<b>Sandy Hook</b>

A trip steamed for the bluefin tuna grounds on Wednesday, said Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> from the Highlands. The anglers went 3 for 5 on the tuna to 70 pounds, three on the troll and two on jigs, at the Atlantic Princess wreck. Waters were packed with at least 60 boats, but just about everybody seemed to hook up on the troll, jig or bait. The trip also looked around the Glory Hole but didn’t see much except bait. Seas were flat, even though anglers on the radio talked about rough seas that kept them docked. But on the way home seas built to 3 and 4 feet within 5 miles from shore, and the storm came through. Fisher Price is now running charters for bluefins.

Mike Boyle’s trip with <b>Jersey Devil Charters</b> from the highlands trolled the ocean inshore of the bluefin tuna grounds last Friday, both because seas were snotty and to see whether pelagics swam the waters, Capt. Brian said. But the fishing was somewhat uneventful, except skipjacks were landed. The trolling began at the BA buoy, worked its way up the Mudhole and hit the Monster Ledge and the Slough. A bluefin tuna trip was postponed Sunday because of weather and because the waters became crowded on weekends. Jersey Devil already creamed the bluefins around the Glory Hole and Chicken Canyon this season, one of the best seasons for the fishing in some time, and is focusing on the tuna for now. A mess of the fish were jigged between the Glory and the Chicken on the last trip to the grounds. Brian started offering open-boat trips for bluefins, because anglers kept calling to go, so he can put them together for a full trip. Call to reserve.

<b>Shark River Inlet</b>

A friend bailed 30- to 60-pound yellowfin tuna, bigger fish, a great catch, at the canyons Thursday on the troll, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> from Neptune. Ralph wouldn’t say which canyon, not giving up the location. The waters were so crowded on his last blue-water trip that boats ran over other vessel’s lines, cutting off fish. Ralph knew someone who fought a blue marlin for 3 hours until another boat ran over the line, breaking off the fish.  Two-hundred-fifty boats crowded the area when Ralph’s trip, his first open-boat, overnight trip to the waters this season, fished, but his anglers caught anyway. Five small yellowfin tuna were bagged and a dozen shorts were released on both the daytime troll and the nighttime chunk, and a 200-pound golden hammerhead shark was released at night. Ralph knew about two larger, 50-pound yellowfins taken on another boat at night and a single 50-pounder boated on another vessel in the dark. Those catches seemed encouraging for the night bite that was beginning. Bigeye tuna were slammed all the way offshore, but too many boats fished for them, and Ralph avoided the area. Space is full the rest of the month for open-boat canyon fishing, but spots are available in September and October, and see the vessel’s Web site for the schedule. Act quickly if you want to go, because the schedule was getting full, and that will be the complete slate for the open tuna fishing this year. Charters with Last Lady are also chasing bluefin tuna that are tearing up the inshore ocean.

An open-boat bluefin tuna trip might sail Wednesday, because a half-dozen anglers expressed interest, and bluefin kept giving up catches, like around the Glory Hole and the Chicken Canyon. The next two Wednesdays could be devoted to the bluefin trips, and call if interested. A friend trolled one of the tuna during the weekend and said the waters were packed with boats. Might help to go on a weekday. Tom also heard about a shot of warm waters at Hudson Canyon, serving up decent fishing for yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna. The Nan Sea J will begin fishing the canyons for tuna with overnight trips in September.

