<b>Sewaren</b>

Boaters reeled in porgies, said Rich from <b>Dockside Bait & Tackle</b>. He wasn’t asked where, but porgies swam Raritan Bay and the ocean, according to other reports. Lots of striped bass hooked began to be reported. None was big, but water was cooling, making resident stripers bite. They were boated near the Verrazano Bridge the other day. One customer’s been buying eels and striper fishing daily. The migration of large stripers will arrive later this season. Snapper blues schooled the bay. The bay held plenty of life, including lots of baitfish. In addition to eels, baits stocked include fresh bunker, sandworms and bloodworms. Rich waited for fresh clams to arrive.  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, and the fuel dock is open.

<b>Keyport</b>

Weather’s been tough, but an open-boat trip will fish for striped bass Friday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. “Call to reserve if you need to get out!” he wrote, and strong wind is forecast to resume afterward, keeping trips docked. Though weather’s been rough, that won’t last forever. 

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Striped bass are in, said Joe from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Boaters trolled them at the Scotland Grounds on spoons. Stripers were also angled along the Ammo Pier, including good catches of them last night. Big blues were tackled along the pier lately. Stripers were beached from the surf. Sometimes kingfish nibbled in the surf. Joe wasn’t asked whether blues hit in the surf, but the shop reported them biting previously there. Blowfish were nabbed, and Joe was unsure where, except he knew about blowfish tugged from Shark River farther south. Lots of porgies were boated from the local ocean. Porgies were also beaned at the Highlands Bridge. Crabs were still trapped.

Fishing slugged away at porgies all morning today on the <b>Fishermen</b>, good catches again, a report said on the party boat’s website. “Much more comfortable today, and we didn’t get our butts kicked like the past couple of days,” it said. Jumbos weren’t found on the trip, but good buckets of keepers were managed around the boat. The angling was great on Monday’s trip, until outgoing tide dirtied the water. Tuesday was a “little nasty,” so the trip’s fishing wasn’t as good. The catches were great again on Wednesday’s trip. Conditions were a little nasty in the morning, but the fish bit anyway.  On Wednesday night’s trip, eeling for striped bass was very good, the first decent night of striper fishing in a few weeks. A new population of stripers moved in.  The Fishermen is fishing for porgies 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, for striped bass 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays and for porgies 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.

On the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, porgy fishing was good Monday, Capt. Tom said. The fishing was no good Tuesday, and the ocean was rough, so the boat fished the bay. Only a few porgies were plucked on both of the daily trips. On Wednesday, the ocean still held a swell but was calmer, and the boat fished there. Porgy fishing wasn’t great, but all the anglers left with dinner. A couple of blackfish and some triggerfish were also cracked. The trip brought some crabs to fish for the blackfish. Lots of easterly weather happened lately, but maybe that was good, because the high was going to keep the hurricane from reaching the local coast. Anglers aboard recently didn’t catch 30 or 40 porgies apiece, but sometimes 15 or 20. 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. One three-quarter day trip daily will begin to fish for them on October 17. The change is made each year when the fish begin to migrate farther from shore.

Porgy fishing seemed slower since rough weather recently, but the fish were still caught, said Chris from <b>Fisherman’s Den North</b>. Blackfishing was good in shallow water like 20 or 30 feet, though one blackfish is the bag limit. Nothing crazy was heard about boating for striped bass. Most striper catches were reported from rivers. Lots of small stripers swam rivers, but some bigger began to be seen. Bob from Fisherman’s Den in Belmar, the sister shop to Fisherman’s Den North, heaved  a 24-pounder from Shark River in Belmar. An angler today reported landing 12 stripers in an hour from the local river. Anglers sometimes call the local Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers “the river.” The two rivers converge, and bucktails with a bait like a curly tail and popper lures caught stripers in the river. Chris has been hitting the stripers at night on the river on bucktails and, when baitfish schooled, on poppers. In the surf, a few stripers were beached, probably on clams. Small blues swam the surf. Big blues were boated around the Mudhole on the ocean. The shop, new this year, is located at Atlantic Highlands Marina, down the dock from party, charter and private boats.

<b>Belmar</b>

Excellent fishing for jumbo blues was hammered again today on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the party boat said. The vessel’s been reporting the excellent fishing every day this week. Today’s trip picked away at 10- to 19-pounders the whole time, and sometimes shots of six were hooked at once. Now’s the time for blues, the email said, and trips are fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

All the big blues anglers could want were plastered Wednesday on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report said on the party boat’s website. The fish, up to 18 pounds, smashed Runoff hammered jigs and bait – whatever anglers wanted to fish. A trip was expected to sail for them again today. “(Although) there has been a lot of talk about the weather,” the report said, forecasts looked fine for trips today through Saturday aboard, running 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.  A tuna trip sailed Sunday to Monday on the boat, and had to travel far, almost 130 miles. But a few yellowfin tuna and a swordfish were boxed, “and we lost a bunch of fish, too,” the report said. The fishing was better than previously. Some spaces remain on <a href=" https://www.goldeneaglefishing.com/tunafish" target="_blank">tuna trips</a> Sunday, Wednesday and October 23. Reservations are required.

