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New Jersey Inshore Saltwater Fishing Report 8-21-17

<b>Keyport</b>

An open-boat, marathon fluke trip fished well Sunday with the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>, Capt. Mario said. The trip fished the ocean, but Down Deep fluked Raritan Bay lately, too, with good results. On Down Deep’s other boat, porgy fishing was fantastic on every trip. The porgies included big, and big sea bass were mixed in. Marathons last longer than usual, and the next will fluke Saturday and Sunday. Otherwise, open trips are fluking at 6 a.m. daily and 2 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Open trips for porgies are also sailing during those hours. Charters are available for up to 15 passengers on either boat. Sign up for the Short Notice List on <a href="http://downdeepsportfishing.com" target="_blank">Down Deep’s website</a> to be kept informed about special trips. Look for the link underneath “Contact.” Book fall striped bass and sea bass charters and open trips.

Fluking was better on Saturday than on Sunday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. Saturday’s four anglers bagged 10 fluke or two less than a limit. Throwbacks gave up action most of the trip. Boat traffic was heavier on Sunday, making fluke reluctant to bite. Six were bagged, and throwbacks gave up okay action. Space is available Saturday aboard for fluke fishing. Telephone or text Frank to reserve.

<b>Leonardo</b>

Porgies and more porgies were plundered with <b>Sour Kraut Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Joe said. An open-boat trip cleaned up on them this weekend. If anybody wants porgies, this is the time. Fluke fishing’s been decent. There was a period when quite a few were bagged. But trips are still able to pick away at them. A friend’s trip bagged eight, and some good-sized are coming from the Mud Dump and Shrewsbury Rocks. Joe was considering tuna fishing last weekend, but put together too few crew to go. Tuna seemed boated at places like Atlantic Princess wreck, and that was unconfirmed. The fishing seemed inconsistent, and if a trip got on the fish, it caught. But some trips hooked none. Not a lot of tuna seemed found farther offshore at the canyons.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Some trips plumbed lots of throwback fluke, and some caught not as many, but throwbacks were always landed on trips, and some keepers were cranked in, nothing to get excited about, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. Trips fished Raritan and Sandy Hook bays, and when conditions drifted the boat right, the angling was best. Bait caught as well as anything. Spearing are provided aboard, and sometimes killies that anglers brought helped. When the drift was right, rental-rodders even locked into catches. Lousy drifting hampered fishing Saturday. Friday afternoon’s trip stayed docked in rain and a rough forecast. Trips are fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily. People are having fun aboard, enjoying a half-day on the water, and the crew is doing a good job helping, Tom said.

Big fluke Monday! a report said about today’s trip on the <b>Fishermen</b> on the party boat’s website. The boat drifted slowly, and anglers had to work, but some beautiful fluke were drilled at snags and good bottom. All keepers were quality, and not many shorts showed up. An 8-pound 8-ounce fluke won the pool and had to be nearly 3 inches thick. The angler limited out, and the angler who decked the second-biggest, a 7.4-pounder, was hot hand, landing five good-sized keepers, keeping no more than the legal amount. A couple of 7-pounders were cracked on the trip. “Joe S, Doc, Dano and a couple of others” limited out, it said. Dano won the pool. On Sunday’s trip, the boat drifted much too fast. On Saturday’s trip, a roll was leftover from weather Friday. But a 10-pound 3-ounce 28-1/2-inch fluke was nailed, the angler’s personal best. The angler’s Spro fell out of the fish’s mouth as soon as the line went slack in the net. A number of 6- to 8-pounders were also heaved in. Big fluke were biting. Trips are fishing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Neptune</b>

Many, many boats fished the porgy grounds Sunday, Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> wrote in an email. A charter aboard had to work to catch that day, but totaled a good amount of porgies, triggerfish, sea bass, silver eels and fluke. A charter Saturday on the boat picked up decent fishing for sea bass and fluke. A charter Friday smashed fantastic porgy fishing, and returned early. Only three individual-reservation trips for fluke, sailing every Tuesday, remain before fluke season is closed beginning Sept. 6. Space was available including for this week’s when Ralph sent the email. Kids under 12 sail free on those outings, limited to one per adult host.

