<b>Staten Island</b>

<b>Angler Sportfishing Charters</b> returned to Staten Island, after fishing for striped bass at Montauk a while. Two fluke trips kicked off the fishing from Staten Island this week, and the angling went well, Capt. Chuck said. Tons of the fish were throwbacks, like everywhere, but seven keepers were bagged on one of the trips Wednesday, for example. Fifty of the fish, the rest throwbacks, must’ve been reeled in on the outing. The trips fished at Ambrose Channel off Coney Island and at Sandy Hook Channel toward Sandy Hook with sand eels, squid strips and jigs. Big rays like 3 feet wide were around, and one nearly spooled a reel. Trips are also bottom fishing for sea bass or whatever bites, though these trips did no bottom fishing. The anglers, including kids, on Wednesday had too much fun with all the fluke and even the rays, weren’t going to be interested in sea bass. But bottom fishing is on the menu. So are nighttime striped bass trips that are fishing on the ocean with bunker and eels, roughly from Sandy Hook to the Shrewsbury Rocks in 55 or 60 feet. Some of the striper trips are set to run Friday and Saturday. Chuck saw something interesting on the fluke trips: apparently a school of sturgeon. Big fish were seen among spearing and bunker early in the morning, and Chuck at first thought the fish were large striped bass. But the fish were apparently 25 or 30 sturgeon 5 or 6 feet long. He doubted they were feeding on the bait, because sturgeon are bottom feeders. He couldn’t know why they rolled along the surface.

A new body of fluke seemed to move in during an open-boat trip for the flatties Tuesday with <b>Barbara Anne Fishing charters</b>, the Captain’s Blog on the boat’s Web site said. The fish, located along Ambrose Channel, were considerably larger, between 18 ½ and 21 inches, and had white bellies, like they came from the ocean, instead of having mud on their bellies from staying in the bay. Thirty-five larger fluke to 3 pounds and another 34 smaller ones were landed. On Sunday a charter angled up 20 to 25 fluke to 2 ½ pounds at Ambrose. On Friday a trip tried fishing a new area on the ocean, and, at first, there was no drift. But the tide was almost slack, so the trip waited. “Glad we did,” the captain said in the blog. The tide and winds picked up, and so did the drift, and fluke to 4 pounds and good-sized sea bass began to be picked. The trip ended up with 20 fluke to 5.8 pounds and 15 keeper sea bass to 4.7 pounds cranked aboard. Barbara Anne’s fluke trips usually fish along Ambrose Channel to the Verrazano Bridge. But Monster-Fluke-a-Thons, 11-hour, open-boat trips with four anglers, fish once a week on the ocean, at rocky bottom and wrecks 15 to 20 miles from port. The first bucktail is provided, and the anglers provide the rest. A season-long Fluke Derby is being held on the boat, awarding first and second prizes to the two anglers with the biggest fluke aboard this year. A custom-made Lamiglas rod is the first prize. Two free open-boat trips are the second prize. Anyone who fishes aboard becomes eligible, and there is no entry fee. 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.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The party boat <b>Fishermen</b> fluke fished the past three days on the ocean, Capt. Ron said in an e-mail. On Wednesday’s trip Bob Kelly drilled a 9-1/2-pounder, the biggest on the boat so far this season. He won the day’s pool, apparently wasn’t in the season-long pool, because Ron never mentioned that pool, and the fish was one of four keepers and two good-sized sea bass Bob bagged. Scott Scuderi limited out on six sizeable keepers, including several that weighed 3 to 5 pounds. Mat Stilzer reeled in three keepers and a 28-pound striper. Bonus! “Never Quit” Eddie tackled an 18-pound striper and four keeper fluke. Annie and Jim McClean combined for four “great keepers,” Ron said. The fishing began slowly that day, but Ron told the anglers to be patient, because the bite would turn on during outgoing tide, and it did. The Fishermen is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for bluefish 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. However, the morning trip is chartered this Saturday.

Anglers reeled in fluke, many small, a few keepers, all around from the ocean to the bay to the rivers, said Dottie from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Sea bass and porgies were pumped in from the wrecks and reefs. A few striped bass were scared up here and there.

Good fishing for fluke continued like previously on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, and some days produced more keepers than others, and some anglers were luckier than others and caught more, Capt. Tom said. More keepers were around than earlier in the season lately, and trips in the last few days fished at the Navy Pier and Reach Channel, and currents were too strong to fish at Sandy Hook Channel in the ocean. On Wednesday morning’s trip one angler bagged five keepers, and on the afternoon trip some bagged two or three, and some landed no keepers, like usual, but all at least reeled up shorts. That was about how the fishing was going. The angler with five keepers fishes on the boat once or twice a week, and that was the most keepers she landed on the vessel this season, and that was her lucky day. An angler will sometimes come up with five keepers, but that’s an exception. Some anglers said they read the boat’s reports, and the reports sounded the same, but that’s because the fishing was the same. But it was good. Shorts were still abundant, and a tremendous number were 17 or 17 ¼ inches, just under the 18-inch legal size, and that was a shame. Pool winners weighed 4 to 5 ½ pounds, none huge, but a 4-pounnder is a 20-inch fluke.  Sometimes bucktails worked better than bait, and sometimes plain spearing with no squid made a difference. Sometimes a rig with a Spro jig and a trailer with a Gulp worked better. Killies seemed to gain advantage on Wednesday morning’s trip. So the bait and tackle that worked best changed. Spearing and squid are provided on trips, and sometimes anglers bring their own killies or Gulps. 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.

