<b>Brooklyn</b>

Despite rough weather forecasts, a charter Tuesday decided to go bluefishing on the <b>Big M Express</b>, the fishing report on the boat’s web site said. They took a run to the jetty at the inlet to the ocean, but seas were terrible, so they headed back in and anchored up. Chunking for the fish was unproductive after moving a couple of times, but on the next move the group came across working birds and jigged loads of blues for 2 hours. The blues were small, but the charter made the best out of the weather. Open-boat trips sail every day when no charter is booked, leaving from Tamaqua Marina in Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn.

<b>Staten Island</b>

Stormy weather mostly kept <b>Frenzy Fishing Charters</b> from sailing, Capt. Tommy Verderosa said. But during the tight weather Monday, a charter took a trip anyway and scored a slam: a few schoolie stripers, several nice fluke and some bluefish. That’s only a weakfish short of a grand slam, a catch of all the major species possible on the inshore grounds. If anglers want to try for a grand slam or a slam, Tommy’s confident they’ve got a good chance at this time, and give him a call. On this trip the angler did attempt to hook weakfish, but the weather prevented Frenzy from running to where weakies could most likely be caught. On this trip the slam was landed on light tackle with small rubber shads that looked like peanut bunker. Frenzy is also concentrating on fluking, and Tommy especially targets big doormats, working with different techniques he’s learned over the years, and he loves to share his experiences with anglers. Saltwater fly-fishing trips are also available, even if anglers just want to learn how to fly fish in the salt, and all the species in a grand slam will hit a fly, and now is a good time to target the whole bunch. Tommy is a fly tyer and a custom rod builder. He’s also looking forward to tangling with false albacore when the speedsters arrive.

<b>Outcast Charters</b> was weathered out from sea bass trips this week, but the trips will continue Saturday, Capt. Joe said. Fluke charters are also sailing, though customers lately wanted to bag the humpbacks. Weakfishing will also be on tap when the action turns on, and Joe thought weakfishing never really kicked in until the beginning of September last year, even though weakfishing used to begin in July years ago. So weakfishing wasn’t late. The crew will take a tuna trip the weekend after next. Joe is looking forward to New York’s opening of blackfish season October 1, and Outcast does lots of blackfishing, and the slipperies are one its specialties.

<b>Bayonne</b>

Things were very quiet the past three days because of the rainstorm, but previously customers were targeting fluke along Ambrose Channel and near the Ambrose Bridge, said Capt. Akira from <b>True World Tackle</b> and <b>True World Tackle Charters</b>. A customer on Saturday won the Staten Island Marina Fluke Tournament with a 6-1/4-pounder he boated along with a few other flatties at buoy 19 at Reach Channel.

<b>Laurence Harbor</b>

<b>Evening Tide Charters</b> will certainly be on a mission for big fluke this weekend after the storm, Capt. Kyle said. Fluking’s been very good, and he expects to find the fish someplace from mid bay on out, and fluking in the back of the bay probably won’t pan out because of all the fresh water and debris from runoff. He’ll also be on the lookout for weakfish, and not much was being heard about weaks so far, but he loves fishing for them with light tackle. Evening Tide is often livelining peanut bunker for bait now, a deadly offering for fluke and weaks, often attracting the larger fish. The crew castnets the baby menhaden, and lots have been around. Plenty of openings are available for fluke charters in the home stretch of the season, and open-boat trips are running every Saturday and Sunday, and call to hop aboard.

<b>Keyport</b>

Trips were kept from sailing with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> on Monday and Tuesday because of the storm, Capt. Joe said. Papa’s Angels is available for either charters or open-boat trips this Saturday and Sunday, and open trips sail 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. every day when no charter is booked, and so does an open trip 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Wednesday. Papa’s Angels was mostly fluke fishing in the bay, and sometimes blues were mixed in.

