<b>Keyport</b>

Good striped bass fishing was whipped Thursday through Sunday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, except on Saturday, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. Boat traffic caused the fish not to bite Saturday, and only one bonus bass was reeled aboard, and another striper was lost on the trip. The trips fished Raritan Bay, catching on cast rubber shads and trolled Mojos and bunker spoons. The spoons clocked bigger bass, up to 26 pounds. Jigging’s working best during weekdays, when boat traffic is lighter. Jigging’s tough on weekends. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips with room will fish next Monday and Tuesday. Telephone to reserve.

The week was another good one for striped bass fishing on Raritan Bay and the ocean, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>. A couple of days fished slower, because of boat traffic, and weekends could be tough for that. Anglers aboard jigged the fish or swam livelined bunker for them, and open-boat trips are fishing for stripers daily. Charters are available, and daily, open trips and charters for blackfish will begin November 16. The bag limit will be hiked to six starting that day, from the current limit of one. Down Deep runs two 40-foot boats for up to 15 passengers, featuring heated cabins, full galleys and large cockpits for comfort, he said.  Charters are available, 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.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Trips dealt with a little wind, but fishing was good on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. Lots of porgies were creamed. Those who targeted blackfish, bringing crabs for bait, cranked in a few. Lots of sea bass bit, and a few were keepers. But porgies were the thing. All anglers caught porgies, and left with at least dinner. All had a good time, he said. Good fishing is the best way to describe, he said. Though weather was sometimes windy, all trips fished. Sunday was windy but very fishable. No crabs are supplied for blackfishing until Nov. 16, when the bag limit is increased to six, from the current limit of one. But some anglers bring crabs because they like blackfishing. Trips are fishing for porgies, sea bass and blackfish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. <b>***Update, Wednesday, 11/9:***</b> Porgy fishing’s been good aboard, and a few blackfish and sea bass have come in, Tom said. Details will be covered in tomorrow’s report. But weather looks good for Thursday and iffy for Friday. Wind might blow Friday, so if anglers want to fish in the next couple of days, Thursday looks like the better day.

In the morning, a pick of striped bass, close to port, began the fishing today on the <b>Fishermen</b>, a report said on the party boat’s website. Birds worked bait, moving fast, and a few keepers were landed, before the trip went in search mode. The trip chased bait, traveling many miles, “with only a couple fish through most of the day,” it said. Life was found at one last try in overtime, giving up a couple of shots at stripers. The trip ended up with a mess of keepers, bonus stripers and a few big blues. The last try gave up the 14-pound pool-winner. Sunday’s trip ended up with a donut, no stripers, the worst striper trip of the season, covering many miles, including out east in an effort to solve. Stripers rolled on top in the morning with plenty of birds above, and the anglers tossed top-water lures, rubber shads and jigs, but the fish refused to bite. One was hooked but got off. No lack of stripers were around. The previous night’s trip, on Saturday, beat up stripers on eels. On Saturday’s daytime trip, plenty of life, fish busting on top and birds working, was found in the morning. A couple of stripers were caught, and the trip had to keep moving, because the fish moved fast. The boat had the fish to itself at first, but soon a fleet built, dispersing the bass. The trip left to take a long run to the ocean, when fish magically appeared on the way. The anglers had a good shot of keepers, and boats soon swamped the area. Got to love weekend boat traffic. The trip ended up with some nice keepers, but not enough for everybody aboard. Friday night’s trip met lousy conditions or not much of a drift in wind against tide. But 35 keepers were whacked, once things got right. 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. Mondays through Saturdays. However, a charter is booked Wednesday during daytime, so no open-boat trip will fish then.

<b>Highlands</b>

<b>Lady M Charters</b> is blackfishing from Brooklyn until New Jersey’s blackfish bag limit is increased, Capt. Steve said. On a charter Saturday aboard, blackfishing began slowly but kicked in once the tide changed to outgoing. The boat limited out, and on a trip Sunday, seas were nasty in strong wind. But blackfish were belted, and the two high hooks landed seven keepers apiece, bagging no more than four apiece, the New York limit. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing from Brooklyn, and a few dates remain for blackfishing from New Jersey beginning Nov. 16, when the state’s limit is increased to six, from the current limit of one.