<b>Highlands</b>

Fluke kept biting at the rough bottom in the ocean where <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> fishes for them with bucktails and big strip baits, Capt. Derek said. Quality-sized ones from 4 and 5 pounds all the way to 8 and 8 ½ pounds were dusted on the boat. A few sea bass were mixed in, but sea bass were probably less reluctant to jump on the bucktails anglers on board used. Charters are sailing, and the next open-boat trip for fluke will sail on Sunday for 8 hours. Anglers can call Derek to be kept informed about the open schedule. Derek will start prepping the boat for bluefin tuna fishing, and will probably begin sailing for the tuna toward the end of next week or at least the week after. The fishing sounded like it was beginning to take off. Both charters and open-boat trips will troll, chunk and jig for the fish.  Derek heard about catches like a buddy who went 2 for 7 on the bluefins, and another who went 3 for 3, and someone else who went 8 for 10. He also heard about another trip that supposedly landed 30 or 40, but that wasn’t confirmed. He supposed someone could get lucky and run into that many of the tuna, but whether a catch like that could be repeated was a question. In any case, bluefin tuna fishing sounded like it was amping up.

Bluefin tuna fishing was going well, and will probably continue to become better, said Capt. Brian from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b>. The boat is locked and loaded for the fishing, and this is the time to go. The fish from schoolies to 80-pounders and even a few that topped 200 pounds were jigged and chunked at places like the Atlantic Princess wreck and farther offshore. Getting the weather to sail was the biggest factor. Both charters and four-angler open-boat trips are going after them, and call if interested in the open trips, because the more who are interested, the easier to schedule. The weather can play a role in the scheduling. Jersey Devil is concentrating on bluefins and on canyon fishing farther offshore. At the canyons yellowfin tuna fishing was “halfway decent,” Brian said, and mahi mahi, lots of white marlin and some blue marlin swam the waters. Trips can fish the canyons on a day trolling trip, leaving early in the morning, returning in the evening. In inshore waters, fluke fishing seemed hit or miss, and bottom fishing for sea bass and such was good.

Boaters sailing for fluke from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b> generally agreed that 1 in 20 was a keeper, Wayne said. The fish hugged bottom everywhere from the ocean to the bay to the rivers. Steve DeLorenzo and Ted Drietowich after a fluke trip together checked in an 8-pound fluke and a 5-pounder, respectively. Wayne saw no striped bass docked anymore, and the linesiders could be caught during low-light hours like dawn or dusk, but the fish were no longer aggressive in the heat, so not many anglers fish for them now. Bluefish could always be found from the back waters all the way to the offshore canyons. Some boaters from the marina fished for big game on the inshore ocean. Greg Schnell landed a small bluefin tuna and a large, 20-pound mahi mahi on the ocean between the Chicken Canyon and the Glory Hole. John Tucci fished the same area, coming up with a small mahi bagged and a small bluefin released. One of the charter boats fished the ocean short of Hudson Canyon, limiting out on two bluefins, hooking other football-sized bluefins, also bagging a yellowfin tuna. The full supply of offshore baits is stocked, like flats of sardines and herring and chum. Interestingly, butterfish, the most popular offshore bait, was unavailable, because of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Most butterfish at shops come from the Gulf. For inshore fishing, killies, all the different types of squid, spearing, Peruvian smelts that look like large spearing and are hot fluke baits, frozen clam bellies and the entire supply of frozen baits is stocked.

<b>Neptune</b>

The catch was phenomenal on an individual-reservation, offshore wreck-fishing trip Tuesday, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. Pollock to 30 pounds and cod to 20 pounds were dusted, and Ralph suggests anglers call him to find out about the fishing. Three more of the trips will be scheduled for August. Inshore bottom fishing was off, because of the moon phase. Only one of four trips copped a good catch of fish like sea bass inshore, and plenty of fish were marked on the other trips, but they weren’t biting. “Don’t let anyone tell you different,” Ralph said. But the angling should turn around in a day or two and was good before. Fluke trips picked up lots of shorts, not many keepers. But the trips never had optimum conditions. Sometimes winds blew the drift too fast, and on another day there was no drift. Anglers got on lots of action on the trips, but not many keepers. Individual-reservation trips are fluke fishing every Wednesday. Boats that made it out to Hudson Canyon in the past days pummeled yellowfin tuna, plenty of them, to 80 pounds. Excellent catches of bluefin tuna were waxed closer to shore.  Instead of running the usual open-boat trips for tuna, Last Lady is collecting a list of who wants to go, and the dates are set up based on the list. The 18- to 24-hour trips will troll or chunk or whatever’s necessary on the date. So call or e-mail if interested.

<b>Belmar</b>

Bluefishing was terrible, said Capt. Alan from the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, and he hoped the fish would come off the spawn -- the reason the fishing was slow -- at least after the new moon. But there was no guarantee. Still, small, non-spawning blues started to be jigged on trips, so catches somewhat improved. Small shots of the fish would pop up, nothing great. On the party boat <b>Tropical Adventure</b>, Alan’s other vessel, fluke fishing was good. Many of the fish were throwbacks, but considerably more keepers began to chomp, and good-sized sea bass were sometimes in the mix. So those trips went well. 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.

