<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> began bottom-fishing Wednesday, and porgies, good catches, were scooped aboard, Capt. Tom said. Fluke trips sailed daily through Tuesday, the final day of fluke season. Sea bass season will be opened Friday, and the bottom trips will sail for porgies and sea bass starting then. The porgies were mixed sizes, including large and throwbacks. On the morning trip, some of the anglers were able to select the larger porgies they wanted to keep, throwing back smaller keepers. On the afternoon trip, spots were caught at first. The boat was moved, and porgies began to be landed again. The fishing was good that day, and a few sea bass were released, too. The Atlantic Star is bottom fishing 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily for porgies today and for porgies and sea bass starting Friday. <b>***Update, Friday, 9/27:***</b> Fishing remained good aboard, Tom said in a phone call on the boat this afternoon. Porgy fishing was very good, and the fish were mixed sizes. More were keepers than shorts, and sea bass season began today. Sea bass, not many, were caught, and more were shorts than keepers. Sometimes croakers and spots were wrangled up. All in all, the fishing’s been good, Tom said.  

Good catches of porgies were cashed-in on, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Sea bass season will be opened Friday, and the fish were around. Bottom-fishers who fished with crabs also cranked in blackfish, bagging a limit of one, releasing others. “They just like to catch them,” Jimmy said. Fish like croakers became less abundant than before at places like Raritan Bay. Bluefish seemed to chase them away, and somewhat cooler waters seemed to make them depart. Striped bass were beached from the surf, and once daylight came, they seemed to stop biting, and bluefish seemed to “take over,” Jimmy said. Stripers swam Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers all the way to Red Bank. They were hooked at Sea Bright Bridge, and one angler bailed 30 there one night. Not much was heard about crabbing, but commercial crabbers caught. All baits are stocked – “everything,” Jimmy said – including fresh bunker, fresh clams, big bloodworms, and green crabs.

<b>Highlands</b>

Motoring from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Jay and Tracy Amarosa on the Par Tee and another angler docked a 19-1/2-inch fluke before fluke season was closed, Marion wrote in an e-mail. The fish bit near Bug Light on a killie with squid. On the final day of fluke season Tuesday, Ed and Tony on the Hammerhead latched into four fluke to 22 inches and six cocktail blues on the ocean off Sandy Hook on Gulps and squid.  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. When in demand, baits can include bushels of fresh clams, live bunker and offshore baits like flats of sardines.

<b>Neptune</b>

Fishing for fluke was wrapped up Tuesday, the last day of fluke season, with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. That was on the weekly, individual-reservation trip for them on the ocean, and the angling was slow. A full crowd jumped aboard, and one of the anglers bagged three, and another two. Only 13 to 15 keepers were totaled, and the fish weighed up to 3 or 4 pounds.  Last Lady mugged big bluefish on the ocean lately. Sea bass season will be opened Friday, and an individual-reservation trip is full for inshore wreck-fishing Sunday. More are scheduled for October 13 and November 11. An individual-reservation trip for cod is full October 7, and another is set for November 4. An individual-rez trip for blackfish will sail November 16, when the bag limit is increased to six from the current limit of one. Individual-reservation trips for striped bass will be scheduled, when fishing for them takes off. Charters are available for all species on tap.

<b>Belmar</b>

An overnight trip offshore for tuna was weathered out on the weekend on the <b>Katie H</b>, Capt. Mike said, and another is cancelled this Friday to Saturday, because of forecasts. Tuna fishing was spectacular at Hudson Canyon last Thursday and Friday, and slowed afterward. The fish-holding waters pulled farther from shore. Forecasts for inshore aren’t bad for the boat for a sea bass trip that will fish aboard Saturday, now that sea bass season will be opened Friday. The fishing should be good, and Mike and crew caught and released sea bass at a reef recently. The 46-foot Katie H features all the amenities and speed.  

Bluefish, all big, very good catches, were pounded every day on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> on the ocean, Capt. Alan said. A 30-pound striped bass and a 30-pound cod were in the mix the other day. On the last nighttime trips, during the weekend, blues were only picked, and the angling wasn’t good. The Miss Belmar Princess is bluefishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The night trips will run a couple of more weekends until being ended for the season. The party boat <b>Royal Miss Belmar</b> will fish for sea bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily starting Friday, opening day of sea bass season.

