<b>Staten Island</b>

With <b>Outcast Charters</b> trips each limited out on blackfish, Capt. Joe said. “Not that it’s great,” he said. Though the anglers limited out, the angling was slower than usual. “It’s been enough,” he said, “just not super-great.” But some of the blackfish bagged were sizeable, including a 12-1/2-pounder and some 10-pounders. When trips ran across birds working bait on the waters on the way to or from the blackfish grounds, they could mix in fishing for the bass underneath if anglers wanted. Not a lot of birds were seen lately, but one trip saw them, though the anglers weren’t interested in trying for the stripers. Waters were 53 degrees, warm for the time of year, so blackfishing might hold up a while. Outcast will sail for the tog as long as the fish keep snapping. Trips will probably also sail for cod when cod arrive in local waters this winter.  

<b>South Amboy</b>

The three anglers aboard Sunday limited out on blackfish at Sandy Hook Reef with <b>Reel World Charters</b>, an e-mail from Reel World said. Several 6- and 8-pounders were included in the catch, and a total of 40 of the tog were landed. The fishing was great early in the day. Seas were calm, and a light breeze blew. “We were basically fishing in T-shirts,” the e-mail said. “What great fishing weather we are having in early December. So come on out and join in the action.”

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The weather was gorgeous during Friday’s trip on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, but too nice for the boat to lie well, Capt. Tom said. The vessel was “flopping all around,” he said. But anglers lit up quite a few ling, and some blackfish. One customer bagged a dozen ling, and another took a half-dozen, and others winged four or five. Fishing began slowly on Saturday’s trip, and only blackfish, no ling, bit. But catches improved later in the trip, and one angler ended up limiting out on the tog, and some bagged three and four, and only two landed only shorts, and the rest reeled in keepers. Sunday’s trip began fishing at the same place, where the better fishing was found later on Saturday’s trip. But the catches were disappointing this time, so the trip began moving around. A few blackfish and ling, not good catches, were landed at each place. Then the trip moved to a final spot, and mostly blackfish, mixed sizes, bit. The day was gorgeous, but the fishing could’ve been better. The blackfish on the trip weren’t big, weighing up to 4 pounds. Fishing aboard was different every day lately, and was slower on Sunday than on the previous days. Whether blackfish or ling or both bit on the trips depended on location, and the outings moved around, trying different areas to get anglers fish to take home. Atlantic Star is blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. <b>***Update, Tuesday, 12/6:***</b> Seas were flat calm on Monday’s trip, and the boat “flopped around a bit” on anchor, Tom said, and fishing was slow. But a few blackfish, only one ling, were pulled in. One angler bagged two or three keepers, some grabbed one and some none. Fishing somewhat improved on Tuesday’s trip, and only one angler landed no keeper blackfish, and the rest totaled two to four apiece.

<b>Highlands</b>

“Another fine week of togging,” Capt. Pete from the <b>Hyper Striper</b> said in an e-mail. Trips aboard and their catches of blackfish included: the Angus Fidullis charter last Monday, a limit to 9 pounds; Jeff Schwietzer’s crew on Wednesday, a few short of a limit to 8 pounds; Walt Gallenbach’s crew on Thursday, a few short of a limit to 9 pounds; Russ Schofield’s charter on Friday, a limit to 10 pounds; Steve Nocoletos’s gang on Saturday, super fishing and a limit to 7 pounds; and the Jeff Sheets’ party on Sunday, a limit to 11 pounds. “Tog time,” Pete said.

Blackfishing was good aboard the last couple of days, said Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>. The tog to 8 and 9 pounds were bucketed in the last week, both on green crabs and white leggers. Striped bass fishing seemed too die off locally in the past days. Charters are fishing, and open-boat trips will sail for blackfish Thursday to Sunday. If stripers are seen “up,” trips will probably stop on them, Derek said.

The four anglers aboard iced 22 keeper blackfish to 8 pounds on Sunday, all on green crabs, said Capt. Dave from <b>Raritan Bay Charters</b>. So they came two shy of a limit. Trips will keep blackfishing, and the bay was loaded with bait on the way out during the trip. That seemed a good sign for striper fishing, and from what Dave understood, stripers were still around. If so, trips will keep honing in on them, too. Open-boat trips are fishing when no charter is booked.

<b>Neptune</b>

Good blackfishing finally turned on for <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, and good-sized ones were creamed aboard, Capt. Ralph said in an e-mail. A trip Saturday on the Last Lady gave up better-sized ones than a trip Sunday did on the boat. On Saturday’s trip most of the anglers limited out and released more. On Sunday’s trip lots of throwbacks bit, but respectable keepers were bagged. Darren Stiles on Sunday’s trip limited out and released more. Most of the rest of the trip’s anglers reeled in five hefty keepers apiece. But on the Last Lady II, a trip Sunday limited out on blackfish and returned early. Dates and spots available for individual-reservation trips for blackfish are as follows: December 10 (full), 11 (4 spots), 17 (2 spots), 18 (4 spots), 23 (2 spots), 24 (4 spots), 26 (all spots -- just added), 31(4 spots) and January 1 (5 spots). An individual-reservation trip for cod will fish offshore either December 29 or 30, whenever the weather is best. An offshore cod charter is set for January 2. Charters are available for blackfish, offshore cod or Mudhole cod all winter “till we can’t catch them,” Ralph said.

