New Jersey Fishing Reports

Sea bass fishing piled up lots of the fish with Barbara Anne Fishing Charters, Capt. Anthony said. A few ling were reeled aboard, but no trips targeted ling. If anyone wanted ling, the boat would sail for them. Porgy trips are also available, and no trips ran for them lately, but previously anglers on deck loaded up on the fish. Barbara Anne will begin a heavy schedule of fluke trips next week. Last year’s fluking was the best Anthony ever experienced. The trips will usually fish along Ambrose Channel to the VerrazanoBridge. But special Fluke Monster-a-Thons, 11-hour, open-boat trips with four anglers, will fish once a week on the ocean, at rocky bottom and wrecks 15 to 20 miles from port. The first bucktail is provided, and anglers should bring the rest. What’s more, Barbara Anne successfully bid on a Research Set Aside Permit, allowing trips to fish for fluke when the fluke season closes. New York’s season will close from September 7 to May 21, and the RSA bag limit is four fluke from 17 to 20 inches per person. The anglers will fluke fish when other anglers cannot.

Keyport

The Joe Grim trip rapped steady action with fluke all day Monday at the TC buoy, Bug Light and the ocean off Sandy Hook with Papa’s Angels Charters, Capt. Joe said. The fish were shorts, but the anglers, including Grim’s son Ryan and friends Mike and Mike, had fun, with bent rods the whole time, Capt. Joe said. A fair number were 17 inches or larger, an inch or less shy of keeper size, a big fluke to have to throw back. Killies and squid were the baits. Space is available for charters or open-boat trips this Saturday and Sunday, and also on an open trip at 7 a.m. Monday that a couple of anglers already signed up for. Several open trips are sailing daily when no charter is booked: 4- or 6-hour trips leaving at 7 a.m. and twilight trips from 4 to 9 p.m. Call ahead to go. Credit card payments through PayPal are accepted for all trips.

Atlantic Highlands

On the party boat Fishermen daytime trips switched to fluke fishing, and daytime striped bass trips were wrapped up last week, though evening trips will still sail for stripers on weekends, the report on the boat’s Web site said. Daily fluke trips began Tuesday, and conditions for the right drifts took place then through Wednesday. Good drifts lasted all day on Tuesday’s trip, “(and) the bite was on,” the report said. Good-sized flatties were claimed, and so were plenty of “almosts,” the report said. Tossing back fish an inch to ¼ inch short was tough. Action on Wednesday lasted through the day’s whole trip, and a 6-1/2-pounder was the pool-winning fluke. One angler limited out on the flatfish to 4 ½ pounds. Another just missed limiting out when the hook pulled on what would’ve been the largest fluke of the day. But he landed a 5-1/2-pounder. Bucktailing was the way to go, unless the drift was too fast. Rigs scored plenty of action, but bucktails grabbed the bigger fluke. The Fishermen is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for striped bass 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. However, none of the evening trips will fish this weekend, because they’ll run on fireworks cruises instead.

Striped bass, plenty of them, could be rounded up on live or chunked bunker from the bay to the ocean, said Jimmy from Julian’s Bait & Tackle. They could also be wormed at the channels at night. He took a trip Wednesday that chunked 25 stripers to 40 pounds off Sea Bright. The fish didn’t even need to be read, and just starting to chunk was all that was necessary. He had wanted to bottom-fish, but winds blew too strongly. But bottom-fishing was solid for sea bass and ling, and cod remained in 50 feet. Plenty of porgies could be plucked, and porgy season opened today. Lots of blues could be found from the ocean to the bay, and Jimmy saw a mess in the Shrewsbury River on Wednesday. Fluke fishing churned out good catches, quite a few keepers, the last few days.

A few more keeper fluke than before bit in the past days on trips, and throwbacks gave up lots of action like usual, said Capt. Tom from the party boat Atlantic Star. Good fishing, lots of action, good to see a few more keepers. A few anglers bagged three or four keepers, and some like always bagged none, but everybody at least caught shorts. Trips fished on the bay between the Navy Pier and Sandy Hook Point, and so did the whole fleet. Fluke remained off Sandy Hook Point, but somewhat windy weather in the past days made angling there tougher than in the bay. Some people asked whether the morning or afternoon trips produced better, but neither was consistently better, no pattern, impossible to say. Spearing and squid are supplied for bait, and some anglers used plain spearing on a hook, and others the traditional spearing combined with squid. Some used killies they brought themselves, and some fished with Gulps, like New Penny Shrimp. Some worked jigs or bucktails. Sometimes Gulps or killies seemed to work better, just like bucktails sometimes seemed to work better. But whether the angler’s skill was instead the factor was difficult to tell. Maybe experience or feel made the difference. Some anglers who fished with bucktails worked hard. Then again, one angler fished with a jig, switched to a flounder rig, and caught a keeper. But a lighter rig, or a rig with lighter line, lighter hooks and no spinners, beads or dressing seemed to work a bit better. Some of the store-bought rigs come with heavy line like 30-pound test and heavy hooks. But a rig with 15-pound test and lighter hooks, like 3/0 Mustads that Tom likes, seemed to work better. Some anglers liked to use fluorocarbon line. But a rig with 15-pound mono and a lighter hook also worked. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Highlands

