Fluking somewhat improved Tuesday morning on the Atlantic Star, with a better ratio of keepers pulled from Reach Channel on Raritan Bay, Capt. Tom said. None of the party boats sailed this morning, because the storm kept anglers home. That was the first time an Atlantic Star’s trip didn’t sail since May 31. But the fishing overall this week remained the same, and plenty of fluke covered bottom everywhere the boat sailed on the bay, including Flynn’s Knoll, off Sandy Hook, Reach Channel and along the Navy Pier. A matter of finding a pocket of keepers among plenty of action from throwbacks. All customers were catching. No particular rig worked better than another. One angler on a trip fished a Spro jig and scored a little better than some, but another who fished a bottom rig fared as well. Crowds these days are lighter on all boats because of the economy, and Tom noted that patrons shouldn’t hesitate to come out on weekends, because crowds then were no issue. Twenty passengers were on deck Sunday afternoon. 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.

Jimmy from Julian’s Bait & Tackle fished yesterday from Oceanport on the Shrewsbury River to Ambrose Channel, but he caught nothing except a few short fluke in foggy, lousy weather, he said. But plenty of better-size fluke were boated at Ambrose two or three days before. Snapper blues grew larger that he saw on the river. He netted adult bunker on the river, originally looking for peanut bunker, but peanuts were too scarce. Striped bass got hammered at Sea Bright on live bunker yesterday. Porgies grabbed baits from the bay to the Shrewsbury Rocks in the ocean, and sea bass could be reeled up from the rough bottom in the ocean.

Patrons slammed plenty of bluefish on the nighttime trip on the Golden Eagle on Tuesday, so the night bite was bouncing back after the spawn, Capt. Greg said. Some good-sized fish and good quantity, he said. Trips were weathered out Wednesday. 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.

After south winds dropped ocean temps to 59 degrees off Manasquan Inlet on Sunday, a charter on the Benchmark tried for fluke off the coast Monday, and only a couple of shorts bit in several hours, the report on the boat’s web site said. The ocean was 67 to the north. So the anglers switched to bluefishing, bailing all they wanted on jigs and bunker bait, until they said they had enough. The season’s first inshore tuna and shark combo broke the inlet Saturday. Blues and chub mackerel but no tuna were trolled on spoons and feathers among whales and tons of bait, sometimes 100 feet thick. Sharking produced two small makos. On Friday a charter who had never caught fish got into plenty of action with sea bass to 2 ½ pounds and jumbo ling. Another trip last Thursday scoped around the Shrewsbury Rocks for striped bass and muscled in large blues but no bass on bunker. Open-boat, 24-hour tuna trips are on the books for August 17 to 18, 22 to 23 and 27 to 28, September 7 to 8 and 19 to 20 and October 1 to 2, 5 to 6, 8 to 9 and 9 to 10. Call to reserve.

Anglers on deck with Andrea’s Toy Charters fought 20 bluefish and a 20-pound striped bass to the boat Monday at the Shrewsbury Rocks on jigs and popping plugs, Capt. Fred said. Fresh bunker was stowed aboard, but the jigs and plugs got the nod for fun. A charter Tuesday fished Manasquan River, because of a heave and 60-degree waters in the ocean, and reeled in 20 fluke to 6 pounds that hit Gulp swim mullets. Fred planned to take a look around for bluefin tuna soon on the inshore ocean. Rumors and second-hand reports flew around about bluefins. “But until I see them,” Fred said. No offshore trips left port on the boat this week, and nobody fished offshore because of the weather. But open-boat, mixed bag trips are fishing the canyons for tuna, mahi mahi and tilefish. One of the outings already headed out and scored all three. The anglers on the outings currently troll for tuna in the evening and drift for swordfish and sharks at night. In the morning they’re back on the troll for tuna, then cast light tackle to the lobster pots for mahi, followed by deep-dropping for tiles. The speed of the 31-foot Contender allows more fishing time than usual and the opportunity for the mixed bag. Mixed bags sail for more fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner. Other boats might beat the waters to death when tuna refuse to bite, for example. But Andrea’s Toy instead capitalizes on the opportunities for other fish and returns for tuna when the bite turns on.

Angling for fluke in the ocean was totally different on a trip Tuesday with Angela Rose Charters, Capt. Anthony said. About 12 keepers to 5.6 pounds were nailed at a couple of pieces that Anthony never fished before, and fluking was definitely picking up lately, no doubt, he said. A mess of shorts, including countless flatties an inch to 1/8-inch short, were hooked, and so were a bunch of ling. Waters were 63 degrees on the surface, and fog was thick. The fish hammered away at baits during the fog, and when the fog lifted and the wind direction shifted, the fish turned off. A bunch of the flatties pounced on Mai Tai jigs. Angela Rose previously had been scoring good fluking in Manasquan River, and rough forecasts were expected to force a trip to hit the river again today. Besides fluke trips, Angela Rose is also slated for a couple of Happy Hour trips, a couple of river cruises and a couple of fireworks cruises coming up. 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 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.

