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<b>Brooklyn</b>

On the <b>Big M Express</b> a bluefishing charter was super at the Mud Buoy, and lots of big slammers to 12 pounds hammered baits, and the trip was finished by noon, Capt. Steve said. A charter left the dock for fluke Saturday, began fishing at Ambrose Channel, but found only a few shorts, so the boat moved. Then eight keepers and a load of shorts were pulled up in only two hours. Anglers onboard are now mostly concentrating on fluke, all in the ocean, and they’ll go after weakfish when the trout start to arrive in Raritan Bay in substantial numbers. Steve heard about a few weakfish found but no big bodies of the fish. Open-boat trips sail every morning when no charter is booked, leaving from Tamaqua Marina in Gerritsen Beach in Brooklyn.

<b>Staten Island</b>

Anglers with <b>Frenzy Fishing Charters</b> boated lots of big fluke to 6 pounds, and fluking was good now, and Frenzy was hitting the deep channels like Ambrose and Chapel Hill, Capt. Tommy Verderosa said. Come on out if you want a chance at a trophy doormat, he said. He targets trophies and has won or placed in a lot of fluke tournaments. Small blues were also biting, and a couple of friends were also picking up a few small weakfish, and weakfishing was starting. Tommy also fly fishes and offers saltwater fly-rodding charters all season long, even if anglers just want to learn the sport. Small, resident stripers, bluefish, weakfish and even fluke can be landed on flies at the moment, and later in the season Frenzy will fly rod for false albacore and bonito. Tommy is an avid fly tyer and rod builder.

<b>Kayla Rose Charters</b> is now running mid-shore and offshore big-game charters in addition to inshore, small-game trips, and open-boat, big-game trips are taking place every day when no charter is booked, Capt. Darrin said. The open trips will either head to the mid-shore or offshore grounds, either on daytime trips or on overnight ones. A trip Thursday headed mid shore to the 50-mile grounds and trolled a nice catch of football bluefin tuna about 30 pounds apiece and mahi mahi of various sizes from chickens to one big bull.  The inshore charters were catching lots of fluke in the bay and were beginning to find weakfish there, and porgies were beginning to show up in the ocean while patrons bottom fished for sea bass. 

Fluke fishing’s been outstanding for <b>Barbara Anne Charters</b>, and sea bassing’s also been good on the boat, Capt. Anthony said. Both fishing was taking place in the ocean, and open-boat trips are sailing every Tuesday, guaranteed to leave the dock with a minimum of two anglers.

<b>Laurence Harbor</b>

Fishing for larger fluke seemed to pick up along the middle of Reach Channel for <b>Evening Tide Charters</b> on a trip Saturday, Capt. Kyle said. Live peanut bunker were used for bait, and Evening Tide’s been able to castnet the bait fish, and Kyle loves fishing with them, because they often get the strikes from the larger fluke and weakfish in the area. He’s been searching for weaks and catching a few, and friends have been landing a few, but no weaks seemed to be balled up in large numbers yet.  But Evening Tide’s charters definitely focus on them when the bite turns on, usually fishing for weaks in the early mornings, because the trout can be skittish, and then switching to fluke fishing, unless enough weakies are biting to make it possible to keep catching them through the day. The bay was in the mid 80s, and the water was very clean Saturday but murky and brown Sunday. Charters are available for fluke and weaks.

<b>Keyport</b>

<b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> got into its first pick of weakfish of the season on a trip in the bay Thursday with the Sandy Goldman party, Capt. Joe said. The weaks bit along Reach Channel, and blues and short fluke were also hooked, all on killies and squid. Weakfishing should only get better, Joe said. Open-boat trips are taking place 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily when no charter is booked, and so is an open trip every Wednesday morning. Call to reserve and for info.

On the <b>Lucky Carm</b> Steve Biacentino’s party scored a bunch of fluke to 4 ¾ pounds and did very well on the fish at Reach Channel on Saturday morning, Capt. Carmine said.  In the afternoon a charter from Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 779 targeted blues in the bay and had a good time chumming and chunking bunker for the fish to 5 pounds, Carmine said. Lots of peanut bunker with blues underneath schooled the bay. Carmine heard about hardly any weakfish landed in the bay so far, but charters will target the weaks when the action picks up. Special, 4-hour, evening charters are available from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and call Carmine for info. Morning charters are also available, and charter times are flexible.

