<b>Keyport</b>

Capt. “Shamrock” Eddie Coleman from <b>April Ann Charters</b> was away on business a moment, but was back in action on the fluke grounds Saturday on a charter with Doug and Laura Larsen, Eddie said in an e-mail. They rustled up a decent pick of keepers to 5 ½ pounds, working the Shrewsbury Rocks. Bunker strips on Spro jigs worked best, and the weather was calm, until changing for the worse, so the trip headed home. Trips were running to the deep waters, able to put together good fluke catches.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fluke were creamed Tuesday on the ocean on the <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron said in an e-mail. Finally, a good day, he said. The anglers got a solid pick going, until one became ill, and Ron had to run him to the Coast Guard. All turned out well for the angler, Ron heard later, and after dropping off the patron, the boat returned to the same grounds. The fishing picked up where it left off, even though the tide had changed, and the anglers reeled in the fish the rest of the trip. Jack Tee won the pool with a 5-pounder, decked four more keepers and bagged three sizeable sea bass. On Wednesday’s trip a few fluke including a keeper or two were picked at first on the ocean in fog but okay conditions and a drift. Then incoming tide and southeast winds came on, and the drift became way too fast. The trip then bounced around to Flynn’s Knoll and the back of the bay, but nothing was doing. Ron looked forward to west winds forecast for the weekend. The Fishermen is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for bluefish 7:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Fridays and 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Some of the better fluking in a while was found on Monday afternoon’s trip, said Capt. Tom from the <b>Atlantic Star</b> “Not that it was great, but improvement,” he said. One angler bagged four, and some bagged two, and shorts bit and were released. The trip fished at Reach Channel and near the Navy Pier, and all trips in the past days fished the bay. On some days a spot gave up catches, and on other days the spot was quiet. On Tuesday morning’s trip one angler got lucky, nailing five keepers. But others got none. All customers were catching shorts on the trips, though. Wednesday’s fishing was tough. Lots of shorts but few keepers chewed on the morning trip, and rough weather made fishing difficult on the afternoon’s. When Tom gave this report an hour into this mornings trip in a phone call, the fluking was off to a slow start, maybe because of the previous afternoon’s weather.  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.

Nobody said they fluke fished on the ocean in the past days, because of weather, such as fog Wednesday morning, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>, but some whacked the fish during the weekend. When the weather allowed boats to sail, fluking produced on some days and was tough on others. But the deep-water fishing in the ocean was actually good. Boaters there fish with tackle or bait such as jigs or Peruvian smelts. Or if they want to pick up sea bass among the fluke, they fish with squid. Boaters could load up on ling in the ocean, and porgies could be pounded on the ocean or found on the bay. Plenty of bluefish could be jigged on the bay, and Jimmy heard about a couple of catches at the Mud Buoy in the ocean, but news about ocean bluefishing was scarce. Weakfish were wrangled in around the Oceanic Bridge on the Navesink River, and Jimmy heard about a few big weaks taken from the bay. Crabbing was excellent.

<b>Highlands</b>

Bluefin tuna 30 to 100 pounds were beaten on the inshore ocean, a good season for them so far, said Capt. Brian from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b>. He wasn’t asked where, but the Glory Hole and Chicken Canyon were usual spots. Trips are slated to go after them Sunday and on another day next week, and some openings remain for the angling. The tuna were mostly trolled or jigged, but some were chunked.  Mahi mahi roamed the area and closer to shore, and bonito began to appear near the shore. Fishing for such pelagics was happening and a focus on the boat now.

Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> ran no trips in the past couple of days, but he heard that fluke fishing somewhat picked up, he said. A friend sacked weakfish on the river Wednesday, and Fisher Price will start weakfishing if anglers want. The boat’s fluke trips are targeting the bigger fish in the deep in the ocean, mostly bucktailing with big strip baits. But trips will also fish with live bait or peanut bunker and snapper blues for the big flatties in the deep, and Derek will try to begin mixing in that fishing this weekend. He was waiting for the peanuts to grow large enough and the snappers to become more abundant. Open-boat trips are fluking whenever Derek can squeeze them in between charters, and call to be kept informed of the schedule.

