This report was posted on a Tuesday instead
of the usual Monday because of Labor Day.

<b>Staten Island</b>

Sea bass fishing will be next up on trips with <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b>, now that fluke season is closed, Capt. Anthony said. The lumpheads can be anywhere from tight to shore to off a little, and catching them is a matter of looking and working. Porgies were also around, but there was less demand for porgy fishing. New York’s tog season opens October 1, and then combo trips, including open-boat outings, will go after sea bass and tog. When tog fishing entirely kicks in, the boat’s anglers will exclusively hunt them down.

<b>Keyport</b>

A trip searched for weakfish and found none on Saturday from Princess Bay to the Verrazano Bridge, said Capt. “Shamrock” Eddie Coleman from <b>April Ann Charters</b>. However, other anglers began to hook a few on the bay Sunday. There weren’t enough to target on a charter, but if more move in, April Ann will get after them. In the meantime, charters will concentrate on sea bass and porgies. Both fish were around, and so were a few triggerfish. Bluefish schooled everywhere from the bay to the ocean. A short trip on Friday, the final day of fluke season, took a last stab at the flatties, rounding up a couple of keepers. But the tide was slack, creating no drift. Striped bass trips will probably begin during the first week of October, and the linesiders were already hooked at night. Those were resident or non-migrating fish, and migrating stripers will arrive later in the season.

All the talk at the shop was about frustration that most anglers felt about the fluke season closing, said Chris from <b>Crabby’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Some big flatties were checked in during the final day of the season. Big Tommy Silver smacked an 11-1/2-pounder near the Ammo Pier on fresh peanut bunker. Robert Neilsen pulled up an 8-pounder from the Keyport bulkhead while fishing a chunk of mackerel. Bob Plath dredged up a 7.8-pounder near the S.P. can while dunking a killie and Gulp combo. Lots of porgies moved onto the rock piles in the bay, and most were small, but the action was great. The reef and rocks off Sandy Hook gave up better-sized ones, and lots of reports rolled in about good-sized sea bass taken from there. Jimmy T. Larson bagged five sea bass to 4.3 pounds and 15 porgies around Old Orchard Light on sandworms and squid. Mixed reports came in about weakfishing, mostly from Chapel Hill Channel and around the West Bank. Paul Gilford limited out on six and landed eight quality sea bass at Chapel Hill on sandworms and a C&C Rig. Bluefish swarmed all over the Keyport area and should stick around. Loads of snapper blues were pummeled from the Keyport pier and bulkhead on poppers or small spearing. Spearing and peanut bunker filled the waters around Keyport. Crabbing was great and had to be the best since the store opened 10 years ago.

<b>Port Monmouth</b>

The Pinky group from Pennsylvania took the year’s last shot at fluke with <b>Parksea Fishing Charters</b> on Wednesday, Capt. Justin said. They fished the bay, because of a swell on the ocean, bagging two or three keepers among decent action on shorts. Parksea will now fish the wrecks, reefs and rock piles for porgies, sea bass and blackfish, and that fishing went well last year on the boat. Hefty porgies and sea bass were currently around, and blackfishing will amp up as waters cool.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Bottom-fishing kicked off on the <b>Atlantic Star</b> on Saturday, after fluke trips ended, and Capt. Tom was pleased with the bottom catches all in all, and patrons went home with fish, he said. One trip was slow because of rough weather, but the others wrangled up mostly porgies with sea bass, triggerfish and a few blackfish mixed in. Trips fished close to port, mostly in the ocean just around Sandy Hook Point, and once in the bay during the rough weather. Okay catches were made on both the morning and afternoon trips Saturday. Seas were a little bumpy on Sunday morning’s trip, but a catch was able to be put together. On the afternoon trip 20- to 25-knot east/southeast winds in an outgoing tide created nasty conditions, so the trip stayed in the bay, rather than let customers get beaten up. Fishing was difficult on the trip, but that was weather-related. Seas were a little bumpy on Monday morning’s trip, but customers caught, mostly porgies with some sea bass and a few triggerfish. Seas were less rough on the afternoon trip, and the anglers creamed another catch, including mixed sizes of porgies, a few large sea bass, some short sea bass, no triggerfish and a couple of blackfish. 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. Clams are provided for bait, and sometimes Tom will recommend that anglers bring their own sandworms, but that was unnecessary at the moment, because the clams worked fine. The boat will switch to blackfishing when the bag limit increases to six of the tog on November 16 from the current limit of one.

