<b>Staten Island</b>

<b>Outcast Charters</b> steamed for blackfish, striped bass and blues Friday through Sunday, Capt. Joe said. Friday’s trip headed off with Operation Homefront, a trip for military, fishing for a combo of stripers and blacks. Two keeper stripers and a load of 5- to 12-pound blues were knocked around. Then the anglers fished for 2 hours for the tog, a good catch, something like 22 quality keepers, mostly 4- to 8-pounders. Saturday’s trip set out for a combo of stripers and blues but basically turned into bluefishing. Couldn’t get away from them, all the blues anyone could want, and one short striper bit. The anglers tried for blackfish for an hour, nabbing 15, not as big as before, up to 4 pounds. Saturday’s trip targeted blackfish, and the angling was tough, probably the toughest fishing for the tog in a long time on the boat. The anglers limited out on 3- to 6-pounders, but Outcast is used to landing more with catch and release fishing as an extra, after limiting, and the togging took work. Bluefin tuna, probably 100 to 150 pounds, swam near the boat. Jigs were tossed to them, and none was interested, but the fish would’ve been impossible to catch on the small-game rods, anyway. Cool to see the fish, though.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Jigging hooked excellent catches since Wednesday on the <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron said in the report on the boat’s Web site. Sunday’s trip could’ve sunk the boat with blues, but he kept moving, looking for stripers, and patrons would get a shot until blues took over. A handful of keepers to the 16-pool winner and too many shorts were hooked. Saturday’s jigging was also great, lasting all day, striper and blues smacking the metal on every drift. Many patrons limited out on bass, and the high hook landed five keepers, keeping no more than his limit, and a huge spread held the fish. Friday’s trip was also a beat-them-up day with jigs. The bass were much smaller but some limits were managed. Miles of bluefish gorged on sand eels, and Ron kept searching, trying to get through to stripers. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

After blackfishing put up surprisingly healthy catches Monday through Wednesday after the nor’easter, the angling fell apart Thursday and was tough, said Capt. Tom from the <b>Atlantic Star</b>. No trip sailed Friday, and Saturday’s fishing for the tog started off very well, kind of fell apart at mid day and got going again in the afternoon. Sunday’s trip was a little better, probably one of the better days so far this season. So the fishing was okay in the last couple of days, and the tog were mixed sizes, quite a bit of action with shorts but keepers bagged. No porgies showed up since the storm.  The Atlantic Star is blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. But no trip will sail on Thanksgiving Day.

<b>Highlands</b>

Fishing for striped bass was tremendous on the ocean, said Capt. Brian from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b>. Trips trolled them on tube rigs and jigged the fish on Friday, Saturday and Sunday just outside Sandy Hook. A few blues, not many, were mixed in. The bass, weighing up to 25 pounds on the trips, seemed to be bigger in the last couple of days. Charters will keep after the linesiders and are also available for tog. Combo striper/tog charters are available, too. Open-boat trips are available if anglers are interested, and call if so. The more who express interest, the easier to slate the trips.

When trips could sail between the weather, jigging cashed in on lots of striped bass, both keepers and shorts, along the ocean beaches in the past couple of days, said Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>. Seas were sometimes rough, but the bass responded even better in nasty weather. The fish fed on sand eels, and even blackfish that were caught on trips for the tog had sand eels in their stomachs, something Derek never saw before. Blackfishing was improving, and the bite was the opposite from stripers, getting tougher in seas and better in calmer conditions. The ocean was 55 degrees. An open-boat trip will fish for stripers 6:30 to 11 a.m. Thanksgiving Day, and another will run for a combo of stripers and blackfish Sunday. Call Derek to be kept informed of the open schedule, and trips, including charters, will fish through December 6.

<b>Neptune</b>

Blackfishing picked up, and they bit close to shore, unlike farther off after the last storm, and a trip for them was good Sunday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. The slipperies to 8 pounds were boated, and a trip on Ralph’s other vessel that day jigged a couple of keeper striped bass and quite a few shorts on the ocean, and got inundated with blues. Space is available on an individual-reservation blackfish trip Tuesday. More of the trips will sail Friday, Saturday and Sunday and also every Saturday and Sunday in December and New Year’s Eve day.