A couple of trips had to be rescheduled on the <b>Lucky  Carm</b> this week because of the weather, Capt. Carmine said. Fluke fishing is in full swing on the boat, but not for long, because the season closes soon. Afterward bottom-fishing trips will probably be a focus, and bottom trips are already available for sea bass, porgies, blackfish and whatever else comes up, but most charters were targeting fluke while fluking was good. Special, 4-hour, evening charters are always available 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and call Carmine for info. Morning charters are also available, and charter times are flexible.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The <b>Fisherman</b> got out yesterday on its daily fluke trip after being weathered out from the storm Monday and Tuesday, but the ocean was still nasty, and the fishing was off, Capt. Ron said. It might take a couple of days for the fishing to settle down, and maybe the bite will start popping by Saturday. The fish were also moving out now, as a result, so they’ll have to be located. But trips should continue to target flatties until the season closes after September 10, and boat is also bluefishing in the afternoons from Fridays through Sundays, and bluefishing’s been excellent. The Fishermen is fishing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, usually in the ocean, but the vessel is chartered this Friday and Saturday, and no open trips will take place those mornings. Afternoon bluefishing trips are running 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

Lots of keeper fluke bit in the rivers, and nobody really fished anyplace else during the storm, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. He boated the Navesink River yesterday and got into excellent fluking, and later short stripers and 10-pound blues put up excellent action for him just south of the Highlands Bridge. He did no fishing up the Shrewsbury River, so he didn’t know how weakfishing was going there, but weakfishing was beginning to pick up toward the back of Reach Channel like at the 19 buoy before the weather. A friend attempted to boat the ocean this morning but got turned back from the seas. Still, Jimmy heard that stripers bit in the ocean this morning. Weigh-ins before the storm included Tony Santori’s 12.48-pound fluke caught off Monmouth Beach and Hector Calabrias’ 6.87-pound fluke taken off Sandy Hook.  

The weather kept the <b>Atlantic Star</b> from fishing Monday and Tuesday, but its fluke trips sailed yesterday, and the boat was also on the water this morning when Capt. Tom gave this report. Yesterday morning produced quite a bit of action with shorts and a few keepers, and the afternoon was a little better. This morning was about the same so far, and shorts and a few keepers were boated, including a keeper that was pulled over the rail when he was giving this report. A mess of sea robins also bit. But there was hardly a drift, and Tom thought that when conditions created more of a drift today, the catch would probably pick up, because that happened yesterday. The fluke were certainly on the move, and it was the end of August after all, but they don’t move all at once, and decent fluking should continue through the end of the season in a couple of weeks. The boat was fishing in the bay since yesterday, and the ocean was too roll-y to fish. The fishing was actually a little better than Tom expected, considering the storm, and he thought it should get better and better as things settle, and get back to what it was before. 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.

<b>Highlands</b>

Capt. Brian Rice from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> competed as one of the guests on the Shark Byte on Monday in the Mid Atlantic $500,000 from Cape May, he said. The fishing was good on the trip, and tuna and mahi mahi were caught at the canyons, and the tournament’s web site showed that the boat was leading in the mahi category that day. Brian understandably declined to name the areas the boat fished, because the tournament was still taking place. Jersey Devil is running canyon charters now, and trips are also still sailing for striped bass, blues and fluke. Weakfish will be on the slate when weakfishing picks up, and a few of the trout were biting so far.

Fluking was good before the storm with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> at the channels, and trips were on hold during the weather, Capt. Derek said. He heard reports about healthy catches of the flatties along the hard bottom down the ocean beaches, and the action will probably take a couple of days to settle down, with the ocean holding a 6-foot swell last night, and rain falling for days. Plenty of weakfish bit in the rivers before the storm, and Derek was hearing reports about a few more weakfish than before hitting in bay prior to the blow. Maybe the storm will push the weaks to bite more in the bay, and Fisher Price will certainly chase them and is already offering weakfishing in the rivers.

<b>Long Branch</b>

The doors were closed the past two days, and <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> today was just getting back in action after the storm, John said. So there was no news to report, but check back next week.   

