<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Some healthy-sized fluke and beautiful sea bass were rounded up from the ocean from Monday to Wednesday on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron said in an e-mail. On Wednesday’s trip a good drift that covered ground made the fishing turn on. Anglers scored action all around the boat, and John Froelich won the pool with a 6-1/2-pound fluke, and was high hook with five keepers and some sea bass. Mitch Jevic just missed the pool with a fluke that weighed an ounce less than 6 ½ . “The 17-1/2-inchers are now very fat,” Ron said, and seeing them have to be released was painful. 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. However, Friday morning’s trip is chartered.

On the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> some of the better fluke fishing this season was pounded on Tuesday, Capt. Tom said. Shorts gave up great action, and a few more keepers than before were bagged. But on Wednesday on the boat fluking turned tough for no apparent reason. The fish, including shorts, were reluctant to bite at the same spots. A couple of new areas were tried, places like along Chapel Hill Channel that were infrequently fished this season, and the flatties remained reluctant to feed. Flynn’s Knoll, Reach Channel and the waters near the 1 can toward Sandy Hook Point were some of the other spots fished. On Monday’s twice-daily trips some customers bagged two or three keepers, and some landed none, but all at least caught shorts, and that was about how trips normally fared lately. Many fluke filled the waters. On one of Tuesday’s trips, a 4-pound fluke was the pool winner, and on one of Wednesday’s, a 3- or 3-1/2-pounder was the winner. That was about how much pool fish weighed on trips. Green Gulps were the hot bait on Tuesday. No customers might’ve fished with the Gulps on Wednesday, and different crowds sometimes fish with different baits. But when the Green Gulps worked best, that was the day with some of the season’s better fluking. The weather was beautiful on trips, sometimes overcast, but with no real rains. A little rain fell at the end of Wednesday’s trip, but not enough to turn the windshield wipers on. Tuesday was humid and warm. 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.

Fluke turned on during certain days and refused to bite on others, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Bottom-fishers tugged in lots of sea bass, mixing in blackfishing, culling through small ones to limit out on one big one per angler. Porgies swarmed all over the bottom structure. Plenty of bluefish were jigged, and a few striped bass were managed, despite warm waters. Surf casters clammed the bass, mostly in the early mornings. One of the party boats clammed stripers in the evenings. Crabbing was probably better than Jimmy ever saw, and crabbing supplies could hardly be kept stocked.

<b>Highlands</b>

Fishing for fluke with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b> began to bounce back after the weekend’s winds and stormy weather, Capt. Derek said. Trips stayed docked during the weekend because of the conditions, but afterward resumed fluking at the channels and ocean rough bottom and lumps with bucktails and big strip baits. Bottom fishing also began to rebound after the weather for sea bass, blackfish, ling and such. Charters are sailing, and open-boat trips will run for sea bass and fluke Friday and Sunday mornings. An open trip for bluefish will sail Friday afternoon, and bluefishing was going well. Anglers can call Derek to be kept informed about the open schedule. A friend fished for bluefin tuna Tuesday in rough, 6- to 8-foot seas. Waters were dirty and green all over until beyond 60 miles from shore. Then the ocean cleared, and the trip went 1 for 4 on bluefin tuna on jigs and 0 for 2 on yellowfin tuna on bait. He found the fish but said the fishing was off. Fishers Price is fishing for bluefins on charters and open trips so long as the angling is productive. 

Don Miller docked an 8-pound 26-inch fluke, heaving aboard the fish on the ocean ½ mile south of Sandy Hook Point, on David James from the marina’s boat, said Wayne from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>. The flatfish engulfed a spearing and squid combo, and Wayne on a fluke trip bagged a 19-inch keeper, just inside the bay, past the Hook, and let go probably 20 keepers. Wayne all season said 1 in 20 was the fluke keeper ratio from the ocean to the bays to the rivers, so his catch was consistent with that. Fluke should begin migrating out of the rivers, maybe by the end of the month. Wayne saw a school of small mullet on Tuesday for the first time this year, and the baitfish were right on schedule, usually appearing around now each year. Blues swam the local area, weren’t abundant, but were caught. Nobody from the marina apparently fished for striped bass, and waters were warm for the angling. If any stripers will be caught, night will be the likely time. Crabbing was good on the back waters. One of the charter boats from the marina ran offshore, landed a couple of small yellowfin tuna someplace south of Hudson Canyon, and picked up a wahoo at the Hudson when giving the waters a try on the way home. 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>

