<b>Staten Island</b>

<b>Outcast Charters</b> fished Saturday, after three trips were cancelled the previous weekend, because of strong easterly winds after the nor’easter, Capt. Joe said. The trip sailed for sea bass, and New York’s sea bass season is open, and New Jersey’s is closed. The angling was no good, after sea bassing was productive previously aboard. About 35 sea bass and 15 ling were eased in. Joe couldn’t know whether sea bass were reluctant to bite because of stirred up waters after the winds, or whether the fish began to migrate offshore. They could begin to push offshore this time of year. Trips this weekend will try for them, attempting to find out. One trip this weekend is supposed to sea bass fish, and another is supposed to blackfish. If sea bass are gone, Outcast will start blackfishing, a specialty aboard anyway. Outcast was yet to blackfish this season, waiting for waters to cool, and was about to start running for them now. In other news, Joe knew that lots of bluefish were jigged on the ocean in certain areas, and a few striped bass were mixed in. Not a lot of stripers were heard about. 

<b>Perth Amboy</b>

Fishing for striped bass was good on the ocean before a trip Sunday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an e-mail. But the angling, using clams, was slow that day, only giving up one keeper and some throwbacks on the trip. Wind made eeling for stripers tough at the channels that day. The ocean was flat, because the wind blew from the west. Currently, many throwbacks were mixed in with stripers clammed on the ocean.  “But that will improve,” Frank said, as waters cool. “There was great bass fishing way to the east,” he said, and he hopes those fish move “within striking distance.” Striper fishing is closed beyond 3 miles from shore. More trips were headed out today and tomorrow, and charters and open-boat trips are sailing. Telephone about the open trips, and the Vitamin Sea also fishes from Staten Island. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

On the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Friday’s trip at first jigged huge bluefish and some good-sized stripers, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. That was the most recent report posted. The trip finished up by clamming for stripers, but only a handful of throwbacks bit. West winds blew strongly the whole outing, but the anglers kept fishing. Ron wanted to shoot a video of the angling, but all he could do was hold on, he said. Weather looked good for the days after this trip. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 6:30 to 9 p.m. Sundays.

Bottom-fishing was tough through the weekend on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. The boat today would switch to one ¾-day trip daily for porgies and blackfish, instead of the two daily half-day trips previously for them, and maybe that would help. The switch is made each year, so that the extra time allows the boat to travel farther to reach bottom-fish that are migrating farther from shore. Currents also ran strongly around the full moon, making fishing impossible between the channels. The extra time will allow trips to look around at more places. Lots of fish were marked on bottom, but much fewer bit. The angling was frankly poor. Lots of bergals were hooked, or the waters weren’t completely dead. A few blackfish, mostly throwbacks, but sometimes keepers, began to be cranked in on trips, when anglers brought crabs for bait. Crabs aren’t being supplied aboard yet. One is the blackfish bag limit, but some anglers like to catch them. The Atlantic Star today switched to bottom fishing on one ¾-day trip daily, sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., for porgies and blackfish.  

<b>Belmar</b>

A friend from Brooklyn said striper fishing was unbelievable from there to Montauk, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Katie H</b>. The waters were reportedly loaded with them, and some of Mike’s friends fishing from Belmar picked up stripers among big, 20-pound blues on the ocean. Mike heard nothing about tuna in past days, knowing nobody who sailed for them since the nor’easter. But he’s still fishing for them. The Katie H features speed and all the amenities, comfortable, including during chilly autumn.

Tons of bluefish, great, big ones, and some striped bass, blackfish and porgies were boated from the ocean, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. Trips picked away at the variety of fish, and if anglers want a work out on large blues, this is the time. A large body of stripers held to the north, and anglers waited for them to migrate south this season. The ocean locally was 62 degrees, and Pete expects good fall fishing, “if everything continues the way it is,” he said. Plenty of dates are available for charters, and just contact the boat to lock in a trip.  Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Contact Pete anyway, or <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">subscribe to Parker Pete’s e-mailed newsletter</a>, to be kept informed about individual-spaces available on charters. Look for the place to sign up on the right side of the page on the boat’s Web site.