Fishing for sea bass will be kicked off Friday on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. That’s opening day of sea bass season, and the first of the daily trips, on Friday through Sunday, will sail 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Usual hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A 20-pound 2-ounce bluefish was the pool-winner on the daily trip for them Tuesday on the ocean on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site. Fishing was good aboard for big blues – “I mean monster blues,” the report said – that day. The fishing slowed on Wednesday’s trip, but was decent on Monday’s. After the good fishing Tuesday, “it’s hard to believe the fish didn’t want to bite (Wednesday),” the report said. Some were picked, “but not enough,” it said.  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.

Fluke season was closed Wednesday, and sea bass season will be opened Friday, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an e-mail. “We expect (sea bass fishing) to be a great opportunity for everybody,” he said, “as early reports are of a large build up of these fish off our coast.” Large bluefish swam the ocean, and boats from Belmar docked them to 21 pounds. Surf fishing for striped bass “improved daily,” Bob said. He spoke with surf casters from Ocean and Monmouth counties, and they all reported stripers caught from the beach. He surf fished locally Wednesday morning, reeling in stripers and blues. A popper lure caught better than any other, and he was surprised to see few anglers. Previously, he reported seeing lots. It’s time to start fishing, he said.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Anglers picked away at ling on the ocean Wednesday on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. The boat fished for fluke through Tuesday, the final day of fluke season, and will begin sailing for sea bass Friday, the first day of sea bass season. During the ling fishing, the fish were located at some spots, and the fishing was slower at others, and deeper waters seemed to hold more ling than shallower did. Too few anglers showed up for today’s trip to sail. On Wednesday night’s bluefishing trip, catches were great again, Matt said, and most of the blues weighed 5 to 15 pounds. The Norma-K III is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and, through the weekend, is bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily. Afterward, the bluefish trips will sail Fridays and Saturdays during those hours.

On the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, porgy fishing was very good the past six or seven days, Capt. Butch said. Lots of out-of-season sea bass were around, and trips will start to “mix up,” Butch said, fishing for sea bass and porgies Friday, opening day of sea bass season. Trips fished for porgies to the north. But the outings will fish closer to port when sea bass season is opened. Trips will take advantage of sea bass that will probably become scarcer, because boats are likely to focus on them, because of other fish seasons that are closed. If sea bass become scarcer, porgies could be targeted more aggressively again. Anglers aboard averaged 20 to 50 porgies apiece. Fluke had been bagged that were mixed in, but fluke season was closed Wednesday. A couple of 6- and 7-pound fluke were thrown back that day. A few blackfish were boated lately, and quite a few blowfish were. Waters were 60 to 64 degrees, 6 to 8 degrees cooler than two weeks ago. Butch liked the temperatures, and if the ocean stays 55 to 60 a while, sea bass fishing should last some time. That’ll probably happen. Butch saw no signs of the impending striped bass migration. But he saw lots of bunker, rainfish and sand eels. Porpoises and whales swam the area, so some kind of bait attracted them. Bluefish began to school close to shore. The Dauntless is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

The Toms River at Island Heights was chock full of bait or mullet and peanut bunker, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. He boated there a few days, seeing anglers fight big snapper blues from the dock on small plugs and metal. More and more small striped bass arrived there, migrating from farther upstream in freshwater. Dennis also boated along Route 37 Bridge on Barnegat Bay, catching no fish, but snapping a photo of an employee’s 3-1/2-pound weakfish the employee boated on the employee’s vessel. The employee was landing small striped bass there on trips on Fin-S Fish, and a difference was that the employee’s boat had a small trolling motor, unlike Dennis’s. Farther south on the bay, a few stripers were slugged along the sod banks toward Barnegat Inlet, on plugs with teasers and small rubber shads. Occasional weakfish were nipped in the area, and bait schooled the flats around there, attracting fish. Kayakers caught best around there. The bay was 65 or 66 degrees, the same as the ocean. Small blues ran Barnegat Inlet and sometimes the surf. Pockets in the surf were better than others. Lots of mullet migrated the surf. A token striper was lifted from the surf at night on plugs with teasers, clams or bunker. Fresh mullet, bunker and clams are stocked, and the store on weekends is open at 4 a.m.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

