<b>Staten Island</b>

Trips for bottom fish got under way with <b>Outcast Charters</b> on Saturday, and the anglers drummed up scores of sea bass, “pretty good,” Capt. Joe said. Maybe 15 keeper porgies were also plucked. Charters will keep sailing for the fish, including this coming weekend, and New York’s tog season begins October 1. Outcast copped plenty of tog at the beginning of the season last year, and if the tog become less reluctant to feed at first, sea bassing is done to fill in the gaps.

With <b>Barbara Anne Charters</b> anglers pounded big porgies to 3 pounds, all they could want, and an okay catch of sea bass on Saturday, Capt. Anthony said. Charters and split charters are fishing for the bottom dwellers, so if you’ve got only a few anglers for a trip instead of a full charter, don’t hesitate to call Anthony about a split trip. If you’re a single angler, also call, and he can probably find a space on a trip. Tog fishing will begin on the boat when New York’s season for the blackfish opens on October 1. Barbara Anne pays bridge tolls with a receipt.

<b>Keyport</b>

Plenty of porgies and sea bass came up for bottom-fishers, thank goodness, Chris from <b>Crabby’s Bait & Tackle</b> said. Almost all rock piles or rough bottom was  loaded with sizeable porgies willing to inhale sandworms on a high-low rig. Take the kids for great action, he said. Good-sized sea bass were stacked up at the reefs and rocks. Tommy Green and two friends, fishing with fresh clams, bucketed 25 sea bass to 3 pounds at Sandy Hook Reef. Ling hugged bottom at the Scotland Grounds, where Mike Tylnor put together a quality catch. He also hooked and released a doormat fluke more than 10 pounds at Scotland, and was disappointed that the fish was out of season, but snapped a swell photo. Closer to port, snapper blues schooled all over the bay in the Keyport area, but big ones were mixed in. Bobby Terrien whacked a 12-pound blue while fishing from the Keyport Pier. Joe Gilbard muscled up three blues to 10 pounds. Weakfishing was slow, and most who tried for them fared poorly. But reports did come in about quality catches from around the Railroad Bridge in the back of the bay. Anglers also sometimes talked about striped bass that were banked from shore at Cliffwood and Union beaches on peanut bunker. Most were shorts, but Luc Canton stopped by with a 13-1/2-pounder. Crabbing served up a bunch of the blueclaws, and the shop’s crabbing contest lasts until September 30. More than 25 hardshells larger than 7 inches were entered, and Charles Moe currently led the contest with a 7-5/8-incher. Raymond Ponik from Bayonne is the state record holder for blueclaws with an 8-3/4-incher that he checked in last year at the shop just after the crabbing contest finished.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Bottom fishing toggled in “nice” catches on the <b>Atlantic Star</b> since Friday except on Saturday morning’s trip, Capt. Tom said. So the fishing could be up and down, but hooked mostly porgies with a few keeper sea bass, triggerfish and blackfish. The slow trip on Saturday morning, putting out poor catches for some reason, maybe because of strong current, took place between the channels off Sandy Hook, the same area the other trips fished. But the fishing immediately bounced back on Saturday afternoon’s trip through Sunday’s trips, all of them producing plenty of catches. For the blackfish some anglers brought their own crabs for bait. Clams are currently supplied on the boat. 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.

Patrons on the <b>Fishermen</b> tried clamming for striped bass this morning but wasted little time, soon heading offshore for bluefishing and bottom fishing, Capt. Ron said in an e-mail. No stripers bit because waters were 67 degrees, but Ron is keeping his eye out for the beginning of the fishing, doing what’s necessary to catch until the fall migration starts. So on the offshore grounds the anglers first battled bluefish on bait and jigs in a chum slick. Once the action slowed when the tide stopped, most customers switched to bottom fishing for sea bass, porgies and triggerfish. But a couple of shots of blues came through when the tide began. “Great day on the water for those who came out,” Ron said. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for blues 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

<b>Highlands</b>

Many anglers on the bluefin tuna grounds sounded like they struggled during the weekend, including because of getting invaded by bluefish, but the fishing went well on a trip Sunday with <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b>, Capt. Brian said. The fishing on the boat probably went especially well, considering the tough time some boaters had. The charter with Jersey Devil banged out the catches with sardines and with Shimano butterfly jigs on Shimano Trevala jigging rods, and the bigger jigs worked best that day. Good networking and being keyed in on the fishing probably mattered, but plenty of good captains found the angling difficult. Jersey Devil fished an area with a few other boats around, but lots of boats seemed to gather in some areas, and all the bait in the waters might’ve contributed to tons of bluefish being a problem. Brian likes to get away from the crowds. Jersey Devil is focusing on the bluefins for now, both on charters and open-boat trips. Call if interested in the open trips, because the more who want to go, the easier the trips are to schedule. But resident, non-migrating striped bass were becoming active because of cooler waters, and Jersey Devil is also up for trips for them. Stripers will become a main focus when the fall migration begins.

