<b>Staten Island</b>

Windy weather was rough, but fishing was about the same as before, said Pat from <b>E-Z Catch Saltwater Traps & Tackle Co.</b> Previously he said big bluefish to 16 pounds ripped around the Arthur Kill, around the Verrazano Bridge and in the back end of Great Kills Harbor. A few striped bass, not a lot, but all keepers, swam with them. Small stripers were reportedly beached in the surf at Great Kills on clams. Catches of snapper blues and porgies began to slow down from land at the Arthur Kill. Boaters knuckled up plenty of porgies and blackfish. A few customers crabbed this late in the season, nabbing lots of the blueclaws. October and November are actually the best time for crabbing, though lots fewer people go crabbing then. The store is also a <b><i>premier manufacturer and supplier of saltwater traps</i></b> for wholesale and commercial, including custom building and servicing. See the online <a href="http://www.e-zcatch.com/catalog" target="_blank">catalog of traps</a>. E-Z Catch is also a train store.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Striped bass were biting, but winds were blowing, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. A gale blew Wednesday, and today was starting windy. None of the boats were likely to be able to break the inlets to the south today. Boats could reach open waters from Sandy Hook, and maybe some of the larger vessels could be set up on the bar for striper fishing. If boaters could reach the bar, they’d limit out and release 50 bass in 2 hours. Surf anglers surely sometimes banked stripers. Stripers were socked at the Sea Bright Bridge on rubber shads, peanut bunker or worms. Porgy fishing was good, and plenty of blackfish nipped, and ling and cod were scooped up from the Mudhole. Crabs were probably trapped in the rivers before the blow.

On the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> trips sailed Monday and Tuesday, between the weather, Capt. Tom said. On Monday’s trip, the small crowd aboard picked at porgies and a few blackfish, but all caught fish. Fishing wasn’t as good on Tuesday’s trip, and catches wouldn’t get started at first. Maybe the trip jumped around too much. The boat was returned to a spot from earlier in the day, and the anglers picked a little at porgies and blackfish. Some of the anglers caught all their fish there. But the fish seemed still around, and the weather wasn’t easy lately. Today’s trip was weathered out, and Friday’s forecast looks iffy, but the weather might settle this weekend. The Atlantic Star is fishing for porgies and blackfish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Bigger striped bass were creamed on Monday’s trip on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron said in a report on the vessel’s Web site. After nothing bit on a couple of drops, including on good readings, the boat was moved a couple of hundred yards on another pile of striper readings, “and it was game on,” Ron said. Stripers to 25 ½ pounds bit very well for more than 1 ½ hours. Jack Velchec smacked the 25-1/2-pounder, winning the daily pool, taking the lead in the season-long pool. Several anglers limited out, and several reeled in multiple keepers, keeping no more than their limits.  Check out a <a href=" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ4j_oTmrUs&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">video of the trip</a>. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. However, the boat is chartered Sunday morning.

<b>Highlands</b>

The season’s first striped bass trips will sail Saturday and Sunday with <b>Raritan Bay Charters</b>, Capt. Dave said. Bottom-fishing trips will remain available for porgies and blackfish, and no trips sailed aboard in the past days in the weather. Open-boat trips are fishing when no charter is booked.

Hardly any boats launched in the week’s weather, said Wayne from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>. When they did get out, striped bass fishing was hit or miss. The catches were slow during the weekend, but were better, though nothing wild, during the week. Charters on the Hyper Striper, sailing from the marina, clammed stripers Wednesday, and was back out for the fish today, when Wayne gave this report over the phone. Gene Graham, the marina’s striper sharpie, sailed for the fish the other day, wrangling up a few. Blues could be found on the ocean and bay. Offshore boaters supposedly marked bluefin tuna at the Monster Ledge, but only caught a few. Fresh clams and all the frozen baits for inshore are stocked. So is the full supply of offshore frozen baits.