<b>Belmar</b>

Scott Richardson and four buddies from North Jersey took  a trip Saturday that first jigged a slew of big blues and 20 striped bass, including three keepers, in the morning with <b>Last One Charters</b>, Capt. Rob said. Then they blackfished for a pick of 15 keepers and lots of shorts, tougher fishing for the tog that day. On Sunday Rob and crew, six anglers, sailed on a fun trip, because forecasts called for sloppy weather, and they limited out on stripers to 18 pounds, wrestling a mess of big blues, too. Jigging for stripers was better that day, and boat traffic was lighter. Lots of 50- to 100-pound bluefin tuna were seen within 3 miles of shore.

<b>Brielle</b>

Boaters looted lots of striped bass and blues on the ocean, and whether more of one of the fish was caught depended on location, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Most catches were jigged on a variety of the lures, but Ava 37’s and 47’s, with or without tails, were most popular. Dog sharks were more and more prevalent, and Dave knew about at least a half-dozen bluefin tuna catches close to shore. One customer telephoned Sunday morning, saying he just pulled the hook on a sizeable bluefin 3 miles off Asbury Park. Surf casters nailed stripers and blues too, but mostly stripers, usually on metal or needlefish lures. Blackfishing seemed somewhat up and down on the ocean, depending on who fished. Anglers who knew the “sharp” spots for blackfish caught. Boaters couldn’t just head to the reefs where they caught sea bass and expect to find blackfish. Nothing was heard about fishing for stripers on Manasquan River and about blackfishing at the Point Pleasant Canal. Blackfish could remain at the canal, but anglers probably took advantage of other opportunities. Be sure to catch The Reel Seat’s free striped bass tournament this Friday through Sunday for Thanksgiving weekend, featuring tackle prizes for the first through third heaviest bass. No preregistration is required, and just weight in your catch. Heads up anglers: Attend the emergency public meeting of the <a href="http://www.ssfff.net" target="_blank"> Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund </a> at 7 p.m. Tuesday, December 1, at Manasquan Elks Lodge 2534 at 17 Stockton Lake Boulevard in Manasquan. Learn how the SSFFF is addressing the flawed fisheries data in the government’s Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistical Survey that is responsible for harsh restrictions on fisheries including fluke and sea bass. With donations from anglers in the past, the SSFFF funded science that provided a 20-percent increase in the fluke quota last year, the SSFFF says. An additional 20 percent is proposed for 2010, “a total increase of 40 percent in just two years,” the SSFFF says. Despite these gains, issues including MRFSS are preventing improved regulations. Find out what the SSFFF is doing about it at the meeting and how to support the efforts. A non-alcoholic cash bar will be open before and during the meeting, and a full cash bar will be open afterward.

On the <b>Katie H</b> a trip Sunday first jigged six keeper striped bass, a bunch of throwbacks and a gazillion blues on the ocean with the fleet off Asbury Park and Shark River Inlet, Capt. Mike said. Then the anglers tog fished, pummeling 25 keepers, all sizeable fish 4 to 8 pounds, and probably as many throwbacks. On Sunday another trip jigged four keeper stripers, probably two or three shorts, a gazillion blues and a bunch of dog sharks. Then the anglers tried for tog, landing 14, all decent sized to 5 pounds, but seas were 4 feet, somewhat rocking and rolling, keeping some of the group from feeling well and fishing much. Blackfishing was great lately, time to go. The blues on the trips ranged 3 to 15-plus pounds, and some were huge. Both the blues and stripers were full of sand eels. The ocean was 54 degrees. A half-day charter is slated for Thanksgiving Day, and openings are available Friday and Saturday.

Thirteen striped bass to 24 pounds, tons of blues and the boat’s limit of blackfish were angled in Saturday on the <b>Big Kid</b>, Capt. Ken said. The stripers and blues were jigged on Ava’s, and lots of birds worked the waters. A blackfish charter on Sunday limited out on the tog to 8 pounds. Bluefin tuna swam close to shore, and trolling for them was tried for an hour during the weekend on the boat with no success. The fish are notoriously reluctant to hit a line when migrating south and close to shore at this time of year, for whatever reasons. The Big Kid is sailing for stripers, blackfish or a combo of both.

