<b>Staten Island</b>

<b>Outcast Charters</b> limited out on sea bass Saturday, Capt. Joe said. The trip had to move around a lot, but the fishing, in 40 to 60 feet, was decent. Some porgies and a couple of blackfish were bagged, and two 23- and 20-inch, out-of-season fluke were released. New York’s blackfish season was opened Saturday, and Outcast will probably target them in a couple of weeks, when waters cool. Waters actually warmed in warmer weather in past days. Bottom-fishing, including for sea bass and blackfish, is one of the specialties aboard. Outcast also fishes from Sewaren, New Jersey. 

<b>Perth Amboy</b>

Angling for striped bass was slow, because of east winds, on Sunday, so the anglers aboard caught bluefish, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an e-mail. Striper fishing was up and down lately, and will probably remain that way, until waters cool a little. Openings are available for striped bass fishing and blackfishing. The Vitamin Sea also fishes from Staten Island, and New York’s blackfish season was opened Saturday. The Vitamin Sea sails on both charters and open-boat trips. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Strong currents ran starting Friday, affecting bottom-fishing on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. Mostly porgies were pulled in on trips, and Saturday’s fishing, on both daily trips, was probably best in past days. The fish bit despite the current. Anglers worked with it, picking away. On Friday, the fish hit on the morning’s trip, and quit on the afternoon’s. On Sunday, anglers picked the fish, “enough to get by,” Tom said, on the morning’s trip. Some caught better than others, and all bagged some catches, Tom thought. In the afternoon, the tide screamed, and easterly wind blew, and the ocean was rolly. Fishing was difficult in the current, and some porgies and a triggerfish were iced, and undersized sea bass bit. The boat was moved to the bay to escape the current, and a few porgies, spots and croakers were landed. So, fishing was up and down in past days, sometimes good, sometimes not. The Atlantic Star is bottom-fishing 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily.

Daytime trips began fishing for striped bass daily Saturday on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Nighttime trips had already been sailing for them daily, with pretty good success on eels. On Saturday’s daytime trip, the anglers covered all bases: clamming, jigging and eeling for stripers. Clamming was no good, and large sea robins bit. During slack tide, jigs were fished an hour. Plenty of bluefish, no stripers, were hooked. After the tide started running, the anglers eeled. Zachary Getz, Easton, Pa., eeled a 22-pound 36-incher, his first-ever striper, winning the pool. A father and son eeled two good-sized stripers, and a couple of sizeable stripers were lost on eels, during the short bite. Plenty of bait schooled, and Ron’s sure that striper fishing will pick up when a couple of cold fronts come. “Still a great day on the water,” he said. On the night trips, the stripers ranged from 24 to 32 inches last week. The Fishermen is fishing 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.

<b>Highlands</b>

With <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, fishing picked at striped bass in past days, Capt. Derek said. From three to a dozen were bagged per trip on eels and live and chunked bunker. Not many stripers that were hooked were throwbacks, and most weighed 12 to 20 pounds. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips for stripers are set for the end of the week, depending on weather. Weather was sometimes forecast to roll in this week, including the remnants of the tropical storm early in the week.

<b>Neptune</b>

The individual-reservation trip for cod had to be cancelled today, because of weather, with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph wrote in an e-mail. The trip is rescheduled for 1 a.m. October 17. “Have some openings for this one,” he said.  Another is scheduled for November 4, and spots are filling fast. Fishing was good for sea bass, ling and blackfish Saturday morning with Alan Pappalardo’s party, and was very good for bluefish to 22 pounds with the Lindo group that night. Upcoming individual-reservation trips also include those for inshore wreck-fishing both on this coming Sunday, before sea bass season is closed next week on Tuesday, and on November 10, after the season is reopened on November 1. Sea bass, ling and blackfish will be fished for. An individual-reservation trip for blackfish will sail November 16, the day the bag limit is increased to six, from the current limit of one.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 10/8:***</b> Since seas became rough, striped bass seemed to be caught from the surf more than before, on clams, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an e-mail this morning. Clam sales increased, and Bill Renner from Belmar landed the fish to 30 inches this week on clams. Anglers also hooked the bass at night on needlefish lures, Daiwa SP Minnow plugs and Tsunami eels, and teasers seemed to help. For boaters on the ocean, fishing for sea bass and bluefish “rolls along at a fair pace,” Bob said. But tuna catches were the big story. Tuna fishing lit up at the offshore canyons, and the party boat Golden Eagle scored terrific on tuna, and also socked swordfish and mako sharks.

