<b>Brooklyn</b>

An open-boat blackfishing trip on the <b>Big M Express</b> yesterday was good,  not hot and heavy, but several big ones were heaved in, six fish from 8 to 12 pounds, the fishing report on the boat’s web site said. A few anglers limited out, and one reeled in 14, keeping only his limit, and others put the brakes on five to seven apiece, and a few picked up very few. “That’s blackfising for you,” the report said. Open blackfishing trips are sailing every day when no charter is booked. The Big M Express is docked at Tamaqua Marina in Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn.

<b>Staten Island</b>

Blackfishing was good at the reefs for <b>Kayla Rose Charters</b>, Capt. Darrin said. The tog to 8 pounds were boated this past week, and no striped bass fishing was done, but the boat will also striper fish if anglers want. A blackfishing trip tried jigging for stripers when returning to port one day, but only three blues were hooked in a row. Charters are sailing for both species, and so are open-boat trips, and if interested in an open trip, call Darrin and give him your date or dates, and he’ll call others on his list and try to put a trip together.

Fishing for blackfish was very good Friday for five anglers onboard with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, and quite a few drops were made, but the group limited out with no problem and played catch and release with a few more, Capt. Joe said. He thought the fish weighed up to 7 pounds, and a blackfishing charter was tougher Saturday in windy weather that made the bites difficult to feel. But the five anglers bagged almost 40 keepers to 6 pounds. Sometimes Outcast will stop and jig for stripers when the fish are seen schooling on the way out or back from blackfishing trips, and birds were seen working on the way to the grounds Saturday, but nobody was interested in targeting them.

<b>Bayonne</b>

A charter for blackfish was cancelled yesterday because of snow and the weather, said Capt. Akira from <b>True World Tackle</b> and <b>True World Tackle Charters</b>. A charter slated for next Sunday will be the last of the season on the boat. Customers in the past days were buying eels and sometimes boating striped bass while drifting the baits at Ambrose Channel between the 2 and 3 buoys. Akira saw a few boats drifting there on a trip last week, so the location seemed popular.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The <b>Atlantic Star</b> sailed for blackfish Thursday through Sunday south of the Scotland Grounds, despite sometimes windy weather, Capt. Tom said. Seas were a little cranky Thursday morning, for some reason, but catches were good, and all patrons bagged at least a few of the tog, and some limited out. On Friday seas and the weather were nice, but the fish were slower to bite, and a couple of customers bagged four or five, and some took one or two, and some grabbed none. Saturday was windy, and the current was screaming, and anglers had to use 10 ounces of weight, but they picked away at the fish regardless, and some decent-sized ones were caught. Jack McMillan from Piscataway that day tackled five keepers including a 6-pounder and a 5-1/2-pounder, and John Pavelchuk from Garfield bailed seven keepers to 5 pounds on the trip. On Sunday fishing was okay, and only a few anglers showed up at the dock in snowy, cold weather but with flat seas. The first hour or two produced nice fishing, and then conditions swung the boat off anchor, but anglers started picking away again toward the end of the trip. One patron limited out, and one bagged a single fish short of a limit, and Tom thought one picked up no keepers, but the rest took home two to five, and overall the catch was good. A few shorts bit on the trips, and a few ling, including nice-sized ones, appeared, and not many dogfish showed up. On one trip a patron dunked clams to grab a few ling, and the green-crab blackfish baits took a few ling on another trip. At times dogfish were apparently numerous lately, and then the crew put away the clam baits, because such soft baits can attract dogs. But they managed to avoid an invasion of the dogs, and in the past days dogs weren’t an issue, and at such times, the boat will make clams available as well as green crabs.  Forecasts were calling for fierce winds today and maybe tomorrow, so keep an eye on the weather if you were planning to come down. But keep in mind that forecasts often turn out wrong, and the boat can comfortably fish in west or northwest winds 30 knots or less. Winds looked like they’d calm at least by Wednesday if not sooner. The Atlantic Star is bottom fishing for blackfish from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Four keeper striped bass, some shorts and some blues were hooked on the <b>Fishermen</b> on Friday, the most recent day with a report on the boat’s web site, and the fishing was mostly a lot of running around, the report said. The boat first ran down the ocean beaches for a change of pace, stopped at working birds, and customers got into blues. A few other patches of life were tried, and all blues bit again. The vessel moved to the Shrewsbury Rocks, and there was a shot at one keeper striper and some shorts. The trip pushed farther offshore, and loads of birds, bait, blues and dogfish appeared. The vessel left, and another patch of life was found, and there was a good shot at stripers, mostly shorts, and blues. On Thursday birds worked everywhere, feeding on loads of bait, and short stripers and all the blues anyone could want bit. The boat fished several areas to look for larger stripers, but getting through the blues was almost impossible. The number of blues that was still around was amazing. The Fishermen is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. On another note, Capt. Ron is on the board of the <a href="http://www.ssfff.net/" target="_blank"> Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund </a>, and Tom Krako donated $300 to the fund, and Ron said “a million thank you’s.” Ron previously stressed the importance of anglers supporting the fund with donations, ideas about how to raise funds and any other help possible, because otherwise the government is on a path to seriously limit summer flounder fishing, even threatening a moratorium, and that would end much recreational angling and harm many businesses in the industry. Even fishing reports would be seriously affected. Recreational anglers generally believe the proposed limits are totally unnecessary and based on faulty science. One of the fund’s reported goals is to fund better science. Check out the web site.

