<b>Staten Island</b>

With <b>Angler Sportfishing Charters</b> two anglers aboard fluke fished on Tuesday, piling up three keepers and loads of throwbacks, Capt. Chuck said. Anglers almost couldn’t help but catch fluke, so many were around. No sea bass were landed, because the trip fished north of the Verrazano Bridge, because Chuck heard more keeper fluke swam there. Previously sea bass were mixed in on fluke trips when Angler fished along rocky bottom farther out along Ambrose Channel. Charters will begin to become aggressive about nighttime fishing for striped bass on the ocean starting next week. The trips fish at places like off the Highlands Bridge to the Shrewsbury Rocks with live and chunked bunker. 

The new moon seemed to affect fluke fishing on trips on the weekend and surrounding days, said the Captain’s Blog on <b>Barbara Anne Fishing Charters</b>’ Web site. Four anglers aboard Friday landed 30 fluke, losing six at the boat. Three anglers on deck Saturday, the day of the new moon, only hooked 15 fluke, just terrible, the blog said. On Sunday a charter only claimed 13 and a couple of sea bass. On Tuesday four anglers joined an open-boat trip for fluke, fishing a new area, picking 18 fluke, but two 6-pounders. The quantity and sizes of the flatties should improve as the new moon is left behind, the blog said.  Barbara Anne’s fluke trips usually fish along Ambrose Channel to the Verrazano Bridge. But weekly open-boat trips fish on the ocean at the rocky bottom and wrecks. Special, open-boat trips will begin to bottom-fish at the 30-mile wrecks once a week starting August 20. Cod, ling and sea bass will be targeted, and the fish will begin to migrate to deeper waters at the time of year, and the wrecks “can really hold some quality fish,” the e-mail said. The resurgence of cod in the waters adds more sport and table fare. The trips are slated for August 20 and 30 and September 6, 13, 20 and 27. Rods, tackle, bait, ice and soft drinks for the entire group are included. Are you bummed that fluke season is about to close? Don’t be! Barbara Anne successfully bid on a Research Set Aside Permit, allowing trips to fish for fluke when the season ends. New York’s season will close from September 7 to May 21, and the RSA bag limit is four fluke from 17 to 20 inches per person.

<b>Keyport</b>

Winds blew and sea were rough on a trip today, but an angler aboard, David from Tenafly, hooked quite a few fluke, throwbacks, near the 11A buoy today, said Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>.  He fished with spearing and squid. Charters are fishing for fluke and are beginning to sail for sea bass. Open-boat trips are fishing for fluke twice daily from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. when no charter is booked. Call to go. Credit card payments through PayPal are accepted for all trips.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Trips for fluke fished in some different areas since the weekend on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, but the angling remained about the same as before, and was okay, Capt. Tom said. Catches of keepers improved a bit, but some trips were better than others. The high hooked since Monday bagged five keepers, and sometimes anglers bagged two or three, and sometimes anglers landed no keepers, but all at least hooked shorts. New areas the boat fished included Sandy Hook Channel, after trips hadn’t fished there in a while, farther back in Reach Channel, and Chapel Hill Channel. The boat also fished at Flynn’s Knoll. Sometimes the drift would move too fast to fish Sandy Hook Channel. Tom was trying to find larger numbers of keepers by moving to different areas. Shorts bit no matter where the boat fished. Pool-winning fluke weighed about 4 pounds, none huge. Sometimes anglers just got lucky to bag keepers. Sometimes someone would reel in 20 fluke and one or no keepers. Other times someone would box some keepers but total fewer fluke. But the fishing was nice, Tom said.  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.

Keeper fluke, more of them than at other places, were bucketed at Ambrose Channel, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Waters around Fisherman’s Lump, the Mud Buoy and the deep north of the Shrewsbury Rocks also turned them out. Lots of fluke, lots of shorts, paved the bay. Blues could be jigged in the back of the bay. Alright catches of sea bass were cornered, and boaters caught them while drifting, and the fish were spread out now. Porgies chomped at certain areas, and anglers in the know lay them in the cooler. Ling could be plopped on deck at the edge of the Mudhole. Crabbing was superb, the best-ever year.

A few fluke, including some sizeable keepers, were picked at the channels at first on Wednesday’s trip on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> at the end of incoming tide, Capt. Ron said in the report on the boat’s Web site. When the tide slowed to nothing, the trip bounced around the area, waiting for outgoing to begin. But when outgoing really began, the tide was too strong, so the trip moved to the shallow waters at Sandy Hook Channel. Shorts and a few keepers were picked to end the day, and Christy Natoli won the pool with a 6-1/4-pound fluke. No report was posted for Tuesday, but on Monday’s trip the first couple of drifts “were hot for keepers,” Ron said, in the deep around the change of tide. Once the new tide began, the winds also picked up, and the combination caused poor conditions for fluking in the area. The end of the trip was spent in the back of the bay. Capt. Ron Sr., Ron’s dad, who fishes on the boat, was high hook with five keepers. He almost limited out on six, “but trying to swing that last keeper didn’t work out!” Ron said. Harry Landau won the pool with a 5-3/4-pounder. The Fishermen is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for bluefish 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

<b>Highlands</b>

Trips picked away at fluke at the rough bottom and channels on bucktails and big strip baits with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, Capt. Derek said. The fish weighed up to 6 pounds, none huge, the past couple of days. Both charters and open-boat trips are sailing for fluke, and the next open trip will run Sunday, if the weather allows. Anglers can call Derek to be kept informed about the open schedule. Now is the time to sail for the fish, because fluke season will close after September 6. Afterward trips will concentrate on bluefishing or bottom fishing for sea bass, ling, and blackfish until striped bass catches kick in through fall. Charters are already bottom fishing but sailed for fluke in the past days. Fisher Price is fishing for bluefin tuna on the inshore ocean on charters and open trips. The bluefins sounded scattered this week, and unfavorable, green waters filled the bluefin grounds. East winds were forecast to blow, and maybe that would push clear, fish-holding waters in.