<b>Manasquan Inlet</b>

Fluking produced plenty at places like Sea Girt Reef, Axel Carlson Reef and off Elberon in the past days, though the fishing was slow in terrible conditions Sunday, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. The weather was rough, including rainstorms, that day, and presumably he meant that hampered ideal drifting. Quality fluke were picked up from the Manasquan River, and snapper blues began appearing in the waters. Hickory shad ran the river, and Spanish mackerel popped up at Manasquan Inlet early last week. Catches of bonito were heard about from Barnegat Ridge and the Mudhole. Lots of bluefin tuna were lambasted 40 miles from shore Adam Glantzman jigged four bluefins to 100 pounds on ProFishCo Power Jigs. Hudson Canyon boaters pummeled fish through the week. A major bigeye tuna bite was going down, and yellowfin tuna from throwbacks to 50- or 60-pounders were nailed. Quite a few blue marlin were a beaten. Sea bassing became tougher to cull keepers, and many small lumpheads were around, but the fishing was still good. Dave wasn’t asked about ling catches, but previously he said lots of ling were landed. Bluefish were rounded up at the Shrewsbury Rocks, the last Dave heard. But few customers messed with blues lately, going after other fishing instead.

Anglers on two trips on the <b>Katie H</b> took a heading for the bluefin tuna grounds around the Atlantic Princess wreck on Friday and Saturday, Capt. Mike said. Friday’s trip clubbed a great catch, a bunch of the tuna, keeping a limit of two: one in the less than 47-inch slot limit, and another in the 47-inch or larger size. “One under, one over,” Mike said, and a bunch were caught and released. All the fish were chunked, except one that was trolled. After trolling a few hours with one caught, the trip decided to fish chunks of butterfish and jig while chunking, and then the anglers hooked up. The charter seemed to have a great time, especially because the bluefins were their first-ever tuna, also because they’d been trying to fish for tuna on the boat for two or three years, but kept getting weathered out and such. Saturday’s trip was a whole different story from the success of Friday, and tons of boats filled the waters, probably because of forecasts for clear weather. One bluefin tuna was hooked on a jig but got off on the Katie H. Lots of tuna were marked, but they wouldn’t come up and feed, for some reason. Mike heard about a few of the bluefins trolled that day, but that was about it. He also heard about fishing farther offshore at Hudson Canyon in the past days, and described the fishing in six words: “bigeyes, bigeyes, bigeyes,” he said, and “chaos, chaos, chaos.” The waters exploded with bigeye tuna and some yellowfin tuna and blue marlin, but the area was crammed with probably 200 boats like a parking lot, often trolling outrigger to outrigger. He heard about boats running over other vessel’s lines, fish getting cut off  and people arguing. He knew about one boat with five or six bigeyes hooked at once that were all cut off when a boat ran over the lines. He knows an angler who had a blue marlin hooked that was dancing and jumping, until another boat ran over the line, cutting off the fish. Fishing at both the canyons and the bluefin tuna grounds might be best during weekdays if anglers can go then. The Katie H’s first overnight tuna trip to the canyons is slated for August 22 to 23. Trips, especially on weekends, were beginning to fill, because the fishing was heating up, and fuel prices were low. Some Fridays were left, and weekdays remained.

On the <b>Big Kid</b> anglers trolled a limit of bluefin tuna on the inshore grounds Friday, and another trip on Saturday ran back to the waters and trolled more, Capt. Ken said. On Sunday members of the Seaside Heights Striper Club took a sea bass and fluke trip, rustling up sea bass to 2 pounds and fluke to 4 pounds. Charters this week will fish the canyons for tuna on an overnight trip Tuesday to Wednesday, will run for bluefin tuna Friday and will fluke fish Saturday. Another canyon trip will fish overnight Sunday to Monday. So all the fishing that the Big Kid is doing—trips for bluefins, fluke/sea bass and canyon tuna—will be under way through the week.

