<b>Staten Island</b>

Fishing for porgies and snapper blues rapped phenomenal catches along the St. George Fishing Pier, said Patrick Scaglione from <b>E-Z Catch Saltwater Traps & Tackle Co.</b>. That’s along the Arthur Kill, and the fish also bit there for anglers fishing from shore at the terrace near the shop. Fun for kids, Patrick said. Tons of fluke carpeted the area, good action, though few were keepers in New York’s size limit. Cocktail blues stormed the waters at sunup. An occasional striped bass was managed from the waters at night, but striper fishing was slow this time of year. Crabbing was super. In freshwater, Sylvan Lake dialed up excellent largemouth bass fishing. Sunup, sundown and night served up the fish this time of year, because Sylvan is a wide-open lake, offering no cover from the summer sun. Nightcrawlers, rubber worms and crank baits caught the bucketmouths. Spinner baits worked at sunup. For saltwater, fresh clams, fresh and frozen bunker, sandworms and frozen squid, spearing, butterfish and herring are stocked. Nightcrawlers are carried for freshwater.  The shop is also a <b><i>premier manufacturer and supplier of saltwater traps</i></b> for wholesale and commercial. Custom building and servicing of fish, lobster and any traps is provided at the customer’s own specifications. See the online <a href="http://www.e-zcatch.com/catalog" target="_blank">catalog of traps</a>. The store is a PVC-coated and galvanized Riverdale wire distributor, and is also a train store.

<b>Keyport</b>

With <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> a trip Saturday, covered in the last report, reeled up one fluke after another, an abundance of the fish, including a half-dozen keepers to a 24-inch 5-pounder, at Reach Channel, Capt. Joe said. Two spaces are available on an open-boat, deep-water, 8-hour fluke trip at 6 a.m. Sunday. Spots are available for open, 7-hour fluke trips Friday and Saturday. Otherwise open trips for fluke are running 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily when no charter is booked. Deep-water, open trips for fluke 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily are also available. So are open trips for fluke 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Reservations are required.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

After two days tied to the dock because of storms that dumped more than 5 inches of rains, Capt. Ron on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> didn’t expect many fluke to be landed Tuesday, he said in a report on the vessel’s Web site. But he was pleasantly surprised. The ocean was clean, probably because incoming tide lasted till afternoon, and the runoff held in the bay. Three to four keepers per customer were common, and Craig Ricker whacked an 8-1/2-pound fluke. Another angler beat a 7-pounder. A mess of fluke an inch short were tossed back. Fluking was also good aboard on the ocean Wednesday, picking away at shorts and keepers on every drift, and some beautiful sea bass, including Rich Mullenbrock’s 4-1/2-pounder. Vinny Vintastic limited out on “eight great fish (fluke),” Ron said. “All my ‘heavy’ hitters and big pool winners from last week took a beating this week … go figure.” A 5-3/4-pound fluke was the pool winner. Fluke fishing was also good aboard today’s trip. Capt. Ron Sr. put seven keepers in the box. Another angler took six, and a 6-1/2-pound fluke was the pool winner. The final drift gave up “a couple shots at the sea bass,” Ron said, and a small striped bass. Bring the heavier tackle! Ron said. If anglers want to catch fish in 70 feet with 10 ounces, they must be prepared. Light rods will never set the hook with that much weight. “You might as well send me a check, stay home and play fishing videos!” Ron said. 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. However, the boat is chartered this Saturday morning.

At the beginning of the week, because of the rains, fluke fishing was slow, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. But on both trips aboard Wednesday, some good-sized fluke, a fair number of keepers and plenty of action with shorts, was nailed. Tire John bagged six keepers on the morning trip. The high hook took four keepers on the afternoon trip, and action was good. Some landed no keepers on the trips, but all caught at least shorts. This morning’s trip was off to a good start, Tom said at 9:15 a.m. over the phone on the outing. Trips sometimes dealt with currents, so Tom was telling anglers to bring two rods: a heavier one for currents, when weights to 10 ounces sometimes had to be used, and a lighter one when currents were no issue. The boat fished the ocean the whole day Wednesday, and the drift was slow, and anglers could use light rods. But when currents became too strong on trips lately, the boat was steamed to the bay, and fluke also held there. Spro jigs worked a bit better to catch on Wednesday morning’s trip, and bait caught well on the afternoon trip. The fishing was nice, Tom said, and he hopes it holds up. 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.