The surf tossed up cocktail blues and, here and there, striped bass, said Mario from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. A 33-inch striper was whacked from the beach the other day. Mullet schooled the surf, and the blues chased them. In Barnegat Bay, blues, snappers to cocktails, swam, and a few kingfish were nabbed. Crabbing was a little slow on the bay, and few people crabbed. 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>Forked River</b>

Fluke had been jacked from Barnegat Bay until fluke season was closed Wednesday, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Some weakfish were around in the bay, jumping on pink Fin-S Fish and sandworms, if anglers could find sandworms at stores. The bay’s blowfishing was slower than before, but produced. The puffers caught were supposedly big. Striped bass fishing was yet to really begin, but some were caught, like along Barnegat Inlet’s jetties. Eels are stocked, if anglers want to fish for stripers with them. Anglers caught spots from the bay to keep for live striper bait later this fall. Crabs were still trapped. In addition to the eels, the shop is stocking baits including killies, frozen spearing for snapper bluefish, finger mullet and salted clams. Sandworms will be carried later this season.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Big bluefish to 10 and 12 pounds moved a little closer to Barnegat Inlet than before, Capt. Ted from the <b>Super Chic</b> said. They schooled fewer than 20 miles away in the ocean, and fishing for bonito was good on the ocean. A friend caught a fair number of bonito and lots of blues, not far from Barnegat Ridge. An offshore, overnight trip for tuna is supposed to steam Friday to Saturday on the Super Chic. Weather had looked rough, but forecasts improved. A sea bass trip is scheduled for Sunday aboard, and sea bass season will be opened Friday. Space is available for an open-boat tilefish trip offshore October 19, and lots were taken on the previous trips for them aboard. The Super Chic sails for all these species. The 56-foot boat can accommodate up to 25 anglers on inshore trips and 10 on overnight, offshore trips. The vessel sleeps 10 passengers.

Many bluefish were bombed from Barnegat Inlet, including from the jetties, at the beginning of outgoing tides, on popper plugs and top-water lures, said Vince Sr. from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. Striped bass were sometimes yanked-in along the rocks, and they’re always there, but seemed to become more active somewhat. Blowfish were still snatched from Barnegat Bay during the weekend, and big ones were seen. Nothing was really heard about weakfish from the bay, and not many anglers tried for them. Ocean boaters were optimistic about the pending opening of sea bass season Friday. The population seemed okay already. Clamming was good on the bay. “Crabbing, not so much?” Vince was asked. “Not so much,” he answered. Bobbie’s includes a bait and tackle store, a fuel dock, boat rentals for fishing, crabbing and clamming on the bay, and kayak rentals, and is known for a large bait selection. Baits stocked include live spots, green crabs and clams. 

This was posted Monday and is being re-posted in case readers missed it: Reports about bluefish, bonito and false albacore caught rolled in from the ocean, and the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b> will begin fishing for them every Saturday and Sunday starting this weekend, the vessel’s Web site said. The trips will sail 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

<b>Barnegat</b>

From an edited e-mail from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “This Sunday and Monday look like mild easterly winds and a nice ocean. We’ll sail open boat 6 a.m. to 12 noon for bonita and albacore at Barnegat Ridge. It’s only 15 miles or 45 minutes from the inlet. I’ll bring the light spinning rods to mix it up, once we put some bonita in the cooler. Three person max. All fish are shared. All bonita go in the cooler. They make awesome sashimi, or you can prepare it just like seared ahi. I even have some soy sauce in the cooler, if the mood strikes us.”