<b>Neptune</b

Both inshore and offshore wreck-fishing slam-dunked catches, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> in an e-mail. A charter during the weekend heaved in scores of fish--cod, tog, sea bass and ling--on one of the inshore trips. Crabs started being carried for tog on the trips, because one of the blackfish per person could be kept now. The inshore trips were only available for a full day, because they sailed far. One of the offshore wreck trips, an individual-reservation outing, was supposed to leave last night and return this afternoon. The weekly, individual-reservation trips for fluke and sea bass went well whenever the right drifts were had. Space remains on the trips, sailing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Wednesday, and time is running out before fluke season closes. Speaking of fluke, Paul King nailed a 7-pound 12-ouncer on a trip. Speaking of respectable catches, one of Last Lady’s anglers boxed a 4-pound porgy, and another mugged six tog from 14 to 20 inches, keeping no more than his limit. Striped bass fishing was no good, a bust, but bluefish started to go off the spawn, beginning to bite again. Good catches of bluefin tuna, some of them 100 pounds, were made on the inshore ocean. Each trip could keep one bluefin 27 to 47 inches and one that was larger than 47 inches. Yellowfin tuna fishing was amping up at the canyons, and they were beginning to hit bait at night, not just on the troll during the day.  Space is available for an open-boat, overnight canyon trip August 12 to 13, not too long from now. Another one of the trips is full at the end of August, but space remains on more in September and October. See the boat’s Web site for openings, the schedule and info. 

<b>Belmar</b>

A load of porgies, a ton, and good-sized to 2 pounds, were plundered with the Dave Hyde group at a rock pile off Sea Bright on Wednesday with <b>Last One Charters</b>, Capt. Rob said. Six triggerfish, a 28-inch striped bass, several keeper sea bass and short sea bass were also plucked from the pile. Last One also fished for blues and striped bass recently, chumming and chunking for them at the Shrewsbury Rocks, covered in previous reports. Bluefishing currently had its moments, beginning to rebound after the spawn, apparently. Most boats, including party boats, seemed to fish for them at the Shrewsbury Rocks this week. A few striped bass could be taken from the rocks, slower fishing than last summer, but producing catches.  Last One picked them up.

Daytime bluefishing had been off and on, but the fish, big ones 8 to 15 pounds, got walloped the past couple of days on daytime trips, said Capt. Alan from the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>. The trips had been fishing at the Shrewsbury Rocks, but now fished at the Mudhole and the Mud Buoy. The last few nighttime trips for blues were slow, and none of the boats sailed Wednesday night, because of the storm, but Alan hoped the fishing would bounce back on tonight’s trip. Night trips fished all over, including at the Mudhole, the Klondike wreck and the Shrewsbury Rocks. 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.

Fishing for fluke rebounded on the <b>Big Mohawk</b> on the ocean, after tougher fluking before, and a couple of large ones, an 11-3/4-pounder and a 10-1/2-pounder, were iced, Capt. Chris said. Some big ones began appearing, and the trips fished at the rocks. That meant tackle got sacrificed to snagging, but the rocks draw the fish. Patrons on the boat generally fish jigs, and they used to work Spro jigs, but now customers on the vessel often made their own, buying and selling to each other, or buying ones that some of the mates made. A homemade jig could be made for pocket change. A few sea bass were mixed in. One customer claimed five of the keeper knotheads Wednesday. The Big Mohawk is fluke fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Shark River was jammed with fluke, more shorts than keepers, said John from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Party boats seemed to fare about the same on fluke on the ocean. The river was loaded with bait, and snapper blues sometimes popped up in the waters. Bluefishing on the head boats got on a tear today, lots landed, and previously the fishing had been hit or miss, so maybe today’s catch was a good sign. A few tog were clubbed along the jetties, but not many tried for them. Small porgies, no great shakes, bit along Shark River Inlet. Nobody mentioned surf fishing.

<b>Brielle</b>

With <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> 17 keeper fluke, including a 7-pound 11-ouncer and a couple of 5-pounders, and 13 keeper sea bass were cranked in from the ocean Tuesday, Capt. Jerry said in an e-mail. The charter, a six-man group, ground out the catch, working hard during a long day. The fish were picky, but some that bit were sizeable. One would be bagged here, another there. The crew was concerned as soon as the trip broke the inlet, seeing a lazy, southerly swell. The boat took a heading to the fluke grounds that put out the bigger fish recently. A patch of life was found in good drifting conditions, but only one keeper, some shorts and some sea bass came up on each pass. No successful drift was repeatable. So the trip then bounced between rock piles, picking a keeper here, one there, a few keeper sea bass, and loads of short sea bass, pesky. The fishing there dropped off once the tide changed. Then the boat was motored farther inshore to fish a few rough spots, but only one keeper and a few shorts turned up. The anglers bounced bucktails and fished “every type of bait that exists,” Jerry said. But some fish were bagged. Both charters and open-boat trips are fluke fishing and bottom-angling. Check the boat’s Web site for available open trips. Coming up, Fish Monger will leave port on charters and open trips for bonito and false albacore on the ocean, tackle-busting angling. Last year’s trips whaled the fish, and anglers now were already booking space.