The keeper fluke ratio remained 1 in 20, the same as before, practically everywhere from the ocean to the bay to the rivers, said Wayne from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>. Almost nobody seemed to fish the rivers, but fluke, the same ratio of keepers, also hugged bottom there. Nobody really fished for striped bass anymore in the heat. Gene Graham, the marina’s died-in-the-wool striper angler who fishes for them if at all possible, stopped going. Sea bass could be found at the reefs and structure, and blues could be located at nearly all waters, the big ones swimming offshore. One of the charter boats from the docks took two trips offshore, returning with a small bluefin tuna from off Shinnecock on one trip, and with a small yellowfin tuna from Toms Canyon on the other. A small mahi mahi came from one of the trips. Crabbing was phenomenal this season. Locals crab at places like the Oceanic Bridge and Red Bank. The full supply of offshore baits is stocked, like flats of sardines and herring and chum. For inshore fishing, killies, all the different types of squid, spearing, Peruvian smelts that look like large spearing, frozen clam bellies and the entire supply of frozen baits is stocked.

<b>Neptune</b>

An offshore wreck-fishing trip Tuesday knocked the pants off catches, including a 32-pound cod and a 28-pound pollock, said Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>. A bunch of cod 16 to 20 pounds and another big pollock were also creamed, and previous trips also did a job on the fish. Another one of the individual-reservation trips is sailing August 24 and is full, but charters are available. Ralph was running an inshore wreck trip Wednesday evening when he gave this report in a phone call on the waters, and the anglers were pulling up ling, sea bass and blackfish. The bluefish boats pounded good catches of big slammers that day for the first time since the annual spawn slowed bluefishing weeks ago. Two fluke trips sailed with Last Lady this week on the ocean, but catches were poor. Winds against the tide hampered the drift on both. A fair number of shorts bit, but anglers will see how fluking goes coming up. Individual-reservation trips are fishing for fluke every Wednesday, and children under 12 sail free, limited to two children per adult. When fluke season closes after Labor Day, those trips will bottom-fish. Most boaters who fished at Hudson Canyon for tuna found poor fishing during the weekend. But Ralph’s friend, a good angler, ran a trip that blistered yellowfin tuna to 90 pounds during the weekend someplace else where he was off by himself. Ralph declined to name the spot, but Hudson Canyon was not the location. Space is available on an individual-reservation tuna trip to the canyons August 26. Inshore boaters had difficulty finding bluefin tuna recently, and green waters filled the area, but Ralph ran across the fish on a trip. “I’m not talking,” he said. Charter the boat, and you’ll have the bluefins on the end of your line! he said.

<b>Belmar</b>

Anglers on the <b>Nan Sea J</b> attempted to fish for bluefin tuna on the ocean out to 35 miles on Wednesday, and none of the tuna appeared, but seven mahi mahi were mopped up, Capt. Tom said. Several jumped off the hooks. Some of the mahi caught were sizeable, including a 17-pounder and a 15-pounder. The trip sailed no farther than 35 miles because boaters on the radio sounded like the fishing was slow for them farther offshore in green waters. Waters were pretty clear where the mahi were landed on the Nan Sea J. All the fish were trolled. But the bluefin angling can change, and charters and open-boat trips are fishing for them. Anglers can call to be kept informed about the open schedule. Charters are also fluke fishing and bottom fishing. Overnight charters for tuna will begin to sail to the canyons in September.

Catches of fluke were slow Monday and Tuesday but good Wednesday on the party boat <b> Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. A 6-pounder was the pool-winner, and sizeable flatties were sometimes decked on the trip. The fluke on trips throughout the week probably weighed up to 9 ½ pounds, though lots of shorts bit. Quite a few sea bass were tugged aboard Wednesday’s trip. All fish were biting that day. Generally some days turned out good fishing and some did not. Anglers aboard often fish with bucktails along the rough bottom for fluke. Bucktails are sometimes lost when snagged, but the catches are often worthwhile. Still, some anglers on Wednesday’s trip caught while dragging bait. The Big Mohawk is fluke fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

On the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> Tuesday’s daytime trip ran into a shot of big bluefish on the ocean after the trips had been catching smaller, 4- to 5-pound blues on the previous days, Capt. Alan said. Late in the day on Wednesday’s trip the anglers aboard hammered a good catch of big blues on the waters. On Wednesday night’s trip big blues 8 to 16 pounds, a good catch, were waffled for the first time in a while in the dark, also on the ocean. Big blues were apparently coming off the spawn after several weeks, and Alan hoped the angling bounced back for good now. On the party boat <b>Tropical Adventure</b>, Alan’s other vessel, fluke were belted on the ocean, and not a lot were keepers, but bigger ones were hooked more often than before, and sea bass were sometimes mixed in. 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. After Labor Day trips on the boat will sail once a week or more for bonito, false albacore and bluefin tuna, if bluefins are around. The Tropical Adventure is fluke fishing twice daily 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Fluke fishing yielded a high percentage of throwbacks whether on Shark River or the ocean, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>, and he doesn’t think that will change before the flattie season closes. Snapper blues were becoming big that schooled the river. Porgies bit in the river but were small. Good crabbing was claimed from the river. Not many striped bass were willing to bite anywhere, but a few were tied into from the surf in the early mornings. The sharpies Bob knew who hooked them used fly rods. Maybe some could be landed on conventional tackle like a teaser. On the ocean, fishing for big blues picked up, and boaters had them good Wednesday. That angling should improve now, after the fish were coming off the spawn. Blackfish, though only one per angler could be kept, were bombed at the Shrewsbury Rocks. The tog 10 to 14 pounds were weighed in this week.