<b>Neptune</b>

From an edited e-mail from Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>: “Fall fishing continues to be extremely good. TUNA: Just got back from the canyon (Tuesday) afternoon. Boat ran great after my previous problems, and we found the fish.  Unfortunately we didn't land as many fish as we should have.  Lost a sword, plus tuna that we almost had to the gaff.  The tuna were on steroids -- we had a lot of blue sharks around the boat all night, and they were a problem.  Ended up landing two tuna, and trolled dolphin the next morning.  Ran back in a flat ocean and was at the dock at 4:30 p.m.  I will be going to the canyons when we have a weather window till the fish leave. Call for a special charter price. Bluefin tuna are in the Mudhole close. We can troll them 20 to 30 miles offshore for a charter. SEABASS: Opens Nov 1, we are catching these fish close still.  Open Boat, Nov 6.  New open trip added, Nov 13. BLACKFISH OPEN TRIPS: Nov 16 (one spot left), Nov 18 (two spots left). Added Nov 20, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. COD/POLLOCK: Slammed them last trip to 30+ lbs. Oct 23 full. Nov 8 have spots still. Also available for charter. STRIPERS: They are in. Clamming, chunking, jigging and trolling. Have two spots available for Oct 29, 5am leave. Will do some striper fishing on the Nov 6th trip on the open boat. Book a fall charter now. BLUES: All you want right now on bait.”

<b>Belmar</b>

Capt. Kris and the boat’s mate from <b>Fish Stix Sportfishing</b> took a run at tog on the ocean Tuesday, Kris said. Thirty to forty keepers to 8 pounds were landed, and two 2- and 5-pounders were kept. They also looked for striped bass, but none was really around locally. A charter is booked aboard Saturday, and an open-boat trip is set for Sunday. Visit the <a href="http://www.fishstixnj.com/index.php/open-boat-trips" target="_blank">Fish Stix open-boat page</a> online.

Blues, good catches, were beaten aboard when trips got the weather to sail, said Capt. Alan from the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>. The vessel was kept docked the past couple of days. Striped bass just started to be seen in the mix, and trips will focus on stripers when more show up. The Miss Belmar Princess is sailing for bluefish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Fishing for huge blues to 20 pounds was off the hook on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. “Most fishermen are taking multiple fish,” the report said, and some limited out. Striped bass, including a few larger ones to 25 pounds, were sometimes mixed in. The Golden Eagle is bluefishing daily 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Striperthon trips are sailing every Monday and Friday. Check the <a href="http://www.goldeneaglefishing.com/tuna_schedule_res_form_2011.pdf" target="_blank">Golden Eagle’s canyon tuna schedule and reservations form</a> for info about the boat’s tuna trips.

<b>Brielle</b>

“No jig life in our travels,” Capt. Jerry from <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> said in a Facebook post, talking about Tuesday’s trip on the ocean. No striped bass showed up that could be jigged. So the boat was set up for bottom fishing. After two slow drops, the third produced a great chew. “All nice quality fish!” Jerry said. The anglers played catch and release with a load of keeper-sized blackfish to 7 pounds. “Lucky day to be a blackfish!” Jerry said. A keeper cod and a handful of porgies came up. “Nice day to be on the water!” he said. No jig life popped up on Monday’s trip, so the anglers blackfished. “What a day!” Jerry said. “Lots of beautiful 3- to 6-pounders,” he said, and the tog weighed up to a 10-pounder. That fish and all but the anglers’ limits were released. “Didn’t keep a lot,” Jerry said, “but boy did we have a good time catching.” Lots of bait filled the waters on Sunday’s trip, but jigging was slow. Still, two keeper stripers and a few blues were nailed. Then the anglers bottom fished. Few porgies appeared, “so we went right to blackfish,” Jerry said. After a few sizeable blackfish were picked at a few drops, the last drop dished up good blackfishing, including big ones. One that weighed more than 9 pounds was the biggest, and one weighed 8 ¾ pounds, and another topped 7 pounds. A bunch of sizeable ones 3 to 6 pounds were let go, when the anglers kept no more than their limits.

