<b>Staten Island</b>

A trip for sea bass limited out Saturday with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. The fishing, in 40 to 50 feet, was very good, and the catch included abundant sizeable sea bass in the 2-1/2-pound range. Ling and blackfish were mixed in, and the trip sailed from Sewaren, so the trip could keep some blackfish. Outcast also sails from the New Jersey port, including so anglers can follow Jersey regs, like the current one-blackfish per angler bag limit per day. Jersey’s sea bass season will be closed on August 9. But New York’s season for sea bass is open through December 31. So trips will still be able to sail for them from Staten Island. A fluke trip is supposed to fish aboard Wednesday.

<b>Keyport</b>

Six keeper fluke and quite a few throwbacks were scooped up today on Bob Kiraly’s trip with five anglers with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. They fished between the West Bank and Ambrose Channel with spearing, squid and Gulps. Open-boat trips are available 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. daily through the weekend when no charter is booked. Telephone to climb aboard.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

More keeper fluke than before, none huge, but some good-sized, were nailed Thursday through Sunday on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. The fishing, along the mouth of Raritan Bay, not in the bay, but not in the ocean, was improved. Trips escaped a roll in the ocean while fishing there. Better-sized fluke included one angler’s 5-1/2-pounder, one of three keepers he caught in a trip, Tom thought. Another angler on the outing totaled four keepers. Of course, some anglers landed no keepers on trips.  Lots of fluke a half-inch or a quarter-inch short bit. The angling wasn’t super, but was better. Bait caught better than bucktails lately. This morning’s trip, when Tom gave this report at 9:30 aboard, picked at fluke, including a handful of keepers and some shorts, so far. Tom hoped the trip kept catching, and weather was beautiful.  The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily.

Fishing for fluke improved the past few days, Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Four anglers limited out on Sunday’s trip. One won the pool with a 6-pound 9-ouncer, and another copped a 5-1/2-pounder, and a couple of 4-pounders were iced. Action with throwbacks wasn’t great, but the keepers didn’t need to be measured. The end of the trip gave up the best fluking, including some real beauties. Charters fished on some of the trips Friday and Saturday. One on Friday during daytime boated the fish to 4 pounds. Another that night reeled in plenty of shorts and a good bunch of keepers. Fluking was good all morning on a charter Saturday, reeling up the flatfish to 5 ½ pounds.  The Fishermen is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Trips are sailing for a mix of fish, like fluke, porgies and blues, 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sundays.

<b>Highlands</b>

For <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, fluke fishing was very good Saturday and Sunday, Capt. Derek said. The six anglers aboard Saturday limited out on the fish to 6 ½ pounds by 11:30 a.m., and the six Sunday limited on the fish to 5 pounds by 12:45 p.m. They bucktailed rough bottom in deep waters with large strip baits. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips for fluke will sail next week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Telephone to climb aboard or to be kept informed about future open trips. Trips will fish for bluefin tuna this week on Wednesday and Friday and on Sunday. Bluefins are biting, and charters are running for them, and open trips will fish for them when possible. Derek e-mailed past customers about spaces available on these next bluefin trips, and the spots filled quickly.

<b>Belmar</b>

 A bunch of sea bass were blasted Saturday on the ocean on the <b>Katie H</b>, Capt. Mike said. The fishing was good, and the small group of four anglers caught 25 keepers to 2 pounds, and weather was perfect. Four keeper fluke and seven times as many fluke throwbacks were in the mix. A trip for bluefin tuna will probably fish Thursday or Friday, and the fish to 150 pounds are biting. Phone calls are starting to roll in about tuna trips. Overnight trips for yellowfin tuna will begin farther offshore later this season. Currently, yellowfins bit mostly far south. The Katie H features all the amenities and speed.  

