<b>Keyport</b>

A short trip looked around the fluke grounds toward the sailboats Wednesday, wrangling up a few shorts, letting them go, said Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>. Squid and killies were fished, and the boat is sailing for the flatties and striped bass. Joe in the last report said stripers were clammed at Romer Shoal and Flynn’s Knoll, and mixed-in blues swam those waters. Open-boat trips are sailing daily when no charter is booked on 4- or 6-hour outings leaving at 7 a.m. and on twilight outings 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Call ahead to go. Papa’s Angels is now accepting credit card payments for any trips through PayPal.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fluke fishing was tough on the boat’s trips Monday, even for short fluke, and whether Sunday’s rough weather was the cause couldn’t be known, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. But catches rebounded somewhat by Tuesday, not the tremendous number of flatties, including lots of shorts, that bit last week, but better. Afterward or by now, catches were “back to fishing,” he said, quite a few shorts, but all patrons at least caught the fish, and trips no longer had to run around looking for them. An angler might reel up 8 to 10 of the fish, and some got lucky and bagged as many as two or three keepers. Some reeled in no keepers, only shorts. More customers bagged a keeper than didn’t, and the keeper ratio wasn’t nearly as good as Tom would like, but he liked the action, apparently. Not every day, like Monday, was good. But all patrons now scored action, caught some fluke. All trips fished the bay, and from the Navy Pier to Sandy Hook Point was best. The fluke were mixed sizes, some of them 12 to 14 inches, others 16, 17 or 17 ½ inches – a thick, heavy fluke – and some were keepers. None was exceptional sized, but weighed up to 3 or 4 pounds. A 22-incher, only a few inches larger than keeper size these days, is a 4-pound fish. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Clamming for striped bass usually piled up good catches at spots like Romer Shoal and Flynn’s Knoll, though the fishing fell apart for a day Wednesday, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Bill Hann, Steve Filippone and Sam limited out on stripers to 28 pounds Wednesday on trolled spoons. Eli Moussa today weighed in a 13.44-pound striper that grabbed his bunker head in the surf at Sandy Hook’s first beach. Fluke fishing was okay, and many were shorts. But bottom fishing was excellent for all species, like sea bass. Bluefish were found more in the bay than in the ocean, and blues, stripers and fluke swam the rivers. All the baits are stocked.

Trips for striped bass had to work harder than before to put together a catch, and the fish were no longer hitting just anything tossed to them, said Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> in an e-mail. “Spot fishing, and being in the right place at the right time,” he said. But trips will keep fishing for them, and plenty of stripers were around. A bunch were seen blasting bunker on Wednesday’s trip on the change of tide, but that was short lived. Fishing was difficult on the trip. “Doesn’t matter how great (striper fishing) was till now (on the boat),” he said, “it’s always tough to swallow a rough day.” Fishing on Tuesday’s trip caught a few keepers and some shorts, a tough pick, the report on the boat’s Web site said, and was better on Monday’s trip, covered in the last report on this site. The Fishermen is striped bass fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. However, the Saturday morning trips are unavailable this month.

<b>Highlands</b>

Striped bass fishing was up and down, but the bass to 35 pounds were pumped aboard, and trips mostly fished for them down the ocean beaches with chunked and live bunker the past couple of days, said Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>. Many talked about commercial boats scooping up lots of the bunker population, but Derek never saw so many bunker, and the baitfish were spread from Sandy Hook Point to Monmouth Beach on Wednesday, and Derek had no problem catching the menhaden for bait lately. Few blues were seen in the waters. Fisher Price will concentrate on stripers through the end of the month, and when the angling slows, trips will start looking at fluke fishing and bottom fishing. The fluking is bucktailing for big ones at the rough bottom, wrecks and channels. Dates are still available for charters this month, and no open-boat trips are set for the rest of this week, but anglers can call to be kept informed about upcoming open trips.

