<b>Staten Island</b>

Sailing for sea bass picked small ones at first on a trip Tuesday with <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b>, the Captain’s Blog on the boat’s Web site said. But the next area pounded out nearly a limit of the lumpheads to 3 pounds and some ling, and released out-of-season tog. Angling for sea bass was a little tougher on a trip Friday, and throwbacks were abundant. But keepers to 2 ½ pounds were wrenched up, and a basket of baseball-bat ling helped take up slack. “(Still,) a good day by anyone’s standards,” the blog said. Barbara Anne will probably begin fluke fishing in the next days, and slam-dunked the fish last year. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Call Anthony anyway, because he can usually schedule individual spaces. Barbara Anne pays bridge tolls with a receipt.

<b>Keyport</b>

Capt. Joe Romaniello from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> took a short solo trip Tuesday to scope out fishing on Raritan Bay, running into blues blitzing under birds working bait on the waters off Union Beach, he said. He broke out diamond jigs, hooking the 1- to 1-1/2-pounders. One of the boat’s mates spent a little time testing Reach Channel on the bay Wednesday, reeling up and releasing a dozen fluke 17 to 17 ¾ inches. Several open-boat trips are sailing when no charter is booked: 4- or 6-hour trips leaving at 7 a.m. and twilight trips from 4 to 9 p.m. Call ahead to go. Credit card payments through PayPal are accepted for all trips.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Striped bass, sometimes good catches, were still around, including on bunker chunks at Flynn’s Knoll and off Sea Bright, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. He took a trip Wednesday that chunked seven big ones, keeping four, in the evening, until blues moved in at 7. Stripers could also be trolled or taken on livelined bunker from the ocean to the bay. Big blues could be chummed at places like off Sea Bright, and small blues popped up in lots of different waters. Bottom-fishing pounced on healthy catches of sea bass and, in a little deeper waters, ling and cod. Anglers had to work a little harder for sea bass, spreading out to different drops, than before. He bottom fished lately on short trips in the afternoons, making catches like this. A 14.8-pound weakfish was weighed in from the surf at Monmouth Beach. Only two or three first-hand reports about weakfish catches rolled in on this site this year, and that might be the only one about a weak that big, a so-called “tiderunner.”

Anglers on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> picked striped bass, keepers and shorts, on most of Wednesday’s trip, the report on the boat’s Web site said. A couple of the customers limited out, and none of the fish was huge, and a 14-pounder was the pool-winner. “Just a good day of striper fishing for June 23,” the report said. Tuesday’s trip spent most of the morning looking for stripers to bite, and the fish supposedly turned on earlier in the morning, the captain heard. But once the tide changed, the fish began to be boated. A couple of anglers limited out, and some bagged one, and several shorts chewed. Some of the bass were sizeable, and a 23-pounder was the pool winner. Blackfish, porgies and big sea bass filled the waters at one drop. The out-of-season blacks and porgies were tossed back. “All in all, a very good fishing day,” the report said. 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. But the morning trips will switch to fluke fishing on Sunday, and this Friday and Saturday mornings’ trips are chartered.

Fluke fishing in the past days probably wasn’t as fast as previously, but the fish still gave up action, and the number of keepers changed day to day, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. That depended on conditions or whether winds and tides created good drifts, and trips on the vessel mainly found the fish around the Navy Pier, at Reach Channel and toward Sandy Hook Point. Mainly shorts bit, and sometimes keepers were mixed in, and sometimes a couple of anglers would get lucky and bag a few. But everyone caught at least shorts. Two size classes seemed abundant: 16- to 17-inchers and 12- to 14-inchers. But many 17- and 17-1/2-inchers, just under the 18-inch size limit, were around. Tom hopes those fish – big fluke that are 2 pounds – grow to be keepers by late July or August. Spearing and squid are supplied for bait, and bait on rigs seemed to produce catches a little better than jigs like Spro’s did lately.  Whether any type of bait worked better than another was difficulty to say. On Wednesday afternoon plain spearing on the hook seemed to work better than spearing combined with squid. But that could change trip to trip. Sometimes anglers fished with artificial baits like Gulp New Penny Shrimp. Sometimes killies will work better when the drift is slow, imparting action. If anglers like to fish with killies, Tom tells them to pick up a small amount – a half-pint is plenty for a half-day trip – on the way to the boat. 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.

