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New Jersey Inshore Saltwater Fishing Report 10-13-16


<b>Sewaren</b>

It’s starting, Rich from <b>Dockside Bait & Tackle</b> said about striped bass fishing. A few of the fish began to be boated, because water temperatures were dropping. “Another good, solid week, and we’ll be okay,” he said. One customer eeled a 30-inch striper “just outside” Chapel Hill Channel. Bluefish gave up good catches at different places, including Raritan River. Good catches of porgies were still reported, mostly from the ocean. One customer made a good catch of them near the 28 buoy. Another boated a weakfish, but weakfishing slowed. Eels, fresh bunker, sandworms and bloodworms are stocked. Fresh clams became difficult to obtain and are out of stock. Dockside, located on Smith Creek, a tributary of the Arthur Kill, north of Outerbridge Crossing, is accessible from land and from the water at the fuel dock.

<b>Keyport</b>

Three keeper striped bass and some shorts were angled on the season’s first striper trip on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. Trips aboard will now focus on stripers, like every fall, and the fishing was okay. Good action with snapper blues, spike weakfish and large herring was also jigged on the trip. Striper fishing will only become better. The best is yet to come. Many stripers are swimming “to the east,” he wrote, and in the Hudson and East rivers. “Just a matter of time before they flood into our waters,” like every fall, he said. Spots are available for open-boat trips Friday, Monday and Tuesday. The weekend and the rest of next week are full. Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!

Porgies, lots and big, were pounded at ocean wrecks with the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>, Capt. Mario said. Super fishing, and lots of fun. Open-boat trips are fishing for porgies and blackfish daily. Open trips are also fishing for striped bass daily. A few stripers, not enough, he said, were around, and colder nights will trigger more to show up. Bluefish and false albacore were around. Charters are available for 1 to 15 passengers, and join the <a href=" http://downdeepsportfishing.com/short-notice-list/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on Down Deep’s website to be kept informed about special open trips. Don’t miss out on sea bass trips that will begin October 22, opening day of sea bass season. Dates are filling. Open trips will fish for sea bass daily starting then.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

On the <b>Fishermen</b>, good porgy fishing was tackled most of the mornings Tuesday and Wednesday, after the fishing was docked because of weather a couple of days, a report said on the party boat’s website. On Tuesday, the catches slowed when the tide slowed, and turned back on when the tide resumed. The fishing was good for all the trip’s anglers. On Wednesday, the catches also slowed when the tide did, and only a few porgies were picked when the tide resumed. But then it was time for the trip to return to port anyway. The anglers each caught dinner and more. The trips will keep after porgies until striped bass show up. The captain had hoped to begin the striper fishing this week, but things didn’t look ready yet. Maybe the striper fishing will kick off next week. The water was still 66 degrees. Wait for those northwesterlies to begin blowing, then the striper fishing will take off, the report said. Nighttime trips are already striper fishing aboard, and that angling was good last week on Wednesday and Thursday, the most recent times the fishing was mentioned in the boat’s website reports. The bass to 20 pounds were eeled, and the water was 65 degrees then. The Fishermen is fishing for porgies 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for striped bass 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

Porgy fishing wasn’t as good as previously, but still picked the fish, and all anglers bagged a few to take home on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. Current ran super-strong the past couple of days, maybe because of the full moon, and whether that was a reason for slower fishing than before was unknown. Ten ounces of weight had to be fished where the boat sailed for the porgies between the channels. A few blackfish and triggerfish were bagged. Some anglers targeted the blackfish. 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 through Sunday. Beginning Monday, one trip will fish for them daily 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The change is made each year, because the fish begin to migrate out. The longer trips allow more traveling time to fish places farther from port.

Striped bass were banked from the surf and were trolled and eeled on boats, said Joe from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. They swam all over, including at Reach Channel, at the spikes and in the ocean at Shrewsbury Rocks and off the Red Church. “Pretty good,” he said, and porgy fishing was good. So was blackfishing – lots bit – though one is the blackfish bag limit. A few bluefish swam locally. False albacore were sometimes fought from the surf, including at Sandy Hook. Crabbing was still excellent on the river.

