<b>Staten Island</b>

The Arthur Kill was loaded with striped bass, said Pat from <b>E-Z Catch Saltwater Traps & Tackle Co.</b> Anglers from shore slugged them on cut bunker, cut herring or clams. A few blues swam the waters, but the population began to peter out, at least there. Snapper blues and porgies departed for the season for the surf casters. A few porgies and sea bass were boated at the wrecks. Blackfishing was great at the wrecks. Freshwater fishing was the same as before. Previously Pat reported plenty of largemouth bass picked up at lakes like Sylvan. 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>Keyport</b>

Waters were 51 degrees at the dock, said Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>. That would suggest temps were right for striped bass  fishing on Raritan Bay. Papa’s Angels is clamming for stripers, sometimes eeling for them, and space is available on an open-boat trip for stripers Saturday. A charter for stripers is potentially booked for Sunday. Open-boat trips are running for stripers daily when no charter is booked. Call to reserve.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Plenty of striped bass were trolled at the Shrewsbury Rocks, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Eeling for stripers turned slow on the moon. “But I don’t know about at night,” he said. Surely with the weather coming, eeling will change for the better. A few boaters clammed stripers. Surf anglers beached a few stripers. “We need some eels and stuff,” Jimmy said. “We don’t have the bait.” But that’ll change. Lots of blackfish snapped, and the bag limit will he cranked up to six of the tog on Wednesday from the current limit of one. Cod fishing was good.

Bottom-fishing shoveled up mostly blackfish on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. An occasional shot of sea bass or porgies bit, but blackfish made up almost all the catch. Anglers bagged their limit of one of the tog, catching and releasing more. A few ling were landed when deeper waters were fished, and trips might keep doing that: targeting blackfish till anglers bag their one, then moving deeper for ling. Tom hopes the blackfishing holds up for when the bag limit is increased to six of the tog Wednesday from the current limit of one. The weather was good in the past days, and this Friday potentially looks like a blow out, with gusts to 40, but from the northwest, so that won’t affect the ocean. The Atlantic Star is fishing for sea bass, porgies and blackfish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Trips can focus on blackfish when the bag limit is increased Wednesday, mentioned above.

<b>Highlands</b>

With <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> a trip limited out on striped bass to 14 pounds Wednesday, Capt. Derek said. Then the anglers blackfished, limiting out on one apiece, releasing more, landing probably 30 of the tog to 6 pounds. Onboard Monday 10 stripers 15 to 27 pounds were eeled. But Fisher Price lately fished for stripers however was best: eeling, jigging, trolling and clamming. What worked was different every day. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trip will sail for stripers Friday, if the weather holds. Forecasts are calling for winds. An open trip for stripers will also run Sunday afternoon. Call to climb aboard or to be kept informed about the future open schedule. Fisher Price will keep fishing for stripers, and blackfish charters will launch Wednesday, when the bag limit is lifted to six from the current limit of one. Only about five dates remain for blackfish charters, so book fast.

A charter aboard limited out on striped bass to 27 pounds Tuesday on eels along the channels with <b>Raritan Bay Charters</b>, Capt. Dave said. A few spots remain for an open-boat trip for stripers Sunday, and Saturday is chartered for stripers. Open trips are available daily when no charter is booked. Blackfishing will be added aboard when the bag limit is hauled up to six of the tog Wednesday from the current limit of one. A blackfish charter is booked for that day.

Eels were the popular bait for striped bass, but clams sometimes caught them, said Wayne from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>. Scott Beim and Dave Reich eeled a keeper apiece on a trip Sunday. David James and crew eeled a 30-pound striper, and a trip with James the previous day eeled another keeper. Joe Sitaro clammed two keepers. Big stripers in the 30-pound class sometimes started to come through. Gene Graham, the marina’s striper expert, found big ones that were picked Tuesday but no big stripers, only a couple of small ones, on Wednesday. Another angler and a friend, fly fishers, boated the ocean all the way to Long Beach Island from Twin Lights one day, catching a mess of stripers and blues they released. Lots of blackfish reportedly chomped, and the bag limit will be tugged up to six of the tog Wednesday from the current limit of one. Eels are stocked, and bushels of fresh clams can be ordered, and all the frozen baits for inshore to offshore are  carried.

