<b>Staten Island</b>

Sea bass gave up plenty of action, and enough keepers to 2 ½ pounds swam around to make the fishing worthwhile, and loads of porgies to 3 pounds, big fish, were pounded, said Capt. Anthony from <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b> in an e-mail. Two spaces are available Friday for a sea bass and porgy trip. New York’s blackfish season opens on October 1, one week from today, and Barbara Anne will be on them. During the first two weeks more sea bass than blackfish will bite, but the blacks will turn on as waters cool. When that happens, blackfish weighing in the double digits will not be uncommon. The tog fishing heats up and can remain strong through mid January. Now is the time to book blackfishing, and don’t get shut out when the fishing takes off. Check availability on the boat’s <a href=" http://www.bafishingcharters.com/html/fishing_calendar.html
" target="_blank">calendar</a>. Rigs, sinkers and white crabs are supplied at no charge. Don’t have enough anglers for a full charter? Call Anthony, because he can probably schedule space on a trip with others. Barbara Anne pays bridge tolls with a receipt.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Catches of blues on bait and jigs were on as soon as the <b>Fishermen</b> came back on anchor Wednesday, and lasted all day, Capt. Ron said in the report on the boat’s Web site. A couple of the anglers switched to bottom fishing when they became tired of blues, pumping in sea bass and porgies to top off their buckets. The trips will switch to striped bass fishing as soon as the linesiders turn on, and will go after other fish until then. 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. Saturdays and Sundays.

Mostly porgies, good-sized ones and predominantly keepers, were shoveled up on the <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. But sea bass, a few sizeable keepers and lots of shorts, and an occasional blackfish were also wrangled in. No triggerfish were seen since Monday or so. After a bunch of fish were boated on Sunday’s trips, covered in the last report, Monday morning’s trip was slower, with a few fish coming over the rails, but not like on Sunday. But the afternoon’s trip bounced back with good catches, and both trips on Tuesday also produced lots. Wednesday morning’s fishing was slow, and the afternoon’s catches were slower yet. So some trips were slow, and others were pretty darn good, but everyone landed fish to take home, even on the slow trips. There was no apparent reason for the slow fishing, and fish were marked, but fewer bit than the machine read. Trips fished between the channels off Sandy Hook and a little at Scotland.  The weather was beautiful, a little breezy in the afternoons. “Now we’re being spoiled with this weather,” Tom said. 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.

The channels gave up striped bass on worms and eels, and the surf served up the linesiders on plugs in the early mornings like at 3 or 4, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. A few could be pulled from the surf during the day on clams. Bluefish and false albacore hit the suds Wednesday from Sea Bright on up to the north. Stripers and blues swam the rivers, and the stripers will swipe live or dead peanut bunker, worms or, at night, rubber shads. They’ll start to be eeled now, too. Lots of small porgies littered the rocks and structure in the bay. Nothing was heard about weakfish except occasional ones boated along the ocean beaches. Bottom fishing made off with good catches of porgies and sea bass, and ling could always be landed at the Mudhole. Bluefish were chummed at the Mud Buoy. Bluefin tuna were beaten on the inshore ocean. Crabbing was great.

<b>Highlands</b>

With <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> striped bass could be eeled or wormed at night, Capt. Derek said. He had a spot to himself that he kept unnamed. Tons of blues could be drilled, and bottom fishing could snatch up plenty of porgies, a few sea bass and sometimes blackfish that began to chew. Bluefin tuna kept biting, but a trip got weathered out last weekend, and a northeast blow looked like it would force another to be cancelled this weekend. The fish were reportedly located more around the Chicken Canyon lately, but the coming blow could make them move.