Fishing for fluke put up good catches,  mostly on the ocean, but some still came from Raritan Bay, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait  Tackle</b>. Lots of snapper blues swarmed the back waters, and nothing was heard about weakfish so far this season, “but I haven’t been up the river,” Jimmy said. Crabbing was very good. Bottom fishers began to pluck more sea bass than before, in somewhat deeper waters, 50 or 60 feet. Lots of ling and cod snapped in the Mudhole, and nothing was heard about porgies.

<b>Highlands</b>

Boaters picked fluke, 1 in 10 a keeper, none big, usually just legal-sized, said Wayne from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>. Bluefish were around, and Gene Graham, the marina’s striped bass expert, took eels with him to try for stripers on fluke trips, but without success on the bass at this time of year. Anthony Pennimede docked two large mahi mahi 20 or 25 pounds that he gaffed at the Texas Tower Saturday. Waters were dirty all the way to the Atlantic Princess wreck, so he had to push out to the tower to find clear waters and a catch. On the charter boat Hyper Striper, sailing from the marina, a trip whacked 13 football yellowfin tuna southeast of the tower that day. A trip on the Hyper attempted to sail offshore today, but turned back because of seas. The captain reportedly heard from boaters farther offshore, saying seas were even worse, so he made the decision. Crabs were everywhere around the marina and back waters, and were good-sized. Killies and all the frozen baits from squid to spearing to Peruvian smelts are stocked. So are offshore baits like flats of sardines.

<b>Neptune</b>

Anglers aboard knocked the pants off blackfish to 7 pounds Tuesday, and sea bass, ling and cod were also taken on the trip, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. Four scientists sailed on the boat for a scientific survey Wednesday, but wanted to mix in fishing. They stopped at a couple of wrecks, cranking in cod, sea bass and ling. On Ralph’s other boat Wednesday, fluke to 7 ½ pounds were bagged on the weekly individual-reservation trip for the fish. A 6-1/2-pounder was also creamed, and fluking remained good. Individual-reservation trips for fluke are sailing every Wednesdays through September 21, and kids under 12 are free with an adult, limited to two per adult. Another one of the trips, fishing for the big ones – bring extra weights and bucktails, Ralph said – will sail Sunday, September 25, the last day of fluke season. An individual-reservation, inshore trolling trip was supposed to sail today for bonito, tuna and mahi mahi, and if trolling struck out, the anglers were supposed to bottom fish for cod, sea bass and ling. Individual-reservation trips for sea bass, ling, blackfish, cod and pollock will run to the inshore wrecks and rough spots on Friday, August 26 (full), Sunday, September 11 (full), and Saturday, September 24 (space available). Another one of the trips was added this week for Wednesday, September 7, but already filled. Individual-reservation trips for cod are on the books for the Mondays of August 29 (one space left), and September 12 and 26. Bluefin tuna and one- or two-day canyon charters are available, and call for special prices. “Also available for full-boat charters every day and night,” Ralph said in an e-mail.

<b>Belmar</b>

Fluke, very consistent catches, decent-sized fish, “quality,” said Capt. Anthony from <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b>, were crunched on trips aboard on the ocean. A few sea bass, no great numbers, but a few, were mixed in. Trips fished the rough bottom with bucktails or bait. The angling was the most consistent around, so trips stuck with it. 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.

