<b>Staten Island</b>

Bottom fishers belted a good catch of sea bass with ling mixed in during a trip Saturday with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. A bottom trip Sunday was a little slower but nabbed the fish and a few ling, and out-of-season blackfish were released, and so were three heavy flounder, also out-of-season. The sea bass on the both trips weighed up to 2 ½ pounds. Outcast is still striped bass fishing, though these two charters only wanted to bottom fish. Outcast also offers combo striper/sea bass charters. Striper fishing seemed best either early in the mornings, like on trips that left the dock at 3 a.m., or toward dusk.

<b>Keyport</b>

Tons of peanut bunker were now showing up all around Keyport Harbor, and bluefish were all over them, said Chris Salus from <b>Crabby’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Some reports rolled in about good fishing at the Keyport Flats for fluke that were fat, stuffed with peanut bunker and rainfish. Joe Skullie and wife Tammy landed 12 fluke to 6 pounds at the 1 and 3 cans off Keyport on Ryder-hook rigs with Pro Cut squid and spearing. Tommy Scarron limited out on the flatties to 7 pounds at the TC can on jumbo spearing. Word was sometimes heard about weakfish and porgies beginning to arrive in the bay at the rock piles. Porgy season opens tomorrow. The Mud Dump gave up red hot sea bass fishing, all the humpbacks anyone could want, on fresh clam. Crabby’s free crab contest was in full swing and runs through September 24. If you pluck up a big one, stop by and enter it. All the crabs must measure at least 6 ½ inches from point to point and be alive when entered. The shop is open till 8 p.m. on Fridays. For the latest reports or other info, call the store or stop by.

Mike Santana’s group reeled in 13 fluke to 17 ½ inches from the bay near the Ammo Pier on Saturday with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Skates and sea robins also bit. On Saturday a trip with Jeff Duda, Joe Tomak and crew hooked 25 fluke including four healthy sized keepers between the Ammo Pier and Sandy Hook. The keepers included a 22-incher, a 19-incher and two 18 ½ inchers. Both groups fished with squid and killies on bucktails. If the size limit were 17 inches like last year, probably five or six more keepers would’ve been bagged during the weekend. On the first trip, Geanette Skarbnik, her brother Byran, Dan Jertio, Candace Gorman and Nicole Cageinao were also aboard, and Geanette gave the trip to Mike for his birthday. On the second trip Sean Duda, Brandon Tomak, Dave Lewis and Taylor Lewis were also on deck. Open boat trips are running 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily when no charter is booked, and Workingman’s Special open trips are sailing 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily when no charter is scheduled. Open trips or charters are available Friday to Sunday on Forth of July weekend.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fluke fishing gave up pretty fair action on the <b>Atlantic Star</b>, but, like usual lately, not as many keepers as Capt. Tom would like, he said. This year’s larger size limit was difficult, and a decent number of hooked fish were within an inch of making the limit and would’ve been keepers last year. The boat fished different places from Flynn’s Knoll to Reach Channel to the Navy Pier, and all held fluke, a large population spread throughout the bay. Sometimes, but not always, anglers who fished Spro jigs reeled in more keepers, but fishing the Spros takes work and some know-how.  Spearing and squid are provided for bait, and patrons might want to bring a small amount of killies, because the baitfish sometimes, but not always, make a difference. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke on two trips daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

An patron hauled in a 7-1/2-pound fluke and took the lead in the season-long pool yesterday on the <b>Fishermen</b>, but that didn’t last long, because Joe Hanley became the new leader today, when he tackled an 8-pound 8-ouncer, Capt. Ron said in an e-mail. “Still trying to break the double-digit mark, though!” he said. Winds blowing with the tide created a pretty quick drift this morning, and a swell seemed to affect fishing. But decent keepers and plenty of shorts came over the rails at several stops. The Fishermen is fluke fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Magic Hour Trips are running for blues and stripers, but probably mostly blues now, 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. However, Friday afternoon’s trip won’t sail, because a Fourth of July fireworks cruise will run instead.

<b>Highlands</b>

Anglers scored well on fluke with <b>Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures</b> in the rivers, bay and ocean, depending on good drifting conditions and the right tides, Capt. Bob said in an e-mail. Lots of keepers were taken, and plenty of shorts, including many that would’ve been keepers last year, were hooked. Sergio Carbo’s charter nailed 11 keeper fluke to 21 inches and some sea bass to 2 ½ pounds. Many of the fish landed just missed keeper size, and the group tried striped bass fishing at first, but none bit. David Chi’s family had a blast fighting blues to 8 pounds, switched to fluke fishing and put eight keepers to 20 inches in the box. Prime dates remain for full-day, half-day and evening charters for fluke, sea bass or blues.