Waters around the Chicken Canyon and Atlantic Princess wreck kept holding bluefin tuna, and a buddy scored well on the fish this week on sardines and Shimano butterfly jigs, said Capt. Brian from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b>. A trip with Jersey Devil put a beating on the tuna Sunday, covered in the last report. Jersey Devil is sailing for the bluefins on charters and open-boat trips, and call if interested in the open trips, because the more who want to go, the easier the trips are to schedule. Farther from shore, boats running for tuna at the canyons sometimes got shots at yellowfins but would go back to the same place and find the fish gone. A friend on a canyon trip Sunday to Monday scored a small yellowfin tuna, landed two white marlin and pulled the hook on a blue marlin. Another friend at the canyons recently bailed 13 yellowfins including a half-dozen 80-pounders. He returned to the same place the next day and went 2 for 3 on yellowfins.

<b>Neptune</b>

Bluefin tuna became scarce on an overnight trip Wednesday to Thursday, and not even a runoff was scored, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. Everyone he spoke with who fished the area fared the same, and Ralph couldn’t know whether the fishing would bounce back. All the bait including sand eels filled the waters. A trip with Last Lady on Saturday limited out on the bluefins and released more, covered in the last report. An individual-reservation, offshore wreck-fishing trip is slated for Tuesday, October 13, that should club cod, pollock, ling, big sea bass and porgies. The last trip put anglers on good catches including a 27-pound pollock, cod to 15 pounds and big ling. Blues covered the wreck, or the fishing would’ve been better yet. An individual-reservation, inshore trip is on the books for Wednesday, October 14, for blues, striped bass, sea bass, porgies and blackfish. Last Lady copped plenty of catches this week while bluefishing and while sailing for sea bass and porgies.

<b>Belmar</b>

Porgies, big fish, were whaled the past five or six days on the <b>Big Mohawk</b>. “Really, really good,” Capt. Chris said. Sea bass were also reeled in. “Not great, but decent,” he said. Patrons limited out on sea bass on some days, and fishing for the knotheads wasn’t as “sharp” on others. But fish catches were good overall on trips, and they targeted the fish in 30 to 60 feet. Light leaders made a difference for catching both, and Chris recommends that anglers purchase on the boat rigs with leaders and hooks that work well. The Big Mohawk is bottom fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

On the <b>Nan Sea J</b> a trip returned to the bluefin tuna grounds on Wednesday, going 1 for 3, Capt. Tom said. Not a great catch, but at least a fish in the box, a 40- or 50-pounder, one of two bluefins allowed for the bag limit, and better than when bluefish invaded the area during the weekend. Boaters, including on the Nan Sea J, got covered up by blues on the grounds during the weekend, making the fishing difficult, but that didn’t seem to be a problem for anglers on this day. The trip fished near the Atlantic Princess wreck, and lots of false albacore swam around. The sardines, the baits that were fished, scored many bites and runoffs that never came tight, for some reason. Maybe that was from the albies. But otherwise not much life filled the waters, but seas and the day were gorgeous. So the bluefin fishing looked like it was holding up, and the Nan Sea J is running open-boat trips for them every Wednesday, and call to climb aboard. Three or four anglers committed to next week’s trip, and a few spaces were left. The Nan Sea J is also bottom fishing, bluefishing and running overnight canyon trips for tuna.

Joe Kemp’s group on Tuesday with <b>Last One Charters</b> steamed 55 miles from shore for bluefin tuna fishing, going 2 for 4 on the fish, including one that could be kept, Capt. Rob said. Both of the bluefins landed were in the smaller slot-size limit, so one had to be released, because the limit is one in the smaller slot in one in a larger slot. Lots of false albacore and a few skipjacks and bluefish were cranked in, and all the fish were taken on bait. Plenty of life, including a pod of dolphins and some whales, filled the clear waters, and the charter left the fish biting, because one of the anglers had to return. Rob sailed that far offshore to try to avoid bluefish that were reported abundant previously, but then ended up moving inshore to catch the fish. The bluefins seemed to keep moving, because he tried a spot where a friend caught the tuna, but no tuna were there. A trip with Dave Young’s group limited out on bluefish and released more 10 miles from shore on Wednesday night. A charter with Sam from Harrisburg and buddies also limited out on blues and released more 10 miles from shore on Saturday afternoon. The blues on both trips were 4 to 10 pounds, mostly 8 to 10 pounds, and all were hooked on bait in a chum slick. On Saturday morning Bob Ferry’s group on the boat headed out at 5:30 a.m., but the Railroad Bridge was down on Shark River until 8 a.m., when they were finally able to leave. They muscled in 30 blues and added a few porgies, sea bass and blackfish, including two keeper blacks, to the catch.

