<b>Staten Island</b>

With <b>Outcast Charters</b> trips fished for sea bass through the past two or three weeks, and the angling was slow, but some were caught each trip, and the outings tried to make up for sea bass by landing ling in addition, Capt. Joe said. Trips usually totaled 50 to 70 fish each, a mix of sea bass and ling. On some days ling fishing was good, and on others was slow. When trips ran across birds working the waters, they stopped to jig bluefish that ate the bait the birds picked, or jigged striped bass, if stripers were on the bait. Joe never saw sea bass fishing take this long to get going during a season, and the catches usually pick up by the second week of June. Maybe the bottom was colder than usual. If anglers want porgies, porgy trips can sail. 

Fishing was beginning to concentrate on fluke with <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b>, because fluking was very good, Capt. Anthony said. Anglers on the trips dunked bait or worked bucktails at places like along the channels or the rocky bottom. Striped bass fishing was practically finished for the year. Sea bass fishing was yet to take off much. Don’t have enough anglers for a full charter? Call Anthony anyway, because he can usually fit individual anglers or small groups on an open-boat trip or charter.

<b>Keyport</b>

A trip with Joe Osenenko’s group Thursday began fishing for fluke at Reach Channel, and catches began well, said Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> in an e-mail. Six fluke, including three keepers to 21 inches, were cracked. Then strong winds, not in the forecast, began, shutting down fishing. Timmy, Michelle and another Joe were also on the trip, sailing 4 to 9 p.m. On David Ichen’s trip, slated for 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, similar weather happened. But strong winds, not in the forecast, blew from the start. The anglers, who also included Bill, Marty and Dave, began picking fluke including one 20-inch keeper and shorts. But winds became so uncomfortable that Ichen decided to return early. So unexpected winds put the nix on fluking on the trips, but some keepers started to come up. Both trips fished with spearing, mullet, Gulps and squid. Special open-boat trips will fish Friday through Monday for Fourth of July weekend, offering seven hours of fishing for the price of six. Otherwise open trips are sailing daily 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a minimum of four anglers, when no charter is booked. Call to climb aboard.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 6/28:***</b> After a computer crash Friday, Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> was unable to report the “epic, monumental … fluke fishing we had all weekend …” he said in a report on the boat’s Web site Monday evening. “If you believe that, I have some extra shares of Enron for sale,” he said. Monday’s trip on the boat fished the ocean, “for a change,” he said. Anglers had to battle some currents, but heaved aboard some good-sized fluke. A 6-plus-pounder was the pool-winner, and Capt. Ron Sr. was high hook with five sizeable fluke. Some of the anglers bagged three, “and so on,” Ron said. The trip’s last drift gave up 17 keepers from 18 to 24 inches.  The Fishermen is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 3:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. However, Sunday’s evening trip will be a fireworks cruise off Red Bank. <b>***Update, Wednesday, 6/29:***</b> From an edited e-mail from Ron on Tuesday: “Catching some very nice fish the past few days with several in the 4- to 7-pound range. Chris G. had top honors on his day off today with his limit on fish up to 6 pounds. Mike followed with seven great fish in the box. Capt. Ron Sr., two days in a row, had five in the cooler. Pool fish went 6 3/4 pounds. Weather reports have been keeping the customers at home with the threat of thunderstorms – sailed with only six customers today (Tuesday) – but it was more than worth it!”

One of the better catches of keeper fluke was reeled aboard Sunday morning’s trip on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. Nice fishing, he said, and conditions were right, creating a good drift. Even Bruce, an angler who reads these reports, bagged three keepers, Tom noted. Fluking wasn’t quite as good on the afternoon trip, and conditions changed, and became crummy. So the boat was moved, and catches became better. Tire John ended up with five keepers, and some anglers bagged two or one, and some none. Shorts remained active on the afternoon trip, like in the morning, but fewer keepers bit in the afternoon. Overall, a nice day, Tom said. No exceptional-sized fluke were seen, and pool-winning fluke weighed 4 pounds and larger, not quite 5. But some big ones were in the area, were caught on vessels, and catching one was a matter of luck. Many fluke that were hooked were 17 or 17 ½ inches, only an inch or half-inch undersized. Many were very small, but that was good, suggesting the population was healthy. Fishing with plain spearing, provided on the boat, on a plain rig seemed as effective as anything. Sometimes the color of Gulp baits mattered, and chartreuse or pink seemed best. But the angler could’ve been the difference. Bucktails were sometimes an advantage, and other times weren’t. 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>

Striped bass to 30 pounds and bluefish were bunker chunked Saturday at the Shrewsbury Rocks on the ocean with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, Capt. Derek said. Striper fishing was day to day, or on one day the bass would bite, and on another, the baits couldn’t be gotten past blues. Fluke fishing was very good on a trip for the flatties Sunday. Twenty keepers were socked on bucktails, and five times as many throwbacks were tossed back. Good action. Fluking was becoming good, and the fish were sizeable. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trip will probably fish in the middle of the week. Anglers can call to confirm the date or to be kept informed about future open trips.