<b>Highlands</b>

Fishing for striped bass was better on weekdays than on weekends, because of boat crowds, said Capt. Derek from <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, and now he prefers only to sail for the linesiders on weekdays. But the trips are catching, anywhere from off New York to Asbury Park, and the location changes daily. Anglers aboard are livelining bunker or using chunked bunker to hook up. Trips began mixing in bottom fishing and fluke fishing, and a couple of bottom trips ran, pulling up good catches of sea bass. The fluking produced the flatties to 5 pounds at the rough bottom. As striper fishing winds down, the bottom and fluke fishing will be done more and more, until completely taking over the schedule. Charters are fishing, and open-boat trips for a combo of sea bass and fluke are sailing this Saturday and Sunday. Call to jump aboard or to be kept informed about upcoming open trips. <b>***Update***</b>: A trip today limited out on striped bass by 8 a.m. on the bay on live bunker, Derek said in a phone call from the trip at 10 a.m. The anglers continued to play catch and release with more, including two that were hooked while he was on the phone call. Openings for striper trips remain, but again, he prefers to fish for them during weekdays, avoiding crowds.

Raritan Bay anglers picked at keeper fluke, none of any size, no doormats, among plenty of shorts, said Wayne from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>. Fluking on the rivers was about the same, and striped bass fishing was tapering down, but some were boated. Live and chunked bunker and clams grabbed them. Bluefish could be found from the rivers to the bay to the ocean. Reports were heard about bluefin tuna at the Mudhole and Little Italy. One angler said his trip waxed a 300-pound mako shark then a 100-pound bluefin. Waters were warming, so fish like mahi mahi should start to be heard about. The shop is still carrying baits like live bunker and fresh clams, but might not much longer, as striper fishing tails off for the season. A large supply of frozen baits, including fluke baits like all the different types of squid, spearing, Peruvian smelts, and sand eels, are stocked. The shop provides offshore baits like flats of ballyhoos, mackerel, sardines, herring, and bunker, and chum. A certain amount of offshore baits are stocked, but anglers should call to order such baits to ensure a supply.

<b>Belmar</b>

On the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b> bluefish, fairly good catches, were slugged day and night, Capt. Greg said. The fish, up to 12-pounders, bonked bait and jigs on the daytime trips and bait like usual on nighttime ones. Trips traveled south for the catches, and the schools were yet to push closer to port. Space is being booked for fireworks cruises on July 3 off Red Bank and July 4 off New York City. The schedule for canyon tuna trips, starting in September, will be posted on the boat’s Web site soon. The Golden Eagle is fishing for bluefish  daily 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.

Waters were warming, were 75 degrees close to shore today, and that will make striped bass fishing dwindle down, but will make fluke fishing pick up, on the ocean, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. A number of changes were happening because of water temps – “the summer changeover, I guess,” he said. Two mako sharks 160 and 159 pounds were weighed in, for example, and shark tournaments were held last weekend and will be held this weekend. But stripers were still caught on boats on the ocean, and surf anglers even clammed them sometimes. Fluke fishing had been slow on the ocean because of the cool bottom, but again, that will change, because of rising temps. Shark River served up good catches of fluke, including a bunch of 3- and 4-pounders. The shop’s rental boats are at the ready for the river’s fluking. Plenty of sea bass were nabbed on the ocean, and the party boats cleaned up on lots of bluefish. Fishing overall was good and was normal for the time of year.

<b>Brielle</b>

Both day and night trips plowed bluefish, great catches, on the party boat <b>Jamaica</b>, an e-mail from the vessel said. A tremendous body of the fish schooled 14 to 17 miles to the south and offshore, and many patrons limited out. Bait and jigs caught the blues during the day, and bait like usual hooked them at night, and both day and night trips chummed for the catches. The outlook for upcoming trips was good, and now was the time to go bluefishing. Trips sail twice daily for blues at 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

