<b>Perth Amboy</b>

Striped bass that had held farther offshore “have moved into our area,” Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an e-mail. Good catches were jigged on Ava 47’s, and open-boat trips will sail for the bass Saturday and Sunday, and spots are available. Coming up, the blackfish bag limit will be increased to six on November 16, from the current limit of one, and the boat will be moved to Highlands then at Sandy Hook Marina. That’s closer to the blackfishing grounds on the ocean, so anglers can spend more time fishing, less time traveling. Open-boat trips will fish when no charter is booked, and anyone interested should telephone Frank. The Vitamin Sea also fishes from Staten Island. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Excellent striped bass fishing today, Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. A bunch of customers surely stayed on land because of weather forecasts, and only a couple of other boats fished. All anglers aboard left with a limit of stripers. “Fished the same line just about all day,” Ron said. Some drifts produced nine keepers, some gave up three to five, and some none. A few more throwbacks were in the mix than before. But the bass averaged 12 to 14 pounds, and a 24-pounder was the pool-winner. The light boat traffic kept the bass “from moving all over,” Ron said, and that helped. On yesterday’s trip, striper fishing was good in the morning. Several good drifts served up three to five stripers apiece. By the end of the trip, a couple of anglers bagged three, and some bagged two or one, and many bagged none. “The guys who turned the handles and listened to my pleas were rewarded,” Ron said. On many days, stripers give up a short opportunity for the best fishing. That could last a couple of hours, or finish in 20 minutes. In that time, anglers should take every advantage. Ron can take anglers to the fish, but in the end, they are the anglers. Don’t give up, don’t become discouraged. When fishing becomes tough, fish harder! That's what makes a good striper angler. Don’t be shy about asking the crew the proper technique. They’re aboard every day, are there to help, and don’t make as much money if you don’t catch. Think: Is my tackle set up right? How fast are the anglers turning the reel handle who’re catching? Take advantage of the crew. On Tuesday’s trip, striper fishing wasn’t the bite like on the previous few days. But some good-sized ones were taken. Birds did work bait along the surface at times, but boat traffic soon chased the fish away. The bass were marked better tight to bottom, but not as many bit as expected. On Monday’s trip, anglers braved weather to jump aboard, and Ron was glad they did. Fishing was very good for stripers to 26 pounds the whole time. Don’t wait long to go striper fishing. The boat is chartered Friday morning, so no open-boat trip will sail then. Forecasts are calling for 25-knot and gusty winds. It should be sporty! Ron said. Otherwise, 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.

Boating for striped bass was very good, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish were jigged and trolled, and on Wednesday were eeled. Bluefish were no longer caught locally. Stripers were sometimes heard about from the ocean surf, but anglers really didn’t talk about the catches, so they seemed not to find many. Nothing was heard about stripers from the bay surf. For boaters who bottom-fished, porgy catches were good. A charter that a friend ran axed about 17 keeper sea bass per angler on a bottom trip. Blackfishing was great for bottom anglers, though one of the tautog apiece was the bag limit. All bait is stocked except fresh bunker, but frozen is on hand. “It’s all sand eels out there,” Jimmy said.  

After good bottom-fishing Tuesday on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, written about in the last report, the angling wasn’t as good on yesterday’s trip, but the anglers were probably more pleased than Capt. Tom, he said. Not as many blackfish bit. The trip started fishing where the previous day’s caught. A short shot of blackfish chewed, and a few porgies were hung, less life than on the previous day, even from bergals that bit on the previous day. The trip moved, and a decent pick of porgies began, and some sea bass came in. Not many blackfish did, so all the anglers started angling for the porgies and sea bass. Some of the porgies were very good sized, and many throwback sea bass were reeled up, but so were some sizeable. On the way back to port, Tom had told the anglers the trip would try for blackfish, and it did. Some of the tautog were landed, but fewer than Tom would like. But all the anglers had an enjoyable time on the trip. They were a small crowd, but the trip didn’t quite limit out on one blackfish per angler. Tom would’ve liked to have seen more blackfish. Monday’s trip didn’t fish, because of winds. The Atlantic Star is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily for porgies, sea bass and blackfish.

<b>Highlands</b>

Another solid week of limiting out on striped bass to 25 pounds on all trips on the <b>Hyper Striper</b>, Capt. Pete wrote in an e-mail. Most of the fish weighed in the high teens, and jigging and trolling for them were both productive. Blackfishing aboard will begin on November 16, when the bag limit is increased to six, from the current limit of one. A few dates are left for blackfish charters in December.