Striped bass to 30 pounds were smoked on the bay the last couple of days on live and chunked bunker with Fisher Price Charters, Capt Derek said. Once the bunker were found in the bay, the stripers were found, and a few bluefish were around, but no numbers to be a problem. Trips will fish for stripers through Friday this week and will sail for bottom fish like sea bass and for fluke during the weekend. Too much boat traffic fills the striper grounds on weekends, so Derek prefers to fish for stripers only on weekdays at this time of year. Trips are being booked for bottom-fishing and fluking, and the fluking is done with bucktails at the rough bottom and channels for the big ones. Bluefin tuna charters are being booked, and catches were great last summer. Bluefins were already landed at places like the Chicken Canyon. In addition to charters, open-boat trips are currently sailing with Fisher Price, and anglers can call Derek to be kept informed about the schedule.

Jersey Devil Charters competed in Mako Mania on Saturday and Sunday, and the fishing was great, Capt. Brian said. Three makos to 159 pounds and some blue sharks were landed on the trips 50 miles from shore, and plenty of bluefish and life filled the73-degree waters. The boat came in nineteenth place out of a couple of hundred or more boats, however many competed. Bluefin tuna were caught in the area 50 miles from shore. Jersey Devil did no fishing for them, but bluefin angling began, and Jersey Devil will focus on them like usual this summer. The charters are being booked now, and open-boat trips for bluefins will also run with a minimum of four people. Call if interested in the open trips, because the more who express interest, the easier to schedule. Heads up shark anglers: Brian is the director for the new Contender/Windansea Shark Tournament to be held at the Windansea Marina in the Highlands on Saturday and Sunday, July 10 and 11. The captain’s meeting will be held 7 p.m. Friday. Anglers can e-mail Brian for info.

A 150-pound thresher shark punched a bunker spoon and was landed at Ambrose Channel on a trip when Jake Factor trolled for striped bass, said Wayne from Twin Lights Marina. Larry Lucisano also came up with a surprise: a 76-pound black drum. The location of his catch was unknown. Striped bass anglers picked at the linesiders from the bay to the ocean, probably finding the bigger ones in the ocean, but the stripers were around. One sharpie from the marina who lives and breaths stripers scored well on them. In summer boat traffic often puts down the fish at peak times like weekends, and anglers have to work around that. Ralph Fucci and buddy at the Shrewsbury Rocks limited out on fluke, including an 8-pounder and a 6-pounder, a total of 20 pounds of fish, probably on bucktails. Ocean fluking piled up lots of shorts, probably 20 for every keeper, and many of the fish were an inch or less undersized. Raritan Bay’s fluking was similar, and the bay’s anglers probably waded through 20 or 30 shorts for every keeper. Fluking in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers probably produced a 1-in-15 ratio. Bluefin tuna bit on the inshore ocean at Little Italy and the Monster Ledge, fishing that was partly a matter of being there when they decided to feed. One angler from the marina tried for bluefins and sharks at the Monster on Saturday, hooking none. None of the boats from the docks sailed all the way offshore to the canyons for tuna this season, but probably will any time, including this weekend. Catch the Contender/Windansea Shark Tournament at Windansea Marina, Highlands, in two weekends: Saturday and Sunday, July 10 and 11.

Neptune

Fluke fishing was slow on a trip Wednesday on the ocean, and no boats scored well in the area, said Capt. Ralph from Last Lady Fishing Charters. They fished inshore, offshore and all over, and the flatties weren’t biting. A couple of keepers and some shorts were landed with Last Lady. Individual-reservation trips for a combo of fluke and sea bass are sailing every Wednesday. One of the trips will run for sharks Tuesday, and charters are also sharking. Last Lady’s been catching makos, including a 300-pounder, a 180-pounder, a 172-pounder and more in the past week, covered in previous reports. The season’s first individual-reservation tuna trip at the canyons will sail July 20 to 21. One of the trips will fish the inshore wrecks July 22 from 20 to 30 miles from shore. An individual-reservation trip will run offshore July 27 to the 40- to 70-mile wrecks for cod, pollock and ling. The last one of those trips last week filled the cooler with cod and pollock.

