<b>Keyport</b>

With <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> five keeper fluke to 20 inches were sacked, and a whole lot of throwbacks were let go, on a trip on the ocean Sunday, Capt. Joe said. The boat drifted early in the trip, but too fast. The anglers, Lenny Kutner, two sons and two friends, fished with spearing, killies, peanut bunker and squid. A couple of spots are available on an open-boat trip for fluke 7 a.m. Thursday. Open trips for fluke are available 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 8 p.m. daily this week through the weekend, when no charter is booked, and enough anglers want to go. Call to climb aboard.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Some big fluke were bombed Sunday on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron said in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Sea bass were also socked, and Ron had been “tired of playing catch and release all week,” he said, “so today we took a ride,” looking for bigger fish. He was glad he did, because fluking wasn’t happening at the channels, and waters looked like a parking lot from boat traffic there. After tough fishing for an hour without much boat drift, the vessel was moved to rough bottom and snags. Some places gave up fish, and others not so much.  John Froelic bagged a 7-1/2-pound fluke, winning the pool. A 7-pounder was also hauled in, and a couple of 3- and 4-pounders were in the mix, and not many shorts bit. A bunch of sizeable sea bass chewed at some of the pieces.  The Fisherman is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. However, the boat is chartered this Friday and Saturday. Evening trips will no longer sail that had been running on weekends. “Tired of the weather man killing us every week,” Ron said.

The weather and fluke fishing were crummy on Friday morning’s trip, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>.  He hadn’t expected the afternoon’s trip to sail, but enough anglers showed up, so the trip ran, and the weather calmed incredibly. A load of throwback fluke and a few keepers were reeled up. Fluke fishing was slow on Saturday’s trips, and the afternoon trip’s fishing was better than the morning’s. In the afternoon, anglers picked at throwbacks, fewer than on the previous afternoon’s trip, and occasional keepers came up on every drift. Tire John on Saturday afternoon’s trip limited out on five fluke, and another angler bagged three, and all anglers caught at least throwbacks. Overall, fluking was slow aboard Saturday, and also Sunday. More action, and a few more keepers, turned on in afternoons. Trips fished the ocean, including at Ambrose Channel, Sandy Hook Channel, Flynn’s Knoll and Romer Shoal. Few fluke remained in Raritan Bay. Trips ran all over, catching a few fluke here, a few there, at every spot. Some trips found more action with throwbacks than others. Gulps, any type, got fluke to bite Friday afternoon. That didn’t happen Sunday. Sea robins were annoying at some places. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke twice daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. <b>***Update, Tuesday, 8/14:***</b> Fluke fishing somewhat improved on Monday morning’s trip, and was better yet on the afternoon’s trip, Tom said. A few more keepers were caught, and action with throwbacks was busy. The reason the afternoon was better was unknown, but maybe the tide or something was a cause. Sea robins were a bit annoying. The day was beautiful, and fishing conditions were probably the best in some time. “Things (were) looking up the last couple of days,” Tom said, and he hoped that continued. <b>***Another Update, Tuesday, 8/14:***</b> Better fluke fishing continued today aboard, probably improving over Monday, Tom said. Lots of throwbacks bit, and lots of sea robins did, and not all anglers landed keepers, but on both of today’s trips, some bagged two or three. Rain began to fall when the morning’s trip docked, clearing at 2 o’clock on the afternoon’s trip. Currents ran fast during the weather, but anglers fished through that, and the rest of the afternoon turned out beautiful.

<b>Highlands</b>

Fluke, very good catches, were bucktailed with big strip baits along the rough bottom in deeper waters with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, Capt. Derek said. Almost every trip limited out or nearly limited. Lots of quality fish to 6 and 8 pounds were plowed. Sometimes thresher sharks were even hooked. Charters are fishing for fluke, and the next open-boat trips for fluke will sail Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday. Call to climb aboard or to be kept informed about future open dates. Fisher Price will keep fishing for fluke as long as the season for them is open and the fish keep biting. Reservations are already being taken for fall striped bass fishing. So are reservations for bottom fishing that will begin when fluke fishing ends aboard, and blackfishing that will launch when the bag limit increases in fall.

<b>Neptune</b>

The biggest pollock and cod in probably 5 years were pounded today with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. The fish averaged 30 pounds, and five spots remain for another one of the trips 2 a.m. Monday, August 27. If anglers want to go, “grandpa catches them inshore in New Jersey!” Ralph said. Individual-reservation trips for fluke and sea bass are sailing 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Tuesday, and kids under 12 sail free, limited to two per adult, on the Last Lady II. On the Last Lady, individual-rez trips are fishing the inshore wrecks 6 a.m. every Sunday for sea bass, ling, blackfish and cod. Charters are also available for all this fishing and inshore and offshore tuna.