Trips bottom-fished every day, sometimes twice a day, with <b>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b>, from close to Shark River Inlet to the reefs and Shrewsbury Rocks, Capt. Jared said. Catches included big sea bass, large ling, lots of fluke, plenty of small fish among those species, and sometimes eels. The angling was amazing Saturday and more difficult Sunday. That included fluke fishing that was great Saturday and tougher Sunday. Fluke season is here and is good. A few bluefish could possibly be caught if anglers worked for them. Recent charters included groups of 12 to 14 people. The 50-foot boat can accommodate small to large groups, up to 23 passengers on cruises and 12 or 13 on fishing trips, for fishing comfort. Corporate charters can sail, and can charge the trip to the business card. Pleasure cruises can include trips along Shark and Manasquan rivers, the ocean coast, the Manhattan skyline or whatever customers can imagine. Cruises can enjoy fireworks from the ocean off Point Pleasant Beach every Thursday in summer.

Fluke fishing was excellent, probably the best this season, on the ocean Saturday with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, while a trip competed in the Point Pleasant Elks Fluke Tournament, Capt. Pete said. Lots of sizeable fluke to 5 and 6 pounds were smashed. Sometimes several anglers were hooked up with 4- and 5-pound fluke at once. The trip fished a little deeper than before, and a new population of fluke seemed to arrive. They were long and skinny, and waters cooled a little to 68 to 70 degrees, because of southerly winds. When conditions or winds and tides drifted the boat well, the angling was on, like usual. Fluke are there, and Parker Pete’s is working hard to catch. Large ones are now in. Telephone to go fluking, and this is the time to stock the freezer. Triggerfish are arriving, and anglers can land them if they want to chum. Sea bass are around. Farther from shore, bluefin tuna swam mid-range. Sometimes tiny footballs showed up, and other times 100-pounders or larger did. Yellowfin tuna held far south. Parker Pete’s sails for all species available, and plenty of dates are available for trips. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Contact Pete anyway, or <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">subscribe to Parker Pete’s e-mailed newsletter</a>, to be kept informed about individual-spaces available on charters. Look for the place to sign up on the right side of the page on the boat’s Web site.

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 7/30:***</b> Party-boat fluke fishing was good on the ocean, and catches included many sizeable fluke to 8 ½ pounds and larger, Bob from <b>Fishermen’s Den</b> wrote in an e-mail. Bluefish swam very abundant but were small in the ocean. Anglers could limit out on the tasty smaller blues. In Shark River, lots of throwback fluke with keepers mixed in swam. Manasquan River held somewhat of an edge on keepers. Bank anglers on rivers enjoyed fast action with snapper blues. A Sabiki rig was best to catch them, and could land multiple blues at a time. Surf fishing for striped bass was “a low-light situation,” Bob said. Bill Massey from Wall fly-rodded small stripers from the surf on most mornings.

All the smaller bluefish anglers wanted were mugged on daytime trips Saturday and Sunday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. All anglers limited out and released more. Anglers had to work a little to catch the same-sized blues on Friday’s daytime trip, but several limited out, and the high hook landed scores, keeping no more than a limit. On Saturday night’s trip, small blues were beaten a while. Then the trip looked for bigger blues, but none showed up. On Friday night’s trip, small blues were caught a while, and the fishing turned out slow.  The Golden Eagle is bluefishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily.

Bluefishing was phenomenal for 2- to 4-pounders through the weekend and this morning at hills offshore from Shark River Inlet on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an e-mail from the boat said this afternoon. Customers caught all they wanted, and on nighttime trips, bluefishing was excellent for 1- to 2-pounders on Friday and slower on Saturday. The fish bit the entire time on Friday night’s trip, a short ride from port. On Saturday night’s, readings were scattered, and blues were hooked every time the boat was stopped. The fishing would begin to look good, then would dwindle to a pick. A 2-pound blue was the pool-winner. On the party boat <b>Royal Miss Belmar</b>’s trips for fluke and sea bass, angling was excellent during the weekend through Sunday morning. Throwback and keeper fluke and sea bass served up plenty of action from Saturday through Sunday morning. On Sunday afternoon’s trip, the fishing became slow. Throwbacks and a few keepers were landed of both fluke and sea bass. The Miss Belmar Princess is sailing for bluefish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily. The Royal Miss Belmar is fishing for fluke and sea bass 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily.