<b>Surf City</b>

Surf casters sacked kingfish and bluefish at Loveladies on Wednesday on bloodworms and Fishbites artificial worms, but maybe the blues also on fresh mullet, said Jason from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. Jason hadn’t hit the surf in past days to see whether mullet schooled, but heard about mullet in the surf, along the inlet rocks and at Holgate. Throwback striped bass and blues were reported caught from the surf at Ship Bottom and the Barnegat Inlet jetty. Many of the striper anglers fished with plugs. Small blackfish were hooked at the condo docks in Barnegat Light the last few days. Fresh mullet, fresh bunker, bloodworms and green crabs 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>

Sea bass should be whipped when the season for them is opened Friday, because they were caught and released like crazy when boaters fished for summer flounder at ocean reefs, said Brian from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. That was before flounder season was closed Wednesday, especially just before the closure. A customer said that releasing the sizeable ones, like 24 inches, was tough to take. Bluefish 4 and 5 pounds were boated at Little Egg Reef. Bonito were heard about from ocean lumps last week. A few striped bass began to be mentioned. A 25-pounder was weighed-in at a tackle shop in Ship Bottom. Two caught were reported from the waters along Parkertown Dock Road. Stripers began to be eeled from Mullica River. One angler landed a bunch. Blackfish gathered along places like the bay’s holes and banks and the Mystic Island Bridge. Crabbing slowed a lot, and crabbing along Seven Bridges Road was probably the best bet. Plenty of fresh, shucked clams, eels, bloodworms and green crabs are expected to be stocked for the weekend. Live grass shrimp are yet to be stocked, but maybe will be this coming week.

<b>Absecon</b>

A 28-1/2-inch striped bass was brought in, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Bill Lake bagged the fish from the back bay near Absecon on a livelined spot, and Dave heard about stripers that other customers found. If anglers could find baitfish, they could locate stripers. Anglers this time of year were sort of in a holding pattern, waiting for the fall migration of fish along the coast. No blitzes of stripers were around, but the fish were worth searching out. The shop’s bait supplier who fishes at Brigantine banked six stripers including a keeper from the surf. A few stripers were picked from the shore, and kingfish and occasional puppy drum were banked from the waters. The head of the Atlantic County surf tournament talked about a bunch of stripers from the surf at Margate. Dave thought 34 inches is the minimum size to be entered in the contest, and heard about none that big that were caught. From the bay, somewhat more weakfish than before were hooked, mostly along the Intracoastal Waterway at Mankiller and Reed’s bays. “That’s looking like something else going on,” Dave said, and he heard about anglers getting into decent numbers a couple of times. The mouths of Mullica and Great Egg Harbor rivers gave up the best variety of fish and action in the back waters, like before. Weakfish, a few croakers, bluefish, throwback stripers and a few keepers held there. White perch schooled the area in the saltier waters. Shedder crabs were best bait at the mouths, and a few were still stocked at the shop. Crabs will stop shedding soon. Bloodworms could also catch there, and surely livelined spots, mullet or peanut bunker would hook some of the fish. Stripers were sometimes eeled from the rivers, and that’s where to eel for them. Blackfishing improved, and some were definitely hung from along Brigantine Bridge and surf jetties, and green crab sales picked up well for bait for them. Keeper-sized sea bass landed around the bridge were sometimes heard about. The hurricane last fall seemed to cause whatever the sea bass fed on to push into the waters, attracting them. Though the full supply of live bait, including mullet, spots and peanut bunker for stripers, is stocked, Dave didn’t find many mullet to net along the surf. Mullet were supposedly more abundant in the bay at Ventnor and Margate. Spots 4 to 6 inches, good size for bait, are stocked, though large spots, too big for bait, good for eating, were abundant. Spots for bait seemed to collect around the clam boats toward Absecon Inlet, attracted to whatever was in the stirred up waters. Crabbing was still good, and should continue to be. Many female crabs move in during this time of year, and crabbers sometimes prefer to release females, keeping only males, because they think that helps breeding. But commercial crabbers are going to keep the females, so recreationals may as well keep them, Dave thinks. 

