<b>Staten Island</b>

Charters were nixed because of weather, said Capt. Chuck from <b>Angler Sportfishing Charters</b>, but he sailed on his own during the weather and also when no charter was slated, and decent striped bass fishing was around. His trips usually begin with trolling spoons, and lots of blues attack on the troll, but once in a while a striper does. When the boat reaches the grounds, the anglers begin dunking chunks of bunker for striped bass. In the evening into night, they drift eels off places like the Highlands, scoring well on the bass. The last four or five trips fished on the ocean anywhere from the Tin Can grounds to the Shrewsbury Rocks.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Boating for striped bass socked good catches, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The trips scored a bad day every now and then because the weather was calm. But rough weather was all that was needed to put the fish on the feed. Boaters clammed the fish at the clam beds, jigged them on the ocean and eeled them along the channel edges. Surf casters banked healthy catches of stripers on clams, bunker, jigs or plugs. Jigs and skinny plugs imitated lots of sand eels in the waters. Stripers also swam the rivers, and bluefish tore up the ocean. Bottom fishing cranked aboard lots of porgies, sea bass and one-blackfish-per-angler limits on the ocean. The blackfish bag limit will be raised to six on November 16.

After dismal striped bass fishing on Tuesday’s trip, an excellent catch of the fish was blasted on Wednesday’s trip, said Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> in a report on the vessel’s Web site. “Many limits around the boat, and then some,” he said. Great action lasted 2 hours. Gene “The Fishing Machine” won the pool with a 24-pounder, limiting out on three stripers with a bonus tag. One angler landed five keepers, and some tackled three or four. Ron before the trip began was concerned the slow fishing would continue like on the previous day. The anglers on Wednesday’s trip began jigging at first between the channels, and only small stripers, no keepers, were hooked. The patrons switched to clams, and when the fish decided to bite, “it was on!” Ron said. On Tuesday’s trip Tom Krako bagged two keepers, and a couple of other keepers and very few blues were taken on the trip. After that trip, Ron said on the site that plenty of the fish swam 45 miles to the east that day, and water temps had dropped to 53 degrees, and “conditions (were) getting right,” he said, and he hoped the bass arrived soon. Looks like some did!  The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Check out a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viwjEKRIqOQ&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">video of the trip</a>.

Bottom fishing pounded excellent catches Monday to Wednesday on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. Now anglers will wait to see whether the storm today and Friday affects the angling, but he hopes not. Porgy catches were as good as anyone could want, and some sea bass were bagged, and a few blackfish were iced. Crabs began being supplied for bait, in addition to clams that were already provided, if anglers wanted to target blackfish with crabs. Porgy fishing was so productive that sometimes anglers caught their fill of porgies, began trying for sea bass, then fished for blackfish, though one of the tog is the bag limit. Catches were a mix of fish that was nice, and all anglers went home with plenty of porgies and a few sea bass at least. Porgies seemed abundant everywhere, whether at Sandy Hook Reef, Sea Girt Reef or the Mud Buoy. The Atlantic Star is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily for sea bass, porgies and blackfish.

<b>Highlands</b>

Trolling, jigging and eeling popped good catches of striped bass, said Capt. Brian from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b>. Trips trolled and jigged the fish off Sandy Hook Point and a little down the ocean beaches. Trolling also picked up stripers early in the mornings at the Shrewsbury Rocks on Tony Maja’s Bunker Spoons. Trips eeled stripers at night along the channel edges. Bottom fishing on a trip Tuesday boxed sea bass, porgies and blackfish. Combo striper/blackfish charters will begin when the blackfish bag limit is hiked up to six on November 16 from the current limit of one. If trips can get the weather to sail for bluefin tuna, the fish are biting. A couple of boats on Tuesday returned with bluefins. The weather lately kept Jersey Devil close to shore, but the boat is up for bluefin fishing on charters and open-boat trips, when enough anglers want to go on the open outings. Call if interested in the open trips, because the more who are interested, the easier to schedule.

At <b>Twin Lights Marina</b> boaters bagged striped bass along the edges of Ambrose Channel on livelined eels or peanut bunker or fresh peanuts, Wayne said. Winds frequently kept them from sailing, but when they got out, they caught. Gene Graham, the marina’s striper sharpie, attempted to sail for the fish on Wednesday, but turned around because of seas. One of the charter boats from the docks braved the storm today, returning early, but put customers on five keeper stripers and 20 throwbacks. Nothing was heard about other fishing, like bottom fishing for sea bass since sea bass season opened on Monday, and seas were unfavorable. The full supply of frozen baits is stocked, and live and fresh peanut bunker and fresh clams are carried whenever a stretch of clear weather promises enough demand.

