Josh Powell of Brigantine holds the 47.9-pound striped bass he caught with a live eel at the rip in Absecon Inlet.
Late fall fishing is getting a lot thrown at it: cold nights, strong winds, rain and rough surf and ocean. So far, it continues to bounce back.
Striped bass are generally smaller than a few weeks back – mainly in the 15- to 20-pound class – but anglers seem to believe that there are plenty around.
Bill Nickerson at Fin-Atics said some bass were caught Friday morning in the Ocean City surf on the south end from 45th Street to Corsons Inlet. Clam seemed to be the best bait, Nickerson said.
Alex Sacchetti reported that Bayside Marina measured 28- and 33-inch bass caught Thursday on the Brigantine beach by Mark Mathes of Brigantine.
Bigger bass were around as late as Monday. That’s when Josh Powell of Brigantine got a 47.9-pounder with a live eel at the rip in Absecon Inlet on slack water at the top of the tide, Sacchetti said.
John Bushell at Betty and Nick’s in Seaside Park said they have a ton of smaller bass with keepers tough to find along the beaches north of Beach Haven Inlet. They weighed a 14-pound bass Thursday at Betty and Nick’s.
Margaret O’Brien said from Jingle’s Bait and Tackle in North Beach Haven that it was a cold morning and nobody had caught anything from the beaches by mid-morning Friday.
Shep on Fishing: Striper fishing holding steady in late fall – pressofAtlanticCity.com
Hank Sibley Bluewater Yacht Sales 