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New Jersey Inshore Saltwater Fishing Report 11-30-17

<b>Sewaren</b>

Striped bass fishing was good, actually, said Rich from <b>Dockside Bait & Tackle</b>. Most of the big were eeled in Hudson River. A customer eeled a 38-pounder near the Statue of Liberty in the river and limited out. Smaller stripers were trolled on Raritan Bay at the Triangle on trolled Mojos. Eeling was best on the river, and trolling was best on the bay. Stripers were sometimes heard about that were boated near Sandy Hook. Blackfishing was fairly good for customers. Little was heard about sea bass and porgies anymore. Bait stocked includes eels, green crabs, white leggers, Asian crabs and salted clams. A variety of Mojos and trolling gear is carried. Dockside, located on Smith Creek, a tributary of the Arthur Kill, is accessible from land and water at the fuel dock. The fuel dock is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

<b>Keyport</b>

Every trip limited out on under and bonus stripers and saw the most incredible action with throwbacks on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. The fishing was fantastic, he added.  “This class of short fish that seem to be everywhere bode well for the future of our striped bass fishery,” he wrote. Many trips that were booked for blackfishing aboard are switching to striper fishing. Blackfishing wasn’t good. Whether that’s because the catches will pick up later than usual or the population is scarce is unknown. Other fishing began later than usual this year. Charters are fishing, and open-boat trips for stripers will sail Thursday and Friday, Dec. 7 and 8. Telephone to reserve.

Keeper striped bass, slots and many throwbacks “to keep everybody busy” gave up very good fishing with the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>, Capt. Mario said. Most were hooked on rubber shads and jigs, and open-boat trips are sailing for them daily. On Down Deep’s other boat, blackfishing was tough. The angling began well on the season’s first trip for them recently aboard. But the fishing went downhill from there, he said. The water’s warm and needs to cool. Still, trips are fishing for them daily on that vessel. Charters are available for either fishing for up to 15 passengers.  Sign up for the Short Notice List on <a href="http://downdeepsportfishing.com" target="_blank">Down Deep’s website</a> to be kept informed about special open trips. Both boats feature heated cabins and galleys for convenience.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

After better blackfishing Tuesday on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, catches weren’t as good on Wednesday’s trip, Capt. Tom said. Tuesday’s fishing was covered in an update here that day. Wednesday’s trip bagged a few of the tautog, including a few healthy-sized. One angler bagged five, but that was the exception. Some customers landed no keepers. A few porgies and sea bass were also bagged, though crabs were fished for bait. Porgies and sea bass usually prefer soft baits like clams. The angler with five blackfish hooked all on white crabs. But green crabs also caught for the trip’s anglers. The greens are supplied and the whites are available for sale aboard.  Trips are blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 or 3 p.m. daily.

On the <b>Fishermen</b>, fishing was pretty much the same Wednesday as the past week, a report said on the party boat’s website. Plenty of striped bass were seen along the water surface and were marked, but were tough to catch, for whatever reason. A mix of bluefish that were large, stripers, mackerel and herring were hooked, just not enough of any to call the fishing good. Thousands of gannets hit the water, foraging on baitfish, and anglers would think striper fishing would be lights out then. A 15-pound striper won the pool. Trips are fishing for stripers 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Trolling along the 3-mile line on the ocean might boat striped bass, Johnny O. from <b>Fisherman’s Den North</b> thought, he said. Striper fishing is closed beyond 3 miles from shore on the ocean. If local charters rounded up stripers, maybe that was off Coney Island. But striper fishing didn’t sound so great locally. Boaters reportedly caught them okay farther south in the ocean. Nothing was heard about the catches from Raritan Bay near the store. Schoolie stripers were slid from the surf. That was on metal, he thought. Blackfishing generally sounded slow. Baits stocked included green crabs, fresh bunker and fresh clams. White crabs were sometimes stocked but were difficult to obtain.

<b>***Update, Friday, 12/1:***</b> Lots of throwback striped bass were reeled from the surf and from the ocean on boats, whoever answered the phone for this report said from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The usual folks from the shop who give reports were away, and the person who answered wanted to remain anonymous. A few trips sailed for blackfish and sea bass, and caught, but no limits.