<b>Belmar</b>

Weather kept the boat docked a couple of days at the end of the week, but fishing aboard got back out Sunday, and fluke catches were good, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. Weather was still a little windy from the south, but one of the anglers landed three times a fluke limit, keeping no more than a limit. The anglers picked at some good-sized fluke, and lots of triggerfish were around. Triggers were even free-netted. A trip Thursday limited out on fluke, including Tom Daly from New Providence’s 10-pound-even 31-incher, weighed at Fisherman’s Den. Like usual this season, when conditions were good, fluke fishing was excellent. Trips fished the ocean rough bottom, and anglers fished with either rigs or bucktails. Bucktailers usually scored better, depending on conditions. Sea bass can also be targeted on trips. So can bluefin tuna, and fishing for bluefins was hit or miss. On some days, trips caught. A few yellowfin tuna were landed at the bluefin grounds on party boats fishing for bluefish. Parker Pete’s sails for any species available, and charters and open-boat trips are running. For availability on open trips, see <a href="http://parkerpetefishing.com/belmar-fishing-trips/open-boat-trips" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s open-boat page</a> online, and sign up for the e-mailed newsletter on the site. Dates are announced in both places. Cruises are available to watch fireworks on the ocean off Asbury Park every Wednesday, and see the boat’s Web site for times.

Monster bluefish to 12 or 13 pounds, maybe a couple of 15-pounders, were hammered at the Mudhole on a trip Saturday with <b>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b>. Twelve or 13 anglers joined the trip, and a cruise with about 15 took a scenic tour to Manasquan River on Saturday night. On Sunday a bottom-fishing trip with 10 or 11 anglers raked up a great catch of fluke and a few sea bass from the ocean. Fifteen or 18 of the fluke were keepers, and seven or eight sea bass were. The 50-foot boat can accommodate large to small groups, up to 23 passengers on cruises, up to 14 on fishing trips. Cruises available include trips to watch fireworks on the ocean off Asbury Park every Wednesday and Point Pleasant Beach every Thursday through August. Cruises can also include cocktail trips or any trips imaginable, from the rivers and ocean to the Manhattan skyline. 

A one-day trolling trip for yellowfin tuna to the canyons was weathered out Saturday on the <b>Katie H</b>, Capt. Mike said. An inshore trip for bluefin tuna is set for Wednesday, and forecasts look good. An overnight trip for yellowfins is on the books to fish the canyons Saturday to Sunday.

Big bluefish could be crushed on the ocean, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> in an e-mail. “All you want,” he said. Just jump on a party boat. “It’s that easy,” he said. Two 40-pound tuna were landed on one of the boats. Some really large fluke came in from boats fishing from Belmar. One was a 10-pounder from a trip with Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters. Look for more big fluke to be caught as fall approaches.

<b>Brielle</b>

Lots of anglers limited out on fluke on Sunday morning’s trip on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, Capt. Ryan said in an e-mail. “Could not ask for better fishing,” he said, and seas were flat, and the boat drifted perfectly. Anglers with limits of fluke included: Arielle Cotteco, Manasquan; Danny Patco, Trenton; Dale Isaacs, Manchester; Colin James, Camden; Donnito Patrick, Camden; Irv Manning, Lincroft; and Wilson Carter, Philadelphia. A bunch of others also limited on the flatfish. The Jamaica II is fluke fishing on two half-day trips 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and on a full-day trip 8 a.m. Mondays. <b>***Update, Tuesday, 8/14:***</b> Fishing for fluke Monday aboard was like on Sunday, only better, an e-mail from the Jamaica II said. Way too many anglers limited out to list, the e-mail said, “(but) if you missed a limit … you were in the minority,” it said. None of the fish was huge, but lots weighed 3 and 5 pounds. Ray Bryant, South Orange, “hardcore old-timer,” the e-mail said, won the pool with a 7-pound 9-ounce fluke, also taking the lead in the monthly pool. He had already been in the lead for the month with a fluke an ounce smaller.