Bluefishing on night trips aboard had been very slow, said Capt. Alan from the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>. But the catches turned very good on Wednesday’s night’s trip on the vessel. Lots of anglers limited out on the 5- to 7-pound blues, and a 15-pounder won the pool. On daytime trips aboard, bluefishing had also been slow, but now was getting better. The trips picked up 1- to 3-pound blues, sometimes larger, mostly on jigs, sometimes on bait, at the rocks. On the party boat <b>Tropical Adventurer</b>, Alan’s other vessel, trips picked away at fluke and sea bass, and somewhat more sea bass began to show up than before. Some days were better than others, and a few were slow. The fishing was fairly good on Wednesday morning’s trip, and was slow on the afternoon’s trip. 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, many of them shorts, were snatched from the ocean to Shark River, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. But some better-sized keepers were hauled aboard the party boats from the ocean, and fluke 9 and 12 pounds were weighed in from the trips. A few sea bass were seen on the fluke trips.  Keeper fluke were to be had on the river, but tons of shorts had to be worked through. Plenty of snapper blues schooled the river, and the population of kingfish was slim in the river, but anglers expect more to arrive. Not much was heard about porgies from the river or anywhere. Bluefish started to be slugged on the party boats again on the ocean, after slower fishing for blues. No striped bass were heard about. Fishing was mostly about fluke, and catches were good.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

An afternoon trip motored out for light-tackle mahi mahi fishing on the ocean with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, a report on the boat’s Web site said Wednesday. The trip ran east, until the crew found the “right water,” the report said. A couple of chicken mahi were busted there “to get us warmed up,” the report said. The outing kept pushing east, “and found the right ones,” the report said. A pair of 20-pound mahi were axed on bucktails with chunks. “Wound up with a half-dozen, and back at the dock before nightfall,” the report said. “Good summertime fun!”

Sea bass were sometimes socked aboard, and fishing for them actually picked up a little, said Capt. Butch from the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, but not many were keepers.  Ling were pulled in, and fishing for them was okay, but not good, because anglers pounded the ling by this time of the season. A few cod were still bagged, including on Wednesday’s trip. Fishing aboard was fair, not good, overall. Anglers boxed a half-dozen to 15 or 20 fish. Those who worked hard caught the larger amount. Trips fished in 60 to 200 feet, but most life was found in 60 to 150. Waters had reached 78 degrees because of rains early this week, but now were 72 degrees, and Butch likes the lower temps for the fishing. A few porgies, not many, were swung aboard the past couple of days, and they were big, but the angling was yet to start this season. But today’s trip planned to try for porgies at spots close to shore where early-season porgies sometimes show. On the boat’s nighttime bluefishing trips, the angling wasn’t good, but was improving. Blues that were hooked were 6 to 12 pounds, and a few were 15. 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.

<b>Toms River</b>

Snapper blues and crabs skittered along the Toms River, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Fluke, blowfish, snappers and even bigger blues roamed Barnegat Bay at the 40, BI and BB. If anglers wanted blowfish, they had to fish hard, anchoring and chumming lots, fishing with clams or squid. A few weakfish, a couple of 12-inchers, some 14- and 15-inchers, were reported caught toward Barnegat Inlet, but that was unconfirmed. In the surf, fluke, lots of shorts, sometimes a keeper, were landed, and sometimes blues came in, and an oddball striped bass was picked. Brown sharks, restricted to catch and release, were subdued in the surf at night.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Plenty of snapper blues swam around the docks, and kingfish and blowfish bit there, said George Miller from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Clam clapped the kings and blowfish, and crabbing was just starting to pick up around the docks after the weekend’s full moon, and rental boaters scored okay on them, not great. At the Seaside Heights Casino Pier, good catches of fluke were toggled up, and lots of small weakfish 10 to 12 inches were hooked two mornings straight. Surf fishing was mostly dead, though fluke hugged the waters. George himself in the Lavallette surf banked eight throwback fluke and a 6-pound keeper on a bucktail with a Gulp on a trip. Nothing was heard about brown sharks that sometimes get caught in the surf at night this time of year. On Barnegat Bay, Scott Cogle from the shop and Billy Tellarico, on a trip on Billy’s boat, landed 30 or 40 fluke including five keepers, near the Forked River power plant. Steve Schloma bluefished at the Mudhole, barreling up 13 big ones on both jigs and bait. 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>