<b>Brielle</b>

A daytime trolling trip on the <b>Big Kid</b> pancaked six white marlin released, three yellowfin tuna to 80 pounds and two dozen mahi mahi at Toms Canyon with the Kim Groves charter on Tuesday, Capt. Ken said. At the Toms on the boat Saturday, two yellowfins and a dozen mahi were trolled with Andy Fechi’s group. Mike Gallo’s charter last Thursday to Friday overnighted at Hudson Canyon, totaling 13 yellowfins and six mahi, releasing a blue marlin, at the 100 Square. Fish were caught both during the night and day on the trip. The Glen Roberts trip bottom-fished on Sunday, busting sea bass and a boat limit of blackfish. Trips are also fluke fishing. An overnight charter to the canyons today was weathered out. The boat will leave Saturday to compete in next week’s Mid Atlantic $500,000 tournament in Cape May. Coming up soon, other offshore tournaments available for charter include the Tuna Stakes Invitational on August 21 to 29, and the Manasquan River Marlin and Tuna Club Tournament on August 28 to September 5.

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

“(It) happened,” an e-mail from the party boat <b>Cock Robin</b> said about Wednesday’s bluefish trip, “an all out gator assault on bunker … and it was game on!” Large bluefish had been spawning, not feeding, for a month. Trips caught small blues, non-spawners – “pee wees,” the crew called them – in the meantime. Then on Tuesday’s trip “jumbo-sized fish (were) caught briefly … not enough … to say a new mass (had) moved in, but enough to say it (was) worth trying again for,” the e-mail said.  On the next day, Wednesday, the crew motored the trip to the ocean, “(with) a bit of trepidation that (the previous day’s) big blues were not for real,” it said. The boat was stopped on readings that looked promising for catching big blues. But nothing bit. The vessel was sailed north, and the anglers re-rigged for pee wees. Birds worked the waters, and the small blues began to be hooked, but some of the fish were noticeably larger, “a few legit cocktails,” the e-mail said. Birds kept working, and pee wees kept biting, and occasional cocktails jumped on the hooks. Then all mayhem busted loose! Bunker flew out of the waters, and huge blues began to be nailed. They slammed the smaller A-17 jigs meant for pee wees, breaking them off, and the anglers tied on larger A-27’s. The waters boiled 360 degrees around the boat. The slammers attacked the jigs “on purpose,” the e-mail said. Both jigs and popper lures creamed the gators, the fish schooling the water column top to bottom. Anglers loaded the coolers, drilling humongous blues. “Lots of fun (Wednesday),” the e-mail said. “What will (today) bring? it asked. The crew couldn’t know, but they looked forward to finding out. The Cock Robin is bluefishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Sea bass, ling, a few cod and blackfish, and occasional fluke were angled aboard the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. .Catches were “okay, fairly decent,” he said. Tons of out-of-season winter flounder, an incredible amount, bit and were released. More ling than sea bass were caught this week, but the sea bass were impressive sizes, up to 4 and 5 pounds. No porgies were reeled in, but porgies were hooked on boats off New York, and Butch expects them to slide down to the local area in a week or 10 days. Once porgies come in, trips focus on them, because anglers want them. Trips currently fished for sea bass in 60 to 80 feet and ling in 120 to 150 feet. They tried fishing for ling in deeper waters in 200 feet, but only a few bit there. When trips fished for sea bass, anglers generally landed two to ten keepers. When the outings fished for ling, anglers averaged 10 to 20 in the box. Seas held a ground swell, but not like two weeks ago, and the weather and fishing conditions were gorgeous the past two days, even in the swell. On the boat’s nighttime bluefishing trips, catches began to pick up, remained a little slow since blues started to spawn, but were improving. Blues 1 to 3 pounds – one to five of the fish per angler on the half-night trips – were boated. But the spawn was lasting a longer time than usual, so it could end, and the bigger blues could begin to feed, any moment. The spawn usually lasts a couple of weeks, but had already lasted a month, starting around the Fourth of July. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily and is bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

Three anglers on a fluke trip Tuesday ran south to rough bottom in the ocean with <b>Reel Class Charters</b> to new areas Capt. Allen wanted to try, he said in the report on the boat’s Web site. He was trying to find keepers, and the boat’s mate had drilled a 10.6-pounder there the previous day. But the fluking turned out slow, and only six shorts bit. But the trip switched to bottom fishing, and that picked up the slack well. Twenty-five to 30 keeper sea bass to 3 pounds, a cod and a tog were bagged. The cod, caught in 50 feet, was strange to see close to shore in summer, but showed the stock is rebuilding in the area, Allen said.  On Wednesday Allen fished on the mate’s 18-foot skiff for tog along the sod banks “down to the south,” Allen said, not naming the specific location. The mate’s brother was also on board, and the group landed 15 to 20 tog, mostly keeper-sized except for a few shorts, three triggerfish, a few sea bass and a keeper fluke. A few of the tog weighed 5 to 7 pounds. A terrific trip, Allen said. Charters and annual, open-boat Fluke Till You Puke Trips are sailing with Reel Class, and check the online <a href="http://www.reelclassfishing.com/rates/open-boat-info" target="_blank">schedule</a> for available dates for the open trips. Charters and open trips will sail for bonito and false albacore in August and September. Also check the schedule for the first couple of open trips for them that are already slated.

