<b>Staten Island</b>

Six anglers boxed 60 sea bass yesterday with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, though only a few really fished, because a roll on the ocean from the hurricane made the rest seasick, Capt. Joe said. On Friday four anglers aboard wrestled up 20 sea bass apiece. The lumpheads on the trips weighed up to 2 ½ pounds, and both charters caught and released a decent number of out-of-season blackfish. The ocean was 68 or 70 degrees, and charters will keep sea bassing, and Outcast will compete in a fluke tournament over the weekend.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The <b>Atlantic Star</b>’s fluke trips on Raritan Bay are protected from swells like on the ocean this weekend from the hurricane, and southeast winds like during the last couple of days can be tough on the bay, but the area offers places to tuck away, Capt. Tom said. The winds are prevalent in summer anyway. The flatties remained spread through all different areas, including Flynn’s Knoll, Reach Channel and the waters surrounding the Navy Pier, and the fishing stayed about the same, with lots of shorts, all kinds of action, and some keepers mixed in. Thursday afternoon’s trip was one of the better ones this season, and the right conditions came together to create an ideal drift in the middle of the bay, and the number of keepers topped other trips, and action was good, an enjoyable afternoon, Tom said. On Friday Rich Silvani nailed a 6-pound 6-pounce fluke. Rich used to work on the boat and now lives in Delaware. Tom noticed no rigs or baits that consistently worked better than others. Sometimes Spro jigs worked well, and at other times bait was best. Spearing and squid are supplied for bait, and sometimes patrons brought their own sand eels, smelts or killies. But again, the best bait was difficult to determine, and every day seemed different. Some people ask Tom which tide is best, but that depends on drifting conditions or winds and currents, so no tide is better. The right combination of conditions need to come together, and that’s impossible to predict. 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. UPDATE, 7/15: Fluking on Monday was tough on the boat with no drift, though a drift started toward the end of the day, and some keepers were caught, with plenty of shorts biting, Capt. Tom said. But this afternoon’s trip was one of the better ones, and the three biggest fish landed then were Steve Hanstein’s 6-pound 12-ouncer, Bill Monka’s 6-pounder and Steve Piricyi’s 5-pound 5-ouncer. “Just different days, better conditions,” Tom said.

<b>Highlands</b>

Fluke fishing improved every day, and more and more larger flatties turned up, said Capt. Bob from <b>Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures</b> in an e-mail. He didn’t say where he fished, but he usually fishes from the bay to the ocean. Blues also showed up with voracious appetites in the ocean, bay and rivers. Prime dates remain for trips for fluke, sea bass or blues. In addition to charters, full- and half-day, open-boat trips have been added to the schedule.

Ocean striped bass trips produced fish to 23 or 25 pounds, pretty good catches, both Friday and Saturday with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> on bunker chunks, Capt. Derek said. Waters were 69 to 71 degrees, and he heard that temps dropped Sunday, and the fishing slowed. But if the ocean keeps from warming too much—and that’s been the trend—stripers should stick around. Fisher Price’s charters usually switch to other types of fishing by this time of year, but if somebody still wants to striper fish, the linesiders are on tap, and trips are available a moment longer. But better go quickly. Two fluke trips sailed the bay and ocean Saturday and Sunday, and catches were off and on, depending on when conditions created the right drifts. Sometimes drifts moved too quickly from strong winds, and other times winds blew against the tides and brought the drifts to a standstill. But respectable flatties were bagged. Seventy-six degrees was the lowest bay temperature Derek saw. Fluke will be a focus through summer, and weakfish will also be targeted when the trout move in. Derek knew about no substantial weakfish population yet.