Fishing for blues was unproductive, but Capt. Greg from the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b> hoped the catches would turn back around soon, he said. The spawn was apparently the cause, and this happens every year, and the angling usually starts back up after the next moon. The Golden Eagle is fishing for blues daily 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Both canyon trips for yellowfin tuna and light-tackle bluefin tuna and bonito trips will begin in September, and check the <a href=" http://www.goldeneaglefishing.com/html/schedules___fares.html
" target="_blank">schedule</a> for dates and info.

<b>Brielle</b>

Unlimited action with bluefin tuna to 80 pounds was hammered 30 miles from shore Tuesday on trolled ballyhoos on bue-and-white Ilanders on the <b>Big Kid</b>, with Capt. Wally Harmstead at the helm, Capt. Ken Gallop, the owner, said. Anglers on the Big Kid are competing in the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club White Marlin Invitational through Saturday. Offshore tournaments available for charters include the Tuna Stakes Invitational on August 21 to 29 and the Manasquan River Marlin and Tuna Club Tournament on August 28 to September 5, open to the public for the first time. In addition to the Beach Haven tournament, the boat was already booked for the coming Mid Atlantic $500,000. Charters on the boat are also fishing for fluke and sea bass.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

A charter fished for bluefin tuna on the inshore ocean and yellowfin tuna at Hudson Canyon, mixing in mahi mahi fishing throughout the overnight trip that sailed Tuesday, the report on <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>’s Web site said. The anglers were going to attempt to tag and release some of the bluefins for the Atlantic Tuna Project. They first stopped at the “inshore hot spot,” the report said, landing five bluefins in two passes on the troll through schools of rays. They kept an “under,” as anglers call them: One of the fish in the smaller slot size limit among two specific sizes of bluefins allowed to be kept per trip. Next they tried light-tackle mahi mahi fishing, landing a dozen to a 31-pounder. Then they steamed farther offshore to the Hudson. Yellowfin tuna were found right away, and four 50-pounders were trolled, before the boat was set up for chunking at night. Fishing was slow at night, but a yellowfin and mahi mahi were chunked. The trip had planned to troll for tuna again in the morning, but one of the anglers wasn’t feeling well. So they began sailing home, but stopped to play with more mahi on the way, catching a half-dozen. The anglers had never caught tuna and mahi before, and they did well, including landing every tuna hooked, going 5 for 5 on bluefins and 5 for 5 on yellowfins for the trip. A split charter, a charter with two different families, sailed with Andrea’s Toy on Friday. The charters brought kids, so they wanted action, and fished for sea bass on the ocean and fluke on Manasquan River.  They first fished for sea bass 5 miles from the inlet, scoring non-stop action, bagging a dozen keepers in 2 hours at a few spots, before one of the children wasn’t feeling well. So the trip returned to the river, playing with fluke a moment. Then the family with the child under the weather was dropped off, and the other family headed back out for sea bass. “We started where we left off,” the report said: steady action, drop-and-reel sea bassing. Twenty-seven keepers and a cod were bagged in 3 hours. “All the kids had a blast today, catching plenty of fish each!” the report said. In general, bluefin tuna fishing was heating up, Capt. Fred said in a telephone call. Mid-shore trips, both charters and open-boat, are sailing for a mixed bag of bluefins, mahi mahi and pollock. Offshore trips, both charters and open, are fishing for a mixed bag of yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi, swordfish and tilefish. Inshore fishing for fluke and sea bass was also turning on for charters. Fishing was hitting on all cylinders! he said. But nobody could know how long that would last. See the write-up toward the bottom of <a href="http://www.andreastoycharters.com" target="_blank">Andrea’s Toy’s home page</a> to check out annual, open-boat, mixed-bag trips that are running offshore for tuna and other fish. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner.

Anglers on the <b>Canyon Runner</b> steamed offshore at 5 a.m. Monday, first fishing at the bluefin tuna grounds inshore, quickly picking a 35-pounder, the report on Canyon Runner’s Web site said. But the crew saw not enough interesting to stay, so the trip kept pushing offshore to the west wall of Hudson Canyon. Trolling there produced a slow pick of yellowfin tuna, but good action developed with the fish before dark, and seven yellowfins were totaled for the day. A few more were picked through the night on the chunk. Then a few were trolled in the morning, and the trip ended up landing a total of 13 yellowfins, nine of them kept, four of them tagged and released. On a trip Wednesday the crew decided they didn’t like what they saw at the Hudson on Monday, so they sailed a little farther south, fishing along the 100-fathom line. Lots more bait appeared, but no tuna bit until seven yellowfins, 50- to 60-pounders, attacked the trolling spread at once and were landed before dark.  The boat turned around and made another pass, and one more was decked. At night the anglers picked away at yellowfins, gaffing five, losing several. Up on the troll in the morning, no yellowfins showed up, but a white marlin and a blue marlin, a 375- to 400-pounder, were released. Both fish initially swiped at baits and missed, but one of the captains dropped back the lines, hooking both.  The trip then sailed inshore to look for bluefins. The fish were found! Sixteen bluefins, including a limit of a 56-incher and a 40-incher, were clobbered in an hour. The rest were tagged and released, and that made a total of 29 tuna landed on the trip.  The blue marlin on the trip was the fifth landed with Canyon Runner this season, not bad for three weeks of offshore fishing from New Jersey, the report said. Two of the blues weighed 700 and 600 pounds, and three were hooked on new Canyon Runner lures the crew was field testing and will introduce this winter. They seemed to be working fine, the report said.

