Note: This report includes web code that will be updated soon.

<b>Brooklyn</b>

A charter bottom fished on the <b>Big M Express</b> on Saturday in the ocean at a few spots to the south, the report on the boat’s web site said. Sea bass were there, but lots were small and had to be culled to bag keepers. But 40 or so keepers to 3 pounds were taken, and a few fluke including a 7-pound whopper were hooked, and so was a single ling. On Friday a charter sailed for a day of bluefishing. The fish took 45 minutes to get going, but then they were fought the rest of the day, and the action was strong. Open-boat trips take place every day when no charter is booked.

<b>Staten Island</b>

<b>Kayla Rose Charters</b> headed out to look for striped bass at the Shrewsbury Rocks on Saturday, but stripers were scarce, so the anglers switched to fluking and sea bassing at the rocks, Capt. Darrin said. Reports were talking about stripers biting previously, but 50,000 boats were there Saturday. But some nice fluke and sea bass were landed. Darrin is hoping to run mid-shore trips for mahi mahi and bluefin tuna soon. Both charters and open-boat trips will take those runs, and call to reserve the open trips. Canyon tuna charters should also start soon.

Sea bassing was super with <b>Outcast Charters</b> on Saturday and Sunday about 3 or 4 miles offshore, Capt. Joe said. Lots of good-sized humpbacks to 3 ½ pounds were boated each day, and lots of ling were hooked Sunday. A keeper striper bit Saturday, and out-of-season winter flounder were also released on the trips. Outcast will keep sailing for sea bass, and charters are also targeting fluke and stripers, and trips will run for weakfish when the trout show up in decent numbers.

<b>Laurence Harbor</b>

A trip with <b>Evening Tide Charters</b> on Thursday was supposed to run south in the ocean for big stripers on bunker, but fog nixed those plans, Capt. Kyle said. Instead the anglers fluke fished, and the action was pretty quiet in the ocean off Sandy Hook. So the boat started working around the point of the Hook, and a couple of sea robins bit. Then the vessel pushed behind Sandy Hook to a number of spots in the bay, gradually making its way home, and fluke began to be picked up, and as usual shorts had to be weeded through. A friend got into solid weakfish action around the 8 and 10 buoys in Reach Channel, news that Kyle’s been waiting for, because he’s ready to target weaks along with fluke. He was running a trip today and hoped to castnet peanut bunker and try livelining them in the morning for weaks, because weaks can become finicky once boat traffic starts, and then swim the peanuts for fluke.

<b>Keyport</b>

On the <b>Lucky Carm</b> Brian Clayton’s party fished for fluke Friday in the bay, and the fishing was a little tough, but they caught fluke to 3.3 pounds, Capt. Carmine said. The group also included Marilyn, Marlene, Christina, Jose, Nikki, 13, and Vinny, 12, and the two youngsters also grabbed fluke. Fluke season is winding down and closes in early September, so jump aboard now if you want fillets for the freezer. A few openings on weekends but no many are left, and weekdays are available. Carmine was hearing about no weakfish turning on in the bay yet, but he read an unconfirmed report about weakfish hooked in the rivers. Open-boat trips are taking place 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day with a minimum of three anglers when no charter is booked, and call to reserve.

Bill Chadwick and daughter fished with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> on Saturday and landed six fluke, including two keepers, and a slough of sea robins on squid and killies, mostly in the ocean off Sandy Hook, Capt. Joe said. Open-boat trips are sailing 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Wednesday when no charter is booked, and call to reserve.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Charters on the <b>CRT II</b> fluke fished every day in the past week, and the bite was slow, not great, and some days were better than others, Capt. Mick said. They fished all over, including at Ambrose Channel, Romer Shoal and Swash Channel, and anglers would get a blast of fluke here and there. A 22-incher was the biggest flattie of the week, and the best trip actually switched to sea bassing. A charter Thursday with Joe Geist abandoned fluke fishing and targeted sea bass 7 or 8 miles offshore and scored quite well on sea bass to 20 inches. The catch wasn’t phenomenal, but the sea bassing went well. Charters on the CRT II will keep fishing for fluke, and Capt. Mick was hearing about weakfish starting to be picked up in the bay, and when the weaks turn on, charters will go after them. Some openings are available for charters, though the calendar is booking up, and few prime dates on weekends are left. Special fluke charters are available on weekends that offer a very deep discount.