<b>Neptune</b>

Fluke fishing was excellent in the ocean for <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> before the blow, Capt. Ralph said. Three final individual-reservation fluke trips of the year will sail the next two Wednesdays and also Monday, September 10, the last day of the season, and openings are available on all. Ralph hoped fluking would hold up after the storm, and part of yesterday was 59 degrees, and Ralph was wearing two shirts! No trips sailed with Last Lady since Sunday because of the storm, but bluefishing was also excellent on the boat, and so was bonito fishing. Last Lady ran its first open-boat, overnight canyon trip of the year last week and loaded up on yellowfin tuna to 40 and 50 pounds at the Hudson on the troll.  It was good fishing and will only get better, he said.

<b>Belmar</b>

The <b>Big Mohawk</b> will resume its daily fluke trips tomorrow, Capt. Chris said. The boat ran none of the trips this week during the storm, but previously fluking was excellent at the rocky bottom in 30 to 70 feet. About a dozen doormats more than 10 pounds apiece were nailed so far this season, and a few sea bass were mixed in, but the boat was concentrating on fluke until the season ends. Afterward trips will probably target sea bass and porgies, and porgies were beginning to arrive, and some should be caught when the trips begin. The Big Mohawk is sailing for fluke 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day.

Anglers were still catching fluke in Shark River, despite lousy weather, and the flatties were there without a doubt, said Tom from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. A few porgies were also hooked, although few people fished in the weather. As always, the shop’s rental boats are locked and loaded to sail the river. The Belmar party boats made it out today, and fluke fishing was decent on them at the rocks on Spro jigs, and a few sea bass came up. Bluefishing’s been excellent on the party boats both day and night, mostly on bait, but the old Bingle Banana jig was doing a number on the fish.  

<b>Brielle</b>

A daytime trolling trip offshore that was slated for yesterday on the <b>Katie H</b> was rescheduled because of the weather, Capt. Mike said. The last trip that seas allowed the boat to run was on Monday, when a charter returned from an overnighter with a load of yellowfin tuna, 20-some fish for a limit for the group at Toms Canyon. They even returned early that morning, because they were satisfied with the results of nighttime chunking for the fish. But other boats that stayed got into good trolling for tuna at the Toms, including action with bigeye tuna. One boat from the dock trolled five of the bruisers, and another trolled three, and the fish were good-sized, up to 180 pounds. Another daytime trolling trip is scheduled to fish offshore on the Katie H on Friday, and a fluke trip is scheduled for Saturday, and a canyon overnighter is on the books for Sunday to Monday. The boat’s offshore schedule is becoming full, and charters will also continue to fluke fish until the season closes in a couple of weeks, and the fluking’s been good so far in the ocean.

The <b>Reel-Ality</b> was supposed to sail for bluefin tuna in the inshore ocean this weekend, but the forecast was looking questionable, though it kept changing, Capt. Larry said. Charters will fluke fish until the season closes in a couple of weeks, and sea bass are also a target, and anglers onboard will also chase weakfish if the trout turn on in the Manasquan River area.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

The storm and strong, northeast winds kept everybody from fishing, and this week was a washout, said Capt. Fred from <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>. No let up was forecast until tonight. Andrea’s Toy picked up plenty of fluke over the weekend at the ocean reefs, wrecks and rocks, and the crew is just waiting for the weather to clear to resume running offshore for tuna, mahi mahi, tilefish and such species. Offshore fishing on both open-boat trips and charters will be the name of the game on the vessel through much of the near future, as the canyon action heats up.

