<b>Keyport</b>

No trips sailed aboard in the weather, but an open-boat trip is set to run for striped bass Friday with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Three spaces are available, and conditions seemed improved for striper fishing recently. Joe saw 45-degree waters at the marina, and reports were heard about herring and sand eels in Raritan Bay and along Sandy Hook. Better-sized stripers in the 30-pound range were reported caught. Space is also available for open trips or charters Saturday and Sunday. Call to reserve.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Boaters plowed striped bass, super catches, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Clams and eels nabbed the fish, and surf casters plugged stripers, sometimes clammed them. Boaters scored best, though. Jimmy was unsure how sea bass fishing went since the season for them opened Tuesday, because seas were rough. The ocean held a terrible roll Wednesday, so he couldn’t imagine too many sea bass bit. Porgy fishing was probably affected the same, but blackfishing served up good catches.

Anglers aboard Monday’s trip picked at blackfish, no porgies, tossing back out-of-season sea bass, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. On Tuesday, when sea bass season opened, the day’s trip stayed docked in rough weather. Wednesday’s trip met a large ground swell, apparently because of an offshore storm. Porgies, some of them sizeable, were grabbed, and all the anglers bagged their limit of one blackfish apiece, and some of the tog were also good-sized. A few sea bass came up, but the seas seemed to affect sea bassing. Tom hopes sea bass fishing will pick up when the weather settles.   The Atlantic Star is fishing for sea bass, porgies and blackfish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Striped bass bit late in the trip today, like they did on Wednesday’s trip, on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron said in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Only three of the bass were managed on the first drop today. “Pretty good heave still out there,” Ron said. The trip moved to several areas through the last of outgoing and slack tides. “Unfortunately, today it didn’t move until 1 p.m.,” he said. The trip made a final move, and fishing turned on. Plenty of tiny stripers, other throwbacks and keepers to 32 inches chomped, and an 18-poundder was the pool-winner. Tom Krako was high hook, landing three keepers and a bunch of shorts. A couple of anglers limited out, “but not the norm for today,” Ron said. On Wednesday’s trip, after striper angling began slowly aboard, the boat was sailed south, and catches remained slow. The vessel was moved back north, and striper fishing took off in shallow waters in a huge swell. The fish were as small as 23 inches and as large as 29 and 30 inches. “Nice afternoon bite, with steady action to bail us out,” Ron said. “Several limits for our effort and the customers’ patience as we were on the hunt all morning.” The boat is chartered Friday, and the weather looks like another northeast blow Saturday. “Hopefully, they are wrong,” Ron said. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. However, the boat is chartered Friday morning.

<b>Highlands</b>

On the <b>Hyper Striper</b> very good catches of striped were crushed through the week, Capt. Pete said in an e-mail. The Brian Wagner charter on Tuesday squashed super fishing for the bass, limiting out on them to 18 pounds. On Wednesday morning Craig Stroud’s trip limited out on stripers to 20 pounds. A trip Wednesday afternoon bailed lots of stripers, including seven keepers and a load of shorts. On a trip this morning the Scott Okals party limited out on stripers by 8:30 a.m., releasing a bunch more. Looking ahead, book blackfish trips now, because “dates are getting thin,” Pete said.

With <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> striped bass were bagged Friday, and trips for them were weathered out in the nor’easter through the weekend, and a trip Monday afternoon limited out on the bass to 23 pounds, Capt. Derek said. Trips clammed and eeled the fish, and eeling nailed some bigger ones, mainly keepers. The trip Monday eeled them. Derek worked on another boat Wednesday that striper fished, and the angling was slower, but maybe the rough weather caused a change for a moment. Derek was at the beach at mid day today, seeing birds working the waters, so he hoped stripers would be able to be jigged soon. A couple of friends were surf fishing lately, banking a few stripers. More and more sand eels seemed to appear in the surf, so the hope was that surf striper fishing would pick up in the wash. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trip will sail for stripers Sunday afternoon. Call to climb aboard or to be kept informed about future open trips. Blackfish charters are filling fast and will begin November 16, when the bag limit will be increased to six of the tog from the current limit of one. A few dates are left for blackfish charters, but anglers should book the trips soon. Combo striper/blackfish trips will also be available starting then.

