<b>Perth Amboy</b>

Now is the best time for jumbo fluke, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an e-mail, because the fish gather at the channels, migrating offshore. Fluke season, open through September 24, will also be closed “before you know it,” he said. Dates are sometimes full for trips aboard through then, but many are available, both on weekends and weekdays. Charters and open-boat trips are sailing, and Vitamin Sea also fishes from Staten Island. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

<b>Keyport</b>

<b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> will next run for fluke Friday, and space is available that day for the angling, Capt. Joe said. Trips lately have been fluking the ocean with bait, bucktails or both. Room is also available Saturday and Sunday. Open-boat trips for fluke are on tap 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. daily when no charter is booked. Telephone to jump aboard.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Great day on the water, with lots of action from keeper and short fluke, and a 9-pounder took the lead in the season-long pool, today on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Bob Gertsen whaled the fish, knocking Vinnie “Vintastic” out of the lead. The boat drifted great for the angling this morning, until currents dropped out, and winds changed. Then the trip took a ride, made a couple of moves to find the fish, but finished up with some more good-sized keepers. On night trips, fishing was excellent for porgies and croakers in the past week. 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, croakers, fluke, blues and striped bass, 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sundays.

Fluke fishing was “hanging in there,” said Joe from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish were boated off the ocean beaches and at Shrewsbury Rocks, Sandy Hook Reef and Ambrose Channel, and in front of the Navy Pier in Sandy Hook Bay. Lots of spots and croakers swam “inshore.” Excellent catches of porgies and croakers were plundered on nighttime trips on the party boat Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands. A pretty good population of porgies arrived for boaters, but not along shore, like at docks. Plenty of snapper bluefish schooled waters like along docks. Back on the ocean, ling fishing was good, and one charter boat scored alright on them at wrecks. A few thresher sharks swam the Mudhole. Bluefin tuna held in the ocean, and Capt. Derek Bielitz from Fisher Price Charters reportedly fished for them today. Crabbing was terrific in Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers.

Trips for fluke had to fish down the ocean beach, during strong northwest winds, on Wednesday on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. That was the only place the boat wouldn’t drift too fast, and seas wouldn’t rock and roll. The fishing wasn’t good there, though a few fluke were managed, and none of the trips sailed Tuesday, because of weather. But today was beautiful on the waters, and fluke began to be boated, and the angling was looking better, Tom said at 11 a.m. in a phone call aboard, giving an update, after the crummy fishing previously, he said. Anglers picked away at keepers and throwbacks. When the fishing was slow, he hoped winds would calm like forecast, so trips could fish mussel beds that produced better catches before.  He didn’t say where the boat fished when the angling seemed to start rebounding today. An awful lot of rain fell Tuesday, and that might’ve affected fishing Wednesday, but that couldn’t be certain. Before the weather, on Monday, many fluke bit for anglers aboard, and too few were keepers, of course, but some were. During the weekend aboard, fluking had begun to pick up, covered in the previous report. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily.

<b>Highlands</b>

From <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Jay and Tracy Amarosa on the Par Tee bagged a 20-inch 2-1/2-pound fluke near the 10 buoy on a killie with squid, Marion wrote in an e-mail. Vic and Danielle boated a 24-inch fluke north of the towers on Gulp with squid. Twin Lights, conveniently located on Shrewsbury River, with no bridges before Raritan Bay and the ocean, features boat slips, rack storage, a fuel dock, ship’s store supplies, and a complete bait and tackle shop. Baits carried include killies and frozen quarts and pints of salted clams, spearing, Peruvian smelts, the different types of squid, and scented shedder crab. Offshore baits like flats of ballyhoos are sold.

<b>Neptune</b>

An individual-reservation trip for cod was a huge success aboard Monday, Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> wrote in an e-mail. The fishing continued to be very good on trips, and only a few spots remain on the next one of the outings on September 9. Another is slated for October 7. Ralph’s been catching big cod and pollock in summer for 35 years off New Jersey. No need to travel north for them. Fishing for fluke, ling and bluefin tuna was good. The weekly individual-reservation trip for fluke on Tuesday had to return early, because of weather, the first time aboard. Half-fares were charged, and the trip still found some good-sized fluke. The trips are running every Tuesday, and kids under 12 sail free, limited to two per adult host. An individual-reservation trip for bluefins is set for August 26. One of the trips for bluefish will sail August 29. Charters are available for all this fishing and more. Don’t forget to book fall striped bass charters. The angling was excellent well into November last year, after Hurricane Sandy in late October. An individual-reservation trip for blackfish is filling on November 16, the day when six will become the bag limit, instead of the current one. An individual-reservation trip for inshore wreck fishing will steam September 29, and sea bass season will be reopened on September 27.

