Mike Monte left a great run of bonito at Nantucket a few weeks ago in hope of getting into the fall mullet run in northern N.J. which normally provides some hot surfcasting for stripers — but all he got was endless east winds for two weeks before returning to Nantucket..

Monte said he was never able to find any mullet in the very rough and dangerous surf which was almost unfishable. He thinks the lack of stripers is due to the mild weather with a lack of low overnight temperatures. Once it gets down to the mid-fifties at night , stripers should start moving in.

Monte also is hoping to find some little tunny back in Nantucket where they have been missing this fall.

A small craft advisory is posted through late tonight in NY/NJ Bight. Tomorrow’s morning forecast is for east winds at 10-15 knots with 4-6-foot seas. A hopeful sign is the prediction of light west winds on Saturday!

The N.J. sea bass season reopens Tuesday and runs through October with a 12.5-inch minimum and a 10-fish bag.

Some party boats are running opening day extended trips by reservation. Be sure to check with your favorite boat about their sailing time so you don’t arrive to find an empty slip.

The weather looks fishable, but not great as east winds continue at 10-15 knots plus gusts to 20 with 4-6-foot seas.

Capt. Mark DeBlasio of the Blue Runner from Point Pleasant managed to get in an overnighter during the week which produced yellowfin and bigeye tuna among lots of short hits.

Vinny D’Anton keeps hoping to see a shift to west winds that would calm and clear northern N.J. surf waters, but there’s no sign of a change so far.

A small craft advisory is up until 8 p.m. The forecast for Monday is east at 15-20 knots plus gusts to 25 and more large swells which make for a dangerous and discolored surf. Vinny did get an afternoon shot this week when he found mullet in a jetty pocket, but the only bass that hit his Chug Bug were only 22-inchers. That mullet school built up to a point where he couldn’t get a lure through them — and there were no more hits on a wide variety of lures.

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Chuck Tyman Manny3h  · Visiting my mom in Naples for a couple days and got out fishing for a few hours. Awesome fishing with crazy variety.

CNYC Capt. John McMurry is really frustrated with the weather which is making it so difficult to get to a super bluefin bite. He reports those tuna are big and plentiful — and he’ll do anything possible to get anglers who want to cast lures to them out there.

Nick Honachefsky reports on his upcoming Barrier Island Beach Brawl as follows: ” Surf fishing tourney Oct 11/12 Save your spot now. 15 eligible species win prizes, catch photo release stripers, and a free $50 grab bag of goodies/tees just for entering! Let’s goooo! Click https://www.saltwaterunderground.com/…/barrier-island..

A small craft advisory is up through Sunday afternoon. The forecast is for east winds at 15-20 knots plus gusts to 25 along with 3-6-foot seas and possible showers.

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Hurricane Helene was a lady as she passed by my section of Ft. Myers, Florida. “Fort Ristori” is on high ground and far from the Gulf of Mexico. So far we’ve never had an insurance claim here, and it’s so quiet in the house that I slept right through it. This time there wasn’t even a loss of power. Unfortunately, Ft. Myers Beach took another beating from the storm surge — and I feel so sorry for those in the Big Bend area of Florida with the flooding where the hurricane came to shore.

As the storm moves north, there will be fishing interruptions including big swells.

Saturday’s forecast in Ny/NJ Bight is for east winds at 15-20 knots plus gusts to 25 and 3-5-foot seas and possible showers.

There is probably no other saltwater fly tier better known than New Jersey’s Bob Popovics, and he’s presently in critical condition after being hit by a car Monday morning in Seaside Heights. Also the owner of Shady Rest restaurant, Popovics has designed several of the most popular saltwater flies and has taught thousands of anglers how to tie them — and get into saltwater flyfishing. Additionally, he’s a legendary fly angler and good guy. Hopefully Bob will be back on the beach for the upcoming fall run.

A small craft advisory is up until 6 p.m. The forecast for tomorrow is back to northeast, though at only at 5-10 knots before going east in the afternoon.

Anthony Gillespie reports from the Capt. Lou Fleet in Freeport “LONG RANGE OCEAN WRECK FLUKE 9/27 FRIDAY!! 5am to 5pm RESERVATIONS A MUST!

We have only 15 people for this trip and we are sailing!! Join us by calling 516 623 5823

Saturday OCEAN WRECK SEABASS 6am to 12 noon plenty of room. Call 516 623 5823 or book at www.captloufleet.com

A small craft advisory is up to 6:30 p.m.

Captain Lou Fleet

The N.J. fluke season closed today, though it’s been almost a lost cause for several days due to the nasty sea. The N.J. sea bass season reopens on Tuesday, Oct. Oct. 1.

The Golden Eagle from Belmar reported big blues Tuesday as they picked at first before later getting shots of action later from the 3-8-pounders with limits around the boat. The best bet was a tailed 4-ounce Run-Off jig.

New York is open for sea bass through Dec. 31 with six sea bass at a 16.5-inch minimum.

Northeast is finally out of the forecast. Thursday starts with south winds at 10-15 knots plus gusts to 20. Five-foot seas prevail, and showers are possible.

Capt. Ron Santee Jr. switched to bottom fishing on Monday with his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands and reported good action all day with porgies, sea bass, blowfish and triggerfish up to a 5-pounder. The weather has got him since then, but he’s planning on trying again on Friday. The boat is chartered Saturday.

The Golden Eagle from Belmar found solid bluefishing for choppers up 12 pounds on 3-and-4-ounce Run-Off jigs.

The Paramount from Brielle reports good Saturday night bluefishing’ and will be doing that again at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday.

Ocean fluking has been tough due to the nasty seas, and closes in N.J. on the 25th.

A small craft advisory is up through Wednesday afternoon. Tomorrow’s forecast is for east winds at 10-15-knots plus gusts to 20. Seas of 3- 6 feet will continue the bottom churning.

The constant northeast winds and big seas have turned the Monmouth County surf into a rough and discolored mess. Vinny D’Anton reports he tried further north this morning, but found the same condition with no one catching anything. This is particularly bad news since the mullet run is underway — and they be gone before west winds eventually arrive to knock down the seas. There have been better surf reports on mostly small blues plus fluke in South Jersey.

The Tuesday forecast is for the same thing — northeast winds at 10-15 knots with seas up to 6 feet.

The northeast wind which has been blowing steadily for a week or so continues in NY/NJ Bight, though at least it’s not howling.

A small craft advisory is up through late Monday night. The forecast for Monday is northeast at 10-15 knots with seas of 4-5 feet along with some 6-footers.