Fluking had its moments, and the fishing was often slow, but sometimes the bite would improve and then fall back again, said Capt. Tom from the <b>Atlantic Star</b>. A few trips looked like the action would start to happen again, and then the fishing would fall apart. It was hit or miss, and sometimes a spot would produce, and another time it wouldn’t, with no apparent reason. The boat fished in the bay at places including Reach Channel, Terminal Channel, Sandy Hook Channel and off Sandy Hook Point, and a couple of nice flatties were landed, including Migeul Demenkon’s 7-1/4-pounder boated Saturday afternoon and John Giordano’s 6-3/4-pounder taken Sunday afternoon. John fishes hard and works for his catch, and he bagged a few keepers on Sunday morning’s trip and two or three on the afternoon’s trip. Saturday afternoon’s fishing was decent, not great. But the boat fished the same place the previous afternoon with no luck. Again, fishing a spot two different times could produce two different results, and there was no predicting. Fluke were spread throughout the bay, and they had mud all over their bellies and didn’t seem to be leaving, and what turns them on or off was impossible to know. The first two weakfish of the season, about 20 inches apiece, were reeled in Saturday. They bit within a couple of minutes of each other, and apparently a weakfish school was passing through. The Atlantic Star will probably keep fluke fishing until the season closes after September 10, and the boat will probably target weakfish afterward. The Atlantic Star is sailing for fluke on two trips daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

A great drift took place Thursday on the <b>Fishermen’s</b> daily fluke trip, and that made a 100-percent difference, Capt. Ron said in an e-mail. Four patrons limited out, and there was one heck of a catch of keepers. Many of the doormats weighed 2 to 4 pounds, and few shorts bit. Capt. Ron Sr. took the trip and nailed a 7.4-pounder and limited out. A 7-pound flattie was good for the pool, and there was nice action all day, even in the fog. Ron said it was hard to believe the government wants to cut back the fluke bag limit again with the fishing anglers have waited so long to enjoy, paying their dues for years by throwing back 16-inch fish. On Friday fluking was excellent again, and anglers had to wait for the tide to change to get a decent drift, but once the tide started the bite was on. There were nice, long drifts, just like it should be, and several customers limited out, and Ron Sr. also joined the trip again and limited. Jerry Sarapochiello limited out and won the pool with a 6.6-pounder. Saturday’s fishing was slower, but patrons did manage to pick fish, including bagging a few nicer ones on the first couple of drifts, along with some shorts. But the day ended with a very nice catch, though not as good as the previous day. Steve Waldman caught the biggest, a 6.8-pounder. Sunday was tough battling fog and no real current for a while in the morning. But patrons still picked away at keepers, shorts and a few sea bass. Roddy, Capt. Ron’s buddy from the islands, nailed a 5.3-pounder that won the pool on the first drift. High hooks bagged three keepers, and it was amazing how the fish turned off as soon as nasty weather came near. No fish were hooked after 1 p.m.  The boat is also bluefishing, and the bluefish blight seemed to be over, because a trip Saturday afternoon was very good for blues to 10 pounds and a keeper striper. The Fishermen is fishing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, but the boat is chartered this Wednesday morning, so no open trip will sail then. Afternoon bluefishing trips are running 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

<b>Highlands</b>

The week was another good one for fluking for <b>Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures</b> when conditions were right, and flatties from 18 to 26 inches were boated in the bay and in the ocean, both on incoming and outgoing tides, Capt. Bob said in an e-mail. His anglers had great luck with Gulp swimming minnows in white or chartreuse with a killie, and the fish seemed to lay off spearing. Night bluefish trips were also good, and nice striped bass to 36 inches were sometimes caught while charters chummed for blues. On Saturday four anglers were aboard and competed in the Middletown Elks Fluke Tournament, putting together a good catch of 15 keeper fluke to 23 inches but no money fish. Another crew was aboard Sunday and grabbed fluke to 20 inches, a star gazer and numerous sea robins and skates before stormy weather set in. The drift wasn’t bad, but the bite never turned on. Some good dates remain for charters in August, and fall striper and blackfish trips are already being booked.

<b>Fisher Price Charters</b> fished the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers over the weekend and picked away at weakfish to 3 pounds on worms and jigs and landed a bunch of fluke, Capt. Derek said. The fluke were caught in only 1 ½ hours, and lots were shorts, but some were 2- to 3-1/2-pound keepers. If charters want weakfish, the fishing in the rivers is holding up best, but Derek will start searching the bay for weaks, because the bay’s weakfishing could break open any day. Charters are normally fluke fishing in the bay or ocean, although Derek’s found the fluking best in the rivers when boat traffic isn’t heavy on weekdays. A few dates are available for charters.

<b>Sea Bright</b>

Weakfish and fluke were targeted with <b>Jersey Shore Fishing Charters</b> on Saturday, Capt. Jake said. One 24-inch weak was wormed at Reach Channel, and only one probably bit because the trip got a late start. Fluking produced two keepers to 21 inches and a bunch of shorts along the ocean beaches. Jake also took a fun trip after the storm last night and released a couple of short fluke at the TC buoy in the bay. A big porgy was also boated the other day. Charters will leave the dock for fluke and striped bass on Wednesday and Thursday. A friend on a 48-foot Viking fished Block Canyon and went 2 for 3 on 80-pound yellowfin tuna and went 5 for 5 on mahi mahi at a 75- to 78-degree temperature break.