<b>Neptune</b>

An individual-reservation trip was weathered out today to the offshore wrecks for cod, pollock and hake, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. Not all the anglers could reschedule, so space opened up for the new date, Veterans’ Day, Thursday, November 11. Last Lady lately scored well on striped bass on the ocean on clams, jigs or eels. Sea bass were biting, and the tog bag limit will be increased to six on Tuesday, November 16, from the current limit of one. Openings are available on individual-reservation trips for the blackfish on that day and on Sunday, November 21, and Friday, November 26. <b>***Update, Friday, 11/5:***</b> Capt. Pete, running a trip this morning, telephoned Ralph at 10 a.m. today, saying the anglers already cracked six or seven stripers to 20 pounds on jigs, fishing on the ocean off by themselves. Ralph was traveling when Ralph phoned in this update.

<b>Belmar</b>

Sea bass season opened on Monday, and excellent fishing for them was mugged on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b> on the ocean, Capt. Chris said. None was a monster, but the humpheads were good sized, and catches were consistent. Limits were made, and a few blackfish were angled up. But sea bass made up nearly all the catches. The Big Mohawk is fishing for sea bass 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. 

Fair to good fishing for striped bass and blues was pounced on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b> on Monday, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. A dozen keeper stripers and plenty of mixed-sized blues were lifted a ship on jigs on the ocean to the south on board that day. On the boat on Saturday 18 keeper stripers were whaled, and shorts were released, good fishing. Bluefish bit hot and cold on that trip, and the captain would’ve liked to have seen big blues show up better. Still, that was solid fall angling. The Golden Eagle is sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Angling for striped bass and blues had been walloping the fish -- the bass and blues had been hitting hard -- on the ocean last week before the cold front, said Capt. Eric from <b>On a Mission Fishing Adventures</b>. The catches slowed this week, becoming good, instead of excellent like before the cold. Trips mostly jigged the fish on bucktails, but did a little eeling for them. Now that sea bass season opened, trips will fish for stripers in the mornings and for sea bass and tog afterward. Eric also guides surf-fishing trips, and he only ran charters from the boat in the past days. But surf anglers banked as many blues as they wanted, and a few stripers now and then, at Island Beach State Park and Seaside. Bait, mostly bunker chunks, attracted most of the bass.

Surf casters put a beating on lots of striped bass until the weather, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Any lures imitating sand eels worked, including Ava jigs, needlefish plugs and Deadly Dicks, and fishing with black plugs at night nailed exceptional fishing. The storm kept the party boats docked today, but previously they mongered a mess of sea bass since sea bass season opened on Monday. The ones that sailed for blues did a number on the fish and sometimes on stripers. On some days stripers swam abundant, and on others they were gone. Striper fishing wasn’t so active the last two days, but some were rounded up. Boats had to get on the right school of bait that held the bass.

<b>Brielle</b>

On the <b>Big Kid</b> the Jim Groves charter on Wednesday set out for striped bass in the morning, trolling on the ocean to the north with Tony Maja’s No. 1 Spoons, Capt. Ken said. Two stripers were bagged, and a load of blues were clocked. Then the anglers bottom fished, reeling up sea bass and blackfish on the ocean off the Red Church. On Tuesday Mike Gallo’s charter looked for stripers in the morning, finding bluefish blitzing on the ocean to the south. Then they bottom fished at the reef, hauling in sea bass to 4 pounds and their limits of blackfish. Blackfishing on the boat, one of the favorite types of fishing for the crew, will become a focus starting on November 16, when the bag limit is lifted to six from the current limit of one.

