<b>Staten Island</b>

Good-sized sea bass, including a few 4-pounders and 3-pounders, were crushed aboard the ocean Saturday with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Weather was good, and seas were calm, and the angling was on. On the previous weekend, seas became rough, but lots of sea bass were slugged that Saturday. The seas affected the angling by that Sunday, and sea bass catches were slower. A few ling were landed on each trip, sailing from Sewaren. Outcast also sails from the New Jersey port, in addition to Staten Island, including so anglers can follow Jersey regulations, including for sea bass.

<b>Perth Amboy</b>

On the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, trips most recently fished for fluke down the ocean beaches, Capt. Frank said in recent reports posted here. But the angling was cancelled early last week because of southerly winds and an ocean swell that just turns off the fluking. The swell calmed later in the week, and the next trips are slated for this Saturday and Sunday. By the middle of the month, trips will fluke fish along Ambrose Channel. Charters and open-boat trips sail, and telephone about the open trips. The Vitamin Sea also fishes from Staten Island. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

<b>Keyport</b>

Ten keeper fluke to 4 pounds were bucktailed off Sandy Hook on Saturday with James Brennan’s group of six with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Seven keepers were bucktailed off the Hook on Thursday with Jeff Criswell’s group of four. Throwbacks were released on the trips, and open-boat trips are available 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily when no charter is booked. The open trips can sail for fluke or can bottom fish for sea bass and ling, and telephone to reserve. Charters are available any usual times.

<b>Highlands</b>

Fluke were bucktailed consistently with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, Capt. Derek said. Some days were better than others, depending on conditions for the fishing. But good-sized fluke, including 4- and 5-pounders, up to 7 pounds aboard Sunday, were reeled from rough bottom in deep waters. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips for fluke are slated for July 16 and 17. Telephone to climb aboard or to be kept informed about future open trips. 

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fluke fishing was the best of the season Sunday on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. The first drift lasted three hours, giving up non-stop action with throwbacks and keepers, including some limits. A bunch of customers were made happy for the day, and most of the keepers were 18 to 21 inches, and a 5-pounder was the pool-winner. Ten ounces of weight was usually needed to hold bottom, because currents ran pretty hard. Bring heavier weights and medium- to heavy-action rods. No report was posted for Saturday, but fluking was decent two days in a row Thursday and Friday. Friday’s trip fished the ocean, escaping the steamy bay, Ron said. The high hook landed four keepers, and throwbacks kept the anglers busy most of the day, and a 5-pounder was the pool-winning fluke. Some places turned out sea bass on the outing. The Fisherman is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Trips are fishing for striped bass 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sundays.

On the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, fluke fishing definitely wasn’t as good as Capt. Tom would like, he said. Throwbacks were hooked and released, and even they bit less often than he’d like, and sometimes keepers came in. At first in past days, trips bounced around, fishing different places in the bay, catching a few. On Sunday, the boat sailed down the ocean beach. Throwbacks sometimes bit, and keepers were sometimes caught among them, and small dog sharks chewed. The boat drifted somewhat fast, but anglers adjusted. Whether any bait or tackle – spearing supplied aboard or killies or Spro jigs that anglers brought – caught better than another was difficult to say, when catches weren’t really good. The fishing wasn’t good, actually, Tom would say. But all trips sailed in past days, and the Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily. <b>***Update, Monday, 7/8:***</b> Action seemed quite a bit better on this morning’s trip so far, Tom said in a phone call aboard at 10:30. A couple of keepers were landed on each drift, and throwbacks were more abundant than during the past couple of days, and that seemed a good sign. The trip fished the bay.

<b>Neptune</b>

Bottom-fishing on the ocean was very good for ling and sea bass with the Olsen, Beleskey and Li charters the last few days with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph wrote in an e-mail. Space is still available on an individual-reservation inshore wreck-fishing trip July 21 for sea bass, ling, blackfish and cod, and another one of the trips was just added for August 4. An individual-reservation trip for cod is full on July 24, but another was just added for August 12. Don’t miss out on warm-weather cod fishing in shorts. Individual-reservation trips for fluke and sea bass are fishing every Tuesday, and kids under 12 sail free, limited to two per adult host. Morning and afternoon charters are available. 

