<b>Brooklawn</b>

Boaters on the southern began to tug aboard occasional striped bass while fishing with bunker chunks at places like 60-Foot Slough and the Horseshoe, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. He heard about a 41-incher bagged and lots of other boaters boxing the fish. Stripers seemed yet to swim the Cape May Rips, and smaller stripers were reported caught on the northern bay. But the bigger bass taken on the southern bay was a start, and the angling will probably get going within the next couple of weeks. A few stripers were beached from the ocean surf, but most of that action remained farther north, yet to migrate south. Little was heard about ocean fishing, and no news rolled in from offshore tuna anglers. The autumn weather and winds was closing in on offshore fishing. On the Delaware River near the shop largemouth bass fishing was turning on well. Many limits of the bucketmouths were scored, and most anglers fished for them with crank baits or spinner baits, sometimes soft plastics. Hefty catfish were pulled from the river and creeks. Lots of the lakes and ponds turned out productive largemouth bass fishing. Fall-stocked trout were angled from waters including Haddon Lake and Greenwich Lake. Big Timber stocks tackle and bait for fishing on all waters from freshwater to bays to offshore.

<b>Pennsville</b>

A few striped bass catches were heard about from the bay and the Delaware River tributaries, said Matt from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. From the bay stripers were reported nabbed at Ship John and the 32 buoy. On the tributaries one of the crew from the shop bagged a keeper, probably on peanut bunker. Adult bunker were scarce, and the shop’s owner only found a few in his nets. But one of the staff from the shop has been netting peanut bunker to stock fresh at the store on weekends. Bloodworms, nightcrawlers and frozen baits are on hand. Plenty of white perch were plucked from the tributaries, and one angler said he found lots of smaller ones, but maybe he had an off day, because others mentioned grabbing bigger perch. The shop’s owner also crabbed commercially, trapping plenty. He kept moving his traps farther south on the bay to follow the blueclaws moving down the bay to spend the winter burrowed in the bottom of the deep.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Anglers boated a few striped bass, not a great pick, and some scored better than others, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. But she was seeing the fish that customers brought in. Friends on a trip heaved aboard a 43-incher, fishing all day for the catch. Some anglers clocked a couple each time they fished. One angler reported limiting out on every outing. Again, like in any fishing, some catch more than others. Obtaining fresh bunker, the bait most prefer for the angling, was the biggest problem. Bunker were scarce from New York to Maryland. But the shop is doing everything possible to stock the bait, and Sharon left at 3 a.m. today to pick up the menhaden in Maryland. Call ahead to reserve bunker. Fresh clams are usually stocked, but bunker is the favorite bait. Small fish like croakers, weakfish and butterfish littered the bay, if anglers wanted to chase them. 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>

Some positive news was around about striped bass fishing, said Capt. Ralph from the <b>Buccaneer</b>. Though he took a trip that landed probably 15 stripers 25 or 26 inches – close to keeper size, but not quite – he saw four big stripers that were nailed recently, and heard about others. He saw a 40-incher or so and another sizeable bass, and a boater near Ralph decked two hefty keepers. Ralph was fishing near the 34 buoy, and a Fortescue party boat captain told him the head boat ran a trip that picked up six keeper stripers near the 34. So larger stripers were around, and they were local fish, non-migrators that enter the bay from the tributaries when waters begin to cool. But the angling was a start, and catches were being made. Striper charters are being booked on the Buccaneer.

Capt. Howard and some of the boat’s mates from the <b>Salt Talk</b> intended to take a crew trip on Sunday to scope out striped bass fishing on the bay for the first time this season, Howard said. A couple of the vessel’s regular customers showed up, so they were invited to join the trip. Fifteen throwback stripers and a 23-pound 40-inch keeper were landed on bunker among the six people on board. The trip at first fished at the 6 buoy, and shorts bit. The boat was moved to the 32 buoy, and the keeper was bagged. That was the only keeper reeled in that Howard heard about that day, but he knew about two keepers 42 inches and 36 inches that local anglers boated on Saturday. The bay was 59 to 60 degrees, and Howard saw waters as cool as 58 degrees a couple of times. Charters are fishing, and open-boat trips will now sail on Wednesdays through Saturdays when no charter is booked. Call to confirm whether a charter is scheduled. Also call to book striper charters.  

