<b>Bayonne</b>

Anglers on board fished at the Mud Buoy on charters Saturday and Sunday, said Capt. Akira from <b>True World Tackle</b> and <b>True World Tackle Charters</b>. On Saturday seas were rough at first, but winds dropped out by 10:30 a.m., and the anglers started catching. They loaded up on five keeper fluke to a 24-incher, almost 6 pounds, and more than 20 keeper sea bass to 19 inches. They also let go shorts, reeled up many fish, and were happy, Akira said. On Sunday a little winds blew but not badly, and the charter ploughed nine keeper fluke to 23 ½ inches and 45 keeper sea bass among a mess of shorts. So fishing was excellent at the Mud Buoy, Akira said.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

For those who know how to fluke fish, the angling is good, and for those who go out and sit on the bay or something, it isn’t, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish could be boated on the bay, but at certain times, during certain conditions. But boaters who fluke fished on the ocean wrestled up some quality flatties. The only problem with the ocean was that the drift had to be just right. Sea bass could be found along with the fluke in the ocean, and some anglers boxed 25 of the lumpheads. Jimmy and a friend put a beating on sea bass and ling on a bottom-fishing trip Wednesday. They fished 2 ½ miles inshore of the BA buoy in shallow, 60-foot waters, filling the cooler in two drops. Miles of bunker were seen, but no bluefish were on them, and Jimmy neither saw nor heard about blues in the ocean lately. The fact that the bottom fish were shallow tells him no blues were there. He and his friend also coolered a 5- pound blackfish and a 3-pounder, the only blacks that came up during the trip, but one per person could be kept, now that the season opened. They brought no crabs for blackfish bait, but Jimmy will bring crabs next time, though the season was early for the tog to be in the shallows. Plenty of bluefish could be jigged on the bay. Porgies gathered at the Keansburg Pier and in the rivers, and many were small, but some were keepers. Bigger ones usually push in during August. Jimmy did no weakfishing on the rivers, but he caught them last week, covered in last week’s report. But weaks could surely be caught if anglers knew how to go after them. Fluke, including some keepers, gathered in the rivers. Lots of fish were around, Jimmy said.  

“Monday saw an improvement in the fluke fishing,” Capt. Kevin from the <b>Dorothy B</b>  said in a report that Didi from the boat e-mailed. The e-mail didn’t say whether the fishing had been slower for a certain period previously. The boat sometimes fished the ocean, when conditions allowed, but usually fished the bay. “There is a lot of catch and release action,” the e-mail said, “but some nice fluke are finding their way into anglers’ buckets.” On Monday afternoon’s trip James Vorrius won the pool with a 5.1-pounder, and on the morning’s trip Alan Abramson took the pool with a 3.12-pou;nder. On Tuesday downpours failed to keep a few anglers from fishing, “and we managed to put together a decent catch,” the e-mail said. A few more anglers fished in better weather on Wednesday , and on the afternoon trip James “Boo Boo” won the pool with a 4.11-pounder. On the morning trip Allan Lee grabbed the pool, the second time this season he won, with a 2.1-pounder. In the afternoon the captain decided to try fishing the ocean, but found no drift and “sloppy water,” the e-mail said. So the trip returned to the bay, ending up with a “respectable” catch, it said. The Dorothy B is fluke fishing 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily. When fluke season ends, the boat will begin sailing for striped bass on ¾-day trips.

Trips for fluke fished the bay through the week, mainly because the ocean held a swell, and for the most part, action was pretty darn good, and some keepers were in the mix, Capt. Tom from the <b>Atlantic Star</b> said. So the fishing was like it’s been, and when conditions or winds and tides created the right drifts, more of the fluke hit, and when conditions turned crummy, the bite backed off. Reach Channel served up the most flatties in the past couple of days, but the boat fished at different areas, including Chapel Hill Channel, depending on conditions, and each spot put out the summer flounder. Some areas were better than others, but the right conditions had to happen in any of the spots. On Monday both trips fished the Reach, and the afternoon’s trip was better than the morning’s, and conditions were better then. On Tuesday both trips fished despite winds and rains, and conditions were lousy, but one angler hauled in a 6-pounder, and, if Tom remembered, another tackled a 5-pounder. But those were the exception. On Wednesday the fishing started out alright at Chapel Hill Channel. When Tom gave this report today in a phone call from the waters at 9:30 a.m., the boat was fishing at Chapel Hill, and a couple of keepers and some shorts were landed. One of the keepers was taken on a Spro jig, and the other was nailed on a rig. The angler who caught the fish on the Spro always works the jig, doesn’t use it passively like a sinker.  The Atlantic Star is fluke fishing on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