A mixed-bag, open-boat trip to the blue waters plundered a bluefin tuna, big pollock, ling and tilefish with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b> on Saturday, the report on the boat’s Web site said. Leaving port at 4 a.m., the trip ran to the bluefin grounds on the inshore ocean, meeting a load of boats as expected. Nothing much was marked, except bait, and nothing bit, so the trip moved to structure, and the boat was anchored. Ling began to be reeled up, then wham! A bluefin tuna slammed a jig that one of the anglers worked, and was caught. No more tuna showed up, so the boat was moved farther offshore to a wreck. As soon as the vessel was anchored, wham! The same angler jigged another bluefin, but the fish spit the hook. Next the same angler hooked another sizeable fish, but the fish fought differently. He reeled in a big pollock, and the pollock were all over one section of the wreck, and seven big ones to 35-plus pounds were boated. Afterward the anglers looked for tilefish farther offshore. A couple of small ones came up from 420 feet, so the boat was moved to 550 feet. More small tiles were cranked in, until the anglers totaled ten small tiles, and headed home with a good mix of fish. Everyone went home with lots of goodies, the report said. An inshore sea bass trip sailed last Monday, lifting aboard sea bass, fluke and ling at the rocky bottom, until the anglers became seasick one by one in a southerly swell. So they moved to Manasquan River, hooking 15 short fluke before calling it a trip early. Andrea’s Toy is fishing for fluke and sea bass close to shore and running for everything from bluefin tuna, cod and pollock on the inshore ocean to yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi, billfish and tilefish offshore. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of catching and more variety for dinner. Charters are fishing the blue waters, and so are open-boat trips. See  <a href="http://www.andreastoycharters.com" target="_blank">the boat’s home page</a> for info about mixed-bag, open-boat canyon trips.

<b>Barnegat Inlet</b>

“We hit them hard at Barnegat Ridge!” said Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b> in an e-mail. A mess of bonito and large Spanish mackerel were clocked on the high-speed troll. Feathers, cedar plugs and daisy chains got the fish to attack, all on the surface. Multiple hook-ups, two and three rods nailed at a time, were the rule. Trips also put out spinning tackle to keep it sporty. Both fish are some of the best loin you can eat. Open-boat trips are running for the fish 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and the weather is supposed to be calm. Call for other dates. A trip can also run either for them or weakfish Wednesday morning, before a weakfish charter that’s already booked. “Better strike while the iron is hot,” Dave said.

Bonito and Spanish mackerel were on a red-hot bite at Barnegat Ridge, said Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b> in an e-mail. Two anglers signed up for an open-boat trip Friday for the fishing, and space remains for one more. Give a buzz to go, and the trip will run 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. “We are going to catch them!” he said. The forecast was calm, and the speed demons are great sport, “and you’ll leave with a bag of some of the best loin you ever had,” he said. Charters are booked Saturday and Sunday, but more open trips will sail next week. He’s also weakfishing on Barnegat Bay, and e-mailed a photo of an angler with one of the trout, “one of only two we had, so don’t get excited,” he said. Fishing for them with live grass shrimp is a specialty on the vessel.

<b>Little Egg Inlet</b>

On the <b>June Bug</b> at Hudson Canyon on Monday three 30-inch yellowfin tuna and six 15- to 20-pound mahi mahi were bagged on the troll, Capt. Lindsay said. Probably a dozen throwback yellowfins were also trolled, and so was a big fish, probably 80 pounds, that bent a 12/0 carbon steel hook and got off. Lindsay couldn’t know whether the fish was a large yellowfin or a bigeye tuna. He heard about no bigeyes caught that day. The fish on the trip were hooked on the warm side of a long temperature break from 76.3 degrees to 80.4 degrees. Even the small tuna seemed unusually aggressive, making the anglers, an experienced group, huff and puff. Seas became a little sloppy at mid day but settled back down. Trips will keep fishing the canyons but will also fish inshore for bonito at Barnegat Ridge and fluke in the ocean.

<b>Absecon Inlet</b>

The catch on a canyon trip on Wednesday on the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> included two yellowfin tuna to 55 pounds and four mahi mahi 20 to 25 pounds, Capt. Tom said. The trip also went 2 for 4 on white marlin. All the fish were trolled along the 100-fathom line, mostly on ballyhoos, and Tom was keeping the location quiet. But waters were 77 degrees, clean and blue. A friend went 1 for 2 on whites and missed a blue marlin in the area that day. Lots of billfish were around this season, and the 100 line was a place to find them. Tom was heading right back out on another canyon trip at 2 a.m. today. He moved the boat back to Brigantine, after fishing from Cape May a while, and the vessel can sail from either port, giving trips a wide range of choices to fish the canyons, wherever the bite is best. For example, if Hudson Canyon, out of range from Cape May, was the place to go, Brigantine gave that option. Inshore trolling trips cleaned up on bonito, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel and blues. Flounder trips clobbered catches on the ocean. The boat’s flounder trips mostly fish the ocean, but could hit Delaware Bay, if anglers wanted or if trips were shorter, and the bay was full of the fluke.

