<b>Staten Island</b>

<b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b> turned out good sea bass fishing, Capt. Anthony said. Blackfishing on the boat started strong on opening day of New York’s blackfishing season a week ago today. But then the tog became more reluctant to feed, maybe because of the full moon. For now, trips will first look for tog, and if the slipperies are reluctant to munch, the anglers will switch to sea bass. Sea bassing is usually better in the first two weeks of October until cooler waters get the blackfish active. Then blackfish will be the focus, and double-digit tog will not be uncommon. Open-boat trips are running in addition to charters, and call Anthony or check the boat’s Web site for the open schedule. But one space is available on an open trip Friday. Barbara Anne pays bridge tolls with a receipt.

<b>Keyport</b>

Big, slammer blues roamed Raritan Bay, said Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>. He stopped at the dock to putz around the boat, took the vessel for a spin and trolled the gators just outside the harbor. Anglers can have a ton of fun with the fish. Hook into the 10-pounders, and you’ve got your work cut out. Stripers swam the bay but were small, schoolie fish. Waters will need to drop to 63 degrees before substantial striper fishing takes off, though some of the fish will be get netted while the temp is higher or up to 70. When striper charters begin with Papa’s Angels when the bigger fish turn on during the migration, anglers aboard will clam or eel for them.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Winds kept bottom-fishing trips from sailing Wednesday on the <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. But all trips fished Monday and Tuesday, and Monday gave up a better ratio of larger fish. Mostly porgies, mixed sizes including some beauties, were hung on the days. A few sea bass were bagged among lots of shorts. One triggerfish showed up on one of the trips, and that was probably the only trigger lately. A few blackfish were taken except on Tuesday afternoon’s trip. Some customers bring crabs to fish for the tog. Sandworms sometimes out-produce the clams supplied on the boat, but not always, and Tom doesn’t like to tell anglers to bring sandworms when they’re not necessarily needed. But some customers prefer to bring them. The Atlantic Star is bottom-fishing on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Tuesday brought the only relief from winds, but fish bit before the breeze, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. A few boaters eeled striped bass. “But that’s all I can say,” he said. Nobody fishes the channels for stripers because of currents. But the fish could be found if anglers used a ton of weight. Still, relatively few stripers were around, but that will change soon, and the winds could help. Surf casters banked smaller bass at night and in the early mornings while clamming or plugging. Then blues would take over. False albacore were sometimes around for boaters, and they popped up off the Sandy Hook nude beach the other day. Stripers and blues held in the river, and the stripers could be hooked on peanut bunker or worms, and surely some could be eeled. Jimmy saw stripers swirling and chasing bait on the river at 4 a.m., and nobody was on them. Some people said there were 30-some inchers. “But who knows where they are now?” Jimmy asked. They would have moved in the dirty waters that winds created. Lots of sea bass and porgies fed in the ocean, and anglers could grab their limit of one tog.  

<b>Highlands</b>

Bluefin tuna popped back up on the inshore ocean this week after they had stopped biting a moment, said Capt. Brian from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b>. He heard about catches 25 miles from the coast, closer to shore than before. His trips will keep going after them whenever they can between windy weather, and one is slated for Sunday. Both charters and open-boat trips are running for the bluefins, and call if interested in the open trips, because the more anglers who can go, the easier to schedule. Brian also heard about a few yellowfin tuna catches at Toms Canyon at night. Striped bass fishing, a main event with Jersey Devil in fall, will kick off in another couple of weeks on the boat. Jersey Devil specializes in trophy stripers and is a frequent tournament winner. The linesider charters will fish for them in all the different ways, whatever it takes on a given trip, including jigging, trolling, fishing with bunker and so on. Catch Brian’s striper seminar hosted by New Jersey Angler Magazine at the New Jersey Boat Show in Edison at 2 p.m. Saturday, October 17. Check the show’s schedule to confirm the time and date.

