New Jersey Fishing Reports

Boaters, including on charters, bunker chunked striped bass on the ocean off Sea Bright, said Jimmy from Julian’s Bait & Tackle. Art Serikstad from Bayonne didn’t necessarily fish there but checked in a 40-pound striper, and Rich Diebold and John Sisto from Highlands weighed in three 40-, 39- and 31-pound stripers they kept among others they caught. Surf fishers landed bass on some days, mostly on worms, though worms grabbed smaller fish. But surf casters also dunked bunker chunks, and some fished clams who knew where to go. Sharpies also plugged the suds in the early mornings. Nothing was heard about bottom fishing, because east winds blew too hard. Plenty of blues tore around the rivers, and Jimmy saw them yesterday. All the baits are stocked.

The bay’s fluking mostly stayed the same, but Monday afternoon’s trip racked up more keepers than usual, the best ratio so far this season, “real nice,” said Capt. Tom from the Atlantic Star. The catch was made in the middle of the bay, and the morning’s fishing wasn’t that good, lots of action with shorts and a few keepers. On Tuesday the boat returned to the hot spot from Monday afternoon, but the ratio of keepers to shorts was back to normal: mostly shorts and sometimes a keeper. Sandy Hook Bay, a short ride from the dock, gave up the better fishing on the whole in the past few days. But the boat also fished at Reach Channel, and early in the week at Flynn’s Knoll. Wednesday’s trips were both better than Tuesday’s, and action was mostly consistent. Sometimes an angler would reel up 11 or 12 shorts and no keepers. Other times a patron would nab a keeper here or there. Just depended on luck. Bill Errico from Verona drilled a 7-1/4-pound flattie on Wednesday morning’s trip. A few of the fish as big as the 7-pound class were picked up on trips so far this year. Bill worked a bucktail to grab three keepers on that outing. But neither bucktails nor bait consistently caught better. Bait landed more on the afternoon trip, for example. Some trips are better than others, like when a slow drift hampers the fluking. The boat might power drift then. The sizes of the shorts included 10-inchers to 17-inchers, just under the size limit. The 17-inchers were heavy, fat, large fluke. The Atlantic Star is fluke fishing on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

A fluke charter sailed on the Fishermen on Wednesday, and the easterly winds prevented fishing on many areas the boat normally targets, Capt. Ron said in an e-mail. The ocean was out, and the drift was too fast at Flynn’s Knoll, so the trip fished on the bay. Winds against the tide hampered the drift in the morning, and only a couple of fluke were landed. When the tide changed, the drift improved. The group ended up with some healthy sized keepers 3 ½ pounds to 6 pounds, and the high hook bagged four. Not too many fish, not even shorts, gave up action. The boat will now fluke fish. The easterly probably didn’t help water temps. “Got to get back to normal soon, I hope,” Ron said. A last shot was taken at striped bass on one of the daily, open-boat trips Monday, searching all points of the compass. Only two keepers, caught by one angler, were landed. Bait still swam around. Short stripers were jigged at the channel at the end of the day. Gerry Krakow won the season-long pool with a 25-pound striper, but the biggest bass on the boat this spring were a 31-pounder and a 29-1/2-pounder that weren’t entered in the season pool. Now anglers will move on to the season-long fluke pool. The Fishermen is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Magic Hour Trips will continue that had been running for stripers and blues 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays, but a new schedule will be announced next week for that fishing.

Highlands

Jersey Devil Charters took a fun trip with the crew, Capt. Brian and his dad, Brian said, that pumped in 16 striped bass on live bunker in the ocean Tuesday evening. His dad belted seven of the fish. Evenings were the best time for the striper fishing. A charter Sunday morning, covered in the last report, scratched out a couple of stripers on the ocean. Jersey Devil ran a busy schedule of striper trips until the rough weather blew in. A few dates remain for evening charters for the linesiders, and Brian hopes the fishing will last into July. Then the boat will launch shark and tuna trips. Tuna sometimes started to be boated at the canyons.