<b>Brigantine</b>

Spots and kingfish tumbled around the surf, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Bluefish in the surf were bigger than before, and one angler plopped 10 on the beach today. A 24-inch redfish, the southern species, was caught from the shore Wednesday on mullet, and another red was boated on the back bay in past days on a Gulp. A few throwback striped bass were located from the surf. “But I don’t know if I’d report that,” Andy said. Fresh mullet is stocked daily, and fresh clams and bloodworms are carried. The mullet supplier was able to net plenty of mullet from the surf on some days and only a couple of dozen on others. The population seemed better the past couple of days. 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. The Atlantic County/Atlantic City Surf Fishing Derby started Monday, lasting to November 3.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Summer flounder were cranked from Absecon Inlet by anglers on foot, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>, but the season for them was closed Wednesday. So they were released, and spots, croakers and a few kingfish, not many, were plumbed from the inlet. Snapper blues scurried around the waters. Striped bass, lots of small ones, began to chew in the inlet. Noel caught and released small flounder and a small striper from the waters Wednesday. The striper swiped his lure, and the flounder punched his teaser tied above. Lots of mullet and peanut bunker filled the inlet. Spearing schooled, and the inlet, near the shop, is lined with fish-attracting jetties.  Fresh peanut bunker and spearing are stocked. Sign up at the store for the Atlantic County/Atlantic City Surf Fishing Derby that began Monday and lasts until November 3. Entry is $25, and provides beach-buggy access to the entire length of Atlantic City’s shore, and prize money for the biggest catches. The access is worth entry alone. To drive the beach, after paying the entry fee when signing up, anglers must submit typical paperwork, probably truck registration and insurance and a driver’s license, at Atlantic City’s town hall.

<b>Margate</b>

The back bay’s summer flounder fishing was pretty much finished by the final days of the season for them, Capt. John from the party boat <b>Keeper</b> said. A final trip for them aboard Tuesday, the last day of flounder season, only pumped in throwbacks, letting them go. No trip was going to sail, but a group of six anglers showed up, wanting to go. So the boat took them out on a short, 2-hour trip, at a reduced rate. Keeper flounder, not many, were managed through the weekend aboard. Five were bagged on a trip Sunday. The Keeper will go on break this weekend, but will fish for blackfish the weekends of October 5 and 12 on the bay, before trips are ended through winter. Prices are always great, because the pontoon boat is economical on fuel, and the fishing on the bay is close to port. Trips are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for kids.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The surf harbored spots and a few more kingfish than before, said Justin from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Spots seemed to disappear during the ocean swell but start to reappear now. The swell kept boaters from fishing offshore until Tuesday. Many of them headed for overnight trips for tuna then, and results were yet to be heard. Boaters should fish for sea bass at ocean reefs, once sea bass season is opened Friday. Back in the surf, small striped bass were beached along jetties on Fin-S Fish, lures like Daiwa SP Minnows and popper plugs. Quite a few sizeable blackfish were heard about that were tugged from places like piers. In the back bay, weakfish and small stripers were hooked at night on lures like those in the surf.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Lots of bluefish stormed the surf, some of them 5 pounds, most of them 2, caught on mullet, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Spots and kingfish were mixed in, mostly plucked on bloodworms. On the back bay at night, excellent striped bass catches, with weakfish mixed in, were smashed, for anglers putting in the hours. That was on a variety of tackle, like Fin-S Fish that one angler threw. He reeled in three stripers, including one keeper, and a half-dozen weakfish one night. The night anglers smoked some numbers, usually mostly stripers. Sea bass catches could be good on the ocean when sea bass season is opened Friday. Summer flounder anglers seemed to hook and release them, before flounder season was closed, and party boat crews took reservations from anglers ready to sea bass. Not a lot was heard about offshore fishing for tuna, but the fishing seemed spotty, like sometimes a trip ran into a good catch by chance. A bite along 30 fathoms at gray light was talked about, but not enough to mention. 