Striped bass began to be latched into, said Chris from <b>Fisherman’s Den North</b>. Fall fishing seemed “on the cusp.” Striper fishing, for instance, will probably bust open in a week or two. The party boat Fishermen began to eel for stripers on every nighttime trip. Some were heard about from the surf, too. One customer clammed a keeper at Long Branch in the surf. Small stripers and small blues schooled Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers. Abundant bait seemed to keep them there. False albacore were still wrestled from the surf and on boats, including at Sandy Hook Point at the rips, though that’s a long walk for surf casters. Cocktail blues ran the surf. Party boats farther south, including from Belmar, tied into big blues to 20 pounds at the Mudhole. Bigger blues than before began to swim Raritan Bay. Porgy fishing began to slow. Out-of-season sea bass, sizable, healthy numbers, were released on bottom-fishing trips like that. Boating for blackfish was strong, though one is the bag limit. Blackfish snapped at jetties, bridge pilings and Point Pleasant Canal, because the fish remained shallow. John Woodruff weighed-in a 22-pound king salmon from upstate New York’s Salmon River to enter in a magazine contest. Fisherman’s Den North, new this year, the sister shop to Fisherman’s Den in Belmar, is located at Atlantic Highlands Municipal Marina, down the dock from party, charter and private boats.  

<b>Highlands</b>

From <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Greg Hanna on the Annie H trolled a 30-inch striped bass from Raritan Bay on shad rigs, Marion wrote in an email. Roy Wurst, Frank Dapuzzo, Paul Cuomo and Frantz Besson boated false albacore and blackfish. 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. The fuel dock is available 24 hours a day with a credit card. Baits stocked include all for offshore.

<b>Neptune</b>

An individual-reservation trip will fish Sunday for porgies, cod, ling and blackfish at inshore wrecks with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. Individual-reservation trips for sea bass have been added for October 26 and 29. Sea bass season will be opened beginning October 22. An individual-reservation trip will blackfish November 19, the day the bag limit is increased to six, from the current limit of one. More of the blackfish trips will be added, and Ralph plans to blackfish until the tog stop biting. His trips fished for them into February this past year. Only a few dates remain for striped bass charters, and November is the month.

<b>Belmar</b>

Great porgy fishing was crushed yesterday, and blackfish were mixed in, on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b> on the ocean, Capt. Chris said. Typical fall fishing, and it was good. Trips are fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and the trips will switch to sea bass once sea bass season is opened beginning October 22. Reservations are required for the first several sea bass trips, and the first two are sold out. Space remains for the third day.

Fishing for blues, monsters to 19 pounds, was excellent until the trips were weathered out Sunday and Monday on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the party boat said. The angling was slower at first on Tuesday’s trip and late in the trip, but the catch ended up excellent, including when fantastic catches blew up for a half-hour, when as many as 10 to 15 were hooked at once. On Wednesday’s trip, conditions were terrible, and some anglers caught well, and some didn’t. Overall, the bluefishing, at the Mudhole, was okay. On today’s trip, also at the Mudhole, conditions remained bad, but the fishing was much better. Looks like trips will keep nailing monster blues, the email said. Trips are bluefishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Monster blues to 20 pounds were plastered Tuesday on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report said on the party boat’s website. Blues were hooked the entire time the trip fished, including shots of eight to 10 at once. Bluefishing trips are usually fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., but one will fish Saturday night. A tuna trip was supposed to fish Wednesday to today aboard, and see about <a href=" https://www.goldeneaglefishing.com/tunafish" target="_blank">tuna trips</a> on the boat’s website.

Sporadic striped bass catches were trolled on the ocean, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, and he expects boating for stripers to pick up soon, he said. Trips focus on them aboard then. He hopes the bass begin to “move” after this full moon. Some stripers were plugged from the surf, he knew. He knew about a big one beached at Sandy Hook, too. Porgy fishing was good, and blackfish bit. Big bluefish were battled on the ocean a ways from shore. Sea bass season will be opened beginning October 22. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Contact Parker Pete’s anyway about individual spaces available on charters. Sign up for the email blast on <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a> to be kept informed about the spaces.