<b>Highlands</b>

Fluke charters, the final ones of the season, saw lots of action, but the keeper ratio was low, said Capt. Bob from <b>Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures</b> in an e-mail. Still, the James family culled 15 keepers to 26 inches out of a ton of shorts, and Paul Sims and friends boated 12 keepers to 24 ½ inches. The Schwartz family put a beating on slammer blues to 14 pounds at the Shrewsbury Rocks. Now that fluke season is closed, full-day, half-day and evening trips will target striped bass, weakfish, blues and bottom fish, and good dates remain. The stripers are biting worms and eels in the evenings.

Capt. Brian from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> took a trip that fished on another boat, the Shark Byte, from Saturday to Sunday from Hudson Canyon to Toms Canyon, then hit the bluefin tuna grounds on the way home, he said. Nothing much happened at the canyons, except that a blue marlin bit but never got hooked. No fish showed up at night on the chunk. At the canyons the boat fished first at the Hudson and then was set up for the night between the Hudson and the Toms. So the boat moved to the Chicken Canyon on Sunday morning, and two bluefin tuna, a yellowfin tuna and a bunch of false albacore were trolled. A buddy went 3 for 6 on tuna at the Chicken on Saturday, mostly on jigs, but a couple on the troll. The canyon waters were not good-looking on Brian’s trip and ranged 74 to 82 degrees. The Chicken Canyon was 74 degrees. Jersey Devil is focusing on the bluefins, one of the best fisheries now, and so far has limited out on each trip. The fishing should remain good a while, and should get even better at the Monster Ledge. Charters are chasing the bluefins, but so are open-boat trips. Call Brian if interested in the open trips, because the more who can go, the easier to schedule. In fall striped bass fishing becomes a main affair with Jersey Devil, but resident stripers could already be caught, and Brian is up for striper fishing as soon as someone wants to go.

<b>Neptune</b>

The year’s fluke fishing was good overall, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> in an e-mail. The 18-inch size limit was unfortunate, because the 1-inch-thick 15- to 17-7/8-inch flatties couldn’t be kept, and too bad the season closed early. But Ralph thanked the anglers who came down for the fishing. “If you didn’t catch a lot of fish, hope you still enjoyed the day,” he said. Alex Cortizo boated Last Lady’s biggest fluke of the year: a 13-pound 3-ouncer. A final individual-reservation fluke trip of the year fished on Friday, and a 4- to 5-pounder was the pool-winner, and seas began rough but calmed down.  Ralph will try to run two individual-reservation fluke trips per week next year, instead of one. For now, the weekly, individual-reservation trips on Wednesdays will wreck fish for sea bass, ling, blackfish, cod and porgies on the inshore grounds 20 to 25 miles off, starting next week. Squid, fresh clams and green crabs will be aboard for bait. The trips will switch to blackfishing when the blackfish bag limit increases on November 16. Two spaces remain for an individual-reservation cod trip that will leave at 3 a.m. Friday, September 18. The last four cod trips shellacked the fish to 30 pounds, including lots of 15- to 20-pounders. Bill Pissarra and buddy took a trip for bluefin tuna on Thursday, limiting out on two, and scoring lots of action on others, and Last Lady is available for the charters. Three spaces are available for the next open-boat, canyon trip, fishing overnight from September 23 to 24. See Last Lady’s Web site for the canyon schedule, and act fast, because only a limited number of the trips are slated.

<b>Belmar</b>

Bluefishing made for a great day on the waters Saturday on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, and 8- to 10-pounders were slung over the rails at a good pace, an e-mail from the boat said. Most catches came on bait, and the fishing was excellent on all trips. Catches on night trips were especially happening, nothing less than stellar, frantic action on big blues. The Golden Eagle is bluefishing daily 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. The season’s first open-boat, canyon tuna trip was weathered out on Monday. See the boat’s Web site for coupon specials, reports and the tuna schedule and info.