A 52-pound striped bass was the biggest entered in the weekend’s Hi-Mar Striper Tournament, an American Striper Association event, at <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Wayne said. Junior Santos won the event with a two-striper total weight of 87.95 pounds, according to the results on the Hi-Mar Striper Club’s Web site. Entrants boated excellent catches on clams, Wayne said. Anglers from the marina lately also livelined bunker to put bass in the boat. Still, forecasts for storms kept anglers to a minimum on the weekend, and few fished during the week. One of the charter boats from the marina today sent Wayne a photo of a 70-pound drum hauled in during a trip, and the captain told him drum swam all over the waters. Wayne wasn’t asked where the drum were located, but the boomers were seen recently in the ocean at places like the clam beds off Sandy Hook, so the ocean front seemed the likely place were the drum was landed. Fluke fishing was picky, and many shorts were hooked for every keeper. Live bunker, fresh bunker, fresh clams, killies, Peruvian smelts, spearing, the different types of squid including whole, Pro Cut and trolling, and other baits, including frozen bunker and clams, are stocked.

<b>Neptune</b>

Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> was traveling this week, so no trips got out, he said. But a couple of spaces might remain or might be filled for an individual-reservation trip offshore on Thursday, June 24, for cod, pollock and ling. The last such trip cleaned up on cod. Space is left on an individual-reservation mako shark trip on Tuesday, June 29. Not a lot of response was heard about an individual-reservation striped bass trip slated for this Wednesday, and the trip will only sail if enough anglers are interested. A couple of recent trips with Last Lady racked up stripers to 20 and 29 pounds, respectively, and another trip failed to find stripers but switched to sea bassing to put together a catch. Lots of response came in about combo fluke/sea bass individual-reservation trips that will begin to sail every Wednesday on June 23. If anglers want to fish on the trips, they better book space. Ralph in the last report said “good to very good” catches of sea bass were made on trips.

<b>Belmar</b>

Ocean fluke fishing started to improve, gave up lots of shorts, was tough at times, but began to turn out more keepers, said Capt. Chris from the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>. The season was a bit early, but he sounded optimistic about the fishing. Chris, who is a striped bass angler, including in the surf, also added special trips that are livelining bunker for striped bass in the evenings on the ocean, and the next one will sail Friday. Limited to about 16 anglers, the price is $60, offering a great price for fishing that many otherwise couldn’t have the opportunity to do, he said. Anglers should bring a 20-pound-class spinning rod to catch the bait, because the trips first head out and snag bunker, part of the experience. The boat will even supply the snagging hooks if necessary, so long as the hooks are returned. The trips are fun, “pretty exciting, actually,” Chris said, and anglers can call to be kept informed of the schedule. Otherwise, the Big Mohawk is fluke fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Bluefish, good catches of mostly 8- to 10-pounders, were plowed on daytime and nighttime trips on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, Capt. Alan said. Bait and jigs belted them during the day, and bait knocked them down during the night. An occasional striped bass was mixed in, but blues made up 99 percent of the catch, and trips usually fished farther offshore, beyond where striper fishing is open. Bluefishing started off tough at first during Tuesday’s trip but kicked in later on the outing, was good the rest of the time. The whole fleet was weathered out Wednesday. A few fluke trips ran on Alan’s other party boat, the <b>Tropical Adventure</b>, on the ocean, picking the fish, lots of shorts, but a few keepers and some sea bass. The twice-daily fluke trips will begin to run each time scheduled as schools begin to let out for summer next week. The Miss Belmar Princess is bluefishing twice daily 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. The Tropical Adventure is fluke fishing twice daily 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b> had undergone maintenance but was finished and Coast Guard inspected and scheduled to begin fishing on a charter today, Capt. Greg said. Afterward on Friday twice-daily, open-boat trips will begin to sail 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Greg wasn’t asked about the fish that will be targeted on the open trips, but bluefish are the usual target this time of year.

The season’s first weekly, open-boat shark trip set a course for 50 miles to the south on Wednesday on the <b>Nan Sea J</b>, Capt. Tom said. One of the fish bit, and the 250-pound blue shark was landed. A few bluefish were hooked. Waters were 65 degrees, a fine temperature for sharking, and were clean and beautiful, and so was the weather. Tom heard about people seeing bluefin tuna on the inshore grounds but about none reeled in so far. The open shark trips will continue every Wednesday, a rare opportunity to fight them without chartering the whole boat. Shark charters are available, and sharking is Tom’s favorite fishing. The Nan Sea J is also sailing for striped bass and sea bass and will launch fluke trips soon.

