<b>Staten Island</b>

Bunker spoons were trolled across Raritan Bay off Old Orchard Shoal at first on a trip Tuesday evening with <b>Angler Sportfishing Charters</b>, Capt. Chuck said. No striped bass bit, and waters probably needed to cool a little, but lots of blues to 12 pounds hammered the spoons, and the four anglers had a great time, he said. At nightfall they set up and fished bunker chunks on the bay off Seguine Point, whaling lots of blues again. No stripers attacked, and nothing bit the livelined peanut bunker that were netted for the trip. But the anglers had a good time tangling with the blues again, Chuck said, and the trip motored back to the dock at 1 a.m. The weather was gorgeous. So they gave an effort at hooking stripers, and the season was probably a little early for the fish. But fall striper charters are being booked. Angler Sportfishing is also bottom fishing for catches like sea bass. 

Lots of good-sized sea bass, many of them 15 inches, were booted aboard with <b>Outcast Charters</b> on Wednesday, Capt. Joe said. Just good fishing, he said, and waters were pristine, clear, at some of the spots fished farter from shore. The bay was not clear at all, looked mucky, and red tides filled some areas, including around the Verrazano Bridge. The day was a little breezy but not bad, and the drift was a little fast, especially in the morning. Tons of out-of-season fluke, smaller than keeper size, bit the sea bass rigs at one place. Outcast will keep sea bass fishing, and blackfishing will begin on the boat as soon as New York’s blackfish season opens on October 1, only a couple of weeks away. The first three weekends of the season are already filled with blackfish charters.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Bottom fishing put up plenty of catches, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Healthy catches of sea bass, lots of porgies and a bunch of blackfish bit on the trips. Blackfish refused to feed on a trip he took Wednesday, and boats in the fleet kept moving around, but winds blew. Striped bass, blues and false albacore sometimes turned on for surf anglers. The stripers grabbed popper lures, clams or peanut bunker mostly in the mornings and evenings. But if the right winds blew, they could be up all day. The fish including some albies hit the surf Tuesday around 4:30 p.m.

A better ratio of keeper fluke, quite a few of them, was crushed on Tuesday’s trips on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. Trips through the week fished down the ocean beaches, and the conditions were right on Tuesday’s trips, or winds and tides created the right drift. Conditions were good on Wednesday’s trips, but the ratio was lower, for some reason. Fluke were still caught, but bigger ones, and more to take home, were clocked on Tuesday. On Wednesday the angling was better on the afternoon trip than on the morning one, but not as good as on Tuesday. Tuesday’s fishing was the best in some time. Still, fluking was pretty darn good during these days. Plenty of action, plenty of shorts, too. Sometimes drifts were fast, when winds blew with the current. But the depths were only 25 feet along the beaches, so anglers could adjust. Anglers can bring two rods, so one can be used when a fast drift requires 6- or 8-ounce weights. But that’s not like fishing heavy weights fished in deep waters at the channel. It’s easier in the shallower waters. Trips fish along the ocean beaches when the weather makes that possible. Anglers will see how the weather affects fishing in the next days. Hard southerlies are forecast to blow today. Conditions are supposed to deteriorate tonight. Northwest winds are supposed to arrive Friday, but that’s good. The wind direction knocks down the ocean close to shore, and trips can usually fish along the beaches in west or northwest winds. The boat received a Fluke Research Set Aside Permit that’s allowing trips to fish for the summer flounder during the currently closed season for the fish. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. <b>***Update, Saturday, 9/18:***</b> The trip Friday morning sailed, and the afternoon trip stayed docked, and the angling was tough on the morning trip, Tom said. But the fluking began to bounce back on Saturday morning’s trip, and became better on the afternoon’s trip, and catches became decent again. A 7-pounder was the pool-winner Saturday morning, and a 6-pounder took the pool that afternoon. Some anglers that day bagged a couple of keepers, and some iced one, and lots of shorts gave up action. All the trips fished on the ocean, and Tom hopes the better fishing holds up.

