<b>Staten Island</b>

The channels shoveled up very good catches of fluke for <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Anthony said. A trip Tuesday pounded scores of the fish. “Now the question is, how many were keepers?” he asked. “But doesn’t matter,” he said.  It’s good fluking.” On special trips the boat will sail for fluke on the ocean off Sea Bright. 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.

<b>Keyport</b>

Kenny Oh and friends climbed aboard for fluke fishing, stacking up 11 keepers to 5 ½ pounds, mostly at Reach Channel, Monday with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Throwbacks gave up lots of action, and the anglers, also including O.J. Kwon and Steve Han, fished with Gulps and spearing, and sometimes bucktails. Space is available on an open-boat trip for fluke 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, and a charter is booked Saturday. Open trips are fishing for fluke 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily when no charter is booked. Call to reserve all trips.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Anglers beat a good pick of fluke aboard today on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron said in a report on the vessel’s Web site. The fish put up a good showing of keepers around the boat, and the high hook clocked five keepers, and a couple of anglers took three. “Maybe the bucktailing is making the difference with the bigger fish,” Ron said. “Who knows?” A healthy spread of flounder carpeted waters this season, and more keepers seemed to arrive daily, from what Ron saw. On Wednesday’s trip a tanker steamed through the channel in the morning, putting the kibosh on fishing at first. So the trip moved to the flats, and decent fluking was grabbed the rest of the day. “Wild” Bill Cortese, the high hook, walloped 11 keepers, keeping his limit of eight. A 5-pound fluke was the pool-winner. On Tuesday’s trip there was no drift in the morning, because of winds against the tide, like on the previous five mornings. But the drift, and catches, were expected to improve later in the day, like usual during the several days. The boat was power drifted while there was no drift on the trip, and keepers and shorts gave up action from the start, and the trip made the best of it. When conditions improved, a ship sailed through, “and put any hopes for a banner day on ice,” Ron said. “Still, a good day for some, and a tough one for others.” Anglers had to work to catch, but John Froehlich, one of the best bucktailers at his age that Ron ever saw, limited out. Capt. Ron Sr. and another angler bagged five.  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 Saturday and Sunday, and none of the open-boat trips will sail Tuesday through the following Saturday.

Striped bass could still be grabbed at night, both from the surf and from boats, like at Sea Bright, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Fluke fishing was good all around, and blues could be jigged or bunker-chunked on the ocean. Bottom fishing wrangled up plenty of ling and cod at the Mudhole. Sea bass bit in the ocean, but were small. Jimmy was yet to hear about a porgy caught, since porgy season opened July 1. Crabbing was good on the rivers.

Catches of fluke weren’t that good on the morning trip Tuesday in crummy conditions, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. Winds and the tide created no drift, but the conditions turned around on the afternoon trip, and good fluking was claimed. Anglers tackled a good pick of mostly shorts but a quality number of keepers. Fluking like usual on the past trips depended on conditions, or when the drift was right, catches were better. On Wednesday morning’s trip fluking was a little tough, and some areas produced a drift, and others didn’t.  In the afternoon, fluke began to be caught, but apparently a storm passed to the south, because winds increased, and anglers couldn’t hold bottom with 8 ounces. The boat was moved to shallow waters to hold, and that worked out. Shorts and a few keepers came up, better fishing than in the morning, not as good as on the previous afternoon.  Fluke 4 pounds to maybe almost 5 pounds were pool winners in the past several trips.  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 fishing was productive with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, bucktailing or dragging big strip baits along the rough bottom in deeper waters, Capt. Derek said. Catches were different every day, depending on the length of trip and number of anglers. Some trips landed 20 or 30 keepers or limits. A trip Wednesday totaled eight keepers for two anglers. The bigger fluke on trips weighed 5 pounds to an 11-pounder this week. A bottom fishing trip aboard Tuesday piled up a bunch of ling and a couple of keeper cod to 8 pounds, a good catch. More than 50 throwback cod were let go. There was action all day. Charters are available for fluke or bottom fish. A couple of outings at the end of next week will be the next open-boat trips. Afterward a couple will probably sail each week. The rest of this week and the beginning of next are busy with charters. Call to sail on the open trips or to be kept informed about the future open schedule.

