<b>Staten Island</b>

Want sea bass? New York’s season for them is open, and <b>Outcast Charters</b> cleaned up on lots, usually limiting out, the past two weekends on the ocean, Capt. Joe said. New York’s sea bass season never closed, and will remain open through December 31, unlike New Jersey’s season that closed Monday. Trips aboard focused on sea bass, but picked away at blackfish. Four blackfish 16 inches or larger are allowed to be kept per angler in New York, unlike one blackfish per angler in New Jersey. Charters will probably concentrate on sea bass another couple of weeks. Then trips will hone in on blackfish as waters cool. Outcast specializes in bottom-fishing like this. More sea bass trips are slated for Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Saturday’s trip will probably fish for sea bass at first then try for striped bass. A few stripers, not a ton, but some keepers among throwbacks, began to be eeled. Striper charters will launch aboard when the migration kicks in.   

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Bottom-fishing was weathered out Monday and Tuesday on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, but Wednesday’s trip fished, Capt. Tom said. That was the first trip to sail since Sunday, and its fishing for porgies was good. Catches included double-headers, and smaller fish were more abundant than before, maybe because of the previous weather. Anglers had to work through throwbacks to grab keepers, but they caught keepers. “You’re not bored,” Tom said. “That’s for sure.” The porgies were mixed sizes, and many were ¼ inch or ½ inch short. The trip started fishing between the channels, and some blackfish bit. But porgies were less cooperative than previously, and were smaller than before. So the boat was moved to Sandy Hook Reef, and porgies gave up non-stop action. The anglers worked through shorts to bucket keepers. The boat that day began fishing on one ¾-day trip daily, after fishing on two ½-day trips previously. That allowed time to reach the reef. Currents can be more difficult between the channels. Trips could escape the currents at the reef, and anglers used 4- and 5-ounce weights to reach bottom. Today’s trip began fishing at the channels, but fishing wasn’t as good. So the trip moved to the reef, and had just anchored there when Tom gave this report at 10 a.m. on the phone on the trip. The Atlantic Star is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Boaters eeled striped bass, very good catches, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Stripers began to show up in the back of Raritan Bay. Stripers swam Shrewsbury River, and Jimmy saw them swirling at 4 a.m. today. Quite a few blues schooled the ocean on certain days. Bottom-fishing piled up loads of porgies. A friend motored out to catch and release blackfish today in the one-fish bag limit. Nothing was heard about ling. All baits are stocked. “Everything they need,” Jimmy said.

<b>Highlands</b>

Striped bass fishing picked up, said Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>. Trips eeled a mix of throwbacks and keepers aboard. A good number of 20-pounders were around. Open-boat trips and charters are sailing. Space is full through the weekend, and a couple of open trips will probably be scheduled for next week. Dates should be announced by the next report. Anglers can call to be kept informed about the open schedule. Some dates remain in November for charters for stripers, blackfish or a combo of both. But blackfish dates are filling up starting November 16, when the bag limit will be increased to six from the current one. Bottom-fishing is currently available for porgies and blackfish.

Sailing from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Sean Baird boated his first striped bass of the season, an 11-pound 33-incher, off Sandy Hook Point, with Capt. Wayne O’Neil on the Old Gray Mare, an e-mail from the marina said. Gene Graman on his That’s It, the striper sharpie from the docks, limited out on stripers. Ed and Tony on the Hammerhead eeled stripers 30 pounds, 19 pounds and 18 pounds at Sandy Hook Rips. Rich Sherer and cousin “Jersey” Joe from South Carolina fished the rips, reeling in stripers 18 ½ pounds and 7 pounds.  Fresh clams and eels are stocked. All frozen baits for inshore are carried, including frozen pints and quarts of clam bellies. All offshore baits are on hand, including flats of herring, sardines and butterfish. The full-service marina features boat slips and rack storage, ship-store supplies, a full line of bait for inshore and offshore, tackle and a fuel dock, and is located on Shrewsbury River. No bridges before the bay. Convenient, fast access to fishing.

<b>Belmar</b>

Fishing for blues picked up closer to shore than before, and the fish were now jigged, busting the surface, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. A few striped bass were mixed in. But the blues could still be caught along bottom on bait while chumming like previously. Bottom-fishing could likely barrel up porgies.  Parker Pete’s sails for all species available, and charters and open-boat trips are running. For availability on open trips, see <a href="http://parkerpetefishing.com/belmar-fishing-trips/open-boat-trips" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s open-boat page</a> online, and sign up for the e-mailed newsletter on the site. Dates are announced in both places.