<b>Neptune</b>

Blackfishing was slow, hooking lots of small, too few big, on a trip Sunday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. Striped bass are still around. Ralph just picked up more bonus tags for customers to bag an additional striper. Individual-reservation trips will blackfish Saturday and Tuesday. White and green crabs and all tackle will be included. An individual-reservation trip will fish for stripers Dec. 10. A few spots are left for an individual-reservation trip that will fish wrecks offshore Dec. 9 for cod, pollock, sea bass, porgies and white and red hake. Charters are available for any day not booked.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 12/1:***</b> Looks like stripers will be able to be boated at Christmas on the ocean, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Massive schools swam off southern Monmouth County and Ocean County in 40 to 70 feet of water. Trips quickly limited out on 10- to 20-pounders on the troll and on jigged rubber shads. Boaters also bagged blackfish on the ocean. Surf anglers picked 15- to 25-inch, throwback stripers, rarely a keeper, on Ava 17 or 27 jigs with green or red tails. Daiwa SP Minnows with teasers will also get you a catch. That fishing seemed best north of Asbury Park and south of Manasquan Inlet. Winter flounder, sundials, blackfish and shad held plentiful in inlets and rivers. Get out and enjoy the relatively pleasant weather before the snow flies, Bob said.

With <b>XTC Sportfishing</b>, a trip yesterday limited out on under stripers and released additional on the ocean, Capt. Scott said. Good fishing, on trolled Mojos. A couple of throwbacks were also let go. The next trip is slated for Saturday for the angling.

<b>Celtic Stoirm Charters</b> will next fish Saturday, for striped bass, Capt. Mike said. The bass were boated right off the inlet and a little south this week on the ocean. Weather’s supposed to be beautiful for boating this weekend. Mike hopes some people hauled their boats from the water for the year this time of season to cut back on traffic on the striper grounds!

Excellent striped bass fishing was pounded every day aboard, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. On most days, unders and slots bit. Yesterday’s trip whipped them and an over that was 47 inches. Trips mostly trolled the fish on Mojos or jigged the stripers. Not a lot of bunker were around to catch the bass on livelined bunker. Plenty of stripers remained north that should migrate south to the local area. Pete and crew are excited about that and about the mild weather that could prolong the fishing. Some dates are available for charters, including Dec. 8, 12 and 13. As the season becomes later, trips will blackfish if the angling turns on. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Contact Parker Pete’s about individual spaces with charters who want more anglers. Sign up for the email list on <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a> to be kept informed about the spaces.

Decent striped bass fishing was claimed throughout the weekend on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email said from the party boat. Sometimes three to five per drift were taken. Sometimes a drift caught none. Lots of bunker schooled, with lots of stripers chasing them. Quite a few whales worked the bunker. Monday’s trip was apparently weathered out. On Tuesday’s trip, the fishing was also decent, right off the inlet and south of the inlet. Wednesday’s trip lit into great bluefishing. A handful of stripers were also laid up. Today’s trip picked a few stripers on a few drifts, and that slowed in the afternoon. Plenty of fish were read but didn’t bite so well. The boat is fishing for stripers 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily

No trip fished Monday on the <b>Golden Eagle</b> because of weather, a report said on the party boat’s website. On Tuesday’s trip, decent striped bass fishing was scored. Several anglers bagged “their keeper plus their bonus fish,” it said, and others landed none. Mostly rubber shads caught, and lots of stripers were around, but failed to bite well. Still, the fishing was much better than during the weekend.  On Wednesday’s trip, striper fishing was tough, though lots were marked, and stripers were seen. A small handful including a 41-incher were bagged. Today, stripers bit early, before the boat arrived at the grounds. On arrival, the bite was pretty much finished. Trolling boaters caught, “but the fish really didn’t want the jigs,” the report said. A couple of stripers were managed on the Golden Eagle on the outing. Check forecasts before traveling to tomorrow’s trip, and if weather looks too windy, you might want to choose another day, it said. Trips are fishing for stripers and blues 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