<b>Highlands</b>

<b>Fisher Price Charters</b> fished twice for blackfish this past week, and one day was very good, and the anglers probably boated 30 keepers to 7 pounds, not a limit, but a good catch, and the next day a trip found a slower pick but bigger slipperies to 9 pounds, Capt. Derek said. His charters now are also targeting striped bass, and the boat will fish at least through this weekend, and afterward Derek will play it day by day. Openings are available for charters.

Capt. Brian from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> was competing in the American Striper Association Tournament near Norfolk, Va., this weekend, but his crew back in Jersey fished for stripers at the Shrewsbury Rocks on Saturday, he said. Trolling for stripers for the crew was tough, but a few were landed, including a 26-pounder and maybe another decent one or so. Jersey Devil will keep chartering for stripers, but Brian will keep an eye on the long-term weather forecast. Charters are also available for tog. In Virginia he fished with Team Cheap Shot from Fountain, and they reeled in a couple of 20-some-pounders, keeping them in the running for Angler of the Year from the ASA. But a bunch of 30-pounders and a few 40-pounders were entered in the tournament, so Team Cheap Shot wasn’t in the running for that competition.

<b>Sea Bright</b>

<b>Two Rivers Charters</b> did no fishing in the past couple of days, but friends striper fished between the channels during the snow Sunday and said the action was slow, Capt. Fletcher Chayes said. Two Rivers is fishing for stripers and tog.

<b>Neptune</b>

Few boats fished yesterday because of stormy weather, but striped bass fishing was unbelievably good for <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> in the ocean that day, and none of the fish was big, but some were up to 30 and 35 inches, Capt. Ralph said. Striper fishing was fair in the ocean Saturday in horrendous winds for Last Lady. No more open-boat striped bass trips are on the books for Ralph’s two boats, but charters for the linesiders are available, and so are blackfishing charters. Individual-reservation blackfishing trips are sailing every Sunday and Wednesday this month, and space is available. A blackfishing trip with Last Lady last Monday was probably Ralph’s best in 20 years. One spot is open for a mid-range wreck trip December 23.

<b>Belmar</b>

Jigging produced a mess of striped bass in the ocean off Seaside Park on a trip on the <b>Nan Sea J</b> on Saturday, and many of the fish were 22 to 26 inches, and none was a keeper, but the fishing was good, Capt. Tom said. Trollers probably scored better, but too many anglers were on the trip to troll. Two big blues were also jigged off Mantoloking, but no blues showed up on the trip off Seaside, and spiny dogfish also attacked the jigs in the 48.5-degree water. The Nan Sea J did no tog fishing in the past days, but tog charters are sailing in addition to striper trips, and the boat will fish until the end of the year.

