<b>Staten Island</b>

Anglers aboard mopped up excellent catches of fluke, the fishing was okay, said Capt. Anthony from <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b>. They fished from the channel edges to the rocky bottom in the ocean. Bottom fishing for ling sounded okay, though Barbara Anne was yet try for them.  Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Call Anthony anyway, because he can usually fit individuals or small groups on a charter or open-boat trip.

<b>Keyport</b>

The most recent trips for fluke aboard, covered in past reports, were one that banged out a dozen keepers, including multiple 5-pounders, and another that met strong winds on Monday, said Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s  Angels Charters</b>. Both fished on Raritan Bay, and the strong winds on the trip blew against the tide, difficult for drifting well, but a handful of keepers to 20 inches managed to be boated, despite conditions. Seven-hour open-boat trips are sailing at 7 a.m. daily for fluke when no charter is booked. Or deep-water, 8-hour open trips are fluking, if anglers prefer, starting at the same time. Or if anglers prefer an open-boat trip for fluke from 4 to 9 p.m., that’s an option. Call to reserve.

Some big fluke were weighed in, and the fishing “was in full swing,” a fax from <b>Crabby’s Bait & Tackle</b> said. Fluke were slugged at a variety of places in Raritan Bay, on a variety of baits. The summer flounder checked in from the bay included Mark Kipper’s 9-pounder on a Spro jig, Allen Hrehowsik’s 8-1/2-pounder on a 6-inch glow-colored Gulp, Seth Krupa’s 8-pounder on a combo of a killie and a Gulp, and Olaf Krueger’s 7.9-pounder on one of the shop’s jumbo spearing. Reach Channel gave up large fluke on the bay, mostly near the 9 and 10 buoys. Crew at the shop never used to be big believers in artificial baits. But on their fluke trips, they found that Gulps really worked, increasing their fish counts. Lots of different Gulp shapes and colors are available, and the 4-inch Gulp swimming mullets in chartreuse, glow or white were most popular. But the new 6-incher, in the same colors, was equally popular. The Gulps could be fished alone or with the killies, spearing or squid. Still, natural baits like killies, spearing and squid worked without the Gulps. Crew from the shop fished for fluke on a trip on the party boat Atlantic Star from Atlantic Highlands. They met three generations of the Tangen family on the trip, headed by 86-year-old Woodrow Tangen, a World War II veteran. Everybody aboard caught fluke, and the Tangen family landed the fish including a 20-inch keeper and a 19-1/2-incher. Sea robins and cownosed rays also bit. Crabbing picked up more and more, and a 7-1/2-incher was the biggest in the shop’s crab contest, running through September, featuring prizes for the three biggest blueclaws. Entry is free, and crabbers can call the shop for details. In freshwater news, Lucas Hutnik nightcrawlered a 5.3-pound largemouth bass at Shamrock Lake.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fluke fishing was tough on Monday morning’s trip, said Capt. Tom from the <b>Atlantic Star</b>. A few of the fish began to bite better later in the trip, but the angling on the afternoon’s trip became much better, not great, but more like normal. Catches were better on Tuesday morning’s trip than on Monday on the boat, and the fluking somewhat slowed on the afternoon’s trip. On Wednesday’s trips, action was good on shorts, not a lot of keepers. A couple of anglers bagged two keepers, and everyone at least caught shorts. So, after Monday’s slow fluking, action picked up in general in the next days, but the fishing wasn’t as good as last week, for some reason. That’s how the fluking was during the past few days. Trips fished the channels, like Reach Channel, and different areas outside the channels, and results seemed the same at both places. The sizes of the fluke were nothing exciting, and pool-winners weighed 4 to 4 ½ pounds. Though forecasts called for hot weather, anglers kept saying how pleasant the weather was on the waters. If anglers are concerned about temps, they should watch forecasts for winds. If forecasts call for any breeze, the weather tends to be comfortable on the waters.  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>***Update, Sunday, 7/24:***</b> Fishing was pretty much the same as usual Saturday onboard, with plenty of shorts caught, and keepers bagged here and there, Tom said. But the afternoon’s trip gave up a somewhat better shot of keepers. “Not that it was great,” he said, “but a good improvement.” Some anglers bagged three or four keepers, one got lucky and docked seven, and some landed no keepers. One couple reeled up a dozen shorts each, and an angler next to them hooked two keepers. Another couple totaled three keepers between them. The reasons for the better angling couldn’t be known, but maybe the right conditions and a certain part of the tide were the cause.