A few keeper blackfish and throwbacks were thrown aboard the <b>Norma-K III</b> from the ocean today and the past few days, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the party boat’s website. The fishing was mostly slow. “Good news is that the current finally changed today and is now going down the beach which should get these fish in the mood to chew down here,” he wrote. He thinks the angling will improve over the weekend. On today’s trip, Skip Reese limited out and won the pool with a blackfish heavier than 8 pounds.  Also on the trip, most keepers were hooked on white crabs, and green crabs iced a few. Both are carried aboard. Weather was great the past few days. The ocean was “nice,” and the air temperature couldn’t be beaten, he wrote. Weather’s looking great for the weekend, and hopefully trips can get blackfish chewing like they should be, he said. Trips are blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Capt. John will pull the <b>Tin Knocker</b> and wrap up his fishing season, he said. He thanks all who fished aboard this season, and wishes everybody Happy Holidays.

<b>Toms River</b>

Sand eels became reported from the surf often, said Virginia from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. So striped bass, up to just-keeper-sized or maybe a little larger, 30 inches, were hooked from the beach on slender metal like Deadly Dicks, Jetty Ghost sand eels and Hopkins with a teaser. Needlefish plugs could also work, fished very slowly. Daiwa SP Minnows caught in early mornings. Fishing with bait for the fish was a little sporadic, but bunker chunks or salted clams were fished. Fresh clams were scarce all season. Squirrel hake and smooth dogfish also bit in the surf. Virginia would think that meant the water was warm, because spiny dogs usually show up in colder water. Boaters scored stripers alright 1 to 2 miles from shore on trolled bunker spoons and Mojos. In Barnegat Bay, schoolie stripers were around, swiping small popper lures or swim shads. Winter flounder were reeled from the northern bay near Mantoloking and from Manasquan River. Anglers blackfishing in Point Pleasant Canal also hooked flounder. The canal connects the northern bay and the river. One angler was known to catch flounder in the bay farther south, toward Barnegat Inlet, the past couple of weeks. Bloodworms, a bait for flounder, began to be stocked two days ago at the store. Nobody was heard about who tried for flounder on the Toms River, but maybe anglers will, now that the worms are carried. Flounder could be swimming the river, considering that they swam Manasquan River and the bay. 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 striped bass in the low to mid 20 inches were beaned from the surf early in morning the past couple of days, a report said Tuesday on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>’ website. Small jigs like Ava’s with teasers retrieved slowly were the ticket, because the fish fed on small bait. Small swimming lures with teasers also caught lately. Boaters trolled better-sized stripers, sometimes good catches, on the ocean on bunker spoons and Mojos. That was a matter of right place, right time. Two of the crew from the store trolled two stripers 15 to 20 pounds. A rep from Tony Maja’s Products limited out on the company’s spoons on a trip. The shop’s been reporting about him limiting in past weeks on the spoons, covered in previous reports here. The shop’s Christmas sales is underway, featuring 15 percent off everything in stock, except items already on sale. Buy a gift card and get 20 percent added to the card. The cards are good for the store’s products or services. 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, boat rentals and, in season, jet-ski rentals.

<b>Forked River</b>

Customers trolled striped bass on the ocean from Seaside to the south on MagicTail Mojos, said Mike from <b>Grizz’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The migration reached entirely south in New Jersey in past days. Talk on the radio sounded like boaters locally were spread out everywhere, here and there, fishing for them. One customer bought green crabs for blackfishing and then reported whacking this 13-pounder on the ocean on the bait. Mike thought the trip landed a few keepers, but didn’t speak long with the angler. Nobody was known about who fished Barnegat Bay. Anglers fought schoolie stripers and bluefish on Oyster Creek, the warm-water discharge from Forked River power plant. In addition to green crabs, baits stocked included fresh clams, fresh bunker, eels and killies.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

The <b>Super Chic</b> will next fish this weekend, Capt. Ted. The anglers are supposed to blackfish, and Ted knew a couple of people whose trips trolled good catches of striped bass on the ocean Monday. The trolling remained good, “as far as I know,” he said. Ted knew about nobody who tried livelining bunker, jigging or casting lures to the fish in past days.