Daytime fishing on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> pancaked lots of blues, a bunch of false albacore and occasional striped bass, Capt. Alan said. Nighttime fishing on the boat waffled plenty of blues. The boat had been running a weekly trip for bluefin tuna on the inshore ocean but will now stick with the bluefish trips. Anglers on the last bluefin trip, sailing last week on Wednesday, landed 25 of the tuna, keeping a limit of two and releasing the rest. False albacore and bonito were also fought. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily through Columbus Day weekend. Afterward the trips will run Wednesdays through Saturdays. Trips are sailing for blues 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily.

<b>Update, 9/25:</b> Surf anglers battled false albacore this morning, and anglers fishing from the inlet got them again early this afternoon, said Jessie from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Striped bass, mostly shorts but sometimes a keeper, sometimes started to be pulled from the surf, mostly on plugs and flies but occasionally on clams. Bluefish popped in and out of the suds, blitzing the beaches a couple of times during the week. On Shark River snapper blues were nabbed, and a few porgies were plucked from along Shark River Inlet. Jessie saw no blackish at the shop, but a few were supposedly picked at the bridges and inlet. On the party boats lots of blues were walloped, and bottom-fishing went well, mostly for porgies and sea bass. Sometimes trips ran across a pile of porgies and really cleaned up. The bottom trips also came up with a few blackfish, and a 12-1/2-pound was reportedly clobbered on the Big Mohawk on Thursday.

<b>Brielle</b>

At the reefs sea bass were smoked on the <b>Big Kid</b>, “dead-on hot!” Capt. Ken said. One in three was a keeper, and big porgies were in the mix. No triggerfish came up, but Ken heard from others who boated triggers. A bluefin tuna trip is slated for Saturday, and more sea bass trips are booked for Sunday and Monday. A friend fished Hudson Canyon this week, chunking small yellowfin tuna and a mess of mahi mahi. The Big Kid is also canyon fishing.

Two overnight canyon trips sailed on the <b>Jamaica</b> Tuesday and Wednesday, and fishing was best Wednesday night, when more than 20 yellowfin tuna were iced, and a lot more tuna were read than the crew had seen all season, an e-mail from the boat said. The crew on the trips also heard about longfin tuna taken. On Tuesday the outing was a Special Tuna, Tilefish and Mahi Mahi Trip, so the boat first stopped at the lobster pots for mahi, but the fishing was slow. The anglers switched to tilefishing, and 80 tiles to 12 pounds were toggled in on several drifts. The boat was anchored at 6 p.m., and the anglers began to chunk for tuna. A large hammerhead and small swordfish were first caught and released. At 1:45 a.m. a 110-pound sword was bagged. Tuna schooled under the boat shortly afterward, and one yellowfin was landed. At 3 a.m. tuna schooled under the boat again, and three yellowfins were landed. A few bites were had the rest of the night, and then the boat moved inshore, and Dennis Mulhenforth from Hockessin, Del., heaved in a bluefin tuna. On Wednesday’s trip, a regular canyon tuna trip, the boat was anchored at the same place as the previous night in 600 feet. Tuna schooled under the vessel at 1:40 a.m. from 50 to 110 feet down. Three yellowfins were landed, and a few were lost, and a small sword was let go. At 3 a.m. tuna returned under the boat, and never left. About 20 more yellowfins were bagged, mostly on jigs. Frank Graziano from Delaware limited out on yellowfins and boated a 100-pound sword. Steve DeBoar from Oakland and Bob Knemoller from Toms River limited out on yellowfins, and Dan Gregory from Howell caught two.  Canyon trips are scheduled through October, and an inshore trip for bluefin tuna is on the books for 3 a.m. Sunday. Visit the boat’s Web site for the full schedule of trips.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