Trips will be on break a moment on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. The crew is taking time for maintenance on the vessel. The date fishing will resume will be announced on <a href=" http://www.facebook.com/BigMohawkPartyBoat" target="_blank">Big Mo’s Facebook page</a>. Trips will resume porgy fishing, and will be able to fish for sea bass when sea bass season opens November 1. Blackfishing will kick off aboard November 16, when the bag limit is hiked to six of the tog per angler from the current one.

Surf fishing for striped bass was good, and clams were best for bait “with the heavy heave,” said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> in an e-mail. But lures, especially Daiwa SP Minnows, landed a few. The SP’s cast well in rough seas. Bill Renner from Belmar limited out on stripers to 33 inches in the surf on several trips this week. Seas often kept party boats from sailing, but when they got out, they caught no shortage of bluefish. Striper catches increased on the vessels, and the boats will target them next. Bottom-fishing party boats will sail for porgies and blackfish until sea bass season opens November 1.

<b>Brielle</b>

A 12-hour deep-water wreck-fishing trip plowed a very good catch Wednesday on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, Capt. Ryan said in an e-mail. Anglers pumped in mostly ling, a few cod, a haddock “and a couple of whiting,” Ryan said. “Overall good ling fishing,” he said. The ocean’s big ground swell was hardly noticeable offshore, and failed to “bother the fishing,” Ryan said. Chris Lyle, Plainfield was high hook with 59 ling. Ray Bryant, South Orange, “old timer,” Ryan said, won the pool with an 8-pound cod, totaling two keeper cod and 44 ling. Customers and their catches also included: Gene Zubrycki, 51 ling; Rudy Dellesio, 48 ling; Omar Richardson, 41 ling; Dale Isaacs, 40 ling; and Roy Williams, 36 ling. Mudhole wreck-fishing trips are slated for 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Capt. Fred from <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> would like to fish on one final trip for tuna and big game at the offshore canyons, he said. But weather might prevent that, and he heard about no inshore bluefin tuna bite. So it’s time to make the switch, he said. Trips will begin fishing inshore for a mixed bag of striped bass, blues and bottom fish. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner. Sporadic good fishing for stripers near Sandy Hook was reported, and the trips will shoot up there. The bottom fishing will target porgies and blackfish.

<b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> was weathered out several times in the past week, Capt. Ray said. An overnight tuna trip is scheduled to fish at the offshore canyons Saturday and Sunday, and forecasts look like the trip might have to be slid up to Sunday and Monday. Ray’d like to fish for tuna a couple of more times, if the weather allows.  This was almost time to sail inshore for striped bass and blues. Signs were seen that the fishing in the next couple of weeks might “get interesting,” Ray said. Fish seemed to begin migrating. Big bluefish, a bunch, began to get caught from the surf at Island Beach State Park. The fish were apparently moving tight to shore to forage. Small blues were previously beached from the surf. Ray spoke with a couple of kayakers who were catching striped bass on Barnegat Bay. The fish seemed to become more active in cooler waters. One of the kayakers found six 7-inch blackfish in one of the striper’s stomach, interestingly. He tied on a dark-colored rubber shad to imitate the blackfish, and the stripers attacked it. Mushin will fish for striped bass on the ocean soon. The boat will continue sailing for blues and false albacore on the ocean like it already was. Blues reportedly swam closer to shore, like the surf catches suggested. The false albacore population seemed to be thinning out for the season, but albies seemed around. The crew looks forward to sea bass season reopening November 1, because fishing for them was good before the closure Monday. A trip aboard limited out on sea bass during the weekend, covered in the last report. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures.

<b>Canyon Runner Sport Fishing</b> plans to fish for striped bass through November on the company’s 60-foot Ritchie Howell, an e-mail from Canyon Runner said. Space just opened Tuesday and Wednesday because a charter cancelled, and full-day trips are available at a $100 discount those days.  Winds 25 knots are no fun through November when anglers are exposed. But the boat offers plenty of escape from the elements. Capt. Phil Dulanie didn’t catch three stripers larger than 60 pounds and a dozen larger than 50 by accident, the e-mail said. Come find out why he “puts striper fishing at the top of his list,” it said.