The bay around the TC buoy doled out decent catches of fluke, said Capt. Brian from <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b>. Striped bass still got hooked at the Shrewsbury Rocks, and a buddy there yesterday boated eight or nine to 28 pounds on bunker chunks while anchored. Jersey Devil is fishing for both species and is gearing up for canyon tuna fishing. It’s obviously time, because check out these catches. Brian’s friends on the Shark Byte fished Hudson Canyon from Friday to Saturday, trolling three yellowfin tuna probably 40 to 60 pounds, two white marlin and a wahoo. Friends on the Prime Coat also hit the Hudson on Friday to Saturday, fought a fair-sized swordfish at night a half-hour or 45 minutes before it broke off, trolled four yellowfin tuna the next day, raised a blue marlin and then went tilefishing in the deep and scored well. Buddies on another boat fished Toms Canyon over the weekend, went 9 for 9 on yellowfin tuna and loaded up on big, 20- to 40-pound tiles. Brian was preparing to fish the Monster Shark Tournament in Martha’s Vineyard this week.

<b>Neptune</b>

A spot is available on an offshore wreck-fishing trip leaving 2 a.m. tomorrow, because of a last-minute cancellation, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> in an e-mail. Three spots are available for a striped bass trip that sails 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. Wednesday, and Ralph in the last report said a new body of stripers moved in, and his trips whacked them, including a 32-1/2-pounder Tuesday and a 22-1/2-pounder Wednesday. Individual-reservation fluke trips are fishing every Wednesday, and space is available this week.

<b>Belmar</b>

A quick drift and a swell made less than ideal conditions for fluking on the ocean Sunday, but some big ones were boated anyway on the <b>Nan Sea J</b>, Capt. Tom said. Anglers had to use 12-ounce weights, but they landed flatties to 5 ½ pounds, and lots of sea bass, including better-sized ones to 2 ½ pounds, were also taken. The charter tried fishing close to the beaches, and a mess of shorts bit, so they moved to rough bottom farther from shore, and catches improved. The ocean tight to shore was as cold as 58.5 degrees but was 65 degrees in the deeper areas. Bluefishing was excellent on a charter Friday, non-stop jigging for 6- to 12-pounders. A 10-year-old girl on the trip belted 21 of the slammers. A few striped bass, schoolies but keepers, were still bunker chunked on the boat recently.

Big blues that fed on bunker were jigged at a furious pace during daytime trips on the <b>Golden Eagle</b> most of the week, Capt. Greg said in an e-mail. The fishing slowed down somewhat on Saturday, and the fleet caught smaller and fewer blues, and the larger fish apparently showed up farther south. Nighttime bluefishing trips had been challenging because the fish were spawning, but the spawn was ending, and a better catch Saturday night might’ve meant night action was rebounding. 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>

Seven bluefin tuna to 40 pounds were trolled at the Chicken Canyon on Saturday on a trip that Andrew Warshawer took, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>.  The fish slammed Reel Seat squid spreaders and small bullet knobs. Jerry Meila Sr. and Jr. on the Hard Eight trolled four yellowfin tuna at Hudson Canyon. Two attacked Reel Seat glow-in-the-dark squid spreaders before light, and one grabbed a Reel Seat green machine spreader, and the other hit a ballyhoo. A couple of anglers shark fished and found good catches, including small makos. Ocean fluke fishing took a nosedive in the past several days because of the swell from the hurricane and all the south winds. But an 8.4-pounder was weighed in Saturday that came from Sea Girt Reef. Sea bassing held up until Sunday, probably also because of the swell. No customers reported fluke fishing at Manasquan River. A good number of striped bass got trolled at the Shrewsbury Rocks on shad rigs, not necessarily at dawn or dusk. The Reel Seat is now open till 8 p.m. on Fridays. Anglers should keep aware that the <a href=" http://ssfff.org" target="_blank">Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund</a> needs support. Visit the web site and consider helping.