A smathering of keeper fluke, an average of one per angler, were picked among lots of action with shorts on the weekly, individual-reservation trip for the summer flounder Wednesday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> on the ocean, Capt. Ralph said. Some big sea bass were also toggled in. The only openings that remain on individual-reservation trips for fluke are on Wednesday, September 1, and on Sunday, September 5, before fluke season closes on Tuesday, September 7. Openings are available on a canyon tuna trip that day. An individual-reservation trip to the offshore wrecks became full this coming Tuesday, and the last trips loaded up on cod, pollock and ling. Charters are available for all of this fishing.

<b>Belmar</b>

A couple of bluefish trips sailed on the ocean this week on the <b>Nan Sea J</b>, mostly at the Shrewsbury Rocks, and one slammed a very good catch, and the other just a good catch, Capt. Tom said. The blues were all big or 10 to 15 pounds. Jigs hooked them well the first day, and bait worked better the second. A sea bass trip during the week made off with a fairly good catch of the lumpheads to 2 pounds, none big, and a few porgies. Tom heard nothing about bluefin tuna, probably because of seas offshore, but the boat is sailing for bluefins on charters and open-boat trips. Call for the open schedule. The season’s first overnight charter for tuna is scheduled to fish next week at the canyons farther offshore.

Ocean fluke fishing began to improve this week after the rough weather through last weekend, said Capt. Chris from the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>. The angling was tough Saturday and Sunday. Up to 8-1/2-pounders, none huge, were boxed this week, and so were a fair number of sea bass. Anglers aboard fished with bucktails or big strips of squid or often used artificials like Gulps. The Big Mohawk is fishing for fluke 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Sea bass and porgies will be targeted when fluke season closes.

Anglers on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> wrestled big bluefish 8 to 15 pounds on both daytime and nighttime trips on the ocean, Capt. Alan said. The slow fishing that the spawn had apparently caused, like it does every year, seemed finished. Jigs and bait bailed the catches on the daytime trips, and bait waxed them at night. On the party boat <b>Tropical Adventure</b>, Alan’s other vessel, fluke gave up good action. Lots of keepers were bagged on this morning’s trip, he said at 11 a.m. today, when he gave this report over the phone. 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 schedule should be set by the holiday, and will be posted on the boat’s Web site. The Tropical Adventure is fluke fishing twice daily 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Many fluke crammed waters from Shark River to the ocean, and many were throwbacks, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. The keeper ratio probably wasn’t a whole lot better on the ocean. Good fishing for snapper blues was socked on the river, and nothing was heard about porgy fishing on the river, though porgies were caught there earlier this season. Dedicated surf anglers beached striped bass in the early mornings or in the dark, and all who Bob knew fly fished for them. No false albacore showed in the surf, but they should be in, and could arrive any time. Waters were probably a little warm. No kingfish and no croakers swam the surf. Bluefishing became good on the ocean on boats, after the angling had been slow, supposedly because of spawning. Bottom fishers on the ocean swung aboard plenty of sea bass and blackfish. Fishing stayed about the same as last week but will begin to change soon, as the season changes. More stripers will begin to appear, and more anglers will fish for stripers, and maybe false albacore will run the surf, and so on.