The high hook boated 10 blues on the <b>Jamaica</b> on Tuesday, an e-mail from the boat said. Customers creeled a good catch of 7-  to 13-pounders, and Stan Zebrowski from Freehold won the pool with a 14-pounder. The crew expects the fishing to hold up this week. Smaller blues that hit on some days schooled up to 6 miles from shore, and larger blues swam two different areas close to shore. The Jamaica is fishing for blues on two trips 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. daily. Check the boat’s Web site specials this month and to be added to the e-mail list for specials. Reservations are being booked for canyon tuna fishing that will begin in late August.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Manasquan River’s fluke fishing pitched up good catches lately, said Capt. Allen from <b>Reel Class Charters</b>. That was fortunate, because a fluke trip Monday fished the river, because winds built up the ocean, and fluke trips today and Friday would probably fish the river, because forecasts called for a blow. On Monday’s trip with four anglers, six keepers--three 20- to 21-inchers, one 19-incher and two 18-inchers--were boxed among 80 tossed back. Lots of action, good trip, Allen said. Most of the flatties were hooked in the deeper waters of the river between the Point Pleasant Canal and the Route 35 Bridge, but some were picked farther upstream, between the 35 and Route 70 bridges. All were nabbed on 2-ounce Mai Tai Bucktails tipped with killies with a Gulp teaser tied above. The trip started slowly during the last couple of hours of outgoing tide. But catches picked up once incoming began, and action was constant the rest of the day, despite sometimes a slide or winds blowing against the tide. Charters are fishing for fluke, and so are open-boat Fluke Till You Puke Marathons. Sometimes sea bass are mixed in, when trips fish the rough bottom in the ocean. Check the vessel’s Web site for open-boat availability.

On the <b>Sea Devil</b> anglers walloped a steady pick of 7- to 10-pound bluefish for most of the trip Tuesday at the Shrewsbury Rocks, Cindy said in an e-mail. The action, on bait, took a while to get started, and a lull settled in around noon for a while, but otherwise the anglers, only eight of them aboard, got on very good fishing. Nicholas Olak won the pool with a 13-pounder. On Wednesday the boat returned to the Shrewsbury Rocks, and a few blues were pelted on bait for most of the trip, until big blues were spotted on the surface. The trip went after the 10-pounders, and a few were drilled on bait. The boat stayed an extra hour, and a few more were jigged. Jeannette Muller won the pool with a 14-pounder. The vessel is chartered next week on Friday and Saturday, so no open-boat trips will sail then. Otherwise the Sea Devil is bluefishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturdays. Groups of four or more can get a $5 discount per person. In addition, for groups of 11 or more, one person can fish free. Groups must arrive by 7 a.m. for the discounts, and are asked to please call ahead. Offshore tuna trips will get under way August 18, and space was already filling. See the schedule on the boat’s Web site for available dates.

Bluefishing was slow but improving through the weekend, but big blues were sometimes smoked on the <b>Cock Robin</b> since Saturday night, a couple of e-mails from the boat said. On Friday the fishing was slow, and small blues were fought. Too few anglers showed up for the nighttime trip to sail. On Saturday’s daytime trip catches were slow, but one angler fought and released an 8-foot thresher shark. On Saturday night the bluefishing finally got on a rip, with mostly big blues caught, until the bite stopped during the last 2 or 3 hours of the trip.  Tuesday was the next day that a report rolled in from the boat, and a 16-pound gator was the pool-winning fish that day. By then, waters to the north seemed to hold the action, “a nice change of pace from heading east,” the report said. 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.