Plenty of fluke were scraped up from the ocean and Raritan Bay, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>, and better catches came from the ocean. Bottom fishing was good for ling and cod at the Mudhole. “I won’t mention sea bass and blackfish,” he said. He bottom fished Wednesday off Sea Bright on seven drops, and sea bass weren’t biting, even at his best spot for the fishing, and he didn’t know why. Not even small ones were on the chew. “I don’t get it,” he said. Conditions were terrible, creating no drift. But the lack of sea bass was still unusual. No blackfish bit either. “But I had this problem last year with blackfish,” Jimmy said. A few porgies, not many, were angled at the piers, but none really showed up for boaters, and Jimmy landed none on his trip. The porgies might still appear this season, but porgies all seemed to swim to Long Island Sound this year, and stayed there so far. Bluefish sometimes popped up in the back of Raritan Bay in the early mornings or evenings. They also came up on the Shrewsbury River during those hours. “Then they go down,” Jimmy said. “(The weather’s) pretty hot, you know?” Jimmy smiled.

“Rough couple of days for whatever reason,” said Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> in a report on the vessel’s Web site. The fluke trip today picked away at shorts and keepers later in the outing. “At least we had action after a rough morning,” Ron said. The high hook bagged four, and many customers landed no keepers. Sarah Degrafe, “my number-one student,” Ron said, won the pool with a 4-1/2-pound fluke. The trip tried to fish the deep at first, catching slack tide, and there was no drift. The trip waited for the tide to begin, and when it did, the bite still never happened. The boat was moved shallow, then to all the depths between. No good. The vessel was pushed off to Scotland, “to fish the stones,” Ron said. No good. The trip ran into the beach, fishing shallow waters, finishing out the day. South winds came on, reaching 20 knots, “so we had a drift, to say the least!” Ron said. That’s when the anglers picked away at shorts and keepers, at least seeing action, after the difficult morning. 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, the morning trips are chartered this Friday and Sunday.

<b>Highlands</b>

Anglers aboard kept bucktailing fluke, good catches, along the deep-water rough bottom with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, Capt. Derek said. Good numbers of keepers, mostly quality fish, he said. Bottom-fishing trips aboard dredged up lots of ling, a few keeper cod, lots of throwback cod, and, on some drops, sea bass, and on others, not. One blackfish per angler could now be kept on the outings, since Saturday. Dates are available for charters, and the next open-boat trip, sailing for fluke, will probably run Sunday. Call to jump aboard, or to be kept informed about the future open schedule. Trips will probably sail for fluke and bottom fish through summer. If bluefin tuna move closer to shore, trips will go after them. 

On the most recent trips for fluke aboard, 23 keepers were socked on an open-boat trip Friday, and the fishing was slower on a charter Saturday, and winds against the tide hampered the angling, said Capt. Dave from <b>Raritan Bay Charters</b>. In the catch of 23, at least four weighed around 5 pounds, and a 32-inch striped bass took off with one of the fluke baits, and was bagged. A trip that Dave took on a friend’s boat Sunday bagged a dozen fluke and another striper. Open-boat trips are fishing for fluke when no charter is booked.

The heat seemed to put a damper on participation, and not a lot was heard about angling, said Wayne from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>. One of the captains from the docks talked about crossing the bridge over the Shrewsbury River, seeing not one boat upstream or downstream. But fluke were around to be caught from Raritan Bay to the ocean. Lots of shorts had to waded through to bag a keeper. Gene Graham, the marina’s striped bass expert, caught the bass, despite the heat. He left at 4 a.m., and anglers had to know where and how to hook the fish. Bluefish were around, and one of the charter boats from the marina returned last week with a 125-pound bluefin tuna, and the trip landed lots. A ton of mahi mahi swam. One angler found them everywhere at the HA buoy. Plenty of chicken mahi were around, but so were good-sized ones, like 20- or 22-pounders. Crabbing began to turn heavy. Killies and all the frozen baits are stocked. Offshore baits like herring, sardines and mackerel are on hand.

<b>Neptune</b>

The weekly, individual-reservation trip for fluke aboard Wednesday was the best of the year so far, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. All anglers went home with good bags of fillets, and an 8-1/2-pound fluke, the pool winner, and an 8-pounder were among the catch. Ralph found sea bass, and a trip today slammed them to 3 pounds, quite a few ling, six or seven keeper cod, and two keeper blackfish. Again, Ralph knows where the sea bass are, and anglers need to go now, he said, if they want them. An individual-reservation trip for sea bass, ling, cod and blackfish is slated for Sunday, July 31. More of the trips, fishing at the wrecks 10 to 25 miles from shore, are set for the Sundays of August 14 and 28. One space is left for an individual-reservation trip for cod on Monday, and the last one of the trips axed cod to 20 pounds and pollock to 25 pounds. More of the trips are scheduled for Monday, August 8, and Sunday, August 28. Openings are available for an individual-reservation trip for canyon tuna at 12 midnight Friday, July 29. Individual-reservation trips are fishing for fluke every Wednesday, and kids under 12 are free, limited to two per adult host.

