<b>Keyport</b>

Anglers aboard during the weekend jigged striped bass and bluefish, a good catch, on the ocean with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Birds, more than Joe had seen in some time, worked bait along the water surface, and lots of bait was marked, and the fishing was covered in the last report here. Space is available for an open-boat trip for stripers Friday, and open trips are available daily when no charter is booked. Telephone to climb aboard.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

“Monday’s Catching Report!” Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>’s Web site. The vessel was the only that fished from the harbor that day, apparently because of weather. Only a few anglers joined the trip, but they whaled striped bass and bluefish. Even a couple of newbies limited out on stripers and released more. The boat had to be moved many times to keep up with the fish, but the trip got it done, Ron said. He never saw so much bait in his years on the water. The bait included sand eels, rainfish, and who knows what else, he said. Tuesday’s trip brought strong northwest winds, a fairly good chop and stripers and blues! he said. The boat was going to be tied up for a moment now. The vessel’s Web site can be checked for updates next week. Otherwise, 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.

Boaters jigged, trolled and sometimes eeled striped bass, good catches, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. They also fought big bluefish, and surf anglers dragged in stripers, including on bunker heads, clams, jigs, plugs and teasers. Boaters who bottom-fished really just homed in on blackfish, and caught them, once the bag limit was hiked up to six on Saturday, from the previous limit of one. Quite a few of the fish were keepers. All baits are stocked.

The party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> sailed for blackfish today for the first time since the weekend, Capt. Tom said in a phone call aboard the trip at 10 a.m. The angling was off to a better start than the fishing during the weekend. “So far, it’s alright,” he said, not great, but picking. One angler had landed a couple of keepers, and a couple had reeled in a keeper apiece around the boat. All had probably caught at least throwbacks, an inch or a half-inch short. The fishing started to slow down now, so Tom was about to move the boat. He’d see how the catches ended up. Friday’s weather looks fair, if anglers want to jump on the trip. Sunday’s currently didn’t look good.  The Atlantic Star is bottom-fishing  7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily for blackfish, porgies and sea bass. <b>***Update, Thursday, 11/21:***</b> The blackfishing aboard today ended up better than during the weekend, Tom said. The anglers picked away the whole time, on throwbacks and some keepers, and most bagged one to four of the tautog. Two landed no keepers, Tom thought, and a few sea bass came in, and no porgies did. Weather wasn’t as calm as forecast, and seas were a little bumpy. Forecasts looked good for Friday still, if anglers want to fish then. Saturday looked questionable, and strong winds were forecast for Sunday. <b>***Update, Saturday, 11/23:***</b> Today’s trip sailed, and strong winds blew from northwest, and were supposed to diminish, but didn’t, Tom said. Lots of throwback blackfish bit, but some keepers did, more keepers than on Friday and the past couple of days. One angler scored very well, catching more than his limit, keeping no more than his quota. All anglers landed at least one keeper, Tom thought. Seas were a little bumpy, and sailing conditions were somewhat nasty. The trip fished at one drop, because of conditions, and because a pick was going. Sunday’s trip won’t sail, in forecasts for a gale with winds gusting to 30 knots. Forecasts for Monday currently looked okay, and anglers can telephone to confirm whether the trip will sail that day. 

<b>Highlands</b>

On the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, striped bass fishing was good Wednesday, like on previous trips, Capt. Frank wrote in an e-mail. Large bluefish swam all around, but were great to fight. As soon as the jigs fished hit bottom, the blues jumped on them. Fishing is booked aboard through the weekend, but space is available Monday and Tuesday. Charters and open-boat trips are sailing. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!” <b>***Update, Friday, 11/22:***</b> Fishing for stripers and big blues was good again Thursday aboard, Frank wrote in an e-mail. Blackfishing will begin on the boat today.

Striped bass fishing was very good Wednesday with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, Capt. Derek said. The anglers limited out on the fish to 25 pounds on jigs, and released probably a hundred throwbacks. About 80 bluefish 5 to 15 pounds were mixed in. The trip did no blackfishing, but Fisher Price is mixing in that angling when possible on trips, after striper fishing in the morning. Fishing was weathered out Monday and Tuesday. Charters are sailing, and the next open-boat trip will fish Monday. Telephone for available charter dates – space is available in December, especially – or to jump on the open trip, or to be kept informed about future ones.