Crazy striped bass and bluefish bite, a report said about fishing Sunday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b> on the vessel’s Web site. The trip took a long ride, and didn’t return until 5 p.m., but that was worth it. Many customers limited out on stripers, including a third striper apiece, with a bonus tag. The high hook landed seven, keeping no more than a limit. Plenty of blues were also whaled. Fishing on Saturday’s trip was very good in the morning for giant bluefish to 22 pound. A few stripers to 20 pounds were taken, and fish were picked in the afternoon. Considering heavy boat traffic, the crew weren’t surprised that stripers “kept their heads down,” the report said. On Friday’s trip, huge blues were Mohawked, and some stripers to 33 pounds were boxed. The captain tried to get away from insane bluefishing to catch stripers in the afternoon, and that worked on a few drifts. Then large bluefish went nuts again. The Golden Eagle is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Thursdays through Sundays.

<b>Brielle</b>

The <b>Big Kid</b> fished for striped bass and bluefish on the ocean, picking away, Capt. Ken said. The blues were jigged, and the stripers were jigged and trolled on umbrella rigs. Tuna fishing was pretty decent at the offshore canyons. A friend’s trip rounded up two bigeye tuna, 16 longfin tuna and four yellowfin tuna. Mid-week charters are available.

A 32-pound cod was clocked Saturday on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, an e-mail from the vessel said. The angler wasn’t in the pool, and Chris Molinari from North Haledon won the pool with a 23-pound cod. Cod were picked on the trip, and some anglers bagged one to three, “and some didn’t,” the e-mail said. Out-of-season sea bass 6-1/2 to 7 pounds were released. On a trip Friday, ling fishing was okay, not great, “but an even spread of big ling around the boat to make it worthwhile,” the e-mail said. Most anglers totaled 15 to 25 ling. Dog sharks were bothersome at first, but once more of the anglers fished with Gulps, instead of clams, that became better. They fished with Gulp mullets. Customers and their catches included Rafael Ribas with 22 ling and a cod, Doug Davies with 28 ling, Tim Dickerson with 25 ling and Eugene Alexander with 24 ling. A trip was slated to fish for porgies on Sunday, the e-mail said, sent on Saturday.

Striped bass and bluefish were boated on the ocean to the north, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. A 44-pound striper was the biggest caught Saturday that he heard about, and some customers trolled the stripers on the store’s sand eel and umbrella rigs. Others jigged the bass and blues, and most of the blues checked in last week weighed in the low teens. But a 23-1/2-pounder and a 22-pounder were weighed in on Saturday. Surf anglers beached stripers, many of them small, but sometimes a keeper, at Bay Head and Sea Girt. Metal or plugs and teasers caught them. Good reports were heard about the new Savage plug. No bluefish banked from the surf were heard about. But Dave knew that large sand eels pushed into the surf at Fire Island, after the baitfish schooled far from shore there previously. If that bait moves into the local surf, Dave wouldn’t be surprised if large blues follow them. Blackfish, good catches, were reeled from Point Pleasant Canal. Small stripers swam Manasquan River. Nobody mentioned bottom-fishing on the ocean. Bluefin tuna were seen all over the ocean near shore, jumping from waters, chasing bait. Offshore tuna fishing was the best of the season. Trips fished at Hudson Canyon, chunking longfin and yellowfin tuna and sometimes swordfish at night. Both tuna also bit during daytime on the troll. One customer’s trip on Thursday landed two bigeye tuna, 25 longfins and a half-dozen yellowfins. Catch the sale on select reels to 50 percent off and assorted rods at 20 percent off. So much new tackle is arriving, that the shop is trying to make room.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Tuna fishing was good at the canyons on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said. Lots of longfin tuna 25 to 50 pounds, “nice, manageable size,” he said, were nailed on flatlined squid and on jigs. Fishing for them seemed best from 9 to 11 a.m. A few yellowfin tuna, bigger ones from 60 to 125 pounds, were axed. Plus, two sizeable bigeye tuna were drilled this past week. One was longer than 6 feet and estimated to weigh 350 pounds. The other weighed 250 pounds, and both were caught on bait, though bigeyes are often trolled. The boat is strictly tuna fishing, and will tuna fish until at least the end of the month, maybe longer. One trip is already scheduled for November, and space is available on the outings, including a few spots this weekend and more this month.  See the <a href=" http://www.gamblerfishing.net/offshoretrips.html" target="_blank">Gambler’s tuna schedule</a> online.  Daily striped bass trips will begin November 1, sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