<b>Neptune</b>

Fluke fishing was very good in the ocean when the drift was good for <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, and sea bass were sometimes hooked on the drifts, Capt. Ralph said in an e-mail. When strictly sea bassing on anchor, patrons were lifting aboard humpheads to 4 pounds along with some ling and blackfish. Openings are available for individual-reservation fluke trips that are sailing every Wednesday, and five openings are available on one of the trips that will run Monday, August 13, and space is limited to 15 passengers on the trips. Get your fluke before the season closes after September 10. Bluefish came off the spawn, and bluefishing was very good both day and night. Last Lady has had some of the best striped bass fishing Ralph’s seen in the past 10 years, and his trips have nailed stripers to 40 pounds on weekdays, and Ralph couldn’t say how long it would last. Bluefin tuna showed up locally, and bluefins are being trolled <i>now</i>. Hudson Canyon’s tuna fishing finally opened up this weekend, and Ralph expects good action till the end of summer. Some openings remain on individual-reservation canyon trips, and the next trip with openings is August 28 to 29.

<b>Belmar</b>

Anglers on the <b>Nan Sea J</b> spent the weekend bluefishing, and the catches were very good, Capt. Tom said. Big, slammer blues to 15 pounds, pretty much all gaffers, attacked bait in a chum slick around the Rattlesnake in 72-degree water. So that was good news, especially considering how bluefishing had dropped off for a while recently. Charters are also fishing for fluke and striped bass these days, and shark charters are still available, although the Nan Sea J’s open-boat shark trips have ended for the season. Tuna charters will begin in September, and Tom recently saw warm water that likely held tuna moving into the Hudson and Toms canyons on a satellite chart. That was the first shot of good-looking water this season.

<b>Brielle</b>

Fishing at Hudson Canyon and Toms Canyon was finally decent, and yellowfin tuna, longfin tuna, a few bigeye tuna and marlins were trolled, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Some boaters also mixed in tilefishing, and at the Hudson the yellowfins seemed to be smaller fish around 25 pounds but keepers for those who fished there Friday, and at the Toms the yellowfins were probably 30 to 40 pounds for those who fished there Wednesday. Many anglers have known that Barnegat Ridge was giving up bonito, mahi mahi, king mackerel and even a few bluefin tuna, but this past week Manasquan Ridge also opened up with fishing for at least bonito. Trolled ¼-ounce feathers and spoons fooled the fish at both places, and a customer said bunker schooled at Manasquan Ridge. No customers gave confirmed reports about bluefin tuna caught at places like the Mudhole, and only rumors and second-hand reports were flying around about catches. Closer to shore, fluke fishing was kind of inconsistent because of conditions or not enough wind for drifting one day and two much wind another. But fluke fishers were picking the fish, especially on Mai Tai bucktails and dolphin belly. The shop carries the Mai Tai’s and a large selection of fluke rigs and tackle, and it also stocks the dolphin belly, one of the few local shops if not the only local one that does. The fluke were nabbed at places like the Sea Girt Reef, the Shrewsbury Rocks, off the Red Church and at the rocks off Mantoloking. Striped bass were still around, though not in the numbers like before. Bunker were plentiful in the ocean, and sometimes anglers trying for stripers under the bunker latched into brown and dusky sharks instead. The Manasquan River was holding loads of small stripers and bluefish, and the river was filled with bait including spearing and tinker mackerel, and peanut bunker might’ve arrived, but Dave saw none.

A trip in the Manasquan River on the <b>Reel-Ality</b> yesterday produced nine keeper fluke and a mess of shorts, Capt. Larry said. A few small bluefish and some sea robins also bit, and the anglers fished with lots of different baits, including Gulp shrimp, squid, bluefish belly, sea robin belly, and spearing, and spearing were seen schooling the water. The anglers also used different rigs, including a three-way swivel rig and a rig with a spinner and bucktail on the hook. No weakfish were hooked in the river on the Reel-Ality so far this season. A sea bass charter was cancelled Sunday, because thunderstorms were forecast, and the charter was driving a distance. Charters on the Reel-Ality are fishing for fluke and sea bass, and bluefin tuna trips will sail the inshore ocean if the bluefins show up. Larry heard unconfirmed reports on the radio about tuna caught farther offshore at Hudson Canyon.