Trips fished the surf at Sandy Hook through the past week, and the angling was tough early in the week, but by the weekend a few striped bass and false albacore were able to beached in the mornings on the ocean side, said Bill Hoffman from <b>Skylands Angler</b>. No stripers of any size were landed, but the linesiders were on the take. The false albacore were fought just after first light, were awesome to catch, and now was the time to find them. They’ll probably stick around a couple of weeks. As always, the albie fishing can be unpredictable, and anglers just have to be on the beach at the right time of the season for a chance at them. Bluefish were also around in the suds, and bait including mullet and silversides was thick all around the Hook. No peanut bunker were really seen. All the fish were fly-rodded on the trips, and Skylands Angler guides fly trips in the surf at Sandy Hook and Island Beach State Park during the fall and spring migrations Skylands also guides freshwater fly trips for trout and nearly all the major freshwater species in New Jersey.

<b>Neptune</b>

Offshore wreck-fishing pancaked fish to a 26-1/2-pound pollock on Friday, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. A 15- or 18-pound pollock was also pounded, and a number of 10- to 15-pound cod were clobbered, and the fishing was good but probably would’ve been better if blues hadn’t covered the wreck. Other fish can hesitate to “come out” when big, gator blues are around. Another individual-reservation trip to the offshore wrecks will be scheduled, and previous trips shellacked cod in the waters. The next individual-reservation trip for inshore bottom fishing might run in two weeks, and Ralph will announce the dates for both, or call him. Fishing for bluefin tuna on a trip Saturday limited out on two, catching and releasing three or four more, a good day. If the lines were let out too far, only bluefish bit. Two spots remain for an open-boat, overnight trip to the canyons for tuna on Wednesday. Call to claim.

<b>Belmar</b>

Blues, big ones, swiped jigs on some days and bait on others on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, Capt. Greg said in an e-mail. Catches were solid, and false albacore and several striped bass were mixed in at times. Trips fished at several different grounds, and large blues also put out consistent fishing on night trips, non-stop on most nights, on bait. Several spots remained for a 36-hour Iron Man tuna trip this evening to Wednesday. Greg expects to give the scoop on the results in the next report. The Golden Eagle is bluefishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily. See the boat’s Web site for the tuna schedule and info.

Great action with sea bass was served up Sunday on a bottom-fishing trip on the <b>Nan Sea J</b>, Capt. Tom said. Lots of porgies were also spanked, and a blowfish was clocked. That was the second blowfish in recent trips. Nothing but bluefish stormed waters on a trip that aimed for bluefin tuna at the Atlantic Princess wreck on Saturday. Seas were nasty too boot, not making for a fun trip. Open-boat trips are running for bluefins every Wednesday, and charters are also fishing for them. The Nan Sea J is also bottom fishing and sailing on overnight tuna trips to the canyons.

<b>Brielle</b>

Fishing was good in general when the weather was calm enough for anglers to go, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. False albacore and bonito, mostly albies, were boated up and down the coast, all the way to the Mudhole. Dave heard about no albies beached from the surf but anglers fishing from Manasquan Inlet’s rocks nailed them on Maria jigs. The surf was rough for fishing most of last week but was calming down. Striped bass became more active in the cooler weather, and Chuck who works at the shop trolled the linesiders to 35 inches at the Shrewsbury Rocks on shad rigs on two trips: one that landed 22, and another that tackled 12. Big blues and albies also swarmed there. On Manasquan River blues, hickory shad and small striped bass were nabbed. The blues will attack Ava 007 jigs, and the shad will swipe both the 007’s and Sabiki rigs. The bass will grab Ava 17 jigs or Maria jigs during all times of day on moving tides. Word about out-of-season fluke caught by mistake and released was scarcer than before. Bottom-fishers piled up lots of sea bass, good catches, and now began to pick up porgies. Ling fishing sounded so-so on bottom trips at the Mudhole, but that was temporary and will improve. For bluefin tuna anglers on the inshore ocean, fishing was productive for some and not for others, mostly depending on experience. A customer who was fishing for them three times a week hooked the fish every time on trolled feathers. The fishing was the same for boaters who jigged and chunked while anchored: Some connected, and others did not. But the fish were there. Mixed reports started to roll in from canyon tuna anglers. One customer whaled 15 yellowfin tuna Saturday night, and others decked two. But the catches were at least encouraging. Catch the shop’s Columbus Day Weekend Sale featuring discounts on inshore and offshore tackle.