Fishing was only getting better for <b>Fishguts Inshore Charters</b>, Capt. Rob “Birch” Birchmeier said in a report on the boat’s web site. On Tuesday two anglers aboard took a combo trip, fishing the ocean wrecks and Barnegat Bay, instead of the original plan, an all-day wreck trip, because weather forecasts were questionable. They began fishing at the wrecks, pummeling great action on a mix of keeper and short sea bass, boxing 31, “a nice cooler of fish,” Birch said. But the weather window was closing fast, with winds threatening to build seas. So the trip moved to the bay, producing good action on short fluke, and one sizeable fluke dropped at boat-side. The ocean fishing is about filling the cooler. The bay fishing is about the experience and fun, and if a keeper is bagged, that’s a bonus. The weather started to get rough, so the trip called it a short day, heading to the dock before lunch. On Wednesday three anglers climbed aboard for an annual ocean-wreck/bay combo trip. They began fishing at the wrecks, scoring fast action on a mix of short and keeper sea bass, and cod, ling, blues and short blackfish and fluke. “Not much quality on the sea bass,” Birch said, and most keepers were 12 1/2 to 14 inches, and a handful were 2 pounds. But the numbers were very good. After lunchtime, the anglers moved to the bay for light-tackle fluking. Action was good, turning to great, as the tide started running. A 24-inch 5.8-pound fluke caught was the highlight, and a 19-incher was also bagged, and a few other sizeable fluke were dropped, and lots of shorts were let go. The final count for the trip was 55 sea bass, two ling, one cod, 10 blues and two fluke bagged, and hundreds of shorts released.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

A slow day on the bluefishing grounds, a report on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>’s Web site said about the trip aboard today. Happening every year, the mid-summer “bluefish drought,” the report said, was under way during the past weeks. Bluefishing was great on the vessel’s last nighttime trips, on Friday and Saturday. “Hopefully the day trips pick up again soon,” the report said. No trip fished for blues Wednesday, because the boat sailed to the Atlantic City air show. No report was posted for Tuesday, and on Monday’s trip, blues 1 to 3 pounds were wrestled, a slow pick. “Not great, but a better sign for the day trips,” the report said. The Miss Barnegat Light is bluefishing at 8 a.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Fishing for fluke tied into good catches, maybe a few more shorts than before, but also keepers, said Vince from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. Double Creek Channel gave them up, and not so many came from Oyster Creek Channel anymore. Anglers started to fish for them at the cut near Barnegat Inlet, and boaters also drifted fluke near the shop off the fuel docks. On the ocean, fluke were boated in 40 feet off the Island Beach State Park bathing beach and the Governor’s mansion, but fewer than before. Back at Barnegat Inlet, not so many blues schooled, but a few tog were claimed along the rocks. But more of the blackfish, and sea bass, were lit up at the ocean wrecks. Back on the bay, bigger blowfish than before were chummed at the 42 and the end of Double Creek Channel. No weakfish were really around. Crabbing was improving for rental boaters, and lots of females with eggs were around the last couple of weeks, but with the weekend’s full moon passed, the abundance of them should diminish. Lots of clams could be rental-boated at Clam Island and behind the Dike. At Barnegat Ridge on the ocean, lots of mahi mahi were around, an angler said. The dolphin weren’t big, but there were numbers, reportedly. One angler Wednesday returned from a trip offshore that fought a white marlin, a bluefin tuna and a bunch of mahi.  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>