<b>Highlands</b>

A trip beat two mako sharks, a dusky shark and a blue shark with <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> on the inshore ocean, and 30- to 90-pound bluefin tuna were getting trolled and jigged in the area, and mahi mahi also swam the waters, Capt. Brian said. So combo trips for bluefins, sharks and mahi were the main menu. Lots of bait and life filled the waters. Canyon tuna fishing sometimes put anglers on catches, and other times was slow, and the inshore trips were the better option for now. Although Jersey Devil runs no set schedule of open-boat trips, if anglers only have a group of two people or so to go fishing, don’t hesitate to call Brian, because he can probably pair you up with others on a shared trip. Sea bass and ling could be waffled closer to shore, and trips are also running for that fishing and for fluking.

Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> took one trip for fluke this week after a successful charter for the flatties on Sunday, and catches held up well, he said. He fished the deep at the ocean rough bottom and the channels with bucktails with big strip baits. The charter on Sunday, covered in the last report, waxed 18 keeper flatties to 5 ½ or 6 pounds at the same type of areas with the same baits. Fisher Price is concentrating on fishing for bigger fluke in deep waters with bucktails and big strip baits.  But trips should soon begin to swim live peanut bunker and live snapper blues for the large summer flounder. Derek heard about peanuts seen in the rivers and at the marinas, and snapper blues were around, and he hopes he’ll be able to throw a net on them by next week. Fewer and fewer sea bass showed up on the fluke trips, and Derek didn’t know whether they migrated offshore or got pounded at the pieces he fished. Open-boat trips are being squeezed in between charters when possible, and next week will be the earliest any might get out. Call to be kept informed of the schedule.

<b>Neptune</b>

A striped bass trip that fished the ocean 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. Tuesday didn’t pan out, and striper fishing wasn’t happening, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. But offshore wreck fishing was knocking the baloney out of cod and other fish, and two spaces are available on one of the trips Thursday, July 30. Individual-reservation trips for fluke pounded the fish, plenty of catches, and the trips are sailing on Wednesdays. Individual-reservation trips for tuna are coming up that fish the canyons, and see the boat’s Web site for the schedule.

<b>Belmar</b>

An 11-pound doormat was creamed on one of the fluke trips on the <b>Big Mohawk</b> on the ocean, but the fishing was up and down, turned off and on for no apparent reason, Capt. Chris said. “They seem to do whatever they want,” he said. “It’s very unusual.” The fish were everywhere, and customers were catching, including some limits, but there was no consistency. “The weirdest I’ve seen in 20 years of fishing,” he said. The Big Mohawk is fluke fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Big blues had been looted a while on the ocean, and then they disappeared big time for some days, but now small blues started getting pilfered during the last couple of days, both on daytime and nighttime trips, said Capt. Alan from the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>. A few bonito, not many, started showing up the last couple of days. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily.

A 68-inch mako shark was bagged today at the Glory Hole on the <b>Nan Sea J</b>, Capt. Tom said. A 4-footer was released, and the boat also trolled for an hour at the end of the trip, because bluefin tuna could be in the area, and skipjacks were landed. Tom heard about bluefin catches on the radio during the trip. The weather started out calmly, but then today’s storm began rolling in, and seas built, probably to all of 10 feet, by the time the trip rode home, and rains poured. It was rough! The trip probably should’ve headed home after the 68-incher was nailed at 9 a.m. Waters were 73 degrees, getting warm. Shark charters are sailing, and one more weekly, open-boat shark trip is slated for next week on Wednesday, and a few spaces opened up because of a cancellation, and call to claim. However, anglers were asking about adding more open trips to the schedule, and another might be slated for the first week of August. The trips, running annually in June and July, are a rare opportunity to fight sharks on an open-boat basis. A trip fished inshore on Wednesday for an okay catch of sea bass, and fluking wasn’t so good. Sea bassing seemed more consistent than fluking now.  

