<b>Brooklawn</b>

Striped bass were plowed at places like the edges of 60-Foot and 20-Foot sloughs and the Banana Peel, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. Lots of big bass were around, and a local angler heaved aboard a 53-pounder. All the fish were hooked on bunker chunks. But a few were landed at the Cape May Rips on livelined eels or spots. Small stripers were sometimes reported beached from the Fortescue surf. Blitzes of stripers erupted in the ocean surf at different places each day. Most of the fish were clammed, but some were bunker chunked. Little was heard about plugs or metal catching. Winds kept news scarce from the ocean. On the Delaware River small stripers were bloodwormed or clammed from Palmyra to downstream. Lots of catfish, including big ones, in the river scarfed up nightcrawlers or cut baits. Freshwater fishing will probably stay active a couple of more weeks this season. Largemouth bass were angled from waters including Sunset Lake, Parvin Lake, Mill Pond, Stewart Lake, Newton Lake, the lakes around Medford, private lakes and the Cooper River. The bigger lakes seemed to produce better than smaller ones. Big Timber carries tackle and bait for fishing on all waters from freshwater to the bays to the ocean.

<b>Pennsville</b>

Lots of weather kept anglers in port, but catches of big striped bass seemed under way from the bay, said Matt from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. He heard about the fish boated as far north as Ship John, and if the fish were there, he’d assume they held along the entire length of the bay. Reports about catches mainly came from deep waters, and in the northern bay, the fish are found along the deep around the shipping channel along usual places like Ship John and Cross Ledge. Fresh bunker is the usual bait, if anglers could find bunker, because the baitfish was scarce. Nothing much was heard about striper fishing or white perch fishing on the Delaware River’s tributaries. The weather was closing in for the season, and anglers were becoming scarce on the tribs. Wade who works at the shop fishes the tributaries, normally hitting the Cohansey River for stripers. But someone placed a net at his favorite hole, so he skipped fishing there for the moment. He fishes for the linesiders with peanut bunker he nets in the same waters. Anglers also toss soft-plastic lures like swim shads. The shop’s owner continued to crab commercially on the bay and catch, but he was using the last of his bait before calling it a season. The shop’s season is also winding down, and the store will be open through Sunday before closing through late winter. The doors will reopen on March 1, when striper season opens in the rivers and back waters. 

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

When boaters could escape the winds and sail, they hauled in striped bass, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Friends on a trip Saturday totaled eight keepers to 45 inches and four throwbacks. A healthy population of big bass swam the bay, and the larger ones seemed more common in the southern bay at least through the weekend. But stripers bit all over the bay. Fresh bunker for bait was scarce, difficult to obtain. The shop was lucky enough to stock the menhaden so far, but the crew had to work to gain a supply, traveling distances to find it. The amount that could be stocked might’ve been less than desired. Anglers should absolutely call a couple of days in advance to reserve fresh bunker, but they should understand that nobody can guarantee how much of the bait any store will be able to get. An angler might call in the morning to order fresh bunker, and the shop might not know until night how much will arrive at the shop. If anglers order the bait and decide they no longer want the bunker, they should call the shop and let the staff know, so the bunker can be provided to another angler. Anglers were focused on stripers, so news about other fish was rare. The shop’s netter picked up a few croakers and weakfish from the bay, but how many of the fish filled the bay was unknown. Butterfish schooled the bay. The blackfish bag limit will be increased to six this coming Tuesday from the current limit of one. The tog can usually be found in the bay at structure like the lighthouses, rocks and reefs. 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>

A charter on the <b>Buccaneer</b> would attempt to sail for striped bass today, after some weather, Capt. Ralph said. He couldn’t believe some boats fished for them in the winds and rough seas on Sunday. The angling failed to produce that day, but gave up the fish on Saturday. He’d try to give an update on today’s trip to be posted here if the weather allowed the vessel to run.

A few striped bass, not a lot, were reeled aboard the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b>, Capt. Howard said, and occasionally the fish were keepers. On a charter Wednesday Jim Mitten bagged a 38-incher, and Skip Hawkins took a 36-incher, and a few shorts were released. Tony Cunha grabbed a 40-incher on a charter Saturday with the Try-Angler Fishing Club from Philadelphia, and a few shorts were let go. A trip on Sunday met rough seas, and only shorts were hooked. All the trips fished with bunker chunks, but trips might try fishing with eels starting this week. The bay cooled to 52 to 53 degrees, and a few ling, cold-water fish, bit. None of the big blues appeared that sometimes invade in the late season. Charters are fishing, and so are open-boat trips, and call for the open schedule.

On the party boat <b>Bonanza</b> anglers picked away at striped bass, scored alright, sometimes tackling the fish to 42 and 47 inches, Capt. Mike said. They bagged the fish with bunker heads in deep waters around 50 feet in hard tides. More of the bigger bass seemed to swim farther away from Fortescue and in deeper waters. The weather cooperated most of last week, but winds increased on Sunday morning and were predicted to continue for some days, calming later in the week. Most Saturdays and Sundays are booked with charters, but open-boat trips are slated to fish from Fridays to Mondays when no charters are booked. Call ahead to confirm the open trips, including because if a charter cancels, the boat will run open.