<b>Neptune</b>

Doug Stark’s crew bombed cod to 37 pounds and pollock to 29 pounds on Tuesday, the best trip all year, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. Last Lady’s been doing a number on the fish at the offshore wrecks, the best season for cod in a long time, and hardly anybody else was probably doing the fishing. Charters are running after them, and call if interested in an individual-reservation trip, because Ralph’s got anglers interested, and trips will sail whenever enough want to go. Bluefin tuna fishing turned back on, giving up fights in a wide area around the Monster Ledge, after the fish had been reluctant to bite a moment. So Last Lady will fish for them again, and call if you want to go. Canyon fishing for yellowfin tuna also picked up, so a charter is on the books to go after them next week. A couple of anglers are interested in an open-boat canyon trip, and if enough express interest, Last Lady will head out. Last Lady’s current individual-reservation schedule includes: a trip for stripers, blues and tog on Wednesday; a striper trip on November 4; blackfish trips on November 16, 24 and 27; and more blackfish trips that will be added to the schedule as the season becomes closer. The “season” is when the bag limit is increased to six of the fish on November 16 from the current limit of one. Last but not least, bluefishing was phenomenal on charters.

<b>Belmar</b>

On the <b>Big Mohawk</b> anglers pumped in sea bass and porgies, really good fishing, Capt. Chris said. Lots of limits of sea bass were looted, and plenty of porgies were banged out. A bunch of blackfish to 10 pounds chomped, too. The Big Mohawk is bottom fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

With <b>Last One Charters</b> Scott Richardon’s charter first tried for blues at the Shrewsbury Rocks on Sunday, and none showed up, Capt. Rob said. So they moved to the Mud Buoy, and a few blues were belted, but bluefishing seemed difficult for everyone that day. Some caught more of the fish when they spent a long time trying, but Last One switched to bottom fishing to make a better catch. Thirty or 40 sea bass were boxed, and then the anglers fished for tog, because they liked blackfishing. The group of five limited out on their one tog apiece and released more, and the fish were healthy sized, like the 3- to 5-pounders that were kept. Rob liked what he saw with the blackfishing, and the bag limit increases to six per person on November 16. Although bluefishing was slow, making the trip jump around, the day ended up good.

The <b>Nan Sea J</b> was docked in the windy weather, Capt. Tom said. But others said bluefin tuna were back on the bite at the mid-range grounds after catches turned scarce for a time. The vessel is fishing for them, including on open-boat trips, and call for the schedule. Charters are also bottom-fishing, bluefishing and running to the canyons for tuna. No news was heard about the canyons in the weather.

A handful of small striped bass, not many, were clubbed from the surf on clams or on plugs like black Bombers, said John from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Few blues traveled the surf, unlike the larger number of blues in the suds farther south. One of the shop’s rental boaters today hooked porgies but no keepers on Shark River. Snapper blues were seen at times in the river, but nobody talked about catching them. The bluefish party boats seemed to stay mostly docked through the week. The head boats that were bottom fishing sometimes got out, coming back with sea bass, porgies and blackfish. Blackfish crammed the waters, though only one of the tog could be kept per angler until the bag limit is raised to six on November 16.

<b>Brielle</b>

Bottom fishing on a trip Monday rounded up scores of sea bass, a dozen porgies and two blackfish with Nick Stolti’s group, said Capt. Ken from the <b>Big Kid</b>. Dr. Terranova’s group beat scores of sea bass, two blackfish and a lobster to boot on Tuesday. Trips will keep bottom fishing, and the ocean was loaded with blues, if anglers wanted to pick a good fight. Bluefin tuna fishing supposedly came back on after a lull, and charters on the vessel will get back on them. Ken knows someone who caught them at the mid-range grounds, and Ken saw none when at the Mudhole closer to shore the other day. The Big Kid is also tuna fishing at the offshore canyons, and catches of small yellowfin tuna but lots of action was under way there on the nighttime chunk. Looking ahead, striped bass charters are coming up, and so are tog trips. Weekends were starting to fill for tog.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Porgies and sea bass, lots, were pancaked on the <b>Dauntless</b>, very good fishing, Capt. Willie said. Some patrons limited out on porgies, and customers averaged 10 to 15 keeper sea bass. But now was the time for porgies, he said. Big triggerfish also came up on Tuesday’s trip. That was surprising, because triggers usually depart by this time of the year. But waters were warm or 65 to 66 degrees, and the weather was warm, with a few cool days but not many this season. Trips could fish for sea bass because the boat remained within 3 miles from shore, not farther out in federal waters, where sea bassing is closed. The fishing within 3 miles was best anyway. The boat’s evening bluefish trips came to an end for the season. Blues were out there, but demand declined. The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