Blackfishing remained picky since the storm, but all trips were able to limit out anyway, said Capt. Jerry from <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> in an e-mail. Plus a great population of striped bass, mostly shorts, was around, and monster blues schooled the same areas, and sometimes the blackfish trips were able to  jig the linesiders and blues just in the short time on the way to and from the blackfish grounds. A blackfish charter with six anglers headed out Friday, limiting out on the tog and jigging 35 stripers, including 11 keepers, releasing lots of big blues. They went home with lots of fillets. When the trip began, the anglers, although they were hardcore blackfishers, couldn’t pass up the bird life on the way out. A bunch of short stripers and five keepers were jigged, and so were a few blues that were released. Then the gang was off to the blackfish grounds, and the bite was scratchy, picky, but gave up quality keepers here and there. Another drop was made, and the anglers worked hard to limit out on tog to 7 pounds. A few too many large ones were broken off. On the way home birds worked everywhere, and fish splashed and everything. The trip had to stop, and all the jumbo blues the anglers could handle and one keeper striper were first beaten. Another drift was made at birds farther south, and five more keepers were boxed. On Saturday a trip with six anglers also sailed for blackfish, but couldn’t pass up bird life on the way out. Stripers and blues were jigged right away, and the anglers slugged away at five keeper stripers, a bunch of shorts and a few blues on a couple of drifts. At the blackfish grounds, after a few of the tog came up, the fishing was a slow pick. “Scratch … scratch,” Jerry said. Then a flurry of keepers would bite, and a couple of more keepers would chew after a lull and so on. But because the fishing sounded slow for everyone since the storm, the trip stayed at the spot, and the anglers limited out. They stopped on birds on the way in, and mostly big blues and dog sharks attacked, but one keeper striper was bagged. The gang worked hard but limited out on blacks and grabbed six keeper stripers and loads of big blues by the end of the day. Charters and open trips are sailing. Some groups already booked the same dates they had last year on charters for 2010, so book early for prime or preferred weekend dates. For anglers who fished with Fish Monger before, no deposit is due until April 1, so book early! Some of next year’s first fishing will begin with trophy striped bass angling on live bunker from mid May to mid July, and anglers aboard nailed loads of personal bests to 47 pounds last season. From July through August, trips will bucktail for big fluke at the rocks, going the extra miles to where the keepers live, and 2009 was a great season for them with Fish Monger. Bottom fishing will also be done throughout the season, and specials are available on bottom trips from April through June for those who book multiple outings. Bookings for next year’s blackfishing will start to be taken on January 1.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

About 25 striped bass, scratching out a four-man limit of eight, and 50 blues were totaled on a trip on the ocean Saturday with <b>Reel Class Charters</b>, Capt. Allen said in an e-mail. Most were hooked off Asbury Park and Deal, where great life was found all around, after a couple of shorts were caught among a little life farther south off Shark River Inlet. The fishing was an okay pick through the day, not a slammer, but very good action at times. The anglers, Dave Nathanson’s party on a trip for his son Matt’s birthday, sometimes fought two to four fish at a time, and several lulls took place. They jigged the fish, 24- to 35-inch stripers, topped off by a 17-pounder full of sand eels, and 3- to 15-pound blues. No birds worked the waters, and the fishing was done only on readings. Dogfish were too pesky, sometimes incredibly thick and difficult to keep off the jigs, no matter how fast they were worked. Was a perfect November day with 10 to 15 m.p.h. northwest winds and enough sun to keep you warm.

Great striped bass fishing was belted in 40 to 50 feet on the ocean with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, Capt. Fred said. No blackfishing was done, because of rough seas, but combo striper/blackfish charters are sailing the rest of the year.

