<b>Staten Island</b>

Catches of blackfish jacked up—got better—Wednesday with <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b> after slower fishing for them the previous two days, Capt. Anthony said. Bigger ones to 7 pounds were bombed on the boat that day. They probably chomp more as the days gain distance from the storm. Trips are focusing exclusively on the tog, after mixing in sea bassing previously. But enough tog are feeding to hunt them down alone. New York’s blackfish season opened October 1, unlike in Jersey, where the bag limit is one fish until being increased later this year.  One space is available for a trip Sunday. Have too few anglers to make up an entire charter? Call Antony anyway, because he can usually line up individual spaces on a trip. Barbara Anne pays bridge tolls with a receipt. 

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Bottom angling on the boat was about as good as could be, said Capt. Tom from the <b>Atlantic Star</b>. Porgies, including whoppers, hardly any shorts, were lambasted, and everybody aboard caught them. A few sea bass were shoveled up, and patrons who targeted blackfish occasionally pumped them in. Patrons had no problem bagging dinner, plus. Some wrangled up a bucket of fish, and the catches were good-sized. Tom was glad he switched to a ¾-day schedule this week, because it allowed extra time to travel farther than the previous ½-day trips could. The grounds now fished were abundant. The Atlantic Star is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

After almost all patrons limited out on striped bass and added a bonus-tag fish to their catch on Monday, covered in the last report, customers on Tuesday managed a couple of limits, said Capt. Ron from the <b>Fishermen</b> in the report on the boat’s Web site. On Wednesday the fishing “was proof that good reports come back to bite me,” he said, and bass and bait were marked in droves, but all the bait was probably the problem. When the bait starts to move out, the fishing will be better and more consistent, he said. On Tuesday the high hook landed six bass including three keepers, and another angler reeled in three including two keepers. Stripers and loads of bait were read on every drop, but the fish weren’t too aggressive. One or two would be caught at each stop, and then the boat would have to be moved. But the bites became somewhat better on the last drop. The fish on the trip were smaller than on the previous day, and most keepers were 31 inches or under, and a 21-pounder was the pool winner. On Wednesday stripers rolled and broke the surface all around the boat, and readings of the fish and bait were unbelievable, but getting them to hit was tough. Customers tried clams, eels, jigs, top-water plugs and artificials, but only a couple of keepers were drilled among the first decent crowd on the vessel in some time. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Fishing got back to normal after the storm, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Striped bass started to get clammed at places such as Romer Shoal, and Jimmy saw miles of stripers feeding on sand eels along the water surface down the ocean beaches Wednesday. Few boaters were on them, jigging the fish, and he saw the schools on his way to go bottom fishing, calling a friend in on them. In the Sandy Hook surf Wayne Jones from South Brunswick dragged in a 17.32-pound striper, and Bill David from South River eeled a 10.62-pound striper. Stripers could usually be plugged at night in the suds, and blues invaded the wash one day and disappeared another. Stripers were banged out in the rivers, and sometimes blues swam with them. Jimmy’s bottom fishing that day, like everyone’s lately, was good for big porgies and some sea bass. Blackfish were also around.

<b>Belmar</b>

The Monster Ledge was fished on a bluefin tuna trip Wednesday on the <b>Nan Sea J</b>, Capt. Tom said. One 50-pounder was pancaked on a sardine. That was the only tuna that bit, and lots of bluefish ran off with baits. A bunch of boats fished the waters on the beautiful day. Tom didn’t hear about many bluefins boated that day. Trips will keep fishing for the tuna so long as the bluefins hold in the area at least until the end of the month. Striped bass began to be drummed up, and the Nan Sea J will sail for them during the weekend if potentially rough weather isn’t too bad. Trips are also bottom fishing and bluefishing, and charters are fishing for tuna at the canyons to the end of the month.

The English charter wanted to target striped bass on Tuesday, and they first trolled two keepers and some shorts at the Shrewsbury Rocks, said Capt. Rob from <b>Last One Charters</b>. Then they moved to the channels off Sandy Hook, trolling four keepers, a bunch of shorts and bluefish. The bass started to be around, and friends said the fishing was best in the afternoons. A short, 3-hour trip headed out to have fun with blackfish on Wednesday, bagging a limit of one for each angler, releasing a mess more. The tog weighed up to 9 ½ pounds, and some were 6 and 7 pounds, a mob of sizeable slipperies. When the bag limit increases to six on November 16, charters will often do a combo of tog and striper fishing. Rob likes to leave the dock early in the day, chase striped bass, then go for the blackfish, so anglers can take advantage of two species. Both days were beautiful, and waters were 57 or 58 degrees, compared with 63 or 64 last week before the storm.  

