<b>Sewaren</b>

Striped bass were in, said Rich from <b>Dockside Bait & Tackle</b>. They were boated including on Raritan Bay at Leonardo and the Ammo Pier, Ambrose Channel and the ocean off Coney Island. Good reports about striper catches rolled in every day. Not so many bluefish were talked about. The bass were eeled, including at Ambrose and the Ammo Pier. They were hooked on cast shads in pearl, and were trolled. Stripers were also beached from the surf at Sandy Hook. Boaters also bottom-fished for porgies, sea bass and blackfish. Eels, green crabs, fresh bunker and fresh clams are stocked. The clams sell quickly. Dockside, located on Smith Creek, a tributary of the Arthur Kill, north of Outerbridge Crossing, is accessible from land and from the water at the fuel dock.

<b>Keyport</b>

Striped bass fishing was excellent the past few days on the ocean and Raritan Bay, and big, gator bluefish moved into the water, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>. The stripers to 30 pounds were heaved aboard on livelined bunker, rubber shads and jigs.  Sea bass fishing wasn’t up to the par, so bottom-fishing trips stopped sailing aboard. Both of Down Deep’s boats will now fish for stripers, including on open-boat trips daily. Telephone for reservations, and bottom-fishing will resume, including on open trips daily, when the blackfish bag limit is increased beginning November 16 to six, from the current limit of one.  Charters are available, and join the <a href=" http://downdeepsportfishing.com/short-notice-list/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on Down Deep’s website to be kept informed about special open trips.

Bigger striped bass were showing up in Raritan Bay on a trip Monday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. Adult bunker began to arrive in the bay, and the bass were on them. Fishing was good for the stripers to 41 inches on the outing. No trips could sail Tuesday and Wednesday aboard, because of a death in the family. Reports from captains Frank spoke with sounded like the angling was good those days, and boat traffic scattered the schools, the biggest challenge. An opportune window for catching seemed to open each day, and the angling seemed to become picky afterward. Sounded like typical fall striper fishing locally.  Now’s the time for the angling, and bring a spinning rod and rubber shads.  Trips are full next week, but Saturday’s charter is looking for another angler. The one space is available, and spots are available for open-boat trips the following week from Monday, Nov. 14, through Friday, Nov. 18.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Daily bottom-fishing trips fished every day, scooping up good catches, mostly porgies, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. A few blackfish and sea bass were pasted. Some anglers brought crabs to fish for blackfish, and a few blackfish were around. Most sea bass hooked were throwbacks, and some were keepers. But the porgy fishing was pretty darn good. Monday’s trip probably gave up some of the easier fishing. The trip made only two drops. Tuesday’s trip, in great weather, returned to the same area, but the angling was slow. The boat was moved, and fishing was good for porgies. A few blackfish and lots of sea bass, mostly shorts but a few keepers, snapped. Wednesday’s trip also met great weather, and porgy fishing was good. All anglers put together healthy catches of porgies, so the boat was moved to grounds for sea bass and blackfish, and a few of those, not a lot, were wrangled up. Some anglers showed up for trips with sea bass or blackfish hooks, and Tom told them to fish smaller hooks for porgies first, put together dinner, then go for the other fish. All in all good fishing, including double-headers of porgies. Trips are fishing for porgies, sea bass and blackfish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Excellent striped bass fishing was smashed, including at Flynn’s Knoll, the sticks and the ocean, said Jay from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The bigger bass held south in the ocean, like around Shrewsbury Rocks. Surf anglers banked stripers sometimes, including at Sandy Hook and Monmouth Beach. At Monmouth Beach, off Valentine Street around the bathing pavilion fished well. Jigs, trolling bunker spoons and Mojos, like from Rockfish Candy, eels, clams and worms caught stripers. Big bluefish moved in. They were fought at Sandy Hook Point this morning. Sea bass, many of them throwbacks, were boated. Not many reports rolled in about porgies. Small blackfish, mostly throwbacks, swam Shrewsbury River at Highlands Bridge. All baits are stocked, including fresh clams, fresh bunker, eels and green crabs.