With <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> trips headed to the bottom grounds for sea bass on Monday and Tuesday, and the second trip mixed in fluke fishing, clobbering a 9-pounder, Capt. Jerry said in an e-mail. The six anglers on Monday’s trip limited out on sea bass, bagged ling, kept a few ocean pout for the smoker, and released a bunch of out-of-season blackfish and some short cod, short fluke, silver eels and out-of-season winter flounder. The trip moved around to a few areas at first then hit the mother lode! Fishing was drop-and-reel for quality sea bass. “When you’re bottom fishing it only takes that one drop to change the whole day,” Jerry said. The second trip was another super day, he said. The five anglers limited out on sea bass before lunchtime. Then they decided to break out the bucktails to fish for fluke at the rough stuff. They totaled 10 keepers including a 9.58-pound 30-1/2-inch doormat that a 12-year-old walloped. The fish would’ve weighed more but was thin. Another one of the flatties was over 5 pounds, and a couple were 19 to 21 inches, and a bunch of shorts were let go. The fluking began with a few drifts until a good patch of the summer flounder was found. Ling were also coolered on the trip, and the anglers’ share of blackfish and some short cod and winter flounder were tossed back. In July and August trips will be all about fluke, working bucktails and big baits on the rough stuff where the big boys live! Jerry said.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Fluking shoveled aboard eight keepers, releasing probably 15 throwbacks, at the rock piles on the north end of Sea Girt Reef on Tuesday with <b>High Hook Sport Fishing</b>, Capt. Scott said. The flatfish weighed up to 4 pounds, and a bunch of sea bass, including good-sized, were also wrangled up. High Hook will compete in Mako Mania this weekend and loves sharking.

This will be the final week of striped bass fishing this season for <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, Capt. Fred said. Then trips will fish inshore for a combo of sea bass and fluke, mid-shore for a combo of bluefin tuna, sharks, pollock and cod, all in one outing, and offshore at the canyons for a combo of tuna, mahi mahi, sharks, swordfish and tilefish, all in one trip. Some of the mid-shore trips already fished, and the year’s first offshore canyon trip steamed Tuesday. This was the yearly tuna run for John Toronto and his charter, a trip made to Hudson Canyon on short notice, because of great weather and reports about tuna catches, the report on the boat’s Web site said. On the way to the Hudson, great signs of a potential bluefin tuna bite were seen, and the trip stopped to troll the area, but no bluefins hit. The anglers ran to the east side of the Hudson, trolling from evening until dark, without a touch. The boat was set up to drift for sharks, and a 10-foot blue shark was landed. A mako entered the slick, but refused to eat a bait. In the morning, the boat was put on the troll, and a yellowfin tuna, a 35-pounder, was decked. No other tuna appeared, and the anglers decided to load the box with fish, going tilefishing. One of the boxes was filled with two dozen tiles. News was heard about tuna caught, and the trip trolled again, but no bites. The boat was motored inshore to look for bluefin tuna one more time and sharks. The signs of bluefins were seen again, but none appeared. A mako was seen, and the anglers got a chance to try to entice the fish with bait, and it circled the boat but took off. “Beautiful day with some hardcore anglers,” the site said. Andrea’s Toy is beginning to complete the list of anglers for annual, open-boat, mixed-bag trips for bluefin tuna, mako sharks, pollock, cod and mahi mahi, as the bluefins start to stack up. The trips, 14-hour outings from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m., begin with bluefin tuna fishing. Chunking and jigging with the Shimano Butterfly Jig System is the preferred method. But if necessary ballyhoos will be trolled way back on planers to locate the tuna. Once the bite is finished or the anglers had enough, the trips drift for sharks over deep wrecks, and the anglers can jig for pollock and cod at the same time. Afterward the trips fish for mahi mahi to end the day. If interested in the trips, limited to four anglers, call or e-mail pertinent info.

With 10 canyon trips already under their belts this season, the crew from <b>Canyon Runner</b> began to be dialed in to offshore fishing, the report on Canyon Runner’s Web site said. Two overnight trips ran, one from Tuesday to Wednesday on the 48-foot Viking, and another from Monday to Tuesday on the 60-foot Ritchie Howell. The trip on Tuesday was open-boat, and Canyon Runner is fishing open-boat at least once a week, and the trips are booked well in advance, the next available in late July, so contact the crew now if interested. The trip left at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, after another trip on the boat had returned earlier that day. The trip took a course for Hudson Canyon, and the crew knew no time would be left to troll at the Hudson before dark, so they stopped at the first signs of life on the eastern edge of the Mudhole, and an 80-pound bluefin tuna was quickly boated. With lots of life seen, they decided to fish for sharks into the night there, and tons of action with blue sharks, browns and duskies was scored, though no mako showed up. At 2 a.m. they departed for the Hudson to reach the area by dawn, heading first to waters where the captain had marked bigeye tuna the day before. A bigeye was hooked on the troll at 5 a.m. on a Canyon Runner Mini Green Machine Spreader Bar, the crew’s favorite for bigeyes. The tuna, a 71-inch bigeye weighing 214 pounds back at the dock, a skinny one, was harpooned in less than an hour. The trip continued trying to troll bigeyes for hours, marking the fish, seeing a double-header landed on a nearby boat, but no more bit. The trip looked for yellowfin tuna caught the previous day, but the fish had moved. So the anglers went tilefishing, reeling up a dozen in an hour. The boat was motored back inshore, and the trip tried sharking again, an attempt to hook a mako, but no mako was found, though a few blue sharks were hooked, and a thresher was missed. On the trip Monday to Tuesday a charter left early, arriving at the Hudson before noon. Two yellowfin tuna were quickly trolled. Six more hours of trolling produced nothing, and the anglers decided to fish for sharks at night back inshore in 40 fathoms. A 170-pound mako was bagged, and 20 blue sharks were released. In the morning the trip trolled at the Chicken Canyon, and one bluefin was boated early. Pods of bluefins surfaced the rest of the time, but none would bite, and the trip headed home at 10 a.m. Maybe a few more bluefins would’ve bitten if the trip had stayed longer.

