<b>Staten Island</b>

Fishing remained about the same as before, said Pat from <b>E-Z Catch Saltwater Traps & Tackle Co.</b>. Porgies and snapper blues were becoming sizeable in waters like the Arthur Kill. Big blues to 10 and 12 pounds swam from locally to Staten Island’s south side, and fluke were around in all waters. Crabbing was phenomenal all around. For freshwater anglers, largemouth bass bit at waters like Sylvan Lake. Dusk, dawn and at night had been the time to land them. But the bass will begin to feed during the daytime more frequently as the days cool. 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>

Large bluefish began storming the bay at Keyport and Cliffwood Beach, said Sheryl from <b>Crabby’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Aaron Campbell, Keyport, weighed in a 12-1/2-pound blue he whacked from the Keyport bulkhead on fresh bunker. Snapper blues had already schooled the area, but bigger blues sometimes started moving in toward dark. Bob Madgid, Woodbridge, checked in a 15-pound 34-inch striped bass he banked at Union Beach on fresh clam on incoming tide. Sometimes stripers came from the bay surf, and bait had already been catching them, and plugs started to beat them. Fluke kept being weighed in, like a 5-pounder the other day. Places that produced included 25-foot shallows, near the 1 buoy and along the edges of Reach Channel, including at the 19 and 20 buoys. Anglers bottom fished for porgies, but nothing was heard about results. The bottom-fishers pumped in their one-blackfish limit, and green crabs were stocked at the shop for bait for the tog. Lots of blueclaw crabs were plucked from along the bulkheads.

Fluke will no longer be fished for this season with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Trips will now clam for striped bass, and open-boat trips are sailing daily for them when no charter is booked. Call to climb aboard.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Capt. Tom from the <b>Atlantic Star</b> will try to keep running the party boat’s trips for fluke through the final day of fluke season Sunday, he said. The trips will begin bottom fishing for porgies and blackfish at least on Monday if not sooner. Anglers can call the boat to confirm. Monday morning’s trip didn’t produce many fluke, and the afternoon’s trip put customers on quite a few fluke, mostly shorts, only a few of keepers. The fluking wasn’t good. Tuesday morning’s trip was similar, running into quite a few shorts, just a few keepers. Not many anglers were aboard, but all caught. The afternoon’s trip stayed docked, and both trips sailed Wednesday, and fewer fluke, including shorts, were landed. Trips fished on the bay Monday and Tuesday, and Wednesday morning’s trip made a few drifts on the ocean close to shore. But fluking wasn’t any better there. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. possibly through Sunday. The trips will begin bottom fishing for porgies and blackfish at least on Monday if not sooner. Anglers can call the boat to confirm.

The party boat <b>Fishermen</b>’s final fluke trip of the season fished last Saturday, and striped bass fishing will kick off on the vessel’s daily trips this Saturday, covered in the last report. The Fishermen on Saturday will begin fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<i>Some</i> fluke were bagged, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Surf fishing turned on fairly well for striped bass, and blues sometimes moved into the waters. Boaters also beaned stripers and blues. Nothing was heard about weakfish, and nobody really tried for them in the one-fish bag limit. Anglers had to buy a flat of sandworms to fish for weaks seriously, and nobody was going to do that. Bottom fishers honked good fishing for porgies and blackfish, though the blackfish limit was only one, too. But the limit will be increased to six of the tog November 1. Few people crabbed anymore this season, but the blueclaws could still be caught.

<b>Highlands</b>

With <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> striped bass, very good catches, were socked, Capt. Derek said. Clams, peanut bunker, sandworms and trolling caught them, and the choice was day to day. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips will run Saturday and Sunday for stripers. Call to jump aboard or to be kept informed about the future open schedule. Bottom fishing aboard at the reef bucketed porgies and good angling for blackfish, including some big blacks to 9 pounds. The bag limit was one blackfish, but fishing for a limit and catching and releasing the rest was good. A friend was supposed to sail for bluefin tuna today, and that was all Derek heard about tuna fishing lately, because of the weather.

