<b>Perth Amboy</b>

Multiple 5-pound fluke, and a 6-1/2-pounder, were smashed on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an e-mail, and the fishing was excellent on past trips. One of the fish just under 5 pounds was swung in when he sent the report Sunday aboard. Bait caught much better than bucktails did, and whole squid squashed the larger fluke. Now is the time for fluke fishing, and openings are available. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing, and telephone about the open trips. Vitamin Sea also fishes from Staten Island. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

<b>Keyport</b>

With <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> on Sunday, six keeper fluke to 22 inches, and quite a few throwbacks, were landed on the ocean on Tom Calvo’s trip with four anglers, Capt. Joe said. The fishing was tough in strong currents, so the boat was moved. Weather was good. Both bait and bucktails were fished, and plenty of boats filled waters.  Open-boat trips for fluke are available 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. daily when no charter is booked. Telephone to climb aboard.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

After tougher fluke fishing Thursday and Friday aboard, the catches improved Saturday and Sunday on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. The angling wasn’t great, but better. More keepers came in, and more throwbacks gave up action, than before. Tire John bagged four, and a couple bagged two, on Saturday morning’s trip. More anglers landed no keepers than landed keepers, but more fluke were reeled in than before, on the outing. More throwbacks bit than previously on the trip. The afternoon’s trip wasn’t as good as the morning’s. On Sunday morning’s trip, not as many keepers bit as on Saturday, but action was good. Tire John creamed a 6-pound 11-ounce fluke, and two anglers bagged two. Fishing was about the same on Sunday afternoon’s trip. Action began very well, then the boat’s drift became less favorable for the angling. The boat still moved, but not well for fluking. The difficulty included lines tangling. Still, one angler limited out on fluke on the trip. Trips didn’t fish channels, and mostly fished shallow. Still, sometimes heavy weight was needed to hold bottom, because of fast drifts. Bait probably caught better than Spros or bucktails, usually. Rental rods fished with a combo of spearing, supplied aboard, and Gulps, that anglers brought, probably caught just as much, if not more, than Spros or bucktails. Sometimes anglers arrived with fancy bait rigs, but the crew encouraged them to switch to a plain, single-hooked rig that caught best. Some anglers fished with a Spro or a bucktail as the weight, with a hook on a leader tied above, and that worked well.  The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily.

With a roll on the ocean and currents running strong, Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> thought Friday’s fluke trip wouldn’t be able to fish the deep, he wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. But he was wrong, and the deep was tried, and the anglers had to fish 10-ounce weights on heavy rods, but they didn’t quit, and caught. A couple of customers bagged two fluke, and a bunch of throwbacks bit, and fluke gave up action the whole time. A couple of drifts had to fish closer to port later, because fishing conditions became horrible. The trip’s fluking was good, considering. No report was posted for Saturday. On Sunday’s trip, Ron “decided not to fight hard current in the a.m. …” he said. “Took a ride and found some very nice fluke.” One angler limited out on the fish to 6 pounds. Another won the pool with a 7-pounder. Vinny “Vintastic” cracked a 5-pounder and a 3-pounder. Another angler also hung two good-sized fluke. The trip moved to the channels to finish up, and a few more keepers were had. “Great day on the water!” Ron said. 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 porgies, blues, stripers and fluke, 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sundays.

<b>Highlands</b>

Good fishing for fluke to 5 pounds on the <b>Hyper Striper</b> in the past week, Capt. Pete wrote in an e-mail. Four charters all had good action with the fish: Dominic Tabaldo’s, John Riccardy’s, Nathan Aryes’ and Wally Clouse’s parties. Charlie Marrow’s crew opted to fish for blues, limiting out on 2- to 4-pounders on jigs.

<b>Belmar</b>

Though fluking was slow Saturday on the ocean on the <b>Katie H</b> and for the fleet, because boats wouldn’t drift, and waters cooled from rough weather the night before, the fishing was much better on a half-day trip Sunday on the Katie H, Capt. Mike said.  The drift was perfect, and weather was beautiful, and conditions couldn’t have been better. Fluke to 5 pounds were bagged, and lots of throwbacks bit. The fishing turned out lots of action the whole outing. A charter today was set to steam for bluefin tuna on the inshore ocean. The Katie H features all the amenities and speed. Overnight trips will fish for tuna all the way offshore later this season.