<b>***Update, Friday, 8/19:***</b> From an edited e-mail from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “Fishing on the west side of Barnegat Bay is very good right now. We are catching 12- to 15-inch weakfish on both shedder crabs and live grass shrimp. Also in the mix are kingfish, fluke, blowfish, burrfish (porcupine puffers), croakers and more. We are using ultralite spinning tackle to amp up the fun. We are also catching small stripers and all sizes of blackfish out on the inlet jetty, anchored up chumming with our “special bait,” using spinning tackle and no sinkers! Just a hook. Very unique way to catch these fish, and very effective. Most trips, we are combining this with the back bay, and it is not uncommon to catch 10 different species. Offshore has still been a struggle, with lots of green water ugly-ing up my favorite haunt: Barnegat Ridge. On Wednesday I made a run to the Atlantic Princess with Darren Dorris and Steve Spina in search of tuna. That area had lots of life including whales, blackout readings and lots of big bluefish. Too many bluefish and green water. We were called in to the west, the Glory Hole area, where some guys were catching mahi in blue water, so we took a ride. We didn’t pass through this nice blue water on the way out, because it was on a heading from Manasquan Inlet, and we left out of Barnegat. The water color was beautiful. There were frigate mackerel breezing on the surface, a few flying fish, but we didn’t score with the mahi, as some of the boats there did. We gave it a few hours, and went into Plan B, my first-ever wreck effort, on a piece that a friend gave me the numbers to try. A few bergals came over the rail, and then a cod. And more cod, probably 15 to 20 cod in two hours, with only two keepers, a 22-incher, and a 26-pounder that ate my clam bait right at the whistle to go home. We had a few conger eels, and Steve added this 3-pound yellowtail flounder to the mix. That blue water in the Mudhole has my attention right now, so I will be running an open boat there Saturday and Tuesday, armed with an arsenal of spinning rods and bait to pitch to the lobster pots, and any other structure we could find for mahi mahi (dolphin).  Of course, we will have all the tuna-trolling and -jigging gear onboard, just in case those fish are cooperating. 5AM to 1PM, maximum of three anglers, all fish are shared. On Sunday the weather looks questionable for offshore, so I will run a full-day open-boat trip that covers all the inshore fishing we are doing. 5 AM to 1PM. We will fish the back bay with shedder crab and/or live grass shrimp, bounce around the channels for some fluke, and finish up with the light-tackle stripers and blackfish out on the jetty. Limited to three people. The boat is also available for charter or open-boat Monday from 2:30 PM to 7:30 PM in the back bay, Wednesday full or half-day inshore or offshore, and Thursday 5AM to 11AM in the bay. If the Ridge cleans up, we can run there as well. Hope to see you on board.”

<b>Surf City</b>

Tailor blues were beached from the surf this morning on mullet rigs, said Bruce from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. Kingfish were spanked from the surf, but south winds now blew that might cool the waters, shutting down the bite. But kings were clubbed. Sometimes keeper fluke were angled toward Barnegat Lighthouse at the condos and from the walkway. The beach off 9th Street in Barnegat Light near the inlet was a hot spot for the flatties. As always, anglers had to work through lots of throwbacks to cull a keeper. Cownosed stingrays sometimes entered the surf, if anglers were looking for a fight. Smooth dogfish popped up in the surf, and surf fishing was typical for August, giving up these species, and no spectacular catches. That will soon change, as the fall migration becomes impending. Kids had a blast with snapper blues on the bay. Crabbing was a little slow locally, but if crabbers were serious about catches, they searched brackfish waters, on the west side of the bay. There’s a reason crab trap buoys dot places like the Mullica River. Check out the shop’s <b><i>free surf-fishing classes</i></b> at 6 to 7 p.m. Sundays in the parking lot. The classes are informal, and bring a beach chair to sit, and are very informative, Sue said. The classes focus on fishing that’s happening now in the surf, covering everything from the bait, tackle and rods to how to cast. Keep up with the latest news in <a href="http://www.surfcitybaitandtackle.com/" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s fishing reports</a> on the shop’s Web site. Or keep in touch on <a href=" http://www.facebook.com/pages/Surf-City-Bait-and-Tackle/207533229268619
" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s Facebook page</a>.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