Three trips fished for sea bass on the first three days of sea bass season this week, and all three limited out! said Capt. Jerry from <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> in an e-mail. “Best fishing of the year!” he said. Blackfish, ling, cod, porgies, blues and striped bass were also reeled aboard on the outings. On Monday, opening day, a trip headed out in breezy weather, and began to fish in shallow waters. Sea bassing was lock and load on sizeable fish, almost no shorts. When the action slowed, the trip bounced around to different spots, and the first half of the box had come easy, but the second half took work. The weather calmed, and the six anglers worked through shorts to cull keepers, and they limited out. They also bagged four blackfish, a handful of porgies and a big blue, a greedy culprit that was eating the hooked sea bass, and still had them hanging from its mouth. The trip also looked for stripers under bird life on the way home, but no good life was seen. On Tuesday’s trip sea bass fishing was one-stop shopping! Dog sharks were brutal at times, and the trip had to shift away from them on the piece for another blast of sea bass a number of times. Limiting out took a while longer than normally, but the five anglers were boxed up by lunchtime. They also limited out on blackfish, trying a blackfish drop inshore afterward. Currents roared, and a good bite never got going, but they limited on the tog and threw back shorts. A conger eel and a silver eel were also landed during the day, and the anglers had looked for stripers under birds on the way out and the way back, but none was seen. Wednesday’s trip ran into dog sharks on the first drop and evacuated, moved deeper and drifted around to different spots, until the six anglers limited out on sea bass. On the way home birds were found diving, and great readings were marked, and a keeper striper, a short and a bunch of blues were landed. “Great way to end the day!” Jerry said. The anglers ended up bagging the limit of sea bass to 3 pounds, a half-dozen ling, four blackfish, a striper and some blues, a good mixed bag.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Here’s a cool trip: Carl Lamanna, owner of <b>Canyon River Club Marina</b>, had said he’d like to make a final trip to the canyons this season, and that he did on Wednesday on his C-Annamal, he said. He and his crew – Lou DeRosa and Chad Bennett from Toms River and John VanHorn from Bayville – left port at 3:30 a.m. for Hudson Canyon in calm seas and no winds, perfect conditions, like a sleigh ride. Arriving at 6 a.m., they began chunking, and first caught three blue sharks in the 58-1/2- to 59-degree waters. Despite the cold waters, 15 squid boats worked the area, and the trip bagged a sizeable, 80-pound yellowfin tuna. At noon the trip motored inshore to waters 6 miles west of the Atlantic Princess wreck. Calm seas continued, and the triple-outboard C-Annamal flew at 45 to 50 knots. Life filled the waters near the wreck, and a 60-pound bluefin tuna was bagged. So the trip was a success, and Carl would’ve liked to land more yellowfins, but the fishing was a shot in the dark with the cold waters. But the effort was worth the chance, especially with the squid boats there, and the catch this late in the year was a great way to end the offshore season. At the marina, most of the fleet looked forward to a good run of striped bass. The marina, located along Manasquan River, is open all year, including winter. It features all the amenities, including a locker with electric to fit a freezer, rods and tackle. The docks are only a half-mile from Manasquan Inlet with no bridges.

With <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> a mixed-bag charter on Tuesday plied the ocean for striped bass and bottom fish, and even took a shot at bluefin tuna, a report on the boat’s Web site said. The anglers began the trip looking for stripers, jigging and trolling among tons of bait, but only big, gator blues chomped. They switched to bottom fishing, wrangling up sea bass, tog and porgies, lots of shorts of some of the fish, but some keepers. Next they tried for the “elusive bluefin,” the report said, in inshore waters, setting up a chunk slick while jigging and drifting. Bluefins raced through the slick, but no takers showed up. A tougher day of fishing. On Sunday another charter fished for a mixed bag of stripers and blackfish. A few stripers that were heard about bit at first light for other anglers, but the bite shut down as soon as boat traffic began. The trip with Andrea’s Toy found no life along the ocean beaches all the way to Sandy Hook. Winds soon began to blow, creating tough conditions for striper fishing, and “it just wasn’t in the cards,” the report said. The anglers opted to have fun catching blackfish, making a stop for the tog. The fish took a moment to get going, but then the anglers knocked down good-sized blackfish to 5 pounds, limiting out, releasing plenty more. Andrea’s Toy will currently fish for mixed bags of stripers and bottom fish, Capt. Fred said in a phone call. Reports were heard about bluefin tuna farther from shore, but all trips fished inshore lately. Andrea’s Toy Charters specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, more chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner.

