<b>Brooklyn</b>

A charter tried for striped bass and blues on the <b>Big M Express</b> on Tuesday, but the fishing was tough, the report on the boat’s web site said. The anglers fished at the clam beds for stripers with no luck, and a few blues were picked at the Shrewsbury Rocks and the Mud Buoy. Open-boat, evening trips are now sailing for weakfish and stripers, and open trips during the day are running for sea bass. Open blackfishing trips will kick off October 1, when New York’s blackfishing season opens. The Big M Express fishes from Tamaqua Marina in Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn.

<b>Staten Island</b>

Sea bass fishing was good for a couple of anglers on an open-boat trip with <b>Barbara Anne Charters</b> yesterday, and they also bagged 15 porgies to 2 pounds and released out-of-season blackfish, Capt. Anthony said. Sea bassing will be the focus on trips for now, and blackfishing will become the main target October 1, when New York’s blackfishing season opens. But sea bass fishing will remain available for those who request a trip. Charters will be available for twilight striped bass trips when striper fishing picks up. Weakfish were currently around, but not enough to drum up a charter for. Open-boat trips are sailing every Tuesday.

A sea bass trip yesterday with <b>Outcast Charters</b> picked up fish from each piece and ended up with a good catch of the lumpheads to 2 ¾ pounds, Capt. Joe said. Lots of the keepers were good-sized. Joe and brother Rob, who also runs the boat, were taking a crew trip for tuna offshore today. Outcast will start mixing in blackfishing on bottom-fishing trips October 1, when New York’s blackfish season opens. If enough blackfish turn on by then, charters will concentrate on blacks, and otherwise they’ll do combo sea bass/blackfish trips. Charters will also fish for striped bass when the fall migration begins, and fall bottom fishing charters usually always at least hit the beach front on the way home and tangle with stripers if any schools or working birds are seen.

An open-boat weakfishing trip will leave the dock Friday with <b>Kayla Rose Charters</b>, and weakfishing was hot or cold, and if anglers found a school, they slammed the fish, but finding a school wasn’t easy, Capt. Darrin said. An open-boat trip Saturday will chase sea bass, and anglers on the boat have been scoring well on sea bass and porgies. Trips on the boat are also offshore fishing for tuna on both charters and open-boat trips, and call Darrin to get added to the list for the open trips. Blackfishing will begin with Kayla Rose on October 1, when New York’s season opens.

<b>Frenzy Fishing Charters</b> ran a few trips this past week, Capt. Tommy Verderosa said. A charter Tuesday evening set up for weakfishing, because Tommy heard about good numbers caught at a certain place, but only one 26-incher bit that night. A small bluefish and some sea bass were hooked, and so were 50 sand sharks. No big blues were around, but Tommy knew where to find big blues during the day. Another charter that included a 13-year-old who never fished before fought big blues including a couple of triple headers on rubber shads on leadheads, and birds worked the water. Another trip produced 10 schoolie stripers on shads, a 26-1/2-inch fluke on a shad and a couple of big blues on bait. Now’s a good time to score an inshore slam, or a catch of blues, stripers and weaks. That’s one fish short of a grand slam that would include a fluke, but fluke season is closed. So if you’d like to attempt a slam, it’s a good time to take a trip. Tommy also fishes for false albacore on light tackle and fly rods, but he saw no albies so far this year. They would normally arrive by now, but albies were also scarce last year, though the previous year produced lots. Tommy did see bonitos at some point this season.

Peanut bunker were filling the water anywhere from the Verrazano Bridge to Tottenville, and 2- to 10-pound bluefish were slashing through them, especially in the mornings and evenings, said Charlie from <b>Michael’s Bait & Tackle</b>. He’s been weakfishing along Reach Channel, and he and customers were doing a number on the fish, especially from 7 a.m. to 12 noon, and around ebb tides was also good. He nailed an 8-pounder and a 6-pounder in the last couple of days, but most of the weaks were 3 or 4 pounds. The crowds of party boats, charter boats and private boats was the only problem. Sea bass fishing was good at the reefs and at angler’s favorite pieces besides the reefs. Sand porgies were reeled in from the bay, and bigger porgies were taken from the ocean. Customers seemed to catch plenty of tuna on overnight trips at Hudson Canyon. Last but not least, crabbing was good.