Bottom fishing produced mostly ling yesterday on the Dauntless, and a few keeper sea bass, but mainly shorts, bit, and two or three cod came up, and so did a couple of small pollock, Capt. Butch said. Customers averaged 15 to 30 fish apiece, and catches were good. Fluke fishers might not have liked the cold ocean, but the temps worked out well for bottom angling. The ocean did cool down this week and was 68 degrees where the boat fished in 100 to 150 feet yesterday. Waters tight to the beach were sometimes very cold, such as 53 degrees at the inlet at the beginning of the week, maybe Monday. Temps had been as high as 75 this season. Dogfish swam a little deeper, and the boat tried fishing in 200 feet earlier in the week, and some dogs attacked, but not too many. Trips will be able to fish deeper as the dogs continue to move offshore, but fishing deeper was unnecessary so far, because plenty of ling held shallower. Nighttime bluefishing trips were a little slow, yet to rebound since the spawn. Maybe 40 blues were boated Monday night, and most were 1 or 1 ½ pounds, but several were big. The Dauntless is bottom fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily and is bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. daily.

The Sea Devil ran no bluefishing trips the past several days, because of lack of anglers during windy weather and rough forecasts, but other boats got on the blues around the Mudhole during daytime trips, Cindy said. Bait seemed to hook most, unlike the jig fishing that was best before. Other boats even sailed far north, 6 or 7 miles beyond the Shrewsbury Rocks, to find the slammers. Cindy expected today’s trip to be weathered out from the storm, but hoped the vessel’s fishing would continue tomorrow. 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. Open-boat tuna trips begin August 22, and see the schedule on the vessel’s web site.

Fishing was a washout this morning from the storm, but all week was “kind of iffy,” said Chuck from Gates Bait & Tackle. The constant south winds kept chilling waters and beating down catches this season, and Manasquan River was 10 degrees warmer than the ocean. The river looked like coffee today because of the storm, so fishing drew to a halt at Manasquan Inlet. Loads of bait filled the river lately. Strong winds also blew this week, and conditions just started to turn around, but then the storm. Ocean fluke fishing was off and on, and sometimes anglers caught, and other times they struggled. Chuck tried his luck the other day, and the sinkers came up ice cold, and only shorts were boated. He actually fluke fished five or six times recently, and lots of shorts predominated. Bottom fishing seemed good, and anglers from the party boat Dauntless reported healthy catches. Chuck a couple of weeks ago heard about weakfish hitting in northern Barnegat Bay toward the Mantoloking Bridge, and nobody mentioned the fishing this week, but the trout could possibly be there. The Gates Motel, popular with anglers, is open full time. The anglers stay the night to avoid early or late drives before or after trips on the local charter or party boats. Or they stay simply for a fishing vacation. Both the motel and the tackle shop are located within walking distance of the charter and party boat fleet, Manasquan Inlet and the surf.

The back bay offered up good flounder fishing, and Reed Rech weighed in a 4-pounder today that tried to inhale a yellow and white bucktail tipped with a Gulp and a whole spearing, said Wes from Gibson’s Tackle. Minnows on a plain hook often worked well, and that’s what Wes used to catch and release five short flounder on a 2-hour trip behind Corson’s Inlet earlier this week. But he also enjoys working a buckail and got a big hit but a miss while jigging one on the trip. A few small blues could be played in the bay when anglers found a school. A striped bass was also a possibility. Striper anglers could dunk clams for bait, but lures were their thing, by all means they should cast lures. Take 100 casts an hour if you’re serious, and you’ll catch. Crabbing was good in the bay. Kingfish nibbled baits in the surf, and Wes prefers bloodworms, the Real McCoy. One sharpie yesterday put five on the beach and today pinned down 15. An occasional striper could be clammed in the wash, and Wes saw one keeper weighed in per week lately. Some customers complained about grass in the suds. Inshore wreck and reef fishing was slow, and cold waters and the hurricanes were messing it up. Bluefin tuna were tackled at 19-Fathom Lump.

A 100-pound bluefin tuna was bagged near 19-Fathom Lump on Tuesday on a trolled horse ballyhoo with an Ilander with Tim Wilsey’s crew, said Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service and Gibson’s Tackle. The anglers went 1 for 2 on bluefins and raised five of the fish total. They also went 1 for 2 on gaffer mahi mahi that smacked the ballyhoos. One bally was bitten off by a wahoo that dumped lots of line on a 50 wide. Must’ve been substantial sized. The baits were dragged way, way behind the boat, 200 or 300 yards. The tuna did not like the boat, wanted nothing to do with it. Bluefin tuna fishing’s been excellent on the inshore grounds, seemed best along the 30-fathom line and produced 55-inchers. Big mahi were also there. Joe expects wahoo fishing to begin in earnest on the grounds. Waters were 80 degrees nearly everywhere, except close to shore. Although bluefin fishing was great in the warm waters, an even spread of 80-degree temps, with no fish-holding breaks, made canyon tuna fishing sporadic. Joe heard about catches at Toms Canyon but not much at local canyons. If canyon fishing had been better, he would’ve fished there lately. Along the coast, waters were 60 degrees at the inlet, colder than Joe had ever consistently seen at this time of year. Unrelenting southwest winds pushed warm waters off the surface and caused upwellings of cold waters from the bottom. Fish like amberjacks are usually caught close to shore around now, but with 61-degree waters 3 miles off the beach, that wasn’t happening. Joe focused on offshore fishing, but good tides or high tides in the mornings and evenings were happening in the next days, so he would spend time looking for striped bass on the back bay.