For the first time since the nor’easter, the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> fished Friday, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Weather was windy, and only a few anglers showed up, so the trip stayed closer to shore, “and messed around with some blackfish,” he said. Each caught a one-blackfish bag limit, and a 9-pounder was the pool-winner, and more of the tautog were released. Two or three of the spots fished turned up very few of the fish. But the anglers picked away at the rest of the places. On a trip Saturday, ling fishing was decent. Seas were calm, and weather was beautiful, and only three places had to be fished. The angling was slow at the first, giving up a handful of ling, a few large porgies and some big, out-of-season sea bass that were released. The fishing was best at the second. Small- to medium-sized ling and a few jumbos were beaten. At the third, fishing was slower, “but the size was much better,” Matt said. A trip Sunday was supposed to fish for ling and cod, and no report about results was posted at press time. The boat today through Friday is supposed to run for blackfish. Though the bag limit is one, “it’s good practice for the upcoming season!” Matt said. November 16 is virtually the start of blackfish season, because the bag limit is increased to six that day from the current limit of one. The Norma-K III is sailing 7 a.m. to 2:30 .m. daily.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

A bunch of throwback striped bass but some keepers were dragged from the surf Sunday, a report on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>’ Web site said. Many of the fish were clammed, but metal like Ava or A.O.K. jigs also worked that were fished slowly. Because of cooler weather that’s supposed to start Tuesday, “things could start turning on,” the report said. Still, the number of better-sized stripers checked in from the surf kept increasing. Small bluefish and small weakfish were sometimes banked. Fresh clams, fresh sand eels, bloodworms and frozen baits were stocked. The worms are a favorite to weakfish, and no striper could pass up a well-presented sandworm, the report said. The way to fish them is on a fish-finder float rig with a 2/0 or a 3/0 baitholder hook and the lightest sinker that can hold bottom. The Dock Outfitters, located on the bay, features an extensive supply of bait and tackle, a dock to fish and crab from and boat rentals for fishing and crabbing.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Bluefishing wasn’t bad Friday on the <b>Super Chic</b>, and a half-dozen keeper striped bass were decked on the trip, Capt. Ted said. The boat fished on the ocean to the north, and some of the blues were huge, topping 20 pounds. Tuna fishing wasn’t good on an overnight trip offshore Saturday to Sunday. Seas were very rough, and the fish seemed to bite during daytime for the fleet then. If trips could fish from noon to dark, they seemed able to score well. The trip on the Super Chic mostly fished at night, pumping in a couple of longfin tuna, a swordfish and a mahi mahi. Seas were much too rough for the trip to stay and fish during daytime Sunday. The 56-foot boat can accommodate up to 25 anglers on inshore trips and 10 on overnight, offshore trips. The vessel sleeps 10 passengers.

The party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b> began jigging for striped bass and blues this weekend, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. Sunday’s trip began steaming up the coast, looking for birds working bait along the ocean surface. Bait was found just outside Barnegat Inlet, but no fish were on them. The trip continued north, and began finding small areas of fish on bait with birds working above. A few large striped bass were nailed each time the boat got on them. That lasted until 11:30 a.m., and then the fishing shut off. These fish are the first wave of stripers migrating south, “and are on the big side,” the report said. A 32-pounder and a 31-pounder were biggest, and all that were hooked were keepers. On Saturday’s trip, the boat fished “where fish had been hooked earlier in the week …” the report said. “We did catch some at most stops, but never really got them going.” Big bluefish were heard about late in the day, and the crew planned to fish there the next day, Sunday. But that day’s trip, reported above, got into stripers. The bluefish that were reported were “big and mean, so leave the light tackle home,” the report said. The Miss Barnegat Light is jigging for striped bass and bluefish at 7 a.m. Fridays through Sundays. <a href="http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/als/websalesintro.htm" target="_blank">Click here</a> for a bonus tag to keep a third striper.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

The ocean was 62 degrees at Atlantic City, and this week’s colder weather should help pick up striped bass fishing on the ocean and the bay, reports on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. Forecasts are calling for 2- to 4-foot seas, not bad. A few stripers were already caught, including a 33-1/2-pounder that was weighed in, already dressed. The fish was trolled on the ocean, someplace between Ship Bottom and Barnegat Light, on a Stretch lure in red and white. Closer to the shop, a good number of schoolie stripers and a few keepers swam Little Egg Inlet. A good report came in about striper fishing from Great Bay’s clam beds on Sunday. Small and large stripers were hooked on Mullica River on eels and lures. One customer talked about phenomenal bluefishing, and some stripers caught, on a Point Pleasant Beach party boat trip on the ocean to the north. The blues weighed 16 to 24 pounds and were found a mile off Manasquan Inlet. Then the trip sailed farther north, jigging stripers. Back near Mystic Island, blackfishing held up well from the banks along Seven Bridges Road.