On the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> ling were looted from the ocean Wednesday, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. “One stop shop today,” it said. The trip fished one spot, and the 13 anglers aboard bailed a good catch. Gulps caught great for bait, and clams hooked fewer “but not that much more behind,” the report said. Skip Reese from Bordentown and Bob Schaeffer from Bloomingdale cracked more than 50 ling apiece. Others put up 20 to 30 apiece, and a couple scored less. “We are not very busy, so come and enjoy the fun,” the report said.  The Norma-K III is sailing for ling and cod 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for bluefish 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. every Saturday. The blues trips will continue through November 3. Daily striped bass trips will launch November 1, running 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Magic Hour Ling Trips will fish every Saturday starting November 10, steaming 3 to 9 p.m. through winter.

Porgies were shoveled aboard the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. Catches were excellent during the weekend, and were somewhat slow Wednesday, probably because of the ground swell. Most anglers waxed 15 to 30 fish apiece, and quite a few limited out in the past week. “Fishing was that good,” Butch said. Anglers who brought crabs for bait clumped a few blackfish, a few keepers, keeping a limit of one apiece, among throwbacks. A few 5-pound blues were decked. A couple of 5-pound false albacore were landed Saturday and Sunday. Striped bass began to be seen. Nine throwbacks  were hooked one day. Three stripers including two keepers were landed another, and on Wednesday Butch saw 20-inch stripers schooling along the surface. Waters were 62 degrees on the grounds fished in 30 to 60 feet. Sea bass fishing had been good aboard until sea bass season was closed Monday. Trips can chase sea bass again when the season for them is reopened November 1. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

Inshore was alive with fish, said Chuck from <b>Gates Bait & Tackle</b>. No catches were heard about from offshore. But bluefish and blackfish went crazy at Manasquan Inlet. Shad and, Chuck guessed, peanut bunker swam everywhere from the inlet to Metedeconk River. Fishing seemed on a tear at Point Pleasant Canal for striped bass, blues and blackfish. The bass were mostly honked at night, and the bass and blues were mostly caught on lures and poppers. But anglers began to eel the bass. Many green crabs were sold for blackfish bait. Surf fishing started to pick up for small stripers. Boaters marked stripers in the ocean underneath blues and false albacore, but the bass wouldn’t bite. Better striper fishing in the surf and boats was probably only a matter of waters becoming cooler. The fishing for blues and albies was hot. More anglers began to fish than before. The grounds include the Gates Motel, popular with anglers. The store and motel are within walking distance of the charter and party boat fleet, Manasquan Inlet and the surf. <b>***THIS TACKLE SHOP IS FOR SALE! CALL: 732-899-5760.***</b>

<b>Toms River</b>

In Barnegat Bay a few bluefish and sometimes striped bass were boated off Oyster Creek, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. The bass were clammed, and both fish were taken on plugs or metal. A few small stripers were eeled along the sod banks. A few weakfish were axed along the sod banks, mostly on Rat-L-Traps or pink Fin-S Fish. Blowfish, spots and occasional kingfish hovered the bay at the BI and BB markers. Spots, small stripers and a handful of white perch swam the Toms River at Huddy Park. In the surf bluefish sometimes punched popper plugs or metal and occasional striped bass were clammed. Stripers were nailed from Point Pleasant Canal. A buddy cranked in blackfish from the canal, but all were small. Nothing was heard about striped bass fishing on the ocean.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

More and more striped bass were socked from the surf, said John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Swimming plugs and clams caught them in early mornings and late in the day. But mainly bluefish popped into the surf, chasing tons of rainfish and spearing. That was the bait now, and the mullet migration was definitely thinning. Even the netter brought fewer mullet to the shop, and none was available the past few days.  In Barnegat Bay, snapper blues remained, hadn’t departed. A couple of anglers were heard about who boated for blowfish on Barnegat Bay at the BI and BB markers. The store rents different types of boats for fishing, crabbing and cruising, and features the full supply of bait and tackle, a free pier for fishing and crabbing, and more.

<b>Forked River</b>

Striped bass, a few, were picked from Barnegat Bay to the ocean, mostly along Barnegat Inlet’s jetties and in the bay, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. But bluefish swarmed everywhere, and usually when anglers livelined a spot or eel for stripers, a bluefish jumped on the bait at the jetties or bay. Blowfish were boated from the bay but began to thin out. Nothing was heard about weakfish from the bay. Blackfish were bagged.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Trips were weathered out that were supposed to bluefish and bottom-fish Friday to Sunday on the <b>Super Chic</b>, Capt. Ted said. Bluefishing is slated aboard for this Saturday. Striped bass trips will be launched afterward for the season, and are mostly the trips scheduled then through November. For stripers, the boat can fish in nearly any weather and seas. The 50-foot vessel can accommodate up to 25 passengers on inshore trips and 10 on offshore, overnight trips. The boat sleeps 10 passengers.