<b>Toms River</b>

Boaters mongered up fluke, still caught some, on Barnegat Bay between the BB and BI markers and at Oyster Creek and Double Creek Channels, and from Barnegat Inlet, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. One customer copped four keepers from Double Creek Channel this morning. Another grabbed four from the Manasquan River near the Railroad Bridge, and places in the ocean like the Shrewsbury Rocks shoveled out the flatties. Weakfish were taken from the bay at Berkeley Island Park in the early mornings or late in the day on Rat-L-Traps, pink Fin-S Fish, sandworms and bloodworms. Little was reported about blues from the bay or anywhere, but snapper blues schooled the Toms River at Huddy Park. Tog were hung from along the rocks at Barnegat Inlet, and Jeff asked customers about triggerfish that were previously toggled in from the inlet, but nobody tried for them. Lots of sea bass were angled up from the ocean reefs, the Tires and other structure, and if Jeff were going to boat for fish, he’d target them. Word from surf fishers was mostly quiet, but one customer beached two short fluke and a couple of cownosed rays. Crabbing was good.

<b>Seaside</b>

Few fished the surf, and fish might’ve been out there, but everybody seemed to wait for someone else to catch before going themselves, said the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s Web site. Several fish were weighed in from the surf: three tog that weighed 3.6, 2.4 and 2.2 pounds, caught by three different anglers on crab, and a 4.8-pound fluke that another landed on squid. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.   

<b>Forked River</b>

Short fluke but a few keepers were netted on Barnegat Bay at the BB and BI markers, Oyster Creek and Double Creek channels and east of the 40 buoy, said Dave from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. They were also collected from Barnegat Inlet and from the ocean like in 30 feet off the Coast Guard Station or farther from shore at Barnegat Ridge. Customers kept looking for bonito and tuna at Barnegat Ridge, but none reported success. Cocktail blues were trolled on the bay on Ponytails and metal, and little was heard about weakfish, although anglers searched for them on the bay. A couple of customers found a few blowfish at Tices Shoal on the bay. Lots of triggerfish hovered along structure like the rocks at Barnegat Inlet. A bunch of crabs were clobbered.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Chumming for catches including kingfish, porgies and small sea bass was one of the better fisheries on Barnegat Bay, said the report on <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site. One of the trips chummed around the Dike, clocking a few kings, not a ton--not a thick population was around yet--a few healthy-sized porgies, a load of small sea bass and a blowfish. The fishing should improve, especially for kingfish and blowfish, and an occasional striper usually chomps in the slick. Kingfish sometimes appeared in the surf, and beach anglers were hard pressed to bank a keeper fluke. Keeper fluke were also tough to gain from the bay to Barnegat Ridge in the ocean, and customers who fished the ridge talked about catches like two keepers among 50 shorts. But the fluking should improve. Some anglers filled in the gap with sea bassing for good catches at the ocean structure. Tog fishing was strong along Barnegat Inlet’s south jetty, and if anglers fished long enough, they’d draw in a 19- or 20-incher. Some bruisers held along the finger jetty near Barnegat Lighthouse, but skill was needed to deal with the snags. Triggerfish were caught at the condos along the inlet, and that fishing will continue another month or two. Catches of big bluefish finally began to be made from the ocean at times. The big ones were a long time coming in the local area this year, and only a handful of slammers 15 pounds or larger were weighed in.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

Fishing for fluke and sea bass was tougher in the past days, and the fish were hooked, but many were shorts, said Capt. Frank from the <b>Miss Beach Haven</b>. He reported better success, good fishing, last week. 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.