Fishing for striped bass was very good with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, Capt. Derek said. Limits were smashed every day, and trips jigged, trolled and eeled them. The bigger bass weighed 20 and 25 pounds this week. 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.

Sailing from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Rich Scherer and Taylor trolled four striped bass at the channel, 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. Bushels of clams are available.

<b>Neptune</b>

With <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, striped bass fishing today limited out in an hour, and couldn’t have been better, Capt. Ralph wrote in an e-mail. The anglers, Tony Eckert and grandsons, will remember the day long, Ralph said, and now is striper time. A couple of spots remain for an individual-reservation wreck-fishing trip Sunday, including for sea bass, porgies, blackfish, ling and cod. Individual-reservation blackfishing trips with space available include those on November 17, 24, 27 and 29 and December 1, 7 and 8. Book early to reserve a spot. Green crabs and white leggers are provided at no extra cost. Clams are supplied. All tackle is available at no extra charge. Don’t forget, Ralph said: The cabin is enclosed and heated and includes a microwave and a coffee machine, all of that added this year. Charters are available daily for stripers, blackfish and bottom fish.

<b>Belmar</b>

More striped bass than before, some of them good-sized, seemed to be boated, to the north, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. The fish ranged from throwbacks to 25- or 30-pounders, and some days of the fishing were better than others. Bluefish were still mixed in, and were fairly sizeable, not as big as the 20-pounders earlier this season. Water temperatures varied, but were around 56 degrees. For sea bass fishing, “every day is different,” Pete said, but sea bassing was definitely better than when sea bass season was open from late September to mid-October. The season was reopened Friday. Blackfish fed well on certain days, and Pete looks forward to the bag limit being jumped up to six on November 16 from the current limit of one. The next trips aboard are supposed to fish Friday through the weekend. Friday might be weathered out, but Saturday and Sunday look fishable. 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.

In the last report, on Monday, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> asked, where are the striped bass? “As if on cue,” he wrote in an e-mail Wednesday, stripers showed up in the surf in Monmouth and Ocean counties. The fish to 25 pounds were beached on Ava 27’s, rubber eels and needlefish lures, sometimes on clams. Reports from anglers “seemed to point to a change for the good,” he said. Bottom-fishing was also better now than he reported last. News came in about good catches of sea bass, porgies and blackfish off northern Monmouth County from the vessels. Bob hopes to see anglers take advantage of the good fishing. “See you on the sand,” he said.  <b>***Update, Sunday, 11/10:***</b> Did the migration of stripers start in the surf, “or are we fooling ourselves?” Bob asked in an e-mail. On one day, striped bass seemed to fill the surf. On the next, isolated pockets of the fish swam. A few stripers were brought in from the beach, including one larger than 14 pounds that 7-year-old Frank Bongiovani clammed at Spring Lake on a trip with his grandfather. Stripers known about also included ones like Mary Westerfield from Wall’s 14-pounder from Manasquan, and Bill Massey from Wall’s 35-incher that he fly-rodded and released. “We get reports like this every day,” Bob said. But no large population of stripers held at any location. The fishing seemed best early in the day on metal on a long cast. Tsunami eels also caught, and Kenny Reed scored a keeper on one while fishing with Bob on Friday night. “Looking for better days,” Bob said.

About a dozen keeper striped bass and a few throwbacks were managed on Wednesday’s trip on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. Readings and bird life were good, it said, but getting the bass to bite was difficult. Some bluefish were picked, but the trip didn’t spend time on them, fishing for stripers instead. Tuesday’s trip could’ve loaded the boat with blues, but most anglers wanted stripers, so the trip looked for them. Some were found, the report said, and were a mix of keepers and throwbacks, hooked mostly on gold, hammered jigs and popper lures. No report was posted for Monday, and Sunday’s trip was covered in the last report here. 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>

