<b>Sewaren</b>

Customers really began to boat fluke on Raritan Bay, said Rich from <b>Dockside Bait & Tackle</b>. Fishing was generally good, and a 9-pound fluke was weighed at the shop the other day, and a 6.8-pounder was a couple of days previously. The fish began to come in. A 25-incher was even reeled from the pier. Bluefish schooled the bay, and striped bass fishing was slowing but caught. All baits including killies are stocked. Dockside, located on Smith Creek, a tributary of the Arthur Kill, north of Outerbridge Crossing, is accessible from the water at the fuel dock and from land. The fuel dock is open 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

<b>Keyport</b>

No fishing sailed since Sunday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. Northeast wind against outgoing tide is no good for fluke fishing on Raritan Bay. “One thing I try not to do is take my customers for a boat ride,” he said. Trips aboard have been self-imposing a 19-inch minimum size for fluke, and that’s been working out. That enables trips to fish New York waters, where that’s the legal minimum size, as well as New Jersey waters, where 18 inches is the size. That opens up 50 percent more water to fishing. That’s been working out including because the biggest fluke on each trip have weighed 6 to 8 pounds. Gulp out-fished bait, and bait attracted throwbacks and dogfish. Bring your own Gulp if possible, and Gulp is available for sale aboard at cost in the right colors, style and size. Charters and open-boat trips are fluking, and the next open trips with spaces available are 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, 6 a.m. Monday, 2 p.m. Wednesday and 6 a.m. next Thursday. Telephone to reserve. <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/vitaminseafishing/" target="_blank">Follow Vitamin Sea on Facebook</a> to see photos and daily reports. <b>***Update, Thursday, 6/8:***</b> An open trip for fluke is also available Friday, June 16. Also, Capt. T.J. will run an open trip for striped bass 2 p.m. this Saturday. A couple of anglers want to go, but he needs a few more. T.J. won second place in Hi Mar Striper Club’s striper tournament last weekend.

With the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>, sea bass fishing remained super, Capt. Mario said. Fantastic, he said, and the high hook this week landed 35 legal-sized, keeping no more than a limit. Plenty of big ling were mixed in, and open-boat trips are sea bass fishing daily, and charters are available for the angling. Take advantage before sea bass season closes beginning June 19. That was on the Down Deep, one of the company’s two boats, each accommodating up to 15 passengers. The Down Deep Bull, the other vessel, is fluke fishing on open trips daily and every Friday and Saturday afternoons from 2 to 8 o’clock. Fluking was up and down, better on some days than others, not great yet. Fluke charters are also available. Join the Short Notice List on <a href="http://downdeepsportfishing.com" target="_blank">Down Deep’s website</a> to be kept informed about special open trips. Look for the link underneath the Contact link.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Raritan Bay’s fluke fishing was fair, said Joe at <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Party boats sometimes struggled at the angling and fished spearing. But the fluke fed on grass shrimp, and sometimes spearing attracted fewer bites. The shrimp are expensive and need to be fished on small hooks. Bluefish, good-sized to 15 pounds and bigger, swarmed everywhere, including in the river and bay. Sometimes striped bass were boated on the ocean, including off the Red Church and at Shrewsbury Rocks. The bass were taken off the Highlands Bridge, 2 miles from shore, two days ago. Surf fishing for stripers wasn’t bad, and sandworms hooked them great. Sea bass were boated at Sandy Hook Reef. 

A few fluke were picked on the bay this morning, said Johnny O. from <b>Fisherman’s Den North</b> in a phone call at noon. Two of the store’s rental boats were out and were landing fluke already on the bay. A 30-pound striped bass had just been weighed at the store that was fly-rodded while the angler was bluefishing on the ocean close to shore. But nothing was heard about stripers trolled on the ocean this morning. Bluefish schooled the bay. Plenty of adult bunker schooled the harbor at the shop. All baits, everything, including killies are stocked.

Some better action with fluke and a better catch of keeper fluke was found today on the <b>Fishermen</b>, a report said on the party boat’s website. Big Dave fishing in the bow landed eight fluke including the 6-pound pool-winner. Capt. Ron even managed to wet a line and pull up a 4-pounder. Two weakfish 18 inches and 15 inches and a couple of blues were in the mix on the trip. Conditions were rough after the tide changed, and trips seemed stuck with wind against tide that kicks up seas. More bait and fatter fluke are beginning to be seen. A report was heard about loads of sand eels on the New York side of the bay, the first in a long time. “… must be the colder water, who knows,” the report said. Weather looks good for the weekend! Trips are fishing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 3:30 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday through Sunday, and for striped bass 3:30 to 9 p.m. every Monday.