Trips fished for striped bass on the ocean in the past days on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said. Mostly blues, mixed sizes from 4 to 15 pounds, plenty of them, bit, but a few stripers, shorts to 20- to 25-pounders, were netted each trip. On Wednesday’s trip a few healthy sized stripers were hooked toward the end of the outing. Even an occasional bonito and a few sea bass lately jumped on the jigs that were fished. Nearly all types of jigs worked, including Ava’s, Krocodiles, Crippled Herrings and Butterfly Jigs, and a few fish were hooked on popper lures. The variety worked because the fish gorged on lots of different bait, including anchovies, small weakfish, squid, butterfish and sand eels. Fish that were landed spit up all those baits. Waters on Wednesday were 59 ½ degrees, and striper fishing seems to kick in when the temps drop to 55 degrees and below. The Gambler is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Super catches of porgies were swung aboard the party boat <b>Dauntless</b> the past couple of days, and some sizeable sea bass were mixed in, Capt. Butch said. The trip on Monday, the opening day of sea bass season, tried strictly targeting sea bass, and that didn’t work out. The fishing was more like opening day of dog shark season! Butch said. So the trip moved a little inshore for porgies, and porgies chewed well. Lots of blackfish also began to be hooked on trips, because water temps really dropped, and many of the tog were chunky. Blackfish 7 pounds won the pools on Monday and Tuesday. The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

The storm kept the party boat <b>Cock Robin</b> docked today, an e-mail from the vessel said. But the vessel sailed on the ocean the previous days, and Wednesday’s trip began with a slow pick of blues from small to large, but ended with striped bass and blues hooked up for 2 hours. The boat jumped from pile to pile of the fish. On Tuesday’s trip birds working the waters, bait schooling, good winds and a good tide created perfect conditions, and blues from small to large were battled. Some would consider the angling okay, or even good, but “we don’t!” the e-mail said. On Monday’s trip, after blues were caught here and there, the fish were found schooling, and the fishing was game on! Everyone aboard fought blues. The fish were all sizes, feeding on weakfish and butterfish, maybe a few sand eels. The Cock Robin is sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Bricktown</b>

Sea bass, lots of the fish, were looted at the Rattlesnake and Sea Girt Reef in 65 to 70 feet, said Capt. Rich from <b>Jersey Hooker Outfitters Bait & Tackle</b>, located in Bricktown, and <b>Jersey Hooker Charters</b>, sailing from Point Pleasant Beach’s Canyon River Club Marina. Dynamite fishing for tog was plowed at wrecks in 45 feet and the rocks to the north in the same depths. Tons of blues schooled the ocean, and striped bass swam among them here and there. The fish were trolled, jigged and popper plugged or caught all different ways. Surf casters picked stripers on clams and bunker at night on outgoing tides or on plugs, poppers and soft-plastic lures first  thing in the mornings and at dusk, and blues were mixed in. At the Point Pleasant Canal blackfishing became slow, but quality blacks remained, and anglers copped their one keeper. Stripers were hung in the canal at night, when boat traffic was light, on all different methods, including clamming, eeling or fishing with bunker heads, big rubber shads or diamond jigs. During the light the stripers were livelined on spots on weekdays when traffic was light. Little was heard about offshore fishing for tuna by this time of year, when the weather prevents many trips. But Rich knew one angler who headed offshore on Wednesday but was yet to hear results. Offshore waters were cold.

<b>Toms River</b>

Eeling for striped bass at night somewhat slowed along Barnegat Bay’s sod banks, and the ocean cooled, drawing some of the fish there, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. During the previous week the bay was cooler than the ocean, and the eeling was some of the best striper angling. But some of the bass continued to attack eels along the sod banks. Boating for stripers and blues on the ocean was tough in the local area, and was better north of Manasquan Inlet. The boaters jigged and trolled for the fish, and the Shrewsbury Rocks gave up action. John who works at the shop trolled off Island Beach State Park on Tuesday, only hooking two blues. Locating fish was difficult. Surf anglers punched lots of big blues 10 or 12 pounds and also striped bass early this morning from Seaside Heights, including at the Casino Pier, to Island Beach. Fresh bunker connected, but many of the fish were hooked on Ava jigs that cut through the winds. Tim Chamberlain checked in a 9-pound 6-ounce blue from the Ortley Beach surf. A 25-pound striper was weighed in from the suds. Blackfish were green-crabbed along the Barnegat Inlet jetties and were woofed on green crabs or clams at the Point Pleasant Canal.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Lots of fish, mostly striped bass but some blues, were beached from the surf today, said Scott from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Boaters trolled and jigged stripers and blues on the ocean lately. Did they pick up mostly blues and just a few stripers? Scott was asked, No, they bagged stripers too, he said. Plenty of stripers, including big ones, were eeled at night along Barnegat Bay’s sod banks and Barnegat Inlet. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, eels and the full supply of baits is stocked. Catch Wacky Wednesdays every week, when clams are $2 per dozen.