A combo trip boated scores of porgies, eight striped bass, including four keepers, and a limit of blackfish for the anglers Saturday with <b>Raritan Bay Charters</b>, Capt. Dave said. Out-of-season sea bass were let go. Trips will keep fishing for a combo of stripers and bottom fish like that. Open-boat trips are sailing when no charter is booked.

Few boaters launched, because of the weather or whatever reasons, so not a lot was heard about fishing, said Wayne from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>. But that’ll change as fall fishing kicks in. Gene Graham, the marina’s striped bass sharpie, and outdoor writer Al Ristori reportedly fished for striped bass with clams with little luck. They were catching previously, according to Wayne’s reports. One customer talked about seeing stripers chasing peanut bunker under the Highlands Bridge today, but couldn’t get the bass to bite. The only news heard about fluke was a second-hand, unconfirmed report about a 7-pounder heaved in from under the Highlands Bridge. Nothing was heard about offshore, and seas were too rough. Live clams will be restocked Friday, and killies and all the frozen, inshore baits are on hand, and offshore baits are in supply.

<b>Neptune</b>

<b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> was set to sail today for bluefish on the ocean, and no trips fished aboard since the weekend, Capt. Ralph said. The weather was rough, and the weekend trips were covered in the last report. Both of Ralph’s boats are expected to fish this weekend, running for fluke, blues, striped bass and, on one trip, offshore for cod. Start thinking blackfish: An individual-reservation trip for blackfish was added for November 18 with Last Lady. One was already scheduled for November 16, when the bag limit will be increased to six of the tog from the current limit of one. Individual-reservation trips for stripers are slated for October 2, 9, 12, 26 and 30, and green crabs and clams will be aboard for blackfish and porgies when the trips fish structure. Spots are open for an individual-reservation trip for cod, pollock and hake 40 miles offshore or farther on October 23. Call for special rates on canyon tuna charters.

<b>Belmar</b>

Anglers on the <b>Big Mohawk</b> fluke fished a little Wednesday on the ocean, bagging a couple of keepers, Capt. Chris said. Then they bottom fished, cranking in a bunch of porgies, some blackfish including some large ones 8 or 9 pounds, and a couple of triggerfish. Whether trips will continue to fluke fish through the final day of fluke season Sunday depends on what the anglers want. On Monday trips will begin bottom fishing full scale. The Big Mohawk is sailing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Keep up on the boat’s fishing on the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/BigMohawkPartyBoat?sk=wall&filter=1" target="_blank">Big Mohawk’s Facebook page</a>.

Ten- to 14-pound bluefish, a good catch, were slugged Tuesday on the ocean on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. Jigs and bait caught them, and seas were somewhat rough, “keeping some willing folks from the rail,” the report said. But seas were expected to improve after that night. Striped bass began to show hints of arriving, and the boat’s Striperthon trips will begin to sail every Friday and Monday in October, lasting through November, except when tuna trips sail. Check the <a href="http://www.goldeneaglefishing.com/tuna_schedule_res_form_2011.pdf" target="_blank">Golden Eagle’s canyon tuna schedule and reservations form</a>. The Golden Eagle is bluefishing daily 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.

Bluefish, false albacore and bonito were targeted on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> on the ocean, and the trips crushed lots of blues, Capt. Alan said. Albies started to be caught, and some trips totaled 15 or 20, and others only a couple. Occasional bonito, not many, were decked so far. Bait began to gather along the coast, and the vessel’s trips will switch to striped bass fishing when the bass migrate in, pounding the bait. The Miss Belmar Princess is sailing for bluefish, false albacore and bonito 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for blues 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Special trips for bonito and false albacore will sail once or twice a week probably starting next week, and the schedule will be posted on the boat’s Web site. On the party boat <b>Tropical Adventure</b>, Alan’s other vessel, a couple of fluke trips sailed in the past week, and the angling was slow. The boat will keep fluking through the final day of fluke season Sunday, and will begin bottom fishing Monday. The Tropical Adventure is fluke fishing twice daily 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The boat Monday will begin bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily for porgies and ling.