<b>Belmar</b>

After last week’s blow, fluke fishing on the ocean became much better, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. Westerly wind since knocked down the swell on the fluke grounds, and some big fluke were creamed aboard. The fish weighed up to 9 ½ pounds Saturday on the boat. On a trip Sunday on the vessel, northwesterly wind blew harder than forecast, but the fishing caught fairly well. The fluke were sizable, and the keepers averaged 22 to 26 inches. Bucktails caught best, like usual. But bait-draggers hung some sizable, too. Lots of throwbacks bit, of course. Trips fished deeper than before, because the swell seemed to pull fluke there. Fish for fluke before the season for the fish closes beginning Sept. 6. Space is available, even this weekend. 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 future spaces.

Probably 12 keeper fluke and a bunch of keeper sea bass were pasted on a trip Sunday with <b>Celtic Stoirm Charters</b> on the ocean, Capt. Mike said. Three times as many throwbacks were released. Great trip and great group of anglers, Mike said. The anglers worked hard. On a trip Saturday, almost all anglers became seasick in a swell. Mike hopes all of this fishing goes out strongly before the seasons for fluke and sea bass close soon. Get after the fish while you can.

Fishing began slowly today on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, but once fish were found, good action was copped with chub mackerel, some big sea bass and fluke, a report said on the party boat’s website. Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the Hi Flier, Barnegat, won the pool with a 4-pound fluke, he said. A very good catch of chubs and some bonito and Spanish mackerel came in Saturday aboard, after a slow first couple of hours. On Sunday, a decent catch of mackerel, some sea bass and a couple of Spanish were winged. Trips are fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. However, a charter is booked Friday morning, so no open-boat trips will fish then. Fishing and sunset cruises are running 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. daily. Spaces are available for 24- and 31-hour <a href=" https://www.goldeneaglefishing.com/tunafish" target="_blank">tuna trips</a> in September and October. Reserve them.

For anglers on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, fishing was fair Saturday, picking chub mackerel the whole trip, after making a couple of moves, an email said from the party boat. On the afternoon trip, a fast drift made fishing tough, but a good catch of sea bass, chubs and fluke was made. On Sunday, fishing was excellent for the mackerel and some sea bass. On the afternoon trip, fishing was excellent for a great mix of jumbo and throwback sea bass and some good-sized fluke and throwbacks. Many anglers limited out. On today’s trip, fishing was slow at first. Then mackerel were picked in shots, until that slowed at mid-day. Then mackerel and sea bass were picked elsewhere. Trips are fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Trips are also fishing 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. daily, and the afternoon trips also watch whales and porpoises and catch the sunset on the ride home. Fireworks are watched on Thursday’s afternoon trips.

Wow, fluking is hot! Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Some big were in the mix, and Karen Kramer and Chris Hutchinson from Ewing plastered an 8-pound 6-ouncer and a 7-pound 14-ouncer, respectively, and limited out. Mike Warren from Hopewell and Chris Mihail from Newton fluked Shark River on one of the shop’s rental boats, walloping an 8-pound 6-ouncer and a 7-pounder, respectively. Fluke were weighed-in from the Ozark Fluke Tournament this weekend, and many were 8 to 9 pounds. Get in on the great fluke fishing. Bring the kids who can have a ball with snapper blues on the river. Dust off the surf rods. Stripers and blues will swim there soon. “See you on the sand,” Bob said.