<b>Belmar</b>

Anglers motored out for bluefin tuna Monday on the <b>Katie H</b>, landing three, keeping a limit of two, 45 miles offshore, Capt. Mike said. The fish were trolled, and were marked like crazy. Tons of tuna are out there, gorging on sand eels, “just having a good old time,” Mike said. They bite early and late in the day, turning off once boat traffic builds. The tuna were the first-ever for the anglers, and they were thrilled, Mike said. Waters were beautifully clear – anglers could see pretty far down in them – and 78 degrees, warm. They were full of bait and life. Farther offshore, bigeye tuna gave up a good bite at Hudson Canyon. Is a long way to sail for them, but if anglers get on them, the big fish make for great fishing. Fishing all around is pretty good, and Mike thinks this is going to be a great season. Book trips now. The Katie H features all the amenities and speed. 

Fishing for fluke was a pick on the ocean the last couple of days, and was a little tough in 25 m.p.h. winds Wednesday, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. Rains this week also affected fishing. But fluke were still put in the box aboard, and the ones that were bagged were good-sized. Catches weren’t as good as during other times, but weren’t terrible. Parker Pete’s sails for any species available, including bluefin tuna that swam the mid-shore ocean. Tuna fishing began to pick up farther offshore.  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>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b> was fluke fishing on the ocean Wednesday evening when Capt. Jared gave this report in a phone call aboard. Weather was somewhat windy, but lots of fluke were hooked. On a trip Tuesday at the Mudhole farther offshore, ling and cod were cranked in, and a small mako shark was released. A charter bluefished the other day, and more bluefish trips are supposed to fish today and Friday. Blues around were smaller, but some were larger, to 3 and 4 pounds, recently. Charters fished every day aboard this week, except Tuesday, because of weather. The season’s first tuna trips are slated for the end of the month, only a couple of weeks away. Currently, bluefin tuna bit closer to shore, and bigeye tuna reportedly attacked at Hudson Canyon. 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. Families are welcome, and charters don’t need to be experienced anglers. The crew will guide them. 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.

Winds made fluke fishing a little tough aboard Wednesday, but conditions, and the fishing, were good overall on trips on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>,  Capt. Chris said. Lots of good-sized fluke were creamed, and the pool-winning ones weighed 9 pounds or more on most days. Trips fish the ocean rough bottom, and the Big Mohawk is fluke fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

For anglers on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, fishing for blues, small, but lots, was very good, Capt. Alan said. A few bigger ones, 2 to 4 pounds, not large, were zapped on a couple of days. Jigs caught during daytime, and jigs and bait caught at night. A few bonito were beaten on every daytime trip. On the party boat <b>Royal Miss Belmar</b>, fluke fishing was decent overall. When weather was good, and fishing conditions were right, some good catches were made. When any conditions were adverse, that slowed the angling. 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 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily.

Bluefishing bounced right back Sunday night and Monday, after boat traffic affected the angling during the weekend, a report on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>’s Web site said. Good catches of small blues, like before, were slammed on the boat the rest of this week on both daytime and nighttime trips aboard. Bonito were mixed in on daytime trips. After small blues were caught on Wednesday night’s trip, the captain took a chance, making a ride to look for big blues 12 miles away. That worked out, and 10- to 15-pounders were picked the rest of the trip. Maybe this was the start of fishing for big blues, and trips will find out. 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.

