<b>Brooklawn</b>

Fishing was good everywhere from the bay to the ocean to Delaware River, the tributaries and even the freshwater lakes before the storm, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. Not much was heard since the nor’easter ended during the weekend, but previously lots of stripers were boated at the Cape May Rips and on the bay at usual spots including 60-Foot Slough, the Banana Peel and the Pin Top. Rick took a trip on the ocean last week that reeled in 25- to 35-inch stripers and blues to 10 and 12 pounds off Barnegat. Stripers were bigger in Delaware Bay and the rips. The Delaware River remained cloudy on Monday because of the weather, but previously plenty of smaller stripers and largemouth bass were cranked in. Some of the tributaries turned up big, bruiser pickerel. Big Timber carries bait and tackle for all fishing from freshwater to offshore. That includes a complete supply of lures and baits for rivers and lakes; rigs, tackle and frozen bait for bays; and offshore lures, rigs and baits.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Catches of striped bass started again right after the storm, when anglers headed back out, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish came from all over the bay, including the northern bay, and she heard about the fish dusted toward Money Island and Bay Point, but imagined they were hauled in even farther north toward Ship John. One angler lambasted a 50-incher on Monday off a bulkhead. Another hauled in a 46-pounder from 8 feet of waters off Bay Point. So some big ones were out there. A few big blues, not a lot, were around, and friend caught 8- to 10-pounders near Miah Maul. Fresh bunker for bait was somewhat difficult to supply on Sunday, immediately after the storm, but was now in good supply. Fresh shucked clams, another bait used for the linesiders, were currently in stock, and fresh clams in the shell usually arrive every Thursday. Nobody talked about angling up tog since the bag limit increased to six of the blackfish on Monday from the previous limit of one. But many anglers bought green crabs for bait for the slipperies. The greenies ran out of stock but Sharon was telephoning today to get more.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Six striped bass to 36 inches were dusted up Sunday on the <b>Buccaneer</b>, Capt. Ralph said. So the fishing was good, and the stripers were quality fish. “They’re there,” he said. “Everything’s fine.” The linesiders were boated around the Elbow on bunker, but others caught all around. No bluefish turned up on the trip, but a big blue was fought aboard a nearby vessel.

Striped bass fishing never missed a beat because of the storm, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Anglers, including him, returned to the waters Sunday, and caught. His trip with three anglers nailed six stripers that were each over 40 inches. The fish were plentiful and seemed spread out, and locations where they were found never really changed because of the nor’easter. But the top of the tides seemed best. Reports about an occasional bluefish drilled were heard on the radio, but not often. Fortescue surf anglers also connected with stripers, none huge, but plenty around 30 inches, on bunker. Al’s Bait & Tackle closed for the season this week, and Dave thanks all the customers and hopes to see them again in spring. The shop will reopen during the first week of April for the spring run of stripers. But Dave will keep giving reports this season, he said.

A charter on the <b>Salt Talk</b> fished for striped bass on Sunday, right after the storm, netting a couple of keepers and some shorts, Capt. Howard said. Rick White won the pool with a 36-incher, and Robert Gladhill decked his first-ever striper, a 30-incher. The trip’s fish, nabbed along the edge of the shipping channel toward the Elbow,  inhaled bunker chunks, and none was hooked on an eel, but eels caught on other vessels. Some boats returned with no stripers that day. The storm seemed to fail to affect the waters at that point, and the bay was 54 degrees, and before the storm was 55 or 56. Waters were clear, and that was surprising, because the storm caused flooding that usually draws debris into the bay. Maybe debris was yet to flow down the Delaware River. Open-boat trips are sailing for stripers, and Howard tries to group everyone together to fish on Wednesdays or Thursdays for open trips. But open trips sometimes sail on other days, like when a half-dozen regular customers planned to come down this past Monday, so Howard was trying to gain enough anglers to complete a trip. Charters are booked this weekend, but space is available on Black Friday and through Thanksgiving weekend. When no charter sails on a weekend or a day like Black Friday, open trips can sail, but always call to confirm whether one will head out.