<b>Forked River</b>

Striped bass fishing wasn’t bad, and alright catches of the fish were eeled at night along the sod banks on Barnegat Bay, said Dave from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. A customer clammed three stripers, including a 23-pounder, at Barnegat  Inlet the other day. A few stripers and lots of blues were trolled on the ocean on umbrella rigs and bunker spoons. Anglers talked about nabbing blackfish along the Barnegat Inlet jetties last week, though little was heard about the angling since, maybe because of windy weather.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

A few blues and striped bass were knocked around in the surf at midday today, said Basil from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. One angler checked in a 33-inch blue from the bite, and Mike DeMartinez weighed in a 19-pound striper from the action. Bunker worked best for stripers from the beach lately, but clams might produce best once the current storm churns up clams. Dick Murray came in with a 35- or 37-pound striper the other day that he hauled in from the Barnegat Inlet jetty or the walkway. Ocean boaters trolled or jigged blues and stripers through the week. Trollers scored well on white or chartreuse rubber shads, if anglers wanted to fish with shads, and bunker spoons connected. The ocean wrecks attracted lots of triggerfish and plenty of sea bass. Clamming or livelining spots put the kibosh on stripers at Barnegat Inlet and along the sedges of Barnegat Bay. The bass were also live eeled or spotted at night along the sod banks or behind the Dike. Small sea herring schooled along the inlet if anglers wanted to cast for a fight. Live spots and eels are stocked, but fresh bunker and clams ran out in the weather that kept boats from harvesting them.

<b>Barnegat</b>

Big blues, striped bass and even a few tog “to ice the cake,” Capt. Dave DeGennaro said, great catches, were belted on the <b>Hi Flier</b>. The blues and stripers were diamond-jigged or trolled on the ocean, but some of the stripers were livelined on spots inside Barnegat Bay. The tog were tugged aboard from along the Barnegat Inlet jetties. On the ocean, trips fished among lots of working birds and readings from Seaside to Island Beach State Park in 50 to 60 feet. The gator blues outnumbered stripers there by a large ratio, but waters were 52 to 53 degrees, below the comfort zone for blues. All the bait must’ve kept them around. The end was near for blues, and stripers will dominate any minute, “and it will be safe to put the ‘good’ lures in the water,” Dave said. On Tuesday a trip live-spotted two stripers inside Barnegat Bay. The stripers included Steve Capuccio from Montvale’s 32-incher that was shown in the photo pages on this site. On Monday a trip mixed in some chunky tog along the Barnegat Inlet jetty. The blackfish included Gene Cunningham from Brick’s 5-pounder shown in another shot in the photo pages. Open-boat trips or charters are fishing daily until December 4. Call to jump aboard.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Boaters trying for sea bass reported okay catches at Garden State Reef South on Wednesday, the first day with weather that was sailable since sea bass season opened on Monday, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>.  So he figured any other places that held sea bass probably also offered good fishing.  Some boaters trolled for striped bass but found plenty of 10-pound bluefish instead on the ocean off Brant Beach on Wednesday under tons of bird plays. That was the only day when winds really allowed striper fishing on the ocean. Striper fishing was intermittent at Little Egg Inlet, difficult to put a finger on the times for best catches, but the fish were hooked. A flurry of catches took off at the end of outgoing tide on Tuesday. A couple of stripers, a 19-pounder and a 17-pounder, were weighed in from the inlet on Wednesday, but the day wasn’t a big one for the angling. Clams were the bait to dunk at the inlet, and the Mullica River turned out stripers on eels. Fifty stripers were checked in for the Mica Tournament from last Thursday to Sunday, and six weighed 30 pounds or more. Stripers were around, but no huge blast of the fish so far this season. Nothing was heard about fishing for white perch or tog, and anglers mostly had striper fever. Plenty of fresh, shucked clams are stocked, and more are arriving today that the boats harvested on Wednesday. That was good news, because the boats were likely to be unable to sail in today’s storm and Friday’s weather. Whether fresh bunker will be carried is questionable, because the bunker boat usually sails Tuesdays and Thursdays or today. The menhaden might not be available for the weekend. Green crabs, eels, live grass shrimp and minnows are carried.