Bluefishing took some looking around at first on Wednesday’s trip on the party boat <b>Cock Robin</b>, then the fish were found, an e-mail from the vessel said. The blues stayed with the chum click more than on any trip this season so far, and could be seen swimming in the chum 75 yards away. Jigs with any color tail worked best to catch them at first, and bait worked better later, and a light crowd fished on the boat. On Tuesday’s trip the first couple of stops were slow, but the third was the bomb! the e-mail said. Blues attacked almost non-stop the rest of the day on jigs and bait. But anglers should be careful about expectations, because the blues are traveling around to feed, not settled. On this trip they spit up squid, butterfish, anchovies and sand eels. On Monday’s trip, covered in the last report, blues were “back in the office,” giving up plenty of catches, after slower fishing a moment.  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. Order food from Jersey Mike’s to be delivered to the boat for trips day or night. 

Sea bass and ling were pumped up on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. Sea bassing slowed a little in recent days, but okay catches of ling were looted. A few cod, fluke and blues were mixed in. The anglers averaged 6 to 15 fish apiece. Trips fished in depths from 60 to 120 feet, and if they sailed deeper, dog sharks attacked. Lots of ocean pout chomped in 100 feet, and some anglers began to keep them. Waters on the grounds fished were warming, reaching 58 to 60 degrees. But the bottom was chilled, and divers said the bottom was in the mid to upper 40s. So bottom-fishing was holding up this season, and Butch hopes sea bass fishing turns back on. Sea bass are usually caught all summer, but sometimes lots of small ones dominate after July 4. Not many small ones were seen this year so far, though. On the boat’s last nighttime bluefishing trips during the weekend, patrons averaged four to eight blues, a good catch on the “half-day” trips. The trips had been sailing Friday and Saturday nights but will begin fishing every night starting this Friday. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. The boat had been bluefishing a couple of nights a week and will begin bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily starting Friday.

<b>Bricktown</b>

In the Manasquan River lots of fluke paved bottom, and a few were keepers, and one customer actually limited out on the fish to 4 pounds, said Capt. Rich from the tackle shop <b>Jersey Hooker Outfitters</b>. The flattie anglers definitely caught. Striped bass were boated on the ocean off Spring Lake a couple of evenings this week around 6:30 to 8 on livelined bunker. Surf casters supposedly picked resident striped bass and cocktail blues, customers said. The stripers seemed feasible, but Rich wondered about the cocktails. Crabbers at the shop plucked quite a few dozen, surprisingly good catches, from spots including Dale’s Point and the Mantoloking Bridge on Barnegat Bay, the Metedeconk River and Beaver Dam Creek. Rich’s <b>Jersey Hooker Charters</b>, sailing from Point Pleasant’s Canyon River Club & Marina, sailed for sea bass Wednesday with the Bob Jimenez party, and the angling was slow, producing 45 keepers, 100 throwbacks. Another one of the trips with Ed Schwind’s party on Monday rounded up 75 keepers and 200 throwbacks. A trip on the boat Saturday sailed offshore to 1,000 fathoms at Toms Canyon, marked tuna, but only came up with a 15-pound bull mahi mahi. Waters on the trolling trip looked perfect for tuna and were 69 to 71 degrees. Rich on the radio heard about a few tuna caught that day, but nobody he knew reported a catch. Jersey Hooker did no fishing for bluefin tuna closer to shore, but a few customers said they hooked bluefins at the Arundo wreck. Shark anglers all seemed to pick makos and blue sharks if they tried in 20 to 30 fathoms. Catch the shop’s <i><b>Shark Tournament Bait Special</b></i> for only $99: three 5-gallon buckets of bunker chum, one flat of mackerel and five bags of ice. 