The <b>Sea Devil</b> turned around and headed right back to Hudson Canyon for an overnight tuna trip Sunday to Monday after shellacking more than two dozen yellowfin tuna there on a trip the previous night, covered in the last report. On the Sunday to Monday trip lots of life continued to fill the canyon, Cindy said in an e-mail. A fair catch of yellowfins was drilled, but big mahi mahi, 30 of the fish, made up most of the catch. The beautiful mahi, many of them larger than 6 pounds, were seen swimming all around the 74-degree waters. Glen Ward from Summit bagged two yellowfins, and  Eric Laughlin, “Arkansas Louie,”  from Harrison, Arkansas, scored two and lost one. The Sea Devil is fishing the canyons almost daily, and check <a href="the web link goes in here" target="_blank">the boat’s tuna calendar</a> for availability.

Bottom-fishing trips picked away at sea bass, porgies, a few triggerfish and occasional blackfish on the <b>Norma K</b>, Capt. Matt said. Nightime trips for blues slammed 5- to 15-pounders, excellent catches, “mayhem!” he said. The Norma K is bottom-fishing twice daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eventually, sometime in October, one ¾-day trip, instead of two half-day trips, will run for the bottom dwellers daily. The trips will switch to tog fishing on November 16, when the bag limit increases to six of the blackfish from the current limit of one. Bluefishing trips are sailing 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

Anglers on a trip Sunday wanted constant action, so off they went for bottom fishing, tackling 68 sea bass, 12 porgies, 10 small blues, a 29-inch striped bass, a triggerfish and a croaker for the box, said the report on <b>Andreas Toy Charters</b> Web site. But they only kept sea bass a half-inch over the size limit, wanting the larger fish. At the first stop the charter scored drop-and-reel fishing for sea bass, lots of shorts, but “definitely enough keepers,” the report said. Afterward they searched for big fish, but the pieces were loaded with shorts. But they came back with a real mixed bag. “Nice day out!” the report said. A split charter shoved off for a canyon overnighter on Monday, making great time to the waters. Mahi mahi were first light-tackled at a lobster pot, and then the anglers deep-dropped for a dozen tilefish. The boat went on the troll, and nothing bit, but trolling allows the crew to scope out a spot to spend the night. Right before dark, a scene from the Discovery Channel broke out: yellowfin tuna skyrocketing out of the waters! The boat was anchored, and a yellowfin was landed within minutes. Squid schooled through the chunk slick, but then marker balls approached, and the trip got covered up with longline gear. The gear had been seen on the troll but drifted unexpectedly to the boat. The anglers were forced to leave the fish biting. The boat was drifted, and two more yellowfins were boated through the night. In the morning more mahi mahi to 10 pounds were reeled in, and then the trip moved inshore to look for bluefin tuna and pollock at the wrecks. Divers were on the wrecks the crew preferred, and tons of false albacore and bluefish tore up the waters where the anglers fished instead. Andrea’s Toy is bottom-fishing, fishing the inshore grounds for bluefin tuna and pollock and heading to the canyons for tuna and other fish including mahi and tiles.

Big blues were plundered on Tuesday once again on the <b>Cock Robin</b>, an e-mail from the boat said. The fish were found to the north, and most chomped bait, but some attacked jigs. A false albacore and bonito trip was a success on Wednesday, and mostly albies were nailed, but bonito made a brief appearance. Another false albacore and bonito trip will sail this coming Wednesday.  The Cock Robin is fishing for blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. On Thursday trips, customers can help donate fish to Joan Valentine House, providing meals to people. Captain Jim’s Camp Cock Robin for kids, limited to 12 anglers, featuring a dedicated mate for the youngsters, is under way every holiday.