One boater from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b> today clammed two keeper stripers at Romer Shoal, Wayne said. Another eeled a keeper at Romer on Wednesday. A charter on the Hyper Striper, sailing from Twin Lights, limited out on stripers in 45 minutes today. Yet Gene Graham, the marina’s striper expert, and outdoor writer Al Ristori on a striper trip reportedly got skunked. Seas were evil on the ocean, so not much was heard from there, including about sea bass, since sea bass season opened Tuesday. But bluefin tuna were reportedly found off Barnegat recently. Nothing else was reported from offshore. The marina began to pull back on its supply of fresh clams, because demand dropped off. But a few of the clams are on hand from time to time, and can be ordered, and eels are stocked, and more anglers began to eel for stripers than before. All the frozen baits are stocked for inshore and offshore fishing.

<b>Neptune</b>

Fishing for striped bass was slow on a trip Friday, shoveling up only one of the fish, but was good on a trip Sunday, turning out stripers 20 to 25 pounds and a bunch of blues, Capt. Ralph from  <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> said. That was covered in the last report, and Ralph was traveling during the past days. Individual-reservation trips include those for: stripers, sea bass and blackfish, November 16; blackfish, November 16, 20, 25 and 27, and if stripers are seen, the trip will jig for them; and cod and pollock, November 23. Charters are available daily.

<b>Belmar</b>

Sometimes trips were weathered out, like during the nor’easter through the weekend, but fishing aboard was very good, said Capt. Alan from the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>. The trip Wednesday sailed, and fishing was slow at first on the ocean’s big heave, but then came on. The 20 anglers, a small crowd, whacked 30 keeper striped bass and a bunch of big blues. Trips started concentrating on stripers, but blues were also belted. The Miss Belmar Princess is sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Saturdays.

Aboard the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b> today 15 keeper striped bass to 28 pounds and 29 shorts, a total of 44 linesiders, were jigged, “with a decent crowd,” a report on the vessel’s Web site said. Several dozen big blues were rapped. On a trip Monday on the boat more than 41 stripers, including eight keepers, were clammed. More keepers would’ve been preferred, but there was plenty of action, and no blues showed up, and big skates sometimes invaded.  The Golden Eagle is sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Striperthons are sailing every Monday and Friday. Take advantage of the Veterans’ Special this coming Monday through Friday: Active and retired veterans get $10 off the fare, including rod rental, including on the Striperthons. Don’t miss the Take a Kid Fishing Special on Thanksgiving: Kids get $25 fare including rod rental and adults get $45 fare.

Good catches of striped bass started to get socked on the party boats, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Bluefish catches were no longer great on the vessels, but the trips began focusing on stripers. Sea bassing was great on the head boats, since sea bass season opened Tuesday. “That was the bright spot,” Bob said. Blackfish were also cracked on the trips. Surf fishing for stripers was intermittent but improving. A couple of days served up good catches this week, and today was slow. Surf casters fished clams or plugs. They especially soaked clams when seas were rough. That was more practical then plugging then, and rough seas can wash and break up clams on the beach.

<b>Brielle</b>

<b>Fish Monger Charters</b> steamed for sea bass today for the first time since the season for them opened Tuesday, getting the weather to go, and  the catch was good, Capt. Jerry said in a Facebook post. The anglers limited out. “Nice to be able to keep something again,” Jerry said about the fisheries regulations. A limit of one blackfish per angler was bagged, and enough eels were landed “to make jmurr’s (Joe Murray’s) mouth water,” Jerry said. The sea bass, a bunch of shorts but some good-sized keepers,  were picked at small pieces on the drift half the day, and most of the sea bass bagged were taken by lunchtime. Then south winds came on, and sea bassing became tough, but the anglers ground out the limit. “Great day!” Jerry said.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Striped bass seemed to be slowly migrating to the local area, but surprisingly not many were caught, a source from <b>Gates Bait & Tackle</b> said. The source half-jokingly asked to remain anonymous, so that nobody complained to the source about the slow news! Was surprising the fishing was yet to take off, because this time of year was almost a sure bet for the striper migration. Maybe warm waters were a cause, because when waters were cooler last week, more began to be heard about catches, like at Manasquan and Spring Lake. Little was heard from the surf currently, and hardly anyone was seen in the surf, and surf casters seemed to keep eyes glued to online reports, waiting for the run. They seemed to ride around the beaches looking. Online reports, like from a couple of well-known stores in Seaside Park, looked thin. Boaters might’ve found stripers somewhat farther offshore than usual. Stripers were pulled from the Point Pleasant Canal, though. Sea bass fishing was very good on the ocean since sea bass season opened Tuesday. <b>***THIS TACKLE SHOP IS FOR SALE! CALL: 732-899-5760.***</b>