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

The big bluefish traveled north “or so it seems,” an e-mail from the <b>Cock Robin</b> said, and the smaller ones took over on fishing trips, but didn’t eat all the time. Twenty to 40 got hooked on the boat on some days, and catching a few was a struggle on others. The fishing’s got to break open again; “might as well be with you aboard!” the e-mail said. Trips usually fished on the west side of the Mudhole and sometimes farther north. The fish foraged on sand eels and butterfish, and whales were seen daily. The Cock Robin is fishing for blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for blues 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Wednesday Marathon Trips, leaving earlier at 6 a.m. at no extra charge, are running. On Thursday’s trips, customers can help donate fish to Joan Valentine House, providing meals to people. Captain Jim’s Camp Cock Robin for kids, limited to 12 anglers, is under way for summer, featuring a dedicated mate for the youngsters.

On the <b>Dauntless</b> customers piled up sea bass and ling, good bottom-fishing, Capt. Butch said. A bunch of cod showed up in the past days, and a dozen from 5 to 10 pounds were clocked Wednesday. Two 8-pound pollock were also plundered that day, and so were a dozen blackfish 5 to 8 pounds. Whether more sea bass or ling were landed on a trip depended on conditions. When the weather or seas were rough, the boat stayed closer to shore, and more sea bass came up from the shallows. When the boat could fish deeper, more ling got laid out. The boat had to bounce around for the sea bass, because each spot held them, but many were small. So the vessel had to move around for anglers to clean up the keepers. On the boat’s nighttime bluefishing trips, catches had been slow, because the fish were spawning. But Tuesday night’s catch was okay for small blues ½ pound to 1 pound. Patrons boated five to 15 apiece. Fishing for big blues tapers off each year during the spawn, usually for five to ten days. The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily and is bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

Ocean fluking for the most part dished up good catches since the weekend, Capt. Bob from the <b>Gambler</b> said. Wednesday’s fishing was a little slow, but still not bad. Lots of fish were hooked on the trips, and sea bass were mixed in. Either a keeper fluke or a keeper sea bass was typically bagged on every five drops of an angler’s line. On Sunday one patron walloped a 9-pound 7-ounce fluke, and on Monday another stuck an 8-pounder, and throughout the trips 4-, 5- and 6-pounders were decked.  The sea bass weighed up to 3 ½ pounds. The boat fished the somewhat deeper waters along the rough bottom, and not much bit on the lumps on the open bottom. On the vessel’s bluefishing trips, catches were slow, like they were for other boats, but the action could pop back any day. Bob wasn’t asked whether the blues were spawning, but others said that was the reason the fish stopped responding, and that happens every year but only lasts a moment. The Gambler is fishing for fluke on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and for bluefish 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. every Friday and Saturday. Canyon tuna trips will launch in September, and space is being booked. Check the calendar on the boat’s Web site.

<b>Toms River</b>

Barnegat Bay anglers rounded up so-so catches of fluke from places like the BI and the BB markers and Double and Oyster Creek channels, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Squid, spearing and killies were popular baits, and some fished Gulps. A few of the flatties were yanked from the surf, usually on squid. A couple of keeper fluke and a bunch of sea bass came from the Tires, and good catches of fluke came from the reefs and Barnegat Ridge. Better-sized fluke were also pumped in from the Shrewsbury Rocks. Nothing was heard about bonito found at Barnegat Ridge. Back in Barnegat Bay, a handful of weakfish began to get angled in from the waters along Berkeley Island Park in the early mornings or late evenings. Some weakfishers threw Rat-L-Traps, and one scored on sandworms dipped in shedder oil for an effective bait. Snapper blues began to appear in the Toms River.