<b>Great Egg Harbor Inlet</b>

The bigger flounder were found at the ocean reefs, giving up okay catches, a few fish to bring home, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. The back waters including the bay still held flounder, but the inlets were the better place to lock in to keepers. Lots of small sea bass, sand sharks and such skittered around the bay. Flounder could also be banked from the surf by those who knew how. Fish a bucktail or a jig or some type of lure, casting and working them slowly along the bottom, and don’t fish bait and just let it sit there. But cast close to shore, because the flatties hugged close to the beach, not swimming far out. Sharks sometimes chased bunker in the surf. More kingfish than before appeared in the wash, nibbling bloodworms or FishBites artificial worms. Bill heard about bluefin tuna, fewer than last year but some, boated on the inshore ocean to the south at Jack’s Spot, the Hot Dog and Massey’s Canyon. Lots of small yellowfin tuna traveled the canyons farther offshore. A ton of white marlin were around this year, and Wilmington Canyon served up a bunch. A few mako sharks were subdued at night at the canyons. A few yellowfins, not a lot, began to respond at night in the waters.

On the <b>Stray Cat</b> charters switched to triggerfishing for the moment, because triggers jammed the waters around high structure at Ocean City Reef, and flounder fishing became difficult in rains, too much winds or too little winds, Capt. Mike said. Keeping a little chum, like squid chum, in the waters was the trick for the triggers. Previously trips had been whacking flounder and sea bass at wrecks 12 miles from shore, and that action could rebound when the difficult weather improves. An open-boat bottom-fishing trip was sold out today that was supposed to hunt big sea bass at the 30-mile wrecks, and another is sold out Friday. More will be scheduled. Decent tuna fishing for bluefins 40 pounds and larger materialized just inshore of 30 fathoms, and large mahi mahi were hooked in the same waters, and Stray Cat is up for charters for both. Mahi this year hit on chains fished 50 feet down at 3 ½ to 4 knots. But that’s funny, because they seemed to prefer something different each year. Last year they preferred baits like sardines and spots fished off the bottom at the Cigar or the Lobster Claw. During the previous year they favored fast-trolled Green Machines around structure.

Catches of keeper flounder amped up in the past few days on the boat, and blues to 3 pounds gave up action on light tackle on the trips, said Capt. Craig from <b>Fish Tale Charters</b>. Most of the fishing went down on the ocean, but on one trip a friend called to say he was grabbing fluke at the channel from the inlet right through to the ocean, and Fish Tale stopped there on the way home from ocean fishing, and the flatties were also picked up there. Craig had said previously that his log book showed that flounder fishing usually improved around mid August for keepers at the reefs, after a lull on the bay in late July and early August, and that’s how it panned out this week. He was now waiting for croakers and weakfish to arrive along the ocean front, and his log last year said weaks appeared August 17, and croakers turned up August 27. One of his shark trips that hunt browns close to shore also sailed, tackling some of the monsters. The trips basically fish just like a mako trip does farther offshore, but on a smaller scale with lighter tackle. The browns, pushing 4 and 5 feet, run all around the boat, scream out line and have a mouth full of teeth. The trips catch and release them and afterward usually go after fish for the box like flounder or blues during the last couple of hours. No tuna trips were on the books for the near future, but Craig knows anglers who battled bluefin tuna at the Lobster Claw on Sunday, and he knows another who fished there Monday and said anglers couldn’t buy a fish. That’s about how the fishing seemed lately: On some days the fish went on the feed, and on others they lay low. Fish Tale can sail for the bluefins at the Lobster Claw and typically runs tuna trips out to 40 miles.