From <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Mike, Woody and Tim limited out on striped bass to 23 pounds at the channel on jigs and on the troll on a trip, Marion wrote in an e-mail. Twin Lights, conveniently located on Shrewsbury River, with no bridges before Raritan Bay and the ocean, features boat slips, rack storage, a fuel dock, ship’s store supplies, and a complete bait and tackle shop.

<b>Neptune</b>

<b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> will fish today through Saturday, and last fished during the weekend, Capt. Ralph said. Striped bass bit their heads off, he said. Blackfishing was slow aboard Saturday, and anchoring conditions were poor in the morning. The tautog bit well on a trip Sunday until noon, but the number wasn’t caught that should have been. “Next time, we’ll get them,” Ralph said. That was all covered in the last report here, on Monday. Charters are available daily for stripers and blackfish, and space is available for individual-reservation trips for blackfish on Sunday and for stripers on Monday. That’s the only one for stripers that’s slated. Individual-reservation trips for blackfish are also set for Wednesday and December 1, 7 and 8 and every Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday when no charter is booked. <b>***Update, Friday, 11/22:***</b> Ralph and crew scouted out new spots for blackfishing on Thursday, he wrote in an e-mail. One of the anglers hauled in a 12.3-pounder, and the trip “also caught some nice roasters,” Ralph said. He hopes they bite for Saturday’s charter. A trip was running for stripers today.

<b>Belmar</b>

Boating for striped bass caught either way north or way south on the ocean, and the catches were good aboard Sunday, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. On a trip Tuesday, the fishing was a pick. Stripers on trips were jigged and trolled, and jigging started to land the fish better than before. Seas were somewhat sporty Tuesday and Wednesday, but blackfishing was decent on a trip Wednesday, and was improving the past couple of days. The keeper ratio was picking up, and Pete thinks the fishing should keep becoming better. Bluefin tuna were sometimes seen between 2 and 3 miles from shore. Surely, the tuna also swam farther out, but the fish were seen during striper fishing, and fishing for stripers is closed beyond 3 miles from the coast. Parker Pete’s boat, new this year, is large for running and gunning for bluefins, but the gear for the tuna, spinning rods and popper plugs, is aboard. The previous, smaller boat was easier to motor after the fish, and 200-pound bluefins and larger were taken on the vessel. Catching them on the light tackle is wild. 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.

Good blackfishing was cranked in on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. Some anglers on every trip limited out, and the fish weighed up to 8 or 8 ½ pounds. “So we’re getting there,” he said about the size. The fish weren’t huge, but some were somewhat sizeable. The crew puts effort into blackfishing each year, when the bag limit is increased in fall, this year on last Saturday. Take a trip to see. Green crabs are supplied, and white leggers are for sale aboard. The Big Mohawk is blackfishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

No lack of striped bass swam the ocean south of Shark River Inlet today and yesterday during trips on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an e-mail from the vessel said. Plenty were read, and the bass swam along the water surface at times. “(But they) did not want to cooperate,” it said. A few stripers 12 to 20 pounds and bluefish 8 pounds were picked on each drift. Sometimes somewhat more were. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for striped bass and bluefish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

An early bite on striped bass lasted to 9 a.m. today on the ocean, and the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b> caught the tail end of the fishing, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. Tomorrow’s Striperthon, departing earlier at 6 a.m., should jump on them. After the fishing slowed today, good readings and good bird life were seen, but only a few stripers were hooked. Fortunate customers limited out, but several only landed throwbacks or a few bluefish. No reports were posted for Tuesday and Wednesday. Monday’s trip for stripers wasn’t stellar. Readings were great, and stripers broke the water surface. But they hardly bit, for some reason, maybe because of wind direction. Some throwbacks and bluefish were managed. The Golden Eagle is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and Saturdays and Sundays. Striperthons are fishing 6 a.m. to 3:30 or 4 p.m. Mondays and Fridays.

Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> surf fished to the south at Island Beach State Park today and yesterday, he wrote in an e-mail. Striped bass showed up there on the previous days, from Sunday to Tuesday. During Bob’s fishing, plenty of anglers worked the park. But no big numbers of stripers were hooked, and the wind had switched to easterly. Because of that, the fish seemed to hang away from the beach, out of casting range, but pushed into the surf in quick shots, at different locations. The wind is supposed to go around to northwesterly for the weekend, and this should bring in stripers again. “I said should,” Bob said. “Only a theory.” Surf anglers in the next days should bring Ava 27’s with green tails, Daiwa SP Minnows, rubbers eels and teasers. That should cover the bases. Remember, you can’t catch from the sofa, Bob said.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Fishing for striped bass was a bail, said Capt. Fred from <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>. Lots of the fish jammed the ocean, and were jigged, trolled or caught almost however anglers wanted. Bottom-fishing started to pick up, and this was a good time for fall mixed-bag fishing, for stripers and bottom-fish, 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. Bluefin tuna swam close to shore, and were seen from the boat again Wednesday. They’re almost impossible to catch this time of year, for whatever reasons, but anglers can try for them aboard, and did during the weekend, covered in the last report here. The tuna are at least a sight to see. You can say that, Fred told this report’s writer.

Many striped bass schooled south of Manasquan Inlet lately, from 2 ½ miles from shore to along the beach, said Capt. Bob from the party boat <b>Gambler</b>. But they were difficult to catch or were finicky in past days. Yesterday’s or Wednesday’s trip really didn’t catch them until 1:30 p.m. Then the fishing took off, and the trip ended up with a good catch. They were finicky on today’s trip, at least through 1:15 p.m., when Bob gave this report in a phone call aboard. The fish were hooked on a mix of tackle, like today on a gold Krocodile spoon, an Ava jig without a tail, and an Ava with a tail. There was no “pattern,” Bob said. No bluefish were hooked today so far, but some were yesterday. The Gambler is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Special sea bass trips will fish offshore 3 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Fridays of December 20 and 27, and telephone to reserve those outings.

Blackfish were shoveled aboard the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> this week, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. The fish, keepers and shorts, decent catches, kept anglers busy, and a 9-pounder was the pool-winner Wednesday. Weather looked good for today’s trip. The Norma-K III is fishing for blackfish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Magic Hour Ling Trips are running 3 to 9 p.m. every Saturday.

Anglers on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b> pitched aboard mostly sea bass, Capt. Butch said. But porgies, blackfish and cod were in the mix, and the fishing was “pretty handy,” he said, on some days. On some days, the angling was pretty tough, because of dog sharks biting. But the angling was pretty fair, generally. The customers usually totaled 10 to 20 fish apiece. Some anglers limited out on sea bass. But most hooked a mix of the different species. Trips fished in 80 to 100 feet, and that’s where sea bass seemed to swim. If trips fished too deep, too many dogs bit. Waters were 52 degrees, getting cool, on the fishing grounds. But Butch liked the temp, because it would probably keep sea bass from migrating offshore too soon. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.  

<b>Toms River</b>

If anybody wanted a striped bass, like who never pasted one, they better get down to the surf, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. This was it: The fishing was good from Lavallette to Island Beach Park, starting Monday, continuing through the week. Catches were awesome Monday and Tuesday. Mostly Ava jigs caught, and the tide ran strong, so the metal worked. But other jigs like Deadly Dicks and lures like Daiwa SP Minnows, Bombers and nearly anything thrown connected. Using a teaser hooked up a little better than not. Popper and swimming lures sometimes canned the fish, and so did clams. A few bluefish 5 and 6 pounds were heard about from the surf on Tuesday, but not a lot. Five or six were.  Boaters beat up stripers just off the beaches on jigs and on the troll, including very well near Seaside Park on Wednesday. Customers bought eels to boat for stripers along Barnegat Bay’s sod banks, but no reports rolled in about results. A few must’ve been eeled. With everybody surf fishing, little was mentioned about blackfishing. But those who blackfished, caught. An angler who limited out on blackfish, and another who bagged a couple, at Point Pleasant Canal were known about. Blackfish snapped along Barnegat Inlet’s rocks.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

In the surf, striped bass fishing lit up, finally, the past two days, said Mario from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Lots of sizeable stripers were plowed, and a 21-pounder was weighed in an hour before Mario gave this report early this afternoon in a phone call. An occasional bluefish was belted from the beach, but mostly stripers were seen at the shop. Ava, A.O.K. T-Hex and Deadly Dick jigs nailed the bass, and Mario would fish a teaser with all. Nothing was really heard about blackfishing along the jetties, but green crabs were sold for bait for them, and surely the tautog bit. Fresh clams, eels and green crabs are stocked. Fresh bunker might arrive later today. The Dock Outfitters features an extensive supply of bait and tackle, a dock to fish and crab from and boat rentals for fishing and crabbing. Crabbing and boat rentals are available during the warmer months.