<b>Neptune</b>

Was another good day of striped bass fishing Sunday on the ocean, Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> said. Anglers aboard scored well every time trips got after the bass, and Ralph hopes that continues.  Individual-reservation trips will fish Wednesday and Friday, Veterans’ Day. A half-day individual-reservation trip will blackfish on Thanksgiving, Nov. 24. Six will become the blackfish bag limit beginning Nov. 16, from the current limit of one. Spaces are available for more of the blackfish trips Nov. 22, 28 and 30. Individual-reservation blackfish trips will also fish Dec. 1, 11, 12 and 17. Charters are available.

<b>Belmar</b>

Ultimately, striped bass fishing was pretty good, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. The angling, on the ocean, was excellent Sunday aboard for mostly large bass 20 to 30 pounds. The fishing was slower Saturday and excellent Friday on the boat. Big bluefish also swam the water. Sometimes striper fishing lit up in mornings and slowed afterward, and blues moved in then. That happened Sunday, and almost all blues filled the water Saturday. Trips caught on livelined bunker and on the troll. The livelining caught well Sunday. Stripers showed up north one day, south another, and right off Shark River Inlet another, typical for the season. The fish schooled all over, and also offshore. Boaters returning from offshore canyons reported many schooling 20 miles off. The bass moved into and outside of 3 miles from shore. Striper fishing is closed beyond 3 miles. On some days, smaller stripers schooled, and on others, bigger did. Bait schooled, whales swam, the water was full of action, and everything was seen that anglers like to see in the fall run of stripers. Pete hopes the fishing lasts into December. 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.

Wind, wind and more wind, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Boaters fished anyway, catching well. Several charter boats limited out on striped bass on the ocean, and also tackled large bluefish. Party boats also docked impressive stripers and blues sometimes, on rubber shads and crocs. Surf anglers also brought in stripers. Ed Fort from the Asbury Park fishing club beached a 21-pounder in the town. Boating for sea bass and porgies on the ocean usually fished hot, and wind took a toll on some days, including today. Shark River’s winter flounder fishing was the best it’s been on the river, and had already been good, and the shop’s crew thinks it’ll get even better.  Good fishing, Bob said.

On the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, fishing was super Friday on the ocean, a report said on the party boat’s website. “There were big blues and even bass fairly close to the inlet,” it said. The stripers weighed up to 30 pounds, “and they were all on live bait,” it said. The blues attacked any tackle thrown. Saturday’s trip picked at a bunch of blues and some stripers in tremendous boat traffic that kept them from biting as much as preferred. Lots of fish and birds working the water were seen. Sunday’s trip went into overtime, trying to get fish to bite. Hundreds of blues and stripers were seen splashing under birds working baitfish a few times, “but we could only get a few to bite,” it said. Bunker were caught to liveline, and those and Runoff hammered jigs and spoons were fished, and the trip moved a lot. The Golden Eagle is sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Angers smoked striped bass to 30 pounds, good fishing, first thing in the morning Friday on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, a report said on the party boat’s website. Once the fish stopped biting, the trip concentrated on excellent fishing for big blues to 18 pounds. Saturday’s trip slapped a half-dozen stripers on deck and mugged exceptional bluefishing. Sunday’s trip “managed to put some nice stripers in the boat,” it said. The fish weighed up to 41 pounds and were found to the south among bunker. On today’s trip, the ocean was rough, and the anglers picked way at blues on a couple of drifts. At the end of the trip, some stripers were boated. Wind and seas had already begun to calm then, and tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful. Trips are fishing daily and were supposed to begin earlier than usual at 7 a.m., so check the hours with the boat ahead of time.

<b>Brielle</b>

Striped bass were boated north and south on the ocean, including, to the north, off Asbury Park the past couple of mornings, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Big bluefish were fought at Shrewsbury Rocks to the north. A good striper bite was had off Lavallette to the south. Much of the ocean’s striper fishing depended on where bunker schooled. Stripers tended to forage on the baitfish. Sometimes the bass were hooked on bunker snagged and then livelined. The fish were caught on popper lures and swimming lures sometimes yesterday. Trolling’s been a consistent way to connect, and trolled Mojos have caught better than trolled spoons. Chartreuse or white caught well. In the surf, many stripers were slid-in at Sandy Hook and Monmouth Beach. Stripers were banked here and there throughout the stretch south of there. That depended on when bunker pushed into the surf. When bunker moved in, snagging the menhaden and livelining it consistently caught. Pencil poppers and metal-lipped swimmers hooked-up in the surf. Sea bass fishing was good in 60- to 90-foot depths at wrecks and pieces. Blackfishing was good, and the tautog remained close to shore. One is the blackfish bag limit, until the limit is increased to six beginning November 16. But anglers played catch-and-release with the slipperies. Nothing was really heard from Point Pleasant Canal. Offshore fishing was finished for the year, pretty much. Tuna fishing was slow there, but a couple of yellowfin tuna, longfin tuna and some swordfish were picked up on trips.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