On the <b>Katie H</b> a charter targeted a combo of sharks and bluefin tuna Friday, and a small mako was released at a wreck near the Fingers, Capt. Mike said. He wasn’t on the trip, but he believed the water was 73 or 74 degrees, a little warm for makos. Trolling for bluefins didn’t pan out, so the charter switched plans and trolled bonito at Barnegat Ridge. This trip was originally supposed to be a canyon tuna charter but was changed to a shark/bluefin combo because canyon fishing had been slow. No decent reports had been heard about bluefins inshore either, but bluefins were biting farther south and could show up locally any day, and the crew of the Katie H was on the scene to see if they had arrived. Good, warm water did start to move into the canyons in the past days, and Mike knew about fish-holding water that pushed into the Toms Canyon. A couple of boats from the dock fished there, and one hooked six yellowfin tuna, and Mike believed a longfin tuna or two were also landed, and he knew the boat also picked up a blue marlin. The Katie H is now available for canyon charters. Charters are also fishing for fluke, and Joe Florentine’s family headed out for fluke on a charter Sunday on Joe’s wife’s birthday, and they nailed 11 keeper fluke to 8 pounds at the Axel Carlson Reef, a great catch despite lots of fog.

Bottom-fishing trips were very good today and yesterday on the <b>Paramount</b>, and previous trips during the past week scored mixed results, some days producing plenty of catches, others not, a fishing report from the boat said. Ling showed up at the reefs today and yesterday on trips that targeted sea bass, and while trips mostly target sea bass except on Tuesday and Wednesday Mudhole Ling Specials, some blackfish and ling usually come up on a daily basis in addition to sea bass. It was good to see the ling showing up on the reefs, translating into more fish for the boat to target. Dave Rooney and partner today landed more than 30 bottom fish, mostly ling and some sea bass. Also on today’s trip Leon Szewcyk boated 12 ling, five sea bass and a small cod, and Bobby Hohrer reeled in more than 20 ling. On Saturday’s trip sea bassing had improved, and Jim Henderson bailed 18 of the lumpheads, and Waldek Adamarek nailed 16, including a 4-pounder. On Friday’s trip the fishing had slowed down, and currents had the fish on the move and tough to find. But Sam Cohen still managed 11 sea bass and five ling, and John Brady took nine sea bass. Thursday’s trip produced excellent sea bassing, and Tuesday and Wednesday’s Mudhole Ling Specials were slow with a strong current, and anglers had difficulty holding the bottom.  Marathon Trips take place 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Monday and Friday, targeting sea bass and the occasional blackfish and ling. The trips are meant to give anglers a little more time to fish and also to allow the boat to cover more ground for all species within range, from the inshore reefs and rocks to the Mudhole wrecks and areas between, wherever the fishing’s best and for whatever’s biting best. Trips are also sailing 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every Thursday through Sunday, targeting big sea bass and occasional ling and blackfish. Deep Water Mudhole Ling Specials take place 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday, targeting ling, cod, pollock and the occasional blackfish. For more info call the boat or visit wreckmasters.com.

Bluefishing was very good Friday through Sunday on the <b>Jamaica</b>, an e-mail from the boat said. A big spread of fish covered a large area and had just moved in, and plenty were expected to keep biting this week. Pool winners included Donnell Shodev with a 16-pound bluefish on Saturday night and Thomas Rea with a 16-pound striped bass on Sunday. The Jamaica is fishing for blues 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. every day. The boat’s canyon tuna schedule is now available. The <b>Atlantis</b> is available for charters for groups from 18 to 120 for day and night fishing for any species available inshore or offshore. <b>Bogan’s Boating School</b> is offering the boating safety course required in New Jersey, and the test-out option is also available, and so are private classes at your own location. Visit bogansboatingschool.com for info.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Kevin Steranka’s charter fished on a Happy Hour Trip with <b>Angela Rose Charters</b> on Wednesday, leaving the dock 6 p.m. to fish Manasquan River, Capt. Anthony said in an e-mail. Kevin had fished aboard before and made the cover of Nor’east Saltwater Magazine with a 3-pound fluke that he caught in the river on the trip. On this trip the river’s fluking had finally come back to life with short fluke, including plenty an eighth-inch shy, after last Monday’s blow. Kevin and anglers headed to the 7 marker, and then a better current was found at the Bath Tub and the number 2 can. Every location produced decent life, and two 18-inch keepers and a 17-1/2-inch keeper were landed by the end of the night. Capt. Anthony was high hook with 32 but not a single keeper. He fished a Mai Tai bucktail with a teaser that sported a squid with spearing combo. On Thursday an angler and his 3-year-old son jumped aboard for a two-hour fluke trip on the river, leaving the dock at 12 noon and running for the Bath Tub. The Bath Tub usually produces a ton of short fluke with sea robins and bluefish mixed in, but only abundant sea robins bit this day, and even the 3-year-old had enough of them. The boat also fished a number of other locations, and squid and spearing were the main baits. The tide was a long slack and the beginning of incoming. Capt. Anthony spoke with a kayaker who was fishing one of Anthony’s favorite spots and said he limited out on fluke during the previous outgoing tide on a “secret” bait. That was hard to believe with the way the fishing was going at that moment, but the kayaker had the stringer to prove it. On Saturday a charter was aboard and broke Manasquan Inlet at 6 a.m., heading to a few wrecks to the south for sea bass and fluke. The morning at first produced a slow bite at a couple of pieces, but by mid morning the anglers started picking away at decent-sized sea bass and a few good-sized fluke. On Sunday a captain and crew from the Frenchie, a San Francisco charter boat, sailed with Angela Rose to try their luck on the East Coast. They ran to the spot that was fished the day before and locked up on decent catches. Once the anglers got the hang of hooking sea bass, they kept the rods bent all morning. Capt. Anthony only adjusted the boat once on the wreck and kept the action going. The crew also snuck in a few drifts for fluke before the thunderstorms, and the first keeper, a 21-incher, came up within minutes. The next two hours produced a slower but good pick of fluke and sea bass.

