<b>Staten Island</b>

Anglers limited out early on blackfish Sunday with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Some of the fish were sizeable, weighing up to 9 pounds, and a number weighed 8 pounds. Outcast will keep blackfishing, usually until the third week of January, depending on how long the tog keep biting. During some years trips fish later, and during one year in a warm winter charters blackfished almost until March. During a recent year with lots of snow that cooled waters the fishing shut down in January. Outcast on blackfishing trips will currently mix in striped bass fishing on the way to or from the tog grounds, if working birds are seen, and anglers want. Birds were seen on Sunday’s trip on the way out, but the anglers chose not to stop, were only interested in blackfish.

Trips clobbered blackfish the last two weeks with <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Anthony said. Open-boat trips are fishing for them every Tuesday and Thursday, but also on other days if anglers express interest. Charters can often take on extra anglers, too.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

On the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> the trip Sunday began fishing local, Capt. Ron said in the report on the vessel’s Web site. But boat traffic was too heavy, and striped bass were small that were around, so the trip moved to deeper waters, “and found the life!” he said. Some of the largest bluefish he’d seen in years gave up lots of action, and several anglers limited out on striped bass. The angling began slowly but turned on. On Saturday’s trip jigging for blues was wild in acres of fish, and anglers who were lucky to get through the blues, ferocious, eating everything in sight, caught a striper, “and a handful at that,” Ron said. The trip left the fish biting. Heavier jigs were needed when winds came on through the afternoon, blowing 25 knots or stronger. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. No trip will fish on Thanksgiving. Check out videos of Sunday’s trip and Saturday’s trip.

Blackfishing turned out another good day of catches today on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. The fishing was solid every day lately, and Tom hopes that holds up. On today’s outing, a one-drop trip, a few anglers limited out. The size was nothing exceptional, and the pool-winning fish weighed 5 or 6 pounds. Sunday’s trip made two or three drops, and some of the anglers limited out, and the pool fish weighed 5 or 6 pounds. Saturday’s trip made one drop. Anglers joining trips have no need to buy tackle at the store. All tackle for the angling is available on the boat, and the trips fish with simple rigs that are cheaper than rigs bought at shops, and sinkers are carried aboard. Sometimes anglers bring rigs that aren’t the best. Plenty of crabs are supplied for bait. The Atlantic Star is blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, but no trip will fish on Thanksgiving.

<b>Highlands</b>

Combo striped bass/blackfish trips ran the last couple of days with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, Capt. Derek said. A bunch of stripers, keepers and shorts, to 15 pounds were jigged around the mouth of Raritan Bay at first on the trips. Then blackfishing was good afterward. Sunday was a little tougher for blackfishing, and shorts had to be weeded through, and whether the full moon was a cause was unknown. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing. An open trip for stripers is set for 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving, so anglers are home in time for dinner. An open trip will sail for a combo of stripers and blackfish Sunday. Call to jump aboard the open trips or to be kept informed about future ones. Fisher Price will probably fish this season until the second week of December.

With <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> 13 striped bass, including 7 keepers, were trolled Friday off Sandy Hook Point, Capt. Brian said. Then the anglers blackfished, boxing 18 keepers. On Saturday a trip trolled 11 stripers, including 6 keepers, off the point. A trip Sunday fished for blackfish, limiting out on 24. Fishing is very good now, Brian said. Brian recently had stopped fishing for bluefin tuna, focusing on stripers and blackfish, but bluefins were numerous in past days, and a friend decked a 90-pounder.

<b>Neptune</b>

Blackfishing whaled great catches, except on Sunday, when the angling was a pick, but a couple of anglers onboard still limited out that day, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> in an e-mail. On Friday, Danny the mate on a trip caught and released the biggest blackfish of his life. Space is available for a couple of anglers to fill a charter Tuesday. Individual-reservation blackfish trips are slated for this week for Tuesday (Last Lady has two boats) and Black Friday and Saturday. More are on the books for Sunday and December 5, 18, 24 (Christmas Eve), 26, New Year’s Eve and all weekends in January, including on New Year’s Day. One of the trips is full December 12.

<b>Belmar</b>

Charters on the <b>Nan Sea J</b> blackfished on the ocean Saturday and Sunday, Capt. Tom said. An excellent catch of the tog to 9.3 pounds was pelted on Saturday’s trip, and an okay catch was rounded up on Sunday’s. Open-boat trips, in addition to charters, are fishing for blackfish, and call for the open dates. A striped bass charter was headed out today, and striper fishing in the fleet Sunday sounded not great but better than previously on the ocean. Boats at the docks returned with five or six stripers apiece that day. Blues were also battled in the same waters.