Fluke fishing was going well, and weakfish were beginning to be reeled in, mostly at Reach Channel, said Chris from <b>Crabby’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Tony Russo limited out on fluke to 8 pounds near the 1 can and off the tip of the Navy Pier. Joe Simmon tackled a 9.2-pound fluke near the TC buoy on jumbo spearing. Crabbing was excellent, especially since the full moon passed, and Crabby’s Crab Tournament is underway, so bring in your monster blueclaws, and a 6-13/16-incher was the biggest so far. Keyport Pier is now open, and its annual snapper bluefish tournament takes place 10 a.m. to 12 noon August 18, and August 19 is the rain date, and the competition features three different age categories.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

A charter on the <b>CRT II</b> scored very well Saturday, landing a bunch of sea bass and a mess of keeper fluke to 5 ½ pounds, Capt. Mick said. Another group Sunday pulled up lots of nice-sized sea bass and several keeper fluke, including a 5-1/2-pounder. Fluke were out there, and not a ton bit, but the ones that did were quality sized. Some choice dates remain for charters, and fluke season only lasts another month, and charters will also target weakfish and sea bass.

The bay’s fluking often depended on favorable conditions for a good drift on the <b>Atlantic Star</b>, and even fluking in the channels seemed to depend on certain parts of the tide, Capt. Tom said. Tom couldn’t remember Thursday’s fishing and had no notes about the day when he gave this report, but Friday morning’s trip was tough, and there was no drift. Few people showed up for Friday afternoon’s trip, maybe because of forecasts for rough weather, but the fishing was a fair pick, and one patron bagged six keepers, and a couple landed four, and one took two. On Saturday morning some keepers were landed, but it wasn’t good fishing, and the afternoon brought better conditions and a catch that was a little better. Sunday’s outings produced some keepers, and shorts always bit on all the trips, and Sunday afternoon gave up decent fishing on the first two drifts before the drift and fishing dropped off. Two fair sized flatties were landed in the past days: a 7-3/4-pounder that Doug Schumann hauled aboard Sunday morning, and a 6-3/4-pounder that Ryan Dugan boated Friday afternoon, and that fish was her biggest fluke to date. So generally there was some action with shorts, but it wasn’t like 100 bit, and keepers were mixed in, and the fishing depended on conditions, and conditions never remained decent for a good drift during an entire trip. The boat did all of its fishing in the bay in the past days, and Capt. Tom was finding the bay’s fluking most reliable.  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.

The weather and fluking were perfect yesterday, even though the drift was fast at 2 knots, said Capt. Ron from the <b>Fishermen</b> on the report on the boat’s web site. A good bite lasted all day on shorts and keepers, and three patrons limited out, and several customers bagged three to six. Two anglers tied for the pool with 5-pounders. Saturday’s fishing started with a terrible drift, but fluke managed to be picked, and an hour toward the end of the day really bailed out the trip. High hook bagged six, and the weather was hotter than Hades the past few days. On Friday patrons picked at the fish and ended with a few nice ones, including a 7.5-pounder that took the pool, and a 5.5-pounder was second biggest. A few 3-pounders were pulled over the rails, and anglers still had to work for the fish. The high hook took home five decent flatties. Thursday’s anglers mostly picked away all day, and lots more shorts bit than in the previous days, and one angler released 20 shorts and caught no keepers. High hooks scored six keepers apiece, and a 7.1-pounder was the pool winner. Afternoon bluefishing trips were also running Fridays through Sundays, and bluefishing was very good Saturday night, and that was the only word on the action in the past days, but it’s probably safe to guess that bluefishing in general was good, because that’s been the trend lately. The Fishermen is fishing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, usually in the ocean. Afternoon bluefishing trips are running 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.
 

<b>Highlands</b>

Three out of five trips limited out with fluke with <b>Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures</b> this past week, and the other two nearly limited, and fluking was fantastic, Capt. Bob said in an e-mail. All the fishing took place in the ocean in 35 to 80 feet, and most of the fish were 18 to 22 inches, and the last of incoming tides to the first of outgoing was the best time. Hot baits ranged from 4-inch swimming minnows with a killie to snapper blues and jumbo smelts, and the bigger baits were dunked in deeper water. The Jenkins family took a half-day trip and limited out on flatties to 24 inches. A trip Saturday with Jim Monahan and Mike Monahan was a bit slower than usual, but the anglers still managed 12 nice keepers to 20 inches. Weakfish to 21 inches were boated on one trip that sailed to the back of the bay with the Jackson party, and they also scored fluke to 19 inches and blues from 4 to 6 pounds. Fluking improved steadily in the past two weeks for Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures, and charters will target them until the season closes after September 10, and weakfish, blues and stripers will also be a focus, and blackfishing will start November 15, when the bag limit increases to eight from one.