On the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, striped bass fishing was tough Monday and a bit better Tuesday, a report said on the party boat’s website. Wednesday’s trip took a ride, but when the boat arrived at the fishing grounds, the bite died because of boat traffic. The trip searched a little more, and worked back for the change of tide, finding some life. Throwback, slot and keeper stripers bit, and a 16-pounder won the pool. Back at it today, the report said. On Monday night’s trip, very good striper fishing was crushed, once conditions became right. “Short drifts with the live bait was the ticket,” it said. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

Lot of bass, said Chris from <b>Fisherman’s Den North</b>. Striped bass swam nearly everywhere. Loads were drilled on Raritan Bay, including on the troll in the back of the bay, often on Mojos, both single and tandem. Tandems with two rubber shads sold more than singles. Boating for stripers was good off Sandy Hook Point. The catches were good on the ocean to the south on bunker snagged and then livelined. Even surf anglers on the ocean slid in stripers on snagged bunker sometimes. Many stripers were beached from the bay’s surf, showing up at Keansburg one day, Keyport another, another spot another, all the way from near the shop to Staten Island. Popper plugs worked well on them. Sometimes bluefish were angled from the beach and boats. Striper fishing was good on Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers. Many were 26 to 33 inches, not as big as elsewhere, but not bad-sized. Some were bigger in the rivers, but when current ripped, getting a line to bottom to reach them could be difficult. Lines tended to hold higher in the water column, hooking smaller stripers. He landed the fish last night on rubber shads, and the shads work well on the rivers. To reach bottom, bucktails could be fished. Not a lot of places can be fished from shore on the rivers, but some can, and if anglers can get to them, the stripers have to come by sometime, he said. Nothing was heard about winter flounder fishing on the rivers or bay. Few probably targeted them in the two-flounder bag limit. Terrific flounder fishing was reported from Shark River farther south at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar, Fisherman’s Den North’s sister shop. Anglers could fish off docks there and limit out. Boating for blackfish was good. Porgy fishing was heard about less often than earlier this season, but anglers who sailed for them caught. One of the boats from the docks still sailed for sea bass, catching fairly well. Sea bass weren’t always sizable in the 60- to 80-foot depths fished. Bigger gathered in 100 to 150 feet. A couple of customers were supposed to fish offshore for tuna yesterday to today, and results were yet come in. Fisherman’s Den North, new this year, is located at Atlantic Highlands Municipal Marina, near the marina’s party, charter and private boats. Mentioned above, the store is the sister shop to Fisherman’s Den in Belmar.

<b>Highlands</b>

Sailing from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Greg Hanna on the Annie H limited out on stripers to 30 inches on Raritan Bay on Saturday on trolled shad rigs, Marion wrote in an email. On the same day, Paul and Becky on the Second Home trolled stripers to 34 inches on western Reach Channel on shad rigs. On Tuesday, Greg Hanna fished again, trolling stripers to 15 pounds on shads, and also limited the next day. On Wednesday, Johnny Cuozzo and Bud Luzzi on the Elsea Nora limited on stripers to 35 inches at the Reach, and Paul Presti and Gary Armellino on the Second Home trolled stripers to 34 inches at Princes Bay on shads. Today Dave and Scott on the Cara Marie limited on stripers while trolling the bay. Twin Lights, located on Shrewsbury River near Raritan Bay and the ocean, with no bridges before them, includes a marina with boat slips, dry storage, a fuel dock, and a combined bait and tackle shop and ship’s store. The fuel dock is available 24 hours a day with a credit card. Baits like live bunker are stocked when in demand.

<b>Neptune</b>

Ocean fishing for striped bass seemed to hold up every day, and was difficult when boat traffic was heavy, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. That makes for a longer day, but if trips get off by themselves and find a pod, they can catch. Capt. Nick’s trips for Ralph landed the fish every day. Spaces are available for individual-reservation trips Wednesday and Veterans’ Day, November 11. Contact Ralph to confirm what the trips will fish for. A half-day individual-reservation trip will blackfish on Thanksgiving, Nov. 24. Six will become the blackfish bag limit beginning Nov. 16, from the current limit of one. Spaces are available for more of the blackfish trips Nov. 22, 28 and 30. Individual-reservation blackfish trips will also fish Dec. 1, 11, 12 and 17. Charters are available.