<b>Belmar</b>

On the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> bluefishing on the ocean had been slow five or six days, then became good about five days, Capt. Alan said. Then the fishing turned slow on Wednesday’s daytime and nighttime trips, and Alan couldn’t know the reason, like the heat or the spawn, or whether the fishing would bounce right back. The weather was very hot, but anglers said the weather was pleasant on the waters. On the party boat <b>Tropical Adventure</b>, anglers picked away at fluke on the ocean. A fairly good catch of probably 30 or 40 keepers was pelted aboard Wednesday, and the fluking was a little slow on deck Tuesday. 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.

Lots of fluke were barreled up with <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Anthony said. Trips mostly searched the rocky bottom in the ocean for the catches. Ling fishing sounded okay, though Barbara Anne only fished for fluke this season so far. 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.

Fluke and blues made up most catches, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Party boat trips cleaned up on good fishing for fluke on the ocean, and the flatfish to 10 pounds were weighed in from the vessels. Bluefishing was also good on the boats on the ocean. Shark River held an awful lot of fluke, lots of shorts, a few keepers. Snapper blues schooled abundant in the river, and some grew big enough to bag, by this time in the season. Small ones were also around to liveline for fluke. Quite a few kingfish swam the river, and spots and pilotfish were in the river. If anglers wanted to hook small fish, or snappers, kings, spots and pilotfish, they could. Crabbing was okay in the river, never becomes too good, but wasn’t bad. Nothing was heard about blackfish, except about occasional, incidental catches. Nobody really targeted the tog in the one-fish bag limit that began Saturday. Previously none could be kept.

<b>Brielle</b>

A combo fluke and sea bass charter with Mike Gallo’s party pumped in seven keeper fluke to 8 pounds, 20 or 22 keeper sea bass to 3 pounds, and numerous shorts, said Capt. Ken from the <b>Big Kid</b>. Another mixed-bag bottom-fishing trip with Jim Gibson’s crew put up eight keeper fluke, some sea bass to 4 pounds, and three keeper cod to 8 pounds. Friday is available for charter because of a cancellation, and mid week dates are available. Another fluke/sea bass charter is slated for Saturday, and an offshore trip for tuna and big game is set to sail later Saturday to Sunday.

From an edited e-mail from Capt. Jerry from <b>Fish Monger Charters</b>: “Been out every day, and fishing’s been incredible. We’ve had sea bass to 4 lbs, great fluking including a 10-lb doormat, and broke in the blackfish opener, with everyone getting their one-fish limit, including a 9-1/2-lber. Missed some (reports) in-between, but here are our last three trips! Had the Ryan W. charter aboard for a day of bottom fishing. Started off drifting some local pieces. Some decent life on every spot, and some real nice knuckle heads up to 3 lbs +, with most being non-measure keepers. Some nice ling in da mix as well. Hit n run type fishing, but def worth the work! Ya couldn’t anchor and sit on anything. But everything gave up some fish. When the action slowed up, I made a run to the north, where we had more nice sea bass, and got into some blackfish, including Greg’s beauty, at just under 10 lbs! Had another at 6 lbs, and even a double-header keeper. Got everybody one to take home. Moved inshore, where a few pieces had the best sea bass life of the day, and also managed two keeper fluke. Was a great day with a full cooler by the end. The guys wound up boxing up (a load) of keeper sea bass, including a bunch in the 3-lb class, limit of blackfish to 9 ½ lbs, eight ling, two keeper cod and two keeper fluke. Mixed Bag Monger Style! Thanks again guys! (Next report): Had Josh and crew aboard for their annual bottomfish trip. Back to the grounds, drifting around for some big sea bass on every spot. Even had one top 4 lbs! Took a lot of stops to put together a nice cooler, but the hard work was rewarded, with a nice cooler of fish and a fun day of fishing! By day’s end the crew boxed up (a good number of) sea bass to 4 lbs, eight ling and a nice bonus, a 7-lb fluke on a sea bass rig! Crew was a blast as always! Thanks again. (Next report): Headed out for another day on the fluke grounds. Suzanne, Bob Bates, Cool Hand Al, Tony Trigs, Wil i am, and Ralphy the painter rounded out today’s all-star crew! By-passed the local grounds/small fish on the beach, and took the long run back to the deep, in the rough stuff, to the area that has been good to us, with quality fish, over the last three weeks! Got set up, and Suzanne had a 7-lber and a 5-lber in the first couple of drifts, and was the first to her limit. Slow-grind pick, and not many shorts, but when ya got one, it was a good one, worth waiting for. We would keep working a patch of keepers, and when it dried up, we’d go looking for another! Al hooked up a fish, and when he called for the big net, we knew it was a good one! Up to the top came our biggest fish of the year, a beautiful doormat at 10 lbs 4 oz. Congrats Al. Nine lbs last week, and topped it with a 10+lber this week! Picked and plucked at quality fish all day, and by the end, was rewarded with a Nice Cooler of Quality Fluke. By day’s end the guys and gals boxed up 36 keeper fluke to 10 lbs 4oz! Another at 7 lbs, a 6-lber and a lot in the 3-4-lb range. Another great day on the fluke grounds! Thanks again guys!”