Half-day family trips fished on the <b>June Bug</b> on Friday and Monday, one for flounder, the other for sea bass, Capt. Lindsday said. The flounder trip on Friday fished the bay, because the mother wanted to stay there. Short flounder and no keepers came up. The crew found one spot at the channel off the Stink House that gave up a dozen or more of the flatties on each drift, and all the fluke on the trip were landed there. But the trip also fished at Beach Haven Channel and off Little Beach. The sea bass trip on Monday bagged a couple of keepers and released shorts and a 3- or 3-1/2-foot brown shark. Catching keepers was difficult on the days, but the days and the waters were pleasant. In offshore waters small yellowfin tuna swarmed the canyons, and three or four keepers would be culled out of 20 or 25 of the tuna trolled. Lindsay heard about nobody chunking them at night yet. Bluefin tuna roamed closer to shore to the south off Cape May. Sharks including makos to 90 and 100 pounds, yet to migrate north, still hung around inshore waters near Beach Haven.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Lots of flounder,  scarce keepers, filled the bay, and the keepers seemed to move a little deeper, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. A flurry of keepers were grabbed between the islands off the Fish Factory, a challenging spot to fish because of the bars on each side, a place where boaters could get stuck as the tide drops.  A couple of talented flukers said they boated along the humps at Little Egg and Garden State South reefs, plucking out not much more than 16-inch flounder. So although anglers were waiting for the fishing for keepers to improve on the ocean, the angling actually got tougher. If boaters wanted sea bass on the ocean, they had to go deep for keepers, and shorts flooded waters closer to shore. One angler 10 days ago found porgies at one of the reefs, but nobody managed to find them again. Baby sea bass schooled the bay, and the summer fishery for kingfish, blowfish, porgies and sea bass was yet to kick in on the bay, but the season was early. The fishing usually begins in another two weeks, though it never really happened last year. When it does happen, anglers anchor and chum to have fun with the small fish, putting some in the cooler. About five kingfish were reported landed in the last two weeks. Great Bay’s summer angling for sharks was on, putting out browns to 4 and 5 feet that were mixed in with plenty of large sandsharks. The sharkers anchor and chum at night, fishing with baits like mackerel fillets, an opportunity to fight big fish without running offshore. Scott’s sells a special rig for the bay sharking and a chum ball that’s the perfect size, and can help with advice. Bluefish had been absent but now milled around the mouth of the Mullica River. They seemed to hone in on mackerel strips and spearing, refusing lures. Maybe one in a thousand anglers snatched weakfish from the back waters. If an angler knew how to catch them, hitting the right place at the right time with shedder crabs for bait, some were hooked. Scott wasn’t asked about white perch fishing up the creeks and rivers, but participation was lacking in previous weeks, although perch should be plentiful. Scott had no opportunity to catch grass shrimp to re-supply the shop with the favorite bait for perch and other fish. But minnows are stocked, and so are green crabs and other baits. Eels are stocked, and shark anglers bought them for fishing from the banks at the Coast Guard Station. Crabbing ranged from great to iffy, depending on the person. Location was apparently important, and keep moving.

<b>Absecon</b>

A bunch of small flounder scurried around the bay, said Ray from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Keepers could be gotten, and Ray fished the waters 1 ½ hours, drilling 15 throwbacks and one keeper. Plenty of striped bass attacked livelined spots and eels at night along the bridges and structure. Sean Fox and buddy socked four keepers. Few weakfish were heard about, and no blues swam the bay to speak of. White perch fishing wasn’t bad up the rivers. Triggerfish and tog could be clobbered along the jetties, sod banks and bridges. Lots of triggers were around this season, and a healthy number are always about at this time of the year, but seemed to get more attention this year. Little was reported about kingfish.  Crabbing was productive, and the blueclaws were yet to go through a second shed this season. So catches should hold up for at least a moment. Shedder crabs, live spots, live eels and just about all baits are stocked.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Surf casting for kingfish was slower than last year, when kings were abundant, but a few were scattered around, said Fred from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. So were small blues, and flounder were tugged from the wash on the north and south ends of the island. Tog and triggerfish clung to the rocks on the south-end jetty, and sometimes blues schooled off the end of the jetty. Brigantine’s surf was open the entire length of the island, instead of part of the beach being closed to protect piping plovers like usual in summer. The plover nests got washed away by high tides. Back-bay boaters banged out flounder, one or two keepers for every 30 or 40 landed. Some anglers believed flounder were making the push to the ocean for the season, and two anglers on a boat did bag eight keepers on the ocean at Brigantine Shoal in 35 feet. Plenty of sea bass were decked at the O.C. Reef., and fishing for them at the A.C. Reef was on one day, spotty on another.

<b>Margate</b>

Flounder, tons of the fish, most of them shorts, but a few keepers, carpeted the back bay, and all customers caught them, said Capt. John from the <b>Keeper</b>.  The fortunate ones got the occasional keeper. Morning trips were more productive than afternoons.  Not too many blues were seen on the bay, though John reported seeing more in past weeks. The boat never targets the blues, because trips are running for flounder, but sometimes a handful are nabbed by chance, though only one was reeled in this week. Smaller, 3-inch blues were seen chasing silversides. John was able to net peanut bunker one time, dropping them in the livewell for bait one day. When more peanuts appear, he’ll carry them aboard. Minnows were on deck for bait, but strip baits and Gulps got plenty of attention from the fish, too. 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>