Big striped bass sometimes chased bait into the surf, including today, and the fish to 42 pounds were weighed in today, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. Most anglers threw pencil poppers to connect. Some fished with clams, but clams failed to attract the big ones. Surf anglers just had to be there when the fish came in. They sort of stood watch. Not many stripers were taken on the party boats anymore, but bluefishing improved on the head boats. The blues moved closer to shore, though the boats still traveled a ways to reach them. But they ended up with good catches. The party boats that fluke fished put anglers on plenty, but they had to wade through many shorts. A few sea bass were mixed in when the boats fished rough bottom. Fluking was similar on Shark River: lots of fish, mostly shorts. An angler might pick through 60 shorts in a day, culling only two or three keepers. But the rental boats are in the river for the fishing, and the shop is especially loaded up with all the fluke baits and tackle, because the store is a weigh-in station for this weekend’s Jersey Coast Anglers Association’s Fluke Tournament.

<b>Brielle</b>

A charter with Greg Papa’s group took a heading for sharks on Wednesday with Capt. Wally Harmstead at the helm on the <b>Big Kid</b>, Capt. Ken said. The trip traveled south to reach warm waters. A bunch of blue sharks were fought to boat-side and released. Then a 175-pound mako punched a bait, was cranked in and was bagged. Ken heard about no bluefin tuna caught locally or nobody fishing for them, and none of the tuna was seen on the trip. But boaters will begin to sail for bluefins. A striped bass charter on Tuesday put three in the box that were trolled and caught on livelined bunker. Sea bass fishing was “dead on,” Ken said, on the boat’s trips. Combo trips for stripers and sea bass bucketed near-limits of sea bass with cod mixed in.  Some tournaments remain available for charter: Jersey Coast Shark Anglers High Rollers Tournament, a winner-take-all event, on July 10, the Mid Atlantic Tuna Tournament on July 15 to 17, the Tuna Stakes Invitational on August 21 to 29, and the Manasquan River Marlin and Tuna Club Tournament on August 28 to September 5, open to the public for the first time. Tournaments already booked include Mako Mania, the Brett T. Bailey Memorial Mako Tournament, the Beach Haven White Marlin Invitational and the Mid Atlantic $500,000.

With <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> sea bass fishing was strong, loading up lots of limits of big humpheads with ling and cod mixed in, and out-of-season blackfish released, Capt. Jerry said in an e-mail. Fishing for striped bass was hit or miss, but some were caught on trips, and good-sized stripers to 40 pounds were sometimes still around. On Saturday a six-man trip limited out on sea bass, and the lumpheads were the biggest found on trips so far, and most were well over keeper size. “Had to use the big cooler!” Jerry said. A 35-pound striper was decked on the way out, when acres of bunker were seen, and some of the baitfish were caught and livelined on a couple of drifts. Few stripers seemed to be on the bunker, and when the second drift was unproductive, the trip continued to the sea bass grounds. On Monday a trip ran out for striped bass in the afternoon, first making bait at loads of bunker found right outside the inlet. Then the trip looked for stripers. Two of the fish including a 25-pounder were bagged on the first two drifts, one on each drift. Then the fishing was slower, an occasional bite, and the bass weren’t eating well, playing with the baits. But the anglers made the most of the bites they did cop, going 5 for 12 on stripers to 33 pounds. On Tuesday a trip returned to the bottom-fishing grounds, and the five anglers came a few fish shy of a limit on sea bass, banging out 20 ling and a keeper cod to boot, releasing blackfish and a winter flounder. On Wednesday a trip fished for striped bass in the morning, leaving early, because forecasts called for rough weather later. The four anglers bagged seven stripers to 39 pounds, a personal-best bass for the angler who caught the fish. They mixed in bottom-fishing at a rock pile on the way home. When the anglers striper fished, they steamed north, saw loads of bunker and made a bunch of bait. No stripers grabbed the livelined bunker among the baitfish, and the trip began heading north to the Shrewsbury Rocks to look for bass. But Jerry got a call from someone, telling him about a bite, and the trip sailed there. Stripers blew up on the baits immediately. The anglers got a few shots at the fish, landing the seven, before the action stopped. So they switched to the bottom fishing before heading home, adding two dozen sea bass and three ling to the take.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Mixed-bag trips on the ocean for striped bass, sea bass, ling and cod made up the fishing now with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, Capt. Fred said. Stripers, good catches, were socked in the afternoons on live and chunked bunker. Sea bass were no problem catching every time trips made a drop for them, and ling and cod were mixed in. The season’s first mid-shore, mixed-bag trip for sharks, bluefin tuna and pollock is slated for Friday, scheduled to fish at the Chicken Canyon. The mid-shore trips fish from 30 to 70 miles from the coast and are sort of a preview of trips coming up: Mixed-bag, overnight trips farther offshore at the canyons that will begin in some weeks. The canyon trips first troll for tuna in the afternoons. At night they chunk for tuna, sharks and swordfish. On the next day, the trips troll for tuna, cast for mahi mahi and deep-drop for tilefish. The annual trips are unique and popular, and are often open-boat outings. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, more chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner.

