The 2011 calendar is coming to an end, and it appears that striper catches in the Bay are winding down too. Fishing was good the week before Christmas, but not many bass were brought back in the past few days. Water temperature is down to 45 degrees. Yesterday, the Lil' Angler II returned with a pair of keepers caught on eels east of The Valley. Herky Billings trolled up 5 rock at Overfalls, but only one was legal. John Hazzard and Kyle Hamilton had one nice striper about 24 pounds. Many other crews came in fishless. There are still reports of striped bass moving south along the New Jersey coast, but whether or not they'll hook into the Bay depends on conditions. They should bite bait and artificials until the water hits 40 degrees.

Tog will likely cooperate in the Bay for a little while longer, then the Ocean becomes a better bet. Cod have been making quite a comeback, and anglers targeting them this winter should find success. Amanda and I are heading to the Florida Keys New Years Day. We spend most of the year making sure everybody else goes fishing, and we look forward to finally getting in some time on the water for ourselves. We'll hopefully have some fish pictures to share through our website photo gallery. Be on the lookout! Thanks so much to all our customers and everyone who stayed tuned to the Report this season. Here's wishing you lots of fun fishing experiences in the New Year!