Capt. Jerry from <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> and four anglers competed in the NJSWF Fluke Tournament, where the entrant with the four heaviest doormats wins, on Saturday, first searching the Shrewsbury Rocks for bigger flatties, he said in an e-mail. Keepers and shorts were picked until south winds came on, completely ending the bite. But 14 keepers were managed until then, before lunchtime, and a 4-pounder, nothing real big, was largest, and the high hook scored five. The crew’s four heaviest fish totaled just over 14 pounds, and Jerry thought 18 pounds won. Open-boat Monger Marathons are fishing for fluke 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Tuesday this month. Many customers requested a marathon on a Sunday, so one will fish Sunday, July 20.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Pretty good numbers of fluke came up from the ocean on the <b>Gambler</b> through Saturday morning’s trip, and afterward a ground swell from the offshore hurricane apparently began to put off the bite and stir up the bottom, Capt. Bob said. Seas weren’t bad, except near the surf or inlet, but a big, lazy, up-and-down swell kicked in. He expects the swell to lie down within a day or two and the fishing to shape up again. Both fluke and sea bass had been biting well for patrons. On Saturday morning Rich Eberle boated four sizeable, keeper fluke. Kay Calma decked an 8-pound 2-ouncer and three 3-pound fluke with a rental rod. Bluefish trips are also running Friday and Saturday evenings, and Bob mentioned no bluefishing. During the previous week bluefishing was slow, like on virtually all boats that sailed on night trips for the choppers, apparently because the fish were spawning. But the spawn could end any time. 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.

A banner day of bluefishing took place Thursday on the <b>Sea Devil</b>, Cindy said in an e-mail. The trip started fishing at the Shrewsbury Rocks, and on the first drift, all patrons fought one or more blues. At first, the choppers were 8 pounds, and bigger ones kept showing up, and by the end of the day, all the blues were 10 pounds or larger. All were jigged. On Friday jigging also bailed blues on the boat, and a charter sailed Saturday. On Sunday no fish bit on the first drift. But the next several drifts began to produce, and a handful of blues were hooked on each of the next several drifts, and sometimes a flurry put most anglers into a hook up all at once. All the blues weighed 10 pounds or more and attacked jigs. The Sea Devil is fishing for blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. every Saturday. However, the boat is chartered Saturday during the day, so no open trip will sail then, but the evening open trip will run.

Eighteen keepers were boxed on a Fluke Till You Puke Marathon with four anglers Friday with <b>Reel Class Charters</b> in the ocean, Capt. Allen said in an e-mail. A 6-pound 25-incher was drilled, and most of the keepers were 19 to 21 inches, and about 20 shorts were tossed back. Eight good-sized sea bass and four ling were also bagged. Fishing was a slow, steady pick through the day, but plenty of meat was in the cooler by the end, and the trip turned out to be a great day with great weather. The group fished the reef at one general area the whole time.  At first a few jumbo sea bass and a couple of keeper fluke were stuck in a couple of hours. A move was made, and a patch of fish was found, and the anglers steadily picked away at mostly keeper fluke, a few sea bass and a few big ling. Winds dropped off, and Allen power drifted at a spot with less junk on the bottom, and the gang picked away. Winds picked up after 2 p.m., and the vessel drifted, and the anglers kept picking. Reel Class fluke fishes through summer, including on the Fluke Till You Puke Marathons, and sea bass are sometimes mixed in. Check the boat’s web site for availability.

A Canadian video crew headed out with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> to tape a mixed-bag, canyon, overnight trip, the boat’s first mixed-bag, offshore trip of the season, the report on Andrea’s Toy’s web site said. Tuna, mahi mahi and tilefish were the goal. The crew broke the inlet in the afternoon and started trolling Hudson Canyon in the evening. Two yellowfin tuna were hooked, and a 60-pounder was landed, among a bunch of breaking tuna. Tuna busted the waters again before dark, and one was landed. At night the anglers set up for sharking and swordfishing, and one runoff on the shark rod was missed. In the morning the boat trolled for tuna again, and only mahi mahi bit. Then the anglers worked the lobster pots for more mahi that swam the eastern side of the canyon. Next was time to tilefish, and a half-dozen tiles were reeled aboard, and all the goals were met! Andrea’s Toy will focus on mixed-bag, canyon trips the rest of summer, including on open-boat trips. The trips sail on a fast, 31-foot Contender that makes the run to the canyons in half the time of a party boat, allowing more fishing time and the opportunity for the mixed bag. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner.