<b>Brielle</b>

On a trip on the ocean with six anglers on Tuesday, Capt. Jerry from <b>Fish Monger Charters</b> hoped the east winds the previous days “would shake some more life into the fluke fishing,” he said in an e-mail. The boat limited out, the best catch of the flatties this season so far. “Numbers and size!” he said. A 9-pound 4-ouncer was the biggest, and the catch included an 8-pound 2-ouncer, two that topped 7 and 6 pounds, one over 5 pounds and six over 4 pounds. “Even I got to catch a couple,” Jerry said. The high hook landed 11 keepers, including the 8-pounder, keeping only his limit. He limited out by 10 a.m. Waters where Fish Monger’s been fluking were cleaner after the blow, and Jerry was happy to read lots of bait. There was a swell, but fluke, keepers and shorts, bit right away on the trip. A couple of keepers per drift were bagged. Then the big ones began to chew: Multiple flatties 5 to 8 pounds were creamed on a couple of drifts. Action somewhat slowed, though the anglers kept picking the fish, including good-sized keepers. South winds came on during the afternoon, and action picked up again, and the group topped off the boat’s limit, including with big fish. “Great day on the water!” Jerry said. “Lots of fun!” <b>***Update, Friday, 8/20***:</b> A fluke trip Thursday was the best by far this season, and the six anglers limited out, and released 14 more keepers, in addition to a load of shorts. “Hope it keeps up!” Capt. Jerry said. On Wednesday a trip with Capt. Birch from Fishguts Charters from Seaside Park and crew bagged 16 keeper fluke, a healthy number of keeper sea bass, a keeper cod and a jumbo blue. “The guys fished hard for a nice nixed bag,” Jerry said. “Nice day on the water with a great crew.”

<b>Point Pleasant</b>

Ocean fluke fishing was good Tuesday and early Wednesday morning for the fleet, slowing later in the day Wednesday, said Capt. Allen from <b>Reel Class Charters</b>. He ran a trip that left late at 8 a.m. Wednesday, and had limited time to fish. The boat was motored north to the bite on the ocean, and the tail end of the day’s best fluking was happening on arrival. But the anglers aboard managed some keepers to 4 pounds and a bunch of shorts. A good catch of sea bass was coolered. They tried porgy fishing, targeting rocks close to shore, but porgies weren’t biting. The day’s catch ended up not horrible but not as good as Allen would hope. A trip Monday was weathered out, and no trip was booked Tuesday. A little space is available on weekdays next week for open-boat trips and charters for fluke. Weekends are booked. Fluke season is coming to an end soon. The time was early to think about fall, but Allen started getting lots of calls about fall trips already. Dates are beginning to book for fall fishing for striped bass, sea bass, porgies and blackfish. Trips, including open boat, will sail for bonito and false albacore this month and in September if the fish show up. Any fish like that currently swam 40 or 50 miles from shore at the closest, though usually they swim right into the beach starting around now.

Good fishing -- no big numbers, but some good-sized fish -- was plowed on fluke trips on the ocean on the party boat <b>Gambler</b> the past couple of days, Capt. Bob said. Sizeable sea bass also came up. Tom Shuma, Scranton, Pa., won one of the pools with a 7-pound 9-ounce fluke on Tuesday’s trips. Jim Rae, also from Scranton, won the pool on Wednesday morning’s trip with a 6-pound 4-ounce fluke, also bagging a 2-pound fluke and five sea bass. Only one of the boat’s ling trips, fishing at night twice weekly, sailed this week. Sunday’s trip got out, and not enough anglers showed up for Monday’s trip to sail, and the night was somewhat rainy. But Sunday’s ling fishing went fairly well, despite a strong currents that bellied the fishing lines, sometimes causing fish to be gone before the hook could be set. But big ling were clobbered, and no cod showed up this time. The outlook for this weekend’s nighttime bluefish trips seemed promising, because bluefish catches picked up on at least daytime trips on other boats. So Bob looked forward to the trips. Fluke trips are sailing twice daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Bluefish trips are running 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Trips for ling, sea bass, cod and squid are fishing 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sundays and Mondays. <a href=" http://www.gamblerfishing.net/offshoretrips.html
" target="_blank">Canyon tuna trips</a> will begin in mid September and are beginning to be booked.