Bluefishing was terrible during the weekend, and no trip sailed Monday, but a good catch of blues, small ones, was clocked Tuesday on the party boat <b>Cock Robin</b>, Capt. Jim said in an e-mail. “As for size, well, I’m not sure where on the ‘bluefish ruler’ these fit – snapper, cocktail, chopper, slammer, etc. …,” he said. So the crew called them “pee wees.” Bring light rods and Ava 007 or 17 jigs, Deadly Dicks and so on, and have a blast, he said, until bigger blues begin being caught again. No trip sailed Wednesday, but reports said the good fishing continued on the grounds that day, and limits were bagged. The weather looks great for the weekend. The Cock Robin is bluefishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Fluke fishing seemed to be getting better on the party boat <b>Norma K</b> on the ocean, Capt. Matt said. A 7-pounder was the pool-winner on one of the trips Tuesday, and pool-winners weighed 5 to 7 pounds on trips. Bluefishing slowed a lot, because the fish were spawning, but trips caught smaller, 1- to 2-pound, non-spawning blues. The outings will keep chasing them until big blues begin feeding again after the spawn. 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 <b>Gambler</b> good fluke fishing was nabbed, and big flatties were sometimes plowed, and large sea bass at times were decked along with the summer flounder, Capt. Bob said in an e-mail Tuesday. On the vessel Monday a number of 3- to 5-pound fluke were busted, and Mike Wells, Point Pleasant, bonked a 7-pounder. Bluefishing was slow on nighttime trips for them during the weekend, but the angling <i>should</i> bounce back soon. Bob skippered one of the boat’s trips for ling, sea bass, cod and squid Monday night to wrecks 20 miles from shore. Ling fishing was becoming better every week, and big ling to 4 pounds were clubbed on the trip. A few sea bass, mixed sizes, were taken, and cod, shorts and keepers to 24 inches, have been landed on the trips lately. No squid were caught that night, though squid were seen. But anglers jigged squid on previous outings who tried for them, covered in previous reports. Fluke trips are sailing twice daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Bluefish trips are running 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Trips for ling, sea bass, cod and squid are fishing 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sundays and Mondays. <a href=" http://www.gamblerfishing.net/offshoretrips.html
" target="_blank">Canyon tuna trips</a> will begin in mid September.

Ling and sea bass were swung aboard the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, and ling fishing was best the past few days, though sea bass were cranked in, Capt. Butch said. A few porgies were rounded up on a couple of days recently. Porgy fishing had begun to produce some time ago, until the recent ground swell on the ocean that lasted a long time, three or four weeks. Butch was unsure about the cause of the swell, and an offshore storm must’ve been brewing somewhere. Fishing for porgies dropped off once the swell began, but the porgies had appeared early anyway, and they usually begin to show up at the beginning of August. When porgy fishing kicks in, trips will focus on them, because customers prefer them. The swell finally began to subside Monday and Tuesday. The ling were targeted in 120 to 200 feet, and the sea bass and porgies were fished for in 60 to 90 feet. Waters were 68 to 75 degrees, depending on wind direction. On the boat’s nighttime bluefishing trips, catches were okay, and big blues were spawning, therefore not feeding, but small, non-spawning blues, fish 1 to 3 pounds, were caught on the trips in the meantime. Anglers averaged two to five of the fish landed per person. The spawn should be about finished and usually ends on the next moon. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily and is bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

Double Creek Channel on Barnegat Bay was productive for fluke fishing, and lots of the fish were small, but anglers reeled in 20 to 30 in a trip, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Hank Pryor checked in a fluke just under 5 pounds he boated at Double Creek on a green Gulp and landed another 5-pounder there recently. The ratio of keepers was somewhat better, though the number of fluke was fewer, on the bay at the BI and BB markers. Fluke fishing took off during the past days on the ocean off the Island Beach State Park bathing beach, and some 5-pounders were boated. John who works at the shop and friends fished for fluke on the ocean at Sea Girt Reef. At first, there was no drift in no winds, and no fluke bit. Then winds picked up, and a drift began, and they caught, landing four keepers to 4 ½ pounds among shorts and one sea bass. A few blowfish and kingfish, not a lot, but at least a start to the angling, bit in the bay at the BI and BB and near Berkeley Island Park. Snapper blues 3 to 6 inches schooled “out the kazoo,” Dennis said, in the back waters, and fresh “snapper spearing,” smaller spearing perfect for snapper fishing, are being stocked today. Surf fishing was slow, and waters were hot, and fluking in the surf was probably best. Work a bucktail with a squid strip. An oddball bluefish or striped bass was beached from the surf. Most surf anglers fished for sharks like browns, restricted to catch and release, at night. A bunker chunk on a wire-leadered bluefish rig will work. Sea bass fishing was slow on the ocean, producing some of the fish, but not many. Crabbing was good at the Route 37 Bridge and on the Toms River at Island Heights on bunker for bait.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Barnegat Bay toward Barnegat Inlet turned out fluke, and super fishing for them was nailed on the Manasquan River, said Scott from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Bucktails baited with Gulps worked best. A few blowfish and kingfish were boated on the bay toward Cedar Creek. Loads of snapper blues schooled around the docks at the shop. Surf anglers dragged in fluke, and surf casting for sharks seemed to thin out at least for the moment. Sharks like browns, limited to catch and release, are often fought from the beach in summer at night on baits like bunker. False albacore fishing in the surf should kick off in another couple of weeks or toward mid August. Boaters who bottom fished at the wrecks piled up plenty of sea bass a few porgies. They scored well on blackfish when they knew where to look.  Nothing was heard about ling catches on bottom trips recently. Crabbing was excellent this summer, a great one for trapping the blueclaws. 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.