A charter hammered bluefin tuna Friday at the Atlantic Princess wreck on the <b>Katie H</b>, landing at least a dozen or more of the 50- to 80-pounders, limiting out on two and releasing the rest, Capt. Mike said. Three at once were sometimes hooked, and a bunch of skipjacks were also fought, a great trip. But the fishing was a different story when an overnight trip Saturday to Sunday fished the area instead of the canyons that overnighters usually do. Bluefish invaded the Princess area, and getting the lines through them was difficult. One bluefin was boated before the sun went down. Blues attacked all night, and the trip moved a little east to the Chicken Canyon after sunup to escape them. Then a 120-pound thresher shark, a bonus, was bagged. The shark was caught on a 40-pound tuna leader, and the anglers were lucky to reel the fish in before the beast bit through the leader, even fighting the fish for 45 minutes, because of the light line. A couple of false albacore were also cranked in. So the bluefish that suddenly invaded made the tuna fishing difficult, but the anglers at least had fish to take home, including the thresher, for tasty shark steaks along with the tuna loin. They were happy and had a good time, Mike said. More overnight tuna trips are slated for Thursday and Saturday. Don’t have enough anglers for a full canyon charter? Call Mike, and he can probably book an individual space on a make-up trip.

The season’s first canyon tuna trip sailed Friday on the <b>Jamaica</b>, an e-mail from the boat said. Yellowfin tuna schooled under the boat at 2:30 a.m., and three were hooked but lost. Afterward two swordfish, including a 100-pounder, were boated, and only a couple of more tuna bit. In the morning the trip moved inshore to the bluefin tuna grounds, and one bluefin and lots of false albacore were pumped in. The next canyon trips will sail 7 a.m. Tuesday and 5 p.m. Wednesday, and many more are scheduled. The price is temporarily discounted, and if space is booked now, the discount will be locked in. Special trips are sailing for bluefins 25 to 50 miles from shore, including at 3 a.m. Friday. Bluefin fishing was “good to excellent,” the e-mail said, and bonito, false albacore and skipjacks schooled the same area. The Jamaica’s first bluefin trip this year tackled more than 50 bluefins and numerous false albacore and skipjacks. The most recent bluefin trip produced busy action with two of the tuna to 46 inches, false albacore and jumbo blues. Plenty of life filled the area lately, and bluefins last year gave up catches through October. A special trip for bonito and false albacore was sailing today. Check the boat’s Web site for the full schedule of canyon, bluefin and other trips. The Jamaica is also bluefishing at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and lots of the slammers were smoked during the weekend’s trips. Pool winners included Helay Vargas from Stewartsville with a 15-pounder. 

Drop-and-reel limits of sea bass on a trip Saturday, said Capt. Jerry from <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> in an e-mail. The trip, with six anglers, set up in 60 feet, and everyone hooked up, including double-headers. The baits got bites as soon as they hit bottom most of the day. Lots of shorts chewed, but so did plenty of keepers mixed in. Just had to weed through them.  Probably one keeper for every four or five shorts was hooked. The boat got moved around or shifted when action slowed down, “and then it started all over again,” he said. “Nice to see most spots … absolutely loaded with life.” All the anglers limited out on sea bass, and they totaled eight keeper porgies. Three keeper-sized, out-of-season fluke were let go. The weather was beautiful on the trip and also on another bottom trip on Sunday with five anglers. They also limited out on sea bass, drop-and-reel fishing most of the day once again. Five keeper blackfish, a limit for the group, a dozen porgies and three triggerfish were also angled in. A couple of keeper-sized fluke were tossed back. Some spots were heavy on short sea bass but with lots of keepers mixed in, and other spots turned out a better ratio of keepers. Great overall action and life at all places. The blackfish were bagged when the boat was moved to shallower waters, and the anglers broke out the crabs for bait. An open-boat bottom trip will sail Tuesday, and more open trips for the fishing will probably be scheduled. Charters are available, and give a buzz to climb aboard.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Tuna were smoked on a trip Saturday to Sunday  to Hudson Canyon on the <b>Sea Devil</b>! Cindy said in an e-mail. Every angler caught, and the trip came home with more than two dozen yellowfin tuna, one longfin tuna and some mahi mahi. “The tuna are in the Hudson!” she said. She was headed back out on a trip Sunday evening when she sent this report and promised to give results afterward. Contact the boat to reserve space on Thursday’s tuna trip, and see the vessel’s Web site for info and the full schedule. The Sea Devil is now fishing for tuna almost daily.

