<b>Staten Island</b>

Sea bass, super catches, were plowed on two trips Saturday and Sunday on the ocean with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Ling were mixed in, and another sea bass trip was fishing this morning, when Joe gave this report in a phone call aboard. The angling was great, and the trips, sailing from Sewaren, fished in 40 to 60 feet. Outcast sails from the New Jersey port, in addition to fishing from Staten Island, including so charters can follow Jersey’s regulations, like for sea bass. Out-of-season blackfish were also hooked and released on the trips, and one of the tautog per person will be able to be kept starting July 17 in Jersey. Striped bass fishing aboard was probably finished for the season. Anglers stopped requesting the trips, and even if they did, Joe would probably recommend sea bassing.

<b>Perth Amboy</b>

Currents ripped, because of the full moon, preventing fishing deeper, but fluke fishing aboard managed a good pick of keepers and throwbacks Friday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank said. The fishing was okay, and open-boat trips will sail for fluke Saturday and Sunday, and currents should be better on the waning moon. Frank would think the angling should be very good. On Friday’s trip, the keepers weighed 2 to 3 pounds, and a smelt with a chartreuse plastic squid skirt out-fished every other tackle, including bucktails. Shortening the leaders a little, keeping the bait closer to bottom, helped. But bucktails caught better in shallow waters. When fluke fishing, anglers need to “mix things up” to see what catches best. “Once you figure that out, it’s game on,” Frank said. Decent striped bass fishing was still available, and anglers just need to fish through dog sharks. Charters are sailing, and telephone about open trips. Vitamin Sea also fishes from Staten Island. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!” 

<b>Keyport</b>

Eight fluke to 4 pounds were bagged, and many, many throwbacks were let go, from Reach Channel on Sunday on Rick Carlson’s trip with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. The five anglers fished with killies and squid, and a trip Saturday with Joe Niedzwiecki’s group of four bagged six fluke, releasing quite a few throwbacks, at the Reach on the same baits. Space is available this Sunday for either a charter or an open-boat trip. Open trips are available 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. for fluke and 4 to 9 p.m. for fluke or bluefish daily when no charter is booked. Telephone to jump aboard.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The party boat <b>Fishermen</b>’s fluke fishing changed it up on Friday’s trip, fishing the ocean the whole time, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Vinnie “Vintastic” limited out early, and took the lead in the season-long pool, with a 7.2-pounder. An 11.6-pounder, caught last week, is the season’s biggest fluke aboard, but the angler wasn’t in the pool. Back to Friday’s trip: Capt. Ron Sr. also limited out, and several good-sized fish were boxed, including beautiful sea bass to a 4-3/4-pounder. During the weekend’s fluke trips, the fishing was better on Sunday than on Saturday. Lots more keepers were creamed, and action with throwbacks was lots better. Ron hoped fluking would rebound after the weekend’s full moon, the so-called super moon. On Sunday’s trip, the ocean was fished in the morning, until currents became too fast. Then the bay was fished. One angler would’ve limited out, if he hadn’t lost one fluke at the boat. A 5-pound fluke was the pool-winner.  On Saturday night’s striped bass trip, angling was good for an hour, until the change of tide. Then the fishing became a slow pick. The Fisherman is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Trips are fishing for striped bass 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sundays.

On the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, conditions were fine for fluke fishing on Saturday morning’s trip, and catches were made, but the fish didn’t seem to want to bite like Capt. Tom would like, he said. On the afternoon’s trip, conditions were great, and fluking wasn’t bad. Some better-sized ones came in, and the day –  including the weather, and the drifts of the boat – was enjoyable. On Sunday morning’s trip, fluke were picked, fewer than liked, but keepers were sometimes bagged, and Tire John limited out. One angler bagged four, and another bagged three, and some landed no keepers. The trip, like most trips lately, fished the bay. But the trip fished Flynn’s Knoll at the end. Sunday afternoon’s trip returned there, so Tom thought fluking would be good, but the trip’s fishing was terrible. Conditions weren’t bad but weren’t good, and Tom hoped that was the reason. He hoped the fluking would bounce back today, and every trip was different. Whether one trip would fish well or not, or whether the morning would fish better than the afternoon, was impossible to say. Most fluke hooked were within an inch undersized. But that was probably good, because those fish, growing quickly, the smaller they are, should be keepers in August. No huge fluke were caught, and the season’s biggest aboard was probably 6 ¾ pounds. Tom saw no advantage to whether spearing, supplied aboard, or killies that anglers brought caught better on Sunday morning’s trip, the trip with the better fishing that day. A combo of a Gulp that anglers brought and either a spearing or a killie seemed good on trips. If anglers want to fish with killies, Tom suggests buying the smallest amount available, usually a half-pint, at a tackle shop on the way to a trip. The tackle shop at the marina is closed. The $5 or $6 seems worthwhile, and a half-pint should last through a half-day trip. Also buy Gulps at a shop before arriving, if you want to fish Gulps. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily.