The boat limited out on jumbo sea bass to 5 pounds and porgies heavier than 3 pounds at an offshore wreck Saturday with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. The trip made one drop, crushing the catches, and the fishing was even better than wreck-fishing the previous weekend aboard. A trip Sunday snagged and then livelined bunker to catch striped bass and also trolled bluefish on the ocean. A couple of stripers were landed early, and a couple of more were decked later in the day. Many bit, and the fishing was near port. Many bunker schooled, and that should keep the stripers around a while. Should be a great fall, Alan said. Blues were also fought aboard during the day on the troll, and a couple were kept to eat.

A few sea bass and good-sized porgies were picked Saturday on the <b>Norma-K III</b> on the ocean, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the party boat’s website. The angling was tough, or he would’ve liked to have seen more keepers. But angling was much better Sunday aboard. Good-sized sea bass were socked, and some angles limited out or bagged a few less, and all left with dinner. On Friday’s and Saturday’s nighttime trips, fishing was great for 8- to 15-pound blues. Because the catch was so good, bluefishing will sail again 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. this Friday and Saturday. Trips are sea bassing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Surf-fishing might’ve been a slow pick at the moment, but a few quality striped bass were dragged in here and there from the wash, a report said Friday on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>’ website. That was the most recent report at press time, and a few of the bass were bunker-chunked Thursday at Island Beach State Park. A few stripers were angled on swimming plugs at night just north of the park around then. The fishing should break open again. It was outstanding last week on Sunday and Monday, “so let’s not lose faith – that was only a sample of things to come,” it said. The fishing can change in a heartbeat. Go out and make your own report. Fresh bunker and clams and live eels and green crabs were stocked. 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>Barnegat Light</b>

Angling wasn’t so good on the season’s first striped bass trip Saturday on the <b>Super Chic</b>, but was much better on a trip for the fish Sunday aboard, Capt. Ted said. The bass caught were all sizable, from 20 to 30 pounds, and were hooked on livelined bunker in the ocean. Plenty of bunker schooled, and whales swam the 58-degree water. Boat traffic was heavy Saturday and lighter Sunday. Forecasts apparently kept more from fishing Sunday, but seas turned out fine. A trip was weathered out that was supposed to fish for tuna Sunday to today on the boat. Tuna fishing was reportedly poor last week anyway, and the anglers rescheduled to fish for stripers this coming Thursday. The next trips are slated for Thursday through Monday aboard.

Fishing for striped bass improved a little Sunday on the <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, the party boat’s website said. Just over a dozen big were bagged on the ocean on bunker. The vessel began fishing for stripers Friday, and the fishing was slow Friday and Saturday aboard. A 30-pounder was managed Friday. The crew hopes a mass of the fish migrate to the local ocean this week. The run is unpredictable, and kicks in like switching on a light. Trips are fishing for stripers 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Friday through Sunday. A trip will also fish on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 24. Bring 3- to 8-ounce, single-hooked jigs and snagging hooks to snag bunker to liveline for bait.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Striped bass were found south of Barnegat Light on Wednesday on the ocean, a report said that day on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s website, “though we don’t know how far south they’ve come,” it said. The fish were sometimes hooked on bunker snagged and then livelined or trolled on spoons or umbrella rigs. A 38-pounder and a 22-pounder were weighed-in. On Saturday, one angler’s trip trolled the ocean for stripers from Holgate north to past the red tower on Long Beach Island in 25- to 50-foot depths with bunker spoons, the angler wrote in a report posted on the site. Bait and occasional fish were marked, but nothing bit in 3 hours, and a large fleet also fished the water. The angler heard about only one striper caught. Then his trip fished Garden State Reef South, pulling in seven sea bass in 1 ½ hours and a dozen spiny dogfish that were a problem. Another angler’s trip drifted eels for stripers Thursday from the mouth of Mullica River to Bass River, and also cast bucktails with bloodworms and threw popper lures a few times along the banks, that angler wrote on the site. One 12-inch striper was bucktailed on Bass River. “Still a great day on the water with friends, and great weather,” he said.