Fluke fishing was about “shot” since the hurricane and the rough weather that followed, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Nobody “was doing much” on the catches, he said. The party boats that were fluke fishing on the ocean put anglers on some, but started mixing in bottom fishing on the trips for porgies and blackfish, and catching. Bluefishing on the ocean was the main angling on party boats and was good, and lots of false albacore began to be axed on the trips. Striped bass fishing became good, not bad, in the surf. Bait fishers dunked clams for the bass, and other anglers preferred to work plugs for them, with success. Plenty of snapper blues schooled Shark River. For boaters, fishing was “just a matter of getting out,” Bob said, because of the weather. Not a lot of boating trips were able to sail.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

On the party boat <b>Dauntless</b> porgy fishing wasn’t bad on the ocean, and was getting better and better the past couple of days, Capt. Butch said. The catch aboard was alright Tuesday and pretty good Wednesday. On Wednesday the anglers clubbed 15 to 35 or 40 porgies apiece. A few blackfish, fluke and striped bass were in the mix in the past days. Quite a few out-of-season sea bass nipped and were released. Butch expected sea bass to show up when sea bass season closed, and waters started to cool, so sea bass will appear. Trips fished the shallows in 30 to 60 feet, and the ocean there cooled quickly in the last four or five days, dropping 5 degrees to 63 to 64 degrees on the surface. The bottom was probably a few degrees lower, and loads of bait swam the waters. Bunker crammed the waters, and quite a number of stripers were seen among them. Striper action will probably be seen any day near the beaches, Butch figures. Waters were becoming cleaner after the storms this season, and weren’t entirely clear, but Butch liked that, because porgies become spooked when waters are too clear. So far, so good, for that fishing. “It’s porgy time!” Butch said. The Dauntless is sailing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

Fishing on the <b>Norma K III</b> will keep sailing for fluke on the ocean through the final day of fluke season Sunday, Capt. Matt said. The angling was on the slow side, and a few keepers were managed on each trip, and shorts were tossed back. Other fish like lots of small blues and some sea robins bit. Daily bottom fishing aboard will begin Monday. The boat’s nighttime bluefishing trips cracked good catches of 8- to 12-pounders. The Norma K III is fluke fishing twice daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. through Sunday. The boat on Monday will begin bottom fishing 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily for ling, cod and porgies. Trips are bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

Blues 1 or 2 pounds, sometimes larger, were on mullet in the surf, swiping small metal for anglers, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Not a lot were around, but if anglers put in the time, they could catch. Striped bass fishing was similar from the beach. Not a lot were hooked, but some, not big, were banked on clams and worms, mostly in the evenings or late afternoons. A commercial angler talked about big blues farther north in Raritan Bay by the pier. The hope was that blues like that will shuffle out to the surf. But surf angling was just a matter of time: Waters were warm, and when they cool, fishing will take off. A great mullet migration was happening along the coast, and all the shops, including Murphy’s, were loaded with the baitfish. Fluke season will close Monday, and most of the flatfish seemed to gather 3 to 5 miles from shore. The summer flounder could be located in the inlets and along the surf, but the majority pushed offshore. Seas were so sloppy that boaters hardly fished the ocean. Customers didn’t get out who usually fish the ocean at the Shrewsbury Rocks and Barnegat Ridge. A few reports circulated about false albacore and bonito at the ocean ridges, and the fish should be seen along the beaches soon, because lots of spearing and mullet swam the waters that attract them. Blues popped in and out of Barnegat Inlet, and fluke held at the inlet pocket. Blackfish and triggerfish hovered along the inlet rocks. Blowfishing was good on Barnegat Bay at the BI and BB markers. Anchor and chum with clam, fishing with clam or squid. Dennis hit the Toms River on a trip this week, trolling 10- to 16-inch snapper blues. Lots of bait – spearing and peanut bunker – remained in the river. A few weakfish and a few striped bass, spotty populations, swam the river, but only snappers were hooked on the trip. Crabbing was good, though 80 percent were females.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Cocktail bluefish, tons of the fish, piled into the surf, said Scott from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Mullet and metal caught them, and a good number of keeper striped bass began to be yanked from the surf, getting wormed and popper-plugged. Fluke could be found in the surf, so get them before fluke season closes Monday. In Barnegat Bay near the shop, blowfishing dropped off, but the puffers bit farther south in the bay, like off Cedar Creek. Not many fish hovered around the shop’s docks this time of year, but striper fishing in the bay nearby will begin to amp up soon, as waters cool. Some crabs could still be gathered around the docks and local waters. Killies, fresh clams, fresh bunker, eels and the complete line of baits is stocked. Catch Wacky Wednesdays, featuring clams for $2.75 per dozen. The Dock’s rental boats and jet skis are available.