<b>Bricktown</b>

A 7-pound 2-ounce fluke was weighed in from the Manasquan River, and the angler also bagged an 18-1/2-incher, releasing so many shorts he ran out of bait, said Capt. Rich from <b>Jersey Hooker Outfitters Bait & Tackle</b>, located in Bricktown, and <b>Jersey Hooker Charters</b>, sailing from Point Pleasant’s Canyon River Club. Many fluke, many shorts, held in the river. Fluke could also be netted on the ocean, but keepers seemed difficult to pick. Good sea bass catches were hefted from the local reefs. Surf fishing was strong for brown sharks at night on bait like bunker. One customer dragged a sand tiger shark from the Long Beach Island surf. Here’s fun for the weekend:  The shop will sponsor an all-night demo on surf sharking with the Surf Rocket, the air cannon built to blast hooked bait far out into the waters from shore, at Island Beach State Park, starting at 6 p.m. Saturday. Stop by and check it out, and anglers can call Mr. Surf Rocket for info at 732-406-6879. Bluefin tuna could be cranked in from the ocean toward the Atlantic Princess wreck and the Chicken Canyon, but anglers had to locate blue waters among lots of green waters lately to find them. Tuna fishing slowed a little at the offshore canyons. Lots of white marlin hung at the canyons. Crabbing was hot, customers said. They plucked terrific catches at spots including Windward Beach, around the Mantoloking Bridge, Barnegat Bay at Bay Head, Beaver Dam Creek and the Metedeconk River. The whole general area was good.

<b>Toms River</b>

Sea Girt Reef shoveled out fairly productive fluke fishing, and a couple of keepers were checked in from there, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Use bigger baits like Peruvian smelts combined with spearing. A tremendous population of fluke was settled at Double Creek and Oyster Creek channels in Barnegat Bay, but most of the fish were an inch or two short. The bay at the BB and BI markers served up a somewhat better ratio of keeper fluke but fewer of the flatties. Boaters who anchored and chummed at the BB and BI reeled in mostly blowfish but a variety of fish including blows, croakers, porgies and a few kingfish. Chum with clam and fish with squid or bits of clam. Fluking farther north on the bay at the Mantoloking Bridge and on Manasquan River put up 20 or 30 of the fish, maybe one or two keepers, per trip. Snapper blues swarmed all over back waters like the Toms River, hitting spearing under a bobber or on Corky’s Snapper Zapper rigs. A great run of crabs was on at places including the river at Island Heights and the bay at Berkeley Island Park and Good Luck Point. In the surf fluke, sometimes bluefish or an occasional striped bass were banked. Plenty of sharks could be man-handled from the surf at night.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Snapper blues were becoming big and swam all around the docks at <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>, Scott said. Crabbing was good from the docks and rental boats, a great year for the catches. Fluke gathered in Barnegat Bay toward Barnegat Inlet. Blowfish were boated today at the BI and BB markers on the bay, and Scott heard about a couple of weakfish, a rare catch these days, hooked among them. In the surf fluke bit during the day and sharks chewed at night. A Gulp fished on a small bucktail is one of the best choices for the fluking. Chuck out a chunk of bunker for the sharks. Good sea bass catches were cracked on the ocean, and so were blackfish, a few porgies and occasional cod. Scott heard about no false albacore or such fish found on the ocean, but they would normally be here by now. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, killies 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 ready to rent.

<b>Seaside Park</b>

The most recent trips were a blast, said Capt. Rob “Birch” Birchmeier from <b>Fishguts Inshore Charters</b> in the report on the boat’s Web site. There were plenty of fish to go around. A combo ocean/Barnegat Bay trip sailed Tuesday with three anglers, and was meant to be about action, showing New Jersey fishing to two of the anglers from Virginia, guests of the other from Jersey. They first fished for sea bass on the ocean, copping an okay pick. The anglers looked stunned when Birch told them to reel up the lines, he said. He wanted to find better fishing. At the next stop sea bassing wasn’t as fast, but the size was quality, plenty of 15-inchers, up to a 4-pounder, and a fat, 22-inch cod was clocked. Twenty sea bass were coolered by now, and the anglers switched to tog fishing. The newbie tog anglers took a few minutes to become used to setting the hook, but soon got the hang. They bagged their limits of 17-inchers and released several. The trip moved to the bay, reeling up a 21-inch, keeper fluke and a few shorts. The gang went home with good mixed-bags of fillets. On Wednesday a husband and wife took a combo ocean/bay trip, first fishing on the ocean. They scored great action on sea bass to 3 ½ pounds, bagging 20, and a couple of 13-inch porgies that were iced. Then they fished for tog, nailing a great bite on 15- to 17-inchers, no jumbos, but healthy-sized. They kept their limits and cleaned up on 24 released. They moved to the bay, and fluke fishing began slowly, but turned into non-stop action. The flatties could be seen following the baits on one of the drifts down the edge of a sandbar. Forty-five throwbacks were released – no keepers, but fun fishing on light tackle. Lots of fluke are swimming the bay, and sometimes keepers are snatched up on trips. The day, people and fishing were great on the trip, Birch said. Strong northeast weather was forecast to pile in during the next days, probably keeping trips off the ocean during the weekend. Northeasts are good for sea bass fishing in summer. Fishguts is also running all-day charters for sea bass and 10-hour open-boat trips for the lumpheads.  Catching good numbers of quality-sized sea bass close to shore in summer is a specialty on the boat.