Anglers in the surf played with blues and striped bass, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Mostly blues showed up, and not a lot of stripers appeared. Mullet, bunker, metal and popper lures hooked both fish. Mullet were seen schooling around the surf. Nothing was heard about catches from boats on the ocean, and Jeff saw boaters working a big area of birds crashing the waters off the Casino Pier at Seaside Heights but saw none catch anything. Fish seemed yet to chase the bait that the birds were now working, but give it time, and the birds and bait were a good start. In Barnegat Bay blowfish kept biting, and spike weaks could be searched out. Sea bass schooled around the BI and BB markers in the bay, and Jeff heard about no kingfish in the area. Small striped bass were occasionally reported landed on the bay, but nobody talked about nabbing a keeper. Anglers fishing for snapper blues that schooled the Toms River sometimes picked up a small stripers. Nobody mentioned catching tog.

<b>Seaside</b>

Only a few fished the surf in the windy weather, and sometimes big blues around 10 pounds were hammered, said the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s Web site. On Tuesday the fish were whacked when anglers blind-casted popper lures. Smaller blues were beached earlier in the week. Lots of bait, including sand eels at the Seaside Heights Casino Pier, was around, so striped bass should be seen any time. But stripers were sometimes checked in at the shop. Surf casters saw schools of fish beyond casting range, and a melee could tumble into the suds at any moment. Bring an assortment of metal, poppers and swimming plugs and be ready for sudden blasts. Teasers were a good idea because of the small bait in the waters. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

<b>Forked River</b>

Barnegat Bay boaters rustled up blowfish at places like Tice’s Shoal, the 40 buoy and the BI and BB markers, said Dave from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Anchor up, drop a chum log in a chum pot to the bottom and fish with small pieces of clams or worms right next to the chum. Boaters ran across small blues at spots like Oyster Creek Channel and the BI and BB markers and in the ocean at areas like the Tires. Weakfish were found along the ocean front including off Barnegat Inlet. Striped bass were tugged in from along the inlet, probably vacuuming up clams or swiping lures like black Bombers. Surf casters jabbed a few bluefish.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Small blues and occasional striped bass were wrenched from the surf, said Josh from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. Bunker, clam or swimming plugs can claim the bass, and mullet or metal can tackle the blues. The Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic, a striped bass and bluefish tournament, launches on Saturday, lasting until December 6. The store will run a bluefish contest during the tournament, Every time anglers check in blues during the shop’s contest, they’ll receive a raffle ticket. At the end of the contest, winners will be drawn for prizes like tackle and T-shirts. Lots of bunker schooled the ocean, but few fish, and none of the big, migrating bass or blues that anglers awaited, were on them. Big blackfish hovered along the Barnegat Inlet rocks. Occasional weakfish were lifted from near Barnegat Lighthouse or Meyer’s Hole on Barnegat Bay. Nobody talked about landing striped bass on the bay yet. 

<b>Barnegat</b>

Capt. John from <b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b> expects striped bass trips to begin in two weeks, he said. At first charters usually fish Barnegat Bay for the linesiders on clams and live spots. Later they fish for them on the ocean on the troll or on jigs. Trolling last year produced more than jigging did. Not everybody likes to troll, because not everybody is good at it. But trolling is a matter of practice and working at it, learning how to use the tackle, and learning how the boat trolls, because each trolls differently. Anglers with big boats often don’t like to troll because the bigger vessels can’t troll slowly enough unless they’re set up to do so. Striper fishing takes trolling at 2 or 3 knots instead of around 6 knots for the tuna fishing that the bigger boats do. John heard about no striper catches so far. The bay was holding blowfish, and triggerfish were around. Big, alligator blues swarmed at Barnegat Ridge. Lots of bunker schooled the ocean, but no fish chased them yet. John was gearing up for a trip to Montauk soon, and striper fishing was on fire there. Jersey anglers waited for those bass to migrate to local waters.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Tog fishing along the ledges and sod banks in the bay was the best angling going, even though only one could be kept, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Locals fish for them at places including Shooting Thorofare and the nearby mouth of Little Sheepshead Creek, where fish-holding ledges were located. A few 20-inch striped bass were plucked from the Mullica River on peanut bunker or jigs. Eels usually become a bait of choice for stripers on the river in fall, but the 20-inchers were too small to bother with eels. No stripers were reported found anywhere else, and waters were warm. Although the weather was windy--and boy was it windy, keeping most from fishing--the days were warm. The migration of large striped bass usually arrives by October 28. Fishing for stripers farther north at Montauk was supposedly going through the roof. Customers said friends told them they had to get up there. Blues 1 ½ pounds intermittently appeared at Little Egg Inlet with no consistency. Ocean boaters who took a last shot at sea bass caught the fish before sea bass fishing was closed in federal waters farther than 3 miles from shore on Monday. They’ll now fish for porgies and a few triggerfish that remained at Little Egg Reef.