Some good-sized fluke came in, no matter rough weather, Bob from <b>Fishermen’s Den</b> wrote in an email. The fish included Alan Mann’s 8-pounder. Chase Kaloniecki, 7, bagged a 3-pound 8-ounce fluke while fishing with dad. Marty Westerfield kept nailing fluke to 4 pounds from Shark River, fishing only with snapper blues. On the ocean, plenty of small blues were boated, like before. In the surf, anglers who fished “the wee hours,” Bob said, found schoolie striped bass willing to smack artificials. Also from the surf, “got some reports,” he said, about croakers, kingfish and spots caught. “The days are shortening,” Bob said, “a sign of fall.” <b>***Update, Saturday, 8/17:***</b> From an edited e-mail from Bob: "The Spring lake fishing club chartered the Ocean Explorer from Belmar for members and friends. We had a good (fluke) trip, with lots of action. Dominic Digirlamo from Asbury Park fishing club was high hook with a five-fish limit of fluke to 4 pounds. Luke Lotito from Hamilton won the pool with an 8-pound fluke. (In addition to fluke) we had five cownosed rays, a croaker, two weakfish and two triggerfish. All on board had fish, except yours truly. I never said fluke was my strong suit. Good time, good friends. That's what it's all about. The bass are coming - I'll show them then."

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> was mixed-bag fishing the mid-shore and offshore ocean the rest of summer, Capt. Fred said. Open-boat trips and charters are sailing for the angling, and the mid-shore trips lately did a job on catches including bluefin tuna, mahi mahi, cod and big ling, all in the same outing, covered in previous reports. One trip did push offshore to the canyons, mugging a mess of mahi mahi and tilefish, but no tuna. That angling should take off soon. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner, on the annual trips. Telephone if interested.

Mostly ling were scooted aboard the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. A few fluke and cod were mixed in, and the bottom-fishing was okay. Anglers totaled 10 to 30 fish apiece, depending on the day. Trips fished in 120 to 180 feet, and waters were 70 degrees. Trips this week might try to catch a few porgies. Some were landed farther north at Ambrose Channel, and Butch hopes they keep migrating south. Bottom-fishing on nighttime trips was similar, shuffling in 10 to 20 fish per angler, mostly ling, a few fluke and occasional cod. Saturday night’s bluefish trip beaned a fairly good catch of small blues. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, and is bluefishing on Saturday nights during the same hours.

<b>Toms River</b>

The Toms River at Island Heights harbored snapper blues and spots, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Spearing hooked the snappers, and many anglers began to fish spearing on Snapper Zapper rigs for the blues. Nightcrawlers and bits of clams nabbed the spots. One angler picked up a couple of white perch from the river. Crabs were trapped from Barnegat Bay along Route 37 Bridge and Good Luck Point. Big spots were taken at Good Luck Point the other day on nightcrawlers fished along bottom. Blowfishing  became more sporadic at the BB marker on the bay than before. They’d bite one day, not another, bite again, and so on. Fluke fishing was most consistent in Barnegat Inlet itself. Bluefish ½ to 2 pounds schooled the inlet, and began to tumble into the surf. More and more anglers began to fish for blues in the surf with mullet on mullet rigs. Fluke could be yanked form the surf on bucktails with Power Bait. On the ocean, no quantities of fluke came from the Tire Reef, but good-sized ones did. Anyone who put in the time boxed a keeper. Fluke were boated off Seaside Park in 45 feet in the ocean.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

From the surf, fluke were dragged-in on a rig with a bucktail and a teaser with Gulps on the hooks, said Mario from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Cownosed rays flew the surf, if anglers wanted to fight them. The rays were released, and brown sharks, required to be released, haunted the surf. They were landed at night, and the surf’s kingfishing, during daytime, became a little slow, but kings were around, definitely. In Barnegat Bay, crabbing was slow from the dock, but boaters plucked a fair number, so long as they crabbed away from the dock. Plenty of snapper blues, very small, schooled around the dock. Blowfish, with kingfish and croakers mixed in, loitered toward the BI and BB markers in the bay. 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>Forked River</b>

Blowfish still hovered Barnegat Bay, like in 5 feet, east of the 40 can, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Spots and croakers were mixed in, and the bay’s fluke seemed to move toward Barnegat Inlet. But they still bit at Oyster Creek and Double Creek channels, on the top of incoming tides through the first hour of outgoing. Scattered reports were heard about weakfish hung from the bay on livelined snapper blues. Angling for the snappers was very good along the bay, like for kids. In the ocean, fluke fishing picked up, including at Garden State Reef North, off the Seaside pipe and at Harvey Cedars. The Tire Reef was “kind of quiet,” Grizz said, and was probably overfished.  Crabs grew pretty sizeable by now. Baits stocked include fresh spearing.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Barnegat Inlet shoveled up most fluke, said Kevin from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. No matter where fluke came from, most were throwbacks. But a 6-pounder was docked the other day, though the location of the catch wasn’t known. A customer today said lots of small blues schooled the inlet. A few triggerfish and blackfish were zonked along the inlet jetties. Boaters sometimes wrangled weakfish from Barnegat Bay. A few crabs were trapped. The store rents boats for fishing, crabbing and clamming and kayaks. Bobbie’s includes a bait and tackle store and a fuel dock, and is known for a large bait selection. Baits stocked include live spots, killies and green crabs. Live grass shrimp are available, and should be ordered ahead of time.

