<b>Staten Island</b>

Blackfishing piled up good catches with <b>Outcast  Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. The fish weren’t big like before, weighed up to 6 pounds, but trips limited out early. The weather was rough but fishable on charters Saturday and Sunday. New York’s blackfish season opened October 1, and Outcast will keep sailing for the tog, a specialty on the boat. But striper trips are also sailing, and blackfish trips can mix in striper fishing on the way to and from the blackfish grounds, if anglers want and stripers are around. Stripers then can be jigged under birds working the waters.  One striped bass charter sailed recently, boxing six of the fish to 22 pounds, mostly 15- to 18-pounders, on eels, a pick. 

<b>Keyport</b>

Two striped bass were boated off the beaches at Sandy Hook on clams on a trip aboard Sunday, said Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>. No other stripers were seen landed on the other vessels in the area. Open-boat trips are fishing for stripers when no charter is booked.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

“Finally, some jig fish in the area!” Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> said in a report on the vessel’s Web site Saturday. He was talking about striped bass that were jigged on the boat. “A welcome sight this morning, with a couple areas of birds working,” he said. The stripers were difficult to catch in a strong current and winds, “but we did manage some keepers and a bunch of shorts,” Ron said. “Should be better with the bunker around,” he said. Trips looked like they would keep jigging, but clams would still be carried aboard for bait if needed. A good pick of stripers were clammed aboard Thursday, and a charter was cancelled Friday on the boat because of gale winds. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Bottom-fishing trips sailed Saturday and Sunday on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, after the trips stayed docked Thursday and Friday in rough weather, Capt. Tom said. Catches of mixed-sized blackfish were good on both outings, and a few ling were swung aboard on Sunday’s trip. Green crabs were able to be provided for blackfish bait, after the bait was scarce previously. Clams were also supplied. Tom hopes blackfishing holds up when the boat can begin focusing on the tog Wednesday, when the bag limit will be raised to six of the slipperies from the current limit of one. The Atlantic Star is fishing for sea bass, porgies and blackfish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Trips are expected to focus on blackfish when the bag limit is increased Wednesday, mentioned above.

<b>Highlands</b>

Striped bass fishing was cancelled Saturday aboard because of winds, said Capt. Dave from <b>Raritan Bay Charters</b>. Trips will keep striper fishing, and the season’s first blackfish trip might sail Wednesday, when the bag limit is increased to six of the tog from the current limit of one. Open-boat trips are sailing when no charter is booked.

Striped bass fishing was excellent aboard through the last week, said Capt. Pete from the <b>Hyper Striper</b> in an e-mail. All trips limited out and released many keeper-sized stripers to boot. That included on charters with Ron Koch last Monday, Lou Gene’s party on Tuesday, Scott Gallion’s crew on Wednesday, George Lucian’s gang on Saturday and Jeff Sheats’ charter on Sunday. Fishing was weathered out on Friday on the boat. Trips sometimes also limited out on blackfish along with stripers. “Very good fishing now,” Pete said. “We have a few tog dates left, (and) anglers need to call to lock in if they want a date.”

<b>Neptune</b>

Fishing for striped bass was phenomenal aboard since the last report, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. A bottom-fishing trip on deck this weekend found seas too rough offshore. So the trip moved back inshore for stripers. “It was too late for the bite,” Ralph said. So the trip didn’t limit out on stripers, but caught some. Openings available on individual-reservation trips in the near future include spaces for blackfish November 20 and 23.

<b>Belmar</b>

Winds were strong and seas were “snappy” on Sunday’s trip on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. But striped bass fishing was good and held up on the outing. Catches weren’t as wild as days before, and big blues dominated the catch this day, but 28 stripers were bagged. Some of the anglers limited out on stripers. “This is a good fall run, with great opportunities for a limit bass catch and more,” the report said. “Don’t miss out. Grab a day off and join us.” 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. Enjoy he Take a Kid Fishing Special on Thanksgiving: Kids get $25 fare including rod rental. Adults are $45 that day.

Angling was weathered out through the weekend with <b>Fish Stix Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Kris said. Trips each previously were limiting out on striped bass then limiting out on one blackfish per angler. Striper trips will keep running, and trips will be able to target blackfish exclusively starting Wednesday, when the bag limit is dragged up to six of the tog from the current limit of one. Charters are fishing, and open-boat trips are fairly booked through Friday, but a couple of spots might be available Saturday, and some will be available next week. See the <a href="http://www.fishstixnj.com/index.php/trip-info/belmar-open-boat-fishing-trips" target="_blank">open-boat page</a> online.