<b>Seaside Park</b>

Good weather meant great fishing, and fair weather meant good fishing, said Capt. Rob “Birch” Birchmeier from <b>Fishguts Inshore Charters</b> in an e-mail. Sea bass catches were as good as they get in summer when the last few trips had the conditions to fish the right areas. On some days the fishing shut down at some areas, and the trip had to move around a bit to put together big catches. Plenty of fish swam the waters, and the trick was to find plenty willing to feed. More porgies and fluke started to appear at the bottom structure in the ocean, and trips will begin to target them as the summer wears on. No great numbers of either were there, but some of the porgies were 14 inches, and they were a great addition to catches. On Monday three anglers jumped aboard to fish the ocean wrecks, Birch said in the report on the Fishguts Web site. Strong northern winds kept the trip close to port at the beginning, and the anglers caught jumbo porgies to 14 inches, bagging eight, and limited out on blackfish. Seas calmed at 11:30 p.m., and the trip made a run to grab sea bass, enjoying a fair pick. “The guys managed a very nice catch (throughout the trip) under poor conditions,” Birch said. On Tuesday another three anglers aboard met perfect conditions, “and an even better sea bass bite … one of the best … of the season,” Birch said. No real big ones chewed, but lots of fat 14-inchers did. The anglers limited out, and when they had nearly limited, Birch also fished, and also limited. Then the anglers made a drop for blackfish, and they limited out on the tog, releasing 20 more. The slipperies were small and mixed sizes, and the anglers kept 16-inchers. One of the anglers “put on a clinic,” Birch said, and hammered the tog. The trip was great fishing for any time of year, let alone July, Birch said. On Wednesday three other anglers sailed aboard, originally planning to fish the wrecks all day. But forecasts for winds caused them to change the trip to a shorter one that fished for a combo of sea bass at the ocean wrecks and fluke in Barnegat Bay.  A quick run to the wrecks in building seas picked up 20 keeper sea bass, enough for a few meals. The anglers returned to Barnegat Bay, scoring good action on short fluke. “The weather has been so good this season I really can’t complain about losing a trip or two,” Birch said. A few open dates are available for trips in late August, and Fishguts will keep targeting sea bass then, along with blackfish and porgies, and will also fish for fluke at the ocean wrecks at that time.

<b>Forked River</b>

The ocean turned on for fluke fishing off the bathing beach at Island Beach State Park, said Dave from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Four of the flatties more than 5 pounds apiece, including a 10-pound 8-ouncer that a 7-year-old checked in, were weighed in from the waters on Wednesday. Dave’s uncle landed three keepers there that day. Fluking sounded alright at Barnegat Inlet, and nothing much was heard about fluke fishing on Barnegat Bay. Dave couldn’t be sure whether that meant few anglers fished there or the flatties were migrating toward the ocean. A few blowfish were reported taken from the bay, and toward the BI and BB markers was probably a place to look for them. Anchor and chum, and fish with small pieces of clam. A few bluefish roamed around the bay, and nobody mentioned catching weakfish in the bay or anywhere. Nobody mentioned striped bass catches in a while. Snapper blues schooled the lagoons and back waters. Crabbing was great, and customers said they never saw so many large blueclaws.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Plenty of fluke were whacked from Barnegat Bay and along the Barnegat Inlet jetty, said Bob Misak from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b> in the report on the shop’s Web site. Anglers at the condo docks at 6th Street lit them up, catching keepers every day. “Three of those old dudes (at the docks) are a combined 245 years of age … (and) that’s for real,” he said. “Grandpa Al is 90, Ray Frazier is 82, and ol’ Mustache John is 73. Two-hundred-forty-five years! That’s a state record for dock fishin’ old dudes!” he said. Bob fished with them last week, “and even impressed myself,” he added. He caught two keepers 19 and 20 inches. He saw his first triggerfish of the season swim to the surface. “You’ll need some of (the shop co-owner) Basil’s fresh-ground chum to get them to you, and I know Basil’s chum is fresh, because I went into the shop the other day and caught him eating some of it,” Bob said. “Sometimes I worry about that dude. And with that we venture out to the end of the (Barnegat Inlet jetty), where the togs are thick and mean!” Bob continued. He fished there twice since tog season opened July 16, nailing the fish 17 inches and larger in minutes. Many anglers pass up fishing at the end of the jetty because of the long, difficult walk, “(but) the jetty is a crazy place with triggers, togs, sheepshead and plenty of fluke, as well as an occasional giant drum,” he said. “And that’s if you can get past the bluefish,” he added. Ocean fluking was improving, and Bob’s cousin and a buddy fished there during the weekend, boating six keeper fluke to an 8-1/2-pounder. “That’s a nice fluke right there,” Bob said. Party boats fished for sea bass, tog, fluke and blues, and the angling was mostly productive. Bob continued: “So things are rolling along nicely now,” he said, “and the blowfish should come into the bay soon to top it off, and then all will be well. So pick your poison and head on over to Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle, and pick up some supplies and have at it. You won’t be disappointed.”