Fishing for big striped bass held up in the ocean for <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, and a trip this morning was slower, Capt. Derek said during the outing, but charters were generally boating stripers 20 to 25 pounds. A 29-pounder was the largest in the past days, and blues had disappeared a moment but started to show up again this morning. The anglers fished with live or chunked bunker, and although Fisher Price catches the bunker back at the harbor for a reliable supply, schools of the menhaden seemed to pop up in the afternoons on the fishing grounds. Striped bass trips should keep sailing until mid July. Derek was eager to start fishing for weakfish, because some of the trout were netted in his bunker castnets, so the trout might’ve started appearing in the rivers. He was also eager to start fluke fishing soon, and when stripers finally disappear, weakfish and fluke will become the focus.

<b>Neptune</b>

Six striped bass to 40 pounds and a bunch of fluke were angled in yesterday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. Stripers could be found, but anglers had to get on the bunker schools and know how to catch the linesiders. Fluke fishing was super lately for lots of shorts, a mess of action but keepers mixed in, and sea bass to 3 ½-pounds were hoisted aboard on many of the trips. Bluefishing was phenomenal, and Last Lady was still leaving port for sharks. Inshore, individual-reservation trips are sailing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Wednesday, and openings are available. The season’s first open-boat, canyon tuna trip sails July 29 to 30, and space is available.

<b>Belmar</b>

On the <b>Nan Sea J</b> trips plied the ocean for fluke, blues and occasional striped bass, Capt. Tom said. Fluking produced quantity more than quality, and maybe four to six keepers were bagged per outing, but if the size limit were last year’s, probably 10 more keepers could be landed each time. When the drift was slow from little winds, fluke trips fished deeper waters at the hills and rocks, and when drifts were quicker from stronger winds, the trips fished closer to the beaches to escape the winds, and both places put out flatties, and sea bass, not lots, but some, also bit. The boat’s bluefish trips both jigged and bait-fished, and jigging was great. Sometimes the blues schooled closer to shore, other times farther, and the location kept changing. Stripers were sometimes mixed in while anglers jigged, and the bass were all keepers at this time of year. A couple of large ones to 39 inches were boated Thursday, and one was taken yesterday.

Bluefish hammered jigs during daytime trips and bait during nighttime trips on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, and the fishing was “absolutely awesome,” Capt. Greg said in an e-mail. The catch dropped off Thursday night, because the body of fish that trips had been beating moved, but the boat got back on them Friday night for a real slammer of an outing. The weekend’s fishing was spectacular again, and not only blues bit, but more tan 25 keeper striped bass were nailed. Joe Mercurio won the pool Saturday with a 28-pound striper. Stripers 23, 22 and 21 pounds were also drilled on the trip. The Golden Eagle is sailing daily for blues and stripers 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and for blues 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.

<b>Brielle</b>

Striped bass kept getting boated in the ocean, and fewer might’ve been wrenched in than before, but whether that meant the linesiders were moving on, or that weekend boat traffic put off the bite or that too many sharks chased the bunker schools was impossible to know, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>.  Not only thresher sharks sliced through the bunker, but hammerheads started appearing. Chuck, who works at the store, ran a charter on his boat Sidewinder and put Christian Flitton into a 52.6-pound striper, only the third-ever striper that Christian caught, on Thursday evening. He’s ruined for life! Bluefish swam among the bunker and bass, and surf anglers nailed the stripers at Spring Lake yesterday morning. Ocean fluke fishing was so-so, and the size limit, not the number of fish, was the problem. But experienced anglers seemed to lift aboard their share of keepers, and fishing with bucktails seemed best. The flatties also hugged the bottom of Manasquan River, and some, not lots, were keepers. Dave heard nothing about whether blues swam the river, but stripers were scarce there. Sea bass fishing supposedly wasn’t too bad, and a good shot of ling were caught. Shimano hosted Dave on a trip from Hyannis, Mass., last week to fish the company’s new Lucanus jigs. Dave and other anglers had been eager to fish the jigs for fluke, and he did land a fluke on a Lucanus on the trip, though the state’s fluke season just opened, and anglers didn’t seem to be dialed into the flatties yet. Dave also picked up sea bass on the jigs, and somebody onboard jigged a blackfish on one of them. Dave took a tilefishing trip on the party boat Voyager last week and said it was great, bagging five tiles from 15 to 29 pounds. The trip was covered in the Voyager’s report last time. The Reel Seat is now open until 8 p.m. on Fridays. Dave, one of the founders of the <a href=" http://ssfff.org" target="_blank">Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund</a>, said Ken Kakol from North Plainfield won Saturday’s drawing for the SSFFF’s raffle for a 17-foot Mako with a motor and trailer donated by the American Sportfishing Association and electronics donated by Henry’s Tackle. Proceeds benefitted the SSFFF, and the SSFFF still needs help. Check out its web site to find out about the organization and consider donating. The fund is spearheading the movement to end the government’s harsh restrictions on fluke fishing, restrictions that the fishing industry believes are grossly unnecessary and based on faulty science. Currently there is no Plan B, so if you don’t like the fluke regs, you should consider donating.