<b>Brielle</b>

Boaters jigged and trolled striped bass on the ocean, including off Bay Head, the Thunderbird and Island Beach State Park, jumping on the fish early in the mornings, because winds came up afterward, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Quite a few bluefish were around, and bunker schooled Sunday morning close to the beach, but no fish chased them. Surf casters lately banked good catches of stripers from Spring Lake to Island Beach, but not every beach produced, and long casts had to be made, so metal without teasers were fished. Nothing was heard about Manasquan River. Bottom fishers cleaned up fairly good catches of ling on the ocean. Fishing for sea bass and blackfish was hot and cold for them. The shop’s annual, free surf-fishing tournament will be held 12 a.m. Friday to 2 p.m. Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. Prizes will be awarded for the first, second and third heaviest stripers checked in. No pre-registration is required, and anglers just need to make the catch in the surf, and bring the fish to the shop. Plus this year the fishing marketing company Pure Fishing will award $500 worth of fishing products to the angler who checks in the biggest striper landed on Spider Wire from the surf. For that prize, anglers just need to spool a reel with Spider Wire at the shop before making the catch. The price of spooling the reel is well worth the chance at $500 in loot. 

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Anglers on a trip Friday with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> had been waiting for the striped bass run before they sailed, a report on the Andrea’s Toy Web site said. The run was on, and off they went. Forecasts called for 30-knot winds but from the west, so the land protected waters close to shore, and seas weren’t bad. The trip ran south, limiting out on stripers in the first couple of drifts. Then the anglers played catch and release with more. They also trolled “to try something different,” the report said. A trip aboard the previous Sunday sailed for a mixed bag of fish, trying for bluefin tuna first, “even with the lack of reports,” the report said. Bluefins were marked on the fish finder, and the trip trolled, chunked and jigged, but nothing bit. So the trip set up on a wreck, pulling in 25 keeper sea bass, 30 throwbacks and two keeper cod in an hour. Striped bass were heard about that swam close to shore, so the trip then went after them, catching the tail end of a bite. Three keeper stripers and 15 blues to 12 pounds were landed.

With <b>Reel Class Charters</b> a charter steamed south on the ocean Saturday, leaving early in the dark, headed to waters that gave up striped bass off Island Beach State Park on the boat previously, Capt. Allen said in a report on the Reel Class Web site. The trip stopped briefly off the Seaside Heights piers “just to look at some birds,” Allen said, then continued south to where the striper fishing was good before. On arrival, stripers, a bunch, were boated quickly on several drifts, until the action slowed as winds turned more to the south. The trip went into search mode, and stripers, shorts and occasional keepers, and bluefish mixed in, were hooked on every drift, “but nothing wild,” Allen said. The ocean became nasty at 11:30 a.m., as winds, previously from the south-southwest and light, turned dead south. Jigging became tough in the seas, so the trip began trolling tubes, continuing to pick away at catches, until the charter was finished. “Bird play … was at a minimum,” Allen said, “whereas (on the previous day) it was nuts.” At least 50 stripers -- mostly 32- to 35-inchers, and a 36- or 37-incher was biggest -- were landed through the outing, and the boat limited out, and the rest of the fish were released. “Overall we had another great day,” Allen said, and the striper run was shaping up to be great this month. An open-boat trip Friday met a snappy breeze from the west, so the land protected the ocean from getting rough, never reaching more than 2 to 3 feet, though the drift was fast. The trip headed to the same waters off Island Beach, and another great catch of stripers was hammered. The anglers limited out in no time on stripers to 14 pounds, throwing back more: keeper-sized fish and plenty of 25- to 27-inch throwbacks. Bluefish were also fought. An open trip Thursday bailed a good number of stripers early. “Once we got out of the fish,” Allen said, “we could never really get into them again.” Fog made seeing fish difficult, and the trip worked readings the rest of the morning, picking away at stripers and blues. By noon, the fog lifted, and the trip joined a fleet fishing a few miles south of Manasquan Inlet, catching a few more stripers and blues. Only a 32-inch striper was the biggest this day, but the anglers went home with huge sacks of fillets.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Good striped bass fishing was clubbed Friday to Sunday on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. “(On Friday) the fish weren’t jumping in the boat like (the previous week), but a good day,” the report said. “Some blues mixed in, too.” On Saturday a good catch of 8- to 25-pound stripers were hooked, and blues were mixed in. On Sunday, striper fishing remained healthy, and more bluefish were mixed in than before. The Miss Barnegat Light is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. Fridays through Mondays.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