<b>Toms River</b>

Oyster Creek and Double Creek Channels on Barnegat Bay were loaded with fluke, not many keepers, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Killies with squid hooked them, and Gulps worked well. Blues ½ pound to 1 pound cruised Barnegat Inlet, attracted to lots of spearing there. A few more fluke than before, and a few more keepers, held at the Tires in the ocean. Sea bass fishing picked up a little there. A few 5-pound fluke were hung from the ocean in 40 feet off the Island Beach State Park bathing beach. Fish with smelts with squid or spearing with squid. Blowfish, not the largest population of them yet, could be boated on the bay, and somewhat east of the BI marker, out of the wakes and boat traffic, was a best spot. A few croakers and spots also held there. Anchor and chum with clam, fishing with bits of clam or worms. The season was somewhat early for blowfishing, and the angling should get better. The only kingfish that seemed around were found in the Long Beach Island surf, arriving a week ago. Spanish mackerel, bonito and false albacore, good catches, were trolled at Barnegat Ridge on Clark spoons or small feathers. Some anglers caught fluke at the ridge, but most boaters trolled there. Snapper blues averaging 5 or 6 inches gave up terrific catches on the Toms River on spearing on Snapper Zappers. Fantastic catches of crabs were snatched from the river at Island Heights on bunker.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Fluke gathered in Barnegat Bay toward Barnegat Inlet, and blowfish hovered in the bay from the BB marker to the 40 marker, said Scott from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Anglers might put together a catch of 12 or 20 blowfish if they work hard and chum for them. A mess of snapper blues schooled around the docks at the shop, good fishing for them. Crabbing was good – “I wouldn’t say great,” Scott said – along the docks and for the shop’s rental boaters. In the surf lots of keeper fluke started to be beached, and brown sharks, not a lot, but some, were muscled from the wash at night. Blackfish were snatched from along the Barnegat Inlet jetty. Cocktail blues chased spearing in the surf the other day at Island Beach State Park. Scott heard about no croakers in the surf or the local ocean so far, but heard about the hardheads beginning to move up the coast farther south, as far as Atlantic City or so. Lots of sea bass were boated on the ocean, and blackfish and a few porgies were also angled up from the wrecks. False albacore and bonito were a no-show in waters close to shore so far this season, though normally they’d be around already. 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 season’s first big blackfish, a 9-3/4-pound 26-incher, was smoked Tuesday with <b>Fishguts Inshore Charters</b>, after a few large ones were nearly landed on the boat recently, Capt. Rob “Birch” Birchmeier said in the report on the Fishguts Web site. The day was the first in a week that promised pleasant weather and calm seas when the two anglers aboard headed out for wreck fishing on the ocean. A good showing of keeper sea bass proved to move into the inshore waters on the trip because of the previous blow. The anglers first plugged away at a mix of big sea bass, just-legal-sized ones and shorts. A few ling and porgies were thrown in. They ended up with a healthy catch of keeper sea bass to 3.6 pounds, four ling, a porgy and a 19-inch keeper fluke in the box. With the cooler full, they switched to blackfishing on a short stop. Sizeable blackfish turned out great action, so good that Birch had to get in on the fishing. “Big fish in warm weather is about a dream come true for a bottom fisherman,” he said. Respectable, 6-pound tog were landed, and some real jumbos were lost, but the 9-3/4-pounder was clocked. “Plenty of fun … and fillets …” on this trip, Birch said. On Wednesday, Birch joined a trip on the Fish Monger from Point Pleasant. Sixteen keeper fluke, a good pick, and plenty of shorts were reeled up from the rough bottom off Sandy Hook. Plenty of sea bass were added to the catch at the end. The crew was great, Birch said, and he really recommends the boat for autumn fishing for sea bass, blackfish and striped bass.