The J.M. Plastic Company charter on Friday put together a great mixed-bag catch, including a limit of 12 striped bass to 36 pounds, a mess of blues, six keeper fluke to 4 pounds and a few sea bass and ling on the ocean Friday, said Capt. Jerry Postorino from <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> in an e-mail. At first they ran north to start fluke fishing, but kept an eye out for schooling bunker with bass underneath, though no great numbers of the menhaden were found. A couple of keeper flatties came up, but there was little drift, so the anglers decided to try for blues. They joined the jigging fleet and for an hour lambasted all the blues they could want. Then they fluke fished a little more, brought in four keepers and added a few sea bass and ling. On the way home they decided to look for stripers again, and found bunker with stripers all over them! They limited out on big stripers and released a few. “Great day on the water,” Jerry said. On Saturday Lou Meyers and family, including a couple of youngsters new to saltwater fishing, jumped aboard for a birthday trip that Lou’s girlfriend booked for him.  They headed north for bluefish jigging. “Silly fishing, all the blues you wanted,” Jerry said. Three were kept, and the rest were released, and the youngsters fought their first monster blues. Then the group stopped for a drift “to show the youngsters what a sea bass and a fluke were,” Jerry said. A 3-pound fluke, some shorts and a few sea bass, including a 2.2 pounder, were boated. They got back in time for their birthday barbecue. “Great time had by all,” Jerry said. In addition to charters, 12-hour, open-boat Fluke Marathons, targeting <i>big fluke</i> at the rocks and reefs, where the doormats live, begin Thursday, departing 6 a.m. Call to reserve. The fishing is BYOB—bring your own bucktail—and the bucktails and big strip baits will be the favorite. Spro-style bucktails from 3 to 6 ounces are the usual size, and braid is recommended. Bring lunch and dinner on the all-day trips. Jerry is a veteran mate on local boats including Belmar’s Bandit, and he and his partner have now launched Fish Monger Charters.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Fluke trips on the <b>Gambler</b> fished mostly in deeper waters in the ocean, where better-sized flatties were found, and the catch was pretty good Friday morning, when some patrons pulled up three or four keepers, Capt. Bob said. Many of the keepers weighed 3 pounds, although the 18-inch size limit was close to 3 pounds or at least more than 2 pounds. Pool-winning fish usually weighed 5 or 6 pounds. Saturday morning’s fishing was tough, because of lack of drift, and the boat started to drift toward the end of the trip, and the fishing improved a little. On Sunday morning the boat fished south of Manasquan Inlet for a pretty decent catch, and some patrons belted three or four keepers apiece, and there was a good showing of sea bass, and a few ling were hooked. Jeff Poth won the pool with a 6.1-pound fluke, bagged a total of three fluke and reeled in two keeper sea bass. Rich and Lindsay Jones combined for a total of six keeper fluke and six keeper sea bass. Saturday night’s bluefishing trip put out a very good catch of slammers at 17 Fathoms. The Gambler is fishing for fluke twice daily from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and is bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. All regularly scheduled trips will sail on the Fourth of July.