One angler bagged a 7.14-pound fluke and a 4.8-pounder on Monday morning’s trip on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. More throwbacks gave up action than before, and some better-sized fluke showed up on the trip, covered in the last report here. Weather was rough since, and the afternoon’s trip stayed tied to the dock. On the next day, Tuesday, neither of the twice-daily trips fished in rain. Both the trips fished Wednesday and picked fluke, a few more shorts than keepers, the same as recently. The afternoon’s trip scored a better keeper ratio than the morning’s, not more shorts, but more legal-sized, including a 6.2-pounder. Sandy Hook Bay and Flynn’s Knoll have fished best. The fishing hasn’t been great, but fluke have been found at every place tried, better on some days than others. Bait caught as well as bucktails or Spros. Spearing are provided, and three anglers with rental rods on Wednesday afternoon’s trip caught on the spearing. On the morning’s trip, an angler who brought killies bagged three fluke on the minnows. Another bagged two, and another bagged one on killies they also brought on the trip. Trips are fluke fishing 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily.

<b>Highlands</b>

Sailing from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Ed Niedzinski limited out on fluke to 23 inches on the river on killies, Marion wrote in an email. Breyann and Rob Radlof boated two 42-pound striped bass. Twin Lights, located on Shrewsbury River near Raritan Bay and the ocean, with no bridges before them, includes a marina with boat slips, dry storage, a fuel dock, and a combined bait and tackle shop and ship’s store. The fuel dock is available 24 hours a day with a credit card. Baits stocked include fresh clams and live and fresh bunker when in demand.

<b>Belmar</b>

Sea bass fishing was super, very good, on the ocean on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. All anglers were limiting out aboard, catching including on jigs. Sunday’s trip will try fluke fishing, leaving early at 6 a.m., and the boat will sea bass fish daily until then. The vessel usually sails 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Rough weather kept <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>’ striped bass trips docked in past days, Capt. Pete said. No trips sailed since Sunday, but they’ll resume today aboard the ocean. The moon is full, and he expects good fishing for the bass. A couple of larger boats fished for stripers in the weather, catching some. The fishing aboard includes Magic Hour Trips 3:30 to 9 p.m. every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Contact Parker Pete’s about individual spaces available with charters who want more anglers. Sign up for the email blast on <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a> to be kept informed about the spaces.

Fishing the ocean to the south, most anglers limited out on 1- to 3-pound blues today on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the party boat said. The fishing was excellent the whole trip, and most drifts fished blues paving the bottom that were marked, though blues were seen along the water surface at times. “There was a nice area of fish,” it said, and no trips fished the previous two days because of weather. The boat is fishing for stripers and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for fluke and sea bass 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. “every weekend,” the email said.

All the bluefish that anglers wanted were jack-hammered today on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, an email from the party boat said. The customers kept as many of the 2- to 4-pounders as they liked, and began releasing additional by late morning. The fishing, with Run Off jigs and crocodiles, was excellent. Yesterday’s trip also served up good bluefishing, for 2- to 5-pounders. The boat would be drifted around, and two or three would be hooked, and then 15 or 20 would. So the action was fairly steady throughout the trip. Trips are fishing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

<b>Brielle</b>

On the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, excellent sea bass catches were crushed on afternoon trips, and some fluke and sea bass were angled on morning trips, Capt. Joe wrote in an email. All anglers limited out on sea bass on this afternoon’s trip, and the fish weighed up to 4.9 pounds. Sea bass were mostly 2 to 4 pounds on trips. Diamond jigs are slamming sea bass right now. Trips are fishing for fluke and sea bass 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and sea bass 2 to 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday through Saturday and for fluke and sea bass 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Monday. A few of the anglers who limited on sea bass this afternoon were Ernie Grossberg, Trenton; Roy Williams, Philadelphia; Gary Straham, Bristol; Alex Pilewski, Trenton; Charlie Scire, Lakewood; Bruce Casagrande, Trenton; and Tom Price, Pennsauken.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

All the morning trips for fluke on the ocean fished the past three days on the <b>Norma-K III</b>, a report said on the party boat’s website. None of the afternoon trips did, and anglers apparently stayed away because of weather forecasts. The angling was slow, and a hard tide ran down the coast from the north, drifting the boat very fast. Fluke are there, and the current probably needs to ease a little for more bites, like during the weekend. On the recent trips, a few keeper sea bass and a few throwback fluke were managed. Weather’s looking good through the weekend, including highs in the 80s and 90s Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Highs in the 90s are forecast for afterward. Trips are fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily and for bluefish 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. every Friday and Saturday.

