<b>Brooklyn</b>

Fishing for blackfish was turning on, and five anglers yesterday pulled aboard 30 keepers and released a bunch of shorts on the <b>Big M Express</b>, Capt. Steve said. Lots of porgies also bit, but this was the last day of porgy season in New York, and a number of sea bass came up, and a 20-pound striper was hauled over the rail. Bottom fishing trips are sailing daily when no charter is booked, and open striper trips at night will now begin. The Big M Express leaves port from Tamaqua Marina in Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn.  

<b>Staten Island</b>

On the <b>Barbara Anne</b> anglers bagged 50 blackfish to 5 ½ pounds Tuesday and 30 blacks to 8 ½ pounds Wednesday, and blackfishing seemed to be improving, Capt. Anthony said. Fishing for the tog is now the mainstay on the vessel, both on charters and open-boat trips, and open trips are running every Tuesday, guaranteed to leave the dock with a minimum of two passengers.

Blackfishing was going very, very well, said Capt. Darrin from <b>Kayla Rose Charters</b>. Anglers were limiting out on every trip, and Kayla Rose was targeting the blacks on both charters and open-boat outings. Striped bass were also beginning to show up in the area, and open-boat striper trips will now begin to run every Wednesday and Friday, starting tomorrow. If interested in an open trip for either species for either yourself or more than one angler, call Darrin, and he’ll try to arrange the schedule with his other anglers.

<b>Outcast Charters</b> took a trip for blackfish today, and the catch was okay, not great, not bad, Capt. Joe said. Blacks to 6 pounds were bagged, and a handful of good-sized sea bass around 2 ½ pounds were taken. The water was 59 degrees, and seas were a little sloppy at first but settled down by 10 or 11 a.m. Outcast is concentrating on blackfish, one of the boat’s specialties, and striper trips are also offered. Weekends are booked this month and next, but weekdays and evenings are available.

Anglers with <b>Frenzy Fishing Charters</b> walloped 30 blues to 10 pounds and two keeper striped bass on Tuesday near Breezy Point, a great day, Capt. Tommy Verderosa said. Four-inch rubber shads got the bites, and the blues wouldn’t touch top-water lures, even though they were sometimes busting the surface. That’s because they were eating peanut bunker, and Tommy figured out that matching the hatch with the shads was the trick. He even saw trollers who didn’t score. But sometimes none of the fish appeared on the surface, so then the shads were dropped to the bottom and jigged to stick the slammers. The blues were gorged on peanuts and were fat, plump fish. Tommy hadn’t tried bunker chunking for striped bass yet, but striper fishing was improving, and the water on the trip was 58 to 59 degrees, and that was promising for fall fishing. He might start setting up for bass in another week or two, and eventually that will be his focus. At the moment his anglers were more interested in light-tackle action with blues, and previously they were fighting false albacore on the light outfits. Blackfishing was turning on well, and guys from the docks were slamming them, and Frenzy will fish for blacks if anglers want. Open-boat trips are available as well as charters for any of these species, and if one or more anglers are interested, give Tommy a shout, because he’s got other anglers who want to go.

Striped bass fishing was picking up, and lots of blues kept attacking, said Joe from <b>Michael’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Blackfishing was good, and adult bunker finally schooled in Great Kills Harbor, so that was welcome. Weakfish that had been biting near the Verrazano Bridge were gone, and false albacore fishing at Breezy Point was pretty much finished. Staten Island surf fishers mainly fought blues.

<b>Bayonne</b>

Two anglers were aboard for a 6-hour striped bass trip on the East River until noon Tuesday during incoming tide, and there wasn’t a ton of action, but two keepers were bagged off the U.N. Building, and two more were taken at Hell’s Gate, said Capt. Akira from <b>True World Tackle</b> and <b>True World Tackle Charters</b>. A 12-pound 34-incher was the biggest, and the water was 64 degrees, and boaters on the East River were landing stripers, but no big ones yet. But Akira hoped larger ones arrived soon, probably when water temps drop to 51 or 52 degrees. Not many blues were around, but lots were biting previously.