<b>Bricktown</b>

Fluke fishing picked up along the Sea Girt and Axel Carlson reefs, and Peruvian smelts produced big fluke in 50 to 60 feet in the ocean, said Tommy Kilgannon from <b>Pell’s Fish & Sport</b> in a fax. Most anglers were starting to head south to pound fluke off Mantoloking and Brick down to Seaside. But Brian Higeski picked up two 5-pound-plus fluke up north. Frank Iano also headed north and bagged a number of keepers from Sea Girt to Spring Lake. Manasquan River anglers were also picking up plenty of fluke, but many were throwbacks. Both snapper bluefishing and crabbing were phenomenal so far this year. Surf fishers kept busy with cocktail blues, and mullet was the bait of choice and was fished on mullet rigs.

<b>Seaside</b>

Two customer reported getting into good bluefish action in the surf last night on chunks of bunker or mullet, said the fishing report on <b>Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site. More and more bluefishing reports were coming in from the surf, right on schedule. Plenty of snapper blues were beginning to hit off the docks but were still pretty tiny. The surf was 1 to 2 feet, 72 degrees and clean. A free reel cover worth $15 is being given away with any reel purchase while supplies last. <a href=" http://www.bettyandnicks.com/fish.shtml" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for the latest.

<b>Waretown</b>

A charter with <b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b> trolled a mess of bonito and then chummed slammer blues at Barnegat Ridge on Friday, Capt. John said. Bonito fishing was red hot at the north ridge, and the fish bit two and three at a time on small feathers and Clark spoons. Bluefish chopped some of them in half, and the bluefishing was done on bait while anchored. Fluke trips ran Saturday and Sunday and were pretty good in the ocean from the bathing beach at Island Beach State Park to the Coast Guard Station, and the fish were spread out along the area. Lots of shorts bit, but so did some nice keepers including a few 5- and 6-pounders. Lots of boats filled the water Saturday because of the Lacey Elks Fluke Tournament, but traffic was light Sunday. On Saturday morning there was no drift, but then winds picked up the drift, and fish started biting. On Sunday the morning was dead calm with no drift, but later winds picked up the drift, and some good fishing started, until storms threatened at 1 p.m., and the boat headed home. Anglers onboard also picked away at sea bass that day. Charters will keep fishing for bonito and fluke, and maybe the ocean fluking will hold up through August. Barnegat Bay’s fluking seemed to be producing mostly shorts by now. Weakfish trips will also sail, but charters will probably focus on bonito and fluke while those fish are still available, and weakfishing might last through September, so there’s time to target weaks.

Open-boat trips will fish Barnegat Ridge this Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday on the <b>Hi Flier</b>, and openings are available, Capt. Dave DeGennaro said in an e-mail. His trips have been loading up on bonito at the ridge and scoring a few mahi mahi on the high-speed troll. Bluefin tuna from 20 to 30 pounds are now at the ridge, and Dave is starting to chum as well as troll. Give him a call to get in on this exciting bluewater fishery only 45 minutes or 14 miles from Barnegat Inlet. He apologized for lag time since his last report but said that’s how it gets when the weather allows trips to fish every day. “You go every day,” he said. After winds blew out trips last week on Sunday and Monday, the Hi Flier sailed the next five days. On Tuesday Robert Barone from D&R Boats and Andy Dubman were aboard and combined for 35 bonito at the ridge. On the next day Rocco Melchionna, his future father-in-law Tony D’Andrea and Pete Zickgraf fished the ridge for 40 bonito, and then debris was found where Rocco got to experience the fury of a 12-pound, bull mahi on spinning tackle. Pete also Bimini released a small, 3- to 4-pound mahi. On Thursday and Friday Dave fished from Ocean City, Md., with friends on the Fin Chaser, landing a few yellowfin tuna and a bunch of mahi mahi. On Saturday he competed in the Lacey Elks Fluke Tournament with D.J. Cameron, and they weighed in a few weakfish and blues but no money fish.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Fishing was about as good as it gets from Barnegat Bay to Barnegat Ridge, said Capt. Steve from <b>Reel Fantasea Charters</b> in an e-mail. Bonito absolutely covered the ridge, and Joe Franke from the Village Harbor Fishing Club slammed them with non-stop action, triples and doubles, filling the box with the delicious fish and finishing up by catching fluke to take home. Frank Hettler was aboard in the bay for non-stop action with blues and a very good catch of fluke to 7-plus pounds. He never saw so many quality fluke, and he never saw one larger than the 7-plus-pounder that he landed, and he won the pool with the fish. John Sforza’s party grass shrimped the bay and slammed weakfish, bluefish and fluke. The party of four limited out on quality weaks from 15 to 23 inches, and weakfishing was exploding in the bay and couldn’t be better, and the trout were larger than usual for this time of year. The blues that the group fought were 12 to 16 inches and full of fight, and one or two keeper fluke and some throwbacks were hooked.