A combo striped bass/fluke trip broke the inlet Friday with <b>Reel Class Charters</b>, ran south and found bunker schooling everywhere from Point Pleasant to Chadwick Beach, but few stripers chased them, Capt. Allen said. The anglers had a couple of strong run-offs, and they switched to fluking. South winds made fluking slow, and small ones pounced hooks, and so did sea bass, but the fishing was tough that day. A trip Saturday also left port in search of stripers and fluke, started with fluke fishing this time at the reef, and the fishing was better, producing small ones, but also better-sized ones and sharks and skates. Allen got a call from a friend who was into a blitz of blues and a handful of stripers, and the anglers ran there and found lights-out fishing for big slammers to 15 pounds from Spring Lake to Asbury Park, pretty far offshore from 4 to 6 miles. The blues chased sardines out of the water, and the anglers creamed the fish. On Sunday Allen told his anglers to bring light tackle to fish Manasquan River, because of forecasts for rough weather. The rough weather never panned out, and seas were calm, but the group fished the river anyway. They scored well on fluke, reeling in about 50, including a few sizeable keepers around 20 inches. They fished from the Route 70 Bridge to Manasquan Inlet, and the stretch between 70 and the Route 35 Bridge was best. The river’s bluefish population was definitely less than before, when blues crammed the river full, but blues were seen breaking the waters a few times. Ocean fluke fishing wasn’t great yet, including because the bottom was still cold, but should pick up, and fluking becomes more and more of a focus for Reel Class as the season wears on. Annual, open-boat Fluke Till You Puke Marathons are now under way, and one was sailing today, and one spot is available on a marathon Wednesday, and availability on others is listed on Reel Class’s web site.  Striped bass fishing mostly turned on in the evenings, difficult to fish with charters, who usually prefer to fish earlier in the day.

<b>Angela Rose Charters</b> did no fishing Saturday and Sunday, though a river cruise sailed Sunday, but trips did fish Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and bluefishing was “ridiculous, crazy” in the ocean, and fluke were hooked there, though the keeper ratio was down, Capt. Anthony said. Still, the ocean temps were starting to rise to favorable ones for fluking. So the trips were mixed bag ones for bluefish and fluke. The outings didn’t fish favorable times for striped bass in the ocean, because stripers mostly bit around 7 to 8 p.m., but stripers did turn on during those hours right outside Manasquan Inlet, both north and south. The hours are actually perfect for Happy Hour, shared charters that Angela Rose is offering today through Thursday. The stripers were biting on bunker snagged from the schools, and the bass were crashing the baitfish right on the surface. Anglers hooked-up best by snagging a bunker and dragging it from the school right across the top. Angela Rose is offering Happy Hour trips on both shared charters and regular charters, and the shared charters are especially available at a very reasonable rate. Get on the waters after work and be back at the dock with plenty of time for rest before work the next day. Get your fishing in with no hassles and little cost, and leave the work to the crew from the Angela Rose. Happy Hour trips can also fish first and wrap up the day with either Point Pleasant’s or Bricktown’s Thursday night fireworks watched from the waters. River cruises are also available, including on Happy Hour trips, including the fireworks. Anglers can enter the monthly pool for only $5, and the entrants with the biggest fish win prizes including free spots on trips, a bunch of tackle from Mai Tai, exclusively outfitting Angela Rose with rigs this season, and clothing like T-shirts. Check out details on the boat’s web site.

Big blues were bailed on the <b>Sea Devil</b> in the ocean Friday, and several large stripers were also whacked, Cindy said in an e-mail. Joe Eades from Annapolis won the pool with a 42-pound whopper. Plenty of blues mostly 8 to 10 pounds also wore out patrons Saturday, and a 36-pound striper was the pool fish that day, and two anglers also took down 23- and 25-pound stripers. Many blues more than 8 pounds slashed at hooks on Sunday’s trip too, and a 15-pound slammer took the pool. Patrons jigged most of the blues on the trips, but sometimes bait drew the strikes. The Sea Devil is fishing for blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and from 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. every Saturday.

<b>Bricktown</b>

Boaters “(continued) their ongoing assault on large bass,” said Tommy Kilgannon from <b>Pell’s Fish & Sport</b> in a fax. Ha. Obviously they whaled striped bass that chased bunker schools in the ocean. Jim Jobes and Frank Urso reeled in four stripers to 36 pounds off Point Pleasant on bunker they snagged for bait. Frank Smith tied into a 39-1/4-pounder on snagged bunker, and Tom and Jennifer Hendrickson grabbed a number of big bass to 33 pounds. Ocean fluke fishing was picking up, and plenty of shorts bit in 25- to 35-foot shallows, and some bigger ones seemed to swim in 50 to 60 feet. Peruvian smelts were the bait of choice for larger ones. Barnegat Bay’s crabbing was on fire, and lots of people nabbed dozens of keepers per trip.