<b>Bayonne</b>

A charter fished for weakfish Sunday with Capt. Akira from <b>True World Tackle</b> and <b>True World Tackle Charters</b>, Akira said. They started fishing at the Verrazano Bridge, because winds were strong, but nothing bit. They moved to Reach Channel, and nothing hit at buoy 19 at the channel, and lots of boaters fished there, but then the charter fished buoys 20,  25, 26 and 28 and ended up with nine good-sized weakfish to 5 pounds, and most were larger than 20 inches, and sandworms were the bait. Another trip Monday produced slower weakfishing but five of the fish, and a friend that day landed 12. A customer who fished Sunday only bagged one weakie. So not that many weakfish were biting yet, and some anglers caught them, and some found none, but the fishing was starting to be good.

<b>Laurence Harbor</b>

Weakfishing was pretty steady along Reach Channel, and short striped bass were occasionally mixed in, said Capt. Kyle from <b>Evening Tide Charters</b>. Worms seemed the best bait, and Kyle tried livelining small peanut bunker, but worms worked better. Squid soaked in shedder oil also drew bites, but worms were best. Anglers onboard were sometimes tipping the worms with Berkeley Power Baits with success. Most of the trout seemed to be 12 to 28 inches, good-sized ones, and the stripers were 20 to 26 inches. The weakfish were a blast to catch on light, 10-pound tackle, and Kyle hoped the fishing would last. Openings are available for charters, and get in on the fishing quickly, before it’s finished.

<b>Keyport</b>

Weakfishing in the bay was tough yesterday with Joe Michak’s party on the <b>Lucky Carm</b>, and only very small ones were hooked, Capt. Carmine said. Lots of out-of-season fluke to 24 inches bit, and so did a few sea bass and a few sea robins, so fishing was difficult and seemed to shut down for everyone. Weakfishing was also slow the previous day or Tuesday with Dianne Nife’s charter, and some 18- or 19-inch weaks were hooked, but it wasn’t good. Then the charter caught blues and porgies, and a blue that Barbara Anne Hart boated was the biggest fish. Capt. Carmine will give weakfishing another shot this weekend, but if it’s not happening, he’ll switch to striped bass and bottom fishing. 

Weakfishing refused to turn on in the back of the bay yesterday for <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> with the Curtiss Sims group, Capt. Joe said. Bunker strips and worms were the baits, and fish were marked on the bottom, but they had lockjaw. The boat was also in an area where blues normally pop up, but no pods of blues appeared, and no birds worked the water. Lots of bait filled the bay these days, and Joe was down at the dock this morning, and lots of bait swam behind the boat. That’s got to be a good sign for fall fishing, but the water needs to cool before striped bass and blues start to migrate, and the season’s a little early. Papa’s Angels is available for open-boat trips or charters this Saturday and Sunday. Open trips are also sailing every day when no charter is booked, and all the open trips run 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., and call to reserve and for prices and info.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The <b>Fishermen’s</b> been sailing for striped bass and blues since fluke season closed earlier than usual, and striper fishing was surprisingly good yesterday, Capt. Ron said. The bite took a while to get going, and the boat bounced around from place to place at first, and one or two linesiders were landed here and there, but when the tide became right, the fish bit like crazy. The 15 anglers onboard ended up limiting out, and none of the stripers was big, and the keepers were only within an inch or so over the size limit, but they were keepers and plentiful, so Ron was satisfied. He was surprised at the good fishing for this time of year, and striper season’s got a long time left this year, and it’ll only get better. If anglers read the reports and see that the fishing’s happening, maybe it’ll spark interest, Ron said. Most trips were producing 12 to 15 keepers a day, and there’s a bonus if the fishing is gangbusters every couple of days or so. The fish were resident stripers and not migratory ones, and they were found at different snags and other structure, so again, the season’s got a long ways to go, considering the migration hadn’t even begun. Patrons yesterday clammed the fish, and toward the end of incoming tide seemed best, and the anglers did no jigging for the bass. There was also no need to go jigging for blues, because striper fishing was good, but a few blues were landed. If days take place when striper fishing is slower, the boat can switch to jigging for blues, and eventually stripers should also start being jigged more than clammed, especially when the migrators show up, and big schools are chasing baitfish. The boat is also bluefishing on afternoon to evening trips Fridays through Sundays, and that bluefishing’s been excellent. A few bonito even showed up last weekend, when the water was clear, but the number of bonito these days isn’t big like past years. The Fishermen is fishing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Afternoon bluefishing trips are running 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

Catches of weakfish were good along Reach Channel during the week, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Weaks also swam the rivers, and so did blues and stripers, and the stripers could be hooked after dark along the bridges on peanut bunker or rubber shads. Surf casters sometimes scored stripers, but that action was a little slow. Loads of blues sometimes invaded the surf, and plenty were chummed at the Mud Buoy. Bottom fishing for sea bass and porgies was excellent.