<b>Highlands</b>

With <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> bottom fishing on a trip Wednesday heaved up porgies and sea bass and a limit of one blackfish per angler, Capt. Derek said. A trip today was weathered out, and forecasts looked like the weather would scrub trips through this weekend. They called for winds today and 6- to 9-foot seas later. But bottom trips, both charters and open-boat, will continue afterward, and anglers can call Derek to be kept informed about the open schedule. The next open trips will probably be scheduled for two weekends from now. Derek hopes to start fishing for striped bass in the evenings with worms soon. Stripers were already wormed in Raritan Bay and the rivers, depending on conditions. When winds and tides created a drift, the fish bit. Otherwise they didn’t. When the striper migration takes off this fall, charters will be all about the linesiders, fishing for them with clams, jigs, on the troll or whatever’s necessary. Blackfishing will become an option on November 16, when the bag limit is jacked up to six of the tog from the current limit of one. Fisher Price is currently fishing for bluefin tuna on charters and open trips. A buddy cleaned up on bluefins the past two days, and Derek thought he fished either at the Virginia wreck or east of there. Many of the tuna were over the legal size limit, big fish that had to be released, and some were under. The buddy pounded them to 58 or 60 inches, and Derek thought he landed 15 on Monday and 8 on Wednesday on jigs and bait. So the fish were there. Sometimes bluefins swim closer to shore in September and October, so maybe they will this year.

A boater from the docks who’s a striped bass sharpie began fishing for the linesiders again this season, said Wayne from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>. Stripers 26 to 30 inches could be caught on the ocean, probably on eels and worms. The angler attempted to sail today, but turned around in rough seas. Sea bass and bluefish were pulled in from the ocean. Blues and false albacore sometimes stormed the surf, and stripers began to be coaxed from the waters. Cocktail blues schooled the rivers, and Wayne heard that porgies swam the rivers. A charter boat from the marina met 10-foot seas 60 or 70 miles offshore this week. A 100-pound bluefin tuna was landed on the trip, though all the anglers became seasick, lost interest in the fishing. So the trip came back in, but that took a long time, battling the seas. Wayne heard that canyon tuna fishing farther offshore was dead. Crabbing was good, especially at the Oceanic Bridge. Offshore baits are fully available at the marina, and so are all different types of inshore baits. When fall fishing kicks in, they’ll include live baits including bunker. The shop stocks a large selection of baits.

<b>Neptune</b>

An open-boat trip to Hudson Canyon from Tuesday to Wednesday whacked a 260-pound bigeye tuna after a fight that lasted more than an hour, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. Another bigeye was lost near the boat, and both hit at the same time. A bluefin tuna also got off near the boat, and a couple of mahi mahi were bagged. All the fish were trolled, and seas were rough. The same group waxed a 250-pound bluefin in July and a 300-pound mako shark in June this year with Last Lady. Big fish on all their trips! Last Lady last week began catching stripers this season with a charter on Friday on the ocean, covered in the last report. Three stripers, keepers, were trolled early in the day, then the anglers fought big blues. One space is available on an offshore wreck-fishing trip on Monday for cod, pollock and ling. Room is available on the next two weekly, individual-reservation trips, sailing inshore every Wednesday, for sea bass, ling, big porgies and blackfish. Clams and green crabs will be supplied for bait, and kids under 12 sail free, limited to two per adult.

<b>Belmar</b>

Lots of porgies, big, beautiful ones, many of them 2-pounders, probably larger, were raked up on a bottom-fishing trip Wednesday on the ocean on the <b>Nan Sea J</b>, Capt. Tom said. Many blackfish were actually landed, because the anglers often fished with crabs to catch them, keeping their limit of one, releasing the rest for fun. Twelve or 15 sea bass were boxed. Winds were a little breezier than forecast, but not bad. Other boaters farther offshore definitely boated bluefin tuna that day. The Nan Sea J is fishing for the tuna on charters and open-boat trips, and call if interested. An overnight tuna charter is slated to fish farther offshore from Sunday to Monday, but rough weather might cancel the trip.

Porgies, big fish, many of them, excellent catches, were bucketed on bottom-fishing trips on the ocean on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. Healthy sized blackfish were landed on the trips, and sea bass fishing on the outings was “eh,” Chris said. Some of the anglers bagged eight or ten sea bass. But the porgy fishing was great, and the sizes were the largest he saw in years. The Big Mohawk is bottom fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. The trips will begin blackfishing on November 16, when the bag limit is jumped up to six of the tog from the current limit of one.