<b>Barnegat</b>

From an edited e-mail from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “We had some good trips, a few great trips, and some not so great. The weakfish are there (in Barnegat Bay), but depending on the day, whether or not we get small ones or nice ones. They’re ranging in size from 12 to 22 inches. The variety of other species are there all the time. We catch eight to 10 different species on almost every trip, while chumming with live grass shrimp. Weakfish, fluke, snapper blues, spots, croaker, blowfish, hickory shad, sand sharks, sea bass (juvenile), burrfish (porcupine puffers), sea robins, kingfish and more. Meyer's Hole and the west side of the bay, behind Barnegat and Waretown, are providing the best action for us, in 8 to 9 feet of water.  We use the 6-pound spinning rods to keep it sporty. That's how our bay trips are going. Lots of action, but sometimes the fillet bag is light. Shrimping out on the inlet jetty is another story. Those trips have been excellent. Lots of stripers, 20- to 26-inch fish, on 10-pound spinning tackle. These short stripers scream line off the light outfits when you set the hook. No sinkers. Just drift back a baited hook to the rocks, and hold on! Sometimes we even use a bobber. Also in the mix are huge, dinner-plate-size porgies, a few tog (blackfish) and too many 2-pound blues. We did manage one keeper bass on Saturday's trip, as Jim Soch slugged it out with a 31-inch 13-pounder mixed with the others. An August keeper! We don't catch many over the 28-inch, legal mark, but it does happen. We’re running open-boat, shrimping the inlet jetty for stripers and more, 12 noon to 5 p.m. Friday, 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday and 2 to 7 p.m. Monday.  We usually wind up with an extra hour of fishing, before or after the jetty effort, so we’ll most likely fluke during that time. Three people max. All fish are shared. Call me to reserve a spot.”

<b>Surf City</b>

Small bluefish began to appear in the surf, said Sue from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. Kingfishing was good from the beach today, and Fishbites artificial worms or natural bloodworms will catch them. Fluke became more difficult to locate in the surf than before, but were still landed. Fishing for them was better around Barnegat Lighthouse. Fewer brown sharks, required to be released, were fought than before, but some anglers still targeted them. Sometimes anglers fish for them at night, but the news heard about them was from daytime anglers. Triggerfish bit along Barnegat Inlet’s jetties. In the bay, snapper blues schooled, and crabbing seemed good. Fresh clams are stocked, and fresh bunker ran out but are carried when available. Bloodworms and all frozen baits, including sand eels, mackerel and squid are stocked. “You name it,” Sue said. No minnows are on tap, because the water balance wasn’t right since the bait well was damaged in the hurricane. The store’s annual <b><i>Free Surf Fishing Seminars</i></b> are under way. Held 6- to 7 p.m. every Sunday, rain or shine, in the parking lot until Labor Day, the classes cover the fishing that’s happening now, and bring a beach chair. Visit <a href="http://www.surfcitybaitandtackle.com/" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s Web site</a>. Keep in touch on <a href=" http://www.facebook.com/pages/Surf-City-Bait-and-Tackle/207533229268619
" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s Facebook page</a>.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Was some storm on Tuesday, Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> said. Typhoon Tuesday! he said. Freshwater runoff from the storm probably ruined fishing at Graveling Point, at the confluence of Mullica River and Great Bay, for the moment, at least. Previously, croakers were plentiful there, and spots and a couple of kingfish swam the waters. The area even gave up a weakfishery at daybreak and dusk. Anglers showed photos of 5-pounders. Nothing was heard from the point since the storm, but good fishing for blowfish was confirmed Wednesday from the pockets behind the southern end of Long Beach Island at Holgate. Kingfish were in the mix. The bay’s annual fishing for a mix of blowfish, kingfish, spots, croakers, small porgies and snapper blues usually takes off during the second week of August. It’s time. The bay’s shark fishing, in evenings into early nights, was good last week, before the weather. Sizeable sand sharks and, required to be released, browns bite. A tiger shark, also required to be released, was landed there recently. Nobody seemed to try for blackfish that surely should hug the bay’s banks. The tautog traditionally do this time of year. Nobody mentioned fishing for white perch in brackish rivers like the Mullica, and plenty of the slabs could probably be caught. They normally can this time of year. Customers were eager to fish the ocean for summer flounder, because forecasts finally called for calm seas to boat for the fish. Crabbing had been good, but the freshwater certainly slowed that down. Minnows, bloodworms, fresh, shucked clams and green crabs are stocked. No live minnows, a favorite perch bait, are on hand, because they’re difficult to keep alive in the summer heat, and demand is low anyway. Scott nets them to stock other times of year.