<b>Absecon</b>

Somewhat of a lull set in for striped bass fishing once south winds blew, said Curt from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. At first, the weather turned warm. Then it became cold, and the cold began to help striper fishing. Then the bit of a lull happened. But overall striper fishing was inconsistent, and a bunch of the fish would crash the waters, and afterward they’d disappear. A couple of big runs of the bass moved through since last week. The fish were hooked from the ocean to the back bay. Capt. Dave, the shop’s owner, ran a good charter that bagged four keeper stripers: two in the 20-pound range that came from the Great Bay area, and a couple of more. All were grabbed on livelined spots. On the ocean trolling seemed best for stripers, covering ground. Curt heard about lots of bird plays on the ocean, but many seemed to hold small bait like anchovies that weakfish fed on. If anglers could find schools of adult bunker, that was a different story, offering a better chance at stripers. But not many bunker were around. Striper fishing in the ocean sounded better to the north and south in the past days. Plenty of tog snapped everywhere, including along the sod banks, bridges, rocks and jetties. One angler clobbered a 15-pound sheepshead, and sheepshead sometimes grow huge in New Jersey, unlike in the south in states like Florida, where sheepshead are more abundant but usually smaller. White perch fishing turned on well at the Mullica River, and Curt, a perch angler, would know. He heard about stripers landed on the river, but he tried for them a number of times with no luck. Anglers on the river eel for the bass or sometimes liveline spots or troll. Live spots, mullet and eels are stocked. Fresh clams are usually on hand, and fresh bunker is carried when available.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Surf fishing was slow in the past days, but when striped bass hit the suds lately, they hit hard, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. A bunch of the fish were weighed in during the past week, and one or two would come in during the slower days, and a dozen would be checked in when the angling busted loose. No bluefish ran the wash so far this season, and Andy saw none at the shop. Chris Rotundi weighed in a 26-pound 6-ounce striper he bunker chunked on Brigantine’s north end. John Dalton checked in a 17-pounder and an 11-pounder he clammed on a trip on the south end. Boaters sometimes brought in stripers from the ocean. The 5th annual Riptide Striped Bass Derby is under way, lasting until the end of the year, and Steve DiGiacomo was in the lead with a 46-1/2-pound 51-incher. Phil Moses was in 2nd and 3rd places with a 30-pounder and a 29-pound 6-ouncer. Entrants win cash awards for the biggest stripers caught from the surf along Brigantine’s front beach. First place wins $750, and 2nd cops $400, and 3rd earns $150. The entrant with the biggest bass each month wins $25. The rest of the proceeds are donated to charity, and the event donated more than $13,000 to charity since the tournament began, Andy said. Phil Fors from Rolling Tackle Box donated a 13-foot Breakaway HDX surf rod, worth $280, that will be awarded to the entrant with the biggest striper from November 1 to 7. The entry fee for the tournament is $20, and entry must be accompanied by a Brigantine beach buggy permit. That way all entrants get to drive the beach to fish.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

In the surf anglers dragged in striped bass, hefty blackfish from along the jetties, and occasional kingfish, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. No blues really showed up. A 2-pound 18-inch kingfish was checked in from the beach. So was a pending world record 13-1/2-pound 51-inch American eel with a 13-inch girth. Yikes! Lots of herring schooled the back bay, and ling were landed along the sea wall. Plenty of fresh clams and fresh bunker are stocked. So are green crabs, eels, minnows and all the frozen baits.