Fishing was much better this week “on all fronts,” Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. The number of stripers that bit was the best news. Vinny D’anton from the Spring Lake fishing club popper-plugged five stripers to a 13-pound 12-ouncer. The email mentioned no location. Reports also rolled in about stripers hooked in Manasquan River near the Route 35 Bridge, including at Will’s Hole. In Shark River, winter flounder and kingfish arrived in better numbers every day. A customer stopped in with two of each daily, “both very nice fish,” Bob wrote. Plenty of big bluefish to 20 pounds and larger were party-boated on the ocean. “Fall mode in semi full swing,” Bob said. <b>***Update, Friday, 10/14:***</b> Shark River’s flounder fishing is on, Bob wrote in an email. Some anglers picked up four or five in a tide, keeping no more than a limit of two. Come on down, he said.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> was headed to good fishing for longfin tuna at Hudson Canyon at 4 p.m. yesterday when Capt. Alan, on land, spoke on the satellite phone with Capt. Chad at the helm, Alan wrote in an email.  One boat had already decked a dozen of the longfins, and Mushin was about to begin trolling for them at a water-temperature break from 70 degrees to 73. Mushin on the trip had already spin-rodded a bunch of mahi mahi at lobster-pot buoys. An overnight trip to the offshore canyons was cancelled Saturday to Sunday aboard because of wind. But fair catches of yellowfin tuna and longfins were made just before then at a canyon. Mushin fished inshore for bluefish Saturday, because the offshore trip was canceled. Slammers to 20 pounds smashed every bait and jig dropped into the water, and the anglers fished for them until worn out. A good body of water, plenty warm to hold tuna, looked to be pushing into the canyons.

Good, very good catches of porgies were pitched aboard the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. The fish were good-sized from 9 to 12, 14 inches, and a few blackfish and triggerfish came in. Crabs were carried aboard for blackfishing, and a few anglers who wanted a limit of one worked to catch the tautog. Some landed two or three, keeping no more than a limit. A few 1- to 2-pound bluefish, including a half-dozen to a dozen on yesterday’s trip, were swung in on trips. The boat fished shallow in 50 to 70 feet of water, and the ocean there was probably in the mid-60 degrees. When sea bass season opens beginning October 22, anglers will be able to keep them, too. Some sizable sea bass were released on the trips, and the Dauntless is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. “Excellent fishing,” Butch said. “Come on down and grab a pole.”

Anglers cleaned up on excellent porgy fishing yesterday on the <b>Norma-K III</b> on the ocean, a report said on the party boat’s website. A few limited out, and some bagged only as many as they wanted, then switched to blackfishing. A few blackfish, mostly throwbacks but a few keepers, were picked. Green crabs are carried aboard for blackfishing. Back at it today! the report said. Bluefishing remains great. A charter Tuesday night clobbered 10- to 15-pounders aboard. Weather looks great for trips through the weekend, and the Norma-K III is fishing for porgies 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.

<b>Toms River</b>

Ocean boaters began to troll striped bass north of Manasquan Inlet, said Virginia from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Surf anglers yanked in stripers around Spring Lake to the north but sometimes locally. None of the bass was large, but some were 29 and 30 inches. Bluefish 2 and 3 pounds or 18 and 20 inches swarmed all over the local surf. She fished for them four days in a row, catching steadily. Pieces of mullet will catch the blues on small, 4/0 hooks, because of the smaller size of the blues. High-low rigs will work, but so will mullet rigs. Bigger blues 12 pounds were boated at Shark River Reef. Porgy fishing was good on the ocean. Catches included limits every day on the party boat Dauntless from Point Pleasant Beach. Some party boats began to fish for ling and cod on the ocean, and the angling was slow in a break in the weather last weekend. But the boats were expected to head out for them again this weekend. Good blackfishing was mugged at Point Pleasant Canal. Probably nine or 10 were shorts for every keeper, but the fish could be hooked all day long, and one is the bag limit anyway. Green crabs will hook them. In Barnegat Bay, plenty of blowfish nibbled near the BB and BI markers. Crabbing remained excellent. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Cocktail bluefish schooled thick in Barnegat Bay, and were caught including from the dock, said Tom from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. They were also tangled with at the small bridge down the road. Tons of small striped bass, 4 and 5 pounds, none keepers, but 10 or 20 fought per angler, were light-tackled along the bridges on small bucktails or jigheads with grubs. In the surf, cocktail blues swam. No striped bass were beached from the surf that were known about, really, and many anglers fished the surf. They were looking. Eels are stocked, and fresh bunker ran out, but Tom waited for more to arrive. The Dock Outfitters, located on Barnegat Bay, blocks from the ocean surf, features a bait and tackle shop, a café, a dock for fishing and crabbing and, in season, boat rentals and jet-ski rentals.