Neptune

No news rolled in from Last Lady Fishing Charters in the past days, and trips were likely weathered out. But Capt. Ralph sent an e-mail Monday that said anglers aboard rustled up plenty of striped bass during weekdays on chunked bunker, snagged bunker and on the troll. Two trips on weekdays last week chunked linesiders to 30 pounds. Boat traffic made striper fishing almost impossible on weekends, though. However, if anglers could only fish on weekends, the afternoons gave up much better chances of connecting, because boat traffic wasn’t bad at all then. An individual-reservation striper trip will sail Tuesday, June 30, limited to six anglers, and more will be slated in July, and Last Lady scored well on the trips last year. Bluefish were sometimes mixed in on striper trips, and look for blues to settle closer to shore soon. Good fishing for fluke and sea bass happened on most days. Individual-reservation fluke trips will sail on Wednesdays starting next week, limited to 15 anglers. Reserve now. Mako sharks moved within range, time to get after them. Canyon fishing for yellowfin tuna already started on the troll.

Belmar

The boat was down for maintenance a couple of days during the week, and the weather was mostly rough in the last days, but bluefishing gained steam, turned on, during the weekend on both daytime and nighttime trips, said Capt. Greg from the Golden Eagle. Few striped bass bit, but blues got on a tear. The Golden Eagle is fishing for stripers and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for blues 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily. Catch the boat’s fireworks cruises July 3 and 4.

The weekly, open-boat shark trip got cancelled Wednesday, and a shark charter was nixed today, said Capt. Tom from the Nan Sea J. “A little too breezy,” he said. But a striped bass trip Tuesday plundered 20 of the linesiders to 37 inches on bunker chunks. Seas weren’t too bad, and east winds blew 10 to 15, and the Nan Sea J was the only vessel fishing the area. Maybe that’s why the fish bit so hard, he said. Recent trips also clubbed fluke, sea bass and a handful of blues. Space opened up for a charter Saturday because of a cancellation, if anyone wants to fish. The schedule is pretty full for the season, especially on weekends, so here’s a chance. Open-boat shark trips that sail every Wednesday through July will continue, and spots are available next week. The outings are a rare opportunity to fight the monsters on an open trip.

Fishing got weathered out Wednesday night through tonight, but otherwise the boat mostly sailed, and this Friday though Sunday look fishable, despite possible rains, said Capt. Alan from the Miss Belmar Princess. Five- to 10-pound bluefish, mostly 8- to 10-pounders, were whacked on trips, very good fishing, and the schools were targeted offshore instead of down south, no longer a far run to catch them. The fish moved up, cutting the ride in half, now 15 to 18 miles away, instead of 30. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Night trips for blues are running 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily.

Spring Lake’s surf attracted striped bass that anglers clammed, said John from Fisherman’s Den. Larger ones seemed to be dragged in Friday, and currently they seemed mostly to be small schoolies. Lots of fluke were reeled up from Shark River, and many shorts were picked through to cull a keeper, and the shop’s rental boats and all the fluke tackle and supplies were at the ready for the fishing. Ocean fluking sounded productive, and waters off the Red Church gave them up. The party boats that were bluefishing mostly stayed dock during the week, but they caught when they got out.

Brielle

Wild fishing for striped bass Monday and Tuesday on the ocean, said Capt. Jerry from Fish Monger Charters in an e-mail. The six anglers on a trip Monday afternoon each landed a limit, keeping only a few. Six weighed more than 30 pounds apiece, including a 38-pounder and a 36-pounder. The fish were hammered on live bunker and cast plugs, and the fishing began slowly, but then it was on. Stripers exploded everywhere, crashing on bunker, and multiple hook-ups were scored at once. The anglers landed some personal bests. On Tuesday a trip fished in the morning, when striper fishing’s been slower, but the anglers worked hard, and each managed to deck a sizeable striper, going 5 for 8 for the group. On a trip Tuesday afternoon, the fishing took off again. After a few stripers were nailed at a couple of spots, more bass were found crashing on top, and the anglers had them all to themselves, no other boats around to drive them down. Multiple stripers were hooked at once at times on live bunker and plugs. The anglers each reeled in quality bass and went into release mode. Two personal bests, a 35-pounder and a 30-pounder, were scored. Afterward they picked at stripers until time to go home.

Capt. Mike from the Katie H wanted to inform anglers that the boat’s Web site apparently got infected with a virus, and that’s being fixed. But if anglers are looking for info in the meantime, they can call his cell phone at 908-600-6413. The vessel is fishing for striped bass and bottom fish, and shark trips will sail soon. Fluke angling will kick off when waters warm enough, and tuna fishing usually begins in July.