<b>Belmar</b>

Fishing had ups and downs, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an e-mail. Fishing for fluke and bottom-fish was up. The fluking was good, and bottom-angling, for sea bass was great. Chase Kloniecki, 6, Manasquan, caught a 1-pound 10-ounce sea bass. Great reports about bottom-angling for ling were also heard. One bottom trip picked up two whiting and large, out-of-season winter flounder that were released. Bluefishing was down. In the surf, good numbers of striped bass swam. The surf held a healthy population of fluke. Several large triggerfish were hooked along Shark River Inlet’s rocks that were heard about.

With <b>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b>, trips, lots, sometimes twice a day, mostly bottom-fished on the ocean, catching well, Capt. Jared said. Sea bass, ling and triggerfish were swung aboard. Quite a few triggers were in the mix. Fluke fishing wasn’t great, but quite a few, including fluke to 8 pounds, were beaten on the ocean aboard. A 27- or 28-inch striped bass was landed on a bottom-fishing rig aboard. Sometimes a bluefish was run across aboard, but few stripers or blues were around. Fin-Ominal did no shark fishing recently, but did previously, and will tuna fish later this season. A pleasure cruise overnighted Thursday, the Fourth of July, to Friday, watching Manhattan’s fireworks, spending the night at Weehawkin. The 50-foot boat can host small to large groups, up to 23 passengers on cruises, and up to 12 or 13 on fishing trips, for fishing comfort. Corporate charters sail, and 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.

The ocean cooled, but warmer waters 70 to 72 degrees were found on trips, and fluke fishing was good in mornings aboard there, until strong southerly winds shut down the bite during the day, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. The winds blew for some time now. Anglers aboard picked at the summer flounder, putting a catch together, by the end of the outings. Some limited out, and some didn’t. Sometimes bucktails caught better, and sometimes bait did. On Sunday aboard, both caught equally. Trips could also sea bass fish on the ocean, and some days produced better than others, but the angling could score well. Pete heard nothing about sharks and bluefin tuna recently, and trips aboard fluke fished in past days. Parker Pete’s sails for all species available. Charters are fishing, and <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/fishing-reports" target="_blank">subscribe to Parker Pete’s e-mailed newsletter</a> to be kept informed about individual-spaces available on charters and for the latest fishing reports. Click on that link to Parker Pete’s fishing reports online, and newsletter sign up can be found on the right side of the page. Or go to the site’s Contact page, and e-mail, asking to subscribe.

Sea bass, fluke, ling and whiting were shoveled aboard Sunday form the ocean on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. The fishing was very good, and out-of-season winter flounder and blackfish were released. The high hook clobbered more than 40 fish. Bluefishing remained slow, and until blues are caught more often, trips will look for blues in mornings, and if fishing for them is good, trips will keep angling for them. But if it isn’t good, trips next will fish for fluke, sea bass and ling during the day. A few blues, but not enough, were decked aboard Saturday night. The Golden Eagle is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily.

Bluefish and striped bass were searched for in mornings at the beginning of trips through the weekend on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an e-mail from the vessel said. When none was found, the trips each day switched to fishing for fluke, sea bass and ling. Those fish were picked and plucked aboard, and some areas held them better than others. Nighttime trips on Friday and Saturday were similar. Those outings searched for bluefish at first, and when none was found, switched to catching ling. On the party boat <b>Royal Miss Belmar</b> through the weekend, fluke – a few keepers and some throwbacks – were grabbed along the ocean hills. At some places, sea bass were also wrangled up. The Royal Miss Belmar’s pool-winners ranged from a 2-pound sea bass on one trip to fluke from 3.5 to 5.2 pounds on the rest of the trips that weekend. The Miss Belmar Princess is sailing for striped bass and blues 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>***Update, Tuesday, 7/9:***</b> From an e-mail from the Miss Belmar Princess today: “Blues, blues and more blues today! Since the fishing has been so terrible lately, Captain Lenny decided to fish east of the mud hole this morning, and it was well worth the ride. We read a few fish, put the boat on a drift and lost a couple right away. Ran back up our chum slick and anchored up and chummed and chunked. It took a little bit, but it built up to where we had a 1-2 pick, with occasional 3-4 on at a time, with the blues ranging anywhere from 8-17 lbs. Chunked bait worked best, with a few caught on jigs.  We had good readings at times while we were anchored up, and it seems as though some nice blues have moved in to the mud hole area. Fishing should continue to get better and better with the amount of bait and fish around. This is a drastic improvement over what it has been lately. Our pool winner was Matthew Franco from East Hanover, NJ with a 10 lb blue!”