Fishing for fluke definitely picked up in both Manasquan River and the ocean, said Capt. Anthony from <b>Angela Rose Channels</b>. Anglers on the river had to fish the right places, but he wasn’t telling where! A 6.6-pound fluke was tackled on the boat in the ocean Friday, and sea bass were part of the catch in the ocean these days, and fishing for both fluke and sea bass was “primo.” Team Angela Rose joined Team LS3 with Capt. Eric from Atlantic Highlands and competed in the NJSWF Fluke Tournament, a competition from Sandy Hook to Cape May, and won fourth place with a four-fish total of 16.6 pounds. The fish were lifted from Raritan Bay, and a 5-pound-even fish was among them. Bluefish were still spawning, and they seemed to spawn in two waves. The blues offshore that are normally targeted at night spawned early, and the slammers caught closer to shore during daytime seemed to hold off on spawning till a little later. Striped bass fishing slowed down considerably in the ocean, though the linesiders were scared up here or there. Angela Rose is offering both charters and shared charters, and both are also available on Happy Hour trips, shorter jaunts in the evenings, and the shared charters are especially offered 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 then wrap up the day with fireworks on the waters off either Point Pleasant or Bricktown every Thursday night. 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.

<b>Bricktown</b>

Some boaters kept angling up striped bass from the Shrewsbury Rocks, but most switched to fluke fishing, said Tommy Kilgannon from <b>Pell’s Fish & Sport</b> in a fax. Axel Carslon and Sea Girt reefs sometimes produced big doormats, and so did the Shrewsbury Rocks, for that matter. Reef fishers also picked up tons of sea bass and some ling. Bobby Casale and Tony Mateo bucktailed a bunch of good-sized flatties to 5 pounds. Tuna fishing got hot at Hudson Canyon for yellowfins and a few bigeyes, mostly on chunked butterfish.

<b>Seaside</b>

Things were quiet, and rumors persisted about striped bass caught, measured and dropped in the cooler, but nobody weighed in any, said the fishing report on <b>Grumpy’s Tackle</b>’s web site. Are they not bothering because none of the fish is a 20- or a 30-pounder? the site asked. Blues showed up sporadically in the surf, and crabbing was great, and that was about the only info to share. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

<b>Forked River</b>

<b>Seafood Fishing Charters</b> sailed to waters a little south of Hudson Canyon on Saturday, leaving port at 1:30 a.m., Capt. John said. The boat trolled at a 74- to 77-degree temperature break that was located there, but fishing was slow. Some boaters got bites early, but then the fishing dropped off. Seafood will be back out at the canyons Friday, and an open-boat, day-trolling trip will fish offshore Saturday, and space remains. Space also remains on a two-day, open trip that will compete in the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club Tournament.  Entrants 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.

<b>Waretown</b>

Fluke were scoped out on Barnegat Bay with <b>Perfect Drift Sport Fishing</b> over the weekend, but only shorts bit, and many were less than an inch short and would’ve been keepers last year, Capt. John said. He’s looking forward to fluke fishing in the ocean, where more keepers might be found, but the ocean near Barnegat was too cold, and there was a big swell this weekend. Flukers up north were scoring flatties already, but the ocean was warmer there. A few blues were landed on the boat, and the bay’s anglers could hook plenty on popper lures or the troll. Weakfish were spotty in the bay so far, and one day a few would bite, and the next day none would. Perfect Drift specializes in fluke fishing in summer, and if the ocean fishing turns out fairly productive, those trips will run. Otherwise the focus might be shifted more to weakfishing, when the trout turn on, and charters will sail for them anyway. Trips in summer also head to Barnegat Ridge for blues, bonito and other speedsters.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

