<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

The population of bigger striped bass, and greater numbers of stripers, seemed to be showing up in the bay, but getting bait was the problem, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Fresh bunker, the bait to dunk, was the scarcest she ever saw. Either winds blew too strongly for bunker boats to sail, or when the vessels did run, they caught few of the menhaden. The shop last got fresh bunker last week, and winds were calm enough for the bunker boat to sail Monday, but the trip only caught a handful of bunker. Sharon is calling everywhere to get more. Quite a few boaters heaved in sizeable stripers Monday from the bay, and many caught on three-day-old, frozen bunker. Even frozen bunker was becoming difficult to obtain. So, anglers either had to search for fresh bunker, grabbing it when it arrived, or substitute frozen bunker, if available, or fresh clams. The shop’s been stocking fresh clams. Fishing was all about stripers, and the bass seemed to be moving in, but the angling was also about getting bait. The Girls Place is located on Route 47 just after Route 55 ends, and it’s the long, one-story, yellow building on the right. There’s a large parking lot with plenty of room for trailered boats.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Fishing stayed docked through the week on the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b>, and also during the weekend, Capt. Howard said, and he saw no boats sail during the weekend weather. He’s waiting for the migration of striped bass to pop up in the bay, and will sail for them.

No trips sailed on the <b>Buccaneer</b>, Capt. Ralph said, and he heard about nobody sailing in the weather. But striped bass charters are slated to fish aboard Friday and Saturday. Charters on the boat are only $400, compared with $500 or $600 on other vessels.

Wow, what a blow, a report on the party boat <b>Bonanza</b>’s Web site said about the nor’easter. The weather now is a bit cool, the report said, but the weather’s usual for the time of year. Trips aboard have been fishing for tog along the rocks. “This weekend is looking good,” the report said. Trips will switch to striper fishing when the linesiders move in.

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