<b>Barnegat</b>

Janel Furcha and Jillian Dwyer, both age 14, fished with <b>FisherQueen Custom Bay Charters</b> on a charter that their grandfather arranged, Capt. Melanie said. So it was just the girls, and they started fishing the back of the bay, looking for weakfish, but found blitzing blues instead. Then they fluke fished at Barnegat Inlet and landed lots of shorts but a few keepers mixed in. On Saturday Mel and gang competed in the Lacey Elks Fluke Tournament, and the four anglers must’ve reeled in 30 fluke including 13 nice ones from 2.5 to 3.79 pounds at Double Creek Channel, and they also hit the back of the bay for weakfish and nabbed four nice ones to 2.52 pounds.

<b>Cedar Run</b>

Capt. Fran from <b>Fish the Dropoff</b> competed on the Cousins, the boat he runs offshore, in the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Tournament on Thursday and Friday at Spencer Canyon and the Lobster Claw, he said in an e-mail. A tuna and three mahi mahi were boated, and co-owner Nick Rausch and mate Cody Meyer were aboard. Fran also ran two trips to the reef. The first took place Wednesday with the Dray family, who fished four hours and scored 10 keeper sea bass, four blues and two keeper fluke, a nice day of fishing, Fran said. The next took place Sunday with the Malino family, who fished six hours and nailed large fluke. Four of the flatties measured 23 to 27 inches, and several were around 18 inches, and one lone sea bass was reeled up.  The anglers set up a competition between the brothers and the brothers-in-law, and the brothers won. Only three dates are left for charters in August: the 16th, 27th and 29th. Capt. Fran is now taking bookings for September, and call soon to reserve before all dates are full.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

Flounder trips fished in 50 to 60 feet in the ocean Thursday through Saturday with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, and the catch was decent, Capt. T.J. said. No huge ones bit, and the fish averaged 18 or 19 inches, and trips were averaging six or seven keepers. Sometimes sea bass were bagged when the trips fished on the reefs. A bluefin tuna charter was slated to fish 40 miles to the south today. Bonito were also around, and Barnegat Ridge was holding lots, and an angler from the dock loaded up on 30 bonito.

<b>Margate</b>

Mixed bags of flounder, sea bass and small blues were pulled up on the <b>Jessie O’</b> in the ocean, Capt. Jay said. When not chartered, the boat sails open-boat every morning and on open-boat, Magic Hour Trips 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. every Monday through Friday. Jay’s back-bay boat, the <b>Fish N’ Fun</b>, put customers into good numbers of flounder, and shorts had to be weeded through, but a few keepers were usually bagged on its two 4-hour trips daily. Party cruises are booking left and right, and catering and a D.J. are available. Reservations are being accepted for a trip to watch the Atlantic City Air Show on August 15, and lunch is included. Jay recently won second price for best fishing boat from the Atlantic City Press. 

<b>Fine Line Fishing Charters</b> fished for flounder mostly in the ocean Friday through Sunday, Capt. Dave said. On Friday a trip started fishing in the ocean, but there was no drift, so the boat moved to Great Egg Harbor Inlet on outgoing tide. Throwbacks were hooked, and then a breeze picked up a little, so the boat moved back to the ocean off Lucy the Elephant in Margate, and two nice, 19-inch keeper flounder were bagged, and four throwbacks were released. Snapper blues were also landed on the trip, and the anglers had fun, Dave said. On Saturday the anglers wanted to flounder fish in the ocean, and there was a little breeze, so the drift wasn’t bad, and five keeper flounder and lots of shorts were hooked in 48 feet of water off Ocean City. Seven blues about a foot long apiece were also bagged, and the anglers had a good time, he said. On Sunday there was a drift at first, but then it dropped off. But three keeper flounder 19 inches each, throwbacks and small blues were bailed in 48 feet in the ocean off Ocean City. A snapper blue was also livelined, and a 4-foot brown shark grabbed it and was released. Not a lot of junk fish bit on the trips, and flounder fishing picked up for Fine Line and was going well. Charters will keep flounder fishing, and inshore trolling trips are also on tap for fish like blues, bonito, chicken dolphin and bluefin tuna.