The trip on the <b>Cock Robin</b> on Saturday first ran south on the ocean to escape boat pressure because of fair weather, an e-mail from the vessel said. When no fish cooperated, the trip sailed north. Dogfish and more dogfish plagued the area on the first drifts and remained a nuisance the rest of the day. The vessel was motored a little farther north, and striped bass and blues began to get dusted up, where they were also bombed Friday on the boat. “Trip ended successfully with weary anglers carrying bags of fish home,” the e-mail said. On Sunday’s trip two 40-inch stripers were whacked on the last drift of the day.  Northeast winds made seas somewhat challenging for anglers on the trip, but the fishing, done to the north, copped immediate success on stripers and blues, and dogfish showed up again. Trips are fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, and a special trip will run 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. 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>

Bass and blues all day, all over! said the report about Sunday’s surf fishing on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s Web site. Hot spots popped up all day from Island Beach State Park to Brick Beach. “One of those days that if you were in the right place at the right time, you looked like you knew what you were doing,” the report said. Weigh ins came in all day, so time of day and tide had little to do with the fishing. The fishing was also happening on Saturday, mini blitzes in different areas. Lots of short stripers were around lately, but so were fairly big ones, and blues appeared when anglers least expected, so they should keep metal leaders on hand. Grumpy clams were the top bait for stripers, but fresh bunker was stocked if anglers preferred. Needlefish lures worked well, and assorted metals with or without tails got the job done. Not a lot of weigh ins came in on Friday, but some were fair sized, including a 16.8-pounder and a 13.7-pounder.  <a href=" http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishing_reports.cfm" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

The nor’easter shut down trips until the beginning of last week with <b>Reel Fantasea Charters</b>, Capt. Steve said in an e-mail. But the fishing got right back to limits of striped bass and plenty of catch and release with more on most trips after the weather settled. Joe Franke and friend Ed fished first, dealing with sporty seas at Barnegat Inlet but a solid striper feed. They limited out and played catch and release with plenty more, toughing it out. Jay Simmons, Ernie Rosenberg and business associate Mark Hansen jumped aboard next on Friday for an all-out striper blitz! The fishing started fast out of the gate with action right outside the inlet under bird plays. The trip then moved a few miles north, staying with the school all day, shellacking scores of stripers, even with the anglers taking breaks from the tiring action. Ernie caught the biggest, a 20-pound-class bass, and Jay was high hook, leadering more than 40 linesiders. Later the same day Chris Spring and Karl Steffan took the season’s final Friday Night at the Fights Trip. They started fishing where the previous trip left the catches, with the thought that the fishing would be just as good. The fish finder lit up, but nothing touched the live bait and jigs. The trip moved to the inlet, and the anglers managed a quick three stripers before action died. They moved from the inlet to the back bay, and the fish finder lit up at all the right areas the whole trip, but noting was doing. The Steve Sweeney party, earning Saltiest Crew honors, fished Sunday in stiff northeast-driven, 4- to 6-foot seas. They managed a pick of stripers and blues, despite good readings, totaling a mix of 10 stripers and blues and about the same number of bites lost because of rough seas. “Way to hang tough guys!” Steve said. December 4, 10, and 11 are the final dates available for charters this season. One spot, the final available this year, is on tap for an open-boat trip December 3. Steve wishes everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

<b>Surf City</b>

Surf fishing was on the slow side during the weekend, said Barbara from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. Previously short striped bass and decent-sized blues were sometimes dragged from the waters, but many of the blues bit off lines, because anglers shied away from metal leaders, trying to catch leader-shy stripers. Bass and blues turned on for a moment at one point at Holgate this past week. But on the weekend beach fishing seemed like it was beginning to improve, and then winds switched to northeasterly, chopping up waters. Most catches came on bunker, and plenty of the fresh menhaden is stocked. Salted clams are carried, but fresh clams are likely to stay scarce because of weather rolling in, preventing clam boats from sailing.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