<b>Laurence Harbor</b>

Water temps dropped to the low 60s, good for fall fishing, and lots of small striped bass, a ball on light tackle, schooled the bay, said Capt. Kyle from <b>Evening Tide Charters</b>. Just look for working birds and cast metal, Storm shads or popper lures. Baitfish began to leave the harbors and marinas, and that should be a sign of the impending migration of larger striped bass. Lots of bait filled the bay, and the amount of bait including peanut bunker was incredible this year. When larger striped bass migrate to the area, Evening Tide will concentrate on clamming, jigging and trolling shad rigs for them. Openings are available for the run, and don’t hesitate to call.

<b>Keyport</b>

More striped bass were apparently showing up in the bay than before last week’s storm, and they were somewhat small fish, but some were keepers, said Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>.  Some space remains for striper charters this month, and space is also available on a 6-hour, open-boat trip at 7 a.m. Wednesday, November 14. Open trips are also sailing every day when no charter is booked, and call to reserve the open trips.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Striped bass fishing was pretty good at Flynn’s Knoll on yesterday evening’s trip on the <b>Teal</b> on clams and eels,  and about a dozen keepers were boated, and about half of those weighed 18 to 20 pounds, and the fishing seemed a sign of improvement, Capt. Rich said. Curt Lundy scored two keepers to 21 pounds. The water was about 61 to 62 degrees, depending on the location and depth, so the temp was dropping, and bait was now moving out of the back waters and heading toward the ocean, and all these things pointed toward improving conditions. The Teal is sailing for striped bass on two trips 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Wednesday and every Friday through Sunday.

Fishing for striped bass was alright, Capt. Ron from the <b>Fishermen</b> said, and trips had to bounce around to find the fish from day to day, and the population wasn’t yet the main body of migrators that will arrive from Montauk, but they’ll come. A trip Tuesday fished in one area that produced a good, all-day pick, lots of shorts but also keepers. On Wednesday the boat started fishing the same area, but the bite only lasted a short time, so the boat ran around 1 ½ hours to find better catches, but patrons ended up with a good catch, and bluefish were bagged but so were some nice stripers, and the bass were bigger than in the past and weighed up to 18 pounds. In addition to daily striper trips that leave the dock in the mornings, the boat’s afternoon through evening trips that had been bluefishing from Fridays to Sundays will now target striped bass instead. The Fishermen is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

Bottom fishing was pretty darn good Monday through Wednesday on the <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. Porgy catches were very good, and most of the fish were keepers, and all patrons, even first-timers, were going home with fish. The boat fished at Sandy Hook Reef, sometimes drifting and sometimes anchoring, and both worked well. Sea bass and blackfish were occasionally hooked, and the little sea bass that had been common disappeared since last week’s storm. So the fishing was very good, and it was as simple as that. The Atlantic Star is bottom fishing from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Striped bass fishing was very good in the ocean and bay on clams, peanut bunker, eels and popper lures, and bluefish were everywhere, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Weekends are tough because of boat traffic, but fishing was shaping up to be relatively good this weekend. Surf fishers were also getting into bass and blues, and bottom fishing was producing a mess of croakers.

<b>Highlands</b>

Fishing broke open for <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> in the past days, and anglers onboard eeled striped bass at the channels, and when the bite stopped, they switched to jigging for the fish between the channels, and jigging was incredible, Capt. Derek said. Birds worked everywhere, and the jigging was like would be expected toward Thanksgiving. Blues to 8 and 10 pounds also attacked. A charter Tuesday drifted eels at the channels and limited out on stripers to 18 pounds. Fisher Price did some clamming down the ocean beaches and landed mostly short bass but some keepers. A bottom-fishing trip sailed yesterday and whaled a load of porgies, a few keeper sea bass and lots of blackfish, and a limit of one black per angler was kept, and probably 30 keeper-sized ones to 5 pounds were released. So the tog fishing should be very good when the bag limit increases to eight fish per angler November 15. Fall fishing was turning on, and Fisher Price’s season was in full swing.