“Today was finally a nice day,” the party boat <b>Gambler</b>’s Facebook page said. On this morning’s trip, skies were sunny, and weather began to be warmer. The trip copped steady action with a few keeper fluke, plenty of throwbacks and some sea bass on the ocean. Trips are fluke fishing 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily and are striped bass fishing 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.

Excellent sea bass fishing was smoked the past six or seven days on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b> on the ocean, Capt. Butch said. Keep anglers coming until sea bass season closes beginning June 19, because quite a few good-sized will probably be thrown back starting then, he said. Lots of small bit, but by the end of trips, almost all customers limited out. Butch had already limited when he gave this report at 10:30 a.m. today in a phone call aboard. A few ling and good-sized winter flounder have been mixed in. A few whiting and two or three keeper fluke were also swung in on today’s trip so far. Trips mostly fished in 70- to 100-foot depths. Abundant small sea bass seemed to swim the shallows this morning, and the boat was moved deeper, to almost 100 feet of water, when Butch gave the report, and the angling was very good. Trips are bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Nighttime bluefish trips will also sail beginning late in the month, if the angling picks up by then.

<b>Toms River</b>

Those who fished despite the weather beached bluefish, a variety of sizes, and a few sizable striped bass in the mix in the surf, said Mario from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. One angler would report 10-pound blues, and others would report 4- and 5-pounders. Surf casters fished bunker, clams, metal, swimming lures like Daiwa SP Minnows and popper lures. Fluke fishing could be fairly good in the surf. Anglers took advantage of the 16-inch minimum size and two-fish bag limit for fluke at Island Beach State Park’s surf. That’s compared with an 18-inch size and three-fish limit in most of the rest of the state.  Jetty Ghost Mullnuts with a teaser nailed fluke well in the surf. Bucktails with teasers also caught. Weather was rough for boating the ocean, and Mario heard that a few striped bass were boated there, but that was unconfirmed, so he didn’t even want to mention that. From Barnegat Bay, cocktail blues and fluke were boated. A friend limited out on three fluke by 8:30 a.m. while drifting between the BI and BB markers on the bay on a trip. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Striped bass and bluefish “have been finding their way to local scales,” a report said on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>’ website. The fish apparently came from the surf. The catches were slowly seen, because of lack of participation in unsettled weather, and so were catches of fluke that also apparently came from the surf. All three fish were also slowly seen from Barnegat Bay. Although the weather was less than perfect, if you don’t like crowds, these days were for you. The weather caused less fishing pressure and plenty of room at favorite fishing spots. Crabbing was a pick from the dock. Sun and warmer weather is forecast, and that might jump start fishing and crabbing. The Dock Outfitters, located on Barnegat Bay, blocks from the ocean surf, features a bait and tackle shop, a café, a dock for fishing and crabbing, boat rentals and jet-ski rentals. 

<b>Forked River</b>

<b>Tuna-Tic Sportfishing</b> was trying to shark fish this week, but water was cold, and seas were rough, Capt. Mike said. Three of the trips were postponed, and seas were better closer to shore, but were stiff beyond 40 miles off. A trip will try to shark Friday, and the boat will shark throughout the month, if anglers are interested. The angling’s a specialty aboard, and small bluefin tuna are also around. Tuna-Tic wrapped up inshore fishing for the year, and now sails for sharks and afterward tuna. Until now, the boat fished for sea bass, and that was great. Sea bass season will close beginning June 19.