Flounder filled the bay, and cold waters kept them from moving out, like the usually begin to do by now, and, as usual, the only challenge was to bag a keeper among many shorts, said Mike from Canal Side Boat Rentals. But rental boaters nabbed a few keepers, showing off 19-inchers, and got into lots of action. A friend clammed four striped bass an inch or two short. Nobody else really messed with stripers, because they would keep looking for the elusive 18-inch, keeper flounder while the fish were abundant. Small sea bass started to arrive in the bay, a little early. Mike neither saw nor heard about blues nor weakfish. Crabbing was good and kept getting better, and customers plucked two to three dozen keepers per trip, reaching the three-dozen mark the first time this season. “So that’s nice,” Mike said. Not much was heard about kingfish in the past days, although people mentioned catches from the jetty last week. Demand for kingfish bait disappeared, maybe meaning a slow period. Nobody seemed to bother with tog fishing, because only one could be kept. Minnows, pre-cut squid, whole squid, mackerel fillets, spearing, mullet, frozen shedder crabs, salted clams and FishBites are stocked. A full line of rods, reels and fishing gear is carried. All crabbing supplies, including six types of traps, are sold. Canal Side rents canopy boats and kayaks for fishing, crabbing and sightseeing.

A short, 4-hour trip produced one keeper fluke and six throwbacks on the bay Thursday evening with Papa’s Angels Charters on killies and squid, Capt. Joe said. Another group yesterday morning on the boat reeled in one keeper and 17 shorts, also from the bay on killies and squid. They scored action most of the day, but bagging keepers was the challenge. Jamie Schleck and sons Luke, 5, and John, 9, were the anglers on the first outing, and Jeremy Dustin and Brian and Daryl White were on the second. No bluefish were spotted either day, though the crew kept an eye out, because blues would’ve been welcomed. Open-boat trips are running twice daily 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. when no charter is booked, and call to reserve.

Atlantic Highlands

Lots of fluke, with lots of action, came up on four trips Wednesday, Friday and Saturday on the CRT II from the waters off Sandy Hook to the ocean off Sea Bright, but keepers were difficult to come by, Capt. Mick said. Mick thought two keepers were landed Wednesday, none were hooked Friday, four were boated Saturday morning and two were picked up in the afternoon. Probably 50 to 80 fluke were reeled up on each charter, so many that the count was lost. Big fluke, 17- and 17-½-inchers, were nailed but were shorts in this year’s size limit, and had to be released. The crew kept working hard to score the keepers. A discount is available on 5-hour trips on weekdays, and call for details.

Raritan Bay’s fluke fishing turned more difficult on the Atlantic Star on Saturday morning, and even shorts failed to bite as much as on some days, and the action somewhat bounced back afterward, Capt. Tom said. The fishing sounded slower everywhere at the time. On this morning’s trip, after an hour or so of fishing, when Tom gave this report, two keepers and a handful of shorts were reeled in at Flynn’s Knoll. So patrons in the past couple of days caught shorts with keepers here or there, and Saturday morning was slower, but things started to improve afterward. The boat fished usual spots including off Sandy Hook Point, Flynn’s Knoll, Reach Channel and off the Navy Pier, and all gave up similar action, and better drifting conditions seemed to deliver better fishing. The return of a cold ocean from south winds in the past days couldn’t affect the bay, and neither could rip currents and swells that came around in the ocean. That’s one advantage of the bay. Flynn’s Knoll, somewhat affected by the ocean, was 72 degrees this morning. So the bay was warming. Patrons were picking away at fish anyway, and some were happy with the action, and Tom anticipated fluke ½- or ¼-inch short to grow to be keepers soon with any luck. 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.

Highlands

Three keeper fluke, a bazillion shorts and 20 keeper sea bass were reeled in from the ocean in 40 feet off Monmouth Beach yesterday on the Katie H, Capt. Mike said. Waters were 70 to 72 degrees, and southerly winds that cool the ocean didn’t help the fishing, and never do. Another fluke charters is slated for Saturday, and the Katie H is also bluefishing, but talk on the radio yesterday sounded like bluefish catches were slow, and blues still seemed to be spawning. But that happens every year, and catches should rebound. The boat will start tuna fishing in August and runs a heavy schedule of the charters.

Another excellent week of fluke fishing, with plenty of action on all trips, and good-sized keepers every day, said Capt. Bob from Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures in an e-mail. The Terry family lambasted 11 keeper fluke to 24 inches, tossed back more than 40 shorts and kept five good-sized sea bass. A half-day “Ladies’ Trip” with Karen and Gail produced 46 flatties, mostly throwbacks, but some sizeable keepers. Full-day, half-day and evening charters are running, and so are open-boat trips at the same times when no charter is booked.

A couple of fluke trips fished with Fisher Price Charters, and predominantly shorts bit, but some keepers were bagged, Capt. Derek said. The anglers fished bait on rigs, mostly at the channels. Derek bottom fished on a friend’s boat, and the fishing was actually good for sea bass, ling and blackfish, and Fisher Price will now bottom fish in addition to angling for fluke. Derek heard that striped bass anglers connected mainly in the evenings in the ocean, and he’s finished striper fishing until fall, though his charters fish for the linesiders later than most, through mid July. So charters will sail for fluke and bottom fish, and weakfishing will be added when the trout show up. None appeared yet.

Belmar

Charters on the Nan Sea J mostly fluke fished in the past days, and the fishing wasn’t great, but a handful of keepers came up on each trip, Capt. Tom said. The ocean close to shore was cold, so the boat fished deeper at rockier spots, where waters were a little warmer. Sea bass, ling and porgies spiced up catches, and no blackfish showed up, although one blackfish per angler could be kept now. Bluefishing sounded slow, maybe because of the spawn, or at least Tom hoped so. The boat does often sail for bluefish, and charters might still shark fish this month. A 130-pound mako was bagged on a charter last week, and dusky sharks were fought to the boat. The vessel is potentially offering one of the last shots at strictly sharking on any charter this season. Tuna charters begin in September, when overnight chunking becomes solid.