Fantastic porgy fishing, an e-mail from the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> said about this week aboard. “Pretty darn good sea bass fishing, too,” it said, and a few cod “and even some weakfish,” it said, were caught. Many customers limited out on porgies, big ones. Sea bass catches ranged from about a half-dozen to a limit per angler. “Super fishing all week,” the e-mail said. Anglers and their catches on Wednesday’s trip included Kirk Moore with a limit of porgies to 3 pounds, 12 sea bass and a 14-pound cod, and Wesley Shourt with nearly a limit of porgies and 20 sea bass.  A 14-hour Sea Bass Marathon Trip is sold out Saturday, and room remains for more of the trips on the Saturdays of November 23 and 30. Extended, 12-hour sea bass trips will run this Monday and Wednesday, and on Friday, November 29. On all other days, sea bass trips are sailing 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Good-sized sea bass were slipped aboard Tuesday, and most anglers boxed six to 15 keepers, on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. A couple of anglers fished crabs for blackfish the whole trip, cranking in a handful of throwbacks, but no keepers, Matt thought. No report was posted for Wednesday, and the boat didn’t sail today. “Tomorrow is looking much better,” Matt said. Weather sounds breezy but from west, “which should make it nice,” he said. The Norma-K III is sailing for sea bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and on Magic Hour Ling Trips 3 to 9 p.m. every Saturday.

Sea bass fishing aboard was pretty good, fairly decent, said Capt. Butch from the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>. Trips targeted sea bass every day since Saturday, and weather was too rough to sail on opening day of the season for the fish on Friday. Catches ranged from 10 sea bass to a limit bagged per customer, and some porgies and a few blackfish and bluefish were bucketed. Lots of dog sharks bit. Trips fished in 60 to 80 feet, and waters were 57 degrees there on Tuesday, and were 60 two days previously. Waters started “to get a little chill,” Butch said. That was good for the fishing. “Sea bass, porgies and blackfish,” he said. “Get-in on it, while it’s good.”  The Dauntless is sailing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.  

<b>Toms River</b>

Boaters jigged striped bass on the ocean off Island Beach State Park now, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. They could be watched from the beach, and fished 1 ½ miles from shore. The bass were definitely moving closer to shore, and swam both north and south of the shop. In the surf, anglers putting in the time banked stripers, mostly at night on any type of plug and teaser. During daytime, Ava’s with teasers caught. The largest stripers from the surf seemed to be clammed. The smaller bass were more aggressive, willing to chase lures. The surf fishing hadn’t really started yet, but Dennis would think lots more about the catches would be heard this coming weekend. The waters were 59 to 61 degrees. “So we’re right there,” he said. The fishing kept becoming better, and anglers kept talking about the fishing at the store, and telephoning about it. Dennis just put new line on his reels, and will hit the beach now.  In Barnegat Bay, striped bass were eeled along the sod banks at night, not every night. The fish bit like two nights, then not on the next. Water temperatures were perfect for the fishing. The catches had petered out a moment, but were picking back up. That fishing is near Barnegat Inlet. Farther north on the bay, throwback stripers could still be angled along Route 37 Bridge. An employee played them to 25 inches one night. They weren’t hooked every night, but if anglers put in the time, they could land two or three per trip, and the catches were pretty consistent. Four-inch plugs will grab them. One angler used Fin-S Fish, and Mister Twisters will connect. The Toms River’s fishing was mostly wrapped up for the season. A few crabs still skittered the river, and a few anglers caught more and more white perch from the waters, and others came up with none. The anglers who caught were old timers who knew spots and ways to fish.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Surf fishing started to pick up, said Mario from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Striped bass seemed to move into the waters the past few days, and were beached Tuesday. The fishing was a little slow Wednesday, but turned on again this morning at Island Beach State Park. An angler today filleted a 20-pounder and a 15-pounder at the cleaning table while Mario gave this report this afternoon on the phone. The 20-pounder was clammed, and the 15-pounder swiped a teaser.  The Dock Outfitters, located on Barnegat Bay, on the barrier island, near the ocean surf, features an extensive supply of bait and tackle, a dock to fish and crab from and boat rentals for fishing and crabbing.

<b>Forked River</b>

Boaters on the ocean cleaned-up on some good catches of striped bass, like in 55 feet off the bathing beach at Island Beach State Park, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish were mostly jigged on Ava’s or trolled on rubber shads, and the bass busting the water surface were often heard about. The stripers schooled Wednesday, but bluefish were the catches today. On Barnegat Bay, stripers were clammed on anchor, and some boaters tried drifting eels for them at night, but that fishing wasn’t good yet, Kyle thought. Blackfish snapped along ocean wrecks. 