Bluefish 2 to 6 pounds swam Barnegat Bay, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. A customer this morning ran into a blitz of them while fluke fishing. Fluke bit in the bay at Double Creek Channel and near the research buoy. Weakfish were reported now and then from the bay around the mouth of Oyster Creek on pink Fin-S Fish. Nothing was heard about striped bass from the ocean. Weather probably kept boats from sailing for them in past days. But even when they sailed a few days ago, little was heard about the catches, and the bass seemed tough to find. Crabbing was becoming pretty good. Baits stocked include fresh clams, killies and frozen baits like Canadian spearing, local spearing and sand eels.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

A 40-pound striped bass was just weighed-in when George from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b> gave this report this morning in a phone call. The fish was trolled on the ocean. Weather often prevented trips in past days, but a 30-inch striper was also hooked in front of the condos. A trip with three anglers yesterday limited out on fluke 20 to 23 inches on Barnegat Bay. Nothing was heard about whether bluefish remained in Barnegat Bay and Barnegat Inlet. Everybody chased stripers and fluke. Minnows ran out this morning at the store and are scarce but stocked when available. All frozen baits are carried. Bobbie’s features a complete bait and tackle shop, a fuel dock and boat and kayak rentals. The boats are used for fishing, crabbing, clamming and pleasure.

<b>Barnegat</b>

“Here comes the heat!” Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b> wrote in an email. “Looks like warmer temps are forecast for the weekend and beyond. No better way to beat the heat than swinging for stripers and blues. We’re running combo trips that start with the hunt for big stripers and end in the bay throwing top-waters for blues. We could also mix in some fluke jigging in the bay. Whatever you guys want to do. Sailing charter or open-boat Saturday through Monday. Six-hour trips departing at 5 a.m. and noon each day. Charter the boat for your own group or sign on as an individual. There hasn't been much snag-and-drop opportunity with the bunker, so we’re catching the big stripers trolling bunker spoons and Mojos. The upside is that they’re all huge: 35- to 50-pound fish. Finishing up with some light-tackle blues and fluke rounds out the day. Four people max, all fish are shared.”

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Small schools of 2- to 3-pound bluefish, good-eating-sized, roamed the bay, said Brandon from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. But anglers targeted either summer flounder on the bay or sea bass on the ocean. A couple tried shark fishing on the ocean. Flounder fishing was fair on the bay, and the fish were mostly better-sized. When a flounder was boated there, the fish wasn’t usually small. Flounder seemed hesitant to bite but were caught. They blanketed deeper bottom, where they held since big bluefish stormed the bay earlier this spring, like bluefish do. Flounder seem to try to avoid blues by holding in deeper water then, and were yet to leave the deep.  Crabbing was terrific, both for recreational crabbers and commercials. Crabbing was the best chance to score a good catch. Minnows and fresh-shucked clams were stocked. No live grass shrimp were on hand, only because Scott from the shop made no trip to net them. Literally six eels were stocked, and catches of striped bass on eels on Mullica River slowed.

<b>Absecon</b>

Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b> was up to his knees in soft-shell crabs, he said. The shop raises and sells them for eating, and he couldn’t spend time giving a detailed report. But lots of good reports about fishing rolled into the shop. Summer flounder fishing was great in the back bay. Good-sized weakfish were hooked along Absecon Inlet, and striped bass and bluefish were in. Plenty of minnows and all bait was stocked. Plenty of the soft-shells were on hand, and therefore so were plenty of shedder crabs for bait. Keep up with the soft-shell supply on <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/SoftshellCrabs/" target="_blank">Absecon Bay Sportsman’s Soft Shell Crabs Facebook Page</a>.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Fishing was the same as before, and the weather was no issue for waters that customers of <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b> fish, Noel said. They fish on foot along nearby, jetty-lined Absecon Inlet and the surf near the inlet. Catches were good like before. On fire! he said. Good-sized weakfish were nailed along Absecon Inlet and the surf near the inlet. Summer flounder were taken from the same waters. So were striped bass, bluefish and kingfish. Sign up for the free One Stop Fluke Candy Tournament that began Saturday and lasts until June 23 for summer flounder caught in Atlantic City. Prizes will be $300 for first place, $150 for second and $100 for third. First through third will also win a custom tournament T-shirt apiece. Fourth through sixth will win a Tsunami rod apiece. Entrants will also receive a free One Stop Fluke Candy Rig. Register before entering a catch. The winning fish in the store’s free striper tournament that wrapped up last weekend weighed: 49.2, 36, 34.3, 33.4, 29.2 and 13.8 pounds. Those are some impressive-sized stripers, all from these same waters.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Not a lot happened, but weather should improve and be good this weekend, and bluefish hung around the surf, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Striped bass were banked here and there, nothing great. Some kingfish were plucked from the surf, fishing that was beginning to improve. Minnows are stocked, and fresh bunker will arrive tonight. Fresh clams in the shell will be stocked tomorrow. 