Catches of bluefish improved daily on the ocean, an e-mail from the party boat <b>Cock Robin</b> said. Trips no longer chased striped bass like before, but the crew is keeping a lookout for stripers, and if a legitimate shot at the fish develops, trips will go after them. Blues to 10 pounds were jigged and baited on Wednesday’s trip. Tuesday’s trip had to search for blues a little, but when the fish were found, up to 12-pounders were whacked, mostly on jigs, but some on bait. On Monday’s trip, all customers waxed  blues, 6- to 10-pounders, both on jigs and bait. The Cock Robin is sailing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

<b>Bricktown</b>

Fluke fishing ran strong in the Manasquan River, said Capt. Rich from the tackle shop <b>Jersey Hooker Outfitters</b>, located in Brick, and <b>Jersey Hooker Charters</b>, sailing from Point Pleasant. Customers sometimes kayaked sizeable fluke on the river at places like Will’s Hole. Small blues ran Manasquan Inlet at unpredictable times, no rhyme or reason. Striped bass and weakfish were sometimes hooked toward the Mantoloking Bridge on Barnegat Bay. The stripers chased soft plastics like Tsunami’s, and lots of the weaks were banged on SkippyFish. Fish for the stripers at night. Surf casters clammed resident stripers at places like Mantoloking, and a couple of 28- and 29-inchers were weighed in. Nothing much was doing for boaters searching for stripers on the ocean. Good sea bassing was claimed on the ocean, turning on at Axel Carlson Reef on some days and at Sea Girt Reef on others. Rich knew a few anglers who shark fished on the ocean but got skunked. He knew lobster boaters who started seeing sharks along the 30- to 50-fathom lines. Rumors circulated about football bluefin tuna seen at Barnegat Ridge, and Rich wouldn’t doubt the fish could be there, because the time was here. Crabbing was surprisingly productive for the time of year, giving up lots of small ones, typical in the early season, but healthy numbers of keepers. They were plucked at places like Barnegat Bay at Bay Head. One kid gathered four dozen keepers there. Another customer who spends lots of time crabbing nabbed three dozen keepers in one trap on a trip. Crabs also skittered along the Mantoloking Bridge. Fresh clams, fresh bunker when available, killies and the full selection of frozen baits are stocked.

