<b>Staten Island</b>

The ocean migration of striped bass seemed to peter out, and trips that had been fishing for them were probably finished for the year, said Capt. Anthony from <b>Barbara Ann Fishing Charters</b>. But bottom-fishing was strong for sea bass, plenty of ling, some cod in the mix and out-of-season winter flounder that were released. Trips will keep sailing for the bottom fish, and combo fluke and sea bass trips will kick off. Open-boat trips every Tuesday and Thursday afternoons to evenings will continue. They’ll probably no longer sail for stripers this season, and call to check on the targeted species. Barbara Ann refunds bridge tolls with a receipt.

<b>Keyport</b>

“So many big fish have hit our scale in the past few days,” said Chris from <b>Crabby’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. The fluke population built up all around the Keyport Flats in the bay, though many were just under the size limit. Luey Lampton bailed 35 of the flatties, including five keepers to an 8-pound doormat, at the flats on a Gag’s Squid Zee lure tipped with squid soaked in crab oil. Dennis Stromicle drilled a 9-1/2-pound fluke at Flynn’s Knoll. Edgar Carino put together a quality catch of the summer flounder to 6.8 pounds on killies. Rob Pante clubbed a 9-1/2-pound fluke and a 5-pounder on sea robin strips, and Jack O’Herron claimed a 6-pounder near Sandy Hook on squid. On the striped bass front, Ed Grant Sr. limited out on the bass to 47 pounds in the ocean on bunker. Michael Kudiak, 9, shellacked a 49-pound striper at the Shrewsbury Rocks on a bunker head. That’s a way to keep a kid fishing for life, Chris said. Bobby Socia knocked down a 45-pound striper in the ocean on fresh bunker. In an unusual catch, Chris Saverwien landed a 16-pound cobia from the shore at Belford. Crabby’s Crab Contest was off to a great start, and lots of the blueclaws were entered. Bob Vitale checked in a 7-5/16-inch hardshell. Tim Lason and gang nabbed 35 sizeable crabs in box traps on bunker. “The crabs are now hanging on the poles,” Chris said.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The first couple of hours of Sunday’s trip dished up quality fluke, said Capt. Ron from the <b>Fishermen</b> in the report on the boat’s Web site. The high hook dialed in four keepers to 6 ¾ pounds, and three other anglers tied into three keepers apiece. Several keepers weighed 3 to 5 pounds, and shorts made up too much of the catch. The afternoon was difficult in strong currents, but some shorts, an occasional keeper and a few large sea bass were dusted. The boat’s night trip that day was out for bluefish and striped bass, and the blues seemed to go into their normal July blight, when they refuse to feed a moment. But he hoped the  fishing would pick back up after the full moon. On Saturday’s fluke trip, with light crowds on the Fourth of July, a couple of patrons averaged three keepers in the cooler, releasing 15 to 20 shorts apiece. One couple of anglers combined for six keepers. Plenty of action with shorts and some sizeable keepers was scored, and the boat fished on the bay, because the direction of winds and tides created limited options for where to angle. 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 Saturdays and 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sundays.

Both trips on Sunday made up probably one of the better days of fluke fishing this season on the <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. Both fished around the Navy Pier, and more keepers seemed to come up than on many days through the season, and the fishing was a steady pick. Going back to the beginning of the past stretch of days, on Thursday the fluking was no great shakes, if Tom remembered, and not a lot of anglers showed up, apparently scared off by weather forecasts. But tons of people showed up Friday, like a holiday before the Fourth of July, but the fishing was slow, even for shorts. Saturday’s flattie catches on the Fourth were a little better. Again, both trips on Sunday were some of the better fluking this season. The day was enjoyable with the fishing and the beautiful weather. All the trips fished on the bay, and the fleet seemed to fish there, instead of the ocean front. About a 6-1/2-pounder belted on Sunday morning was the biggest in recent days, and pool winners were usually 4 pounds, about a 21-inch fluke. Tom weighed a 16-incher, two inches shorter than this year’s size limit, and the fish was 2 pounds, a heavy fish. The fishing was day by day, trip by trip, and predicting when the fluke would cooperate was impossible. On one day a relatively large number of fish would be hooked at a spot, and a trip would go back the next day in similar conditions, and the fluke would fail to cooperate at the place. He didn’t think the fish moved, but instead thought they stopped feeding for some reason. Sometimes the bottom huggers would come up with mud on their bellies, indicating they probably dug into the bottom to wait to feed. Customers will often ask Tom what the best conditions are, like winds and tides, but he can’t tell them, because too many variables are involved, and there’s no telling ahead of time how a day will go. 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.