Here’s a rundown of a week on the <b>Hyper Striper</b>, from an e-mail from Capt. Pete. Last Monday: J.R. Bristow’s party, six striped bass to 28 pounds, plus blues. Tuesday: Ralph Ruocco’s charter, eight stripers to 25 pounds, plus blues. Wednesday, two trips: Rick Dimanno’s crew in the morning, whaled big blues, and bagged six stripers to 24 pounds; and Frank Scappatorri’s party in the afternoon, hammered big blues, and bagged fluke. Friday: Scott Okal’s charter, four stripers to 25 pounds, until east winds forced the trip off the ocean and into the bay, where the anglers scored good action on fluke to 4 pounds. Saturday, two trips: Matt Battz’s party in the morning, a super catch of striped bass, landing more than 20 of the bass to 28 pounds, keeping 12, releasing the rest; and Firchar Sabah’s charter in the afternoon, three stripers to 22 pounds, afterward picking away at fluke. And Sunday: Lou Figurello’s party, an easy limit of stripers to 24 pounds, hammering them, bagging fluke to boot. All stripers and blues on the trips were beaten on livelined bunker. Looking ahead, lots of tuna swam both inshore and offshore, and anglers should call now to ensure a charter date.

<b>Neptune</b>

Striped bass were still around on most days, and fishing for them on weekends was tough, so trips needed to sail either very early or in the late afternoon, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> in an e-mail. Two 30- to 40-pound stripers were landed on bunker set out for them on a fluke trip onboard Sunday late in the day. Stripers could also be caught at night, and Last Lady sails for them at night. An individual-reservation trip for stripers will leave at midnight Wednesday, July 13. Fluke fishing was good, and individual-reservation trips for fluke are sailing every Wednesday. Children 12 and under are free, limited to two per adult host. Now was the time to fish offshore for cod and pollock, and an individual-rez trip for the angling is full July 11, but another has been added for Monday, July 25. Sea bass fishing was improving as waters warmed, and an individual-reservation trip for sea bass is on the books for Saturday, July 16. Shark fishing is just about finished for the season. “Sorry to say it is just about over,” Ralph said. Waters were very warm for the sharks, and “(the) main body of fish has moved through,” Ralph said. But a 64-inch mako was bagged on a trip during the weekend with Glenn Scott and Jim Rice. Bluefin tuna swam 40 to 70 miles from shore, and trolling for yellowfin tuna was good farther offshore at the canyons. Individual-reservation trips for tuna will include: a trip for bluefins Tuesday, June 19, and a one-day canyon troll trip at 12 midnight Friday, July 29.

<b>Belmar</b>

Fluke fishing was good to excellent, said Capt. Anthony from <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b>. Anglers aboard fished for them with bait or bucktails at places like the rocks in the ocean. Striped bass fishing on the ocean was almost finished for the year, and the angling was fair to good this season, and a 41-pound striper was the biggest on the boat this year. Sea bass fishing was slow so far this season. Even if anglers don’t have enough people for a full charter, they can call Anthony to fish, because he can usually fit individuals or small groups on a charter or open-boat trip.

Anglers fluke fished on two trips aboard Saturday and Sunday, said Capt. Tom from the <b>Nan Sea J</b>. A good catch was plundered on the trip Saturday, and the fishing was a little slow on the charter Sunday. Good-sized sea bass, a couple of ling and a triggerfish were mixed in during the trips. The trip Sunday also tried for striped bass, and apparently a striper bite turned on in the morning, but the trip missed it. The boat is also shark fishing, including on annual open-boat trips every Wednesday, and those outings are probably full for the month. So Tom will add open trips for sharks on certain Tuesdays, and anglers can call for the dates. The trips are a rare opportunity for sharking without chartering the whole boat.