<b>Forked River</b>

Boaters on the ocean in 30 or 40 feet off the bathing beach at Island Beach State Park supposedly waffled better fluke fishing, somewhat more keepers, than elsewhere, said Dave from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. A 7-year-old checked in a 10.18-pounder from there last week. But the flatties were sacked at other spots on the ocean, like a few at the Tires. The fish also remained in Barnegat Bay, including Double Creek and Oyster Creek channels and at the BI, BB and 40 markers. A few more blowfish than before were racked up from around the BI and BB. Dave heard about no weakfish. Snapper blues swam all around, and a few larger blues were scattered in the bay. No news rolled in from Barnegat Ridge. Crabbing was great. A trip that Dave joined caught three dozen good-sized crabs in 2 or 3 hours the other day.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

The Old Barnacles who fish from Barnegat Light’s 6th Street Dock told Steve Misak from <b>Barnegat Light Bait & Tackle</b> they caught triggerfish, sometimes keeper fluke and an occasional keeper tog, Steve said in the report on the shop’s Web site. Mammoth tog could be found toward the end of Barnegat Inlet’s south jetty. Sheepshead should be there, too. Use cleats if venturing out, because the grass on the rocks is slick as ice. Smaller fluke were stacked up in the inlet, preparing to leave for the ocean, escaping the warm waters of Barnegat Bay. The keepers hid in the deeper, cooler waters at the inlet and nearby.

<b>Barnegat</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 8/13***</b>: From an e-mail from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “We have been catching crazy numbers of stripers on 10-pound spinning tackle the last few days. Chumming with live grass shrimp into the Barnegat Inlet jetty. Also in the mix have been blackfish, sea bass and a few huge porgies. This fishery is typical throughout the summer. Most of the stripers are 22 to 26 inches, but each of the last few trips have yielded one keeper for the cooler. I suspect we have had a few more legal ones on, but they know to run right over the rocks, and when the light line hits those mussels on the jetty, it comes back in shreds. We can switch to heavier tackle, but after you battle the most common size on the light stuff, it's hard to switch to the heavy stuff. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMmVr-EVUXE" target="_blank">Check out this video</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrE0Ld5_cII" target="_blank">this video</a> to see what we're doing. We have not been running offshore lately with all the heavy southerly wind, but after this next heavy, four-day, easterly blow, I will be anxious to visit Barnegat Ridge and the Mudhole to see what new life it brought to these grounds. Still catching lots of fluke in the bay as well, best season for numbers I’ve ever seen. Still catching about one keeper out of twenty, but we're jigging them on light tackle and having a blast. Three eighths of an ounce leadheads tipped with Gulp swimming mullet and shrimp. Yesterday we caught a dozen weakfish and two puffers on the west side of Barnegat Bay, though they were all under the 13-inch minimum. Back out today to try to find the kingfish, a guy on the radio had six nice ones on ice. We are running open-boat, single reservations every day, or you can charter the boat.”

<b>Surf City</b>

One surf angler beached a 30-inch striped bass on bunker, said Barbara from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. The shop is sometimes carrying fresh bunker, but not as much as during the runs of stripers in the suds in spring and fall, because demand and the fishing drop off in summer. Fluke, mostly shorts but a few keepers, skittered around the surf. Squid and spearing will catch them, and Gulps, especially in green and pearl white, worked well, flew off the shelves, were challenging to keep stocked. Big rays roamed the surf, and occasional kingfish were bloodwormed in the wash. No croakers arrived along the beaches yet, and no blues swam into the waters. But snapper blues started to appear in the bay, chomping on spearing. Blackfish were socked along the rocks at Barnegat Light. Crabbing was good, and the shop packs and carries frozen bunker cut in three pieces, ready for crabbing. Occasional fresh bunker, like mentioned above, minnows and all the frozen baits are stocked.

<b>Tuckerton</b>

Eleven yellowfin tuna to 75 pounds were bailed and a 200-pound blue marlin was released at Carteret Canyon along the 100-fathom line Tuesday on a 16-hour trolling trip with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, Capt. T.J. said. Two trips for summer flounder fished this week, and the flounder fishing lately caught the flatties so long as there was a drift. Most of the trips fished on the ocean recently, but one of the trips this week fished on the bay, landing 57 throwbacks, no keepers, in the 3-hour outing. Lots of short flounder swam the bay. More trips for the fluke are coming up this week. No open-boat or shared charters fished this week, because charters filled the spaces. But the trips are fishing for flounder Tuesdays and Thursdays when no charter is booked and enough anglers want to go. See the online <a href=" http://www.legallimitcharters.com/c-11-open-boat.aspx" target="_blank">Open Boat/Shared Charter Schedule</a> for future dates.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Water temps dropped, apparently pushing summer flounder back into the bay, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. He assumed the wind direction caused the cooled waters, and heard the ocean dipped to 60 degrees or even 58 from 74 or 72 previously. A customer Wednesday checked in two keeper flounder from far back in the bay around the 134 marker. That was good news, potentially offered fish to be pursued in the bay. A bunch of flounder, around 16, were weighed in Saturday for a tournament. But on Sunday fishing was unbelievably slow, and not even sharks or skates bit. Scott heard no good news about sea bass or tog catches on the ocean this week, though anglers fished for them. Either no weakfish swam the bay or anglers who caught them didn’t talk. None of the small fish or kingfish, blowfish, porgies and spots were around yet that normally create a fishery in the bay any day now. Millions of small, 3-inch sea bass packed the bay that arrive each year. Mixed reports were heard about crabbing, and some big ones scurried around, but maybe fewer of the blueclaws could be trapped than before. Fresh, shucked clams, bloodworms, minnows and green crabs are stocked.