Flounder catches were off the charts! said a fax from Rob and Joan from <b>Dolfin Dock</b>. Robert Maurer from Egg Harbor Township grabbed a 6-3/4-pound flounder from Great Egg Harbor Inlet while fishing a pink Gulp. Guy Martin from Somers Point put the brakes on a 5-pounder at Rainbow Channel on a white bucktail, “the old classic,” the fax said. Chris Goldstein and T.J. Wolf from Egg Harbor Township netted a 6-pounder and a 4-1/2-pounder, respectively, on the ocean at Ocean City Reef. The 6-pounder was Chris’s first-ever flounder. What a start! the fax said. “Sharks, sharks, everywhere a shark,” it said: Mike Remuidas from Somers Point muscled in a 4-foot 60-pound bull shark at Dog Beach along the Ocean City and Longport causeway. In offshore waters, Johnny Williams Jr. from Somers Point and crew boated an 80-pound bluefin tuna at the Lobster Claw, and Mary Bowden from Egg Harbor Township gaffed a 12-pound 38-inch mahi mahi at Spencer Canyon.

Jeff Gwin dialed up two hefty, keeper flounder to a 25-inch 6.42-pounder on the bay at Margate on Pro Cut squid on a bucktail, said T.C. from <b>Brennan Marine</b> in a fax.  Arnold Giobanelli fished Ocean City Reef, mugging a 9.84-pound 28-1/2-inch flounder while fishing with Gulps and minnows. The Cummings crew on the Bonnie Lee whaled the fish of the week: a 191-pound 73-inch bluefin tuna trolled near 28-Mile Wreck. Rich Seretowski and gang on his Sugar Magnolia fished the Cigar, pelting an 86-pound bluefin on a butterfly jig, and the fish was full of ling. At the Lobster Claw Ron Kovler and crew on his Next Case jigged a 91-pound bluefin, and Ken Wallace and company on his Full Course hooked a 30-pound bluefin and four mah mahi to 12 pounds. Also at the Claw, Jim Davis on his Reel Danger bagged a 145-pound 60-inch bluefin. Farther north, Tom Little and anglers on his Mischievous trolled a 70-pound bluefin on a Green Machine spreader bar.

<b>Townsend’s Inlet</b>

A 200-pound blue marlin crashed the spread within five minutes of fishing at the canyons Wednesday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. The trip, with John Martin and Jeff Pesot, went on to land and release the blue, go 3 for 5 on whites released and add a 20-pound mahi mahi to the mix. An awesome trip! Joe said. A couple of tuna bites and a couple of mystery bites never came tight. Joe declined to name the canyon, because the trip was sort of a tune up for his competing in next week’s Mid Atlantic $500,000. But the waters were 78 to 80 degrees, beautiful and flat calm. The billfish were the first-ever for both anglers: the blue and a white for Martin, and two whites for Pesot. All the fish were trolled: the blue on a Black Bart, and the rest on naked ballyhoos on circle hooks. Closer to shore, fishing for keeper flounder picked up at the ocean reefs, and keepers, usually more than one, were hooked on every trip. Anglers would land a dozen to 20 flatties that included some keepers. Other fish like blues, sea bass and sharks also kept the rods bending, constant action, lots of fun, great for families but also for anglers. Julio and Sergio Rojas were aboard for a reef trip Tuesday, creeling two keeper flounder to 4 ½ pounds among about a dozen throwbacks plus other assorted fish. Ideal tides or high at dawn and dusk will begin to kick in next week for popper fishing for striped bass on the back bay with lures and flies, a specialty on the boat. High tides in the middle of the night like from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. were starting to come around this week for ideal striper fishing like at the lights at the bridges and docks on soft-plastic lures or flies, and Jersey Cape also features that fishing. Open-boat tuna trips are sailing weekly, usually on Wednesdays, but sometimes on other days, depending on the weather and when anglers can go. They fish either inshore for bluefin tuna or offshore for yellowfins, whatever’s best, or both. The trips are a learning experience. Offshore charters are available that troll for tuna during the mornings and cast bait, lures or flies to mahi at the lobster pots during the afternoons.  Stay tuned for details about traveling charters that Joe will offer. One will be on weekends in Montauk for the blitz of stripers and blues in mid September to late October, and the other will be to Marthas Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts for fly-rodding for stripers on Columbus Day weekend. Or call him for info.

