<b>Staten Island</b>

Trips for blackfish were weathered out Friday and today with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Forecasts for today called for northeast winds to 20 knots, and eight of the last 10 trips were scrubbed because of weather. Lot of weather of weather on weekends recently, Joe said. Outcast also fishes from Sewaren, New Jersey.

<b>Perth Amboy</b>

Fishing for striped bass was good on the troll Saturday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, and will become even better as waters cool, Capt. Frank wrote in an e-mail. Another trip for them was cancelled Sunday because of forecasts for winds. Blackfish bit at wrecks, and angling for them should be very good when the bag limit is increased to six on November 16, from the current limit of one. Starting then, blackfish trips aboard will mix-in jigging for striped bass, if birds are seen working the waters while the boat is traveling. Charters and open-boat trips are sailing, and telephone about the open trips. The Vitamin Sea also fishes from Staten Island. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!” <b>***Update, Tuesday, 11/5:***</b> Stripers that had swum offshore “have moved into our area,” Frank wrote in an e-mail, and jigging for them was good on Ava 47’s. Open-boat trips will run for stripers Saturday and Sunday, and spots are available.

<b>Keyport</b>

Better catches of striped bass were heard about in the past day or two, particularly from Atlantic Highlands party boats, said Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>. But the catches on smaller boats on Saturday were also known about, and photos of them were seen. Charters are fishing, and open-boat trips for stripers are available daily when no charter is booked, and enough anglers want to go. Telephone to jump aboard.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

It’s striper time! Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Now’s the time, and don’t wait long to sail for striped bass, he said. Stripers to 32 pounds were creamed aboard Sunday. Another very good day of the fishing, he said. Several areas held life during the trip, “some of which wanted what we offered, and some that didn’t,” he said. The stripers were all healthy-sized, and Ava 47 jigs with or without tails and eels caught best. Saturday’s trip sailed an hour early, catching the end of the tide. Good fishing was nailed then for stripers to 25 pounds, all on jigs, because the bass chased baitfish. Once boat traffic picked up, the trip had to find spots without traffic that held stripers, and a few were landed here and there. Some drifts gave up three stripers, and some one. Many shots of the fishing came up with no stripers. But the trip stuck with the angling, ending up with the best catch of stripers in a week aboard through then. 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.

On the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, bottom-fishing was good when weather was right, Capt. Tom said. The catches were good Wednesday and Thursday, and winds kept Friday’s trip docked. On Saturday’s trip, the ocean held a ground swell, but was in better shape than Tom expected, wasn’t bad, after Friday’s winds. The trip first fished at the reef, and fishing was no good there. The trip pushed offshore, and the anglers picked away at porgies. Many of the sea bass that bit were throwbacks, but sea bassing was better than Tom expected, and just a few blackfish chomped that day. Sea bass season was opened Friday. On Sunday’s trip, weather was windy from the north, and the outing sailed to the rocks. No porgies bit until later in the trip, and a few sea bass were bucketed, and blackfishing was better than on Saturday. All anglers left with blackfish.  The Atlantic Star is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily for porgies, sea bass and blackfish. <b>***Update, Tuesday, 11/5:***</b> No trip sailed Monday because of winds, but on today’s trip, fishing was good, Tom said. A mix of all the fish bit: porgies, including good-sized, sea bass, including sizeable, and blackfish, for those who brought crabs to fish for blackfish. Crabs are yet to be supplied aboard. Somewhat of a ground swell remained from Monday’s winds, and Wednesday’s weather is supposed to be pleasant. Rains are forecast for Thursday.

<b>Highlands</b>

Striped bass fishing was very good with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> this weekend and in the past week, Capt. Derek said. Trips limited out every day aboard, jigging and trolling them, and the bass weighed up to 20 to 25 pounds. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips for stripers will sail Tuesday through Thursday. Telephone to climb aboard or to be kept informed about future open dates.