Daytime trips cleaned up on a mess of bluefish, all big, false albacore and skipjacks on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, Capt. Alan said. Special trips had been going to sale once a week for albies, bonito, skipjacks and bluefin tuna. But the trips were put on hold, because a lot of those fish were mixed in during the daily trips for blues. When the fish separate, the special trips will begin. The Miss Belmar Princess is bluefishing twice daily 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. The party boat Tropical Adventure, Alan’s other vessel, will bottom fish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays starting this week for sea bass, porgies and ling.

In the surf, anglers sometimes tied into striped bass, a few keepers, mostly shorts, and false albacore, said Jessie from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Teasers fished with plugs got many strikes from the bass, and flies and clams nabbed some. One angler ran into snapper blues stacked up thick in the surf farther south at Seaside. Snappers were found thick like that in Shark River on Wednesday. Kingfish and a few porgies came from the river. The party boats served up tons of big blues with false albacore mixed in. The head boats that bottom fished came up with no mad dog bite but caught some fish. Jessie heard about big blackfish, 8- to 10-pounders every day, taken on the vessels. He heard little about porgies on the vessels, couldn’t say whether fishing for them was solid or slow, though he knew that one day last week dished up many of the fish. Not many sea bass, but a few, were bagged on the trips.

<b>Brielle</b>

The six anglers on a trip Monday slugged away at sea bass at a good clip, limiting out early by 12 noon, said Capt. Jerry from <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> in an e-mail. Lots of shorts but plenty of quality-sized humpheads bit. Great life! he said. Nearly no winds blew, so the boat was drifted, never even anchored. “Gave blackfishing an honest effort,” he said, in deep waters, but nothing was doing. The anglers headed back to port with a big cooler of fish. On Tuesday Jerry had a rare day off from the boat. “(Had) some things to take care of,” he said. So Capt. Wayne ran a trip that day, “and he did not disappoint,” Jerry said. The six anglers limited out on sea bass, though the fishing made the anglers pick away, a few fish here, a few there, until they maxed out. “Run and gun type fishing,” Jerry said. Some spots held weenies and a few keepers, and others were loaded with all sizeable sea bass, and others were barren. A good herd of the knuckleheads would have to be found, then the anglers would beat up on them. The anglers tried blackfishing on the way back, but only one keeper and some shorts bit. Fish Monger will keep focusing on sea bass until the season for the fish closes October 12. Charters are sailing, and a few spots are left on open-boat trips. “Don’t miss out!” Jerry said.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Anglers with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> steamed to the bluefin tuna grounds 65 miles from port on Monday, the report on the boat’s Web site said. They went 1 for 2 on the tuna, jigging the one that was landed. That was the first tuna the angler who caught the fish ever jigged. A good-sized mako shark grabbed one of the sardine baits, stayed hooked a while, but finally bit through the fluorocarbon leader. When tuna fishing slowed there, the trip looked for more bluefins to the south at the Bacardi wreck, the Texas Tower and the Chicken Canyon. But none of the fish showed up, and no whales, birds or life was seen. But the anglers stopped at a lobster pot, bagging a dozen mahi mahi for more fish for the cooler. Charters and open-boat trips are sailing for bluefins.  See the write-up toward the bottom of <a href="http://www.andreastoycharters.com" target="_blank">Andrea’s Toy’s home page</a> about annual, open-boat, mixed-bag bluefin trips. Inshore trips are fishing for a combo of bluefish and sea bass in one outing.