Ted Ziegert clobbered an 8-1/2-pound fluke on Sunday morning’s trip on the <b>Dorothy B</b>, Didi said. On the same trip his wife clocked a 3-1/2-pounder and a 3-pounder, Jeff Sutton smoked a 5-1/2-pounder, and other anglers plundered several 4-pounders. The trip was good, Didi said. The afternoon’s trip was okay, she added, and conditions change. But probably a 4-pounder was the pool winner, and several other sizeable flatbacks were taken. The boat fished on Sandy Hook Bay lately, and customers usually fished with spearing and squid provided on the vessel. Sutton used to fish with the boat’s captain for years and years, when the captain, Kevin Bradshaw, ran party boats from Sheepshead Bay, Didi said. Bradshaw, a third generation head boat skipper from Sheepshead, reportedly the oldest party boat family from the port, started running the Dorothy B from Atlantic Highlands this year. He fished many of the same waters from Sheepshead that he’s fishing now, and in the past developed a following for family fishing, she 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.

<b>Highlands</b>

Trips that sailed for migrating striped bass in the ocean are probably finished for the season, because the run is probably over, said Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>. A trip tried for the bass Sunday, but the angling was slow, managing to catch one striper, and lots of dog sharks bit. So the anglers switched to fluke fishing, tackling a half-dozen to 5 pounds in an hour, a good bite, on drifted strip baits. Charters will start concentrating on fluke. But charters will sail for resident, non-migrating stripers, dunking worms for the linesiders during Magic Hours from 6 p.m. to 12 midnight or so. Special types of fluke charters will also run: bucktailing the deep waters or live-bait fishing such as with peanut bunker or snapper blues. Peanuts needed to grow a little to use them as bait, but the snappers were already large enough. Fluking will also continue to be done with big strip baits, like when no live bait is available to be netted.

Fishing for fluke and sea bass put out good catches on the boat, said Capt. Bob from <b>Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures</b> in an e-mail. “Had to adjust some trips due to conditions,” he said, but all got on the bite. The Moran family scored a healthy mix of fluke to 22 inches and sea bass to 17 inches, including many throwbacks of each. Andy Skolman, his son and two friends “had to make a run to sticky bottom,” Bob said, but they bucktailed a respectable catch of fluke and sea bass among plenty of shorts released. A crew from the Sting Wrestling Club “body slammed” fluke and sea bass, he said. Many shorts were let go, but fluke to 24 inches and sea bass to 16 inches were bagged. Full-day, half-day and Magic Hour Trips, trips in the evenings, are fluking, and a Magic Hour Trip this past week pulled up a respectable catch of the flatties. Evening trips are worming for striped bass.

<b>Neptune</b>

Lack of drift hampered fluke fishing on Wednesday’s individual-reservation trip, and the flatties were only caught during 15 minutes of a drift, but a solid catch of sea bass saved the day, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> in an e-mail. But two fluke trips on Saturday copped drifts, and the anglers aboard loaded up, very good fishing. Individual-reservation fluke trips are sailing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Wednesday, and call to claim without delay. Another trip shark fished Saturday with Last Lady, setting up in blue waters with flying fish, anchovies, everything right. “Unfortnately the wind was a little too much for the crew,” he said, so they switched to wreck fishing, lambasting good-sized ling. Still, now is the time to nail a mako, if anyone wants to go. An individual-reservation striped bass/bluefish trip was a bust Tuesday, but another fished Thursday, hammering 10 stripers to 40 pounds and legions of blues. The next individual-reservation bass and blues trip will leave port at 2 a.m. Tuesday, July 21, returning at 8 a.m. Canyon fishing was happening now, with tuna trolled during the day, and makos beaten at night. See the boat’s Web site for openings on individual-reservation canyon trips. Also on the menu with Last Lady, offshore wreck fishing was piling up cod, pollock and big ling, and none of the offshore pieces will get hit hard by other boats until fall.

<b>Belmar</b>

A corporate charter, one angler taking his clients fishing, ran for blues on a short, 4-hour trip Wednesday with Capt. Rob from <b>Last One Charters</b>, he said. They looted all the 8- to 15-pounders they wanted on bait in 2 hours of actual fishing at the Mudhole 17 miles from shore. A party of five headed out for striped bass at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, putting the kibosh on eight of the linesiders to 26 pounds and a few blues on bunker chunks at the Shrewsbury Rocks. Then they fluke fished, bagging 10 keepers, including two 6-pounders, releasing a slew of shorts. On Sunday an angler on a 4-hour trip brought aboard three kids ages 8 to 13, and only the kids fished. One of them boated two stripers 15 to 20 pounds, his first-ever fish on his first-ever boating trip. They also picked up a couple of blues, all while chunking at the Rocks.