<b>Fisher Price Charters</b> was catching fluke at the channels, and a trip the other day put together a mixed bag of a couple of fluke, a couple of weakfish, lots of small blues and an 18-pound striper that ate a sandworm meant for weakfish, Capt. Derek said. The weaks bit when the trip started, because there was a drift, but then the drift ended, and the trout stopped biting. Derek heard that weakfishing in the bay was best Thursday but then became tough because of lack of drift, but at least the weakfishing was starting. Fisher Price had already been hooking a load of weakfish in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers, and fluke were mixed in, and charters can target the weaks in the rivers if they’d like.

<b>Sea Bright</b>

<b>Two Rivers Charters</b> has been fluke fishing in the ocean and also drifting for striped bass in the ocean, Capt. Fletcher said. He was in a rush and couldn’t say more, but he had five trips coming up in the next week and promised more of a report afterward.

Weakfish and fluke were getting hooked with <b>Jersey Shore Fishing Charters</b>, and the weaks bit at buoy 5 at Reach Channel on sandworms, Capt. Jake said. Charters will now often put out lines for both fluke and weaks. A trip Thursday ran to the Shrewsbury Rocks and loaded up on a bunch of keeper sea bass and released 25 shorts. A big, 3-1/2-pound triggerfish was also grabbed, and lots of fluke were also hugging the bottom. Jake headed to the Monster Ledge yesterday to search for bluefin tuna on the troll, but only bluefish bit. The water was 74.8 degrees and very green, and seas were big and 8 feet, and the forecast had only called for 2 to 3 feet. A friend overnighted at Hudson Canyon from Friday to Saturday and chunked two yellowfin tuna and trolled five. No other fish like longfin tuna or mahi mahi were landed, and another angler said he nailed a 300-pound bigeye tuna at the Hudson on Saturday.

<b>Belmar</b>

A pretty good catch of fluke, including some respectable-sized ones to an 8-pound doormat, and quite a few sea bass to 2 or 2 ½ pounds were bagged on the <b>Nan Sea J</b> yesterday in the ocean at rough bottom, Capt. Tom said. A good number of blues, decent-sized ones to 14 pounds, were battled to the boat at the Mud Buoy on another charter Saturday. Charters will continue to target fluke and blues, and they’ll probably also give striped bass fishing a few more tries at the Shrewsbury Rocks on bunker chunks. Tuna charters will start in September.

<b>Waretown</b>

Fluke fishing was hot, said Capt. John from <b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b>. He ran fluke trips Friday and Saturday that walloped fluke to 7 pounds in the ocean in 30 to 40 feet near the shore. On Friday 30 of the fish were hooked, and on Saturday 24 were landed. So Perfect Drift will keep targeting them as long as it holds up. Fluke season is only open another month, and get your fillets in the freezer while you can, especially now that the bite is on.

<b>Brielle</b>

Fluke fishing was pretty good all week, mostly at Sea Girt Reef, off Long Branch, at the Rattlesnake and that general area, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Most of the big ones hit bucktails, and a surprising number of big sea bass were also hooked at the rough bottom. Customers checked in 2-1/2- to 3-pounders, decent sizes for this time of year. Fluking was also decent at Manasquan Inlet, and customers sailed on a party boat and caught nothing Saturday, and they came back to the shop and bought gear to fish the inlet, and then they returned with a 5-pound doormat. Hickory shads also swam the inlet, and Dave was hearing stories about weakfish caught in the area at night. He was going to give the weakfishing at try later this week. All the bluefish were at the Mud Buoy, and time of day didn’t matter. A few stripers bit at spots like the Shrewsbury Rocks, but they seemed to be resident fish, and the bulk of stripers seemed to leave by now. Offshore boaters were at least fishing now, catching bigeye, yellowfin and longfin tuna at Hudson Canyon at the west wall, the unexploded bombs and the letters. The bite was nothing hot, but anglers were coming back with a catch. The largest bigeyes that Dave heard about were 150 to 180 pounds, and some of the yellowfins weighed up to 60 pounds. Most of the fish bit on the troll, but some anglers tried chunking for swords at night and landed a few tuna. Dave heard about no swordfish taken, and chunking for tuna wasn’t really ready yet. The Toms Canyon was giving up lots of white and blue marlin and a few wahoos. Fishing for bluefin tuna to 60 pounds was good in the inshore ocean at the Glory Hole and the Chicken Canyon.  Dave was planning to sail for tilefish and wreckfish on the party boat Voyager last night, and he took one of the trips previously and said it was great. Closer to shore, bonito fishing at Manasquan Ridge was inconsistent but was better at Barnegat Ridge. Barnegat Ridge also gave up mahi mahi and king mackerel.