<b>Forked River</b>

<b>Tuna-Tic Sportfishing</b> had just gotten within phone range at 4 p.m. when Capt. Mike gave this report aboard in a call on the way back from an overnight trip to Wilmington Canyon, he said. The trip caught alright, not like the fishing should be, but a bigeye tuna, a mako shark, some mahi mahi and a couple of tilefish were bagged. The bigeye, not large, was chunked at night. So was the mako, a 72-incher, a good size. One of the mahi weighed 25 pounds. Striped bass trips will fish in November.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Nothing changed with fishing, said Vince Sr. from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. Fair numbers of blowfish, sea bass and porgies hit in Barnegat Bay. A fair number of blackfish chewed along Barnegat Inlet’s rocks, and not many striped bass were seen at the shop yet this season. Live spots and green crabs are stocked. Bobbie’s features a complete bait and tackle shop, a fuel dock and boat and, in season, kayak rentals. The boats are used for fishing, crabbing, clamming and pleasure. The store is known for bait supply, including live bait in season.

Charters are supposed to bluefish today and this weekend on the <b>Super Chic</b>, Capt. Pete said. Bluefishing sounded good for big ones, 10 and 15 pounds, recently on the ocean. A trip aboard Friday to Saturday returned with six yellowfin tuna, a swordfish and a bunch of mahi mahi from south of Wilmington Canyon, covered in the last report here.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

The <b>June Bug</b> was undergoing maintenance on bilge pumps, Capt. Lindsay said. A few anglers talked about catching a few tuna at Hudson Canyon. None spoke about tuna from other canyons recently.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

For the few who fished, there were catches to be made, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. More and more catches of striped bass were reported from Mullica River. The biggest were 31 inches, and eels mostly took the fish. But a few were angled on swimming lures and popping plugs. Once the water cools, chasing peanut bunker away, the lure fishing will stop. The migration of big stripers arrived at Thanksgiving lately. The run showed up later and later in recent years. Striper tournaments used to be held on Halloween weekend.  Blackfish snapped along the banks of the bay. One is the bag limit, but they were fun to catch, and if two anglers bagged one apiece, that was a good amount of meat. No boaters fished the ocean because of rough weather. Green crabs, favorite bait for blackfish, and eels are stocked. No fresh clams, salted clams or any clams are stocked, because clams became scarce. Local boats couldn’t harvest enough. Clams in the shell were available from New York but were tiny. New England was the next closest place to obtain fresh clams, but suppliers weren’t traveling that far to get them.