Weakfishing was sort of sporadic most of the week, and usually the fish had to be found, and then five or six, or eight or nine, might get boated, and then another body of the trout would have to be located, said Capt. Tom from the <b>Atlantic Star</b>. Still, sometimes fish would be marked but wouldn’t bite. The fish that were caught were good-sized, but yesterday’s weakfishing was poor and very tough, and nobody can know why. The boat yesterday fished up and down Reach Channel, all the way to the back of the bay, and it fished the Reach throughout the week. On Monday a handful or more would be hooked at a spot, and then Tom would go looking for more marks, and then more would be landed. Tuesday morning’s trip was a little better, and some patrons bagged four weaks, and some bagged three, and others fewer. Tuesday afternoon wasn’t as good, but weaks were reeled in. Then the bottom dropped out yesterday, probably the worst fishing in 1 ½ weeks. But Tom hoped it would bounce back, and he’ll stick with weakfishing for now.  The Atlantic Star is fishing for weakfish on two trips daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

<b>Highlands</b>

Weakfishing was very good the past couple of days in the back of the bay and Reach Channel toward the back, said Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>. His anglers were drifting sandworms for the 3- to 6-pound fish, good-sized ones. The back of the bay was 72 degrees, holding steady and not really cooling. Anglers with Fisher Price were also starting to pick up striped bass at the Sandy Hook Rips on sandworms but only early in the mornings, and the fish would shut off after sunup. Trips were also running into bluefish, and out-of-season fluke, and nice-sized ones, were grabbing baits. After weakfishing slows down, charters will bottom fish for sea bass and porgies. Striped bass will be next up to bat, when the migration turns on, and blackfishing will begin November 15, when the bag limit increases to eight from the current limit of one.

<b>Long Branch</b>

Joe Frankshun checked in a 22-pound striped bass that he drilled in the surf, and stripers were starting to reappear in the surf after windy weather, said John from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Clams would fool them best, and blues were storming the surf on occasion at any time of day. Snapper blues were going crazy in the Shrewsbury River, and crabbing was good in the river.

<b>Neptune</b>

An individual-reservation sea bass trip was fair yesterday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. Too much pressure was being put in the fish, but the fair catch was encouraging. “Were seas rough?” Ralph was asked. “Not too rough for me,” he said. Individual-reservation striper trips will be scheduled when the striper migration takes off, and individual-reservation, mid-range bottom-fishing/sea bassing trips will be slated at some point. Last Lady is also bluefishing and canyon tuna fishing, but neither of those trips sailed since the last report.

<b>Belmar</b>

Weakfishing was good in Shark River, and anglers were saying the fish were paving the bottom, and that’s surprising, because the weaks were a no-show in past years, but it’s exciting news, said Mike from <b>Fishermen’s Den</b>. Lots of the fish were apparently small, but a 7-1/2-pounder was landed. Porgies also bit in the river, and as always, the shop’s rental boats are locked and loaded for fishing the river. Striped bass fishing was picking up more and more in the surf, and the fish hit mullet, eels, sandworms and clams, and mullet were beginning to appear in the suds. Blues also hit the surf, and even the party boats were targeting blues near the beaches during the day, when patrons jigged the fish. They fished bait for blues farther from shore at night on the boats. Sea bassing was good on the party boats, and decent catches of tog were already being caught along the rocks, though the bag limit is one tog per person until increasing to eight later this year. Tuna fishing was good on the boats.

On the <b>Big Mohawk</b> bottom fishing for sea bass, porgies and such fish was decent, not bad, at the reefs, rock piles and a few wrecks, Capt. Chris said. Some good-sized ones were mixed in, and the fishing was just getting started and will only get better and better. Trips on the boat will go right after blackfish when the bag limit increases to eight of the tog on November 15 from the current limit of one, and blackfish were already sometimes caught on the vessel. The Big Mohawk is bottom fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day.

The <b>Bandit</b> ran no trips since an open-boat, overnight tuna trip Sunday to Monday that was talked about in the last report, but that fishing was good, and the next open-boat tuna trip sails this coming Monday to Tuesday, and space is available, Capt. Scotty said. The boat was running far to the south or to Wilmington Canyon on the trips, but loads of fish were there. A charter was bluefishing today, and Scotty expected the catch to be good. A few sea bass trips were also leaving the dock.