Belmar

A bunch of bottom-fishing went down on the Nan Sea J, pulling up healthy catches of ling, lots of them, sea bass and cod, Capt. Tom said. A whiting, a sizeable one, a fish that used to be common, was hooked, surprisingly, and let go. Out-of-season winter flounder and blackfish were also tossed back. A 150-pound mako shark was bagged and a smaller one released on a shark trip Tuesday. One blue shark was caught and released on another shark trip Wednesday. That trip fished 40 miles from shore in 72- to 73-degree, clear waters filled with life, including lots of bluefish and plenty of whales, including minkes and finbacks. Charters are fishing for sharks, and so are open-boat trips every Wednesday. Take advantage of the rare opportunity to go sharking on an open trip.

Trips, both daytime and nighttime, clobbered bluefish, loads of them, on the party boat Miss Belmar Princess, Capt. Alan said. The fish ranged from 5 to 15 pounds, and most were 7 or 8 pounds. Jigs and bait caught them during the day, and bait took them at night. On Alan’s other party boat, the Tropical Adventure, twice-daily trips for fluke began to club a few more keepers than before, and lots of throwbacks were hooked, not great fishing yet, but good, and a few sea bass were iced. The Miss Belmar Princess is bluefishing twice daily 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. The Tropical Adventure is fluke fishing twice daily 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. On the Miss Belmar, a fireworks cruise to Manhattan is sold out on the Fourth of July, but space remains on a fireworks cruise to Red Bank on Saturday, but will fill any time. Space is available on a Fourth of July fireworks cruise to Long Branch on the Tropical Adventure.

Anglers on the party boat Big Mohawk began to beat fairly good catches of fluke at times, Capt. Chris said. The fishing wasn’t so good until a week ago. A 10.9-pounder was blistered this week, and 8-, 7- and 6-pounders were dusted, and a bunch of shorts bit. Limits were sometimes bagged. Anglers aboard mostly fish with jigs at the rough bottom, and they lose some jigs, getting snagged in the bottom, but that’s where the better fishing is. A few sea bas, not many, were in the mix. The Big Mohawk is fluke fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Tons of bluefish averaging 7 to 12 pounds were lit up on daytime and nighttime trips on the part boat Golden Eagle, Capt. Greg said. Bait and jigs waffled them during the day, and bait socked them at night. The fish schooled closer to port than before on Wednesday. The Golden Eagle is fishing for bluefish daily 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Openings are available for fireworks cruises to Red Bank on Saturday and New York City on the Fourth of July.

Though striped bass fishing quieted down in the heat, a 40-pounder and a 25-pounder were weighed in from the surf during the last week, said Bob from Fisherman’s Den. Striper fishing was mostly finished for the season, but the heat was good for fluke fishing. A fair number of keeper fluke were bagged on the Shark River on the shop’s rental boats. Small, short porgies schooled around the river, and one angler clocked a sizeable kingfish from the river. On the ocean fluking became better than before for keepers on the party boats. Bluefishing was excellent on the party boats on the ocean. Sea bass fishing served up good angling on the ocean.

Brielle

With Fish Monger Charters six anglers aboard took one of the boat’s many cracks at sea bass on Wednesday, limiting out on the fish, adding a few ling and a fluke to the cooler, Capt. Jerry said in an e-mail. Short fluke, out-of-season blackfish, short cod and out-of-season winter flounder were released. The sea bassing gave up great action from start to finish, including good-sized keepers to 3 pounds, and the angling didn’t take long to load the box. A trip Wednesday with six anglers mixed it up with sea bass fishing in the morning and fluke fishing on the second half of the outing. By 10 a.m. they had dropped a healthy catch of sea bass and some ling in the box, and decided to switch to fluking. Seven keeper fluke were bucktailed and bagged, and a bunch of shorts were released. One of the anglers chose to release two keeper fluke. A couple of keepers came up on the first drift, and one keeper here, another there, bit afterward, until winds came on, putting an end o the action, when the drift became unmanageable in the deep waters. The trip tried fluking close to shore before going home, but that wasn’t any good. Eventually this month and in August, trips will be largely about fluke, working bucktails and big baits on the rough stuff where the big ones hang.

Point Pleasant

Trips fished for fluke with Reel Class Charters in the past days on the ocean to the north, Capt. Allen said. But the angling was dead, so the next trips will target sea bass somewhat closer to port. The fluke trips, mostly fishing from Monmouth Beach to Sea Girt, out to 4 miles from shore, picked some keepers, for the most part, and a few good-sized sea bass were mixed in. Occasional ling were landed here and there. Lots of short fluke were found close to the beaches. A big silver eel was decked on a trip Wednesday, and so was a 22-inch fluke. Charters are fishing, and so are annual, open-boat Fluke Till You Puke Marathons that are filling up.