On an offshore trip with <b>Over Under Adventures</b> on Thursday, two 65-inch bluefin tuna were hooked at first, one on a jig that got off after 10 minutes, and another on a chunk that was fought two hours, swimming to the boat twice, before it pulled the hook, an e-mail from Over Under said. “It happens!” the e-mail aid. “The charter was happy to see and fight it.” Then the charter tried trolling for bluefins, hooked two mahi mahi to 20 pounds and saw that the bluefin bite was apparently finished. So the boat ran to look for yellowfin tuna 16 miles away. Several yellowfins including a 50-pounder were landed, and so was a white marlin, and a couple of other whites came into the spread without biting. A big blue marlin blew up in the spread but missed the hook. A bunch of yellowfins short-struck the spread, and the trip left the fish biting. If the charter could’ve fished longer, they would’ve crushed the fish, the report said. Over Under competed in the White Marlin Open in Ocean City, Maryland, during the previous weekend.  The crew had planned to fish for bluefin tuna, because they had been dialed in on them at the Lobster Claw. But two bigeyes hit the scale on the first day of the event, and Over Under decided to go after them. The crew searched for bigeyes at Wilmington Canyon in 300 fathoms. One bigeye bit but never came tight. Waters were 78 degrees and pretty, held lots of bait and whales but no real temperature break. On the next trip the boat fished for bluefins without a touch while trolling at Lemke’s Canyon and the Lobster Claw. On the final day that Over Under competed, the trip chunked for bluefins at the Claw without a touch. The trip could only arrive at 8:30 a.m., and anglers were seen hooked up when the boat first reached the grounds, and the fish seemed to feed from 5 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. A 1,069-pound blue marlin was entered in the tournament, reportedly the first-ever grander boated off Ocean City.

<b>Hereford Inlet</b>

Excellent flounder fishing got pounded at Cape May Reef, Wildwood Reef, Reef 11 and the Old Grounds, and finding a patch of keepers was key, said Cathy from <b>Sterling Harbor Bait & Tackle</b> in an e-mail. Bill Selfridge from Gloucester weighed in a 5-pound 15-ouncer from Reef 11, and Michael Sullivan from Philly checked in a 9-pound 15-ounce whopper from the Old Grounds. Lots of snapper blues swarmed off Cape May Point and at the Cape May Rips. Small sea bass, spots and croakers nipped in the back bay, so the “back bay bonanza” began, Cathy said. Small flounder and occasional keepers swam the bay. Top-water plugging for striped bass “is in gear,” she said, along the bay’s sod banks and around the bridges and dock lights. Large bluefin tuna 130 to 150 pounds roamed the Lobster Claw. Capt. Scott Pierce from the Duct Work from Cape May ran a trip that shellacked a 160-pound bluefin, a 17-poound mahi mahi and a small yellowfin tuna. A bunch of mahi and occasional, small yellowfins were hooked at the Elephant Trunk on trolled, small lures or feathers. Mahi, white marlin, blue marlin and some yellowfins were decked at Wilmington Canyon. Crabby Jack gave crabbing three claws.