<b>Brielle</b>

Boaters reeled in lots of striped bass, mostly shorts, in the ocean Saturday, both north and south of Manasquan Inlet, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Some jigged the fish, and some hooked better while trolling, especially to the north. Anglers on the Sidewinder scored one of the better catches lately, bagging eight keepers 13 to 19 pounds, releasing other keepers and also letting go a load of shorts. That crew was trolling The Reel Seat’s holographic shad rigs on downriggers on Friday, and the boat’s owner’s been consistently getting into good catches on those rigs. Surf fishing seemed off and on and mostly gave up short stripers, but sharpies usually caught something on a trip out. They were throwing sand eel imitations such as Hopkins jigs and Skip’s lures, and they were also dunking bait and drawing shorts. The last news that Dave heard about the Manasquan River was that stripers, apparently including a bunch of keepers, turned on at Fisherman’s Cove on Tuesday evening during the last two hours of incoming tide. But Dave fished the river near the shop during the same tide one morning and got no bites, and he’s been seeing no bait in the river. But he hadn’t had the opportunity to fish the river on outgoing at night, the best time for a chance at success. Blackfishing was good around 60 feet in the ocean, and Dave was scheduled to take an offshore sea bassing trip on the Voyager that was weathered out this past week, but the boat is now running those trips. The Jamaica is also sailing on those trips and was supposed to head out Friday, but Dave had heard nothing back about the trip yet. In other news, Dave is involved with the <a href="http://www.ssfff.net/" target="_blank"> Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund </a>, and the group needs support from anglers. The fund will hold a meeting for the general public at 7 p.m. January 21 at the Manasquan Elks and will hold another for the industry December 13.

The final charters of the year fished on the <b>Katie H</b> Friday and Saturday, Capt. Mike said. Scores of striped bass were trolled on shad rigs off Seaside on the trip Saturday, and two, three and four of the bass were hooked at a time, and it was crazy. Only one was a keeper, but the day was fun, and a few of the fish were also jigged, but trolling worked better. Friday’s trip did practically the same thing at the same location. Piles and piles of stripers were out there, and the fish moved quickly, and anglers had to find them, but they could have a ball, and it was good to see so many stripers. The crew sailed to Ocean Port on Sunday to put away the vessel for the winter, and they saw birds working the Shrewsbury Rocks on the way, so they stopped and jigged a bunch and also big bluefish. Few of the stripers there were probably keepers, but again, there were lots, and it was fun. The weather was cloudy with precipitation that day, but seas were calm. Things were quiet on the water Sunday, except for a few boaters blackfishing at the rocks. Mike thanked everyone who fished on the vessel this year, and charters will kick off again in spring, beginning with striper fishing. Striper fishing in recent years was starting toward the end of May and beginning of June in local waters.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Anglers with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> jigged and trolled 40 striped bass and 40 blues in the ocean from the Shrewsbury Rocks to Long Branch on Friday, Capt. Fred said. There was tons of life in the water, including 100-pound bluefin tuna everywhere. The group started trolling at the rocks and constantly hooked short stripers and blues, including double and triple headers. Then they switched to jigging and landed a couple of keeper stripers, more shorts, lots of blues and too many dogfish. So they trolled again and hooked more keeper stripers, shorts and blues. By the end of the day they bagged five keeper bass. The tuna were never targeted, because it’s like chasing a ghost. Fred knew about five anglers who tried to catch the tuna that morning but failed, and the tuna at this time of year are moving fast and chasing bait that’s difficult to imitate, and the bluefins aren’t worth wasting time trying to fool them on a charter. Tog trips had to be cancelled today and tomorrow because of forecasts for fierce winds, but Andrea’s Toy is running for tog, including on mixed-bag trips for tog, stripers, blues and sea bass, including on 10-hour, open-boat tog marathons that are sailing every Sunday. The marathons are available for a very reasonable rate that includes a tip for the mate, and see Andrea’s Toys’ home page on its web site for details. The marathons will also usually mix in fishing for stripers and sometimes sea bass, when the tog are being targeted in deeper, 100-foot water where sea bass could also be found. 

On the <b>Dauntless</b> mostly sea bass and ling were pulled up, and a variety of other fish—a few blackfish, cod, pollock, sometimes porgies but big ones, an occasional striped bass—were also boated, Capt. Butch said. Sometimes anglers bagged a dozen to two dozen fish, and the vessel targeted 120-foot depths abut 16 miles offshore. The fishing was decent for this time of year, and during some years the bite starts to drop off by now. The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