<b>Brigantine</b>

A 24-1/2-pound striped bass was weighed from Brigantine’s surf Friday at <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>, putting the angler in the lead in the striper division in the shop’s Fall Striper and Bluefish Derby, a report said on the store’s website. The derby is for surf fishing in the town, and the fishing was slow, giving up a striper now and then. Ten-million boats seemed to search the ocean for stripers from Brigantine to Seaside Park this weekend. But the best reports from boaters came from Joe Jr. and Andrew Smith who tied into some big stripers on the back bay on plugs, jigs and live bait. Is the striper migration taking the back route locally? the report asked, probably tongue-in-cheek. The migration of stripers showed up late last year, and this year looks like the same will happen. Stripers were boated on the ocean into the third week in January last year locally. Fresh bunker, fresh clams and eels were in stock. The Brigantine Elks Fall Classic Tournament will take place Friday to Sunday, and all profits will reportedly benefit veterans. Applications are available at Riptide and at the Elks, and are required by Thursday.

<b>Longport</b>

Triggerfish, blowfish, blues, porgies and sea bass, a good catch, was scooped aboard Saturday from the ocean, Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b> said. Wind blew out trips Sunday and today, and open-boat trips are fishing every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The trips will switch to blackfish and striped bass beginning Nov. 16. The blackfish bag limit will be raised to six that day, from the current limit of one. Plenty of room is available for open trips that day and from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, a shorter time than usual, on Thanksgiving, Nov. 24.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

A 45-inch striped bass, probably 38 pounds, was trolled and released on the ocean Saturday on Doug Gillespie’s trips aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. That is the year’s first first-hand report about a striper boated off South Jersey this fall on this website. That was the only striper Joe knew to be caught in the area that day, but lots of bait schooled the water, and gannets worked the water, and the migration will come, he said. On Sunday Kevin McCarty and son’s trip fished the ocean, in terrible conditions or wind and seas, and bay aboard, but fishing was tough, and one small striper was picked up from the bay. Annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys will fish this winter, and see the <a href=" http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page3.html" target="_blank">traveling charters’ page</a> on Jersey Cape’s website. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>. He expected to post a photo of the 45-inch striper soon.

<b>Avalon</b>

The striped bass migration should pick up off South Jersey within the next two weeks, Capt. Jim from <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b> would think, he said. Trips aboard are slated to begin fishing for them during Thanksgiving week, and the angling should be good then. Fins fishes for stripers from the ocean to Delaware Bay, wherever’s best. For now, Fins has been hunting, including bagging a couple of deer in Maryland and a couple of turkeys in Pennsylvania. Waterfowling will hunt in New Jersey beginning later this month. That will include hunting for sea ducks, geese and brant, and many sea-duck trips are booking. People seem to like the sea-duck hunting, but plenty of the other trips also hunt in fall through winter. Anglers can even enjoy a combo of duck hunting and striper fishing in fall during a series of days aboard. Fins offers a variety of outdoor adventures that also include salmon and steelhead hunting on upstate New York’s salmon river and fly-fishing for trout on Pennsylvania’s streams like the Yellow Breeches. The salmon fishing had been phenomenal and was probably finished for the season, or salmon probably spawned out and died. Steelheads and brown trout probably swam the river now. Customers fish the river from Jim’s nearby lodge.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Weather was too windy, and nothing was heard about striped bass boated off the local ocean yet, said Capt. Jim from <b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b>. The trips are booking up for a little later this season aboard, and most of the migration seemed to remain farther north. Smaller, resident stripers could be angled on the back bay, good sport. Sea bass are biting when trips make the run farther from shore. Fins fishes every day, when there’s demand, and reservations aren’t required but suggested. Telephone for availability. 

<b>Cape May</b>

A trip barreled up a bunch of sea bass, not a limit, but a good number 30 miles from shore Sunday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Lots of small also bit, and a dozen bluefish and a big triggerfish also came in. A gazillion fish were reeled up, and seas were somewhat rough, bumpy, sloppy. Probably none of the charter fleet fished Sunday because of seas in stronger wind. Striped bass charters will begin soon aboard.

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