<b>Port Republic</b>

The Mullica River began to offer up striped bass on eels at the Parkway Bridge, mostly on high tides, said Violet from <b>Chestnut Neck Boat Yard</b>. Good fishing for tog could be had on the river, and Wayne Bollock from Highland Lakes checked in a 5.14-pounder, his limit of one, from the river and said he released about 60. The blackfish will feed on frozen shedder crabs or bloodworms. Plenty of white perch filled the river. Live eels, bloodworms, frozen shedder crabs and other baits are stocked. Live spots might be carried soon.

<b>Absecon</b>

Lots of birds worked the ocean close to shore including in the surf, said Curt from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. This was the time of the year when birds working bait are seen in the mornings and such, and migrating striped bass should begin to be in the mix soon.  Bill Chamberlain checked in a 31-inch striper he beached from the surf this morning at the Brigantine Hotel. Keeper stripers were weighed in from the inland waterway before this week’s winds kept boaters off the bay. Bluefish 1 to 3 pounds sometimes schooled the bay. Quality tog could be plucked from waters along the bridges and sod banks, and triggerfish sometimes remained along the sod banks. Croakers and spike weakfish held in the ocean close to shore, and a few spike weaks were located at the mouth of the Mullica River. White perch fishing turned out catches in the rivers like the Mullica. The winds stirred up the waters and made the perch move, and Curt was yet to re-locate them in the Mullica, but 20 of the slabs, not too big, were reeled up on a trip he took there this morning. Live spots, peanut bunker, mullet and eels are stocked. So is fresh mullet, fresh clams and a large variety of baits.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Surf anglers tracked down blues all over Brigantine, and sometimes they hit kingfish along the island, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Lots of birds worked bait in the surf and on the ocean. A 1.85-pound king that Anthony Diversa beached was the biggest seen at the shop. Croakers were occasionally yanked from the wash, and ocean boaters pumped them in before the week’s winds kept them from sailing. The migration of big striped bass through the surf was impending. But the back bay gave up stripers like it does throughout the year at places like along the sod banks. Joe Manaly Jr. on two trips on the bay two days in a row totaled 10 striped bass to 10 ½ pounds, including four keepers, livelining spots on one day and working a plug on another. Catch the annual Riptide Striper Derby, starting Monday and lasting through December, with all proceeds 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.

<b>Longport</b>

Weakfish, weakfish, weakfish were the catch on the <b>Stray Cat</b> on the ocean on daily, open-boat trips, Capt. Mike said. But croakers and blues were also clocked. Mike expected to fish in 40 to 60 feet off the south end of Ocean City on today’s trip. Good-sized weaks 13 to 18 inches were walloped, and so were croakers to 3 pounds and healthy sized blues 3 to 5 pounds. Anglers aboard jigged red-and-white bucktail top-and-bottom rigs with squid. The open trips will continue, including on Columbus Day. False albacore gave up fast fights on the ocean, if anglers wanted to charter for them. Coming up, the annual Cast and Blast Trips, a combo of fishing and hunting, will kick off as soon as ducks start flying through. That should happen any time after Columbus Day and probably by the end of next week. Gun for sea ducks in the back of the boat, and fish for tog, striped bass and blues in the front. Also ahead, the daily open trips will switch to tog fishing on November 16, when the bag limit jumps to six of the blackfish from the current limit of one. Stray Cat gets all over tog each year on South Jersey’s relatively unpressured grounds.