<b>Neptune</b>

Trips were catching the living daylights out of sea bass with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>! Capt. Ralph said. Near limits were bailed on a trip Wednesday. Lots of blackfish bit on trips, and so did quite a few porgies. A striped bass trip was slated to fish today. Fishing’s been phenomenal, Ralph said. Individual-reservation trips with openings include those for: blackfish, Wednesday and November 16, 20, 23 and 27, December 23 and every Saturday and Sunday in December; and sea bass, blackfish and stripers, November 20. Charters are available daily.

<b>Belmar</b>

A combo striped bass/blackfish open-boat trip motored south Wednesday with <b>Fish Stix Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Kris said in a report on the Fish Stix Web site. First the anglers fished for striped bass, and the angling “wasn’t too hot for us,” he said, but the trip limited out on stripers to 20 pounds by 11 a.m. Then the anglers fished for blackfish closer to port, pumping in 20 to 30 keeper-sized ones, keeping their limit, releasing the rest. The tog included an 8-plus-pounder and a 7-1/2-pounder. A combo, open trip for stripers and tog also sailed aboard Monday. A limit of stripers to 15 pounds was jigged by 10 a.m. to the south. Then the trip returned north, reeling in 40 to 50 keeper-sized blackfish, limiting out then playing catch and release. A 10-pounder, 9-pounder and 8-pounder were nailed. Charters and <a href="http://www.fishstixnj.com/index.php/open-boat-trips" target="_blank">open-boat trips</a> are fishing.

Lots of sea bass were slam-dunked on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. The fishing was good, and cod, blackfish, “a little of everything,” Chris said, were also swung in. Trips will concentrate on blackfish starting Wednesday, when the bag limit is amped up to six from the current limit of one. The trip Wednesday will leave early at 6 a.m. The trip next Thursday will sail the usual time from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. But the trips next week from Friday to Sunday will also leave early at 6 a.m.

Very good fishing for striped bass and blues was creamed aboard, said Capt. Alan from the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>. On Saturday the more than 100 anglers on deck limited out on stripers, catching and releasing probably 50 more keeper-sized bass afterward. Trips, getting the weather to sail every day lately, jigged the fish, mostly on Ava 47’s. But Krocodiles or whatever jigs anglers wanted also caught. The Miss Belmar Princess is sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. The party boat <b>Tropical Adventure</b>, Alan’s other vessel, will sail for stripers this weekend to handle overflow crowds, and will begin bottom fishing daily starting next week on Friday.

The fall run was really under way, a report on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>’s Web site said. Fishing aboard was excellent once again on Wednesday, and if anglers want striped bass, “now is the time!” the report said. Stripers were bagged, and more blues than before, 6- to 12-pounders, were hooked, on the trip. Ava 47 jigs caught the bass and blues best. The fishing was also super aboard Sunday to Tuesday. The Golden Eagle is sailing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays to Thursdays. . Striperthons are running 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays and Fridays. Take advantage of the Veterans’ Special through Friday: Active and retired veterans get $10 off the fare, including rod rental. Don’t miss the Take a Kid Fishing Special on Thanksgiving: Kids get $25 fare including rod rental. Adults are $45 that day.

Belmar’s party boats smoked striped bass, lots, steaming south toward Barnegat for them, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. The vessels also loaded up on good catches of sea bass and blackfish. Two 32- and 29-pound pollock were weighed in today from  a charter boat, and the trip also racked up cod. So fishing from boats seemed good for all different fish, and getting conditions to sail was the only challenge. Fog kept many boats from running today, and winds are forecast for Friday. A healthy number of stripers were banked from the surf, though they were mostly small or 20 or 22 inches. Most were swiped on Ava 17 jigs with green tails. Some anglers tossed Ava 27’s to reach past the bar, but 17’s were more common.