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

A mid-shore, mixed-bag trip with Evan Mappe’s charter Wednesday put the skids on 40- or 45-inch bluefin tuna and some mahi mahi, hammerhead sharks and dusky sharks with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, a nice mixed bag, Capt. Fred said. Huge bluefins like 74-inchers swam the grounds toward the end of last week, and bluefin fishing was holding up. Andrea’s Toy, maybe no other charter, focuses on the unique fishing each year around now: open-boat, mixed-bag midshore and offshore trips. The midshore trips hunt fish like bluefins, mahi, sharks, cod and pollock in one day, and the offshore trips hone in on fish like yellowfin tuna, mahi, sharks, swordfish and tilefish in one outing. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up, and more variety for dinner. Mappe found Andrea’s Toy on Fishing Reports Now, Fred said.

With <b>Reel Class Charters</b> 15 keeper fluke to 4 pounds, a few sea bass and ling, and a couple of mahi mahi were boxed on the ocean Wednesday, Capt. Allen said. The mahi grabbed baits reeled up from the bottom. On a trip Monday winds blew, so a trip fished the ocean close to port, angling up 12 keeper fluke, probably a total of 150 of the summer flounder, including throwbacks. So, pretty good trips, Allen said. A bluefish trip was supposed to run today, and fluke trips are on the books for Friday and Saturday. Charters are fishing, and so are open-boat trips, including annual, open Fluke Till You Puke Trips. Check out info on <a href=" http://www.reelclassfishing.com/rates/open-boat-info" target="_blank">Reel Class’s open-boat page</a> online.

A good percentage of keeper fluke, decent fishing on most days, was claimed from the ocean on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said. Fluke seemed to swim everywhere this year, after somewhat tough fishing for them the past couple of years, though trips those years were able to fall back on sea bass, fortunately. This year fluke fishing was steady, and the only time it was somewhat tough, was when the drift was too fast or too slow. But catches were good on most days. Anglers with fluke 5 or 6 pounds won most pools, and sea bass, ling and small blues were sometimes mixed in. Anglers mostly fished with squid and spearing, and some used Spro jigs, often scoring well, depending on the drift. Those fishing with Spros usually used a 4-ouncer on the bottom with a teaser 12 inches above with some kind of bait. On the boat’s most recent bluefish trip, on Saturday night, a good catch of 8- to 10-pounders was belted at the Monster Ledge 20 miles from shore. On its most recent wreck-fishing trip, on Sunday night, strong winds began, and seas became rough. A few ling and cod were caught, but the conditions were difficult. The fish are there, but the seas and winds were tough.  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.

Mostly ling, some cod and a few sea bass were booted aboard the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. Anglers probably averaged 10 to 25 fish in the box apiece, and trips fished in 120 to 200 feet, deeper waters, where the action was this week. Not much life swam shallow. The water surface was 72 degrees on the grounds, and divers said the bottom inshore was 50 degrees, chilly. Ling fishing wasn’t bad, was all right. On a couple of days, trips waxed “nice little messes of cod,” Butch said. Quite a few remained. Only a few sea bass were around, “an odd year for sea bass,” Butch said, but the sea bass that did bite were good-sized. But bottom fishing seemed to be holding up for ling and cod. Butch heard nothing about substantial populations of porgies so far this season. One was landed on the boat Saturday, he thought, and one or two came in early last week aboard. New York boats had started to pick up a few, but now switched to ling. Maybe porgies were sliding south to local waters, Butch hoped. On the boat’s nighttime bluefishing trips, catches were good, and the fish began to bite again. The fish, a mix of sizes, ranged from 3 pounds to 10 or 12 pounds.  The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily and bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

Fluke fishing slowed for anglers fishing at Manasquan Inlet from the wall, said Chuck from <b>Gates Bait & Tackle</b>. The weather was hot, and only an occasional fluke was swung in. Anglers sometimes Sabiki-jigged snapper blues, or jigged them with small metal like Kastmasters, from the inlet to liveline for fluke. Then sometimes larger fluke were nailed, but only occasionally. Shorts bit more often, and only on occasion. Hickory shad popped in and out of the inlet any time. None appeared Tuesday, but anglers bailed the shad Monday. Throw Sabikis, small darts with a Gulp or white feathers, or tiny bucktails. Surf fishing was slow in the summer season. Bluefishing was good on the party boats on the ocean. But every day changed on the day or night trips. Fluke fishing was touch and go on the party boats on the ocean. One day was good, and one day was bad. “But there’s no big run,” Chuck said. Still, sizeable fluke, like 7- and 8-pounders, were hauled aboard. The shop’s grounds also feature the Gates Motel, popular with anglers, within walking distance of the charter and party boat fleet, the inlet and the surf. <b>***THIS TACKLE SHOP IS FOR SALE! CALL: 732-899-5760.***</b>