A half-day, mixed-bag trip sailed the ocean Wednesday with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, a report on the boat’s Web site said. “With the conditions, (we) figured it would be a challenge,” the report said. “But (we’re) always up for it.” First the anglers jigged lots of 5- to 12-pound blues and a 30-inch striped bass under birds. The bass was a youngster on the trip’s first, and once about 30 blues were landed, the anglers decided to bottom fish. Twenty keeper sea bass, and twice as many shorts, were tugged in. The crew showed the youngster how to tog fish, and he angled his first tog, a 6-pounder. Fun day in sunny weather, the report said. On Monday a mixed-bag trip fished farther from shore. First the anglers looked for bluefin tuna, trolling, jigging and chunking, but none of the tuna showed up, and not much bluefin activity was reported from other boats. The trip then fished several wrecks, piling up 37 ling, bagging six cod and letting go sea bass that were out-of-season then. Some would’ve been good-sized keepers. On the way home, the trip met up with boaters picking jumbo blues under birds, and the anglers with Andrea’s Toy beat 14 of the slammers. Stripers were seen among the fish, but only blues bit.  Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner. Still, when a bite like a striper blitz turns on, trips can concentrate on them.

The weather kept the party boat <b>Norma K III</b> from sailing through the week, Capt. Matt said. But the vessel is running on a new schedule: ¾-day trips for sea bass and ling 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, and Magic Hour Trips for ling and cod 3 to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Sea bass fishing was excellent aboard since Tuesday, said Capt. Butch from the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>. Sea bass season opened that day, and catching keepers was somewhat tougher than preferred, and shorts had to be sorted through. But patrons averaged 10 to 20 keepers apiece. A few blackfish, porgies and cod were coolered, and the number of porgies hooked dropped off compared with before. But rough weather during the weekend might’ve affected the fishing. A few striped bass were decked on Tuesday’s trip, and a few were hooked but lost on Wednesday’s. Trips fished inshore in 60 to 90 feet. Dogfish were a nuisance in a little deeper waters, and more dogs will start to appear this time of year. Waters were 54 or 55 degrees at the warmest, and were as cool as 52 degrees. That’s warm for the time of year, so sea bass will probably stay in inshore waters a moment, until Thanksgiving at least, Butch hoped. The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

Surf anglers sometimes beached striped bass, pretty much along the whole stretch from Manasquan Inlet through Island Beach State Park, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. He only landed small stripers from the beach, but a few keepers were heard about. A few were checked in at a shop at Seaside Park. The stripers were taken on clams, bunker, Ava jigs, Deadly Dicks, Bombers, other swimmers, pencil poppers and Polaris poppers. A few blues, 2- to 10-pounders, sometimes big, came from the surf. Nothing was heard about boating for striped bass on the ocean. Lots of stripers were eeled on Barnegat Bay along the sod banks at night. Stripers were sacked on the bay on live spots around Oyster Creek and Double Creek channels. Sea bass season opened Tuesday, and lots of bait and rigs were sold for them, but not  much was heard about the angling. White perch bit in the Toms River, and Jeff found better fishing for them last week, but nipped a handful on a trip this week on nightcrawlers. A couple of small stripers were hooked on the nights. He saw no snapper blues in the river, and cast metal to try for them. But that didn’t mean no snappers remained in the waters.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Surf fishing was hit or miss, became slow again, said Jay from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Sometimes small stripers were beached, but one customer reported that stripers to 15 pounds came into the surf this morning while he fished Island Beach State Park. The bass were packed with sand eels. Sand eels in the surf lately were huge, and no signs of other bait were around. No bluefish seemed to hit the surf recently. Little was heard about other fishing. But anglers tried for stripers around the bridges on Barnegat Bay, scoring not much luck, a short here or there. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, eels and the complete line of baits is stocked. Catch Wacky Wednesdays, featuring clams for $2.75 per dozen.