On the <b>Canyon Runner</b> a day trip Wednesday decided to fish for bluefin tuna on the inshore grounds before heading farther out to Hudson Canyon for tuna, like most trips did recently, the report on the boat’s Web site said. Bluefin fishing was the best to date, and 12 to 15 were hooked, and nine were landed, in only 2 hours. Most were 55 inches or larger, and a limit of two, an over and an under, was bagged, and the rest were released. Trolling at Hudson Canyon the rest of the day gave up a 30-pound yellowfin tuna. A charter on Tuesday also planned to fish for bluefins first, then move to the Hudson. But bluefin fishing was so good that they spent the whole time fishing for them. They fought more than a dozen, landing nine, including their limit, releasing the rest, and came home ecstatic, the report said. Another charter that day on Canyon Runner’s other offshore boat had instant action on bluefins on arrival, fought all they wanted, and decided to leave the action, motoring to the Hudson. They fished hard, managing one 30-pound yellowfin. On Monday a charter arrived at the bluefin grounds, and never went more than a few minutes without a bite. They wrapped up the fishing by 7:45 a.m., and ran to the Hudson. After some hunting, a wolf pack of bigeye tuna was spotted! The fish exploded on most of the 11-rod trolling spread, and when the smoke cleared, five reels were getting dumped. One of the fish came off, but a 140-pound bigeye was then landed. A 150-pounder was decked next, and the third fish jumped off within 30 feet of the gaff. The fourth and final, a 170-pounder, was landed. Happy and tired, the report said, the anglers decided to drift for tilefish. A dozen tiles to 35 pounds were bagged. With the bluefins, bigeyes and tiles caught, the trip turned out to be one of the best.  On Monday on Canyon Runner’s other boat, a charter also trolled constant action on bluefins, mostly 50- to 100-pounders, limiting out, tagging and releasing the rest. By 9 a.m. the trip moved to Hudson Canyon, and three yellowfin tuna around 70 pounds were trolled in 4 or 5 hours. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing offshore.

Bottom fishing picked at sea bass on the ocean on the party boat <b>Norma K</b>, Capt. Matt said. No porgies were cranked up yet, and sea bass made up the whole catch. Nighttime trips for blues pounded excellent catches of 8- to 12-pounders on the ocean through Saturday, the last time the outings sailed, because of demand. The trips for blues are slated to fish daily, but demand drops off after Labor Day, so too few people might show up to sail on some days. Trips are bottom fishing twice daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and are bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

Mostly porgies but some sea bass and a few blackfish were coolered on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch sad. A few  triggerfish were bagged, and out-of-season fluke were released. Porgy fishing began to be better, and the angling was good on a couple of days, slow on a couple, but mostly productive. Most anglers landed between 20 and their limits. Lots of fluke bit on Tuesday. Trips fished in shallow waters 50 to 70 feet. The weather and seas were beautiful. Fall fishing seemed to get started. “It’s porgy time,” Butch said. “Come on down.” The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

One of the special trips for false albacore and bonito, a sold-out trip limited to 20 anglers, sailed Wednesday on the party boat <b>Cock Robin</b>, “an awesome and super-fun day!” an e-mail from the boat said. An albie was boated soon after the hook was splashed. But winds and the tide kept the chum from flowing properly a while, and the albies disappeared, but bluefish gave up action on the bottom for all who wanted. The chum started flowing, and the anglers began battling albies. Jigs, spearing and soft-plastic baits hooked up for sharpies. Rookies “and those a little too equipment technical” hooked the fish but broke off, either setting the drag too tightly or “(making) swings that would make a togger proud,” the e-mail said. When the albies backed off, non-stop action with blues filled in. Skipjacks took over the bite toward the end. On Tuesday’s daily bluefish trip, the anglers scored a bang up day, limiting out on blues around the boat, fighting albies all day, and hooking bonito. On Monday’s trip bluefishing was “bordering on epic,” the e-mail said, and anglers limited out who wanted. Albies raced through the slick all day, and those looking to hook them did. The Cock Robin is fishing for blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