Loads of striped bass bit, and blues seemed to be thinning out, said Rob from <b>Gates Bait & Tackle</b>. Both surf fishers and ocean boaters ran into blitzes of bass from Bay Head to Lavallette through the week. Surf casters chucked Deadly Dicks, Ava jigs and needlefish lures, and diehard bait fishers also dunked clams and connected. One angler talked about 7-hour blitzes at Lavallette both Thursday and Friday. The water was in the low 50s, a high temp for this time of year, and bigger stripers might arrive as the water cools further. Stripers also turned on along the Point Pleasant Canal, and many seemed to be shorts, but a quite a few swam toward the hospital end, and an unconfirmed reports was heard about a 22-pounder taken. The stripers there also pounced on lures like Ava’s and Storms. Plenty of blackfish also hit along the canal on green crabs or salted clams, both in stock. Fresh clams are also carried, though the supply from distributors was starting to become sketchy. One angler fished Manasquan Inlet this morning and caught and released two out-of-season winter flounder. Gates is conveniently located within walking distance of the surf, Manasquan Inlet and the charter and party boat fleet. The grounds also include a motel, popular with anglers who stay the night to avoid driving early or late for boat trips, or who simply make a fishing vacation out of a stay.

<b>Seaside</b>

Snow stopped falling by 8 a.m. yesterday, when winds turned east, but only a handful of anglers were fishing the surf, and they were reporting no fish caught, and the weather continued to be miserable through the afternoon, the report on <b>Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site said. By mid morning today winds started cranking from the west. The surf today was 1 to 2 feet, 49 degrees and clean. The shop was starting to offer pre-holidays specials, and the first were Shimano Baitrunner reels for $79.99 that normally are $109, and seven were in stock. The second were Okuma AV50 reels, great for 8- or 9-foot rods, for $29.99 that normally are $46.99.  <a href=" http://www.bettyandnicks.com/fish.shtml" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for the latest.

Strong winds were the biggest problem with surf fishing today, but at least the winds were westerly and made anglers “look like some kind of tournament casting fool!” the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s web site said. Water temps were still good, “so don’t put your stuff away just yet,” the report said. The weather was less than marvelous Sunday but really wasn’t bad for fishing, and on Saturday short stripers were the only fish reported beached. Some snow fell Saturday afternoon but not on Sunday, though other parts of the state got snow Sunday. Friday morning gave up a good striper bite in the wash for anglers who worked at it, and shorts dominated. Plenty of stripers generally seemed to be around, but anglers had to work for them, and lots of shorts and occasional keepers were hooked in the mornings and evenings on clams, plugs and metal. A 27.5-pound striper and a 23.4-pounder were checked in that slurped down Grumpy’s clams, and so were a 10.6-pounder that hit an Ava jig and a 10-pounder that smacked a plug. A new supply of Custom Lures’ highly effective squids arrived, and the company’s brass jigs were expected early this week, and get them quickly if you want them. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.  

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Fall fishing was on fire, and most trips in the ocean produced more than 25 striped bass per angler and plenty of big, burly blues, said Capt. Steve from <b>Reel Fantasea Charters</b> in an e-mail. On Thursday regulars Jay Simmons and Joe Franke limited out on stripers to 12 pounds, released scores more and fought a bunch of big blues. They were doubled up at times and even scored double headers when fish hit both the jigs and the teasers. Joe reportedly said he and Jay caught more stripers than most people will land in a lifetime. Sometimes the bottom was lost on the fish finder because of the number of fish.  On Friday Eric Gardner, owner of Gardner Cadillac, and friends Wayne Smith and Mike got into steady action with stripers to 18 pounds and plenty of big blues. Multiple stripers sometimes followed the hooks right to the boat, and the numbers that bit were lower than the previous day, but the sizes were a little bigger. All the keepers were over 30 inches, and a 36 incher was biggest. The fish finder was lit up solid all day with fish and bait. The anglers were doubled and tripled up, including scoring double headers of both bass and blues. Sunday’s trip was cancelled because of snow and ice that could’ve created hazardous deck conditions. December 13 is the only date that remains open for a charter, and give Steve a call if interested.