<b>Wildwood</b>

Boaters waited for sea bass season to open Friday, to sail for them on the ocean, said Fred from <b>No Bones Bait & Tackle</b>. Forecasts for winds might keep them docked, and summer flounder season was closed Wednesday. The ocean was rough to sail for them in the final days. In the back bay, striped bass weren’t really caught yet. The few that were, were 14 to 20 inches. But Fred was supposed to fish for them this afternoon to film an episode of Jersey Cape Fishing, and expected to nab some, fishing with chunks of bunker and livelined spots. The spots are stocked, and large bags of clam bellies will begin to be carried the week of October 6. That’s to fish for larger, keeper stripers in the bay, and another month will probably pass before they begin to bite. But anglers will probably fish for them soon. They’ll anchor the boat, chum with the bellies, and fish with the clams on the hook. Clam bellies are what anglers call whole, shucked, large clams, with all the goo. That’s a fishery in fall.  Small bluefish 6 and 7 inches schooled the bay. They’re usually 1 or 1 ½ pounds this time of year, and seemed to be running late. Baby sea bass swam the bay. Nobody mentioned crabbing in two weeks, and crabs should skitter around the bay, but that couldn’t be confirmed, without anyone trying for them. Though spots are stocked, minnows will no longer be carried this year, because flounder season was closed. Frozen baits are on hand, and the store’s rental boats are available to fish or crab on the bay.

Before summer flounder season was closed Wednesday, the back bay’s fishing for them slowed a lot, said Mike from <b>Canal Side B oat Rentals</b>. He released throwbacks Tuesday, and snapper blues and big spots were reeled from the bay. A friend caught 12-inch spots to eat, though anglers often fish for smaller ones to liveline for striped bass bait. The white meat, with lemon, was tasty. A few stripers, not many, were pasted from the bay. Small sea bass hovered the bay. From the surf, kingfish, mostly small bluefish and a few stripers were slid in. But a few larger blues popped up, like a couple of 6- or 7-pounders that one angler beached. Crabbing was slow. Canal Side rents boats for fishing and crabbing on the bay.  <b>***<i>GET $5 OFF A RENTAL</i>***</b> by mentioning Fishing Reports Now when renting. Minnows are stocked, and when they’re gone, no more will be this year, because flounder season is closed. Baits also include scented and unscented squid strips, scented pink and green strips, trolling squid, tube squid, pints and quarts of salted clams, non-salted clams in both 1 pound and 9 ounces, whole mackerel, filleted mackerel, mullet, spearing, herring, frozen shrimp and a good selection of Gulp artificial baits. Crabs for eating are no longer stocked this season. The shop sells them either live or steamed during the height of the season.

<b>Cape May</b>

Daily trips for sea bass will begin Friday on the ocean on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. Whether sea bass will be around was unknown, but if anglers want to look for them, the boat is going. If too few sea bass seem in, the trips will search for whatever bites. Summer flounder fishing was wrapped up aboard Tuesday, the final day of flounder season. Lots of flounder, many of them throwbacks, bit, and one angler, Dan Inemer from Holmes, Pa., limited out. A couple bagged four, including Ed McGovern from Delran. Several bagged three. John Riccardi from Williamstown on a trip in past days won the pool with a 4.82-pound redfish, the southern species. Capt. Paul heard about reds caught locally from the surf before, but never from a boat. The trip that day fished off Cape May Point, because winds blew too strongly to fish the ocean. But previously flounder trips fished the ocean. Starting Friday, the Porgy IV will fish for sea bass at 8 a.m. daily.   

More and more reports were heard about redfish found in the surf, including at Cape May Point, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. The southern species showed up in recent years, and Nick had been wondering if they would in late summer, like last year. They finally appeared. Surf fishing was pretty good for bluefish and throwback striped bass. Mullet schooled the surf, and seemed a little more difficult to find than before. The netter sometimes couldn’t supply them for bait. In the back bay, blackfish and resident stripers were clocked. On the ocean, sea bass should be boated when the season for them is opened Friday. Summer flounder anglers caught and released sea bass there before flounder season was closed Wednesday. Not a lot was heard about offshore fishing. But one boat reportedly returned with 11 yellowfin tuna. The location of the catch was unknown, but Nick guessed the fish came from farther south, where the fishing’s been best this year. A boat in Cape May Canal was seen with two white marlin flags flying Wednesday, returning from offshore. Fresh mullet are stocked when available. Eels and fresh bunker are trying to be stocked for the weekend. Fresh, shucked clams will be on hand for the weekend, and soon clams in the shell will be carried.

Back to Top