<b>Seaside</b>

Blackfishing at Barnegat Inlet’s north jetty was the place to be, and the spot wasn’t too crowded, said the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s Web site. Then again, fluke fishing in the surf offered plenty of elbow room. The flatties were there, and the beaches never attract a crowd of anglers in summer. A 2.3-pound blackfish and a 1.9-pounder were weighed in, and both fish chomped crabs. Garbagefish.com’s Talkin’ Trash Tournament lasts through Sunday. Time to demonstrate your skills and years of practice, impressing your friends! the report said. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.   

<b>Forked River</b>

A few more reports started to be heard about fluke catches on Barnegat Bay, said Dave from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. The fishing somewhat seemed to slow for a moment previously. Anglers drummed up the fish from around the BI and the BB markers, east of the 40 can, Double Creek and Oyster Creek channels and Barnegat Inlet. An 8-pounder was weighed in that was clobbered at the Tires in the ocean. One angler tried for weakfish on the bay and got a few at the BI and the BB. Little was heard about bluefish. Some customers headed out to look for blowfish at Tice’s Shoal, but they were yet to report results. Spearfishers caught triggerfish like crazy along Barnegat Inlet. Crabbing was good, and many customers crabbed at Berkeley Island Park.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Catches of striped bass were heard about that were clammed in the surf and near Barnegat Lighthouse in the dark Wednesday night, said Josh from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. Small fluke skittered around the surf, and triggerfish clung near the inlet rocks, all the way back to the condos, and a mess of 3- to 7-pound tog were taken from along the rocks. Josh fought 17- or 18-inch herring near the condos, and he tried for weakfish there but turned up none, and little news rolled in about weaks, except that some were found along the bridge to the island. Word was mostly quiet about any bluefish located. Barnegat Bay’s fluke fishing was decent, not on fire, and probably 1 in 7 or 8 was a keeper. Barnegat Inlet seemed to give up improved fluking, and the flatties were lifted from the ocean from places including the range buoys, Garden State Reef South and Barnegat Ridge. Lots of sea bass were hung from some of the those places. Nothing was heard about bonito at the ridge so far this season. Live spots, minnows, grass shrimp, green crabs, fresh clams and fresh bunker are stocked.

<b>Barnegat</b>

A fluke trip Wednesday on the ocean mugged lots of the fish, but only one keeper, said Capt. John from <b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b>. A good run of the flatfish including keepers swam the waters during the weekend, but that changed during the week. Many of the flatties were 16 and 17 inches, an inch or two under legal size, on the trip. But John hoped the keeper ratio switched back around to a better one. Small blues were also hooked, and many porpoises were seen. John heard about a few brown sharks roaming the ocean front, and he saw no bunker on the trip, but did no looking for them. Nobody mentioned catching bonito at Barnegat Ridge so far, but the speedsters could show up any time, and Perfect Drift will go after them. In Barnegat Bay fluke fishing seemed no better than in the ocean, and the bay held lots of shorts. A few weakfish were landed in the early mornings on the bay, no big arrival of the trout yet.
 