<b>Toms River</b>

In Barnegat Bay fluke hovered toward the BI and BB markers and at Double Creek Channel, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. On the ocean the summer flounder gathered at places including Barnegat Reef, Sea Girt Reef, off the Red Church and at the Shrewsbury Rocks. Fluke filled Manasquan River, including around the railroad bridge. The flatfish gathered at lots of places, including in the surf. Work a bucktail with bait like squid in the suds. Small bluefish moved in and out of the surf, and usual fish like sea robins pounced on baits there. Blowfish were caught in the bay and in the Toms River. One angler said he nailed a load, like 60-some. Snappers schooled the Toms and the lagoons, and crabbing was good at places like the river and the bay off Good Luck Point.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Very good catches of crabs were clocked at <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>, Scott said. Lots of snapper blues were also landed at the docks. Scott tugged in two keeper fluke and a bunch of shorts from the Casino Pier in Seaside Heights on a trip this week. Lots of cocktail blues and hickory shad swarmed the waters at the pier before dark lately. Snappers and rainfish swam the waters at the pier. Fluke fishing was steady at the inlets, and surf anglers began to beach brown sharks, releasing them by law, at night on bunker chunks. Killies, fresh clams, fresh bunker, eels and the complete line of baits is stocked. Catch Wacky Wednesdays, featuring clams for $2.75 per dozen. The Dock’s rental boats and jet skis are available.

<b>Seaside Park</b>

An easy limit of sea bass was made on a wreck-fishing trip with three anglers aboard on the ocean Tuesday, said Capt. Rob “Birch” Birchmeier from <b>Fishguts Inshore Charters</b> in a phone call. Sea bassing continued to be good this week, he said in a report on the boat’s Web site. “As long as we have good conditions, the cooler is getting full,” he said. Conditions were great on the trip Tuesday, and the group enjoyed great action on sea bass, mixed sizes of the fish. “The guys had quality fish on every piece of bottom,” Birch said. That included plenty of double-headers. “It’s nice to see some areas of very aggressive fish just hammering the baits,” he said. The anglers limited out with enough time left to try for blackfish, because one per angler could be kept starting Saturday. But the blackfishing was disappointing, and only one short bit. A few keeper sea bass chomped. “I think it may be time to break out the secret blackfish bait,” Birch said, because in the last few years, limiting out on blackfish, topping off the trips, “was like money in the bank,” Birch said. “I’m willing to bet they didn’t change their address.” The trip’s sea bass weighed up to 3 pounds, and a dozen were caught for Birch, too. Two ling were also boxed. “Another day with some good anglers,” Birch said. On a trip Wednesday, the three anglers wanted to fish on one of the boat’s combo trips, sailing for sea bass on the ocean, and fluke on Barnegat Bay, in one day. The trip motored through the bay cautiously, because of pea-soup fog. Though Birch has run many trips on electronics, safety is the top priority, he said. A few vessels on the bay traveled at unsafe speeds, and weren’t equipped with radar. “I felt good to clear the inlet and put some real distance between any targets,” Birch said. Visibility opened up to a quarter-mile when the boat reached the sea bass grounds, and the fish were hungry. They bit well, “but empty hooks out-numbered fish landed,” Birch said. Still, the anglers coolered 24 keepers and a big ling, before the time came to light-tackle fluke on the bay. The bay was a chilly 62 degrees on incoming tide. The fluking was tough, and the anglers “grinded through a slow pick of short fish,” Birch said. Fourteen fluke and a handful of sea robins were released. “It was not the action we were hoping for,” Birch said, “but we gave it an honest shot.” The fluking has been better on other trips aboard, according to past reports, but the bay fishing is about the experience, action and fun, and if a keeper is bagged, that’s a bonus. The sea bassing is about loading the cooler. Charters and open-boat trips sail for either, or a combo of both. Fishguts specializes in catching good numbers of quality sea bass close to shore in summer, but the bay trips are also a focus.