<b>Brielle</b>

A canyon trip for tuna was good Sunday night on the <b>Jamaica</b>, an e-mail from the boat said. Action was spread throughout the night, but 4 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. was best. A mix of yellowfin tuna to 75 pounds and lonfin tuna to 60 pounds were bagged on bait and jigs. After sunrise the boat fished a few lobster pots, where patrons fought mahi mahi to 16 pounds. Judson Dahl was high hook with two yellowfins and two lonfins. Darryl Warner, an avid wreck fisherman, tried his hand at tuna fishing and bagged a 70-pound yellowfin and a nice-sized mahi mahi. Tuna trips were also pretty good last week except Thursday night, when the bite never turned on, but there was good mahi fishing during the day. A bluefishing trips was excellent Saturday night, and all the anglers limited out on 6- to 14-pounders. The Paramount is now running the Saturday night bluefishing trips while the Jamaica is fishing the canyons on those evenings. The Jamaica is also running other bluefishing trips during weekends, and check bigjamaica.com or call the boat for info. The 110-foot <b>Atlantis</b> is available for day and night charters for groups from 18 to 120 for any species available inshore or offshore. <b>Bogan’s Boating School</b> is offering the boating safety course required by law in New Jersey, and private classes at your own location with a minimum of eight students and also the test-out option are available. Visit njboatchool.com for schedules and info.

Sea bass and porgies are in! an e-mail from the <b>Paramount</b> said. One of the captains was on the water this morning and called the crew on land and said sea bass and porgy fishing had swung into full gear. By 10 a.m. a number of patrons were already well on their way to limiting out on sea bass, and porgies were mixed in. It looked like the fall bite had begun, the e-mail said. The crew was looking forward to mixed-bag catches of sea bass and porgies on trips from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. that sail every day but Wednesdays. On Wednesdays deep-water trips are sailing for ling from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and the Mudhole was holding nice schools of the red hake. Blackfish were also getting boated at times on trips. For more info call the boat or visit wreckmasters.com. <b>Update:</b> The boat returned to the dock today with its anglers’ best catch of sea bass so far this season. A number of patrons boated more than 20 apiece. Some porgies were bagged early in the trip.

Overnight tuna trips were weathered out on the <b>Katie H</b> both Friday to Saturday and Saturday to Sunday, Capt. Mike said. But trips are slated for the same nights this coming weekend. He heard little about tuna fishing in the past days, and few boats seemed to go, and sometimes winds were stiff. But boats were probably going back out now. Lots of offshore trips are booked, and some openings remain on weekdays, but many weekends are full. Because of the busy schedule and the demand, the boat will concentrate on tuna for now and probably won’t run inshore trips until tuna fishing slows down.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

<b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> was fishing the canyons for tuna and big game when trips could get out between the weather, Capt. Fred said. The most recent trip made it to Hudson Canyon last Thursday and landed tuna and mahi mahi, and the details were included in the last report. Fishing for yellowfin tuna at night was best lately, but longfin tuna could be trolled during the day, and tons of mahi mahi were hanging out along the lobster-pot buoys. Another canyon trip is slated to point the bow offshore in the next couple of days. Chargers are running to the canyons, but open-boat canyon trips are also available, and these trips will continue till early October. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances for hook ups and more variety on the dinner menu, and at the canyons trips often target tuna, mahi, tilefish and/or other species like swordfish, sharks or marlin all in one outing. The trips take place on a 31-foot Contender that cruises 45 m.p.h., making it to the offshore grounds in half the time of a party boat, allowing more fishing time and the opportunity to target the variety of species. Closer to shore, sea bass and porgies could be boated at the wrecks, and although Raritan Bay is beyond the range of the usual trip from Point Pleasant, weakfish were holding thick in the bay near Mount Loretta on Staten Island. Some boaters might not have scored weaks in the bay, but that’s where the fish were.

<b>Bricktown</b>

A few stripers, but not a lot, were taken from the surf, but most anglers who tried for them ended up with blues, sea robins or such, said Ray from <b>Pell’s Fishing & Sport</b>. Small blues were schooling the Point Pleasant Canal, and one angler headed there with five eels to try to trick up a striper, but blues ravaged the eels within 20 minutes. Small blues were probably also living in northern Barnegat Bay. Nothing was heard about crabbing, and a couple of customers today bought bunker for crabbing bait but never reported results. Crabs would normally be good-sized this time of year. Canyon tuna fishing had been good toward the end of last week before rougher weather kept trips scarce, but anglers were saying the fishing should open up again with the good weather today and tomorrow.