Fishing from the beaches picked up blues Wednesday on mullet or fresh bunker, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. One angler said he axed a 7-pounder and a 3-pounder. False albacore cruised the surf at Ortley Beach that day, and they spooled some reels, but nobody landed the fish that Jeff heard about. Albies popped into the wash there and at Seaside for a week now. Two different anglers mentioned seeing bonito in the surf lately. A few small striped bass were clammed from shore.  Nothing was heard about striper catches from Barnegat Bay yet. Blowfish and croakers were collected from the bay at the BI and BB markers. One customer totaled 45 blowfish and boated small croakers there. To catch the blowfish, anchor and chum, and fish with clam or squid. Jeff heard about no weakfish angled from the area, but weaks are normally there. Two anglers talked about banking a few weakfish from the surf. One found the fish at Top of the Mast in Seaside Park. No news came in from ocean boating. Crabbing was good, though it was beginning to slow down.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Big bluefish crashed adult bunker in the surf at Seaside Heights on Monday, said Scott from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. False albacore were around in the surf in the area that day, and a few striped bass were beached from the suds early in the week in the morning, mostly on Ava jigs. Scott fished from Seaside’s Casino Pier on Monday, and big blues and couple of albies were cranked up, and lots of bonito were mixed in, until all the fish departed down the beaches. Scott previously hooked small weakfish from the pier but not lately. Snapper blues schooled around the docks at the shops, and crabbing slowed down a lot. No customers tried for blowfish on Barnegat Bay. Good catches of sea bass were heard about from the ocean Saturday and Sunday. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, killies and the full supply of baits is stocked. Catch Wacky Wednesdays every week, when clams are $2 per dozen. The rental boats are in the waters for fishing and crabbing, and the jet skis are ready to rent.

<b>Forked River</b>

Reports started to be heard about a few striped bass yanked from the surf , said Dave from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Lures like Bombers and Rat-L-Traps probably connected. Nothing was heard about stripers landed on Barnegat Bay so far, like along the sod banks. Blowfish were boated on the bay at the 40, BI and BB markers and along the sedge island. A few weakfish and other small fish held among the blowfish at the markers. Spots swam around the bay, and so did small sea bass. Blues schooled at Barnegat Inlet and past the ocean beaches. Crabbing was good, even if catches began to slow down, and crabbing will probably begin to taper off more in a week or so.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

“The big wait” was the title of Bob Misak’s report posted on <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site this week. This was the time of year when striped bass anglers waited for the fall run of the linesiders, he said in the report. Anglers already toggled in stripers from the surf and the bay, but the fish were 12 to 20 inches, and keepers were scarce. They were juvenile fish that live in the waters until they grow and begin to migrate, and somewhat cooler waters apparently began to make them bite. But big bluefish began to move to inshore waters like always this time of year. They raced through the surf from time to time. Kingfish sometimes chewed in the surf along the Loveladies jetties on bloodworms or fresh clams. The surf calmed down after rough seas previously, but now Hurricane Igor was expected to pass offshore, building seas again. Party boat anglers battled large blues on the ocean. Smaller blues 2 to 5 pounds, good-eating, roamed Barnegat Inlet. Tog crunched green crabs along the inlet rocks and off the 6th Street dock in Barnegat Light. Wear cleats on the slippery rocks, and bring lots of rigs because of inevitable snags on both the jetty rocks and the structure underwater off the dock. If during the rough seas boaters won’t be able to take advantage of sea bass that swam the ocean, they could fish for blowfish in Barnegat Bay. Tons of small ones began to show up, and anglers sifted through 30 or 40 to bag 10 or 15 big enough to eat. A tide that’s running well, lots of chum and clams for bait was the only way. Small hooks are always necessary. Kingfish were mixed in with the blowfish. Crabbing was good, and crabbers along the docks complained about lots of small ones. People who could crab from a boat in open waters were better off.

<b>Surf City</b>

Surf anglers gave mixed reports about catches, said Bob from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. Some said they caught kingfish, and others said they did not. But when they caught, bloodworms or Fishbites Bag O’ Worms drew the nibbles. Some said they banked four or five bluefish probably 12 to 16 inches in a trip, and others said they fished 8 hours without a touch. Mullet or bunker hooked the blues. Snapper blues schooled the bay, and a couple of customers said they ran across snappers in the surf. Crabbing was good.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