Catches of striped bass were slim pickings yesterday on the ocean, said George from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. But the fish, lots, were bailed during the weekend on the troll. Many were seen at the shop then, but not a lot were since. Nothing was heard about today’s results, because the trips were still fishing when George gave this report today. Most stripers seemed to be schooling to the north, like toward the Seaside Heights Ferris wheel. Blackfish are still snapping along Barnegat Inlet’s rocks. Those were seen during the weekend at the store, too, and customers fish the inlet on foot. No catches of any fish were reported from Barnegat Bay. Live spots, green crabs, fresh bunker and salted clams are stocked. Bobbie’s features a complete bait and tackle shop, a fuel dock and, in season, boat and kayak rentals. The boats are used for fishing, crabbing, clamming and pleasure.

<b>Barnegat</b>

<b>***Update, Saturday, 12/2:***</b> An email from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “The striper bite is red hot on everything from 10- to 30-pound fish. Trolling white Mojos and white Maja bunker spoons. The last few days we haven’t run far from Barnegat Inlet to catch them. I had a customer who just cancelled Sunday and Monday, so now both those days are available for open-boat or charter. Perfect forecast and a hot striper bite. Four people max, all fish are shared. It would be best to call me instead of text or email because I’m on the water.”

<b>Absecon</b>

The store’s owner, Capt. Dave’s, charters have been consistently wrestling striped bass from the back bay, said Curt from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Not great, but catching every trip. Some days fish better than others. The fish can become more “temperamental” this time of year, when water’s becoming colder. He scheduled his trip yesterday for a specific tide, when warmer water from the ocean would be coming in. But the fish also just seem temperamental when the waters becoming colder like now, as if they stop feeding during time periods because they’re digesting what they ate. Dave fishes with live spots and eels and Gulp Nemesis. Anglers might be able to fish other things, but that’s what Dave prefers. He’ll even fish the spots in the ocean. For stripers in the ocean, anglers want to look for baitfish or whales foraging on the bait, breaking the water surface. But they can also fish marks when not much bait seems around. Sometimes those stripers are more willing to bite, even if only a few are marked. They look like a few upside-down curves or upside down bananas. The boaters can also fish bottom contours or changes in depth. The fish seemed to gather in 25 to 40 feet of water 1 ½ miles from shore or so. Blackfishing seemed good in back waters, like along jetties and bridges, and the ocean. They seemed pretty much everywhere, and anglers seemed to be giving more attention to the tautog in the back waters lately, because stripers in those waters could be temperamental. Blackfish bit better there on some days than others. Still, not bad, Curt said. Two anglers limited out on them at a bridge on one trip and struggled a little the next day. Fishing for sea bass and blackfish was good in the ocean in 80 to 100 feet of water. If trips fished closer to shore with crabs, they’d attract blackfish. Soft baits like clams that are fished for sea bass could attract too many dogfish there. The population of dogs was building during this time of season. Curt didn’t hear much about Mullica River. Surely resident stripers could be angled there, even if maybe none was sizable and the fish weren’t numerous. Curt, a white perch angler, didn’t hear a lot about the perch from the river, but has the feeling they’d be found best west of the Parkway Bridge. Live spots and eels are stocked. Fresh bunker are usually carried, and sometimes fresh clams are. Green crabs are on hand. 

<b>Mystic Island</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 12/1:***</b> On the ocean, striped bass were boated from Brant Beach to Brigantine, a source said from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The usual crew who give reports from the store were at the warehouse, couldn’t be reached after some phone calls. That’s all the source could report about recent fishing, except sporty seas on the ocean often prevented trips for the stripers, he said. He took a couple of waves over the bow on his way to the angling on a trip, and turned back.  