Bluefishing was solid on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b> on the ocean, a report on the vessel’s Web site said Saturday. Choppers 6 to 8 pounds were drilled, and 10- to 12-pounders won the pools. They attacked jigs and bait during daytime trips, and cut bunker and sardines on nighttime trips. The fishing was “well out to the southeast,” the report said, and the crew hoped to find the fish closer to port soon. No trips sailed Sunday because of maintenance, and charters were scheduled during the daytime trips today and Tuesday, so the daytime open-boat trips wouldn’t run those days. But the daytime open trips will resume Wednesday. Otherwise the Golden Eagle is bluefishing daily 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.

<b>Brielle</b>

Ocean boaters still nailed striped bass at times, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. They hit the fish well from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, pretty much from Manasquan Inlet to Asbury Park. If anglers found the bunker pods, they generally found the bass. Lots of thresher sharks chased the bunker lately. Plenty of bluefish gathered along the west side of the Mudhole, and some schooled at the Shrewsbury Rocks. Fluke fishing was pretty good on the ocean at places including Sea Girt Reef, off Long Branch and at the rocks. The fluking began with solid catches early last week, then the fishing slowed, then it picked up again. Pretty good fluking was scored on Manasquan River, and hickory shad arrived in the river. Sea bass fishing could go fairly well if anglers found the right wreck. But the angling was kind of slow otherwise. Ling fishing wasn’t bad both inshore and offshore, and lots of cod were still caught. Lots of the cod were small, but many cod remained. Shark anglers tangled with a bunch of makos and loads of blue sharks on the ocean. Bluefin tuna fishing was good at the Chicken Canyon and the Atlantic Princess wreck. The 30- to 50-pounders were trolled, or boaters caught them on bait or jigs behind scallop boats. Dave heard one report about good fishing for yellowfin tuna farther offshore at Hudson Canyon, from the tip to the letters. But most yellowfin catches came from south of Toms Canyon to Wilmington Canyon. The yellowfins ranged from pee wees to 80, 90 or 100 pounds. Customer Ken Rastall caught and released a 400-pound blue marlin on a fun trip on the charter boat Jenny Lee. He used his Shimano Terez rod with a Talica 20 reel for the first time. Catch the shop’s July 4 weekend sidewalk sale at least this Saturday and Sunday, depending on weather. Items including plugs, bucktails, jigs, soft baits and T-shirts will be featured.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>Reel Class Charters</b> fished for fluke and striped bass on the ocean Sunday, Capt. Allen said. Fluking was slow in poor conditions, and a striper nearly 40 pounds was bagged. Fluke fishing was currently good on some days, tough on others. Striper fishing was slowing down, but the fish were still around. Charters are sailing, and so are open-boat trips, including annual, open-boat Fluke Till You Puke Marathons. Check out info and dates for the open trips on <a href=" http://www.reelclassfishing.com/rates/open-boat-info" target="_blank">Reel Class’s open-boat page</a> online.

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 6/28:***</b> One of the open-boat, mixed-bag, midshore trips targeting bluefin tuna, sharks, cod and pollock sailed Monday with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. Life was seen on the waters 10 miles before the intended fishing grounds, and a bluefin was landed, and a couple of bites were missed, among bluefish that schooled. The trip kept traveling, heard about a bite, headed there, and went 0 for 2 on bluefins on the troll. The boat was anchored at a wreck so the anglers could fish for cod, chunk for sharks and jig for bluefins. Cod were caught, and soon a mako shark bit. The 60-incher was bagged. The vessel was put back on the troll, and the anglers went four for five on bluefin tuna to 32 inches, “finished with a great bite,” the report said. Andrea’s Toy is concentrating on the midshore trips and also open-boat, mixed-bag offshore trips to the canyons for tuna, mahi mahi, sharks, swordfish and tilefish, all in one outing. Call for details about the unique trips. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up, and more variety for dinner. An evening striped bass trip Friday dodged thunderstorms for hours, but limited out on the bass on livelined bunker on the ocean. “It was an adventurous trip!” the report said. But the anglers hung in there, “and we finished off with some great striped bass action.” The bunker were caught for bait a little south of Belmar, and the stripers were bagged just south of Asbury Park.