<b>Beach Haven</b>

An offshore trip was weathered out Sunday on the <b>June Bug</b>, Capt. Lindsay said, and he’ll compete in the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club’s White Marlin Invitational on Friday or Saturday. Offshore fishing for tuna and big game was great last Thursday and Friday, and practically everybody caught. But Lindsay knew nobody who sailed offshore since then, because of rough seas from winds. A half-day inshore trip fished on the June Bug on Monday, and 50 or 55 throwback fluke bit in the bay and inlet. A patch of the flatties was found at the inlet, and three and four were hooked at a time, and they were an inch short. Nobody seemed to catch fluke on the ocean that day, and all the fish seemed to swim around the inlet.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

<b>Legal Limit Charters</b> sailed for tuna all week, Capt. T.J. said. Three trips fished Monday through Wednesday, trolling good-sized yellowfin tuna on each, and some large mahi mahi. The fish were hooked in 40 to 50 fathoms from 50 to 60 miles from shore. Plus a 77-inch 300-pound bluefin tuna, a beautiful fish, the angler’s first-ever tuna, was caught and released after a 2-hour fight. Two of the yellowfins weighed 75 pounds apiece, and one of the mahi weighed 20 pounds. The mahi were healthy sized or 10 to 15 pounds on average. No schools of tuna were around, and one of the yellowfins would be picked up, and another would show up an hour later, and so on. Early mornings were best. Seas were rough and 5 to 6 feet all day Monday, and only three other boats were seen on the waters. Seas were flat as a lake Tuesday, and 50 boats worked the waters. Seas were fishable on Wednesday, starting at 2 feet in the morning, building to 3 to 5 feet for a while then 4 to 5 feet the rest of the day. Zero boats, not one other vessel, was seen on the grounds that day. Three spaces are available on an open-boat trip or a shared charter for summer flounder Saturday. Open-boat or shared charters are also sailing Tuesdays and Thursdays when no charter is booked and enough anglers want to go, and see the online <a href=" http://www.legallimitcharters.com/c-11-open-boat.aspx" target="_blank">Open Boat/Shared Charter Schedule</a>.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Little Egg Inlet gave up a little activity with summer flounder, and keepers were scarce, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. A couple of better-sized ones 7.4 and 6.8 pounds were weighed in from Tuckerton Bay. Nothing was heard about weakfish, and snapper blues were yet to show up. The small sea bass, porgies, kingfish and croakers that show up in the bay in summer were yet to appear, and they normally begin to be seen in the second week of August. No customers said they tried for sea bass or tog. The lack of effort at tog fishing was surprising. One per angler per trip could be kept starting July 16, and though that bag limit was as low as could be, Scott would’ve thought more anglers would target them. Some customers bought green crabs for tog bait, but none reported results. Anglers played catch and release with brown sharks that move into Grassy Channel in Great Bay in summer, and the shop carries a special rig for the sharking in the bay and a chum ball that’s a perfect size. Scott in past years has talked a lot about the sharking, But this year so far he had held back about speaking about the fishery, because he was trying to find out whether catch and release fishing for the prohibited species was allowed. The best answer he could come up with was that the game warden could get no answer from authorities about whether making the effort to catch and release them was illegal, and therefore the game warden reportedly said he would ticket nobody fishing for them, so long as the fish were released. But have no doubt that if an angler appeared at all to be keeping the sharks, a ticket would be issued. The sharks offer a chance to fight a big fish without traveling far. Anglers anchor for them at night, like at dusk until 10:30 p.m., setting up a chum slick at Grassy Channel, fishing with usual shark baits like mackerel or oily baitfish on a rig with a wire leader. The shop knows a lot about the sharking and can describe how anglers fish for them. Crabbing was good. “No doubt,” Scott said. Fresh, shucked clams, minnows, bloodworms and green crabs are stocked.

<b>Absecon</b>

The back bay harbored plenty of summer flounder, a few of them keepers, the rest small, said Curt from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Bigger ones began to be boated at the lumps and structure in the ocean, so the fish were migrating out. Striped bass fishing tapered off in the bay along the bridges and sod banks, because of warm waters. Curt heard little about bluefish anywhere. White perch were fairly plentiful in the brackish rivers, and they swam throughout the Mullica River, both upstream and downstream. Curt fished for them toward the saltwater on the river, because he tried for a variety of fish that could show up, including weakfish. A few smaller weakfish swam the lower river, and he heard about no keepers. He heard about a few kingfish beached from the surf and tog and triggerfish found at the jetties and the ocean pieces. Crabbing was good in the back waters. Live spots, small and large, are stocked, and so are shedder and soft shell crabs. The shop is carrying big minnows at a bargain price: $5 per pint. A large variety of other bait is on hand.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Surf anglers plucked good catches of kingfish, said Fred from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Sometimes they banked fluke, but 90 percent throwbacks. Fred heard about no sharks like browns and sand tigers yanked from the suds in the past days, but previously the fish were fought at night from the beach on baits like chunks of bunker or kingfish heads. Be familiar with the shark regs, because some sharks are prohibited from being kept. Back-bay flounder fishing was similar to the angling in the surf: Many of the flatties were undersized. Absecon Inlet seemed to give up somewhat better catches of keepers, and flounder seemed to be moving there from the back. Carl Pauls weighed in a 4-pound 22-inch flounder.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