<b>Brielle</b>

One angler weighed in a 32-1/4-pound striped bass that was boated in the ocean, but the customer said like a half-dozen bunker pods had to be fished to find the linesider, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. The angler saw three thresher sharks in the pods, too. The migration of stripers slowed down in the ocean, but resident, non-migrating bass could be located. Fluke fishers reeled in a mess of the flatties, lots of shorts, and keepers were more challenging to come by. A 9-pound keeper, two 7-pounders and two 5-pounders that Ed Springsteen nailed on Mai Tai bucktails was one of the better catches. While Dave had previously said fluking seemed better up north, anglers now were starting to pick at the fish locally. Bottom-fishers bailed sea bassing, outstanding. Shark anglers wrestled the monsters, including some makos and a healthy variety of others like browns and threshers. Besides catching makos, if the anglers were content to catch and release the other sharks, they could catch fine. Hudson Canyon’s tuna fishing amped up, and yellowfins to the mid 50 pounds were around, and a few bigeyes to 240 pounds were creamed. Dave heard about a couple of white marlin released offshore, but he heard about no bluefin tuna boated on local inshore waters. The <a href=" http://www.ssfff.net/fundraiser.html" target="_blank">Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund</a>, spearheading the movement to prevent the summer flounder or fluke season from closing and from harsh bag limits that are essentially a closure, very much needs the continued support of anglers. See the fund’s Web site for details and how the fund is attempting to solve the crisis.

The season’s first open-boat fluke trip left the dock with <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> on Thursday in fog, Capt. Jerry said in an e-mail. No drift was found at the first two stops at rubble in the ocean. The vessel steamed to sticky bottom, and a drift began, and catches started to be made. A few patches of fluke were located, and the anglers pumped in keepers, plus keeper sea bass, releasing plenty of shorts of both. A 7-pound fluke was socked, and another 7-pounder, a twin, was sacked. The anglers bounced bucktails in the rough stuff the rest of the day, and the fish came in spurts. The gang worked hard, putting together a catch, boxing 19 keeper fluke and 24 keeper sea bass by the end. An open trip Tuesday is full, but room is available on an all-day, open fluke trip Thursday for the flatties. Give a buzz to grab a spot.

After two days of difficult bluefishing, catches got better on Saturday on the <b>Jamaica</b>, an e-mail from the boat said. Patrons got shots at the 7- to 13-pounders all around the boat 16 to 18 miles to the south, not red hot, but catches on every drift. The Jamaica is fishing for stripers and blues 7:30 a.m. daily and for blues 7:30 p.m. daily. A coupon is available for $5 off adult fare in July. Check the boat’s Web site for the complete schedule, including special trips, and to be added to the e-mail list for special trips. Reservations are being booked for canyon tuna fishing that will begin in late August.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Some tough days of bluefishing, but the slammers were around, and the angling will bust back open after the spawn, an e-mail from the <b>Cock Robin</b> said. The hope was that the new week, the new moon or anything else that could be a factor would help. The angling on Friday’s daytime trip was difficult, and pockets of the fish were found and drifted over, but the bites were poor. The night trip was no improvement, but Saturday’s daytime outing was somewhat better. “Not bang up,” the e-mail said, but all patrons caught. The blues failed to be aggressive, all of them getting lip-hooked, and “plenty of fish spit the jig at the boat,” the e-mail said. Beautiful day on the waters, though. No night trip sailed because of the Fourth of July. Plenty of blues were marked on Sunday’s daytime trip, but they “wouldn’t commit,” the e-mail said, and they were in “lockdown.”  The Cock Robin is fishing for stripers and 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>Sea Devil</b>, after bluefishing was good on Wednesday, fair on Thursday and slow on Friday on the East Bank of the Mudhole, catches improved on the boat Saturday at the same area, Cindy said in an e-mail. Catches were steady on jigs throughout the day, and an 8-pounder won the pool. But then fishing was tough on Sunday’s trip near the Mudhole. Several moves were made, and the fishing was best toward the end of the day, when more than half the anglers were hooked up at once at one point.  Chris Groeger from Bloomingdale won the pool with an 8-pounder, and 7 pounds was average size. The Sea Devil is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.