<b>Brielle</b>

Anglers were bailing sea bass and ling, lots, on the ocean on the <b>Big Kid</b>, Capt. Ken said. Charters mostly sailed for that, and cod were sometimes mixed in. Ocean fluke fishing began to really pick up. Lots of throwbacks and some keepers came in. Not much happened with tuna fishing, unfortunately. But Big Kid sails for tuna when the fish turn on. Mid-week charters are available, and weekend charters are available on Sunday, July 21, and Saturday, July 27. 

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 7/9:***</b> Fluke fishing was very good Monday on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, Capt. Ryan wrote in an e-mail. That was on the all-day fluke and sea bass trip that sails every Monday, and the size of the fluke – many between 3 and 6 pounds – was especially impressive. Bruce Casagrande, South Brunswick, won the pool with a 10-pound 7-ounce fluke, and limited out. He also took the lead in the monthly pool. “Congratulations, Bruce,” Ryan said, “that was a beauty!” Pete Talevi, Trenton, nailed a 7-pound 4-ounce fluke and limited out. Anglers who limited also included Doug Meeks, Eric and Don Slonicker, Ed Nolan, Dennis Muhlenforth and Chris and Ralph Molinari. Others might’ve limited, “but these are the ones we found,” Ryan said. A group of pre-teenagers caught pretty well. They and their catches included: Tom Krauss, Manasquan, three good-sized fluke; Noah Sepe, Manasquan, two good-sized fluke and three sea bass; and Kayla Smith, Brick, two fluke and two sea bass. 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.

Ocean fluke fishing began to pick up, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. The fish started to bite at Sea Girt Reef, and kept hitting off Deal and Monmouth Beach like before. Fluking remained good in Manasquan River, and striped bass 22 to 33 inches chomped in the river on soft-plastic lures like shads and on poppers. Hickory shad were fought in the river once in a while. Ocean bluefishing was slow – absolutely, positively, Dave said. But bottom-fishing was good for sea bass and ling on the ocean. Sharks were still wrestled on the ocean, though fishing for them wasn’t so good Saturday, because conditions barely drifted boats. Nothing seemed doing with bluefin tuna much, though bluefin tuna catches were reported before. But yellowfin tuna began to be boated between Hudson and Toms canyons. Fishing for yellowfins farther south slowed, because fish-holding waters moved out. New tackle keeps arriving at the shop. The Reel Seat recently became a dealer for both Igloo coolers and Accurate reels.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Persistent southerly winds hampered fishing, but a charter with a family steamed for sea bass Friday on the ocean with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b>, Alan, the boat’s owner, wrote in an e-mail. The crew searched around, finding piles of good-sized sea bass that were cranked in. Ling and other bottom fish were also pumped in, and cooling waters, because of the southerlies, seemed actually to help ling fishing. Because of the cooling waters, the crew might start testing cod fishing, to see if cod are around. Canyon tuna fishing should explode soon toward Point Pleasant Beach, and Mushin will jump on the angling. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures.