A mess of fish, mostly sea bass to 2 pounds, were boxed Sunday with <b>Reel Class Charters</b>, the report on the boat’s Web site said. But a dozen big porgies to 3 pounds and a 4-pound triggerfish were iced. The fishing wasn’t an all-out bail but was good. Catches began slowly at a couple of wrecks to the north, but the fishing kicked into full gear at rubble and debris a little farther north. The boat was drifted at first, because of zero winds and currents, and later was anchored when a breeze came up. But the fishing was better on the drift, so the hook was pulled, and the boat was drifted again, and catches rebounded. An incredible amount of life was around. Great trip and great day, Allen said.

<b>Seaside</b>

If anglers waited for blues to crash the surf this season, the wait was over! The report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s Web site said. Big blues drove adult bunker into the wash, and customers today weighed in 10 of the slammers from 9 to 17 pounds. Metal, swimmers, poppers, mullet and bunker caught them. Previously small blues roamed the wash, but the big blues seemed to chase them out.  “I wonder if we will see some bass come out of this?” the report asked. False albacore, Spanish mackerel and blowfish were beached lately, and mullet sometimes schooled along the shore. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

The weather and fishing was flat-out tough last week, but the weather became stellar by Sunday, said Capt. Steve from <b>Reel Fantasea Charters</b> in an e-mail. He and son Stephen, brother Ryan and brother-in-law Kenny got out that day, slamming crazy action with blowfish on Barnegat Bay. They kept a bunch, some of the best-tasting fish the bay offers. By Friday the northeast winds had let up enough for a 5-hour open-boat trip to fish the bay and Barnegat Inlet with three anglers. The fishing was slow, but one of the anglers capitalized on a short opportunity for striped bass, landing two on a couple of well-executed casts with artificials. A few bites were missed, and the fish  turned off like a light switch. Then they bottom fished, and one of the anglers quickly reeled aboard two blackfish, keeping one. The group kept fishing hard and hung in there, but the fish seemed to shut down the rest of the trip. Looking ahead, striped bass already seemed to appear early, and with all the baitfish clogging the bay, this fall’s fishing “should be another one for the books,” Steve said. Open trips or charters remain available on October 1, 2, 25, 29 and 30.

<b>Surf City</b>

The surf on the south end of Long Beach Island, like at South Beach Haven and Holgate, dished out kingfish and croakers, said Barbara from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. Fishbites artificial worms, real bloodworms and clams got the nibbles. Lots of small blues less than a pound traveled the surf, and big, 10- and 12-pounders tumbled into the suds one day a couple of weeks ago, and customers kept coming in for metal and tackle to catch them. Word was quiet about striped bass and weakfish. All the registration info arrived at the shop for the 55th annual Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic striper and bluefish tournament from October 10 to December 5.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