On the <b>June Bug</b> anglers fished Little Egg Reef on Friday, reeling up short fluke and sea bass, Capt. Lindsay said. Many of the fluke were less than an inch short or would’ve been keepers in last year’s size limit. The surface was 59 degrees, and the bottom was probably in the low 40s, probably part of the reason for all the shorts. A half-day tuna trip was fishing today, and canyon boats returned from the Hudson and Toms yesterday with little more than mahi mahi.

Ocean temps finally crept up to 66 degrees by the fluke trip Saturday on the <b>Miss Beach Haven</b>, and there was a ground swell from the south and no winds, an e-mail from the boat said. The vessel started fishing in 55 feet, and patrons reeled up some keepers and shorts. The boat was moved around a little to try find current for drifting, and a breeze finally blew a little, and a few more keepers and some shorts were boated. Ted Alves, the Duke of Fluke himself, the e-mail said, won the pool with a 5-1/2-pounder. “Overall it was a pretty good day to be out fishing,” the e-mail said.  The Miss Beach Haven is sailing for fluke 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m. to 12 noon Mondays and Tuesdays and 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

Anglers on the <b>Legal Limit</b> trolled 11 yellowfin tuna to 65 pounds Friday at Toms Canyon in 79- to 80 degree waters, Capt. T.J. said. Probably 30 more hits and knockdowns took place, and the bites came throughout the day, and no particular time was best. Inshore fishing was slow because of the cold ocean. A few short fluke and no keepers were caught and released Saturday and Sunday, and sea bass covered the wrecks but refused to grab baits. The water surface was 68 to 69 degrees, and divers nearby said the bottom was 43 to 44 degrees. T.J. heard of nobody finding bluefish cooperative at all. But Legal Limit sails for blues when the slammers turn on.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Seven yellowfin tuna, including five keepers 35 to 45 pounds and two shorts, were landed among 18 bites on a charter at Toms Canyon on Friday on the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b>, Capt. Tom said. A white marlin was also raised, and the fish bit in 76-degree, somewhat green waters along a temperature break. A shared charter Saturday went right back to the same spot. But boat traffic was heavy that day, so the anglers moved off, fished by themselves and landed 12 yellowfins, including nine keepers 35 to 65 pounds, mostly 40 to 50 pounds, and three shorts. The fish on both trips were trolled on spreader bars, green machines and ballyhoos. Charters are also fishing for bluefin tuna that can be trolled, chunked or jigged in inshore waters and are about to start trolling the inshore grounds for mahi mahi, false albacore and bonito. Flounder charters are also on tap for deep-water fishing in the ocean that was producing.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Lots of flounder, including lots of keepers, though probably 15 or 20 shorts for every keeper, flooded the surf and the back waters in front of the Flagship and near the Borgata, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Minnows and squid or strips of mackerel on bottom rigs hooked them, and fishing was definitely on, he said. Johnson Tesla weighed in a 7-pound 21-1/2-incher, and Noel Green showed off a 6-1/2-pound 26-incher. One angler beached a few big weakfish at the Pacific Avenue jetty, and Noel hoped that meant the trout were coming in. Tog were plentiful along the jetty rocks, and one tog can be kept starting Wednesday, and the shop is already stocking green crabs for bait. Snapper blues could be played on the bay on pieces of fresh bunker. Lots of herring swam the ocean toward the inlet, and peanut bunker and spots schooled the bay. Minnows, spearing, fresh and frozen clams, fresh and frozen bunker, bloodworms, frozen mullet, a variety of squid and other baits are stocked. 