A couple of good fluke trips sailed Monday and Tuesday, drifting mostly along the edge of Ambrose Channel,  with <b>Raritan Bay Charters</b>, Capt. Dave said. The trip Monday tugged in 40 to 50 fluke, including a dozen keepers to 5 pounds. The trip Tuesday pulled in 50 to 60 of the fish to 4 pounds. The trips fished with spearing and squid, and sturgeon were seen off Chapel Hill Channel on one. Probably a dozen of the 4- to 6-footers breached and sometimes jumped. Open-boat trips are fluke fishing when no charter is booked.

Fluke were picked from Raritan Bay to the ocean, and probably 1 in 5 to 10 was a keeper, said Wayne from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>. No big fluke were heard about, and two fluke tournaments will be held this weekend. Striped bass could still be found, and Gene Graham, the marina’s striper expert, and outdoor writer Al Ristori reportedly caught stripers on bunker they snagged and livelined. Bluefish were around, and boaters from the docks planned to sail for bluefin tuna that schooled at places like the Chicken Canyon. Crabs began to be snatched from along the docks. One crabber nabbed them along the pilings Wednesday, and the shop stocks frozen bunker for crabbing. Live bunker is no longer carried for the moment, because demand dropped off, and the menhaden are difficult to keep alive in the heat. Killies, the different types of squid like Pro Cut and large whole squid, and a large variety of baits like frozen spearing, Peruvian smelts and spearing are carried. Offshore baits like flats for chunking are in supply. 

<b>Neptune</b>

The catch on the weekly, individual-reservation trip for fluke was slow aboard Wednesday, because of south winds, on the ocean, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. Maybe one keeper per angler was managed, and shorts were picked. A trip boated a mess of keeper fluke Monday, the Fourth of July, leaving port at 2 p.m., because fireworks were watched from the waters at night on the outing. On the Wednesday fluke trips, kids under 12 sail free, limited to two per adult host. Two spaces are available for an individual-reservation trip offshore for cod, pollock and hake Monday. An individual-rez trip for stripers was cancelled for Wednesday on Ralph’s other boat. “Not worth the effort,” Ralph said. Waters were 74 degrees, too warm, unless anglers fished for stripers at night with eels, and the anglers had better be skilled. Individual-reservation trips will also include ones for: sea bass Saturday, July 15, and Sunday, July 31; bluefin tuna Tuesday, July 19; and canyon tuna at 12 midnight Friday, July 29. 

<b>Belmar</b>

Conditions created slower than a ¼-knot drift on the ocean, so fishing was slow there today with <b>Fish Stix Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Kris said. Eight sea bass, a ling and a fluke were bagged, and lots of throwback fluke, and a zillion short sea bass, were tossed back. Only one angler was aboard, so at least the angler took home 10 fish. The ocean was 74 degrees, and another fluke trip will run Friday. Space is available on open-boat trips, and charters are on tap seven days a week.

Along the ocean rough bottom, very good catches of fluke were pelted with <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Anthony. So trips will keep after 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.

A charter who never before caught tuna or sharks was set to steam offshore at 8 a.m. today with <b>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Jared said. The trip first will probably try for bluefin tuna on the inshore ocean, then fish for sharks overnight, then troll the canyons all the way offshore for yellowfin tuna and other big game. Fishing for all was good. Fin-Ominal is also fishing for fluke, seas bass and blues closer to the coast.

Fluke, good catches, were reeled aboard the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b> from the ocean, Capt. Chris said. An 11-pounder, a few 10-pounders and a bunch of 7- and 8-pounders were included, and a few sea bass, ling and an occasional cod were mixed in. Each of those big fluke was bucktailed along the rough bottom, and that’s how anglers aboard often fished. The Big Mohawk is fluke fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Bluefishing had been super aboard on the ocean, then was very slow two or three nights, said Capt. Alan from the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>. Then the fishing turned busy again on the night trip Tuesday, and Alan didn’t know how the fishing was on Wednesday night’s trip. On the daytime trips now, smaller blues than before were jigged to the north. On the party boat <b>Tropical Adventure</b>, Alan’s other boat, fluke fishing on the ocean dished up a quality number of keepers on some days, and a few on others, and throwbacks put out lots of action. On a couple of days last week the 30 anglers per trip cracked 50 or 60 keepers  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.

