With gale-force winds and a sharp drop in temperature, most head boats canceled offshore trips for tuna. The Gambler and Sea Devil canceled weekend trips due to weather. Winds topped 30 knots over the weekend and seas in the Hudson Canyon reached 14 feet in height.

Tuna fishing has been poor, to say the least. Even with perfect conditions for most of September and October, yellowfin tuna stayed away from the canyons. We also saw an increase in swordfish this year. It is not clear if it is because more anglers are trying to fish sword due to the absence of the tuna bite. Swordfishing was the best year on record for recreational offshore anglers. Mahi-mahi also showed up early in the Garden State and were bigger than recent years. Unfortunately for many, tuna reports have been very disappointing this year. I only hope that this is a cycle or that the tuna are in warmer waters too far to fish.

Anglers are getting geared up for striped bass; with a drop in temperature, we should see some action. The Raritan turned up little in the weakfish category this week, and by this time they should have been solid. Porgies and sea bass remain red hot at the Sandy Hook reef, and blackfish reports are getting better.

Over the next few weeks, the surf should produce big stripers. Follow the tides and look for any surface action to cast your favorite plugs and lures. Now is the time of year when it gets dark quickly. It does not take much time to land a trophy if your timing is right. Walk the beach and work different structures such as pylons and rock piles. Just a few casts and a little patience can land you a trophy. I find a very slow retrieve works best on stripers and the opposite for blues. Fish on!