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 11/8:***</b> When strong winds didn’t blow, striped bass fishing was okay, or good on some days, said Vince Sr. from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. The bass were yanked from the ocean, from along Barnegat Inlet’s jetties and from along Barnegat Bay’s sod banks. On the ocean, boaters jigged them or trolled them on Stretch lures or umbrella rigs, and occasionally caught bluefish. At the inlet and sod banks, the bass were livelined on spots.  Blackfishing was good along the inlet rocks and at some of the wrecks in the ocean. Bobbie’s includes a bait and tackle store, a fuel dock, and boat and kayak rentals, and is known for a large bait selection. Baits currently include live spots, green crabs, fresh clams and fresh bunker.

Barnegat Light’s boats docked a good mix of striped bass and bluefish from the ocean during the week, a report on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>’s Web site said. In west winds forecast for the weekend, “we hope to see good fishing,” it said. Trips on the Miss Barnegat Light are jigging for striped bass and blues at 7 a.m. Fridays through Sundays, but also this Monday, Veterans’ Day. Veterans and active military get a $10 discount with valid ID.

Small striped bass 20 or 22 inches were pitched from the surf, said Josh Falcone from <b>Viking Outfitters</b>. During daytime, they were jigged, bucktailed and clammed, and teasers didn’t seem as important as a couple of weeks ago. During night, they were bunker-chunked, eeled or even bucktailed. The bay’s striper fishing was good, and 15- and 18-pounders were canned.  Live bait seemed best on them, and live spots and eels are stocked. The fish seemed to be hooked from no particular place, like along the sod banks or one of the well-known channels, but instead were sacked at depth changes between shallower and deeper. Bluefish started to be heard about today from the ocean, and from what Josh saw, they seemed to weigh 4 or 5 pounds. Boaters who mentioned the blues said they caught stripers on the ocean lately a little north, off Island Beach State Park or Seaside, but that the fish seemed to be moving closer to locally. Back inside, the population of blackfish was incredible along Barnegat Inlet’s jetties. As many as could be imagined swam, and someone didn’t need to know anything about fishing to hook them. They were sizeable for there, and one angler landed one keeper and 12 or 14 throwbacks in a trip, Josh thought. In addition to the spots and eels, baits stocked include green crabs, fresh clams, fresh bunker and all the frozen. Scallop guts on hand are probably the frozen bait that couldn’t commonly be found. They could be chummed or used as hook baits. Viking Outfitters, located at historic Viking Village, was opened several months ago, and Josh used to work at Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle that was closed. He gave especially detailed reports from there to this site. Josh and his partner co-owner at Viking fish every day, and feel they definitely offer first-hand knowledge about what’s biting. Josh planned to fish tonight in the storm, because he thinks he’s got a fishing “problem”! The store is mostly geared toward surf and bay fishing, but also provides all offshore supplies. 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 including from Grunden, Carhartt and Jetty is sold. Embroidery is available, including for charter boats. The shop has a good relationship with anglers from commercial boats.  

<b>Barnegat</b>

From an edited e-mail from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “Our last day of fishing was this past Saturday, and we struck out. The only comfort was the common report of ‘zeros’ on the radio. They caught them on Wednesday and Thursday before our trip, and then again on Sunday afterward. We were there for the day they didn't bite. It happens. It sounds like the boats that have been making it out these last few days in the sloppy south have been rewarded with some good-sized fish. The wind is going to take a west angle starting this afternoon, and then stay west, southwest, mostly northwest. This is it. Flat seas and the migration is on. You don't want to miss this stretch. We’ll be running open boat 6 a.m. to 12 noon Saturday through Monday. Three people max. All fish are shared. Also available to charter those afternoons. We’ll be armed to the teeth to put fish in the boat. Jigging, trolling, whatever it takes. Make sure you're there when we avenge our ‘zero’!”

<b>Surf City</b>

From the surf, striped bass fishing started to improve, said Sue from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. No numbers of the fish showed up, but one or two were weighed in daily. Stripers were banked to the north and south, too, including at Island Beach State Park and Seaside to the north, and Brigantine to the south. Also, other anglers landed nothing who fished the local beach. Out-of-season fluke, a warmer water fish, still bit in the waters. But the striper fishing looked promising, and anglers were hopeful about that. Fourteen striped bass were entered so far in the Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic, the season-long tournament. Boaters nailed good fishing for stripers right off the beaches in 35 feet. They also tackled blues to 14 pounds and larger. Blackfishing was good from shore at Barnegat Inlet’s jetty, and anglers looked forward to the bag limit being increased to six on November 16, from the current limit of one. All baits are stocked.  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>