An awesome catch of sea bass, a bucket-load of triggerfish and some big porgies were lambasted Sunday with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, Capt. T.J. said. One in 10 of the sea bass was a keeper, but the fish were reeled in all day. Two spots are available on an open-boat bottom-fishing trip on Thursday. One of Legal Limits boats will be moved to Cape May in mid October for striped bass fishing like every year. But the other boat will remain in Tuckerton for charters.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Bluefin tuna began to return to 30 and 40 fathoms, said Capt. Tom from the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b>. Mako and thresher sharks started to get picked as they trekked south, too. At the canyons a load of white marlin, scattered yellowfin tuna and a few longfin tuna swam, and bigeye tuna began to be seen, because of cooling waters. False albacore could be trolled closer to the coast, and sea bass littered the reefs and wrecks. The wrecks were also loaded with tog, and a commercial boater kept finding a ton in the lobster pots, letting the blackfish go. All kinds of big blues were around. Tom will make an annual move to run trips from Cape May for striped bass fishing that should kick off around October 24. Tog trips will be mixed in beginning on November 16, when the limit gets hiked to six of the blackfish from the current limit of one.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Surf casters dragged in striped bass at sunrise and sunset, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Blues ran through the wash, and tog fishers could choose the blackfish they wanted to keep from along the jetties. Triggerfish hung around the same jetties, and occasional croakers, not a lot, showed up in the suds. But lots of croakers and weakfish, tons of weaks but all shorts, were boated on the ocean. Kingfish were sometimes claimed from the surf, and five or six was a good catch, unlike the couple of bucketfuls that made an impressive catch last year. The stripers chomped bloodworms, clam, mullet and eels, and the blues attacked mullet and spearing. The tog crunched mostly on green crabs but also on clams, and the triggerfish favored the same baits. A few mullet schooled along the shoreline, but more were seen during last week’s storm. The surf became a lot calmer than before. One Stop stocks all the baits mentioned and more.

<b>Margate</b>

A couple of wreck-fishing trips dusted up productive fishing for sea bass, blues, blackfish, porgies and triggerfish, a good variety, said Capt. Eric from <b>O-Beth Sportfishing</b>. The fishing’s been happening, and more keepers moved in than before, and O-Beth is concentrating on the bottom bouncing, and will add tuna fishing if those trips pick up. O-Beth will make the annual move to Cape May for fall striped bass fishing toward mid October. Keep an eye on <a href=" http://www.obethfishingcharters.com/" target="_blank">the boat’s Web site</a> for info about the trips that will be posted soon. Wreck-fishing and tuna fishing will continue from Cape May if the fishing is on, and tog charters will run from Cape May when the bag limit increases to six of the blackfish on November 16 from the current limit of one.

<b>Longport</b>

On the <b>Stray Cat</b> croakers and sea bass, “a nice catch,” Capt. Mike said, were swung aboard Sunday. The anglers first fished for sea bass in 70 feet then moved in for croakers in 55 feet. The weather was pleasant, but Saturday blew a gale, and the fishing was terrible in filthy waters on a trip for the same fish. Open-boat trips are bottom fishing daily for fish like this and other species such as weakfish when no charter is booked. But two open trips 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday will fish the offshore wrecks for jumbo sea bass in 150 feet, limited to 10 anglers. Ling could be mixed in, and call to climb aboard. Daily open trips will sail for tog starting November 16, when the bag limit increases to six of the blackfish from the current limit of one. That is a main event of the year on the Stray Cat, and the crew bills Longport as the Blackfish Capital of the World. Also coming up, the annual Cast and Blast Trips, a combo of fishing and duck hunting on the ocean, will begin around October 12. Catch blues, stripers and tog in the front of the boat, and gun for sea ducks in the back.

<b>Somers Point</b>

Croakers collected in 50 feet in the ocean off Margate, and sea bass grouped at the G.E. Reef, a fax from <b>Dolfin Dock</b> said. Mark Tietjen from Ocean City fished at the Ocean City Bridge, bagging a tog and two sizeable triggerfish that grabbed green crab.

Larger bluefish moved into Great Egg Inlet, chasing baitfish that piled up in the shallows, said T.C. from <b>Brennan Marine</b> in a fax. Top-water lures or big spoons like Kastmasters or Krocodiles got hit. Tog swam abundant at the bridges, getting caught almost exclusively on green crabs. Striped bass in the back bay mostly sucked in bait like clams or mackerel. But stripers in the ocean were trolled in 30 to 50 feet on Stretch lures. Although the weather was mostly inclement through the past week, a large variety of fish cooperated, when anglers could throw a line, and fall fishing really seemed to begin. Offshore trips were often weathered out, but Tom Little and crew on his Miss Chevious early in the week overnighted at Carteret Canyon, hauling in a 135-pound swordfish and a dozen or so mahi mahi from 12 o 18 pounds. They trolled Lindenkohl Canyon in the morning, going 2 for 5 on white marlin. Also early in the week Chris Jazmin and company on the Lori-A fished Carteret Canyon, going 2 for 2 on 70-pound yellowfin tuna and 2 for 2 on blue marlin, including one estimated to weigh 900 to 1,000 pounds, taking 1 ½ hours to land. They also went 0 for 2 on white marlin and beat 10 mahi mahi from 10 to 12 pounds.