For trips on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, fishing for big blues was good Sunday, decent Saturday and Saturday night, and very good Friday, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. The fish weighed 12 to 18 pounds on Sunday’s trip and 8 to 15 on both of Saturday’s trips. A 24-hour tuna trip was supposed to sail Sunday evening. “Will update when we get back,” the report said.  See the <a href="http://www.goldeneaglefishing.com/tuna-reservation.html" target="_blank">tuna reservation page</a> on the boat’s Web site.  The Golden Eagle is bluefishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Thursdays through Sundays.

Sea bass fishing was a grind, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. But some porgies were around, and a few blackfish could be caught. Lots of huge bluefish schooled, and if trips fished inshore for them, sometimes striped bass were mixed in. Bonito and false albacore sometimes swam with the blues farther out. The ocean was in the mid-60s, and fishing was somewhat between seasons, until the migration of stripers arrives. Trips are being booked for striper fishing and blackfishing later this fall. The striper fishing will begin by November, and the blackfishing will start November 16, when the bag limit is increased to six of the tautog, from the current limit of one. Farther from shore, sometimes tuna fishing was very good for yellowfins and longfins, and other times was slow. 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.

<b>Brielle</b>

The <b>Big Kid</b>’s been bluefishing and sea bass fishing, Capt. Ken said. Bluefishing was off the wall, very good. The blues were large – “big torpedoes,” Ken said – and striped bass were mixed in. But the fishing was beyond 3 miles from the coast, where striper fishing was closed, so any stripers caught would have to be released. Tuna fishing was phenomenal at night during the weekend. “Ridiculous,” Ken said. Mid-week charters are available, and get $25 off by mentioning Fishing Reports Now.

Striped bass fishing picked up a little, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. The fish, including decent-sized, to the upper 20 pounds and lower 30, were sometimes trolled to the south, inshore of Axel Carlson Reef, on bunker spoons and umbrella rigs. A few stripers, mostly throwbacks, were beached from the surf. No large populations of the fish held anywhere in the surf, and the angling was sort of a pick from Island Beach State Park to Monmouth Beach, now that Sandy Hook was closed, because of the government shutdown. The occasional keeper that was banked wasn’t large. A few bluefish popped into the surf. Manasquan River held a few stripers, mostly throwbacks, and a few blues. Tons of hickory shad could be fought in the river in evenings. On the ocean, fishing for big blues was great from Shrewsbury Rocks to the Mud Buoy. The slammers averaged 15 pounds, and many weighed 17 to 19. Sea bass fishing was kind of spotty, not great, on the ocean. Most anglers clammed for them, but sand eels swarmed the wrecks that the sea bass hung around. So if anglers jigged for the sea bass instead, the fishing could be better, Eric thinks. Plenty of porgies bit in the ocean, especially to the north, where they traditionally do, at Sandy Hook Reef, but even at Shrewsbury Rocks. Anglers didn’t seem to ling fish on the ocean, sea bassing instead, while sea bass season is opened. False albacore and bonito could be cranked in, but tended to swim a little offshore, like at the Monster Ledge and almost to the Glory Hole. But if trips headed there, they could catch lots. A bluefin tuna was reported landed at the Glory Hole on Saturday, and fishing for them might’ve been picking back up. Farther from shore, nighttime yellowfin tuna fishing really turned on at Hudson Canyon during a moment last week. It seemed to slow back down toward the end of the week, but seemed to become somewhat better again Saturday night. Fairly good catches of tuna were trolled during daytime last week at Toms and Carteret canyons. Some big longfin tuna were trolled, and a 70-pounder was weighed in. A healthy population of wahoos hit on the troll. A bunch of new gear, including new reels, was stocked. The reels included the new Shimano Saragossa and some new Diawas. If anglers are looking for tackle for inshore tuna, the shop is especially loaded up with it.  

