<b>Keyport</b>

With <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> 11 keeper fluke to a 25-inch 4-1/2-pounder were bucktailed from Ambrose and Sandy Hook channels Sunday, Capt. Joe said. A 6-foot swell and winds were difficult to fish for the anglers – Martin, Tom, Vicky and Zack – and conditions were better at Sandy Hook Channel than at Ambrose. On Saturday seven keeper fluke to 19 inches were hung from Ambrose with Brian Scott’s group of four. They fished with spearing, killies, squid and peanut bunker on rigs. Both trips released throwbacks, and sea robins bit on both. Open-boat trips for fluke are available 6 or 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily when no charter is booked and enough anglers want to go. Call to reserve. 

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Easterly weather kept fluke trips from fishing the channels, and the angling was slow the last couple of days, on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. He hoped the weather and seas would settle in the next days, and trips could get back to fishing the channels. In past days, the boat fluked at Flynn’s Knoll and near the channels. Saturday morning’s weather was good, but the afternoon’s weather was crummy, and so was Sunday’s. A few keepers came in, and action with throwbacks wasn’t great.  Thursday morning’s trip probably gave up the best catches in past days. 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>Highlands</b>

Big, slammer blues, super catches, were creamed this past week on the <b>Hyper Striper</b>, Capt. Pete said in an e-mail. Fluke fishing somewhat slowed aboard during the week, but was okay. J.R. Bristow and crew pasted very good fluking last Monday. Branden Staten’s family on Friday beat up some of the best bluefishing anyone could ask for. On Saturday Ron Koch’s trip hit an okay catch of fluke, not great, but the anglers worked hard, picking away. Fall dates for striped bass and blackfish charters should be secured soon, because they’re filling fast.

<b>Neptune</b>

Catches were slow on an overnight trip to Spencer Canyon from Saturday to Sunday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. But the trip iced one yellowfin tuna and dropped two white marlin. A few other yellowfins caught were heard about, but the angling seemed slow everywhere. An individual-reservation trip to the canyons will be scheduled when tuna fishing picks up. On an individual-reservation trip for cod today, no big cod were clocked, but a fair catch of school cod was clubbed. The trip traveled a lot, and more of the trips will be scheduled and announced on Last Lady’s Web site and here. Bluefishing was great, and fluke fishing was good. If anglers want a spot on the weekly individual-reservation trips for fluke, they better book early, because the trips are running full. The fluke trips are running every Tuesday and Sunday till fluke season closes on Sept. 29, and kids under 12 sail free, limited to two per adult. 

<b>Belmar</b>

On the <b>Katie H</b> a trip knocked the daylight out of big blues Thursday on the ocean, Capt. Mike said. A couple of false albacore were mixed in. Then the anglers fished the reef, shoveling up a decent catch of sea bass and a few fluke. A couple of recent trips for tuna aboard were rescheduled for a bit later this season. A few tuna were bagged, but nobody seemed to catch lots. Mike hopes the angling will take off soon at night, like it often does. White marlin bit during daytime on the troll.

An overnight trip fished Lindenkohl Canyon from Tuesday to Wednesday with <b>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b>, and trips, sometimes twice daily, fished every day since aboard, Capt. Jared said. On the overnight trip, no yellowfin tuna showed up, but loads of life filled waters, and many fish bit. Whales, porpoises, 8-foot-wide manta rays, and sea turtles filled waters. Fifteen white marlin were raised, and four came tight. Jared never before saw so many whites in a trip. All the small mahi mahi anyone could want bit. Skipjacks and false albacore were also trolled. Probably not more than 20 minutes passed without a hook-up on the troll. Action was amazing. Just no yellowfins showed up. The trip trolled everywhere from shallow to deep. At night, two swordfish, a small one released, and a 140-pounder kept, were landed. Lots of sharks were fought at night. The trip was long, leaving at 7 a.m., returning the next day at 9 p.m. Afterward, the trips that fished every day, sometimes twice a day, fished for blues and bottom fished. Bluefishing was “silly,” serving up lots of good-sized ones 8 to 12 pounds. False albacore and mahi mahi were in the mix. Bottom fishing mostly pulled in sea bass and a few fluke. Sunday’s bottom fishing was lousy in a big ground swell. The 50-foot boat can accommodate large to small groups, up to 23 on cruises and 15 on fishing trips. Cruises can include nearly any trips imaginable, sailing from the rivers to the ocean to the Manhattan skyline.