<b>Forked River</b>

Barnegat Bay’s blowfishing turned up good catches in  lots of places that were 5 to 6  feet, though around the BI and BB markers was a popular area, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Boaters chummed, and the blowfish showed up. A few kingfish appeared at the chum pots, and snapper blues were all around the back waters. Blues schooled the ocean off Barnegat Inlet. In the bay fluke fishing was best near Barnegat Lighthouse, and toward the top of the tides on incoming seemed best. Fluke hovered in the ocean but deep in 75 to 80 feet. Nothing confirmed was heard about striped bass catches in the bay, like along the sod banks, so far. Short stripers were reportedly sometimes beached from the surf. Crabbing was decent, not great. Killies, salted, frozen clams, a few fresh spearing, and all the frozen baits, including spearing, bunker and squid, are stocked. 

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Striped bass fishing began to pick up along the Barnegat Inlet jetties, said Dave from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. The catches weren’t plentiful, but were made. Bluefish were pelted from the jetties, and fluke were rustled up locally, but not as much as before. Fluking dropped off since the hurricane, apparently because of stirred up waters. Dave heard nothing about blackfish or triggerfish along the jetties or local crabbing or anything else, because he had only returned to the shop this afternoon, after being away. 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. Live spots are always on hand, and minnows, live clams, fresh bunker and the full supply of baits, including spearing and squid, is carried. Quarts of live grass shrimp are available, and call ahead to order them at least a day ahead, and the earlier the better.

After bluefishing daily and Saturday nights through summer, the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b> will now sail for the slammers 8 a.m. Fridays through Sundays and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. But a charter mauled great fishing for 8- to 12-pound blues aboard Tuesday on bait and jigs. Bluefishing aboard was good during the weekend, covered in the last report. The <a href="http://www.missbarnegatlight.com/TunaFishing.html" target="_blank">Miss Barnegat Light’s tuna trips</a> are fishing overnight Sundays.

<b>Barnegat</b>

From an edited e-mail from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “OK. I had enough. I'm throwing the ropes. Today, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Open-boat trips for???? FISH! The sea condition looks good for a stretch through the weekend. I’m bringing a bucket of spearing, a barrel with live peanut bunker, the wireline rods and more. The plan is to check out Barnegat Ridge for bonita and albacore. If the water color is not good, then we can head north to the Mud Hole in search of bonita, albies and maybe some mahi or bluefin tuna. If the word is that the water color is green there also, we will pass on the Mud Hole, and run up to Shrewsbury Rocks for the big blues and stripers that are being trolled. The boat has been tied to the dock too long during this awful stretch of weather, we are in prime time, end of September, we're going to catch something. Even the wirelining can be fun if you do it right. We have these short jigging rods that you hold in your hand and jig the rod while we are trolling. The lure is a 2-ounce bucktail with a strip of pork rind, and the hit is a train wreck you won’t soon forget. The big blues and the stripers both hit this way. If we get enough of a workout with that technique, I'll have the umbrella rigs to put out for a break. Leaving each day at 6 a.m. and returning at 2 p.m. or later. I limit the boat to three people. Everything is provided. All fish are shared among the passengers.”