<b>Margate</b>

Striped bass and monster blues were getting drilled daily on the <b>Jessie O’</b> in the ocean, and a trolling trip crushed them Saturday, Capt. Jay said. Open-boat trips are sailing for the fish at 8 a.m. daily on the troll, jigs or eels, and the action was on, and crowds were relatively light at this time of year, with plenty of rail space, so come on down for a great time. On Saturday seas were rough, but the fish bit anyway, and trolled Stretch 30 plugs did the trick. The Jessie O’ will also run open-boat tog trips on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and tog fishing was producing lots of limits. Charters are also available on the boat. Jay’s back-bay boat, the <b>Fish N’ Fun</b>, will probably end its season after this week and be hauled from the water. But charters will be available this week at special, discounted, end-of-the year rates. Jay and crew had a great season on the Fish N’ Fun, the first season they ran the boat, and thanked everyone for a successful year on the vessel. Look forward to the Fish N’ Fun’s trips--both daily, open-boat outings and charters--to resume in spring.  On the Jessie O’, a special, 10-hour trip will sail Christmas Eve day for stripers and blues, and Christmas-week specials will also leave port.

<b>Longport</b>

Trips fished Friday and Saturday on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, and blackfishing was good on the trip Friday, and a few big ones to 10 pounds were taken, and a 15-pounder escaped at the net, Capt. Mike said. Saturday’s fishing was tougher, and big blues, a short striper and a bunch of dogfish were jigged. The trip first fished at the Cuma Lumps, but no blues and stripers appeared, although sand eels and spearing were plentiful. So the vessel moved to the Sea Isle Lump, where the fish were hooked.  Stray Cat is usually running open-boat blackfishing trips daily but will chase stripers either when anglers request or when the fish show up.   Open blackfishing trips are sold out Friday and the next two Saturdays, but space is available Wednesday and Thursday. Charters are also available. “We’re down here whacking these tog,” Mike said. So come down and get them, he said.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Blackfishing trips sailed five days on the <b>Captain Robbins</b> this past week when the weather allowed, and the bite was good, Capt. John Sullivan, the boat’s owner, said. Capt. Mike Weigel ran the trips, and pool winners were: Colin Aimee with a 5-1/2-pound blackfish Wednesday; George Smith with a 10-1/4-pounder Thursday; Nelson Ott with a 7-pounder Friday; Dan Stinsman with an 8-pounder Saturday; and Bob Moore with an 8-pounder Sunday, and he also limited out. Striped bass were also hooked a couple of times when the boat was returning to port, and the vessel will stop on stripers if the fish are schooling. The Captain Robbins is blackfishing 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day.

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> over the weekend finished a second leg of a trip that moved a boat from Charleston to Palm Beach for the winter, a private boat that he captained on offshore trips during the past seasons. He ran the vessel from Jersey to Charleston earlier this year on the first leg. So he did no fishing from Jersey during the weekend, but he said jigging for striped bass and blues in the ocean was surely still on. Clams could also be soaked for stripers near the ocean beaches and also in the back bay, and the bay fishing will last a while. But anglers have better chances of an amazing day of fishing at this time of year if they run and gun in the ocean, searching for schools and working birds to jig stripers and blues underneath, a better opportunity to find a big batch of the fish. And Joe will be back at that fishing this week, although the weather forecast was looking like fierce winds for a moment.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Most boaters who fished the Cape May Rips yesterday seemed to limit out on striped bass, said Fred from <b>No Bones Bait & Tackle</b>. Delaware Bay’s striper fishing seemed to be coming to an end, and he knew a couple of anglers who tried fishing the bay during the week but gave up and then caught stripers at the rips. The back bay behind Wildwood was holding plenty of stripers, and a customer and his girlfriend bagged two keepers and released five throwbacks that bit clams. Clams are highly effective in the back bay, and the shop stocks 30-pound bags of clam bellies for the fishing. Boaters set up a chum slick with the bellies and use them as bait, and the shop’s rental boats, 17-foot Carolina skiffs, are available for fishing the bay through the end of the year. Fred was jigging the stripers in the back bay, tossing 6-inch, chartreuse, soft-plastic striper candies to the fish. He was only fishing an hour at a time, and every time he did, he hooked 6 to 10 of the fish, mostly shorts, but at least one keeper about 33 inches per trip. Customers were also clamming stripers in the ocean off the Wildwood Ferris wheel, and friend John Hern fished there Sunday and pulled up a 31-inch, 12-1/2-pound, out-of-season flounder! Surprising to see the flatties still there, but they are, and lots of bait was still in the water. Even the back bay was holding bait, and Fred the other day saw what looked like spray hitting the water that turned out to be showering bait. Even the stripers in the back bay were stuffed with bait and looked like footballs. Nothing was heard about success in the Wildwood surf, and normally surf anglers would be buying supplies at the shop at this time of year, but they were nonexistent lately. No Bones is open full time, although many other local tackle shops are closed the rest of the season. Fred and crew will be at the store straight through winter, and hours might become limited at some point, but there’s always work to be done, and the staff will be around.