<b>Neptune</b>

Sea bass, fluke, ling, cod and sharks are the fish to sail for, Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> wrote in an e-mail. A few striped bass are around, but anglers shouldn’t except to catch lots. Bluefish disappeared from local waters, but anglers hope they’ll come back soon. Four charters fished aboard during the weekend. Two fished in the mornings, putting up sea bass, fluke and ling. Two fished in the p.m., slamming ling. A cod trip last week, covered in a previous report, Mohawked the fish. The next individual-reservation trip for cod will sail 1 a.m. Wednesday, July 24. An individual-reservation wreck-fishing trip will run 6 a.m. Sunday, July 21.  Individual-reservation trips for fluke and sea bass kick off this week that sail every Tuesday. Kids 12 and under sail free on the fluke and sea bass trips, limited to two per adult host. Charters are available for all species. Bluefin tuna will be targeted when the fish move a little closer to shore.

<b>Belmar</b>

Shark River’s fluke fishing was good through the weekend, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an e-mail. “We saw some impressive fish caught,” he said. Three anglers on one of the store’s rental boats totaled fifteen keepers, a boat limit, on the river. But Bob cautioned that experience makes a big difference, and some trips hooked no keepers on the boats. Reports were heard about productive surf fishing. Some anglers banked several stripers apiece to 34 inches on clams from the beach. The catches were surprising, because surf temperatures started to climb. Party boat anglers sometimes enjoyed good fluke fishing on the ocean. But bluefishing remained slow on the boats on the ocean.

Though bluefishing remained slow, there was some encouraging news, a report on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>’s Web site said. “More bodies of the fish,” the report said, seemed to arrive, and the crew expects that bluefishing will pick up, as the moon wanes, after the recent full moon. Previously, blues and striped bass were sometimes seen, but were “next to impossible to catch,” the report said. Sea bass, fluke and ling were boated aboard sometimes. The Golden Eagle is sailing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for blues 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily.

Trips fluke fished on the ocean Friday and Saturday with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Pete said. Catches were decent, and conditions weren’t the best, or sometimes the boat drifted, and other times didn’t. The fish bagged were good-sized or 3 to 4 pounds, occasionally 5 pounds. Fluke began to be found in deeper waters to 65 feet aboard, after they bit shallower previously. Sea bass were sometimes hooked on the trips, and striped bass fishing seemed off during the weekend on the ocean, maybe because of the full moon. That was the so-called super moon, and Parker Pete’s didn’t even try for stripers. But Pete hopes the bass are caught again after the moon. Shark fishing is booked aboard this weekend, and sharking’s been very good. The Mako Mania and Mako Fever shark tournaments were held this weekend, and Pete thought a 300-pound mako and thresher sharks were landed during the days. He hopes bluefin tuna fishing keeps picking up, and knows yellowfin tuna were boated far south at Wilmington and Baltimore canyons, farther offshore. Trips aboard will tuna fish for both, and Parker Pete’s sails for any species available. Charters are fishing, and <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/fishing-reports" target="_blank">subscribe to Parker Pete’s e-mailed newsletter</a> to be kept informed about individual-spaces available on charters and for the latest fishing reports. Click on that link to Parker Pete’s fishing reports online, and newsletter sign up can be found on the right side of the page. Or go to the site’s Contact page, and e-mail, asking to subscribe.

<b>Brielle</b>

Decent catches of fluke were clobbered aboard the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> the past several days, an e-mail from the vessel said. Pool-winning fluke weighed 4 ½ to 6 ½ pounds, and Gene Alexander, Jackson, led the monthly pool with a 7-pound 8-ounce fluke. But a 9-pound 4-ounce fluke was caught aboard by an angler who didn’t enter the monthly pool. Bucktails, especially small ones tipped with squid, caught best in the past week. Anglers and their catches during the weekend included: Herb Singer, Washington, N.J., a limit of fluke to 4 pounds; Kenny Slocum, Ewing, a pool-winning 6-pound fluke, among his three keepers; and Young Park, Howell, a limit of fluke to 4 pounds.  The Jamaica II is fishing for fluke and sea bass twice daily at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and on an all-day trip at 7:30 a.m. Mondays.

