more. The trip basically caught blackfish, he said, but a few sea bass and a couple of ling were hooked. Monday’s trip, the most recent previous one to sail, fished in great conditions, and a few sea bass and porgies, big porgies, and four cod were bagged. Sixteen cod were bagged on a recent previous trip. Friday’s trip will be weathered out in forecasts for gusts to 40 knots. Tom will see whether Saturday’s trip gets the weather to sail. Sunday doesn’t look bad, and Monday’s weather looks good for the boat’s first trip that will concentrate on blackfish. The blackfish bag limit will be increased to six starting that day, from the current limit of one. The Atlantic Star is fishing for sea bass, porgies and blackfish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily through Sunday. Clams and crabs have been supplied for bait. Beginning Monday, the trips will concentrate on blackfish every day during the same hours.

<b>Neptune</b>

<b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> fished Monday, before weather kept sailing docked the rest of the week, Capt. Ralph said. The trip fished for striped bass on the ocean, but the angling wasn’t so good, and two stripers were bagged. A mess of big bluefish were landed. Striper fishing was productive aboard previously. Ralph was unsure when fishing would resume on the boat, and hoped it would this weekend. Strong wind was forecast for the moment. An individual-reservation trip for blackfish, the season’s first, is full Monday. The blackfish bag limit will be lifted to six beginning that day, from the current limit of one. Space is available for individual-reservation trips for the tautog November 20, 25 and 27.  <b>***Update, Thursday, 11/12:***</b> Ralph expects to boat stripers well into December, he wrote in an email. He expects to land cod, pollock, ling, porgies and sea bass offshore throughout December. Individual-reservation trips for blackfish will also sail on November 28 and on all Sundays in December. Reserve the individual-rez trips and charters for blackfish now.

<b>Belmar</b>

Striped bass fishing on the ocean was excellent before the blow, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. Schoolie stripers and some decent-sized bit, and big bluefish, as many as anglers could handle, were fought. The stripers were hooked all usual ways, including on livelined bunker in mornings and, later in the day, on jigs like Storms and Avas. Then the storm and wind kept trips in port, and Pete looks forward to resuming fishing probably on Friday. He heard that surf anglers still landed the bass in the weather. 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.

The ocean was yet to settle Wednesday, after Tuesday’s wind, and fishing was off on Wednesday’s trip on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the party boat’s website said. No trip sailed in Tuesday’s storm, and weather would probably be too rough for today’s trip to run. On Monday’s trip, fishing was great for big bluefish to 19 pounds and some striped bass, all on jigs. The Golden Eagle is fishing for stripers and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 or 3 p.m. every Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday. Striperthons are sailing 6 a.m. to 3 or 3:30 p.m. every Monday and Friday.

<b>***Update, Saturday, 11/14:***</b> The <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> fished on Wednesday, Veterans’ Day, and rough seas forced the trip to return early, and no fish were caught, an email from the party boat said. None of the fleet fished Thursday, because the rainstorm kept anglers from showing up to sail. The boat fished Friday, landing only a handful of bluefish. The ocean was no longer rough, “(but) the fish just didn’t want to eat,” the email said. Today’s trip was expected to sail, and the crew hoped for better angling. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>***Update, Saturday, 11/14:***</b> Weather kept boats from sailing the last few days, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email Friday. Boats headed back out Friday, and anglers would see how the trips fared. Surf anglers braved the wind and cold during those days, “and were rewarded with some nice bass,” he said. Most of the striped bass bit from Brick Beach to Island Beach State Park, mostly on lures, many different ones, and bunker chunks. Most customers who landed stripers from the surf fished from Belmar to Manasquan, but catches there seemed more erratic than farther south. Adult bunker and peanut bunker attracted stripers in the surf. On Shark River, winter flounder fishing was good. Many anglers limited out on 16- and 17-inchers, and the river was loaded with sundials, good-eating, “but not much meat,” he said. The shop’s been temporarily moved to a trailer across from the old store for about a year, because the old store’s building is being reconstructed. The shop is fully functional and stocking all bait and tackle at the trailer.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