<b>Forked River</b>

Barnegat Bay harbored fluke, lots of shorts, at spots including the BI, BB and 40 markers, Double Creek Channel and Meyers Hole, said Dave from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Ocean boaters claimed the fish, many throwbacks, a couple of keepers, at places like the Tires. The fishing seemed okay in the ocean off the Island Beach State Park bathing beach. Blowfishing improved a lot toward the 40 in the bay. A couple of kingfish, not many, swam the bay at such areas. Scattered blues occasionally popped up in the bay. A few striped bass, nothing crazy, began to be reported caught along the sod banks of the bay. Dave heard a little talk about weakfish found in the lagoons. News from Barnegat Ridge in the ocean was scarce. Customers headed there, but none talked about catches

<b>Surf City</b>

Lots of small fluke swam the surf, bay, ocean, everywhere, said Bob from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. Fifty might have to be hooked to catch a keeper. The surf seas pretty much flattened by now, after rough seas from the easterly winds previously. Bob heard about no kingfish or other fish, including blues, in the surf. The only blues he heard about were blues schooling at Barnegat Ridge. No bonito or false albacore seemed to hold at the ridge.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

With the weekend’s strong winds and other weather this week like storms, anglers had little opportunity to fish, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Fishing for blowfish, porgies, sea bass, kingfish and spots in the bay was the one promising type of angling. The fishery develops each year, and was beginning, only just beginning, right on time, traditionally kicking off during the second week of August. A boat currently might pick up three blowfish, or five spots, and a zillion baby, undersized sea bass. Nobody was going home with a catch for a big fish fry. But the fishing was a “worthy change of pace,” Scott said. Boaters anchor and chum for the fish, dunking baits like clam or bloodworms. Summer flounder fishing had been best at Little Egg Inlet before all the weather. Waters became cold toward the end of last week, and a few keeper fluke were boated in the bay, including at the 134 marker and along the Intracoastal Waterway behind Long Beach Island toward the inlet. That was a slight resurgence in catches in the bay after the bay fishing had dried up previously. The fish had seemed to move to the inlet when waters warmed and retreat back to the bay when waters cooled. Where they were located now was unknown, because little effort was made to fish for them since the weather. Nobody mentioned trying for brown sharks, fish that must be released by law, that live in the bay this time of year. But fishing for them was previously good and likely still is. Anglers usually fish for them from dusk to mostly dark for a strong fight from a big fish without the long trip offshore usually required for sharking. The shop sells a special bay shark rig and a chum ball perfect for the angling, and knows about the fishing. Anglers with big boats probably could have fished for sea bass and tog on the ocean, but no customers reported trying. Nobody talked about white perch fishing on the brackish rivers in the last days. Crabbing somewhat tapered off but still produced, and big blueclaws were around. Fresh, shucked clams and bloodworms, an extra supply of both ordered for the kingfish and other small fish mentioned above, are stocked. Minnows and green crabs are on hand.