<b>Brielle</b>

Lots of keeper fluke, including quite a few 3- to 5-pounders, were tackled on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, and the angling was good most of the past week, Capt. Ryan wrote in an e-mail. Large sea bass were sometimes in the mix, and Pete Talevi’s 8-pound 11-ounce fluke was biggest during the week. Bruce Casagrande’s 10-pound 7-ouncer led the monthly pool. Kim Coryu’s 7-pound 2-ounce sea bass was the week’s “highlight sea bass,” Ryan said. Anglers and their catches during the week included: Alex Pisani’s limit of fluke and five sea bass to 4 pounds; Pete LaCour’s limit of fluke and five sea bass; Corey James’ limit of fluke; and Bernie Jones’ limit of fluke and six sea bass to 4 pounds. The Jamaica II is fishing for fluke and sea bass twice daily at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and on an all-day trip at 7:30 a.m. Mondays.

Fluke fishing on the ocean was pretty darn good, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Many of the fish were boated to the north, and not as many were bagged to the south. Shark River Reef especially served them up, and the winning fish was caught there in the weekend’s Point Pleasant Elks Fluke Tournament, Eric believed. In deep waters, the Rattle Snake and around the Mud Buoy produced the summer flounder well this past week. Fluking remained good in Manasquan River, and a 9-pounder was hauled from Manasquan Inlet’s wall last week. Sizeable ones were still around. Snapper blues swam the river, becoming a favorite bait for fluke there. Striped bass were landed from the river at Route 35 Bridge, and a smattering of weakfish were hooked in the river in the past week. Surf anglers beached small stripers at Deal and Elberon at night on plugs. Fluke sometimes came from the surf. They were mostly throwbacks, and fewer were keepers there than elsewhere. Nothing was really heard about bottom-fishing for sea bass and ling on the ocean, because most anglers fluke fished. Little was heard about bluefishing on the ocean, but Eric assumed the angling was fair. Bluefin tuna fishing was great from Chicken Canyon to Atlantic Princess wreck. The fish were on sand eels, and were trolled and jigged. The south side of Chicken Canyon especially turned out the tuna. Farther from shore, not a lot of tuna were caught at canyons locally, like at Hudson Canyon. “Onesies and twosies,” Eric said. Yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna were boated farther south at canyons like that.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> competed in Saturday’s Point Pleasant Elks Fluke Tournament, a report on Andrea’s Toy’s Web site said. The trip headed north on the ocean, rounding up “a good pick of solid fish,” the report said. Winds increased, picking up the boat’s drift, and the trip ran south, picking away at more, before weigh in. Twelve keepers to a 7.2-pounder were totaled, putting Andrea’s Toy in seventh place, out of more than 180 boats, the report said. Mixed-bag trips, both open-boat and charters, are also fishing the mid-shore ocean for catches that can include bluefin tuna, mahi mahi, cod and pollock, all in one outing. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner. Telephone if interested.

Catches of fluke were picky Friday through Sunday on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, after Thursday’s “little northeast blow,” Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Keepers and shorts were swung aboard each trip, but not like before Thursday. But Matt hopes the fishing will turn back around now. Trips fished the ocean rocks and rubble, and Gulps and bucktails caught best. Bring extra Gulps and bucktails for when some of the tackle is inevitably lost, snagged in the rough bottom. Plenty of sinkers are available aboard. On nighttime trips, anglers picked away at small bluefish Friday and Saturday. Sunday night’s trip took a ride, looking for bigger blues, “and came up empty,” Matt said. He hopes the big ones show up, but for now, trips will fish for the smaller blues. The Norma-K III is fishing for fluke on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. and for bluefish 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