A half-dozen throwback fluke to 17 inches and sometimes sea robins were dredged up and released at Garden State Reef South today on the <b>June Bug</b>, Capt. Lindsay said. Some of the better spots were fished on the reef, and the angling was tough, but some shorts were hooked. Seas were somewhat bumpy at first but settled. A friend overnighted at the Knuckle on Tuesday, trolling six tuna during daytime, chunking three at night. A bunch of blue sharks then showed up at night.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

The Atlantic City air show was the big excitement, and many boaters sailed the ocean to watch, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. But on the fishing front, catches were fairly good for the second week of August. Something different showed up: weakfish, not big, 10 to 16 inches, mostly on the small side of that, but a few bigger, were hooked. The trout were reported angled at the mouth of the Mullica River from Oyster Bed Point to Deep Point, and at Marshelder Channel in Tuckerton Bay. One angler nabbed them on Gulps, and another landed them on peanut bunker. But if anglers wanted to target weaks, shedder crabs were a good bet for bait. Summer flounder fishing was okay, and some surprisingly were still caught on the bay, at the 126 and along the Intracoastal Waterway, along the southern end of Long Beach Island. Ocean fishing for flounder sounded tough Wednesday, because of no winds to drift the boat. But anglers sailed for them at Garden Sate Reef South and Little Egg Reef, and two keepers seemed average per boat. Kingfish, blowfish, spots, sea bass, snapper blues and sea  robins were yanked in from the bay. So all the fish that make up that fishery in summer were in. The angling was entertaining, didn’t produce a ton of catches for the cooler. On some days a trip clocked five kings, and on another only short sea bass. Or blowfish might be the catch on one trip, and so on. Nobody mentioned fishing for sharks, like big sandsharks, or browns that must be released by law, on the bay. Nobody mentioned tog from either the ocean or the bay, but good catches of sea bass were reported during the weekend from the ocean. One trip put anglers on more than 60 sea bass, three cod and two large fluke. On another boat, a crew bagged 20-some sea bass and two sizeable fluke, catching all on clam. White perch catches were definitely up. The fish gathered in Nacote and Ballangers creeks, and bloodworms grabbed the most, but clams could be used. Fresh, shucked clams, bloodworms and minnows are stocked.  

<b>Absecon</b>

Summer flounder were probably migrating out from the back bay, and signs of good fishing for them were seen at Absecon Inlet, off and on, said Curt from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Dredging at the inlet that can affect the fishing was probably still happening. Eian from the shop whaled an 8.2-pound flounder on the ocean side of the inlet by the jetty. On the next day, he landed five kingfish in the area. Kings were starting to move into the bay. Flounder were boated at the ocean reefs and wrecks, though not much was heard about the angling. In the bay, the best bet was probably to anchor and chum for a variety of fish including kings, snapper blues that were abundant, spots, and occasional croakers at a favorite slough or along the Intracoastal Waterway. Fewer spots were around than would be expected. Usually a bunch could be hooked at the dock by now, but fishing for them was sort of inconsistent currently, though more were around earlier in the season. A few weakfish catches were heard about from the bay along the ICW between Great Bay and Absecon Bay at a few popular places. Usual haunts include Main Marsh Thorofare, Meadow Cut and Black Point. White perch fishing was good on the rivers, and Curt is a perch angler. He also hooked a variety of fish on the Mullica River, including kings, weaks, spots and a big croaker. Tog and triggerfish bit along the bridges, sod banks and jetties. “Nothing crazy,” Curt said. A couple of striped bass were eeled at night in the bay, and a few customers bought the bait, but not much was heard about stripers. Crabbing was very good. Live spots, eels, shedder crabs, a few mullet, minnows and bloodworms are stocked. Live peanut bunker are carried when available.