Ocean fluke fishing was good, and was extraordinary early last week at Sea Girt Reef, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. At the reef then, many trips limited out, and quite a few 4- to 6-pounders were hung. Six-inch Gulps on lightweight, 1-1/2- to 3-ounce bucktail jigs were mostly fished. Manasquan River’s fluke fishing seemed slow but steady, not fantastic, but catches were made. Gulps on ¾- to 1-1/2-ounce jigs were popular there. Small blues swam the river and Point Pleasant Canal. Hickory shad bit in the river in evenings. Spots, lots, flooded the river. In the surf, blues 2 to 4 pounds swam up and down, pushing rain bait. Kingfishing was good in the surf, and occasional keeper fluke were banked from the surf. On the ocean, ling fishing was fantastic. Ling catches held up well at Sea Girt Reef. Good catches of sea bass were boxed if anglers fished pieces that weren’t recently “beaten up,” Eric said. Depths 40 to 60 feet gave up most sea bass, almost all on clams, not many on jigs. Porgies, quantity, not a lot of quality, were plucked from the mouth of Raritan Bay. Those were the only porgies heard about. Football bluefin tuna 15 or 20 pounds, skipjacks and lots of bonito swarmed Sea Girt Reef. Bigger bluefins gathered at the Corvallis wreck. Farther from shore, yellowfin tuna were caught at Hudson Canyon one day, and none the next. Ninety-percent were trolled during daytime, on the usual green machine spreader bars or ballyhoos. Yellowfins were chunked at night at the canyon on occasion. But they were caught less consistently at night than during day.  Catch the shop’s pre-season sale on surf-fishing plugs.  Wahoo Baitfish Bucktails and Stingo jigs are on sale at 30 percent off to celebrate the store’s 30 years in business. Check out newly stocked Jigging World tuna jigs, good-looking at a good price, $10.95 to $15. The shop’s fluke tournament for Manasquan and Shark rivers is running to Labor Day. Entry is $10, and half the money is donated to Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund, and the other half to Shark River Surf Anglers Kids Trout Tournament. The store makes no money on the event, and prizes will be awarded for the first and second heaviest fluke from each river, the heaviest fluke from a lady entrant, and the heaviest from a kid age 16 or younger.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Big, gator blues to 16 pounds were caught and released, served up phenomenal fishing, on a trip Sunday with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b>, Alan, the boat’s owner, said in an e-mail. The fish were wrestled on the ocean less than an hour from the dock. Once the trip “got the fish going,” Alan said, multiple blues were hooked at a time. The anglers were left arm-weary. The blues hit jigs and bait equally.

Fluke fishing aboard Saturday was “on the slow side,” a report on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>’s Web site said. But catches Sunday rebounded well on both the morning and afternoon trips. Good numbers of keepers were hooked on bucktails with Gulps. Gail Steinbach, Ortley Beach, limited out on fluke to 4 pounds. A 7-pound fluke was the pool-winner on the afternoon trip. On nighttime trips through the weekend, bluefishing was somewhat slower than previous days but still good. The blues were mostly 6 to 12 pounds. The Norma-K III is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily and for blues 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

“Super bluefishing again today,” a report said about Sunday’s trip on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b> on the vessel’s Web site. Blues 8 to 14 pounds, lots, were tackled on the trip and on all recent trips. “Couldn’t be better,” the report said. The Miss Barnegat Light is bluefishing 8 a.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

<b>Barnegat</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, August 14:***</b> From an edited e-mail from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “Catching weakfish every day … We've been catching them for six weeks on the inlet side of the bay, and now we're connecting with some even bigger fish on the west side of the bay, between BI and BB buoys. Both places offer a variety pack of species, though the east side of the Dike delivers more diversity, including hickory shad, perch, spot, blowfish and fluke. We are chumming with live grass shrimp and feeding out weightless, baited hooks into the chum line. Keep the line extra slack as you let it out, so the bait doesn't rise, and you will catch the weakies. They are running 14 to 22 inches, 1 to 4 pounds. We keep the tackle light, and these fish are burning drag, and bending the rod all the way to the reel seat! Bobbers help when you are fishing the west side of the bay. Subtract 2 feet from your depth, and set your hook that distance under the float. That will hover your bait right over the top of the eel grass, instead of sinking into it. Pretty well booked up this week, but I do have three openings. Thursday, if the marine forecast stays the same, the boat is already booked for an offshore bonita/albacore/tuna trip returning at 1 or 2 PM, so I will offer a 2 to 7 PM weakfish trip with live grass shrimp. If the weather is not agreeable to me running offshore, the party I have scheduled will fish 5 to 11 AM, in which case the afternoon trip will be from 11:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Whoever books this afternoon will have to be flexible until Friday evening on the departure time. I also have Saturday 5AM to 10 AM and 10 AM to 3 PM. If you would like to sign on as an individual, you can share the cost with as many people who sign on for the same trip. Maximum of 4 people (flexible with kids).  Please call me, don't email me, as I will be on the water around the clock from Thursday to Sunday. Thank you. See you on board!”