Striped bass were beginning to appear in the surf, though fewer than anglers would want, but cooler weather was helping to drop water temps and bring a few of the fish into the waters, said Bob from <b>Jersey Coast Bait-N-Tackle</b>. The shop resumed carrying fresh clams 24 hours a day on an honor system, especially for striper fishing. Nearby Barnegat Bay was holding snapper blues and weakfish, and crabbing was decent. The summertime crabbing crowd was gone, but locals were nabbing plenty of the blueclaws. Little was being heard from any boaters sea bass fishing in the ocean, but Bob knew that at least a few sea bass were landed.

<b>Toms River</b>

The Toms River was loaded with peanut bunker, spearing, snapper blues and crabs, and weakfish bit best in the river from the Beachwood docks to the golf course on Rat-L-Traps and pink Fin-S Fish, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Crabbing was very good, and few people crab after Labor Day, but plenty should be able to be caught until mid October or so. Weakfish also hit in Barnegat Bay off Berkeley Island Park and at the BB marker from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Rat-L-Traps or pink Fin-S. Weaks were even hooked in the bay at the Route 37 Bridge in the mornings on the troll. Boaters found blowfish at the BI marker in the bay that bit squid or bits of clam in a clam chum slick. A few anglers were eeling short stripers along the sod banks near Barnegat Inlet late at night, but the fishing was nothing hot, and the water was warm for the best action. Surf fishers were castnetting mullet around Barnegat Inlet and reeling in 2- to 3-pound blues. An odd, keeper striped bass was pulled from the surf on clam or bunker, and sometimes kingfish were taken in the suds.

<b>Seaside</b>

The surf got kicked up from winds earlier this week, and it started calming down by yesterday, although it was filthy, said the fishing report on <b>Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site. But by this morning the water was clean with some grass, and bluefish were back, and the mullet run was still on. John from the shop went down to Island Beach State Park by mid day and saw small bluefish beached and mullet netted, and some people had trouble fishing through grass and jellyfish. But winds were blowing northwest, and everything should be perfect soon, and the weekend’s forecast was looking great. The surf was 1 to 2 feet, 67 degrees and held grass and jellyfish in scattered areas. <a href=" http://www.bettyandnicks.com/fish.shtml" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for the latest.

A few of the after-work crowd said they were sometimes pulling croakers and blues from the surf, said Grumpy from <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b> in the report on the shop’s web site. The weather forecast was looking nice through the weekend, and the shift in winds should clean up the water, so get out there, he said. Still, not many anglers were hitting the surf in the past couple of days. Many anglers were probably hearing a lot about blues hooked at the pocket at the Barnegat Inlet jetty, but maybe that was because the majority of fishermen were heading there. Some guys reported landing pretty good catches of 2- to 3-pound, tasty blues at Ortley Beach, Seaside Park and such places. Fresh mullet was the bait of choice, but the blues will take a variety of artificials. A couple of short bass were reported clammed, and some larger ones—a 10.7-pounder that hit a popper and an 8.9-pounder that sucked down a clam from Grumpy’s—were checked in during the weekend. One angler weighed in a 2.5-pound weakfish that jumped on a bucktail. Another battled a 3.2-pound, 21-inch false albacore that ate mullet. Shimano recently shipped new products to the store, including bunker spoon rods, a plug bag that the company obviously thought about a lot, and totally redesigned Stradic reels that are really something. Grumpy’s carries a complete supply of tackle and bait, and it also specializes in custom rod building and rod and reel repair done on premises. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for the latest.