No trips fished Tuesday and Wednesday in the weather, but bottom-fishing was fairly decent previously on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. Mostly porgies were scooped aboard, and Monday’s trip really whacked them. The porgies might’ve been the biggest Butch ever saw, bigger than off Massachusetts, where the fish are large. Porgy fishing was good on the last two trips. Butch wasn’t asked what days those were, and he was trying to remember. Some sea bass, a few cod and a couple of winter flounder also bit lately. Trips fished many depths from 100 feet to 200. The last two trips fished 100 to 120. Butch tried fishing a couple of shallower spots, but dogfish were horrendous. That was too bad, because the ocean was warm enough, 59 to 60 degrees, to make catches in the shallows. The blackfish bag limit will be raised to six starting Monday, from the current limit of one. A few blackfish were belted on trips, and the last couple of trips fished places where blackfishing’s usually not good until late December and January. But plenty of blackfish are biting inshore, and Butch hopes trips tie into some. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Striped bass, big, were pounded today fast and furious on the party boat <b>Gambler</b> on the ocean, Capt. Bob said. By 12 noon, the anglers pretty much limited out and began catching and releasing more. All the fish were hooked on lures like spoons and Avas. Bob hopes the fishing holds up, and with striper fishing, he said, it’s almost like anglers just need to go, not waiting for reports. “You just don’t know,” he said. The fishing was no good on Wednesday’s trip, though lots of bait schooled, and birds hit the water. A tuna trip was weathered out Monday to Tuesday, and another is scheduled for 8 p.m. to 8 p.m. this coming Monday to Tuesday, and spaces are available. About half the trip is full. If the trip blasts the catches, and enough anglers are interested, more of the trips will sail. Tuna fishing was good on the last trip for them aboard. The Gambler is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, except if a tuna trip sails. For example, if this coming Monday’s tuna trip sails, getting the weather to run, no striper trip will fish Tuesday.

<b>Toms River</b>

A 25-pound striped bass was weighed-in that was clammed from the surf at Island Beach State Park in Tuesday’s nor’easter, said Mario from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. A 31-pounder was checked-in from the surf that was bunker-chunked Monday at Island Beach. The surf tossed up good catches of stripers and big blues sometimes in the past couple of days. Fish were there. “Just got to move,” he said. “Bring metal,” the store’s Facebook page said today. Heavy metal like jigs from Ava, AOK, Jetty Ghost and Hopkins, and Krocodile spoons, caught in the rough, dirty surf, the page said on Wednesday. The water would take a couple of tides to clean up and calm, it said then. Needlefish, swimming and popping lures and clams and bunker chunks connected lately, too. Surf catches were heard about from a few places at Island Beach. But surely other places gave them up, too. Striper fishing was good at night from the surf. But the catches were run into during daytime, too. Weather and seas were too rough to boat the ocean. Nothing was heard about boaters fishing Barnegat Bay. Stripers were probably angled from the bay like before. Previously, they were eeled and plugged at night along the sod banks. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Lots of fish were dragged from the surf today, said George from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Striped bass and large bluefish were slid from the surf lately, and the fish today were taken on bunker chunks. The surf was a little rough and dirty, but fishable. The water was very dirty Wednesday. On Tuesday, in the nor’easter, surf anglers crushed the fish from morning to afternoon on Krocodiles, Deadly Dicks, other metal and bunker chunks. The fish pushed in and out of the surf from Point Pleasant Beach to Island Beach State Park. Many anglers drilled lots of stripers at night along bridges.  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 green crabs, fresh bunker and clams, and eels.

<b>Forked River</b>

Reports last rolled in Monday, not since, because of weather, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Ocean striped bass catches slowed a couple of days by then, because bunker thinned out. Big bluefish began to be boated from the ocean locally, like off Island Beach State Park. The blues smashed jigs before the lures reached bottom, and a 17-pound blue was weighed-in from the angling. Nobody mentioned fishing on Barnegat Bay, and most customers headed to the ocean. Fresh clams, eels and green crabs are stocked.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

A dozen striped bass to 40 pounds were socked Wednesday, late in the trip, on bunker snagged and then livelined for bait on the <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, a report on the party boat’s website said. Lots of bait schooled. Throwbacks were landed at Barnegat Inlet at first on the trip. That was a special trip for Veterans’ Day, and the boat is otherwise fishing every Saturday and Sunday. “Hopefully the ocean will settle out by the weekend,” the report said. “Back at it on Saturday.” The Miss Barnegat Light is jigging for striped bass and blues 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday.