With <b>Legal Limit Charters</b> anglers clammed striped bass at Little Egg Inlet on Thursday and Sunday, Capt. T.J. said. A trip fished for tog on the ocean Saturday. On the striper trips the five anglers on Thursday limited out on the linesiders to 40 inches and bagged a bonus-tag bass for a total of 11 in 2 hours. They also released more keeper-sized bass, landing no shorts, for a total of 25 caught. The fish bit on both incoming and outgoing tides, didn’t matter. The trip on Tuesday hung eight keepers to 41 inches and no shorts during both tides. The tog trip batted down a five-man limit of the blackfish to 9 ½ pounds or 30 of the fish. T.J.’s brother ran the trip, but T.J. thought they probably fished a wreck in 55 to 60 feet, and he knew they fished with green crabs. Open-boat trips are sailing for tog every Saturday when no charter is booked, and see Legal Limit’s Web site for the schedule. T.J.’s other boat sailed for stripers from Cape May, and see that report below.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Little Egg Inlet boaters whooped up on striped bass Saturday morning and picked away at mid day, said the report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site. The fishing also turned on Sunday morning, “one of those you should have been here (mornings),” the report said, until winds switched to northeasterly, roughing up seas, chasing boaters away. Seas were also rough lately on the ocean, including from a swell previously, so not much was heard about trolling or jigging anything but bluefish out there, and the seas beat up the boaters. Bank anglers picked away at occasional stripers, not necessarily keepers, at Graveling Point and Pebble Beach at night. No specific news rolled in from boaters fishing off the Graveling area.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Blues, big ones, and striped bass bombarded Brigantine’s surf for several days through Saturday, said the report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site. Strong fishing happened from the Brigantine Hotel to the island’s north end, and by Friday more stripers than before seemed to start getting beached, though blues were the predominant catch. On Sunday morning the fishing was slow, but northeast winds that began later in the day seemed to start pushing in the fish, because a couple of sizeable stripers and a big blue were checked in, and anglers said they saw others catch. The Riptide Striper Derby, an annual event, is under way, lasting through December, and all proceeds are donated to charity. Cash prizes are 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, the only event doing so now. Participants must sign up 24 hours in advance to enter a catch.

<b>Longport</b>

The past five trips put all patrons on limits of blackfish, and the fishing is always excellent during Thanksgiving week, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat/b>. On Sunday’s trip the slipperies finally snapped inshore at Ocean City Reef, after they had only fed 10 miles from shore previously. The boat arrived, and bang! Instant catches at the reef. The fishing was good until 11:30 a.m., when winds switched to easterly, shutting down the angling.  Two to four spaces are left on a trip 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. A couple are open on Black Friday, sailing at the usual time of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for Stray Cat’s daily, open-boat trips for the tog. Mike noted that striped bass and big blues were all over the ocean. No concentrations of stripers were around, but the fish swam in 20 to 60 feet off the Ferris wheel. Bird plays, lots of action.