<b>Beach Haven</b>

Sea bass, some real quality fish, and fluke, somewhat sizeable ones, were swung aboard on the <b>Miss Beach Haven</b> during the weekend, Capt. Frank said. The sea bass weighed up to 4 pounds, and the catch included a couple of 3-pounders and quite a few 2-pounders. The fluke on Saturday weighed up to 6 pounds and on Sunday weighed up to 5 pounds. The Miss Beach Haven is fishing the bay for fluke 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. The boat is fishing the ocean for sea bass and fluke 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Small flounder crammed the bay at usual places like along the clam stakes on the Mystic Island side of the Fish Factory, but occasional keepers could be managed, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Catches at the ocean reefs were intermittent, like an angler would return with one keeper sea bass and two keeper fluke. Nothing was really doing at the ocean lumps. Many boaters tried for weakfish at the mouth of the Mullica River, stacked up on the waters in the mornings. But boat traffic only scatters the trout, so the early bird probably got the weak. Two single reports were heard about kingfish collected on the bay, so the fishing was probably no great thing, but was good to see a sign of kings. Baby sea bass  schooled the bay. One angler said he got on tog fishing along the banks of the bay, and that was the only mention of tog. But tog season opened, and one of the blackfish can be kept per angler, and Scott would think togging was a welcome opportunity to bag a keeper fish. Go at slack tides. Nobody talked about white perch fishing, but perch at this time of the year should be able to be angled from Roundabout Creek, Ballanger Creek and Nacote Creek. The first two or three hours of high tides is usually best during this season. Live grass shrimp, the favorite perch bait, ran out of stock, and Scott was unsure he’d stock more for now. Demand was low, and warm waters made them difficult to keep, and difficult for Scott to catch. Minnows, green crabs, shucked clams and eels are carried.

<b>Port Republic</b>

 The bay was packed with lots of flounder, many of them throwbacks, but some keepers, said Mary Ann from <b>Chestnut Neck Boat Yard</b>. Youngster Adrianna Brook checked in an 8-pound flounder from the ocean, and maybe the fish were starting to move out. Ed Ablett and Cody Meyer won the weakfish division in the Absecon Fishing Tournament with a weak landed locally, and weakfish could be nabbed, if anglers fished shedder crabs for bait, and the crabs are stocked. Mary Ann wasn’t asked where the trout could be searched out, but the mouth of the Mullica River is a usual place. A few small bluefish showed up in local waters, under working birds. A 50-pound black drum got heaved in from the bay. Anglers tried for sharks on Great Bay, and no results were heard about, but brown sharks were probably around. White perch could always be snatched from the Mullica River, and crabbing seemed to slow down, and maybe they were shedding. In addition to shedder crabs, the shop is stocking minnows, bloodworms and frozen baits, including frozen salmon belly, a productive bait for nearly all fish. The salmon had run out last week but was back in stock.

<b>Absecon</b>

Anglers could weed through to cull keepers from all the small flounder in the bay, and most locals, experienced anglers, could bag two to four per trip, said Ray from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Clumps of weeds littered the waters the past couple of days, keeping anglers from fishing. If they did fish, they hit the bottom or the top of the tides to avoid the weeds. Bill Lake creeled three keepers among 30 shorts tossed back Wednesday. Capt. Dave, the shop’s owner, ran a charter at the beginning of the week that picked up three weakfish right in a row. A few weaks, but not many, were around. One couple ran across some at Main Marsh Thorofare until sharks moved in, scaring off the trout. Some weaks and white perch could be found on the Mullica River, but nothing to set the world on fire. Decent-sized perch showed up in Absecon Creek, fish that handn’t been seen in numbers in the creek in a while. Small stripers also ran the creek, and big , monster spots were around the back waters, if anglers wanted to fill the bait pen. Small bluefish had schooled the bay shallows, feeding on grass shrimp or something, but they disappeared. Striped bass could be socked on the back waters at night, like along the sod banks and the bridges, on eels or spots. One customer kept buying a dozen eels for the fishing every other day, and landed 14 stripers one night. All kinds of tog hovered around the bridges, banks and structure, and three customers today limited out on their one apiece to 7 pounds in no time, saying they hooked 30, and all were 18 inches or larger. Anglers who fished the surf said that on one day they’d beach two or three kingfish, and on the next they’d land none, and on the next they’d pluck one or two. Jetty anglers at Atlantic City pulled in triggerfish, and so did anglers along the bridges and the sod banks. Sharks could probably be dragged from the surf, and a couple of kids said they fought a half-dozen sharks to 100 pounds behind an island. Crabbing was all right, not great, but productive enough to keep crabbers happy. Shedder crabs, live spots, green crabs, eels, bloodworms and just about all baits are stocked. Peanut bunker and mullet were about the only baits not carried, and the shop’s owner will probably stock peanuts soon.