<b>Sea Bright</b>

Trips with <b>Two Rivers Charters</b> on Tuesday and Wednesday battled big blues and sometimes striped bass to 18 pounds on eels while drifting the channels, Capt. Fletcher Chayes said. Striped bass fishing seemed to become a little better than before, because previously one or two could be picked up while drifting over a spot, and now a few more could be hooked. On Tuesday Fletcher passed an area of breaking fish in the bay, because he thought they were blues, and his charter had enough of blues. But later a friend asked why Fletcher kept going, because the friend said the fish were acres and acres of striped bass to 30 inches that the friend was catching. The fish were eating peanut bunker, and the action was a good sign. Another sign that the season was changing was that Fletcher was no longer seeing as much bait in the marinas and harbors, so the bait was moving out, and plenty was in open water. Gannets also started appearing lately, an indication that the season was moving along. Fletcher was reading reports that Long Island anglers were slamming striped bass to 30 pounds at Jones Inlet every day. Big blues were also attacking peanut bunker in both the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers. A mix of bass and blues was pushing peanut bunker into the surf yesterday morning. Fletcher heard from friends who were scoring lots of porgies through the week. When the tog bag limit increases to eight fish on November 15 from the current limit of one, Two Rivers will also chase the blackfish.

<b>Long Branch</b>

Surf anglers were starting to reel in striped bass, mostly on swimming plugs, popper lures and pencil poppers, and big blues were running heavily in the suds up and down the coast, including at Long Branch, Monmouth Beach, Sea Bright and Sandy Hook, said John from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b>. John believed the striped bass migration was about to pop any day, and conditions seemed right. Lots of bait including peanut bunker, spearing and maybe some mullet filled the rivers, and everybody was asking whether sand eels were in the ocean, but no sand eels were around. Snapper blues continued to swim the rivers, and a few customers were still crabbing in the rivers and saying they were nabbing the blueclaws.

<b>Neptune</b>

<b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> took one last trip to the canyons from Monday to Tuesday, and the fishing was lousy, and Capt. Ralph said he’s been doing this a long time, and the fishing is finished. He said he wasn’t saying it was entirely over, but the water wasn’t there, and if he had more canyon trips scheduled, he’d cancel them. Two mahi mahi were landed, and two tuna were taken on a nearby boat that also got three or four hits and misses. A Belmar party boat fished the Toms the same night and only scored one small swordfish, and another party boat from Brooklyn fished the same night and took maybe two tuna. A friend fished Wilmington Canyon yesterday and released a small mako shark, caught no tuna and had very good tilefishing. But striped bass fishing was turning on in the ocean, and Last Lady had good catches in the ocean over the weekend, and another trip was headed out for bass today. Ralph hoped to try clamming for them, if conditions were calm enough, and over the weekend his trips jigged and trolled the fish in rough weather.  Individual-reservation striper trips are slated for the next three Sundays, and two openings are left this Sunday, but reservations should be made by tonight, and 10 spots are left for the following trips. Last Lady’s individual-reservation blackfishing trips are filling up and will start November 15, when the bag limit increases to eight fish from the current limit of one. A mid-range wreck-fishing trip is full on November 11, so another was added to the schedule on November 18, and four spots are available.

<b>Belmar</b>

The final tuna trip of the year returned to the dock yesterday on the <b>Nan Sea J</b> after spending the night at Wilmington Canyon, Capt. Tom said. One tuna was landed, and squid, porpoises and whales swam the water, and tuna were marked under the boat in the morning but refused to bite. A blue shark was also landed, and another shark got off, and junk fish hit. Fishing seemed slow for most, but some boaters farther south reported better catches.  The water was cool and 65.5 degrees, and Tom heard about no decent catches farther north at Hudson Canyon, so maybe the water there was also cool. So the Nan Sea J is finished running to the canyons this season, and charters will now sail for striped bass and blackfish.

Surf fishing for striped bass was very good the past week, and a couple of nights were great, and some anglers bailed 20 of the fish, but the action was changing daily, said Tom from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Plugs, clams and worms got the bites, and lots of bait was around. Mostly bass and not many blues swam the beaches. The party boats were into good bottom fishing the past two days, and some patrons limited out on sea bass, and porgies and blackfish were also boated, and anglers will see whether the coming storm would affect the bite. Shark River Inlet was giving up small porgies and sometimes a blackfish, and that was the bulk of the action at the inlet and in the Shark River.

