<b>Staten Island</b>

Tog got hungry in the afternoon on a trip Monday with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, and the anglers limited out with no problem, Capt. Joe said. The fish in the afternoon weighed up to 7 pounds, and the morning’s togging was slow on the trip. But the bite took off from late morning to afternoon. Both green and white crabs were fished and worked. A few sea bass were hooked as a by-catch within 3 miles from shore, where sea bassing is open. The charter did no fishing for striped bass, and Joe saw no signs of the linesiders that day. But sometimes blackfish charters will mix in striper fishing, like jigging for the bass if bird plays are seen on the way home. If anglers want to search for bass at the beginning of a blackfish trip, that’s possible. But trips usually chase the bass on the way home if any are up and if there’s time.

<b>Keyport</b>

Open-boat trips will chase striped bass Saturday and Sunday with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. The fish seemed around, and the boat’s mate on a trip eeled probably a half-dozen, including two 20-pounders, at Sandy Hook Channel. Four spaces were claimed on Sunday’s trip, and Joe would like to take two more anglers. The six-hour trips will leave at 6 a.m., and call to let Joe know you’re coming. Waters were probably 57 degrees, an ideal temp for the fishing. Open trips are available daily when no charter is booked, and telephone to go.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

In the surf, anglers bombed striped bass, a mess of them, this morning, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. They tugged in the fish, breaking the water surface, on metal, and boaters lately clammed plenty of the bass at places like Romer Shoal and “out east,” he said, and eeled the fish at the channels. The striper migration was on! Mike Mclerney from Chatham pumped up a 20.8-pound bass from the Sandy Hook surf. Sean Hennesey from Belford and crew boated a 29.48-pound striper and four others 20 pounds apiece. A few blues ran the surf, but more gathered in the bay, including along the shore. Bottom fishing shoveled in good catches, including big porgies, some blackfish and some sea bass that remained inshore, but the weather was difficult. Bottom dunkers could hardly get a break.

Bottom-fishing on the <b>Atlantic Star</b> got out Monday, and the boat stayed docked the next two days, Capt. Tom said. The first hour on Monday put out a great catch, and everybody grabbed dinner and more, and some filled a bucket. That was fortunate, because the angling slowed to a pick afterward, for no apparent reason. The day was calm, but something changed. Mostly porgies, sizeable ones, mostly keepers, bit. A few blackfish and sea bass came up.  The Atlantic Star is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

The weather was nasty on a trip Tuesday, but striped bass were on the feed, said Capt. Ron from the <b>Fishermen</b> in an e-mail. He took the 12 anglers who showed up at the entire harbor and headed out. Rob Bannon from Rockaway was high hook, lambasting 14 bass. Three were keepers, and he won the pool with one. A good mix of keepers and shorts grabbed the hooks for the customers, and a 14-pound striper was the biggest. Not one dog shark showed up. Fishing slowed at slack tide but rebounded afterward. Seas were rough, even when incoming tide flowed with east winds. Apparently no other trip sailed since Sunday, covered in the last report, because no other reports were posted since then on the boat’s Web site. Wednesday was supposed to be rough, Ron said in the report from Tuesday, and he expected today and Friday to be okay.  The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Highlands</b>

The weather kept trips from sailing, said Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, but he fished the surf, dragging up plenty of striped bass and blues. He walked the beaches of the bay and ocean around Sandy Hook, tangling with stripers to 31 inches, and friends beat some in the 20-pound class. Derek hooked the fish on different lures, including Storms, plugs and poppers, depending on the day, and he fought blues to 12 pounds. When his charters were able to sail, striper fishing was great, and bigger bass showed lately, and rough weather only made the angling better. Clams worked best on the most recent trips, but charters are fishing in whatever way it takes: clamming, eeling, jigging or trolling. Open-boat trips will get after the linesiders Friday through Sunday, and call to climb aboard. Fisher Price had been bottom-fishing, but stripers were the main fare now, probably until the blackfish bag limit increase to six of the tog on November 16 from the current limit of one. Anglers were quickly bagging a limit of one, playing catch and release with plenty more. The outlook was good.

<b>Belmar</b>

Bottom fishing on the <b>Big Mohawk</b> was going fine, Capt. Chris said. Porgies, sea bass and blackfish came up. The Big Mohawk is bottom fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

The <b>Miss Belmar</b> was forced to stay in port the last two days in the weather, but previously patrons plowed lots of blues, all big fish, Capt. Alan said. Striped bass began to be belted on the trips, some days giving up 15 or 20 keepers and an equal number of shorts, other days turning out 15 or 20 shorts and a few keepers, and some days giving up only shorts. But the trips are actually targeting stripers now, instead of blues, but are putting customers on lots of blues, too. A huge bonito, topping 10 pounds, was decked on Tuesday’s trip. Night trips for blues were weathered out during the past two weeks. 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.