<b>Surf City</b>

Anglers waited for the migration of striped bass in the surf, said Sue from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. A 30-inch striper was beached from shore at Barnegat Light today. But that was an exception, and few stripers were landed. Waters were 60 degrees, unseasonably warm. No striped bass were entered at the shop in the store’s season-long surf striper tournament and the Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic in past days. More info about the competitions is below. Back to the surf: The mullet run dropped off, and small blues, kingfish, skates and dogfish nipped. In the back waters, blackfish, blowfish and small sea bass swam. All baits are stocked including eels, fresh bunker, fresh mullet, fresh clams, green crabs and the full supply of frozen baits. The shop’s surf striper tournament is under way until December 2. Entry is $10, and all proceeds are awarded for the entrants with the top three fish. Fifty percent will be awarded for first, and 30 for second, and 20 for third. The Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic is also running to December 2. The shop will hold a free barbecue that day to thank customers for the season. Keep up with the 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>

Throwback striped bass, a good batch, hung around Great Bay at the mouth of Mullica River and the river’s tributaries, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. None was a keeper, and the fish were 8 to 20 inches. One might’ve been 24 inches on occasion. The fish were clammed, but some were bloodwormed, when anglers fished for spots or white perch with bloods. Blues 1 ¼ pounds schooled along Graveling Point, swiping mullet or mackerel baits. Blackfishing was good along the banks at the Fish Factory and Little Sheepshead Creek.  Nobody mentioned weakfish. Nobody talked about white perch, but surely some gathered somewhere in brackish waters. Customers actually reported nabbing crabs today. So the blueclaws were around, but crabbing was definitely slowing. Seas kept ocean boaters docked. But the sea bass season closing Monday and the one blackfish bag limit gave little inspiration to boat the ocean anyway. Fresh, shucked clams, eels, bloodworms, grass shrimp and minnows are stocked. Scott netted the shrimp Friday, and waters were cold. Others might’ve talked about warm waters currently, this writer told Scott. Then they weren’t in them, he said.

<b>Absecon</b>

Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b> plastered his season’s first keeper striped bass, a 29-incher, and released a short, a 27-incher, from the back bay Monday, he said. He thought the fishing was going to take off, but it became tougher afterward. A charter with him Wednesday hooked only two shorts. So Dave on a trip today left for different waters, traveling all the way up Mullica River. But nothing was doing with stripers there either. Anglers who livelined spots for stripers at Absecon Inlet got the bait torn up by bluefish. Not a lot of anything caught in the bay was heard about. No weakfish were reported, and the offshore storm seemed to pull fish and bait “out,” Dave said. When Dave bagged the striper and released the short Monday, the weather and conditions looked different than afterward. Tides even ran too hard for blackfishing at places like the bridges. But all the bait and gear is fully stocked at the shop for the fall migration. Live spots, peanut bunker, mullet, eels and green crabs are on hand. Fresh clams are carried, and fresh bunker will arrive Friday.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Was three days of winds, bad weather, “tides and all that,” said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. But kingfish, blues and spots were reported caught from the surf again today. No striped bass were heard about, except two keepers boated on the back bay Sunday on live spots on a trip. Fresh clams, fresh bunker and eels are stocked. The Womens Surf Fishing Club of New Jersey’s Surf Tournament will be held Saturday at Brigantine. Sign up at the Elks, and if anglers want more info, they can call the shop: 609-264-0440.    Riptide’s annual Striped Bass Derby is under way, awarding cash prizes for the biggest stripers beached from Brigantine’s surf, until December 23. Weekly and monthly prizes are also awarded, and entry is only $20. What’s more, with a Brigantine beach buggy permit, entry allows anglers to drive the entire Brigantine beach, unlike the permit alone.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Small bluefish, from snappers to 2-pounders, swam “basically everywhere,” said Justin from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. A few striped bass, not many, were managed from the surf and along the bridges. In the surf, they were clammed in open waters or plugged along the jetties. At the bridges they were hung on lures. Spots and kingfish remained in the surf, were yet to depart for the season. Kings were clocked if anglers could fish through spots. Blackfish were plucked from the piers and along the 9th Street Bridge. The fishing at the bridge was yet to be “heavy,” Justin said. But a couple of 10-pound blackfish were heaved from the Longport Pier. Weakfish were yanked from along bridges at night. Some anglers nabbed them along sod banks during daytime. Nothing was heard about offshore. Either the weather kept trips docked, or interest dropped off, or both.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Redfish from the surf, not a lot, but some, became the thing, said John from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Sharpies caught the southern species, 18- to 25-inchers, in mornings today and Wednesday. Mornings seemed the time, and the size was ideal, because the size limit is 18 to 27 inches. “Nice slot fish,” he said, and good eating. Small jigheads with small rubber curly tails or Bass Assassins snatched them up. “I heard white,” John said. The surf’s striped bass fishing slowed compared with before. The catches had somewhat picked up previously. Bluefish swam the surf. But striper fishing improved in the back bay “again”  John said, at night under lights on Fin-S Fish. Weakfish were sometimes winged from the bay. One boater ran into schools of weaks in the ocean off Avalon on Tuesday and Wednesday, landing lots of 15- or 16-inchers. One is the bag limit, but the fishing was fun. Seas were rougher today, and he didn’t catch as well. A few false albacore were boated maybe 3 miles from the coast in the past week. That was everything heard from the ocean, and weather and seas usually kept boaters from sailing there. A few healthy-sized blackfish 28 inches were beaten at the Townsend’s Inlet jetties, Ocean City’s 9th Street Bridge and a few back-water spots behind Sea Isle.