<b>Brielle</b>

The <b>Katie H</b> has been mostly canyon fishing for tuna, but a charter yesterday fished the ocean close to shore and landed a ton of bluefish on the troll and on jigs, Capt. Mike said. No striped bass showed up, and Mike heard that stripers were picked here and there, like at the Shrewsbury Rocks or on the troll at Ambrose Channel. The stripers hadn’t settled in yet or were spread out instead of bunched up, because bait was everywhere and numerous. Charters on the boat will still fish the canyons, though the weather at this time of year is often too rough. But the tuna were still biting, and a boater from the dock bagged them at Spencer Canyon, and friends fished Hudson Canyon and found some, including bluefin tuna. This is the time of year when bluefins usually show up there, and they can be big fish like 250-pounders. The bluefin fishing might also become an option on the Katie H, and those trips can be single-day runs instead of the overnighters that have been common until now, because the bluefins bite during the day. Schoolie bluefins were also still swimming inshore at the Mudhole, and that fishing is an option on the boat and is less of a major trip than sailing to the canyons. Mike knows the numbers where the bluefins were hitting and knows other boaters who were catching them. The Katie H might fish inshore for bluefins this Saturday or Sunday, although the forecast was calling for winds that might prevent decent enough seas to get out.

Sea bass fishing was good on the <b>Paramount</b> on Tuesday with improved weather, and water temps were dropping to normal, and the sea bass fishing was improving to normal, an e-mail from the boat said.  Patrons averaged 5 to 10 keepers apiece, and several bagged numbers in the teens. Cliff Nagel took home 16, and George Tai won the pool with a 3-pounder. The weekly Deep Water Ling Special on Wednesday produced excellent catches, and customers averaged 15 to 20 apiece, and high hooks scored more. Trips on the boat are running 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every day except Wednesdays, targeting sea bass, porgies and occasional blackfish and ling. The Deep Water Ling Specials will take place one more time 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. this coming Wednesday. Afterward those trips will run 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Monday and Friday starting November 12, targeting ling, cod, pollock and other deep dwellers in 100 to 200 feet at the wrecks, rocks and reefs, and the sea bass trips will run the rest of the days at the same times as currently. Call the boat or visit its web site for info.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

All the talk might be about striped bass lately, but bluefin tuna were still gathering around the Monster Ledge. <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> caught the bluefins yesterday on sardines dropped 50 feet down. The tuna swam all around the boat, but they weren’t biting much. The water was 63 degrees and semi clear, and seas were calm before they began to kick up by the end of the trip. Look for photos of the fish to be posted soon. <b>UPDATE:</b> The report on Andrea’s Toy’s web site said a jigging trip ran north in the ocean today, and the end of a bite with working birds was found off Long Branch, but neither trolling nor jigging produced fish. So the anglers headed inshore, found more birds and nailed six striped bass to 29 inches and 20 blues 3 to 5 pounds.

Tuna fishing was decent on the party boat <b>Gambler</b> from Point Pleasant on a trip Tuesday to Wednesday for mostly longfins and a few yellowfins, Capt. Bob said in an e-mail. The fish weighed 40 to 70 pounds, and a swordfish was boated on almost every trip recently. Patrons who were dropping down to the bottom were scoring well with big tilefish this season, the best tilefishing Capt. Bob’s seen since the boat started fishing the canyons. Two good temperature breaks were still out there that should easily get the boat’s offshore trips through the month. Openings remain on almost all the boat’s offshore trips that will now run every Sunday to Monday through November. Bob didn’t mention the rest of the boat’s schedule, but the vessel previously was slated to start striped bass fishing daily this month in the ocean, and it’s probably safe to assume those trips are underway. Striper fishing is particularly one of the boat’s specialties. In December the vessel begins wreck fishing offshore for sea bass and other bottom fish.  

<b>Bricktown</b>

A couple of customers reeled striped bass from the surf on dead low tides on clams, said Ray from <b>Pell’s Fish & Sport</b>. Todd Gansereit claimed two keepers from the suds, and blues from small to big also came from the wash. No boaters reported fishing, but one customer took a walk onto the beach at Mantoloking and saw fish busting the surface from Lyman Street almost to Brick Beach, a long stretch, and only two boats fishing there. Blackfish were hitting in the Point Pleasant Canal, and clams are stocked and will catch them, and green crabs, not stocked, will also do a number. No word was heard about stripers taken from the canal, but lots of mostly short linesiders and a few keepers were active along the Railroad Bridge in the Manasquan River, and try casting wildeye Storm lures or Fin-S Fish. Fishing was picking up somewhat, and Ray hoped the winds that were coming wouldn’t “whack” it, he said.