Fishing for fluke was the same as recently on the ocean, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. Some days were better than others, but when conditions were right, some great catches were walloped aboard. The angling was a little slow the past couple of days, because conditions failed to drift boats the best. Fluke bit in different places from 40 to 60 feet. Bluefin tuna were caught well Sunday. The fish lately were jigged and trolled, and sometimes chunked. Farther from shore, yellowfin tuna sometimes began to be landed within range, instead of only far south, like before. Parker Pete’s sails for any species available.  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.

The most recent trips sailed Tuesday, Thursday and Friday through Sunday on the ocean with <b>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Jared said. Another trip was headed out today. Most of the trips bottom-fished for fluke, though sea bass were also targeted along bottom, before sea bass season was closed Friday. Lots of both fish, some of them keepers, were angled. Catches were better on some days, when conditions were better, than others. A bunch of fluke, many of them small, and out-of-season sea bass bit on a trip Sunday around Shrewsbury Rocks. So Jared moved the boat to fish for ling along bottom, and a load were landed. The anglers left with lots of fish. The trip today was supposed to bluefish on the ocean. Charters are also available for bluefin tuna on the inshore ocean, and a bigeye tuna bite turned on at Hudson Canyon farther offshore. If anglers are interested, they can go after them aboard. Also, one of the trips Thursday was a corporate pleasure cruise with a group from Penske car dealerships. They enjoyed cruising along the ocean to up Manasquan River and through Point Pleasant Canal, turning around at Metedeconk River. Normally, boats can also motor up the Metedeconk, but Derek was concerned about uncharted debris that could remain on bottom after the hurricane in autumn. 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. Fourteen fished aboard Sunday’s trip. 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. Corporate charters can sail, and charge the trip to the business card.

Ocean fluke fishing was good, and lots of the sizeable fish to 9 pounds were brought into <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> during the weekend, Bob wrote in an e-mail. Shark River’s fluking wasn’t as good, and throwbacks outnumbered keepers 15 to 1. Small bluefish dominated the river’s angling, and blues like that moved in and out of rivers. Plenty of snapper blues and a healthy population of spots swam Shark River. In the surf, striped bass were sometimes banked. Back waters were loaded with young mullet. When the baitfish migrate to the ocean in September, some good surf fishing should take off. “Think fall,” Bob said.

Was gorgeous on the ocean, and good-sized fluke were eased in, Sunday on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, the vessel’s Facebook page said. Lots of places had to be fished in different depths from 30 to 50 feet, but quite a few anglers limited out. A 7-pounder was the biggest fluke. On Saturday’s trip, the angling was very good, and the Big Mohawk is sailing for fluke 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Bluefishing “bounced right back” Sunday night and today on the ocean on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, “once the boat traffic eased,” a report on the vessel’s Web site said. The boat limited out on both trips, and the anglers caught and released more afterward. They could land all they wanted. Some customers even fluke fished, after bluefishing, on today’s trip, pumping in a dozen keepers and 40 throwbacks. Boat traffic and conditions that failed to drift boats seemed to slow the angling Saturday. Customers really had to work to catch, but several limited out. Bluefishing was just a pick on that night’s trip, and boat traffic still seemed to affect catches. On Sunday’s daytime trip, bluefishing was very good at first, but somewhat slowed, when boat traffic picked up and wind stopped blowing. The boat started to fail to drift. Still, good catches were made, and many customers limited out and released more. 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.