<b>Seaside</b>

Fishing for striped bass was somewhat slow in the past days, probably because of dropped water temps from south winds, but bunker schooled, so look for striper fishing to bounce back when waters warm, said the report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s web site. Boaters weighed in a handful of stripers from 15 to 43 pounds since Friday. But more and more 10-pound weakfish seemed to filter out of Barnegat Bay, move up the coast and get caught in the surf on clams meant for stripers. Might be time to fish the jetties with Fin-S Fish or other popular weakfish baits. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

<b>Forked River</b>

<b>Seafood Fishing Charters</b> took the run to Barnegat Ridge North on Friday, looked for bluefish, found none but fought a 6-foot hammerhead shark to the boat, Capt. John said. Bait and fish were marked, but no blues bit, and a local party also found blues scarce in the area, and kept moving around. The anglers with Seafood also scored two big runoffs that got off, and John couldn’t know what the fish were, but he heard that a few bluefin tuna swam the grounds. On Saturday, Seafood ran to the ocean off Mantoloking, where John’s friend nailed 11 striped bass the day before. Tons of bunker schooled this day, and no stripers showed up, but a 5-1/2-pound dusky shark was trolled on a bunker spoon, an unusual catch, and John never before heard about a dusky that was trolled. The fishing was tougher, but the anglers loved the day, John said. Probably three spaces are available on an open-boat mako shark trip Friday, and call to reserve. Seafood’s been catching some sharks. Seafood runs a slate of different types of open trips, and check the schedule on its web site. Space remains on a two-day, open-boat trip that will compete in the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club Tournament.  Boats in the tournament are allowed to fish two days from July 30 to August 2. Last year’s purse was $365,000, and 20 percent of any winnings go to the crew on the trip, but the rest goes to the anglers. Seafood’s boat makes it to the offshore grounds probably quicker than any other charter in the state. The 33-foot HydraSports features three 250 h.p. engines, cruises at 45 m.p.h., tops out at 60 m.p.h. and arrives at the canyons in 2 hours in fair seas. Anglers can spend more time fishing than traveling. Seafood’s first tuna charter is scheduled for next week on Thursday, and major catches of tuna were already made, and temp breaks rolled through the Hudson and Toms canyons. John is eager to kick off the tuna season, and he’s up for tuna charters anytime.

<b>Waretown</b>

Fluke fishing, the specialty for <b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b>, was the target on a trip on Barnegat Bay on Saturday on the boat, and the same kind of catch was made that’s been common this year: shorts, Capt. John said. Making the year’s larger size limit isn’t cutting it. The fishing itself is on fire, with tons of the fish swimming the waters, but the new size limit allows anglers to expect maybe one or two keepers per trip with luck. John is hoping that ocean fluking will be better, will produce more keepers, when waters warm enough for decent fishing there, but he is concerned. Ocean fluke fishing has traditionally turned on for him after the Fourth of July, so the time is here. The ocean does typically give up bigger flatties, so the possibility of better fishing is real. Fluke until now have been what Perfect Drift is all about, and John has normally fished for them on the majority of charters. It’s what he does. The hope is that ocean fluking will allow the charters to continue, but John might have to start thinking about other types of fishing, until anglers successfully fight the end of the harsh fluke regs, like through the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund and such organizations. In the meantime, he might have to concentrate more on other types of fishing that he does, like weakfishing on Barnegat Bay, which should start anytime. The bay’s weakfishing has been great. Although the bay’s anglers in the past didn’t go after the trout so much, they now reel in some of the best weakfish catches  in the state. John sets up a chum slick with live grass shrimp to draw in the weaks, baits the hooks with the shrimp, and typically catches loads. The fishing does have its drawbacks, like it can be tough on weekends, because of boat traffic, and the bite can end in an instant if another boat runs through the chum slick, and the grass shrimp can be tricky to obtain, when the weather is bad. But scores of the trout often bite, and the fishing’s tough to beat. Charters sometimes also throw soft plastic lures in the slick when the action gets going if they want to have fun casting. In September the bay’s weaks keep biting, but sandworms become a favorite bait. Perfect Drift is now going to offer discounts on weekday charters, including because the weakfishing is best on weekdays, though many anglers want to fish on weekends. He’ll also honor the discounts on current fluke trips, so call to find out about them. Perfect Drift has been specializing in fluke fishing a long time, and if the ocean fluking is able to give up better numbers of keepers, Perfect Drift should get them. If you want fluke, go now, while the ocean bite should just be turning on.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Trophy striped bass fishing couldn’t have been better! said Capt. Steve from <b>Reel Fantasea Charters</b> in an e-mail. A 52-pounder was nailed, and so were a few 40s and plenty of 30s and 20s. Charters had to travel north in the ocean to find the fish, but once there, the fishing was chaos. Big stripers slammed bunker schools and even free jumped. Joe Franke and Tom Breeland absolutely nailed the fish, drop-and-reel fishing for huge ones. Tom drilled the 52-pounder, both his and Reel Fantasea’s personal best.  Joe also drilled his biggest linesiders, bass in the 20s and 30s, and the team actually left the stripers biting. Mark Fry, sons Brendan and Shamus, brother Dennis and his wife Linda fished the next day for more insane action. Mark walloped his first-ever 40-plus-pounder, and the anglers doubled, tripled and even quadrupled up with huge stripers, releasing all but four, even a beautiful 40-plus-pounder. A charter Friday evening got weathered out during fierce winds, driving rains and hail. A charter Saturday with John Repko’s group fished Barnegat Bay because of forecasts for bad weather that turned out wrong. The weather ended up fine, but the anglers fished the bay for a steady pick of fluke, sea robins, blues and skates, and outgoing tide produced best, because the bay on incoming was 57 degrees, almost 20 degrees lower than on outgoing.