<b>Brigantine</b>

The ocean’s striped bass fishing lit up, exploded Friday for the first time this season, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. A charter captain began reporting the catches to him that day, after slower fishing in the morning, and then others began reporting them to Andy. The day was epic. The fish 30 and 40 pounds were weighed-in all weekend from different boaters. The fishing afterward became slower a while, but kicked back in today. The fish during all these days schooled right off Brigantine, and all seemed to be trolled. None hooked on livelined bunker was reported. Jeff Becker’s 48-pound striper was the biggest seen from the fishing at the store. The fish included a 28-pounder that a 9-year-old girl landed on her dad’s boat. Giancarlo Martinez, who’s in the Navy and was on break from the U.S.S. Whidbey Island, drilled a 30-pound 42-incher. Debbie Sciullo checked-in a 30-pounder that was her biggest ever. Eeling for stripers was good on the back bay. From Brigantine’s surf, a 26-inch striper and a 25-incher were beached the other day. Someone today telephoned and said they had a 15-second runoff, apparently from a striper, in the surf that dropped the bait.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Epic striped bass fishing on the ocean, said Capt. Tom Daffin from <b>Fishin’ Fever Sportfishing</b>. A mess of unders and a few overs were tackled the last couple of days. The trips caught on trolled Mojos, Stretch lures and X-Rap plugs and cast Storm Shads, bucktails and pencil poppers. Fishing celebrity <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/george.poveromo/posts/1952448284772866" target="_blank"><b><i>George Poveromo filmed the fishing</i></b></a> for his television show yesterday with Tom. An off-the-charts bite off Atlantic City, George wrote on his Facebook page. The trip’s stripers were trolled and jigged, “(and) we lost count of how many were released. And a beautiful Atlantic City sunset as well,” George wrote. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing. Fishin’ Fever recently relocated the boat to Atlantic City for striper fishing. The vessel will be returned to Cape May, home port, on Dec. 15 to focus on blackfishing.

Customers are slamming fish, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Fishing’s definitely on, he said. Blackfish were smoked from Absecon Inlet, and the shop’s free AC Tog Master Tournament will end today. An 8.7-pounder was in the lead, and the tournament, for the slipperies angled in Atlantic City, began on Nov. 16, when the bag limit was increased to six of the tautog, from the previous limit of one. Prizes are $100 for the heaviest, and $50 apiece for the second and third heaviest. Fish green crabs for the tog, and customers fish the nearby, jetty-lined inlet on foot. Big stripers were boated on the ocean off Atlantic City. Customers fishing on foot pulled in smaller stripers, but sometimes keepers, from the surf to the inlet to the nearby back bay, on fresh clams, fresh bunker, eels and plugs. They nabbed ling toward the back of the inlet on clams or bunker. All the baits mentioned and more, the full supply, are stocked.

<b>Longport</b>

We’re blackfishing, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>. Catches, on the ocean, were pretty good. Lots of bites. Not a lot of big hit on yesterday’s trip, but action was good. The trip tried striped bass fishing on the ocean, “but they eluded us,” he said. “We had them (the previous day) … .” A few bunker, not many, are swimming the water. He hopes stripers pop up today. Trips are sold out today through Sunday. Spaces are available for open-boat trips Tuesday through Friday. The boat is chartered that Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 9 and 10. Blackfish trips have been fishing single-hooked rigs with 5 ounces of weight. The tautog are biting green crabs, and one of the local tackle shops is stocking white crabs. If anglers want to pick some up, Mike can tell them where.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Tons of striped bass still schooled the back bay, said Justin from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. They ranged from “micro” schoolies to the mid-30-inches, and were often hooked at night on soft-plastic and other lures. During daytime, they were waxed on bait including chunks of bunker. Stripers were eeled along bridges. Good catches of large stripers were barreled up from the ocean this week. The fishing was inconsistent, and most seemed boated in early mornings and evenings. But Justin saw 50-pounders. Many of the ocean stripers were trolled on Mojos, but Justin heard about many hooked on bunker snagged and then livelined for bait. That’s because lots of bunker schooled. Whales seen among them were “hit or miss,” he said. No bluefish were heard about that can be mixed with stripers in the ocean this season. Corson’s Inlet’s striper fishing fired up a little this past week, mostly on soft-plastic lures, both during daytime and at night. Lots of 24- to 27-inchers were reported. A few 29- and 30-inchers were clocked on bait at Corson’s. Striper fishing was good at Great Egg Harbor Inlet on eels and bunker when the dredge wasn’t on and dirtying the water. Surf fishing for stripers was a pick, more so on the south end, because of the dredging on the north end. Blackfish still bit along piers and bridges. Somewhat fewer than before, but still there. Lots of blackfish, good numbers and good-sized, were on a tear at ocean wrecks and reefs. Little was heard about sea bass, probably because anglers switched to blackfish.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Striped bass popped up in the ocean off Sea Isle City this week, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. So that was good that they were so close, and his trips over the weekend boated the bass toward Atlantic City, farther north. That was covered in the last report here. Trips aboard will get after stripers again this weekend. Looking ahead, annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys will fish from Christmas to New Year’s. See the <a href=" http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page3.html" target="_blank">traveling charters webpage</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>.