<b>Forked River</b>

Angling for fluke shoveled up plenty on Barnegat Bay at the BI and BB markers, Double Creek Channel and High Bar Harbor, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Little was heard about fluke in the ocean. Blowfishing was very good on the bay at the 40, and the fish were big. Nobody talked about weakfish and blackfish. Snapper blues swam the lagoons, and crabbing was good.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Hard as you could pull them! said a report about today’s bluefishing on the ocean aboard the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, on the vessel’s Web site. The fish, averaging 8 to 12 pounds, were bailed. “Great day!” it said. A 14-pounder won the pool. Excellent bluefishing was also plowed on Wednesday’s trip, after the catches began later than hoped for. So the trip stayed a little late, and all the anglers bagged blues, and some limited out, who were more energetic or experienced. Bluefishing slowed a moment on Tuesday’s trip this week. But plenty were bombed the rest of the week. Monday’s trip stayed out a little late, after the blues took time to bite, but then they did. Come on down, catch your next meal, and fight delicious blues! the report said. The Miss Barnegat Light is bluefishing at 8 a.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Probably 20 boats could be seen drifting for fluke on Barnegat Bay from the shop at 10 a.m. today, when Vince from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b> gave this report over the phone. The fishing was good, and boaters scored well on the fish along the Dike. Incoming tides, when clean waters moved in, were usually better. Fluke were also boated at Double Creek and Oyster Creek channels, and the fishing there probably became more consistent than before, though lots of boaters worked the area. Most who reported fluke fishing on the ocean targeted Garden State Reef North. Snapper blues schooled the bay, and fluke anglers often caught them to liveline for bait. Sometimes small blues schooled Barnegat Inlet. Not many stripers were seen from the inlet this time of year, but if the linesiders are there, anglers will throw lures like Bombers to them, or drift live spots. The stripers, including keepers, will be small. Nothing was heard about blackfish, though one of the tog could be kept starting Saturday. Crabbing was getting better, wasn’t great, as waters warmed. Clamming was good for the shop’s rental boaters. Nobody who stopped at the docks mentioned fishing at Barnegat Ridge on the ocean. But tuna anglers ran to the Chicken Canyon and caught.  Bobbie’s rents tiller motor boats, center consoles and pontoon boats for fishing and crabbing. Single and tandem kayaks are available for rent at the shop or your location. Bobbie’s, the closest marina to the inlet, also features a tackle shop. The store is known for local-caught live and fresh bait. Live spots are always on hand, and minnows, live clams, fresh bunker and the full supply of baits, including spearing and squid, is carried. Quarts of live grass shrimp are available, and call ahead to order them at least a day ahead, and the earlier the better.

<b>Surf City</b>

Throwback fluke, action but not lots of keepers, were beached from the surf from Surf City to Barnegat Light, said Sue from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. A few kingfish came from the surf, and lots of rays bit there. Fishing for fluke and blues was good in the bay. Crabbing was taking off, and customers kept buying crab bait, because they heard about the catches. Clamming was good.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

A family with two children 3 and 6 years old fished aboard a charter Monday on the <b>June Bug</b>, so the trip remained in Little Egg Inlet, Capt. Lindsay said. But the fishing at the inlet was slow, turning up practically no catches, including on the other vessels working the waters. Fairly strong winds blew. An inshore charter on Friday will probably fish the ocean for sea bass, and an offshore charter on Saturday will race to the canyons for tuna and big game.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

On the ocean summer flounder fishing was getting better and better for <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, Capt. T.J. said. Some good-sized keepers, a steady pick of the fish in 60 feet, were cracked on trips the last few days. Big tog to 12 pounds, a limit for the charter, were tackled in the morning on a trip that took a shot at them, now that one per angler could be kept, starting Saturday. Legal Limit will sail for tuna this weekend, and fluke trips will run the rest of next week. Open-boat combo trips for fluke and sea bass will kick off next week. See Legal Limit’s online <a href=" http://www.legallimitcharters.com/open-boat.php" target="_blank">open-boat page</a> for availability and info.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Fishing was status quo, pretty much, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Summer flounder were “where it’s at,” he said. The fluke surprisingly were still caught up the bay as far as the 131, while usually the back-water flounder only bite closer to Little Egg Inlet this time of year, as the fish head to the ocean for the season. But the fishing was better at the inlet, throughout the whole pass. Friday was an unbelievable day for flounder fishers. Lots were weighed in, and dropping ocean temperatures seemed to push the fish into the bay. Then the fishing was mediocre from Saturday to Monday, and anglers dealt with conditions like strong winds making the drift fast, not enough winds for the drift, or winds against the tide, hampering the drift. Flounder lately were picked on the ocean at the Rutgers buoys, and a few were plucked at Little Egg Reef in the ocean. Fishing for them at the reef wasn’t really worth the traveling. Reef and wreck fishing didn’t sound so great. Seemed that if anglers fished a ton of bottom structure like that, a few sea bass, including a few keepers, were rounded up. Scott would’ve thought blackfish catches would’ve been reported, since one blackfish could be kept starting Saturday, but nobody mentioned the tog. Back in the bay, brown shark fishing, catch and release by law, was on. The angling is an opportunity to fight big fish without the run offshore. The shop sells a bay shark rig and a chum ball perfect for the angling, and is knowledgeable about the fishing. Nothing was heard about weakfish, but the first news about white perch in a while began to be heard. Anglers “weren’t forthcoming,” Scott said, but perch were landed somewhere around the mouth of the Mullica River. That was the place they should be this time of year, but whether the catches were made on Ballanger Creek, Nacote Creek or Roundabout Creek was unknown. But that’s where the fish would be. Crabbing was okay, and customers said the catches were “quality over quantity,” Scott said. Not a ton of crabs were taken, but good-sized ones were. Fresh, shucked clams, minnows, bloodworms and green crabs are stocked.