<b>Brielle</b>

Crazy striped bass jigging continued on today’s trip aboard, Capt. Jerry from <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> said in a Facebook post. “Left early in the pea-soup fog to get in on the a.m. bite,” he said. Birds working the waters couldn’t be seen to find the fish, “but we ran over the mother lode!” he said. “Had them all to ourselves.” All the anglers hooked up, and the fishing was incredible on the first drift, lasting 40 minutes, covering a half-mile, producing 50 stripers landed. “Boxed our limit and bonus fish and was in release mode in no time,” Jerry said. When it broke up, the trip looked around, getting a few more cracks at stripers, a pick. After 75 stripers were landed, the anglers went blackfishing. They whacked a good bite, limiting out on the tog to 5 pounds. The week was perfect for striper fishing for Monger. Five trips in a row limited out on stripers, and released more, by 8 a.m. daily since Sunday.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Fishing for striped bass was very good the last few days on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said. Lots of good-sized stripers, a terrific percentage of keepers, were crushed, and bluefish were also belted. The stripers were jigged on Ava 47s, on the ocean in 50 feet, from about Seaside to Island Beach State Park. On Wednesday’s trip some of the anglers limited out on stripers, and some bagged three with a bonus tag. The Gambler is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Sea bass, great catches, sometimes limits, were socked on the party boat <b>Norma K III</b>, Capt. Matt said. Some who fished with crabs also pulled in blackfish. Every place the trips fished seemed to hold life, sometimes less than others, but the fishing was good overall. The season’s first evening trips for ling and cod sailed  Friday and Saturday, barreling up good catches of ling and a few keeper cod.  The Norma K III is sailing for sea bass 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, and for ling and cod on Magic Hour Trips 3 to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Monday Marathon Blackfish Trips, sailing 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., will launch in two Mondays, after the blackfish bag limit is increased to six on Wednesday from the current limit of one.

Sea bassing went well on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. On Wednesday’s trip plenty of sea bass, a few cod, sizeable blackfish, and some blues were swung in, and a couple of sizeable striped bass were lost. A variety of fish like that, but mostly sea bass, bit lately. But all fish were in. Sea bass remained close to shore, and blackfishing was on. A few more cod chomped every day. The ocean was full of blues, and blues were seen everywhere someone looked, where the boat fished. Boats fishing close to shore seemed to clobber stripers up and down the beach. The Dauntless targeted sea bass in 60 to 100 feet, and the fish began to hold deeper. Butch hoped they’d stay in range until at least Thanksgiving. He also hoped blackfishing remained good when the bag limit is dragged up to six of the tog on Wednesday from the current limit of one. Waters were 53 or 54 degrees where the vessel fished, fairly warm for the time of year. The Dauntless is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

Catches of striped bass finally opened up, said Chuck from <b>Gates Bait & Tackle</b>. Anglers socked them from Manasquan Inlet to the surf to the ocean. Lots of anglers fished the inlet and surf this morning, the first time crowds were seen this season. Boaters lambasted stripers Wednesday a long surf cast from shore, and boat trips did a job on stripers on the ocean this week. Blackfishing seemed too slow down in the Point Pleasant Canal. <b>***THIS TACKLE SHOP IS FOR SALE! CALL: 732-899-5760.***</b>

<b>Toms River</b>

Angling for striped bass was great, both from boats on the ocean and from the surf, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Ava jigs with teasers worked super for both. Boaters sometimes trolled umbrella rigs with tubes, because of all the sand eels in waters. In the surf, Ava’s caught best on some days, and the teasers worked best on others, and afternoons during incoming tides were best in the past few days. But sometimes stripers were beached from the surf before sunup. Boaters who checked in stripers included: Brandon Wallace, 18-pounder, Ava with a black tail; and Dan Lerch and Dominic Savastano, three stripers 20, 17.4 and 15 pounds, trolled umbrella rigs with tubes. Surf anglers who weighed in stripers included: Lee Daniels, 7.15-pounder, clam, Brick Beach; Brian Gregor, 10-pound 4-ouncer, Ava, Island Beach State Park; Mike Meyer, 10.8-pounder, bunker chunk, Ortley Beach; and Barry Yurkiewicz, 8.11-pounder, Ava with teaser, Ortley Beach. Not many bluefish, only a few, were hooked. Boaters grabbed them, and almost only stripers came from the surf. Blues seemed to push farther from shore recently, and west winds were probably needed to force them back in. Most party boats limited out on stripers during the weekend on jigs. Lots of stripers, bigger ones than in the surf, were eeled along Barnegat Bay’s sod banks at night. A few stripers were boated along the Route 37 Bridge on the bay at night, but waters were probably warm for the fishing, and more are usually caught there in December. Dennis boated along the bridge Tuesday night, catching no stripers. Only crabs jumped on his clam baits. A few crabs still skittered around. Puppy drum and small blues were hooked at the warm-water discharge from the Forked River power plant. Fresh clams and fresh bunker are stocked. Savage Gear sand eels and Storm sand eels are newly carried.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 11/11:***</b> In the surf lots of striped bass were plowed on Ava’s with teasers, said Scott from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. But anglers had to cast the jigs over the bar. No tides or times of day seemed best, except that the catches were mostly made every morning and afternoon. No blues really ran the surf. In Barnegat Bay stripers were eeled along the sod banks at night and were plugged at usual spots at night on Yozuris and Rapalas. 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 Light<b>