<b>Port Norris</b>

Boaters from <b>Port Norris Marina</b> whaled striped bass, Harrison said. Practically all returned with the fish, probably weighing an average of 25 pounds, on Saturday. The stripers swam nearly all over the bay in usual spots. In the shop’s striper tournament, held Saturday in conjunction with Popeye’s Marina, Dan Herman won 1st place with a two-fish combined weight of 70.4 pounds. One of his bass weighed 35.9 pounds, and the other weighed 34.5 pounds. Brian Rines came in 2nd place with 68.65 pounds for two bass that weighed 40.35 pounds and 28.3 pounds, and he won the Calcutta for the biggest striper in the event with the 40.35-pounder. Jose Esquilin took 3rd place with a weight of 66.85 pounds for two stripers that weighed 33.95 pounds and 32.9 pounds. Good catches of stripers were drilled on the 60-foot charter boat <b>Bodacious</b>, docked at the marina. Each trip on the vessel probably averaged eight keepers among 10 to 15 run-offs. Charters are sailing for stripers on the Bodacious, and so are open-boat trips 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Tuesday. Anglers should call ahead to reserve the open trips, making sure space is available. Fresh bunker was available for striper bait daily at the marina but was scarce, and anglers better call ahead to reserve. Some anglers who didn’t call ahead were unable to get bunker.  

<b>Bivalve</b>

Good catches of striped bass were docked at <b>Longreach Marina</b>, Ross DelRossi said. Customers found the fish in close, at places like 60-Foot Slough and many places throughout the bay. A few fresh bunker were stocked for bait for the fish, but bunker were scarce, difficult to obtain. Ross, who’s from Pine Hill, and Fred Edwards from Mystic Island returned from a trip with a 37-pound 41-inch striper. Anglers and their catches also included: Lenny Golson, Vineland, 52-pound 50-1/2-inch striper and 41-3/4-pound 46-1/2-pound striper; Mike Georgiani, Vineland, 50-3/4-pound 48-1/2-inch striper; Albert King, Dividing Creek, 41-pound 46-3/4-inch striper and 31-pound 41-inch striper; Sal DeFrancesco Sr. and Jr., Rosenhayn, 37-pound striper; Sal Sr. and Jr. on another trip with John Stanzione, Rosenhayn, 41- and 38-inch stripers; Bob and Mary Bailey, Woodlyn, Pennsvylvania, 44-, 43- and 41-inch stripers; Matt Little, Blackwood, 26-pound striper; Capt. Frank Jones and Frank Smith, both from Franklinville, and Kenny LaThorpe, 34-1/4-pound 44-inch striper and 32-1/2-pound 44-inch striper; Anthony and Tom Albano, Millville, 44-, 40- and 39-inch stripers; Lucky Murray, Millville, four stripers 35 to 37 inches; Travis Logan, Dividing Creek, 27-1/2-pound 42-inch striper, John Dale, Commercial Township, an identical 27-1/2-pound 42-inch striper; Charlie and Wayne Ryeack and John Wolanski, three stripers 25 pounds apiece; and John Frank, Landisville, Pennsylvania, 29-inch striper.

<b>Cape May</b>

Four striped bass to 20 pounds were bagged, and a few were missed, on a trip Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> with Joe Schwartz and crew, Capt. George said. They mostly bunker chunked on the bay. Another striper trip was weathered out on Sunday because of winds, and boats that attempted to fish that day mostly turned back around, except some larger vessels. The weather was also rough in the morning on Saturday’s trip, until calming when the tide changed. A few stripers, not many, began to bite in the Cape May Rips. Fishing for stripers along the ocean front usually begins in the third week of the month, lasting into December, if the fish swim close enough to shore on the migration south.

More and more striped bass began biting at the Cape May Rips, though the fishing was nothing hot and heavy, said Capt. Bob from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Anglers aboard livelined eels and spots to connect. Trips on the boat also dunked chunks of bunker for stripers on the bay. Those catches included a 48-pound 50-incher, one of four sizeable bass clobbered on Stan Konski’s charter on Tuesday. Kurt Rosenweig’s charter waxed stripers to 28 pounds on Friday. A striper trip was skunked on Saturday, and more of the outings were weathered out on Sunday and Monday. Bob expected the weather to allow striper trips to sail every day this week starting today.

The Cape May Rips began to put up a few striped bass for <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, and none was big, and anglers had to fish hard to catch them, but the bass were there, Capt. T.J. said. His trips also bagged stripers, larger fish to 30 pounds, on the bay. So both places held the fish.

Winds kept blowing, forcing striped bass trips to be cancelled this season, including from Saturday through Monday, said Capt. Craig from <b>Fish Tale Charters</b>. More of the trips are booked for this coming weekend. The trips mostly fish at the Cape May Rips with eels, bucktails or spots. Eels and bucktails are provided, and the anglers provide the spots, though Craig can pick them up. Sailing with the variety of baits can be a good idea. Stripers were sometimes boated at the rips when winds weren’t terrible during a couple of days last week. The fishing wasn’t red hot, but some were landed. Tons of stripers still seemed to hold up north. Sometimes when stripers swim the ocean front, trips with Fish Tale will also chase them there, usually jigging with bucktails or metal, but sometimes fishing with eels or spots.

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