Ocean striped bass fishing really kicked in this week, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The fishing was good every day, mostly on trolled Mojos, bunker spoons and umbrella rigs. But sometimes the fish foraged on baitfish along the water surface, like in evenings, and could be smashed on cast lures like 7-inch, white Fin-S Fish or big rubber shads. Bluefish were heard to be caught farther north during striper fishing but not locally. From the surf, Mike saw no keeper stripers, but a few smaller were dragged in, and those catches definitely seemed to be increasing. So that’s good, he said. Small stripers were still angled along bridges at night like before, on eels or soft-plastics like Fin-S or Bass Assassins. Not a lot was heard about boating for stripers on the bay with livelined spots or eels that was popular recently. But boaters all seemed headed for the ocean for stripers. Blackfishing slowed in back waters like along bridges, but seemed to improve on the ocean. The local party boat was running for them, and sometimes sea bass or stripers. Lives spots, eels and green crabs are stocked. Fresh bunker are in supply when available.

<b>Cape May</b>

Trips from Cape May are boating some striped bass on the ocean, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. He’ll fish for them next this weekend. The fish were trolled on Mojos, and the angling wasn’t on fire like farther north in the state. Trips had to be at the right place at the right time. On one day the fish were found off Atlantic City, on another off Sea Isle City, and so on. Nothing consistent. But catching.

Some good-sized blackfish were copped yesterday on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. The fishing hasn’t been great, but a few of the tautog are biting. Greg Davis from Bowling Green, Ky., bagged four of the fish to 6 pounds on yesterday’s trip. Anglers might hear about a couple of people limiting out on blackfish on a smaller boat, but nobody did on the Porgy IV yet this season. On the previous day’s trip, on Tuesday, not a lot of keepers, mostly throwbacks, chomped. Paul couldn’t know whether blackfishing will improve, but it probably will, when the ocean becomes colder. The water was in the 50 degrees currently. If anglers want to limit, they better wait. But if they just want to blackfish, the boat is going. Trips are blackfishing at 8 a.m. daily.

“Sounds like they’re here!” said Nick from <b>Hand Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Striped bass were boated near Cape May on the ocean. They were reportedly trolled off Stone Harbor and Wildwood on Mojos the past couple of days. Were any caught at the Cape May Rips and Delaware Bay? A couple were eeled at the rips, he said. Middle Shoal fished alright for them at the beginning of incoming tides at the rips. He did hear about a couple of 36- and 30-inch stripers boated from Delaware Bay on bunker chunks. Lots of dogfish had to be dealt with in the bay. Surf fishing was slow. Sometimes a throwback striper was banked from the surf on lures. Surf casters who fished bait got covered up by dogfish. Stripers were still angled in the back bay like before. A couple of kids pasted a couple of keepers along bridges. Plastics like swim shads are fished there. A few blackfish seemed caught along jetties. Blackfishing was good at Wildwood and Cape May reefs and other pieces in the ocean. The fishing was a pick but steady at least, he said. Closer to shore seemed to fish better for them than farther off. Sea bass seemed mostly boated farther from shore. Nick knew anglers who tried for them at Reef 11 but got covered up by dogfish. But farther out, numbers of sea bass were piled up. Eels and green crabs are stocked, and fresh bunker should arrive this afternoon.  

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