A trip for sea bass with six anglers limited out on the lumpheads on Tuesday on the ocean with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, Capt. T.J. said. Some of the fish, weighing up to 6 pounds, were really good sized, and tons of shorts were also tossed back. A couple of trips are supposed to fish for tuna offshore next week, but weather forecasts looked daunting. Charters are fishing for both these species, and so are open-boat trips or shared charters. See the <a href=" http://www.legallimitcharters.com/c-11-open-boat.aspx" target="_blank">Open Boat/Shared Charter Schedule</a> on Legal Limit’s Web site.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Great reports about sea bass catches had rolled in from deep waters 70 to 80 feet, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Seemed the reason was that the deep wrecks received no pressure. The fish were big, up to 4 pounds. “That’s a real fish,” he said. That made the fishing especially worthwhile. But winds kept customers from sailing for them in the past days, and Hurricane Igor offshore will probably build seas too much to sail through the weekend. None of the big bluefish that swam the ocean previously were found anymore. In the bay blowfish gathered mostly at the clam stakes on the Mystic Island side of the Fish Factory. No kingfish seemed to be snuck out from among them anymore, but a triggerfish was hooked there once in a while. Fishing for spots was best toward the mouth of the Mullica River, Graveling Point and that area. Lots of small sea bass filled the bay. Nobody talked about fishing for blackfish, but the tog usually hold along the sod banks across from the Fish Factory this time of year, fishing that was definitely worth trying. Six-inch weakfish that castnetters caught while trying for peanut bunker were the only weaks talked about. More and more word about white perch came in. Ballanger, Nacote and Roundabout creeks were some of the places to locate them. Crabbing was fair. Not a ton were trapped, but good-sized ones were. Fresh, shucked clams, bloodworms, green crabs, minnows and live spots are stocked. No grass shrimp are carried, but now was the time when Scott should be thinking about catching them to stock.

<b>Absecon</b>

A charter, the first in some weeks, with Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b> landed two weakfish, one a short and the other a keeper, though neither were kept, along the Intracoastal Waterway, he said. So the trout do exist, he said, though not much was happening along the waterway. Then winds began to blow, and the trip had planned to shoot to the ocean for croakers, but winds cancelled the effort. But fishing at the inlet off the Coast Guard Station on the trip turned up blues, a pile of spots and six kingfish. Most anglers concentrated on spots that schooled from the surf to the back bay, catching the fish to keep in pens for bait for striped bass fishing in fall. That was the best angling that Dave recommends, and the spots were abundant. A few stripers were dragged from the surf, and mullet seemed to begin to migrate down the beaches a little. Northwest winds coming Friday might push them out from the bay. Nobody seemed to try for stripers in the bay, like along the sod banks at night. Ray who works at the shop tried for tog on a trip on the bay, but apparently didn’t score well. Good news: The first couple of charters sailed last week with Dave’s new <a href=" http://www.fishguatemala.com/FishGuatemala/fishguatemala.htm" target="_blank">Guatemala charter service</a>. On the first day plenty of bait was found, but no fish swam among the bait. On the second day nine big mahi mahi were creamed 18 miles from shore. No sailfish showed up, but sailfish will come. The .Guatemala charters have begun, and complete packages with hotel accommodations are in the works.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Lots of kingfish and lots of spots were mugged from the surf, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Spots also moved to the back bay, biting bloodworms at both places. Bloods out-fished Fishbites artificial worms for the kings. Blues in the surf were growing, becoming 2 to 3 pounds, almost 3 to 4. Once customer hooked an unusual catch, a tripletail, a southern fish, offshore at Massey’s Canyon or someplace like that. The 5th annual Riptide Striped Bass Derby kicks off on Monday, lasting until the end of the year. Entrants will win cash awards for the biggest stripers caught from the surf along Brigantine’s front beach. First place will win $750, and 2nd will cop $400, and 3rd will earn $150. The entrant with the biggest bass each month will win $25. The rest of the proceeds will be donated to charity, and the event donated more than $13,000 to charity since the tournament began, Andy said. The entry fee will is $20, and entry must be accompanied by a Brigantine beach buggy permit. That way all entrants will get to drive the beach to fish.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 9/17***</b>: Kingfish snapped in the surf until winds began to blow on Thursday, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. The winds became calm Friday morning, though. Spots littered the surf and grew, became big enough to eat. Tog inhaled green crabs along the jetties, and small striped bass were hung from the beaches. Lots of mullet began moving to the surf from the back waters. A bunch of snapper blues schooled the back along the sea wall. The full supply of baits, just about all of them, are stocked.