Joe Fritzen took a trip for fluke on the <b>Benchmark</b> on Sunday before the weather hit, and got into a fairly steady pick of shorts with keepers mixed in, the report on the boat’s web site said. The fishing was the opposite of fluke charters on the boat the past couple of weeks, when bigger flatties, and lots of them, were the catch. Benchmark started its canyon tuna season, and its first trip of the year, described in the last report, whacked 20 yellowfin tuna and a longfin tuna and released two white marlins at Toms Canyon last week from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Fluke trips will resume Friday and run through next week with <b>Reel Class Charters</b>, Capt. Allen said. He knew nobody who fished during the storm in the past days. The boat was repowered recently, and Allen was psyched about using the new motor. After Labor Day weekend Reel Class will switch gears and start fishing for whatever’s available until the fall striped bass migration begins. The possibilities are weakfish, sea bass, bonito, false albacore and blues.

Two bluefish trips and a canyon tuna charter will leave port on the <b>Defiant</b> next week, Capt. John said. No charters fished during the storm, but nearly every weekend in September is booked with canyon charters, so grab a date quickly before they’re gone. The boat is also fluke fishing and sharking. 

<b>Angela Rose Charters</b>’ most recent report was from a trip Sunday, but what a trip it was. An e-mail from the crew said Sunday’s deep-water fluke charter was hands down the best fluking any of them had probably experienced. Capt. Anthony took the helm during perfect conditions for the fishing: overcast skies, a calm ocean and merely a breath of west winds for a nice, slow, steady drift. The first drift was set up a few miles offshore of Manasquan Inlet on incoming tide, and a 6-pound 12-ounce fluke was nailed within 10 minutes. A few more nice keepers and some sea bass made the box, but the action slowed, and Anthony detected it immediately, and decided to push a little north to numbers he had stowed away in his pocket. The move was on the money, and action started, and soon the fishing was absolute drop and reel for fluke and sea bass. The hot rig was a 1-1/2-ounce Spro glow jig tipped with a 4-inch, pearl-white Gulp swimming mullet with a plain hook teaser 18 inches above, dressed with a 4-inch, chartreuse Gulp swimming mullet. By 10 a.m. one of the anglers had limited out, and Anthony continued to make minor adjustments to the drifts, continuing to put the anglers on fish. Then a major catch of big fluke started coming over the rails. An 8-pounder was nailed, and a bunch of 4-pounders came up, and nearly every flatty weighed more than 3 pounds. East winds started to pick up, but more big fish were netted, and eventually a 9-pound 12-ouncer was drilled, and so were fluke that weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces, 6 pounds 4 ounces and 4 and 5 pounds. They kept hitting for the rest of incoming tide, and then the bite ended like a flip of a switch then the tide changed. The weather was starting to turn, with increasing east winds, rain beginning to fall and winds against the tide kicking up seas. A few more spots were fished, but the prime fishing was done, and the charter headed back to port with the fish box nearly filled to the hilt, an incredible day of fluking.

The weather wasn’t good, but the fluking wasn’t bad, said Kenny from <b>Alex’s Bait & Tackle</b>.  Fluke were pulled from the wall at Manasquan Inlet in front of the shop throughout the weather, and people came in with fish, including a 2-1/2-pounder that had just been checked in when Kenny gave this report today. He didn’t hear much about blues at the inlet, but boaters including himself were slamming blues in the ocean before the storm. Not much was heard about weakfish around the inlet, but anglers weren’t too common during the past days.

<b>Bricktown</b>

The rain stopped, Bob from <b>Jersey Coast Bait-N-Tackle</b> said this afternoon. That was an important report for this week! He heard that fluke were picked up from Manasquan Inlet this morning, and that was the biggest news, or maybe the only news. Weakfish sometimes bit in the northern Barnegat Bay, and crabbing was very good before the storm. As far as other fishing goes, we’ll see what happens now, he said.

<b>Toms River</b>

Barnegat Bay was settling down nicely after the blow, but the level was high, and lots of fresh water had flowed in, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Nothing much was available to report because of the weather, but crabbing was good at Island Heights today and yesterday, and one kid landed a bunch of snapper blues there this morning. Before the blow weakfish had started to hit in the Toms River on Rat-L-Traps, Fin-S Fish and sandworms.