Bluefishing slowed on the ocean, and the fish probably began to spawn, said Jessie from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. A few were caught, and fluke fishing was fair on Shark River and on the ocean. Lots swam both places, and on the river, probably 1 in 20 or 25 was a keeper. The ratio was better on the ocean, and most hooked there were keepers. Fluke in the river tend to remain there through the season, so the bigger ones start to thin out, as they get bagged. But fluke in the ocean tend to move around to different areas through the season, so keepers don’t tend to get cleaned out from an area as much as in the river. Snapper blues schooled the river, and a few reports had rolled in about porgies plucked from Shark River Inlet. But the area was dredged, and that will probably affect porgies a moment. Not much was heard about striped bass anymore this season.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

 A trip today on the ocean at first rounded up an alright catch of 10 keeper sea bass, said Capt. Allen from <b>Reel Class Charters</b>. Then the anglers made a few drops for cod, pumping in a couple of keepers and lots of shorts. Next the trip moved inshore for fluke, putting seven or so keepers to 5 pounds on ice, releasing 20 throwbacks. So the trip’s catch was solid, putting a good number of fish in the box, “nothing crazy,” Allen said. A fluke trip will sail Friday, and a bluefish trip will run Saturday. Look for annual, open-boat Fluke Till You Puke Marathons that are coming up this season. In August, trips will begin to sail for fish like false albacore, bonito, skipjacks and bluefin tuna. Check out info and dates for open trips on <a href=" http://www.reelclassfishing.com/rates/open-boat-info" target="_blank">Reel Class’s open-boat page</a> online.

 

The weather was too rough this week for open-boat midshore and offshore trips to sail that <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> is running for a mixed bag of big game, Capt. Fred said. Perfect weather is needed for the trips, but the fishing has been awesome. One of the midshore open trips ran toward the end of last week, wrestling a bunch of bluefin tuna, and trying for mahi mahi that swam with triggerfish under a floating board, though only triggers bit. That was covered in the last report. On the next day, a charter, also covered in the last report, motored offshore, bailing six different edible species, including yellowfin tuna, tilefish, mahi, bluefins and ling. The midshore trips hunt fish like bluefins, sharks, cod and pollock in one day, and the offshore trips stalk fish like yellowfins, sharks, mahi, swordfish and cod in one overnight outing. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner. Call for info about the unique open trips, or charters. Inshore charters are also fishing for fluke and sea bass.

Morning trips ran up better fluke fishing than afternoon trips did on the party boat <b>Norma K III</b> on the ocean, because south winds somewhat affected catches on the afternoon trips, but the fluking was fairly good, Capt. Matt said. Lots of throwbacks were around, but keepers were copped. Pool-winning fluke weighed 3 to 5 pounds, and bucktails or jigs, like Spros, worked best. On the vessel’s nighttime bluefishing trips, catches somewhat slowed, and the fishing was hit or miss. An alright catch was made Tuesday night, and the night before was tough, and the night before, or Sunday night, was alright. Lots of blues were seen, and some were always caught, but the fishing was slower than before. It’ll pick back up. The Norma K III is fluke fishing twice daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and is bluefishing daily 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.

