<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

On the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> fishing for blackfish and ling was a pick the last few days, and some anglers scored better than others, Capt. Tom said. Sometimes the angler made a difference, and sometimes not. One angler aboard who fished for blackfish for the first time bagged three keepers including a 7- or 8-pounder. But some experienced blackfishers caught shorts but not as many keepers as they’d like. Sometimes only blackfish were raked in, and sometimes ling were also. That depended on the area fished, and some anglers wanted ling, and others only wanted blackfish. On Friday’s trip one angler limited out on blackfish, and some bagged two or one, and some landed no keepers. Only blackfish were hooked on the trip. On Saturday’s trip nobody limited out on blackfish, but some bagged three, and others bagged two or one, and some landed no keepers. Shorts put up more action than on Friday’s trip. Sunday’s trip returned to the same area then moved to another place. A few blackfish, including a couple of hefty ones, and some ling came up on the outing. Tom had thought full-moon currents could’ve made fishing difficult on the trips, but they didn’t. He fished with only a 6-ounce sinker on Sunday’s trip. But strong currents could suddenly appear on today’s trip, and one never knows. Green crabs and clams are provided for bait on the boat, and when white crabs are available, the whites are sold on the vessel. Sometimes white crabs made a difference, and other times didn’t. The Atlantic Star is blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. <b>***Update, Tuesday, 12/13:***</b> Blackfishing aboard was a little better today than previously, Tom said. One angler limited out, and another bagged five, and some took three or four keepers, and others one or two, and some no keepers. But those with no keepers angled a few ling and plenty of action with short blackfish. More blackfish than ling bit today, and more ling bit than blackfish on Monday’s trip. So blackfishing was a little better today, “a better sign,” Tom said. <b>***Update, Wednesday, 12/13:***</b> No trip aboard will sail Thursday in forecasts for 15- to 20-knot winds with gusts to 25 early in the day and winds 20 to 25 with gusts to 35 later in the day, Tom said. “We’ll see what Friday looks like,” he said.

“Found some unreal life once again (on Sunday’s striped bass trip aboard),” Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> said in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Several areas produced stripers, and jigging for the fish was very good on the trip. Plenty of shorts and bluefish made for action, and keeper stripers were mixed in. Several anglers limited out on stripers, and a 15-pound striper was the pool-winner. Fish bit through the whole outing, and fed mostly on sand eels. Weather looks great for the next couple of days. “Let’s hope the bite continues,” Ron said. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unoP-DITcIE&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">Check out a video</a> of the trip. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Highlands</b>

With <b>Raritan Bay Charters</b> blackfishing was a pick on Friday in south winds against outgoing tide, Capt. Dave said. Anchoring was somewhat difficult because of that, and currents ran strong, but the charter’s four anglers managed 20 keepers, weighing 3 to 5 pounds. About three drops were made, and each produced fish. An open-boat trip Sunday bagged 24 blackfish to 8 pounds on a scratchy bite. The first drop gave up one or two keepers and a couple of shorts. But the second drop turned out a decent pick the rest of the day. North winds on outgoing tide created favorable conditions, and currents ran somewhat strong. Green crabs supplied on the boat drew strikes, and clams provided grabbed some. Whiter leggers one angler brought also caught the fish, and the greens and whites worked equally. Open-boat trips are fishing when no charter is booked.

Good blackfishing continued aboard, Capt. Pete from the <b>Hyper Striper</b> said in an e-mail. The boat was docked a few days for maintenance, but fishing aboard kicked off again on Friday with Anthony Monaco’s charter limiting out on blackfish to 9 pounds. John Gleason’s trip copped a few blackfish short of a limit, but boxed lots of healthy-sized ones from 3 to 6 pounds, and a few 8-pounders. Nick Dipalo’s trip on Sunday picked away at blackfish on a finicky bite, icing 20 large keepers, including a 10-pounder and a 9-ounder. A few dates remain for charters between Christmas and New Years, “if anyone wants a last shot at the blackfish before its sailfish and marlin time in Costa Rica with Dream Girl,” Pete said.

Blackfishing was tough the last couple of days, probably because of the full moon, said Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>. Currents from the moon might’ve been a factor. But sizeable blackfish were sometimes pumped aboard, including a 12-pounder on Sunday and a 7- or 8-pounder on Saturday. Striped bass fishing was very good aboard Saturday, and the anglers jigged a boat limit of the bass to 20 or 22 pounds, lots of shorts and lots of big bluefish. The ocean in the past days was 52 or 53 degrees. The trips were the final of the season on Derek’s boat. But he’ll now captain and mate on Jim Ravelli’s Calypso from Point Pleasant Beach, probably into January, until winter weather closes in or fish stop biting. Trips for stripers, blackfish, ling and cod will be available, and charters and open-boat trips will sail. Anglers can call Derek about the Point Pleasant Beach trips: 732-291-7675 or 732-861-3394.

<b>Neptune</b>

Catches of striped bass were very good on most trips during the weekend, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> in an e-mail. A 6-hour trip with Peter El Koury’s party on Saturday on one of Last Lady’s boats landed more than 15 keeper stripers and lots of short stripers and bluefish. Blackfishing on Saturday “was generally slow all over,” Ralph said. But one of the anglers, Rich O’Rouke, limited out on a slow blackfish trip that day with Last Lady. Ralph changed tactics on a blackfish trip Sunday, and the tog fishing was the best of the year for Last Lady. The fish were good-sized, weighing up to 8 ½ pounds. Joe Flynn landed double his limit, keeping no more than his quota, “was on fire,” Ralph said. Joe T. limited out, and Joe Hoy wrenched in a sizeable cod and some sea bass and ling. Dates and availability for individual-reservation blackfish trips are as follows:  December 17 (2 spots), 18 (4 spots), 23 (full), 24 (4 spots), 26 (5 spots), 31 (5 spots) and January 1 (6 spots). Charters are available daily. Last Lady will keep sailing into winter until fish stop biting. A good run of cod chomped at the Mudhole last winter, and Ralph will schedule trips for them if they show up again. Two offshore cod trips are “planned in the near future,” Ralph said.