<b>Neptune</b>

Sea bass and scup, a very good catch, were pitched aboard Saturday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph wrote in an e-mail. The anglers, Scott Stevenson’s charter, “topped the day off on the way in with a nice striper,” Ralph said. An individual-reservation inshore wreck-fishing trip is set for Sunday for sea bass, scup, blackfish, ling and cod. Only a few spaces are left for an individual-reservation trip for blackfish on November 16. The bag limit will be increased to six on that day from the current limit of one. Individual-reservation trips for blackfish will also sail on November 17, 24, 27 and 29 and December 1, 7 and 8. If striped bass can be jigged, the blackfish trips will also try for them.

<b>Belmar</b>

Winds sometimes prevented trips, but Saturday gave up “a little bit of stripers,” said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. The angling wasn’t great, and trolling caught better than jigging did. The ocean was in the high 50s to low 60s, still warm. Sea bass season was opened Friday, and sea bass and blackfish were swung aboard. Sunday fished better for sea bass. 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.

Where are the fish? Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an e-mail. “We all would have to agree it is a better fall than last with the terrible storm,” he said. But striped bass fishing wasn’t currently as good as wanted. Surf anglers landed no large numbers. “The guys fishing the rivers like me are not doing as well,” he said. Most boaters sailing for stripers on the ocean “are not setting the world on fire,” he said. They trolled some stripers on tube umbrella rigs on wire line. A good population of stripers foraged offshore on rainfish, and striper fishing is closed beyond 3 miles from the coast. The ocean is warm, so Bob thinks the season is early for striper fishing.  The angling was best in late November and early December the last few years. “Time will tell,” he said.  “… not quite sure what the answer is. Just keep plugging away.” Big bluefish and small weakfish schooled the ocean. Bottom-fishing was spotty on the ocean, and mostly targeted sea bass and blackfish.

Winds blew 25 knots from the north/northeast, seas were 4 to 6 fee and the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b> drifted fast at 2 knots on Sunday’s trip, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. Bluefish were able to be picked on a few drifts, “and other drifts just a few,” the report said. Striped bass fishing was a little slow, “mainly because we were not able to get to the fish in the sea conditions,” the report said. Aboard Saturday, a few stripers and some blues were boated, but not enough. Both fish broke the water surface in several areas, and swam right down the side of the boat. But they wouldn’t bite like expected, for unknown reasons. Ava jigs, Krocodiles, popper lures, swim shads, bucktails and practically everything was cast to them. Birds worked the waters, and plenty of bait schooled. No report was posted for Friday, probably because weather cancelled the trip. On Thursday, customers averaged a striper apiece. The bass broke the surface, and readings were great, but they didn’t bite as much as expected. “Still, everyone went home with a bass to 25 pounds,” the report said. 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.

<b>Brielle</b>

Fishing for striped bass sailed north, trolling the fish at Ambrose Channel on Tony Maja No. 4 spoons, on Saturday on the <b>Big Kid</b>, Capt. Ken said. On the way back to port, the trip sea bassed at Sea Girt Reef, catching some good-sized ones. A bottom-fishing trip fished the ocean Sunday, bagging five cod and some ling, sea bass and blackfish, a good catch, in somewhat rough seas. “Otherwise, it’s just waiting for the weather,” Ken said. Mid-week charters are available.

Bottom-fishing was excellent on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> on Saturday, Capt. Ryan wrote in an e-mail that day. Sea bass and porgies, lots of limits of both, were crushed. A group from Maryland and Washington, D.C., was aboard, and anglers among them who limited out on both species included Larry Bowers, Marquette Coleman, Wendall Nelson, Terree Battle and Duane Adams. Lester Brooks, 91, was also with them, totaling 20 sea bass and 41 porgies. The day was beautiful on the waters, and the anglers left with fish. Crabs were also being carried aboard for blackfishing.