<b>Belmar</b>

On the ocean, striped bass fishing was phenomenal, and big bluefish showed up, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. Trips got shots at the bass chasing bunker in mornings and sometimes in afternoons. The bass were hooked between bluefish biting. Pete had said striper fishing would be good on the new moon, and it was. The moon began to wax now. A sea bass trip sailed yesterday, and the fishing’s been good, including for huge, with porgies also biting. Trips pushed deeper for the sea bass now. A few dates are left for trips this month, and plenty remain in December. Blackfishing will begin aboard Nov. 16, when the bag limit is raised to six, from the current limit of one. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Contact Parker Pete’s anyway about individual spaces available on charters. Sign up for the email blast on <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a> to be kept informed about the spaces.

Great fishing for big striped bass was pounded Monday on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, a big turnaround from Sunday, an email said from the party boat. About 15 keepers, mostly over 30 pounds, a couple topping 40, were heaved in. Tuesday’s trip managed a handful of stripers and a slow pick of blues, sometimes four or five blues hooked at once. On Wednesday’s trip, fishing was excellent for jumbo blues to 17 pounds that moved close to shore and crashed bunker. On today’s trip, fishing began slowly and landed a few stripers when the tide changed. Then blues 10 to 17 pounds gave up decent to good fishing the last half of the trip. The Miss Belmar Princess is going to begin fishing earlier, at 7 a.m., on daily trips now.

Anglers picked at jumbo blues and some striped bass Tuesday on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report said on the party boat’s website. Lots of fish and plenty of bait swam, but the fish wouldn’t bite like previously. Wednesday’s trip banged away at monster blues and a few stripers, very good fishing. The trip had to sail a little to find them, but did. Today’s trip went into overtime, then jacked up big fish, mostly blues but some stripers. “We had a lot of people very happy with their catch today,” it said. Trips are sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Brielle</b>

<b>***Update, Saturday, 11/5***:</b> From an email from Capt. Ryan from the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> today: “Spectacular fishing on the last two Offshore Seabass trips - 10 Hour on Thursday and 14 Hour today. Many, many limits of Seabass, some Porgy limits and today numerous Flounder limits along with all the other fish.  Some of the BEST wreck fishing in years. Many big Bluefish also to add to the pandemonium. Some anglers with sore arms from cranking in fish: Dave Tootchen, Phila, Pa., limit Seabass and flounders and 31 big Porgies; Wes Shourt Manahawkin, NJ, limit Seabass and Flounder and 38 Porgies; Lafeyette McGaskill Camden, NJ,  limit Seabass and 41 Porgies; Dave Thomas, Paterson, NJ,  limit Seabass and Flounder and 40 Porgies. Full coolers for mostly everybody. Few more names with limits: Dave Nelson, Young Park, Howell, NJ, John Weaver, Phila, Pa., Bob Plasket, Medford, NJ, and many more … Can’t ask for better fishing than this - freezer filling time before those cold winter winds arrive. Schedule next weeks: 3/4 Day - 7:30 am - 2:30 pm Nov 8th and 9th; 10 Hour Offshore Seabass 7:30 am - 5:30 pm  Nov 7, 10, 14, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22; 12 Hour Offshore Seabass  5 am - 5 pm  Nov. 6, 11, 13, 20, 23, 25, 27, 30; 14 Hour Offshore Seabass 3 am EVERY SATURDAY; BLACKFISH -- Nov 16th -- 7am. No reservations needed any trip.”

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Catches of sea bass were good Tuesday again on the <b>Norma-K III</b>, a report said on the party boat’s website. That was the most recent report at press time, and throwbacks had to be picked through to nab keepers, but catches were good, and a few jumbo porgies were mixed in. The Norma-K III is sailing for sea bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for blues 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Bottom-fishing was good, very good, actually, on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. Trips the last couple of days smoked porgies, lots, including huge, 2- to 4-pounders. Many sea bass, including a fair number of keepers, bit. Not a lot of blackfish were belted the past couple of days. But before the porgy fishing ramped up, more blackfish were taken. Some winter flounder were decked yesterday, and sometimes bluefish showed up on trips. They could be a nuisance, biting hooked fish in half. On yesterday’s trip, many anglers limited out on porgies and bagged three or four sea bass apiece. Trips fished in 100 to 120 feet of water, and the ocean surface was 63 degrees at those grounds. Closer to shore, loads of bunker schooled from along the beach to 3 or 4 miles out. Not many baitfish were seen once trips sailed beyond. Many whales foraged on the bunker, and anglers must’ve boated striped bass close to shore, because boats were gathered there. Bottom-fishing was excellent aboard, and come on down and grab a pole, Butch said. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