<b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> called it a season for striped bass fishing, Capt. Fred said. Quite a year of catches of big bass to the 30- and 40-pound range along the ocean front were made on the vessel, mostly on live bunker swum among bunker pods. Inshore trips will now sail for fluke and sea bass in the ocean, and the season’s first canyon charter is slated for this week. Lots of yellowfin tuna, not a lot of keepers but some, plenty of action, were on tap on the troll at the canyons, mostly between the Toms and the Lindenkohl. A few bigeye tuna were on the hunt, and mahi mahi were around. If interested in the fishing, call to get on the list. If bluefin tuna show up in substantial numbers at the Mudhole, charters will go after them. The John Gregory charter took a shot at bluefins on Thursday, breaking the inlet in 15- to 20-knot winds, the boat’s Web site said. Fishing at the Glory Hole was the original plan, but the winds slowed the going, and when the boat got to the Monster Ledge before the Hole, the anglers trolled. Great marks were read, but bluefish were impossible to get through with the spread, sometimes slamming the hooks in quadruple-headers. The abundance of sand eels was unreal. Seas calmed down, and the boat was motored to the Glory Hole, but the waters were lifeless. So the anglers fished a nearby wreck, and plenty of ling were found, and monster-sized winter flounder hit, and no cod showed up. Schoolie bluefin tuna busted around the boat a couple of times while the vessel was anchored at the wreck. Live bait and jigs were fished to attempt to hook them, but none attacked. Sharking was then attempted at the Glory Hole, but winds against the currents prevented a drift. Another attempt was made at the Monster Ledge, but no sharks took the baits. Long day but a great family to fish with, the report said.  Andrea’s Toy’s annual open-boat, mixed bag, offshore canyon trips are about to begin, and space is available on a first-come basis. See details on <a href="http://www.andreastoycharters.com" target="_blank"> Andrea’s Toy’s home page</a>.

Anglers on the <b>Katie H</b> fluke fished on the ocean Saturday, and some were caught, with sea bass mixed in, but the weather was too calm, and the drift was lost, Capt. Mike said. Three keeper fluke and 10 or 12 keeper sea bass were reeled up, and lots of shorts of both chewed. The sea bassing was especially active, probably could’ve been productive, but the charter wanted fluke. But they had fun on the calm ocean and in the clear weather, he said. Mike’s anticipating the boat’s first offshore charter this season, slated for Friday. Small yellowfin tuna and a bunch of skipjacks were abundant, and a boater from the dock beat three or four keeper yellowfins and two bigeye tuna. The yellowfins were small, but action was scored all day. Don’t have enough anglers for an offshore charter? No problem. Call Mike, and he can probably arrange an individual space on a make-up trip.

<b>Seaside</b>

A few striped bass were weighed in from the surf since Thursday, including a 44-pound monster this morning, the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s Web site said. The other bass included a a 42.8-pounder, a 14.7-pounder and a 14.9-pounder, and some shorts were angled in. Striper fishing was mostly slow, but the anglers with the weigh-ins proved it could still be done. All the striper weigh-ins vacuumed up bunker baits, except one that Hoovered a crab. Lots of fluke, mostly shorts but some keepers, skittered around the wash, and bluefish were scarce but were fought here and there in the suds. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.   

<b>Forked River</b>

In the ocean fluke were found in 20 to 25 feet off the Coast Guard Station, at the Tires and on the east side of Barnegat Ridge, said Jana from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b> in an e-mail. Killies and squid got strikes, and pink was a hot color on terminal tackle. In Barnegat Bay the flatties came from the stretch between the BI and BB markers, Double Creek Channel, the east side of the 40 buoy and High Bar Harbor. Spearing, killies and squid worked well. Weakfish were plucked from the bay near Forked River and between the BI and BB, sucking up bloodworms or swiping pink Fin-S Fish. Blowfish nibbled small pieces of squid at Tices Shoal and near the Route 37 Bridge. Striped bass disappeared in the ocean, but lots of bunker schooled. Russ Grafe subdued a 197-pound mako shark at the Fingers. Yellowfin tuna swam Hudson Canyon, and Al from the Naughty Boy busted a 200-pound bigeye tuna at the Hudson on Tuesday.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Barnegat Bay fishing and ocean wreck fishing both improved compared with the previous week, said Capt. Steve from <b>Reel Fantasea Charters</b> in an e-mail. In the bay bluefish, fluke and schoolie striped bass were the bounty for plenty of action for both novices and veterans. A good showing of 1- to 5-pound blues swam throughout the bay, hitting either artificials or bait. At the wrecks sea bass, ling and blackfish, legal to keep one per day starting July 16, bent the rods. About a third of the sea bass were keepers, but the fishing was drop-and-reel, and patience was key for hooking the legal fish instead of the throwbacks. Let the little tikes peck at the bait, until the biggers ones grab the hook, and that’ll put more fish on ice.