Daily trips started to snatch striped bass in addition to plenty of blues that were already getting hammered, said Capt. Alan from the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>. So the trips will now try for stripers daily. Twenty-seven keeper striped bass were bagged on the boat Wednesday, and probably 20 to 30 throwbacks were released. Tuesday was the first day fishing resumed on the boat after the storm, and lots of blues were shellacked that day. But the boat targeted the bluefish grounds offshore at the Mudhole that day. On the next day, when the 27 keepers were racked up, the boat fished close to the beaches for stripers. On today’s trip 14 or 15 keepers were batted down, and 20-some throwbacks were let go. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for blues and stripers 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Surf casters sometimes nailed down striped bass, including keepers, mostly on plugs, but also on clams, said John from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. No catches of blues were heard about in the local suds, but some might’ve been around. The party boats did a number on blues and began to pick up striped bass. The head boats that bottom fished seemed to put customers on blackfish and sometimes sea bass, and not much was heard about porgies taken on the vessels. Not a lot happened on Shark River, but short stripers were probably reeled from the river at night.

<b>Brielle</b>

Special guest Tony “Maja” Arcabasio from Tony Maja’s Custom Bunker Spoons joined a sea bass trip Wednesday on the <b>Big Kid</b>, Capt. Ken said. A limit of blackfish was bagged around the boat, and a bunch, including hefty ones, were released. Big porgies and some sea bass were clubbed. Ken heard that lots of striped bass, many of them shorts, started to be rounded up from the ocean. So the linesider fishing kicked off, and the Big Kid will start running for them. Ken became part of Maja’s Pro Staff, and striper charters will exclusively fish with the company’s spoons and E-Z Outrodders, one-of-kind rod holders for trolling. So bottom fishing will continue on the boat, and striper trips will begin, and blackfishing charters will launch November 16, when the bag limit gets hiked up to six of the tog from the current limit of one. Striper openings are available through November, and a few blackfish dates remain. A canyon tuna trip will break the inlet sometime next week from Tuesday to Thursday, depending on the weather.  Bluefin tuna fishing closer to shore seemed tougher than before, and those fish will probably depart soon.

One of the catch-and-release blackfish trips that are running this month motored out Tuesday with <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> with six anglers, Capt. Jerry said in an e-mail. A load of the tog, two-thirds of them keeper-sized to 8 pounds, were reeled up, and the keepers were “all nice, healthy-sized fish,” he said. The anglers kept a limit of one apiece and let the rest go. The trip fished first in 30 feet, and mostly 2- to 4-pounders chewed. The boat was bounced around, and more of the fish were hooked at almost every location. Took a while for the angling to gain steam, but then the fishing became more steady. Bigger tog 5 to 8 pounds came up at the final drop, and the trip spent the rest of the day there. The bites came in spurts, picky during the lulls. “Pretty much everyone boated a decent fish here,” Jerry said. A bottom-fishing trip Wednesday clocked 48 keeper sea bass, 10 porgies, a bunch of blues, and a limit of blackfish to 7 pounds for the six anglers. Fishing was tough, but the trip put in a long day, covering lots of miles, managing to scrape together a catch for the cooler. The angling began slowly for sea bass, and mostly shorts but a few sizeable lumpheads were socked. The trip bounced around, and more were picked, but sea bassing wasn’t nearly as active as last week. Fishing for them just got slower, but then birds worked the waters, so the anglers broke out the jigs to fight jumbo blues. They tried for porgies next, heading north, but only picked a few. The boat was moved inshore for blackfish, and the tog took a moment to feed, but then everyone bagged a limit of one, and more were released. Trips in the next weeks will “lean” toward jigging for striped bass and blues, making a drop for blackfish in the afternoons. Should be fun combos! Jerry said.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

A canyon tuna trip returned to port Wednesday with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, but the fishing was slow, Capt. Fred said. No tuna showed up, but lots of sharks grabbed baits, and tilefish were cranked in. On the way home the trip stopped at the bluefin tuna grounds at the Mudhole, and one bluefin was hooked but broke off. Bottom-fishing charters are sailing, and striped bass trips will begin next week. The bass began to be hooked.