<b>Toms River</b>

Fluke anglers picked away at the catches at Double Creek and Oyster Creek channels on Barnegat Bay near Barnegat Inlet, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Blackfish held along the inlet rocks, and one will be able to be kept starting July 16. A diver said triggerfish hovered along the rocks, and good-sized fluke and some striped bass loitered off the end of the jetty. So a mix of fish swam around the inlet, though reaching the end of the jetty is challenging. On the local ocean, some of the better fluking came from 40 to 50 feet off northern Island Beach State Park to about the Top of the Mast restaurant in Seaside Pak. Many anglers seemed to make the mistake of fluking too shallow on the ocean. They’d probably fare better if fishing deeper, toward 50 feet. Fewer fluke might be there, but they’re bigger, a better chance at a keeper. A few fluke and occasional sea bass nipped at the Tire Reef. Small blues 2 to 3 pounds schooled the surf. Fluke could be bucktailed in the surf. On the bucktail, use baits like Gulps or a strip of squid. Fishing for bluefish to 10 or 12 pounds had been good at times at Barnegat Ridge, and quiet the next day. One set of customers trolled false albacore at the ridge, so a mix of fish including pelagics like that seemed to begin to be around. Back in the bay, a token weakfish and an oddball fluke were landed at Good Luck Point. Snapper bluefishing was better there than at some other places. Crabbing was good there, and Dennis saw a commercial crabber pulling pots that were loaded with the blueclaws near the Route 37 Bridge on the bay. Crabbing was probably good there. He fought snapper blues 3 or 4 inches along the bridge, and a few bigger blues bit off the tails on the Mister Twisters he used. The Toms River at Island Heights held snappers, eels, crabs and a few spots.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Plenty of snapper blues swam Barnegat Bay, said Scott from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Lots of fluke stacked up around the inlets, and cocktail blues sometimes ran the surf, mostly swiping bait. Fluke could be found in the surf. Work a bucktail tipped with a Gulp, squid, spearing or the usual baits. Crabbing was red hot from the shop’s rental boats the past three or four days, and trips kept filling buckets with the blueclaws. Scott and two others from the shop took a bottom-fishing trip on the ocean last week with Fishguts Inshore Charters, cleaning up on around 50 sea bass, 30 ling and four cod bagged. Was a good trip, and fun, Scott said. 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>

A crew from Bobbie’s Boats in Barnegat Light joined one of the combo trips, outings that fish the ocean wrecks and Barnegat Bay in one day, on Tuesday with <b>Fishguts Inshore Charters</b>, Capt. Rob “Birch” Birchmeier said in a report on the boat’s Web site. First they fished the wrecks, grinding away at a slow pick of good-sized sea bass. They stayed with it, “and rallied nicely to put a fine box together of ling and sea bass,” Birch said. The trip headed to the bay for fluke, scoring good action, bagging a 19-incher, releasing 30 throwbacks. The trip bagged 25 sea bass to 2 ½ pounds, 20 ling to 3 pounds and a fluke. On Wednesday an angler and his grandson jumped aboard for another ocean/bay combo. The trip was the grandson’s first on the ocean, and he didn’t take long to get the hang, reeling up the first three keeper sea bass. The fishing began slowly, but the grandfather “came on with some real nice fish mixed in,” Birch said. The grandson crushed a 3-1/2-pound 21-inch sea bass, a beauty. The anglers left the fish biting, sailing to the bay for fluking. Only a handful of small fluke bit, and the fishing was disappointing. The tide wasn’t the best, but Birch expected much better fluking. But the trip bagged 18 sea bass and two sizeable ling, a full 5-gallon bucket of fish, and scored all the action an angler could want with short sea bass. Fishguts also runs all-day wreck-fishing trips on the ocean, and they’re about filling the cooler with fish. The bay fishing is about the experience, fun, keeping the rods bending, and if fish are coolered, that’s a bonus.  Charters and open-boat trips do both types of fishing.

<b>Forked River</b>

Barnegat Bay served up good fluke fishing between the BI and BB markers, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. A few fluke were picked along the ocean, like off the bathing beach at Island Beach State Park, but ocean fluking was yet to take off like it probably will. Nobody mentioned blues or weakfish. Crabbing was good, and many customers crabbed at Berkley Island Park.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Another great day on big blues, a report said about Wednesday’s trip on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, on the vessel’s Web site. “Bluefish! Bluefish! Bluefish!” it said. Most were hooked on bait, but some were jigged. Fishing for blues was also awesome aboard Tuesday, limits around the boat. “Come down and enjoy a day on the cool, blue ocean,” the report said. Bluefishing was going well on the vessel. The Miss Barnegat Light is bluefishing at 8 a.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Some customers came back from Barnegat Bay trips with quite a few keeper fluke, and they released quite a few throwbacks, said Vince Sr. from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. The fish were landed at Double Creek and Oyster Creek channels, and lots swam there. Probably 1 in 4 was a keeper, so anglers waded through shorts to bag keepers. Fluke, some sizeable ones, were boated on the ocean in 50 feet off the bathing beach at Island Beach State Park. Al Pluskota checked in a 24-inch fluke, one of many of his keepers. Not many weakfish were heard about, and none of the small species like kingfish seemed to arrive yet. Bottom-fishers on the ocean could pump in all the sea bass and ling they wanted, and crew from the shop took a bottom-fishing charter, filling a cooler with fish. Nothing was heard about Barnegat Ridge, but lots of bluefin tuna were angled at the Chicken Canyon. Crabbing was just beginning, and customers began to pluck some. Rental boaters who clammed scored well. 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>Barnegat</b>

