<b>Brooklawn</b>

Shallower waters 8 to 10 feet deep, closer to shore, seemed to hold the bigger striped bass, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. Chunks of bunker hooked the fish at places like inshore of the number 1 buoy. Stripers were boated at the Cape May Rips on livelined eels and spots at usual places like Overfalls and Prissy Wicks shoals. Stripers including keepers swam the Delaware River, including at Gloucester City, where they bit bloodworms or clams. Lots of big catfish sniffed around the river. Not much was heard about the ocean, and rough weather often kept boaters from heading there. Big Timber stocks bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from freshwater to bays to offshore.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

More and bigger striped bass were boated on the bay in the past day or two, and the fishing was probably just getting started, and will probably keep improving, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. She’s been driving north to pick up bait, and boaters around Barnegat whaled stripers in the past two or three days. Those fish should be headed down the coast toward local waters. The run might’ve started late this year, and waters were warm, in the 60s, too warm for stripers, until a week or so ago. Kingfish remained along the coast later than usual this season, but now were gone, as waters hit the 50s. Finding fresh bunker for bait was a main challenge, but better populations of bunker were reported in the bay in the last days, and somewhat more than before became available from suppliers in the state. Lots of fresh bunker were stocked at the shop today, and all orders from anglers were filled, though even more of the bait could’ve been used for anglers who stopped by without ordering ahead. Plenty of the baitfish are supposed to arrive Wednesday at the store. Fresh clams, eels, bloodworms and all the frozen baits are stocked. 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>

The migration of striped bass seemed yet to arrive near Fortescue, said Capt. Ralph from the <b>Buccaneer</b>. But the run could move in any moment. Trips looked for the fish aboard Saturday and Sunday, but none of the bass was around. More striper trips are slated for this Saturday and Sunday. Charters on the boat are only $400, compared with $500 or $600 on other vessels.

The weather was rough Saturday, and no trip aboard sailed that day, but the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b> fished for striped bass Sunday with a few anglers, Capt. Howard said. They hauled in a 44-inch striper, probably 28 pounds, and threw  back a short, fishing with bunker chunks. John Feldman from Gibbstown bagged the big one. Stripers probably hadn’t migrated to this area of the bay yet, but that could change any moment at this time of year. Lots of chumming was done on the trip to draw in stripers. Open-boat trips are fishing for stripers when no charger is booked, and anglers can call to confirm.

<b>Cape May</b>

With <b>O-Beth Sportfishing Charters</b> four striped bass to 32 pounds were bunker-chunked on an open-boat trip on the bay Saturday, Capt. Eric said. Waters were 54 degrees, perfect for the fishing, and a fairly good population of stripers seemed to start holding in the bay. The trip sat through outgoing tide with a couple of bites, then all the fish caught were hooked on incoming in the afternoon. Charters are fishing for stripers, and space is available on open-boat trips for stripers on weekdays. Blackfish trips will begin November 16, when the bag limit is increased to six of the tog from the current limit of one.

Striped bass fishing launched for the season during the weekend on the bay on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. A trip Saturday bagged three, and another Sunday bagged seven. The stripers, hooked on bunker chunks, weighed up to 25 pounds on both trips, and more bites might’ve been missed. Seas and the weather were rough Saturday morning, calming later, and the conditions on Sunday were beautiful. A bunch of boats filled the waters Sunday. Not many stripers, only a few, were hooked in the Cape May Rips, so George planned to keep fishing the bay. A trip Monday was supposed to chunk for stripers on the bay, and potentially mix in blackfishing. A trip aboard today is supposed to sail for sea bass on the ocean.

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