<b>Belmar</b>

Angling for blackfish was okay – some days very good, other days fair, said Capt. Anthony from <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b>. Trips are fishing with white crabs and green crabs, “whichever works,” he said. If trips come across striped bass, they’ll go after them, but Barbara Anne hasn’t been targeting stripers. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Call Anthony anyway, because he can usually fit individuals or small groups on trips.

The migration of striped bass might’ve departed, so trips aboard will probably sail for stripers no longer this season, said Capt. Kris from <b>Fish Stix Sportfishing</b>. But the outings will keep focusing on blackfish, and were limiting out on them lately, covered in recent reports. Fish Stix in the past days upgraded to a 30-foot Island Hopper for up to six passengers. Trips on the previous boat, a smaller vessel, carried up to four passengers. The new boat cruises at 20 knots for more fishing time, less traveling.  Charters and <a href="http://www.fishstixnj.com/index.php/open-boat-trips" target="_blank">open-boat trips</a> are fishing.

“A long, tough day of striped fishing today,” a report on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>’s Web site said about Friday’s trip aboard. The trip motored north for the fishing, but the bass “just were not biting,” the report said. The crew planned to sail south for the next trip, because stripers were caught there at times Friday. But no reports were posted after Friday. Thursday’s striper fishing aboard was a bit tough, and a handful of the linesiders and sometimes blues were landed. Lots of short stripers swam way to the north, “and shots of fish (swam) up and down the beach, but the fishing is not what it was,” the report said then. “Hard work and a no-quit attitude helped the fishermen who caught the keepers (on Thursday’s trip).” The Golden Eagle is sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Mackerel Express Trips will begin on December 17. Cod and ling fishing will begin aboard soon.

<b>Brielle</b>

Good week of fishing, an e-mail from the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> said. Blackfish to 9 pounds cooperated on ¾-day trips for them, and giant porgies, huge sea bass, ling and cod, “a real mixed bag,” the e-mail said, bit on 12- and 14-hour, deep-water trips to the Mudhole. On Saturday’s 14-hour trip most anglers bagged 10 to 20 gigantic porgies, and also boxed ling and sea bass. Customers and their catches through the week included: Roy Williamson, Philadelphia, 44 ling, 5 sea bass, 4 cod; Greg Simms, Lincroft, 55 ling, 8 sea bass, 2 cod; and Ken Johnson, Brooklyn, 41 ling, 5 sea bass, 4 cod. The Jamaica II is sailing for blackfish on ¾-day trips 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Mudhole, deep-water trips will sail Wednesday, Sunday and December 14, 18, 21, 23 and 24. A special cod trip, also targeting pollock and big sea bass, is set for 2 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, reservations required.

A trip Sunday limited out on blackfish with <b>Fish Monger Charters</b>, though the bite was scratchy, Capt. Jerry said in Facebook postings. The tog bit in short flurries, but the trip put in a long day to limit. Still, some of the fish were big, including an 11-1/4-pounder that was the angler’s personal best. The weather was awesome for December, but almost too nice. “Conditions were … tough with no wind … had to keep shifting,” Jerry said. A trip Saturday “wrecked the blackfish,” Jerry said. The high hook crushed 29 keepers, keeping no more than a limit. Two of the trip’s tog weighed more than 11 pounds, and one topped 10. A trip Friday limited out on blackfish, and the anglers fished hard, but patience paid off. The fishing began well, slowed afteward, but gave up a pick then, and the fishing improved later. A 9-pounder, the angler’s personal best, and a few 5- to 7-pounders were nailed on the trip. “Nice day on the water!” Jerry said.

Striped bass fishing “pretty much fell apart,” said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. The fish were boated on the ocean off Island Beach State Park on the weekend, but not nearly as many as on the previous weekend. Some trips this weekend decked two to six stripers, compared with double-digits previously. The fishing didn’t seem a matter of too much weekend boat traffic. One of the crew from a local party boat said Sunday was the vessel’s final day of striper fishing this season. Catches of stripers and plenty of shad were heard about from Manasquan River during the week. Nothing was heard about fishing at the Point Pleasant Canal. Blackfishing was good on the ocean, and so was angling for ling with a mix of cod toward the Mudhole. Good catches of bluefin tuna were landed. Close to shore in 60 to 90 feet, the tuna were hooked on big popper lures, stick baits or sliders. Boaters motored ahead of the fish, shut the engines off and cast to them. Farther from shore toward the Mudhole, the bluefins were trolled on ballyhoos. The Reel Seat will be open to Christmas before closing for a brief break. Anglers can sign up for a holiday wish list, writing down gifts they’d like for the holidays. Friends and families can then choose gifts to purchase for them.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Fishing for striped bass aboard was kind of slow the last couple of days, but a few keepers and shorts managed to be caught, and more bluefish were hooked than before, said Capt. Bob from the party boat <b>Gambler</b>. Pete Kellison, New Egypt, limited out on a 35-inch striper and a 28-incher, and decked a few blues, on Sunday’s trip. The stripers fed on sand eels, so 4-ounce Ava jigs, with or without tails, worked well to catch them. Casting the jigs, letting them hit bottom then retrieving them back to the boat was the best way to fish them. Jigging the lures along the bottom didn’t catch much. Bluefin tuna were seen jumping from time to time on trips. Some party boats wrapped up striper fishing for the season, but Bob plans to keep sailing for them, and thinks another shot of the bass will come through. Waters were warm or 51.5 degrees, so he plans to run for stripers to the end of the month, so long as the angling holds up. The Gambler is striped bass fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Special Jumbo Sea Bass Trips will steam 1 a.m. to 8 p.m. December 17, 26, 28 and 30, and call the boat for reservations or for updated availability.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