Andrea’s Toy Charters ran a few bottom-fishing trips on the ocean, sometimes with fluke and striped bass fishing mixed in, according to the report on the boat’s Web site. A trip Wednesday first looked for stripers among bunker pods on the ocean, but no stripers showed up, after the anglers searched hard. One of the anglers became seasick, so the trip bottom fished close to shore, picking a few keepers among short fluke and sea bass, releasing them and out-of-season tog. The angler still felt ill, so the trip ran to the Manasquan River for fluke fishing, and one 20-inch keeper was bagged, among 30 or 40 shorts landed. On Monday a group aboard included an angler about to be deployed to Afghanistan, who wanted to catch his first-ever striped bass. Bunker schools were difficult to spot because of choppy waters, but a pod was found after searching. The anglers worked over the school, and the angler boated his first-ever striper: a 20-pounder. No more stripers bit, and the group switched to bottom-fishing, picking away at keeper sea bass mixed with a bunch of shorts, steady action. A trip Sunday bottom-fished at the Mudhole, bagging a bunch of ling, 10 sea bass and eight cod, among short cod and sea bass released.

A crew on Canyon Runner’s 48-foot Viking ran a trip that sailed at 3 a.m. Friday, first hitting the bluefin tuna grounds at the Chicken Canyon, the report on Canyon Runner’s Web site said. A limit of two bluefins, one in the smaller slot size and the other in the larger, was boated quickly in 30 minutes, and the trip sailed for Hudson Canyon. In the meantime a charter on Canyon Runner’s 60-foot Ritchie Howell left the dock at 9 a.m. that day, ran to the same bluefin grounds, and trolled a 58-incher. Afterward that crew called the 48-footer and was informed that nothing bit at the Hudson. So the 60-footer was headed for Toms Canyon, and the trip on the 48-footer would soon do the same. On the 60-footer a 65-pound yellowfin tuna was trolled at first at the Toms among other yellowfins that exploded on the spread but never came tight. The boat was turned around to head back into the bite, and another yellowfin was bagged. The anglers on the 48-footer at the Hudson pulled in the lines and began motoring to the Toms. But they stopped short at Hendrickson Canyon, trolling two yellowfins, before catching some more at the Toms. The 48-footer ended up with four yellowfins and the two bluefins before nightfall, and the 60-footer totaled five yellowfins and the one bluefin before dark. Fishing at night was uneventful on the two boats, except a 300-pound swordfish swam to the back of the 60-footer without swiping any baits. Fishing in the morning was mostly slow on the vessels, but one more yellowfin was decked on the 48-footer, before both trips ran home. A couple of spots are available on open-boat trips on the 48-footer on July 13 to 14 and 21 to 22.

For anglers on the party boat Norma K, a few more keepers seemed to be raked up from the ocean each day, and lots of shorts were mixed in, as usual, Capt. Matt said. A few sea bass, not many, grabbed baits when the trips fished the rough bottom. Nighttime bluefish trips burned excellent catches of 6- to 12-pounders. The fish remained a distance from port, a 15- to 20-mile trip to the Mudhole. Trips are fishing for fluke twice daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and are bluefishing 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.

On the party boat Cock Robin Wednesday’s bluefishing was an “all-day jig fest!” an e-mail from the boat said. Blues schooled under birds working bait on the waters, and patrons had at it. “Fast moving bait balls had all eyes peeled for the next eruption!” the e-mail said. The blues “were still biting a little ‘weird’ on jigs, but they want them,” it said. Bluefishing was also good on Tuesday’s trip, but mostly on bait, more than on jigs, and was good on Monday’s trip on both bait and jigs. Special Fireworks and Ice Cream Cruises at 8 p.m. every Thursday will launch today, and one will also sail on the Fourth of July. Watch the fireworks and make your own ice cream sundae with ice cream and fixings provided. . The Cock Robin is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Sea bass, ling and cod were swung aboard the daytime trips on the party boat Dauntless, Capt. Butch said. On Wednesday a 50/50 mix of sea bass and ling made up most of the catch, and on Tuesday mostly ling were looted. Whichever bit – sea bass in the shallows or ling in the deep – on a given day is what trips targeted. Also in the mix, a few pollock were picked up during the past couple of days, plenty of out-of-season winter flounder and blackfish were released, and bluefish started to make common appearances. The blues were 1 pound on Wednesday on the sea bass grounds and were bigger, 4 to 8 pounds, on Tuesday on the ling grounds. Anglers averaged 10 to 20 fish apiece, and trips fished in waters from 60 to 120 feet. Water temps were in the low 60s inshore and were in the mid 50s in the deep. On the boat’s nighttime trips lots of blues 4- to 8-pounds were belted. Anglers averaged 4 to 10 per trip, an excellent catch for a half-night trip, and a few limited out. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily and since Friday began bluefishing daily from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., after bluefishing only on weekend nights previously.