<b>Absecon</b>

The reefs and other fish-holding spots in the ocean put up summer flounder, and the fish also came from the back bay, but not many were keepers there, said Curt from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Seas bass were sometimes taken from the reefs, and anglers could limit out on blackfish at the ocean structure with no problem. Lots of spots and small blues filled the creeks, and sometimes the snapper blues to 1 or 2 pounds schooled the bay. Striped bass were plucked at the bridges or along the sod banks at night on artificials or live bait. The fishing is best when the tide begins to ebb and when it begins to pick back up. The fish don’t really feed during the strong currents on mid tides, and instead hunker against the structure then. Fishing during such slower tides at 8, 9 or 10 p.m. is ideal. Sometimes stripers were beached from the surf at night. Kingfish, spots and small flounder were pulled from the suds. No weakfish were really around in the bay or back waters, though Curt hooked a 12-incher in the Mullica River. Curt, a white perch angler, on the river piled up a mess of bigger ones on one trip and not so many large ones, but still lots of the fish, on a trip today. Crabbing was good. Live spots in two sizes, large and small, are stocked, and so are big minnows for only $5 per pint. Shedder crabs and soft-shelled crabs are carried, but no green crabs are, because demand is low until the tog bag limit is increased later in the year. In the meantime, anglers use the shedders for tog.  Eels and the full supply of frozen baits are stocked.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Kingfish and spots swam all over the surf, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Bloodworms worked better than Fishbites worms for the kings. Croakers began to move in for boats in 40 feet off the coast, and occasional croakers showed up in the surf. Fishing’s been strong, Andy said. Summer flounder fishing was about the same as before in waters from the back bay to the inlet to the ocean: many throwbacks were around, and a keeper was bagged on occasion.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Summer flounder staged at Absecon Inlet a little more than before, said Curt from <b>Offshore Enterprises Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish were making the annual push to the ocean for the season, and catches of the flatties at the ocean wrecks went lots better now. Blues invaded the inlets and back bay, and they weren’t a bad size. Curt was unsure about the exact size, but when customers held out their hands, 20 inches seemed the size. Experienced anglers cranked in striped bass from the back bay at night on plugs and live bait at places like the bridges. The fish are always there, but the angling takes know-how. The only way to learn is to get out there. Kingfish bit in the surf, and bloodworm sales went through the roof for bait, and that had to mean kingfishing was good. Tons of spots filled the surf. Occasionally blues might pass through the wash. On the ocean a buddy boated either false albacore or bonito at the Cigar, and found no other fish there. Farther from shore, tuna fishing was okay, and the fish held closer to the coast than before. They were found in 30 to 40 fathoms, and previously were located in 40 to 50. Anglers who sailed all the way offshore to the canyons found none of the fish but came across them on the way home. Customers from the shop mainly fish at Lindenkohl and Carteret Canyons, so the waters between there and Atlantic City were where they found the tuna. Some belted yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, white marlin and blue marlin all in one trip in the area, like in 200-foot depths. The fish were sometimes big, like a 77-inch bluefin one customer landed. Offshore catches were all made during the day on the troll, and none was made at night on the chunk. Except mahi mahi could be caught at night as well as during the day. The <b>Carly A</b>, the shop’s offshore charter boat, was scoring well, running quite a few trips.

<b>Margate</b>

Fishing for summer flounder was improving on the ocean, and a decent catch of the flatties to 27 inches was barreled up on a trip Tuesday at the ocean wrecks with <b>O-Beth Sportfishing Charters</b>, Capt. Eric said. One space is available on a flounder trip Friday, if anyone wants to fish for them. Only about two weeks are left in flounder season. A tuna trip is slated for Monday, and nothing much was heard about the fishing in the past days, but tuna are out there. Trips with O-Beth were weathered out during the weekend.

A few more keeper summer flounder than before, and slightly fewer throwbacks, held in the back bay, said Capt. John from the party boat <b>Keeper</b>. The fishing was alright, wasn’t bad, and the flatties hugged bottom from the inlets to the back of the bay. Schools of baitfish began to be seen a little, and a few bluefish sometimes chased them. Maybe more bait and blues would begin to be seen soon, like usually happens this time of year. No mullet were yet seen along the banks of the back of the bay that normally begin to pop up, and John would think they should appear in a week or so. Quite a few peanut bunker schooled the bay, but not around the docks so far. When enough show up at the docks, John nets them to keep in the boat’s livewell for flounder bait. Patrons currently caught the fluke on minnows supplied on the boat and Gulps they brought themselves.   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>

Plenty of snapper blues were trolled on the ocean on the <b>Stray Cat</b> in the past days, and sea bass fishing was productive Monday on the boat but slower on Tuesday, Capt. Mike said. No porgies were around, unusual for the time of year. Croakers and small weakfish schooled in 30 feet off the Ocean City pier, and on Sunday a trip on the vessel ran into them for the first time this season, farther from shore, 3 miles out, covered in the last report. Spaces are now full on upcoming open-boat tuna trips mentioned in previous reports. 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>