<b>Barnegat</b>

Fluking turned slow on a trip Friday on the ocean, and three or four shorts, small sea bass, skates and big sea robins bit, said Capt. John from <b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b>. The drift was slow, and the full moon might’ve kept the flatties from feeding, and the fishing goes through these spells at times, for whatever reasons. But it should bounce back. A friend who fluke fished on the ocean from Point Pleasant farther north also caught little except skates, so the action seemed to die there, too. Even Barnegat Bay’s fishing sounded slow during the holiday weekend, maybe because of boat traffic. A friend landed weakfish on the bay, and weakfishers had to put in the time, work for the fish, avoid other boats and fish early in the mornings or late in the day. John heard that one angler boated a bonito at Barnegat Ridge, and the ridge was loaded with sand eels, and the bonito fishing should turn on any time. Bluefishing dropped off at the ridge, and local party boats reportedly ran far north, finding tough bluefishing there, too. Local boaters seemed to wrap up fishing for striped bass on the ocean for the season.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

Three mako sharks--a 130-pounder that was kept and two that were released that weighed up to 160 pounds--were battled to the boat Friday with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, Capt. T.J. said. No other sharks showed up, and waters were 70 to 71 degrees, getting warm for the monsters. On Saturday two bluefin tuna, a 50-incher that was kept and probably a 49-incher that was released, were trolled at 28-Mile Wreck in somewhat sloppy seas in winds. Legal Limit will probably offer a bluefin-tuna special. A trip Saturday bottom-fished at the reefs, decking one keeper flounder and a half-dozen keeper sea bass, releasing a few shorts, not many. Saturday’s winds that roughed up seas apparently stirred up the waters, putting off the fish. A bunch of flounder trips in a row will fish starting later in the week. Shared charters are fishing for flounder every Tuesday and Wednesday, and sometimes on other days, when no full charter is booked. Two spots are available this Tuesday, and this Thursday is sold out. Four spaces are open on Sunday.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Anglers on foot hung flounder, lots of the fish, including keepers, from the surf and from the sea wall at Absecon Inlet, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. In the surf the Pacific Avenue jetty produced, and from the sea wall, near the Flagship put out. Minnows, Pro Cut squid and bloodworms were main baits. Plenty of triggerfish gathered along the jetties, inhaling squid, shrimp or clams. Tog also chomped along the rocks, and one can be kept starting July 16. Kingfish, not a bunch but a few, gobbled bloodworms in the wash. The surf cooled a moment, and herring came in, and a few striped bass followed them and got caught. Snapper bluefish schooled the back bay near Harrah’s. Minnows, bloodworms, green crabs, fresh clams, fresh bunker and a large supply of frozen baits are stocked. 

<b>Longport</b>

Fishing for flounder and sea bass on the <b>Stray Cat</b> was dead on Sunday in no drift on the ocean, Capt. Mike said. But previously anglers aboard whacked the catches at Ocean City Reef. They also waffled big porgies, in season since Wednesday, and large triggerfish. Tog, legal to keep one starting July 16, sucked down squid heads meant for flounder, so they had to be thick. A charter on Saturday will look to battle bluefin tuna on the inshore grounds. Charters are sailing for all these species.

<b>Somers Point</b>

Flounder were taken all over the back bay and were ploughed around the ocean wrecks, said T.C. from <b>Brennan Marine</b> in a fax. In the bay Rainbow Channel, Ships Channel, off Anchorage Point and on the flats off Kennedy Park gave up large numbers but a large majority of throwbacks. Al and Joe Rocks on the Brutus II fished off Kennedy on Saturday, culling two big keepers to 6.45 pounds out of eighteen throwbacks, while fishing 5-inch chartreuse Gulp Jerk Shads. In the ocean O.C. Reef gave up flounder and big sea bass, and G.E. Reef shoveled up somewhat fewer of both. Farther from shore, Mario Mortarella and crew on the North Coat headed to the Cigar to search for bluefin tuna on Friday, found no tuna but trolled three makos on Green Machines and spreader bars, and also dredged up a mahi mahi. Mike Fox on the High Trend trolled a 40-pound bluefin north of 28-Mile Wreck and ran into big numbers of bluefish. Small bluefins were also reported tackled at the 20-Fathom Fingers.