Striped bass, blues and blackfish were targeted on the ocean with <b>On a Mission Fishing Adventures</b>, Capt. Eric said, and fishing was bang-up. Friday’s trip was the best, hands down. After leaving the dock at 6 a.m., the anglers limited out on striped bass to 25 pounds by 8 a.m., and more stripers bit than blues did. Here’s a rundown from the rest of the week. On Saturday’s trip winds blew too strongly when the anglers arrived at the fishing grounds, and the drift was too fast for jigging. A couple of blues were hooked, but the anglers decided to hunt blackfish. Blackfishing was drop and reel, and the four anglers limited out in 3 hours on green crabs. The fish weighed 3 to 4 pounds, except John Frankel cracked a 7-pound 10-ouncer. Thursday’s trip jigged stripers and blues, but big blues were most numerous. All anyone could want schooled, and the jigs couldn’t be dropped to the bottom in 70 feet without multiple hits from blues. On Wednesday’s trip lots of big, giant blues and two or three stripers were jigged right off Belmar. Last Monday’s trip attempted to sail, but seas were rough, and the charter returned to port.

<b>Brielle</b>

Ocean boating for striped bass was so-so, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. The fishing was hit or miss Saturday then turned on before dark off Bay Head for boaters who jigged. One angler in the middle of the striper and bluefish fleet during the day Saturday jigged and landed a bluefin tuna. Surf fishing for stripers and blues became dead and was sort of like that since Friday, and six or seven customers Sunday morning complained about no fish from the surf from Sea Girt to Mantoloking. Previously bunker had showed up in the suds, drawing in fish. Whether the bite disappeared because the bunker did was unknown. A customer Thursday beat a 24-3/4-pound striper in the surf on a bunker he snagged for bait. The surf was in the low 50s the other day. Winds and rough seas were poor for blackfishing on the ocean the last few days. Bottom anglers scraped together sea bass and porgies. Ling were pumped in from the Mudhole and Shark River Reef, and Dave wouldn’t say the angling was hopping, but some were reeled up. Stripers, but only small ones 14 to 16 inches, were landed on the Manasquan River. Stripers disappeared from the Point Pleasant Canal, and nothing was heard about blackfishing in the canal, but the shop sells no crabs for blackfish bait. Catch the shop’s second annual free striper tournament for surf anglers for Thanksgiving from 12:01 a.m. Friday to 2 p.m. Sunday. No entry or pre-registration are required, and the only requirements are that anglers catch the stripers from the surf and weigh the fish at the shop. Prizes will be: 1st place, an 8-foot St. Croix Mojo rod with a Penn spinning reel; 2nd place, seven custom wood plugs; and 3rd place, a small Bronco surf-fishing bag with plugs and metals. The shop will be closed Thanksgiving.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

The better striped bass catches came Saturday than Sunday on the party boat <b>Cock Robin</b>, an e-mail from the vessel said. Waters should hold stripers for some time. “We could do with another shot of bass just to make things easier,” the e-mail said, “although if we caught what we read, it would be a whole other game.” More bluefish than stripers were hooked, and dog sharks were relentless then and during today’s trip. But stripers and blues were managed today, until hard south winds began, and the fish stopped biting, and dog sharks took over. Bluefin tuna were seen in the waters lately, but getting them to swipe a hook is difficult. The crew heard about one of the tuna boated within 2 miles from the beach Sunday. The Cock Robin is sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily except 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesdays. On Thanksgiving a trip will run 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Holiday gift certificates are available.

The five anglers on a charter Friday limited out on striped bass to a 25-pound 43-inch beauty and released more on the ocean, said a report on <b>Reel Class Charters</b>’ Web site. Plus they fought lots of blues and managed a few tog, an excellent day, the report said. Bluefin tuna were seen a couple of times, including once well within 3 miles from shore, crashing and blowing up on sand eels. “Great sight!” the report said. The fishing for stripers and blues took place at several locations under working birds, and many of the fish were nailed between the ocean off the Seaside Heights piers to Island Beach State Park. Lots of bunker filled waters off Bay Head and Mantoloking at first during the trip, but so did 75 boats, and Reel Class moved on from there. The tog fishing, at a rock pile, was slow, but a half-dozen to 6 pounds were boated. On Saturday a charter scored a slow but steady pick all day on the ocean on jigs, and the morning was the slowest. But seven keeper stripers to 15 pounds, a handful of short bass and lots of blues were landed. So was a load of spiny dog sharks. A 13-inch tog also jumped on a jig. Often the fish were hooked on readings, not under birds. At one set of readings mostly dog sharks, occasional blues, bit. An area off Lavallette to Mantoloking gave up mostly blues but occasional stripers. A couple of good shots at stripers were nabbed. Seas and winds were sometimes rough that day, Saturday. On Sunday a charter wanted to fish for tog most of the day, and try jigging toward the end. About 40 tog, including 18 keepers, including some sizeable ones to a pair of 5- to 6-pounders, were landed. So was a ling. The jigging at the end of the day turned up a mess of blues and a few dog sharks. Seas and winds were kicked up in the morning but calmed by 10 a.m. “A solid day but the fishing can best be described as just a pick,” the report said.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Long Beach Island’s surf lit up on Saturday, as bunker slammed the shore from Barnegat Light to Harvey Cedars, Bob Misak said in a report on <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site. That made the weekend a doozy for anglers battling it out in the annual Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic, running all season. A 43-pounder was entered, and so was a 40-1/2-pounder. The tournament’s current leader weighed in a 33-1/2-pounder, but that was a baby compared to his 56-pound striper in the lead. Blues still trickled in here and there. Waters around the Barnegat Inlet jetty served up killer blackfishing when the bag limit increased to six on Tuesday from one. But 200 anglers must’ve fished the jetty that day, and most limited out. Bob and a buddy bagged five in an hour that day. But Bob returned a few days later, and the tog were there, but fewer than before. He bagged two in 4 hours of tough fishing. Fishing along the condo docks for tog or anything except herring was quiet. So was news about fishing on Barnegat Bay, and many anglers winterized their boats. But fishing was by no means finished, and big stripers should remain another week at least. “The only way to catch those big fish is to be there when they show, and living on the water is a sure way to catch them moving through,” Bob said.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