Two trips fished in beautiful weather and seas on Saturday with <b>Last One Charters</b>, and two got weathered out because of winds and seas on Sunday, Capt. Rob said. On Saturday morning Ken from Philly and his father and brother from Britain first looked for bonito and false albacore at the Klondike wreck, anchoring and chumming with spearing. When no fish showed up after 40 minutes, they moved, clocking 20 keeper sea bass, including big ones to 4 pounds, 30 large, keeper porgies and 30 big blues that were bunker-chunked in a chum slick. In the afternoon Lisa and friends chummed and chunked probably 60 big blues, adding 15 sizeable sea bass and 15 porgies to the catch. On Sunday Rob knew by the time the first trip was going to sail that seas would be too stiff. But he poked out the inlet to show some of the anglers, and turned back around, like he knew he would.

A couple of fluke trips wrapped up the flattie season last week on the <b>Nan Sea J</b>, and one was poor, with the anglers becoming seasick, so the boat was moved to Manasquan River from the ocean, and all shorts came up, Capt. Tom said. But the other trip, fishing on the final day of the season, ended on a high note, bagging something like 22 of the fish to 5 pounds at the Klondike. Several large sea bass to a 23-inch 4-1/2-pounder were also socked. A sea bass trip on Saturday hooked a ton of the fish but only 40 keepers and some porgies. An open-boat trip is slated to target bluefin tuna on Wednesday but might get weathered out. But open trips will run for the bluefins every Wednesday this month and next, and call to get aboard. Others boated the tuna Saturday and even Sunday morning, before the weather kicked up. Tom attempted to fish Sunday but turned around because of seas.

<b>Brielle</b>

Manasquan Inlet anglers whaled away at loads of striped bass and blues, said Dave from the <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Fluke kept chomping at the inlet during the weekend, after fluke season closed. Stripers could also be landed on the river at the bridges and such on leadheads with rubber shads or on Ava jigs. They bit throughout the day, but anglers had to take care not to spook them, like with the boat engine. Lots of boaters tried for the linesiders on Sunday, most probably unaware that they were scaring the fish. Nothing was heard about fishing for sea bass or ling on the ocean, because everybody was taking a lost shot at fluke. Boaters fought lots of bluefin tuna, mostly at the Atlantic Princess wreck and the Chicken Canyon, when they could get out between windy weather. Trolling, jigging and chunking all worked, and if the yellowfin tuna were still around that had been swimming closer to shore at the Mudhole, that was difficult to know, because getting a line passed false albacore and skipjacks was difficult. Some anglers said they trolled yellowfins to 80 pounds at the Texas Tower, and they could only be taken at their word that the fish were yellowfins, not bluefins. Boaters sailed to the canyons to try for tuna on Friday and Saturday, but nothing was heard back from them.

On the <b>Big Kid</b> anglers trolled a limit of two bluefin tuna, including a 110-pounder, on Saturday on ballyhoos, Capt. Ken said. All other trips were weathered out, and winds that kicked up seas were difficult for a long stretch. Charters are also fishing the canyons and for sea bass. Trips will run for striped bass when the fall migration begins and for blackfish when the bag limit increases to six of the tog on November 16. That day is available for a blackfish trip. 

A false albacore and bonito trip Monday was lock and load on albies, just about as many as anyone could want to reel in, said Capt. Jerry from <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> in an e-mail. All except three that were gut-hooked were released, and one bonito was bagged. The anglers began fishing at the lumps and bumps inshore, where the fish were found last week, but waters were dirty. So the trip moved to lumps a little farther out, and started trolling to search for the fish. Tackle-burning albies attacked as soon as the lines hit the waters. The boat was stopped so the anglers could try fishing with bait, and spearing were tossed in for chum. A few were hooked, and the fish darted through the slick, but the current was screaming, so the group went back on the troll. They banged away at catches, including lots of double headers, tough even to keep the lures in the waters. Everyone was whooped with sore arms by 11 a.m., and they tried a drop for bottom-fishing, but no fish turned up. An open-boat false albacore and bonito trip will run next week, and bottom-fishing trips will leave port, and check the open-boat forum on Fish Monger’s Web site or visit the site to join the e-mail list. Fish Monger’s final fluke trip of the year on Thursday put the anglers on 19 keepers to a 9-pound 10-ounce doormat and seven keeper sea bass. The anglers ground out the catch in tough conditions including dirty waters like coffee.