From an edited e-mail from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “I set out for Barnegat Ridge on Friday with Tom Beach, Whiting, the only passenger who signed up for an open-boat trip. We threw the ropes off the boat at 5:30 a.m., and set a course for North Barnegat Ridge, in search of bonito, or any tuna-like critters. After an hour of bluefish attacks and poor readings, I made a move east to the Resor Wreck, where more bluefish chomped away at my tuna lures. Glancing at the chart to plan another move, the Atlantic Princess was only another 17 miles or so, but all east …. About 2 miles shy of that spot, we had whales, chick birds, and readings, so I decided to troll in. Soon after, the flat-line cedar plug snapped, and we had our first bluefin tuna, all 24 inches of him! (With) a quick release and a new attitude, we trolled some more. Listening to the chatter on the radio, I heard my friend Capt. Fred on the Andrea’s Toy calling us in on a hot tuna bite all around the scallop boats. “C’mon Dave, it’s only 10 more miles, the ocean is flat, and we got your back,” he coaxed, and I listened. Best move ever, even though this move was all east, and put us at the Chicken Canyon, 60 miles east of my Barnegat Inlet. A destination I never would have dreamed of setting a course for in my 21 ft Sea Cat center console. We arrived, picked up some guts from an isolated scallop boat along the way, and then moved in on the two scallopers that had sport boats surrounding them, obviously the boats shucking the catch, and holding the tuna. Five minutes in, Tom was hooked up, and a half hour later, we decked a 50-pounder. We were using 20-class conventional tackle, as that is what I brought for our bonito and school tuna effort. Right back to the same scallop boat, this time I pitched in a hook bait, and immediately hooked up with a decent fish. A half-hour later, and we had our “over” fish (over 47”), about 65 to 70 pounds, and decided to head in, as that is all we could legally take, and I really wanted to start reducing the distance between us and home. A series of circumstances brought us there: a flat ocean, multiple moves to the east, friends nearby, a just-serviced four-man survival raft onboard, an EPIRB with a brand new battery, new twin motors, and a desire to battle some bluefin.  I don’t think I’ll ever venture that far again in my boat, but I’m sure glad it happened  …. We hit the dock at 5 p.m. Just goes to show, you never know what's going to happen out there. On Friday I will be running two <b>open-boat trips</b>: 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 12 noon to 6 p.m. We will be running to Barnegat Ridge and beyond for bonito and school tuna. Plan B is to drift the ridge for fluke, if everyone is game. Otherwise we will continue to hunt for blue-water fish. I’m fine with either, and I always pack everything onboard, so we can change it up whenever we want. The boat is chartered Saturday morning, so I will run an afternoon open boat, either to the ridge, or in the bay for fluke, or both, from 12 noon to 6 p.m. On Sunday the boat is booked all day. These open-boat trips are all 6 hours, (and) I limit the boat to three passengers. All fish are shared.”

<b>Mystic Island</b>
A fair number of keeper summer flounder swam the bay, but the high hook probably bagged four, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Trips usually bagged two or one, and the keeper ratio was probably 1 in 70. A flurry of kids, after trips on the bay like with family, on Wednesday a couple of times weighed in a few flounder, and a 6-pounder was biggest, and the rest were just-keeper sized. One came from around the clam stakes, and the flatfish lately also began to come from Shooting Thorofare, around the 126, off the Coast Guard Station. Not many flounder yet gathered around Little Egg Inlet, and instead they seemed to hold shallower. Flounder anglers on the ocean began to score “a few better shots” of the catches, Scott said. The fish were taken around the Rutgers research buoys. Sea bass fishing seemed not to take hold. Sometimes fish stories talked about better catches of sea bass, but those in the know said the fishing wasn’t happening. Lots of shorts bit, and that could be fun, but keepers were scarce. Back in the bay, weakfish began to be hooked a moment for a couple of days, but now they seemed gone. No blues were around anywhere. Shark fishing was good at Grassy Channel. Anglers anchor and chum, often from dusk into dark, like to 10:30 p. m., landing big sandsharks or brown sharks, releasing the browns by law. Lots of fun. The shop sells a special bay shark rig and a chum ball perfect for the angling. Crabbing was good. Shucked clams and minnows are stocked. No bloodworms, grass shrimp or eels are on hand, and the weather is warm for keeping them.