<b>Somers Point</b>

When anglers could squeeze in trips between the weather, the fish were there, said T.C. from <b>Brennan Marine</b> in a fax. Dan Laverty and Ed McLaughlin on Dan’s Rusty Hook ran into a school of blues off Ocean City, trolling all the 9- to 12-pounders they could handle on umbrella rigs. Ken Marchelle and Ed Hudson on Ken’s 50-50 fished near the beach at Margate, bunker chunking three 20- to 22-pound striped bass and all the blues they wanted, some of them huge to 15 pounds. Jeffrey Polcer and son Greg on Greg’s Glory Days headed to the Cuma Lumps, trolling a 16-pound striper and several monster-sized blues on Stretch 25 lures and umbrella rigs.  At Great Egg Inlet Mike and Dylan McGuckin on Mike’s Hail Mary pulled in a pair of bass that were each 15 pounds 35 ½ inches while drifting eels. Mike Clifford and crew fished the inlet on Mike’s 2 Friends Fishin’, bunker chunking a 22-pound 40-inch striper that Kevin Clifford drilled. Mary D. on the Free Spirit ran south to Delaware Bay, going 6 for 7 on stripers to 39 inches on bunker chunks. On the tog front, Keith Zaid on his Plastic Cloud racked up a number of the blackfish to 6.12 pounds at Ships Channel on green crabs. Jasper Paige weighed in a 10.7-pound tog hauled in from the GE Reef while he fished on the Gina with green crab. The crew also boated three other sizeable keepers.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Rich and Joe Duffy jigged loads and loads of blues to 15 pounds, seven striped bass to 33 inches that were released and two out-of-season flounder that were let go on a trip Saturday on the ocean, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Probably 5 minutes didn’t pass without a bent rod, and the fall blitz was fully on in the ocean. Action was best between 7 and 8:30 a.m. but lasted through the whole trip, sailing 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., unlike when the fishing last week peaked more in the early mornings. On Sunday Nick Cavarachie, his Father Nick and sister Alexa jigged at least 25 big blues to 17 pounds--a monster slammer that Joe weighed--and four striped bass to 31 inches on the ocean. The stripers were released, and both trips jigged with white Fin-S Fish on 1-ounce jigheads. Most of the fish swam hard on the bottom, gorging on sand eels, and a bunch dog sharks also bit on the trips. No trolling had to be done on either outing, though Joe often trolls to find concentrations of fish before the anglers jig or fly rod for them. Once the fish were found, the trips never had to stray too far to keep hooking up, and that was unusual. Gannets and terns worked the waters, but most of Sunday’s fish were hooked away from the main concentration of the birds, unusual. Thanksgiving week is often the peak of the area’s fall fishing, but the angling will last well into December and even into January. But as always, go while the fish are there, and they’re there!  Waters were 54 or 55 degrees, and seas on Saturday were a little bumpy but not uncomfortable. On Sunday northeast winds eventually came up, and then the trip called it a day.  

<b>Wildwood</b>

Delaware Bay turned up the best striped bass fishing through the week, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b>. Fresh bunker was the bait, and Butch Berglund, Sewell, weighed in a 51-pound 51-inch whopper from the bay. He bunker chunked the fish on the Slick Willy, Wildwood, and Jim Renshaw, Gloucester, also aboard, checked in a 33-pound 48-incher from the trip. Stripers were also livelined at the Cape May Rips on drifted spots and eels. Frank Scirotto, Cherry Hill, and Bob McCormick, Pottstown, limited out on the fish at the rips on eels on Frank’s Sticky Fingers, Wildwood. Chopper blues were trolled at 5-Fathom Bank on lures such as Mann’s Stretch 25’s. Excellent tog catches were made at the jetties and inshore wrecks. Besides the togging, surf fishing was on the quiet side, producing occasional blues and stripers.

<b>Cape May</b>

Dog sharks, an incredible number, inundated a striped bass trip at the Cape May Rips on Saturday, but a 15-pound 35-inch striper was bagged, said Capt. Craig from <b>Fish Tale Charters</b>. Winds against the tide hampered the drift most of the trip, but winds blew with the current toward the end of the day, and that’s when the striper was eeled. The anglers fished with eels and bucktails, and not many bass were reeled in at the trips that day, and he saw only three others, and the trip fished from one end of the rips to the other. “If we fished one rip, we fished them all,” he said. Just one of those days, he said, and he gave the anglers credit for fishing hard, hanging in there and plugging away the whole time. At least the one striper was bagged, but Craig would’ve liked to have seen more in the box. No blues showed up, but sounded like boaters fishing along the ocean front fought 10- to 15-pound blues left and right. Waters at the rips were 54 degrees, and the boat’s last trip of the season is booked for Sunday, December 6, and then Craig will prepare the vessel for winter.

Charters on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> eeled and trolled at the Cape May Rips and along the ocean front Friday through Sunday, Capt. George said. Dan DeNossa’s gang put together a good catch of striped bass and blues on Friday, and Ken Russell and company socked substantial stripers to 35 inches and a couple of blues on Saturday, and Alex Limbanounos, George, Lou, Eddie and Steve tackled a quality catch of bass and a bunch of blues on Sunday. They wanted blues, so they trolled the ocean front, also picking up stripers. Lots of blues schooled the ocean near the shore, if anglers wanted them, and stripers were sometimes mixed in. Dates are available, including Saturday because of a cancellation, if anglers are interested in charters.