<b>Margate</b>

Quite a few summer flounder, including a few keepers, were reeled up from the back bay on the party boat <b>Keeper</b>, Capt. John said. Not as many of the fish swam the bay as earlier this summer, but the fish were there. The boat obtained a Summer Flounder Research Set Aside Permit that allows trips to keep fishing for the flatties during the currently closed season for them. Not a lot of the boat’s scheduled trips sailed, because of demand, but when they did, they caught. Trips also usually fished for tog at the end of the outings, landing a few. John heard second-hand that bigger blues showed up in the bay on Tuesday, and he hoped to see them in the mix on trips. The Keeper is fishing for flounder once daily on Thursdays and Fridays, twice daily on Saturdays and once daily on Sundays and Mondays.

<b>Longport</b>

On the <b>Stray Cat</b> bottom fishing was gangbusters on the ocean in the deep in waters that were gin-clear black, Capt. Mike said. Croakers, including great big ones, were wrangled up, and so were a load of sea bass, sizeable ones. Some wrecks held no sea bass, and others were carpeted with them. Out-of-season summer flounder also bit. The ocean dropped to 69.7 degrees 15 miles offshore. Trips did no trolling on the ocean the past two or three days, but the trolling could clock bonito, false albacore and blues. Space is available on an open-boat bottom-fishing trip Friday. Anglers can also hop aboard one of the open trips Sunday. Bottom fishing will probably sail open every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Annual Cast and Blast Charters, trips that fish for striped bass, blues and blackfish and gun for ducks in one outing, will begin during the third week of October. On an interesting note, someone at the dock brought in a 150-pound yellowfin tuna, a big one, from Wilmington Canyon.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The back bay shoveled up many striped bass, small ones, but good fishing for them for the past week, said Ed at <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Almost all were claimed at night, and soft-plastic lures and plugs hooked them. Lots of bait including peanut bunker schooled the waters, and mullet began to be seen. Not a lot was happening with fishing, but angling seemed like it was going to bust loose soon, kicking off fall action, so long as a good mullet migration develops. Mullet in fall pour out of the bays and migrate down the coast, and fish jump all over them for forage. Though fishing seemed poised to break open, rough weather was forecast for the next days. Not much bait swam the ocean yet, and a few stripers were landed from the surf, but nothing consistent. Tons of spots ran the surf, and kingfish could be caught from the surf, if anglers could fish through the spots. Toss bloodworms or Fishbites artificial worms. Blues in the suds became bigger: 12, 14 or 16 inches. When the weather allowed boaters to fish the ocean, croakers were found in 40 or 45 feet. A few blues and sometimes small weakfish were mixed in. Sea bass fishing was fairly good at the G.E. and A.C. reefs and some of the wrecks. A few false albacore were trolled at places like the Dog Lump and the Table Top. Offshore fishing for tuna sounded slow. White marlin fishing was busy but far south, below Washington Canyon.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Surf fishing beached lots of small blues and some kingfish and spots, said Wes from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. That was a prime option for anglers. Fish with mullet or mackerel chunks for the blues and bloodworms for the kingfish and spots. No striped bass were consistently banked from the surf, and no migrators were, and waters were warm at 72 degrees. Tog chomped green crabs from the jetties to the wrecks to the bridges. Two-pound blues schooled the ocean wrecks, reefs and lumps. Plenty of sea bass were plucked from bottom structure in 50 and 60 feet in the ocean, and lots of salted clams were sold for bait. From the back bay Wes heard about stripers hooked in the middle of the night on chunks of bait like mackerel or on clams or soft plastic lures like Fin-S Fish or Sluggo’s. Out-of-season summer flounder swam everywhere from the bay to the surf to the ocean, and will stick around into November.

Bluefish 1 to 3 pounds were fly-rodded on almost every cast on the ocean on a trip Wednesday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Clouser Minnows on a sinking line drilled the fish and a bunch of amberjacks, smaller ones, but lots, this day. Joe and brother Steve used spinning rods with jigs to knock down a bunch of the blues to 3 pounds and amberjacks to 4 pounds on a trip Monday. The ocean began to cool and was 70 degrees this week, and cooling waters are good for fishing this time of year. Ideal tides or high tides at dusk will be perfect in the coming days for fishing for striped bass on the back bay on popper lures and flies. The fishing is a specialty for Jersey Cape and is good in September. Those are resident fish yet to migrate. Joe’s charters usually begin to fish for the migration of stripers and blues on the ocean around the last two weeks of October. Joe didn’t hear much about offshore fishing because of the weather. He heard about lots of mahi mahi, scattered tuna, not many, and scattered marlin in the waters. But marlin slid down to the southern canyons, gave up better catches there.  Joe around the last week of September and first week of October will run annual charters to Montauk to fish for stripers, blues and false albacore, usually epic fishing. In winter he’ll offer annual weekend trips to the Florida Keys. See <a href="http://www.gibsonstackle.com/page6.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Traveling Fisherman 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>Avalon</b>