Bluefin tuna, a bunch to 65 pounds, were clobbered on the <b>Katie H</b> at the Chicken Canyon on Saturday, and about 15 mahi mahi to a 20-pound bull were drilled on the way home,  Capt. Mike said. A limit of two bluefins were bagged, and the rest were released, and the tuna were mostly hooked on sardines, but some were taken on butterfish, and a couple were landed on jigs. But the fish preferred sardines. A big, 300-pound mako shark grabbed one of the baits, jumping two or three times near the boat before breaking off the mono leader. Spectacular! The anglers were excited. A hammerhead shark also grabbed one of the lines a moment before biting through the mono. The mahi were claimed when the fish were spotted at a floating log on the way home, and the anglers pitched chunks of sardines, hooking up until the mahi realized something was up, disappearing. Waters were 76 degrees, beautiful and clear, and the anglers could see down far. The area was full of life including whales, porpoises and sea turtles. Seas were calm for a change, but got nasty again on Sunday. The constant northeast winds were forcing lots of the boat’s trips, including canyon tuna charters, to be cancelled. Mike heard about a few yellowfin and longfin tuna caught at the canyons, nothing great. A trip on the boat was weathered out Monday, and the rest of the week’s schedule will include a bluefin trip Wednesday, a cruise Friday and a canyon overnighter Saturday. Mike hoped they wouldn’t be weathered out.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

With <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> trips were at least able to sail for pelagics on the inshore ocean between the storms, Capt. Fred said. Two anglers on the boat took a run for the fish Friday, waffling more than three dozen false albacore and half a dozen bonito on butterfly jigs and spearing on light tackle. The ocean held a little swell in the morning, but the weather ended up calm. When trips were able to reach the grounds for bluefin tuna and mahi mahi, they beat good catches. Canyon fishing was slow but perking up, and Andrea’s Toy will try to fish out there next week if the weather allows. No bottom-fishing was done on the vessel lately, because anglers wanted to run for pelagics.

Here’s a catch that anglers are waiting for this season: striped bass. A trip with <b>Reel Class Charters</b> first angled for fluke in the afternoon Friday, Capt. Allen said in the report on the boat’s Web site. But when fluking was slow, the group decided to try for stripers. Rubber shads were tied on, and the anglers began to fish structure on incoming tide. At the second stop, game was on. One or two bass bit at once for the rest of the trip through the evening. Most of the stripers were 22 to 25 inches, and a 26-incher was the largest, swiping a white, 2-ounce Storm shad. The fish were maniacs, pulling drags, going berserk in moving waters, Allen said. Some of the friskiest. He didn’t say where they fished, but sounded like the Manasquan River. A short, 3-hour trip Sunday returned to the same area, and the fish busted all over, but 16 boats worked the waters. So the fishing was slower, but small bass to 20 inches were hooked, “on metal of all things,” Allen said. He hoped striped bass fishing gained steam in the coming weeks as waters cooled.

<b>Seaside</b>

In the surf blues provided quite a few catches on bunker or metal, and striped bass, mostly shorts but sometimes a keeper, were mixed in, said the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s Web site. A 32-inch 9.3-pound blue was weighed in that engulfed bunker, and a 30-inch 8.8-pound striper was checked in that mouthed a Grumpy clam. Maybe stripers will turn on a little in the rains and winds forecast for the next days? the report asked. “Yeah, it’s a little early,” it said, “but stranger things have happened.” <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.   

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Excellent fishing was scored on a variety of species on Barnegat Bay through last week except for a slight lull around the full moon, said Capt. Steve from <b>Reel Fantasea Charters</b> in an e-mail. Jay Simmons, Joe Franke and Carl Steffan took an open-boat trip, getting fast into action with sizeable weakfish within minutes from the dock. They limited out and played catch and release with plenty afterward, until the bite ended, and the trout were hooked on freshly netted peanut bunker and soft-plastic lures. The weaks beat peanuts to the surface that were in the waters, making a solid bite with visual excitement. Next the anglers fished Barnegat Inlet for torrid action on feisty, 2- to 4-pound blues o light spinning rods. Then they ended the trip on the back bay for a steady pull of kingfish, blowfish, porcupine puffers and sea bass. Jay Simmons was aboard the next day, and fishing was slower for the same species. At the inlet stiffer northeast winds made bluefishing more challenging but also more rewarding, because although the angling required well-placed casts, the scrappy fighters attacked on almost every good cast. Steve took his son Stephen and brother Ryan grass-shrimping for the bay’s weakfish on Sunday for some of the best catches of the year with the shrimp. The fish were smaller but plentiful, and winds made detecting bites difficult, but bites were scored as soon as the shrimp were tossed out. Barnegat Bay was chock full of peanut bunker, mullet, spearing and all sorts of bait, boding well for fall fishing. Fall action is right around the corner for some of the best fishing for striped bass, big, slammer blues and, at the wrecks, sea bass, blackfish and porgies. Don’t miss out, and a few dates remain for those who want to experience the angling.