<b>Surf City</b>

Anglers in the surf plowed lots of blues today on mullet on mullet rigs, said Bruce from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. Schoolie striped bass were sometimes dragged from the surf today, too. Lots of mullet now migrated along the surf. Kingfishing from the beach lately was “light,” Bruce said. Most anglers, including himself, who beached kings landed small ones. He tugged in 17 on a trip last week, and not one was big enough to keep. Snapper blues and short fluke were around. In the bay, blowfish weren’t big this year, but they were caught. Fresh mullet and bloodworms are stocked, and fresh bunker and live clams should arrive Friday. Check out the shop’s <b><i>free surf-fishing classes</i></b> at 6 to 7 p.m. Sundays in the parking lot. The classes are informal – bring a beach chair to sit – and very informative, Sue from the shop said. The classes focus on fishing that’s happening now in the surf, covering everything from bait, tackle and rods to how to cast. 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>Mystic Island</b>

Blowfish were sacked on the bay, and blackfish, good catches, were toggled in from along the sod banks of the bay, said Maureen from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. That was about all that happened, and nothing really changed with fishing. The shop previously reported that most of the blowfish were small, but enough larger ones were around to keep for a few dinners on a trip. Occasional good-sized kingfish were in the mix, and so were a few small porgies, getting close to the 9-inch keeper size. Spots seemed a no-show this year. The fall striped bass migration usually arrives locally by the third week of October.

<b>Absecon</b>

Angling for striped bass seemed to start coming on, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. A couple of weeks seemed to remain before fishing for stripers really began to kick in, and the weather was “a little weird,” Dave said, affecting fishing, “but it’s going to happen,” he said about striper fishing. But stripers began to be weighed in and heard about. Rich Strange brought in a 33-inch 11-1/2-pound striper that was the first checked in to the Atlantic City Surf Fishing Derby that began Monday. John Fish weighed in a 30-inch striper he pulled from Mankiller Bay on a Tsunami shad. Talk was heard about other striper catches. No fantastic catches of anything were around, but lots of small fish like porgies were clubbed on the bay, if anglers wanted good light-tackle action. A few big spots, but not many small ones that could be saved for livelined striper bait, were around. Plenty of bluefish swarmed around, and only a few mullet swam locally. A few weakfish were heard about from the mouth of the Mullica River, but few anglers tried for them in the one-weakfish bag limit. White perch fishing on the brackish rivers like the Mullica was some of the best angling available. Lots of freshwater poured from the rivers from rains, so the perch gathered close to the saltwater bays, like around the mouth of the Mullica. Crabbing was good, and this time of year offered some of the best crabbing. “Now’s the time,” Dave said. The blueclaws by now can grow to their largest sizes of the year, after shedding and growing throughout summer. All the baits are stocked, including plenty of spots and eels, and live clams began to be carried again. “We’ve got it all,” Dave said. “Ready and waiting.”

<b>Brigantine</b>

Anglers, plenty, were “out trying to get a jump on the fall striper season,” a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. Stripers were plugged and baited from along the inlet jetty. Finger mullet schooled the surf, and bluefish sometimes chased them. One angler worked a Deadly Dick in the surf, nailing a throwback summer flounder on a slow retrieve. He switched to fishing bloodworms, began to catch kingfish, and rapped a keeper flounder. A $150 prize was up for grabs for the first kingfish larger than 14 inches to be entered in the shop’s Riptide Summer Fishing Tournament. “Don’t let that money go to waste!” the report said. Beach replenishment “will not be going on up at the north end on Saturdays and Sundays, so you will be able to use the access on the weekends,” the report said. Fresh clams – “Riptide Rotters” – fresh mullet and jumbo bloodworms are stocked.  The annual Riptide Striper Derby launched Monday, 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. The Atlantic County Surf Fishing Derby also kicked off Monday.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Plenty of striped bass, 24- to 28-inchers, began to be plugged from the surf two hours before high tides and three hours after, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Lots of tog were crunched along the jetties on green crabs and clams. Small triggerfish and sea perch, occasional kingfish, but small, and some summer flounder came from the surf. Plenty of bait including spearing, silversides and mullet schooled the waters. Snapper blues swam along the sea wall, and fairly good-sized porgies were clapped in the back bay on bloodworms. “If you don’t catch in September, you may as well hang it up, because everything is out!” Noel said. The full supply of baits, including green crabs, minnows, clams, bloodworms and mullet, are stocked.