<b>Manahawkin</b>

Ken Matzek dusted an 8.64-pound fluke at Barnegat Inlet on Saturday on a killie with squid combo, said Dave from <b>American Sportsman Bait & Tackle</b>. The Mongillo family returned with five keeper fluke to 4 pounds from Foxboro Point near Marshelder Channel toward Tuckerton. Many fluke everywhere were throwbacks in this year’s size limit, and lots were only a half-inch short, but Dave points out to anglers that they’d probably rather be catching than not catching, even if they had to cull through the non-legal ones. Not a lot was heard about bluefish, but snapper blues should start appearing in decent numbers in the bays and lagoons within a couple of weeks, when anglers will fish for them with spearing. Striped bass were boated in the ocean among bunker schools, but anglers did have to work for them, find the bunker with stripers underneath. But when they scored, the linesiders were big. Crabbing was fair to good, progressively improving, not peaked yet but going in the right direction. Be sure to catch the store’s sale on ice during the Fourth of July weekend from Friday through Sunday, offering 5 percent off on two bags, 10 percent on three, 15 percent on four and 20 percent on five. Sounds like the place to load up.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

Trips with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b> sailed for flounder and sea bass during the weekend in 60 to 80 feet from 5 to 7 miles offshore, Capt. T.J. said. Fluke fishing was slow because of cold waters, but good catches of sea bass, including 4- and 5-pounders, were  beaten. A tuna trip will head out Saturday, and Legal Limit’s already been boating tuna at the canyons. Bluefish trips are also running, and the last one cleaned up on a bunch at Barnegat Ridge last Monday. Shark fishing was tapering off, especially for makos, but shark trips will sail if anglers want, and other sharks are probably available, like big threshers.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Loads of kingfish were pulled from the surf, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Bloodworms got the nibbles, and a few straggler striped bass remained in the suds, hitting fresh bunker, bloods or mullet. Good-sized flounder were sometimes lifted from the wash and bay, but probably 25 shorts bit for every keeper. Minnows, squid and Canadian spearing worked well. Out-of-season tog, including some large ones, were definitely around the rocks and jetties, but at least the bag limit will open up to one tog July 16. Blues sometimes moved through the surf. All these baits and a full supply of other baits are stocked, including minnows, eels, pints and quarts of clams, and frozen bunker, mackerel, mullet and four colors of Pro Cut squid.

<b>Margate</b>

<b>O-Beth Sportfishing</b> hit the ocean reefs, wrecks and structure for flounder and sea bass during the weekend, and flounder fishing was slow, and this year’s size limit was difficult, and flatties only a half-inch or an inch short often bit, and a few sea bass, also small ones, grabbed baits, Capt. Eric said. O-Beth will now kick off tuna trips, including on a trip tomorrow, and the Fourth of July weekend from Friday through Sunday is available for tuna charters. Bluefin tuna were moving in, so tuna season was starting to roll. O-Beth was shark fishing until now, but sharking was winding down, a shorter season than usual, because waters at first were cold, and then suddenly warmed too much. The best sharking probably lasted a week or 1 ½ weeks.

<b>Longport</b>

Fishing for sea bass and flounder in the ocean produced lots of fish, lots more shorts than keepers, but a bunch of action, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>. Many of the flounder were only a half-inch or a quarter-inch short in this year’s size limit. Stray Cat at this time of year is usually already trolling the ocean for small blues plus warm-water fish like bonito and Spanish mackerel, but that fishery wasn’t happening yet, and Mike saw no bonito whatsoever so far. Waters warmed a little to 71 degrees from previous temps of 64 to 68 degrees, and baitfish were scarce. In addition to charters, open-boat trips are running every Thursday and Sunday.