<b>Toms River</b>

Bunker schooled all over the ocean from Barnegat Inlet to Manasquan Inlet, and just a few striped bass chased them, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Boaters probably had a better chance of catching one on the troll 1 or 1 ½ miles from shore than tight to the coast, because the fish closer to shore were gorged with the baitfish. Surf anglers bunker-chunked a few striped bass at places like Ortley Beach and Seaside Park. Nothing was heard about sea bass fishing on the ocean, because of windy weather during the week and forecasts that called for storms that never materialized the last two weekends. This weekend looks similar. Fluke fishing was slow on the ocean because of cold waters, though Dennis heard about a few limits boated north of Manasquan Inlet. But few anglers fluke fished on the ocean, again because of weather and forecasts. Bluefish 3 and 4 pounds, occasionally larger, consistently raced through Barnegat Inlet for weeks, swiping bucktails or metals that anglers cast. Fluke hugged bottom toward the back of the inlet at Oyster Creek and Double Creek channels. Some were 18, 19 or 22 inches, but an angler yesterday landed 20 of the flatties, including no keepers. In Barnegat Bay proper, waters at the BI and BB markers held the most fluke. Most boaters fished killies or spearing with squid for them. A few weakfish bit early in the mornings at Berkeley Island Park, turning off an hour or 1 ½ hours after the sun came up. Gulp mullets or pink Fin-S Fish on jigs hooked them. Bluefish 2 and 3 pounds were trolled on the bay. Good catches of crabs were trapped on the bay from the 40 marker or Cedar Creek to the Route 37 Bridge.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Fluke fishing picked up at Cedar Creek Channel in Barnegat Bay, said Scott from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Plenty of small blues schooled the southern bay, jumping on popper lures. On the northern bay at the Mantoloking Bridge a few weakfish grabbed lures like Fin-S Fish. Surf fishers picked a couple of striped bass, a couple of blues, not great angling. Use bunker to hook up. Crabbing was good, and crabbers plucked a couple of dozen keepers a trip. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, killies, all the fluke baits and the full supply of baits is stocked. Catch Wacky Wednesdays every week, when clams are $2 per dozen. The rental boats are in the waters for fishing and crabbing, and the jet skis are at the ready.

<b>Seaside Park</b>

A charter on Monday began with bluefishing on top-water lures on Barnegat Bay with <b>Fishguts Inshore Charters</b>, Capt. Rob “Birch” Birchmeier said in an e-mail. Then the trip moved to the ocean for sea bass fishing and afterward to the Manasquan River for fluke fishing. The bluefishing, on the 3-foot flats of the bay, tore up a very good catch of 2- to 4-pounders, keeping a few, releasing plenty. When the charter next headed to the wrecks for sea bass fishing, 54-degree waters -- ice cold -- were met. South winds had dropped the temp, and the trip fished more than a few pieces, and plenty of life was marked, but the sea bass were reluctant to bite. Only a dozen were bagged, and the charter moved to the Manasquan River, and waters were 57 degrees. Fluke gave up a bunch of action, but all were shorts. On Wednesday Birch took a trip with his dad to scout the bay for fluke, and they also had requests from a few neighbors to load up on blues for the grill for weekend parties. Fishing on the ocean was out of the question, with an approaching front.  The bay was glass calm, and first they let the top-water lures fly for blues in 6-foot depths just short of Oyster Creek Channel, and the fishing was game on. Plenty from 1 ½ to 3 pounds -- apparently a whole new body of the fish had moved in -- were boxed. The fish were the usual size for this time of year, because ones larger than 4 pounds usually move to the ocean by now, or when the bay reaches 70 degrees.  Winds were picking up, and the trip moved to a nearby spot in the bay for fluking. Twelve of the flatties from “postage stamps,” Birch said, to one keeper, an 18-1/2-incher, were landed in a little under an hour, starting an hour into outgoing tide. Birch and dad stopped on the blues again on the way home, topped off their limits of the fish, and ran home before rains began. Catching good numbers of quality sea bass close to shore through summer is a specialty for Fishguts. The wreck-fishing trips, running seven days a week, fish the inshore ocean straight through the warm months on both charters and 10-hour open-boat trips. Combo ocean-wreck and bay fluke trips are available. So are trips that fish the bay for blues or fluke. Special trips that target trophy blackfish will begin when the tog season opens July 16.

<b>Forked River</b>

Barnegat Bay was full of fluke, including at Oyster Creek and Double Creek channels, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Small blues skipped around the bay, chasing bait. News turned quiet about ocean striped bass fishing, but an occasional catch was trolled or was hooked on live bunker when bunker were up. The stripers seemed to appear for a couple of days then disappear and so on. Crabbing was good.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

