<b>Staten Island</b>

Bottom-fishing was slow Monday morning aboard, but ended up good for shoveling up sea bass, afterward, on the ocean, Capt. Rob from <b>Outcast Charters</b> said. That was when the trip pushed farther offshore to 80 feet at a couple of wrecks. Lots of pieces were fished shallower in the morning with few results. Many of the trip’s sea bass were small, but plenty were keepers, and Rob was unsure whether ling or other fish were mixed in, because he wasn’t aboard. His brother, Capt. Joe, ran the trip. But Rob knew an angler who kept pumping in triggerfish while sea bassing. Outcast also sails from Sewaren, N.J., including so anglers can follow New Jersey regulations, like for fluke.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

On the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, fluke were reeled up during the past days, but the areas fished didn’t consistently produce, Capt. Tom said. Trips fished at Flynn’s Knoll, Chapel Hill Channel, some areas along Reach Channel, and different places, not really in Raritan Bay. But a trip might fish one place that gave up a few keepers and some throwbacks, return to that place, and find not nearly as many, or sometimes hardly any. Sometimes few throwbacks even bit. A drift might produce well, looking like the trip was going to be especially good, and the drift was repeated, and the angling slowed. Results couldn’t be repeated. Neither morning nor afternoon trips produced better, or they caught about the same. Fluke were tugged in during past days, though Tom would’ve liked to have seen the fishing be better. Currents were somewhat strong, but anglers adjusted. An easterly breeze drifted the boat quickly on this morning’s trip, when Tom gave this report in a phone call aboard at 9 o’clock. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily. <b>***Update, Friday, 7/26:***</b> Fluke fishing somewhat improved Thursday and today aboard, Tom said. On Thursday, the morning’s trip caught better than the afternoon’s, because of weather that included drizzly rain in the afternoon. The boat drifted a little fast, but anglers worked around that. The number of keepers caught improved in the morning. A small group joined the afternoon’s trip, in the weather, and they picked away at mostly throwbacks and some keepers. On this morning’s trip, the catch of keepers was one of the better ones. On this afternoon’s, anglers picked away at keepers. Some better-sized fluke were claimed, and none was especially big, but the fish were good-sized. Plenty of throwbacks bit.

Boating for fluke was good, and surf anglers also slid them in, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Striped bass were sometimes boated, and bluefish were beaten at Shrewsbury Rocks. Whether blues were wrestled at the Mud Buoy wasn’t heard. Ling bit at the Mudhole, and sea bass fishing was fairly good on the ocean. Lots of croakers and kingfish swam Raritan Bay and the rivers. Fluke also held in both. Snapper blues were small but began to be hooked, like along docks. Crabbing started to be good before this week’s full moon. The moon can cause crabs to shed and mate, slowing crabbing a moment. Baits are fully stocked.

Big fluke were bombed Wednesday on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Took a while to find good fishing, then beauties were boated. Dave Bachovchin won the pool with a 6.7-pound fluke. Two other anglers waxed a 6.4-pounder and a 6.2-pounder, and others grabbed a handful of 5-pound fluke. Wasn’t the hot fluking aboard the previous day, but quality ones came in. The fish were hungry on the previous day, Tuesday, and anglers slugged away at the fluke the whole trip. Lots of throwbacks 15 to 17 inches gave up action, and keepers to 5 pounds were bagged. Capt. Ron Sr. was high hook with a limit of five fluke. Outgoing tide combined with a west wind caused a screaming drift of the boat. Anglers had to use heavy weights to hold bottom. Northeasterlies, if they came like forecast, would determine where today’s trip fished. But it wouldn’t fish behind Sandy Hook, for sure, Ron said. Those were daytime trips, and nighttime trips caught fluke, porgies, bluefish and croakers in the past week. Striper fishing was tough on nighttime trips in 80-degree waters. The Fishermen is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Trips are sailing for a mix of fish, like mentioned above, 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sundays. However, the boat is chartered this Friday morning and afternoon and Saturday morning, so no open-boat trips will sail then.

<b>Highlands</b>

Fishing cashed in on striped bass, and bucktailing for fluke was good, on the <b>Hyper Striper</b>, Capt. Pete wrote in an e-mail. Pete Yackle’s party pasted a healthy catch of stripers aboard Wednesday. Gabby Kuicken’s crew racked up many sizeable fluke on a trip during the week. Bob Centamore’s group limited out on the flatfish aboard this week. A trip on the Hyper on Sunday worked-over a good catch of bluefin tuna, covered in the last report.