Toms River

Catches of keeper fluke were slightly better at Barnegat Inlet than in nearby waters in Barnegat Bay, said Dennis from Murphy’s Hook House. A few keepers began to be pulled from the inlet, compared with previous catches of 30 or 40 shorts but no keepers. Evangeline Chamberlain checked in a 3-pound 8-ounce fluke from Manasquan Inlet. Still, the fluking was decent on the bay between the BI and BB markers, and anglers on a boat who put in a day could end up with three or four keepers. Lots of hard-fighting hickory shad swarmed both Barnegat Inlet and Manasquan Inlet, willing to strike Sabiki rigs. Bluefish 2 to 3 pounds swam in and out of Barnegat Inlet. In the ocean at the Tires off Barnegat Inlet, a few sea bass and fluke were taken. But the angling was a little better at Axel Carlson Reef and Sea Girt Reef. Striped bass fishing, though it tapered off in the hot weather, was a bit better on the ocean to the north, among bunker schools. Thresher sharks haunted bunker schools on the ocean, and one customer landed a 180-pounder. Hammerhead sharks were sometimes seen. News became mum from Barnegat Ridge. Surf fishing was mostly slow, especially for striped bass in the heat. Still, Paul Lomakin banked a 30-pound 13-ounce striper at Brick Beach on bunker. But fluke were in, willing to grab bucktails, 007 Ava jigs, squid or other offerings in the wash. A few blues popped into the surf at times. Lots of crabs were nabbed in the Toms River and at Good Luck Point. Hand lines produced best on the Toms. Tiny snapper blues began to appear in the Toms, and the waters were full of spearing and bait.

Seaside Park

One of the Captain’s Combo trips, trips that fish the ocean and Barnegat Bay for a mixed bag of species in one outing, sailed Tuesday with three anglers with Fishguts Inshore Charters, Capt. Rob “Birch” Birchmeier said in an e-mail. The anglers wanted enough sea bass for a few meals, and fast action with fluke on light tackle. First they headed to the ocean wrecks close to shore for sea bass. Good-sized humpbacks 14 to 15 inches were swung over the rails as soon as the engine was shut down. Plenty of short sea bass also gave up action, and so did a half-dozen out-of-season tog to 4 pounds that were released. Twenty good-sized sea bass, plenty of keepers, the anglers decided, were in the box by 10 a.m., and they chose to move to the bay for fluke. The bay’s fluking is more about enjoying tons of action with shorts on light tackle, and getting a keeper is a bonus. But get a keeper they did: A 4-1/2-pound, 22-inch beauty on one of the lightest rods in the boat. The fluke catches have been very good, and this trip scored even better, and many, many of the flatties were fought. The 4-1/2-pounder was a good way to end the day. Charters are also exclusively fishing either for sea bass on the ocean or fluke and/or blues on the bay. Ten-hour, open-boat trips are sea bassing on the ocean, and quality catches of good-sized sea bass close to shore is a specialty for Fishguts.

Seaside Heights

Oyster Creek Channel tossed up fluke on Barnegat Bay, but lots of the flatties came from farther north on the Manasquan River, said Scott from The Dock Outfitters. No snapper blues and no kingfish appeared in the local bay yet. Nobody mentioned weakfish from the bay. The surf attracted a bunch of fluke, and Gulps on bucktails will honk them best, though any of the usual fluke baits and rigs can work. Sea bass fishing at the ocean wrecks was the best bet for a catch. Crabbing was great this week after the full moon. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, killies and the full supply of baits is stocked. Catch Wacky Wednesdays every week, when clams are $2 per dozen. The rental boats are in the waters for fishing and crabbing, and the jet skis are ready to rent.

Forked River

Waters at the BI ad BB markers and Double Creek and Oyster Creek channels shoveled out fluke on Barnegat Bay, said Dave from Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle. Good fluking was axed at the 40 marker on the bay, too. A couple of customers wrenched in a few fluke and sea bass at the Tires on the ocean. Bluefish could be located on the bay, and blowfish began to be hooked at the BI and BB. Dave heard about no weakfish in weeks. Nothing was heard about striped bass anymore. Crabbing was terrific.