Point Pleasant

A short trip fluke fished 3 ½ hours on Manasquan River on Tuesday morning with three anglers aboard with Reel Class Charters, Capt. Allen said in an e-mail. At first they fished close to home near Clark’s Landing Marina in winds against the tide, tossing back lots of shorts, a bunch of action. A move closer to Manasquan Inlet on the river put out a similar catch. But once incoming tide began, a few keepers, just making legal size, came up near the inlet. The trip moved back to the area downstream from the Route 35 Bridge near Clark’s, picking a few more keepers and lots of shorts. The anglers ended up with six keepers for the day, probably tossing back 80 shorts. The shorts were mostly 10 to 15 inches, and only a few were 16 to 17 ½ inches. The keepers were good-sized or 18 to 19 ½ inches. The high hook bagged three, and one angler bagged two, and the other only reeled up shorts, and Allen hooked the other keeper. The group fished light tackle, mostly with Gulps on bucktails or jigheads. A few of the flatties were hooked on killies on bucktails. The weather was a little rough, “but the catching was good,” Allen said.

Ocean fluke fishing was picky on trips, kind of slow, churned out lots of shorts with some keepers, said Capt. Matt from the Norma K. Waters were 64 degrees, a little chilly, but a big ground swell through the week might’ve affected catches. Excellent fishing for 5- to 15-pound blues got hammered on nighttime trips. Most anglers limited out. Trips are fishing for fluke twice daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and for blues 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

The Sea Devil had to sail far on Monday to find bluefish, but then anglers drilled a steady pick most of the day, Cindy said in an e-mail. Bait worked best early, and jigs hooked up later. Dan Shelko won the pool with a 14-pounder. On Wednesday a trip only had to sail offshore from port at Manasquan Inlet to connect. Blues attacked as soon the anchor was set, a good pick, mostly on jigs, but anglers who fished bait also caught. Then too many dogfish showed up, and the boat moved elsewhere, making several drifts. Patrons picked away at blues, mostly on jigs, the rest of the day. The speedsters weighed 9 to 13 pounds on the trip. The Sea Devil is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturdays. But the vessel is chartered Friday, so no open-boat trip will sail then.

Bluefish trips stayed docked every weekday except Tuesday, but the catch that day was off the charts, said an e-mail from the Cock Robin. This was the time to go bluefishing, and the angling was incredible both offshore and to the south and offshore. The Cock Robin is fishing for stripers and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for blues 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Wednesday Marathon Trips, leaving earlier at 6 a.m. at no extra charge, are slated to resume next week, and afterward they’ll run every week through August. One already sailed. On Thursday’s trips, customers can help donate fish to Joan Valentine House, providing meals to people. Captain Jim’s Camp Cock Robin for kids will begin as soon as schools let out. No more than 12 fisher-kids get served by a dedicated mate.

Toms River

One group trolled big striped bass off the Red Church on 6-inch Polish shads, said Jeff from Murphy’s Hook House. They kept four--a 40-pounder, a 39-pounder and two 37-pounders--and released more that were even bigger. News was mostly scarce in the week’s weather. But stripers, a few keepers and lots of shorts, were banked from the surf at Ortley Beach and Lavallette, and Jeff released five of the shorts. He dunked clams, and others fished mostly clams or bunker but also rubber shads, pencil poppers or Smack-It poppers. Not a lot was heard about Barnegat Bay, but fluke were pulled from Oyster Creek and Double Creek channels. Fewer were taken around the BI and BB markers. Many of the bay’s fluke were shorts. Matt Brokow checked in a 7-1/2-pound 26-inch fluke he reeled up from Sea Girt Reef. Gulp mullets and Gulp sandworms were popular baits. A few blues swam the bay, but not much word came in about blues at all. Maybe the waters changed somehow or something put them off the bite. Weakfish got picked up from the bay off Berkeley Island Park in the mornings on sandworms, Rat-L-Traps or pink Fin-S Fish. On the bay at the Mantoloking Bridge up north a few fluke and some striped bass were played, and one angler said he nabbed a weak there. Closer to the shop, fishing on the Toms River dealt out a few white perch but was mostly quiet. Lots of crabbing went on at the river.