Boaters whaled striped bass on the ocean off Barnegat Inlet on jigs, said Dave from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. Stripers might’ve bitten in Barnegat Bay, but a steady stream of boats at the docks kept heading to the stripers in the ocean. Blackfish probably chewed along the inlet jetties, because plenty of green crabs were sold for blackfish bait. But all everyone kept talking about was stripers in the ocean. Fresh bunker, fresh clams and green crabs are stocked. Live spots ran out, and the shop is trying to stock more, but spots are scarce. Bobbie’s rents tiller motor boats, center consoles and pontoon boats for fishing and crabbing. Single and tandem kayaks are available for rent at the shop or your location. Bobbie’s, the closest marina to the inlet, also features a tackle shop. The store is known for local-caught live and fresh bait.

<b>Barnegat</b>

From an edited e-mail from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “The striper fishing is red hot. We’ve been casting light tackle, connecting with 10- to 15-pound fish on average. Lots of birds, surfacing fish and hook-ups. We’ve been doing very well on Fin-S and BKD soft plastics on jigheads. The best action I’ve found is in 40 to 50 feet of water from Barnegat Inlet to Seaside Park. Mostly stripers with a few big bluefish mixed in. We’ll be running open-boat trips today and Saturday from 6 a.m. to noon, three person maximum. All fish are shared. Everything provided. Of course, we’re also available for charter on these days, as well. If you have any questions or would like to reserve a spot, please call instead of e-mailing, as I spend most of my time on the water: 732-330-5674.” <b>***Update, Thursday, 11/10:***</b> From an edited e-mail from Dave: “Thanks to the red-hot fishing, we are completely sold out of our open-boat trips Fri., Sat. and Sun. Those trips run from 5:30 AM to 11:30 AM. I am going to add afternoon trips on all these days, Fri. thru Sun., available for charter only. These trips will run from 12:30 PM to 5 PM, as it is already getting dark by 5 PM. $350 to charter the boat for up to three people. We have the choice of catching them in the ocean or in the bay with live bait. Just bring whatever you want to eat and drink, I’ll bring the rest. The tide for livelining spots in the bay looks good for all these afternoon trips, if we want to mix it up or stay inside altogether, your choice. If you are interested in booking one of these, or any other dates, please call me on my cell instead of -mailing me, as I will not be on the computer, I will be on the water: 732-330-5674.”