<b>Forked River</b>

Near Barnegat Inlet, boaters jigged and trolled striped bass on the ocean, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. They trolled tubes, imitating sand eels, or rubber shads. A boater was heard on the radio today, saying white and green tubes caught, and all different colors seemed to do the job today. But black’s been good for either tubes or shads. Sometimes bluefish boated from the ocean were talked about. Surf anglers cashed in on stripers on Ava jigs, and black tails on them seemed effective. Not much was reported about stripers from Barnegat Bay. One angler said he tugged in stripers and black drum, lots, from Oyster Creek, the waters at Forked River power plant. But that was only one angler.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

The captain from the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b> was heard from in a phone call aboard a striped bass charter on the vessel Wednesday, a report on the Miss Barnegat’s Web site said. The fishing was good, and even the captain took a shot at the bass, limiting out. “So you know the fish are thick,” the report said. ;) The crew hopes the enormous population of bait will keep the fish in the waters some time. Open-boat trips are jigging for striped bass and bluefish at 7 a.m. Fridays through Sundays.

Boating for striped bass caught at different places every day on the ocean, and was good, said Vince Sr. from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. The fish were often clubbed north of Barnegat Inlet, like in 60 feet off the bathing beach at Island Beach State Park. But some boaters today said they ran into the bass off Harvey Cedars in 60 feet, south of the inlet. Sand eels schooled, so the stripers were diamond-jigged this season. But they were also trolled on Stretch plugs and umbrella rigs with tubes. Trolled bunker spoons didn’t catch so much. Livelined spots also axed the stripers. Bluefish that were batted-aboard were heard about last week among the bass. But weather was tough this week, and not a lot was heard. Today was really the first calmer day, and the ocean was still rough. Blackfishing was good, consistent, along Barnegat Inlet’s rocks. Anglers said that bagging a really large one was difficult. But catches included limits. Bobbie’s includes a bait and tackle store, a fuel dock, boat and kayak rentals, and is known for a large bait selection. The boats and kayaks are available during the seasonable months. Baits stocked currently include live spots and green crabs and fresh clams and bunker.

The ocean both north and south of Barnegat Inlet now turned out striped bass for boaters, said Josh Falcone from <b>Viking Outfitters</b>.  So that was good, and previously only north gave them up. So birds now worked the ocean front off Long Beach Island, and sand eels seemed to school everywhere. Every striper brought in was full of sand eels. Jigging, trolling and livelining bait all tied into the bass. Once boaters figured out which caught during fishing, they were in. Lots of small stripers came from the surf, but were stripers nonetheless. Fresh bunker and salted clams took them. Bluefishing was great from boats on the ocean, and a few blues were slid from the surf, but not enough to say bluefishing happened there. Blackfishing was great along Barnegat Inlet’s rocks. From sunup to sundown, Josh said. Fish green crabs for them. Viking Outfitters, located at historic Viking Village, was opened this summer. Josh, a co-owner, used to work at Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle that was closed, and gave especially detailed reports to this site from there. He and his current business partner fish every day, and feel they definitely give first-hand reports from the shop. The store can be telephoned 24 hours a day, and someone can be at the shop quickly during off hours. Bait can be delivered to a boat, a house or the beach on Long Beach Island.  For autumn’s Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic, the shop is the official weigh station for the northern island, after none was located there in recent years. Apparel is sold, including from Grunden, Carhartt and Jetty. Embroidery is available, including for charter boats.  