<b>Bivalve</b>

At <b>Longreach Marina</b> anglers kept rolling in with striped bass, and the storm had no effect on the fishing, Pat said. The fish came from pretty much all over the bay, continuing to be hooked at the same places as before. Spots she mentioned previously included the waters from the E.P. Tower to Reed’s Beach, including inshore of the number 1 buoy, at Bug Light and at 20-Foot Slough and 60-Foot Slough. Fresh bunker for bait was in good supply, and that seemed unaffected by the weather, too. Mike Pugslie and Chris Chammings from Millville checked in a 51-pound 49-1/2-inch trophy, wrangling in four other bass to boot. Mark “Hot Dog” Rivera, Philadelphia, docked a 43-1/4-pound 47-inch monster. Sean Emigholz, 9, from Pittsgrove walloped a 39-1/4-pound 46-3/4-inch linesider. Frank Przelomiec from Franklinville won the marina’s month-long striper tournament on Saturday with a 38-1/2-pounder. Anglers and their catches also included: Bill, Shannon and William Showack, Newfield, 22- and 16-pound stripers; Frank Jones, Frank Smith and Mark Tenuto, Sicklerville, 35- and 34-pound stripers; Pete Malynchock and Fred Malonie, East Greenwich, 35- and 15-pound stripers; Ron Given from Paulsboro and his crew from Philly, eight stripers 25 to 31 pounds; George Price, Malaga, 31- and 28-inch stripers; Frank Meyers, Pittsgrove, three stripers over 30 inches apiece, and a 40-incher was the largest; Jerry Maher, West Deptford, 36-1/2-pound striper that was his first ever and was caught on a trip with Chuck Umba and Wayne Barker that also produced a 32-incher and a 28-incher; Tom and Scott Sebastian, Reading, 37- and 34-inch stripers; George Banks, Cecil, Rich Krumin, Sicklerville and Joe Urich, Philly, eight stripers to 43 inches; and Kenneth and Keith West, 47-1/4-pound 43-inch and 27-pound 41-inch stripers.

<b>Cape May</b>

A dozen striped bass probably to 38 inches were bunker chunked Sunday on the bay with <b>O-Beth Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Eric said. So the catch was good, despite the storm. The fish seemed to feed most on outgoing tide, but they were caught throughout the day. Trips will keep striper fishing, but tog trips will also sail, because the blackfish bag limit increased.

The anglers on a trip Sunday limited out on striped bass at the Cape May Rips and along the ocean front with <b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Ray said. Debris and weeds were at the rips, and they weren’t as bad as Ray anticipated after the storm, but the fishing should get even better when waters clear. The anglers first fished at the rips in the morning, and stripers bit spots and bucktails at the beginning of outgoing tide. Then the trip picked up more stripers and blues on the ocean on jigs and bucktails. The stripers weren’t huge, and a few were shorts, and the blues weighed up to 10 or 12 pounds.

Trolling on the ocean dragged up a good catch of striped bass north of Hereford Inlet with the Joe Leberowski charter Sunday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Two 8-pound blues were hooked, and one got off. The fishing began to pick back up after the storm, and waters were dirty at the Cape May Rips and even on Delaware Bay. Waters at Hereford Inlet were dirty but were clear on either side of the inlet on the ocean.

Striped bass were socked from the ocean to the Cape May Rips to Delaware Bay on Saturday and Sunday when the storm tapered off, said Capt. Tom from the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b>. The vessel was docked, but he heard about the catches. Waters were somewhat grassy and murky at the rips, but as the waters clean up, the fishing should only get better. Lots of stripers were still caught up north and will migrate down to local waters. In addition to striper charters, trips will now sail for tog, because the bag limit was raised.

Fishing for striped bass hammered excellent catches through Tuesday before the storm, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Boaters got back out on Saturday, finding difficult fishing for stripers on the bay, because no fresh bait was available. But the fishing was good at the Cape May Rips on live spots, live eels and bucktails, and a few boaters got away from the crowds and trolled a few of the fish. A couple of stripers were weighed in from the rips Saturday afternoon: Karen Richards and husband Bob from Belle Plain’s 23- and 18-pounders eeled at Middle Shoal. Before the storm Mike McMaster from Pitman boated a big bass on the bay: a 50-pounder. Matt took a trip Tuesday that trolled 8- to 15-pound bluefish at 5-Fathom Bank on Stretch 25 plugs. The anglers could’ve sank the boat with blues, and they tried jigging, but that only produced dog sharks, and the blues seemed to want plugs that day. A few commercial fishermen said blackfish were stacked up along the Cape May Inlet jetties.

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