Trips that fished the wrecks piled up sea bass, flounder and triggerfish 12 miles from shore on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. Two keeper flounder were bagged among nine shorts reeled up on Wednesday’s charter. An open-boat wreck trip is sold out Monday, and another will probably sail on either the Monday of August 10 or 24. Daily, open-boat trips will resume Friday, September 11, wreck fishing until focusing on tog, one of the main events of the year on the Stray Cat. South Jersey’s tog fishing is relatively unpressured compared with up north, and some years can be great. The crew bills Longport as the Blackfish Capitol of the World. The current wreck trips drifted, so no tog could really be hooked, but divers said the 10-mile wrecks continued to hold 10- and 12-pound tog.  Lots of brown and hammerhead sharks appeared on the wreck trips this season. Stray Cat is also trolling the mid-shore grounds like the Cigar and 28-Mile Wreck for pelagics. Skipjacks littered the waters this season, even appearing a few miles from the coast. The mid-shore trips were clobbering the strong fighters, and were making off with mahi mahi, bonito and Spanish mackerel to boot. A trip the other day jumped a white marlin inshore of 28-Mile Wreck.

<b>Somers Point</b>

Plenty of short flounder and small sea bass swam the bay, but Wayne Dilks, Linwood, pulled in a 5.86-pound flattie from Ships Channel, said a fax from Rob and Joan from <b>Dolfin Dock</b>. Judy Yarnell, Audubon, yanked a 4.41-pound flounder from off Anchorage Point. Larger flounder were boated in the ocean in 30 to 50 feet off Ocean City and Atlantic City and at the reefs farther out.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The bay was full of flounder, mostly shorts, and almost nobody fished the ocean because of rough weather and storms, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Nobody was probably going to hit the ocean in the next days either, because winds were forecast through Saturday. Even surf fishers avoided the ocean, hardly able to hold bottom in the seas. But previously surf fishing for kingfish, typically giving up catches in summer, was slow. Tog were latched into along the bridges and rocks. Also before the weather, flounder were boated from the G.E. and O.C. reefs on the ocean, and a few sea bass were lifted up from the reefs, but not many bothered with the lumpheads. A 63-inch bluefin tuna subdued at the Lobster Claw was the last offshore catch reported before the weather. Bluefins were gaffed at the Claw and also at the Cigar before the blow.

A look back at the log books showed that flounder fishing was usually slow toward late July but picked back up when the fishing turned on at the ocean wrecks, structure and lumps in August, said Capt. Craig from <b>Fish Tale Charters</b>. Plus croakers and weakfish usually come in, keeping rods bent, adding fish to the cooler. Flounder fishing on trips was slow on the ocean during the past couple of days, but the charters both days came back with a couple of keepers and a couple of blues. Even short flounder were mostly absent. A trip fished the bay previously on Monday with similar results on flounder. A trip was supposed to target sea bass on the ocean today, but forecasts looked like winds would force the charter to stay on the bay. Craig did no sea bassing in a couple of weeks, because when he looked for them then, a ton of small ones and sea robins chomped. So he would see whether the angling picked up. Trips on the boat were booked to fish the ocean through Saturday, but forecasts looked like the bay would have to be fished because of winds. 

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

The ocean reefs attracted lots of flounder, more keepers than the bay did, said Nick from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. But for anglers who didn’t fish on the ocean, the inlets gave up ample opportunity to reel up the flatties on bucktails, squid, live bait and Gulps. Small blues sometimes ran through the inlets. Not much happened in the surf, but an occasional kingfish could be bloodwormed in the suds, and flounder, skates and sharks could be located in the wash. Triggerfish and tog hugged the jetties and reefs, and sea bass loitered around the reefs. Sharks and bluefish could be fought at Sea Isle Lump and such places. The farther offshore, the bigger both were. Large bluefin tuna were trolled at the Hambone and Lobster Claw on skirted ballyhoos. Small yellowfin tuna patrolled the canyons. Mahi mahi held from inshore to offshore in the ocean.