<b>Seaside</b>

Three days of steady rains and northeast winds kept people away from the island, said the fishing report on <b>Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site. Winds had calmed by early this morning, but they blew from the northeast, and the surf could be heard from the shop. <a href=" http://www.bettyandnicks.com/fish.shtml" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for the latest.

<b>Waretown</b>

Weakfishing was great in Barnegat Bay through Sunday until the storm, and anglers had no problems picking up weaks to 2 and 3 pounds or larger, and lots of limits were bagged, said Dale from <b>L&H Woods & Water</b>. Grass shrimp was the best bait, and the shop carries fresh grass shrimp, but pink Fin-S Fish, sandworms and shedder crabs could also score. Lenny who works at the shop limited out on weaks to 22 or 24 inches on shedder crabs, and the limit that he kept was only made up of fish that were snagged, the action was that good. Fluking in the bay was mostly in the pits, because most of the fish moved to 50 and 60 feet in the ocean, but again, fishing was a washout after Sunday. Lots of small blues hit in the bay on low tides, when food ran off the bars. A few blowfish bit, but not many were around so far, and loads of keeper crabs could be nabbed. Longfin tuna fishing was good at Lindenkohl Canyon on Sunday. On another note, Dale mentioned controversy was starting to brew about the pending world-record, 24.3-pound fluke that was reportedly caught last week. He suggested Googling “world record fluke” to read what anglers were saying about it on the web. <a href=" http://www.newsday.com/search/ny-spfish215340292aug21,0,3505343.column" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for an article about it.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Fluke were actually getting beached in the surf throughout the rains, said Josh from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. A handful of blues and a few short, 24-inch stripers also bit in the suds during the storm, and kingfish arrived in the wash. The water along the beach was a little churned but was calm. Barnegat Bay offered up plenty of weakfish when anglers could get out, and snapper blues were everywhere. Offshore boaters were weathered out.

<b>Brighton Beach</b>

Lots of cocktail blues continued to hit in the surf on mullet and small metal, and fluke were sometimes landed in the bay, but it was nothing hot, said Christian from <b>Oceanside Bait & Tackle</b>. On the other end of Long Beach Island, weakfish turned on during the early mornings at Meyer’s Hole and along the sedge banks, biting grass shrimp, Fin-S Fish and Gulps. A few bass were sporadically plugged or clammed near Barnegat Lighthouse. Not much was heard about offshore fishing, because of the weather, but skies were clearing today, and the boats should be back at it. The shop is carrying live spots, live eels, fresh bunker, minnows and frozen sand eels, spearing, and pre-cut squid, and fresh clams should be stocked tomorrow. A full assortment of artificials is also on hand. Oceanside opened this spring and is located at 8201 Long Beach Boulevard on the southern end of Long Beach Island. The store’s owners are the same ones from Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

Tuna fishing was weathered out today for <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, and another tuna charter tomorrow looked like it would be cancelled because of rough seas, and the weather’s been kicking butt the past week, but a couple of flounder charters sailed Friday and Sunday, Capt. T.J. said. Catches were just average, maybe six to 12 keepers per trip, and lots of shorts bit, maybe eight for every keeper. The flounder trips were now targeting small pods of the fish directly on the reefs in the ocean, and previously they were fishing holes near the reefs but not on them, but now those holes were mostly worked over.  More tuna and flounder charters are scheduled to start this weekend.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Some great fluking went down during the few shots at fishable weather over the weekend, mostly at Little Egg Reef, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. But otherwise it was a rod and reel repair bonanza at the shop this week, he said. Bay fishing just didn’t kick into gear over the weekend, and the potpourri of small fish in the bay—kingfish, porgies, small sea bass and blowfish—that usually start biting by the second week of August weren’t turned on yet. The high hook on kings was four keepers so far, and there was plenty of activity, such as with short sea bass hitting and small blues biting, and plenty of junk fish to go around, but putting fish in the cooler was difficult. Weakfishing kind of fizzled out in the bay, and so did the brown shark fishing that takes place in the bay during part of summer. Scott wouldn’t be surprised if the first boaters who fished the ocean front after the blow got into the season’s first croakers and maybe even small weakfish. Croakers could arrive any day, and one school of small weaks was already found in 18 to 25 feet along the ocean beaches. Short weaks and just barely keepers usually start appearing along those waters in September along with the croakers.