<b>Cape May Inlet</b>

A couple of flounder trips banged out healthy catches, lots of shorts, lots of action, but also keepers, at the Old Grounds on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> , Capt George said. John Stonick’s charter took one of the trips, and Roy Flynn’s charter took the other, and both landed keepers to 4 pounds. A couple of trips also trolled the inshore ocean, tangling with plenty of blues with Spanish mackerel and bonito mixed in. Not a ton of Spanish and bonito were around, but they were there. An occasional king mackerel might show up. Susan Ebbert’s charter was one of the trips, trolling loads of blues and some Spanish mackerel and bonito. Kevin Daley’s charter was the other, also loading up on blues and tackling some Spanish mackerel, no bonito. Another charter with Stever Scherf’s group fished along 30 fathoms, trolling yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi and skipjacks, also fighting a white marlin a moment before the hook pulled. Lots of whites were around this year, and many swam close to shore. George heard about a couple of wahoos landed in the area, after wahoos previously had seemed absent or late. Some of the popular inshore spots for tuna were covered in heavy boat traffic during the weekend, and George avoided them. The Heavy Hitter is running trips for inshore trolling for blues, Spanish mackerel, bonito and other fish, tuna fishing and flounder angling. Only have three or four anglers for a trip instead of six to create a full charter? Call George, because he can probably put you together with other anglers on a make-up trip during mid week.

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> mated on a trip that trolled a mess of blues, bonito and Spanish mackerel 14 miles from the coast on Tuesday, he said. Fish were hooked as quickly as the anglers could reel them in, and as many blues as anyone could want, 2- to 3-pounders, and the 3-pounders were a little bigger than previously, could be clocked. A few bonito and Spanish mackerel were in the mix lately, but the fish were out there. A trip might get four or five bonito and a couple of Spanish. That was more bonito than were around last year, although they were abundant several years ago. A tuna trip will sail on the Heavy Hitter on Saturday. The boat is also flounder fishing on the ocean, and the flounder fishing wasn’t bad, was pretty good, George said, and the catches will continue through the end of the flattie season. George heard about plenty of flounder taken from Cape May Reef on Wednesday. But flounder will turn on at the reef one day then become difficult to catch on several days.  Only have three or four anglers for a trip instead of six to create a full charter? Call George, because he can probably put you together with other anglers on a make-up trip during mid week.

Inshore trolling waffled phenomenal catches of 3- to 5-pound blues and some Spanish mackerel and bonito at lots of the lumps 12 to 18 miles from shore, said Capt. Ray from <b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b>. Charters on the boat over the weekend did that fishing, and another flounder fished at the deep-water reefs. The flounder angling held up well. Plenty of shorts covered the bottom, but keepers 20-some inches were hit. A tuna charter was weathered out, but small yellowfin tuna, large bluefin tuna, big mahi mahi and a few wahoos swam around the 30-fathom line. Tuna catches somewhat seemed to slow down during the weekend, maybe because of the full moon, but were hopping previously and should rebound this week.

Boaters looking for flounder cleaned up on keepers, excellent catches, including doormats over 10 pounds, at the Old Grounds, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. The fish were spread out a little more than before, getting nabbed around the DA and DB buoys and at the middle of the grounds. Flounder that were pulled from the Old Grounds included Dennis Molette’s 10.45-pounder and Michael Sullivan’s 9.96-pounder. A solid population of the fluke, mostly throwbacks but also some big ones, hovered around Cape May Reef. “Here’s a good one,” Matt said. Stephen Singer on the My Peg II was fishing at Cape May Reef when a large fish was seen hanging around the boat. A herring bait was tossed in the waters on a heavier rod, and after a good tussle, a 46-1/2-pound great barracuda was landed. The fish, hooked on 20-pound line, is a pending state record, Matt said. Small bluefish, some bonito and occasional Spanish mackerel were trolled at 5-Fathom Bank. No news was heard about tuna close to shore at the East Lump and Sea Isle Ridge. But that didn’t mean none of the fish was there. It just meant no reports rolled in. Bluefin tuna, mostly 100- to 150-pounders, were fought farther from shore at the Lobster Claw. Yellowfin tuna were belted at the Claw, the 30-Fathom Tuna Lump and along the 40-fathom line inshore of Spencer and Wilmington canyons. Most of the fish at the lumps were chunked, and the ones along the 40 line were trolled

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