Anglers toughed-out strong northeast winds and a good swell on today’s fluke trip with <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, Capt. Derek said. But they bucktailed 26 keepers to 5 ½ pounds along rough bottom, calling the trip quits by 12:45 p.m., because rain began to fall. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trip for fluke is slated for Tuesday. An open trip for bluefin tuna is on the books for Wednesday, and Derek sailed for bluefins Monday. The angling was slow, but a 30- or 35-pounder was tackled, and the trip did put up a couple of 15-pound mahi mahi. Lots of bait and some porpoises and whales swam the clear green to almost blue, 74- to 78.5-degree waters. Derek heard that bluefin fishing was a little better Tuesday and Wednesday. Most bluefins were trolled at Chicken Canyon recently. But bluefins jigged were known about Wednesday. “It’s day to day,” Derek said. Though most bluefins were boated at Chicken Canyon, whether today’s weather would change that would be seen. Telephone to climb aboard the open trips or to be kept informed about future ones.

Sailing from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Frank Rella on his 2F’s rounded up four keeper fluke near the 4 buoy along Sandy Hook Channel on squid, Marion wrote in an e-mail. Peter and Andrew Corrado, “junior captains,” Marion said, boated fluke, sea robins and sea bass from Raritan Bay on spearing and squid. On his Sir Reel, Tom Kaiser on the bay slung in a 22-inch fluke. At Bug Light on the bay, one angler on the Par Tee snatched up a 21-inch fluke on killies with squid. Along Ambrose Channel, John Cuozzo on his Elsea Nora smashed a 6-pound fluke. John Reilly, Joe, John and Whitty from Smith’s Tavern fished Sandy Hook Channel, totaling nine keeper fluke to 25 inches on Gulps and squid. Paul Schuckalo and buddy Howard limited out on fluke to 22 inches off Sandy Hook Point on Gulps. Twin Lights, conveniently located on Shrewsbury River, with no bridges before Raritan Bay and the ocean, features boat slips, rack storage, a fuel dock, ship’s store supplies, and a complete bait and tackle shop. Baits carried include killies and frozen quarts and pints of salted clams, spearing, Peruvian smelts, the different types of squid, and scented shedder crab. Offshore baits like flats of ballyhoos are sold.

<b>Neptune</b>

An individual-reservation trip for cod Wednesday was another good one for <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said in a phone call. Lots of the cod were large, and the next one of the trips is set for August 12. Closer to the coast, inshore wreck-fishing’s been good aboard for catches like sea bass and ling, and the next individual-rez trip for that is slated for August 4. Jump aboard before sea bass season is closed August 9. Charters are available, and Last Lady sails for all species in season.  <b>***Update, Friday, 7/26:***</b> A trip aboard Thursday was the first cancelled this month, Ralph wrote in an e-mail. Northeast winds blew 15 to 25 knots, and today’s weather looked much better. On the weekly individual-reservation trip for fluke Tuesday, ten keepers were scratched out, and lots of throwbacks were let go. Weather never became rough like forecast, “as usual,” Ralph said. A few spots are left for the individual-reservation trip for cod August 12, and space is open for another just scheduled for September 9. The individual-reservation trips for fluke are sailing every Tuesday, and kids under 12 sail free, limited to two per adult host. 

<b>Belmar</b>

Fluke fishing was holding up and was good, wasn’t as good as last week, but lots of customers limited out, on the ocean on party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. Good catches were pretty consistent, and healthy-sized fluke were mixed in, like a 9-pounder on Wednesday. Trips fished the rough bottom, and jigs with Gulps caught most. Other bait and tackle “was not even close,” he said. The Big Mohawk is fluke fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

After fishing for bluefish aboard was up and down, a good catch, even if the blues were small, was punched Sunday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. Then fishing for small blues was excellent Monday through Wednesday aboard, a short distance from port, and most anglers began releasing the fish by mid-morning. Nighttime bluefishing aboard was slow and very slow aboard Sunday and Monday, respectively. Those were the most recent nights reported about on the site at press time. The Golden Eagle is bluefishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily.

