<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Catches of large, migrating striped bass could begin any time, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. One never knows when the fish will show up, but news from farther north showed that the fish began to trek south. Catches of large stripers, the season’s first, were reported from as far south as Brigantine. Anglers farther north latched into more of them. The fish were on the move.  Even small, non-migrating stripers, so-called “resident” stripers, became more active than before in Delaware Bay’s tributaries and ditches. Anglers talked about them feeding aggressively in places like Dividing Creek. That was another sign that stripers were antsy. Colder weather that was arriving should help stripers, a colder-water fish, swim south. The next several days are supposed to blow, and that could prevent boating, but could help draw stripers down. Surf anglers might still be able to fish for stripers along the ocean, particularly because winds are supposed to be west and northwest. Those winds can rough-up the bay, but land usually protects the surf in that wind direction. Fresh bunker was stocked regularly, and will be the popular bait for the striper migration in the bay. Spots seemed to swim everywhere from the creeks to the bay. Anglers catch them, keep them in livewells, then liveline them to the striper migration. Crabbing was good or okay, probably better now than in summer. The bay’s commercial crabbers caught better now than in summer, after crabbing was tough for them in the bay this past season. In addition to fresh bunker, the store is stocking fresh clams, eels, green crabs, frozen shedder crabs, bloodworms and pretty much all bait needed for fishing this time of year. Many of the clams carried are fresh shucked, but some in the shell are on hand, and anglers can order bushels in the shell, if they want to ensure a supply, if the clams are available. Clams in the shell are generally smaller than they used to be, and that seems because of overfishing. Anglers sometimes prefer larger, even if only because they’d rather shuck fewer. But a smaller clam is still a clam. The Girls Place, located on Route 47, just after Route 55 ends, stocks a large supply of bait and tackle. It’s the long, one-story, yellow building on the right, with plenty of parking, including for trailered boats.

<b>Newport</b>

Rental-boaters crabbed Saturday for the final time this year at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, and they caught, Paul said. Most of vessels returned with three dozen or more of the blueclaws, and the crabs were good-sized. Many were 6 inches, and customers will still be able to launch their own boats for crabbing. The launch will remain open, and the store will stay open for supplies, including minnows, and duck hunting. Beaver Dam raises especially large minnows, great for freshwater fishing in winter, including for chain pickerel, and even for striped bass fishing in saltwater this fall. Canoe and kayak rentals will still be available if reserved ahead. But the rental boats are dry-docked for winter, and will become available again in spring. Customers on one of the boats fished that day, reeling in schoolie stripers and large eels. White perch, including hefty slabs 1 ½ pounds, swam the waters. Customers crab and fish from rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek, running past the store.  The results are in: Two rental-boaters tied for biggest crabs of the year with 6-3/4-inchers, winning a free rental apiece next year. Holiday gift packages will be available for your favorite crabber, including items like traps, hand lines, weights, a knife and crabbing towels and spices. Photos will be posted on the shop’s Web site.  <a href="http://www.crabulousnj.com/" target="_blank">Visit Beaver Dam’s Web site</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Striped bass fishing usually starts to improve by Halloween or the week after on the bay, said Capt. Howard from the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b>. Currently, only resident, non-migrating stripers caught were heard about. Anglers are waiting for the migration of large ones. They’ll arrive from north, depending on time of year, water temperature and bait, or whatever factors, ultimately heading farther south for winter. When they arrive in the bay, trips on the boat fish for them with chunks of bunker. But Howard also likes to fish for them with eels, and eels are carried aboard, when the bass are willing to bite them. They won’t always bite eels, for some reason, and haven’t in the past couple of years. When the stripers arrive, open-boat trips sail for them daily, when no charter is booked. Some boats might’ve fished for catches including resident stripers and blackfish on the bay. The Salt Talk is available to fish for any species on tap. But Howard is mainly waiting for the migration of stripers. 

<b>Cape May</b>

The striped bass migration used to show up earlier, even by Columbus Day, but not in recent years, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. The first trip for them aboard this year is booked for November 1, but the trips will be available earlier, if the fish show up earlier. Last year’s striper fishing aboard, on chunked bunker on the bay, was mostly good. Sometimes a few boats caught stripers at Cape May Rips on live bait like spots or eels last year. But that was inconsistent, not really predictable, and short lasting. Trips used to clam or troll stripers on the ocean, like off Wildwood, in autumn. But that never really happened in some years. That could all change, but chunking on the bay was best in recent years. Trips on the Heavy Hitter will fish for them wherever’s best, on whatever’s best to catch them.

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