“Wow,” said Capt. Greg from the Golden Eagle in an e-mail. “Some interesting fishing this weekend for blues!” Although the spawn seemed to end, and bluefishing improved, including a blitz for a moment on Thursday night’s trip, catches were still hit or miss. Some daytime trips scored big, and others, including during yesterday, were slow. Night trips were better than before but also up and down. After fantastic fishing Thursday night, catches were difficult Friday and Saturday nights, although large blues to more than 12 pounds blitzed Saturday night from midnight to 1 a.m. Plenty of blues seemed around, but the fishing was mixed, and with the spawn and the full moon finished, action should return to normal. 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.

Brielle

Ocean fluke fishing failed to pick up, and Dave from The Reel Seat doubted whether water temps, cold close to shore this season, were a factor, he said. He didn’t know the reason, but some customers boated no flatties, and others landed two all day. But decent catches of sea bass were sometimes made. Striped bass continued to be hooked at the Shrewsbury Rocks on trolled shad rigs, live bunker or chunked bunker. Plenty of bunker schooled there and in the ocean near Brielle. A couple of reports rolled in about healthy catches of bluefin tuna at places like the Resor wreck and the Triple Wrecks. A bunch of customers fished the canyons, and toward the end of the week they loaded up on yellowfin tuna and white and blue marlin at Toms Canyon. Some connected at the Letters on the West Wall of Hudson Canyon, and others hit pay dirt at the Fish Tails. Some of the yellowfins had to be measured, and others weighed up to 40 or 50 pounds. Not much was heard about fishing Manasquan River, including fluke fishing, and a mess of smooth dogfish were the highlight at Manasquan Inlet. Dave sailed for tilefish and tuna on the party boat Voyager last Monday, and strong winds hampered fishing, but something like seven yellowfin tuna were trolled, and 40 tilefish were landed. Winds were supposed to blow 5 to 10 knots but ended up 20 knots, difficult for drifting for tiles. The Reel Seat is now open till 8 p.m. Fridays. Anglers should keep aware that the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund needs support. Visit the web site and consider helping.

A group on the Fish Monger fluke fished Saturday morning, heading north to Elberon and Long Branch, an e-mail from Capts. Jerry and Wayne said. Action was better than last week, but the fishing was heavy on shorts and sea bass again. Six keeper fluke, including 5-pounders, and sea bass made the cooler. A 5.2-pound fluke was biggest. A brown shark was also hooked, putting up a good fight on the light tackle. South winds came on at noon, slowing fishing. The winds forced an afternoon trip to be cancelled that was going to sail for striped bass, running 4 to 5 miles offshore to catch bunker that schooled there, fishing the bunker at the Shrewsbury Rocks afterward. But a river cruise was taken instead. Monger Marathons, open-boat fluke trips, are running the next two Tuesdays and are BYOB: bring your own bucktail. Call to reserve.

Bluefishing hammered out good catches on the Jamaica during the daytime trip yesterday near the Shrewsbury Rocks, and some drifts were fair, and others were better, with multiple hook-ups, an e-mail from the boat said. Sometimes the slammers schooled a large area, and the scope read plenty, and the high hook walloped 10 blues to 11 pounds. Night fishing improved on yesterday’s trip, not great, but a pick around the boat 17 miles to the southeast. Bob Jones won one of the day’s pools with a 12-pound blue. The Jamaica is bluefishing twice daily at 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Bogan’s Boating School is offering the boating safety course and certificate required in the New Jersey. The next one-day classes take place 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday and August 2, 9 and 23. Private classes are available at your location or Bogan’s Basin with a minimum of eight students, with a discount for 10 or more, during weekdays, weekends, daytimes or evenings. Simply choose two 3-hour blocks of time and arrange an instructor. One-day private classes are available when scheduling permits. Visit the school’s web site for more dates and info.

Point Pleasant

The season’s first official fluke charter left port on the Andrea’s Toy on Thursday, and headed north to rough bottom in 50 feet in the ocean, because of reports about poor fluking at the ocean reefs, the report on the boat’s web site said. There was little or no drift at first, and sea bass, lots of shorts, but a bunch of keepers, were hooked. The anglers moved to 40 feet, and fluking turned on. When all was said and done, 17 keeper fluke to 6 pounds were bailed, and 10 shorts were released that were all 16 to 17 inches. Twenty-four keeper sea bass to 3 pounds were totaled by the end of the day. On Friday a charter decided to bunker chunk for blues and hope for a stray striped bass. But only bluefish cooperated, and even fishing for them was slow. A drift for fluke was also tried, but no winds or currents created no drift, although winds honked later in the charter. The boat was also anchored for sea bass, but only shorts bit. More looking around was done for the different fish, but little was doing. Andrea’s Toy is also fishing the canyons on mixed-bag, open-boat trips, and one of the trips already ran, was successful and was reported previously. Anglers on the outings first troll for tuna in the evenings, then fish for swordfish and sharks at night. In the morning they troll for tuna again, and then cast light tackle for mahi mahi at the lobster pots. Next they deep drop for tilefish. The 31-foot Contender makes it to the canyons quicker than most boats, allowing more fishing time and the opportunity for the mixed bag. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for fun, better chances at hooking up and more variety for dinner.