<b>Margate</b>

A few keeper flounder, including some to 24 inches, and lots of throwbacks were belted in the back bay around Margate on Tuesday or Wednesday with <b>O-Beth Sportfishing Charters</b>, Capt. Eric said. Squid, minnows and mackerel strips on plain hooks were fished. O-Beth is now tuna fishing, and Eric was traveling in the past days, but the last he heard, tons of bluefin tuna were turned on at the inshore grounds.

A 90-pound bluefin tuna was battled to the boat on an inshore trolling charter with <b>Fine Line Fishing Charters</b> on Saturday, Capt. Dave said. The fish was trolled 15 miles off Atlantic City at the Hambone, a different Hambone from the place with the same name off Ocean City, Maryland. The tuna, always a possibility while inshore trolling, was still an awesome surprise. The fish pounced on a Stretch 30 plug and was patiently wrestled to boatside on a Penn 3/0 reel with matching rod and 30-pound test. A dozen 2- to 4-pound blues, the typical catch in the waters, were also trolled on Clark spoons with 2-ounce weights. Dave usually trolls a Stretch 30, a Stretch 18, a bird and Clark spoons on the grounds. Waters were 65 to 66 degrees in the morning and warmed to 69 by the end of the trip. On Sunday a flounder charter fished the bay, because an ocean swell from the Hurricane roughed up the inlet, through seas were beautiful the previous morning. Fourteen short flatties were hooked and released in the 70-degree waters. Dave is anxious to flounder fish again in the ocean, where the fluke can be larger. Inshore trolling charters will continue to sail for blues, maybe even more bluefins, and other speedsters like Spanish mackerel and bonito that can be mixed in. Flounder will remain a target on charters through summer.

<b>Longport</b>

Lots of snapper blues, lots of action, good trolling on three trips Friday through Sunday on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. A few sea bass and short flounder were also hooked and came up ice cold. The waters were 70 degrees on the surface, but temps dropped right off at 8 feet and deeper. Stray Cat will now mostly concentrate on offshore fishing all the way out at the Continental Shelf, where the tuna bite was gangbusters. The fishing will take place on both charters and open-boat trips. The open trips sail 22 hours and are available for six passengers, and call for dates.

<b>Somers Point</b>

Flounder still hugged the bay bottom, and fishing in general was pretty decent over the weekend, said Wayne from <b>My Bait & Tackle</b>. Nathan Columbini and Tom Wescott were both seen with a couple of good-sized, keeper flounder at the cleaning station. A report rolled in today about weakfish caught up the Great Egg Harbor River. In the ocean Rich Hennessey from Vineland boated four flounder 21 to 23 inches at Ocean City Reef on minnows and mackerel. Farther from shore, Joe Bowden, Egg Harbor Township, on his Final Choice overnighted at Wilmington Canyon with friends Bill and Charles Mills. But they ended up moving to Lindenkohl Canyon, trolling a 60-pound yellowfin tuna on a ballyhoo with a pink and white skirt. Shedder crabs, bloodworms and other baits are stocked.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Phil Dunn was on deck for an inshore shark trip yesterday, fighting to the boat five brown and dusky sharks to 30 pounds at Sea Isle Ridge on light tackle, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. A dozen 3-pound bluefish were hooked and used for bait, and fresh bunker that Joe snagged and brought on the trip were also used for bait. A ton of bunker and bait was around, and waters everywhere around Sea isle were generally lively and looked great this season. On Saturday Joe took his dad on a trip along the ocean front, and they jigged a bunch of blues on soft plastics and caught and released short flounder that inhaled minnows. On Sunday Richard Regan and buddy Steve were aboard in the back bay, tossed popper lures and drilled 3-pound bluefish that mini-blitzed peanut bunker and juvenile mullet. A 25- or 26-inch striped bass was also landed on a popper lure and released. Jersey Cape specializes in popper fishing with flies and lures for stripers and blues in summer for explosive visual attacks on the surface. On a trip Thursday a dozen throwback flounder were hooked and released on the bay, and a 26-inch striper was clammed and let go. On the previous day flounder fishing had picked up, and a larger number of keepers showed up, maybe because the cold ocean pushed them into the bay. Conditions were less favorable this day, but the trip was lots of fun, with assorted other fish including sea robins biting. Minnows on a plain hook, the most productive flounder bait lately, were fished. The bay this weekend was 68 degrees, give or take a few degrees, depending on the tide and time of day. Joe planned to fish the offshore canyons today, and yellowfin tuna and some billfish were found at 40 fathoms inside Baltimore Canyon in the past days.