<b>Absecon</b>

Back-bay fishing for summer flounder somewhat slowed, but catches were better on the ocean, like at the reefs, and at Absecon Inlet, said Curt from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Better-sized flounder were sometimes boated at the reefs and such, and sea bass also came from the reefs. Cocktail bluefish began to appear in the bay, because they fed on bait like peanut bunker and spots that became more abundant. Striped bass were hooked at night at the bridges on livelined eels and spots. A few stripers were beached from the surf on live eels and spots, especially eels, when water temperatures dipped to the 60s a number of times. Brigantine surf casters put the breaks on kingfish, and kings began to be hooked in the bay in chum slicks. Curt, a white perch angler, nabbed the fish well on the Mullica River. The perching was more difficult during incoming tides than outgoing where he fished downstream from the Parkway Bridge. The tide was probably less a factor upstream from the bridge, but he likes the downstream side, because the area gives a chance to catch other fish such as weakfish, big flounder and stripers. Not a lot of weaks were picked from the mouth of the river, but a few knowledgeable anglers landed a few. Slack tides in the early mornings were the times to find the trout. Big flounder can be attracted to the deep holes at the mouth. Sometimes when nobody catches flounder in Great Bay, large ones are taken at the holes in the mouth. A 25-pound drum was hauled from the mouth. Crabbing seemed good, and customers bought lots of bunker and traps for crabbing. Both large and small live spots are stocked, and so are eels, large minnows for only $5 a pint, shedder crabs, soft-shell crabs and a large supply of frozen baits.
 
<b>Brigantine</b>

Kingfish swam all over the surf, and fishing for them kept getting better, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Bloodworms became the better bait, because waters chilled. But waters started warming again, so Fishbites artificial worms began to work. The surf had been 78 degrees a couple of weeks ago and was now 68. A school of blues seemed to push through the surf for the first time this season. One angler said he saw birds working the waters over the fish. Another said he saw the fish, caught some kind of baitfish there, threw the baitfish back out on a hook, and landed a 19-inch striper and a blue. The angler said the fish looked like a blitz in the spring or fall. Andy never heard the size of the blues but assumed they were probably snappers. Lots of bait filled the waters all around, and spots schooled from the surf to the back bay. Sabiki rigs and bloodworms caught them. Summer flounder hugged the surf, and one angler checked in a 19-incher from the wash on Sunday. The ratio of keeper flounder seemed to improve in the bay. A customer weighed in a 6-1/2-pound flounder from the bay, and the trip totaled seven keepers among 24 of the flatties hooked. Surf anglers fought and released brown sharks in the surf at night. Sometimes they used kingfish heads for bait, and otherwise dunked baits like bunker or mackerel. Cownosed rays roamed the surf, and stingrays were moving in.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Anglers in the know rustled up a few keeper summer flounder from the back bay among legions of shorts, said Curt from <b>Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish also worked the inlets and started to be found toward the reefs. Experienced anglers also hung a few striped bass from the bay at night. Bluefish seemed to start showing up in the bay, according to some. Kingfish began to act up again in the surf, after they had become scarce a while. Once again, anglers who knew what they were doing landed some. Small blues or cocktails were trolled on the ocean like at the reefs. Flounder were the only fish that were heard about that were hooked on the bottom at the wrecks, and anglers said the flatbacks only bit right on the wrecks, not between them or in any open bottom around them. Offshore fishing for tuna slowed compared with before, and boaters had to “run right over top of them,” Curt said. No place held the tuna from day to day. If anglers hear about a catch one day, they shouldn’t return to the spot the next day expecting to catch. Curt heard about too many anglers doing that and failing. Trips still did all right on tuna, but some got skunked. A trip on the <b>Carly A</b>, the shop’s offshore charter boat, on Monday trolled two white marlin released and two large yellowfin tuna, two small yellowfins and a small mahi mahi kept, and had to earn the catch. The trip returned late in the day. Trips the past two weeks on the Carly A only found tuna among skipjacks seen breaking the surface. Apparently the skippies fed on whatever the tuna did. The northern canyons like the Lindenkohl and Carteret held the fish for boaters. Boaters who fished south like at the Wilmington and Spencer caught nothing. All the fish were trolled during the day, and Hudson Canyon was the only place Curt knew gave them up at night on bait. Wahoos could be found at usual haunts like the Cigar, and bluefin tuna were surely around on the inshore ocean, but nobody fished for them, everyone motoring past them to reach the canyons. However, green waters were abundant inshore, and as soon as boats hit the 40-fathom line on the way back from offshore, they met green. Anglers needed to find clear waters to catch.

<b>Margate</b>

Tons of summer flounder huddled in the back bay, said Capt. John from the party boat <b>Keeper</b>. Many were knuckled up on trips, and throwbacks far outnumbered keepers. A few blues were swung aboard, and John is waiting for schools of blues that should enter the bay to chase baitfish that build up this season. Ocean anglers began to see a few of the blues. John saw peanut bunker working waters around docks on Wednesday. When enough peanuts are seen to net them, he’ll catch them and keep them aboard for great flounder bait. Anglers on trips now fished with minnows supplied on the vessel or Gulps they brought themselves. Previously mackerel was also supplied, but the crew stops bringing mackerel once baby sea bass enter the bay that steal the bait. The sea bass were in! Lots of sea robins and some sharks bit. Many fish were around to catch. 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>

