<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fluke were caught every day on trips Thursday through Saturday on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. Friday and Saturday were windy, but fluke were hooked. Sometimes the vessel fished down the beach, when conditions prevented fishing at the channels. The catch on Sunday morning’s trip was probably best among all those days. On one long drift at Sandy Hook Channel, anglers picked away at fluke, including a fair number of keepers, until the drift became too fast. Fluking fell apart on Sunday afternoon’s trip, at the channels. The fish just wouldn’t bite. “Simple as that,” Tom said. The trip also fished down the beach a little, but winds pushed the drift too fast. Crowds were light, but trips sailed every day. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke twice daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. <b>***Update, Monday, 9/17:***</b> Weather is forecast to be rough or stormy then windy Tuesday and Wednesday, so trips aren’t expected to sail those days, Tom said. Anglers can call the boat Wednesday to ask whether Thursday’s trips look like they’ll fish. Fluking aboard today was decent, not super, but okay. Donata Lombardi and Tire John each fished both of today’s trips, limiting out on five apiece for the day. In other words, they each caught some keepers on both trips, totaling a limit of five apiece for the day.  <b>***Update, Wednesday, 9/19:***</b> Trips aboard will resume Thursday, after being weathered out Tuesday and today, Tom said. Forecasts look improved.

On the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> trips the past two days searched for bigger fluke, “and yes, we found several,” Capt. Ron said in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Capt. Ron Sr. axed an 8-pounder, and Art Berkman won the pool with a 7-pound 3-ouncer, on today’s trip. Several fluke weighed 4 to 7 pounds on today’s and Sunday’s trips, and smaller fluke gave up action. “Not the hot action of the past two weeks, but we went for quality, not quantity,” Ron said. The trips did lots of searching for the big fluke. The Fisherman is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. However, weather looks rough for Tuesday, so no trip might sail that day, and the boat is chartered Wednesday, so no open-boat trip will run then.

<b>Neptune</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 9/20:***</b> Fluke fishing was good Saturday on the ocean with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said in an e-mail. An 11-year-old on the trip, his first-ever for fluke, grabbed five keepers and was high hook. The flatfish hit best on either white Gulp shrimp or a simple spearing and squid combo. A cod trip Saturday shoveled in cod, good-sized pollock and a mess of sizeable ling. A cod trip Sunday pumped in cod and a bunch of big ling.  Capt. Harry from Last Lady took a day off this weekend. What did he do? Fished. He ran for tuna at the canyons on the Black Magic, a private boat, blistering some good fishing. The year’s final individual-reservation trips for fluke are set for Tuesday and Thursday. Thursday’s trip will be a “fluke marathon,” before fluke season closes on Saturday. Kids under 12 sail free on the fluke trips, limited to two kids per adult. Individual-reservation trips for sea bass, triggerfish, porgies and ling, fishing close to shore, will run Tuesday, Oct. 2, and Sunday, Oct. 14. An individual-reservation trip for sea bass, ling, cod and blackfish will sail Sunday, October 7. Kids under 12 also sail free on those two trips, limited to two per adult. Individual-reservation trips are also on the books for: canyon tuna, Saturday to Sunday, Oct. 6 to 7, and Monday to Tuesday, Oct. 15 to 16 (another one of the trips is full Sept. 23 to 24); striped bass and blues, the Tuesdays of Oct. 23 and 30 and Nov. 6 and 13; and blackfish, the Sundays of Nov. 18 and 25 and the Tuesdays of Nov. 20 and 27.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 9/20:***</b> Rough weather kept boats docked, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> in an e-mail. But the surf gave up striped bass. “They tend to be on the smaller side,” he said, and fishing for them was best at first light and in evenings. Daiwa SP Minnow lures with a teaser and small popper lures caught them well. From Shark River, spots, porgies and snapper blues were nabbed.

<b>***Update, Thursday, 9/20:***</b> The party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b> was supposed to sail today, after being docked the past days because of weather, posts on the vessel’s Facebook page said. Trips will keep sailing for fluke 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. But sea bass season will open Sunday, and a special sea bass trip, with limited space, will run 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday. Call to reserve: 732-974-9606.

A bunch of yellowfin tuna and some longfin tuna were plowed near Hudson Canyon on an overnight trip with nine anglers Thursday to Friday with <b>Fin-Ominal Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Jared said. The 50-foot boat can accommodate up to 10 anglers on offshore trips and 14 on inshore trips. The trip fished farther from port than most boats would sail, and most of the tuna were chunked at night, and some were trolled during daytime. Canyon tuna fishing was very good now. On Friday a trip in the afternoon to night limited out on bluefish 7 to 9 pounds. The fish were smaller than on previous trips, but kept biting. Fluke fishing was slow on the ocean on two trips Saturday, and strong winds the previous night had dropped water temps. On a trip Sunday bluefishing wasn’t as good as on previous trips, but was okay. About 40 were landed among the six or seven anglers, and seas were 4 feet, not terrible, but not “peaceful,” Jared said.