At least one 20-pound striped bass was heard about per day that was beached from the surf, and fairly good catches of the fish were cracked from the waters on Long Beach Island, said Josh from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. Most seemed to be chunked on bunker at night, and the menhaden was the bait to use at night. Not many were hooked during the daytime, but clams were the bait to fish during the day. Sean Taylor wrestled a 41-pound 12-ouncer from the surf at Barnegat Light on bunker. Nick, one of the shop’s co-owners, banked two keepers from the surf Wednesday morning on bunker. Robbie Vallone used a Gulp to sack a 5-1/2-pound fluke from the wash. A few boaters right off Barnegat Inlet snagged bunker for bait, swinging aboard 20-pound stripers that ate the livelined menhaden. Barnegat Bay fluke anglers had a better chance of dialing up the bigger flatties in deep waters from Double Creek and Oyster Creek channels to the back of the bay than in the bay closer to the shop. Josh heard rumors about weakfish found off the fuel dock and the condos, so he tried for the fish, caught none, but heard some were definitely around. He’d fish for them with Fin-S Fish or Rat-L-Traps and such, and the season was probably early for  grass-shrimping for weaks. In the ocean sea bass were gathered from deep waters, maybe 60 or 70 feet or maybe toward places like Barnegat Ridge. One angler showed off a single bonito but a big one, an 8- or 9-pounder, fought at someplace like the ridge. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, killies, green crabs and all the frozen baits are stocked. The shop will stock live spots when available.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Mostly throwback summer flounder, not a lot of keepers, were snatched from Great Bay and Tuckerton Bay, but enough of the fish were keepers to keep the angling interesting, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. If someone dropped five keepers in the box, that was exceptional. Most iced two or three keepers, and 3- and 4-pounders were the biggest seen at the shop. Most catches were reported taken from the clam-bed stakes on the Mystic Island side of the fish factory, and many anglers there fished with shad darts hung just off the bottom from bobbers, baited with minnows or spearing with squid or 3-inch, chartreuse and white Gulp swimming minnows, the report on the shop’s Web site said. News about striped bass and drum caught in the bays dried up, Scott said, and no bluefish were around. Nobody talked about fishing for white perch, but the slabs likely dropped down the rivers toward the bays, because of warm weather. Once they move toward the bays, bank fishing for them becomes uncommon, because most bank access is located on the rivers. But boaters should be able to round up the perch on the lower Mullica River downstream from the Parkway Bridge, and in tributaries like Nacote and Roundabout creeks. Bloodworms become the bait to soak from boats, instead of grass shrimp that are popular from the bank. Ocean temperatures plummeted last week because of west winds, and on Saturday divers reported 40-degree temps on the bottom, and the surface was in the 50s. “That’s insane!” Scott said. The chill probably put the kibosh on sea bass fishing and was too cold for flounder fishing. Fresh, shucked clams, bloodworms, live grass shrimp and minnows are stocked.

<b>Absecon</b>

Boaters snagged bunker for bait on the ocean, brought them back to the Brigantine Bridge and livelined them to catch striped bass, said Curt from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>.  Stripers weren’t boated so much on the ocean, but big ones were sometimes creamed in bunker pods at Absecon Inlet, aka Wreck Inlet. Sea bass seemed to be pumped in from the ocean mostly far from shore. A couple of 7-pound summer flounder were weighed in from the back bay. Not a lot of keepers were drummed up from the bay, and many shorts were, and limits bagged were rarely heard about. But some fair sized flatties were axed. Bluefish weren’t really around in the bay. Curt heard about a few weakfish that anglers scared up in the bay. But the fish were scarce, like the shortage of them everywhere now. White perch fishing was productive on the brackish rivers closer to the bays. The fish move toward the bays once crabs begin to shed during the season. Crabbing was good. Fresh clams, fresh bunker when available, live spots, minnows, shedder crabs and a large supply of other baits is stocked. The shop raises softshell crabs, and some were currently on hand but will soon run out.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Surf fishing for striped bass slowed down, and either anglers needed to wait for the next school to come through or the fishing slowed for the season, said Fred from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. But a few were beached, including Jim Jordan Sr.’s 14-pounder checked in today that ate a Gulp, surprisingly, and Chris Wilkinson’s 16-1/2-pounder weighed in Wednesday that engulfed a chunk of bunker. Fresh bunker and fresh clams were the baits to sling out. A few kingfish hung in the surf, and anglers hope more will show up this season. Fish bloodworms on smaller hooks for them. Small blues began to travel the suds, and plenty of sand sharks stole baits in the wash. Wreck Inlet sometimes spewed out big stripers for boaters. Customers on a trip today on the north side of the inlet boated three stripers 44, 36 and 32 pounds while anchored in the white waters, fishing with bunker and clams. A couple of brown sharks were hooked at Wreck Inlet, and no bigger sharks like them haunted the surf yet, but the wait was on. Customers picked up shark chum and baits to head offshore for sharks this weekend. The shop carries shark supplies like bunker and mackerel chum and flats of bunker and mackerel for baits. In the back bay summer flounder fishing began to improve. Don Kercher checked in a 4-1/2-pounder from the bay, and his brother weighed in a 2-1/2-pounder from the trip. They probably fished at the mouth of Broad Creek. Fresh bunker, fresh clams and other baits are stocked, and the shop opens at 5 a.m. daily.