<b>Absecon</b>

A report rolled in about anglers on one boat nailing 20 flounder at Great Egg Reef today, so apparently the ocean was calming after the storm, and the ocean seemed the place to be to nail flatties before the season closes, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Flounder catches in the ocean were good Sunday before the weather. Not much was heard about weakfish during the storm, but Dave was heading out to fish tomorrow and would see how weakfishing was going. Lots of bait was coming in, and mullet and bait were filling Absecon Creek, and fish should be chasing them. A ton of small bluefish were everywhere, and a customer said he plugged two small stripers in the back this morning, and small blues kept hitting the lure. Crabbing was a little slow, but a big shed was going on, and plenty of shedders are stocked, and Dave expects crabbing to pick up soon, when the shed is finished, and also because it’s always good in September when the tourists leave.

<b>Brigantine</b>

The <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> stayed tied to the dock because of the weather the past several days, but trips are now mostly overnighting at the canyons, because tuna chunking was very good, Capt. Tom said. The northern canyons seemed best, and the boat fishes everywhere from Hudson Canyon to the north to Poorman’s Canyon to the south. Daytime trolling offshore was also producing longfin tuna and bigeye tuna. Bluefin tuna fishing at the southern, inshore lumps off Delaware was pretty much finished for the year, but the Fishin’ Fever was running inshore trolling charters to the ridges toward Atlantic City for good catches of bonito, dolphin and even bluefin tuna from 60 to 80 pounds, and the bluefins were definitely there. Space is available on open-boat tuna trips that sail every weekend, and dates are also available for charters during weekdays, and the Fishin’ Fever will keep sailing through October. 

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Croakers moved in along the beach front and inlets, though nobody was fishing during the storm, said Jack from <b>Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle</b>. Sea bass, blackfish and triggerfish bit along the rocks, and small blues, now a little bigger than snappers, swam everywhere. Flounder could sometimes be caught in the bay, and reports were being heard about weakfish hooked in the bay. Minnows, bloodworms, squid, mackerel, herring, bunker and a full supply of baits is stocked. A large selection of offshore baits is also carried, including a fresh supply of ballyhoos, including rigged ones especially for marlin, trolling squid, blocks of whole squid for chunking, flats of mackerel, sardines and high-quality butterfish and more. Live spots are also on hand, and a new shipment of Island trolling lures just arrived.

The <b>Carly A</b>, the store’s offshore charter boat, was slated to run three tuna trips soon, Jack added. Its last trips fished last week before the blow and included one catch of a white marlin and a couple of yellowfin tuna and another catch of 15 tuna that were chunked. Both overnight charters and daytime trolling trips were running.

 