<b>Toms River</b>

Dave Soltz on the Solty Dog trolled a 16-pound striped bass and four blues to 17 pounds in 60 feet in the ocean around Seaside Park yesterday, saw lots of bait and heard about a few stripers taken in the area, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Surf fishers found scattered blues that weighed up the teens and attacked bait including mullet. Sometimes striped bass but only a few were dragged from the suds at Island Beach State Park, Ortley Beach and Lavallette, and 90 percent were hooked on clams. A few kingfish were also scored in the wash on worms or FishBites artificial bloodworms, and croakers were sometimes bagged in the surf on clams, usually in the evenings. In Barnegat Bay eeling for striped bass along the sod banks near Barnegat Inlet was pretty productive at night. Nick Rocco drilled a 33-pounder that way. Stripers were also clammed in the bay off the mouth of the Power Plant and Cedar Creek. Some weakfish remained in the bay, and so did blues and even fluke. The weakfish anglers had luck around the 40 buoy and Island Heights on sandworms or small peanut bunker. Small stripers could be reeled in from the Toms River, and a couple of anglers reported landing a bunch to 18 inches. Anglers were also plugging stripers in the bay around the Route 37 Bridge.

<b>Seaside</b>

“We got bass!” said the fishing report today on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s web site. The report listed 18 stripers from 7 to 14.9 pounds that were weighed in yesterday from the surf, and all were hooked on Grumpy clams, except one fish that smacked a plug. Most were taken from Island Beach State Park, but that’s also where most anglers happened to fish, and a few of the bass came from Seaside Park, Ortley Beach, Lavallette and Brick Beach. “Not too shabby for the middle of the week,” the report said. Striped bass were dominant in the surf yesterday, and a few blues hit. Most of the bass bit in the early morning and late afternoon into evening. The shop on Tuesday reported that the striper run was finally beginning and that steady weigh-ins over the past few days at that time were like normal. Plenty of fresh clams were in good supply, and a delivery of fresh bunker arrived. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates. 

 Lots of striped got clammed in the surf, and blues were returning to the suds, said the fishing report on <b>Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site. A 25-pound striper was checked in that was the biggest of the fall at the shop, and the size of stripers was much better than last year. Most of the fish this year were keepers, and anglers couldn’t buy a keeper last year. One angler showed off an 11-pound striper that was clammed at Lavallette, and another plugged a 30-incher on the new version of the Smack-It lure, a version that a small company in Pennsylvania is making, a good lure turning out to be a favorite among locals. A fresh supply of bunker arrived at the shop that came from the Cape May area. The surf was 1 to 2 feet, 62 degrees and clean. <a href=" http://www.bettyandnicks.com/fish.shtml" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for the latest.

<b>Waretown</b>

<b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b> anchored and clammed for striped bass along the sod banks of Barnegat Bay yesterday, and three keepers from 29 to 31 inches were pinned down, and fall fishing was starting, Capt. John said. Stripers were now biting in the bay, and anglers began to pick at them when last week’s nor’easter blew through. But these were resident fish, waking up because of conditions like the 58-degree water. Still, it was a start, and Perfect Drift had been waiting to resume charters when stripers turned on, and the boat will now start striper charters. A few migrating stripers were showing up here and there, but the run was in its early stages. John heard about a number of bass trolled on bunker spoons in the ocean, nothing heavy, but a beginning. Striper fishing was definitely kicking off later than usual, probably behind by three weeks, because of the warm fall, but would only get better. Besides clamming for stripers in the bay, anglers were also connecting with eels and spots. Some weakfish were probably also swimming the bay, because the anglers onboard had bites that seemed like the trout. They nibbled at the baits but never ran off with them, and the clams came up chewed. So the weakfish probably couldn’t inhale the larger hooks meant for stripers.