<b>Absecon</b>

Looked like anglers looked forward to boatable weather on the ocean to fish for summer flounder, because the fish bit there, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Flounder seemed to gather everywhere from shallower to deep in the ocean, and anglers just needed to find the right structure to catch them, in Dave’s opinion. He heard about flounder catches from the lumps closest to shore to a 60-foot hole just beyond 3 miles off Atlantic City and at the reefs. Good-sized flounder to 5 and 6 pounds were common at the reefs, and some there weighed 8 to 10. But flounder remained in the back bay. Not a lot of weakfish gathered in the bay, but if anglers wanted them, the odds were they’d bag their limit of one. Very few bluefish ran the bay, the same as previously. Dave looked for them at a hole they usually swim on a trip, finding none. When anglers flounder fished on the bay, plenty of croakers and spots were found. The croakers were no exciting sizes, but some big enough for dinner could be had. Spots were two sizes: either a size for terrific striped bass bait, or some of them good “pan fryers.” White perch fishing was better at the mouth of Mullica River than farther up the river, according to Curt from the shop, a perch angler. Saltier water seemed best. Crabbing was pretty good, and August is usually the best month to trap them. Actually, September’s usually best, but many people stop crabbing then. Enough action was around, certainly, whether in the bay or on the ocean for flounder. Live spots and peanut bunker are stocked. Castnets were just loaded up at the shop, if anglers want to catch their own bait. Bait-wells and all the supplies for them are on hand. Live mullet are yet to be stocked, but Dave began to see them, and should net some soon. Mullet will probably begin to migrate to the ocean during September’s full moon. Lots of shedder crabs for bait and some soft-shell crabs, for eating, are in supply. The shop raises the crabs, and customers can telephone for availability.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Fishing remained about the same as last week, said Bill from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Last week, he said spots and kingfish were swung from the surf, and brown sharks, required to be released, seemed more abundant and larger in the surf than usual. Big cownosed rays took off with baits in the surf, he said then. About the only thing different this week was that large summer flounder were especially weighed in. Ken Biondi checked in an 8-pounder. Tommy Daley showed up with a couple of large ones, 24 inches or maybe bigger, he angled from Absecon Inlet on a paddle board.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

At Absecon Inlet, kingfish showed up the past couple of days, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. They could be hooked if anglers could fish through spots and croakers. The inlet, near the shop, is lined with jetties, and can be fished on foot. All three of those fish were nipped on bloodworms, Fishbites artificial worms and clams. Good-sized flounder were bagged from the inlet on spearing, minnows and scented squid. Tog swam plentiful along the jetties, and many were throwbacks, but anglers liked that, because the shorts gave up action while the anglers waited to bag a limit of one. Green crabs took them. Small striped bass and small weakfish were hooked from the inlet at night. Fresh peanut bunker are now stocked. Fresh mullet is carried when available. Fresh bunker is about the only bait out of stock. Bait stocked includes minnows, green crabs, fresh clams, bloodworms and frozen sand eels, herring, peanut bunker, head-on shrimp, spearing, a large variety of squids and more. An outside vending machine was just installed, so anglers can buy bait during after-hours. A part needed to be obtained so the machine could carry more than frozen baits. But currently its baits include frozen clams, Pro Cut squid, head-on shrimp and filleted mackerel. Noel announced sales that weren’t mentioned here before. Bomber lures are on sale for $8.99 for the jointed Long A and for $5.99 for the smaller, non-jointed. Quantum 7-foot rod-and-reel outfits with line are on sale for $60 for two. Beautiful, topless, American-made crab traps are available for $20 for two or $12.99 for one.
They can be stacked. Pyramid- or diamond-shaped crab traps are two for $15. Previously announced, catch the shop’s sale on bucktails, at almost wholesale prices. They’re going for: 1/8 ounce, $1.79; ¼ ounce, $1.85; 3/8 ounce, $1.89; ½ ounce, $1.95; 5/8 ounce, $2; ¾ ounce, $2.09; 1 ounce, $2.20; 1 ½ ounces, $2.29; 2 ounces, $2.99; and 3 ounces, $3.49.  Colors are all-white, green-and-white, chartreuse-and-white, yellow-and-white, pink-and-white, red-and-white and purple-and-white.  One Stop’s second store, located at Gardner’s Basin at 800 North New Hampshire Avenue, is also open. The original, remaining open, is at 416 Atlantic Avenue.