<b>Barnegat</b>

The following report was posted as an update Wednesday and is being posted again today in case anybody missed it: “Good news and more good news,” the subject line said for an email from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>. Here’s the edited email: “Weather looks awful, right? It’ll be a little while before we boat for stripers, right? Wrong! Just hung up with (another captain), and he’s crushing the fish … in the bay! When I asked him if he had any over 28 inches, he said, ‘They're all over 28 inches -- fish up to 20 pounds!’ What?! And here I sit waiting for a UPS delivery and the Direct TV guy. Seriously, I am freaking out. Doubtful that this is a one-day ‘flash-in-the-pan bite,’ I’ll run 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday (today, 11/12) and Friday to get in on this. With or without crew! Just for the knowing, I have the live bait we need to capitalize on this. I've been saving it for just such an occasion. The wind is going to continue to crank for a few days. That brings us to the other good news. By Thursday night (tonight, 11/12), the wind is switching to west, and staying hard west/northwest through Sunday night, and maybe longer. That's as far as the forecast went right now. This means that by Friday, or at the very latest, Saturday, we could have ocean fishing as an option. That hard west lays out the ocean to a flat sea within 2 miles from shore. East of that, it’ll start to get bumpy -- still fishable, though. I’m already booked in the mornings this Saturday and Sunday, so I’m adding 12 noon to 5 p.m. trips on each of those days. Open-boat or charter<b>:</b> stripers in the bay, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday (today, 11/12) and Friday; and ocean or bay/ocean combo stripers, 12 noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Three people max. All fish shared. Call to reserve a spot. We’re available seven days a week through December.”

<b>Beach Haven</b>

Capt. Lindsay from the <b>June Bug</b> was going to try to run charters for striped bass today and Friday, if weather was fishable, he said. Good striper fishing was reported from the ocean off Island Beach State Park on Wednesday. Big bluefish bit in the area previously, but stripers seemed to take over Wednesday. Striper trips aboard are livelining bunker, trolling or doing whatever’s necessary to catch. If the trips can’t fish the ocean, they’ll fish the bay, if stripers can be caught there.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

A group of four anglers stopped by with four striped bass to 39 pounds boated Wednesday on the ocean, said Brian from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish were trolled on Tony Maja bunker spoons on Maja trolling rods off Surf City. Little news was heard about fishing previously, because of weather. On Saturday and Sunday, boating for stripers seemed a little off on the ocean. Anglers said that on Sunday, lots of dolphins and whales swam among the bunker schools that stripers were caught at before. The dolphins and whales were probably gone now. Big bluefish 10 to 20 pounds began to be boated on the ocean toward Barnegat Light. Maybe the blues will migrate south to the local area. Striper fishing at Little Egg Inlet and Mullica River was so-so. The ocean was the place to be. Bunker and big herring schooled the inlet. Sea bass fishing was good in depths 100 feet or deeper. Lots of dogfish seemed a nuisance closer to shore. Porgies and ling could be mixed in closer to shore, though the ling were unusual. A couple of bushels of green crabs will be stocked this weekend, because the blackfish bag limit will be amped up to six starting Monday, from the current limit of one. Anglers will sail for blackfish on the ocean then. The crabs were already sold for blackfishing lately, including along the bay’s sod banks. Many of the tautog were small there, but some were bigger. A friend landed three 19-inchers along the sod banks on a trip. He also hooked small sea bass there. Fresh clams in the shell, shucked fresh clams, fresh bunker and eels will be stocked for the weekend. Plenty of bunker spoons and umbrella rigs are stocked. All different 9er shad umbrella rigs were just stocked, and shads were the umbrellas to troll. Catch a rep from Avet Reels 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the store who’ll hold a question and answer session and educate about the products. Avet reels from the SXJ series to the EX, all of them, will be available.

<b>Absecon</b>

A few striped bass were trolled from the ocean from Atlantic City to Ocean City, said Jay from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. That was on Stretch plugs, Mojos, umbrella rigs and bunker spoons, and he fished on a trip that boated a 42-pounder on a Mojo and lost a couple on spoons on Monday in 9 hours of trolling the area. Capt. Dave, the store’s owner, kept angling slot stripers from the back bay on livelined spots and Gulp Nemesis soft-plastic baits. Dave’s been running striper charters. He had live spots to use himself, but the store ran out of spots to sell for the season. Blackfish were around, and not a lot of customers fished for them. But customers will target the tautog starting Monday, when the bag limit will become six, from the current limit of one. Green crabs and fresh clams are stocked. Fresh bunker had just been stocked this afternoon. Mojos, bunker spoons and all trolling gear is carried.