Striped bass fishing was suddenly turning on, and customers were reporting catches that were equally good in the ocean and Barnegat Bay, said Dale from <b>L&H Woods & Water</b>. The Forked River Tuna Club Striper Tournament was taking place, and three anglers weighed in catches for the tournament: Bill Ridgeway checked in a 19-pound striper from the bay yesterday; Mike King registered an 18-pounder from the bay yesterday; and Andrew Dubman entered a 32-pounder that he trolled in the ocean on a bunker spoon Tuesday. Another customer yesterday said he nailed two keeper stripers along the sod banks of the bay and lost a 30-pounder at the boat. Trolling was hooking the bass in the ocean from the Governor’s Mansion to the Seaside Pier, and clamming or livelining spots was tricking the fish in the bay along the sod banks, and eeling at night was also producing along the banks. So the fishing was starting to be pretty good, and blues were also sometimes fought in the ocean, including while anglers were trolling for stripers. Weakfishing in the bay petered out a lot, and the last good catches came from Meyer’s Hole toward the end of last week. Surf fishing seemed sporadic for stripers and blues and apparently was nothing crazy yet. No reports rolled in about offshore fishing, because of the weather and the late season. Charter captains will probably head offshore for tuna another two weeks before calling it a year.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Joe Franke from the Village Harbor Fishing Club got into a solid morning of striped bass fishing today in Barnegat Bay with <b>Reel Fantasea Charters</b>, Capt. Steve said in an e-mail. He went 4 for 7 on stripers on live spots, keeping his limit and playing catch and release with the rest, and he also fought bluefish. The fishing wasn’t what it should be but was improving daily, and the water was about 59 degrees, more like fall temps.

Barnegat Bay anglers hooked lots and lots of striped bass, including behind the Dike, along the sedge and around Barnegat Inlet, said Josh from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. They anchored and clammed or swam live spots, and at night they eeled along the inlet jetties. Sea bass and blackfish also grabbed baits along the jetty rocks. Some weakfish remained at Meyer’s Hole, along the sod banks and around the inlet or at the same places stripers were found, and for the weaks cast spots, Fin-S Fish or Gulps. Surf fishing was alright, and mostly blues to 8 and 10 pounds stormed the local wash today and yesterday, but a number of stripers were dragged onto the beaches at Harvey Cedars and Loveladies. On Monday a few surf casters at Barnegat Light picked up stripers, and Josh himself got a 15-pounder. Surf anglers were dunking fresh bunker or clams. Nobody seemed to fish offshore.

<b>Brighton Beach</b>

Local surf fishing was a little quiet today, said Basil from <b>Oceanside Bait & Tackle</b>, but striped bass were sometimes lifted from the surf on the southern end of Long Beach Island yesterday, and Rob Vallone grabbed a keeper, and Basil thought it weighed in the teens. Bluefishing was spotty in the suds, but sometimes cocktails showed up, and a few bigger ones to 10 or 12 pounds were occasionally drilled. Striped bass fishing was exploding in Barnegat Bay toward the northern end of the island, and live spots were the bait of choice, but clams also worked. Ocean trolling for stripers turned on toward Seaside on bunker spoons. Plenty of blackfish could be caught, but green crabs for bait were unavailable from suppliers.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

It started. Striped bass fishing came to life around the Little Egg Inlet area in the past days, and the farther north anglers fished, the better, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The fishing wasn’t full swing, but customers boated good catches, including at the inlet on clams. Eels, live spots and other baits are stocked, but yesterday’s fishing was best on clams, also carried at the shop. One customer also reported reeling in croakers in the ocean, so that fishing was still happening, and another said he fished the reef and landed scores of sea bass but only one keeper. Larger humpbacks were still scarce. Another angler weighed in a tog that he pulled up from along the banks of the bay, and that fishing was also on. Things seemed hopping at Scott’s, and excitement seemed in the air, and Scott couldn’t talk long, but he said whatever other fishing was mentioned in the last report was probably status quo.

<b>Absecon</b>

Striped bass fishing was coming alive in the back bay, and Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b> ran a charter today in the bay with Tom and Carol Smartch that produced five stripers to Carol’s 14-pounder, all caught on live spots, Dave said. Live spots were the hot item, but clams were also scoring well, and eeling for the fish was pretty good along Absecon Inlet at night. The striper run might be days late, but it was beginning, and Dave thought the northeast blow that was coming would bust it wide open afterward. A few weakfish were grabbed in the bay, but weakfishing thinned out a lot, and too many stripers were around for anglers to worry about a 2-pound weakie. Surf fishing for stripers also came on pretty well at Brigantine and Atlantic City and was good the past couple of days, mostly on clams. The weather wasn’t so favorable for boating the ocean, so Dave heard nothing about striper fishing or any other fishing on boats in the ocean. But next week after the storm will probably be the time to boat for stripers off the beach front. The shop’s annual Do It All Night Striper Tournament takes place next week from noon Friday to noon Saturday. All baits are stocked, including live spots, mullet, peanut bunker and eels. Fresh bunker, surf clams, bloodworms and minnows are also on hand.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Striped bass were absolutely everywhere, said Jack from <b>Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle</b>. He fished Absecon Inlet yesterday and lifted up stripers 31 to 35 inches on eels and spots. Stripers in the ocean were a bit bigger and up to 42 inches, and surf fishers were clamming the linesiders. Even the back bay gave up some on plugs. Enough bluefish were around everyplace to be a nuisance. Kingfishing in the suds mostly fizzled out, but a few weakfish were still showing up for surf casters. Croakers were probably along the ocean front for boaters, but nobody was really paying attention because of all the stripers. Plenty of tog were grabbing baits along the jetties and such structure, and a 10-1/2-pounder was weighed in this week that came from the inlet. The <b>Carly A</b>, the shop’s offshore charter boat, was still running offshore, but the weather kept the vessel docked lately. But tuna were on tap, and the boat is also available for fall sharking as those fish migrate south this season. Practically every bait was stocked, including clams, fresh bunker, eels, spots, green crabs, frozen mullet, mackerel, butterfish, mackerel chum and bunker chum.