Capt. Mike from the <b>Katie H</b> joined a crew trip on another boat that lambasted 20 yellowfin tuna and two longfin tuna at Hudson Canyon from Thursday to Friday, he said. All but one were caught at night. The fish gave up a steady pick through the night. Then all heck broke loose at 3:30 a.m. Waters were cooler than before, probably in the low 70s, if Mike remembered. Cool nights seemed to be cooling offshore waters, getting tuna fishing going. The fishing was great, and waters held lots of life. Porpoises fed on squid through nighttime, and whales were sometimes seen during day. On the Katie H on Saturday, fluke fishing was slow on the ocean, and seemed tough on all boats. Waters had dropped to 67 degrees, and winds honked from the north. Seas were rough once boaters reached 3 or 4 miles from shore, and were flat along the beach. But nothing was doing with fluking near the beach. A fluke trip is slated for Saturday. Then the boat is supposed to be turned around and headed for an overnight canyon trip for tuna Saturday to Sunday. Lots of canyon fishing is slated aboard in the near future, including open-boat trips. Call to climb aboard and for the schedule.

On fluke trips on the ocean, a couple of days put up decent catches, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. A couple of days turned out slow fluking, because strong winds blew.  One more weekend is left of fluke season, before the season closes on the following Saturday, Sept. 29. Sea bass season will open this coming Sunday, Sept. 23. Pete hopes to get after sea bass, and hopes porgies show up well this season for trips. Fishing for bluefish and false albacore was on, and Parker Pete’s targeted them at Shark River Reef, 15 miles from shore. But blues with albies mixed in swam in other places, too, all the way back to shore. Reports began to be heard about striped bass beached from the surf, a sign of the changing season. Pete looks forward to fall fishing turning on soon. Parker Pete’s sails for any species available, and charters and open-boat trips are fishing. For availability on open trips, see <a href="http://parkerpetefishing.com/belmar-fishing-trips/open-boat-trips" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s open-boat page</a> online, and sign up for the e-mailed newsletter on the site. Dates are announced in both places.

<b>Brielle</b>

Fishing for fluke was a slow pick, and winds or currents failed to drift the boat, on the ocean Sunday on the <b>Big Kid</b>, but a 9-pounder was nailed, Capt. Ken said. The anglers, from the Seaside Heights Fishing Club, managed eight keepers, releasing many throwbacks, and the boat was power-drifted. On Friday the Rufus charter from Langhorne, Pa., trolled more than 50 false albacore, some bonito mixed in and three mahi mahi to 20 pounds. An offshore trip overnight Monday to Tuesday bailed a good catch of yellowfin tuna and two bigeye tuna, all at night. Tuna fishing’s been hit or miss.

Serena Smith, Philadelphia, cracked an 8-pound 8-ounce fluke on Saturday afternoon’s trip on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, Capt. Ryan said in an e-mail. Serena would’ve taken the lead in the monthly pool with the fish, but hadn’t entered the pool. Fluke fishing wasn’t great, but some sizeable fluke were caught, that day aboard the ocean. Chris Molinari, North Haledon, beat a 7-pound 8-ouncer on the morning trip and a 7-pound 2-ouncer on the afternoon trip. Ashley Peters, Readington, Pa., smoked a 7-pounder on the afternoon trip. Two-half day trips for fluke are sailing 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, and an all-day fluke trip is running 7:30 a.m. Mondays, until fluke season closes on Saturday, Sept. 29.  <b>***Update, Thursday, 9/20:***</b> “Tough week  the past few days, with weather and swells,” Ryan said in an e-mail. A change in the boat’s schedule was made. The year’s final half-day fluke trips will sail Saturday. Starting Sunday, 3/4-day bottom-fishing trips will steam daily for sea bass, ling and porgies (sea bass season will open Sunday), except this Monday. This Monday, an all-day fluke trip will run.