The inlets and the ocean were slowly shoveling up more summer flounder than before, and the population held a few more keepers than the one in the bay did, said Curt from <b>Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle</b>. Anglers in the know successfully searched out a few striped bass from the bay. Surf anglers seemed to hook little of anything, and kingfish seemed scarce in the wash. Nobody was buying bloodworms for the kings. On the ocean some who fished for sea bass found none, and others caught the fish. Knowing a wreck where the fish gathered was apparently the difference. Curt heard practically nothing about fish like blues and false albacore trolled at the ocean ridges and hills. The fish seemed absent. On the <b>Carly A</b>,  the shop’s offshore charter boat, 12 yellowfin tuna, a longfin tuna and a bigeye tuna were boated on an overnight trip to Hudson Canyon last week from Thursday to Friday. Most of the fish were hooked at night. Offshore fishing seemed to slow down afterward in rough seas through Monday. Curt knew about a trip that landed no tuna that day and found the fishing slow. But catches seemed to pick back up as the week went on. Yellowfins were also caught at the southern canyons lately, and Curt believes the fish are spread out among all the waters, though certain areas hold more of the fish than others at different times. Forty- to 50-fathoms at Lindenkohl Canyon was a go-to destination for three or four weeks recently. Few anglers focused on bluefin tuna on the inshore ocean, but the fish were probably there, and the anglers probably passed the bluefin grounds on the way to fish for yellowfins. Curt knows someone who caught bluefins and yellowfins at the Lobster Claw on Tuesday.

<b>Margate</b>

Back-bay fishing for summer flounder turned up large numbers of the fish, most of them undersized, a few of them keepers, said Capt. John from the party boat <b>Keeper</b>. Anglers aboard hooked them on minnows and mackerel, provided on the vessel, and Gulps the anglers brought themselves. The Gulps worked great. A few larger flatties like a 6.9-pounder on Wednesday and a 5.16-pounder on Tuesday were netted on the boat. Though the vast majority of the fish were throwbacks, the fishing seemed to be coming around. Lots of bait started to be seen in the bay, and that could mean bluefish would arrive anytime that often show up in the bay around now. The Keeper is fishing for summer flounder twice daily 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

<b>Longport</b>

Lots of small blues and some little tunny were trolled on the ocean on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, good fishing, Capt. Mike said. The trips, fishing 10 miles from shore, have been walloping the blues along with different species that show up. Sometimes Mike has reported little tunny in the mix, sometimes mahi mahi, including big ones, sometimes chub mackerel or Spanish mackerel. But the angling’s been the best in years. The state jumped aboard Wednesday to survey the A.C. Reef, taking side scans, and Mike saw the waters jam packed with fish 20 feet from bottom at a couple of spots, and he’s going right back on an open-boat trip for sea bass and summer flounder on Friday that’s sold out. Triggerfish began to appear at the wrecks in the ocean. Two spaces are left on one of the season’s open-boat, overnight tuna trips that will leave at 2 p.m. Saturday, August 28. Mike recently scheduled the trips, and the two others are already sold out on August 21 and 29. All the trips will also stop for sea bass in the mornings. These will be the only of these trips this year, unless the weather is clear in September. Then one more might be added. Rods will be available at no charge, and bait will be provided, and ice will be supplied for the tuna. Catch a special, low, discounted rate for charters for croakers and sea bass September 13 through 30 only.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Back-bay summer flounder fishing served up the same catches as earlier: lots of the fish, mostly throwbacks, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Some of the larger flatties were boated on the ocean at Townsend’s Inlet Reef, the O.C. Reef and along the Great Egg Harbor Inlet bell buoy. Striped bass were angled from the bay at the sod banks and bridges, but anglers had to work hard for them, fishing extremely early in the mornings and at dusk. Some threw swimming plugs like Yozuri Crystal Minnows, and some worked small popper lures like a Smack-It Jr.  A few tog were rustled up from along the bridges and pilings, and anglers should remember one tog per day is the bag limit. In the surf a bunch of kingfish were banked, and surf casters reported picking up spots today. Spots might’ve become another fish to land from the suds. Small sand sharks bit in the wash, and tackle-busting cownosed rays moved through the surf. Anglers who never caught one could have fun releasing the big rays. On the ocean bluefish, a few Spanish mackerel, sometimes mahi mahi and occasional bluefin tuna were wrenched in at the A.C. Ridge and Sea Isle Ridge. A few boaters made the trip offshore during the week’s frequent rough seas on the grounds. Fairly good fishing for yellowfin tuna and a few white marlin was found at Wilmington Canyon in 50 fathoms. One customer said yellowfins were also located at 50 fathoms between Lindenkohl and Spencer canyons.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Small summer flounder dominated the back bay, but there were lots, and a few were keepers, and everybody was catching who tried, said Wes from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. When somebody hooked none, Wes explained to the angler how to catch them. Look for the larger flatties in the deep and closer to the inlet. Small blues and small kingfish swam the surf, and so did croakers and weakfish, 8- to 10-inch trout. The fish weren’t always in the surf, appearing one day, disappearing the next. But they were around. The weaks, for example, appeared when water temps dropped, departing when temps hiked up. The kingfish, one of the favorite targets, bit bloodworms or Fishbites Bag o’ Worms. Kids weighed in a striped bass from the surf 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning. Water temps had dropped to 64 or 65 then because of west winds. The fish was beached at 46th Street, where the kids were staying, on a minnow with squid. The kids weren’t targeting any specific fish, and were just fishing. On the ocean small blues and an occasional false albacore or such fish could be trolled anywhere from 2 or 3 miles from shore to 15 miles off. Inshore sharking was excellent for browns and duskies, catch and release angling by regulation. No offshore reports were heard about tuna or big game in a few days, because windy weather prevented trips. Crabbing was good. One woman who kept a crab pot at the docks, only keeping males, tossing back females, would pick up maybe four or five keeper males among 12 or 15 other crabs let go each time she checked the pot.