Bottom-fishing on the <b>Stray Cat</b> pumped in fair catches of sea bass and throwback summer flounder on the ocean, Capt. Mike said. Brown sharks were angled up and released when they began circling the boat. Matt the Mate tied on shark rigs on some rods, and the anglers had at them. Trips also trolled lots of small blues on the ocean during the week.  Two spaces are available on one of the season’s open-boat, overnight tuna trips that will leave at 2 p.m. Saturday, August 28. The two others are sold out on August 21 and 29. All the trips will also stop for sea bass in the mornings. These will be the only of these trips this year, unless the weather is clear in September. Then one more might be added. Rods will be available at no charge, and bait will be provided, and ice will be supplied for the tuna. Catch a special, low, discounted rate for charters for croakers and sea bass September 13 through 30 only. Sea bass trips will also fish offshore in September and October.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The migration of summer flounder to the ocean from the back bay began, said Capt. Craig from <b>Fish Tale Charters</b>. A trip on Wednesday on the ocean scored well on the fish, bagging four keepers 19 to 24 inches, letting go more than 30 throwbacks, 3 miles from shore, directly off Great Egg Harbor Inlet.  A trip that was forced to fish for the fluke on the bay today, because of forecasts for stormy weather, hooked a dozen shorts. That’s compared to 30, 50 or 60 fluke usually hooked on bay trips earlier. So the migration appeared under way. The ocean now was the place for the best chance at keepers, and the fishing was good, and that will be the focus on trips in the near future. Craig is waiting for croakers and weakfish to swim up to the local coast to fish for them, and his log book shows that the fish arrived August 18 last year. He heard about croakers and weaks caught at Cape May and Wildwood.

Lots of summer flounder, lots of throwbacks under 17 inches, blanketed the back bay, said Dan from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. The flounder population was like that mostly everywhere. Bigger flounder held at the ocean reefs but were tucked so tightly against the structure that anglers would need to spearfish them. Waters became too warm for catching most striped bass and bluefish. One angler caught stripers when west winds cooled waters to 60 degrees a moment. West winds blow warm waters off the surface, creating upwellings of cool waters from the bottom. The Cigar in the ocean was the only place Dan heard gave up blues, and he figured waters must’ve been cooler there. Tuna fishing was good at the northern canyons like from the Lindenkohl on up. The fish were trolled during the day but sometimes chunked at night. Some trips scored none at night, but others caught their fill, going home early. Swordfish were hauled in at night. White marlin were abundant catches during the day at the canyons, and anglers frequently saw 10 or 12 in a trip. Five blue marlin had already been caught in a local tournament that began this week.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

The surf harbored lots of kingfish and spots, said Wes from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. Bloodworms or artificial worms nabbed them, and croakers were sometimes yanked from the surf. Blues schooled through the wash at times, and summer flounder, sand sharks and skates swam the waters. Plenty of flounder held in the back bay, and a trip with Jersey Cape Guide Service, affiliated with the shop, hooked 40 including two keepers today. Flounder gathered at the inlets, and grass filled the waters today. Blues stormed the inlets one hour and were gone the next. A few striped bass were landed on the bay at night, but hardly anyone talked about them, and anglers seemed to infrequently target them in the middle of summer. On the ocean 2-pound blues could be trolled from 2 to 7 miles from shore. Somewhat larger blues 4 or 5 pounds might be able to be picked up in the area farther from shore in that stretch. Sea bass and tog hovered at the reefs, and so did flounder. Skates and sharks were plentiful there. Friends boated a bunch of cod and ling in 100 feet on the ocean. Fishing for brown and dusky sharks, catch and release by regulation, was great on the inshore ocean. Wes heard about no bonito or false albacore inshore, but mahi mahi might be able to be angled there. Good catches of tuna were trolled at the canyons, all on ballyhoos. White marlin swam abundant at the canyons, though less numerous than last year. A few blue marlin were wrenched in from the waters. Back in the back waters, crabbing was good.

Seven trips sailed in the past three days: two on Monday morning and afternoon, four from Tuesday morning until late that night, and one on Wednesday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. He captained Tuesday’s four trips from 7 a.m. until 3 a.m. The anglers aboard trips this week caught lots of fish, including 39 sharks, many summer flounder, 15 striped bass, six mahi mahi and various other fish like baby sea bass and such by-catch.  On Monday morning’s trip Tim Kita and family wrestled and released nine brown and dusky sharks, mostly duskies, the bigger species, to 60 pounds on the ocean. In the afternoon Rich Duffy and family whaled the best catch of the sharks so far this season on the boat. They released 30 browns and duskies, mostly duskies, to 70 pounds, including four over 50 pounds, on the ocean, missing only two that bit. The 70-pounder was probably the biggest on the boat so far this season. Shark trips like these sail only 5 to 10 miles from shore, mostly for browns and duskies, catch and release angling for those species by regulation, a chance for anglers to try blue-water angling for large fish that fight hard, without traveling the long distance usually needed for sharking. The next day, on Tuesday morning, Rich Duffy fished solo on a trip with Joe on the back bay, releasing two dozen throwback summer flounder, some of them close to keeper size. “Measurable,” Joe said. In the early afternoon, Paul Weaver and family let go 30 short fluke to 17 ½ inches, just under the 18-inch size limit, on the bay. They had a great time, Joe said. Later that afternoon, Bob Rhoda, Peter, Nick and Andrew tossed back 25 throwback fluke, some small sea bass and assorted other fish on the bay. Tons of flounder held in the bay, and many were shorts, but sometimes a keeper came up, and many of the shorts are sizeable in the current size limit. Joe has often been busy throughout the trips unhooking flounder to release them and re-baiting hooks non-stop, great action. That night, Tuesday night, Mike Roth and son Dan fly-rodded 15 striped bass to 27 inches on the bay on Clouser Minnows in chartreuse-and-white and pink-and-white. High tides occurred in the middle of the nights this week, perfect conditions for night trips for stripers. High tides at dusk and dawn are ideal conditions for catching stripers on the bay on popper lures and flies, another Jersey Cape specialty. On Wednesday Dustin and Don Laricks took a trip on board to the Cigar on the ocean, live-baiting six mahi mahi. Fly-fishing for them was tried, but the mahi refused flies, though they attacked the live bait “with reckless abandon,” Joe said. Waters were clear, blue and in the upper 70s at the Cigar, interesting because anglers complained about lots of green waters on the ocean lately. The ocean was green 15 miles from shore, Joe said. Jersey Cape will compete in this week’s Cape May Marlin and Tuna Club’s Ladies Day Tournament and in next week’s Mid Atlantic $500,000 tournament at Cape May’s South Jersey Marina. Good catches of tuna and white marlin and a few blue marlin were boated this week at Toms and Lindenkohl canyons, some of the northern canyons. Keep up with Joe’s fishing and photos on <a href=" http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Avalon</b>