Southerly winds that cooled waters made ocean fishing a little slow, and so did a southeast swell, but Manasquan River fluke fishing went well with Angela Rose Charters, Capt. Anthony said. He was on the river this morning when he gave this report, and a handful of keepers, good-sized fish 19 to 20 inches, were bagged in a couple of hours. If more time were available, more would’ve been taken. The anglers on deck tried fishing the ocean in the morning, but the ocean was frigid, and the sinkers became ice cold. Anthony expects trips this week to continue to fish the warmer river. 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 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.

On the Gambler fluke anglers scored lots of shorts action, and keeper action was improving, Capt. John said. Dave Hall was high hook on yesterday morning’s trip with three keepers including a 7-pound 8-ouncer. Sea bass to 5 pounds and big ling were mixed in during the morning. Waters generally seemed to be warming, though south winds dropped temps Saturday. But fluking was good through the past week, and experienced anglers decked two to three keepers, so John hoped fluking was on the upswing. 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.

Good catches of bluefish were jigged yesterday on the Sea Devil, and some anglers tried bait, but jigs worked best, Cindy said in an e-mail. Sterling Banks from Beech Island, S.C., won the pool with a 12-pounder. A trip sailed for blues Saturday, and the e-mail said the anglers had a great time but didn’t say how the fishing went. Friday’s bluefishing was very slow, and Thursday’s action came in spurts. When the fish showed up, they swam right along the surface, and the entire boat was hooked up at once a few times, and all anglers caught at least a couple of blues, mostly 8- to 10-pounders. 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. The season’s first open-boat tuna trip runs August 22, and see the schedule on the vessel’s web site.

Bricktown

Fluking was solid at any ocean structure, and plenty of big flatties and also sea bass swam Sea Girt and Axel Carlson reefs, said Tommy Kilgannon from Pell’s Fish & Sport in a fax. At Sea Girt Reef Marian Ulloa nailed a 6-pound fluke, and Jason Szabo, Ryan Kleiner and Victor Silva boated fluke to 5 pounds and sea bass to 4 pounds. Bill Menden hit Axel Carson Reef and weighed in a 5-3/4-pound fluke that grabbed a killie and squid combo. Mark Romeo fished Barnegat Inlet and came back with a 5-pound flattie. Surf fishing slowed down, but Fred Cliff clammed a 24-pound striped bass from the Bay Head wash.

Seaside

Clams did the job for kingfish and short striped bass in the surf, and Gulps worked for fluke in the wash, but fluke anglers had to work the lines, and dead-sticking didn’t cut it so much, said the report on Grumpy’s Tackle’s web site. The fluke keeper ratio was low, but the fishing was entertaining. Click here for updates.

Forked River

Toms Canyon was fished with Seafood Fishing Charters on Friday, and a temperature break probably 75 to 80 degrees was found, with good-looking waters at spots, and a tuna was hooked on the troll almost immediately but got off, and then the fishing was slow, Capt. John said. The canyon season is a little early, and the fishing seemed hit or miss during the week, and many of the tuna were small, but some weighed up to 60 pounds. So the fishing was only beginning and should improve soon. Four spaces are available on the season’s first open-boat, overnight canyon trip August 9 to 10. 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. Check out the schedule of other open trips on the boat’s web site.

Waretown

On the Perfect Drift Capt. John was going to try fluke fishing in the ocean instead of Barnegat Bay on a trip Saturday, but once the boat hit the inlet in pea-soup fog, he found water temps that had dropped to 55 degrees, he said. He could’ve dealt with the fog, but the waters were too cold. The ocean had reached 70 degrees last week, but winds switched to the south and plummeted the temps. So the trip fished the bay and hooked a ton of short fluke. Anglers are eager to fish the ocean for the flatties, because the fish can be bigger there, especially important in the year’s large size limit. John did fish the ocean at the Tires on Thursday, when waters were 68 to 70 degrees, and eight short fluke bit, and so did 12 short sea bass, one keeper sea bass and a small blue. Although the ocean had begun to warm, ocean fluking wasn’t ready then either. Boaters who fluke fished in the bay that day landed plenty of shorts, and keepers were difficult to come by. A charter cancelled today, but John had planned to run to Barnegat Ridge and try a couple of drifts for fluke, because a source at a tackle shop said flatties swam there. After giving them a shot, he was going to look for bonito, because the speedsters supposedly could be found at the South Ridge, though most anglers fished the North Ridge. Afterward he was going to fish a wreck for sea bass. In the bay no substantial weakfish population turned on. Although weaks were sometimes hooked in the early mornings or late evenings, fishing for the trout usually gets going by mid August and September in a major way, and Perfect Drift will certainly sail for them. A bunch of kingfish schooled the bay, and John didn’t mention blues in the bay, but previously he said plenty of blues could be trolled or nailed on popper lures.