<b>Surf City</b>

Surf fishing for striped bass finally broke open and was good, said Joe from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. Four stripers were weighed in from the beach yesterday. One was plugged, and the rest were beaten on bunker, like most stripers from the surf.  Three were weighed in today, he said in a phone call at 1 p.m., when he gave this report. One bluefish was checked in today from the shore. Nothing was heard about blackfish first-hand, but the tautog, mostly throwbacks, but some keepers, were supposedly hooked along Barnegat Inlet’s jetty and sea wall. Fresh bunker and green crabs are stocked. Fresh clams will probably arrive Friday.  Visit <a href="http://www.surfcitybaitandtackle.com/" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s Web site</a>. 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/>

One boat trip landed seven keeper striped bass at Little Egg Inlet on Wednesday morning, said Brian from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The shop hadn’t reported much about stripers locally yet this season, so that seemed good news. Another boat trip fished the inlet that afternoon, catching none, so morning seemed the time. So much bait filled the ocean from the red towers on Long Beach Island to farther north, Brian said. He fished for stripers on a party boat from Barnegat Light on Wednesday. The trip fished a couple of hundred yards off Island Beach State Park, with other party boats, including from farther north at Brielle. Stripers were reeled in aboard, and plenty were seen netted on the other boats. The crew on Brian’s trip said lots of stripers were marked, and not as many were hooked as expected. Surf anglers were seen banking stripers. A few bluefish, not many, were in the mix on the boats. Blackfishing sounded good on the ocean in 60 to 90 feet or 5 or 6 miles from shore. A boater during the weekend caught them well, and had caught stripers in the morning close to shore. But authorities boarded the vessel when the angler fished farther from shore for blackfish afterward. The authorities found the angler with stripers beyond 3 miles from shore, where striper fishing is closed, and possessing them is illegal there. Heads up: Fish for stripers after blackfishing. White perch were plucked from Bass River, including at the Old Oyster House. Fresh, shucked clams, eels, green crabs and bloodworms are stocked. No grass shrimp are on hand, because of lack of demand, but Scott from the shop nets them to keep stocked live when in demand. The shrimp are favorites for perch fishing, but perch will also chew bloodworms.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 11/22:***</b> Anglers on foot banked straggler striped bass on fresh clams, fresh bunker, eels or diamond jigs like Ava’s, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Customers fish from the banks of nearby Absecon Inlet, lined with fish-attracting jetties. They toggled in lots of blackfish from the inlet on green crabs. All the baits mentioned and more, the full supply, are stocked.  

<b>Brigantine</b>

“Nothing,” said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. The surf gave up no catches, he meant. But striped bass will migrate to the waters from the north.  Riptide’s annual bounty will be awarded to the angler who checks-in the season’s first striper 43 inches or larger from Brigantine’s surf. A couple of stripers larger than that were already brought to the shop this season from the waters, but the anglers weren’t entered in the contest. The bounty was up to $1,140, and entry is $5, required 12 hours before catching the fish. 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>Absecon</b>

A few striped bass, throwbacks, bit along the banks of the back bay, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Jigs with Gulps seemed to hook them best, and local striper fishing seemed a little better, giving up a few more of the fish, at Great Egg Harbor Inlet and behind the inlet, to the south. But farther north, stripers swam all over the ocean, from off the red towers on Long Beach Island to farther up, if local boaters could get the weather to reach them. Dave’s trips were weathered out from reaching them. Anglers on a 27-footer made the trip Wednesday, getting beaten up by 5- to 6-foot seas, occasional 7’s. But they caught one striper after another between Harvey Cedars and Brant Beach. Weather wasn’t often great for blackfishing, but fishing for them was good locally otherwise. Anglers worked bridges and jetties for them, since the bag limit was increased to six of the tautog on Saturday, from the previous limit of one. Many anglers took advantage of the slipperies while local striper fishing was slower. All baits are stocked, including live spots, eels and green crabs and fresh bunker and clams.