“Big action fishing week!” said a fax from Joan and Rob Barrett from <b>Dolfin Dock</b>. Two anglers deserved honors for catch of the week: Cory Nolan, Wayne, Pa., for a 9-3/4-pound sheepshead that engulfed a clam at the Ocean City Bridge; and Stan Uzelac, Warrington, Pa., who scored a double-header of a 33-inch striped bass and a 21-inch flounder on a top-and-bottom-rig with mackerel strips at the Ships Channel Bridge on a Dolfin Dock rental boat. Ship Channel’s flounder fishing was on fire! the fax said. Anglers with flounder catches included: Keith Tracy, East Nassau, N.Y., 7-1/2-pounder, Ships Channel, Gulp New Penny Shrimp on a bucktail; brothers Al Rocks, Egg Harbor Township and Joe Rocks, Cinnaminson, 6.6- and 6.56-pounders, respectively, South Rainbow Channel; Brent Mauer and son Bob, Marmora, 6-1/4-and 6-pounders, in the bay at Ocean City; John Lamour, Ocean City, 4-1/2-pounder, Great Egg Harbor Inlet; Shawn Wetherman, Mays Landing, 4-1/4-pounder; and Steve Perry, Northfield, 4-pounder.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Inshore sharking for duskies, unique fishing offered on the boat, turned on during a couple of trips Saturday and Sunday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Al Fellheimer and John Jocko were aboard Saturday, tackling and releasing at least a dozen of the fish, a protected species that must be released, to 40 pounds, the best fishing that Joes’s seen for them in years. Fifteen might’ve been landed, and Joe lost count, and only two rods could be fished, because the action was too fast. The anglers fished with spinning rods, but Joe offers fly fishing for the sharks, and the fly-rodding would’ve been possible on the trip. Sometimes the sharks hang in the chum slick too far from the boat to fly rod, but the fish were fly-roddable this day. On Sunday Rich Duffy, his son Shane and friend Jake drilled and released six duskies to 30 pounds, an excellent catch, on spinning and conventional rods. The fishing usually begins in July, and Joe had scoped out the action last week and saw that it was ready. Catches could last through Labor Day, but that’s no guarantee, and the fish were here now. The angling is done as close as several miles from shore, an opportunity for sharking without a long run from the coast. Joe uses light tackle that maxes out the fun in fighting the fish, weighing up to 50 or 60 pounds. The sharks Saturday, weighing up to 40 or 50 pounds, and measuring up to 5 feet, ere the biggest he’s seen. Joe sets up a chum slick and fishes with bait like mackerel strips, the bait used on these trips, or bunker strips. Chum flies are fished when fly rodding. Closer to the docks, Joe on a trip Thursday clammed the back bay for striped bass with friend Capt. Chris Goldmark and Chris’s friend Roberto. A half-dozen bass to 29 inches were knuckled in on the last of incoming tide. Fishing for stripers on the bay with popper lures and flies, another specialty for Jersey Cape, was happening, too. Catches were “sporadically good,” Joe said, when conditions were right, namely high tides that coincided with evenings. Those conditions were taking place now. The time of year was also right for Joe to begin striper fishing at night at the bridge lights along the Intracoastal Waterway. Excellent flounder fishing continued on the bay, and the population was large, and keepers were occasionally mugged. The fishing is especially great for families. Flounder fishing was also under way in the ocean at Cape Reef, Reef 11 and the Old Grounds, and Jersey Cape does that fishing. Friends iced good catches, and other friends found slow fishing. But that’s the nature of fluke fishing in depths like 80 or 100 feet, but when it’s on, it’s something. At the offshore canyons yellowfin tuna fishing depended on the day and the location. Many of the tuna, lots of them shorts but some to 40 pounds, were around. Water temps were even, no breaks or fish-holding, sudden changes to target, so finding the fish was more a matter of luck. Mahi mahi started to swim the blue waters in force, and Joe should be able to offer casting to them at the lobster pots soon. Peanut bunker, used for chum, were almost big enough for the fishing. 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. Open-boat tuna trips are sailing, usually on Wednesdays but sometimes on other days, depending on the weather and when anglers want to go. Call for info. The trips, sailing on a 26-foot Regulator, will fish either inshore for bluefin tuna or offshore at the canyons for yellowfins. Joe won’t limit the options, and he just wants to catch, he said. If that means pushing out to the canyons, he’ll do it. The trips are a learning experience. Joe will offer mixed-bag offshore charters this summer, trolling for tuna in the mornings, then casting lures, bait or flies to mahi mahi in the afternoons. Offshore trips fish on either the Regulator or a 42-foot Liberty, depending on the number of anglers and type of fishing, like angling with conventional tackle or fly gear.