From the surf, kingfish and fluke could be beached by anglers “putting a little effort in that direction,” John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s Web site. Small bluefish sometimes popped into Barnegat Inlet and the nearby surf, at southern Island Beach State Park. Brown sharks, required to be released, large rays and occasional keeper striped bass could be angled at night from the beach. In Barnegat Bay, crabbing was good from the dock and on the store’s rental boats. Farther south in the bay, blowfish, fluke and small blues were yanked in near the BB and BI markers. The Dock Outfitters features a full supply of bait and tackle, a dock to fish and crab from and boat and jet ski rentals.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

On the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, fluke fishing steadily improved Friday through Sunday, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. “As conditions improve, so does the fishing,” it said. The catch Sunday was one of the season’s best aboard. Plenty of keepers were hooked, and lots of throwbacks were let go. A 5.5-pound fluke was the pool-winner. The Miss Barnegat Light is sailing for fluke and sea bass 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

The Intracoastal Waterway, inlets and ocean reefs tossed up summer flounder, decent catches, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. A half-dozen keepers was a good catch in a trip, and sometimes bigger numbers were nabbed, but that was rare. Plenty of sea bass were boated at the reefs, when conditions were right, and blackfish chomped at the reefs. A good population of croakers swam Great Bay. Anchor and chum with clams a little to hook a bunch. The bay’s sharking seemed productive.

<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>

More than 40 summer flounder, including six keepers to 4 pounds, were bailed with Mike Spaeder and son Mike aboard the back bay Sunday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The flounder fishing’s been “wonderful,” serving up lots of action. All Joe did was un-hook fish on the outing. The population was larger than the old days, when all the flatfish were kept. A combo of a Gulp and a minnow on a single-hooked rig caught best lately, in deeper waters than before. Previously, trips aboard fished with a rig with a bucktail with a Gulp on bottom and a single hook with a minnow on a leader above. Also on the bay this week, Joe will try to fish for striped bass at night. On Saturday with him, yellowfin tuna 40 pounds were trolled at Wilmington Canyon with Jay VonCzoernig and crew.  Bigeye tuna were sometimes landed in the area on other boats. Fishing for bluefin tuna and yellowfins produced closer to port at the Hot Dog and Massey’s Canyon on the troll and the chunk on other vessels lately. Closer to shore, inshore shark fishing is strong aboard. Browns and duskies, both required to be released, and blacktips are fought. The fish are abundant and large, to 100 pounds. The fishing, catch and release with spinning or fly rods, usually within 10 miles from shore, is a chance to pull on big fish without the long trip offshore. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Sea bass trips were super, all limiting out, on the <b>Down Deep</b>, Capt. Mario said. Sign up for the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on Down Deep’s Web site for dates for open-boat trips for them. Catches of bluefin tuna were good aboard, and so were catches of brown sharks, required to be released. Summer flounder fishing was slow aboard the ocean.

A short, 4-hour trip with two anglers caught and released five brown sharks Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. The sharks are required to be let go, and a trip is supposed to sail for bluefin tuna Tuesday. That fishing, at inshore places like the Hot Dog, has been good on the boat, covered in previous reports, and remained good for anglers in past days. Yellowfin tuna also swam the grounds, and George knew about someone who caught a couple Saturday. But mostly bluefins, sizeable ones 50 inches and larger, held there. A wahoo was in the mix on one recent trip for bluefins on the Heavy Hitter. If anyone’s interested in tuna fishing, telephone George, because good catches were happening. Sail for the tuna quickly, while the fish remain. Ask about special rates for the inshore trips. Later, tuna might only swim far offshore. Summer flounder were picked at places like the Old Grounds in the ocean. Some days were better than others, and, like always, the angling depends on the boat drifting right, because of winds and tides or conditions. Sea bass were picked on the ocean, not great angling, but catches. Telephone if interested in any of this fishing.   

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