Sea bass and porgies, lots of them, a good catch, got swung aboard on trips on the <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Willie said. Other fish like a few blackfish, including pool-winning blacks, and even croakers and weakfish were mixed in. The croakers and weakfish were hung the past two days, and the weaks included quite a few keepers 13 to 15 inches. Sometimes small weaks can come through in the early season. Those two fish came from 40- to 50-foot depths, and the sea bass and porgies came from 60 feet. The ocean was cooling slowly and was probably in the high 60s. But the fall migration of fish was on, and didn’t depend on water temps so much as shorter days and longer nights or the season. On the vessel’s bluefishing trips, sailing at night on Fridays and Saturdays, lots of the fish were whacked.  The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily and is bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

<b>Toms River</b>

Surf fishers banked big blues, tackling them on mullet, fresh bunker, plugs or poppers, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Phil Lagrossa checked in an 18-pound 6-ouncer this week. Nobody mentioned finding striped bass in the wash, but skates and sea robins were beached. Croakers are usually lifted from the surf at this time of the year but now mostly seemed absent, except for a few found at Barnegat Inlet and Barnegat Bay at the BI and BB markers. But ocean boaters mentioned no croakers. Sea bass were coolered at the ocean reefs and Barnegat Ridge. Also in the bay, blowfish were collected, and kingfish just seemed to disappear. A few weakfish were hooked in the early mornings and evenings at the clam stakes at Berkeley Island Park on sandworms, Rat-L-Traps and Fin-S Fish, and Jeff heard about some reeled in from around the Mantoloking Bridge on the bay farther north. Customers only talked about occasional striped bass landed on the bay, and they mentioned a few more angled up from the Toms River. Jeff heard about five stripers to 22 inches that were wormed on a trip on the river while the anglers fished for white perch. But the perch fishing was slow, and the waters were warm. Perch fishing should pick up soon, because signs of fall fishing were happening, like mullet that schooled the bay and lagoons. No mullet seemed to swim the surf so far. Lots of peanut bunker schooled the bay. Snapper blues were around in the bay. Crabbing was good, and one customer busheled out on a 6-hour trip.

<b>Seaside</b>

A scattered pick of blues came from the surf, said the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>. Not a lot of anglers fished the beaches, so reports were in short supply, too. But big blues slammed the surf earlier in the week, and popper lures, metal, mullet and bunker caught them. Blues weighed in on Tuesday ranged from 10 to 14 pounds, for example. No striped bass were heard about from the surf, but some could probably be searched out, and clams would be a bait to toss.  <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

<b>Forked River</b>

Tons of blowfish flooded Barnegat Bay at places such as around the 40 buoy and the BI and BB markers and Barnegat Inlet, said Dave from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>.  Anchor the boat, drop a chum log to the bottom and fish with small pieces of clam or squid right next to the chum. Weakfish were taken here and there on the bay on sandworms or lures like Fin-S Fish. Kingfish seemed scarcer in the bay than before but were around, mixed in with the other fish. Small blues traveled the bay, and a few small striped bass were landed along the Barnegat Inlet rocks, probably on lures including black Bombers or on clams.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

In the surf a few small striped bass to 28 and 32 inches were banked, said Basil from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. Most were hooked on clams, but fresh bunker could be used and became available at the shop, especially for Saturday’s annual World Series of Surf Fishing Tournament, hosted by the Long Beach Island Fishing Club. Registration is from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. on the day of the tournament at the club’s headquarters in Harvey Cedars. A few blues, mostly cocktails, tumbled through the surf, and big, monster blues showed up in the wash at Seaside. Blackfishing was incredible, probably the best-ever, along the jetty rocks. A few kingfish and croakers that had previously swum along southern LBI now popped up on the northern end. In Barnegat Bay boaters anchored and chummed for blowfish, porgies and kingfish. Weakfish were sporadically caught in the bay, and boaters supposedly jigged and clammed small weaks mixed with croakers at Barnegat Inlet’s south pocket.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