Trips will probably resume Tuesday, fishing for porgies and winter flounder, on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. The boat was in dry dock this week. Trips fish 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and will switch to sea bass beginning October 22, opening day of sea bass season.

If fall striped bass fishing is like last year, the fish will arrive in the local ocean toward the end of the month, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. Trips aboard focus on them each year. Currently, big bluefish were waffled from the ocean. Charters sail aboard, and individual spaces are 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.

<b>Toms River</b>

Small striped bass 12 to 18 inches, lots, swam both sides of the Toms River, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. They bit mostly at night and in early mornings on small lures like X-Raps, 4-inch Fin-S Fish and yellow or white Guides Choice swimmers. Bluefish 10 to 19 inches, bigger than snappers, swam the river. Peanut bunker schooled the river. On Barnegat Bay, kayakers and anglers in small boats played small stripers along Route 37 Bridge just before sundown. The fish stopped biting afterward. On the bay at the BB and BI markers, blowfish, porgies and kingfish, a mixed bag, were chummed. Blues 1 to 3 pounds and a token blackfish were fought from Barnegat Inlet. Virginia from the shop fished the surf yesterday, and small blues 12, 18 or 20 inches swam everywhere. Mullet cut in half, fished on striper high-low rigs, caught best. The blues were too small to bite larger bait on mullet rigs. Fluke sometimes bit in the surf, because the water was warm. A few stripers, occasionally a keeper, probably resident fish, were slid from the surf at night. Striper fishing was just beginning farther north at Montauk. It was better farther north in New England and Massachusetts. No stripers were trolled on the ocean locally yet. Customers bought gear for the trolling later this season. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

The number of small bluefish has been increasing in the surf, and they dominated the bite from the beach, a report said on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>’ website. Mullet was best bait, and bunker was second-best. But popper plugs and metal could catch them. Barnegat Bay turned out small striped bass on swimming lures, and a few crabs were still trapped. 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>

Tuna fishing finally lit up for <b>Tuna-Tic Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Mike said. A great catch of 75-pound yellowfin tuna was trolled during daytime and chunked during nighttime at Baltimore Canyon on a trip aboard. A small swordfish was also landed, and a couple of shots at mako sharks were had, and the sharks bit off the tuna leaders. A big wahoo was reeled in. Lot of action, non-stop, with the tuna, he said. Now he’s waiting to get the weather to get back out.

In Barnegat Bay, weakfish held in Mud Channel off Berkeley Island Park, said Brian from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Blowfish were grabbed from the bay near the research buoy and at Meyer’s Hole. A few customers boated them today at Meyer’s, and outgoing is the tide to fish. Surf anglers picked a few small striped bass. Sometimes big blues were reportedly banked from the surf.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Not a lot was happening, but lots of blowfish nipped in Barnegat Bay for customers chumming with the shop’s chum logs and fishing with the store’s squid, said Vince Sr. from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. They fought through sea bass and porgies to hook them. Anglers who worked for weakfish boated them on the bay. Bluefish were occasionally seen from the bay. Many green crabs were sold to anglers catching blackfish along Barnegat Inlet’s rocks and at wrecks. A fair number of triggerfish were docked.  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 bait in season. Live spots will be stocked beginning at mid-month for striped bass fishing.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Anglers bought green crabs who probably tried to bag a limit of one blackfish on the bait, said Maureen from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. A few eels were sold, she thought, probably to anglers trying for striped bass on Mullica River. That was about all the news, and the shop had been preparing in case the hurricane hit. But the storm now was forecast to push offshore before reaching New Jersey.