A couple of keeper flounder, lots of throwbacks and some keeper sea bass, including large lumpheads 16 and 17 inches, were bucketed on a trip on the ocean today with <b>Fish Tale Charters</b>, Capt. Craig said. The fishing wasn’t fantastic, but catches were made, and the anglers were happy, and he was happy, he said. Small flounder bit wherever the trip fished. A couple of bluefish, 1-1/2- or 2-pounders, were lost at the boat, and Curt heard anglers on the radio talk about big catches of blues. A bunch must’ve been around at some areas. He heard only rumors about croakers caught, but knew two anglers who located croakers and small weakfish on the ocean before the weekend. Craig made a stop at marks that looked like croakers near the beaches on the trip, but nothing bit. But he hopes croakers will be around to catch.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Croakers schooled off the inlet in 10 or 15 feet to 35 feet, said Wes from <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>. A few weakfish might’ve been mixed in, but mostly croakers were found. One report rolled in about summer flounder fishing at O.C. Reef. A customer, a good angler, at the reef bagged a 5-1/2-pound flounder and a 4-1/2-pounder. He fishes with big strips of salted mackerel he prepares himself. Lots of flounder, mostly throwbacks, swam the back bay. No keepers were weighed in from the bay in a while, but Jersey Cape Guide Service, affiliated with the shop, scored lots of action with the fluke. Maybe 40 of the flatties and a keeper or maybe two would come up. A customer who fished at the inlet every Saturday and Sunday grabbed a bite from some fish or another on nearly every minnow in the pint he bought for each trip. That’s 50 minnows, and he fished them weightless. Maybe a throwback flounder would pounce on the bait, or maybe blues would come through and attack, or maybe the angler would reel up the line, finding the baitfish bitten in half. Kingfish and spots were beached from the surf on bloodworms. Small blues could be trolled on the ocean 3 to 15 miles from shore. Lots of brown and dusky sharks, catch and release angling by regulation, roamed the ocean 8 or 10 miles from shore. A couple of scattered reports were heard about fish like bonito or false albacore located on the inshore ocean. Newspaper reports said good catches of tuna and marlin were claimed in this week’s Mid Atlantic $500,000 tournament from Cape May, currently being held. Customers talked about similar catches and about plenty of mahi mahi in the waters. Crabbing was great.

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Gibson’s Tackle</b>, competed in Cape May’s Mid Atlantic $500,000 offshore tournament this week, he said. The competition was still taking place, and so far he had fished on two of three days entrants could choose. On Monday a trip went 0 for 1 on white marlin, 0 for 1 on blue marlin and landed six gaffer mahi mahi. On Wednesday a trip went 1 for 2 on whites. Joe was asked no details about location, water temps or anything while the tournament was ongoing. A charter on Tuesday fished for brown and dusky sharks, catch and release angling by regulation, on the ocean, going 1 for 2 on the fish. That was an usually slow catch, and the fishing’s been gangbusters on previous trips. Any reason the fishing was slower? he was asked. Other than the fact that the angler tossed a banana peel in the chum slick?! Joe asked in reply. Bananas are traditionally considered bad luck on fishing trips. Not to be superstitious, Joe said, but when the only thing different on the trip was the banana peel … he said. Ha. Two trips last week caught and released 43 of the sharks in one day, with no bananas aboard. The shark fishing, located 8 to 10 miles from shore, is a chance to try blue-water angling for big, powerful fish without the traveling time usually needed for sharking. Jersey Cape is also fishing for summer flounder on the back bay. Charters are also sailing for striped bass on the bay at night and during the day. At night the trips fish with soft-plastic lures or Clouser flies on high tides at place like under the lights at the bridges and docks. During the day they fish with popper lures and flies on the shallow flats on high tides coinciding with dusk or dawn. 