Ocean fluke fishing was good the past few days on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said. A good percentage of the fish hooked, probably half, were keepers, and some were sizeable, including 3-pounders, 4-pounders, and pool-winners around 6 or 7 pounds. More sea bass than before started to be mixed in. Jim Cramer, Princeton, on one of the trips Saturday clobbered a 7-pound fluke, a 6-pounder and a 4-pounder on a 4-ounce Spro jig. Kevin Pavone, Toms River, on the same trip clocked a 6-pound fluke, a 5-pounder and a 4-pounder. Catches were pretty good on the boat’s nighttime wreck-fishing trips. Big ling and mixed sizes of cod, including just-keepers to 10-pounders, were swung aboard, and lots of 6- to 12-inch squid showed up on the last trip. One of the anglers concentrated on them, landing 70 squid on a small jig. The Gambler is fluke fishing 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. Bluefishing trips will kick off this week, sailing 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Wreck-fishing trips, previously sailing Sunday and Monday nights, this week will begin running 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Thursdays and Sundays.

<b>Seaside Park</b>

“Hard to believe, but the fishing is improving,” said Capt. Rob “Birch” Birchmeier from <b>Fishguts Inshore Charters</b> in a report on the boat’s Web site. He was talking about fishing for sea bass at the ocean wrecks and fluke fishing on Barnegat Bay. A father and son team jumped aboard Saturday, wanting sea bass, plenty of them. They got them, limiting out. When the trip motored out, winds were light, but the ocean held a good-sized swell and strong currents. The trip pushed farther from shore a few miles, and currents were lighter, and big sea bass were hungry. The anglers went right to work, boxing up 30 big knuckleheads. Because they pulled them in fairly quickly, the trip then checked out other areas. Some showed promise, and some held little life, and the anglers kept reeling in sizeable sea bass, limiting out. A few sizeable ling were also yanked in. “One more stop got me a nice bucket of knuckleheads for tomorrow night’s fish fry,” Birch said. He was very impressed with the sizes of the trip’s sea bass. Most keepers were larger than 14 inches, and a 3-3/4-pounder was the biggest. Sea bass fishing seemed to be settling in well, and more areas started holding the fish than before. As more bait moves in, the angling should really kick in. Catching good numbers of quality sea bass close to shore in summer is one of the specialties for Fishguts. Another father and son team climbed aboard Friday afternoon, this time for bluefish and fluke on the bay. The anglers began landing 14- to 18-inch blues on top-water plugs, good action, including doubles. A storm rolled in, so the trip ducked into a cove behind Island Beach State Park, waiting out winds and rains. When the storm passed, the trip started fluking. The tide was great, and fluke gave up fast action, including two 18- and 19-inch keepers and shorts. “We could have done without the storm, but still had a great afternoon of fishing,” Birch said. Fishguts also specializes in light-tackle fishing on the bay for blues and fluke, and other types of trips. Both open-boat trips and charters run regularly. Combo trips that fish the ocean and bay in one outing are also offered.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Bluefishing on the ocean began to improve a bit on Thursday’s trip, after the catches were slow on Wednesday’s trip for the first time this season, a report on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>’s Web site said. The fishing became even better on Friday’s trip, and the angling was finally good on Saturday’s trip. Anglers aboard averaged three to five blues apiece, fish that were somewhat larger than before, weighing 6 to 12 pounds. They smacked both jigs and bait. Bluefishing turned super on Saturday night’s trip, walloping all the 6- to 14-pounders anglers could want. Bluefishing was good on Sunday’s trip, putting up three to six fish per angler on average. The blues weighed 6 to 12 pounds, and a 15-pounder was the pool winner. “Let’s keep it going!” the report said. The Miss Barnegat Light is bluefishing 8 a.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