<b>Brigantine</b>

A big school of large striped bass piled through the ocean locally Saturday and Sunday, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. The Devones on the Titan Up boated three of the bass to 42 pounds. A crew on the Pursuit boated three of the fish to 41 pounds. Those were the only trips known about that landed more than one. But other trips boated one of the big stripers apiece. The fish included: Jason Rappleye’s 51-pound 48-incher; a charter’s 41-pound 47-1/2-incher; Tom Beach on the Somethin’s Fishy’s 41-pounder; and Bill Cousins on Andy Harriman’s boat’s 37-pounder. Boaters bagged the stripers on trolled Riptide Mojo rigs and bunker spoons. All the stripers were trolled that were mentioned above. Then on Monday, no stripers were reported boated on the ocean. The charter mentioned above trolled the 41-pounder on a bunker spoon at the end of a Riptide Mojo rig, and a couple of big were caught like that. A bunch more Mojos were just stocked at the shop. From the surf, Matt Daniels, 6, beached a sizable ling. Photos of him and the fish were posted on Riptide’s Facebook page, and Matt wanted to get 100 likes. He got 342 at press time. Otherwise, not much was banked from the surf in past days. The <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/events/101452876877022/" target="_blank">Elks Fall Fishing Classic</a> will be held Friday to Sunday at Brigantine, and anglers could register up to today. The Cooke Plumbing Riptide Striper Bounty was up to $870. The money is awarded to the entrant who weighs-in the season’s first striper 43 inches or larger from Brigantine’s surf. Entry is $5, and all the cash is awarded, so the bounty will grow. Anglers must sign up 24 hours before entering a catch. A couple of stripers that large were weighed from the surf this season at the shop, but the anglers weren’t entered in the bounty.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Small striped bass, slot-sized, lots, were plugged, hooked on fresh bunker or clams and eeled, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. They were also beaten on fresh herring, and plenty of herring and bunker schooled the water. But the stripers were mostly reeled up on the bunker, clams and eels. Customers fishing on foot nabbed the bass from off Massachusetts and Vermont avenues in the surf to the T-jetty, along Absecon Inlet’s ocean end, to Caspian Avenue, toward the inlet’s bay end, including off Melrose Avenue along the inlet. The inlet, located near the shop, is lined with jetties, and anglers fishing these areas also grabbed good-sized blackfish and some ling, blues and small weakfish. The blackfish were green-crabbed. Anglers might not catch the fish they want, but there was action, the most important thing. Baits stocked include fresh bunker, fresh clams, eels and green crabs. One Stop is known for a large bait supply. 

<b>Longport</b>

An open-boat trip will motor out for catches like a few sea bass, a few porgies and blues close to shore Sunday on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. A few sea bass and porgies remain in those waters, and open trips had been fishing for sea bass farther off. But the bulk of the fish migrated farther out now. Starting Monday, open trips will strictly fish for blackfish. Six will become the blackfish bag limit starting that day, from the current limit of one, and space is available on open trips for the tautog Tuesday and November 23 and 26, Thanksgiving Day. The trip on Thanksgiving will run a half day, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Blackfish trips could mix in striped bass fishing, if birds are seen working the water. “We don’t ignore stripers,” he said. But the trips concentrate on blackfish. Mike’s got green crabs and a few white leggers for blackfish. Charters are available for stripers or any catches available. Dates in the middle of the week are mostly available. Black Friday is open for a charter. Striper fishing has usually kicked in during the week after Thanksgiving, the first week of December, locally in recent years on the ocean. Mike will bring the boat to the Florida Keys this winter, and offer a few fishing trips there to anglers.

<b>Ocean City</b>

A few throwback striped bass were banked from the surf, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. They were often played along jetties on lures, and, at mid-island, on bait. No keepers were heard about from the beach. Boaters ran into a large run of big striped bass to 49 pounds chasing bunker 1 or 1 ½ miles from shore a couple of days this past week. The fish were trolled, and then weather turned rough, and who knows where the fish are now. The bass seemed to “peel” off the main migration farther north, he said. The ocean temperature, 59 to 60 degrees, hasn’t changed in almost four weeks. That seemed to discourage stripers from migrating south much yet. The only aggressive migration seemed to be fish like sea bass pushing farther from shore. Lots of stripers migrated locally beyond 3 miles from shore, where fishing for them is closed. That’s typical each fall, and the fish hold 5 or 6 miles from the coast. Anglers wait for shots of the fish to peel off, swimming within legal range. Back-bay striper fishing was good for smaller bass at night, mostly on soft-plastic lures. A few were popper-plugged at dusk. A few blackfish, usually of not much size, were picked from the bay. The water was 60 degrees, so the fish chomped. Anglers anticipated blackfishing on the ocean starting Monday, when the blackfish bag limit will be cranked to six, from the current limit of one. Little was heard about sea bass, but sea bass seemed to bite in deeper water in the ocean. They’d probably keep migrating deeper at a good clip. Green crabs are stocked. Fresh bunker is on hand when available. Fresh clams are usually carried, and eels are in supply. Live pinfish are stocked, and live spots are no longer available. The pinfish seemed to catch stripers.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