<b>Longport</b>

Tuna fishing seemed a little slow, maybe because of full moon tides and east winds, but a few big bluefins were tackled at the 750 Square, and mahi mahi were picked up here and there, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>. A few openings are available for open-boat tuna trolling trips 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. August 12 and 26 that are limited to six passengers. Stray Cat is also running inshore trolling trips for species like bonito, and anglers were picking away at bonito along Sea Isle Ridge and the Fingers, and a few mahi were among the catch. Sea bass fishing was nonexistent.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Back bay striper fishing was great, and it wasn’t hot and heavy, but fish were hooked on every trip, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Don Pohlig was aboard Friday evening and fly rodded two stripers on the shallow flats on high tide on Gartside Gurglers on a floating line. Joe’s charters are usually either tossing popper lures on spinning rods or popper flies on fly rods to the stripers, usually short stripers but great fun on the poppers, with every hit seen. The fish smack poppers while the water’s warm, and ideal times are high tides in the mornings and evenings, and those tides are taking place now. Bluefish could still be found in the bay, and Jay Vonczoernig and 5-year-old son Luc were aboard, and Luc was tearing up the blues on lures at Townsend’s Inlet. Small blues have been chasing threadfin herring in front of the inlet, and the blues are fun to catch on Kastmasters or soft plastic lures. Many people thought the baitfish were bunker, but they were herring. Phil Dunn was on deck Thursday to try for brown sharks at Sea Isle Ridge on fresh bluefish bait and mackerel bait on spinning rods in a chum slick. No browns cooperated, so Phil switched to catching a bunch of bonito and probably more than 30 blues while trolling small feathers on spinning rods, not a bad alternative at all.

<b>Avalon</b>

<b>Over Under Adventures</b>’ boats from Avalon and Ocean City, Md., ran 22 offshore trips last week, after being weathered out several days through last Monday, an e-mail from the boat said. The vessels began the week targeting bluefin tuna from 19-Fathom Lump to Massey’s Canyon to the Hambone, and the bite was decent but not red hot.  The best catch was nine tuna boated Wednesday on one of the Ocean City vessels, and the Low Profile, the one vessel running from Avalon, started chunking for the tuna on Thursday and Friday. The boat limited out on bluefins on both trips, and tuna to 52 inches were fought on jigs, live bait and dead bait, and live squid was best. By Thursday some of the boats began sailing for yellowfin tuna farther offshore, and the fishing was spotty, but one trip that day produced 11 yellowfins from 40 to 70 pounds, a great catch. Two of the other boats that day found tougher fishing and only managed a few fish apiece. One of the Ocean City vessels also ran its first overnight tuna charter of the season that night, putting together a respectable catch. Two tuna bit at 2 a.m., followed by another five that hit from 4:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m., and tuna were swarming all around the boat in the morning but were finicky and difficult to get to bite. The boat then went on the troll, and two more yellowfins were landed for a total of nine. The Low Profile on Friday caught the highlight of the week, a 500-pound blue marlin that was released after a 2-hour battle. The fish was hooked in Wilmington Canyon while the Low Profile competed in the Jersey Shore Classic, a tournament from Avalon Point Marina that benefits breast cancer patients. The blue wasn’t eligible for any of the tournament’s prizes but gave everybody on the trip a thrill. Saturday produced the slowest fishing of the week once again, and a total of five tuna were landed on four boats, not a good day at all. But fishing improved Sunday, and anglers on one of the boats pounded bluefins, totaling seven landed, keeping a limit of three including a nice, fat 62-incher that weighed 115 pounds. A 35-pound wahoo caught on the Low Profile and a  50-inch bluefin landed on one of the Ocean City boats were the two other fish taken that day. The crew expects the fishing to improve as the full moon fades. Check out Over Under’s schedule of <a href="http://overundercharters.com/?page=opendates" target="_blank"> open-boat trips</a>, and more dates will be added as groups call and ask about splitting costs with other anglers. 

<b>Wildwood</b>

Flounder fishing was excellent off Cape May Point and at the 9 and 10 buoys in Delaware Bay, Reef Site 11 and the Old Grounds, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b>. Small stripers smacked top-water plugs along the sod banks of the back bay toward sunrise and sunset. Bluefin tuna fishing was excellent from the Elephant Trunk, 19-Fathom Lump and Massey’s Canyon to the Hambone while boaters trolled, chunked and jigged. Desilu Charters from Cape May with Capt. Scott Pierce went 2 for 3 on 50- to 60-pound bluefins at Massey’s Canyon on the Shimano Butterfly Jigging System. Capt. Chris Gatley from Ardent Angler Guide Service was aboard and reportedly said the crew got to witness firsthand how the jigs combined with the proper rod and reel respectably landed the tuna in short order. Anglers on the trip also included Brian Nolte from Shimano, George Algard from Sterling Harbor, Jim Hutchinson from The Fisherman magazine, Mike Frank and Patrick Latham.  Donald Sowers hauled in a 30-pound tilefish at Baltimore Canyon on the Blue Hoagie from Wildwood with Capt. Dave Bowman.