Surf fishing for striped bass produced every day, not all day, but baitfish pulled into the water at different moments in the day, drawing in the bass, said Virginia from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Quite a few blitzes happened during the week. Fresh clams, fresh bunker chunks or heads, pencil poppers and bottleneck poppers caught. The poppers were light-colored, like yellow and white. But any with a white bottom seemed to work. Swimming lures like Daiwa SP Minnows sometimes caught in evenings. Some big bluefish began to show up in the surf. The blues had been boated farther offshore but now moved into the beach sometimes. Boaters trolled good-sized stripers well on the ocean on Rockfish Candy rigs and bunker spoons in white or chartreuse. Big blues 10 pounds and larger were mixed in. Whales swam near the coast, feeding on bunker and rainfish. The bait showed up sporadically in patches in the surf. Surf anglers and boaters caught at Lavallette, Ortley Beach, Seaside Park and Island Beach State Park. Smaller stripers, a keeper once in a while, were fought on Barnegat Bay, and anglers each had their secret holes. But lots of the bass swam, swiping SP’s, poppers and eels. Stripers were hooked in Point Pleasant Canal at night on eels and paddle-tails. Blackfishing was good in the canal, and probably 1 in 20 was a keeper, but the fishing could be fun, like with a friend. Bottom-fishing was excellent on the ocean, including for porgies. Porgies still swam close to shore, and a 5-pounder won a pool on a party boat yesterday. Sea bass fishing became a little slow, or inshore wrecks became picked over, and trips needed to fish farther off for sea bass now. Blackfishing was good on the ocean and probably will be when the bag limit is increased to six beginning Nov. 16, from the current limit of one. Crabs were still trapped. The ocean was 62 degrees, so back-waters were warm enough for crabbing. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Surf fishing for striped bass was slow the past couple of days but caught heavily Saturday to Monday, said Ray from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Lavallette, Heiring Avenue in Seaside Heights and Island Beach State Park fished well. Mostly popper lures caught, but sometimes swimming lures did. The lures were big like a Gibbs popper and metal-lipped swimmers. No bluefish were heard about from the surf. Boaters trolled stripers along the 3-mile line. Striper fishing is closed beyond 3 miles from shore on the ocean. From the dock, crabs were still trapped. Fresh clams, fresh bunker and eels are stocked. The Dock Outfitters, located on Barnegat Bay, blocks from the ocean surf, features a bait and tackle shop, a café, a dock for fishing and crabbing and, in season, boat rentals and jet-ski rentals.

<b>Forked River</b>

<b>Tuna-Tic Sportfishing</b> will begin striped bass fishing next week, Capt. Mike said. The fish began to be boated from the ocean locally, and the catches will only become better. The catches were great Monday and no good Tuesday. Nothing was heard about the fishing Wednesday. Dates are available for the fishing next week and the week after. Trips aboard will fish for the bass with bunker snagged and then livelined, jigs or on the troll, whatever’s necessary. The boat might keep tuna fishing next week, like it’s been doing, if windows of weather open up and anglers want to go.

Boating for striped bass was good on the ocean, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. The catches were heard about from a little south of Barnegat Inlet today.  But the fish were mostly found between the bathing beach at Island Beach State Park and Seaside Park or Heights lately. They were hooked on bunker snagged and then livelined for bait and on trolled Mojos and bunker spoons. A few bluefish, not many, were trolled from the area the other day. Fish swam, whales breached and baitfish schooled. “People are getting quite the show,” he said. Anglers looked for the whales to find the bass. Whales fed on bunker that schooled not far from shore. Stripers were eeled on Barnegat Bay and plugged along Barnegat Inlet’s jetty. Sea bass fishing must’ve been good on the ocean, because many customers headed out for the fish. Blackfish must’ve bitten, because the customers bought green crabs for bait for them when going sea bass fishing.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Trips fished Saturday and Wednesday on the <b>Super Chic</b>, Capt. Ted said. Saturday’s trip wreck-fished on the ocean, piling up sea bass and porgies, a good catch. Wednesday’s trip had been going to fish for striped bass on the ocean, but too many boats chased the bass. So the trip bluefished on the ocean. Big blues 8 to 15 pounds, a great catch, were chummed. Although that trip did no striper fishing, trips Saturday and Sunday will sail for stripers on the ocean aboard. Stripers are around. “Yeah, they’re here,” he said. “They’re here.” The bass were jigged or caught on bunker snagged and then livelined for bait, and Ted expects to do either of those on the outings. Any stripers caught in Barnegat Bay? he was asked. Just at Barnegat Inlet, he said. A charter is supposed to fish for tuna offshore overnight Sunday aboard, but forecasts looked like rough weather might cancel the trip. Weather looked good for Saturday and Sunday during the daytime for fishing. 