<b>Port Norris</b>

John Eichenberg checked in a  52-1/2-pound 51-inch striped bass Saturday, said Jim from <b>Port Norris Marina</b>. Striper fishing was just getting started on the bay, and a few more of the fish also rolled in at the marina that day. Anglers also picked croakers, not a lot. Fresh bunker, the choice bait for stripers, was scarce, because the bunker run was slim pickings. The marina was able to stock just enough of the bait this weekend. The 60-foot charter boat <b>Bodacious</b>, sailing from the marina, will begin fishing for stripers on Friday, if Jim knew correctly. Open-boat trips will also run for stripers this season. Port Norris Marina’s Striper Tournament will be held Saturday, November 6.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Things were looking up, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. Some big striped bass were docked, and a mix of other fish including croakers, weakfish and white perch were landed. The only difficulty was that fresh bunker, the favorite striper bait, was scarce from the suppliers, because the menhaden weren’t numerous lately. But the shop is stocking fresh bunker when available. Anglers and their catches included: Ed Norton and Mike Guy, Upper Deerfield, 46-1/2-inch and 41-inch stripers; Marian Kennedy, Vineland, and Gary Wilson, Franklinville, 45-1/2-inch and 38-inch stripers; John Pfeiffer, Swedesboro, 45-inch striper; Vin Scholl, Philadelphia, 45-inch striper; Frank Siderio, Frank Jones and Mike Grottini, Williamstown, 44-1/2-inch striper; Albert and Dee King, Dividing Creek, two 42-inch stripers from one trip and one 42-incher from another; Joe Pierce and Vernon Clark, Millville, two stripers, 20 croakers and a perch; Ann and Kevin Shepherd, Vineland, 90 perch; Bob Hill and Harry Hofflinger, Gibbstown, 40 croakers, 10 spots, nine kingfish and three weakfish, including two they kept; and Hill and Hofflinger on another trip, 35 croakers, 10 weaks including two they kept, a kingfish, and 30 big crabs, including one over 8 inches, they reeled in from the bay. The blueclaws skitter into the bay from the back waters this time of year to burrow in the bottom and hibernate for the winter. They’re all big, mature crabs, often grabbing baits meant for fish. A 31-pound striper was currently in the lead in Longreach Marina’s Striper Tournament that’s under way until November 20. The entry fee is $40 per boat.

<b>Villas</b>

A 25-pound striped bass was checked in from the surf at Poverty Beach today, said Kevin from <b>Budd’s Bait & Tackle</b>, located in the Villas, and <b>Budd’s Tackle Charter Services</b>, sailing from Cape May. Fresh bunker was the bait, and the menhaden was scarce, running out at the shop. But the store is trying to stock more, and fresh clams are carried. Kevin heard about no other stripers banked from the surf, and about none boated on Delaware Bay. But he’s been dragging in a bunch of tog from the sea wall in North Wildwood. Not a lot were keepers, but some were. Live crabs for eating are sold at the store on weekends, and call for prices. Also call for specials on the crabs that are always changing.

<b>Cape May</b>

The season’s first striped bass trip fished Saturday with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, bunker-chunking on the bay, Capt. T.J. said. Lots of skates and dog sharks bit, but one 34-pound 48-inch striped bass was crushed. That was the only striper T.J. knew was bagged by anyone from the docks during the day, though he reported last week that an angler from the marina chunked a few stripers on the bay early that week. That angler hooked none during this weekend, though he fished then.

The next trip on the <b>Down Deep</b>, slated for Saturday, will kick off steady striped bass fishing on the vessel, Capt. Bob said. Not a lot of stripers were heard about that were caught, but a few big ones were. They were all bunker-chunked on the bay, and, as far as Bob knew, none was taken at the Cape May Rips so far. But the bass boated on the bay were a good sign. With the chunking, anglers just have to be patient and wait for a bite. Bluefish and false albacore were beaten on a trip Saturday on the ocean on the Down Deep.

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> saw boats return to the docks with a few stripers this weekend, nothing exciting, but a few catches, he said. All the bass were bunker chunked on the bay and were big, like 25-pounders. A striper charter cancelled on the Heavy Hitter on Saturday that would’ve been the first trip of the year for the fish on the boat. George tog fished on a friend’s boat that day instead, reeling in a so-so catch. George stopped by Port Norris this weekend, and people at the marina there said boats sometimes returned with one or two stripers, nothing spectacular yet, but a few fish. One trip that out-of-state anglers took on a small, aluminum boat from Port Norris lucked into two 25-pound stripers. A 50-some-pounder was reportedly weighed in at Port Norris Marina. The bay was 59 or 60 degrees.

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