Super fishing for small bluefish was mugged on the ocean just off Shark River Inlet today like previously on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an e-mail from the vessel said. The boat was anchored, and the fish were jigged the whole time on Ava’s and teasers. All anglers caught as many as they wanted. On Wednesday night’s trip, blues, small ones, and cero mackerel, a handful of the catches for most anglers, were boated. The high hook toggled up 12. Tonight’s trip is weathered out, but trips are expected to resume Friday. The Miss Belmar Princess is sailing for bluefish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily. The party boat <b>Royal Miss Belmar</b> is fishing for fluke and sea bass 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily.

<b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> sailed for fluke on the ocean the past few days, barreling up decent catches, good fishing, depending on conditions, Capt. Pete said. Sometimes flurries of action gave up very good fluking until conditions stopped drifting the boat well. Then the trip waited for the vessel to drift right again, for the angling to take back off. Sea bass and triggerfish sometimes bit, and trips fished in 40 to 65 feet, a little deeper than before, on the ocean. Parker Pete’s is also up for bluefin tuna fishing. Bluefin anglers picked away, scoring better catches on some days than others. That’s probably the way the fishing’s going to be the rest of the season. Fishing for yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna remained best far south. If boats had the range to sail there, they could catch well, and anglers waited for the fish to move farther north. Pete looks forward to fishing for other pelagics like mahi mahi to turn great, like it should closer to shore this season. Parker Pete’s sails for all species available. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Contact Pete anyway, or <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">subscribe to Parker Pete’s e-mailed newsletter</a>, to be kept informed about individual-spaces available on charters. Look for the place to sign up on the right side of the page on the boat’s Web site.

Surf anglers sometimes beached keeper striped bass today on bait: clams, sand crabs and chunks of bunker, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an e-mail. The surf also tossed up good-sized weakfish early in the morning on lures. Good reports about fluke catches came from boaters at Manasquan River and anglers on foot at Manasquan Inlet and both ends of Point Pleasant Canal. For the fluke, live snappers and mullet seemed the bait of choice.

<b>Brielle</b>

Aboard the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, fluke fishing was good Wednesday, Capt. Ryan wrote in an e-mail. Lots of throwbacks bit, but so did plenty of keepers. Fluking on Monday was good overall aboard. Like usual, some anglers “were hot, and some not so hot, but most went home with some meat,” Ryan said. Unusually, the fishing lit up at the stern, though usually catches are best at the bow. The pool-winning fluke, Young Park’s 8-pound 2-ouncer, was taken at the stern. Ed Nolan nabbed the second-largest, a 7-pound 3-ouncer. Some of the anglers who limited included Eff Smith, Eric Slonaker, Dennis Muhlenforth, Frank Pogue, Carrie Smith, William Davenport, Pete T., Sinh Wu, Tom Palmieri and Ian. A school of cownosed rays schooled around the boat once, and one angler hooked one, “and pretty well wiped out the one side in a tangle,” Ryan said. “Man, did that thing take off.” Bruce Casagrande leads the monthly pool with a 10.7-pound fluke he caught on a ½-ounce jighead with a Nuclear Chicken Gulp and a tiny strip of squid. “Looking for good catching the rest of the week,” Ryan said. 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.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> made a run for bluefin tuna east of the Chicken Canyon, a long ride, more than 50 miles, on Monday, Capt. Ray said. He took his twin 9-year-old boys to catch their first tuna. The angling could’ve been better, but a few bluefins were trolled, and the boys landed their first, so that was good. The fishing was “way” good, lots better, Saturday and Sunday. After Monday’s trip, better life was heard about in the afternoon or about 12 noon or 3 o’clock. The trip sailed for home at 11 a.m., because a few tuna were already landed, and only one was being kept. One or two bit on ballyhoos, and spreader bars grabbed bites a little. But the tuna, once found, would’ve jumped on anything. Waters were 78 to 80 degrees and clean but green. Still, the color didn’t seem to bother the fish. Lots of life filled waters, including bait, including an incredible number of sand eels. Porpoises swam. The boat was chartered for bluefins this coming weekend, but weather looks like it’s rolling in. So a fluke charter was taken for this coming Friday. A charter Wednesday with a family, the Winsuh’s, jigged a bunch of small bluefish at the Klondike. Then they fluke fished on the ocean to the north, and catches were pretty good. Winds started to come up, and one angler became seasick, so the trip headed to port early, but the fluking was encouraging. West winds that day cleaned the ocean well, after dirty waters, not good at all, previously. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures.