<b>Barnegat</b>

Seas calmed by Friday afternoon, so <b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b> headed out to the ocean for a final run at fluke fishing for the season, Capt. John said in an e-mail. Four keepers, lots of shorts and some sea robins were reeled up from 45 feet off the Coast Guard Station. Heavy, 8- and 10-ounce sinkers were needed to hold bottom. So fluke season closed afterward, but fishing was actually going at full steam, because Barnegat Bay was loaded with weakfish, blues, blowfish and kingfish, and the ocean wrecks held sea bass and triggerfish. Anglers aboard will catch them until fall striped bass fishing begins.

<b>Surf City</b>

Eight-ounce weights had to be fished to hold bottom, but some surf casters plucked six hefty kingfish and lots of sharks from the suds at Holgate on Monday, said Barbara from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. Not a lot happened in the winds that made fishing difficult. Blues popped in and out of the surf. John Parker beached two fluke 19 ½ inches and 22 inches from the wash, presumably before the flattie season ended. Lots of sand sharks filled the waters along the shore everywhere. Nobody mentioned pulling a striper from along the beach, and waters will have to cool to the 60s before they begin to chew for the most part, but Barbara heard that the surf was 70 degrees, cooling down. Crabbing was good on the bay, and a couple of customers this morning said they plucked more than a bushel on the mainland side of the bay just outside one of the creeks.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

Anglers on the <b>June Bug</b> fished close to shore Friday and Monday because of seas, trolling small blues on Clark spoons and homemade birds, Capt. Lindsay said. Seas weren’t bad, but, for example, kids were aboard on Friday, and the trips needed keep the sailing as smooth as possible. Few boats fished in the windy weather lately, and no other vessels were seen on Monday’s trip. The June Bug is also fishing the canyons for tuna and big game, places like Barnegat Ridge for false albacore and bonito and the wrecks for sea bass and bottom fish, but seas were rough for most of that fishing.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Spots, sea perch, blues, plenty of tog and a few kingfish were beached from the surf, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Striped bass began to be banked from the suds. No one species was clobbered, but surf casters definitely scored well on a mix of fish. The spots, sea perch and kings gobbled bloodworms, and the blues honed in on mullet or mackerel. The stripers sucked in clams, and the tog crunched on green crabs. Lots of bait filled the wash. Silversides, peanut bunker and adult bunker were seen, and mullet began to school the beach front. The shop stocks a large supply of bait.

<b>Longport</b>

Gobs of big croakers! said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>. Anglers aboard shellacked the fish in 72 feet in the ocean on Sunday on a drift until 11 a.m. Then on the way home they trolled false albacore to boot. Short weakfish also chewed on the drift, and Mike expects larger ones to show within a week and a half, when they came in last year. Although east winds were relentless in the last weeks, seas weren’t bad for the Stray Cat, and waters were relatively clear beyond 6 miles, and pelagics like albies, Spanish mackerel, skipjacks and mahi mahi were out there to be trolled on Clark spoons and cedar plugs like the 4-inch cedar plug that was the hot lure for the albies on Sunday. Sea bass, porgies and a few triggerfish could be taken on the bottom-fishing grounds. Canyon fishing for tuna and big game is also on tap, and some boats made it out to the canyons in the past days, but no results were heard. Annual, daily, open-boat bottom fishing trips will launch Friday, except when the boat is chartered, and a charter is booked Saturday. Open trips for tog, the main event on the vessel, will kick off November 16, when the bag limit jumps to six of the blackfish from the current limit of one. Customers were already calling about the tog trips.