An epic catch of marlin unfolded on a trip Tuesday just north of Carteret Canyon in 50 fathoms with <b>Over Under Adventures</b>, the report on the boat’s Web site said. At first, a couple of rat yellowfin tuna were let go, and a white marlin was jumped. Then a monster blue marlin attacked the trolling spread and was hooked! The estimated 700- to 800-pounder was fought 3 hours and released. Then white marlin went nuts! As many as six or seven were hooked at a time in the 14-rod spread. A bunch broke off as the lines crossed, but nine were landed and released, and more than 30 were seen in the 2 ½ hours of action. While some of the fish were fought, others swam behind the boat, waiting to eat. The whites tried to eat the baits hanging from the outriggers, and the captain said he’d probably never forget the day. The next morning, Wednesday morning, a trip returned to the area, and a couple of tuna bit right away, never coming tight. They seemed to be rats. Lots of small tuna then punched the spread, and five or six were released. Then tuna, both yellowfins and longfins, kept short-striking, missing the hooks. Two good-sized yellowfins were landed. Plenty of boats worked the area, and some picked a couple of tuna. By 10 a.m. the action stopped, and the trip began making its way home. The trip had been trying for marlin, trolling small baits and ballyhoos. One white marlin was seen at 7 a.m., and not another was seen afterward on the trip. Another trip fished north of Wilmington Canyon on Monday, because decent catches of mahi mahi, billfish and longfin tuna were made there previously. Life including whales and porpoises filled the waters, and the area looked promising. But not one tuna bit all day on the boat, and the fishing sounded slow for everyone. One mahi was caught on the trip. The trip worked north to Spencer Canyon throughout the day. Charters and   <a href=" http://overundercharters.com/index.php?page=opendates" target="_blank">open-boat trips</a> are fishing offshore.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Anglers plugged away at summer flounder and sea bass at the reefs in the ocean on the party boat <b>Adventurer</b>, Capt. Gary said. Not a lot of keeper flounder were culled among shorts, but some of the keepers were sizeable, and 6- to 6-1/2-pounders were always the pool winners. The sea bass fishing was surprisingly good, considering the warm waters. Canyon waters – clean, blue and beautiful – slipped into the Cape May Reef area, and a few mahi mahi were actually drilled on the boat there. Flying fish and other life normally seen at the clean waters at the canyons farther offshore was seen. Trips are sailing for blues on Saturday nights, and the trip this past Saturday first bottom fished, clocking a fairly good catch of sea bass on the drift before dark. In the dark the boat was anchored, and a few blues were dusted. The Adventurer is fishing 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and 6 p.m. to 12 midnight on Saturdays.

Lots of summer flounder filled the back bay, surprising to see so many this late in the season, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>.  Eventually the flounder will migrate to the ocean, and normally are already making the move, but not this year. Few of the fish were keepers, but the rental boaters were catching and happy, and so long as they are, Mike’s happy! he said. He heard about a few small sea bass landed, but customers might’ve infrequently reported sea bass they hooked, because the fish are babies that enter the bay each summer. They rarely reach the 12-1/2-inch keeper size, and are usually a max of 8 or 9 inches. Mike heard about occasional bluefish landed but saw none. Crabbing was good, was picking back up after the shed around the weekend’s new moon, seemed on course to rebound fine. Been a good season for the blueclaws, and plenty were good-sized. Crabs often, but not always, shed around the full and new moons, and stop feeding then. But not all crabs shed at once, and some can always be caught. Boat rentals were busy, and customers should reserve the vessels ahead of time to ensure a rental this time of year. Customers can call to find out the best time to head out on the vessel, according to the tide. Canal Side rents canopy boats and kayaks for fishing, crabbing and sightseeing. Baits stocked include minnows and frozen squid strips, whole squid, spearing, mackerel fillets, mullet, clam strips and packaged clams. Live crabs for eating are carried, and currently No. 2’s are $12 for the first dozen and $10 for each additional dozen. No. 1’s are $20 for the first dozen and $18 for each additional dozen. Crabs are sold according to market prices that can change.

<b>Cape May</b>

Summer flounder were rounded up from Cape May Harbor and Cape May Inlet, said Dan from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Fishing for them began to pick up at the Cape May Rips, and boaters at Cape May Reef scored well on the flatfish. In Delaware Bay the fluke were lifted aboard at the 9 and 10 buoys and Brandywine Light. Croakers, decent catches, were banked from shore along Delaware Bay at the ferry jetty, Higbee’s Beach and the Concrete Ship. Little was heard about kingfish that previously came from the surf on the ocean. Dan heard nothing about small blues that were previously trolled 10 miles from shore. But the fish might still be out there.

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