Fishing was mostly all about striped bass, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Surf catches of the linesiders were going off in the past few days, and anything that imitated sand eels that filled the waters worked. Jigs like Ava’s did the trick, and teasers did the job a lot. But clams also worked well. The only problem was that no clam boats could sail in the weather, meaning fresh clams were unavailable. Nobody mentioned beaching blues, but boaters pilfered plenty of blues on the ocean when they could sail. They also whacked stripers. The party boats, when the weather was calm enough to sail, looted blues, and the vessels running for them began to jig stripers as well. When the head boats that were bottom fishing could leave port, they put customers on mostly sea bass and blackfish, and only a few porgies. Better weather was all that anglers needed, and calm days were few and far between.

<b>Brielle</b>

Canyon tuna trips kept being forced to be cancelled because of the weather, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Katie H</b>. One charter decided to run for striped bass this coming Sunday instead, and inshore trips were sometimes able to sail. The ocean close to shore at least got sheltered by the land during west winds. But one blow after another kept rolling through offshore, and plenty of charters remained on the books to head to the blue waters. But satellite charts weren’t even available to see water temps because of cloud cover, and Mike wouldn’t make a trip with so little info. He’ll keep trying to get out, but at least plenty of season remained for striped bass and tog charters. The Katie H will fish through early December.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

On the <b>Sea Devil</b> a trip arrived at Hudson Canyon on Monday in better weather than lately, and the anglers made a decent catch of mostly yellowfin tuna, a few 60-pound longfin tuna and a 150-pound swordfish, the report on the boat’s Web site said. Paul Bennett totaled five tuna, and Darren Figueroa racked up three, losing a few. A trip Friday fished the Hudson in winds stronger than forecast and poor fishing conditions. Two brothers battled some swordfish to the boat at night, and a few tuna were gaffed after daylight. Only a few more canyon trips will run this season.

A special cod trip loaded up a good catch, lots of action, said Capt. Bob from the <b>Gambler</b>. Joe Lewis creamed a 39-1/2-pounder, and Marilyn Reingold clocked a 31-1/2-pounder, and pollock, ling and big porgies were in the mix. Large sea bass were also wrangled up but had to be let go, now that sea bass fishing was closed beyond 3 miles from shore. Bob was asked whether plans were made to fish for something else when the boat would normally sail for sea bass this winter. He hoped the injunction that the Recreational Fishing Alliance wants to obtain through a lawsuit of the government would work to halt the closure. But the RFA needs financial support for the suit, and Bob encourages anglers to donate with a check to the RFA with a memo written on the check for the RFA Legal Defense Fund.  Or visit the <a href="http://www.joinrfa.org" target="_blank">Recreational Fishing Alliance’s Web site</a> to donate by credit card. One more special cod trip might sail in November. A final canyon tuna trip for the season is slated for Friday night, but the forecast is questionable. The weather’s been tough on canyon fishing. Coming up, the Gambler’s daily striped bass trips will launch November 1, sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.  Bob is excited to begin striper fishing, and few trips were able to run for the linesiders on any boats during recent weather, but beach anglers were catching them.

<b>Toms River</b>

Lots of striped bass were angled from the surf in the past two days, but only a few shorts were dusted from the suds today, and sharpies had to dunk 8 to 10 ounces of weight to hold bottom, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. When the fish bit in the past days, they mouthed up clams or swiped metal up and down the beaches from Lavallette and Ortley Beach to Seaside and Island Beach State Park. Catches were heard about from Seaside today. An odd bluefish or two was beached from the wash during the week, but a few more showed up previously. On Barnegat Bay short stripers and a few keepers were eeled at night along the sod banks. Rough seas kept boaters from fishing the ocean. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, eels and more are stocked.