<b>Margate</b>

Trips fished on the party boat <b>Keeper</b> Saturday and Sunday on the back bay, rounding up blackfish, catches that weren’t bad, were good, and a few summer flounder, Capt. John said. The boat’s trips, previously flounder fishing, will probably now make a few drifts for flounder then target blackfish. Plenty of the tog were around. Green crabs and minnows are aboard for bait. The Keeper is fishing on two trips Saturdays 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and one trip Sundays 8 a.m. to 12 noon. The fare is only $24 per adult.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The weather was killing fishing, making it spotty, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. But the mullet migration started down the coast, and no great numbers appeared, but some of the baitfish were seen every day. With the mullet run comes better catches of striped bass from the surf, and no keepers were checked in at the shop, but shorts were sometimes banked along the beach front and Corson’s Inlet. Still, that was when the surf was fishable, and the surf had been big until Wednesday, and anglers couldn’t hold bottom with 6-ounce weights. The hope was that the striper fishing would pick up each day from the beach. When the surf was fishable, kingfish were sometimes landed. Small blues tore up Corson’s and Townsend’s inlets, especially Corson’s. Mullet and mackerel hooked most. Fluke could be found in the inlets, though few were keepers. Seas were too rough to hear about ocean fluke fishing. No reports rolled in about offshore fishing for tuna and big game in a week, because of the weather. Forecasts looked like offshore boaters could sail this Friday, maybe Saturday. Then forecasts look rough again.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Greg Spiers and father in law popper plugged three striped bass and some bluefish to a 3-½-pounder, including lots of micro blues, and missed a couple of stripers on the poppers, on the back bay aboard Wednesday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Good popper fishing for stripers, a specialty on the boat, with both lures and flies, continued on the bay, like all summer. Take advantage of one of the After Work Special Trips for the fishing, convenient. The angling usually lasts to mid October, then Jersey Cape begins concentrating on migrating stripers and blues on the ocean. Limited space remains for Jersey Cape’s annual trips to Montauk for the fall migration of striped bass, blues and false albacore. The trips fish the legendary run through the end of this month and first two weeks of October.  See the <a href=" http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page4.html" target="_blank">traveling charters page</a> on Jersey Cape’s Web site. Also see the page for Jersey Cape’s 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>.

Surf anglers targeted kingfish, beaching some, but also croakers and blues, a mixed bag, and the fishing seemed a little better than last week, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Just not a lot of anglers fished. Mullet and bigger blues sometimes started to be seen in the surf. Anglers fishing from shore at the inlet hooked snapper blues, fishing with mullet chunks or fillets, but began to pull in bigger blues at times. Striped bass fishing remained the same as all summer in the surf, and an occasional striper, a resident, non-migrating fish, was landed. One angler grabbed three stripers from the surf in the past week on livelined kingfish. Resident stripers bit in the back bay on popper lures, and the fish were small, but if anglers gave the fishing a shot, they had a good chance of reeling in a catch. Mike’s brother popper-plugged three stripers along the bay’s sod banks on the bay the other night. Few boaters fished the ocean in rough seas and winds. Reports heard from the ocean talked about lots of small summer flounder. One boater on the ocean fished a shoal that traditionally holds stripers during the fall migration, marking loads of sand eels stacked up on the bottom. The hope is that the sand eels will remain when the migrating bass show up, holding them there. The boater caught one small flounder after another at the shoal. 