Tuna fishing at the canyons seemed to start to turn on a little during an overnight trip Monday to Tuesday, after the fishing had been difficult a while, an audio report on <b>Over Under Adventures</b>’ Web site said. The trip bagged four yellowfin tuna at Spencer Canyon, and the crew was happy with that, after the struggle lately. Other boaters also caught a few tuna there, at Hudson Canyon and toward Wilmington Canyon for a change. For Over Under this was the first trip in a while not to hop around to the lobster pots to hook mahi mahi to put fish in the box. The trip began fishing at Lindenkohl Canyon on Monday afternoon, because reports were heard about longfin tuna catches there on Sunday. No longfins showed up, and the trip worked down to Spencer Canyon. The first yellowfins, two 65-pounders, were trolled, and the trip set up there to fish through the night. Another 65-pound yellowfin was gaffed at 11 p.m. Something big, seemed maybe a ray, took off with a bait at 4 a.m. and got off. Up on the troll in the morning, the final yellowfin was pumped in. The trip made the most of the bites, and nobody knew where the longfins disappeared. Three or four boats fished the area, landing a couple of longfins, and each seemed to bring in a yellowfin or two. Charters and   <a href=" http://overundercharters.com/index.php?page=opendates" target="_blank">open-boat trips</a> are fishing offshore.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Croakers, blues and small weakfish, sort of a mix of fish, were swung aboard along the ocean front on the party boat <b>Adventurer</b>, Capt. Gary said. Trips fished during the weekend, and open trips will probably run on weekends instead of every day like previously, now that Labor Day passed. Anglers aboard will probably keep targeting these fish, but trips might try sea bass fishing soon. Once sea bass season closes on October 12, trips will probably sail for striped bass and blues. Open-boat trips are fishing 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and charters are available.

Bluefish began to show up in the back bay, and so did striped bass, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. The blues bit nearly any bait, and the stripers inhaled clams. But lots of mullet were sold for bait for both fish. No finger mullet were available for bait, and the baitfish were scarce in the bay, though they should be in the bay this time of season. Baby sea bass flooded the bay, and out-of-season summer flounder remained in the waters. Crabbing slowed down, though a few of the blueclaws were plucked from the bay. Live crabs for eating stopped being sold at the shop, because commercial crabbers pulled their pots from the waters for the season, because too few crabs could be trapped by commercials now. The shop will probably stay open this season through the first two weeks of October. Canal Side rents canopy boats and kayaks for fishing, crabbing and sightseeing. Baits stocked include frozen mullet, mackerel fillets, clam strips, packaged clams, spearing, squid strips and whole squid. Minnows are no longer carried, because demand drops off when flounder season closes.

<b>Cape May</b>

None of the charter fleet seemed to fish in the past days, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. Winds and seas, though skies are supposed to be sunny, might keep vessels from fishing offshore this weekend. But they might be able to fish inshore. Charters on the Heavy Hitter are fishing for blues and sea bass inshore, and are running for tuna and big game offshore. Fall striped bass trips are starting to book. Call if interested in any of this fishing.

Surf anglers tugged in croakers, blues, spots and kingfish around Cape May Point, and boaters fishing nearby also hooked the fish, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. The boaters often landed the croakers or trolled the blues. Many of the fish in the surf were caught on clams or bloodworms, and there was action, not bad, good to see. An employee from the shop this morning beached two 20-inch blues, a spot and a 20-inch striper from the surf. A few short stripers came from the surf. Small stripers could be played in the back bay, like at night on top-water lures. Not a lot was heard from boaters on the ocean, but sea bass surely hovered along the wrecks there. Mahi mahi became the main catch offshore. Bloodworms, fresh clams and frozen baits including mullet and mackerel are stocked. Fresh mullet might be carried soon.

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