<b>Point Pleasant  Beach</b>

Nothing was doing in the windy weather, said Chuck from <b>Gates Bait & Tackle</b>. Nobody was seen fishing Manasquan Inlet, and no one mentioned fishing in the surf or anywhere. The party boats seemed to stay docked. No wonder: Seas were 8 or 9 feet. <b>***THIS TACKLE SHOP IS FOR SALE! CALL: 732-899-5760.***</b>

Trips aboard got out a couple of days between the weather, said Capt. Butch from the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>. No trip sailed Wednesday, but porgies and blackfish were belted on trips that last sailed, including all weekend. The angling was a little slow, but some of the anglers totaled 12 to 15 porgies. The fish were good-sized but seemed more spread out than before. Maybe they were more concentrated farther from shore in federal waters, but once the fish were bagged closer to shore, trips couldn’t venture into federal waters, because of permitting. Some of the blackfish caught were sizeable, and six or eight weighed 5 to 8 pounds aboard Tuesday. That was the first time this season that many weighed that much, and previously one or two per trip did. That seemed to mean waters were cooling, though the surface was 63 degrees, relatively warm. Trips fished in 40 to 60 feet. Loads of out-of-season sea bass, including large ones, bit the past several trips. Butch hopes the fish remain when sea bass season opens November 1, because trips will go after them. Small blues ½ pound to 3 pounds were landed on Tuesday’s trip. They were a size that was easier to catch on the small hooks.  The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

Phil LaGrossa checked in a 34-pound striped bass and two 13- and 14-pound blues Tuesday from the surf, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. He plugged all the fish at night. Large blues were tackled from the surf today at Island Beach State Park, and a few were beached at Lavallette today. Fresh bunker caught them, and some anglers connected on Ava 47 jigs, but currents and undertow were ripping, and 8-ounce weights had to be used with bait. Warm waters were the biggest factor that was holding back the fall migration of stripers and blues from exploding along the coast. But boaters began to troll a few of the fish and liveline them on bunker last weekend, and striper fishing will probably turn good for boaters this weekend, when calm weather that’s forecast should allow them to sail. Blackfish bit along the Barnegat Inlet jetties and the Point Pleasant Canal. Striped bass sometimes began to be eeled at the canal. Barnegat Bay anglers began to eel stripers at night along the sod banks near Barnegat Inlet. A couple of customers caught them three days in a row. The fish were up to 29 and 32 inches, and small ones were hooked, and so were a few blues. So a bit of a fishery began there. An angler fishing from the bridge at Oyster Creek, near the Forked River power plant, fought 3-pound blues and lots of small jacks. Blowfish kept swimming the bay. Snapper blues and crabs ran around the Toms River. Lots of eels held in the river, and white perch began to show up there.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Big blues slammed the ocean Tuesday and Wednesday, said Tom from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Boaters and surf casters smashed them Tuesday among big pods of bunker, and reports said stripers were snatched among the bunker earlier in the day. Seas became too rough for boating Wednesday, but surf anglers whacked the big blues again that day. On Tuesday poppers and swimmers swiped the blues for boaters and surf anglers, and on Wednesday metal and bunker chunks seemed to catch more for the surf fishers. Not much was heard about fishing today, and anglers headed to the surf at mid day to catch the tide, but no results were heard yet. Catch the shop’s specials on Shimano Stradic 5000 and 6000 reels. Take advantage of the bin of $5 and $10 plugs on sale. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, eels and the complete line of baits is stocked. Catch Wacky Wednesdays, featuring clams for $2.75 per dozen.