<b>Somers Point</b>

Substantial numbers of croakers arrived in the ocean, and small bluefish were fought just offshore of the Great Egg Harbor Inlet bell buoy, said T.C. from <b>Brennan Marine</b> in a fax. Lots of sea bass were socked at the reefs. Bridge anglers found tog abundant, and green crabs were best bait. Trevor Teubert clubbed two striped bass 31 inches and 29 inches in the bay off the gazebo at Somers Point on mackerel strips. “Offshore reports were spotty,” T.C. said, and the weather kept many from getting out. But mahi mahi and white marlin were boated at Spencer and Wilmington canyons, and tuna were wrestled in from the Toms and Carteret canyons up north.

Croakers were snatched up two at a time in the ocean off Margate’s Lucy the Elephant on squid, clams or minnows, said a fax from Rob and Joan from <b>Dolfin Dock</b>. Dave and Debbie Brooks from Philly were trolling small false albacore from the Triple Lumps to the Hambone on small Clark spoons. The fishing was fun, and anglers could land all they wanted. Good for practicing trolling technique, too. A 5-1/2-pound flounder that Gary Gross from National Park smoked at Ships Channel on the bay was the final flounder of the season seen at the shop.

<b>Ocean City</b>

A couple of good days of fishing happened with <b>Fish Tale Charters</b> on Saturday and Sunday, Capt. Craig said. Croakers, big ones, were looted, and large blues, 4- and 5-pounders, were fought. Short weakfish also nipped baits, and larger ones might come in as the season goes on, like they usually do.  Rods were bent throughout the days, and winds pounded the waters later on Sunday, but the whole trip got to fish that day. The trips fished the ocean, and on the first day the bigger croakers were found in 50 feet. On the second the trip stayed closer to shore, fishing in 40 feet, and the fish were also hooked there. Reservations are being booked for fall striped bass fishing, when the boat will be moved to Cape May, mostly to fish at the Cape May Rips with live eels or spots or bucktails. Later in the season stripers are sometimes caught along the ocean front from Cape May, like on jigs while trips chase birds working the waters. A few dates are already booked for November, so now is a good time to lock in dates.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Back-bay popper fishing for striped bass was on, no matter the winds along the coast, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Father and son Jim and Conner Jackson popped up five bass and had lots of bites, lots of action, on a trip Friday morning on Skitter Pop lures. Conner caught his first-ever striper on a popper. Jersey Cape offers the fishing on both lures and flies for explosive, visual attacks from the bass on the shallows of the bay. Joe poles his flats boat on the trips like in the tropics, and charters have been hooking plenty lately, and some of the bass were sizeable. On Saturday Jay Vonczoernig and the Hank Smith party took a course to Wilmington Canyon, and Hank released his first-ever white marlin, and a good-sized mahi mahi was landed. Seas were fine, and the day was beautiful. No trips fished the ocean near the shore recently, because charters popper fished for bass or headed offshore. But previously trips fought false albacore and blues near the shore, and croakers should be able to be grabbed close to the coast. Jersey Cape 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 available 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. Joe will offer traveling charters this month and next, and one type is coming up quickly: Weekend trips in Montauk for the blitz of stripers and blues from the middle of this month to late October. If you’ve wanted to fish the migration at Montauk, here’s your chance, and a few openings remain. The other traveling trips will be to Martha’s Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts for fly-rodding for stripers on Columbus Day weekend.