<b>Avalon</b>

Offshore trips with <b>Over Under Adventures</b> sailed from Ocean City, Maryland, through  last week, an e-mail from Over Under said. The fishing wasn’t as easy as the previous week, but was productive for yellowfin tuna. Trips fished between South Poorman’s Canyon and Washington Canyon, mostly in 120 fathoms. A 500-pound blue marlin was landed on an open-boat trip, the highlight of the week. Waters were mostly 70 degrees but varied, and bait became difficult to find in the deep, but the grounds inshore of 45 fathoms were loaded with bait. However, bluefin tuna were scarce in those waters, although trips tried and tried to catch them. One to six keepers, averaging 45 pounds, were usually taken per trip, and four to ten throwbacks were usually released each day, and several mahi mahi were typically caught. The main body of bluefins held 70 miles to the south. Larger ones were caught to the south, and occasional larger ones were hooked at areas farther north like the Fingers, Massey’s Canyon, the Ham Bone and 19-Fathom Lump. A blow was expected to roll through the area today, and maybe that would “stir the pot, so to speak,” the e-mail said. Both charters and open-boat trips are sailing, and see the fishing reports on Over Under’s Web site for the open schedule.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Flounder, quite a few shorts but numerous 5- to 7-pounders that were weighed in, were waffled at Cape May Reef, Wildwood Reef, Reef 11 and the Old Grounds, fishing that turned on, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> in an e-mail. A similar bite also kicked in at the mouth of Cold Spring Inlet. The back bay churned out the flatties, but many of the fish seemed to start moving toward the inlets or the deeper holes in the bay. All of this flounder fishing was just in time for the shop’s  <a href=" http://www.sterlingharbor.com/Fishingtour2009.htm" target="_blank">16th annual Duke of Fluke Tournament</a> this coming Saturday. Call the shop or visit its Web site for more info. Plenty of the fish were around for possible record weigh-ins during the event. Tony Capri from Oreland, Pa., checked in a 7-pound 5-ounce flounder that he bucktailed at Cape May Reef. Joe Wilczynski from Philly weighed in a 5-pound 4-pouncer that he fooled on the back bay at Wildwood on a Gulp. Surf angling for striped bass tapered off, but short stripers were played and released on the back bay on top-water plugs or clams. Offshore fishing reports “were on the slower side” this past week, she said, probably because of high winds and rough seas during the weekend. But those who ventured out hooked small yellowfin tuna at the canyons and also sharks. Crabby Jack gave crabbing three claws.

Rental boaters on the bay got on a steady pace of flounder catches, lots of throwbacks, but some keepers, said Jeremy from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. Small bluefish sometimes hit, and a striped bass was occasionally hooked, and the anglers always brought back something. But the big news was that crabbing picked up a lot and was going well. The shop started to be able to stock a few minnows, after the baitfish had been scarce, and the staff will try to get more this week.  Other baits carried include frozen, whole and filleted mackerel, several types of frozen squid including big trolling squid and various colors of Pro Cut, fresh-frozen clams, salted clams, Pro Cut clams, live shedder crabs and frozen mullet and bunker, including for crabbing. Crabs for eating will be sold soon, maybe next week. 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 Old Grounds were fished for flounder on two trips on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, and catches were good, Capt. George said. Some of the fish were big, no large monsters, but sizeable, and many of the keepers were larger than 20 inches. Plenty were 17- or 17-1/2 shorts, and sea bass, mostly shorts, were mixed in. Ryan Moore’s gang was the trip on Saturday, wrangling in lots of keepers to 24 inches. Dan Smith’s was the other group, putting the brakes on a healthy catch of keepers, probably to 25 inches. George forgot the exact day, but the trip fished before the Saturday charter. The boat fished deep waters away from other vessels, and conditions drifted the vessel well for the fishing. George had been concerned about a 3-foot swell in winds on Saturday, but the boat moved right. The day got hot enough for the breeze to feel good anyway. Besides the swell, seas weren’t bad, until the boat reached McCrae’s Shoal on the way home. Then white caps and sloppy waters were met. Small yellowfin tuna seemed to be around, apparently up north. One angler pilfered a bunch at Lindenkohl Canyon. Bluefin tuna were beginning to show up on the inshore grounds, and the fishing usually begins to take off by the second week of July.