Seven striped bass to 38 inches and six blues 10 to 12 pounds were pumped in from Delaware Bay on the Joe Glenn party’s trip with <b>O-Beth Sportfishing</b> on Sunday, Capt. Eric said. A trip Saturday hauled in three stripers to 37 inches from the bay, and another on Thursday waxed six bass to 40 inches on the bay. All the fish were bunker chunked and were hooked on incoming and outgoing tides, and a couple even bit on slack, so the fishing lasted throughout the days. Waters were 53 degrees, and the weather was pleasant Thursday and Saturday, but seas were somewhat sporty but fishable on Sunday. The year’s been good for the bay’s striper fishing for O-Beth, and space is available for trips. O-Beth will probably fish until mid December and is also running for tog. Most trips concentrated on stripers, but tog were out there.

<b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b> fished the ocean front and the Cape May Rips, piling up striped bass to 37 inches and blues, Capt. Ray said. The rips mostly gave up stripers, good-sized keepers with shorts mixed in. The ocean shoveled up about half stripers, half blues. Anglers aboard bucktailed the ocean and fished with spots, eels or bucktails at the rips.

Fishing for striped bass put a beating on the fish, very good catches, at the Cape May Rips and Delaware Bay on the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b>, Capt. Tom said. The rips sent out numbers of the bass—30, 40 or 50—on spots and bucktails, and the bay sacrificed large ones, up to 32 pounders, close to limits, on bunker chunks on the boat this past week. Big blues to 12 and 15 pounds appeared up the bay, fun action. Trolling and jigging for stripers and lots of large blues started to heat up along the beach front in a big way. Fishin’ Fever is also tog fishing, and when boaters got the weather to hit the ocean pieces, they tangled with a bunch of 3- to 6-pounders and sometimes bigger slipperies to 8 and 10 pounds.

Plenty of striped bass were around at the Cape May Rips, and most charters averaged 20 of the fish, sometimes including five or six keepers, usually at least one big one, said Capt. Bob from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Lots of shorts, lots of action. Ron Leider from Robinson Pallet walloped the big bass of the week, a 35-pounder, on the boat, and John from Superior Builders subdued a 30-pounder on Sunday on the vessel. Action was fairly strong all week, and waters were 53 to 54 degrees, and if the temp holds, the fish should stick around a moment. Plenty of big blues schooled the ocean, if anglers wanted to go after them. They were beyond 3 miles, where striper fishing is closed. Dates remain for charters in December.

Striped bass to 37 inches, good fishing for them, was scored at the Cape May Rips on Saturday with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, Capt. T.J. said. The anglers reeled in eight keepers, if he remembered correctly, choosing to release all but two, and five throwbacks. Spots caught them all, and the fish refused eels. Many small stripers swam the waters. In addition to charters, open-boat trips are striper fishing, and check the dates on Legal Limit’s Web site. T.J.’s other boat fished for stripers and tog from Tuckerton, and see that report above.

Northeast winds that pushed bunker against the beaches turned on surf fishing Wednesday and Thursday, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Stripers to 30 pounds and slammer blues were tackled at the cove at the 2nd Street jetty, and anglers hoped for a replay as easterly winds returned Sunday through the next day or so. The Cape May Rips kept giving up good striper fishing on eels, spots, bucktails or trolled lures, and some areas, generally the inshore rips, started to hold smaller bass. But the offshore rips at Somer Shoal and Overfalls Shoal held some large ones. In Delaware Bay the better striper fishing was located up the bay a little at the Punk Grounds, Banana Peel, Crooked Neck and the Horseshoe, and 40- to 50-pounders continued to be weighed in on a regular basis. Plenty of big blues schooled 5-Fathom Bank, getting trolled or jigged. Stripers also swam there, but the waters are beyond 3 miles from shore, where striper fishing is closed, and the linesiders should be released at boat side, not even brought in the boat. Marty Happerman, Cherry Hill, weighed in a 57-1/4-pound, huge striper that came from the Banana Peel. Curtis Mahoney, Villas, checked in a 42-pound bruiser that came from 60-Foot Slough on the bay. Douglas Cantrell, Mt. Ephraim, beached a 36-pound lunker from the surf at the 2nd Street jetty.

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