<b>Margate</b>

Back-bay summer-flounder fishing wasn’t too bad, was going okay, was pretty good, said Capt. John from the party boat <b>Keeper</b>. A fairly good number of better-sized flatties 3 and 4 pounds were around. Lots of small blues swam the bay. Minnows and mackerel were supplied for bait on the boat’s trips for the fish on the bay, and some anglers brought their own Gulps, and they worked well in nearly any pattern, but chartreuse was a productive color. Many fished with flounder rigs, but some tossed bucktails. The Keeper is fishing for summer flounder twice daily 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

<b>Longport</b>

Sea bass fishing on daily, open-boat trips for them included double-headers and fish to 2 ½ and 3 pounds, great fishing, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>. A charter is booked Saturday, but the open trips will resume Sunday, and space is available. On Father’s Day, June 20, a special trip will run offshore to the deep-water wrecks for big sea bass, sailing 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., and space is available. A bluefin tuna charter is booked for next week, and more of the trips are slated for July 6 and 17. The 12-hour trips fish on the inshore ocean along the 20-fathom line until after July sometime.

<b>Ocean City</b>

In the surf striped bass fishing was slowing down, but some were dragged in, mostly on bunker, from the north end of the island, said Dan from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Bunker schooled the ocean, and an occasional striper was boated among them, but most of the fish migrated north. Kingfish showed up in the surf, and fishing for them was somewhat spotty, and most anglers totaled three to five, but a few lucked into 12 or 15 in a trip. Bloodworms drew hits, but waters were warm enough for FishBites artificial worms to work, and multiple fish could be caught on them, unlike on naturals. Tons and tons of summer flounder crammed the back bay, and many were 14- to 16-inch throwbacks. But the keepers were definitely keepers like 20-inchers, didn’t need to be measured. The fish were largely either clearly shorts or obviously keepers, and not a lot ranged around the borderline keeper size. Lots of 20- to 26-inch striped bass were plugged along the bridges. Blues 1 to 2 pounds sometimes appeared in the bay. No flounder really bit in the ocean yet. A friend fished for them in the ocean at Cape May Reef and the Old Grounds, coming up with none. Few customers fished for sea bass in the ocean, but anglers who did, caught the fish. One walloped big ones to 4 and 5 pounds at the A.C. Reef. Bluefin tuna 60 to 80 pounds started to run thick on the inshore ocean. Many fished for them at 28-Mile Wreck and the Cigar. A friend trolled one of the tuna on a Stretch 30 plug while trying for bluefish. Sharks seemed to gather farther south off Cape May so far. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, bloodworms and all the frozen baits are stocked.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Good summer flounder fishing was raked up from the back bay on baits like minnows, Gulps or mackerel, said Wes from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. The flatties started to spread to the inlets and ocean. A few anglers hung striped bass from the bay, mostly on popper lures. Blues in the bay were mostly popper-lured, too. All three of the fish might be found at the inlets when boat traffic is light. In the surf, a few stripers remained, and clams caught them, and a few kingfish began to appear, nibbling on bloodworms. Someone at the shop said surf casters got on a kingfish hit Wednesday. In the ocean, sea bass anglers, if they were patient, were more successful if they fished the deep. Sharks began to be muscled in, and a friend subdued a big thresher shark 20 miles offshore. 

