<b>Brooklawn</b>

Fishing for striped bass was nothing solid yet on the bay, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. One or two were reportedly beached now and then from the surf at Fortescue on bloodworms. Chunking bunker, or fishing with pieces of bunker that’s popular in boating for stripers on the bay, hadn’t really started so far. Small stripers, mostly throwbacks, were banked on the Delaware River from the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge to farther upstream on bloodworms. Largemouth bass catches seemed to pick up a bit at the mouths of the creeks along the river. Catfish can always be located in the river and creek mouths. Rick joined a trip on the ocean on Monday that found pods of small weakfish, but some keepers, and small blues near the shore from Sea Isle City to farther south. He heard about stripers boated or beached from Long Beach Island to farther north, but not so much farther south. A one-blackfish bag limit could be claimed from nearly any inshore wreck on the ocean. Nothing was heard about offshore fishing for tuna, because windy weather kept trips docked. Big Timber stocks tackle and bait for fishing in all waters from freshwater to bays to offshore.

<b>Pennsville</b>

A few striped bass catches started to be heard about from the bay toward Ship John and Fortescue and from the tributaries along the Delaware River, said Matt from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Fresh bunker is the bait to dunk on the bay, if anglers can find the menhaden. Soft-plastic lures are popular for the fishing at the tributaries, and so are peanut bunker when available. Bloodworms could also be used on the tributaries, but lots of white perch will hit the bloods. The perching was good. Catfish could be searched out on the tribs as always. The shop’s owner commercially crabbed on the bay, beginning to move farther down the bay, toward Ship John and the Cohansey River, for the catches. Fresh bunker is stocked when available on weekends, and the bait was unavailable last weekend because winds prevented bunker boats from sailing. Peanut bunker are available whenever one of the staff who catches them supplies the shop with the bait. Bloodworms and frozen baits are carried.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Striped bass might’ve started showing up in the lower half of the bay, because the shop’s netter said he saw some there, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. She always asks the netter if he saw stripers, and for the first time this season, he said he did. He said he saw stripers breaking the water surface on the bay off Thompson’s Beach on Monday. A customer also said stripers were hooked on the lower half of the bay, but that was hearsay. This was about the only news from the bay, because strong winds prevented most trips from sailing recently. If anglers fish for stripers, fresh bunker is one of the most popular baits. The shop’s usually been stocking both the bunker and fresh clams, another bait that could be used. At this time of year, reserving the bait is a good idea. Demand is probably about to bust open. Clam bellies, green crabs and a large supply of other baits are also on hand. White perch turned out solid fishing on the Maurice River, and bloodworms and grass shrimp are some of the best baits. Bloodworms are usually carried, and the shop was able to stock live grass shrimp the past two weekends, but a supply of the crustaceans is never a guarantee. The Girls Place is located on Route 47 just after Route 55 ends, and it’s the long, one-story, yellow building on the right. There’s a large parking lot with plenty of room for trailered boats.

<b>Fortescue</b>

The party boat <b>Bonanza</b> returned to fishing on Sunday, after the windy, rough weather, and croakers remained in the bay, Capt. Mike said. The anglers aboard reeled them up from the southern bay that day, and lots of croakers also swam the northern bay, but the southern bay seemed to hold bigger ones – up to 16-inchers, sometimes 17-inchers – and plenty of them. Seas remained a little rough on the trip but dropped out by the evening. If anglers are interested in a striped bass charter this season, they better book. For weekend charters, only one or two Sundays are left, and weekdays are filling up. Open-boat trips will also sail for stripers, and call the boat for the schedule. Mike heard about no substantial catches of stripers yet. Open trips are currently fishing for croakers on Fridays to Mondays. 

Capt. Howard on the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b>, after taking a break running trips since earlier this fall until striped bass fishing takes off this season, might take a scouting trip to look for stripers this weekend, he said. Few boats fished since last week on Wednesday because of the storm on Thursday and strong winds that followed. But a few croakers and weakfish were landed prior to Thursday. Howard also heard about a couple of striped bass hooked last week on Wednesday or Thursday on the bay across the shipping channel. One angler reportedly had one to the boat, and Charlie Higbee reportedly, after hooking dog sharks that swam there, had a run-off that seemed to be a striper, seemed different. Striper charters should be booked now before dates are full, and open-boat trips will sail for the linesiders once the fishing gets going. Anglers can call for the open schedule when the trips begin, because the crew usually corrals the anglers together to fish on days when enough can go.

The season’s first striped bass charter on the <b>Buccaneer</b> is slated to fish toward the end of the week, Capt. Ralph said. Resident, non-migrating stripers are surely biting here or there, but no migrators have likely showed up yet. Croakers schooled the bay, if anyone wanted to fish for them. Ralph last located a mess from the Anchorage to Miah Maull. 

<b>Port Norris</b>

Two 28-inch striped bass were docked two Sundays ago at <b>Port Norris Marina</b>, Harrison said. But winds made boating for the fish practically impossible this weekend. He expects that striper fishing might begin to kick in during this coming weekend. The 60-foot charter boat <b>Bodacious</b>, docked at the marina, will probably start striper fishing toward the end of the month or beginning of November. Port Norris Marina’s Striper Tournament will be held Saturday, November 6, and Harrison believed the entry fee is $100 per boat, but check with the marina to confirm. The marina until now was open Fridays through Sundays, but Harrison believed the marina this week might start opening every day for striper season. Call to confirm. 

<b>Bivalve</b>

Joe and Debbie Pierce and Rick and Tammy Felmey from Millville boated 30 croakers, 12 spots, 2 blues and a kingfish, and they released two out-of-season summer flounder, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. “Jungle” Mike bailed 25 croakers on a trip. Plenty of croakers schooled the bay, coming in heavier than before, and some blues were around. A few striped bass, just over the size limit, started to be hooked. Fresh bunker, the favorite striper bait, and frozen baits are stocked. Longreach Marina’s Striper Tournament is under way until November 20, and the entry fee is $40 per boat.

<b>Villas</b>

The season’s first reports were heard about better-sized striped bass boated on the bay, said Fred from <b>Budd’s Bait & Tackle</b>, located in the Villas, and <b>Budd’s Tackle Charter Services</b>, sailing from Cape May. Some of the fish were bunker chunked at Brandywine on Sunday. Otherwise small stripers and small blues were sometimes beached from the Cape May surf. Croakers were clocked at the Punk Grounds. The shop on weekends is selling live crabs for eating, and see the store’s Web site or call Budd’s for prices.

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