Ocean striped bass fishing was hot and cold, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Boaters on Saturday who headed south for them didn’t catch, but some who ran north did. All saw lots of bait, and Dave thinks the fishing could change around the full moon. Bluefish from small to 15 pounds swam the ocean. Surf fishing for stripers was yet to start, really. Persistent surf anglers picked the fish, mostly from Sea Girt to Bay Head. They mostly fished plugs or metal with teasers, and a few tossed needlefish lures with teasers. Lots of stripers, mostly small or 12 to 26 inches, swarmed Manasquan River. Sea bass season was opened Friday, and weather was rough that day. But good sea bass catches were tugged from the ocean Saturday. So were good catches of porgies and blackfish. Nothing was heard about anyone fishing for ling. Farther from shore, tuna fishing was good when boaters had the weather to reach the canyons. Mostly longfin tuna were taken, and a few yellowfin tuna were. “Was some week for swordfish,” Dave said. Swords were heaved from the canyons, too. Anglers sailed to Hudson Canyon for all these catches, had no reason to run elsewhere. The fish were there. Nothing was heard about bluefin tuna closer to shore. Catch the big sale on select rods and reels at the shop. New gear for striped bass fishing was coming in, including new Hogy products, the new Savage lures and the new Stormr surf jacket.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Dog sharks were a nuisance, but four or five anglers limited out on sea bass Saturday on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, and six to 15 keepers per angler was the average, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. “Not too bad!” he said. Sea bass season was opened Friday, but weather cancelled the boat’s trip that day. On Sunday, sea bass fishing wasn’t as good aboard as on Saturday, but was decent. “High hook had their limit, and down from there,” Matt said. Dog sharks were still a pain, but sea bass were picked at every place fished. The season’s first Magic Hour Trip fished Saturday night, and began with a bang, Matt said. At first, sea bass were hung from the shallows, and all anglers picked up a few. After dark, the trip sailed deeper. “We just picked away at the ling,” Matt said. Most were small to medium-sized, and a few were large. An 8-pound cod was the pool-winner. The Norma-K III is fishing for sea bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Magic Hour Trips are sailing for ling 3 to 9 p.m. Saturdays.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

From the surf, a few striped bass were banked, like before, a report said on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>’ Web site. Anglers hope that the fishing will pick up any day, because of dropping air and water temps. Boaters cranked in stripers to 30 pounds and larger from the ocean last week. Fishing with bait or clams or bunker is one choice while surf anglers wait for stripers to push into the shore. But beach anglers also fished lures, and teasers on the lures got the bites. Eels were also fished in the surf. Fresh clams, eels, sandworms and frozen baits were stocked.  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>

On a trip Saturday on the ocean, striped bass fishing was a little slow, said Capt. Ted from the <b>Super Chic</b>. So the boat was sailed farther from shore to fish for blues, jigging the slammers 10 to 15 pounds. On a trip Sunday on the ocean, stripers were found. Some were jigged, and were healthy sized to 20 and 25 pounds. Bluefish were also jigged, and were somewhat smaller than on the previous day, but were still 8 to 12 pounds. Waters were 57 to 60 degrees, still a little warm. If anglers want to get a charter in, some weekdays are available. The 56-foot boat can accommodate up to 25 anglers on inshore trips and 10 on overnight, offshore trips. The vessel sleeps 10 passengers.

After a few striped bass and bluefish were picked in the morning on Sunday’s trip, stripers to 30 pounds were run into, and many customers limited out, on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. The bass, tight to the beach, foraged on bunker, crushing them, turning the waters white. On the previous day’s trip on Saturday, stripers didn’t swim where they did a couple of days before. Boats searched for them from Barnegat Inlet to Manasquan Inlet, but the fish were gone. After the Miss Barnegat Light’s trip searched that morning, bluefish were found in a few areas. Customers picked at them the rest of the day, and some totaled six, and many landed none. A 17-pound blue was the pool-winner, and a 5-pound redfish was decked that day, surprisingly. The Miss Barnegat Light is jigging for striped bass and blues at 7 a.m. Fridays through Sundays. When jigging, retrieving the jig will catch more than jigging the rod up and down on trips, the report said. 