<b>Absecon</b>

In the back, striped bass fishing was on the upswing, definitely, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Weather improved, and that was probably a big factor, but stripers were definitely “on the way in.” Dave fished for them yesterday, and zigged when he should have zagged, he guessed. He fished Mullica River, but good reports rolled in from the Intracoastal Waterway and behind Brigantine and Atlantic City about the fishing that day. Good-sized stripers were hung there, and weren’t mixed with smaller. So they migrated in, Dave thought. He’ll get back after the fish tomorrow, and plenty of dates are available for charters for stripers aboard. Waters cleared in the better weather, so fishing for blackfish, catches that bite in clean waters, was terrific along jetties. A few of the tautog were sizable keepers, among lots of action with throwbacks. Nothing about boating for blackfish was heard. A few kingfish bit in the surf. White perch fishing seemed good in the Mullica. Baits stocked include plenty of live mullet, a tank of live peanut bunker, and plenty of live spots and eels. Mullet disappeared from local waters, but Dave castnetted and stocked up on them when the baitfish were here. The peanuts stocked are decent-sized, and he’s looking for good-sized to catch to add more. Giant schools of small, 2-inch peanuts schooled Absecon Creek, running past the shop. They were too small for bait, but good forage for the fish population. More spots, from Maryland, and eels were on their way to be stocked at the store. Bloodworms are carried, and the supply of shedder crabs seemed about finished for the year. Crabs seemed mostly to stop shedding until the warm seasons return.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Absecon Inlet boaters lit into striped bass, not big, last night on eels, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Those were probably resident stripers, and snapper blues swam the surf all over. Mullet on mullet rigs will grab them, but Andy would start fishing clams in the surf, trying for stripers. A 27-pound striper was caught and released in the surf at Long Beach Island yesterday. Fresh clams are supposedly going to be stocked tomorrow. The clams were scarce, but two suppliers thought they could provide them that day. Andy will see. The Brigantine Elks Fall Classic Tournament will take place November 11 to 13, and all profits will reportedly benefit veterans. Applications are available at Riptide and at the Elks. The annual Riptide Fall Striper Derby is underway until December 23. Prizes are $500, $300 and $150 for the first, second and third heaviest stripers, respectively, and $300, $200 and $100 for the first through third heaviest bluefish, from Brigantine’s surf. The $25 entry includes a permit that when accompanied by a Brigantine beach-buggy permit allows the angler to drive the entire front beach in the town. Not all the beach can be driven otherwise.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Lot of fish, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Anglers fishing nearby, jetty-lined Absecon Inlet on foot smoked lots of blackfish. The tautog were thick as thieves, jumping in the bucket, he said. On some days, an angler would bank a keeper right away. On others, the angler would work through throwbacks the whole trip until cracking a keeper. Green crabs were fished for the slipperies, and the blackfish were the most abundant catch. But the inlet anglers also slid in snapper blues on spearing and minnows, a few big kingfish on bloodworms, sometimes a weakfish while worming for kings, and occasional striped bass, resident fish, not part of the fall striper migration yet, on plugs or fresh bunker. Pods of bunker, both peanuts and adults, schooled everywhere along the inlet. Pods of mullet were also seen in the water. The full supply of baits is stocked, including green crabs, bloodworms, fresh bunker and fresh clams. ***Big Heads Up:*** Noel began a <a href="http://acprimetime.com/atlantic-city-fishing-petition-jetty-access/" target="_blank"><b>petition</b></a> for anglers <b>to protest the government’s planned closing of fishing the jetties along the inlet</b>. Click the link to read and sign it. The government recently said access will be granted, after Noel began to spearhead the protest. But until the government makes that official, the protest needs to continue.

<b>Egg Harbor Township</b>

A few schoolie striped bass were clammed and hooked on bunker in the surf and along Ocean City’s 9th Street Bridge, said Austin from <b>24-7 Bait & Tackle</b>. A couple of bluefish bit off his line at the bridge the other night, and he caught no stripers on the trip. That was about all that was heard about fishing. Nothing was reported about offshore fishing for tuna. Weather was too rough to sail offshore on most days. <b>The company also owns 24-7 Bait & Tackle in Marmora</b>. Live spots are stocked at both shops. Eels ran out at the Egg Harbor store but were stocked at Marmora and should be re-stocked at Egg Harbor today or tomorrow.

<b>Longport</b>

The next fishing will sail Saturday on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, probably trolling for blues at Atlantic City Ridge, Capt. Mike said. Slammer blues were trolled there last Saturday aboard, covered in the last report here. The trip also bottom-fished, pumping in croakers, spike weakfish, a few porgies and a kingfish from the ocean. The water was 68 degrees, cooler than before, but warm still. That’s why the blues schooled, and dogfish also showed up because of the warmth. A charter is available Saturday, October 29, for jumbo sea bass offshore. Charters and open-boat trips will make the run to deep water for sea bass, where the big will be, once sea bass season is opened October 22. A few spaces remain for open sea bass trips October 26 and 28. Some of the trips are also available December 13, 22 and 28, before sea bass season is closed beginning January 1. Charters this fall will also fish for a combo of striped bass and blackfish. Like every year, a special open trip will blackfish 8 a.m. to 12 noon on Thanksgiving, and another will sail 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on New Year’s Eve Day. Cast and Blast Trips, a combo of fishing and duck hunting, will be available this fall, like every year. Telephone if interested.