A fluke charter on the <b>Katie H</b> that was supposed to be a full-day trip yesterday turned into a half-day one because of stiff seas in a northeast blow, Capt. Mike said. But the anglers still bagged eight keepers in the ocean off Bay Head and released scores of throwbacks, plenty of action. Depths of 35 feet seemed best, and deeper waters produced few bites, and tighter to the beach gave up shorts. The anglers needed to drop 10 to 12 ounces of weight to hold bottom, and the boat’s first offshore trip of the season, a daytime troll, is slated for Thursday. The vessel’s first overnighter of the season on the offshore ground should take place during the weekend, and then a bunch of the big-game charters will begin sailing. Offshore fishing sounded okay lately, and Mike heard about one boat that fished Carteret Canyon and trolled at least a dozen yellowfin tuna. Nighttime chunking for the fish is slow at this time of year, and daytime trolling is producing most catches, but chunking is giving up a few. Openings remain for offshore trips, but book now before all dates are full. 

Good catches of ling and sea bass were lifted aboard the <b>Paramount</b> during the past week, an e-mail from the boat said. Quite a few ling were boated on sea bass trips Thursday through Saturday, and trips that mainly sailed for ling also found some good numbers of the red hake. Sea bassing improved greatly yesterday during the first several drops in the morning. A keeper cod, a 15-pound monkfish and a 4-pound blackfish were also reported caught, and porgies were starting to show up, but the season was a little early for porgies to bite in any great quantity. Deep Water Mudhole Ling Specials are sailing 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday, targeting ling, cod, pollock and occasional blackfish. Monday Marathon Trips take place 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., 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. For more info call the boat or visit wreckmasters.com.

Bluefishing was very good during the day Sunday and on Saturday night on the <b>Jamaica</b>, an e-mail from the boat said. Plenty of 6- to 16-pounders were landed, and the fleet was spread over a wide area that grew over the past week, and no let up in the fishing was expected anytime soon. The fishing was fair Friday night but was very good the rest of the week.  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, including at canyontuna.com, and the first trip is slated for August 26. 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>

Anglers with <b>Angela Rose Charters</b> fished Manasquan River on a short trip Sunday morning, and after the right spot was found, they mustered up some fluke and all the sea robins anyone could want, and the river was still loaded with fish, Capt. Anthony said in an e-mail. Another charter sailed on Angela Rose’s other boat that morning, broke Manasquan Inlet and met 3- to 5-foot seas with a tight chop. They ran south and started drifting off Bay Head, and despite a wickedly fast drift started catching fluke quickly, pulling four keepers onboard in the first shot. On the second drift fluke and small blues bit, and then sea sickness struck. So the boat pushed back to Manasquan River to fish for anything that moved. Boat traffic was heavy, but 30-some fluke, a handful of blues and umpteen sea robins came up. Anthony had teamed up with one of the anglers to compete against the rest of the group to see who caught the most fish, and the winner would be awarded ice cream. Anthony and the angler, who cast artificials, came up two fish short, and the rest of the group, who tossed squid with spearing combos, got the ice cream, and the competition came down to the final drift. On Saturday a charter headed out on a fluke and crabbing trip. They began fluking in the river, and a decent number of short fluke and a handful of keepers to 21 inches kept rods bouncing. After a couple of hours of fishing, it was time to add blueclaws to the menu. The boat dropped anchor at the Mantoloking Bridge in northern Barnegat Bay at a couple of locations, and plenty of bottom dwellers were caught, and the charter bagged plenty of eats between the crabs and the fluke. On Friday a charter made its way to Sea Girt Reef for fluke and sea bass and caught both, including plenty of fluke to 24 inches, enough for a couple of dinners. Capt. Anthony and the boat’s deckhand entered a friendly competition with the anglers to see who landed the most fish, and once again the charter scored the ice cream. On Thursday a charter targeted the river from Clark’s Landing to the Bath Tub, picking away at fluke, blues, shad, weakfish and sea robins, and at the end of the trip the gang anchored up and enjoyed the Point Pleasant Beach fireworks from the river. On Angela Rose’s other boat, another charter that day also fished the river and picked away at fluke, blues and sea robins, and afterward they headed to the ocean and watched the fireworks in 20 feet.