Sea bass and porgies, excellent catches, were plowed Tuesday and Wednesday on the <b>Dauntless</b>, all within 3 miles from the coast, where sea bass fishing is open, Capt. Willie said. He was surprised the fishing was so good after the storm, and the angling actually improved. Some customers limited out on sea bass and porgies. Catches on Monday, the day after the storm, were even good. Blackfish were sometimes wrangled up on the trips. The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

On the <b>Cock Robin</b> striped bass, a great ratio of keepers to shorts, and blues, from cocktails to gators, were jigged on the ocean within sight of port Wednesday, an e-mail from the boat said. All kinds of jigs—including Ava 27’s with green, red, yellow and no tails, Hopkins and Deadly Dicks—got hit.  Trips are fishing from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Customers on Thursday trips can help donate fish to Joan Valentine House, providing meals to people. Customers every day can donate food and non-perishables that the crew is collecting for St. Gregory’s Pantry in Point Pleasant. Captain Jim’s Camp Cock Robin for kids, limited to 12 anglers, featuring a dedicated mate for the youngsters, is under way every holiday.

<b>Seaside</b>

Fourteen striped bass were weighed in from the surf Tuesday, “(and it’s) time to fish!” said Ray Kerico in the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s Web site. “If that doesn’t make you want to fish, I don’t know what will,” he said. The stripers, fish from 7 ½ to 25 pounds, were mostly hooked on Grumpy Clams, but one was socked on mullet, and another was stabbed on a teaser. A few 10- to 12-pound blues were checked in that were taken on mullet. The catches began after waters were discolored on Monday, when seas calmed down after the nor’easter, and the ocean then held in the upper 50s, compared with temps in the lower 60s before the storm. The weather heavily eroded the shoreline, changing the cuts and holes in the suds. Although waters remained discolored Monday, short stripers and a few keepers were landed in the wash from Brick Beach to Barnegat Inlet. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

<b>Toms River</b>

Ortley Beach and Lavallette dished out the best surf fishing for striped bass, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. But the fishing was fairly consistent from there through Island Beach State Park. The sharpies almost exclusively fished with fresh clams, and the bait worked excellent. But the problem with fresh bunker was that it was scarce, because the bunker boats could hardly sail before the weather finally cleared this week. Some fished with salted bunker that worked okay, was better than no bunker. Big blues sometimes jumped on frozen mullet in the wash. Boaters trolled stripers in the ocean on umbrella rigs and single, 18- to 24-inch tubes on wire line or Power Pro. Eels swam the ocean, migrating south, so the tubes often worked better than anything. Stripers finally started to be eeled in Barnegat Bay along the sod banks at night on outgoing tides in good numbers. Kayakers angled up stripers on the bay at the Route 37 Bridge on 4 or 5-inch plugs such as Bombers or Rapala X-Raps.  Crabs could be plucked along the bay, and snapper blues schooled the bay. The snappers mostly departed the Toms River for the bay. 

<b>Forked River</b>

Striped bass fishing turned on, and they were the only talk of the town, said Dave from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. But that wasn’t a bad thing, and the fish were trolled on the ocean toward Seaside, and a few blues were around in the ocean. The bass were also eeled on Barnegat Bay along the sod banks, including a good catch this morning. Plus the linesiders were picked up at Barnegat Inlet. No blowfish really bit in the bay anymore, and nobody mentioned fishing for tog or anything else.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Beach and boat anglers, both on the ocean and Barnegat Bay, all piled up healthy catches of striped bass, said Josh from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. The surf casters clammed or bunker chunked the bass to 15 pounds, and Josh banked a 14-pounder Wednesday night on a chunk. The ocean boaters trolled the fish on Stretch plugs. Bunker schooled the ocean, and he heard about no blues in the mix. The bay boaters drilled the catches, good-sized bass 12 to 15 pounds, on live spots drifted through the holes like Meyer’s Hole and holes near Barnegat Lighthouse. Lots of tog hovered along the inlet rocks, and very small blues schooled the inlet. Spots, eels, fresh clams, fresh bunker and crabs are stocked.