<b>Forked River</b>

Barnegat Bay was lit up with striped bass, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. He joined a trip that boated six stripers to 36 pounds on the bay on eels Wednesday night, and generally all trips on boats that night nailed five or six stripers. Some per trip were typically lost, too. The first bite on Grizz’s trip was on a livelined spot, and all the bass that were landed were eeled on the outing. The trip’s fish were bagged throughout incoming tide, and the trip began at the start of the tide at 6:30 p.m., and left the waters at 10:30 p.m. Grizz heard that ocean boaters punched stripers under bunker schools today. Blackfishing was good along the Barnegat Inlet jetties. This weekend will be the first that anglers will be able to sea bass fish since sea bass season opened Tuesday. Live clams and eels and all the frozen baits are stocked.

<b>Surf City</b>

Four striped bass 18 to 20 pounds were weighed in from the surf today, and a couple of blues were checked in from the beach early in the week, said Bruce from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. But surf fishing was slow up and down the coast in the past week. Still, maybe that was about to change, Bruce thought, because water temps dropped substantially to 58 degrees, and the stripers today were a good sign. Mostly fresh bunker and fresh clams were dunked for bait in the surf, and both were stocked. No kingfish and small bluefish were heard about from the surf anymore, and they might’ve departed for the season. Keep up with the latest news in <a href="http://www.surfcitybaitandtackle.com/" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s fishing reports</a> on the shop’s Web site. Or keep in touch on <a href=" http://www.facebook.com/pages/Surf-City-Bait-and-Tackle/207533229268619
" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s Facebook page</a>.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

A few striped bass were creamed on a trip aboard Wednesday, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>. So some stripers were around, and T.J. also heard about a few copped from Cape May on Delaware Bay, where his other boat is fishing this season. The season was still early for stripers, and the angling was just beginning. “Everybody’s rushing the issue,” T.J. reminded. From Tuckerton, Legal Limit had wanted to sail for sea bass Tuesday, opening day of the season for them. But seas were nasty, and the trip stayed docked. Charters and <a href=" http://www.legallimitcharters.com/open-boat.php
" target="_blank">open-boat trips</a> are fishing.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

The catching is on, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. He was talking about striped bass catches, and the angling wasn’t “hot,” he said. “But is there potential?” he asked. “You bet.” Waves of stripers seemed to come through, and when anglers were in the right place at the right time, they caught. Being in the right place at the right time was no guarantee. Stripers were bagged at Little Egg Inlet, and nasty seas on the ocean and other conditions like grass in the waters made the fishing challenging. Anglers fished as close to the white waters as they could. Fresh clams, clams, clams were the bait, Scott said. But if anglers could find fresh bunker, scarce everywhere, that worked well, and seemed to produce a little better than clams the closer to the ocean anglers fished. Stripers were also eeled, but clams were predominantly the bait. Small stripers were even banked from shore at Pebble Beach in the evenings. The fish were up to 26 inches, and no keepers were heard about. Stripers were all the news, and anglers fished for little else. The ocean was too rough for boaters to sail for sea bass since sea bass opened Tuesday. Nobody talked about fishing for other fish like tog or white perch. The shop’s supply of fresh, shucked clams is in good shape. No fresh bunker was available when Scott gave this report, but the shop could stock the baitfish any time the menhaden becomes available. Only a few bloodworms are on hand, and live grass shrimp ran out, and Scott was yet to net more, but demand for bloods and shrimp was low.