<b>Margate</b>

On the back bay, summer flounder fishing wasn’t bad on the party boat <b>Keeper</b>, Capt. John said. Catches of keepers weren’t like previously in summer, but the fish remained in the bay, and waters were in the mid 70s. During the height of summer, waters can be warmer, like in the mid to upper 80s, and that can shut down the angling. But temps weren’t bad currently. Lots of throwback flounder bit. Plenty of baby sea bass, sea robins and sharks swam the bay. Kids were catching something all the time. For the flounder, mackerel and minnows, supplied aboard, caught, and Gulps that anglers brought caught excellent. The Keeper is fishing for summer flounder 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. daily. Prices are great, because the pontoon boat is economical on fuel, and the fishing on the bay is close to port. Trips are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for kids.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Eight-million spots filled the surf, Justin from <b>Fin-Atics</b> said. He heard about three or four kingfish beached from the surf. A few fluke, some small blues and tons of brown sharks roamed the surf. The sharks are required to be released, and ones were heard about that bit off rigs when anglers reeled in spots. Abundant small flounder swam the back bay, but some keepers were around. Anglers sometimes reported landing 20 throwbacks for every keeper. Then someone would hook a keeper for every five throwbacks by chance. Small striped bass gathered around bridges at night. Some talked about landing a hundred, none larger than 14 inches, in a night. Mostly Fin-S Fish were cast to them. Spots, croakers, baby sea bass and small blues, all the little fish, held in the bay. From the ocean, reports about bluefin tuna fishing, at places like the Hot Dog and the Lobster Claw, were mixed, making knowing what to believe about the fishing difficult. Most trips reported caught none. Then someone would reel in a few. Loads of yellowfin tuna had been boated at Washington Canyon, far south, on overnight trips. But even that slowed a couple of days. Knowing how that fishing was going now became difficult.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Ocean fishing for summer flounder really started to take off, and Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, was probably going to sail for them today, he said. Lots of flounder, mostly throwbacks, sometimes keepers, remained in the back bay. Striped bass definitely bit at night in the bay, and Joe fishes for them with soft-plastic lures and flies. Inshore shark trips, usually within 10 miles from the coast, bailed the fish lately, covered in recent reports. The angling is catch and release, with spinning or fly rods, a chance to fight big fish without the usual, long trek offshore.  Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

The ocean’s summer flounder fishing was the best thing going, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Excellent catches were hammered at places like Townsend’s Inlet Reef. A 10-1/2-pound flounder was weighed in from the ocean during the weekend, and anglers on the ocean sometimes threw back 2- and 3-pounders to bag larger ones. Boaters fished for them with a rig with a 4-ounce bucktail with a 4-inch squid strip on bottom and a 6-inch Gulp on a hook on a trailer tied above. Striped bass and weakfish chomped in the back bay at night, but were wary. Sometimes anglers would cast a couple of times, then the fish would stop biting. But some were caught. The shop sold out of butterfish, sardines and ballyhoos today, because boaters were headed for tuna tonight. Reports should be heard afterward.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Weather might’ve been a cause, but not a lot of fish were caught from the back bay, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. Winds blew horribly. “You should have seen (Wednesday),” he said. The bay’s summer flounder fishing slowed, but a few were hooked. Snapper blues and throwback striped bass were angled. Crabbing trapped catches, but could’ve been better. Crabbing picked up for commercials, but wasn’t great for recreationals. Canal Side rents boats for fishing and crabbing on the bay. Baits stocked include minnows, scented and unscented squid strips, scented pink and green strips, trolling squid, tube squid, pints and quarts of salted clams, non-salted clams in both 1 pound and 9 ounces, whole mackerel, filleted mackerel, mullet, spearing, herring, frozen shrimp and a good selection of Gulp artificial baits. Crabs for eating are sold at market prices, currently $26 per dozen for No. 1’s and $14 per dozen for No. 2’s. The crabs can be steamed to order, fresh as can be, and prices are currently $30 for No. 1’s and $18 for No. 2’s. Crab prices went up a couple of dollars, because the government recently prohibited the crabbers from catching their own bunker for bait.