<b>Toms River</b>

Waters warmed, and the ocean along the shore reached 70 degrees, changing some fishing, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Fluke fishing somewhat improved on the ocean, because of the temps. A few of the flatties and a few sea bass, a bit of an improvement in the angling, came from the Tires in the ocean off Barnegat Inlet. Sea bass, a few fluke and an occasional bonito were hooked father offshore around Barnegat Ridge. Warm waters were slowing down ocean striped bass fishing, but a few of the linesiders were around. Pete Jarvis fluke fished in the ocean when he saw bunker schooling, snagged and livelined one of the baitfish, nailing a 30-pound 8-ounce striper. Surf anglers occasionally beached bluefish or a striper. Sal Pezzino weighed in a 20-pound striper from the surf. Barnegat and Manasquan inlets were full of fluke, lots of shorts. Some anglers landed 15 or 20 including one or two keepers. Bluefish consistently schooled Barnegat Inlet. On Barnegat Bay, fluking wasn’t bad around the BI and BB markers, and the numbers of keepers increased a little, and boaters could bag three or four if they put a day in. Three or four anglers on a trip rounded up five keepers to 3 ½ pounds near the Mantoloking Bridge farther north on the bay. Back on the southern bay, blowfish and kingfish were sometimes plucked. A weakfish was picked here or there off Berkeley Island Park.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Catches of striped bass slowed down locally but were still made farther north toward Belmar on the ocean, said Scott from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Local surf anglers occasionally beached a striper, not many. Boating for sea bass, piled up along the reefs was, the best fishery, really. Fluke gathered in the bay behind the inlets, and blues were scattered in Barnegat Bay toward Barnegat Inlet. Snapper blues were yet to appear, and no weakfish were heard about recently. No kingfish were reported showing up locally in the bay. Crabbing was great.  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>

An all-day wreck-fishing trip for sea bass on the ocean was a slow grind on Monday, but another on Tuesday limited out, Capt. Rob “Birch” Birchmeier from <b>Fishguts Inshore Charters</b> said in the report on his Web site. What a difference a day can make, he said. On the trip Monday the two anglers sailed in glass-calm seas, and Birch had high expectations, fishing an area that produced well previously, reading lots of sea bass on the fish finder all day. But only a few good-sized keepers and plenty of shorts bit at each drop. One drop gave up 40 out-of-season blackfish 12 to 16 inches that were released, lots of fun to catch. On Tuesday’s trip the three anglers met flat-calm seas, and sea bass flew over the rails the whole time they fished, until they limited. None of the lumpheads was a jumbo, but plenty were 16 to 17 inches. “Real nice stuff and lots of them,” Birch said. Plenty of shorts, a short cod and good-sized blackfish were released. On Wednesday Birch took a trip with a friend to scope out new areas for sea bass, found lots, and left them biting. Porgies, good-sized ones 12 to 14 inches, were now moving in to the waters, looking good for the opening of porgy season July 1. Blackfish were already chewing their heads off, good news for when one of the fish can be kept starting July 16. Both species will be mixed in on the wreck trips. Besides sea bass charters, 10-hour, open-boat trips for the knuckleheads are sailing. Trips are also fishing Barnegat Bay for fluke and blues.

<b>Forked River</b>

High Bar Harbor, Double Creek and Oyster Creek channels, and the waters around the BI, BB and 40 markers were some places fluke gathered in Barnegat Bay, said Dave from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. An 8-1/2-pounder was weighed in from Double Creek today that inhaled spearing with squid. Bluefish swam Barnegat Inlet and the bay anywhere from Bayville to Barnegat. Dave heard about blowfish angled from around the BI and BB but saw none at the shop. Nothing was heard about striped bass in a while. Crabbing was great, and many customers trapped the blueclaws at Berkeley Island Park.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

One in 10 or 12 fluke was a keeper in 55 to 70 feet in the ocean, said Basil from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b>. In Barnegat Bay and Barnegat Inlet the ratio was 1 in 20. High Bar Harbor and Double Creek and Oyster Creek channels carried the fish in the bay. One angler on the ocean boated two striped bass in 55 feet. Sea bass fishing was going well in the ocean, and lots of out-of-season tog hung in the same areas. Anglers should keep a lookout  for fish like cobia on the ocean that the heat will drawn in. Basil heard about no bonito caught at Barnegat Ridge. Big bluefish schooled a little farther offshore at the ridges and holes. A few mako sharks haunted such areas, and specific locations were kept quiet, because of shark tournaments this weekend.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

