Though it's been a slow process, water temperatures are going down slowly. The Weather Service reported 58 degrees at Sandy Hook this morning, but when I sailed with Chuck Many of Annandale on his Ty Man from Gateway Marina in Highlands we were still showing over 60 degrees in the mouth of Raritan Bay. Many is fishing the Hi-Mar Striper Club Striper Tournament this weekend, and this was an exploratory trip hampered by the need to hide from the gusty NW wind. Nellie Greer of Bethlehem, Pa. released a 22-pound striper on a live bunker, but the other five bass we released were all shorts. The Golden Eagle from Belmar tried for stripers today, and reported marking them -- though they wouldn't bite. Bob Correll of Bay Head cast into his local surf this morning, and didn't catch anything -- but was encouraged when an angler caught a bass around 28 inches on a black swimmer.