A couple of days of fluke fishing were slow, but then the fishing was phenomenal, with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Pete said. When conditions were right, the catches were good. Two trips Thursday and Friday were slow, and a trip Saturday was the phenomenal one. On the slow days, conditions failed to drift the boat on one trip, and the boat drifted too fast on another. On Saturday the anglers nearly limited out. Most of the fluke were 3 and 4 pounds, didn’t even need to be measured to see if they were legal-sized. Water temperatures dropped after days of southeast winds, and were in the low 70s on Saturday. The temps were fluctuating 5 or 7 degrees lately. Sea bass bit better than previously, seemed feistier, in the cooler waters. No trip sailed Sunday. Bluefishing was great recently, and plenty of false albacore, bonito and skipjacks were mixed in.  Parker Pete’s sails for all species available, and charters and open-boat trips are fishing. 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.

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 8/28:***</b> Greater numbers of large fluke seemed heaved from the ocean, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> in an e-mail. Several of the fish to 9 pounds were checked in during the past week. Also on the ocean, bluefish and false albacore “kept the boaters happy,” Bob said. Shark River sometimes churned out keeper fluke, mostly on livelined mullet or snapper blues. From the surf, good catches of kingfish and spots were plucked. 

<b>Brielle</b>

Fluke fishing was fantastic on the ocean, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Lots of limits, lots of big fish. One charter crushed an 11.6-pounder and an 11.4-pounder in two consecutive drops that repeated the same drift. Sea Girt Reef, the Rattlesnake and off the Mantoloking Pipe were some of the good spots. Bucktails with Gulps were usually fished, and a teaser with a 6-inch Gulp swimming mullet usually beat the bigger fluke. Manasquan River’s fluke fishing was steady. Many of the summer flounder were throwbacks, but decent-sized keepers were around. One of the staff from the shop honked a 3-1/2-pound fluke from the river behind the shop. Tons of big spots, almost the size of croakers by this time of season, swam the river. Lots of small sea bass and snapper blues filled the river. Lots of life. Blues gathered in the river at the mouth of Point Pleasant Canal and schooled Manasquan Inlet in evenings. Not a lot was heard about weakfish from the river. “Scattered,” Eric said. One or two would be caught now and then. Back on the ocean, ling fishing was good, holding up, and sea bass fishing was fair. To put together a sea bass catch, anglers had to fish a piece that others hadn’t pressured. Then the fishing was okay. Spanish mackerel and false albacore were trolled close to shore toward Seaside. Farther out, big bluefish tore up waters at Shark River Reef. False albacore, bonito and stray yellowfin tuna were mixed in. Bluefin tuna fishing dropped out, was slow. At the offshore canyons, yellowfin tuna catches were hit or miss. Some trips found them, others didn’t. A mix of trolling during daytime and chunking at night caught them. Bigeye tuna were trolled at southern canyons. 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 shop’s 30 years in business. In The Reel Seat’s fluke tournament this season for Manasquan and Shark rivers, catches can be entered through 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>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 8/28:***</b> Winds and weather kept <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> docked since the weekend, Alan, the boat’s owner, said in an e-mail. But the crew is looking to set up a number of light-tackle trips for bonito and false albacore in September. “(We) target them with fresh spearing we seine ourselves,” Alan said, “and adjust our methods to target these speedsters on light spinning gear.” For dates and details, call Capt. Ray: 732-691-0949.