<b>Absecon</b>

Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b> began fishing for striped bass in the back, and the fish were yet to swim everywhere in the waters, “but it’s coming – it’s definitely coming,” he said. He ran two trips Monday and Tuesday. Monday’s weather was calm, so the trip spent time at the angling, landing about 13 stripers. Three were larger than 28 inches, the legal minimum size, so the anglers bagged them, and didn’t need to use bonus tags to bag smaller. The three were enough. On Tuesday’s trip, wind blew, seeming to slow the fishing somewhat, and making the trip shorter. But a keeper striper and a 25-incher were pulled in. All the bass on the trips were hooked on chartreuse Gulp Nemesis, the same bait Dave scored on last year. So some stripers were definitely around, and he’ll now offer exploratory charters for the fish at a reduced rate through next Thursday, before the full rate is charged. White perch fishing seemed to become better and better on brackish rivers like the Mullica and Great Egg Harbor. They aggressively fed, typical for fall. Anglers had been fishing shedder crabs for the perch, because stripers also bit the crabs. But the crabs became scarce. Dave managed to find a few to sell a customer this morning, but the supply is probably finished for the year. Crabs stop shedding this time of season through winter. Stripers were also eeled on rivers. Consistent kingfishing could be found. Kings swam bays and the surf. Great Bay was reportedly full of blowfish. Small fish like these were around for light-tackle action. Blackfish were supposedly nabbed along jetties. Rough seas kept boaters from fishing the ocean for blackfish and other catches. East wind that creates the seas is forecast to continue in the next days. Live mullet, peanut bunker, spots and eels are stocked. Mullet disappeared from waters, but plenty are stocked. Dave caught them earlier this season. A few peanuts were still seen in back waters, and the spots were from Maryland.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Looked like the hurricane would fail to reach New Jersey, and the surf should be fishable this weekend, if no wind blows too strongly, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Snapper blues swam the surf. Firth Bowden weighed-in a 15.6-ounce, 14-inch kingfish, with a 7-inch girth, from the surf that he entered in the Atlantic City Press’s and Atlantic City’s fishing contests at the shop. Someone saw a black drum hauled from the surf today. One boater, looking for striped bass in the back bay, reeled in a 7-1/2-pound, out-of-season summer flounder he released.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Many blackfish were creamed from Absecon Inlet on green crabs, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Bluefish were fought from the inlet on mullet and spearing, and occasional striped bass were slammed from the inlet on clams, mullet and eels. Good-sized, 14- and 15-inch kingfish were bloodwormed from the inlet today. Customers fish the jetty-lined inlet on foot, and the fishing was on and cracking! he said. Big mullet, larger than 8 inches, some bigger than 12, schooled the inlet. Lots of bunker, peanuts on one day, adults on another, swam the water. So did big spearing, and herring swam the “back.” All the baits mentioned and more, the full supply, are stocked.  ***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>

From <b>24-7 Bait & Tackle</b>, Joe knew a couple of anglers who clocked striped bass on Great Egg Harbor River and from piers, he said. They also hooked snapper blues. Customers headed for tuna and big game Sunday to Monday in the window of weather, but no results were heard first-hand. Fish were reportedly boated at Spencer and Wilmington canyons. A few crabs were trapped, but not like earlier this year. The store’s rental boats, docked on Patcong Creek, one of the best crabbing places, running past the store, are still available for crabbing and fishing. The boats have access to waters including the creek, Great Egg Harbor River and the bay. Live spots, eels and green crabs are stocked. Fresh clams but no fresh bunker are on hand. No bunker boats sailed in the weather. The store was closed in the rough weather and rain last week. <b>The company also owns 24-7 Bait & Tackle in Marmora</b>.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Surf seas were ramped up, including being nasty yesterday, and will probably be 4 feet in the next days, said Justin from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Even if anglers could fish the seas, the water was dirty and held seaweed that made fishing no good. Small blues schooled the back bay, swiping bait, lures and practically anything. Small stripers chomped along bridges at night, if anglers could fish through the blues. Blackfish chewed along piers, and many were small, but some were decent-sized that were mixed in. The fish, preferring clear water, were “testy” in dirty water, but bit. Small sea bass remained in the bay that hold there in summer. They’ll be there a while yet. Nothing was heard about boating on the ocean in the seas, including boating offshore for tuna and big game. A customer today talked about heading offshore, but seas were forecast to remain 4 feet in the next days.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Quite a few blues, mostly 1 to 3 pounds, swam around, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Inlets and the surf gave them up best, and mullet was the bait of choice. But the fish also hit small spoons and small swimming plugs. Small striped bass at times and occasional, decent-sized weakfish were mixed in. Striper fishing was pretty consistent in the back bay at night under lights at docks and bridges. Anglers in past days all bought white soft-plastic lures for the angling like paddle tails, Bass Assassins and Storm Shads. One boater sailed offshore in the brief window of weather this week. He mentioned no tuna caught but the trip landed a marlin, mahi mahi and a wahoo, saying the water was beautiful and full of life. Seemed that if the weather would let up, anglers could reach the canyons and catch. Crabbing was good.