<b>Barnegat</b>

Trollers started to pound out striped bass on the ocean, said Capt. John from <b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b>. He was on a trip to Montauk until returning Wednesday, but talked to a couple of anglers who boxed the fish to 32 inches. But quite a few stripers in the 20-pound class, though really none bigger, were creamed among the fleet. Blues were also battled, and nobody discussed how big they were, but they’re usually big slammers at this time of the year. Perfect Drift will get right after the stripers. In Montauk John took charters that whacked good fishing for stripers and blues, but the stripers seemed to be becoming less numerous there. His Montauk’s trips first fished Monday afternoon, because winds blew in the morning from the nor’easter. The trip that day limited out on stripers, and a trip Tuesday caught a few stripers but less than a limit, and more blues, big gators 12 to 15 pounds.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

The weather put the kibosh on the <b>Miss Beach Haven</b>’s trips during the weekend, Capt. Frank said. But the boat will sail for porgies and blackfish this weekend if the coast is clear enough. The Miss Beach Haven is bottom-fishing 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Striped bass fishing hit the wall at Little Egg Inlet starting Monday, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. “Doesn’t get any better,” he said. “Unbelievable.” Water temps plummeted to as low as 52 degrees at some places because of last weekend’s nor’easter, and the stripers stormed in. “Clams, clams, clams” were the bait, he said. Outgoing tides produced more than incoming on Monday and Tuesday. But incoming gave up the better bite Wednesday. Still, on Wednesday a few, including a 32-pounder that was biggest weighed in that day, were landed on outgoing. So both tides served them up. On the ocean one boater on Tuesday snagged bunker from a school, dropped them back down on hooks and nailed stripers. Trollers on the local ocean had a tougher time catching the linesiders. But trollers farther north off Island Beach State Park seemed to bail the fish. The local striper fishing happened a week earlier than Scott expected, and October 28 is the usual date for the kick off. Nobody mentioned decent catches of stripers on the bay from the shore at Graveling Point and Pebble Beach since a few of the fish were dusted 10 days ago. But the bass could slip in to the bay at any time. For now, though, the inlet was the deal. Nobody talked about tog catches from either the wrecks or along the sod banks of the bay. But plenty of the slipperies surely remained along the sod banks, and people did buy green crabs for bait. Everybody was focused on stripers. Crabbing was great, oddly enough. Waters were cold, but the hardshells were nabbed. Fresh shucked clams are stocked, and fresh bunker will arrive Friday. Green crabs, eels and other baits are on hand.

<b>Port Republic</b>

The Mullica River’s striped bass fishing served up solid catches, mostly on eels but also on spots and clams, said Violet from <b>Chestnut Neck Boat Yard</b>. Her son Cody eeled two keepers on he river in an hour. Little Egg Inlet also belted out stripers on clams, eels and spots. White perch could be creeled on the river. Eels, fresh clams, bloodoworms and frozen baits are stocked, and spots will arrive Friday.

<b>Brigantine</b>

At <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b> striped bass including a 36-pounder, a 32-pounder, an 18-pounder and a 15-pounder were weighed in during the past couple of days, the report on the shop’s Web site said. The migration seemed to be starting, and big bass were landed a little farther north, and they should drop down to the local suds. Just a matter of being out there at the right time, the report said. Boaters on Wednesday put the skids on fairly large linesiders in the ocean off Brigantine’s north end. Fresh bunker is stocked, and the beach anglers were going through it quickly. The annual Riptide Striper Derby is under way, lasting through December, and all proceeds are donated to charity. Cash prizes will be awarded each month and at the end of the tournament for the biggest fish. Entry in the tournament allows beach buggy access to the entire stretch of Brigantine during the event for those with a Brigantine permit. No fish were yet entered to win the $50 cash prize for October, and participants must sign up 24 hours in advance to enter a catch.