<b>Seaside</b>

Only a few fished the surf Wednesday, but that was surprising, considering all the catches of striped bass bailed in the suds lately, said the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s Web site. Anglers that day probably avoided the weather, but surf casters seemed to “be in the thick of it” now, and if anglers debated whether to make the trip, they should read the weigh-ins on the site, the report said on Tuesday. Only four bass 8 to 10 pounds were checked in Wednesday, but 14 of the linesiders were weighed in Tuesday, and similar numbers were racked up on the previous days. Tuesday’s stripers mostly weighed 8 to 11 pounds, but one weighed 35 pounds. The big one was nailed on bunker, and most were waffled on Grumpy’s Clams. But a few were clobbered on Ava jigs. Clams got most strikes all week, but metal like Ava’s and Deadly Dicks began to work. The fish grabbed other things but rarely, including a needlefish lure, a rubber shad, an eel and a herring chunk.  An 87.4-pound drum—big!—was checked in Wednesday that was wrenched from the surf on a Grumpy Clam. The last blues checked in were three on Sunday. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

<b>Forked River</b>

Barnegat Bay’s sod banks attracted striped bass that jumped on eels at night, said Dave from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Bass had been boated in 60 feet on the ocean off Seaside when the weather was calm enough for the vessels to sail. The fish were trolled, and big blues swarmed everywhere on the ocean when the boaters fished. Small blues could be found on the bay, and customers located them Wednesday evening.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Bunker tied into striped bass for surf anglers, but clams claimed smaller ones for them, said Josh from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. Eight to 10 ounces of weight was probably needed in the seas, but the anglers caught. Nobody mentioned fighting bluefish in the past couple of days. Boaters on Barnegat Bay anchored and clammed to catch stripers or drifted live spots to hook the fish. The weather and rough seas at Barnegat Inlet kept anyone from boating for bass or blues on the ocean. Very good-sized tog were lifted from along the rocks at the inlet, and one angler mugged a 22-incher Wednesday. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, spots, eels and green crabs are stocked.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

Maybe nine striped bass to 42 inches were walloped Monday at Little Egg Inlet on clams with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, Capt. T.J. said. The white waters at the sandbars gave up the fish, about five of them kept, the rest released. Another trip was supposed to fish the inlet today, and the area offered a striper-filled place that was relatively protected from winds, unlike the ocean that was too rough for boating. Trips will keep striper fishing, including on the ocean, even down to Atlantic City, where a catch of the bass was sacked on the boat last week. Tog charters and open-boat trips every Saturday will be added to the slate when the bag limit gets hiked up to six of the blackfish on November 16 from the current limit of one. T.J.’s other boat is docked in Cape May for annual fishing for stripers through fall, including on open-boat trips. Some of the open-boat dates from both Tuckerton and Cape May are already posted on  <a href=" http://www.legallimitcharters.com" target="_blank">Legal Limit’s Web site</a>.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Little Egg Inlet was flooded with striped bass, top-notch clamming for them, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Only the most experienced boaters at the inlet should fish the churned up waters in the current weather, and one boat flipped in the seas in the past days. The fish also now spread out, and anglers could probably hunt the bass in the back waters including at Grassy Channel, from the banks at Graveling Point and Pebble Beach, and along the mouth of the Mullica River, and “clams, clams, clams” were the bait in these areas, too, Scott said. Nothing was heard about eeling for the fish, but lots of eels are stocked. The clam supply is going to be a problem in the next days, because the clam boats will be unable to sail in the blow, and bunker was also unavailable. One angler checked in two 20- and 13-pound stripers he beached at Graveling, and that was the reason the linesiders seemed to spread through the back waters, a good sign. A 41-pound striper was the biggest checked in from the inlet this week, and a 35-pounder was weighed at the shop early in the week. Stripers 20 and 16 pounds, none huge, from the inlet were seen at the store at mid week. Boaters were able to fish for stripers on the ocean early in the week, but the inlet gave up the best catches by far.  Little was heard about other fishing, because everyone had striper fever. But one angler who’s experienced at tog fishing from the banks of the bay said he continued to catch. Plenty of green crabs are on hand for bait for the blackfish. Nobody talked about white perch fishing, but the slabs should be feeding in the rivers and creeks. The supply of live grass shrimp, the favorite perch bait, ran out in the freshwater from rains that killed them, and Scott will have to go catch more.

<b>Port Republic</b>

Customers smoked striped bass, good numbers, from Little Egg Inlet to the Mullica River, said Mary Ann from <b>Chestnut Neck Boat Yard</b>. Fresh clams, if anglers could find them in the rough weather that kept the clam boats docked, plundered the fish at the inlet. A bag of the clams arrived at the shop, and the supplier said that’s all he had.  Eels got attacked on the river and are stocked, and so are live spots. White perch gathered in the river, and a neighbor plucked up 30 of them.