Seaside

Few surf anglers hit the beaches after the weekend, said the report on Grumpy’s Tackle’s Web site. Only a scant number plied the sands in today’s storm, but not much happened in better weather the rest of the week either. A 14-pound striper was weighed in Wednesday that came from the surf. Three stripers 8 to 14 pounds were checked in Tuesday from the wash, and so was a 13-pound blue. “Add a few fishermen to the beach, and a few fish get caught!” the report said. Two of the stripers inhaled bunker, and one vacuumed in a Grumpy clam, and the blue gobbled up bunker. On Monday, a typically quiet day for surf angling, a 10-pound weakfish was weighed in that was fly-rodded from the wash. <a href="http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

Forked River

Keeper fluke were dusted up from the BI marker to the BB marker on Barnegat Bay, said Jana from Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle in an e-mail. Spearing or killies got strikes at the top of incoming tides. The fish were also creeled at Double Creek Channel and High Bar Harbor, and very good fishing for fluke went down at Barnegat Ridge in the ocean. Pink seemed the hot color for terminal tackle for fluke. Rich Pasko weighed in a 5.4-pound fluke that sucked in a killie, and Dave Elbertson checked in a 5.05-pounder that inhaled a spearing. Bluefish could be trolled on the bay at the 40 can at the beginning of Oyster Creek Channel and off the mouth of Forked River. Bay reports about blowfish catches increased during the weekend. They bit clams on Corky’s Blowfish Rigs at Tice’s Shoal and along the Route 37 Bridge. Jana only heard about one or two boaters who bagged striped bass Wednesday in the ocean off the Governor’s Mansion. But bunker kept schooling the ocean. Bill Erwin muscled a 47-pound striped bass onto the scale, after mugging the fish on a live bunker. All the different varieties of squid are stocked and so are local spearing, Canadian spearing, 2-1/2-pound blocks of Canadian spearing, sand eels, smelts, 5-pound, 2-pound and 10-ounce quantities of frozen clams, salted clams, clam chum, bunker chum, bunker, mackerel, mullet, sandworms, nightcrawlers, trout worms and meal worms. Flats of mackerel and bunker can be ordered 2 ½ days in advance for sharking.

Barnegat Light

Jay Simmons and Carlton Bird scored “the exact same action with live bunker the next day,” said Capt. Steve from Reel Fantasea Charters in an e-mail. Apparently that meant they slam-basted striped bass in the ocean the day after a trip that pounded big linesiders that Steve reported last Thursday. On this trip Simmons and Bird limited out on huge bass, released a couple of more and missed some hits while fishing the snagged bunker. Another fantastic day, Steve said. A trip afterward with Chris Spring was somewhat slower but still fantastic, limiting out, though he only kept one. Plus a large bass took off with a bunker bait, started to empty the reel then pulled the hook. “Oh no!” Steve said. A few hits were also missed, until it was time to head home, putting “an end to some phenomenal striper fishing,” Steve said.

Barnegat

“Winds, rains,” said Capt. John from Perfect Drift Sport Fishing. “That’s the report,” he joked. The fish were out there. All of them were. Big striped bass pummeling bunker in the ocean. Fluke. Blues. His trips are going after all of them, but anglers could hardly fish in the week’s weather. The days started blowing on Sunday and continued through today. Still, when the weather clears, he’s eager to get out. Charters will keep going after stripers in the ocean, chasing them from Barnegat Inlet north so far this season. He heard that fluke began to respond in the ocean, so trips will probably target them there instead of on Barnegat Bay anymore. Blues schooled the bay, got trolled on Ponytails on a recent trip, and bigger blues littered Barnegat Ridge in the ocean. Forecasts looked like the weather might not clear until Sunday. John hoped to run trips Sunday and Monday.

Barnegat Light

Anglers started to do more fluke fishing from land near Barnegat Lighthouse, throwing baits like killies, squid or Gulps, said Josh from Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle. Occasional, big weakfish like 12-pounders came from around the lighthouse. Boaters knuckled in decent fluke catches on Barnegat Bay, and ocean boaters began to bang out plenty of fluke. Many who fished Barnegat Ridge in the ocean talked about mongering a bunch, including 5-, 6- and 7-pounders, sometimes an 8. Josh also heard about sea bass hung there but nothing about bluefishing at the Ridge. Boating for striped bass in the ocean mostly ground to a halt because of weather. But previously stripers 30 to 35 pounds were fairly common catches both north and south. Striped bass were sometimes taken from the surf on clams or bunker. One angler put the breaks on two 18-pounders. Another looted a 15-pound weakfish from the wash Wednesday morning. Small bluefish sometimes appeared in the surf, but big blues that normally come around were missing. Fresh clams are stocked, and fresh bunker was arriving Friday evening. Killies, live spots, live grass shrimp and all the frozen baits are carried.