Some of the back bay’s most frantic fishing seen was clobbered this week, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Bluefish and striped bass sometimes mini-blitzed, gorging on spearing, were whacked on small soft-plastic lures or Clouser flies to imitate the baitfish. Other times blues and bass were beaten on top-water popper lures or flies on the shallow flats, while trips stalked them with stealth. Both types of fishing were good. On Tuesday Joe took a busman’s holiday with friend Capt. Chris Goldmark, a light-tackle captain from Cape May and Culebra, Puerto Rico. Joe had been eager to take advantage of fly-rodding for the mini blitzes, because conditions were perfect for the angling. They released eight stripers to 26 inches and 10 blues to 4 pounds on chartreuse and white Clousers on floating lines, fast and furious action. Though Joe’s trips previously concentrated on popping for the bay’s blues and stripers, the fish now fed on the spearing so long, that they began to key in on the baitfish. Matching the hatch became more effective under the conditions. On Monday a charter on the bay with Brandon LeJeune and brother-in-law Dennis rapped eight stripers and a dozen blues on spinning rods with both small soft plastics and popper lures, namely Skitter Pops. The plastics smacked the fish in mini blitzes, and the poppers drilled basically lone fish on the flats with a stealthy approach. Good summer flounder fishing was also served up on the bay. Many were shorts, but some were keepers, and the keepers landed on Joe’s trips didn’t need to be measured. Most were 20, 21 or 22 inches, good-sized flatties, and not many were just over the legal size, like 18 ¼ inches. Joe saw waters offshore that must’ve been holding tuna, and he was anxious to sail off to take a look when he had the time. June can be an excellent month for tuna fishing, and if anglers want tuna, they should be in tune with Joe. Keep up with Jersey Cape’s fishing and photos on <a href=" http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

At <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b> anglers on the back bay hooked summer flounder and striped bass, Mike said. A few blues popped up here and there, but no population to speak of. Crabbing was slow, because the blueclaws were shedding, but some were trapped, and catches should pick up after the shed in the next week. Canal Side rents canopy boats and kayaks for fishing, crabbing and sightseeing. Minnows are stocked, and so are mackerel fillets, whole squid, squid strips, spearing, salted clams and clam strips. Live crabs are sold for eating.

<b>Cape May</b>

The next trip will sail for drum on Delaware Bay on Saturday evening, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. A friend was heading out for drum this evening, and George heard about no trips for the boomers this week, and windy weather mostly seemed to keep the fleet from fishing. The same friend sailed for sea bass this week, saying an okay catch was scored. Another ran for summer flounder at the Old Grounds on the ocean, and supposedly cleaned up a good catch, according to someone else. George was going to telephone the buddy who flounder fished, finding out. George heard about a few bluefin tuna boated on the inshore ocean. Lots of people will shark fish this weekend, because the South Jersey Shark Tournament will kick off the shark tournament season. Then shark anglers often start to see the bluefins, then more news will be heard about the fish. The boat will run specials on bluefin tuna fishing. This weekend might be the season’s final one for drum fishing on the boat. Trips are sea bass fishing and flounder fishing, too.

The harbor and McCrae’s Shoal seemed to put up the good summer flounder fishing, but the Old Grounds and the reefs did too, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Sea bass came from structure like the reefs, but seemed like anglers strictly targeting sea bass might be disappointed, but those who mixed in sea bassing with flounder fishing, grabbing a couple of quality flounder and a few sea bass, made for a satisfying trip. Bluefish swam offshore, and smaller ones gave up a little action at places like the back bay at Wildwood and along the Intracoastal Waterway. A few reports rolled in about striped bass clubbed in the back bay and the inlets on clams. Striper fishing tapered off in the surf, but flounder and weakfish were yanked from the beaches. Usual minnows, squids or Gulps tagged the flounder, and bloodworms on a float rig stuck the weaks. An occasional drum was tugged from Delaware Bay, but the fishing became tough, and many stopped trying for them. Sharks including makos and threshers filtered in to the ocean off Cape May, and lots should be docked with the start of the shark tournaments this weekend. Nick read in the paper that bluefin tuna roamed off Atlantic City. Then a buddy from a clam boat said the fish were all over the grounds.  Fresh clams, bloodworms, minnows and all the frozen baits are stocked.

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