<b>Absecon</b>

Catches of summer flounder were probably the best all season so far on the back bay, said Joe from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</>. Many were throwbacks, but keepers were had. Anglers often said the fishing was best along the Intracoastal Waterway. But Joe scored luck along some of the cross cuts. A few said dredging spooked fish along the inlet. One said he could feel vibration through his rod while bucktailing a good distance from the dredging. Bluefish seemed to show up in the bay, chasing spearing. A few striped bass were plugged along the sod bank at night. A few reports came in about weakfish located at the mouth of the Mullica River. Weaks landed closer to the shop included a few from Main Marsh Thorofare. One angler hooked a 3-pound weak at Clam Creek. A few weaks seemed around. White perch were angled in the brackish rivers, but they had to be looked for. The perch weren’t balled up like in spring, fall and winter. Mostly kingfish and a few croakers were banked from the surf. A handful of anglers did a job on them at places like the jetties in Atlantic City, the Ventnor Pier or Brigantine. Crabbing was picking up, becoming good, including at the bridges in Atlantic City. Plenty of crabs might’ve skittered around Absecon Bay, but not a lot seemed to crab there. Live spots, minnows and eels are stocked. Shedder crabs ran out, but should be stocked for the weekend.

<b>Brigantine</b>

A few kingfish and some blues were beached from the surf, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. The blues moved in and out, were sometimes there, sometimes not. Triggerfish were hooked along the inlet jetty. Nothing exciting happened with fishing, but lots of customers stopped by, especially during the weekend, and sizeable flounder were weighed in from the back bay. Samantha Grashler, 10, checked in an 8-pound flounder boated on the bay. Angelo Vico brought in a 6-pounder decked on the bay. A 3-3/4-pound flounder was checked in from the surf at the cove. Plenty of minnows and bloodworms are stocked. Frozen baits including salted clams are on hand.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Lots of croakers, good-sized, showed up in the surf, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. A couple of anglers beached 15 and 18. Surf casters also banked a few kingfish and some summer flounder, blues and, along the jetties, triggerfish. Clams, worms and squid will work on the croakers. Minnows, spearing and squid will attract the flounder, and mullet spearing and mackerel will coax up the blues. Mullet and spearing swam the surf. Dunk clam for the triggers. Tog also hovered along the jetties, and one will be able to be kept starting July 16. The back bay held flounder and blues, and porgies were heard about previously from the bay, but none was talked about recently. All the baits mentioned and more, the full supply, are stocked.

<b>Margate</b>

Fishing at the reefs turned up good catches of sea bass and summer flounder Monday with <b>O-Beth Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Eric said. Reports were heard about bluefin tuna busted along the 20- and 30-fathom lines early this week. Eric hoped that was the start of solid fishing for them. A trip with O-Beth farther offshore at the canyons Saturday, covered in the last report, trolled 11 yellowfin tuna, two white marlin and probably a 300-pound blue marlin.

Trips kept catching summer flounder in the back bay, and lots of the fish flooded the waters, said Capt. John from the party boat <b>Keeper</b>. Lots gathered around the inlets, but lots still blanketed the back of the bay. Tons of throwbacks and some keepers were clapped every trip. Two- or 3-inch, snapper blues were around, and no bigger blues popped up. Lots of silversides schooled, and the season’s first peanut bunker began to be seen. The fluke were hooked on mackerel or minnows provided on the boat, and also on Gulps customers brought. 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>Ocean City</b>