Quite a few bottom fish were wrestled up Saturday on the <b>Miss Beach Haven</b>, Capt. Frank said. Sea bass, lots of triggerfish, big porgies and a couple of blackfish were waxed. Sunday’s trip pounded out a similar catch including big blackfish plus croakers. The Miss Beach Haven is bottom-fishing 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and charters are available. The open-boat trips will switch to blackfishing on November 16, when the bag limit is increased to six of the tog from the current limit of one. A special trip will bottom-fish 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Columbus Day, Monday, October 12.

A half-day trip with a family with a 6-year-old and a 3-1/2-year-old angled in a few blues on the <b>June Bug</b> a half-mile from shore on Saturday, Capt. Lindsay said. A sand shark was also cranked in, and the kids got a kick out of that. The blues, 1- or 1-1/2-pounders, hung out near Little Egg Inlet in the past weeks. Trips on the June Bug fought them on Clark spoons and on hand-carved birds that a friend makes that come with two small, 3-inch skirts with a hook in the second skirt that work well. Trips are also bottom fishing for sea bass, and the fishing lately was hit or miss or picky. The boat is also fishing offshore for tuna. Tuna fishing at the canyons was also hit or miss lately, and some boats came across a few, but the angling wasn’t “slam bang.” Sometimes yellowfin tuna were caught, and a few longfin tuna were around. The yellowfins were either small or 60, 70 or 80 pounds. But the problem was that if you don’t go, you don’t catch. “That’s the guarantee on that,” Lindsay said.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Croakers swam plentiful in 50 feet in the ocean, and around the Rutgers buoys was a place to start looking, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. One angler said that so many of the hardheads, 1-1/2-pounders, bit on a trip, the fishing became boring. Scott’s neighbor caught them during the weekend and dropped off some for dinner. The fish taste best fresh, and don’t freeze so well. Someone on the radio during the weekend talked about landing a combo of croakers and weakfish, just barely keeper weaks, in 45 feet, and that was the only word about weaks in the ocean. Nobody talked about finding weaks in the bay, but Marshelder Channel last year held a phenomenal number at this time. Weaks this year already showed up at Marhshelder weeks ago but disappeared after the 5-inch rain. But lots of bait currently swam the area, and looking for weaks there might be worth a try. Blowfish,  lots of them, were thick in some areas including Great Bay, Tuckerton Bay, in the Fish Factory area and off East Sedge and West Sedge islands, and that was  the big news from the bay. A bunch of tog could be found along the ledge off the Coast Guard Station and the Fish Factory, and double-anchoring is best to stay on the ledge, not easy to do. Few kings were around in the bay, and no spots seemed in the waters. One customer talked about a shot of spots somewhere near Brigantine. No grass shrimp are stocked, but the time is probably here for Scott to catch them to keep supplied, because anglers asked for them, the favorite white perch bait. Perch seemed to be caught, but sounded like most anglers ran for them to the south someplace, like maybe Mays Landing, but Scott was unsure. The supply of all the rest of the usual baits was in good shape, including minnows, fresh clams and green crabs.

<b>Port Republic</b>

Angling for striped bass began to improve, with a few, only a few, socked on the Mullica River, said Violet from <b>Chestnut Neck Boat Yard</b>. She saw no keepers, but at least the fish started to become more active. A few were also boated on the ocean off Brigantine. Croakers schooled the local ocean. Kingfish were claimed on Great Bay, and neither weakfish nor blues were seen at the shop in a while. White perch could always be yanked from the river. Live eels, fresh clams, bloodworms and frozen baits are stocked.