<b>Absecon</b>

Time to get fishing, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Striped bass were scattered but were certainly at the inlets and the bay, mostly at the inlets, and the fishing will only get better, and anglers only need the weather to clear to help. The fish were stacked up at Little Egg and Wreck inlets, but boaters had to be hardcore — “crazy,” Dave said :) — to give them a go. But Frank Hannum and Bill Scull fished from the wash at either Little Egg or Wreck today, socking a couple of quality bass, including Bill’s first over 30 pounds. Dave’s charters hooked the linesiders in the narrow thorofares in the back waters, very specific places, on live spots. His charter with Dave Morris and two other anglers today produced four quality keepers at the narrow thorofares behind Little Beach. Dave’s charter on Tuesday slammed six hefty bass to 25 pounds behind Little Beach. Lack of clams for bait because the clam boats couldn’t sail was an issue. Clams ran out, but a load of fresh bunker arrived today that should last through the weekend. Live spots and eels are stocked, and eels should produce fish in the bay at night, like along the sod banks. Dirty waters slowed down tog fishing along the bridges, and debris in the waters also affected striper fishing. No boaters fished the ocean in the weather. But now was the time to go for stripers, even if anglers could use calmer weather and west winds.

<b>Brigantine</b>

The run of striped bass was so good along the surf, said Jim from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Four or five were weighed in every day, and those were just the big ones. A 46-pounder was the largest brought to the shop so far, and sizeable ones were around. Paul Lavigna bagged two of the fish on the north end today on bunker. Bunker probably held an edge for best bait, but most anglers winged out more than one rod, so they could fish both bunker and clam to cover the bases. A few blues were mixed in, and they were big slammers. Luke McCooley subdued a 33-inch blue on bunker. 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. The $20 entry in the tournament allows beach buggy access to the entire stretch of Brigantine during the event for those with a Brigantine permit. Participants must sign up 24 hours in advance to enter a catch, and Jeff Bell currently led with a 28-pound 13-ouncer.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Surf anglers put a beating on plenty of striped bass, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Two 30-pounders were weighed in, and 17- and 18-pounders hit the scale, and a 16-pounder was dragged into the shop yesterday. Fresh bunker and fresh clams got bites. Tons of ling, lots, chewed in the suds on the same baits. A mess of tog, including large ones, littered the jetties, crunching green crabs. A 7-pounder was checked in Wednesday. Blues, better-sized ones, bigger than snappers, tumbled through the wash at times, engulfing mullet and bunker. All the baits mentioned and more are stocked.

<b>Longport</b>

On the <b>Stray Cat</b> anglers trolled and jigged up striped bass and blues on daily, open-boat trips, but the weather kept the angling docked in the last days, Capt. Mike said. The fish were out there, piled up in 40 to 60 feet between the Atomic Lump and the Triple Lumps off Sea Isle City. On the troll, spoons or Stretch 25 and 30 plugs were dragged on wire lines. A bushel and a half of green crabs were collected in the Crab Hotel that Mike dropped in the waters at the dock, getting ready for tog fishing. Stray Cat will get all over the blackfish when the bag limit jumps to six of the slipperies on November 16 from the current limit of one. Then the daily, open-boat trips will switch to them. Make reservations now for the special tog trip from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thanksgiving Day for only $40, before the spaces fill. Space is also available on a full-day tog trip on Black Friday, the day after. Annual Cast and Blast Trips, a combo of fishing and duck hunting, are under way on the ocean. Reel up stripers and blues on the front of the boat, and gun for sea ducks on the back.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Striped bass, mostly shorts, not a lot of keepers, but a good number were hung from the back bay, said Ed from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Fish that anglers talked about came from there, because waters were somewhat protected from the winds in the rough weather. Fishing from the inlets to the surf was tough in seas and dirty waters from mostly stiff conditions since the beginning of the weekend. But the bay stripers were activity, and anglers often threw leadheads with soft plastics like Bass Assassins or Fin-S Fish for a fight. Tog fishing was excellent at the bridges and piers on the bay, but fishing for them was difficult at the surf jetties in the seas. No boats fished the ocean because of the weather, but previously boaters battled big blues 10 to 15 pounds and larger on the ocean. A few stripers swam among them.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

In the strong north/northeast winds, anglers hooked striped bass at the inlet, instead of the surf, because of rough seas, said Wes from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Fresh clams and fresh bunker got the hits and are stocked. A customer checked in a 31-incher that he clammed in the waters today. No boaters fished the ocean in the seas, but plenty of striped bass could be boated on the back bay on clams, eels, popper lures, sub-surface plugs and rubber lures. One customer kept motoring out on a small boat in the past weeks, tangling with the fish on clams and lures. Slowly trolled bucktails like in white with a green curly tail along the sod banks is always effective. Eeling for the fish at night at the bridges seemed to be picking up. Many customers kept buying green crabs for tog fishing at the bridges, so that angling seemed to be on. Before the weather turned rough, boaters on the ocean muscled in big bluefish that hugged the bottom. They trolled to locate the gators then stopped and jigged them on lures such as Ava jigs, especially with red tails, or leadheads with a Fin-S Fish or twister tail. Striped bass were sometimes boated on the ocean, including in 20-foot depths, before the weather. 