The ratio of keeper summer flounder was better this year than last, and the fluke now were moving toward the inlets, and arriving in the surf, from the back bay, traveling to the ocean, said Nick from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Not much was heard about flounder catches at the ocean reefs yet, but the catches will probably pick up within a week and a half or so. Sea bass hung around the reefs. A few striped bass were eeled in the bay at night, sunset or sunrise. No bluefish swam the bay, and they moved to the ocean for summer. Kingfishing was good in the surf on bloodworms or FishBites artificial worms. Yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi, white marlin and blue marlin were trolled offshore. A 230-pound bigeye tuna was reported gaffed at Spencer Canyon. Crabbing was okay locally.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Sixteen dusky sharks to 100 pounds and two blacktip sharks were clobbered and released on an inshore sharking trip aboard the ocean Tuesday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. That doesn’t include sharks that threw the hook or broke off, and the fishing, with the Dave Ekhard family, was tremendous, even wearing out the anglers, so they asked to return to port. They fished for three hours, and sharks were hooked almost constantly through the time. Probably not five minutes passed without one on. While the biggest shark was fought, two 50-pounders were landed. The fishery, within 10 miles or closer to shore, “is truly amazing,” Joe said, taking place in July and August. Fish that size are usually only found far offshore at the canyons. The trips are a chance to tangle with big fish close to shore on light tackle. The anglers fished with mackerel on spinning and conventional rods. Trips can fly rod the sharks. Fishing was weathered out on the boat Wednesday. On Monday Dustin Laricks joined a trip aboard that caught a bunch of summer flounder on the back bay and the ocean. Larger numbers of flounder held in the bay, and keepers were difficult to come by, but the fishing was fun. Ideal tides, high tides in the evenings, will come around starting Sunday into next week for popper fishing for striped bass, a specialty on the boat, both with lures and flies. The tide returns every other week, and the fishing was super last week during the tides. Jersey Cape is also fishing for tuna and big game offshore at the canyons. The canyon fishing started to “spread out,” Joe said, and was good for yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi, white marlin and blue marlin. Bluefin tuna, all different sizes, including big ones, were caught closer to shore at 19-Fathom Lump. Keep up on Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

Mike Cunningham, owner of <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, was telling customers that if they liked catch and release fishing for summer flounder, the angling was phenomenal on the back bay, he said. Plus the fishing gives a chance at keepers. An angler might land 30 of the flatties, including big fish 17 ½ inches, a half-inch under the size limit. That’s a big flounder Striped bass were played at night on the bay under the lights on Fin-S Fish and Bass Assassins in a variety of colors. Not many were keepers, but anglers love the sport. Ideal tides, high tides in the evenings, will return next week for popper-plug fishing for stripers on the flats of the bay. The angling was terrific the last time the tides were right, last week. Kingfish were sometimes beached from the surf, and small croakers were heard about from the surf. Anglers could have fun catching fluke along the surf jetties, bouncing a jig or bucktail along the bottom. Impale a Gulp on the bucktail or jig, and darker colors like black or rootbeer seemed to work better. One angler reported catching a pompano in the surf. That was unconfirmed, but southern species like that can show up in summer. On the ocean, flounder fishing seemed good at Townsend’s Inlet Reef two or three days, and seemed to shut down a moment, and so on. The fish were apparently on the move, yet to settle this season, but the fishing was picking up. Sea bass fishing improved a little at the reef, so anglers could mix in sea bassing. Catch-and-release fishing for dusky, brown, blacktip and hammerhead sharks was awesome on the inshore ocean. Not much was heard about fish like bonito or false albacore inshore. One angler boated 10 mahi mahi at 28-Mile Wreck. Another scored mahi and bluefin tuna at the Elephant Trunk. Mahi fishing was good 25 to 45 miles off, and bluefins were around. How’s offshore fishing at the canyons? Mike was asked. Go catch them! he answered. Some good catches of yellowfin tuna, mahi, white marlin and blue marlin were heard about from offshore. Whether trips sailed to Poorman’s Canyon, Lindenkohl Canyon, Wilmington Canyon or anywhere like that, all seemed to do a job on catches some time or another. If interested in tilefishing around the canyons, tiles were out there. A couple of customers with electric reels tried deep-dropping for tiles, with success. If a trip only catches one yellowfin tuna or something, anglers could look for tiles to put a 30-pounder in the box.  