<b>Somers Point</b>

The flounder keeper ratio was improving to 1 in 6 in the bay, and the keepers were about 19 to 22 inches, and crabbing along the docks was also picking up, said Wayne from <b>My Bait & Tackle</b> in an e-mail. Guy Martin bagged four keepers around Rainbow Channel on minnows on red and silver shad darts. John Pietrowitz nabbed two keepers while fishing mackerel strips at Great Egg Harbor Inlet and off Kennedy Park. Herb Hayes scored two keepers off the cleaning station. Jack Ingersoll and buddies Rich and Juan fished for perch with bloodworms in the Great Egg Harbor River and said the fish were still running small.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Rich Linus, Ryan Whitney and friends jumped aboard with Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b> for something a little different on Friday: shark fishing with light tackle at the Northeast Lump, Joe said. They fought two dusky sharks to 25 pounds and missed a bigger one on fresh bluefish fillets and mackerel fillets. They also reeled in small blues to add to the bait supply and for fun. On Saturday John Martin headed offshore with Joe, trolled a 25-poud bluefin tuna at 19-Fathom Lump, moved to Wilmington Canyon and trolled a mahi mahi. Ballhoos behind Islanders did the trick, and seas were a little rough. Joe was looking for a specific temperature break at the canyon that never appeared where forecast, and there was no specific break in the area. Bluefins and some good-sized mahis were landed at Massey’s Canyon and the Hot Dog in the past days, and fishing for the bluefins was very good at 19-Fathom Lump on Thursday but slower on Friday. Joe was looking forward to striped bass fishing in the back bay with popper flies this morning, because high tides that coincided with dawn and dusk, ideal conditions for the fishing, were taking place now. His bay charters specialize in the popper fishing during summer, exciting top-water action while Joe poles his flats boat in the shallows.

<b>Avalon</b>

On the Justified, the boat from <b>Over Under Adventures</b> that’s currently fishing from Avalon, anglers limited out on bluefin tuna 40 and 80 pounds and also gaffed a good-sized mahi mahi at 19-Fathom Lump this past week, an e-mail from Over Under said. Inshore trips also trolled small blues and some bonito at Sea Isle Ridge. The Low Profile, another boat from Over Under, was wrapping up its season of fishing from the Bahamas and was expected to arrive in Avalon around the Fourth of July to join the Justified at fishing the canyons for big game soon afterward. Boats from Over Under are also fishing from Ocean City, Md., and Oregon Inlet, N.C. From Ocean City, one of the vessels this past week put patrons into 20 to 25 bluefin tuna at lumps and bumps south of Virginia.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Plenty of flounder, including a mess of shorts, were the catch in the back bays, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> in an e-mail. Flounder also turned on at Cape May Reef and the Old Grounds when conditions were right. Surf anglers still managed to catch stripers, and small stripers were moving into the back bays, and were mostly hooked in the evenings or at night, when boat traffic was light. Delaware Bay still gave up drum, believe it or not, late in the season for them. Yellowfin tuna were boated from Wilmington to Baltimore canyons, and white marlin were found on the 100-fathom line northeast of the Wilmington. Massey’s Canyon served up bluefin tuna, including for the crew on the Big Bully II from Wildwood, who went 3 for 4 on the fish while trolling ballyhoos behind blue Islanders. Kim Bulifant was on the trip and weighed in her first-ever bluefin, a 45-pounder. Sterling Harbor’s 15th Annual Duke of Fluke Tournament takes place Saturday, July 12. The event will include a kayak division for the first time, and call the shop or e-mail for more info. 

<b>Cape May</b>

Lots of tailor bluefish were trolled 10 or 12 miles offshore on charters on the <b>Down Deep</b>, Capt. Bob said. One charter also put the brakes on a hammerhead shark and a dusky shark. But groups who limited out on blues included those run by Tim Bonjo, Walt Goldschmidt, Tom Rossiter and Ralph Bucci. A few Spanish mackerel were mixed with the blues two weeks ago but not this past week, apparently because water temps dropped to 70 or 71 degrees from 73 or 74. But eventually fish like the Spanish and bonito swim among the blues, more of them on some years than others, a bonus to inshore trolling, as Cape May boaters call the fishing. Bonito, for example, were relatively scarce last year but were abundant the previous year. Sea bass could be reeled up on bottom-fishing trips, and the boat is available for them. Flounder fishing didn’t sound great so far, producing an abundance of shorts. Charters usually start fishing for tuna after catches become more reliable, although some of the fish were around, and bluefins could be found inshore, and if someone wants to go, the crew is up for it.