<b>Absecon</b>

Meadow Cut and Main Marsh Thorofare churned up summer flounder, fairly good catches, said Eian from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Waters were warm back there, but became cooler toward Absecon Inlet. So Eian was able to land a few striped bass at the Brigantine Bridge on livelined spots. Two keeper flounder also grabbed his spots, but flounder fishing was better in the warm waters. Bluefish swam in big schools in the back bay. Anglers reported seeing them, and Eian saw them. He heard nothing about weakfish, since he heard about lots of spikes biting a couple of weeks ago at Main Marsh. Nothing was heard about tog fishing at places like the Brigantine Bridge, though one tog could be kept starting Saturday. Nobody seemed to try for the blackfish there. But a few keeper tog were managed along the surf jetties. Triggerfish snapped along the jetties. Curt from the shop, a white perch angler, scored well on the slabs around the mouth of the Mullica River, and a few small stripers were mixed in. Bloodworms and shedder crabs will draw strikes. Crabbing was good and becoming better at Absecon Creek. Some big ones were nabbed. Live spots, peanut bunker, minnows, eels, green crabs, shedder crabs and soft-shell crabs are stocked.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Surf fishing for summer flounder seemed better than before, said Bill from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Catches weren’t spectacular, but were better than he ever remembered. The fish were hooked on usual baits like Gulps or minnows, but anglers found that bloodworms meant for kingfish attracted the flounder to bite. Little was heard about kingfish from the surf, but lots of bloods were sold for bait, so Bill assumed kingfish were beached. Customers were impressed with the flounder fishing, talked about that. Brown sharks were caught, and released by law, in the surf at night. Baits like a chunk of bunker should work to catch them, but kingfish heads will also gain an attack. Even frozen clams will probably work, Bill believed. Minnows, bloodworms and plenty of frozen baits like clams are stocked.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

From the surf, anglers landed kingfish, summer flounder, blues, tog and triggerfish, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. They whaled the kingfish, plenty, but anglers needed to fish for them on low tides coming in. Bloodworms caught them, and minnows and squid socked the flounder. The blues bit mackerel and mullet, and mullet sometimes swam the waters. Bait, including big balls of spearing that appeared the last couple of days, filled the area. The tog were mostly lots of throwbacks, but one keeper could be bagged starting Saturday, and the slipperies inhaled green crabs. The triggerfish jumped on crab or clam. In the back bay flounder and snapper blues nipped. Porgies swam the bay, though nothing was heard about them in the past couple of days. All the baits mentioned and more, the full supply, are stocked.

<b>Margate</b>

Somewhat fewer summer flounder than before were angled up from the back bay on the party boat <b>Keeper</b>, but lots were landed, Capt. John said. A few were keepers, but considerably more keepers were around than last year. No other fish like blues showed up, except a few sandsharks and sea robins were hooked. Snapper blues schooled. Minnows and mackerel, provided on the boat, caught the flounder, and Gulps that anglers brought worked well. The Keeper is fishing for summer flounder twice daily 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The fare is only $24 per adult for the 4-hour trips.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Back-bay anglers toggled in summer flounder, but had to work a little more than before, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Instead of “drifting and dreaming,” he said, they had to work the holes, keep the engine running, and so on. A few flounder were boated at the inlets and on the ocean. But ocean wreck fishing was good, dishing up a few flounder with sea bass mixed in. Striped bass could be popper-plugged on the bay, but the bay’s striper fishing was good at night this week, mostly on Bass Assassins. Mike wasn’t asked about the tides for popper fishing, but the best tides, high tides in the evenings, will return next week, an every-other-week cycle. Good catches of kingfish were beached from the surf, usually on bloodworms. A few brown sharks began to be banked at night from the surf. Fish with mackerel on a heavy bluefish rig or a light shark rig. On the ocean, inshore shark fishing, catch and release angling, lambasted duskies, browns and blacktips, great catches. Nothing was heard about hammerhead sharks in the mix lately. Offshore fishing for tuna and mahi mahi somewhat slowed, but the fish were still landed. Crabbing was excellent.

Mike Roth aboard fly-rodded a whopping 24 striped bass, releasing the fish, on the back bay at night Tuesday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. That was some total for one angler on a fly, a Clouser Minnow on a sinking line. Jersey Cape began fishing for stripers at night, because the angling was happening, and ideal tides, high at sunset, for popper-plug and –fly fishing for stripers, wouldn’t come around until next week, always on an every-other-week schedule. The popper fishing, a specialty for Jersey Cape, was good aboard last week. Ted Wahl and family on the boat Tuesday reeled up a bunch of summer flounder on the bay. Inshore shark fishing, within 10 miles from the coast, was off the charts on trips, covered in the last reports. Duskies, browns, blacktips and hammerheads can be caught and released, a terrific opportunity to fight big fish, often the biggest-ever for the angler, without sailing far. Plenty of tuna were whacked offshore, and many gathered toward the Hot Dog. Marlin fishing was also good offshore. Jersey Cape is running offshore.  Keep up on Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Fishing the ocean mostly at the reefs, anglers reeled up sea bass and summer flounder on the party boat <b>Adventurer</b>, Capt. Gary said. Fishing at the reefs was handy, because if the weather and currents failed to create a good drift for flounder, the trips could pick on sea bass at the rough bottom. A few blues began to appear in the catches, so the vessel’s weekly nighttime trips, running on Saturdays, will probably take a stab at bluefishing this week for the first time this season. If blues are yet to build up, the trip will bottom fish, like the outings had been doing. Open-boat trips are sailing daily and every Saturday night, when no charter is booked. Anglers can call to confirm.