Ocean fluke fishing was good, and many of the flatfish were found closer to shore than before, in 20 to 30 feet, chasing bait that began to pile up there, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. But some were caught at Sea Girt Reef and the lumps east of the reef. Surf fishing for striped bass was “pretty fair,” Eric said. Stripers were beached most mornings, on Bomber plugs, Daiwa SP Minnow lures and small popper lures. Bluefish from snappers to slammers, weighing in the upper teens, blitzed the surf here and there. Occasional false albacore were fought from the surf. “Nothing consistent,” Eric said. But boating for albies and bonito was good at Manasquan and Barnegat ridges. On Manasquan River, fluking was spotty, and the fish seemed to be migrating out. Mostly throwbacks were hooked, but a few keepers were. Bluefish moved in and out from the river, and lots of spots swam the river, and blowfish held there. Striped fishing was good at Point Pleasant Canal at night for mostly throwbacks but a handful of keepers. A bunch of blues from tailors to 5- to 8-pounders filled the waters. Back on the ocean, ling fishing was fairly solid, and porgies seemed to begin to be caught to the north, like off the Red Church and at Shrewsbury Rocks and Sandy Hook Reef. Farther from shore, yellowfin tuna seemed to slide south to Toms Canyon, after awesome fishing for them at Hudson Canyon. But some were still boated at the Hudson. Longfin tuna were in the mix, and most tuna were caught at night. A few bigeye tuna and yellowfins were landed during the day in early mornings and at dusk.  Catch the shop’s sale on surf-fishing plugs. Wahoo Baitfish Bucktails and Stingo jigs are on sale at 30 percent off to celebrate the store’s 30 years in business.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> steamed on two overnight trips to Toms Canyon on Thursday to Friday and Friday to Saturday, Alan, the boat owner, said in an e-mail. Yellowfin tuna fishing was fair on both. Most of the tuna were chunked at night, and trolling for them during daytime was slower. Many tuna were lost, and, on the first trip, three swordfish got off, including a 175- to 200-pounder that threw the hook at boat side. Heart breaker. Waters held slight water temperature breaks and lots of life on the trips, good conditions. The fishing looks promising. Canyon trips are being booked for this month and October. Inshore trips for bluefish, false albacore, bonito and bottom fish are being booked. So are fall striped bass trips.

One of the mixed-bag, open-boat trips to the canyons sailed with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, a report on Andrea’s Toy’s Web site said Saturday. The trip arrived at Hudson Canyon during daytime in flat seas. Because trolling for tuna “had not developed yet,” the report said, the angling started with tilefishing. A couple of tiles were pumped in, and the trip motored to the West Wall and the 100 Square to troll for tuna. Mob scene, the report said. Lots of boats filled waters, and not a lot of tuna were hooked. So the trip pushed farther offshore, trolling. Nothing bit, so the crew decided to start chunking, at good readings, before dark. At night, fish were read, and squid swam around the boat. Mahi mahi showed up, but no tuna bit. At 4 a.m., a swordfish was hooked, but broke off. When daylight came, the trip trolled again, but no tuna bit. The crew decided to “save the trip,” the report said, and fish for mahi mahi with light tackle and tilefish. Mahi to 10 pounds were reeled in, and a dozen tiles to 15 pounds were boxed. Tough trip, the report said, but great bunch of guys. The weather was terrific. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner. Call for info about the unique, mixed-bag, open-boat trips offshore.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Bluefishing was good on the ocean on the <b>Super Chic</b>, Capt. Ted said. Large blues 8 to 12 pounds, and pool-winning blues that were larger, were belted both daytime and nighttime. Bait and jigs caught. “Didn’t matter,” Ted said. A few false albacore were mixed in during daytime. A trip fluke fished Saturday, and catches started “not too bad,” Ted said. Then winds stopped blowing, so the boat wouldn’t drift well. A 20-inch fluke was biggest. A trip is supposed to sail for blues Wednesday, but forecasts look rough. Fluke trips are booked Friday to Sunday. Sea bass season will open Sunday, and openings are available for sea bass, especially in October. Trips are also tuna fishing overnight. The 50-foot boat can accommodate up to 25 passengers on inshore trips and 10 on offshore, overnight trips. The vessel sleeps 10.