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 7/9:***</b> Fishing for fluke was picky on the past couple of trips, Capt. Matt from the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Throwbacks and a few keepers were caught, and pool-winning fluke weighed 4 to 5 pounds. South winds for more than a week kept waters cooler than usual. Green Gulps and combos of spearing and squid hooked most keepers. On night trips, bluefishing was slow, and ling and a few cod were picked.  Reports sounded like blues schooled far offshore, and anglers hope they’ll move closer to the coast. Trips are trying for blues every night. 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>

Not many striped bass and bluefish were beached from the surf, but blowfish and kingfish nipped in the surf, a report on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> Web site said. Fluke were hung from the surf, and bucktails with teasers will catch them. In Barnegat Bay, crabbing was improving, and the shop’s rental-boaters returned with two to three dozen of the blueclaws. Customers crabbing from the dock also nabbed good catches. Fresh clams, fresh bunker and the assortment of frozen baits are stocked. The Dock Outfitters features bait and tackle, a dock to fish and crab from and boat and jet ski rentals. The dock, a township one requiring no fee or badge, was completely reopened on Fourth of July, about eight months after the hurricane destroyed it.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Sea bass, lots of keepers, and plenty of throwbacks, bit well on the ocean Thursday, the Fourth of July, on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. A couple of keeper fluke were also boxed, and other fish were mixed in. Plenty of action with fluke and sea bass was socked Friday through Sunday aboard. The Miss Barnegat Light is sailing for fluke and sea bass 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily. <b>***Update, Monday, 7/8:***</b>: Sea bass and fluke served up good action the last two days aboard, and more fluke should definitely bite when waters warm, the boat’s Facebook page said today.

An open-boat trip for tilefish offshore had just docked on the <b>Super Chic</b> when Capt. Ted gave this report in a phone call at 7 p.m. Sunday, he said. The fishing was very good for an even mix of golden and blueline tilefish, and another one of the trips will sail probably on August 4. Telephone to reserve, and no tuna were seen on the trip, and no tuna caught were heard about, but the trip strictly tilefished. Waters were 75 degrees offshore and 60 degrees along the beach. The season’s first couple of tuna charters are slated for this month aboard. Closer to the coast, trips bottom-fished lately on the boat, scooping up sea bass and ling, okay fishing, enough to put a catch together. Fluke fishing on the ocean wasn’t so good locally. The fish were there, Ted thought, but waters will need to warm for the angling to improve. A trip tried bluefishing on the ocean a little Saturday, but none was caught. So the charter switched to bottom-fishing, and caught.  The 56-foot boat can accommodate up to 25 anglers on inshore trips and 10 on overnight, offshore trips. The vessel sleeps 10 passengers.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Summer flounder fishing was best from markers 126 to 132 along the Intracoastal Waterway on the bay, Chris from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s Web site. Catches of large ones were steadier at those markers, though lots of small flounder skittered around there, like at other places. The closer anglers fished to marker 139 and Little Egg Inlet, the more sharks and skates became abundant. Lots of flounder held among the clam stakes, but they were small, hardly any of them keepers. Flounder were sometimes picked up from Tuckerton Bay at the brick pile. Lots of spots, croakers, small drum, and weakfish were boated off Graveling Point in early mornings while anglers anchored, chummed with clam and fished with clam. Drum from there were seen Friday that were 20 inches, a good size for eating. The same mix of fish, but also kingfish, were hooked at the clam stakes. Shark fishing was good at Grassy Channel at night. Snapper blues began to appear in creeks, and fishing for them should pick up soon. In the ocean, flounder had just started to bite, beginning to move there from bays. But the ocean turned cold, like 55 degrees recorded at Atlantic City, so they might not bite until waters warm back up. Sea bass fishing was great at ocean wrecks.

<b>Brigantine</b>

The surf was loaded with kingfish and spots, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. Though the surf dropped to 56 to 57 degrees, Fishbites artificial worms caught the kings well on Sunday. Fishbites usually catch once waters warm, and until then, bloodworms usually work best. Large bloods were stocked. Boating for summer flounder might’ve started to pick up on the back bay, according to several reports from customers. Plenty of minnows, a favorite flounder bait, were stocked. So was the famous pound cake from Stock’s Bakery in Philadelphia that the shop’s been carrying. Owner Karl Stock is a surf-angling customer at the store. One boater toggled in four striped bass including one keeper. Location wasn’t mentioned, but someplace in the back waters, not the ocean, seemed likely.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