Summer flounder swam the back bay, but not just anyone could expect to bag some these days, said Fred from <b>No Bones Bait & Tackle</b>. The fishing took knowledge and work. A trip with an experienced angler, who used to work on a party boat, tugged in 32 flounder, including six keepers, from the bay. But that was rare. Most customers are tourists this time of year, and sometimes they’d say they landed six flounder, including no keepers, from the bay. Fred wondered whether they were “just throwing numbers.” But the point is that though flounder surely swam the bay, casual anglers weren’t likely to bag them. Another experienced angler stripped out spots for flounder bait, catching two keepers per trip, fairly consistently, on the strips. Frozen mackerel became scarce for bait, and most of the mackerel available were old, and spots were great bait. Flounder, alright catches, were decked on the ocean at Wildwood and Cape May reefs, if anglers knew what they were doing. A buddy and another angler pulled in nine keepers at Wildwood Reef on a trip, and another trip was known about that put up nine from Cape May Reef. Another trip caught none at one of those reefs, and the anglers weren’t veterans at the fishing. Again, the fishing took knowledge, and work. Farther away, Reef 11 and the Old Grounds gave up flounder on the ocean. But that’s far, such as 26 miles to the Old Grounds, from the dock. A friend’s trip with four anglers totaled 16 keepers at Reef 11. Crabbing was good on the bay, but in mornings. The tide didn’t seem to matter, and some of the biggest crabs in years were seen, but they turned off after mornings. Hand-lines definitely caught more than traps did. Rental boats are available to fish or crab on the bay. Baits stocked include plenty of minnows. Live spots are on hand. Anglers looked forward to autumn, including for striped bass fishing in the bay and surf.

<b>Cape May</b>

Nobody seemed to fish for tuna at place like the Hot Dog in the week’s winds, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. Boaters also seemed not to sail for summer flounder on the ocean at spots like the Old Grounds in the winds. But trips aboard are fishing for both, and telephone if interested.

On the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, not a lot of summer flounder were found, but enough were landed to get by, Capt. Paul said. “Enough to know you’re fluke fishing,” he said. Trips fished the ocean, and the angling was a “tough scratch” on some days. Weather was sometimes rough, like northwest winds blowing 20 to 25 on Wednesday’s trip. Still, a couple of anglers limited out on trips, including one in the winds Wednesday, and another in winds Tuesday. On Wednesday, many anglers used 16 ounces to hold bottom, and lines tangled. Anglers who limited out in the past couple of days were Sam Citron, Wildwood Crest, and Al Stromback, Cherry Hill. John Hillson, Boothwyn, Pa.’s, 7-pound flounder, one of his three keepers, was the week’s biggest aboard. Another angler landed a 5 ½ or 6-pounder Wednesday, in the winds. Some anglers bagged keepers, and some didn’t, and that’s flounder fishing. The Porgy IV is sailing for summer flounder at 8 a.m. daily.

Surf casters slid in spots and croakers, pretty good catches, on bloodworms, Fishbites artificial worms and clams, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Triggerfish were toggled in from along inlet jetties and ocean wrecks. So were a few blackfish, and bluefish hung around inlets. Sharks 3 and 5 feet were muscled from the surf. Surf angling for summer flounder was probably best at Cape May Point. Flounder fishing on the ocean produced at Cape May and Wildwood reefs and, farther away, at Reef 11 and the Old Grounds. Not a lot was heard from Delaware Bay, except about weakfish and croakers caught at Reed’s Beach along the jetty on shedder crabs. But lots of bait or peanut bunker, mullet and herring, and snapper blues, schooled Delaware Bay near shore and the back bay and marinas. For offshore boaters, many tuna seemed to linger far south, like at Washington Canyon. Lots of yellowfin tuna were pumped in there on overnight trips. But bigeye tuna were boated at Wilmington Canyon.

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