<b>Brielle</b>

Conditions were too calm to drift the boat through the weekend, and that was mostly the reason fluke fishing was sluggish then, Capt. Ryan from the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> wrote in an e-mail. But the fishing was very good on today’s trip, and a good number of customers limited out. The trip, the weekly all-day trip for fluke, fished deep, and catches were red hot in the morning. Then the drift slowed, and so did the fishing. Bucktailers caught best, especially when the drift slowed. Fernando Arrelano won the pool with a 6-1/2-pound fluke. Some of the anglers with limits were Dennis Muhlenforth, Chris Molinari, Donnito Patrick, Eff Smith, Pete Talevi and Carl Waters. The Jamaica II is fishing for fluke 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, good catches, were boated on the ocean, including at Axel Carlson Reef, Sea Girt Reef and farther north, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Fluking remained really good on Manasquan River, and small striped bass swam the river. Hickory shad might’ve swam more abundant in the surf than in the river. Cownosed rays roamed up the river the other day, and some were known about that were fought from Manasquan there. Surf anglers picked a few striped bass and beached fluke. Sometimes small bluefish pushed into the surf. Bluefishing on boats wasn’t too bad on the ocean. Trips had run into small blues, but now larger ones began to be fought at the Mud Buoy. Ling fishing pumped in good catches on the ocean. Farther from shore, bluefin tuna were decked, like around Chicken Canyon and Atlantic Princess wreck. The angling was a little slow Saturday, but anglers on the Jenny Lee landed three that day, keeping no more than a limit, and had three other bites, on the troll. Bigeye tuna supposedly gave up a bite at Hudson Canyon, but that was unconfirmed. A few yellowfin tuna and wahoos came from the Hudson last week, and a bunch of boats sailed for the canyon Sunday. Results were yet to be heard. The Reel Seat’s newest spreader bars, with different lures, colors and sizes, were just put together. Custom wooden plugs from Sunset were just stocked.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Despite a cooler ocean Saturday and Sunday than before, “we are still seeing nice keeper fluke come over the rail,” Capt. Matt from the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Pool-winning fluke on most of the trips those days “were around 5 pounds!” he said. Gulps in pink or green, or bucktails, caught best. On nighttime trips lately, 1- to 2-pound bluefish, usually very good catches, were  nailed. The angling was tough on Saturday night’s trip, and the fish were read, “but just couldn’t get the usual fast bite going,” he said. The blues were tasty and fun to catch, and trips will keep after the smaller ones, until bigger blues show up. 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>

Northwest winds made for a great day to fish the surf Saturday, John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s Web site. Fluke and small bluefish could be dragged in. In Barnegat Bay, plenty of snapper blues and spots swam, including off the dock. Crabbing weeded through lots that were just-undersized, “but keeping at it will pay off with some nice keepers,” he said.  Fresh clams, fresh bunker and sandworms were stocked. The Dock Outfitters, located on the bay, features an extensive supply of bait and tackle, a dock to fish and crab from, boat rentals for fishing and crabbing, and jet ski rentals.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

On the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, fluke fishing was a little slow on the ocean the last few days, in very tough conditions, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. The boat almost didn’t drift sometimes, and fluke sometimes seem only to grab baits that drift past at the right speed. Weather looks great to be on the water this week. The Miss Barnegat Light is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

For summer flounder anglers in the last two weeks, “what a good turn on (in the fishing),” Chris from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s Web site. Many good reports were heard about the fishing, even about some limits bagged, and many photos of good catches of the fluke were seen. Little Egg Inlet gave anglers quality catches sometimes, and the fluking was a bust there at other times. Moving tides in mornings produced. For flounder bait at the inlet, many anglers hooked snapper blues from the waters, cutting them into strips to fish. Flounder fishing came to life at Little Egg Reef in the ocean the last week or so. A ton of sea robins bit there, so take plenty of bait. In the bay, croakers, spots, small porgies, snappers, kingfish and croakers hovered around the clam stakes and Graveling Point. For a chance at weakfish, hit Graveling on foot at night or in early morning, catching spots to strip out for bait for the trout. The shop started stocking a small supply of shedder crabs for weakfish bait, seeing whether the bait was in demand to keep carrying. 

<b>Brigantine</b>

Brown sharks swarmed all over Brigantine’s surf, Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Browns are required to be released, and he never saw such great fishing for them from the island. Customers sent him photos of the fish to 50 pounds all day. A chunk of spot or mackerel on a wire leader will land them. Butterfly rays 6 and 7 feet wide also filled the waters, and were caught and released. Mixed reports came in about fishing for spots in the surf. Some anglers hooked them as soon as a line hit the water, and others had trouble locating them.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

A 10-pound 8-ounce summer flounder was checked in from the ocean from a shoal just off Sea Isle City during the weekend at <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, the shop’s blog said. Many 4- to 7-pound flounder were reported boated from the ocean during the weekend, and flounder practically jumped aboard from the waters. The fishing was becoming good. Townsend’s Inlet Reef, Ocean City Reef, Avalon Shoal, Peacock Shoal and plenty of other places gave up the catches. A rig with a large, 3- to 6-ounce bucktail on bottom and a hook on a trailer above caught best. Gulps, mackerel and squid were best baits. <a href="http://seaislebaitandtackle.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Check out the shop’s blog</a>.