Boaters reeled striped bass from the ocean, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Not much was heard about surf fishing for stripers. But boaters found that if they snagged bunker to liveline for bait for stripers, and the morning was becoming late, like at 9 o’clock, they had to search for the bass deeper. But the ones who knew that, scored. They also hooked stripers in evenings, like at 5, 6 or 7 o’clock. A bunch of small stripers swam Manasquan River, and fluke fishing was good in the river. Fluking wasn’t so good on the ocean through Friday, or was inconsistent, but that could’ve changed, and Dave hadn’t heard, when he gave this report in a phone call Sunday morning. How’s bluefishing? Dave was asked. Let me put it this way, he said: One of the local party boats fished for blues in mornings, and switched to bottom-fishing afterward. Plenty of bluefish schooled offshore, and anglers trolling for bluefin tuna found them. Bottom-fishing for sea bass was good on the ocean, and for ling was kind of off, not as good as it was. They could be finished spawning, Dave said, but that was unknown. Trips that tried for bluefins caught well. Some fished around Chicken Canyon, and others fished inshore of there, and most landed the tuna. The bite was in early mornings, and trolled ballyhoos and spreader bars hooked them. Anglers who mentioned fishing with cedar plugs, at least those Dave heard from, said the lures didn’t catch. One customer who shark fished had bluefins show up, and three were jigged on the trip. Farther offshore, the only tuna heard about came from Wilmington and Baltimore canyons. Yellowfin tuna but also a good number of bigeye tuna were decked there. Shark fishing was good. Many who competed in the weekend’s shark tournaments nailed plenty. One customer’s trip landed seven mako sharks, and another’s landed three makos and four thresher sharks. Lots of blue sharks were fought, and sharkers seemed to find action every place they fished. A load of offshore tackle just arrived at the store. Accurate reels will be carried for the first time. The store just became an Igloo cooler dealer, too.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 6/25:***</b> Lots of action was pasted on fluke trips on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said. Anglers caught 10 for every keeper, but the angling was okay. Sea bass and sea robins were also hooked. Bluefishing was tough on nighttime trips for them. But nighttime wreck-fishing trips were kicked off last week on a trip, and a decent number of very big ling, a few sea bass, a keeper cod and a keeper pollock were belted. The Gambler is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily and for blues 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Wreck-fishing trips are running 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Thursdays.

With <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, one of the mixed-bag, mid-shore trips fished, a report on Andrea’s Toy’s Web site said Saturday. Trolling for bluefin tuna was tried first, but not much life filled waters. So the trip switched to wreck-fishing, jigging a few cod. Next, shark fishing was attempted, but winds hardly blew, preventing the boat from drifting much. Still, a 10-foot blue shark was fought and released. Then the anglers wreck-fished again, cranking up more cod to 15 pounds. The annual mixed-bag trips, both charters and open-boat, target fish that can include bluefin tuna, sharks, cod and pollock, all in one outing. Later this season, the trips will push all the way offshore, fishing overnight for catches that can include yellowfin tuna, sharks, swordfish, mahi mahi and tilefish. Telephone if interested, and Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up, and more variety for dinner.