One of <b>Reel Class Charters</b>’ Fluke Till You Puke Marathons, an open-boat trip, fished Friday with four anglers, Capt. Allen said. They fished a reef at one spot the whole time along a 75-yard drift, limiting on flatties. Bob Leshinksi nailed a 7.4-pounder that was the biggest, and most of the fluke were 3 to 5 pounds or around 22 inches, and a decent number were over 5 pounds. So the trip was fantastic, Allen said, and by 11:30 a.m., after the group had already limited, seas were kicking up, so the boat moved to Manasquan River, and a couple of keepers were released, and so was a load of shorts. Charters are also sailing, and both the charters and open trips are fluking, and sea bassing is mixed in. The marathons will last till September 1, and then trips should target false albacore, bonito and small blues until fall fishing for stripers and larger blues kicks in. Weakfishing should also take place when the trout stack up along the ocean front like usual during that time of year.

Mid-shore fishing for big game was slow, so <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> will focus on canyon charters and open-boat trips for now, Capt. Fred said. But inshore trips will also keep fishing for fluke and sea bass, and the keeper fluke are at the reefs and are no longer holding along the ocean beaches. A mid-shore, big-game trip took a course for the Glory Hole during the middle of last week and only landed a 25-inch, short bluefin tuna, and no mahi mahi were holding at the lobster pots. But an open-boat canyon trip took place Friday and was decent. The anglers onboard fished the Toms Canyon, scored a double header of 50-pound longfin tuna and later trolled a 70-pound yellowfin. After trolling several more hours, the trip switched to deep-dropping for tilefish, and a 20-pounder was nailed. Then winds and seas were forecast to blow up, so the boat started back to port. The water was 78 degrees, clear and blue. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag trips for greater fun and increased chances of hooking up, and the mid-shore and canyon trips sail on a 31-foot Contender that cruises 45 m.p.h., making it to the fishing grounds in half the time of a party boat, allowing more fishing time and the opportunity to target several species. The canyon trips typically troll for tuna at first light and then hit the lobster pots for mahi mahi and then deep-drop for tilefish. Andrea’s Toy is one of the few charters if not the only one to do this type of fishing, including on open-boat trips. 

<b>Bricktown</b>

Weakfishing was very good in Barnegat Bay, and fluke were boated in the ocean both to the north and to the south, said Tommy Kilgannon from <b>Pell’s Fish & Sport</b> in a fax. Mike Vansickle fluke fished off Point Pleasant and boated a 5-1/2-pounder, and Joe Scottie hit the Shrewsbury Rocks and landed a 6-1/2-pound fluke on a live herring. John Murphy bottom bounced for fluke off Bay Head and picked up a 25-1/2-inch 5-1/2-pounder, and Troy Snyder tried the area off Jenkinson’s Pier and nailed a 9-1/2-pound flattie on a killie. Cocktail blues were getting beached in the surf.

<b>Seaside</b>

Fishing was pretty much hit or miss, and bluefishing in the surf wasn’t yet as consistent as would like to be seen at this time of year, said the fishing report on <b>Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s web site. But things were a mob scene over the weekend, and these anglers weighed-in the following fish or reported these catches: Joey Bruno, 26-inch weakfish; Don Opdyke, 15-inch blackfish; Joe Dolobacs, 2-pound 15-ounce fluke, Jerry Bonnetti, two 24-inch striped bass; Bob Antrim, 49-pound 12-ounce black drum; and John Winterberger, a short fluke. 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>Barnegat Light</b>

“Could Barnegat Bay be the next weakfish capital of the world?” Capt. Steve Purul from <b>Reel Fantasea Charters</b> asked. During the past two weeks the bay’s weakfish crop was not only plentiful but made up of very good-sized fish, almost none smaller than 13 inches. The majority were 16 to 23 inches, and even bigger ones were biting regularly. Jay Simmons and Ernie Rosenberg were aboard, grass shrimped for weaks in the bay and had a “reel” good bite, Steve joked. Joe Franke was aboard and nearly scored a grand slam and was only missing a striper. He got into non-stop action with weaks and blues, limiting out on the trout and then playing catch and release. Then he shot to Barnegat Inlet to catch nice fluke for dinner. Jay Simmons was on deck another time with three friends for a slamboree of absolutely fantastic weakfishing, limiting out and only keeping 15- to 24-inchers. They reportedly said they never experienced such fishing before. They ended the trip with fluking, but found a stiff, 3.5-knot drift, so they looked elsewhere and found a slower drift, but only shorts bit. “Oh well, it still was awesome,” Steve said.