<b>Margate</b>

Rough, cold weather from northeast seemed to slow summer flounder fishing somewhat in past days on the party boat <b>Keeper</b> on the back bay, Capt. John said. He felt freezing aboard sometimes, and sometimes no trip sailed, because of the weather. But some of the fish still bit, and sunny, warm weather is forecast for the next days. He hopes that picks the angling back up. Previously, the fishing wasn’t bad, and he was happy with it. The number of keepers on trips last week included 19 on one trip and 16 on another. The fish hit minnows and mackerel supplied aboard. Minnows were scarce and for one trip were unavailable, but they were carried aboard otherwise. Gulps that anglers brought also caught. Customers sometimes fished bucktails with the mackerel or Gulps, and that could work well. Trips are fishing for summer flounder 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. daily. The rate is only $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and $20 for kids, because the fishing is near port, and the pontoon boat is economical on fuel. Plus, rental rods are free.

<b>Longport</b>

The northeast weather was terrible, but fishing will resume aboard now, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>. Open-boat trips for sea bass are set for Sunday, Tuesday and next Thursday, and the angling’s still good in the 61-degree ocean. Telephone to jump aboard. Charters are available, but Saturdays are filling quickly.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Boaters who fished the back bay often said their boat was the only in the area, because of the weather, said Pat from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. But the trips bagged summer flounder here and there in shallow water in usual spots like Ships and Rainbow channels. Cocktail blues 2 or 3 pounds schooled the bay. Striped bass definitely bit at night in the bay at bridges and sod banks on soft-plastic lures or 4- or 5-inch hard lures. Cocktail blues were also angled from the surf. So were small stripers. No fish of size came from the surf. Sometimes kingfish were nabbed from the surf. Nobody seemed to fish for sea bass on the ocean because of weather in recent days. But when the trips last sailed, everybody seemed to limit out. Not much was heard about shark fishing in rough seas. Boaters competing in the South Jersey Shark Tournament today probably dealt with stiff seas. Seas are supposed to improve somewhat the next, final two days of the tournament. Few people seemed to crab yet this season. But crabs were trapped.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

A trip steamed to Wilmington Canyon on Saturday with Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, with John Martin and Dick Lackman aboard, Joe said. Two small bluefin tuna were released, a medium-sized mahi mahi was landed, and a big mahi jumped off. The temperature break that satellite charts showed wasn’t as distinct as Joe had hoped. The water was 61 to 62 degrees, and he was surprised mahi swam water that cool.  In recent years, the tuna fishing could really rack up catches in the early season like this, if the right water was found. The trip trolled a variety of spreader bars, Zukers, ballyhoos and more. On Friday, two anglers fished the back bay aboard, bailing tons of blues 2 to 3 pounds, on every cast a while, two keeper summer flounder and a bunch of shorts. One of the keeper flounder was border-line legal-sized and was let go. The bay’s flounder fishing’s been good, and another trip was supposed to fish for them this afternoon. The bay’s bluefishing continued to be good, and the blues were smaller than blues previously this season in the bay, but the blues currently gave up good action. Striped bass fishing’s also been good on the bay. Joe’s trips fish for the bass including with popper lures and popper flies, drawing strikes along the water surface. Inshore sharking trips aboard for species like browns and blacktips begin in the middle of this month to late in the month aboard. Some of the sharks are probably already in, and they are in by the time Joe begins the angling. The angling is catch-and-release, and some of the species are required to be let go. The trips, usually fishing within 10 miles from shore, are a chance to fight big catches without the long sail offshore. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>.