On the back bay summer flounder fishing started picking up, after the angling tapered off a bit last week, said Paul from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. The fishing was slow through the weekend, but picked up by Monday. The large majority of the fish were throwbacks, and occasionally one was a keeper. No other fish including striped bass, weakfish or blues were heard about in the past days, and Paul caught none either. Catches were mostly all flounder. Crabbing was great, and a group on a rental boat Wednesday nabbed a bushel and a half of the blueclaws, heading to a good spot, cleaning up on the hardshells in a few hours. Canal Side rents canopy boats and kayaks for fishing, crabbing and sightseeing. Baits stocked include minnows, and the price was currently great: $5 per pint including tax, compared with $8 before tax at many stores. Frozen squid strips, whole squid, spearing, mackerel fillets, mullet, clam strips and packaged clams are on hand. Live crabs are available for eating, and No. 1’s are currently stocked for $20 per dozen, and No. 2’s are currently carried for $12 per dozen.

<b>Cape May</b>

Yellowfin tuna fishing went 13 for 24, all on jigs, Wednesday with <b>Relentless Sport Fishing</b> in 30 fathoms, Capt. Dave Bart said. So the anglers crushed the 30- to 40-pounders, none big, but the fishing was an absolute blast, he said. “Just one of those days when it all came together.” A 250-pound hammerhead shark slammed a chunk bait on a 50-pound fluorocarbon leader with a circle hook. The shark was landed and released, and the anglers got lucky. Not much life was seen in the waters, except tuna. “That was the thing,” Dave said. The trip simply sailed to a spot where the crew thought tuna should be, and started chunking. Fifteen minutes later, one rod hooked up, and the tuna were then picked from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Relentless is also sailing for summer flounder and any other angling that’s available. But all trips were booked for tuna recently. Another tuna charter is slated for Friday, but weather forecasts might force it to be cancelled.

Ed Sherman from Philadelphia clobbered a 7-1/2-pound summer flounder, the biggest aboard this week on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. Chris Maroccia, Audubon, bagged four keeper flounder on a trip, and Brandon Edwards, Garnett Valley, Pa.., won the pool with a 6-1/2-pound flounder that day. All trips fished on the ocean, and the Porgy IV is sailing for summer flounder 8 a.m. daily.

Trips for summer flounder are supposed to steam Friday and Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. The charters will probably fish at the Old Grounds, on the ocean off Delaware. Inshore trolling kept doing a number on small blues, bonito sometimes mixed in, occasional mahi mahi, and sometimes Spanish mackerel. Someone George knew axed a load of bonito on one of the trips Tuesday. The bonito fishing is heavy on some days, not on others. Anglers on the trips could also stop to bottom fish for triggerfish that were around. Tuna fishing sounded good, and a friend pounded good angling for them Wednesday. If interested in tuna, cash in while you can. The fishing is lots better than the past couple of years, and one never knows when the tuna will depart. Go while they’re here. Bluefin tuna were around, not a ton, but a trip could land five or six. Two is the bag limit, and the others are released. Mahi mahi also seemed abundant in the blue waters. Brown sharking, catch and release, was on in inshore waters, and the Heavy Hitter already scored them on a couple of trips. Trips are available for tuna, inshore trolling, summer flounder and inshore sharking, and call if interested.

Ocean fishing really picked up for summer flounder at the reefs, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Seemed warm waters in the back bays triggered the fish to begin migrating to the ocean. No much was heard about fishing on Delaware Bay, but anglers fishing around Cape May Point, at the confluence of the bay and the ocean, pulled in flounder with kingfish and weakfish mixed in. A few big croakers were seen from the area, including a couple of 16-inchers. Spike weakfish blitzed the area the other day. Anglers said dolphins corralled hundreds of the trout. Striped bass were hooked on the back bay, like at the bridges, at times like the early mornings and at night, but also on cloudy days. Baits like whole, small squid caught them. One blackfish could be kept starting Saturday, and the catches were heard about from here and there. Inshore trolling beat terrific catches on the ocean at spots like 5-Fathom Bank, including lots of small bluefish and occasional other fish like bonito. Good, fish-holding blue waters held close to shore. One angler talked about boating a bluefin tuna as close as in 70 feet. Fishing for tuna was hot at the Hot Dog. 

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