<b>Waretown</b>

On the <b>Hi Flier</b> Jan Gladstone and friend scored great false albacore fishing at Barnegat Ridge on Sunday, Capt. Dave DeGennaro said in an e-mail. They arrived at the grounds at 8:30 a.m., and the fish took a half-hour to start biting, but then more than 20 of the albies, nice-sized fish 8 to 10 pounds, were jigged the next couple of hours. None would hit a hooked bait, and every one slammed 4- and 5-inch pink or chartreuse Tsunami shads vertically jigged down 20 or 30 feet, where marks were read. As Dave was putting this report together on Monday, he had just spoken with Rob at Bobbie’s Boats in Barnegat Light, where Dave buys his grass shrimp for weakfishing in Barnegat Bay, and Rob said he was watching a few boaters bail weakies at Meyer’s Hole. Dave was heading to the canyons for tuna fishing on a party boat that evening, and a charter was scheduled to fish with him yesterday for a combo Barnegat Ridge/weakfishing trip yesterday, and stay tuned for an update that Dave is likely to give later today. Charters on the Hi Flier are fishing the ridge or weakfishing, or for those who want it all, a combo trip for both types of fishing is on tap. “Call me to schedule a trip while the fishing is hot,” he said.  <b>***UPDATE:***</b> Scott Angstadt and friends were on deck yesterday for a great day of weakfishing in the bay. They shot out to Meyer’s Hole and set up a grass- shrimp chum slick, but there were no takers, besides porgies and sea bass. Dave heard a few reports on the radio about fish and birds on the west side of the bay, so the anchor was pulled, and the gang motored over to investigate. Quite a few boats, and only a few birds, appeared, but the depth recorder was blacked out with fish and bait. The anglers bent rods on 2- to 4-pound weakies the next couple of hours, slowly retrieving Fin-S Fish down deep. A bluefish would bite off the bait once in a while, but mostly weakfish hit. When the drift and action slowed, Dave took the group to fish for small stripers at his hot spot. His charters fish with grass shrimp there and have a blast with 15- to 20-inch stripers fought on ultra-light reels and released. The stripers didn’t disappoint this time, and one after another was hooked, until good-sized weakies invaded and joined the bass. Only stripers usually show up at the “secret” spot, but the anglers weren’t complaining. Tomorrow Dave is running a trip to Barnegat Ridge to chum for albies, and on Saturday a trip is booked for weakfishing. But on Sunday one or possibly two spots for individual anglers are available for albies on an open-boat trip, and one angler already signed up, and at least one more is needed to sail. But if nobody books, then the boat will be available for a charter for weaks. Monday is also available for fishing the bay or the ridge. Afterward Dave will fish for big game on a vacation to Baja, and when he returns, he’ll be available for October striper fishing. Take your weakfish trip now or wait till next year.

Weakfishers boated plenty of the fish in Barnegat Bay again this morning, and they seemed nice-sized, and some reported catching 4-pounders, and others stopped by with fish like a 2.8-pounder and a 2.62-pounder, said Dale from <b>L&H Woods & Water</b>. The fish seemed to mostly come from the BI marker area this morning. Weaks in the bay will hit grass shrimp, pink Fin-S Fish, sandworms and shedder crabs. Fresh grass shrimp are stocked, and so are sandworms, but no shedder crabs are, and the supply of shedders is winding down. He expects the bite in the bay to hold up probably another two weeks, and the weakfish are starting to push out to the ocean. A buddy was fishing the ocean off the Governor’s Mansion this morning and said a load of 12- and 13-inch weaks were schooling, and a commercial netter was filling the boat with weaks. The bay was also putting out porgies, croakers, small sea bass and such fish, and 10- or 11-inch black drum had been swarming around the 42 marker some days ago. And of course blues are always around. A couple of customers started fishing the surf, but nobody reported any results yet. One angler overnighted on a party boat tuna trip Monday in rough seas, and only a half-dozen tuna and two swordfish were lifted aboard, but conditions were terrible. Dale thought the boat fished at Carteret Canyon. But other anglers said tuna fishing was going well, and Brian from the shop was headed offshore today, and Dale thought he was going to fish the Toms Canyon. Crabbing was good, and customers were still buying lots of crabbing bait, if that was any indication.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Surf anglers scored blues and stripers, and the stripers along the beach gulped down clams and bunker, and along the Barnegat Inlet jetty they smacked plugs, said Josh from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. Lots of mullet were schooling along the beaches, and weakfish were hitting mullet at the inlet. Some sea bass also hit along the inlet, and weakfish also filled Barnegat Bay. Sea bass and blues could be found at Barnegat Ridge. Customers were putting together good catches of tuna, and the Searcher had a good trip, and the Doris Mae was going tonight. Basil from the shop said live grass shrimp for weakfish bait were becoming scarce, but anglers could call and order them ahead of time. Josh said the shop is carrying frozen shrimp, fresh mullet, live spots, live eels and live green crabs, and some minnows are still left.  

<b>Brighton Beach</b>

Mullet were everywhere, including at Holgate, along the surf, in the bay and farther north at Barnegat Light, said Basil from <b>Oceanside Bait & Tackle</b>. There was a healthy push of the bait, so surf anglers could throw plugs for striped bass in the early mornings and late evenings. Cocktail blues were whacking the mullet in the surf, and not many peanut bunker were in the wash yet. A few kingfish and croakers swam the surf, but the action was spotty, and nobody knew why, but that’s how it was. Lots of weakfish surrounded the waters at the northern end of Long Beach Island toward Barnegat Light, and Basil’s other shop, Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle, could get live grass shrimp for the weaks, but the shrimp were becoming scarce, so anglers needed to order them ahead of time. Sea bass fishing was producing lots of shorts, and Basil’s been concerned that the lumpheads were going to get beat up this year, because of the early closing of fluke season. So be mindful about sea bass. Lots of tog were hugging the ocean structure, though the bag limit was one per person until later this year. Canyon tuna fishing was going well, and Hudson and Spencer canyons produced most of the fish. None of the local boats got skunked yet that Basil knew about. Oceanside opened this spring and is located at 8201 Long Beach Boulevard on the southern end of Long Beach Island.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