<b>Absecon</b>

A push of blues entered the bay, if anyone wanted a fight, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Not a whole lot was going on, as anglers waited for the fall migration of fish to bust loose, and that should start in a couple of weeks. But the blues came in, and no weakfish seemed to swim the bay since the last storm, but they usually come in with the blues, so anglers hoped they’d pop up. Lots of tog hovered along the Brigantine Bridge and the surf jetties. Striped bass fishing was mostly a night game, like along the bridges on live spots or eels. Fishing for striped bass somewhat picked up in the surf and for boaters in the ocean, but anglers had to hunt for them. Croakers could be boated along the ocean front, and a few might’ve appeared in the surf and at Absecon Inlet. Kingfish were in the surf and along the sea wall and the jetties at Absecon Inlet, and fewer held in the bay. A few live mullet are stocked, and Dave is looking for them every day, but not many are around. Plenty of live peanut bunker are carried and are filling the bay. Live spots that come from elsewhere are stocked, and spots are scarce locally, but Dave heard that some hung around Cape May. Only occasional shedder crabs are on hand, like a dozen that a commercial crabber dropped off.

<b>Brigantine</b>

The surf exploded with kingfish! said the report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site. The site on Sunday started reporting heavy kingfishing happening in the wash.  Not every place turned them out, “but if you are in the right spot, you will know it!” the site said. Double-headers were sometimes a rule, and the fishing sometimes held up at a steady pace. On Tuesday anglers called the shop to report catches all day from Brigantine’s north end. But steady catches also came from the South End at times. Bloodworms caught them better than Fishbites artificial worms did, and if anglers landed blues, cutting them up for bait also worked. Blues, spots and croakers also came from the wash for a smorgasbord of catches.

<b>Longport</b>

A slew of sea bass could be cornered along with big porgies in 70 feet, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>.  Trips on the boat hit them first then come inshore to round up weakfish when they’re around. Blues are also bombed on trips. Open-boat trips sail daily for the fishing. “If you’re waiting for the Eagles to win, better come go fishing!” he said. The Eagles game is played on the radio on the boat every Sunday. 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. . Daily, open trips for tog will start November 16, when the bag limit gets jacked up to six of the blackfish from the current limit of one. The crew bills Longport as the Blackfish Capital of the World.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Lots of blues, fish from 8 inches to 2 ½ pounds,  ran the surf, inlets and back bay, said Ed from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Striped bass fishing had picked up in the wash and bay last week but slowed in the last days, and water temps rose. Ed hooked good catches in the surf last week on top-water lures and soft plastics in the mornings and evenings. Still, a few stripers were landed from shore this week. On the bay the stripers had been responding well to top-waters, swimming plugs and soft plastics. Few anglers fished for them with bait, and bait seemed less productive. Kingfish were picked from the surf, but the angling was inconsistent. Ocean boaters located croakers, small blues and weakfish in 30 to 50 feet. The only news about offshore catches was that an amazing white marlin bite turned on, and a few yellowfin tuna were mixed in, to the south around Poorman’s Canyon.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Along the surf better numbers of kingfish, small ones but some bigger ones too, finally started to appear, said Zazz from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. They were largely a no-show in the summer when they’d normally come in. Striped bass were occasionally plugged in the suds, and blues that were bigger than before or 2 to 3 pounds started to swim Townsend’s Inlet. That was because mullet began to enter from the bay.

Croakers crammed the ocean in 40 to 50 feet, and weakfish, blues and triggerfish hung around there too, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Anglers on board decked them, and tides were off for surface-popper fishing for striped bass with lures and flies. But the tides, high tides at dusk, an ideal time for the fishing, will return next week, and the great catches that charters hammered will return. The stripers can be nabbed at other times, but those conditions are tops. Tides were currently high at night, the best conditions for striper fishing along the bridges. Joe’s anglers fish at the bridges with plugs like black Bombers and flies like black Seaducers and Deceivers on a slow retrieve. Striped bass sometimes began to be beached in the surf, and Joe would work poppers along the jetties at dawn and dusk. He’s headed to Montauk this week to begin weekend trips for the legendary migration of stripers, blues and false albacore through October, offering charters on the trips. If you’ve wanted to fish the Montauk run, here’s your chance. He’ll offer charters on another traveling trip to Martha’s Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts for fly-rodding for stripers on Columbus Day weekend. Back in Jersey, Jersey Cape is sailing on 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.