Barnegat Light

Fishing was solid from Barnegat Bay to Barnegat Inlet to the ocean, no matter which, said Capt. Steve from Reel Fantasea Charters in an e-mail. Dave Cole’s charter filled the cooler with plenty of sea bass and some ling and blackfish at an ocean wreck. Jay Simmons, Ernie Rosenberg and Tony Longino also wreck fished and got into a good pull of keeper sea bass until the bite was lost. They returned to the inlet and had a blast fighting blues and seven striped bass to 27 inches on Bass Kandy Delights. Andy Pemrick, Chris Weed and his son Brandon fished the bay and inlet, and action was slow at first, but blues started to pounce once the anglers got on the right location on the right tide. They were sometimes doubled up on blues to 7 pounds that hit BKD’s on light spinning tackle. “Zzzzzzz!” Steve said! In other news, crabbing was on fire, and Steve also talked about a “reel cool” thing he saw. Big, female blackfish 8 to 15 pounds free jumped and finned the surface while surrounded by a large school of smaller, 3- to 5-pound blacks. The tog refused crab and clam baits, so Steve figured they were mating. “Wow! That was so cool to see!” Friday just became available for an open-boat trip or a charter, and if interested, let him know asap.

Manahawkin

Walter Swartz, 90, weighed in a 7.2-pound, 27-inch fluke he caught at the Tires, said Dave from American Sportsman Bait & Tackle. Tommy from the shop said fluking was good in the bay toward Holgate or at the Middle Grounds, though lots were shorts. But fluking was beginning to get going in the ocean near the bell buoy off Little Egg Inlet. Weakfish began to arrive around the Middle Grounds, and kingfish were plucked in the bay toward Barnegat Inlet, and more kings swam the bay than the ocean. Bonito fishing had produced numbers at Barnegat Ridge South but started to slow, and no bluefish attacked at the ridge. Sea bassing was tapering off as waters warmed. Crabbing offered lots of the blueclaws. Check out the shop’s web sites AllFishingRigs.com and AllCrabStuff.com. Besides fishing bait and tackle, the store specializes in crabbing supplies and traps. It also supplies traps to many tackle shops in the tri-state area and to commercial crabbers.

Beach Haven

A half-day trip bottom fished in the ocean on the June Bug on Friday with Helen Taylor, her husband and friends, and waters had warmed to 72 degrees, though the bottom was probably cold, Capt. Lindsay said. Sea bass were bagged, and 2-pound blues were trolled in the bay before the anglers headed to the ocean. Previously the boat bottom fished the bay, because the ocean was cold. The June Bug is also tuna fishing, but nothing was heard about tuna fishing in the past days. Charters on the vessel also troll Barnegat Ridge for blues, bonito or other speedsters, but bluefishing was dead at the ridge, and Lindsay heard that netters fished the ridge, and then blues were gone. Nobody mentioned bonito catches at the ridge.

During most of last week the Miss Beach Haven fluke fished on the bay, where the fishing was best, and not many keepers showed up, but throwbacks an inch short provided tons of action, an e-mail from the boat said. Capt. Frank previously said the ocean was a funky, neon green devoid of life at the time. On Thursday morning more than 150 shorts bit on the bay. “Awesome fishing,” the e-mail said. “Everybody really enjoyed the trip.” On Saturday the boat got back on the ocean, fluking over open bottom. A patch of the flatties managed to be found, and lots of shorts were reeled up, and some patrons landed more than 10 apiece, and several keepers and some ling were lifted aboard. Darrel Vandeleur won the pool with a 4-pound flattie. On Sunday rough conditions forced patrons to tie on 10- to 12-ounce sinkers to hold bottom, and just a few keepers were taken, and some keeper sea bass were pulled, and mostly short fluke sucked down baits. Mike Embers won the pool with a 3-1/2-pound flatfish. 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.

Tuckerton

Anglers bottom fished with Legal Limit Charters in the ocean Wednesday, and about 35 sea bass to 4 pounds were boxed, and a few blackfish were hauled, not great fishing, but better than some places, Capt. T.J. said. On Friday a charter tuna fished at Toms Canyon, mostly on the flats, not even at the 100-fathom line, and trolled four yellowfins to 60 pounds in 81-degree waters with no temperature breaks. A fluke trip sailed Saturday in 4- to 5-foot seas and strong winds, and mostly sea bass and ling were stuck, maybe because of the weather. Seas and winds were also stiff Sunday, and although the 35-foot Duffy could handle it, like it did Saturday, the charter included children, so the crew scrubbed the fishing.

Atlantic City

Kingfish, plentiful numbers, filled the surf, chomping down on bloodworms, said Noel from One Stop Bait & Tackle. Some customers dusted them from the Ventnor Pier, and between the channels at the inlet also gave up a load. Flounder were also mostly lifted from the between the channels on minnows and squid. Snapper blues roamed from the surf to the bay. A bunch of tog held along the jetties, and one could be kept now. Even a few decent-sized stripers were dragged from the surf, and live spots gained the strikes, but bloodworms floated on a 36-inch leader under a bobber also worked. Butterfish were hooked at various places, and both spots and crabs came from the Swimming Pool near Home Depot. Crabbing was great this season. Minnows, spearing, green crabs, fresh and frozen clams, fresh and frozen bunker, bloodworms, frozen mullet, a variety of squid and other baits are stocked.