Tougher fishing for sea bass happened today on a trip in snotty seas, and action was non-stop, but mostly with shorts, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>. A shark trip Tuesday landed a few browns, and a mako swam the chum slick, but couldn’t be coaxed to bite. A few makos were still around. Another shark trip will run Saturday, and a sea bass trip is set for Tuesday. A tuna trip is on the books for Wednesday, and will probably sail for bluefins on the inshore ocean, unless T.J. hears about a better option at the canyons offshore. Open-boat trips are sailing for sea bass on Tuesdays and Thursdays when enough anglers want to go and no charter is booked. Info can be found on Legal Limit’s Web site.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

A large population of summer flounder filled the bay, and the number of bites was great, but not many were keepers, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. So the angling was status quo, but an 11.6-pound 31-1/2-incher was weighed in Wednesday from Great Bay. That is the biggest flattie heard about on this site so far this year, and is an incredible fish. The biggest from the area last year was probably a little over 10 pounds. Most flounder hovered around the clam stakes on the Mystic Island side of the Fish Factory. But they also gathered along Grassy Channel. Any bluefish in the back waters seemed to disappear. Nobody talked about fishing for brown sharks in the bay, but the monsters could’ve moved to the waters by now. Browns must be caught and released, but the sharks live in the bay in summer, offering a neat fishery where anglers can go sharking without sailing offshore. The shop carries a special bay shark rig and a chum ball perfect for the angling, and can point anglers in the right direction. Nobody talked about white perch fishing either, but Scott wouldn’t doubt that the slabs could be boated at summer haunts like Roundabout Creek, Ballinger Creek and Nacote Creek. Perch usually swim the lower rivers closer to saltwater this time of year. Bloodworms become a more popular bait for them in summer, holding up better to bites than grass shrimp do. The shrimp fall off the hook with one tap.  The ocean was cold because of west winds, and that seemed to chase any fish away from close to shore. No striped bass and no bunker swam along the ocean front. The cold waters pushed sea bass to the deeper wrecks in 70 feet or more. They had showed up one day at Little Egg Reef closer to shore, but cold waters returned, and they departed. But good catches, including large sea bass, up to 4-pounders weighed in, were clocked in the deep. No flounder bit in the ocean yet, apparently because of water temps. Whether bluefish schooled offshore, like along the bluefin tuna and shark grounds, was unknown, because nobody, including bluefin and shark anglers, mentioned fishing out there. All the baits are stocked including fresh, shucked clams, minnows, grass shrimp and bloodworms. Eels are the only bait that ran out, only because Scott was in no huge hurry to stock more, because demand is low at the time of year.