<b>Brigantine</b>

“Not much going on in the surf,” Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s Web site. “We definitely need the conditions to change,” he said. Waters probably needed to be somewhat rougher for better fishing for striped bass there. This was after rough seas for a long period during the nor’easter. But now the weather was better. Fishing for stripers is easy in perfect weather from the beach, but isn’t usually productive. A front is coming Wednesday, and maybe that “will get things moving,” Andy said. One angler picked up a triggerfish from Absecon Inlet’s jetty. But boaters bailed stripers on the back bay. The fish seemed to swarm all over the bay, biting eels, best on outgoing tides.  The shop’s annual bounty will be awarded for fall’s first striper 43 inches or larger checked in from Brigantine’s surf. The bounty was up to $225, when Andy last mentioned, on Thursday. Entry is $5, required 12 hours before catching the fish, and the winner takes all the cash. The Riptide Striper Derby, the annual Brigantine surf-fishing contest, is under way until December 23.  When entrants purchase a Brigantine beach-buggy permit, the tournament provides another permit to drive onto the beach along the entire island, instead of only at the cove, south jetty and north end. Prizes are $500, $300 and $150 for first, second and third prizes, respectively. Plus, a monthly $100 prize and a weekly $25 prize are awarded.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

The back bay’s striped bass fishing was good in evenings on lures last week, <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>’s blog said. High tides were perfect for the fishing, and the bay’s stripers are usually throwbacks, but fun to catch and release. One angler, who provided photos for the blog, landed three – two on popper lures and one on a Rat-L-Trap – in a trip. Stripers should also bite in the bay at night under lights, like along bridges. Visit <a href=" http://seaislebaitandtackle.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sea Isle Bait & Tackle’s blog</a>. The migration of large stripers and bluefish is impending, and the store’s striper tournament, the South Jersey Striper Slam, will be held November 8 to 10. Registration is $125 per boat and $50 for shore or kayak anglers, and first-place winners will take all the money, and prizes will be awarded for second and third places. The boundaries are from the ocean to the bays, from Great Egg Harbor Inlet to Cape May, not including Delaware Bay. Calcuttas are available, and an awards ceremony, with soda, sandwiches and sides, will be included on the final day. Contact or visit the store for more info, and more is available on the blog and <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sea-Isle-Bait-Tackle-LLC/178718692176097" target="_blank">Sea Isle Bait & Tackle’s Facebook page</a>.

Traveling charters to Montauk, New York, fished aboard this weekend, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The trips, like every year, are fishing the migration of striped bass and blues, before Jersey Cape fishes the migration from Sea Isle, when it arrives later this season. Mike Roth joined the trips from Montauk this Friday to Sunday, mostly fly fishing. On Friday, about 20 big blues, each bigger than 10 pounds, were landed, half of them on flies, the rest on jigs. Sea were somewhat bumpy, less than perfect conditions for the fishing. On Saturday, conditions were perfect, and only one striper and one blue were fly rodded, and a dozen or more blues were jigged. A good number of fish schooled, but deeply. They were difficult to reach with flies. On Sunday, a dozen to 15 blues to 11 pounds, a 15-pound striper and two weakfish 7 and 5 pounds were fly-rodded, and at least a dozen blues and one 5-pound weakfish were jigged. A healthy population of weakfish schooled, not everywhere, but if anglers found them, they caught. Someone else fly-rodded a 12-pound weak. Joe will run the trips to Montauk this coming weekend, before finishing them for the year. Charters will fish the migration of stripers and blues from Sea Isle in November and December, and those trips should be booked now. Looking further ahead, book trips now for annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys from Christmas to Easter, mostly on weekends. Anglers can arrive on a Friday, fish all day Saturday and part of Sunday, and return Sunday evening, getting back to work on Monday. The trips can be a mini, fish-filled vacation. A large variety of catches can be chased, from redfish and speckled sea trout to tarpon and sailfish. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

On the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, the season’s first striped bass charter is booked for November 1, Capt. George said. But trips will sail for them earlier, if the fish show up earlier. George was mainly waiting for stripers, and sea bass trips will also be available when sea bass season is opened November 1. Blackfishing charters can sail once the blackfish bag limit is increased to six on November 16 from the current limit of one. Telephone if interested in any of this fishing. 

The crew on the <b>Down Deep</b> looked forward to striped bass fishing soon, Capt. Mario said. Nothing really happened with fishing in past days, and trips for stripers, sea bass when sea bass season is opened November 1, and blackfish starting November 16 are next up aboard. The blackfish bag limit will be increased to six on that date from the current limit of one. Charters are fishing, and sign up for the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on Down Deep’s Web site to be kept informed about open-boat trips.

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