Blackfishing went well for <b>Legal Limit Charters</b> lately, and a trip limited out on the tog Sunday, Capt. T.J. said. T.J.’s brother ran the blackfish trip and is also sailing for stripers on trips. T.J. is running Legal Limit’s other boat on annual trips for stripers from Cape May, and see the report under that port.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Lots of striped bass bit along the bars at Little Egg Inlet, if boaters fished at the right spot, said a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site. Those who fished at the right spot and “were chumming it up” limited out, the report said. Clams are the usual bait at the inlet, but bunker works well. A 48.7-pound striper was lambasted at the inlet Saturday, and a 30-pounder was also checked in from the inlet that day. Some big bass were around. Ocean boaters trolled tons of bluefish, and had difficulty getting through them to hook a striper. Boaters Friday on the ocean found bunker, snagging them to liveline for bait, hanging an occasional striper. On Thursday a couple of people contacted the shop, alerting the crew that bunker were seen in the surf along Long Beach Island. One saw the baitfish and striped bass feeding on them in the surf at Brandt Beach while he was working. Only a couple of anglers fished for them. Another saw bunker schools at five different locations along the LBI surf that day when he stopped at the locations on a drive. Blues and stripers probably worked the menhaden, he said. The bunker were expected to slide south toward the Little Egg Inlet area, the report said at the time. Stripers were overdue to begin biting for surf anglers at Graveling Point on Great Bay, after the fish gave up a flurry of catches there two weeks ago. “Someone has to catch the next first one!” the report said. Fresh, shucked clams ran low at the store and should be available through Wednesday morning, likely to run out before the next delivery arrives that morning. Fresh bunker were stocked at mid day today and should last through Thanksgiving. The shop will be open 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thanksgiving.

<b>Brigantine</b>

“Did you see that game on Sunday?!” Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b> asked in a report on the shop’s Web site. “Those Jets crushed!” he said. “The (Eagles) beat my Giants, but it’s fishing season, not football season, so who really cares?” Though surf fishing was slow on Brigantine today, striped bass, blues and bunker stormed the surf Friday, and more than 30 fish were weighed in from the blitz. “The beach is officially on fire!” a report said that day on the site. Boaters bailed striped bass today, and most limited out early. The report mentioned no location for the boaters, but Andy in a previous report said Absecon Inlet shoveled up many stripers for them. Beautiful, fresh bunker arrived at the shop today.