A short trip fought five dusky sharks on the ocean Sunday afternoon with Jay and Luc VonCzoernig aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish, required to be released, were let go, and were landed on mackerel fillets on spinning rods. Though windy weather hampered some types of fishing on the ocean, the conditions were actually good for the sharking, drifting the boat well, covering the right amount of grounds. A static drift is the last thing wanted. One of the shark trips Thursday afternoon with Mike Miller and Andrea caught and released 10 duskies, including two on flies. Jersey Cape also fly rods for them, and the sharking, usually within 10 miles from shore, is a chance to pull on large fish without the long trek offshore. Mike Boland’s family aboard the back bay on Sunday morning reeled in two keeper flounder, a bunch of throwbacks, a croaker and a variety of other fish. Joe McDonald’s family on the bay Thursday morning angled up two 20-inch keeper flounder and a bunch of throwbacks. Kevin McCarthy aboard the bay Saturday released a bunch of throwback flounder. Back on the ocean, mostly bluefin tuna, but yellowfin tuna mixed in, were boated at the southern lumps, including the Hot Dog, mostly while jigging and chunking, not many while trolling. Jersey Cape sails for them. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Avalon</b>

A trip fished for summer flounder at Cape May Reef on Sunday with <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b>, Capt. Jim said. But none was caught, and probably 100 boats fished the area, and no fish were seen netted on them. So the trip with Fins and Feathers motored farther offshore to wrecks 25 miles from the coast. A couple of sea bass were landed, and a hammerhead shark was seen swimming around, then was caught and released. Winds kicked up, blowing at least 15 knots steady, when the boat was motored offshore. Long sleeves and pants had been worn for sun protection close to shore, but they were handy for warmth offshore. Waters seemed cold at the reef, and definitely warmer offshore. Waters along the beach were 67 degrees on Friday, a couple of days before the trip. Big, 10-inch strips of squid, cut from trolling squid, were fished for the flounder on the ocean. The trip also tried fishing for flounder at Townsend’s Inlet on the way back to port, at a spot where flounder were seen boated previously. But none hit. The trip put in a long day, 13 hours, but not much was happening with flounder. Maybe that was because waters became chilly on the ocean, but the reason couldn’t be known. Reports talked about the reef giving up some of the best flounder catches previously. As waters warm, like in August, flounder fishing usually only becomes better on the ocean. Local offshore waters could be starting to warm enough for pelagics like mahi mahi to start to be caught, like at the lobster pot buoys. Jim goes after them, so he might try that fishing soon. Reports were heard about bluefin tuna caught farther south at places like the Hambone. Bluefins usually begin roaming waters close to Avalon within two or three weeks after appearing at places like the Hambone, and Jim sails for them. Trips currently might also enjoy catch and release fishing for sharks like browns on Delaware Bay at spots like Bug Light. Fins and Feathers offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including fishing on Delaware Bay and on the ocean off Avalon. Duck and goose hunting is offered on Delaware Bay during the waterfowl seasons. Customers can even enjoy a combo of striper fishing and waterfowl hunting on the bay over a series of days. Trips also included salmon and steelhead fishing on upstate New York’s Salmon River from Jim’s lodge, and fly fishing for trout on Pennsylvania’s streams like Yellow Breeches. The salmon fishing usually begins sometime in August, lasting into fall. The steelhead fishing begins afterward.

<b>Cape May</b>

Sea bass snapped in the ocean, Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> said. He mated for a friend’s boat on sea bass trips, and several sea bass trips were weathered out on the Heavy Hitter in the past week. Summer flounder were tugged from the ocean. The fishing depended on conditions, like typical. When conditions were good for the fishing, catches were better, and when conditions weren’t, catches slowed. Anglers from a couple of boats from the docks ran into good flounder catches at the Old Grounds on the ocean Saturday, returned on Sunday, and struggled to catch. Seas were rough through the weekend on the ocean. A tuna charter is slated for Saturday on the Heavy Hitter.  Bluefin tuna were chunked and trolled at places like 19-Fathom Lump, Massey’s Canyon and the Hambone. Yellowfin tuna previously had been caught farther away toward Wilmington and Baltimore canyons. But seas were rough, so boaters seemed to fish for bluefins, instead of pushing off farther for yellowfins.

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