<b>Longport</b>

No trips sailed in the storm, and even a trip today was cancelled, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>. But bottom fishing for sea bass and flounder was good on the boat over the weekend in 60 feet. Only three dates are available for flounder charters--September 4, 5 and 6—before the season closes. All open-boat tuna trips are sold out. Booking sea bass and blackfish charters isn’t a bad idea, because they’re filling up. It’s even a good idea to book space on the vessel’s open-boat blackfish trips that will begin November 15, when the limit increases to eight of the tog from the current limit of one, because those trips are filling fast. Stray Cat had a bang-up season on blackfish last year, fishing the reefs and structure that are less pressured than waters up north. Every year can be different, but when it’s on, anglers are tearing it up with big hogs.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The weather only started to clear today, and the fishing even seemed to be affected prior to the storm last week, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Crabbing was really the staple this week, and at least crabbing was very good. But before the storm a few kingfish could be hooked in the surf, and a few blues swam around. Ocean City Reef’s flounder fishing had been decent, and several 5-pounders were weighed in, and one 7-pounder hit the scale. Great Egg Reef also held flounder, but OC Reef seemed better. A few short striped bass were plugged in the evenings along the sod banks in the back bay. Weakfish were so few and far between that John joked that he couldn’t remember what a weakfish was. Also before the storm, bonito, small bluefin tuna and even a few wahoos were fought at the AC Ridge and Sea Isle Ridge. Bluefin tuna fishing kind of petered out at places like the Cigar last week, and those ridges were better for bluefins. Spencer, Lindenkohl and Toms canyons before the blow gave up lots of good-sized yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna on both the chunk and the troll.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> was competing in the Mid Atlantic $500,000 from Cape May this week, and he hardly had time to speak, but he gave a quick update. He fished in the tournament Monday and released a white marlin and hooked some mahi mahi. A 60-pound white was the top fish that day, and the weather offshore was beautiful, and the forecast was totally wrong. Boaters who competed Tuesday also said the weather was better than forecast, and Joe is competing again today and tomorrow, and forecasts looked rough. The event’s web site said a total of 163 boats were competing, and all but one was fishing today. On Monday 35 sailed, and on Tuesday 29 left the dock, and the number of boats that fished yesterday wasn’t posted so far. Closer to shore, Joe’s charters have been catching striped bass in the back bay on popper lures and flies. The fishing had slowed for a moment from stagnant water and extreme summer conditions, but the bite was picking back up with somewhat cooler weather and conditions that got the water moving around. Popper fishing is in full swing this time of year, a great chance for explosive hits on the surface while the water remains warm enough to make stripers slam the poppers.

<b>Avalon</b>

The crew from <b>Over Under Adventures</b> had been too busy fishing to give an update lately, an e-mail from Over Under said. But Over Under’s boat from Avalon was mostly running overnight trips to the canyons, and its several vessels from Ocean City, Md., were mostly sailing on daytime trips for tuna. Yellowfin tuna were finally showing up at the canyons here and there, and nighttime fishing for them was decent. Longfin tuna fishing in the deep was beginning to heat up on the troll, and billfishing was also good. Bluefin tuna were still around. Over Under recently added audio reports about each of its trips on its web site, so check it out. 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>Cape May</b>

Fishing was a bust this week because of the storm, and nobody seemed to make it out, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. Charters on the boat fished for bluefin tuna inshore on Friday and Sunday, and Saturday’s weather was also too stiff to fish. George heard from an Ocean City, Md., boater who said the fleet there was finding bluefin tuna fishing slow now at the inshore spots like the Ham Bone and Massey’s Canyon. But another boater told George that longfin tuna and yellowfin tuna were fought farther offshore at Baltimore Canyon, so that could be a good sign. The offshore tuna at the canyons should be turning on by now, and the Heavy Hitter’s first offshore overnighter of the season is slated for next weekend on Friday. George hadn’t heard much about offshore fishing, but that was probably because everyone had been chasing the inshore bluefins. Maybe the storm will break up the steady 78-degree water temps that have dominated offshore and push in temperature breaks that can keep tuna congregated. Two flounder trips are scheduled to fish on the Heavy Hitter this weekend, and flounder fishing seemed to be picking up well at places like Cape May Reef, though nobody seemed to make it out to the reef in the weather.

Flounder fishing was improving a lot at Cape May Reef before the storm kept boaters from fishing, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. In Delaware Bay the 9 and 10 buoys and off the Concrete Ship would be places to search for flatties, and a few keepers could be nailed in the back bay after weeding through shorts. Surf fishing was decent in the mornings and evenings for croakers, snapper blues and short stripers, and the stripers were plugged, clammed or eeled. Not much was heard about weakfish, and offshore fishing was quiet because of the weather.

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