Barnegat Light

The ocean in 55 to 70 feet doled out fluke, a 1-in-17 keeper ratio, said Basil from Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle. Barnegat Bay put up a 1-in-20 ratio. Striped bass, none huge, but worth targeting, swiped live spots along the rocks at Barnegat Inlet’s north and south jetties. A few stripers were picked from the surf on fresh bunker and fresh clams. Sea bass fishing was great on the ocean, and bluefish swarmed all over Barnegat Ridge. Nothing was heard about fluking at the Ridge, and a few anglers steamed to the Ridge for bonito or other pelagics, but waters were probably cool. Shark season was wearing on, but makos still swam areas like the Star. Customers were just beginning to take the trip offshore for tuna at the canyons, and results will be heard after the weekend. Live spots, fresh bunker, fresh clams and all the baits are stocked.

Mystic Island

After a shot of keeper summer flounder especially gave up bites Saturday on Great Bay, anglers couldn’t repeat the success Sunday, said Scott from Scott’s Bait & Tackle. Some supposedly ran into a bite of keepers Monday, but otherwise the fishing returned to a scene of lots of shorts, plenty of fish, and a few keepers. Anglers seemed to begin finding bigger ones, but fewer flatties, in the deeper waters around the islands around the Fish Factory, especially around marker 126, instead of finding the better fishing at the shallower waters at the stakes off the Fish Factory like before. One boater had run across four keeper flounder at Little Egg Reef on the ocean Friday, and maybe that fishing will take off this season. Bluefish seemed to disappear from anywhere, and nobody mentioned weakfish. Sea bass fishing dropped off in the ocean, and one angler said the knotheads were spawning. Nobody talked about fishing for white perch, but the slabs could probably be boated at usual summer haunts like Ballanger Creek and Nacote Creek. Great catches of crabs were plucked from the back waters. Minnows, bloodworms and fresh, shucked clams are stocked, and grass shrimp ran out, and the weather was hot for Scott to catch more or to keep them alive at the shop.

Absecon

Every boat seemed to end up with two to four keeper summer flounder from the bay, not setting the world on fire, but some were caught, said Ray from Absecon Bay Sportsman Center. A lot of the keepers seemed to be 18 to 22 inches, and Ray tells anglers to size-up on baits a bit more than they used to, because they have to land a sizeable flattie to bag a keeper. Depths 18 to 22 feet seemed to hold the fish, and water temperatures fluctuated a lot. The inlet was 59 degrees, and the bay was 78, for example. If anglers find that the bay’s temps dropped, they could look in the shallows for flounder that will probably seek the warmth. Bluefish appeared in the bay on one day and disappeared on others. They fed on spearing, and thin-profiled lures like Fin-S Fish or Gulp jerk shads should be used to imitate the spearing to hook the blues. Striped bass kept biting along the Brigantine Bridge and in the bay, especially on high tides in the evenings. One angler drilled a 21-pounder and an 18-pounder at the bridge on livelined croakers. Small croakers had been mixed in with spots that had been stocked at the shop, and anglers used the croakers effectively to catch the stripers, like they would normally use spots. Another angler landed a 15-pound striper on the bay on a croaker. The spots and croakers since ran out, but the shop will stock more spots soon. The croakers were unlikely to be mixed in again. Ray heard that the spots available now were supposedly small, and if they are, they’ll be sold at the shop for a lower price. If the spots are small, they’ll make great bait for flounder. Ray heard about no weakfish caught. A couple of sharpies who fish for white perch on the brackish rivers cleaned up on solid catches. The slabs swam closer to saltwater like usual in summer. Spots will be re-stocked soon, and fresh clams, fresh bunker and shedder crabs are carried. The shop is waiting for bloodworms to arrive, but just about all baits, a large selection, are on hand.

Brigantine

Kingfish were loaded up all over the surf, said Capt. Andy from Riptide Bait & Tackle. Bloodworms were the best bait, and one couple of anglers said bloods out-fished Fishbites artificial worms 40 to 1. That was because waters were cool. Three young anglers Justin and James Besignano and Brad Muzzocco totaled 15 kings and were excited. Summer flounder hovered all over the back bay. Justin Gordon – age 4 ¾, he told Andy – netted a 19-1/2-inch keeper, demanding to come right back to the shop to check in his catch after he reeled in the fish, his grandpop said. Tori Crane and Nicole Duerga and Tori’s grandpop came up with three keeper flounder to 19 inches. Riptide is now a weigh-in station for the tournament for <a href="http://www.garbagefish.com" target="_blank">Garbagefish.com</a> through this month, featuring prizes for the biggest fish like sea robins, skates and dog sharks. Sign up at the shop or on the Garbagefish.com Web site, and check out the hilarious site!