<b>Absecon</b>

A charter today with Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b> knuckled in two keeper striped bass and probably four shorts on the back bay on live spots, he said. Jim McGuire and daughter Katie, 10, were the anglers, and Katie wrestled in one of the keepers herself, needing help only a moment during the fight. On Tuesday a charter with Dave Morris and Jimmy collected one keeper but a good one, a 22-pounder, on a live spot. The bass, even if they weren’t too big, were all around, and Dave thinks the fishing is excellent for this early in the year, and should promise a great season on them. Wendy Cappile hauled a 15-pounder from the bay, and Mike Mangan waffled a 22-pounder from the bay at Absecon on a clam today, adding a 6-1/2-pound tog to his catch. Tog were on the bite along structure like the bridges and sod banks. Sean Fox drilled a 27-pound striper and an 18-pounder at the Brigantine Bridge on Tuesday afternoon on spots. Mark Napick clammed a 25-pound bass farther south on the bay near Great Egg Harbor Inlet. Ocean boaters supposedly ran into stripers beyond 3 miles from the coast, where fishing for them is closed. The weather was clear for a change, and boaters were out and about. Dave heard nothing about weakfish lately. Fresh bunker arrived at the shop today, and fresh clams, live spots and eels, and plenty of other bait, a large supply, is stocked.

<b>Longport</b>

Striped bass to 42 or 43 inches, big ones, got beaten on the ocean Wednesday off Atlantic City on the troll on the <b>Stray Cat</b>’s daily, open-boat trip, Capt. Mike said. The trip had been bottom fishing for weakfish and snapper blues. But when weakfishing was slow, apparently affected by the nor’easter that ended Monday, the trip headed north to the fleet parked off A.C. Before the boat reached the fleet, 6- to 12-pound blues slammed the lines. The trip kept sailing north, ran across schooling bunker, and pummeled the stripers underneath, down deep on big, trolled spoons. Today’s trip was going right back after them, and the daily, open trips, previously fishing for weaks and blues, will switch to stripers and blues until beginning blackfishing on November 16, when the tog limit increases to six of the fish from the current limit of one. Annual Cast and Blast Trips, a combo of fishing and duck hunting, are also running. “You should’ve seen the ducks (Wednesday),” Mike said. Fish for stripers and blues on the front of the boat, and gun for sea ducks on the back.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Boaters on the ocean jumped all over big blues and a few striped bass in 60 to 65 feet up and down the coast, said Ed from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Fall fishing started to take off, and surf anglers tugged in small striped bass while using clams, bunker, small plugs and soft-plastic lures. Small stripers also gathered in the bay, pouncing on similar things. Tog fishing was smoking from the jetties in the surf to the bridges, piers and other structure in the bay. Nobody talked about offshore fishing, and that action might’ve been about finished. That was practically everything happening, typical for fall, when fewer species such as stripers and blues are around, but the angling for them can gain steam until it’s off the charts.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Fishing was on, and big blues to 14 pounds crashed large schools of bunker a half-mile to 5 miles from shore or in 30 feet today, said Wes from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. The slammers were trolled on umbrella rigs and were jigged, and large blues blitzed bunker in the surf at exactly this time last year, so Wes was going to hit the suds Friday morning, hoping for a repeat. The gators seemed to swim shallower earlier in the day and go deeper later. A 30-pound 44-inch striped bass was weighed in on Wednesday that was trolled on a Stretch 25 lure, and Wes heard unconfirmed reports about two other bass, 40-pound fish, that were boated on the ocean. His bunker supplier said a bunch of the linesiders came up in his nets, so the fish were around. Smaller stripers were hung from the surf, mostly on swimming plugs or popper lures, but a few on bait, and dawn and dusk were best. Loads of stripers, a ton, filled the back bay and were especially smoked at night. Lures such as Fin-S Fish, Bass Assassins or small swimming plugs or live spots and eels got the strikes. Tog snapped along the bridges and structure, and lots of customers bought green crabs for them.