<b>Brielle</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 8/22:***</b> Big fluke and big sea bass, very good catches, were plowed the past three days on the ocean on the <b>Jamaica II</b>, an email said from the party boat. Many anglers limited out, and this was the best fishing aboard all season, by far. The boat was in the yard for maintenance in previous days. In the past three days, many of the fluke weighed 3 to 6 pounds, and pool-winners weighed 8 to 10. Alan Mansara from Toms River is in the lead for the monthly pool with a 9.6-pound fluke. The winner wins not only the cash but also a year of free fishing aboard. Ernie Washington from Philadelphia eased in a 10.6-pound fluke, but wasn’t in the monthly pool. “Too many mackerel around also” the past three days, the email said.  Anglers and their catches also included: Kimmie Chan, Trenton, three Fluke 8.5, 6.6 and 6.1 pounds; Ed Nolan, Manasquan, limits of fluke to 6 pounds and sea bass; Ray Bryant, South Orange, limit of fluke to 7 pounds; and Sean Duffy, Princeton, limit of fluke to 6 1/2 pounds and limit of two 4-pound sea bass. Trips are fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays.

Tuna were scattered mid-shore, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. The fish – a mix of yellowfins 20 to 70 pounds and rat bluefins to 20- or 40-pounders – were trolled, chunked, jigged and plugged from places like the Glory and Resor wrecks to the Cole wreck and Lemke’s Canyon, mostly at lumps. The fishing was a matter of finding the tuna that day. Mahi mahi from chickens to 20-pounders held along lobster-pot buoys in that area and were mixed with the tuna at the lumps. Farther offshore at the canyons, yellowfin tuna fishing was hot and cold, and mostly caught on the troll. One day the fishing was good, and on another, it was slow. Good-sized mahi held in those waters, including along the pot buoys. Bonito moved in from like a mile off the beach to the Klondike wreck area. Small bluefish swam the same waters. So did Spanish mackerel mixed in, and a few false albacore that began to appear. Party boats chummed and jigged these fish. Sometimes private boaters trolled the fish on Clark spoons and feathers. Fluke fishing was pretty darn good the past couple of days at Axel Carson and Sea Girt reefs and farther north at the Rattlesnake and lumps and bottom off the Red Church in 60 feet. The fish to 8 and 9 pounds were clubbed. Fluking went pretty well on Manasquan River from the Railroad Bridge to the inlet. Anglers picked away at small striped bass at the Railroad and Route 35 bridges on the river. Tons of snapper blues swam the river from the back to the inlet, and the snappers also tumbled into the surf.   

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Eight yellowfin tuna and four mahi mahi were trolled at a local canyon on a trip Saturday to Sunday with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. A couple of other boats jigged bluefins nearby on the trip. Another trip with Mushin was headed to the area at 12 midnight Sunday, he said before the outing. A new body of fish and water seemed to move into the area. Bait and pilot whales swam. A trip early last week trolled yellowfins, bluefin tuna, false albacore and skipjacks mid-range aboard. One of Mushin’s captains sailed to the same area the next day with family and friends and trolled yellowfins, bluefins and “other pelagics,” the email said, in a couple of hours. Black and purple plastics caught best on the trips, like recently aboard. An inshore trip Thursday on the boat trolled three dozen bonito and some false albacore and other pelagics. The bonito were in thick, and Clark spoons and feathers consistently hooked them throughout the trip. An angler and family chartered that trip, and the angler wanted to introduce them to this fishing after successful fluke and sea bass trips aboard.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

On the <b>Tin Knocker</b>, two 50-pound yellowfin tuna and three good-sized mahi mahi were trolled yesterday at the Resor wreck, Capt. John said. A fluke trip went well on the ocean last week. A few fluke and some sea bass were bagged, and a bunch of shorts were let go. Space is available for a charter Saturday.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

The surf became lots more fishable Friday than in previous days, a report said on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>’ website. That was after last week’s offshore hurricane. Fluke and snapper blues bit in the water during daytime. At night, sharks and rays chomped in the surf. For the fluke, tie on a ¾- to 1-ounce bucktail with a Gulp swimming mullet. Two fluke 16 inches or larger is the bag limit at Island Beach State Park’s surf, compared with three fluke at 18 inches in most of the rest of the state. In Barnegat Bay, plenty of snappers schooled, and crabbing was slow. 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>