<b>Ocean City</b>

No striped bass were weighed in for three weeks, said Justin from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. People kept asking about photos of stripers seen, and reports about the catches. But those seemed to be stripers beyond 3 miles from shore, where fishing for them is closed. Stripers schooled there, and to the north. Nothing was heard about stripers beached from the surf. Anglers kept telling stories like about fishing the shore for 6 hours without a bite. One striper caught from the back bay was heard about. If anybody was landing stripers from the bay, maybe they weren’t talking, because the info was worth its weight in gold, Justin said. But blackfish were bagged. Fishing for the tautog was consistent along 9th Street Bridge’s fishing piers. Angling for the slipperies was slow at Corson’s Inlet. At the bridge, no specific pier produced, and anglers just tried the different piers until they caught.  Green crabs were the bait, and plenty are stocked. The blackfish bag limit was increased to six on Saturday, from the previous limit of one.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

The phone kept ringing off the hook, because a big blitz of striped bass went off today at Sea Isle Lump, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Lots of stripers larger than 40 inches were pounded, and boaters kept coming back with limits. Big bluefish to 15 pounds were also smashed. The fishing began at 10 a.m., and was the first bite in a while. Trolled umbrella rigs with pearl shads with black backs seemed to catch best. But other colors, like chartreuse, also caught, and the fish were also jigged. Many anglers bought 4- and 6-ounce, gold, hammered jigs, but whether that meant the jigs caught was unknown. Surf fishing for stripers was slow, and that was unusual. A couple of boaters blackfished the past couple of days, reporting very good catches from Ocean City Reef. Other reefs and locations produced, but that reef especially did.

<b>Cape May</b>

Striped bass began to show up, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Trips had been bunker-chunking for them on Delaware Bay or livelining spots or eels for the bass at Cape May Rips. Blackfishing was good, and no trip sailed for sea bass in past days aboard, so Mario couldn’t say how sea bassing was. But trips will fish for them. 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 for blackfish and sea bass.

A trip for striped bass was slated to sail today on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. He heard about some of the catches from a reliable source, but wanted to wait to see himself before reporting details. He’ll try to give results about today’s trip afterward that will be posted here tonight in an update, if he does. <b>***Update, Thursday, 11/21:***</b> On the trip today, with the Sacchetta & Baldino law firm charter, stripers were nailed, George said. Stripers were finally in, and seemed just to arrive late, like they did farther north. When the boat left port, other boaters were already trolling stripers on the ocean, and the trip was headed there. But the charter ran into birds working the waters after breaking the inlet. So Stretch plugs were trolled there, and two 37-inch stripers were bagged, and three got off.  George would’ve continued toward the spot where other boaters were catching, but his anglers, Tom Sacchetta, his father, his nephew Jerry Baldino and Mike, wanted to hold the rods, instead of trolling. So the trip moved to Delaware Bay, fishing bunker chunks. One throwback striper was released, and a couple might’ve been missed, and were probably small, and dog sharks bit. However, the anglers on a boat anchored upcurrent chunked four keepers, so some keepers were around in the bay. Some of the trollers on the ocean today ended up with very good catches of stripers, at a certain location, and some only bagged four or five. More striper trips are slated aboard for Saturday and Sunday. Weather might be somewhat rough Saturday, and is supposed to be windy Sunday, and the trips will sail if possible.

Trips blackfished through the weekend on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. Good crowds showed up, and weather was fair, and blackfish were picked. A couple of customers limited out on the tautog on Sunday. On the trips, some caught keepers, and some probably only landed throwbacks. But blackfish were around, and fishing aboard was a chance to bag them. A couple of redfish, the southern species, were decked Sunday, so waters were warm. Weather forecasts currently looked good through Saturday. Winds might blow on Sunday, but that could change. Trips are slated to sail for blackfish at 8 a.m. daily on every day the weather’s fishable. Most sea bass swam quite a way from shore. But trips are sticking with blackfish.

Sounded like striped bass finally reached waters surrounding Cape May for boaters, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. The anglers trolled them or livelined them on spots or eels from the ocean. They livelined them at Cape May Rips on those baits, and hooked them on chunks of bunker from the southern end of Delaware Bay, at places like 60-Foot Slough. A few stripers began to be eased from the surf at Stone Harbor and North Wildwood. So Cape May’s surf fishing for them should kick in. To try for them, fish fresh bunker or clams. Bring a snagging hook, in case baitfish are seen that can be snagged. Carry Ava jigs to throw. Blackfishing was excellent along the rocks or jetties. Soak green crabs for them. Fresh bunker and live spots, eels and green crabs are stocked.  Nick’s hoping to stock fresh clams.

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