Fishing sailed the past four days with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Ray said. Weather was good, and the first trip, on Thursday, was a family charter with a dad and two children. They steamed for sea bass, staying close to shore at the reefs, because of the children, and the angling was great. On Friday, the boat hosted a Fisherman magazine TV shoot on reef fishing. Sea bass fishing was great again, and ling, out-of-season blackfish that were released, silver eels and never-ending bergals bit. On Saturday, anglers aboard competed in the Mako Mania and Mako Fever tournaments, fishing far offshore, 3 hours out, beyond Chicken Canyon, to avoid crowds. Large blue sharks were fought, and because no mako was landed in time to make weigh in, the trip fished longer, to give the charter an opportunity to bag a mako to eat. That almost paid off in a big way. A 300-pound mako was hooked and fought. Forty minutes later, the fish was near boat-side, almost within leadering range several times. Then the fish jumped, landed on the line, and broke off. The anglers took some great video that Mushin hopes to post on the vessel’s Web site soon. On Sunday, another group of anglers competed in the same two shark tournaments. The trip sailed to where the previous evening’s sharking left off. A few large blue sharks were released, and so was a 150-pound mako. Then a larger mako was kept, but didn’t place in the tournaments. Sea bass and shark fishing have been great aboard. Charters are being booked. A trip today was supposed to sail for bluefish. But that angling’s been slow, so the trip would probably fish for sea bass.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Surf fishing was a little slow, but sometimes fluke and bluefish were bagged from the shore, and a couple of striped bass were beached Sunday, Mario from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s Web site. Crabbing kept improving in Barnegat Bay, and should really turn on this week, after the weekend’s full moon. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, sandworms, eels and all baits anglers could need are stocked. The Dock Outfitters features bait and tackle, docks to fish and crab from, once the docks are repaired since the hurricane, and boat and jet ski rentals. The end of June has been the target date to complete the docks, and the work should be completed soon, “hopefully,” Mario said in a phone call last week, for a report posted here then.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Currents ran strong during the full moon, affecting bottom-fishing on the ocean, but the angling scooped aboard fair catches of sea bass and ling, Capt. Ted from the <b>Super Chic</b> said. A trip Sunday ran into a good catch of 2- to 3-pound bluefish at Barnegat Inlet, and bluefishing’s been slow on the ocean, but Ted hopes it picks up soon. He’d usually run lots of bluefish trips on the ocean this time of year. At least two spaces remain for an open-boat tilefish trip Sunday, July 7. The fishing’s been good, and telephone to reserve. The season’s first couple of tuna trips are slated for July. Tuna were already caught, but far south at Baltimore Canyon. The 56-foot boat can accommodate up to 25 anglers on inshore trips and 10 on overnight, offshore trips. The vessel sleeps 10 passengers.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Deeper holes seemed to start attracting the larger summer flounder caught from Great Bay, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. Deeper spots off Rand’s and Captain Mike’s fished a little better for sizeable ones. The fluke gave up steady action in shallower waters at the clams stakes, but few were keepers. Wouldn’t hurt to try for the flatfish in the ocean in 20 to 40 feet. Back in the bay, croakers and spots gathered off Graveling Point. Back on the ocean, lots of sea bass were socked at Garden State Reef South and A.C. Reef.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Plenty of kingfish filled the surf, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said.  Brown sharks, required to be released, seemed to start prowling the surf, like usual in summer. Use a kingfish head for bait. One angler released a drum, his first-ever, a 30-pounder, from the shore. Boaters smoked summer flounder, great catches, on the back bay along the Intracoastal Waterway on Saturday, the report said Sunday morning. Ten gallons of minnows were sold for flounder bait Saturday, but more were delivered Sunday, so the supply was expected to be good that day. Fresh clams and jumbo bloodworms are carried. Two cases of pound cake, famous from Stock’s Bakery in Philadelphia, arrived Sunday. The cake is fat-free, sugar-free, gluten-free and has no calories. “Yeah, right!” the report said. Owner Karl Stock is a surf-fishing customer at Riptide.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

One group checked in a 152-pound mako shark on Thursday, <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle’s</b> blog said. That was the weight after the 78-incher, from nose to fork in tail, was cleaned. The trip, fishing 27 miles off Sea Isle City, also released a thresher shark and a brown shark, broke off two threshers and had another mako swim around the boat. Shark fishing was in full swing, the blog said.

The season’s first inshore shark trips steamed aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. So did the year’s first tuna trip. On the shark trips, Jason Berner jumped aboard Saturday morning, before he was married that afternoon. “My kind of guy,” Joe wrote on his blog. Dusky sharks and a hammerhead were caught and released. Later that day, Joe sailed Jason to his wedding in Cape May by boat. On Sunday, Kevin McCarthy and son Zach released seven duskies and missed three or four. Both trips fished with mackerel for bait on spinning rods, and Jersey Cape also fly-rods for the sharks. The fishing, usually within 10 miles of the coast, is a chance to wrestle big fish without the long trek offshore. The sharking sailed on Jersey Cape’s new boat, a 24-foot custom center console from Eastern Boat Works. The vessel ran great, and is an addition to the fleet Joe runs, including a flats boat for bay fishing and a couple of larger boats for offshore trips for big game. The tuna trip sailed Friday with John Martin, Gary Balog and Jay VonCzoernig. They went 4 for 4 on yellowfins and also landed skipjacks on the troll. Most bites came on ballyhoos, and waters were full of life, including lots of whales, though the water color didn’t look as great as it could. The waters were 63 to 67 degrees. Joe heard about no bluefin tuna closer to shore. A trip today was supposed to fish for summer flounder on the back bay. Weakfish were still around in the bay, too. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Fishing for sea bass was super on marathon, open-boat trips for them on the ocean on the <b>Down Deep</b>, Capt. Mario said. More of the trips are set for Tuesday and Thursday, and sign up for the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on Down Deep’s Web site to be kept informed about dates for open trips. Open trips will also sail for tuna, including this Sunday, and one of the outings was supposed to run this past Sunday. But a decision was made to fish next Sunday instead, because reports about the fishing were “mixed.” Four-, 6- and 8-hour charters are also sailing.

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