“I wish I was up north,” said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Boaters from Barnegat Inlet ran into striped bass and bluefish, including on a party boat today from Barnegat Light. At least that happened. “Finally, some life,” Scott said. Maybe fishing for them will kick in locally soon. A 24-pound striped bass was weighed in that was caught at Little Egg Inlet on Tuesday, and was the shop’s first checked in from there this season. But the migration locally was yet to start, and the fishing was slow at best. Some customers bought clams and green crabs to sail for sea bass and blackfish on the ocean, because no stripers were around. Nobody mentioned fishing for white perch on brackish rivers like the Mullica this week. Fresh, shucked clams, green crabs and eels are stocked. No fresh bunker is, because of lack of demand, because of no stripers locally yet. When some arrive, Scott will try to carry the menhaden. Live grass shrimp ran out Monday, and Scott was yet to net more. 

<b>Absecon</b>

Back-bay fishing was cruising along, picking on striped bass, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. The migration seemed later each year, and anglers shouldn’t quit fishing for them too soon, because they’d miss the year’s best fishing for them. A striper charter today with Dave cancelled, because of forecasts for rain. A charter Tuesday aboard boated one sizeable striper 22 pounds, a couple of 26- and 27-inchers, and a bunch of smaller stripers. The angling seemed like that on the bay. A good scattering of keepers were around, and quite a few small stripers swam. Surf-fishing seemed similar, and a few large stripers were hauled from the beach.  That included a 50-pounder at Brigantine on Wednesday, and that seemed a good sign that some large ones were moving in. Commercial netters started catching bunker, so bait was also moving in. In the bay, most of the larger stripers were caught on livelined spots. Cut bait didn’t hook a ton of stripers there. Dave’s always found that clams start to work when waters are colder. Waters were relatively warm. Gulp curly tails and jerk shads on jigheads worked great this year in the bay, because of abundant sand eels along the coast, Dave guessed. He even bagged some keepers on them. Baits stocked include plenty of live spots. Dave’s striper charters are filling up. Visit <a href=" http://www.abseconbay.com/" target="_blank">Absecon Bay Sportsman’s Web site</a> to check availability.

<b>Brigantine</b>

A 49-pound 13-ounce striped bass was weighed in from Brigantine’s surf Wednesday, said Joe from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Mike Ferrara took the lead with the 47-3/4-incher in the store’s striper derby, but didn’t win the shop’s bounty for the season’s first striper 43 inches or larger from the town’s surf, a report on the store’s Web site said. Ferrara wasn’t entered, and the bounty was up to $805 that day and growing, and is $5 to enter, required 12 hours before catching the fish. A few large stripers were checked in from the surf this week, Joe said, and local anglers had their days this season. But the fishing hadn’t really started. Reports on the shop’s Web site said a 25-1/2-pound 42-incher was weighed in Monday, and a 35-1/2-pounder was on Sunday. That was a 45-1/2-inch striper, and the angler apparently wasn’t entered in the bounty either, because nothing about the prize was mentioned. In news from boaters, no stripers really gathered at Absecon Inlet, and mostly throwbacks swam the back bay. Joe livelined spots at the inlet Wednesday, copping no bites, and caught four throwbacks from the bay on jerk shads. Mentioned above, 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>Atlantic City</b>

Lots of blackfish were swung in from along the rocks at Absecon Inlet, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. The inlet, near the shop, is lined with fish-attracting jetties, and striped bass, including good-sized, also came from there, on fresh bunker, fresh clams and eels. Waters were somewhat warm for stripers, and Noel wore a short-sleeved shirt today. But customers at the inlet were catching fish. Catch the deals on fresh bunker at three for $5 or a dozen for $18, and green crabs at a dozen for $4 or three dozen for $10. 

<b>Ocean City</b>

Striped bass swam all around, from the back bay to the surf, and more roamed the bay, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. They were hooked more consistently there, but the bass everywhere were small. Not many were keepers, and anglers waited for the migration of big ones. Whether many anglers will still be fishing by the time the angling becomes good was a question. That seemed the case more and more in recent years, as the run arrived later than in the past. Now the fish seemed to show up when the fishing season was becoming late, when weather was becoming cold, or winter was approaching. In the bay, lures, bunker or clams plumbed the bass on outgoing tides, and the fishing could be good. In the surf, clams and bunker dragged in the stripers, and lures, mostly soft-plastics on jigheads, clocked them along the jetties. They were picked in the surf. A few redfish were beached last week. Occasionally bluefish were banked these days. Blackfish were picked along bridges and jetties, but not many anglers tried for them. They waited for the bag limit to be jacked up to six on November 16, from the current limit of one. Nothing was heard about sea bass from the ocean, though sea bass season was opened last Friday. Weather and seas weren’t the best for boaters to push that far from shore for them, though sometimes closer to shore was fine. 