<b>Wildwood</b>

The next trip is supposed to fish Saturday with <b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b>, Capt. Jim said. Bluefish, weakfish and whatever will bite will be targeted, mixed-bag fishing. Striped bass trips are booking for later this fall, and two booked yesterday. If anglers want stripers, book the trips, because dates are filling, especially weekends. Lots of smaller stripers, mostly throwbacks, a few keepers, are being plugged and chunked in the back bay. Trips will fish for sea bass on the ocean once sea bass season is opened beginning October 22. Fins fishes every day, when enough anglers want to go, and reservations aren’t required but suggested. Telephone for availability.

Weather could be windy, but <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b> will be open this weekend, Mike said. Boat rentals will be available if wind fails to blow too strongly, and bait and tackle will be available, including a few minnows that are still stocked. Like many coastal stores, the shop no longer re-supplies minnows, favorite bait for summer flounder, once flounder season closes. That closed last week on Monday. Striped bass fishing was good on the back bay at night under lights. Lightweight jigs like ¼ or 1/8 ounce whipped them. The fish seemed to like white Gulp minnows on the hooks. Weather’s been windy from northeast, and just one person crabbed that was known about. But the crabber’s been trapping some beautiful blueclaws. Mike can buy crabs, but he might head out and crab to try to trap some of the No. 1’s, big crabs. Canal Side rents boats for fishing, crabbing and pleasure and kayaks. <b>***<i>Get a $5 discount</i>***</b> on a rental boat if you mention Fishing Reports Now. 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, when 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>

A load of mahi mahi, all that anglers could want, a small swordfish and a good-sized wahoo were pasted on an overnight trip Sunday to Monday with <b>Caveman Sportfishing</b>, Capt. John said. Another sword and a tuna also got off. Was a good trip, he said, and Baltimore Canyon was fished first. That’s where the mahi and swords bit, at night while the boat was drifted. The water was 75 to 77 degrees, and only a handful of tuna were reported caught during daytime Sunday, and none was heard about at night. So at daybreak, the trip headed inshore to fish for wahoos at the Hot Dog, where wahoos were reported biting well the previous few days. The boat trolled toward there, and the wahoo was taken just offshore of the Dog. A yellowfin tuna was also lost there. If fish are in, and weather allows, Caveman will fish the canyons until Halloween at least. Trips will begin striped bass fishing whenever the bass show up, probably toward Thanksgiving. The fishing became good last year for maybe three weeks after the holiday.

Capt. George on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> sailed with friends to Baltimore Canyon on Monday to see if they could find tuna, he said. No tuna were found, and fishing for tuna sounded slow among the fleet. One or two seemed caught. But 40 mahi mahi 3 to 5 pounds, not big but a load, were belted on the Heavy Hitter, and quite a few smaller were released. A couple of wahoos were also trolled and got off, one throwing a wahoo lure, the other biting off an Ilander. The tuna landed among the fleet were yellowfins 30 pounds, not big. But George saw photos of good catches of yellowfins from between Wilmington and Baltimore canyons before the trip. Then tuna catches were reported from between Baltimore and Poorman’s canyons. A party boat from Brielle was seen at the Baltimore during the trip, fishing for mahi at lobster pot buoys while the Heavy Hitter was doing the same. Weather wasn’t bad on the way out on the trip. Then on the trip, hard northeast wind blew up, building seas to steady 4- and 5-footers. A charter Tuesday on the Heavy Hitter was canceled because of rough forecasts. Looking ahead, trips are booking for sea bass, striped bass and blackfish. Sea bass season will be opened beginning October 22. Stripers will likely show up afterward, and blackfish will likely bite best after that, late in the year. 

Bluefish, bluefish, bluefish, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Blues, mostly 14- or 15-inchers, a couple of bigger, swam everywhere, including in the surf. Boaters nailed them at places like the Cape May Rips, when weather made boating possible. Schoolie striped bass, mostly 20- or 24-inchers, a few keepers, were picked up in the surf between the blues. Blackfishing was great along surf jetties. A couple of customers reeled up croakers, weakfish and sheepshead along Delaware Bay’s jetties. In the back bay, boaters anchored and chummed stripers or plugged them in early mornings. The last offshore report was from a customer whose trip pounded a couple of yellowfin tuna and a blue marlin at Baltimore Canyon early in the week. Crabbing was still good, and Nick posted photos of an 8-inch crab, tip to tip, filling the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket, with huge claws, on the shop’s Facebook page. He took the crab to a taxidermist to be mounted and displayed at the store. The water was warm enough for crabbing, in the high 60 degrees. But that was cooler than before, no longer in the 70s. Bloodworms, green crabs and frozen mullet are stocked. Fresh bunker are hoped to be stocked this weekend.

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