Many striped bass were docked, said Vince Sr. from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. Boaters on the ocean scored a few good days on them on livelined spots or on bunker snagged and then livelined. The anglers began to complain about bluefish that arrived in the water. A mix of the bass and blues were around. Boaters also hooked stripers from Barnegat Bay and Barnegat Inlet on the spots. Sea bass fishing was good on the ocean. So was blackfishing, and blackfish were also angled along the inlet’s rocks. Live spots and green crabs and fresh clams and bunker are stocked. Bobbie’s features a complete bait and tackle shop, a fuel dock and, in season, boat and kayak rentals. The boats are used for fishing, crabbing, clamming and pleasure.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

Fishing was weathered out this week on the <b>June Bug</b>, Capt. Lindsay said. But weather looks good for Saturday and Sunday, and he hopes trips will get the weather to sail then. That would be for sea bass or striped bass.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

A few striped bass began to be weighed from the ocean yesterday and today, said Ryan from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. They included stripers weighing 22, 26, 38 and 45 pounds and were boated to the north from Long Beach Island to Island Beach State Park on the troll and on bunker snagged and then livelined. So the migration seemed to be swimming closer to the local area. Locally, anglers fished for occasional blackfish along the bay’s sod banks. They also caught white perch and stripers on Mullica River and some tributaries. The perch bit in the Mullica, Wading River and Nacote Creek. Some customers ended up with plenty of fillets. The stripers, not big, were eeled on the river sometimes. They were resident fish becoming active in cooling water. Baits stocked include eels, fresh clams in the shell, fresh bunker, bloodworms for the perch and green crabs for the blackfish. Flats of sardines are also stocked, because a couple of anglers still tuna fished between windy weather. 

<b>Absecon</b>

The striped bass migration began to move closer to the local area, said Jay from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Some just arrived in the ocean off southern Long Beach Island, getting trolled on bunker spoons and Mojos and hooked on bunker snagged and then livelined. No bluefish were known to be in the mix there, and most blues among stripers were heard about from farther north off Belmar. Those were big blues, and Jay jigged tiny blues and 10-inch weakfish on the ocean off Atlantic City maybe two weeks ago. Charters with Capt. Dave, the shop’s owner, boated stripers well on the back bay. One of the trips yesterday landed 10, and the trips are mostly casting Gulp Nemesis on jigs, but clocking a few of the bass on livelined spots. Blackfishing was good locally at structure including jetties, the Steel Pier and some of the bay’s sod banks. Baits stocked include live spots, peanut bunker, mullet, eels and green crabs, and fresh clams and bunker.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Boaters ran into striped bass closer to locally than before, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Two anglers sailed from Wreck Inlet, trolling a 30-pounder and two 18-pounders they bagged, releasing more, one after another, all big, about a mile to the north, toward Little Egg Inlet, Andy guessed, on Riptide Mojos. So they limited out on unders and bagged one over, and the bass they released were unders. Andy and Fred from the shop jumped aboard with Gregmar Charters, trolled a good time off Brigantine and saw no stripers. Another captain radioed, saying he was into the bass a mile north. Andy’s trip sailed there and trolled a 30-pounder and a 20-pounder. Stripers are around, and anglers need to look for them. If they could find whales, stripers schooled around them. No stripers were reported from Brigantine’s surf, but the wait was on for the fish to migrate there. Joe Jr. at the beginning of the week hooked a load of stripers on the back bay on live spots or eels, bagging a 32-incher and a 30-incher. The Brigantine Elks Fall Classic Tournament will take place Nov. 11 to 13, and all profits will reportedly benefit veterans. Applications are available at Riptide and at the Elks, and are required by next Thursday, Nov. 10. The annual Riptide Fall Striper Derby is underway until Dec. 23. Prizes are $500, $300 and $150 for the first, second and third heaviest stripers, respectively, and $300, $200 and $100 for the first through third heaviest bluefish, from Brigantine’s surf.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Boaters checked-in big striped bass from the ocean for the first time this season at <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>, Noel said. The fish weighed 47 pounds and 30 pounds and were hooked between Atlantic City and Brigantine. Stripers were also trolled on the ocean off Longport. A surf angler stopped by with a 33-inch 12-pound striper from Atlantic City. Stripers were also landed at the Brigantine Bridge. But blackfish were reeled in most frequently. Anglers on foot tugged in lots of the tautog from jetty-lined Absecon Inlet near the shop. The fishing was “on and cracking!” Noel said. One customer bought a half-dozen green crabs, soon returned, and Noel thought he forgot something. But the angler caught a blackfish on the first crab he fished, and returned to show the tautog. Bluefish 12 to 18 inches swam the inlet. So did herring by the thousands. The herring were mostly jigged on Sabiki rigs. Sometimes they were angled on small spoons or other jigs. One customer boated a good catch of sea bass on the ocean. All baits, a large supply, are stocked.  ***Big Heads Up:*** Noel began a <a href="http://acprimetime.com/atlantic-city-fishing-petition-jetty-access/" target="_blank"><b>petition</b></a> for anglers <b>to protest the government’s planned closing of fishing the jetties along the inlet</b>. Click the link to read and sign it. The government recently said access will be granted, after Noel began to spearhead the protest. But until the government makes that official, the protest needs to continue.