<b>Avalon</b>

The boats from <b>Over Under Adventures</b> trolled bluefin tuna at 30-fathom spots like 19-Fathom Lump, the Hambone, the Hot Dog and Massey’s Canyon, both from Avalon and from Ocean City, Md., and plenty of the tuna were around, an e-mail from the company said. The fish kept migrating north and inshore, and should begin to show up at 20-fathom spots like the Cigar within the next 10 days. Twelve-hour trips were the best bet from Jersey so far, but 10-hour trips began to get into fish. Over Under’s vessels Low Profile and Justified are fishing from Avalon. That’s Right, the only vessel from the company that’s licensed for more than six passengers, will join the Avalon fleet in September. That’s Right and Pretty Work, another boat from Over Under, are currently fishing from O.C.

<b>Wildwood</b>

A total of 130 boats and 14 kayaks were entered in the 15th annual Duke of Fluke Tournament at <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> on Saturday, Cathy said in an e-mail. The kayak division was new this year, and Sterling Harbor is a kayak fishing headquarters, featuring sales, rentals and expert advice. The Duke of Fluke Tournament is one of the largest fluke tournaments anywhere. Here are the results:

<b><i>Single Heaviest Fluke:</i></b><br>
6.6 pounds, four-way tie for 1st through 3rd places:<br>
--Liquid Asset, George Danley<br>
--Obsession, Mike Reed<br>
--Big Bully II, Greg Bulifant<br>
--Freaky One, Ed Adams<br>
<br>
<b><i>Five Heaviest Fluke:</i></b><br>
1st Place, 31.6 pounds, Capt. Archie Faulkner, High Wire<br>
2nd Place, 29.4 pounds, Capt. Jim Lai, Ridge Runner<br>
3rd Place, 24.2 pounds, Capt. Dan Avena Jr., Gold Rush<br>
<br>
<b><i>Duchess Award:</i></b><br>
Colleen McGee, 6.2 pounds, aboard Michael Bascome’s Size Matters<br>
<br>
<b><i>Junior Angler:</i></b><br>
Quinn Overcash, 5 pounds, aboard Tim Krause’s Paranoid<br>
<br>
<b><i>Kayak Division:</i></b><br>
Justin Fesler, 2.2 pounds, Hobie Mirage Outback<br>
<br>
<b><i>Heaviest Bluefish:</i></b><br>
8.4 pounds, Capt. Ed Rust, Captain Flatty<br>
<br>
<b><i>Heaviest Sea Bass:</i></b><br>
2.6 pounds, two-way tie:<br>
--Don Friel aboard Alan Ritter’s Little Devil<br>
--Jeffrey Katz, Empty Cooler

<b>Cape May</b>

Mostly bluefish but also bluefin tuna were chased on charters on the <b>Down Deep</b>, Capt. Bob said. Gary Bartnik’s group trolled tons of blues but also a couple of Spanish mackerel in the inshore ocean. No bonito were landed on bluefish trips, though bonito make an appearance some years, but Bob heard that bonito swam Sea Isle Ridge. Other trips that limited out on blues on the inshore troll included the Hrousis gang and a charter with Jessica, Chris and friends. Farther from shore, Cindee and Jamie Dove bagged a 125-pound bluefin tuna and a 15-pound mahi mahi on Saturday. The McCartney charter on Wednesday limited out on bluefins to 85 pounds. The bluefin grounds were 78 degrees on Saturday, so wahoos, more mahis and white marlin should start to show. Sea bass also hovered around the wrecks. Charters, including family trips, are available for blues, bluefins and sea bass.