<b>Barnegat</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 6/28:***</b> The season’s last of the big striped bass feeding on bunker pods lurked the ocean. Forecasts for weather and seas look great through the Fourth of July weekend, so the plan on the <b>Hi Flier</b> is to make a left turn out of Barnegat Inlet from Thursday through Monday, hoping to latch into the bass, Capt. Dave DeGennaro said in an e-mail. Depending on success, trips can stay with that, or can head east to Barnegat Ridge and beyond, on the hunt for bonito, false albacore or bluefin tuna. The fishing will be mostly high-speed trolling, with the potential to jig, if good readings are found. The open-boat trips will fish 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 12 noon to 6 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, and 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, the Fourth of July. Three anglers max, all fish are shared, reservations required.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Great Bay’s summer flounder fishing remained about the same, and areas like the clam stakes and the Intracoastal Waterway were best, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> in the report on the shop’s Web site. Deeper waters like along the 128 or closer to Little Egg Inlet gave up little success. Lucky anglers bagged a keeper, and smaller flounder were the rule. If the size limit were 17 inches instead of 18, more keepers would be hung. Several anglers reported catching weakfish today. A couple of the fish were nearly 3 pounds, and the rest were small, 9 inches. “I guess it’s time to start fishing the mouth of the Mullica River, the mouth of Oyster Creek, Motts Creek and Big Creek, just after the top of the tide,” Scott said. Shedder crabs were the choice bait, and none was stocked, but Chestnut Neck Boat Yard carried a few. Remember that one weakfish is the bag limit. Several anglers were having a ball sharking on Great Bay. “The activity has been reported as busy,” Scott said. Anchor the boat south of the 138, “and get chunks of mackerel over the side just before sundown,” Scott said. Surf rods with spinning reels or 30-pound conventional outfits are good choices, to keep the sharking sporty. “Get ready for some <i>fun</i>! Scott said. Big sandsharks haunt the waters, and large brown sharks, fish that must be released, do too. Sea bass fishing began to come to life. “If you care to hit a wreck on the ocean to escape the heat, it’s not a bad plan,” the report said. “Don’t expect to overflow the fish box (because keepers were) pretty limited.”

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Nine striped bass, a great catch, were popper-plugged on the back bay on a charter Sunday afternoon with two anglers, Derek and Michelle, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. A big bluefish was fought on one of the poppers a couple of minutes before the fish got off. Popper fishing, with both lures and flies, is a specialty on the boat, and was in prime time. Great tides for the fishing, or high tides in the evenings, are happening this week. On a trip Sunday morning on the ocean Sonny and Drew Miller piled up lots of small blues, three big triggerfish, some summer flounder and a variety of other fish. The blues were hooked on soft-plastic lures on jigheads, and the other fish were taken on a variety of minnows, Gulps and strip baits like sea robin. For flounder on the ocean, Joe likes to fish with a top-and-bottom rig with a white bucktail with minnows and Gulps. On Saturday Jay VonCzoernig and son Luc were aboard on the ocean, tangling with lots of small blues on fly and spinning rods. Luc, 9, caught his first-ever fish on a fly, a sea robin. That’s an unusual catch on a fly, but he was excited. On a trip Friday, Eric Gateman fished both the ocean and bay, wrangling up blues and flounder. Flounder fishing was good on the bay. Joe in the next days will scope out his annual inshore fishing for brown and dusky sharks, usually 15- to 90-pounders, catch and release angling, close to shore, in July and August. “It’s a blast!” Joe said. The trips have also hooked other sharks, including blacktips, hammerheads and even a great white. The fishing is a phenomenal opportunity to catch a big fish close to shore, letting the fish go. “Pictures last a lifetime,” Joe said. Some of the sharks were already reported caught incidentally, so the sharks seemed in. Check out videos of the inshore sharking. Offshore fishing was excellent in the past days for yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi, and white and blue marlin, and Jersey Cape is fishing for them. Fishing was good for lots of different trips, including stripers on poppers on the bay, flounder on the bay, family trips with kids, trips for a variety of fish on the ocean like blues, triggerfish and flounder, inshore sharking and offshore, big-game fishing. Go now!  Keep up on Joe’s fishing on Jersey Cape’s blog.

<b>Cape May</b>

A trip that Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> took with friend Dan Fanelli on the friend’s boat trolled a couple of yellowfin tuna, a white marlin and a mahi mahi Sunday at Wilmington Canyon, George said. Other boaters must’ve heard about someone catching at Baltimore Canyon, because most boats from the fleet that fished offshore that day sailed there. Only a few boats fished the Wilmington. At one point on the trip, birds were seen working the waters, and fish were seen along the surface underneath. The trip began catching there. Then another boat that must’ve spotted the birds arrived, trolled through the birds, putting down the fish. No more bit. The Heavy Hitter is offshore fishing, and catches have been super. Now’s the time to go. Trips are also bottom fishing for sea bass, cod, ling or summer flounder. A few flounder were around at the Old Grounds on the ocean and Delaware Bay. But the fleet kept sailing to the Old Grounds. An angler from the docks ran a trip to the Old Grounds that bagged five flounder, including a couple of large ones. Inshore trolling for small blues and other fish that can pop up, like mahi mahi, seemed to begin, and the Heavy Hitter also runs those trips. Blues 18 or 20 inches were recently trolled, so the fish seemed to begin to show up. Nothing was heard about shark fishing recently. If anglers are interested in tuna fishing or bottom fishing, dates are available, and call.

Back to Top