<b>Barnegat</b>

From an edited e-mail from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “We ran to the Monster Ledge area of the Mudhole (on Tuesday). Heard one guy on the radio that trolled a 40-pound bluefin. We trolled one false albacore in the clean, 63-degree water. Lots of draggers. Not much in readings. Tried chunking for a while, but no hits. Ran to Little Italy next – the machine blacked out with what turned out to be all dogfish. Ran due west from there in hopes of finding any kind of life along the beach. We found pod after pod of bunkers being wooshed and rushed by big, gator blues. Worked them over for a few hours in hopes of finding a striped bass in the mix, but it was all blues for us. Found out later they caught some big bass off of those same pods in the morning. Now, three days of wind, and then we will be back at it Sat., Sun. and Mon.”  <b>***Update, Friday, 10/21:***</b> From an edited e-mail from Dave: “Awesome stretch of weather coming this weekend. West winds for a flat ocean. Air temps in the 60s, water temps in the low 60s. There have been big schools of bunker between Barnegat and Manasquan inlets. Both stripers and big, gator bluefish balling them up. We are chartered for this Saturday, but will run open-boat trips Sunday and Monday, 6AM to 2PM, three-person maximum, all fish are shared. We will break the inlet at sunup, make a left, and run along the beach, hunting for pods of bunker. I will run as far as it takes. We will also be armed with light spinning rods in case the overdue false albacore show up. We can throw small metals at them. I will be packing the trolling gear in case we want to try bunker spoons or umbrella rigs to put some fish on the ice. If you guys don’t want to troll, we won’t. Give me a call instead of emailing me as I will not be in front of the computer: 732-330-5674. I will be on the water or getting ready for three days of striper fishing.”

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Winds were atrocious, but when conditions mellow, striped bass fishing should keep improving, because it only got better each day, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. A 37-pound striper, one of four stripers that two anglers landed on a trip last Thursday at Little Egg Inlet, was the last linesider checked in at the shop. No customers even talked about fishing for stripers from land at Graveling Point in the weather. One report came in about small stripers trolled on the Mullica River. So there was action, and Scott wasn’t sure about the plugs trolled, but the lures were probably smaller than Stretches. Croakers started to be found in the ocean off Wreck Inlet in 25 to 40 feet before the weather. Tog should keep snapping along the sod banks and ledges, and schools of blues should remain plentiful, worth looking for at the inlet. Anything else? Scott was asked. “Better days are coming!” he said. He planned ahead of the weather to stock bait, so all of it is on hand: fresh, shucked clams, green crabs, bloodworms and grass shrimp.

<b>Absecon</b>

Between the winds, fishing was starting to come along, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. The bridges and jetties were loaded with tog, and green crabs for bait are stocked, and more are coming, and the bait was scarce. Striped bass were probably “on the way,” Dave said. Fishing for them was already good at night at places like along the surf jetties and off Harrah’s. No daytime bite had developed, because waters were in the high 60s, too warm. The keepers were borderline, and lots were shorts. Maybe stripers from the north will slide down to the local coast soon, like during better weather forecast for the weekend. Dave had scheduled his season’s first striper charter for Friday, but rescheduled for Monday, because of winds. Winds are supposed to diminish during the weekend. Kingfish bit in the surf. In addition to green crabs, plenty of live spots are stocked, and a fair supply of live finger mullet are on hand. Eels, surf clams and all the baits are carried.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Winds blew like heck, but previously a 33-pound striped bass was checked in Sunday that was boated at Wreck Inlet, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Another angler stopped by with two 15-inch kingfish, fish that she beached from the surf along with 10- to 11-inchers. That was about all that happened in the weather, but conditions are supposed to calm this weekend. The annual Riptide Striper Derby is under way, lasting to December 23. Anglers who enter the first, second and third biggest stripers from the Brigantine front beach will win $500, $300 and $150, respectively. Plus a $25 weekly prize, a $50 monthly prize and a $100 woman’s prize will be awarded. Entry in the tournament provides beach-buggy access to the island’s front beach for those who have a Brigantine beach-buggy permit.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Striped bass and blackfish were tugged from the surf from the Flagship to the T-jetty, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. The stripers, none of record size, fish to 15 or 16 pounds, could be plugged. Waters were warm or 67 and 68 degrees, so the best striper fishing was likely yet to come, but some of the bass were already plentiful. Lots of kingfish hovered in the surf, and blues sometimes pushed through the waters. Along the sea wall blues and sea perch and a few weakfish, porgies, ling and blackfish were yanked in. Plenty of mullet poured out from the back bay. Herring larger than 2 feet, the biggest Noel ever saw, were around. Fresh mullet and clams are stocked, and so are eels, minnows, green crabs, bloodworms and the full selection of baits.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Not much fishing happened because of the weather, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. But previously the surf turned out a fair number of short striped bass that anglers picked on plugs along the jetties. Keepers were few and far between. Blues 14 to 18 inches stormed the surf along the south end of the island Monday and Tuesday before the winds. Stripers, mostly shorts, few keepers, were sometimes plugged or baited in the back bay, including at the bridges. Lots of tog littered the bridges and docks. Few boaters fished the ocean wrecks and reefs or offshore, because of the weather.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Surf anglers scored well on kingfish early in the week, when the weather was better, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The weather was rough on fishing since  then. Striped bass catches seemed to increase from the surf, and whether that was because more bit or more anglers fished the beach was difficult to tell. The bass were mostly slugged on fresh or salted clams. Plenty of blues schooled waters from the back bay to the inlets to the surf and ocean, even in the winds, and anglers said the blues were somewhat bigger than previously. Back-bay plugging for striped bass was good. One angler reported averaging 10 bites per trip, hooking 6. Nothing was heard about the ocean wrecks and reefs and offshore, because of the weather. But boaters were pumped to head out this weekend in better forecasts.