<b>Beach Haven</b>

A bottom-fishing trip on the ocean returned early Friday because of weather, and another was rescheduled Saturday because of weather, said Capt. Lindsay from the <b>June Bug</b>. That trip sailed Sunday instead, and conditions were a lot better. Mostly throwback fluke and sea bass bit on the trips. One of the mates from the boat competed in last week’s White Marlin Open on another vessel. Entrants this year for the first time could sail from any place, not just Ocean City, Maryland, so long as they weighed in fish at Ocean City or Cape May. The mate’s trips fished Wednesday and Thursday at Lindenkohl Canyon, and the fishing was slow. His final trip sailed to Washington Canyon on Friday, landing a 222-pound bigeye tuna. Lindsay believed the fish missed third place by 5 pounds. The mate was headed back offshore Sunday to overnight at Toms Canyon, because reports about good catches of yellowfin tuna and bigeyes were heard from there. Fish that had bitten at Baltimore and Washington canyons seemed to be moving north, Lindsay believed. He hoped they turned on locally in the next week or so.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Storms and seas nixed fishing reports Friday, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. Anglers might’ve fished Saturday morning, until stormy weather returned through afternoon. No report was posted for Sunday. But before the weather, good catches of summer flounder were toggled in from the ocean in 70 feet or deeper. That was deep for the fluke, but the fish seemed to seek somewhat cooler waters. Catches were waffled from Atlantic City Reef. The flatfish were also pasted from Little Egg Reef, but AC Reef was probably better, because of deeper waters. Snapper blues schooled Little Egg Inlet, and blowfish, kingfish, spots and weakfish were nipped from the bay. Lagoons harbored spots, snappers and white perch.

<b>Brigantine</b>

<a href="http://riptidebaitandtackle.com/articles.php?category_id=6" target="_blank">Click here</a> for a report from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Amberjacks, blues and a variety of other fish were decked from the ocean Sunday on a trip with Craig Boyle and nephew, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. A big cownosed ray grabbed a hook and took 20 minutes to land. Trips were weathered out the previous two days, Friday and Saturday. On Thursday Rodney Troutman’s family caught and released three dusky sharks. Other bites were missed, and some were broken off. The boat hardly drifted in lack of winds, not ideal, but the fishing was good. Trips catch and release sharks like duskies, browns and blacktips close to shore this time of year, a chance to fight a big catch without the long trek offshore. Many trips recently had kids aboard, so they looked for action, like on the ocean for amberjacks, blues and a variety of other fish. But other fishing remains available aboard. High tides at dusk are ideal this week for popper fishing for striped bass on the back bay with lures and flies. This time of season is actually great for fly-rodding, including for stripers on the bay with poppers at dusk. Stripers can also be fly-rodded at night on the bay with Clouser Minnows. A variety of fish including amberjacks, blues and triggerfish can be fly-caught on the ocean. The sharks can also be fly-rodded. Other fishing available with conventional tackle includes summer flounder trips and big-game charters. Then again, those fish could be fly-rodded, too. Lots of flounder, mostly throwbacks, but some keepers, were around. For big game anglers, tuna fishing was typical for August. On some days the fish were caught, and on other days they weren’t. Yellowfin tuna were chunked inshore, and a few were boated offshore. White marlin fishing was strong if the right waters were found.  Looking ahead, annual weekend trips will sail this fall to fish Montauk, New York’s, legendary fall run of striped bass, blues and false albacore. The fishing’s been epic for Jersey Cape in recent years, and book now. Reserve dates for annual weekend trips to Florida in winter. The trips can fish for a large variety of catches including redfish, speckled sea trout and tarpon in the back country to king mackerel, blackfin tuna and sailfish out front. See info about both trips on Jersey Cape’s <a href="http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page4.html" target="_blank">Traveling Fisherman Charters</a> Web page. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

On the ocean summer flounder fishing was good, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Sea bass fishing was picking up, and trolling for bluefish was excellent. Not much was heard about tuna. Book now for fall striped bass charters, and the schedule is almost full. Reserve dates for wintertime blackfishing trips from Delaware. Delaware’s bag limit allows more of the tog to be kept, and fishing for the slipperies can be better in somewhat warmer waters and less-pressured fishing grounds.

A couple of trips were weathered out, but a trip Sunday picked away at summer flounder on the ocean, on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. A dozen keepers were iced, he thought, and a bunch of throwbacks were released. The anglers, Tom Ebbecke’s charter from Newfield’s Accresce Nursery, tried sea bass fishing, but only a few throwbacks bit. Flounder fishing’s been pretty good on the ocean when conditions have drifted boats right.  Nothing specific was heard about tuna fishing, but a few boats reportedly sailed to Wilmington Canyon for tuna in past days. Trips were running for tuna today, so results would probably be heard. Trips for flounder, sea bass, bluefish and tuna are available, and call if interested.

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