<b>Egg Harbor Township</b>

A few striped bass, not a lot, but the season’s first, were trolled off Atlantic City, said Austin from <b>24-7 Bait & Tackle</b>. They were big, including a 41-pound 47-incher checked-in. The trip that boated that striper caught one. Not much was heard about surf fishing for stripers or other fish. Smaller stripers were eeled along Ocean City’s 9th Street Bridge. Fresh clams and bunker were stocked today. Live spots, eels, green crabs and bloodworms are on hand. <b>The company also owns 24-7 Bait & Tackle in Marmora</b>.

<b>Longport</b>

The <b>Stray Cat</b> fished for sea bass yesterday, but the angling was slow, Capt. Mike said. Whether the moon or something was the cause was unknown, but four spots were fished 19 or 20 miles from shore, giving up a slow pick. The trip also fished the scallop bottom closer to shore a little, but that was slow, too. Previously, sea bass fishing was good aboard, and snapper blues and porgies were pitched aboard at the scallop bottom, covered in the previous report here. Current ran strong on the current trip, but not enough to slow the angling like this. The water was 62 degrees and not so clear, somewhat smoky-gray. The fish must’ve remained in the water, but weren’t biting then, for some reason. This Friday’s weather looks like a blow out in wind, but open-boat trips will fish next week on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Saturday, Nov. 12, is available for charter. An open blackfish trip will sail Wednesday, Nov. 16, and space is available. The bag limit will be increased to six that day, from the current limit of one. Beginning then, open blackfish trips will fish every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.  Space is available on an open blackfish trip 8 a.m. to 12 noon Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, and on another the next day, Black Friday, sailing full-day. See an <a href=" http://www.fishingreportsnow.com/feature_articles/Blackfish_Stray_Cat_Charters.cfm" target="_blank">article about blackfishing on the Stray Cat</a>. The boat’s big on the fishing.

<b>Ocean City</b>

“(There’s) not a lot of size,” said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>, but fishing for striped bass was good on the back bay in early mornings, mostly on soft-plastic lures like Z-mans or Zooms. A few also seemed to be beached from the surf at first light and before dark every day along jetties. Daiwa SP Minnows hooked them, in light colors during the light, and black and purple in the dark. The fish could also be hooked at night on the tides. Blackfishing was unbelievable in the bay. Not many were sizable, but anglers looking for their limit of one seemed to bag their one in a trip. Blues 1 to 3 pounds were around, mostly in the bay and at Corson’s Inlet. Few were reported from the surf. But boaters jigged small blues and small weakfish on the ocean near shore. They were all small. Occasional large stripers began to be trolled on the ocean, reportedly just north of Brigantine. Those seemed the first fish of the southern migration of large that were already being caught in good numbers farther north in the state.  One customer’s trip fished at Wilmington Canyon offshore, landing a swordfish and a mako shark but not tuna.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

The back bay was full of striped bass, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. They were smaller, but the fishing was great, mostly on jigs. Joe’s trips throw Bass Assassins on the jigs, and swimming plugs will also work. Joe and wife fished for them a short time last evening, releasing a couple. This weekend his trips will probably fish for them, and he’d also like to shoot out to the ocean. There he’d see if the migration of big stripers arrived, and they could show any time, and he’d fish for sea bass and see if false albacore were around.