Both Delaware Bay and the ocean cranked out flounder, including quality sized ones, said Capt. Bob from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Plenty of blues, not big, up to 3 pounds, were trolled in the ocean on the boat. Yellowfin tuna were hunted up from the ocean, and Bob hadn’t sailed for them yet, and the fish were reported to be small, but supposedly some were keepers. Bluefin tuna began to hold at the inshore ocean. Mahi mahi began to be found in 30 fathoms. The Down Deep is finished shark fishing for the season, except when anglers will do some sharking at night on offshore tuna trips.

A charter is supposed to chase down bluefin tuna on the inshore grounds on the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> on Wednesday, Capt. Tom said. The fishing was spotty, but some, a large mix of sizes like 40, 100 and 200 pounds, were around, and Tom was waiting to hear from a couple of friends who got after them Sunday. A big body of bluefins were supposedly parked 100 miles south of Cape May, and when the fish arrive locally, Tom expects the fishing to hold up, because sand eels were thick in 20 to 30 fathoms. There were so many that Tom knew anglers who netted them. Farther from shore, scattered yellowfin tuna schooled up and down the continental edge, all the way from Hudson Canyon to Washington Canyon. Many were small, but some weighed up to 40 and 50 pounds. Bigeye tuna began to be pummeled at Hudson Canyon. Fishin’ Fever can sail to a large range of offshore locations, because if the fishing turns on to the north, like at the Hudson, the boat can sail from its port in Brigantine. But if catches are best to the south, it can leave the dock from Cape May. Charters are also deep-water flounder fishing in the ocean, and the flatties were on a tear. Lots of 4-, 5- and 6-pounders were in the mix. Bluefish trolling is on tap, and catches had been happening at Barnegat Ridge farther north. Like with the offshore fishing, if trolling for blues is better to the north, including at the ridge, the boat can sail from Brigantine. But if the angling is better near Cape May, the boat can run from there.  

Reef fishing for flounder in the ocean turned out the catches for <b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Ray said. The fishing seemed productive, and the flatties probably measured up to 20 inches on the boat, but other anglers belted bigger ones, and larger flatbacks seemed around. Trips will keep flounder fishing, and a charter is on the books to run for tuna at the end of the week. The trip was supposed to fish for bluefin tuna, but Ray will wait to decide whether to put the bead on yellowfins at the canyons or bluefins inshore, depending on what seems best. Yellowfins swam the northern canyons in the past days, but Ray thought they were also located farther south. Bigeye tuna moved in to the northern canyons. Bluefin anglers at the inshore lumps seemed to connect on some trips and not on others, but they muscled in big ones at times. Jaftica is now offering trips for 1 to 6 anglers on a 38-foot Rampage in addition to the charters for 1 to 4 anglers that were already available on a 30-foot Topaz. The new boat will also be used on all overnight tuna trips.

Great catches of flounder were pounded from Delaware Bay and the ocean, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. In the bay the waters from the 16 buoy to the 19 buoy along the shipping channel held plenty of the fish, about 1 in 6 a keeper. The flatties were sometimes taken at Bayshore Channel off Higbee’s Beach at the beginning of outgoing tides. In the ocean Cape May Reef, Wildwood Reef, Reef 11 and the Old Grounds served up the fluke “at different times,” he said. Terrence Sullivan from Abington, Pa., won the pool on a Cape May party boat with an 8-1/2-pound flounder at Reef 11. Marty Ferguson from Chestnut Hill, Pa., waxed a 9.12-pound flounder at Bayshore Channel on Friday. Surf anglers beached the flatties around the rocks at Cape May Point. Jigheads tipped with Gulp Shrimp or Gulp Swimming Mullets or a single-hooked flounder rig tipped with a strip bait worked when slowly dragged along the bottom. Croakers and weakfish began to show up along the point and at Higbee’s. The weakies mostly bit at first light on bloodworms. Offshore anglers fought tuna, mahi mahi and a few white marlin at the canyons. Southern Poorman’s Canyon gave up a white apiece for the crews from the Crazy Salts and the Reel Steel. Yellowfin tuna to 50 pounds and sizeable mahi  also swam the South Poorman’s. Numerous yellowfins and mahi, both getting bigger than the fish before, were boated at Spencer and Lindenkohl canyons. Nineteen-Fathom Lump and Massey’s Canyon offered up a few bluefin tuna during the week. So the fish were beginning to appear, getting taken at first light, sometimes on the troll, sometimes on the chunk.

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