<b>Brigantine</b>

A 38-inch striped bass was clammed from the surf at the Brigantine Hotel today, said Jimmy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Otherwise most surf sharpies searched out kingfish, landing one here or there, “tentative” fishing, on bloodworms. Bluefish were scarce in the suds, and anglers waited for them to show. Flounder, not a ton but some, were banked from the surf at the south jetty and on the north end of the island. Boaters knocked the tar out of flounder at Absecon Inlet, and probably 1 in 10 was a keeper, but keepers were there, and the number of fish was tremendous. Live spots, minnows and all the frozen baits, including all the flounder baits, are stocked. Capt. Andy, the shop’s owner, has said in the past that the spots are tops for big flounder.

<b>Margate</b>

Fishing on bay on the <b>Keeper</b> kept whaling away at flounder, many of them small, but some keepers, Capt. John said. Mornings produced lots, and afternoons were tougher. Schools of bluefish were seen on the waters, seemed to be coming in as bait got bigger. John saw peanut bunker, about 1-1/2-inchers, behind the boat at the dock, and the size of the baitfish was getting large enough for him to start carrying them in the livewell on trips for a great flounder bait. The minnow supply on the trips seemed to get stable, after minnows had been scarce this season after all the spring rains. Minnows should be able to be kept aboard, but if they weren’t, strip baits and Gulps worked fine on the flatties. The Keeper is fishing for flounder on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

<b>Longport</b>

Sea bass and flounder got wrangled aboard the <b>Stray Cat</b> at the ocean pieces, and fishing was great, Capt. Mike said. He was almost home on a trip when he gave this report on the phone on the waters, about to negotiate a rip, and had to be brief! He was looking forward to getting back out for tuna and mahi mahi at inshore spots like the Cigar, 28-Mile Wreck and the 750-Square, he said. But the bottom-fishing trips will keep steaming, too.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Lots of flounder filled waters, and a ton were throwbacks, but some were keepers, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. On the back bay a keeper could be iced among shorts, and look in the deep waters. In the ocean near the shore they hovered along the holes, and they also gathered farther out along the reefs. Some anglers who drifted for the flatties near the beaches ran into brown sharks. Striped bass anglers began to fish the bay at night along the sod banks, tossing swimming plugs or poppers. Behind Corson’s Inlet or along Margate produced. A few snapper blues were around, but not many. If anglers wanted blues, they had to travel offshore, like to 28-Mile Wreck, or far north, like to Barnegat Ridge South. A handful of kingfish swam the local surf, and waters around the Ventnor Pier attracted a bunch, but fishing for them was a slow pick, one here, one there, on the beaches around Ocean City. An occasional flounder was pulled from the surf. On the inshore ocean, mahi mahi and a few small bluefin tuna were sometimes toggled up from the Cigar. Fishing for bigger bluefins seemed to slow down at places to the south like the Hambone and the Hot Dog. John took a trip for them Sunday and got none. The few he heard were caught came from 19-Fathom Lump, and nobody bailed them. Yellowfin tuna were taken at 100 fathoms at Spencer Canyon, he heard.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Fishing for flounder held strong from the back bay to the inlet to the ocean, and anglers talked about tackling a ton of small ones, but some keepers could be nabbed, said Wes from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Finding the fish should be no problem in the bay and at the inlet, whether fishing from land or on a boat, and live minnows were the No. 1 bait. Striped bass could be played on the bay, far back toward the Parkway, where the fish escaped boat traffic. Everything from chunking clams to casting popper lures or soft-plastic lures worked. The soft plastics were effective at night like under the bridge lights. A few more stripers than before returned to the surf, and kingfish were absent from the suds, though they should be around by now. Triggerfish could be pulled from along the 8th Street jetty in Avalon on a warm day. Triggers also hung along Townsends Inlet Reef, Ocean City Reef and such places. Tog should be able to be cranked up from along the rocks and the structure. Brown and dusky sharks could be fought along the lumps close to shore. Small bluefish, maybe a pound or two, could be trolled on the ocean, maybe 2 to 10 miles from shore. Bigger bluefin tuna and mahi mahi were trolled at places like the Hambone and the Lobster Claw, and small yellowfin tuna were trolled at the canyons. Crabbing was great. Minnows and all other baits, including offshore baits, are stocked. But no green crabs are on hand yet.