Reports that came in between brutal weather said summer flounder fishing was pretty good on the back bay during the week, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Most were hooked on minnows or pink Gulps. The Gulps were mostly swimming mullets, but a variety of others were fished, like jerk shads. A shot of 5- to 8-pound bluefish seemed to arrive in the bay the past couple of days, after 3-pounders were common previously. The new size also popped up in the surf at times. No striped bass were heard about from the surf in a week. But a few small stripers and occasional weakfish were winged at night under lights at docks and piers, mostly on Fin-S Fish. The ocean was rough for boaters to sail for sea bass. The last trips heard about were during the weekend, and the angling was good if trips fished 25 miles from shore. A couple of thresher sharks and one mako shark caught were known about. More will probably be heard after the annual South Jersey Shark Tournament this weekend. Crabbing was excellent.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Few fished in the weather, so saying how fishing was, was difficult, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. But the weather’s supposed to break now. He saw a couple of keeper summer flounder from the back bay. A few 1- to 2-pound bluefish, good-sized for eating, were angled from the bay. They can be delicious. A few throwback striped bass were heard about from the bay. Some good news was that the shop’s been getting crabs that it sells for eating. The supplier had no problem trapping them in Delaware Bay, and Mike hopes to have the crabs again this weekend. The store sells them live and cooked-to-order. It also sells shrimp and clams, and customers enjoy the food at picnic tables with tents on the water at the store, or enjoy them at their own location. Canal Side rents boats for fishing, crabbing and pleasure and kayaks. <b>***<i>Get a $5 discount</i>***</b> on a rental boat if you mention Fishing Reports Now. A large supply of bait and tackle is carried. At press time, no minnows were stocked, because they were scarce from suppliers. Local shops that carried minnows traveled to Delaware to get them. But all other baits were stocked. Those included scented squid strips, unscented strips, tube squid, squid three per pack and two per pack, spearing, salted clams in a quart or a pint, a pound of fresh-frozen clams, 9 ounces of fresh-frozen clams, clam strips, three-packs of whole mackerel, mackerel fillets, mullet, frozen bunker and 40 types of Gulp artificial baits. An example of tackle and other gear stocked includes rigs including from Aquaclear, bucktails including from S&S, Spros, rods for the back bay, all the lead weights, quite a variety of crab traps both recreational and commercial and charts for the back bay. 

<b>Cape May</b>

Weather kept fishing from sailing in past days with <b>Fishin’ Fever Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Tom said. But Delaware Bay’s black drum fishing was reportedly good during that time for anglers who made the trip. Fishing aboard will shark on Friday and sea bass on Sunday. Some yellowfin tuna to 50 pounds were boated at Poorman’s Canyon, local waters for Cape May’s offshore fishing.

No fishing sailed in the weather on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, and Capt. George heard about no boating during that time, he said. Fishing on the boat this weekend is supposed to sail for sea bass on the ocean. The most recent black drum trip on Delaware Bay aboard, last weekend, boxed four and lost four, covered in the last report here. Some rough seas seemed in store for the South Jersey Shark Tournament underway in town. The ocean was cold, too, and George saw 59-degree water there on a sea bass trip last weekend aboard. Blue sharks will swim that temperature, but anglers want makos.

The party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>’s daily sea bass trips last fished Sunday, Capt. Paul said. Weather including rain Monday and rough seas Wednesday kept the vessel in the slip since. Sea bass were scooped aboard the boat’s most recent trips. Fishing for sea bass will sail throughout the weekend on the boat, and the daily trips will switch to summer flounder fishing beginning Monday. Though sea bass bit, the Porgy is a flounder boat, and weather’s supposed to become warmer. Anglers look for that for flounder fishing. Paul couldn’t know whether flounder are ready to bite. He thinks sea bass fishing might begin to slow because of angling pressure. Many boats targeted the fish, and he doesn’t want to sail 30 miles from shore in the hopes of finding a spot that nobody was fishing. Several customers limited out on sea bass Saturday and Sunday. Bob Brett from Whitesboro limited and won the pool with a 4-pound sea bass that beat a 20-inch flounder that Gary Sloan from North Wildwood bagged. That was the year’s first keeper flounder aboard. The boat sails at 8 a.m. daily.

The sun finally began to be seen today, said Joe from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Black drum were boated from Delaware Bay. Pretty good weakfishing was tied into, from along jetties in the surf to rocks, bridges or other structure in the back bay, on shedder crabs and bloodworms. Bluefish 2 to 3 pounds seemed to move into the surf. A few striped bass were still beached from the surf, and a few were sizable. Summer flounder fishing seemed productive on the back bay. All anglers who reported the angling said so, and none complained. They would complain if there was reason. No flounder fishing was heard about from Delaware Bay. A customer yesterday said he was going to give the fishing a shot on the bay, because he usually catches them this time of year.  Sea bass fishing went well on the ocean when boaters last had the weather and seas to sail for them. Many anglers were headed for shark fishing because of the South Jersey Shark Tournament that was underway in town.

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