Tino Ricci’s charter wrestled in 30 brown and dusky sharks to 30 pounds that were released on the inshore ocean Monday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. They fished with mackerel on spinning rods, and Jersey Cape also fly rods for the fish. The trip was one of Jersey Cape’s special ones that fish the ocean close to shore for sharks, mostly browns and duskies that must be released by regulation. The outings, sailing 5 to 10 miles from shore, are a chance for anglers to try blue-water angling for large, strong fish without the usual long traveling time for sharking. On Tuesday a charter and his two sons bagged two keeper flounder to 21 inches among probably 30 throwbacks on the back bay. On Wednesday morning a several-angler charter reeled up probably 30 throwback flounder from the bay in 3 hours. In the afternoon Ryan Whitney and Scott Sloan on a trip released 25 flounder. Flounder still filled the waters throughout the bay, and fishing for them was best there, though the ocean is usually better by this time of year. Jersey Cape is also fishing for striped bass on the bay at night. The linesiders bite best in the dark for a moment in summer. An offshore trip will sail for tuna, billfish and mahi mahi on Friday. Some offshore anglers fished this week between rough seas, and fishing was good for yellowfin tuna at the 40-Fathom Fingers, and Joe heard about some caught at Baltimore Canyon. Lots of white marlin were around this year, and some blue marlin were, and plenty of mahi mahi swam. Keep up with Joe’s fishing and photos on <a href=" http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Summer flounder fishing held steady on the back bay for customers at <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>, and lots of the fish flooded the waters, Mike said. A few of the fluke were keepers, and plenty were undersized. When anglers who take one trip per year catch a healthy number, that tells Mike many are around. Baby sea bass that invade the bay each summer started to move in, not a strong population yet that will probably arrive. None of those fish is ever a keeper. Not much of any other species was seen so far this season, and no croakers showed up yet. Crabbing was good and should only become better as the blueclaw population peaks in September. 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 $12 for the first dozen and $10 for each additional dozen. No. 1’s are $20 for the first dozen and $18 for each additional dozen. Crabs are sold according to market prices that can change.

Anglers pumped up summer flounder and sea bass from the ocean on the party boat <b>Adventurer</b>, Capt. Gary said. Trips usually drifted for flounder, but when currents and winds failed to create the right drift, the boat was anchored at a wreck at the reefs for sea bass. Some big flounder were belted in the past several days, and pool-winners weighed more than 6 pounds. There weren’t a lot of the big fish, and many of the flatties were throwbacks, but there were some, and they were bigger than before. Bluefish trips normally fish on Saturday nights, but last Saturday’s night trip fished for flounder and sea bass. Not a ton of blues were around, except farther from shore, where charter boats and private boats trolled them, places like 5-fathom light, too far for the party boat. The Adventurer is fishing 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and 6 p.m. to 12 midnight every Saturday.

<b>Cape May</b>

Plenty of blues and occasional bonito, false albacore and mahi mahi could be trolled 8 to 10 miles from shore, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. Yellowfin tuna fishing held up well toward the canyons when trips had the weather to go. Winds blew on most days lately, and George knew about offshore anglers who attempted to sail Monday, but many turned around and came back because of rough seas. Saturday is available for a charter for either of these types of fishing because of a cancellation. Sunday was already open and is available. Many of George’s charters wanted to fish during weekdays.

Croaker fishing went fairly well for surf anglers along Delaware Bay at the jetty at the Cape May Canal, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Okay catches of the hardheads were boated at Bayshore Channel. Kingfish and summer flounder were reeled from the surf around Cape May Point and the ocean front. Flounder fishing was good at the 9 and 10 buoys on Delaware Bay. Leon Lilly weighed in a 7-pound 5-ounce flounder from Cape May Harbor. A couple of customers hooked flounder under the canal bridge. Weakfish were around in Delaware Bay and along Cape May Channel and the ocean front. Smaller, spike weakfish seemed predominant this year. Flounder fishing began to improve at Cape May Reef, and the flatties were found at the Old Grounds and Reef 11 in the ocean off Delaware. A few bigger sea bass began to be located at such areas. Trolling on the inshore ocean like at 5-Fathom Bank kept anglers busy catching bluefish and occasional false albacore and bonito. Cobia that move in during summer could be searched out from the ocean around those areas. Offshore fishing was going fine when the weather allowed boaters to sail. They fought yellowfin tuna, even as close to shore as 30 fathoms, and mahi mahi. Bloodworms, Fishbites Bag o’ Worms, minnows, Gulps, spearing and all the frozen baits are stocked.

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