The <b>Miss Beach Haven</b> is bottom fishing on weekends, and catches of sea bass were pretty good onboard Sunday, Capt. Frank said. The boat’s been fishing the ocean maybe an hour from port, and blackfish were mixed in, and so were triggerfish, and some nice catches of porgies also came up this weekend. Trips will start focusing on blackfish after November 15, when the bag limit jumps to eight fish from the current limit of one, and the boat will sail to February. Tuna charters are currently available. The Miss Beach Haven is bottom fishing 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday.

<b>Absecon</b>

Surf fishers beached plenty of kingfish during the day, and croakers were taken on the beach at night, said Ray from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. A few striped bass but no big ones were landed from the wash. The mullet run was in full swing along the coast, and if strong northeast winds like 20 or 25 knots kick up, there would be perfect conditions to push the mullet into the surf and jetties and turn on a surf bite. The back bay was full of bait, more bait than some local were saying they’d ever seen, and blues were also there, and so were occasional weakfish. If you want to take a kid fishing, now’s a good time to hook sand perch, small kingfish, small weakfish, snapper blues and such small fish from a bulkhead. Not many keepers were among the fish, but there was lots of action and fun. A few boaters were plugging along the sod banks at night and playing with short stripers, and it was nothing to land 20 in a trip, but on another night you might cast 150 times and catch nothing. Anglers were also throwing black Bombers along the inlet rocks at night to tangle with stripers to 33 or 34 inches. Croakers were biting in 40 to 50 feet in the ocean, but the action was spotty, and tiny weakfish were supposedly mixed in. Customers were saying that the Mullica River was full of perch. The shop confirmed the dates of its annual Do It All Night striped bass tournament: November 9 to 10. A full supply of baits is currently stocked, including live spots, mullet, peanut bunker and eels, and fresh clams should arrive tomorrow. Not many striped bass were being clammed yet, but anglers were looking for them.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Plenty of kingfish bit in the surf and at the inlets on bloodworms, said Jack from <b>Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle</b>. Mullet were running along the beaches, and a bunch of stripers, mostly 22- to 26-inchers but a few 30-inchers, were pushing the mullet against the shore. So mullet was a good bait for the stripers, and plugs should work. Blues were also hooked in the suds, and they were 1 to 3 pounds and a little bigger than before. In the back bay stripers could be plugged at night, and a few weakfish were there, but none really to speak about. News about offshore fishing was scarce, and the weather was snotty, but boats were heading out today and planned to go tomorrow. But tuna fishing’s been strong at Lindenkohl and Spencer canyons, and most seemed to bite on the chunk, and not too many seemed to be fought on the troll. The <b>Carly A</b>, the shop’s offshore charter boat, ran no trips in about a week because of weather.