A ground swell from the east stirred up waters, and fluke fishing was slow Sunday on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> on the ocean, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. The angling is expected to improve this week as seas calm. Bluefishing was good on the boat Sunday night for 8- to 12-pounders on the ocean. Lots of sore arms, happy faces and big bags of fillets once again, the report said. 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. All trips will sail on the usual schedule on Labor Day and afterward.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Trips fluke fished, scooping up good catches, on the ocean on the <b>Super Chic</b>, Capt Ted said. A fluke 7 pounds was biggest in past days, and Saturday’s catch scored well, including a couple of 5-pounders. Trips fished the reefs and wrecks, and fluke seemed to gather around structure like that. Bluefishing remained good on the ocean, if anglers wanted to sail for them. Blues 8 to 12 pounds schooled, and not many false albacore were mixed in. But bonito and Spanish mackerel swam along the beach. The season’s first overnight tuna trip is slated for Friday. The 56-foot Super Chic can accommodate up to 25 passengers on inshore trips and 10 on overnight, offshore trips. The vessel sleeps 10.

Strong winds met Saturday night’s trip for blues on the ocean on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. After super fishing for large blues on all trips for quite a time, the angling was no good on this night. Rough seas prevented the trip from reaching the grounds previously fished. But catches rebounded on Sunday’s trip, producing very good bluefishing. Anglers bagged three to ten of the 8- to 15-pounders apiece, and some experienced anglers limited out. The Miss Barnegat Light is bluefishing 8 a.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

The weather, east winds blowing 20 knots and stronger, slowed reports from the ocean by Saturday, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. But bay fishing was “as fun as could be,” it said,  “if you’re only looking for something to tug (on a line).” Blowfish, kingfish, weakfish, bluefish and other fish were clammed or bloodwormed at the clam stakes and Graveling Point. Schoolie striped bass also ran around Graveling.

<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>

Mahi mahi and sea bass were reeled from the Deep Water Reef on George Hand’s trip Friday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Peanut bunker were livelined to catch the mahi, and Hand was back aboard Friday, for a trip offshore, with Jay Vonczoernig and crew. White marlin and mahi mahi to 20 pounds were trolled at Baltimore Canyon. On Sunday a charter with two other anglers jigged blues and croakers on the back bay. “Fun,” Joe said, “a good time.”  High tides this week are coinciding with dusk, ideal for popper fishing for striped bass on the bay with lures or flies. If interested, call. The conditions come around every two weeks, and this is one of the final opportunities for the fishing this year, before Joe becomes busy with other angling this fall. Annual weekend trips will sail again this autumn from Montauk, New York, for the legendary 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>

Trolling for bluefish was excellent, and summer flounder fishing was good, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Sea bass fishing was improving, and tuna trips were cancelled, because the crew was waiting for catches to pick up. Book now for fall trips for tuna and striped bass. Blackfishing trips will run from Delaware through winter starting December 16.

A summer flounder charter was cancelled Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> because of forecasts, Capt. George said. The next trip, for the Special Olympics, is slated to troll for blues Wednesday a few hours. Flounder fishing remained fairly consistent on the ocean, when currents and winds drifted the boat right. Plenty of blues schooled off Cape May Point that could be trolled close to port. Sea bass fishing wasn’t as good on the ocean as previously, but a few could still be picked. George on Friday mated on another boat that trolled the inshore ocean, landing 10 mahi mahi 10 or 12 pounds, missing a couple. On Thursday he helped out on another vessel, Casworth Express, competing in the Mid Atlantic $500,000. The trip went 1 for 1 on white marlin, fishing from Wilmington Canyon to along the 100-fathom line toward Spencer Canyon. The white was landed toward the 100 line between the Wilmington and Spencer, as the boat was zig-zagged from shallow to deep along the line. A squid boat was working there, so the trip headed to the area. Overnight trips for tuna are slated for September on the Heavy Hitter. Last year, tuna fishing turned on a couple of weeks or so after the hurricane in late August. Trips are available for all this fishing, and call if interested.

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