<b>***Update, Friday, 11/14:***</b> Back-bay striped bass fishing was excellent, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Most anglers cast lures for the fish, just great numbers, sometimes a keeper, lots of fun, along the sod banks. Some threw soft-plastic lures, and others tossed swimming plugs. Others fished live eels or spots for the bass, probably tying into better-sized, but fewer. Surf anglers landed a handful of stripers, and maybe one or two of the catches were heard about every day. The fishing was slow but began to produce occasional bass. Not a lot of anglers participated, then again. Blackfish bit along structure like jetties, bridges and pilings. Nothing changed about that angling. No bluefish caught were reported in past days. Ocean striper fishing was a slow pick but starting. A couple of more stripers boated from the ocean were heard about each day. The leading edge of the southern, fall migration was probably at Brigantine. The fish only needed to swim a short distance farther to reach Sea Isle, and maybe today’s blow would trigger them to make the move. Anglers boating for sea bass on the ocean caught, even if they said the 13-inch minimum size was tough. From offshore boaters, not many tuna were heard about. But swordfishing was good.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Good sea bass fishing was boxed from the ocean, and trips just had to take a ride, said Capt. Jim from <b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b>. The best fishing for them was farther from shore. Striped bass were plugged, chunked and clammed on the back bay. Those were resident fish, and a few migrating stripers began to arrive in the local ocean. A healthy number of trips are booked to fish the migration later this season. Fins is fishing every day, when enough anglers want. Reservations aren’t required but suggested, and telephone for availability. 

<b>Cape May</b>

A good-sized crowd jumped aboard yesterday’s sea bass trip on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, so the trip took a long ride, Capt. Paul said. A bunch of sea bass were cranked in, and most were throwbacks. The anglers had lots of action, and some landed eight or 10 keepers. Some only bagged a few, and some might’ve bagged more, but that was unknown. Trips are sailing at 8 a.m. when weather is fit, and trips might begin to depart earlier. The trips will fish for blackfish once the bag limit is increased beginning November 16 to six, from the current limit of one. 

Sea bass fishing is supposed to sail this weekend on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Trips he knew about that fished for them in past days caught pretty well, and a trip on the Heavy Hitter cleaned up on sea bass 30 miles from shore last weekend, covered in the previous report here. A striped bass caught here and there was heard about from the ocean occasionally, like off Hereford or Corson’s inlets. The bulk of the striper migration seemed farther north in the state, but it’ll arrive in the southern state. The season’s first striper fishing is slated to sail in two weekends aboard.

Sounded like a few striped bass began to appear in the ocean locally, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. One customer returning from a sea bass trip farther from shore ran into fish busting on bait close to shore, began chucking a bucktail and nailed a good-sized striper. Boaters began searching for the striper migration, starting at about Wildwood on the ocean. If they found none there, they kept working north. They occasionally hooked one of the fish, so the migration seemed to be trickling down. The full migration was already reaching farther north in the state, like at Seaside Park, where a friend beached the fish from the surf. Not much happened in Cape May’s surf yet that Nick knew about. He tried the fishing himself. But blackfishing was good at surf jetties.  Stripers were slid from the surf a little farther north at Ocean City, so Nick thinks Cape May’s anglers could begin to see the fish this weekend. Sea bass fishing was good at ocean wrecks. In the back bay, good catches of smaller stripers to 28 inches were played in early mornings, often on soft-plastic lures and top-water plugs. Nothing was heard about stripers boated on Delaware Bay, and the season was somewhat early for that. But bunker arrived in the bay, and the bait supplier was catching them there. Bunker are usually a prerequisite for finding stripers in the bay. Whether anybody even tried for the bass on Delaware Bay was unknown, or nobody who did was heard about. Tuna fishing was reportedly good for big yellowfins at local canyons. Not a lot of boaters sail for them this late in the season, but the tuna seemed around.

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