Combo trips for flounder and striped bass were really working out well on the back bay, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. The trips, fishing during the daytime, didn’t have to begin too early, and the combo offered lots of fish to be fought. Was a great family trip, especially. Enough legal-sized flatties were around to keep it interesting. The striper fishing during the day was done with clams, and offered a shot at a keeper-sized linesider just about every time. The daytime clamming was especially an effective way to grab a larger striper. John Stevens and sons on a trip Tuesday reeled in and released throwback flounder and clammed for stripers on the bay. A bass, definitely a keeper, was hooked and got off. Nighttime trips for stripers were under way, fishing with soft-plastic lures or flies under lights like at the bridges along the Intracoastal Waterway. That fishing could be some of the best at this time of the year, and depended on high tides coinciding with night, like from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. That was one of the better trips for fly-rodding in particular, offering a better ratio of bites to casts. But spin fishing with plastics was also productive. If the fish were there, they readily attacked, not so much blind casting as in other types of angling. Daytime surface-popper fishing with lures or flies for stripers on the bay was also on, and depended on conditions and the day. High tides at dawn or dusk were the conditions, and some days were better than others, some good, some slower. But that’s how the fishing can be, and if anglers want the sport of popper fishing, with explosive surface attacks, they’ve just got to get out and go, and the angling is a specialty with Jersey Cape. Mike Roth on Monday took a trip on the boat that fly-rodded loads of small bluefish at the Cape May Rips, something different. Dozens of small blues were fought, a fish hooked on nearly every cast, on Clouser flies, epoxy flies and other subsurface patterns on sinking lines under working birds. The blues refused to attack poppers, unusual, considering the large number of fish. That fishing is perfect for novices as well as the experienced, and Mike wasn’t a novice. But it offers “reps,” the experience of hooking a bunch of fish on the fly to gain practice in the sport. For the experienced, it’s a lot of fun. Joe hopes to fish offshore this weekend, but forecasts were looking dubious. He’s fishing for bluefin tuna on the inshore grounds, and yellowfin tuna at the offshore canyons, and mahi mahi are mixed in throughout the area, from 30 fathoms on out. The bluefin fishing doesn’t guarantee a catch, typical for the fishery, but a lot of the fish are around, and it’s a popular sport. If anglers did catch, the fish was big, usually over 100 pounds, a fish of a lifetime, and that’s the thing,  why people do it. Mahi mahi, large ones this season, were usually caught among the bluefins, and Joe’s fishing was being done on the troll. Some anglers were chunking, or fishing with chunks of bait, or jigging for the fish, but that action was less consistent, and trolling gave better chances, covered more ground, and also targeted the mahi better. Trips won’t catch a bunch of fish, but if a bluefin and some mahi are landed, the day was good. Canyon fishing at the moment put out lots of yellowfins, lots of action, but getting a keeper was the challenge. Many were 25 or 26 inches, and two and three at a time were often fought. Plus mahi, again, large ones this year, were in the mix out there. Open-boat tuna trips are fishing each week, usually on a Wednesday, but sometimes on other days, depending on the weather and when anglers could fish. Call to get aboard. The trips fish wherever the best angling is located, whether inshore for bluefins or offshore for yellowfins, and Joe just wants to catch fish, he said. If that means heading farther offshore to the canyons, he’ll do it. The fishing is a learning experience. Joe is also running offshore charters that troll for tuna during the mornings and cast bait, lures or flies to mahi mahi at the lobster pots during the afternoons. Jersey Cape is offering after-work special trips on the back bay from 4 p.m. to dark, a great time to fish, when nobody else is on the waters, and action can be best. Convenient, too. Shark fishing for brown and dusky sharks close to shore, another specialty on the vessel, was also happening, and small bluefish could be fought on the ocean on trips.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Customers kept catching flounder, many of them throwbacks but some keepers, from the bay, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. A few snapper blues grabbed baits, and small sea bass filled the bay, like always in summer, but not many are ever keepers. Crabbing really got going, lots of blueclaws picked up on the right tides, low incoming. Minnows, shedder crabs, whole and filleted mackerel, various types of frozen squid, fresh-frozen clams, salted clams, frozen mullet and bunker, including for crabbing, and more baits are stocked. Live crabs for eating are carried. Canal Side rents canopy boats and kayaks for fishing, crabbing and sightseeing. The shop is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Flounder fishing racked up plenty of catches on the <b>Adventurer</b> early in the week, and the fishing began to slow down on the past couple of days, Capt. Gary said. Trips fished on the ocean on some days and on Delaware Bay on others, depending on winds and tides. The option to fish either is an advantage from the port. Small blues showed up at times, and a few kingfish were reeled in when the boat fished Cape May Channel. No croakers appeared. On Saturday night’s weekly bluefishing trip a few small blues bit, but bigger blues were probably spawning, and they’ll stop feeding during the spawn for a moment. The Adventurer is fishing on open-boat trips 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, but call to confirm, making sure no charter is running instead. Charters are available. Open bluefishing trips are sailing 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. Saturdays.