<b>Absecon</b>

The back waters tossed up good fishing for summer flounder, and the flattie angling turned on at Absecon Inlet in the past week, and waters probably warmed, said Curt from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. A few bluefish moved into the bay, and Capt. Dave, the shop’s owner, ran across some. A handful of weakfish were searched out at the mouth of the Mullica River and along the Intracoastal Waterway, or at a few spots toward Great Bay that anglers kept hush. Striped bass punched live spots or live bunker along the Brigantine Bridge in the early mornings and evenings or at night. Stripers were also plugged along the sod banks at night. Surf anglers supposedly picked a few stripers early in the mornings, before the catches shut off, and they banked kingfish. Wreck Inlet held stripers. Curt, a white perch angler, found fishing for the whiteys had tapered off on the Mullica River the last time he tried for them. Small fish like juvenile sea bass and blackfish began to peck at the baits like happens in summer. That can be a nuisance for perchers, though parents sometimes take the kids fishing for them for fun action. The dog days of summer seemed to be setting in, though the season was early. Crabbing was good. Live spots, eels, fresh clams, fresh bunker when available, bloodworms and a large supply of frozen baits is stocked.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Kingfish swarmed all over the surf, gobbling bloodworms, but Fishbites artificial worms were yet to draw strikes, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Waters were apparently too cool, and many of the tasty fish were small, but some were 12 and 13 inches. No striped bass were seen from the surf in a while. Summer flounder carpeted the back bay, and Tom Tucker checked in a 10-pounder from among seven or eight keepers he landed from the waters, covered in the last report. Catch the American Legion’s fluke tournament from dawn to 2 p.m. Saturday, benefiting wounded veterans. Prizes include $500 for the heaviest fluke and more. The event comes with a money-back guarantee for the entry fee if an entrant is dissatisfied for any reason, and anglers can call the shop for info about the contest.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Tons of throwback summer flounder crammed the back bay, said Curt from <b>Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle</b>. He guessed big baits should be fished in deep waters for the keepers. Anglers fishing in shallower waters seemed hardly to have a chance at a keeper. Blues sometimes schooled the bay, and he found a blitz of them, larger ones 20 inches, in the waters Wednesday. Striped bass gave up a slight bite at night in the bay. Live bunker was the bait they really wanted, if anglers could find the bait. But eels livelined from land or boats could work. Kingfish, “a small run,” he said, began to travel the surf, gobbling bloodworms. From boaters on the ocean not much was heard about sea bass fishing, except that lots of small ones were around. He heard about a few flounder boated on the ocean, supposedly in deep waters. A load of small bluefin tuna 30 to 35 inches held at places like 28-Mile Wreck, the 750 Square and the Cigar, and they now set up at the Lobster Claw. Curt heard about none at the A.C. Ridge like he did last week. Though the bluefins were small, some anglers fought 5 to 15, lots of action. A mess of bluefish filled the same waters, and anglers in the weekend’s Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament headed there, doing a job on them. Plenty of sharks were wrestled, and little was heard about thresher sharks, probably because anglers focused on makos before the mako season closes. A couple of customers fished canyons such as the Poorman’s and the Washington, waters to the south, coming up with yellowfin tuna and mahi mahi. Curt even heard about catches at Hudson Canyon to the north. The <b>Carly A</b>, the shop’s offshore charter boat, remained at Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, for big-game fishing, but will return to New Jersey when the state’s blue-water angling amps up.

<b>Margate</b>

A charter Monday socked a 209-pound mako shark that was bagged, said Capt. Eric from <b>O-Beth Sportfishing Charters</b>. Two brown sharks were released, and all the bluefish anyone could handle swam the 70-degree waters in 20 fathoms. On another shark trip Tuesday three makos appeared in the chum slick but refused to chomp a bait, again in 20 fathoms. The drift was nonexistent, dead in the waters, in no winds, tough conditions for sharking. A few blues mouthed baits, but sharks are in, and O-Beth’s crew loves sharking. Both charters and open-boat trips are sailing for the monsters and also for bluefin tuna. Call for the open schedule. Eric heard about a couple of boats catching bluefins in the past days, and the tuna were definitely around. A trip Friday and two trips Saturday sailed for a combo of sea bass and summer flounder on the ocean. A few keeper sea bass and lots of shorts bit, and the keeper ratio was improving, and flounder to 19 inches were cranked in.

The back bay was littered with summer flounder, tons of the fish, including a few legal-sized, said Capt. John from the party boat <b>Keeper</b>. Customers had fun with the fish, were happy, he said. Morning trips produced more than afternoon ones did lately, and bluefish were sometimes seen along the waters, but none was hooked on trips in the last days. Minnows, mackerel and squid are supplied on the vessel, working well to catch. So did Gulps customers brought. 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>

Summer flounder started hitting in the ocean, and a trip Wednesday morning wiped up a catch, including some decent-sized, good to see, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>. Waters had warmed to 72.5 degrees 8 miles from shore where the flatties held. Places like the Stone Beds and the Table Top churned them out. An open-boat trip will sail for the fluke and sea bass Saturday, July 3, running 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., leaving an hour earlier than usual to get on the fluke in the mornings. Some of the boat’s regulars want to fish for the flounder on an open trip, and spaces are available. Otherwise charters are running. Good sea bassing was claimed on the vessel, including for hefty ones to 4 ½ and 5 pounds among the catch. A trip Saturday will probably tuna fish, heading for bluefins on the inshore grounds along 20 fathoms. But the option of sailing farther offshore to the canyons is a possibility. Waters close to shore were green, and Mike didn’t know how far out they turned blue, hadn’t been out there in the past days. Yellowfin tuna were boated at Wilmington Canyon. “They’re never at the Wilmington,” he said. But bluefins were reported to swim inshore, and bluefish were out there. 