<b>Wildwood</b>

Between rough-weather days, the party boat <b>Adventurer</b> sailed the ocean Saturday, and seas still knocked around the trip, Capt. Gary said. Bluefish and a few good-sized porgies were pancaked, and out-of-season sea bass were let go. Sunday’s trip was washed out from weather. Gary hopes the boat will sail this Friday through Sunday, chasing a combo of fish like blues, porgies and croakers. Open-boat trips are sailing on weekends like that when no charter is booked, and call to confirm.

Summer flounder, many of them beautiful 17-inchers, an inch undersized, swam the back bay, late in the season for flounder to stay in the bay, but that was great, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. Many boating trips were cancelled, because of weather forecasts, and Wednesday’s forecasts called for rough weather, but the day turned out pleasant. The lack of trips created few fishing reports, but the bay’s angling was excellent. Striped bass began to hit in the waters. The season was early for the bass, and waters were somewhat warm, and Mike personally will probably get after the stripers in October, a usual time. Bluefish were around in the bay, and so were lots of 8- and 9-inch sea bass. Crabbing was decent in the bay.  Canal Side rents canopy boats and kayaks for fishing, crabbing and sightseeing, and will be open until the second week of October, before closing through winter. Baits stocked include minnows, and the price was currently great: $5 per pint including tax, compared with $8 before tax at many stores. Frozen squid strips, whole squid, spearing, mackerel fillets, mullet, clam strips and packaged clams are on hand. Live crabs are available for eating, and No. 1’s are currently $23 per dozen, and No. 2’s are currently $12 per dozen. Mike hopes to carry the crabs at least through the weekend. Plenty of crabs were available, but demand was dropping, and the supplier might stop trapping the blueclaws any time.

<b>Cape May</b>

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> knew about no charter boats that sailed in the weather since before the weekend, he said. The Heavy Hitter was kept docked in the winds and seas, but space is available aboard this weekend, if anyone wants a trip for summer flounder before the season for them closes Monday. Trips aboard are also inshore trolling for blues and fish like bonito and mahi mahi that can be mixed, and the boat is also sailing offshore for tuna on day trips and overnighters. Nothing was heard about any of this fishing in the weather.

The ocean was a mess since the hurricane and the storms that followed, so summer flounder were scattered, said Capt. Paul from the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>. “Did the trips fish the ocean or Delaware Bay or where?” Paul was asked. “All over,” he answered, including sometimes off Cape May Point. A few of the flatfish were bagged on Tuesday’s trip, and not many were landed on Wednesday’s trip. Eric Hildebrandt from Philly bagged three flounder on one trip, and that was a fairly good catch lately. But the waters will settle, and if they don’t, that will be the first year they don’t for the vessel’s trips. The flounder have always bunched up someplace as autumn comes on. Maybe the fluke will bite more this weekend. The vessel has a Research Set Aside permit that will allow the boat to keep fishing for flounder after the season closes Monday, so daily trips will keep after the fish after the season closes. If fishing for striped bass becomes good this fall, or if sea bass are snapping once sea bass season reopens in November, trips might go after those fish, but for now will stick with flounder. The Porgy IV is fishing for summer flounder 8 a.m. daily.

Lots of snapper blues skittered everywhere, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. A few croakers remained around Cape May Point and Higbee’s Beach and in the Cape May Canal. Little was heard about tog, but the blackfish always hang along the jetties, and green crabs are stocked for bait for them. “Hear anything about weakfish?” Nick was asked. One angler banked a weak at Poverty Beach, he said. Summer flounder were around locally, but most pushed deeper, like to 55 to 65 feet in the ocean. With cooler weather, more anglers seemed to fish for striped bass than before, so more was heard about striper catches than previously. Lots more than before were angled from the surf, back bay, around the marinas and the canal. In addition to the green crabs, fresh and frozen, salted clams, minnows, salted mackerel, frozen bunker, frozen mullet and more baits are stocked.

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