Striped bass reports in all four coastal counties of New Jersey this week - Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May - as the fall run begins to take shape. Adult bunker popping along the oceanfront this week, so it appears the table has been set for explosive plugging action in the coming days. Meanwhile out back in the bays and estuaries, the cooler nights and decreasing water temps have helped spur an improving sod bank bite with soft plastics and topwater leading the charge. Good news on the bluefin front this week with more than 33K pounds of quota added to the Angler category pile, even as it appears that swordfish action is the best of the big game news this week (5:10) according to Canyon Runner. We have reader tips and on-site video of bunker on the beach this week (9:30) to help in your weekend striper hunt, plus the latest on black sea bass, porgy and tautog (14:00) at the Jersey Shore. A couple of additions to the Dream Boat Leaderboard this (16:00) and fall trout stocking is underway as well (18:15) with a freshwater outlook from the Poconos. Finally this week (21:20) a rundown on upcoming events of note. By the way, if you're looking for a "50" this week, stop by the Tackle Box in Hazlet this Saturday to help them celebrate 50 years as a family business!

October is shaping up to be a great month for Long Island anglers, with the fall striped bass run in full swing and plenty of quality fish being caught from one end of the island to the other. Surfcasters continue to connect with impressive bass, including several fish pushing well into the 40-inch class, while blackfish season is now open islandwide, giving anglers even more options on the water. This week's fishing forecast comes to you from Wego Bait and Tackle in Southold, where we'll cover the latest fishing action, regulation updates and upcoming events. Tournament season is also keeping surfcasters busy, with Mr. Poseidon's Montauk Striper Challenge taking place this weekend, followed by the Fred Golofaro Memorial South Shore Fishing Classic at Captree the following weekend. We'll also check in with our correspondents across Long Island, highlight some standout catches and take a look at the latest digital edition of The Fisherman. All that and more in this week's Long Island fishing forecast!

Every fall season there’s a week when the blackfish bite explodes, and that week is happening now. Many of the fish are shallow (under 30 feet) and jigs are crushing it, but if you want to target a giant check some snags in deeper spots. Rhode Island has seen a huge push of weakfish this week as well, find out where to look in the video. The Vineyard Derby is seeing an unprecedented invasion of giant bluefish and both shore and boat anglers are cashing in on gators ranging from 14 to 21 pounds! Striper action has been a little less reliable across much of the region, but when anglers find them, they tend to find a lot of them. The fall run is amazing, because it’s always changing and, as we draw closer to this year’s Harvest Moon, we may also find ourselves in the peak of the run!

Join us for Episode 30 of The "Next Cast" Podcast! In this week's episode, we break down the latest trends and techniques to help you level up your angling game: Mastering the Last Hour of the Tide Daytime Plugging Tactics & Achieving Longer Casts Expert Outlook: Best Bets for the '26 Striper Run The Latest Update on Bluefin Tuna Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more weekly fishing reports and insights from The Fisherman Magazine. Tight lines! 0:00 Introductions and weekend 1:25 Striper fishing updates 4:00 Fall run observations 7:18 Tactics for shore fishing 11:11 Tide cycles and structure 14:47 The last hour of tide 18:19 Applying tide strategies 23:28 Bridge fishing insights 27:14 Snap jigging technique 29:02 Bluefin and magazine news 30:41 Hudson River surveys 35:57 Final tips and best bets

The "Next Cast" Podcast

Episode 29 - October 6, 2026

* Long, Skinny Stripers

* Popcorn Trails & Spot Burns

* Swapping Out Trebles

* This Week's Issue for Subscribers

In this episode of The "Next Cast" Podcast (September 29, 2026), we break down the latest trends and conditions for anglers. Join us as we provide a detailed analysis following the recent Nor'easter, offer a look at the fall surf forecast, spotlight the latest activity along the Striper Coast, and share our expert tips for choosing the perfect inshore rod for October. Subscribe https://www.thefisherman.com/subscribe/ E-News https://www.thefisherman.com/e-news-signup/ Events Calendar https://www.thefisherman.com/events/ Podcast https://www.thefisherman.com/article-categories/podcast/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/033CXL52Ign64MzZQfKVUw iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fishermans-next-cast-weekly-podcast/id6783036221 #thefishermanmag #thefishermanmagazine

Welcome to Episode 24 of The "Next Cast" Podcast, recorded on September 1, 2026. Join us as we dive into another week of fishing insights and expert analysis. In this episode, we cover: • Elephants Eat Peanuts: Exploring unique bait patterns • Topwater Poppin' Sharks: Proven tips for aggressive surface action • Local Cubera Snapper & Barracuda: Breaking down the current bite • Regional Best Bets: Our top picks and expert advice for your Labor Day weekend fishing trips Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more weekly episodes from The Fisherman Magazine!

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Events Calendar https://www.thefisherman.com/events/

Podcast https://www.thefisherman.com/article-categories/podcast/

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/033CXL52Ign64MzZQfKVUw

iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fishermans-next-cast-weekly-podcast/id6783036221

#thefishermanmag #thefishermanmagazine

In this week's video fishing forecast for the New Jersey, Delaware Bay region, there's a lot to cover at the news desk with the big news on LBI with a 52" striper caught and released during the 78th World Series of Surf Fishing presented by the Long Beach Island Fishing Club Tournament. That catch and release jumbo also earned top slot presently in the Surf Master division in the 72nd Annual LBI Surf Fishing Classic. Are there more, bigger fish to come? The powder keg is set to explode! We have breaking industry news to start the week from Minn Kota, followed by a look at 'YOY' striper surveys up the Hudson (9:20), the predator/prey relationships along with reef and wrecks options this weekend (13:45), along with another Dream Boat update (18:35) with new entries. A rundown on the Next Cast with our weekly Pocono Outdoors Guy's report (20:00), a few key articles in The Fisherman for review and a look at the offshore forecast for the weekend (24:25), and we wrap it up with a look at a few upcoming events (35:50) in the New Jersey, Delaware Bay region.