Yellowfin tuna 40 to 50 pounds were trolled and chunked on an overnight trip Saturday to Sunday inshore of the canyons with <b>Tuna-Tic Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Mike said. Smaller were also released, because enough of the larger were already bagged. Plenty were also broken off, because light leaders had to be fished. The tuna gave up good action, and false albacore were also reeled in.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

A trip fluked Saturday on the ocean on the <b>Super Chic</b>, and the angling went not bad, considering that conditions hardly drifted the boat, Capt. Ted said. The anglers ended up with a good catch of fluke and a few sea bass. A trip that evening sailed for whatever would bite, and first checked for blues at Barnegat Ridge on the troll. But only chub mackerel bit. No bonito seemed at the ridge recently, Ted said when asked for this report. So the trip bottom-fished next, scooping up a good catch of sea bass and ling. On Sunday, a trip tried for tuna 40 to 50 miles from the inlet aboard, but the angling was tough. Only false albacore were landed. The tuna caught that Ted heard about were taken late that day, when the trip was already on the way back. But some tuna are out there. Some openings are available for an open-boat tuna trip to the canyons Sept. 8-9. Space is available for more of the trips that were just scheduled for Sept. 15-16, 16-17 and 23-24.

The solar eclipse cruise sailed today on the <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, the boat’s Facebook page said. On Saturday’s trip, fishing improved slightly. “Few more keepers and a good amount of shorts,” it said. The boat is fishing for fluke and sea bass on the ocean. On Sunday’s trip, fishing was up and down. “A keeper or two a drift with other stuff mixed in,” it said. Before the weekend, fishing was slower aboard, maybe because of the swell from Hurricane Gert offshore at mid-week and wind on Friday. Trips are sailing for fluke and sea bass 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily. Sunset cruises are running at 5:30 p.m. daily. Watch the Atlantic City Air Show Wednesday on the water aboard, lunch included.  Reserve <a href="http://www.missbarnegatlight.com/TunaFishing.html" target="_blank">tuna trips</a> for September and October.

<b>Longport</b>

Rough weather pushed bluefish somewhat farther offshore than before for the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. No Spanish mackerel were mixed in during the past couple of days, but a good number were previously. They seemed to come and go this season, but mostly were around. Trips aboard troll for the 2- or 3-pound blues and the Spanish. The ocean was a little green and dirty from rain and southerly wind, but was beautiful and clear beyond 22 miles from the coast. Fishing aboard looked for mahi mahi near the Cigar, but no mahi bit at lobster pot buoys during the angling. Something bit off one of the lines. Sea bass catches were strong on the ocean aboard. Trips limited out on good-sized, including 14- to 16-inchers, on like three drifts. Summer flounder fishing was on an off on the ocean aboard. They bit sometimes and didn’t sometimes. Fishing Sunday hooked three throwback flounder and plenty of sea bass.  Because flounder season this year closes early beginning Sept. 6, a discount will be offered for tuna trips to the offshore canyons starting in September, until fall sea bass season opens. The sea bass season is yet to be announced. Anglers should telephone, because of the substantial savings for tuna. The trips will also deep-drop for tilefish, depending on the tide. The discount is for open-boat trips and charters. Sept. 9 and 17 to 18 are already sold out. The open trips will run every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, unless a charter is booked. A $100 deposit is required for the open trips, and the trips will be limited to six passengers.

<b>Cape May</b>

<b>Fishin’ Fever Sportfishing</b>’s been summer flounder fishing, catching very well, Capt. Tom said. Trips didn’t limit every day, but limited on several days. The fish weighed up to 9 pounds this past week, and included 7- and 8-pounders. Plenty of throwbacks turned out lots of action, and anglers just weeded through for keepers. A tuna trip was supposed to depart early this morning, Tom said before the outing. A trip last week aboard put up two yellowfin tuna, a marlin and a few mahi mahi. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing for flounder or tuna.

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