<b>Wildwood</b>

The ocean wrecks served up a bunch of sea bass, triggerfish and blues, good fishing, on the <b>Adventurer</b>, Capt. Gary said. Plenty of catches should keep being bagged whenever the weather allows trips to sail. Trips got out Saturday and Sunday and are running Fridays through Sundays. A few croakers were also plucked when the boat ran across marks, stopping on them on the way to the wrecks. Gary had talked about probably running a few trips exclusively for bigger blues when those fish invade waters close to shore. The fish usually come in to the coast when cold spells begin to arrive. That triggers baitfish to leave the bays and hug the coast on the migration, and the blues move in from offshore to attack. 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.

The back bay was full of sea bass, including a few keepers, not many, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. Striped bass began to bite more often in the bay, and a friend landed three. Out-of-season flounder were caught and released on the bay, and the flounder run was healthy all year. The season was late for them to stay in the bay, and that seemed to show the sheer numbers of the fish. Fishing for them is traditionally best in the warm, shallow bay in April and May, earlier than some of the state, and typically lasts until July. But to see them in the waters in late September was something. Blues might pop up here or there on the bay, and the snappers had come through in a larger population but then left. But they could return. An occasional weakfish might be picked from the bay, but the trout were mostly gone from the waters. More seemed to roam Delaware Bay, and a photo in the newspaper showed an angler with a limit of big ones from there. Crabbing in the local bay was average, usually giving up 1 ½ to 2 dozen keepers per trip. Crabbing seemed to slow a little in the past days, but that happens, and usually rebounds, and probably will in the next days or by the weekend maybe. 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 $24 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 be open through the first week of October and maybe the second week before closing through winter.

<b>Cape May</b>

A buddy beat a solid catch of sea bass on Sunday, returned to the wreck the next day and got them again, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. The bottom fishing was happening, but boats had to target a wreck not pounded by other vessels already. Bluefish could be nailed, and they’ll stick around to mid November. A canyon tuna trip will be weathered out this coming weekend, and all were cancelled because of forecasts the past several weekends. The Heavy Hitter’s first striped bass trip will fish October 24. Charters are available for all of this fishing, and give a call if interested.

Beach anglers started to drag in a few striped bass, mostly shorts but sometimes a keeper, including a 31-incher, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Most were hooked on clams, but fresh bunker will start to be stocked any day. Speaking of bunker, a report came in about a striper bunker-chunked on Delaware Bay, where the menhaden is the go-to bait for the linesiders. The season was early for stripers both in the surf and the bay, but things were starting. Small blues, like 1- to 2-pounders at Poverty Beach, sometimes ran through the surf. Sharpies could always bag their one-fish limit of tog along the jetties on green crab, and the greenies should be stocked for the weekend. Boaters could probably find blues around Cape May Point, but the main story on boats was that croakers and triggerfish could be caught at Wildwood Reef. Few weakfish were around, but some could probably be plucked far up Delaware Bay toward the 1 buoy if anglers fished shedder crabs or bloodworms. Snapper blues could be angled from the back bay, and striped bass could be popper-plugged in the back at dawn and dusk. Nighttime fishing for stripers in the back was especially productive on lures like Fin-S Fish or Storms worked around the bridges, and Nick heard about anglers who landed up to eight per trip. Little was heard about offshore fishing, and one report talked about a healthy catch of yellowfin tuna at the Elephant Trunk, but the fishing sounded hit or miss.

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