One of the inshore shark trips today fly-rodded and released five dusky sharks 50 to 60 pounds with Chase Kneeland and buddy aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. They also spin-rodded and released one on bait while waiting for the fishing “to get started,” Joe said. Plus, in the morning, winds were too calm to drift the boat for sharking. So the anglers caught and released amberjacks and out-of-season sea bass until winds came up in the afternoon. Then they sharked. The trips, catch and release, usually within 10 miles from shore, are a chance to fight big fish without the long trek offshore. Dusky and brown sharks, required to be released, and blacktip sharks are common catches. The boat is anchored at a place likely to hold sharks, like an area with bottom structure like shoals that attract fish. Chum is placed in the water, like in a chum bag, and anglers either spin-rod with bait like mackerel fillets or fly-rod with chum flies. One of the trips Thursday with Anthony Cardelli’s family released six sharks to 100 pounds on spin-rods. Farther from shore, a trip Sunday trolled mahi mahi at Spencer and Lindenkohl canyons. On Saturday, Joe fished for summer flounder on the back bay with his family, landing a bunch. Good numbers of flounder, with keepers mixed in, remained in the bay. Ocean flounder fishing started to substantially pick up at Townsend’s Inlet, Ocean City and Great Egg reefs, and Joe hadn’t had the opportunity to sail for them yet. A higher percentage of keepers, but maybe a smaller population of flounder, swam the ocean than the bay. Also in the bay, striped bass absolutely bit at night, and Joe hopes to fish for them soon. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Avalon</b>

Trips fished Delaware Bay through the past week with <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b>, Capt. Jim said. Summer flounder, weakfish, croakers, spots, kingfish, bluefish, brown sharks and dusky sharks were reeled in. So, a variety bit, mostly in the northern bay at the Elbow, number 1 buoy and Miah Maull. Not much hit farther south at 14-Foot Light and Brandywine. But croakers, weaks and kings were hooked at Bug Light, closer to shore in the southern bay. Was unusual that flounder remained in the upper bay. Flounder often usually depart the bay for waters like 50-foot depths in the ocean by this time in summer. But the flatfish were even heard about from Cross Ledge in the northern bay this past week. Many of the fish were small on the trips. But a few big enough to keep were wrangled up. The croakers were mostly small, and were usually used for bait. That was good bait, and some of the bluefish were 5 pounds, larger than usual for the bay in summer. The brown and dusky sharks, required to be released, were unusually abundant,  swimming nearly every place fished, including at the Maull and Bug Light. Most were 3 feet, and a couple were 5 feet, probably 40 pounds. Lots of bunker schooled the bay. Winds often blew, and sometimes storms threatened. Winds calmed Saturday morning, one of the only times, but picked back up in the afternoon. One of the trips wanted to push offshore to places like East Lump and the Cigar to try for bluefin tuna, but weather was too rough. But Fins and Feathers fishes areas like that for pelagics like the tuna and, at lobster pot buoys, mahi mahi. Bluefins were already caught this season at places farther south and north, so they could be at places like these. Mahi could be in. Jim saw a report written on an Avalon tackle shop board, saying a trip landed a 100-pound wahoo, an 80-pound bluefin and a 27-pound mahi at Wilmington Canyon. The local ocean’s flounder fishing sounded spotty at best. Maybe the angling was better farther south, like at Reef 11 and the Old Grounds, in the ocean. Fins and Feathers fishes the ocean from Avalon, and trailers the boat to fish Delaware Bay from wherever’s convenient, like Cape May or Reed’s Beach. Fins and Feathers offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including duck and goose hunting, when the seasons are open. Customers can even enjoy a combo of striped bass fishing and waterfowl hunting over a series of days. Fins and Feathers also fishes for salmon and steelheads on upstate New York’s Salmon River from Jim’s lodge, and guides fly-fishing for trout on Pennsylvania’s streams like the Yellow Breeches.

<b>Cape May</b>

Fishing for tuna wasn’t good at the Hot Dog on Sunday with the Terry Tarantino family on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. None of the fish bit on the trip, and the angling sounded slow for the fleet. So George asked whether the family wanted to fish for tilefish in deep water along bottom farther offshore at a canyon. They did, and a good catch of tiles, about 15, including quite a few large, to 25 and 30 pounds, were cranked in. Mostly bluefin tuna and sometimes yellowfin tuna were reeled in at the Dog in past weeks. George heard about a few tuna managed, and mahi mahi taken, there on the day of the trip. He also knew about tuna boated at the Hot Dog on Tuesday. Then winds and rains rolled in, and some might’ve been bagged the rest of the week, but no trips were heard about since the weather, until Sunday. Summer flounder fishing was good in the ocean at the Old Grounds and Reef 11. Telephone if interested in any of this fishing.  

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