<b>Ocean City</b>

In the surf, anglers began to clock 1- to 3-pound blues fairly consistently at Corson’s Inlet and the island’s north end, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. He was also hearing about the catches off some of the streets around 40th Street. He heard about one keeper striped bass from the surf at Corson’s Inlet. But sometimes throwback stripers and reportedly a keeper here and there were eased from the surf. The water was warm for stripers, in the 60 degrees. Kingfish were nipped from the surf. In the back bay, good numbers of schoolie stripers swam along 9th Street Bridge. Blackfish swam along that bridge and Longport Bridge. Great Egg Harbor River still held some good catches of stripers. One of the crew from the shop kayaked a keeper and a bunch of schoolies on the river. No boaters reported fishing the ocean in the weather. Many anglers pulled their boats from the water for Tropical Storm Hermine and never splashed them back. A couple planned to put them back in the water when the striper migration swims the ocean later this season. So nothing was heard about offshore fishing for tuna and other big game, except one angler tried fishing for mako sharks on the ocean but caught none. A couple of customers still crabbed, but not much was heard about crabbing.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Anglers in the surf began to beach striped bass, nothing to spend hours on, said Cameron from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, and the bass weren’t big, but the fish were around. His brother landed a 22-incher on mullet. Was a good week of fishing that began to pick up. Bluefish swam the surf more toward the inlet. In the back bay, resident stripers were fought, best on popper plugs and soft-plastic lures. Cameron heard little about blackfishing, but thought a couple of anglers hooked them well, and customers bought lots of green crabs for the angling.

<b>Wildwood</b>

At <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>, Mike was hauling some of the boats out of the water for the year today, he said. Most of the shop’s season is finished for the year, but he’ll probably be there this weekend, including selling bait and supplies, and was there last weekend, though not much happened in rough weather that weekend. The shop was open today while he hauled the boats, and a few people stopped by to buy supplies. Commercial crabbers were pulling many of their traps from the back bay for the year. But crabs were still trapped, and a buddy brought Mike a couple of dozen. Mike expects to sneak out and crab this coming week. A good number of striped bass, fewer than usual, but still a lot, bit in the bay at night. Mike and friend hooked them last night at 11 o’clock while jigging for herring from the friend’s dock under a light. Mike probably landed a dozen. The herring also swam abundant and were caught, and Mike salts and freezes them for bait. Snapper blues also bit. So fish were around. Mike and friend fished a rig with a bucktail on bottom with no bait, a small spoon-hook on a leader 12 inches above, and another one of the spoons on a leader 12 inches above. The stripers bit the bucktail, and the herring hit the spoons. The blues also swiped the spoons. The stripers in the bay are 12- to 14-inch throwbacks, not big but fun. Some of the herring are 12 inches. The blues are also about that size and are also fun. They’re good-eating when that size, too. Lots of baitfish, “nice little balls,” schooled. A kayaker was seen fishing nearby with a light rigged to attract fish. A buddy recently reeled two weakfish from the bay in 3 feet of water. Was late in the year for weaks to remain in the bay, but they seemed around. Unconfirmed reports said out-of-season summer flounder remained in the bay.  Canal Side in-season rents boats for fishing, crabbing and pleasure and kayaks. A $5 discount is available on a rental boat if you mention Fishing Reports Now, when the boats are available in-season. A large supply of bait and tackle is carried in-season. Crabs for eating are sold in-season, but the shop is no longer selling food for the year. Customers enjoy the crabs and other food, including shrimp, clams and oysters, in-season, at picnic tables with tents on the water at the store. Or they take out the food and enjoy.

<b>Cape May</b>

Surf anglers dragged in blues and sometimes striped bass, not big stripers, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. They cranked in blackfish along jetties. Fishing for small stripers was very good in the back bay in early mornings and evenings on soft-plastic lures and top-water plugs. Weakfish were boated on Delaware Bay. Nothing was reported about offshore fishing for tuna and other big game recently. Weather was often rough for that. But when boaters reached the waters, tuna fishing must’ve been good sometimes, by the sounds of a customer who’d just bought butterfish to sail for them soon. Crabbing was still great, and one crabber trapped 40. Baits stocked include eels, green crabs and bloodworms. Nick will try to carry fresh bunker for the weekend.

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