<b>Margate</b>

On the <b>Fish N’ Fun</b> anglers hooked a few short striped bass and quite a number of tog in the back bay, Capt. Jay said. The tog limit is one fish per person but jumps to eight on November 15, and the crew is anticipating striper fishing picking up as the season progresses. Patrons are clamming, eeling or doing whatever it take to land the stripers, and eels weren’t doing the trick yet but will later in the season. Green crabs were working well for the tog. The boat is running for stripers and tog on two trips daily from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The vessel was recently re-powered before it started the these trips this season, and it’s running great. Jay’s bigger boat the <b>Jessie O’</b> is available to bottom fish daily, and no trips sailed in the past days, but the word is that sea bassing improved a lot. The bottom trips are also scoring porgies, blues and tog. Both boats are also available for charters. The fleet is now offering a special on Mondays and Wednesdays: Buy one fare and get half off a second fare if you bring a friend. Be sure to sign up for a trip that will compete in Captain Andy’s Marina’s Annual Striper Tournament on November 17. The fare includes the tournament entry fee, a T-shirt, a buffet at Maynard’s Café, and of course a chance to win the prizes for the three heaviest linesiders. Reservations are being accepted for a special Thanksgiving Day open-boat striped bass trip that will take place 6 a.m. to 12 noon, getting anglers home in time for turkey and football.

<b>Longport</b>

Sea bass fishing was getting better and better through the weekend on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, and catches were like they should be at this time of year, Capt. Mike said. No trips left the dock in the past several days, but the vessel is normally sailing on open-boat bottom-fishing trips daily.  Daily tog trips start in two Thursdays, when the bag limit hops up to eight fish from the current limit of one. Stray Cat did great on blackfish last year at South Jersey’s reefs and wrecks that get less pressure than up north. Striper bass open trips will run every Tuesday and Sunday when the fish arrive, and open eeling trips for the linesiders will also take place at the inlets on Friday and Saturday nights. A Cast and Blast Special takes place next Thursday for a combo of bottom fishing and duck hunting. The boat anchors at an inshore piece, decoys are put out and patrons have at it, dunking baits to the bottom for sea bass and blackfish, and shotgunning for sea ducks whenever they appear. The crew retrieves the ducks on a 16-foot boat with a kicker engine that’s brought along. The trips are great and first-class, and patrons hardly know what to do, fish or shoot. Eight passengers is the limit, and more Cast and Blasts will take place afterward, and call if interested. Mike said he could hardly know what to do to make trips better, and if he were an angler, he’d only fish on the Stray Cat. He said that once people try fishing on the boat, they generally keep coming back.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Water temps were “kind of in between,” and the water was very dirty from last week’s storm and winds, and not much was caught, said Dan from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Another gale was coming at the end of this week, but fall fishing should probably start to kick in after about a week and this next weather. Bluefish disappeared, and kingfishing in the surf slowed down, and no real numbers of striped bass were around, including in the back bay. A few anglers were boating striped bass farther south in Delaware Bay at places like the Horseshoe, because the linesiders were migrating from the Delaware River. Tiny, 6-inch weakfish were hitting in the surf at 23rd Street in Ocean City on bloodworms or artificial bloods.  Nothing was heard about offshore fishing because of rough weather in the past week.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