<b>Belmar</b>

For <b>Barbara Anne Charters</b> fishing for blackfish was okay for the most part, Capt. Anthony said. Some days were slower, “but for the most part, we catch what we need,” he said. The tog weighed up to 6 or 7 pounds, and loads of birds worked the waters over striped bass that could be jigged. Blackfish trips could stop on the stripers if anglers wanted. Don’t have enough anglers for a full charter? Call Anthony anyway, because he can usually fit individual anglers or small groups on trips.

“Pretty darn good fishing for this time of year,” a report on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>’s Web site said. Plenty of mixed-sized striped bass and blues, excellent catches, were clobbered during the first hour of fishing on Sunday’s trip aboard, a short distance from Shark River Inlet. Then fishing somewhat slowed, and anglers picked at the fish on nearly every drift. By the end, at least two-thirds of the trip’s anglers had limited out on stripers, releasing numerous throwbacks. They also had beaten bluefish they could take home. The weather became windier and colder late in the trip, as the fishing slowed, “(but) by then it was time to come home,” the report said. The Golden Eagle is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Mackerel Express Trips will begin December 17. Cod and ling trips will start soon.

<b>Brielle</b>

Cod were clubbed all around the boat Saturday on the <b>Jamaica II</b>, Capt. Joe said in an e-mail. The catch was decent on the party boat, and big  sea bass and porgies were in the mix. An excellent catch of ling was looted Sunday aboard at the Mudhole. Anglers grabbed 30 to 50 ling apiece, and a bunch of cod were scattered among the catches. Anglers and their catches on the trip included: Mark Adamak, Garfield, 71 ling and 2 cod; Brian Preston, Trenton, 73 ling and 2 cod; and Bernard Colby and buddy Aaron from Bloomfield, teaming up for 141 ling and 4 cod. A 14-hour sea bass, ling and cod trip is set for 3 a.m. Saturday. Mudhole trips are running at 5 a.m. Wednesdays and Sundays.

Boaters decked striped bass again on the ocean in the past days, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. The fishing had dropped off a moment, but a new body of bass arrived, and boaters jigged the fish, including off Island Beach, Lavallette and farther north off Monmouth Beach. Bluefish were sometimes hooked among them. Surf casters beached stripers at Island Beach, and Dave also knew about surf catches of stripers at Deal. Nothing was heard about fishing on Manasquan River, but Dave saw birds working the river like crazy through the shop’s back window Sunday morning. Whether only bait schooled there or stripers swam underneath was unknown. Stripers were reeled in from Manasquan Inlet early last week. Strong currents from the full moon seemed to make blackfishing tough on the ocean in the past days. But previously good catches of the tog were tugged in. Ling, good catches, were pumped in from the Mudhole, and bottom fishers, whether sailing for blackfish or ling, picked cod mixed in. Bluefin tuna swam everywhere close to shore, from a couple of miles off the beaches to 8 miles out. Boaters mostly cast popper lures or stick baits to catch the tuna, but a few customers trolled the fish. The Reel Seat will be open to Christmas before going on a brief break. Anglers can sign up for a holiday wish list at the shop. Friends and family can choose gifts from the list to pick up for the angler for the holidays.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

<a href="http://www.scottsbt.com/fishing/report.htm" target="_blank">Click here</a> for a report from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

A striped bass and some bluefish were belted on a trip Sunday aboard the ocean with Dave Geiger and friends, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish were good-sized, and a bunch of out-of-season flounder and some dogfish also grabbed the jigs the anglers fished and were released. The ocean was 52 to 54 degrees, and Jersey Cape will keep fishing the migration of stripers and blues. Annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys will begin around Christmas, lasting to April. See Jersey Cape’s <a href=" http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page4.html" target="_blank">traveling charters page</a> for info. 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, lots of throwbacks, but some big keepers, were socked at the Cape May Rips on trips Friday and Sunday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. The shorts gave up lots of action, and the keepers were all beauties. Larry Walker’s charter aboard Friday whacked stripers to a 46-incher. Joe Derito’s charter on deck Sunday whaled stripers to a 43-incher. The 43-incher was actually heavier than the 46-incher. The 46-incher was a long, skinny bass. So sizeable stripers could be slugged at the rips, on eels or bucktails. Those were the final trips of the year on the Heavy Hitter, and the vessel was being pulled from the waters for the year. But George has access to another boat to run charters on through this winter. Trips with him will remain available for stripers, as long as the linesiders stick around, sea bass, cod and blackfish. Sea bass fishing was good, but far offshore, and the season for them will close January 1. Decent cod catches were socked. Call if interested in any of this fishing.

Fishing for striped bass at the Cape May Rips last week aboard was the best yet this season, Capt. Bob from the <b>Down Deep</b> said. He wrapped up his season with the trips, and the catches went very well last Monday to Wednesday. One trip landed 13 keepers. The Horn charter bagged five keepers and reeled in 40 stripers total, including throwbacks. Trips scored lots of action. Catch this: Holiday gift certificates are available for trips aboard. Bob thanks everyone who sailed aboard this year, and will kick off fishing again on the boat probably in March, starting with striper fishing. Drum trips will launch in May.

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