Catches of striped bass had been very good on the ocean, but winds were brutal the last four days, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>. The weather kept Legal Limit docked then, but a few boaters cranked in a few stripers during the time. Legal Limit will keep striper fishing, and will add blackfishing aboard starting Wednesday, when the bag limit is hiked up to six of the tog from the current limit of one. Charters and <a href="http://www.legallimitcharters.com/open-boat.php" target="_blank">open-boat trips</a> will sail. Trips on T.J.’s other boat, sailing from Cape May, reeled in stripers, and see the report below.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Anglers on bigger boats that could handle the seas trolled plenty of striped bass Sunday at the Brant Beach Lump on Stretch 25 lures, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. A handful of boaters decked stripers at Little Egg Inlet that day, and the fish were there, “(but) conditions just did not allow most of the anglers to get into the right spots,” the report said. Lots of stripers, “some nice-sized fish, too,” the report said, were angled Saturday “from Brant Beach down into our Little Egg Inlet,” it said. That was despite gusty winds. Trolling and jigging were key on the ocean, and clams and bunker were fished at the inlet. Outgoing tide was reported to be better at the inlet at the time, and lots of stripers chomped. One angler reported landing 30 stripers to 48 inches while chumming heavily.  Winds howled Friday, but striper anglers scored well at the inlet that day. “That (was) a nice change after a quiet period (that) week,” the report said.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Winds honked on Saturday, but a 19-pound striped bass was checked in from the surf that day, Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b> said in a report on the shop’s Web site. Striper catches were slow in the surf through the weekend, though lots of anglers visited the shop. “Don’t know if the winds blowing kept the fish out farther or what?” he asked. Winds were mild this morning. “Looking forward to seeing what this week has in store for us,” Andy said. He figures three or four weeks of good surf fishing are left on the island, and maybe the action will last longer, “seeing that it had a late start,” he said. 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>Sea Isle City</b>

A trip with Tom Scranton aboard the ocean pummeled 30 blues 10 to 17 pounds and four striped bass, a great day, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Fish blitzed, and the catches, all on jigs, were excellent. The weather prevented fishing on Friday, and Dave White and buddy Kevin aboard Saturday landed two stripers on the back bay on soft-plastic lures in “less than perfect conditions,” Joe said. Peter Garibeau and friend fished aboard the bay Sunday with bait, but the angling was unproductive, and conditions were terrible. The ocean should continue to turn out the migration of big stripers and blues, and that traditionally peaks around Thanksgiving, lasting into December. Jersey Cape will focus on that fishing when the weather allows. Back-bay fishing should keep producing stripers, and that angling was great previously and was beginning to slow down, but should continue giving up bites when conditions are right. 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>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Decent striped bass fishing was socked at the Cape May Rips in the last week with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, Capt. T.J. said. Lots of sizeable stripers to 35 pounds were slugged, mostly on eels, a few on spots. Seas were rough in the last days, reaching 6 feet at the Rips.

Fishing for striped bass was weathered out Friday and Saturday with <b>Relentless Sport Fishing</b>, Capt. Dave said. But a striper trip sailed aboard Sunday, racking up three keepers to 40 inches on Delaware Bay just off Fortescue on bunker chunks. More bunker than before were seen schooling the bay, so that might be good for striper fishing. More of the trips are slated for Friday to Sunday. Space is available for trips on Thanksgiving weekend, and call if interested.

Lots of sizeable striped bass were nailed aboard at the Cape May Rips the past week on eels and spots, said Capt. Bob from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Was a good week, he said, and all the trips angled plenty of big bass, and only a few throwbacks bit. Al Kinsell’s trip bagged stripers to 30 pounds, and the Cartaski charter clocked stripers to 33 pounds. The Gardner outing iced a similar catch, and the O’Rourke charter limited out on stripers Thursday. Bill Moore’s trip was very good, and Bill hauled in his personal-best 34-1/2-pound striper.

On the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> striped bass fishing scored okay on Delaware Bay on bunker chunks, Capt. George said. Winds were tough Friday through Sunday, and sometimes winds against the tide also made fishing rough. A trip Friday was weathered out. But a trip Thursday put together a good catch of stripers with anglers from Philadelphia Fire Department Battalion 1 with Chief Capt. Bob Lewinski and Tim, Joe, Jack, Steve and Justin. A trip Saturday bagged four stripers 41 inches, 40 inches, 38 inches and 29 or 30 inches with Herb Hollinger and George, Tom, Brian and Bruce. They competed in a striper tournament from Sea Isle City, and George was unsure how they fared in the event. Trips will keep striper fishing, and are also sea bass fishing. The last sea bass trip pumped in a good catch, covered in the last report. Charters will also sail for blackfish once the bag limit is raised to six of the tog Wednesday from the current limit of one. Call if interested in any of this fishing.

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