<b>Margate</b>

Things were a bit slow this week, because of the typical lull with anglers going back to work after Labor Day, no longer taking summer vacations and kids going back to school, said Capt. Jay from the <b>Jessie O’</b>. But trips are still sailing open-boat every day, bottom fishing for sea bass, triggerfish, porgies, small blues and such fish. The action is good, and the numbers of keepers should pick up. So come on down, and there’s plenty of rail space. Jay’s other boat, the <b>Fish N’ Fun</b>, will start running open-boat striped bass trips in the back bay beginning mid or late October, and details will be forthcoming. Jay’s also looking forward to tog fishing on open trips on the Jessie O’ starting November 15, when the bag limit increases to eight fish from the current limit of one. Fishing charters and party cruises are also available on both boats.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Porgy fishing finally picked up pretty strongly in the bay, and the 134 marker at Grassy Channel was the place to find them, and chumming with clams was a must, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. That’s one of the mix of small fish—including kingfish and blowfish—that normally fill the bay by the second week of August but never really showed up. So at least the porgies were here, and the 134 with its currents along the channel was the most productive spot, though previously the fish mostly bit at the clam stakes on the Mystic Island side of the Fish Factory. A few kingfish bit among the porgies, but there were no large numbers at all. Somebody mentioned blowfish, but that was all that Scott heard about that species. Snapper blues and small sea bass could also be found. Porgy fishing was the best thing going now, but anglers were also poking around the drop-offs along the banks toward the Fish Factory and coming up with tog on green crabs. The bag limit is only one tog per person for now, but tog were something that could be caught, and a boat with three anglers could return with the three of the fish for dinner, so that wasn’t bad. Green crabs are in stock. Porgy fishing, tog fishing and fishing for snapper blues in the lagoons and such was about the only action this week. Still, a surprising number of anglers were going fishing, and Scott had thought that the early closing of flounder season would keep more home. The closure certainly affected the number of anglers, but people seemed to be fishing. Weakfishing at the mouth of the Mullica River was so hit or miss that it wasn’t anything to mention. Some 8-inchers were thrown back this week, and stories were heard about weakfish found in Tuckerton Bay and around Graveling Point, but there were no further details. Bluefishing had been good around Little Egg Inlet for 1-1/2- to 4-pounders until rough weather rolled in Saturday, and then the fish cleared out. The ocean was too rough for any reports to come from there this week. Crabbing was poor and never recovered from all the crabbers on Labor Day Weekend. Everybody was waiting for fall striped bass fishing, and the fish should show up by October 10. Last year stripers started being heard about daily around October 7 to 10.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The surf was full of kingfish that bit bloodworms and FishBites worms, and both baits are in stock, said Ed from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Plenty of blues—17- or 18-inchers or bigger ones than the tiny blues that were around before—also hit the surf, and loads of mullet were running up and down the wash. A few stripers, mostly shorts but a handful of keepers, were taken from the suds on mullet, clams, bunker, eels, plugs or rubber lures. The bay sometimes gave up stripers along the bridges and sod banks on the same things. Blues also roamed the bay. Croakers had been holding in 40 to 50 feet in the ocean, but nothing was heard about them in the past days, because seas were too rough. Small weakfish, mostly shorts but a handful that were just barely keepers, came from the same waters, and so did bluefish. Nothing was heard about offshore fishing, because of nasty conditions, but previously tuna fishing was good at the northern canyons or the Lindenkohl, Carteret and Toms.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Striped bass fishing was still great in the back bay, and it kicked in big time Sunday, and the fishing won’t taper off in any large way after action like that during this time of year, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Baitfish were running rampant, and mullet were pushing out of the bay and through the inlets, and the cool weather was jump starting the beginning of fall fishing. On Sunday a couple of trips absolutely loaded up on stripers, good-sized ones to 12 pounds, on popper lures and popper flies. “If you’ve been waiting to go, wait no more,” Joe said. A trip yesterday fought bluefish to 3 pounds in the bay in very windy weather, conditions that weren’t conducive to striper fishing. Local surf fishing was also decent, and lots of mullet were running along the beaches, and anglers were sometimes dragging stripers from the wash, none huge, but sometimes good-sized ones. At this time of year in the surf Joe would throw swimming plugs like Bomber long A’s that can imitate mullet, or he’d toss popping plugs or flies, and he likes high-riding lures or flies. Joe did no fishing in the ocean, but small weakfish were probably along the beach front, and croakers should also be holding along those waters, though the population of croakers was smaller than usual this season, but some were around. Joe heard nothing about offshore fishing during the week, and windy weather might’ve kept boaters from sailing sometimes, but he’ll probably head offshore this weekend. Cloudy weather offshore was often preventing Joe from seeing a satellite shot of water temps at the canyons. Joe also took a fly fishing trip to New York Harbor recently with Mike Roth, fishing with Capt. Bill Hoblitzell from Outback Fishing Charters. The trip was good, and the anglers got into blitzing blues to 11 pounds. Joe mostly cast chartreuse and white Clousers, but Jiggies, Deceivers, bunker flies and other patterns also worked. 

<b>Cape May</b>

Some nice catches of croakers still came from off Cape May Point and the concrete ship, and try dunking clams or small minnows for the hardheads, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. The shop’s carrying minnows, even though flounder season is closed, and clams are on hand. Lots of mullet were schooling along the beaches, and sometimes striped bass were starting to get landed from the wash on mullet, clams or plugs in the early mornings, and mullet is stocked. A mess of blues harassed the surf, and kingfish bit in the suds previously, but nothing was heard about them in a week. But anglers could look around for kings, because they might still be there, and bloodworms or FishBites will attract a strike, if the fish are around, and the shop carries both. Spike weakfish were reported caught at 20-Foot Slough in Delaware Bay at times. Sea bass fishing was good at the ocean’s artificials reefs, despite fewer anglers sailing to the reefs than before. No news was rolling in about offshore fishing. Nick will be announcing details of the shop's striped bass tournament that'll be held for the fall run.

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