<b>Ocean City</b>

A trip was weathered out because of winds on Saturday, but another fished in gorgeous weather on Sunday, said Capt. Craig from <b>Fish Tale Charters</b>. Winds calmed by Saturday afternoon. Croakers, blues and weakfish, including a half-dozen keeper weaks, were shoveled up from the ocean on Sunday’s trip. The boat was drifted from 40 to 50 feet, and the weaks were in the shallower waters, and the croakers were in the deeper. Squid got both fish to bite, but once blues were caught, some were stripped out for bait, and that attracted the bigger croakers and large weaks. The blues were fought on Hopkins jigs and swam all around the boat, lots of fun. Water temps dropped to 67 and 68 degrees from last week’s temps of 71 and 72. Craig was glad to see the water cooling to the 60s, because cooling waters eventually means that striped bass will migrate from up north. Fish Tale will keep sailing for the croakers, weaks and blues until striper season. The boat will be moved to Cape May in mid October like every year to begin trips for stripers, mostly fishing at the Cape May Rips with live eels or spots or bucktails. Later in the season stripers are sometimes caught along the ocean off Cape May, like on jigs while trips chase birds working the waters. A few dates are already booked, so now is a good time to lock in dates. Craig took advantage of the weather day on Saturday to prepare all the striper rods and tackle. Time to get excited about the linesiders.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Tons of fish—croakers, beautiful, big triggerfish to a huge one more than 5 pounds, weakfish including a couple of keepers, blues, sharks and herring—were clobbered on the ocean Sunday morning with Mike Spader Sr. and Jr. aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Fish bit all morning, lots of action, “wonderful,” Joe said, and the triggers, large fish, offered the best angling. Dustin Laricks jumped on deck in the afternoon for basically a repeat of the same mixed-bag catches. Seas were choppy in the morning, and the ocean was 70 degrees that day. Another trip plugged striped bass,  a healthy catch, on surface-popper lures on the back bay on Friday evening. That was the last day with high tides at dusk that are ideal for the popper fishing, a specialty for Jersey Cape on both lures and flies. But the tides will return, and plenty of the fish could be popped up at other times, but high tides at dusk offer more places to search. Joe expects surf fishing to amp up for stripers with poppers and lures along the jetties because of the colder nights lately. Mullet began to school along the beaches, and tons of bait including mullet, peanut bunker and everything filled the bay, waiting to migrate to the ocean. Joe heard about stripers dragged from the surf this weekend, and saw some of the fish that came from the wash, and the linesiders began to bite in different ways like on poppers and lures instead of the clams fished on the bottom that grab most hits in summer. Joe this week will begin to travel to Montauk to fish on weekends. He’s offering two types of traveling charters this month and next, including weekend trips to Montauk for the blitz of stripers, blues and false albacore until late October. If you’ve wanted to fish the migration at Montauk, here’s your chance. The other traveling trip will head to Martha’s Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts for fly-rodding for stripers on Columbus Day weekend. Back in Jersey, Joe is offering after-work special trips on the back bay from 4 p.m. to dark, a great time to fish, when nobody else is on the waters, and action can be best. Offshore charters are fishing from Sea Isle that troll for tuna, marlin or other big game during the mornings and cast bait, lures or flies to mahi at the lobster pots during the afternoons. Check out these cool YouTube videos of white marlin fishing with Jersey Cape this year: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