Traveling charters that fish Montauk annually are probably finished for the year aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. This is about how long he said the trips would fish this year, and the outings target the fall migration of striped bass, blues and false albacore each October, and went well this year, covered in past reports. From Sea Isle, Jersey Cape will keep fishing for stripers on the back bay with popper lures and flies, a specialty on the boat that’s been producing good catches. But soon Joe’s trips will switch to hunting New Jersey’s migration of big stripers and blues on the ocean in November and December from Sea Isle. Thanksgiving is traditionally the peak, and anglers should plan ahead if wanting to jump on this best fishing of the year. Many dates are full with charters. Joe might sail offshore this weekend in forecasts for better weather. For entertainment, check out this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NpISGvRFN0&feature=youtube_gdata_player" target="_blank">video of inshore shark fishing</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckbAjELGmWc&feature=youtube_gdata_player" target="_blank">and this one</a> from Jersey Cape this summer. Looking ahead, see Jersey Cape’s <a href=" http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page4.html" target="_blank">traveling charters page</a> for info about annual trips aboard to the Florida Keys this winter from Christmas to Easter. Reserve now, taking advantage of the best rates, like on airfare. Anglers can arrive at the Keys on a Friday evening, fish all day Saturday and part of Sunday, return Sunday evening, and be back to work Monday. The trips can be a mini, fish-filled vacation, for a large variety of catches from redfish to sailfish. Keep up on Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Winds kept the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b> docked during the weekend, Capt. Paul said. He’ll try to run trips this weekend. If anglers want summer flounder, the trips will try for them. A Research Set Aside Permit allows the vessel to sail for flounder during the currently closed season for the fish. If flounder fishing doesn’t pan out, other fish will be targeted. When sea bass season opens November 1, the boat will run for them. If striped bass show up, trips aboard might steam for them. The Porgy IV sails at 8 a.m., at least on weekends this time of year, if not on other days. Anglers can call to confirm.

Striped bass sometimes began to be boated on Delaware Bay, and tournaments for the fish are scheduled for the weekend, so anglers should be out bunker chunking, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Fresh chunks of bunker are the traditional bait. The surf was probably rough in today’s winds, but fairly good striper fishing began to develop along the jetties. Some of the fish to 30 inches were beached, and stripers got pushed into the beach along the northern Cold Spring Inlet jetty the other day, and anglers bailed them. Lots of tog hugged the inlet jetties. A few blues, kingfish and weakfish were lifted from the Cape May surf lately. Mullet schooled the surf, and some were caught Wednesday evening. Stripers were winged on the back bay on top-water lures, soft-plastics and bait, including along the bridges. Little was heard about the ocean in the rough weather. But boaters planned to fish during calmer weather forecast this weekend, including on overnight trips for tuna.

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