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Livelined spots that picked a few striped bass were heard about from the back bay, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Some were heard about from along bridges at night, too, and livelined eels worked best there. The fishing sounded similar at bridges: a fish picked here and there. Probably the best chance at catching fish was blackfishing along the rocks at Townsend Inlet on the Avalon side. Throwbacks bit, but sometimes keepers did, and a couple of 6-pounders were reported. The local party boat sailed for sea bass on the ocean three or four times since sea bass season was opened Friday. A few sea bass and blackfish were tugged aboard, and out-of-season summer flounder that jumped on hooks was the biggest gripe. Was a shame flounder season was closed. Surf fishing was pretty much dead. Nothing encouraging was talked about, and sometimes a striper was eased in by luck. 

Seven striped bass to 27 inches were caught and released from the back bay Wednesday afternoon on a trip with Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, and son, Joe said. They fished jigs with Bass Assassins, and the angling’s been really good. Joe’s trips have also been fly-rodding them on Clouser Minnows on sinking lines. Striper fishing was also good on the bay with livelined spots, and not as many would probably be caught that way, but bigger ones likely would, Joe thought. A buddy livelined a keeper on a spot. Take an After Work Special Trip on the bay from afternoon to dark, a great time for fishing. Joe will probably start prospecting the ocean for the migration of large stripers and bluefish this Sunday or Monday, Veterans’ Day. Those charters fish this month, as soon as the fish arrive, and in December, and should be booked now. Thanksgiving is typically the peak. Blackfish currently bit along ocean wrecks.  Dates are being reserved for annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys from Christmas to Easter, mostly on weekends. One option is to arrive on Friday evening, fish all day Saturday and part of Sunday, return Sunday evening, and be back to work on Monday. The trips can be a mini, fish-filled vacation. A large variety of fish can be chased, from redfish and speckled sea trout to tarpon and sailfish. 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>Cape May</b>

Lots of throwback striped bass, too few keepers, chomped in Delaware Bay, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>. They gave up plenty of action, but were shorts. Sea bass trips, on the ocean, kept being weathered out, though many were scheduled and full. 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, including for sea bass and blackfish. Blackfishing will begin on November 16, when the bag limit is hiked to six, from the current limit of one.

In Delaware Bay, many undersized striped bass swam, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. But a few larger ones were pasted, and maybe more will arrive by the weekend. He talked with someone from a trip that decked four or five keepers that just made the 28-inch keeper size, and released lots of shorts, from the bay. George cancelled a striper trip there Monday, because of weather, and because too few keepers had been around. His trips last year began bagging stripers this weekend from the bay. The trips fish bunker chunks in the bay. Stripers are sometimes hooked on other baits at other places in autumn, like at Cape May Rips on livelined eels or spots or bucktails, or on the ocean on clams or on the troll. Sea bass charters are fishing on the ocean, since sea bass season was opened Friday. Blackfishing will become available starting November 16, when the bag limit is pulled up to six, from the current limit of one.

Just a few sea bass were among the catch on daily wreck-fishing trips on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. Customers also limited out on one blackfish apiece, and maybe more sea bass swam farther offshore. Only a few anglers joined trips, and if a larger crowd shows up, the boat could sail farther from the coast to see if more sea bass bite there. Lots of throwback striped bass, not many keepers, seemed to start to be hooked from Delaware Bay the past two or three days on other vessels. A few of the mostly throwbacks might’ve hit at Cape May Rips, but Paul wasn’t sure. The Porgy IV will keep wreck-fishing at 8 a.m. daily on the ocean.

Delaware Bay’s fishing sounded somewhat off, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>, but a few large ones topping 40 pounds were boated. He fished there Wednesday, and fish were marked, and no stripers bit, on the trip. But a 50-pounder decked on another boat south of the Cock and Balls was heard about during the trip, and so were a couple of 40-pounders from Cape May Rips. Chunks of fresh bunker were fished on the bay, and livelined eels and spots and trolled Stretch 25 lures were fished at the rips. Not much was heard about stripers lifted from the surf, but blackfishing was good along jetties. Nothing was heard about sea bass from the ocean. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, eels and green crabs are stocked.

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