<b>Cape May</b>

Two charters on the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> sailed for striped bass Saturday, and they hit the waters off the ocean beaches instead of the Cape May Rips, because of strong winds, Capt. Tom said. They chased working birds, and the morning trip nailed 15 stripers including two keepers and 15 big blues. The afternoon charter bailed 31 stripers including three keepers and 30 blues, and the fish on both trips preferred metal jigs. Another charter fished the rips Sunday morning and pinned down 25 stripers including two keepers between two anglers, and the fish preferred live spots but also bit live eels, bucktails, Storm shads and pretty much everything.  A good number of striped bass were around, and more were arriving from up north, and fishing was great, and the water was 50 degrees. The boat’s final charter of the season is slated for December 16, and space is available on an open-boat trip this coming Saturday, and give Tom a shout if you want to get out. Space is also available Saturday, December 15, and on weekdays for either charters or open trips.

Good catches of striped bass to 18 pounds were hauled aboard on a few trips with <b>Copacetic Sportfishing</b> through the week at the Cape May Rips between days that were blowing, Capt. Mike said. The fish bit on both incoming and outgoing tides on eels and bucktails, and eels seemed to draw the bigger ones, and no bluefish were landed. Sometimes double and triple headers of stripers were scored, and the bite was pretty hot. Lots of shorts were beginning to show up, and probably one in three was a keeper, but keepers were there. Copacetic will also chase the fish along the ocean beach front under working birds with jigged metal when that action is turning on, and tog and sea bass charters are also available on the boat. Friends still bunker chunked good catches of stripers in Delaware Bay, but that action was probably about to start ending. Copacetic will keep fishing as long as possible until the weather closes in or the fish stop hitting.

On the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> the final charters of the year left the dock Friday through Sunday, and striped bass fishing was all right at the Cape May Rips on live eels,  and the bite improved, Capt. George said. On Friday Steve Weiss, Lester Levny and Allan Caudill boated six keeper stripers to 34 inches, released three shorts and landed several bluefish. They started the day with clamming for stripers along the ocean beaches, because forecasts were calling for conditions that would create rough seas at the rips, but the weather turned out fine, so they moved to the rips. On Saturday Andrew Nyberg’s group scored four keeper stripers in strong winds at the rips and no blues were hooked, and Matt, Tom, Mike and Ray were also aboard the trip. Ray DeCraine’s charter on Sunday put together a good catch of stripers to 31 or 32 inches at the rips, and one or two blues bit. Last Wednesday Mark Dominic’s charter reeled in a good catch of stripers to 35 inches at the rips. The rips this weekend were 50 or 51 degrees, and lots of the stripers there were 25- to 27-inch shorts, and George wished the old slot bag limit of 24 inches to less than 28 inches was still in effect. He finishes his season around this time of year because the marina requires boats to be pulled from the water. He thanked everyone who fished on the boat and wished everybody Happy Holidays.

<b>Legal Limit Charters</b> was weathered out from a charter Saturday, and the crew pulled the boat out of the water and wrapped up its season, Capt. T.J said. Charters will kick off again the third week of April, fishing from Cape May for stripers and soon afterward drum. Afterward charters as always will sail from Tuckerton for everything from flounder to tuna until returning to Cape May for fall striper fishing.

Striped bass fishing was very good at the Cape May Rips, although stripers in Delaware Bay seemed a lot smaller than before at most areas, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Stripers also gathered at the lumps off the Wildwood Ferris wheel, and most of the fishing there depended on the weather, and the weather was often terrible, but boaters could usually tuck in close to shore and escape the winds, and fish were there. Surf fishing was pretty good, and stripers to 32 pounds were beached. The Wildwood wash and Poverty Beach in Cape May produced throughout the week. Jimmy Jones, 9, nailed a 22-1/4-pound striper at Poverty on Saturday, and Bart Terwilliger claimed a 32-pound striper and three big blues from the beach at Hereford Inlet. Capt. Tim Sweeney fished by himself and jigged and released around 50 stripers at Overfalls Shoal on diamond jigs. Blackfishing was on fire at the inshore wrecks, and the rock piles also attracted the fish but fewer than earlier this season.

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