<b>Cape May</b>

Trips mostly flounder fished with <b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b>, both at the ocean reefs and on Delaware Bay, and both places were productive through the season so far, Capt. Ray said. Whether one place was better than the other depended on the weather and the tides, but neither place was better on the whole. The deep waters at the reefs are traditionally known for bigger flatties, but Delaware Bay held its own with some quality-sized flatbacks. On the ocean the boat fished the various reefs that could be hit from Cape May, and on the bay the vessel fished up and down the shipping channel. A bunch of trips are on the books to fish for tuna both inshore and offshore, including an offshore charter on Monday. Fishing for bluefin tuna on the inshore waters was somewhat hit or miss but decent, and the fish seemed big. Sailing for yellowfin tuna on the offshore grounds was finding bigger fish than before and also white marlin. Mahi mahi fishing throughout the tuna waters wasn’t bad, and tuna fishing should really amp up as August comes around. Small bluefish and a few other fish like bonito could be trolled on the ocean relatively close to shore, and upcoming charters are scheduled to go after them. That fishing is especially good for families and kids. As waters warm, fish like mahi mahi might be in the mix.

On the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> a charter on Wednesday pulled the hook on a big bluefin tuna that almost spooled the reel, and landed three mahi mahi, a 20-pounder and two 15-pounders, Capt. George said. The bluefin fishing was slow for everyone that day, and everyone George knew about either hooked none or lost the fish, bigger tuna. But catches were red hot the previous day.  The bluefin that spit the hook on the Heavy Hitter charged toward the angler when the angler wasn’t reeling, and the tuna got off. The trip trolled, like most other boats did, and a few who chunked for the fish seemed to catch. A few yellowfin tuna were picked up a little farther offshore lately, and trips can potentially motor out to those waters to take a stab at them on bluefin trips. John Stonick, Al Monger and Mike Reilly were the anglers on the charter. Flounder fishing seemed to go well for anglers this week, and a boater from the dock ran a trip that shellacked 17 keepers on Delaware Bay. Tuna and flounder were the two games in town these days, and if interested, give George a call. Only have three or four anglers for a trip instead of six to create a full charter? Call George, because he can probably put you together with other anglers on a make-up trip during mid week.

A flounder trip  loaded up on catches, more keepers than throwbacks, at Miah Maul on Delaware Bay on Wednesday for Tim at <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>, he said. So the fishing was great, and snapper blues also schooled around the Maul. Tim also scored well on the flatties lately on the back bay. He heard about good flounder catches from Cape May Reef. Croakers gathered around the jetties at Cape May Point, and snapper blues shot through the waters along the point. A few drumfish were hauled from the Cape May surf, and flounder were beached from the ocean surf at Cape May. Crabbing went well on the back bay.

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