<b>Barnegat</b>

<b>***Update, Thursday, 9/20:***</b> From an edited e-mail from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “What do you do when the wind blows and the ocean looks like it’s going to be snotty for a few days? Fish the bay! The weakfish are hitting their peak. Two- to 4-pounders on light tackle. We’re catching them on most days by chumming with live grass shrimp. After a bang up Thursday and Friday on the shrimp, that bait became suddenly unavailable, as the shrimp catcher guy took ill. I got that message at 5 AM, before meeting my party at 6AM. PANIC! This guy always delivers. He’s like the Lou Gehrig of bait suppliers. So I knew he was hurting. I ran out and loaded up on shedder crabs, then scooped out a bunch of live peanut bunker out of my bait pen. Okay, I got some good bait. It’s not shrimp. But it’s enough to keep me from pacing like Rain Man. "Definitely need some shrimp. Yeah, definitely." We put out some live peanuts, and proceeded to get chopped by the resident snappers and small bluefish in Meyer’s Hole. Then a screaming reel -- finally, we are hooked up to a nice weakfish. Another and another, and in the end, we ice four nice, 3-pound weakies, a 19-inch fluke that hit a live spot we caught there, 11 big blowfish that hit the jig tipped with shedder crab, and two small bluefish. A nice catch, considering I didn’t have my super powers, the shrimp. I was feeling good about myself. But the live shrimp are available again, and we will be in full swing this week and weekend, especially since the ocean does not look fishable for me and my small center console. Here’s a few video clips of a good stretch of live grass shrimping weakies:  <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db8kA_RgvDk" target="_blank">Friday, Sept. 14 video</a>; <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-Xg33FfysU" target="_blank">Monday, Sept. 17 video</a>; <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81ZY3P7YDQ8" target="_blank">another Monday, Sept. 17, video</a>. We are still catching a mixed bag of spots, croakers, blowfish, two kinds of jacks, porgies, pinfish, hickory shad, fluke, snappers and small bluefish, sea bass, sand sharks and more, besides really nice-size weakfish, and all on 6-pound spinning rods. We are available for charter or open boat Friday, 12 Noon to 5 PM, Saturday, 6 to 11 AM, and Sunday, 6 to 11 AM and 12 Noon to 5 PM. For individual reservations, the price is divided by as many people who share the open boat. Call for reservations, don’t e-mail me, as I will be on the water, not near the computer. Looking forward to seeing you on board.”

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Boaters tugged in croakers from the ocean 1 to 3 miles from shore, a report said on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site. Summer flounder were picked at Atlantic City Reef, though strong winds were sometimes difficult. Lots of false albacore and sometimes wahoos swam the inshore ocean. In Great Bay, all the usual small fish –
kingfish, spots, porgies, croakers, weakfish and striped bass – could be boated near Graveling Point. Anchor and chum with clam, and fish with clam or bloodworms. Blowfish hovered in Tuckerton Bay.

<b>Brigantine</b>

<a href="http://riptidebaitandtackle.com/articles.php?category_id=6" target="_blank">Click here</a> for a report from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Plenty of kingfish and spots swam the surf in past days, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Nothing was heard about striped bass from the surf yet this season. Bluefish to 2 pounds, sometimes larger, schooled the inlets. In the back bay, a few stripers and weakfish were landed at night under lights. Nothing was heard about summer flounder. No news rolled in about offshore, but a couple of customers were headed offshore for big game Sunday.

Blues and amberjacks, a great catch, were jigged on the ocean with Tom and Judy on a trip Thursday evening, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. They also fished the back bay, and Judy caught her first-ever striped bass, on a popper plug, no less. On Friday evening an angler and two sons aboard smashed sea bass and amberjacks on the ocean, fast and furious fishing, one catch after another. They also released out-of-season sea bass, and sea bass season will open Sunday. The migration of large striped bass and blues will hit the local ocean in late October and November. That will be some of the best fishing of the year, and reserve now to fish the run. Coming soon this month, annual weekend trips will sail from Montauk, New York, for the legendary run of stripers, blues and false albacore. The fishing’s been epic for Jersey Cape in recent years. Reserve dates for annual weekend trips to Florida in winter. The trips can fish for a large variety of catches including redfish, speckled sea trout and tarpon in the back country to king mackerel, blackfin tuna and sailfish out front. See info about both trips on Jersey Cape’s <a href="http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page4.html" target="_blank">Traveling Fisherman Charters</a> Web page. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Trolling for bluefish was good, and summer flounder fishing was okay, on the <b>Down Deep</b>, Capt. Mario said. Book fall striped bass trips now. Reserve wintertime blackfish trips from Delaware.

A daytime trolling trip went 3 for 4 on yellowfin tuna 70 pounds and larger on Friday at Wilmington Canyon with <b>Relentless Sport Fishing</b>, Capt. Dave said. The fish bit along the East Wall at mid morning. Skipjacks and bonito were also trolled, and a couple of white marlin were raised but weren’t hooked. Waters were 77 degrees, compared with 80 degrees previously. The area held no temperature breaks but harbored lots of life. The day was beautiful, and seas were mirror-flat. 

An overnight trip for tuna was cancelled on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> Saturday to Sunday because of forecasts for winds, Capt. George said. Friends who fished offshore overnight Friday said seas were 2 feet Friday night but began to build to 5 feet on the way home Saturday in winds. Summer flounder fishing was good on the ocean, according to friends. Flounder fishing even reportedly turned on in Delaware Bay, after the fishing there had slowed for the season. Good catches were supposedly made on the bay on one of the Fortescue party boats. Sea bass season will open Sunday. Lots of false albacore swam areas like the East Lump. Plenty of small bluefish could be trolled off Cape May Point. Charters are available for all this fishing, and call if interested. 

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