<b>Longport</b>

A trip searched for striped bass Sunday on the ocean on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, scoring slower angling than boats farther north, but a 5-to-1 ratio of blues to stripers was jigged, Capt. Mike said. The fish wouldn’t bite jigs or bait, and dog sharks jumped all over the jigs. After concentrating on jigging and bait fishing, the trip began to troll, and that’s when the fish bit. All the fish were chock full of sand eels, giant ones 8 inches. A trip today was supposed to head back out for stripers. Mike this season said all along that striper fishing usually picks up by Thanksgiving week in the area. Blackfishing was super on the boat. A trip Friday reeled in the tog to 7 ¼ or 8 pounds all day. The ocean lately was 57 degrees and surprisingly clear, unaffected by winds and seas. Plenty of room is available on an open-boat trip that will sail for shorter hours than usual, at a discounted rate, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon Thanksgiving for blackfish, and space is available on a full-day open trip Black Friday for the tog. Don’t wait to claim a spot. One of the annual Cast and Blast Trips, charters and open-boat outings that gun for ducks and fish in the same day, will probably run Tuesday. Call if interested in joining a Cast and Blast. Mostly open trips are fishing, but so are charters. Open trips are sold out today through Wednesday. Charters are especially available for deep-water wreck fishing for sea bass and cod on 12-hour trips from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. Grab the sea bass before the season for the lumpheads closes January 1. But charters for stripers, blackfish and any species available are on tap.  “Ask them if they’re waiting for the weather to get bitter cold before they decide to fish!” Mike joked.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Peter Garabedian fly-rodded, jigged and released 12 to 15 striped bass and blues on a trip on the ocean Sunday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. The action wasn’t as wide open as a previous trip but was still consistent. No birds worked the waters, and the stripers were up to 32 inches, and the blues were up to 15 pounds. The ocean was 53 to 54 degrees, and seas were somewhat bumpy in the morning but calmed afterward. Southwest winds became horrendous Saturday, and Joe tried to sail that day but called off the trip. Back bay fishing for stripers continued to produce, and trips can fish there if anglers want. Fall fishing is happening, and fair weather usually “means fish,” Joe said. Surf anglers are also catching. Joe’s buddies banked good-sized stripers from the Sea Isle City surf during the weekend on snagged bunker. Annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys, weekend getaways, will fish again this winter starting in January with Jersey Cape. Anglers can arrive on Friday evening, fish all day Saturday and part of Sunday, and return that day. See the <a href="http://www.gibsonstackle.com/page6.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Traveling Charters Web page</a>. Keep up with Joe’s fishing, photos and videos on <a href=" http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Nine striped bass to 26 pounds were racked up Saturday on a trip on Delaware Bay, said Capt. Eric from <b>O-Beth Sportfishing Charters</b>. Seventeen stripers to a 34-pound 44-incher were drilled on a trip Sunday on the bay. All the fish were bunker chunked, and big blues 10 and 12 pounds began to appear in the bay. Waters were in the low 50s, around 52 degrees, and seas were sporty Saturday morning but calmed, and seas and the weather were pleasant Sunday. Healthy catches of stripers also came from the Cape May Rips. O-Beth will keep fishing for stripers from Cape May maybe another two weeks, depending on weather. Afterward trips will run from Margate, jigging for stripers on the ocean and bottom fishing for sea bass and tog at the ocean wrecks and reefs.

Charters banged out good catches of striped bass at the Cape May Rips throughout the past week on the <b>Down Deep</b>, sailing every day except Wednesday, because winds blew, Capt. Bob said. Lots of shorts swam the rips and also Delaware Bay, but so did sizeable ones at both places. Lots of large linesiders were docked at the marinas. Many boats jammed 60-Foot Slough on the bay Sunday. Many also filled the rips that day. At the rips the Down Deep’s anglers fished with eels and spots. The baits seemed to catch equal numbers, but eels seemed to clock bigger stripers. On the bay boaters fished with bunker chunks. The Down Deep will keep fishing this season until at least December 12, but a couple of days more if the weather is fair.

Fishing for striped bass at the Cape May Rips wasn’t too bad, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>. Lots of the fish bit, and probably two were throwbacks for every keeper. But good-sized ones 38 and 40 inches were belted on the boat. The angling was fairly steady, with short lulls now and then. An open-boat trip/shared charter will sail Saturday for stripers. See the <a href="http://www.legallimitcharters.com/open-boat.php" target="_blank">open-boat trip/shared charter schedule</a> online. On T.J.’s other boat, sailing from Tuckerton, blackfishing went great, and a trip Sunday limited out on the tog. See the report under that port.

With <b>Fish Tale Charters</b> 19 striped bass to a 36-incher and a 15-pound bluefish were reeled in from the Cape May Rips on Sunday, Capt. Craig said. Three of the stripers were keepers, and a 29-incher was the smallest. Most of the stripers, including the keepers, were angled on livelined spots. But five were hooked on livelined eels. Fish Tale fishes the rips with spots, eels and bucktails. The eels and bucktails are provided, and the anglers provide the spots, and Craig can pick them up. Craig and the boat’s mate tried fishing with bucktails during the trip, but when the fish bit for the charter, two and three were hooked at a time, and the anglers were ducking the lines up and down, and the bucktailing couldn’t be given a solid effort. The fish bit from the time the trip arrived at the fishing grounds at 7 a.m. until 9:30 a.m., during the last of incoming tide. Fifteen of the bass, including the keepers, were landed in one area, until the bite shut off. Then the trip fished at a couple of other areas in the rips, and four more shorts were landed, including some of the bass that pounced eels, to finish out the day. The day was fun, and the charter was happy, Craig said. They had never before caught that many fish in a trip, and some had never caught stripers before. The action, ducking the lines up and down, hooking two and three at once, was a good time. Fish Tale will keep striper fishing probably until the boat is pulled for the season on December 8. 

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