<b>Barnegat</b>

Fishing for weakies with soft plastic lures was challenging in Barnegat Bay and produced less quantity than last year at this time, although grass shrimpers were landing plenty, said Capt. Melanie from <b>FisherQueen Custom Bay Charters</b> in an e-mail. She’s not giving up on the plastics and has lots of faith in them, though. Fluking in the bay was hit or miss, and her trips were working Double Creek Channel hard, and one day was great for keepers, and another was a slow pick for them, but plenty of shorts bit. On Thursday Bill Stussi was aboard and started fishing the back of the bay for weakfish with no takers. He moved to Meyer’s Hole, and lots of fish were read, and so was lots bait, and that led Mel to believe that the fish were selectively feeding. The boat moved to off Barnegat Lighthouse, and Bill fought a gang of bluefish. Bill also started fluking around the lighthouse, and there was lots of action but no keepers. He moved to Double Creek Channel, and a few keeper fluke and a bunch of shorts just under the legal size were landed.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

Most trips targeted flounder with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b> this past week, but a tuna charter also sailed, Capt. T.J. said. Flounder fishing was a “small pick” in 40 to 60 feet in the ocean near the reefs but not on the reefs. One in 10 of the fish was a keeper, and parties onboard averaged six to a dozen keepers per trip, and the fish were of no big size. A 16-hour tuna charter trolled inside Carteret Canyon down to Lindenkohl Canyon and scored pretty well, landing some yellowfin tuna to 70 pounds, a couple of white marlin and a couple of mahi mahi.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Anglers on the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> went 2 for 5 on bluefin tuna around Massey’s Canyon yesterday, Capt. Tom said. The two that were landed measured 48 inches and 46 ½ inches and were trolled, and only one of the trip’s bites was on the chunk. The fish hit from daylight until 1:30 p.m. Some boaters in the area caught one or two fish, and lots of others complained about catching none. The water was 78 to 79 degrees and fairly clear, and reports from the canyons sounded like a few yellowfin tuna, fewer bigeyes and some marlin were trolled, and chunking overnight at the canyons seemed spotty, although some chunkers did very well. Space is available on an open-boat tuna trip this coming Saturday that will either target bluefins inshore or will fish for tuna and big game farther offshore at the canyons, depending on what’s biting best. The open trips are sailing every Saturday when no charter is booked. Fishin’ Fever is also chartering for flounder fishing, and the flounder bite is decent in the ocean, and the boat is also sailing on inshore trolling charters. On the inshore trolling trips fishing for bonito and mahi mahi is now terrific in the Brigantine and Atlantic City area, and king mackerel, Spanish mackerel and sometimes wahoo can be caught, and bluefish will hit.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Surf fishers were pulling flounder, blues and croakers, and some kingfish were finally appearing in the suds, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Toss Pro Cut squid, minnows or filleted mackerel for the flounder, and dunk clams or bloodworms for the croakers. Healthy sized triggerfish were taken last week by anglers who dropped down green crabs along the jetties for tog, and tog were also hooked lately on the crabs or on clams. A couple of anglers boated the back bay off Harrah’s Casino and came up with good-sized flounder. One Stop stocks all the baits mentioned in this report.

<b>Margate</b>

Flounder fishing was improving at the ocean reefs on the <b>Jessie O’</b>, and 10 keepers including a 7.1-pound pool winner were boated on a trip Saturday, Capt. Jay said. Sea bass and blues were also hooked, and these trips, mostly open-boat trips that sail daily with charters mixed in, were putting together such mixed bags that were also improving. On Saturday’s trip seas were a little rough and 4 to 6 feet, and the bottom was challenging to hold with even 12 ounces of weight. On Jay’s back-bay boat, the <b>Fish N’ Fun</b>, two open-boat trips daily were having success with flounder fishing, with anglers landing lots of shorts and several keepers per outing.  An e-mail from the fleet said Sunday afternoon’s trip took place in honking winds but still found three nice, keeper flounder, and a 2.6-pounder was the pool winner. The Jessie O’ runs open-boat trips every morning and is now offering Magic Hour evening, open trips from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays. Charters also sail on the vessel. Reservations are being accepted for the Thunder Over the Boardwalk Trip from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 15, for the best seats in the house for the Atlantic City Airshow. Performances include those by the Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, Coast Guard and civilians. See the Air Force Thunderbirds, the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team, the 177th Fighter Wing, world-class civilian acrobatics and much more. Lunch is included. Lots of party cruises are also sailing with a DJ and catering available.