<b>Brigantine</b>

A 33-1/2-pound striped bass was checked in from Brigantine’s surf Sunday, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. The angler had just bought fresh bunker from the shop for bait, “and decided to give it a shot,” the report said. The fish measured 45-1/2-inches, but the angler must not have been entered in the store’s bounty for the season’s first 43-incher or larger from the surf, because nothing was mentioned about him winning. See more about the bounty below. First, a 12-pound 31-inch striper was also brought in from the island’s surf that day.  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. The bounty was up to $615 on Thursday, according to the last report here. 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>Sea Isle City</b>

Joe Tyrone and Greg Schaeffer fly-rodded two striped bass and missed a couple of others on the back bay aboard Saturday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Clouser Minnows on sinking lines were fished during high outgoing tide. The bay was 59 degrees, and the ocean was about the same temperature on a trip Sunday that Joe took with his wife. They cranked in blackfish from ocean wrecks. Charters are being booked to fish the fall migration of large striped bass and bluefish that’s impending in the ocean off Sea Isle City. The trips fish this month and in December, and dates are being reserved for annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys from Christmas to Easter, mostly on weekends. See <a href="http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page3.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s traveling charters Web page</a>. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Avalon</b>

<b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b> will sail for striped bass on Delaware Bay this season, Capt. Jim said. Duck hunting will also get underway on the bay, and Fins and Feathers offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including duck hunting. Anglers can even enjoy a combo of striper fishing and duck hunting over a series of days. Waters might’ve been somewhat warm for the bay’s striper fishing, or the season might’ve been somewhat early. But the catches could begin any moment. A friend kept picking stripers from the surf at Townsend’s Inlet. Sea duck season is currently open. Drake season will be opened for about 1 ½ weeks soon this month, and will be opened again in part of December until January sometime. Fins and Feathers also offers salmon and steelhead fishing on upstate New York’s Salmon River from Jim’s lodge and guided trout fly fishing on Pennsylvania’s streams like the Yellow Breeches. The salmon fishing ends in fall, when the fish spawn in the river and die, and the steelhead fishing begins in fall, lasting to spring. Steelheads winter in the river, spawn there in spring, and return to Lake Ontario for summer. They don’t die after spawning, like salmon do.

<b>Cape May</b>

The season’s first striped bass fishing was kicked off Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> on a trip on Delaware Bay, Capt. George said. But the fishing, with Joe Schwartz’s group, was slow, and only two throwbacks to 24 inches, a dozen sharks, and other junk fish bit. So George cancelled trips Sunday and today for stripers. Last year, trips aboard started catching stripers this coming weekend for the season. Last year’s trips fished Delaware Bay with chunks of bunker, and the angling was mostly good. Striper fishing was inconsistent at Cape May Rips last year. Boaters would run into the fish on a trip, but couldn’t really depend on finding them again. So George stuck with the bay’s fishing. Stripers used to be hooked on the ocean, like off Hereford Inlet on clams or while trolling. But that angling never turned on in recent years. Still, that could all change, and the Heavy Hitter will sail wherever the fish are biting. Maybe south winds turned off fish in past days, like can happen. Trips that tried blackfishing were heard about that couldn’t get the tautog to bite on the ocean during the weekend. Yet the boaters landed lots before. South winds cause upwellings near shore that cool waters. Or maybe stripers were yet to migrate to Cape May substantially. George heard about boat trips that bailed stripers from the northern half of the state. He heard about surf fishing for stripers at Wildwood Crest, just north of Cape May, that caught a bunch on one day and not on another. Boating for stripers could take off at Cape May any moment this time of season. Sea bass season was opened Friday, and charters for them are also available. Weather was beautiful Saturday on the striper trip, after the storm Friday. Sunday was windy, but could’ve been fished. Forecasts for today looked breezy but fishable.

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