The back bay tossed up plenty of striped bass on popper lures and flies, and fishing for them should be excellent this coming week, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. He had just started to fish for the bass at night Wednesday on the bay around lights at the bridges and docks when he gave this report over the phone on the waters. He usually throws soft plastic lures or Clouser flies to the fish. The bay fishing will continue, but ocean fishing for big stripers and large blues should be “on the verge of greatness,” he said. When that angling really kicks in, his trips focus on that. Catches started around now last year, and that was early but could be happening again this year. Joe continued to fish the surf, and stirred up waters from the storm made the angling be somewhat off during the first days of the week, but he was sure the catches would rebound. However, he fished the suds when he could, and the time was not ideal. Previously he hooked stripers on every trip to the wash, not gangbusters, but catching, and a few blues were around. He was casting swimming plugs and popper lures along the jetties. Joe cancelled one of the traveling trips to Montauk this week that he’s been offering on charters on weekends, because of coming weather. If you’ve ever wanted to fish the migration of stripers and blues at the legendary port, give him a call soon. In November Joe will offer traveling charters on an annual trip to Culebra, Puerto Rico, to tangle with species such as some of the largest bonefish. The island is beautiful and out of the way, and hardly any other anglers are seen, unusual at such a location these days. During the winter Joe will offer annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys for everything from bones to redfish. Visit <a href=" http://www.gibsonstackle.com/page6.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Web site</a> to see more about the traveling charters.

<b>Wildwood</b>

The boat’s weekend trips were weathered out, said Capt. Gary from the <b>Adventurer</b>. But the trips will try to steam for striped bass this weekend, after previously angling for weaks, blues and croakers. The port is within reach of either Delaware Bay or the Cape May Rips for the striper fishing. He heard about some of the linesiders decked on Delaware Bay, not hot fishing, but some. Trips can also try for the weaks and other fish if stripers turn out not to be an option. The Adventurer is fishing on open-boat trips 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays through Sundays, and call to confirm, making sure no charter is running instead.

<b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b> will probably be open through the weekend, Mike said, and then he’ll probably call it a season. Few anglers fished, but one kept fishing at the canal, pulling in striped bass every trip, including a 32-incher today. So the linesiders seemed to be around. Nobody crabbed, so Mike couldn’t say whether crabs skittered along the waters, but customers gathered up the blueclaws when they tried last week. Minnows and frozen shedder crabs, whole and filleted mackerel, various types of squid, fresh-frozen clams, salted clams, frozen mullet and bunker, including for crabbing, and more baits are stocked. Live blueclaw crabs -- currently $20 per dozen for number 1’s and $12 per dozen for number 2’s, depending on the market price -- are carried for eating. Canal Side rents canopy boats and kayaks for fishing, crabbing and sightseeing.

<b>Cape May</b>

Delaware Bay seemed to serve up striped bass, and the first striper charter of the season will bunker chunk on the bay Saturday,  said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. Previously he had said the trip might’ve been somewhat early for the fishing, but the anglers wanted that day. Now the fishing seemed like it could work out. George knows anglers who landed the bass in the past days, and the fish seemed scattered all over the southern bay, anywhere from places like Miah Maul to the 19 buoy to Brandywine and nearby. But they had to be searched out. One friend set up somewhere or another and scored a bunch of shorts. He found a load of boats at another spot and decided to avoid them. He ended up at a place more alone and nailed a couple of 34- or 35-inch keepers. So keepers sounded like they could be found on the southern bay if anglers kept moving. South winds are forecast to blow 15 or 20 knots on Saturday, but that should work out fine for anchoring on incoming tide. George is going on the trip. “Oh, I’m going,” he said. He heard nothing about striper fishing at the Cape May Rips.

Capt. Ray from <b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b> heard about one trip that clobbered 11 striped bass to 49 pounds on Delaware Bay on bunker chunks, he said. The fish began to be caught in the waters, and a few were found at the Cape May Rips, where anglers typically swim live baits such as eels or spots or cast bucktails with rubber. But chunking on the bay seemed most productive. Jaftica will completely switch to striped bass fishing beginning on Friday. Calls from anglers booking trips began to pick up, because word was getting out. Space is available through the end of the month or next week, and some remained in November.  

Everybody started boating striped bass, and at first reports were heard about catches from upper Delaware Bay, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. But he spoke with four different boaters at the docks today who bailed the fish to 49 inches on the southern bay. The fish seemed to be all over after water temps dropped following the storm that lasted through the weekend, after waters cleaned up. Word was heard about catches from the Cape May Rips, too. Fresh bunker was key for bait on the bay, but live eels and spots are typically the choices at the rips. Stripers could be clammed on the back bay, and fishing for the linesiders seemed slower in the surf. But Nick heard about catches toward Ocean City, so Cape May’s suds should turn on soon. Tog crunched baits along the jetties and bridges. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, eels, green crabs, frozen mullet and other baits are stocked. Live spots will be carried soon.

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