<b>Cape May</b>

Good-sized yellowfin tuna to 60 pounds, a nice catch of mahi mahi and some bonito were trolled with <b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b> at Baltimore Canyon on Thursday, Capt. Ray said. The water was 79 degrees with not much of a temperature break, and a trip Saturday at the Baltimore took place in more of a temperature break with an average of 77- to 79-degree water. Still, the fishing was a little slower, but yellowfin tuna, mahi and bunch of bonito were trolled. Lots of bonito and small mahi were in those waters, and the trips were scoring multiple knockdowns. The water was warming, so the numbers of mahi were also increasing on the inshore lumps. On Friday a trip fished for bluefin tuna at the inshore lumps, and some nice ones were hooked. One big one almost spooled a 50-wide reel, and line was regained, but then the hook pulled. Jaftica will keep tuna fishing, and charters for flounder are also sailing, and a flounder trip is slated for Friday. Inshore trolling trips for species like blues and bonito are also on tap, and the fish are starting to push as close as a dozen miles from shore because of the warm water. The blues were plentiful, and the numbers of bonito were increasing.

The <b>Heavy Hitter</b> ran two bluefin tuna charters at the inshore lumps, Capt. George said. A trip Saturday went pretty well on the chunk, and five bluefins to 75 pounds were landed, and two were kept. Al Munger, Roy Souder, and Sean were the anglers. On Sunday a charter arrived a little late, and the trip left the dock two hours later than planned at 4 a.m. Two bluefin tuna were hooked but broke off while chunking. A 20-pound mahi mahi, a nice one, was caught on the chunk, and then the boat trolled, and another mahi was boated. The charter, Uwe Mewes and son Christian, then trolled for blues at one of George’s honey holes and loaded up. The water was 75 degrees Saturday and 76 degrees Sunday, warm temps, and the water was in the mid 70s everywhere. In addition to tuna fishing, charters on the boat are also bottom fishing and inshore trolling. Bottom fishing was recently producing lots of flounder in southern bay along the shipping channel, and many were shorts, but some were keepers. Inshore trolling was giving up small bluefish, and bonito were still scarce, though they were abundant last year. The water was cool during much of the season, and maybe that’s the reason.

<b>Copacetic Sportfishing</b> ran a few flounder trips in southern Delaware Bay in the past week and scored quality flatties to 7 pounds or 25- to 26-inchers, Capt. Mike said. Lots in the 4-pound range or 21 to 23 inchers were bagged, and probably 1 in 3 of the flatties was a keeper, and no weakfish were hooked. The anglers used various baits including squid, mackerel and strips of cocktail blues that were caught. Some inshore trolling trips also took place in the ocean for lots of action with bluefish, some bonito and some mahi mahi at lumps within 20 miles of Cape May. In addition to these types of fishing, Copacetic is also trolling offshore for tuna on charters.

Big croakers showed up in good numbers Friday at Sunset Beach and Higbee’s Beach and bit clams, squid or nearly anything fished on the bottom on small, 1/0 or 2/0 hooks, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Small weakfish were sometimes showing up, and small bluefish chasing herring were moving in and out off Cape May Point throughout the day. Flounder fishing was holding up pretty well, and the 9 and 10 buoys at the end of the shipping channel in southern Delaware Bay was a good starting point. Good reports also rolled in about flounder boated around 14-Foot Light and Brandywine Light. There were lots of throwbacks, but keepers were also bagged. Some nice ones were also coming from Reef Site 11, and flounder fishing was starting to show signs of life at Cape May Reef. Capt. Jack Osborne pulled up a 6-1/2-pound flounder at the 9 and 10 buoys, and Charles Meads nailed a 6-1/2-pound flounder aboard the party boat Porgy IV. Bluefin tuna were still holding along the 19- and 20-fathom lumps, Massey’s Canyon and the Ham Bone. None of the fish were stacked up, so the best tactic was a run and gun technique, with anglers looking for either bait pods or tuna on the fish finder. The fish were moving, so when anglers weren’t catching or weren’t marking anything on the fish finder, they needed to try another lump.  Once bait or fish were marked, anglers dropped down a jig, but trolling also produced well. Most trollers agreed that Islanders worked best, though they had different opinions about the best colors. They fished a rig with a 2- or 3-ounce trolling weight in front of the Islander, followed by a medium or large ballyhoo behind the lure, trolled 150 to 200 yards behind the boat. It sounds excessive but worked, Matt said. Dave Cox on the Big Man caught a 56-pound bluefin that was his first. Brent Triulla weighed in a 128-pound bluefin that he found at Massey’s Canyon on Wednesday. Carl Peters checked in a 154-pound bluefin that he took Friday at the Ham Bone.

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