A trip with two anglers released 10 striped bass to 25 inches on the back bay Wednesday aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. One was hooked on a livelined spot, and the rest were hooked on jigs, fished slowly along bottom. The fishing was good, and the bass bit the whole trip, an enjoyable day. The bay was 58 or 59 degrees, relatively warm. The trip stayed in the bay, because the ocean was forecast to be rough. If the forecast had been better, Joe would’ve sailed for false albacore that his trips fought on the ocean recently, covered in the previous report here. The tackle-busting fish aren’t common off South Jersey’s coast, but are stacked up there now, and Joe is taking advantage. A few boats sailed for striped bass on the ocean Wednesday, dealing with rough seas, and Joe was yet to hear results. He’s waiting for the impending migration of striped bass on the ocean locally, and a few of the fish have been caught so far, mostly on the troll. Joe is also sea bass fishing and will run for blackfish, once the bag limit is increased to six of the tautog starting Monday, from the current limit of one. Keep up with Jersey Cape’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>.

A couple of days brought better weather early in the week, and striped bass fishing on the ocean then was similar to before, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Big stripers caught were seen, but no numbers. A trip with six anglers might troll all day and boat one, but a 40-pounder. But lots of stripers schooled to the north, and were gradually migrating south, and anglers hoped the fish swam south to the local area before long. Surf fishing was slow, but an angler weighed-in a 29-inch striper from the beach yesterday, after fishing the shore all day. So stripers existed in the surf, just not a lot. Back-bay fishing was pretty good for stripers, not lots of keepers, but some. The best numbers of stripers were angled there, on a hodgepodge of offerings including eels, spots and lures. Blackfishing was excellent. The tautog were nipped from along rocks, pilings and docks, and maybe 1 in 8 was a keeper, but anglers hooked eight in an hour. None complained. Six blackfish will be the bag limit starting Monday, from the current limit of one. Nothing was heard about sea bass in past days, because seas were too rough for boaters to sail farther offshore, where the fish were bagged. Green crabs, fresh clams and bunker, and eels are stocked. About eight live spots remained, and spots were pretty much no longer available in the state anymore this season.

<b>Cape May</b>

None of the daily sea bass trips fished since a trip Saturday on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. That was because of weather, except weather was fair Monday, but only a few anglers showed up. Not enough arrived for the trip to sail 30 miles from shore, so no trip ran that day, because a good catch wouldn’t be bagged closer to shore. But Saturday’s weather was fair, though rain fell the whole day, and several limits of sea bass were pitched aboard the outing. Paul was unsure when trips would next get the weather to sail. Current forecasts called for wind through Saturday. The boat will probably fish for sea bass on Sunday at least. Starting Monday, the trips will switch to blackfishing daily, because the blackfish bag limit will be hiked to six starting that day, from the current limit of one. The Porgy IV fishes at 8 a.m. daily. 

Nothing was doing for boaters, except weather, in past days, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. Sea bass fishing’s been dynamite, lights out, aboard, farther from shore, at least 30 miles, covered in recent reports here. Trips had no problem limiting out. Wind was currently forecast to blow hard through Saturday. George hopes to run a striped bass trip Sunday on the Heavy Hitter that’s part of a two-boat charter. The trip will probably troll the ocean, and scattered stripers were picked liked that, before the weather. Maybe this week’s weather including Tuesday’s storm would trigger more stripers to migrate south to the local area from the northern state, where they already seemed abundant. Scattered stripers were picked from Delaware Bay, too. The striper migration used to arrive in mid-October near Cape May. In recent years, the bulk began to show up around Thanksgiving. Blackfish charters will begin aboard once the bag limit is raised to six starting Monday, from the current limit of one. Telephone if interested in any of this fishing.

A 34-pound 48-1/2-inch striped bass was weighed from the surf yesterday at <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>, Joe said. Throwback stripers were sometimes played in the surf, and the migration of big stripers was just beginning to trickle south to the local area. Boaters picked a few of the fish from the ocean, though little was heard from boaters in the weather in past days. One angler reported bailing lots of smaller stripers while fishing from the Cold Spring Inlet jetty with big, hairy Andrus Jetty Caster Bucktails with pork rinds. “Old school,” Joe said. Lots of throwback stripers were tugged from along bridges on jigs like Storm Shads or lures like that. Not much was heard about Delaware Bay in past days, but again, weather kept trips from sailing. Previously, the bay’s striper fishing was a slow pick, catching one here or there. Blackfish hugged jetties and bridges. Fishing for them will take off starting Monday, when the bag limit is increased to six, from the current limit of one. Sea bass fishing was good farther from shore.

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