<b>Surf City</b>

Lots of striped bass and blues kept being weighed in from the surf, said Sue from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish came from up and down Long Beach Island, though somewhat of a concentration gathered at Brant Beach. The stripers usually weren’t huge, but they were plentiful, and fresh bunker caught most. But a 30-pound 8-ouncer was checked in that was eeled. Other stripers weighed in, a few among many, included a 19-pound 3-ouncer, an 18-pounder, a 15.8-pounder and a 12.12-pounder. Blues checked in, also a few among many, included a 12.9-pounder and an 11.7-pounder. Fresh bunker is stocked, and anglers kept buying them up, but 600 pounds is supposed to arrive today. Last week, 1,200 pounds was sold. Fresh clams are carried, and the shop is trying to stock eels Friday.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Ocean striped bass fishing was epic Monday to Wednesday, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Then today the fish were gone. “Nothing,” he said. They’ll be back. “But where did they go?” he asked. From Monday to Wednesday boaters crushed catches like more than 30 stripers landed per trip. Sixty was the high hook heard about, with four anglers aboard, who jigged the fish on metal. The bass, 15- to 30-pounders, during the days swam off Long Beach Island from the red tower to the Brant Beach Lump. Pods of stripers swam like pods of bunker, and boaters just had to find them to start catching. Big bluefish 10 to 15 pounds also swam the area. Stripers were boated at Little Egg Inlet at the bars on clams like before. But the angling couldn’t compare to the ocean’s. Nobody talked about fishing for sea bass and blackfish, and Scott was surprised nobody sailed for them during the calm days this week. But he guessed everyone focused on stripers. The blackfish bag limit will be pulled up to six Wednesday from the current limit of one. Nobody mentioned white perch fishing on the rivers. The supply of bait is in great shape at the shop. Fresh, shucked clams, even a batch of fresh bunker, eels and bloodworms are stocked. No live grass shrimp are carried, only because Scott was yet to net more.

<b>Absecon</b>

Fairly decent striped bass fishing was copped on the back bay, said Curt from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Some good-sized ones, not a ton, were eeled in the bay in the early mornings. Stripers were also nabbed in the back waters on live spots and fresh bunker and clams. A few hefty stripers were taken on live bait at Absecon Inlet. Striper fishing to the north at Little Egg Inlet and Great Bay sounded a little better. A few stripers were jigged on the ocean, especially to the north. Stripers weighed in included a 40-pounder, a 39-pounder, a 26-pounder and a 20-pounder. Capt. Dave, the shop’s owner, docked a 36-pounder from one of his charters, and the trips went well. Tog fishing was good in the bay. Curt, a white perch angler, found fishing for them mediocre to good. The slabs were somewhat difficult to find, typical for the time of year, and the catches will improve as the weather becomes colder. Lots of small perch were around. Perch swam the deep, cooler waters, so the waters were usually moving. Then anglers got a small window of opportunity to fish for them on slack tides. Sometimes an eddy could be found where perch would bite a longer time. Live spots and eels and fresh clams and mullet are stocked. Fresh bunker is on hand, and anglers should check the day before to ask whether the menhaden will be available.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Another relatively slow day of surf fishing today, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. Good-sized stripers were sometimes beached from shore during the week, but big schools were yet to hold in the surf, staying farther from shore. A 49-1/2-pound striper was checked  in from the surf Wednesday. The fish inhaled fresh bunker along the middle of the island. Paul Lavigna checked in a 31-pound striper on Tuesday, taking the lead in the Riptide Striper Derby, and he also beached another keeper from the surf that day, and saw other stripers angled from shore on the trip. Boating for stripers was heating up at Wreck Inlet, and was great on the back bay. 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>

Surf anglers dragged in striped bass and tog, pretty good catches, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Tog catches came on strong again, after slowing a moment. The stripers hit clams, bunker, eels or plugs, and the tog jumped on green crabs, sometimes clams. Fresh bunker and clams and live eels, green crabs, bloodworms and all the baits are stocked.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Striped bass began to appear at Great Egg Harbor Inlet, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Quite a few keepers were boated, and a 34-pounder was the largest weighed at the shop. Surf anglers beached a striper here or there, but seas were a little rough, and the ocean often held a swell. When anglers could fish the surf, they sometimes landed stripers at Corson’s Inlet, mostly on bunker, sometimes on clams. The ocean was hardly ever calm enough for boaters to fish, and maybe two in ten of the past days brought calm enough conditions. When boaters fished the ocean, they began to locate a few stripers chasing bunker schools. Bluefish could be bombed 7 to 10 miles from shore. Fishing at the reefs was good when vessels could reach them. Sea bass fishing was very good there, and lots of blackfish littered the reefs. The blackfish bag limit will be hoisted to six on Wednesday from the current limit of one. Blackfishing wasn’t as good on the back bay as a couple of weeks ago, but some of the tog were taken from the bay. The fish seemed to be moving to the ocean. Stripers, mostly shorts, were pulled from the back bay, on soft-plastic lures. Top-waters lures beaned them in the evenings.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Ocean fishing was starting to become good for striped bass and blues, was heating up, both on jigs under bird plays and on the troll, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. A trip aboard was headed out today. Trips will also probably keep popper-plug and –fly fishing for stripers on the back bay. But the ocean becomes the first choice if the weather is good enough, the later in the season it gets. Stripers were sometimes belted in the surf, great on some days, not on others. 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 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>.