<b>Brigantine</b>

In the surf snapper blues, 1-pounders, moved in fairly thick, and anglers drummed them up on anything like a Snapper Zapper rig, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. FishBites artificial worms began to work better on catching kingfish from the surf. One angler landed 25 kings on FishBites Wednesday. Summer flounder swam the cove, and flounder fishing somewhat eased off in the back bay. Sharks could probably be fought in the surf at night, but nobody talked about sharks in the past days. The weather sometimes kept people from fishing. Bloodworms, minnows, Gulps and all the frozen baits are stocked. Take the kids to the annual Hooked on Fishing surf-fishing tournament Saturday. Registration is at 8 to 9 a.m. at the 16th Street beach entrance, where a parking lot is conveniently located. The first 100 kids to register will get a free rod and reel. The Coast Guard will drop a swimmer in the waters who will paddle to the beach at the end of the event. The tournament will feature treats like free hot dogs, and is always fun.

<b>Margate</b>

Lots of trips were cancelled because of the early week’s rainstorms, and the back bay was now still dirty from the downpours, so fewer summer flounder than before were caught aboard from the bay, but the fish were still reeled in, said Capt. John from the party boat <b>Keeper</b>. The outings just weren’t bailing as many as before, because of water conditions. Almost all trips bagged keepers. But the waters should clear up, and small blues, snappers, began to be seen where the boat fished for flounder. Lots of bait, including tons of silversides, filled the bay. Minnows, provided on trips, and Gulps, that anglers provided, hooked the flounder. Mackerel stopped being carried onboard, because baby sea bass bit the bait. But squid will start to be carried soon. 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>

Few summer flounder were made off with from the back bay anymore this season, said Nick from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Occasional 14- to 16-inchers, once in a while an 18- or 19-incher, were managed, but the fishing was mostly dead. Great Egg and Ocean City reefs and the Cuma Lumps, in the ocean, held somewhat better flounder fishing. An 8-pounder was weighed in from Reef 11. Lots of 1- to 2-pound blues schooled today at the inlets, along the ocean front and at the reefs. Boaters trolled them on lures like Hopkins. In the surf, kingfish chewed, and so did spots. Lots of finger mullet swam the surf, and that was concerning, because the season was early for them to migrate from the bay. Brown sharks, limited to catch and release, were beached at night from the surf. Because of the mullet on the move, striped bass fishing became good at night in the back bay at the bridges and sod banks on light tackle with soft plastics like Fin-S Fish and pink paddle tails.  Nothing was heard about fish like bonito on the inshore ocean. Small yellowfin tuna were trolled at 28-Mile Wreck. Farther from shore, at all the canyons including the Lindenkohl and Baltimore, a healthy population of white marlin swam, and blue marlin were mixed in, and loads of mahi mahi hung out, including at weed lines that began to develop, and a few yellowfin tuna were found. The farther south, the more yellowfins.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Surf anglers knuckled in kingfish, good catches, though they had to wade through spots that bit, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Plenty to catch, though, and most of the anglers fished with bloodworms. Quite a few summer flounder, mostly shorts, hugged the inlets, and tons of blues, a mix of snappers and cocktails, ran the waters. In the back bay, a few striped bass were burned at night, like under the lights at the Townsend’s Inlet Bridge. Occasional weakfish, apparently mostly small, 1 in 10 a keeper, maybe, chomped there. Crabbing was excellent along the bay. On the ocean flounder fishing was great, mostly at the artificial reefs, and a few sea bass were mixed in. But sometimes anglers scored well on flounder when fishing ocean places like corral bottom or rocky bottom, because they got off by themselves. A few bonito and skipjacks were trolled at Sea Isle Ridge, spotty fishing, but better than before. Brown sharks, restricted to catch and release, swam inshore waters. Not a lot was heard about offshore, and the fishing was sporadic, because the fish were spread out. But white and blue marlin, mahi mahi and tuna were sacked.

