<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Customers during the weekend creamed lots of striped bass at the 1 buoy and south of the turn buoys, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. The netter who supplies bait to the shop also said stripers swam around the turn buoys. The bass that customers belted were big, and many of the anglers said they hooked 15 to 20. Fresh bunker is stocked for bait, but call to reserve, because demand is high, and strong winds often keep bunker boats from sailing to catch the menhaden. 

<b>Bivalve</b>

Boaters crowded the marina to sail for stripers through the weekend, even during the rough weather, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. They came back with lots of the fish hooked at the 1 buoy and the turn buoys and south, and said stripers were yet to swim farther north. Fresh bunker is stocked for bait. Anglers and their catches included: Tom Phillips, 30-inch, 30-pound striper; Tim Willis, 32-1/2-inch striper; Bill Davis, 28-1/2-inch striper; Chuck Umba, 40-1/2-inch striper; Terry Johnson, 37-1/2-inch striper; Sean Kampmerer, 38-1/2-inch striper; Brian Weber, 37-1/4-inch and 32-1/2-inch stripers; David, Tom and Tommy Sacca, 36- and 37-inch stripers; Jason Bates and Luke Mangaro, five stripers to 33 inches, one of them a bonus-tag fish; Chuck Smith and Les Ebner, four stripers 30 to 44 inches; Tyler Smith, 31-1/4-inch striper; John Laurella and Jim Mortarana, 34-, 37-, 38- and 39-inch stripers; Dave Omrod, 39- and 44-inch stripers; Chad and Tom Lawler, three stripers to 31 inches; and Rob and Angel Smith, Tyler and Zach Smith and Brandon Green, 28-, 32-, 36- and 39-inch stripers. Longreach Marina’s month-long striped bass tournament is under way, running October 18 through November 15, awarding money for the largest striper. The entry fee is $30 per boat, and 80 percent of the fees is awarded, and the rest helps fund the marina’s annual kids fishing tournament in summer.

<b>Fortescue</b>

The <b>Salt Talk</b> sailed several days for striped bass, and a few linesiders were boated, and apparently the southern bay held many of the migrating fish, but not many yet reached the northern bay toward Fortescue where the vessel fishes, Capt. Howard said. But that should be a matter of time. A trip Wednesday produced three keepers and maybe two shorts, and another Friday found one keeper and maybe three shorts, and one Sunday picked up one short. The fish inhaled bunker chunks, and eeling for the bass was tried once with no results. Patrons fish with either bait, depending on what’s best at the time. Open-boat trips are fishing for striped bass 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays when no charter is booked. So far, open trips were scheduled for this coming weekend, but always call ahead to confirm whether open trips or charters will sail.

<b>Dennisville</b>

Plenty of big striped bass were tackled at 60-Foot Slough, 20-Foot Slough and off Pierce’s Point, said Tim from <b>Captain Tate’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Fishing for them at the Cape May Rips also started to turn on when waters were clear. Large blues also entered the bay. Stripers also filled the back bays along the coast, and tog crammed the back waters along the bridges and structure behind Wildwood, Stone Harbor and Avalon. Frank Breakell and daughters Brynie and Chloe lambasted about 40 tog, keeping no more than their limit. Green crabs and all the tog rigs will be in supply for when the blackfish limit gets raised to six of the fish Sunday from the current limit of one. Fresh bunker is well stocked for striper fishing. Be sure to check out Captain Tate’s new meals. Anglers can call ahead and order bait, breakfast, lunch and dinner to have it all waiting for them when they arrive. That’s convenient!

<b>Cape May</b>

A good catch of four keeper striped bass to 25 pounds were bunker chunked on the southern bay on Saturday with <b>O-Beth Sportfising Charters</b>, Capt. Eric said. A couple of throwbacks were also released. Seas were rough in the morning but calmed toward mid morning, and waters were in the mid 50s. Eric heard about a few bass bagged at the Cape May Rips. Tog fishing will be added to the slate when the bag limit jumps up Sunday.

Striped bass fishing was alright, not bad, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. Three charters fished both the bay and the Cape May Rips from Friday through Sunday, and only Saturday’s fishing was difficult, produced only one short, though others scored okay that day. The B.I. Company charter fished on the boat Friday, wrestling in stripers to 38 inches, and Steve Conley’s charter sailed Saturday, putting the breaks on linesiders to 34 inches. Both trips caught keepers and shorts, and bunker chunks were the bait on the bay, and eels, spots and rubber shads were fished at the rips. More and more stripers were turning on, and the rips produced when anglers hit the right times.

With <b>Copacetic Sportfishing</b> anglers fished for stripers a few times during the week, sometimes chunking bunker on the lower bay, and on Saturday livelining spots and eels at the Cape May Rips, Capt. Mike said. Hefty bass in the 20-pound class were sometimes waxed on the bay, all in shallows, no deeper than 20 feet. At the rips a decent catch was pulled Saturday on incoming tide on waters that cleaned up a little. The fish at the rips weren’t as larges as in the bay but were still up to 20 pounds. The fishing should only get better at both the bay and the rips, and waters were 57 degrees, warm. Saturday was rainy and cloudy, but that’s striper weather. A trip this coming week is probably going to chase working birds along the ocean front to slam blues. The charter wants to do that, and the fish are around.

The Cape May Rips served up decent striped bass fishing, an average of three to five keepers per trip, for <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, Capt. T.J. said. The fish were 30 to 35 inches, nothing huge, and were clubbed with spots and eels. The bay’s striper fishing was hit or miss, spotty, nothing steady. On one day anglers would catch, and on others they wouldn’t.

Fifteen striped bass were reeled up on one trip on the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> at the Cape May Rips, and 14 apiece were landed on two others in the same waters, all in the past days, Capt. Tom said. The mix of keepers and shorts was probably 50/50, and most bit live spots, but a couple were bucktailed. The rips were sometimes clean, other times dirty, and when anglers could find clean, the fishing was a lot better. Avoiding other boats that put down the fish was also important. All trips concentrated on the rips lately, but  other boaters also bunker chunked stripers on the bay. The bay’s fishing wasn’t red hot by any means, but most of the fish there were keepers. Both charters and open-boat trips will keep sailing for stripers at the rips, on the bay and also along the beach front, chasing working birds and jigging there. Tog fishing will also become available when the bag limit increases Sunday.

Three striped bass 32 to 35 inches got smoked Sunday at 60-Foot Slough with <b>Fine Line Fishing Charters</b> on bunker chunks, Capt. Dave said. The charter at first also had three runoffs that were lost, and then the anglers asked Dave to hook the next fish, and he did. Seas were up in the morning but flattened out. The fishing on a trip Saturday was slower at 60-Foot, but two keepers 29 inches and 38 inches, a 17-pounder, were shellacked. Fine Line fished the bottom and middle of the slough, and waters were 55 degrees. Many boats filled the waters Sunday, but fewer sailed Saturday in rough weather. Heads up: Fine Line offers a $50 discount on weekday striper charters.

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