On the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b> today, striped bass bit again, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. Fishing for them was slow aboard Friday to Sunday. But on today’s trip, some of the anglers limited out on stripers, and a 22-pounder was the pool-winner, and a few blues were mixed in. The fish finder read stripers on Friday to Sunday, but the bass didn’t bite as well as on previous trips. On Friday’s trip, anglers who worked for stripers “did quite well,” the report said. More than 25 of the fish were bagged, and plenty of throwbacks were released, and a good number of blues were mixed in. The high hook, Tom Wiser from Pennsylvania, bagged three stripers with a bonus tag. The boat was previously fishing for stripers Fridays to Mondays. Now the Miss Barnegat Light will sail for stripers 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Catches of striped bass seemed to be slowing by Saturday, but plenty of the fish were heard about that were jigged and trolled on the ocean toward Barnegat Inlet on Sunday, said a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site. Boaters at Little Egg Inlet clammed a fair number of stripers that day. A handful of boaters this morning trolled the ocean in the fog, using electronics to navigate, and slow and easy was the word, “Chatter put the fishing-up-the-beach grade at an A-plus once again,” the report said. Blackfishers limited out on the tog. “A rare sea bass and no word of any cod this week,” the report said. Two anglers boxed ling, a quality catch, off the red tower on Long Beach Island in 21 feet.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Visit <a href=" http://riptidebaitandtackle.com/articles.php?category_id=6
" target="_blank">Riptide Bait & Tackle’s Web site</a> for reports from Brigantine.

<b>Margate</b>

The boat is being moved to Margate for trips for blackfish the rest of the year, said Capt. Eric from <b>O-Beth Sportfishing Charters</b>. The vessel previously sailed from Cape May for striped bass this fall, fishing that was wrapped up aboard for the season Sunday, and see the report about Sunday’s trip below. From Margate, good reports were heard about catches of sizeable blackfish and some sea bass and cod.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Fishing wasn’t epic during the weekend, but bluefish were boated on  the ocean, and sometimes striped bass were, and out-of-season summer flounder were hooked and released there, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The migration of stripers and blues was still happening to the north, so the fish should keep tumbling south to local waters. The ocean was relatively warm, and that should make fishing for the bass and blues continue. Looking ahead, annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys will begin late this month, lasting until 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>

Seven striped bass 30 to 32 inches and three big blues were bunker-chunked on Delaware Bay on Brian Lepo’s charter Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. So the catch was good, okay, George said, and a 40-inch striper was also hooked but got off. Lepo’s charter jumped aboard again for bunker-chunking on the bay Sunday, but the fishing was tough. A 22-inch throwback striper and four out-of-season summer flounder bit. The weather on Sunday was actually too nice for the fishing. Striper fishing seemed equally good on the bay and at the Cape May Rips in the past days. The Heavy Hitter will fish through this weekend before George wraps up the season on the boat. However, he’ll have access to another boat to run charters on afterward. He’ll run charters for stripers as long as the fish are around, and blackfish, sea bass and cod.

Striped bass to 30 pounds were bunker-chunked on Delaware Bay on Sunday with <b>O-Beth Sportfishing Charters</b>, Capt. Eric said. That was the final trip of the season from Cape May for O-Beth, and the boat will now be moved to Margate to sail for blackfish the rest of the year. Good reports were heard from Margate about catches of healthy-sized blackfish and some sea bass and cod.

Throwback striped bass had to be picked through for anglers to land large ones at the Cape May Rips, but trips aboard each bagged sizeable keepers, and scored plenty of action, there, said Capt. Bob from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Eels, spots and bucktails caught the fish equally. Rich McBrian’s charter on Monday crushed large stripers at the rips. Mike O’Rourke’s party on Tuesday limited out early on good-sized ones there. Bill Moore’s party on Thursday put together a good catch of the bass at the rips. Walt Nowinski’s crew on Friday bagged four large stripers at the rips. John Reese’s charter on Saturday did a job on stripers at the rips. Brad Wagner’s group on Sunday at the rips also whacked stripers, including 14-year-old Owen Wagner’s 35-pounder, the largest of the past week aboard. The Down Deep will fish through Sunday before Bob calls it a season.

Back to Top