Anglers fished for flounder on two trips to the reefs off Cape May over the weekend with <b>Copacetic Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Mike said. A few keepers were mixed in with a ton of shorts, a ratio of probably six shorts for every legal fish. But flounder to 22 inches were bagged, and lots would’ve been keepers if the size limit were an inch shorter like last year. Those fish, 17- to 17-3/4-inchers, were fat, healthy ones. Some bluefin tuna trips are on the books to fish the inshore lumps later this week on the troll and on the chunk. The tuna reportedly bit at spots like Massey’s Canyon and the Hot Dog. Trips farther offshore for yellowfin tuna and mahi mahi will eventually sail. Copacetic is also running inshore trolling trips for bluefish, skipjacks, bonito and Spanish mackerel at places like 5-Fathom Bank. Sea bass trips are also on the slate, and if weakfish show up in Delaware Bay this summer, Copacetic will go right after them.

A charter was cancelled yesterday with <b>First Cast Sport Fishing</b> because of forecasts for rough weather, although the weather turned out calm, Capt. Rob said. The anglers were going to troll the inshore ocean for blues or whatever else showed up, like Spanish mackerel or bonito. Spanish mackerel already appeared once this season, but water temps dropped a few degrees and pushed them out. But they should return, and bonito could arrive any day. Rob heard about no mahi mahi that showed up inshore yet but only offshore. First Cast is also shark fishing, and makos mostly moved north, but brown sharks were plentiful, and a good chance at a thresher was possible. Flounder trips are also running, and decent catches were sometimes made at the ocean reefs and the Old Grounds. But fishing at the Old Grounds always depends on conditions, and south to southwest winds create the productive drifts. Many short flounder were around, but during the right drifts, five to ten keepers could be bagged. Drum kept biting in Delaware Bay, and Rob knew about a party boat that returned with 20 of the fish Saturday night. The only problem was finding live clams for bait, because most clam boats stop sailing at this time of year, as demand drops off. Drum fishers needed to order clams two or three days in advance. First Cast will start tuna fishing soon, and bluefins already hit at the inshore lumps, and yellowfins were already muscled in at the canyons.

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> fished offshore on a friend’s boat Saturday, he said. They shark fished at night and battled a 300-pound tiger shark to the vessel. In the morning they trolled for bluefin tuna and had two knockdowns, but George thought they probably came from bluefish. The waters were 77 degrees, and George heard that tuna anglers knocked the heck out of bluefins 50 inches and larger a good ways from shore or 50 miles from Cape May. Canyon fishing for yellowfin tuna seemed to slow down in 74-degree waters with no temperature breaks, like at the Poorman’s and the Lindenkohl, but temperature breaks might’ve been moving toward Hudson Canyon. Inshore bluefin tuna charters usually begin on the Heavy Hitter after the Fourth of July. The boat is currently inshore trolling for blues and is bottom fishing for flounder and sea bass. Shark fishing seemed to produce no makos but did give up brown sharks.

Bluefin tuna fishing began to improve along the 20-fathom line on the troll, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. The fish seemed spread out from the Cigar to the Misty Blue wreck area to 19-Fathom Lump, Massey’s Canyon and the Hambone. The tuna were mixed sizes from shorts to fish just over 100 pounds. The crew on the Free Spirit on Wednesday landed two, a 150-pounder and a 100-pounder, south of the Cigar. Anglers on the Pilot House fished Massey’s for a mixed bag of smaller bluefin, some mahi and big bluefish. At the canyons warm waters appeared to be moving south between the Wilmington and Baltimore. The gang on the Olivia Grace fished the Wilmington on Wednesday and reeled in 14 smaller yellowfin tuna, keeping seven, and mahi mahi. The tuna there were reportedly smaller but around in good numbers. Closer to shore, bigger sea bass appeared in pretty decent numbers at the wrecks in 120 to 150 feet. Pete Harris and crew picked 28 of the humpbacks to 4 pounds at the Hooper wreck on Friday. Harry and Jill Peterson limited out on good-sized sea bass at a wreck 30 miles offshore. Flounder fishing was spotty at Cape May Reef, Reef 11 and the Old Grounds, and flattie fishers waited for the deep-water bite to turn on. Delaware Bay held plenty of small flounder but not lots of keepers. The same was true at Cold Spring Inlet and along the Intracoastal Waterway in the back bays.

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