<b>Absecon</b>

Six striped bass, including four keepers, were burned on a charter with husband and wife Gene and Carol today with Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>, Dave said. Carol busted a 21-1/2-pounder, so that was a heck of a good day, Dave said. Five of the six bass bit livelined spots, but the big one swiped a live eel. “So I guess eels still do some good here,” Dave said. All the trip’s fish were dialed up from the back bay, and the charter took several drifts at Absecon Inlet. But nobody seemed to catch stripers at the inlet at the time. Good striper fishing was reportedly dusted at the inlet Wednesday afternoon, and anglers who reported the fishing said eels worked best. Sean Fox and Joe Fitchitola checked in a couple of stripers close to 20 pounds apiece they eeled at the inlet that day. A charter with the Dave Morris group with Capt. Dave on Monday smoked four hefty stripers. So striper fishing generally was just about turned on, Capt. Dave said. Not a lot else was available to report, and stripers were the main fish targeted. Lots of blackfish were around, but waters were dirty to fish for them lately. Panfish that had gathered in the bay probably departed for the season. Live spots, eels and green crabs, fresh clams and nearly all the baits, a large supply, are stocked. Fresh bunker are supposed to arrive any minute, and are scarce.

<b>Brigantine</b>

A 17-pound 37-inch striped bass was weighed in from the surf Wednesday, and was entered in the shop’s striper derby, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. The fish, taken on frozen, salted clam, was the only striper checked in that day, and “does not mean that we are having a blitz yet,” the report said. A 26.5-pound 43-inch striper was weighed in Monday that was eeled from a boat at Absecon Inlet. A 32-pound striper was heard about that was yanked from the surf that day. The surf was 59-degrees that day. 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>

In the surf striped bass and tog were beaned, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Cocktail blues, a little over a foot long, still ran the surf. Herring 1 foot or 1 ½ feet also raced around the wash. No mullet were seen lately. The stripers were starting to slide down the coast to the local area, and anglers fished a bit of all baits for them, but eels worked well, and a few were clammed. Tog fishing had slowed from storms and seas, but started to be good again the past couple of days. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, eels, green crabs, bloodworms, minnows and a full supply of baits is stocked.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Big swells on the ocean put a hold on lots of fishing, but encouraging signs about the fall migration of fish were seen previously, said Ed from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. He wished he had more to report. “It’s time,” he said. Decent-sized striped bass had started to be eeled and chunked on baits like bunker at different places prior to the swell. Currently good numbers of stripers, mostly throwbacks, a few keepers, struck in the back bay on top-water plugs in the evenings and mornings. A few stripers, one here, another there, not a lot, were beached from the surf. Kingfish might’ve departed the surf for the season, and kings were clocked there last week, but nobody really tried for them in the seas this week. Lots of tog bit in the back bay. Not much was heard about bluefish anymore, and waters cooled. The ocean along the beaches was in the upper 50s, and the bay became frigid for the time of year, in the low 50s. That was probably temporary, because of the ocean swell, Ed hoped. Nothing was heard about boating on the ocean in the seas. When boaters can return to the ocean wrecks and reefs, they should beat up sea bass, now that sea bass season opened Tuesday, and tog should be snapping there. Nothing was heard about offshore fishing for tuna and big game in the seas.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Was a week with rough weather, but some fishing picked up, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Striped bass fishing along the bridges was probably best and improved, and sizeable ones were sometimes walloped there on Sluggos, Fin-S Fish or eels. That seemed a good sign, and the season’s first better catches of stripers each fall seem to come from there. Quite a few stripers were popper-plugged on the back bay in the evenings and mornings. One angler landed 19 the other evening. A few stripers were lifted from the bay on eels drifted along the deeper holes. A few stripers were dragged from the surf, and surf casters said currents were ridiculous. But those who put in the time, fishing with Sputnik weights to hold bottom, beached stripers at times on clams. The small blues that had swum abundant from the bay to the inlets to the surf and ocean were reported caught less frequently. Whether that was because blues became scarcer, or fewer anglers fished in the weather, was unknown. Few boats sailed the ocean in the seas, except larger vessels including party boats. But boaters who did said sea bass fishing was excellent. Sea bass season opened Tuesday.