<b>Avalon</b>

Offshore trips were barely able to get out through the past week because of the northeast blow, said the report on <b>Over Under Adventures</b>’ Web site.  One trip overnighted at the Spencer and Lindenkohl canyons, going 1 for 2 on yellowfin tuna at night and landing no fish on the troll during the day. Slow. But the bite seemed to be starting during the previous week. As the moon keeps waning this month, the state of the fishing should become clearer. The bulk of the season’s overnight canyon trips are scheduled toward the month’s new moon, and Over Under was anxious to see what the fishing brings. Some dates remain for trips around the best moon phase this month, and even more are available around the best in October, and give a shout if looking to fish. Both charters and open-boat trips are sailing, and check Over Under’s Web site for the open schedule. False albacore were clobbered Monday at Sea Isle Ridge on Over Under’s new Mirage 21-footer. The boat pulled up a little inshore of the south end of the ridge at marks, and trolling kept the anglers busy with catches. The southern Ridge just inshore of the west wall gave up the most consistent fishing, and the Table Top also reportedly produced a ton of albies. The boat in the morning of the trip was met with a large easterly swell with a little chop, but rode like a 30-footer, cruising 23 to 35 knots, the report said. Seas were calmer on the way in, and the boat cruised 30 knots.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Plenty of schoolie striped bass were played on the back bay along the sod banks, docks and bridges, mostly at night, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> in an e-mail. Top-water plugs like Smack-It Jr.’s, soft-plastic lures like Fin-S Fish, clams and bunker got strikes. Surf fishing was slow at Wildwood and Cape May. Ocean boaters sometimes talked about angling up sea bass, small blues and scattered croakers. Winds hampered the last week of flounder season, ending abruptly before the Labor Day weekend. When offshore boaters could sail, they dialed up excellent white marlin fishing from 40 fathoms on out. Lots of mahi mahi could be found as close as 5-Fathom Bank to the 30-fathom line at the Elephant Trunk. Donald Sowers and crew from the Reely Hours trolled 11 whites, and Jack Gallagher and gang on the Pelican trolled 14 mahi at the Elephant trunk on ballyhoos. Crabby Jack gave crabbing three claws.

<b>Cape May</b>

The weather kept lots of trips docked, but inshore trolling went well on the <b>Down Deep</b> for fish like blues, Spanish mackerel and mahi mahi, Capt. Bob said. The Superior Builders charter fished the canyons on Saturday, tackling sizeable mahi mahi. The weather and seas were gorgeous that day, and Sunday’s conditions started calm enough, but winds and seas kicked up later. In addition to inshore trolling trips and canyon charters, fishing is available for croakers and sea bass on trips. Fall striped bass charters usually start in mid October, first fishing with bunker chunks on Delaware Bay. Next the bass usually invade the Cape May Rips, and charters go after them with live bait or eels and bucktails. Fishing with clams for stripers along the ocean front is usually done at the end of the season toward December.

False albacore, a good catch, were trolled at 5-Fathom Bank on Sunday with the Paul Thampy charter on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Blues were also trolled, and the trip fished until 2 p.m., when seas became stiff, so the boat was headed home. Inshore trolling’s been great for fish like albies, blues, Spanish mackerel and a few mahi mahi. The albies blast the lines right out of the outrigger and peel around a moment before getting reeled in. Few were around last year, but a bunch showed up this year. A canyon tuna charter was cancelled Saturday, so George mated on another boat that also hooked up on the inshore troll. Waters by the weekend cooled 5 or 6 degrees or more. The ocean front had been 79 or 80 degrees and was now 72 degrees. Call George if interest in inshore trolling or canyon fishing. Striped bass trips usually begin in the third or fourth week of October. The fish are usually bunker-chunked on Delaware Bay at first, until more of them move to the Cape May Rips, where they’re caught on live bait like eels or on bucktails. In recent years they moved to the Rips around the second week of November. In the late season the linesiders are also clammed, trolled or jigged along the ocean front. Only have three or four anglers for a trip instead of six to create a full charter? Call George, because he can probably put you together with other anglers on a make-up trip during mid week.

All trips got weathered out, and Saturday’s weather and seas turned out calm for once, but no charter was scheduled then, said Capt. Ray from <b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b>. Charters are mostly inshore trolling, and false albacore, bonito, blues and occasional mahi mahi are among the catches. Trips are also fishing offshore at the canyons for tuna and big game. 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 chasing working birds and jigging or trolling for hook-ups. That action was good last year, and it is during some years.

Boats finally got out Saturday between the rough weather, and the anglers lifted aboard croakers and a few sea bass and triggerfish, fairly good catches, at Cape May Reef, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Delaware Bay held a few weakfish, mostly small but occasional keepers, at the stakes and around the fish trap areas. Squid and shedder crabs will get bites. False albacore moved offshore a bit and could be fought at the East, Middle and Northeast lumps and Sea Isle Ridge. Wahoos sometimes swam underneath the schools of albies. Some offshore boats on Saturday nailed double-digit catches of white marlin at Wilmington and Spencer canyons, and fishing for the whites was on. Healthy-sized mahi mahi hung around the lobster pots in the same areas. Surf fishing was a little slow, but mullet began to school up in the back waters, and maybe the next cold front will trigger them to begin pouring out to the ocean, kicking off the fall migration.

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