Beach Haven

On the Miss Beach Haven a sea bass trip Saturday turned up lots of the fish, many of them shorts, probably 1 in 10 a keeper, and a couple of the anglers boxed seven or eight to take home, Capt. Frank said. Sunday’s trip focused on fluke, and the boat is gearing up to switch to fluke soon. The high hook claimed four keepers 19 or 20 inches, and some others pulled in keepers. Many of the flatties were shorts, and lots were only an inch short. Trips will probably mix up sea bass and fluke fishing this weekend. Fluke are expected to become the sole focus sometime next week. Open-boat trips are fishing 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Starting next week open trips will also start running twice daily 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Charters are available.

Mystic Island

Tons of flounder crammed the bay, but catching a keeper was another thing, said Scott from Scott’s Bait & Tackle. Like one angler reported that he finally bagged two keepers on a trip. One group of anglers shellacked a couple of solid catches including 13 keepers to 9 pounds. That was out of the blue, stunning, and they apparently located a honey hole on the bay. Bluefish and weakfish were nowhere to be found. Striped bass were boated farther south and farther north in the ocean but not locally or near Little Egg Inlet. Stripers were bunker chunked in the dangerous white waters at Wreck Inlet, but only experienced anglers should attempt boating there. No bunker schooled the inlet, couldn’t be snagged for bait, so the anglers brought their own menhaden. Scott knew about one trip so far that attempted to fight sharks that traditionally arrive at Grassy Channel on Great Bay from the second week of June to the second week of August. Big brown sharks and sandbars haunt the area, giving an opportunity to battle a big fish without running offshore. A shark entered the chum slick on the trip but refused to grab a bait, seemed satisfied to slurp up the chum. That fishing is best during the first hours of night, around 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Scott’s sells a special rig for the bay sharks and a chum ball that’s the right size. Sea bass anglers in the ocean found that the deeper or farther offshore they fished, the more keepers they landed, and a tremendous number of shorts had to be weeded through in inshore waters. Nobody reported fishing for white perch. Crabs were plucked, okay catches, from the lagoons, but the blueclaws were a no-show at the creeks along Great Bay Boulevard and along the bulkheads at Little Egg Harbor Bay, though the hardshells would normally be abundant there now. Minnows were tough to stock, difficult to catch in waters that got mixed up by the weather. They were carried when available but sometimes ran out, and sold quickly when stocked. Live grass shrimp are carried, and shucked clams are supplied that anglers buy either for sea bass or as back-up bait for striped bass fishing when no bunker could be found to snag.

Port Republic

Weakfish anglers hooked up in the Mullica River, and the trout to 6 pounds were weighed in, said Violet from Chestnut Neck Boat Yard. Live shedder crabs, the favorite weakfish bait, ran out, but frozen are stocked, and live ones will be re-supplied when available. Besides catching the fish on frozen shedders, anglers also did the job with salmon belly the shop carries. Big flounder were shoveled up from the bay near the Fish Factory and near Harrah’s Casino. The only bluefish that customers claimed came from the ocean. White perch tore around the river, and crabbing amped up well, mostly along the bay, because of freshwater from rains farther up the estuary. In addition to frozen shedders and salmon belly, the shop is carrying plenty of minnows and also eels.

Absecon

Ocean striped bass fishing was off the hook when boaters could hit the right day, the weather to sail and find bunker, said Ray from Absecon Bay Sportsman Center. Sean Fox knocked down two 25- to 30-pound stripers and a couple of 18-pounders, and one of the fish was tagged by the government, earning him $125. Some of the tags are worth $500. But terrible boating weather lasted through the week. Surf angling for striped bass slowed down on Brigantine after it had been on fire. But some were still picked, and one angler said he saw three 20-pounders cranked in. On the bay decent flounder fishing was had when the weather was fishable. Flounder pounders weren’t setting the world on fire, but everybody usually coolered a couple of keepers, and Ray knew about a few limits caught this season. Gulps and strip baits like mackerel or bluefish worked well. Bluefish were few and far between on local waters. He also heard about a few weakfish socked at Absecon Inlet at night, and a few of the trout were around in the back waters, for those who knew how to catch them. Capt. Dave, the shop’s owner, ran a trip that picked up several 20-inchers on livelined spots. Pat Lynch took a an offshore tilefish trip on a South Jersey party boat, ending up clocking a 48-1/2-pound snowy grouper. He took the big fish, usually a southern species, to see if it qualified for a record, and the state didn’t even have a category for it. Farm-raised, live spots are stocked, a great bait for stripers that surely could be claimed at places like the bridges at night. Anglers who do that fishing are usually tight lipped, but the fish should be there. Weakies will also pounce on spots, and the baitfish are one of the best for large flounder. Shedder crabs are carried for bait, and soft-shelled crabs are available for eating. The shop raises the crabs and always has them on hand. A large selection of just about any bait fished locally is also carried.