The Chris Foster charter trolled all the blues they could want in the inshore ocean with <b>First Cast Sport Fishing</b>, Capt. Rob said. Ben and Chad Foster, John Thompkins and Bob Geedey were also aboard. Rob competed in the Viking/Ocean Showdown on Norm Morrison’s Erica Sue, and the boat took second place with an 87-pound bluefin tuna. Rob was also a guest on the Heavy Hitter on Sunday, and plenty of bluefins were chunked. One boat also trolled among the chunkers in the area and hooked a bunch. First Cast is open for both inshore bluefin tuna fishing and offshore yellowfin tuna trips. Inshore trolling charters for bluefish will continue to sail, and bottom fishing for flounder and sea bass is also on tap. The boat is finished with drum fishing on Delaware Bay for the year, and the season was successful, and Rob thanked everyone who jumped aboard for drum.

Ryan Moore, Rich Savaige and Dan Smith took the trip to the inshore grounds for bluefin tuna on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> on Sunday, Capt. George said. Probably 10 or 11 bit, and some were landed, some got off and some broke off, a bite about every half-hour. All the fish were about 55 inches or 80 pounds, so one was kept that made the 47-inch slot limit, and none of the fish was small enough for the second fish, a smaller one, that the regs allow to be kept. All the bluefins attacked in a chunk slick, mostly on bait, but some on jigs, although the jigged fish broke off. Another boater trolled among the other vessels on the chunk and beat a bunch of the bluefins. The charter first fished at one spot where nothing bit. Then a friend called George over to a spot where the friend’s charter was catching a slough, and let George slip into the spot as the friend left. But then no bluefins turned up, and George moved to another lump, and the fishing turned on. George competed in the Viking/Ocean Showdown over the weekend on Norm Morrison’s Erica Sue, and the boat won second place with an 87-pound bluefin. Morrison’s sons Derek and Scott were aboard, and so were Pete from Tony’s Marine, “Dr. John” and Capt. Rob Jeminey. George thanked the Morrisons for inviting him. The Heavy Hitter will keep sailing for bluefins, and the boat is also inshore trolling for blues and bottom fishing. Small blues could be trolled at 5-Fathom Bank, and George heard little about bottom fishing, and the ocean was cold. But some flatties were picked at the Old Grounds, and lots of short sea bass were around.

Flounder fishing remained a bit slow, and no concentration of the fish held anywhere, but more keepers appeared in Delaware Bay, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Bayshore Channel near Crow Shoal produced a few, and so did the bottom of 60-Foot Slough. A few keepers were reeled in from the ocean just off Cape May Inlet around the yellow range buoys. The bigger flatties hovered around the Old Grounds off Delaware, but again, no big concentrations. Surf fishing was slow at Poverty Beach, and sandsharks were thick. Healthy sized weakfish could be taken before daybreak through very early in the mornings at the Cape May Point wash. Most sharpies bucktailed or jigged the trout, but bloodworms also worked. Bluefin tuna fishing at the inshore lumps and structure including 19-Fathom Lump, the Hambone and Massey’s Canyon put out good catches, especially when boat traffic was lightest. Trolling, chunking and jigging all produced, depending on where the fish were located in the water column. Decent-sized mahi mahi also bit in those waters. Farther offshore, no big, fish-holding temperature breaks formed closer than Hudson Canyon. Everybody was by-passing closer waters that attracted marlin to get to tuna at the Hudson. But white marlin roamed the Tom’s Canyon, and quite a few anglers found blue marlin feeding on skipjacks on the 40-fathom line at Poorman’s and Baltimore canyons. Some 50- and 60-pound yellowfins also bit at Baltimore Canyon over the weekend.

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