<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Signs of the impending striped bass arrival seemed to begin, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Catches of the fish began to be reported from farther north like at Brigantine. One day anglers are probably going to fish the bay and discover the bass are in, because it’s that time of year. A few catches, probably resident, non-migrating stripers, were heard about from the bay. One angler boated them at Miah Maull, and another did at the Elbow. Fresh bunker is the popular bait in fall, but fresh clams also work well. Fresh mullet, and even frozen mullet, can also do the job. Stripers were active in the Maurice River, and many were throwbacks, but a few were keepers. Sharon saw an angler land four or five from the river when she picked up bait someplace one day. Big white perch swam the river. Lots of reports rolled in about lots of kingfish clubbed from the bay to the ocean surf. In the offshore ocean, tuna fishing was excellent. A trip on one boat whaled 48 tuna. A few customers still crabbed this time of year, and the blueclaws were still around. Waters were yet to cool too much and make crabs withdrawal to the mud for the winter. Fresh bunker and fresh clams are usually stocked daily. Fresh mullet is sometimes on hand, when available, and the shop carries a large supply of baits. The Girls Place is located on Route 47 just after Route 55 ends, and it’s the long, one-story, yellow building on the right. There’s a large parking lot with plenty of room for trailered boats.

<b>Newport</b>

Crabbing through the past week was unbelievable, said Linda from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. One trip on the boats double-busheled on Friday, and another socked 2 ½ bushels Monday. The crabs were good-sized, like 6 inches. Either the crabs were small or ridiculously big, Linda said. She heard about no customers fishing, and crabbing seemed too good for them to fish. Saturday will be the final day of crabbing for the season at Beaver Dam, until crabbing becomes available again at the shop, usually in the third week of May. The <a href="http://www.crabulousnj.com/" target="_blank">October Crabfest Special</a>, offering a discount on rental boats, will be available Friday. Crabbers and anglers at Beaver Dam are towed up Oranokin Creek, and the staff checks on them each hour. If customers want a break in the meantime, they simply cell phone the shop to be picked up. After crabbing ends at Beaver Dam, the store will still be available for supplies, deer and turkey check ins, kayaking and duck hunting. Just call ahead. Watch the shop’s Web site (click the link above) for specials, like for the holidays. The specials can make for great gifts!

<b>Fortescue</b>

The <b>Buccaneer</b> is set to sail on striped bass charters, Capt. Ralph said. He’s just waiting for the fish to come in, and took a trip Sunday with some of the boat’s old mates, scoping out the fishing. Waters were 69 degrees, probably too warm for the best striper fishing. Seven throwback stripers and a couple of blues were landed on the trip. The stripers were apparently resident, non-migrating fish. The wait was on for big, migrating stripers to head up the bay, on their way south for winter. Charters on the Buccaneer are only $400, compared with $500 or $600 on other vessels.

Striped bass fishing might begin by late in the month on the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b>, Capt. Howard said. For now, some of the party boats from the fleet this past week fished the lighthouses for blackfish and a few stripers. Two keeper stripers were landed on one, and a few throwbacks were reeled in on another, Howard thought. Anglers on other boats cracked kingfish and blues, sometimes good catches, off False Egg Island Point.

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