<b>Longport</b>

The <b>Stray Cat</b> ran for sea bass on Wednesday, and the anglers whacked the fish, a huge day, Capt. Mike said. This was the second trip that sea-bass fished since the season for the lumpheads opened on Monday. The group of seven limited out by 10:30 or 11 a.m., awesome fishing for sizeable sea bass, sometimes including triple headers. The fishing was the way it should be, Mike said. Plus 15 cod and 10 blues were coolered. The trip fished at the Deep Water Reef off Cape May. Birds working the waters were seen once around 12 miles from shore and once closer to shore. Only bait and blues, no striped bass, swam under the birds. Waters were 60 degrees, too warm for stripers, and the better striper fishing usually kicks off around Thanksgiving near Longport. At the moment, trips, both charters and open-boat outings, will mostly focus on sea bass. No sense in concentrating on anything else. But straggler stripers could be around, and blues were around. A trip also did some tog fishing on Tuesday, going through a half-bushel of crabs for bait in 2 ½ hours. Each angler bagged a limit of one tog 6 pounds or larger and released others. Then the trip motored farther offshore to 12 miles, banging out a bunch of sea bass and a couple of big porgies. Three spaces are available on Monday on one of the annual Cast and Blast Trips that both fish and gun for ducks in the same day. Anglers can jig for blues and stripers between hunting. The last Cast and Blast Trip recently scored a good shoot, about seven ducks.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Sea bass and tog littered the ocean wrecks and reefs, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. The back bay was loaded with tog and striped bass, and the stripers were eeled, clammed or taken on bunker or artificials. The Great Egg Harbor River was stacked up with stripers, mostly shorts, but some keepers, downstream from Mays Landing but upstream from the river’s mouth. Lures like Bomber lures or rubber swim baits hooked them. Boaters on the ocean sometimes ran into stripers or blues that they trolled or jigged. Big stripers were hauled from Delaware Bay at places including 60-Foot Slough, the Punk Grounds and the No. 1 buoy, caught on fresh bunker. 

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

A charter today was postponed because of the storm, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Joe was going to try to fish on his own today, though. Striped bass sometimes began to show up in the back bay the past couple of days, jumping on spots or other live bait, and a friend beat two of the bass on Wednesday evening. Nothing confirmed was heard yet about a substantial migration of striped bass and blues sliding down the ocean to the local coast, but the fish were due any time. Isolated blitzes of the fish popped up randomly on occasion, including in the surf, but the angling was a matter of right place, right time. Once the migration arrives, the fishing becomes sustained, and Joe’s anglers hammer the catches on jigheads with soft plastics like Fin-S Fish and sometimes on bucktails or metal. They also fly rod the catches, and the angling is the best of the year. 

<b>Wildwood</b>

Open-boat fishing was weathered out during the weekend on the party boat <b>Adventurer</b>, Capt. Gary said. The boat had been sailing open every Saturday, but the vessel will now only book charters for striped bass fishing. It was that time of year to wait for the fall striper run to develop in the ocean any moment.

<b>Cape May</b>

Delaware Bay boaters bunker chunked striped bass around 30 inches, sometimes up to the upper 40s, at places like 60-Foot Slough, said Danny Boy from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. The bay was the hot spot for local fishing, but a few stripers, some of the first of the season, were managed at the Cape May Rips on Wednesday. A handful of the bass were searched out from along the ocean front lately. Good tog fishing was creamed along the bridges and jetties. Not much was heard about sea bass, though sea bass season opened on Monday. Customers honed in on stripers.

Anglers on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> steamed for sea bass on Tuesday, after sea bass season opened on Monday, and the weather, worse than forecast, kept the trip from sailing as far from shore as Capt. George wanted, he said. But the charter, Tom Ebecke’s crew from Accresce Nursery in Newfield, piled up a bunch of sea bass at Cape May Reef closer to shore. None of the sea bass was big there, but keepers 13 and 14 inches were bagged. A variety of fish bit, including a couple of keeper weakfish 14 inches, some great, big porgies, a couple of tog and spiny dogfish. A charter today was supposed to bunker chunk for striped bass on Delaware Bay. George heard about no stripers found in the Cape May Rips so far, and the bay seemed to hold the only action.

<b>Legal Limit Charters</b> fished for striped bass at the Cape May Rips on Wednesday, because anglers boated a few of the fish, not many, there lately on flood tides, Capt. T.J. said. In the past days he also knew about a couple of anglers who located no stripers on Delaware Bay, fishing with chunks of bunker, and another couple of anglers who landed one bass apiece or so while chunking on the bay. So Legal Limit fished at the rips with livelined eels and spots, but the angling was slow, and no stripers bit. T.J. hoped to return to fishing on the bay on a trip today, if the storm allowed, and his previous couple of trips, covered here in past reports, bagged a couple of large stripers on the bay.  Charters and open-boat trips/shared charters are sailing for stripers, and see the <a href=" http://www.legallimitcharters.com/c-11-open-boat.aspx" target="_blank">open-boat trip/shared charter schedule</a> online.

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