<b>Longport</b>

<b>Stray Cat Charters</b> was bottom fishing, inshore trolling and tuna fishing this past week, Capt. Mike said. The boat ran four or five bottom trips that produced good-sized sea bass, not a lot, but quality 2- to 3-pounders, sometimes porgies, sometimes flounder and sometimes other fish 15 miles offshore. The sea bass seemed to bite better on herring and mackerel than clams lately. The porgies were good-sized, and the boat would fish for flounder on the trips whenever conditions created a decent drift, although that was infrequent. But some trips produced good numbers of flatties to 18 inches. Sometimes triggerfish were also boated on the bottom trips, and so were mahi mahi that hung around the wrecks. The bottom fishers would keep a rod ready to pitch to the mahi when the dolphin showed up. The inshore trolling trips were picking up mixed bags of blues, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel and bonito, averaging 25 fish on a 5-hour outing. Lots of snapper blues seemed to be abundant, and the rest of the fish were picked up here and there with no large concentrations. Tuna fishing was good for lots of yellowfins 40 miles offshore, and mahi mahi of all different sizes, from peanuts to 15 pounders, were also trolled. Stray Cat won’t start sailing to the canyons for tuna for at least another week, but yellowfins were taken at the canyons, and lots of swordfish were fought there in the past week. Bluefin tuna fishing was going well at the 30-fathom line both days of the weekend. Three spaces apiece are available for open-boat tuna-trolling trips that run 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Sundays of August 12 and September 2.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> last night was in Ocean City, Md., poised to compete all week in the White Marlin Open, and all his attention was geared toward that event, he said. He should give an update on his progress in the next report. Previously Joe had been fishing the back bay for stripers, and that action had slowed for the moment because of warm, stagnant water with no turnover, but the bite should pick up again with different weather and tides. He also got into great bluefin tuna fishing last week on spin rods while trolling and on a fly rod while chumming with peanut bunker not far from Sea Isle on his flats boat. He wouldn’t disclose the exact location, because that fishing can end if too many boaters get on the fish. It’s impossible to know whether the bluefin fishing will continue, and some years it does, and some years it doesn’t, but Joe will surely be back on those grounds soon. More should be heard from Joe within a few days.

<b>Avalon</b>

Offshore fishing was fair at best for <b>Over Under Adventures</b>’ boats from Avalon and Ocean City, Md., the report on Over Under’s web site said. Bluefin tuna continued to hold at the 20-fathom curve, and they swam Massey’s Canyon, 19-Fathom Lump, the Ham Bone and the Chicken Bone, but the bite was much slower than a couple of weeks ago. Over Under’s boats’ best days were going 6 for 8 on bluefins, and their slowest days were only scoring a couple of bites. The bluefins hit either on the chunk from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. or on the troll throughout the day. Things were worse when the vessels ventured farther offshore. The boats’ second offshore overnighter of the season took place during the week, only to be shut out on tuna fishing on the chunk. A bunch of dolphin were caught, and three or four yellowfin tuna bit on the troll. One of the boats had a decent day on yellowfins, and three managed to be put in the boat just offshore of the Hot Dog, but those fish were gone the next day. “So all we can say is that things can only get better,” the report said.  The fishing was expected to improve as the moon faded more this week. 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>

Delaware Bay’s flounder fishing dropped off, but look for the action to pick up at Cape May Reef, 20-Minute Slough and McCries Shoal as the flatties leave the bay, and croakers were starting to arrive in the bay, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> in an e-mail. Flattie fishing was good in the ocean at the Old Grounds and Reef Site 11 when conditions were favorable. Jim Sullivan on the Mad Money fished Reef 11 and weighed in a 4-1/2-pound flounder. Small bluefish were schooling up and down the ocean beaches, and look for bird play to find them. Kenny Walker, 13, weighed in a 10-1/4-pound blue that he slammed at the mouth of the bay. Chunking for bluefin tuna was hot at Massey’s Canyon and 19-Fathom Lump, and smaller bluefins were sometimes caught at the East Lump and along the 20-fathom line. Ernie Divincenzo and crew on the The Next Generation fished the 19 Lump and went 3 for 4 on bluefins to 85 pounds on the chunk. Boaters who trolled farther offshore at the canyons got into white marlin, blue marlin, yellowfin tuna and wahoo.

<b>Cape May</b>

A flounder charter and a couple of inshore trolling trips sailed with <b>Copacetic Sportfishing</b> this past week, Capt. Mike said. The flounder trip ran yesterday, fishing southern Delaware Bay along the shipping channel, and strong winds made conditions tough, but the anglers hung in there and pulled up a few flatties to 20 inches. They also fought a load of cocktail blues, and Mike thinks the fishing would’ve been better if winds had been calmer, and 10 ounces of weight had to be used to hold bottom. The water was probably 71 degrees, and the tide was incoming, and the anglers fished with squid, mackerel strips, strips of bluefish and minnows. Not too many junk fish bit, probably because the drift was fast. The inshore trolling trips fished 15 miles from shore, and 2- to 8-pound blues were everywhere, and a few bonito and mahi mahi were mixed in. Mike heard about good-sized king mackerel caught, but he landed none. A tuna charter will target bluefins this week, and the bluefin bite was hot.