<b>Ocean City</b>

The back bay was crowded with summer flounder, but the keeper ratio was low, said Ed from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Bluefish and smaller striped bass could be located in the bay. Surf anglers sometimes banked and released throwback, 20- to 26-inch striped bass, after most of the larger migrators swam north. But a few migrators were boated on the ocean. Kingfish were arriving in the surf. Ed wasn’t asked about sea bass fishing on the ocean. Bluefin tuna were mostly fought at the Lobster Claw, mainly on the troll. Tuna anglers fishing farther offshore for yellowfins, tuna to 50 pounds, recently had gaffed them toward Poorman’s Canyon. But seas turned rough by Wednesday, and anglers will see where the fish show up when trips return Friday and Saturday.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Surf casting for kingfish barreled out fairly steady catches all week, and an employee from the shop totaled 14 on Wednesday, said Wes from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Dunk bloodworms for them, and striped bass were still clammed in the surf on occasion, maybe one or two a day. Good summer flounder fishing was jabbed on the back bay, and the flatties began to move to the ocean. So they were located at the inlets, and Wes heard about some taken at Wildwood Reef. One angler on the bay jumped on a blitz of blues on Wednesday. Popper lures gained striped bass catches on the bay. On the ocean, okay sea bass fishing, not that great, was pelted, and the deeper anglers fished for them, the better they fared. Mako sharks might’ve been thinning out in the ocean, and they usually start to depart toward July 4, but brown and dusky sharks moved in, and threshers were around. Bonito were sometimes trolled 14 or 15 miles from shore. Bluefish reportedly covered the bluefin tuna grounds, and not many bluefins seemed to be caught. Yellowfin tuna were trolled at canyons like the Poorman’s. Good crabbing was had in the back waters. Minnows, bloodworms, fresh bunker when available and all the frozen baits are stocked. Fresh clams are no longer stocked this season, because demand stopped, and that’s usual by summer.

Betsy Moraglia and grandson Jack jumped aboard Tuesday evening on the back bay, first angling up a bunch of throwback summer flounder, releasing them, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. At high tide they moved to the flats, immediately running into a blitz of bluefish, landing a double-header on popper lures. Then the fish departed. Afterward three stripers took swipes at the poppers but never connected. On Monday Cindy Franz took a short trip on the bay, releasing several short flounder. The bay’s flounder fishing was great when anglers made a dedicated effort to the angling, and Jersey Cape wasn’t focused on that on these trips. Tides – high tides in the evenings –  were ideal this week for striped bass fishing on the bay, mostly on popper lures or flies, sometimes on sub-surface soft-plastic lures or Clouser flies, depending on the situation. Joe will probably take a first trip of the season for brown sharks close to shore this weekend. Jersey Cape is also tuna fishing, and Joe heard nothing about bluefin tuna in inshore waters in the past days. Yellowfin tuna remained offshore, mostly at the southern canyons, but waters were becoming uniformly warm at all the canyons, and the fish should be spread up and down the Continental Shelf off New Jersey. Joe, a school teacher, goes on summer break from teaching after today. Fishing trips will now be available seven days a week. Joe already fishes an incredible amount when school is in session, was already burning the candle at both ends. But now he’ll really start angling! Keep up with Joe’s fishing and photos on <a href=" http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Numbers of kingfish began to invade the surf and inlets, and that was the big news, said Dan from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Dunk bloodworms to belt them. Summer flounder fishing was beginning to pick up in the ocean at the Old Grounds, located off Delaware. A few bigger flatties than before were hung from the back bay. A few places gave up flounder on Delaware Bay. One customer said he returned with an okay catch from Bug Light. Areas like 20-Foot Slough were also places to look. Alright sea bassing was boated on the ocean. Not much was heard about tuna fishing and sharking. But Dan saw a 300-pound tuna in the newspaper. Bluefish schooled the bluefin tuna grounds around 20 fathoms.

A trip Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> will probably either fish for summer flounder at the Old Grounds or will troll the inshore ocean for bluefish, bluefin tuna or whatever pops up, Capt. George said. On flounder trips he prefers to run to the Old Grounds, in the ocean off Delaware, than other places like Delaware Bay. He heard nothing about the bay’s flounder fishing lately. But he heard about a bluefin tuna feed at a specific location in 20 fathoms. The Heavy Hitter is running a special on inshore bluefin trips, and call for the scoop. Bluefins at this time of year offer fishing for tuna close to shore, a shorter ride, more fishing time and a more economical trip. Charters are also available for sea bass, and the boat’s shark fishing is practically finished for the season.

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