Southerly winds made fishing tough on a couple of days early in the week, but on Tuesday a trip fished Wildwood Reef with Mike and Laura Miller, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. They reeled up a mixed bag including a keeper flounder, probably 12 or 15 shorts, small blues, little sea bass and other fish, constant action. Another trip was fishing the reef this morning when Joe gave this report on the phone, and so far had pumped in three or four flounder, some sea bass and other fish. Fun angling. Joe took another trip early this week that bailed quite a few triggerfish, a tasty species, and small blues and amberjacks. Some of the triggers were actually fly-rodded, unusual but cool, difficult to catch them on flies because of their small mouths. The rest of the fish were taken on bait. Tides were off for striped bass fishing at night on the bay, like under the lights at the bridges on the Intracoastal Waterway. But trips were tackling good catches of stripers when tides were high in the middle of the night. Charters catch them on Clouser flies or soft-plastic lures. But ideal tides or high waters at dawn in the next days will take place for popper fishing for stripers on the bay with lures and flies. Joe had a couple of trips lined up that will try for them. The popper fishing, with explosive surface attacks, is one of the specialties on the vessel. Joe poles a flats boats in the shallows on the trips, like fishing the mangroves in Florida or tropical locations. Fishing for brown and dusky sharks close to shore in the ocean was happening, another specialty on the boat. The fishing, fun on light tackle, can last until Labor Day, but was on right now. Charters either fish baits like mackerel fillets on spinning or conventional tackle or fly rod for the feisty fish. Joe was planning to fish offshore for tuna this coming Saturday, but forecasts looked dubious. Fishing for big bluefin tuna was hopping at the Hambone and Lobster Claw, relatively close to shore. Canyon tuna fishing all the way offshore was on for yellowfins, a bunch of small ones but a few 40- to 60-pound keepers per trip. Lots of healthy sized mahi mahi swam from the bluefin grounds to the canyons, a bonus on the trips. In addition to charters, open-boat trips are sailing for tuna once a week, usually on Wednesdays, but sometimes on other days, depending on the weather and when anglers can go. Offshore charters are available that troll for tuna during the mornings and cast bait, lures or flies to mahi mahi at the lobster pots during the afternoons.

<b>Wildwood</b>

When days brought the conditions, flounder were drummed up on the <b>Adventurer</b>, mostly at the Cape May Rips, Capt. Gary said. The week was often windy, including a blow like crazy on Wednesday. On Tuesday 25 keeper flatties were coolered, and probably 50 or 60 shorts were tossed back. Small blues, kingfish and occasional weakfish were mixed in on trips, and other boats ran across croakers, but none were hooked on the Adventurer. Saturday night’s bluefishing trip was weathered out, but the crew will try to get out for them this Saturday.   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.

The back bay’s flounder fishing was strong, and not many were keepers, but anglers like tourists had lots of fun, said Mike from <b>Canalside Boat Rentals</b>. A few short striped bass grabbed minnows meant for flounder. One crabber felt a tug on his hand line, pulled in his bunker bait, and found a striper holding on. Another boater chanced into a slew of croakers that hit minnows one day on the bay. Bluefish, small ones, were around here or there on the bay. But one of the rental boaters came upon them one day last week, landing a mess. Crabbing on the rental boats got much stronger. The shop’s minnow supply is in solid shape, and they’re large. 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 blueclaw crabs, currently No. 2’s, are carried for eating. The arrival of larger No. 1’s was somewhat delayed. Canal Side rents canopy boats and kayaks for fishing, crabbing and sightseeing. The shop is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

<b>Cape May</b>

The <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> was docked for maintenance, but boaters tore up big bluefin tuna to 150 and 200 pounds in 20 to 30 fathoms on the troll, on the chunk and on jigs, Capt. Tom said. Many of the larger ones were around. Big mahi mahi swam abundant in the same waters. Yellowfin tuna fishing was ratcheting up at the canyons, and the size of the fish was a lot better than before. They were spread up and down the 100-fathom line, and a few bigeye tuna haunted the waters, and billfish were on the bite. Flounder fishing spouted out plenty of action, and trips on the boat were mostly chasing them on the ocean. But the flatties also hung in Delaware Bay, and charters can fish there if they want or if they can only take a short trip. Tailor blues crammed the waters off Cape May Point, fun on light tackle, like on 4-hour trips with the family and kids.

Delaware Bay was the place for flounder, though the fish were also dredged up from the ocean at places like the Old Grounds, were headed for deep waters, said Danny from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. But the flatties were dusted up from throughout Delaware Bay from Fortescue to 14-Foot Light and beyond. Some could also be collected on the back bay. Not much was happening in the surf, except that sharks bit. But small blues occasionally sped through the wash. Boaters could bat down snapper blues from off Cape May Point. Croakers could be located around the point, and so could occasional kingfish, but not many. Danny heard about no weakfish landed, and nobody talked about trying for tog. But tog were surely around, and green crabs are stocked for bait for them. Shedder crabs, minnows, frozen and more baits are also carried. 

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