Back-bay fishing pounded out striped bass on popper lures and flies on trips the past couple of evenings, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. High tides in the evenings created ideal conditions for the angling, a specialty on the boat. Fun, visual attacks are the thing. But the weather was less than ideal, made things challenging. Still, the fishing was clearly alive and well, and would be easier in better weather. Spinning rods were used more than fly rods to wing out more casts in the weather. Striper fishing was also happening at night on the bay along the bridges, and Joe’s anglers toss soft-plastic lures and flies for that. A trip last week scored. He sounded eager to get out on the ocean for fish like big blues – “bite your head off,” he said – that a trip clobbered on Sunday. A few striped bass were mixed in within 3 miles from shore, where fishing for them is open, and more swam beyond 3 miles. But only blues were tackled on the trip. The fish in the ocean were part of the fall migration, and the run was probably yet to reach the mid-way point. Charters should go after them while they’re here, but the fishing should last to mid December, and Joe saw no signs that suggested otherwise. Dates should be reserved, and Joe always tells his anglers to book ahead for prime times like now and November, because they do fill, and he already had to disappoint customers at times who called once the fishing started. The only current factor was to get the weather that allowed the boat to sail. Looking ahead, an annual trip to Culebra, Puerto Rico, will fish in November with Joe. He offers charters on the trip and on other traveling trips through the year, including to the Florida Keys in winter. See the <a href=" http://www.gibsonstackle.com/page6.html" target="_blank">Traveling Charters</a> page on Jersey Cape’s Web site.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Trips during the weekend stayed tied to the cleats because of the weather, but the <b>Adventurer</b> will head out for striped bass this weekend if the weather works out, Capt. Gary said. Anglers aboard will fish at the Cape May Rips with eels or on Delaware Bay with bunker chunks, depending on where the fishing’s best, winds and tides. The fish started to be reeled up last week, and take advantage while they stick around and before the weather closes in for the season. The stripers showed up earlier than in recent years, when they were late. The Adventurer is fishing on open-boat trips 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. Call to confirm, making sure no charter is running instead. The crew also recommends calling to let them know you’re coming down, helping them plan to fish. Open trips often run on Election Day and Veteran’s Day if anglers express interest.

<b>Cape May</b>

Many boaters limited out on striped bass in the past couple of days, said Capt. Ray from <b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b>. Both the Cape May Rips and Delaware Bay produced at times recently, and the fish were healthy-sized, mostly keepers. Like usual, bunker chunks connected on the bay, and bucktails, eels and spots hooked up at the rips. Trips could often limit out at the rips in a couple of hours lately. The weather was rough, but trips were squeezed in between the blows. Vessels got out Wednesday morning before the weather, for example. Jaftica’s next trip was slated to fish today, but forecasts looked like the charter would have to be cancelled. A few dates remain for striper trips through November, and dates in December can be booked. The schedule was filling, with all the reports of good catches.

A couple of buddies seemed to score all right on striped bass, one hooking the fish at the Cape May Rips, and the other drilling a bunch on Delaware Bay, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. The bite seemed to bounce around, one day producing on the bay, another at the rips. Some of the fish lately were sizeable, like a 40-pounder that George knew was hauled in. Big bass seem usually to come in first, and medium and small ones seem traditionally to follow later. The Heavy Hitter’s charters are bunker-chunking for the bass on the bay and are eeling for them at the rips. Many of the charter fleet were beginning to sail for the fish this weekend.

Fishing for striped bass turned on fairly well at the Cape May Rips and southern Delaware Bay, like at the southern end of 60-Foot Slough and the Cock and Balls, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Some of the fish were big, 35 or 40 pounds, and they inhaled livelined eels or spots at the rips and chunks of bunker in the bay. The surf began to turn out striped bass at times, and anglers often slung out clams for them. Not much was heard about bluefish since before the blow, when boaters put the skids on big gators at the inshore lumps on the ocean. Tog kept chomping along the bridges and jetties on green crabs. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, spots, eels, green crabs and more are stocked.

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