<b>Ocean City</b>

From the ocean beaches anglers banked a few kingfish, small blues and a few small striped bass, said Ed from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Back-bay anglers stuck occasional small stripers at night on soft-plastic lures, but some began to fish with eels, and others threw out chunked baits. News about catches was actually scarce because of honking winds in the past days. Small blues were sometimes fought on the bay around the docks and such places, and blackfish were toggled in from along the docks and bridges and also from the surf along the jetties. Croakers with small blues and a handful of small weakfish had been boated on the ocean before the winds kept vessels docked. The weather also kept boaters from running offshore for tuna and big game.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Surf fishing put out alright catches of striped bass, said Wes Bandy from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Swimming and popper plugs hooked the fish along the jetties, and dawn and dusk were best, and bluefish turned up once the sun rose. He and Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service hit the suds a couple of days ago, combining for four or five bass, Wes on a popper plug and Joe on a swimmer. They totaled a couple of 26- or 27-inchers and some smaller ones. Blues could be hooked at the inlets on mullet or spoons. In the back bay stripers also bit, and many anglers fished for them with spots and eels, and otherwise they threw popper lures. Good catches of tog were angled up at the bridges. In the ocean croakers and a few scattered weakfish loitered in 40 to 50 feet. Blues to 3 or 4 pounds and smaller ones could be fought at places where they collected like the inlet bell buoy or the buoy at Sea Isle Lump on cast paddle tails on small jigheads like 3/8 ounce or ½ ounce. A friend trolled false albacore at 2-Fathom Bank, so albies were still around, and waters were relatively warm or 67 or 68 degrees.

Back-bay fishing for striped bass with popper lures and flies shoveled out the catches, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. High tides peaked at mid day this week, but high tides in the evenings, ideal conditions for the fishing, will happen next week. Croakers ran thick in 40 to 50 feet in the ocean, and weakfish, mostly small, schooled the area. But trips weeded through to nab keepers. Small pieces of clam on top-and-bottom rigs with small hooks caught both species. A load of blues to 3 pounds were nailed on flies on the ocean off Stone Harbor on a trip Monday evening. Clousers and poppers got smacked among the blitz. Joe and Wes Bandy, owner of Gibson’s, surf fished on Tuesday, landing four striped bass to 27 inches an hour before sundown on popper lures and swimming plugs. Joe was catching bass every time he fished the surf lately, and anglers won’t hammer 20, but they should connect with a few on an outing. A few blues traveled the suds, but mostly stripers did. Joe will take an annual trip to Woods Hole, Massachusetts, this weekend, offering traveling charters for mostly stripers. But blues and false albacore sometimes come through. Afterward he’ll resume weekend traveling charters to Montauk, and the fishing should be going crazy. On the last trip stripers, blues and albies were ransacked. Jersey Cape through the year runs various traveling charters, including trips to the Florida Keys in winter for species from redfish to bonefish. Back in Jersey, Joe is offering after-work special trips on the back bay in the afternoons to dark, a great time to fish, when nobody else is on the waters, and action can be best.

<b>Wildwood</b>

The <b>Adventurer</b> returned with sea bass from Saturday’s trip, Capt. Gary said. No trip got out on Sunday. But sea bassing was closed on Monday in federal waters beyond 3 miles from shore, so trips will look for croakers, blues and weakfish. When striped bass start to appear, the boat will mix in angling for them, and when more of the linesiders migrate in, they’ll become the focus on the vessel. Trips will bunker chunk for stripers on Delaware Bay and liveline eels for the bass at the Cape May Rips. 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.

Striped bass were socked on the back bay on clams, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. Small blues sometimes schooled through the waters, and short sea bass huddled there. A group on three of the rental boats piled up a bushel and a half of crabs on Monday. Another tried crabbing today but scored no luck in hard-blowing winds. 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. The shop is open daily, but call to confirm at this time of the year. The doors will probably be open another week before they’re closed for the winter.

<b>Cape May</b>

Back-bay anglers did a job on striped bass, good catches to 22- and 30-inchers, at the bridges and sod banks, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Most fished clams, but some worked plugs along the sod banks early in the mornings. Eeling at the bridges also tricked them up. Tog hung along the bridges and jetties, and triggerfish could be mixed in at the jetties if anglers fished clams. A good report was heard about sizeable weakfish sucking down floated bloodworms in the middle of the Cape May Canal at night. Winds blew too strongly for most boaters to fish beyond the back waters, so not much was heard about catches boated anywhere else. Surf casters tangled with 1- to 2-pound blues and a striper here or there. Bunker, mullet, cut up blues and metal with a teaser can attract both, and the stripers will also inhale clams. Not much mullet ran along the beaches, but sometimes mullet appeared farther north like at Avalon.  Bloodworms, eels, fresh clams, fresh bunker, frozen mullet and green crabs are stocked.

Back to Top