The ocean front was full of bait, and weakfish and croakers bit along the bottom on clams on top-and-bottom rigs, and small blues also swam the beach front, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Bait was so heavy that the fish finder was blacked out from the bottom to 15 feet above at one area. When the striper migration begins, it should be great. Second- and third-hand reports were heard about a few stripers appearing off Brigantine, but no bodies were arriving off Sea Isle City so far. But surf fishers were landing stripers, and try flinging out swimming plugs during the day, black swimmers at night and poppers along the jetties at dawn and dusk. The ocean was 62 degrees Tuesday, and the back bay ranged 59 to 63 degrees. Striped bass in the bay continued to smack popper lures, popper flies and soft plastic lures. Speckled sea trout, a southern fish, usually show up the bay toward late fall, but Joe heard about none yet. 

<b>Wildwood</b>

Seaweed and other debris filled the water from the bay to the surf, keeping anglers from fishing after last week’s storm, said Fred from <b>No Bones Bait & Tackle</b>. There was no word about migrating striped bass showing up or even resident stripers caught in the bay. Nobody even gave any news whether the small fish like kingfish that were filling the back bay were still there. And now another northeast blow was headed to the coast, and the shop postponed its Striped Bass Tournament that was supposed to be held Saturday. Forecasts for Saturday called for 25- to 30-knot winds and gusts to 40, and Friday was supposed to be even worse. The tournament is now slated for the following Saturday, November 10, and the entry fee is $275 per boat for up to six anglers per vessel. First place wins $3,000, and second scores $2,000, and third takes $1,000. Entrants will be treated to a party afterward at the Bayview Inn. Customers were now waiting for migrating stripers to show up, especially in the back bay. Clamming for the bass is the big thing in the area, including on the shop’s rental boats. Anglers chum with clams and dunk the clam bellies down to the bottom. The 17-foot Carolina Skiffs are available clear though December 31, when the season closes. Until the storm small fish like the kings were still biting in the bay, pecking at clam baits meant for resident stripers. Customers were catching the residents when they could get through the pesky small fish. Anglers usually look forward to cool water pushing out the little fish, and those temps usually also trigger the arrival of bigger, migrating stripers. It’s only a matter of time.  

<b>Cape May</b>

<b>Fishin’ Fever Sportfishing</b> had been canyon fishing for tuna from Brigantine this fall but will now turn all attention to Cape May striped bass like it does every year. Stripers were beginning to be pulled up at the Cape May Rips and in Delaware Bay through the week, and the fishing was spotty, and not everybody hooked up, but some did, Capt. Tom said. He heard about some boats at the rips coming back with three or four keepers and some landing none, but most of the fish that were hooked were keepers. He knew about a couple of 25-pounders that came from the rips yesterday. He also heard about boats in both the lower and upper bay sometimes nailing eight or ten stripers and sometimes none. Windy weather was forecast toward the beginning of the weekend, but Fishing’ Fever will probably head out for stripers, either livelining spots at the rips or dunking chunked bunker in the bay. Anglers on the boat at the rips would swim spots instead of eels at this point because croakers were emptying out of Delaware Bay and passing through the rips, and spots will imitate them best.

Fishing was starting to seem pretty good, and boaters were beginning to bunker chunk striped bass in northern Delaware Bay, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. The action always seems to start around Halloween, for some reason. Bluefish swarmed the Cape May Rips, but they should scatter soon, and then look for striper fishing to become red hot there on live spots and eels. But for now fishing the rips with those baits is expensive because of blues ripping them up. A good number of bass, mostly shorts but sometimes keepers, also came from the surf, and most anglers tossed clams, but some threw mullet. Nick was driving along the Townsend’s Inlet Bridge last night to take a look around, and the fishing was on, and anglers were practically running out of their cars to get to the water. A few kingfish were also taken in the Cape May surf, and frozen shedder crabs, live bloodworms or artificial bloods will get the bites. Gulp or FishBites artificial bloods will work, but the Gulps are probably better, because the water is cooling, and FishBites work until about 60 degrees. Tog fishing was also good around the bridges. A storm might be headed to the area, but Cape May offers fishing in nearly any weather, because waters sheltered from different wind directions can be found surrounding Cape May Point. There also seemed to be a chance that the storm would head out to sea instead of assaulting the local area. Baits stocked include bunker, clams in the shell and shucked, live spots, live eels, frozen shedder crabs, Gulp bloodworms and FishBites bloods. Green crabs for tog fishing will be carried soon.

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