<b>Pennsville</b>

Small striped bass, lots of them, grabbed swim baits in the tributaries of the Delaware River before the storm, said Matt from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Big perch tore up the same waters, swallowing up bloodworms. Nothing much was happening in the local Big D itself, and nothing was heard about the bay, because of the storm and winds. Stripers surely can be caught in the nearby Delaware River in fall, and the fishing might amp up at some point. But not like in spring, when the catches go off the charts during the spawning run. But striper anglers in fall concentrate on the bay or the coast.   

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Nobody got out to fish, not even on Monday after the weather cleared, but the shop was getting busy this morning with anglers preparing to go, said Sharon from <b>The Girl’s Place Bait & Tackle</b>. The time was certainly here to search the bay for striped bass, and Sharon thinks some are around. Reports were heard about stripers nabbed at other places like the ocean surf, and that should mean the fish are also getting active in the bay. Fresh bunker is stocked for bait, but the supply is dicey in the weather, and call ahead to guarantee a supply. Fresh clams are usually carried and arrive on Thursdays. Good-looking bloodworms are on hand, and so are eels and green crabs. Drum seemed to feed in the bay along places like the lighthouses, and one of the party boat captains said trips hauled in the fish to 70 pounds. Tog chewed along the rocks like at the lighthouses and the jetties.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Some anglers headed out today, but otherwise practically nobody fished since the last report, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Winds started blowing around the time of the last report, and then the storm came, and even Monday was somewhat windy. But now was definitely time to start looking for striped bass on the bay, dunking fresh bunker or bloodworms for bait. The bunker is stocked, and Al’ is open 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends, closed on Mondays and Tuesday.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Not one boat left the dock because of the weather in a week, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. But the weather cleared Monday, and the bay cooled because of the storm, and that could be good news for striped bass fishing. Fresh bunker, the favorite bait, was expected to be stocked by today. Longreach Marina’s Striped Bass Tournament kicked off Saturday and will last until Saturday, November 14, awarding a prize for the heaviest linesider. The Atco Hookers Striped Bass Tournament will take place Saturday, November 7, at the marina.

<b>Cape May</b>

A few stripers started to be bunker-chunked on the bay, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. The upper bay gave up some keepers and shorts around Miah Maul to Flat Top before the storm. Waters dropped into the 50s in the bay, so anglers expect the bite to be on when the waters clean up later this week. Fishing had actually started to pick up in the surf around the start of the storm. Bluefish, some of them 4 to 5 pounds, chased large schools of rainfish and smacked top-water lures in the suds at Cape May on Thursday afternoon. On Friday short and keeper striped bass attacked bucktails, plugs and soft-plastic lures such as Storm, Tsunami and Calcutta shads along the rocks at the Cold Spring Inlet jetty. Then the waters became too churned, and sand sharks took over.

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