A trip Tuesday aboard with Dusty Laricks and Patty Tice did something a bit different, deep-water wreck fishing, pumping up sea bass, ling, cod to 9 pounds and pollock, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Keepers of each species were bagged, a fun day, Joe said. Rich Duffy and family climbed aboard an inshore sharking trip Tuesday, whaling a dozen duskies and browns, a good catch, releasing them, on mackerel on spinning rods. The fishing, catch and release with spinning or fly rods, within 10 miles from shore, is an opportunity to pull on big fish, often an angler’s biggest-ever, without the long trip offshore. Duffy and family also fished on deck Tuesday, reeling up summer flounder and sea bass from the back bay. Ideal tides, high tides in the evenings, for popper fishing for striped bass, with lures and flies, will return next week on the back bay. The fishing is a specialty for Jersey Cape, and water temps were good, and lots of bait filled the waters. Joe was sure stripers this week bit at night on the bay. Joe will compete next week in the Mid Atlantic $500,000 big game tournament. Good sized yellowfin tuna could be caught at the canyons, “if you ran over them,” he said. Fishing for white marlin was going well in the waters, and lots of mahi mahi held on the grounds.  Limited space remains for Jersey Cape’s annual trips to Montauk for the fall migration of striped bass, blues and false albacore. The trips fish the legendary run the last two weekends of September and first two of October.  See the <a href=" http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page4.html" target="_blank">traveling charters page</a> on Jersey Cape’s Web site. Keep up on Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

A few more bluefish than before, not a lot, were dusted on the back bay, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. A couple of the rental boats had returned when he gave this report on the phone this afternoon, and the anglers had action with throwback summer flounder, no keepers. But some of the boats were yet to return. Gulps and minnows were big sellers for flounder bait, running neck and neck in popularity. One rental boater hooked four or five kingfish 12 to 14 inches. Another snagged a blowfish, a fish that Mike hadn’t seen in years from the area. A few weakfish were heard about, but Mike saw none. Nobody really striped bass fished this time of year. Crabbing somewhat picked up. 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 $23 per dozen, and No. 2’s are currently carried for $12 per dozen.

<b>Cape May</b>

Not a lot of summer flounder were caught aboard Wednesday’s trip, but the fishing gave up better catches – more action and more keepers – the rest of the week than before, on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. No trip fished Sunday because of stormy weather, but trips fished the rest of the days recently. Quite a few flounder were nipped on Saturday’s trip. Craig Constantino, Voorhees, bagged four keepers to 6 ½ pounds on a trip aboard this past week. All trips fished on the ocean, and the Porgy IV is sailing for summer flounder 8 a.m. daily.

One of the inshore sharking trips, catch-and-releasing fishing for browns, was supposed to head out today on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Lots of blues were bombed on inshore trolling trips, and bonito, Spanish mackerel and mahi mahi were mixed in. Summer flounder, lots of shorts and some keepers, bit at usual places like the Old Grounds and the reefs. Nothing was heard about tuna in lousy weather through the beginning of the week.

The back bay and the waters off Cape May Point churned out fairly hopping summer flounder fishing, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Croakers were boated off Higbee’s Beach, and occasional weakfish were tugged from the surf at Higbee’s, Alexander Avenue and the point. Blues sometimes swam into the ocean surf. Striped bass could be found in the back bay, mostly around the commercial boats, in the early mornings and evenings and on cloudy days. Little was heard about Delaware Bay, except about croakers sometimes found at places like 20-Foot Slough and off Higbee’s, and sharks fought in deeper waters on moving tides. On the ocean, flounder fishing was good at the reefs, and sea bass were bonked there. Lots of blues swam the ocean, and fish like bonito, Spanish, mackerel and mahi mahi were sometimes around in waters 20 miles from the coast or farther. Wahoos were around in the deeper waters. Tuna, good catches, began to be seen in 100 fathoms at daybreak. Minnows, bloodworms and frozen baits including squid, mackerel and mullet are stocked. Offshore baits like ballyhoos and sardines are on hand.

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