<b>Avalon</b>

One of the 46-hour offshore trips, the best trips this season because they allow time to move around, fished with <b>Over Under Adventures</b> from Friday to Sunday, the report on the boat’s Web site said. Nine yellowfin tuna and 20 mahi mahi to 40 pounds were heaved in. The trip began trolling at Toms Canyon with no results and moved to Hudson Canyon without a touch in the spread. Fishing was slow on anchor at the 100 Square at night in rough seas, tough conditions for angling, and one shark bit. In the morning mahi were trolled at the 100 Square. The boat was moved to the East Elbow, and the trip’s first tuna, a 65-pound yellowfin, was gaffed at 10 a.m. at a 1-degree temperature break with a weed line. Several more tuna and mahi were trolled on the warm, 73.5-degree side of the break, and the bigger fish came from the deeper waters in 1,800 feet. The area was worked the rest of the day, and 20- to 30-pound yellowfins were picked. The boat was anchored at the East Elbow at night until the trip returned home. On one of Over Under’s other boats, trips early last week produced 30- to 60-pound wahoos and several 20 to 30-pound yellowfins on the troll. At mid week the vessel fished on a trip at Wilmington Canyon, so the crew could try to find new results. Mahi, lots from 8 to 15 pounds and a few around 30 pounds, turned out great action on light tackle during the daytime. Night fishing was slow, but a swordfish was bagged. Blue sharks and plenty of sardines, tinker mackerel and squid schooled, and the bait was so thick at times that the anglers could hardly get a line down. Then the weather became difficult but improved by Saturday and Sunday, and the vessel fished on a trip farther south toward Baltimore Canyon. A couple of yellowfin tuna were found inshore, and one was landed among several bites at the Baltimore. At night dusky sharks were the worst ever, and 30 of the beasts from 80 to 200 pounds must’ve been caught, “crazy fun,” the report said, but other boaters complained about the same problem. Fishing in the morning produced little results. Waters were 75 degrees at first on the trip and 70 degrees by the end, pushing hard to the south and inshore. Both charters and open-boat trips are fishing offshore, and see Over Under’s Web site for the open schedule.

<b>Wildwood</b>

In the back bay, schoolie striped bass swam everywhere, mostly getting belted on outgoing tides on clams or top-water plugs, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. A few schoolies were beached from the surf in the past week, and small blues seemed all over the surf. Weakfish began to show up around the inlets, and the number of keeper sea bass began to increase at the ocean reefs. When the weather was calm enough for offshore boaters to sail, they scored healthy catches of small yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi and wahoos. Joey Finn, 13, from Hudson, N.Y., slam dunked a 161-pound bluefin tuna on a trip with his dad on Capt. John Sowerby’s Hooked Up II from Cape May. Many boaters mugged double-digit shots of white marlin at the canyons before the last nor’easter, and the fishing was alive. Crabby Jack gave crabbing three claws.

<b>Cape May</b>

Inshore trolling, no farther than 18 miles off, served up plenty of catches for <b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b> during the weekend, Capt. Ray said. Lots of bonito, false albacore, a few mahi mahi and sometimes sizeable bluefin tuna to 125 pounds were around. Waters were 70 to 73 degrees, and seas were rough. Jaftica will keep running the trips, and offshore trips are also coming up. Yellowfin tuna fishing seemed to connect for boats during the weekend at the canyons and a little inshore. Jaftica for the rest of the season is running a 38-foot Rampage for up to six passengers, instead of the 29-foot Topaz for up to four passengers the crew ran earlier in the year. Striped bass trips will probably begin in the third week of October, beginning with bunker-chunking on Delaware Bay. Next the fishing usually becomes best at the Cape May Rips, where the vessel’s charters fish with live bait or bucktails. Toward the end of the season the fishing sometimes becomes best along the ocean front, like while trips chase working birds and jig or troll. That action turned on last year, and does during some years.

A canyon overnighter for tuna was scrubbed Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, because of strong winds, Capt. George said. But trips on other boats that recently fished the blue waters sometimes rounded up yellowfin tuna and wahoos. Lots of wahoos seemed to bite off mono lines meant for tuna lately. Another offshore trip is coming up on the boat in the next week.  Striped bass charters usually begin in the third or fourth week of October, usually bunker-chunking on Delaware Bay at first. Then more of the fish typically move to the Cape May Rips, willing to pounce on live baits like eels or on bucktails, in November lately. In the late season the linesiders are also clammed, trolled or jigged along the ocean front.

A couple of keeper striped bass were weighed in from the surf, and beach anglers also landed and released a few shorts, said Jim from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Croakers schooled the ocean a mile inshore of the McCries Shoal buoy or 6 or 7 miles off Cape May Inlet. Sea bass were rustled in from the reefs. A fair number of yellowfin tuna were creamed at the tip of the Elephant Trunk, and mahi mahi and wahoos were also battled there. A few bluefin tuna seemed to gather at the East Lump. One angler fought a bluefin there for two hours on Saturday before the fish got off. Great catches of white marlin got waxed in 40 to 50 fathoms between Baltimore and Poorman’s canyons.

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