After annual traveling charters to Montauk wrapped up this weekend aboard, trips this coming week will probably fish the back bay, mostly for striped bass, from Sea Isle, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The migration of large striped bass and blues is impending on the ocean, usually starting in late October, peaking in November, sometimes lasting afterward. That’s the best fishing of the year, can be mayhem, and book now to ensure a charter date. Other fish including blues were currently around at Sea Isle.  Annual weekend charters to Florida will fish this winter. The trips can fish for a large variety of catches including redfish, speckled sea trout and tarpon in the back country to king mackerel, blackfin tuna and sailfish out front. See info on Jersey Cape’s <a href="http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page4.html" target="_blank">Traveling Fisherman Charters</a> Web page. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

A charter Saturday will probably fish for blues on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Trips aboard recently trolled lots of blues at Cape May Rips, reportedly previously here. Striped bass charters will fish on the boat soon. Stripers should begin to be caught in two weekends. They often start to be bunker-chunked on Delaware Bay then. Sometimes the bass show up at the rips a week later. The fish there are chunked, livelined on eels or spots, or bucktailed.

The <b>Down Deep</b> will begin to sail for striped bass soon, Capt. Mario said. Don’t miss out on the great Cape May striper fishing, he said, and not many dates remain for charters. Many of the trips are booked come November. Book winter blackfishing trips now.

The party boat <b>Porgy IV</b> will be docked a moment, because sea bass season was closed Monday, Capt. Paul said. Trips previously sailed for sea bass daily, and will resume at least when sea bass season is reopened November 1. If other fishing turns on before then, trips will start back up earlier. A few boats will begin striped bass fishing this weekend, but nothing was really heard about striper catches.

Lots of bait crammed waters from the back bay to the surf and ocean, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. The population of mullet became spotty, but spearing schooled everywhere. Striper fishing was very good in the bay among the spearing. But fishing was difficult among that many baitfish. Anglers had to know how to catch the bass, and use the right lures. One angler in the know landed nine stripers, including a 29-incher, along the sod banks in a trip. Nick fished the surf, and bait ran thick, and birds worked the waters. Looked fishy, he said. Not a lot of fish were on the bait, but the season was early for big stripers and blues to migrate in, and the bait could be a good sign. Could provide the forage needed to draw the migration to local waters. Rat striped bass were sometimes bucktailed from the Cape May surf. A few larger stripers were heard about from the surf in the Avalon and Townsend’s Inlet area at night on lures and teasers. Small bluefish schooled everywhere from inlets to the beach front to the Cape May Rips. Weakfish still sometimes were caught, were yet to leave for the season, from the back bay and along the surf at Alexander Avenue and Higbee’s Beach. Numbers of kingfish and spots  might’ve dropped off. The surf along the jetties turned up good blackfishing. Nothing was heard about offshore fishing for tuna and big game in the weather. One customer picked up flats of bait for offshore Wednesday. For inshore fishing, eels, fresh clams, fresh bunker, bloodworms, green crabs and all the frozen baits are stocked. A few flats of baitfish for offshore are stocked, but once they run out, no more will be carried this season. Trolling ballyhoos and squid are on hand.

Back to Top