<b>Wildwood</b>

A mix of summer flounder and sea bass were socked aboard the party boat <b>Adventurer</b> at Cape May Reef, Capt. Gary said. Interestingly, the ocean at the reef was gorgeous, blue, clear and 75 degrees, and a 16-pound mahi mahi was reeled in on Tuesday’s trip, and one or two mahi were lost on Wednesday’s trip. Anglers saw mahi jumping and swimming around. That was unusual, and one or two of the dolphin were landed on the vessel there last year. Open-boat trips are also sailing to the reef for bottom fishing every Saturday night. Eventually the night trips will sail for bluefish like every summer, when blues show up at the reef, and one of the trips will probably take a shot at blues next week or so. Currently blues swam a little offshore from the reef. Open-boat trips are sailing daily and every Saturday night when no charter is booked, and call to confirm.

Summer flounder bit well in the back bay, and another keeper striped bass was docked from the waters, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. The striper was probably a lucky catch, and not a lot of the bass will be seen during a season, but an occasional 29- or 30-incher was around. A couple of weakfish caught were heard about, though Mike saw none. A few were around, but very few, not worth targeting. No bluefish were heard about or seen, and small sea bass were yet to arrive that usually show up later in summer. Crabbing was fairly good, picked up a bit, and the season was early for the blueclaws. But was good to see a few nabbed. 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 are great-looking. No. 2’s are currently stocked for $12 per dozen.

<b>Cape May</b>

On the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b> not many keeper fluke were landed since Friday, Capt. Paul said. A mess of throwbacks bit, but the season was early, and the fishing is usually better as July goes on, and in August, and he looks forward to better numbers of keepers. The fishing was tough during the weekend, but there was no drift. There was a drift on Wednesday’s trip, but catching keepers was tough again, and was better on the previous day onboard. The Porgy IV is fishing for summer flounder on a full-day trip at 8 a.m. daily.

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> mated on another boat on a summer flounder trip on Delaware Bay that bagged a few Wednesday, he said. A few keeper flounder were plucked from the Old Grounds on the ocean. A report will be heard about someone managing five or six. Many boaters talked about finding no drift upon reaching the Old Grounds, and drifting is key to catches. Flounder, lots of small ones, like everywhere, were pulled from the ocean reefs. Inshore trolling was on. The fishing, close to shore, fought plenty of small blues, and one angler talked about catching bonito on one of the trips Wednesday. Occasional mahi mahi and some chub mackerel also showed up on the trips. Catch-and-release fishing for brown sharks was happening on the ocean close to shore, a chance wrestle big fish without traveling far. Bluefin tuna boated at the Cigar were heard about, and call to ask about the Bluefin Special Trips offered on the Heavy Hitter. Bluefins had been landed at Massey’s Canyon, but George heard the catches turned off Tuesday, and waters were green. Offshore fishing was good for yellowfin tuna and other big game. Boaters had been nailing yellowfins near Poorman’s Canyon last Thursday and Friday. Then the Navy held maneuvers there, keeping anglers 20 miles from the grounds, on Saturday.  Plenty of dates are available for bottom fishing, flounder fishing, inshore trolling, brown sharking and offshore fishing. Call if interested.

Inshore trolling was heating up for fish like small blues, bonito and skipjacks on the ocean, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. One customer axed all three at 5-Fathom Bank. Plus other species were around that show up inshore in summer, like cobia and bluefin tuna, and, somewhat farther from shore, yellowfin tuna. Offshore trolling for yellowfins and other big game like white marlin was good. Closer to the coast, summer flounder fishing was picking up, especially at deep-water spots like Reef 11 or the Old Grounds. When winds and tides created a good drift, the catches seemed to turn on. Good catches of flounder were boated on Delaware Bay at places like Brandywine, the 9 and 10 buoys and Flounder Alley. But if boaters wanted a shorter trip, they could hang a left from the Cape May Canal, and work the mounds. Lots of flounder carpeted the back bay, and stripers, including a few keepers, could be knocked down there. In the surf, spike weakfish schooled around Cape May Point, and kingfish sometimes bit along the front beach. Croakers came from along Higbee’s Beach. Minnows, bloodworms and frozen baits like mackerel are stocked. Offshore baits like ballyhoos, butterfish and sardines are carried.

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