“One word,” said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. “Stripers.” Striped bass fishing wasn’t as gangbusters as it can be, “but they’re here,” he said. “It’s ‘go time.’” Whether anglers wanted to fish the back bay, surf or ocean, they were able to catch. On the bay stripers were clammed or eeled, and in the surf, the bass were clammed, bunker chunked or, along the jetties in the mornings, popper-plugged on big lures like a Gibbs or an Atom. On the ocean stripers and blues were trolled and jigged. A few stripers were eeled on the ocean, but blues hammered the bait. Bottom-fishers bailed sea bass and cod, awesome catches. The population of blackfish seemed healthy for when the bag limit is increased to six Wednesday from the current limit of one. Blackfishers limited out on their one or caught and released the tog, scoping out the fish. More positive reports than negative were heard about blackfish.  

<b>Cape May</b>

Striped bass were bunker-chunked on Delaware Bay with <b>Relentless Sport Fishing</b>, Capt. Dave said. A trip Friday headed out for the fish and got crushed in rough weather. “Not a fun day,” he said. But a trip Sunday chunked four stripers, including two keepers to 41 inches. A trip Wednesday afternoon bagged two stripers to 40 inches. More of the trips are set for today and Saturday.

A trip scored a good catch of six striped bass on Delaware Bay on bunker chunks Monday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Two were larger than 40 pounds, measuring 48 inches each, and a 20-pounder was probably smallest. Stripers seemed scattered all around now, including sometimes at the Cape May Rips. A charter Tuesday sea bass fished on the ocean, loading up, drop-and-reel fishing. The sea bass were good-sized. None was 4 or 5 pounds, and shorts had to be weeded through, but quite a few were 16 and 18 inches, and the keeper ratio was 1 to 1. On the striper trip brothers Mark and Bill Dominic were the anglers along with Andy, Mitch, Bob and Joe. On the sea bass trip Tom Ebbecke from Newfield’s Accresce Nursery, another Tom and Pat, Adam and Juan were the anglers. Blackfish charters will become available when the bag limit is raised to six of the tog Wednesday from the current limit of one. The boat will keep sailing for all these fish, and call if interested.

On the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b> the last few days sea bass fishing served up very good action “and success with keepers,” Capt. Paul said. Some anglers limited out, “and there’s been a run of fish,” he said, “and hopefully we’ll be able to have success.” A few cod were in the mix. The weather was good, and trips were able to search around for sea bass. The weather this Friday looks like a blow-out, but Paul hopes to get back to fishing afterward. Striped bass, good catches, started to get boated at the Cape May Rips on other vessels. Trips on the Porgy will keep fishing for sea bass, because anglers want them. The blackfish bag limit will be hiked up to six on Wednesday from the current limit of one. Once that happens, if trips draw a large crowd, they’ll likely sail for sea bass, but if they draw a smaller crowd, they might try blackfishing. In any case, the Porgy will keep wreck fishing. The vessel sails at 8 a.m. daily.

Boaters racked up good catches of striped bass on Delaware Bay on bunker chunks, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. On a couple of days the fish were tackled close to shore off the Villas. One customer on the bay hauled in a 42-pound 50-inch striper one day and a 54-pound 55-1/2-incher the next. A few stripers were boated at the Cape May Rips, but most of the linesiders came from the bay. Short stripers were sometimes beached from the surf, and keepers were sometimes bagged on the back bay. Plenty of tog hovered along the Cape May Inlet jetties. Sea bass fishing was excellent on the ocean. Fresh bunker and clams and live eels and green crabs are stocked.

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