Margate

Fine Line Fishing Charters fished for flounder on three trips Friday through Sunday, Capt. Dave said. Most of the fishing took place at Great Egg Harbor Inlet, because the ocean was too cold from southwest winds, and the flatties seemed stacked up at the inlet, getting ready to make the move to the ocean from the bay. Dave saw a report of 55-degree waters along the ocean at Atlantic City this morning. Friday’s trip boated two keepers and 30 shorts in the bay behind Ocean City in 64- to 65-degree waters. Saturday’s trip bailed 38 flatties but no keepers at the inlet in 58 degrees at high tide in the morning to 62 degrees during outgoing. On Sunday the inlet was socked in with fog, making waters even colder at 54 degrees. So 14 short flatties were landed, mostly on outgoing, and the inlet rose to 60 degrees by the time the boat headed back. Dave’s looking forward to fishing the ocean for flounder, bigger ones, he hoped, and would normally be targeting there already. Ocean fishing could be particularly important during the year’s larger size limit. The southwest winds that chilled the ocean were a lot more prevalent than usual. Fluke are a specialty on the boat in summer, and so is trolling the ocean for blues or other speedsters that might show up. A 90-pound bluefin tuna was a welcomed addition on the last trolling trip last week. Bluefins don’t show up often, but there’s always a chance, and eventually in summer fish like bonito or mahi mahi can bite.

Longport

On the Stray Cat anglers fished for flounder at Great Egg Harbor Inlet, and the flatties seemed to be moving from the back bay to the ocean, Capt. Mike said. Lots of throwbacks but some keepers bit. An 8-1/2-pounder, another close to 9 and some 6’s were nailed in the past week. Waters were ice cold from unrelenting southwest winds. Bluefish had been trolled on the vessel previously in the ocean, but the winds chased them off. The crew stopped running inshore sea bass trips and switched to inlet flounder fishing, because the lumpheads refused to chew close to shore. But an open-boat trip Thursday will head farther off to 20 miles in 100 to 140 feet to fish for sea bass, flounder and tog, because waters farther off were warmer. No ling or porgies were around. Open-boat trips fish the inlet or near-shore ocean every Thursday and Sunday. Fishing for bluefin tuna and big mahi mahi was going nuts in the inshore ocean, if anyone wants to go. Anglers will troll and jig for the tuna on both open-boat trips and charters.

Somers Point

Flounder and weakfish put out good action in the back waters, according to reports from anglers, said Wayne from My Bait & Tackle in an e-mail. Kevin Jacobs weighed in a 26-inch, 3.1-pound flounder that he boated in the bay off Kennedy Park on the Tinker Toy on a minnow while fishing with his dad and uncle. Jim Wolfe checked in a 5-pound, 6-ounce, 25-1/2-inch flounder that he picked up at Ships Channel on a Gulp. Rabbi Zucker fished Ships Channel with Bill Smith and landed a 19-1/2-inch flounder on a minnow. Dennis Fish weighed in a 3.49-pound, 22-inch weakfish that inhaled his shedder crab bait while he fished with Jack Ingersoll on Ingersoll’s boat on the Great Egg Harbor River at Jack’s “secret spot.” Crabbers caught No. 1’s on bunker bought from the store, apparently scoring well.

Sea Isle City

A 100-pound bluefin tuna was trolled at the Lobster Claw on Saturday on a ballyhoo with an Ilander way, way behind the boat at noon on a trip with John Martin and Dick Lackman, said Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service and Gibson’s Tackle. Waters were 75 to 76 degrees, and the anglers originally planned to fish the canyons, but seas were too rough. On Thursday Bill Hamilton took a trip to try to fly rod a shark and hooked a dusky that got off. Anglers with Jersey Cape have had fun fishing for duskies and brown sharks on light tackle 5 to 17 miles from shore. Bait fishing for the monsters is more reliable, but this type of trip is also perfect for fly fishing, though nabbing one on a fly is more challenging. Small blues could also be caught in the ocean with Jersey Cape, and the back bay offered flounder, mostly shorts, but some keepers, and striped bass. Stripers currently grabbed bait better than lures in the bay, though lure fishing, especially with popper lures, is a specialty on the boat in summer. Anglers will have to wait for a better lure bite, but fishing’s always changing. Joe found no blues in the bay lately, though blues were there previously.

Avalon

Bluefin tuna fishing was hot and heavy during the middle of the week on both the Jersey and Maryland boats from Over Under Adventures, an e-mail from the company said. Charters on the vessels, the Justified, fishing from Avalon, and the Pretty Work, fishing from Maryland at Ocean City, found that boat traffic killed the bite Saturday, but Sunday was somewhat better. On both vessels on Saturday charters “struggled to catch one tuna for the day,” the e-mail said, but a few mahi mahi bit. On Sunday bluefin fishing was decent, and the vessels also pushed out to 30 to 40 fathoms at Baltimore Canyon to land a few yellowfin tuna. The bluefins through the week swam the usual spots, including 19-Fathom Lump, Massey’s Canyon, the Hambone, the Hot Dog and the Tea Cup, and both trolling and jigging were the ticket. Some of the bluefins were big, pushing 70 inches and the low 200 pounds. The captain on the Pretty Work said one fish was missed that was larger, probably a legitimate giant. The bluefins caught on the charters Sunday were 55 to 66 inches. Yellowfin trolling at Toms Canyon slowed and became less consistent, and the main body of fish moved to waters northeast of Hudson Canyon, though 50- and 65-pound yellowfins were sometimes still whacked at the Toms. The vessel from Avalon also ran inshore charters for bluefish that moved closer to shore as waters warmed a little. A half-day charter Saturday fought all the blues they wanted, great action that kept them busy most of the day, only 7 miles from shore. Previously the blues schooled 15 miles off.

Wildwood

Flounder started to move to waters around the inlets from the back bays, said Cathy from Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle in an e-mail. Stephen Hanscom, 7, Voorhees, weighed in a 4-pound 3-ouncer that he tackled near Cold Spring Inlet on an Aqua Clear rig. Fishing at the reefs remained slow, but flounder were found at Reef 11 and the Old Grounds. Bluefin tuna anglers got into excellent catches at 19-Fathom Lump and nearby lumps and humps while chunking or working butterfly jigs. Good catches of crabs were plucked, including on the full moon.