After the weather made fishing a wash through the weekend, a trip Monday evening aboard with Jim Frederick had a window of better weather, so attempted striped bass fishing on the back bay, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. That was despite the wrong tide, but the angling, with popper flies, was a bust. No stripers were seen, though bait was. High tides in the evenings, ideal for the fishing, will start to come around this week, and the angling should improve. The bay’s popper fishing for stripers, with both lures and flies, is a specialty for Jersey Cape, and should last a moment longer this season. Joe’s trips will soon turn attention to the migration of large stripers and blues on the ocean. A few of the bass were picked there so far, but not many trips fished the ocean in the rough weather. But the migration could explode any day, and Joe expects the fishing to hit the wall suddenly one day, like it usually does. Many dates are full for charters for the fishing, traditionally happening in November to early December, peaking around Thanksgiving. Anglers should book now if they want to fish the run, some of the year’s best fishing. A few stripers were picked in the surf on bait and popper lures, and the migration there was yet to become hot and heavy, too. 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>

Striped bass to 26 pounds were boated Monday on Delaware Bay with <b>O-Beth Sportfishing Charters</b>, Capt. Eric said. The fish were bunker chunked on outgoing tide in 56-degree waters. So the catch seemed a good sign that stripers were starting to show up, and more trips for them aboard will sail this weekend, and striper fishing will be in full gear with O-Beth. A few openings are available for charters for stripers, and open-boat trips will sail for stripers. So if anglers don’t have enough anglers for a charter, call anyway.

With <b>Relentless Sportfishing</b> six striped bass including one keeper were pumped in Monday on Delaware Bay on bunker chunks, Capt. Dave said. Then the anglers fished for tog on the bay, limiting out on one of the blackfish apiece on green crabs. So the trip was good, a nice day, Dave said. Charters will keep running for stripers.

Charters for striped bass will begin this weekend on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Trips will also fish for sea bass, now that sea bass season opened Tuesday. George talked to someone who ran for sea bass that day, and the ocean held a bad swell, but an okay catch of sea bass, a couple of cod and small blackfish were reeled in. Trips on the Heavy Hitter will also fish for blackfish. Winds are supposed to blow Friday to Sunday, but from the northeast, so striper fishing on the bay should be fine. Call if interested in any of this fishing.

Catches of striped bass, a few, were heard about from Delaware Bay on bunker chunks Monday and Tuesday, when a few boats sailed for them, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>. The season was early for the fishing. “Everybody’s rushing the issue,” T.J. said. Stripers were landed from Tuckerton this week on T.J.’s other boat that sails from there. See the report above. Charters and <a href=" http://www.legallimitcharters.com/open-boat.php
" target="_blank">open-boat trips</a> are fishing.

A few striped bass were beached from the ocean surf today, and some were banked at Cape May Point, and fishing was shaping up well, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Stripers could probably also be landed from the surf on the Delaware Bay side of Cape May, because stripers seemed to be in the bay. Boaters bunker chunked the bass on the bay at 20-Foot Slough and 60-Foot Slough. Boaters also eeled and bucktailed stripers at the Cape May Rips, and ran across the linesiders on the ocean. Not so much was heard about stripers in the back bay. Lots of tog littered the Cape May Inlet jetties, and the blackfish could be found in the back bay. Nothing was heard about seas bass since sea bass season opened Tuesday, but a couple of customers were headed out for sea bass on the ocean today. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, eels, green crabs and all the frozen baits are stocked.

Sea bass season opened Tuesday, and rough weather kept the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b> docked that day, but the vessel sailed for sea bass Wednesday, Capt. Paul said. A good catch of them was crunched, once the trip moved to deeper waters, and a couple of the anglers limited out. Waters closer to shore weren’t productive. Steve Candy from Glendora on the trip limited out on sea bass. Ken Minett from Voorhees probably bagged 20-some sea bass, and won the pool with a cod. All the anglers at least grabbed a few sea bass for dinner. Anglers on other boats began to catch a few striped bass, Paul thought on Delaware Bay and at the Cape May Rips. But his trips will probably keep sailing for sea bass, because anglers were calling about the fish. The Porgy IV is sailing at 8 a.m. daily.

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