Brigantine

Karl Stock boated a 36-pound striped bass in the ocean Wednesday, and Antony Diversa beached a 36-pounder from the surf on Sunday, but anglers now at Riptide Bait & Tackle mostly waited for blues and kingfish to enter the suds, Capt. Andy said. The surf’s striped bass fishing was slowing down, as the fish migrated north while the waters warmed, the shop’s Web site said. The wash at Brigantine was 70 degrees. So surf fishing was going through an in-between stage after the best of striper fishing and before the arrival of blues and kings for summer. But Rick Barsuglia checked in a 28-1/2-inch striper from the beach Wednesday, and reportedly saw a short caught. The spring’s surf striper fishing was the best in a long time on the island. The shop’s Web site included photos of several large linesiders boated in the ocean, mostly on the weekend. The weather became rough this week. Live spots arrived at the shop, and anglers could call about bulk pricing. They make a great bait for stripers and flounder. Resident stripers will stick around in the bay all summer. Fresh clams are on hand.

Margate

In the back bay lots of flounder paved the bottom, and all patrons on the Keeper hooked the fish, sometimes bagging a keeper, Capt. John said. The most productive trip rounded up 10 keepers in the past days, if John remembered correctly, and some of the fish lately were sizeable, weighing 4 to 5 pounds. Customers seemed happy with the fishing, John said, and minnows were scarce for bait, but mackerel and Gulps worked well. John saw occasional schools of blues with working birds overhead, but the trips focused on flounder, didn’t chase the blues. He heard about a couple of good-sized, keeper stripers boated on the bay. The Keeper is fishing for flounder on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Ocean City

Striped bass, big ones, plenty of the fish, got wrangled in from the surf, said Bill from Fin-Atics. More of the big stripers got beached this season than he’d seen before. They mouthed clams, herring, small kingfish and kingfish heads. Kingfish nibbled bloodworms in the suds. Boaters along the beach front slowly trolled Stretch 25 or 30 plugs around bunker schools to land bass. More and more flounder, and larger ones than before, moved in to the bay. Blues were mostly scarce from the surf to the inlets to the bay, but they’d normally be around. Bill heard nothing about blues offshore. The ocean reefs were loaded with sea bass, and nobody mentioned catching flounder at the reefs or wrecks. Thresher sharks swarmed the ocean, and makos sometimes appeared. Bluefin tuna were fought at the Elephant Trunk and 19-Fathom Lump, mostly on the troll. Fresh clams in the shell will be stocked another few weeks, and afterward fresh-shucked clams will be carried. Frozen herring and all the frozen baits, including for flounder, are on hand.

Sea Isle City

Flounder fishing gained steam on the back bay, became somewhat better, was good, said Wes from Gibson’s Tackle. He flounder fished an hour, picking up six of the bottom huggers on Gulps and minnows. Catching minnows for flounder bait was tough, and the stock got re-supplied each day, but not enough to build a surplus. But Gulp with a squid strip was a fine substitute on a plain, gold hook on a long leader, as simple a rig as possible. Spearing and strips of mackerel also attracted plenty of flounder strikes. Striped bass fishing was going well on the bay. Dunk clams or throw lures on high tides that provide more waters. The linesiders were small, but some were 29 inches. A few blues and a handful of weakfish could be located on the bay. Crabbing was okay, and freshwater runoff from rains and cool weather will put off the blueclaws, and the week brought both. Surf fishing for striped bass was slowing down but produced a catch at times. Sales of fresh clams for bait for the fish dropped off. With sea bassing in the ocean, the farther from shore anglers fished, the better the catches. The angling was beginning to fade for the season, and more porgies should move in and replace them. Fresh clams are stocked, and fresh bunker is carried when available. A new batch of minnows arrives daily, but the supply can be tight. Frozen spearing, frozen mackerel and other baits are also at the ready.

Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service, affiliated with Gibson’s Tackle, poked out on the boat a couple of times to look around, but the weather was raw, cold and uncomfortable, so he cut the trips short, he said. But his back-bay trips lately fought plenty of striped bass, flounder and a few blues. The stripers could be clammed, and a short trip over the weekend caught and released several keepers on clams. Or the bass could be hooked on soft-plastic lures, Clouser flies or popper lures and flies. Popper fishing for explosive attacks on the surface is a specialty on the boat through summer and started early this year. Joe hoped to fish for tuna Friday or Saturday but would see how the weather played out. He encourages anglers to sail for tuna early or right now. In recent years he waffled his best tuna catches in June and July, and the fishing got tougher afterward. He hoped the late season was better this year, but the fish were already on the hunt. Jersey Cape will offer open-boat tuna trips on Wednesdays, and call for details. The trips, sailing on a 26-foot Regulator, will fish either inshore for bluefin tuna or offshore at the canyons for yellowfins. The outings will probably target bluefins at the moment, but Joe won’t limit the options, and he just wants to catch, he said. If that means pushing out to the canyons, he’ll do it. He’s not going to hesitate to run the extra miles if that’s the best fishing, because the trips are about catching. Open trips are a good option if anglers can’t put together a full charter, and the trips are a learning experience, he said. Joe will make an annual trip to the Merrimack River in Massachusetts this coming Tuesday to Friday, offering fly charters. Remaining space is limited but available. The linesiders should flood the waters, the prime time, and the fish, 25- to 40-inchers, bite through the day, so trips are banker’s hours. Jersey Cape from Sea Isle is offering after-work special trips on the back bay from 4 p.m. to dark, a great time to fish, when nobody else is on the waters, and action can be best. Convenient, too. Joe will offer mixed-bag offshore fishing this summer, trolling for tuna in the mornings, then casting lures, bait or flies to mahi mahi in the afternoons. Offshore trips fish on either the Regulator or a 42-foot Liberty, depending on the number of anglers and type of fishing, like angling with conventional tackle or fly gear.

Wildwood

Though winds blew too hard for Wednesday’s trip to bottom-fish on the ocean, the Adventurer was able to duck out of the weather and fish Delaware Bay, Capt. Gary said. Thirty-five or 40 flounder came up, including a half-dozen keepers or so. Previously trips bottom-fished on the ocean for lots of sea bass, tons of shorts but some keepers, and a few flounder that began to show up. When the ocean, currently 68 degrees, warms, making flounder really turn on there, trips that sail the ocean will focus on flounder. The vessel for now will either wreck-fish on the ocean or flounder fish on the bay, depending on the weather. That’s an advantage to the boat’s port: Trips can hit the bay when winds like strong nor’easters prevent ocean fishing. So the vessel doesn’t get weathered out as often as boats that can only fish the ocean. Besides open-boat trips, charters are now available for wreck fishing on the ocean or flounder fishing on the bay. The Adventurer is fishing on open-boat trips 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but call to confirm, making sure no charter is running instead.

Cape May

Boaters sailing for flounder made off with good catches, and the Old Grounds, in the ocean off Delaware, turned on, serving up the flatties during the weekend, said Nick from Hands Too Bait & Tackle. Fishing for them gained steam in ocean areas like that with rough bottom or at the reefs and wrecks. Not much was heard about sea bass at the rough bottom. On Delaware Bay, areas like around Miah Maul or 20-Foot Slough sometimes offered up the bigger flounder in those waters. Good catches of flatties also came from the back bay. Bluefish swarmed toward Sea Isle Ridge and farther offshore at the shark grounds, though a few blues popped up in to the surf. Sharks including makos, threshers and blues were on the bite. Offshore anglers looking for tuna mostly trolled bluefins at the Elephant Trunk and probably places like Massey’s Canyon or occasionally chunked the fish on butters or sardines. Surf fishing for striped bass tapered off, and one or two bit here or there, but most probably migrated north. Word was heard each day about a few weakfish beached from along the jetties on floated bloodworms or pink soft-plastic lures. Fresh bunker is stocked when available, and fresh clams are on hand, but fewer than before, because drum fishing dropped off. Bloodworms and all the frozen baits are carried. Minnows were scarce, unavailable at the moment.