Cape May

Trolling for bluefish, with lots caught, was mostly done on charters with Jaftica Sportfishing in the ocean, Capt. Ray said. Clark spoons and small feathers grabbed the 2-pounders. Bluefin tuna fishing at the inshore grounds was phenomenal, a good year. Some bigger bluefins seemed to move in, and lots of 80- to 125-pounders were whaled, mostly on the chunk or jig. Canyon fishing for tuna farther offshore seemed best farther north, but because bluefin were turned on, there was no reason to head farther. Bottom fishing was a little hit or miss, with decent trips here or there. Delaware Bay’s flounder fishing was fairly productive on a few days, but was kind of picky. The Old Grounds seemed too cold for decent flounder fishing. Jaftica is sailing on all these types of trips.

The Heavy Hitter set sail for bluefish at 5-Fathom Bank on two trolling charters Saturday and Sunday, Capt. George said. Catches were a steady pick, not fast and furious, but alright. On Saturday Clark spoons were the hot ticket, but on Sunday the spoons couldn’t buy a bite, and feathers worked. Lots of blues, small ones, filled the area, and anglers had to troll different hills, and some were productive, and others weren’t. Bottom fishing at Cape May Reef was mixed in Sunday but gave up throwback sea bass and some sea robins, so the boat returned to trolling. Richard Murphy’s gang was the charter Saturday, and Hung Phung’s group were the anglers Sunday. Winds blew strongly Saturday, and winds started calm Sunday but cranked 15 to 20 knots on the way home. George mated on another boat that sailed for bluefin tuna, and eight were landed, and one keeper in the larger slot limit was bagged. Another fish around the same size got reeled in with a big bite taken out of it, was dead but had to be let go, because of the one-fish limit in that size. All the fish this season were larger ones 55 or 56 inches, and no smaller ones were around that could be kept for the limit that allows one smaller one to be kept. Last year was just the opposite: bluefins that met the smaller limit were abundant, but larger ones were scarce. But bluefin tuna fishing was great this year once again. The Heavy Hitter is trolling for blues and fishing for bluefin tuna. Bottom-fishing trips are also running for flounder and sea bass. A few flounder, mostly shorts, swam Delaware Bay. The Old Grounds were yet to pick up for flounder fishing, but a few experienced anglers connected there. Still, the right combination of winds and currents to create the right drift are especially necessary at the Old Grounds. The ocean closer to shore was 65 or 66 degrees or cold on the Heavy Hitter’s bluefish trips. Waters farther from shore were warm. Maybe the tropical storm that was coming would stir up the ocean and improve temperatures for fishing.

Charters on the Down Deep could pretty much troll all the bluefish they wanted in the ocean, Capt. Bob said. The 2- or 2-1/2-pounders, good eating size, were a ball, and 4-hour trips are available. No Spanish mackerel or bonito were scattered among the blues so far, although a few Spanish were hooked a couple of weeks ago. Waters in the past days were incredibly cold or 58 degrees as the boat left the harbor and 68 or 69 degrees at the ocean shoals. Constant south winds created the strange phenomenon through much of the season. Bluefin tuna charters trolled a mess of the fish at 19-Fathom Lump, and 10-pound mahi mahi were landed on every trip. Bill McGallagher’s group tackled five bluefins. Bluefins that met the larger slot limit were everywhere, but the tuna in the small slot couldn’t be found. Chunking and jigging for the fish probably also racked up. Lots of flounder, but not many keepers, hugged bottom, and a trip yesterday stopped at the Corral Beds to try for sea bass, but only shorts hit. But then the trip fished a wreck, and keepers, not a load, but some, were reeled up. Many fish were available, and dates are on tap for charters.

Delaware Bay’s flounder fishing started to pick up, and more keepers began to appear around the 9 and 10 buoys at the Shipping Channel, said Matt from Jim’s Bait & Tackle in a fax. Some also gathered along the edge of the channel toward buoy 14, Brandywine Slough and Bayshore Channel. The back waters gave up some large ones. “Box Car” Charlie Danowski weighed in a pair of 10.56- and 8-pounders that he drilled along the Intracoastal Waterway. Kevin Pownall fished from shore at the Two Mile Bridge and pegged a 9.23-pounder. Matt Whitely also fished the back for a 5.23-pounder. A few small croakers started to bite at the Cape May Point jetties, and weakfish kept hitting there before and just after daybreak. The Wildwood Crest beaches doled out kingfish on low tides on bloodworms or FishBites artificial worms. Bluefin tuna fishing kept going off at any of the lumps and holes along the 20-fathom line, including 19-Fathom Lump, Massey’s Canyon, the Hambone and the Hot Dog. Most catches came on the chunk and the jig instead of trolling. Fish to 200 pounds were belted, and bigger ones were lost. Jesse Chiarella claimed his biggest fish yet: a 177-pound bluefin at the Hambone. John Chadrow weighed in a dressed 99-pounder, and the crew on the Miss Edna Jane checked in an 87-pounder, and both were taken at 19-Fathom Lump. Boaters found blue marlin feeding on skipjacks between Baltimore and Poorman’s canyons on the 40-fathom line. But the best canyon tuna fishing happened father north, from the Toms to the Hudson, for yellowfins 50 to 80 pounds.