<b>Avalon</b>

With <b>Over Under Adventures</b> a trip sailed to lumps inshore of Lindenkohl Canyon in 220 feet, about 35 fathoms, at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, the audio report on Over Under’s Web site said. The area gave up yellowfin tuna on the past three trips for Over Under, and did again this time. The trip arrived at the grounds and began trolling at 10:30 a.m., and started picking the tuna right away. Apparently the fishing turned on earlier at 7 to 9 a.m., slowed and came back on by the time Over Under arrived. Eleven good-sized yellowfins to 50 pounds were boated by the end of the trip. The anglers had to pick through shorts and barely legal ones, probably 15 of them released. Bait filled the waters everywhere, and birds worked the bait, and the fishing was great. Mostly singles bit. The anglers tried chunking starting at 6:30 p.m. One yellowfin was landed at 8 p.m., and the trip decided to give chunking until 10 p.m., and see what happens. Chunking failed to hook more tuna, and the trip headed home. A great day of fishing. A short trip, scheduled for 14 hours, ending up 11 hours, fished Tuesday at the same lumps, rounding up great fishing for yellowfin tuna again. The anglers went 8 for 13 on the tuna on the troll in a mile-long stretch of waters. Five of the fish kept weighed 50 to 70 pounds, and three weighed 25 pounds. The boat began fishing at 8:30 a.m., and mostly singles, a couple of doubles, bit. Not much life was seen, and only a little life including a few whales was spotted, but obviously the tuna were there. Happy with the catch, the trip headed home at 12:30 p.m. Charters and   <a href=" http://overundercharters.com/index.php?page=opendates" target="_blank">open-boat trips</a> are fishing offshore.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Mostly summer flounder, but also sea bass, were decked on the party boat <b>Adventurer</b>, Capt. Gary said. Most trips fished at the ocean reefs, but winds blew too strongly on the ocean Tuesday. So the boat was tucked into Delaware Bay, out of the winds, and patrons clocked croakers that day. Croakers were also nabbed on a charter on the ocean Sunday night. Chumming for small blues that were around was tried on that trip, but croakers invaded the slick, and the anglers took advantage. Small schools of croakers began to migrate up the ocean beach front. A full-fledged migration was yet to begin like would normally be here by now, but more and more of the hardheads began to show up. Open-boat trips are also bluefishing on Saturday nights, but last Saturday’s trip was weathered out. Still, if croakers keep invading the bluefish chum slick, anglers might take advantage of them. The Adventurer is fishing 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and 6 p.m. to 12 midnight on Saturdays.

Nothing changed about fishing since the last report, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. In the last report he said summer flounder filled the bay, and he was surprised to see so many this late in the season, because normally the fish would’ve begun to move to the ocean. Most of the flatties were throwbacks, but the rental boaters were catching and happy. The crabbing season’s been good this year, and plenty of the blueclaws were large. Boat rentals were busy, and customers should reserve the vessels ahead of time to ensure a rental. Customers can call to find out the best time to head out on the boat, 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>

Catches of small blues off Cape May Point seemed to be building back up this week after the weekend’s rough weather, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. The fishing on the boat became best around the tops of the tides, but gave up the fish on all tides previously. A friend who fished for similar-sized blues 8 to 10 miles from shore found the fishing had slowed Sunday after the weather, but made a good catch on Tuesday. Croakers swam off Cape May Point and in Delaware Bay, and a charter might sail for them Sunday. Summer flounder, mostly throwbacks, held off the point. A tuna trip might run offshsore on the boat Saturday, and decent catches of yellowfin tuna, some wahoos and a healthy population of mahi mahi roamed the area. Charters are available for all of this fishing, and call if interested.

Somewhat better reports than before came in about summer flounder catches from the Old Grounds and Reef 11, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Flounder fishing began to pick up at the ocean reefs, though not a lot of the fish were keepers. Catching a keeper took work, but when a keeper was grabbed, the fish was usually big, like 23 or 24 inches. Mostly small flounder hung in the back bay, along the Intracoastal Waterway and off Cape May Point. Croaker fishing was good off the point, and surf anglers banked croakers from the point to the Concrete Ship to the jetty near the Cape May Ferry. Bloodworms were the preferred bait. The hardheads could be located by boat farther out in Delaware Bay. A few spike weakfish, not many, were around. Small weakfish were abundant, and that seemed promising for the future. Anglers might’ve hooked a few weaks at night under the lights of the back bay. But the one-weakfish bag limit cuts down on participation, makes news scarce. Small bluefish schooled anywhere from off Cape May Point to 4-Fathom Bank. Tuna fishing seemed to go well on the troll offshore.
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