Atlantic City

Back-bay anglers could mug summer flounder all day, and hope to get a keeper, said Curt from Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle. The bigger fish seemed to gather along the edges of the deeper drop-offs like along channels, and the sloughs were blanketed with shorts. Bluefish, surprisingly larger ones 3 to 5 pounds, worked all over the bay, and striped bass held in the bay. A trip with Curt hooked two small stripers while flounder fishing. But the stripers were often dialed up along the bridges on spots. Kingfish roamed the surf, and not much was heard about fishing from the shore, but one angler said he beached blues from the suds. In the ocean many of the sharks seemed to move north, but smaller ones were around. Bluefin tuna were boated at places like Lemke’s Canyon and the 750 Square. Curt heard about none fought at the Cigar. Everyone trolled for the bluefins, instead of chunking. A buddy today ran a trip that beat six yellowfin tuna 50 pounds apiece farther offshore. Curt was yet to know where the fish were caught, but the buddy usually likes Lindenkohl Canyon. The northern canyons such as the Lindy and the Carteret to the Hudson seemed to be places for yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna that were being caught. Mahi mahi were occasionally picked up, and nobody bailed them, but instead made off with one to four or something. Blue marlin were dusted here and there. The southern canyons also produced the tuna and big game. Canyon fishing seemed to start happening, and many anglers seemed yet to make the trip. Catches could continue, but go now to not miss out. The shop’s offshore charter boat, the Carly A, is fishing from Oregon Inlet and will return to New Jersey to sail for big game later this season.

Margate

Lots of summer flounder, “I mean a lot,” said Capt. John from the party boat Keeper, blanketed the back bay, and a few were keepers. Tons of action with the fish was creamed, and if anglers want to catch, come on down, he said. If families are looking to put the kids on hook ups, this was the place. So many of the fluke filled the waters. Minnows and mackerel, supplied on the boat, plowed them, and so did Gulps that customers provided themselves. The Keeper is fishing for summer flounder twice daily 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Longport

Good catches of sea bass were bailed on three trips Sunday to Tuesday on the Stray Cat, Capt. Mike said. The lumpheads were mugged at three different places at the corral bottom, and Wednesday’s trip was called off because of forecasts for strong winds. Water temps had dropped to 63 degrees by Monday but were higher by Tuesday. Anglers with Stray Cat also recently began catching summer flounder that started to bite in the ocean, so a special, open-boat trip will fish for flounder and sea bass offshore from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, and space is available. A charter today was going fishing for bluefin tuna or whatever could be trolled, like mahi mahi or white marlin, on the inshore ocean.

Ocean City

A mess of short summer flounder but a few keepers flooded the back bay, said Dan from Fin-Atics. The ratio might’ve been 40 to 1, though. Some talked about a really big flounder, a 13-pounder, smacked in the bay, but that was unconfirmed. Kingfish swam abundant in the surf, but tons and tons of dog sharks did, too. Getting bloodworms or artificial worms through to the kings became difficult, and anglers scored catches like double-headers of dogs. A few striped bass were searched out in the surf, but not on bait, or the sharks would attack. So striper anglers worked dark plugs along the jetties and pilings. Stripers hung around the bridges in the bay, and a few bluefish schooled the bay. Blues had traveled Corson’s Inlet, eating peanut bunker that gathered previously. On the ocean bluefin tuna had been busted at the inshore grounds through last week. But anglers who went during the weekend said they disappeared. Yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna and white marlin were fought at Lindenkohl Canyon, Poorman’s Canyon and Washington Canyon.

Sea Isle City

Surf casters busted plenty of kingfish, scored well, said Wes from Gibson’s Tackle. Bloodworms were the preferred bait, and a few striped bass, sporadic catches, could occasionally be searched out in the suds. Tons of sand sharks filled the wash, for family fun. At the inlets, summer flounder began to pass through on the way to the ocean from the bay for the season. So they began to be caught at the reefs including Townsends Inlet Reef, Wildwood Reef and Cape May Reef. The reefs usually give up some of the larger flatties. In the back bay, good fishing for flounder was pounded, lots of small ones, but a few keepers. Stripers will be able to be cornered all summer long in the bay on lures, poppers or flies. Bluefish popped in and out of the bay. Back on the ocean, okay fishing for sea bass was cranked up at the wrecks and reefs, and the bigger ones swam deeper, but a fair number hovered. Brown and dusky sharks began to haunt close to shore. The population of sharks like makos began to diminish for the season farther from shore. Bluefish could be trolled 12 to 30 miles from shore. Nothing was heard about bluefin tuna on the inshore ocean.

Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Services, affiliated with Gibson’s Tackle, took a solo trip to scope out catch-and-release fishing for brown and duskie sharks close to shore for the first time this year, he said. He went 9 for 13 on duskies to 50 pounds, including two double-headers when two rods went off at the same time twice. “I could’ve used help!” he said. The fish were fought on chunks of mackerel on light spinning rods. Joe’s charters also fly fish for the beasts with chum flies, and the sharks could’ve been fly-rodded on this trip. The fishing, restricted to catch and release, is great sport, an opportunity to battle strong fish – duskies to 60 pounds and browns from 10 to 25 pounds – that put up an ornery fight, taking off on long runs, close to shore, from 5 to 10 miles off. Farther from shore, bluefin tuna swam at the Cigar, the 19-Fathom Lump and the Lobster Claw. The better action was farther from shore. Yellowfin tuna and mahi mahi bit at the canyons, even farther from shore. Closer to Sea Isle, the back bay served up good summer flounder fishing, and Joe’s charters are taking advantage. The bay’s tides were off for the best striper fishing but will come around again to the ideal: high tides at dusk and dawn. Joe might look around for stripers on the bay at night in the next days. Joe saw no bluefish in the bay in a moment. Keep up with Joe’s fishing and photos on <a href=" http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

Wildwood

Trips fished for sea bass and summer flounder on the ocean, targeting flounder when winds and tides created the right drifts, otherwise anchoring for sea bass, said Capt. Gary from the party boat Adventurer. The ocean by late last week had warmed, triggering flounder to begin biting. But rough weather came through on Monday, and water temps dropped, and the fishing since then got “shaken up,” Gary said, but had been decent until then. The number of flounder caught was lower than he’d want, but some were landed, and the fishing was beginning, and a flounder won the pool each day. Open-boat trips are fishing 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, unless a charter is booked. Charters are available.

Plenty of summer flounder, many shorts, but a few keepers, were tugged aboard from the back bay for customers, said Mike from Canal Side Boat Rentals. They had a good week, and everyone caught, and a few of the fish were good-sized. A few baby sea bass began to be seen in the past week, and they show up every year. None are ever keepers, but they’re fun. Mike heard about a few small blues in the bay, but he saw none. Customers who crabbed also caught well, generally a couple of dozen keepers per boat, and catches kept improving this season. The blueclaws had shed a week or two ago, and that can slow crabbing, because the crabs that shed stop feeding a moment. Not all shed at the same time. But the shed was finished, and crabbing was back on. Tides are good for fishing and crabbing on the boats this week, because low tides are in the mornings, creating higher waters through the whole day for trips. The shop lets customers know the tides, suggesting the better times to come down. Canal Side rents canopy boats and kayaks for fishing, crabbing and sightseeing. Baits stocked include minnows and frozen squid strips, whole squid, spearing, mackerel fillets, mullet, clam strips and packaged clams. Live crabs for eating are carried, and currently No. 2’s are on hand for $12 for the first dozen and $10 for each additional dozen. No. 1’s become more plentiful later in the season, and when they’re available, they’re stocked.

Cape May

Lots of flounder were dragged in from the back bay and Cape May Harbor, and plenty were throwbacks, but some were healthy-sized keepers, said Nick from Hands Too Bait & Tackle. Anglers who tried seemed to come up with a couple of keepers each day, and Nick did know a couple who limited out. Some good-sized flatties also came from Reef 11 and the Old Grounds, both in the ocean off Delaware. Delaware Bay held lots of short flounder. Typical places for flounder on the bay include Bug Light, Brandywine Lighthouse, Brown Shoal, 14-Foot Light and Flounder Alley. Nick also tells anglers to fish deep waters like 60-Foot Slough. A few weakfish were found on Delaware Bay at places like the stakes and the number 1 buoy. Surf anglers at Cape May beached okay catches of kingfish on bloodworms. In the ocean, good shark fishing was nailed, and bluefin tuna were boated from 19-Fathom Lump to the Elephant Trunk. Minnows, shedder crabs, bloodworms and all the frozen baits including squid, spearing and mackerel are stocked.

A couple of trips were slow for catching keepers Tuesday and Wednesday on the Heavy Hitter, Capt. George said. One sailed to Cape May Reef for sea bass and summer flounder, and the other stayed close to port, off Cape May Point, because kids were aboard, fishing for flounder. All the shorts anyone could want bit on both trips. No bluefish seemed around anywhere, and George looked for them on the reef trip. He heard nothing about bluefin tuna, because windy weather probably kept most from trying for them. But the Heavy Hitter is running a special on bluefin tuna trips, and call George for info. Fireworks cruises that watch the Cape May displays from the waters are available on the Fourth of July and throughout summer. Call if interested.