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

On some boats, fishing was very good at Hudson Canyon for large yellowfin tuna Wednesday and Thursday nights, and <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> headed there for an overnight trip Friday to Saturday, Alan, the boat’s owner, wrote in an e-mail. The boat arrived at the fishing grounds, among a good-sized fleet, in the middle of the night. But the fishing was slow on most of the vessels. Mushin got up on the troll in the morning, boating a 215-pound bigeye tuna, a 95-pound yellowfin tuna, a longfin tuna and a 70-pound wahoo, sort of a canyon-trolling “slam.” Reports were heard about the nighttime fishing turning on again during Saturday night. So it looks like the canyons are holding some good water and fish, Alan said. Canyon trips are being booked. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures.

A mixed-bag canyon trip fished overnight with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, a report said on Andrea’s Toy’s Web site Sunday. The angling started with “a light-tackle mahi session,” it said. Mahi mahi to 12 pounds were boxed. Then the trip arrived where tuna fishing had been hot the previous nights. The anglers trolled a few minutes before the boat was set up to chunk for tuna at night. Four tuna bit on the troll, and two longfin tuna to 30 pounds were landed. On the chunk at night, no action was seen until midnight. Then a few fish were missed, and a big catch was battled, until the 60-pound leader was chaffed and broke.  The fish, probably a large swordfish, was lost. A few big blue sharks were landed and released next. Then tuna began to bite, and the anglers went 1 for 4 on them, and also released a small sword. The hot tuna fishing the previous nights was slow this night. In the morning, the anglers went on the troll, but soon called it a day, “with a semi box full,” the report said. These mixed-bag trips, both open-boat and charters, sail with Andrea’s Toy this time of year. Catches can include tuna, mahi, swordfish, sharks, tilefish and more, all in one outing. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up, and more variety for dinner.

On the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, sea bass fishing was slow the past two days, Capt. Matt wrote in a report Friday, the most recent time a report was posted, on the vessel’s Web site. A handful of keepers and some throwbacks were angled at each spot fished. More and more readings were marked in past days, so Matt hoped, he wrote at the time, that the fish would start biting more. Customers who fished with green crabs were able to bag a limit of one blackfish, and release many more, and the crabs are carried aboard. The Norma-K III is sailing for sea bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for bluefish 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

In the surf, throwback to keeper-sized striped bass and small bluefish were main targets, a report on the <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> Web site said. Kingfish could also be picked up. The angling was a little slow Sunday, “but hopefully that will change any day,” the report said. A group of several anglers kept landing blackfish along Barnegat Inlet’s north jetty on trips, checking in three keepers Sunday. On Barnegat Bay, snapper blues were played from the dock. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, eels, sandworms and the assortment of frozen baits are stocked. Plenty of lures, including Mambos and Tattoos, and good selections of metal and bucktails are carried. 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>