A couple of spots are open if anyone wants to join a bluefin tuna chunking and trolling trip that will sail this Friday on the <b>Sea Fox</b>, Capt. Gary said. The boat chunked and trolled for the fish with the Shinn Express Company charter on Friday at the inshore lumps, and they went 5 for 6, limiting out on the tuna. The group chunked at first and then trolled, and both methods scored bites, and the fish were hooked from 4 a.m. to 12 noon. Seas were somewhat rough and 3 to 4 feet, and the water was probably 76 or 77 degrees. Charters are also flounder fishing and inshore trolling for blues and pelagics like bonito.

<b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b> was tuna fishing, inshore trolling and flounder fishing, and all were pretty much good, and tuna fishing was best, Capt. Ray said. A tuna trip yesterday limited out on bluefins at the 20-fathom line, and other bluefins were also released. The fish were chunked in the morning, and the anchor was pulled by 10 a.m., and the vessel went on the troll, but seas were kicking up, and the anglers spent little time trolling before heading to the barn. Yellowfin tuna and longfin tuna have been caught at the canyons when boaters have ended up at the right spots, but bluefin tuna fishing closer to shore’s been more productive. Inshore trolling with Jaftica produced bluefish, bonito, king mackerel and mahi mahi, and the blues were predominant, and the other fish hit sporadically. For example, the boat came across a pod of bonito when those fish were landed. A flounder charter took place Friday in southern Delaware Bay and bagged probably eight of the fish and released 20 or 30 shorts. Jaftica is raffling off a striped bass charter through summer to benefit the recovery of one of the boat’s mates who was injured in an accident. Raffle tickets are $5 apiece or $20 for five, and see the boat’s web site for info.

Bluefin tuna fishing was very good yesterday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> while the anglers chunked at the inshore lumps, Capt. George said. They landed six bluefins to 70 pounds including limiting out, and they were finished by 9 a.m. Seas started becoming sloppy from northeast winds, so no trolling was done on the way home. The water was 74 degrees, a few degrees cooler than other boaters told George they found. Ross Mayan, Keith Burgos, Brian Moore, John Digiorgio and Dan Reader were the anglers on the charter. A flounder charter Saturday was slow in southern Delaware Bay along the shipping channel, and only one keeper bit among 20 throwbacks, and small blues were hooked, and so were six 14-inch croakers. Sharks hit during the first half-hour, but then the current started moving, and the sharks backed off. John Newcomb, Jack and John Lynch and Tom Steineke were the anglers. The Heavy Hitter is chartering for tuna, flounder or bottom fish and inshore trolling for blues, bonito and such fish.

Big flounder started showing up in good numbers at the Old Grounds, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. The fish were hanging in 75 to 85 feet, and Reef Site 11 was also putting out good catches and nice sea bass. Flounder fishing in southern Delaware Bay at the 9 and 10 buoys slowed down quite a bit, and lots of shorts were appearing. Ed Fiorentino flounder fished the Old Grounds a few hours Saturday and bagged 12, and half were 5 to 7 pounds. Dave Sheldon tried Reef 11 and hauled up a 7.78-pound flounder, and Becky Slobodjian fished the Instracoastal Waterway for a 3.08-pound flattie. Guido Mitrovich didn’t even have to leave shore, because he pinned down an 8.13-pound flounder from the docks at his marina. Good numbers of croakers swam Bayshore Channel off the Villas, and those fish have been bigger and more numerous than elsewhere. Waters inshore of South Shoal and at 4-Fathom Bank and the East Lump were full of 1- to 3-pound bluefish, bonito, small false albacore and a few mahi mahi that hit on the troll. Bluefin tuna fishing was holding up well at the usual haunts. Trolling for them was good in the mornings at the Fingers, the Misty Blue wreck and the Lori Dawn lumps. Locations for the best chunking for the bluefins varied, but the fish were chunked at Massey’s Canyon, the 19-Fathom Lump, the Ham Bone and the Hot Dog. Sardines seemed to out-fish butterfish, and jigging also scored plenty. A few yellowfin tuna started to show up at Massey’s and the Hot Dog. At the canyons white marlin fishing started to pick up, and the tips of Baltimore and Wilmington canyons were loaded with skipacks that blue marlin and a few whites were sometimes feeding on.

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