Fishing took 15 minutes, then bluefish 8 to 15 pounds attacked constantly Sunday on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. One to five were hooked at a time, and the fish preferred bait, but a few were caught on jigs. Watch a <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200959132202931" target="_blank">video of Sunday’s bluefishing</a>.  On Saturday’s trip, blues were picked, mostly on bait, but some on jigs. Plenty were seen, “but they just were not in the mood to feed,” the report said. The Miss Barnegat Light is sailing for bluefish, bonito and false albacore 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Big bluefish were beaten on the <b>Super Chic</b>, Capt. Ted said. The 10- to 14-pounders, good catches, were mostly axed on bait in a chum slick. Anglers could probably jig some if they wanted. The season’s first striped bass trip is slated for the end of the month aboard. A tuna trip is set for this weekend on the vessel, and a couple of boats from the docks returned Sunday with good or alright catches. Tuna fishing seemed to pick up a little. Space remains for an open-boat tilefish trip offshore on October 19. The 56-foot boat can accommodate up to 25 anglers on inshore trips and 10 on overnight, offshore trips. The vessel sleeps 10 passengers.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Many people tried eeling for striped bass on Mullica River, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. “Some success,” it said, but not too much, “because it’s still a little early in the month.” Some anglers eeled two to eight stripers apiece, including one or two keepers. On the ocean, boaters scored well on sea bass and blackfish in 75-foot depths and deeper. At Graveling Point, a shore-angling spot at the confluence of the river and Great Bay, some anglers banked small fish like spots, and some tried throwing plugs for stripers. “There were a few hitting,” the report said. Lots of blackfish hovered along the banks at Seven Bridges Road. One angler who posted a report on the site wrote about a trip Saturday. First, the trip tested the waters for striped bass and blues, leaving the dock before sunup, trolling from Little Egg Inlet to along Long Beach Island near the shore. Neither was hooked, but birds worked the waters all over. The trip stopped and fished livelined peanut bunker and eels, and 12-inch weakfish schooled thickly, and some croakers were mixed in. Then the trip pushed off to Garden State Reef South, and bluefish were seen breaking the water surface at a wreck. The trip stopped and fished with diamond jigs, but no bluefish were caught. Fog began to set in, so the trip returned near the shore, trying for striped bass again, “using everything possible,” the angler said. None showed up. “The fish are not here,” he said, and waters were 63 degrees or warm. Lots of bait schooled. The trip even tried fishing for stripers at the mouth of Mullica River, but nobody was catching them then. “Hope it blows wide open soon,” the angler said. But the ocean was warm, and people swam the waters.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Some of the traveling charters to Montauk, New York, sailed this weekend with Darrel Cooper and two buddies aboard, and fishing was great, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. On Saturday, they walloped nearly 30 false albacore, a huge, 12-pound bonito, more bluefish to 10 pounds than could be counted, a striped bass, several jumbo sea bass, some big porgies, and several out-of-season summer flounder. The fish were jigged on spinning rods and released, but Joe also fly rods the migration. On Saturday they whaled a dozen stripers to a 40-inch 20-pounder, countless blues 5 to 8 pounds and some summer flounder released, also on jigs. The trips fish the migration of stripers, blues and false albacore each year aboard. Catches were consistent throughout the two days, and the fish mostly fed on sand eels. But bay anchovies began to be seen. Joe will return this weekend, and will run the trips until late October. If you ever wanted to fish the run from the legendary port, he’s going. In November and December, he’ll fish the migration from Sea Isle City, and those trips should be booked now. At Sea Isle currently, high tides at dusk, ideal conditions, will return to the back bay in about a week, for popper fishing for stripers on spinning and fly rods aboard. Bluefish and spike weakfish currently schooled the ocean off Sea Isle, and Tom Scranton on deck Thursday evening jigged all the 1- to 3-pound blues he wanted, and a couple of the weaks. Take an After Work Special Trip from 4 p.m. to dark on a weekday, a great time to fish. Looking ahead, book now for annual traveling trips to the Florida Keys from Christmas to Easter, fishing mostly on weekends. A large variety of fish can be caught, from redfish and speckled sea trout to tarpon and sailfish. The trips can be a mini, fish-filled vacation. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> offered anglers to fish this weekend who are slated to tuna fish aboard next weekend, he said. This weekend’s weather was beautiful for the fishing, and yellowfin tuna catches turned on at Baltimore Canyon. But the anglers didn’t take him up on the offer, and are still scheduled for this weekend. At the Baltimore, the yellowfins, good catches, were chunked Thursday night. George knows anglers who returned Friday night but caught none. Previously, George talked about good numbers of yellowfins that were trolled along the 30-fathom line, covered in the previous report. When large numbers of tuna didn’t turn up like that, or like at the Baltimore, a few yellowfins were around that could be trolled here and there. So were a few mahi mahi. Farther south, yellowfins were still caught like before at Washington Canyon, out of range for most charter boats, except those with large fuel capacities, like party-boat-sized vessels. Lots of false albacore were around, especially at the East Lump that was loaded with them. Sea bass fishing sounded slow, and lots of small sea bass seemed around. An angler who George knows found big ones in 300 feet while trying for other fish. Maybe large sea bass swam offshore, at least at the moment. Bluefish could be trolled off Cape May Point, and striped bass charters are being booked for later this fall. Telephone if interested in any of this fishing.

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