With <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, bluefin tuna fishing was very good during the weekend, Capt. Fred said. A trip went 6 for 6 on the tuna to 40 inches, bagging one, releasing the rest, covered in the last report. Annual mixed-bag trips, both open-boat and charters, are sailing for catches that can include bluefin tuna, mahi mahi, cod and pollock, all in one outing. The trips will probably push farther offshore to the Continental Shelf before too long, when the mix can include yellowfin tuna, swordfish, mahi mahi, tilefish and more. Currently, the bluefin fishing was good, so the trips were sticking with them. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up, and more variety for dinner. Telephone if interested.

Was beautiful on Wednesday morning’s trip aboard, and fluke fishing was fantastic, Capt. Matt from the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Keepers were hung on every drift, and none was big, “but the quantity was there,” he said. A 4-pound fluke was the pool-winner. Decent-sized sea bass helped “fill up the buckets,” he said. Gulps on bucktails caught best, but spearing with squid on rigs worked well. In the afternoon, currents slowed the bite a little. But a keeper or two was beaned on every drift, and sometimes four or five were, and a few sea bass were caught. “Not too bad!” Matt said. A 4-pound fluke was the pool-winner again. Trips fished rocks and rubble lately, so anglers should bring extra tackle, because some will be lost, snagged in the rough bottom. Sinkers and rigs are carried aboard, but no bucktails and Gulps are. None of the nighttime bluefish trips sailed the past couple of evenings, because of lack of anglers. But the crew is shaping up for the trips every night.  The Norma-K III is fishing for fluke on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. and for bluefish 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

Sea bass fishing somewhat slowed, but ling angling was pretty steady, on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. A half-dozen cod 10 to 20 pounds, probably five pollock and a couple of lobsters were winged on Wednesday’s trip. Loads of big, out-of-season winter flounder bit and were released. One kid let go probably a 7-pounder, a monster. A few blackfish, usually just-keeper-sized, came in on trips. A couple of better-sized ones 5 or 6 pounds showed up on one trip in past days. Trips fished in 60 to 150 feet the past couple of days. Waters were 70 to 75 degrees, depending on the day. On nighttime trips, bottom-fishing was okay. Butch ran Friday night’s trip, a good night. Sea bass, ling, a couple of blackfish, some fluke and two lobsters were picked up. Bluefishing was slow on Saturday night’s trip, so the trip bottom-fished. Four blues were caught on the outing, and that seemed the best catch of them in the fleet, when the Dauntless left for home at 12:30 a.m. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, and is bluefishing on Saturday nights during the same hours. If bluefishing picks up, a couple of more of the night trips will probably bluefish.

<b>Toms River</b>

Crabbing was very good on the Toms River and on Barnegat Bay along Route 37 Bridge, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Spots and snapper blues ran the river, and the snappers swiped spearing on a hook or on Snapper Zapper rigs. The river’s population of croakers thinned a little, but some remained. Lots of bait including peanut bunker schooled along Route 37 Bridge. Small fluke, not big, were sometimes angled along the bridge. At Good Luck Point, a similar mix of catches were made, including crabs, spots and snappers. Blowfish still hovered the bay at the BB marker, biting clams while boaters anchored and chummed with clams. One angler boxed 55. Fluke fishing was pretty good at the BI and BB markers on the bay. Harry Pryor bagged two fluke 3.6 and 3.5 pounds from the bay. Dredging stirred up waters at Barnegat Inlet, picking up fluking there. A few limits were pounded from boats, and anglers on foot even caught fluke from the inlet. Surf fishing for fluke was good, better than in some time. Bucktails with Gulps or fluke rigs with Gulps beached them. A few kingfish and striped bass, no great catches, but a pick, at least, came from the surf. Not a lot was heard about catches from the ocean. Sea bass were picked from the Tire Reef in the ocean, and a few fluke were managed from boats on the local ocean. Fluke were boated farther north on the ocean, like at Axel Carlson Reef.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

From the surf, kingfish were banked, and fluke were, if anglers worked for the flatfish, and at night, sizeable brown sharks were fought, said Mario from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. The kings were belted on Gulp artificial bloodworms. They caught especially well, but Fishbites artificial worms and fresh clams also landed the kings. The fluke could be hooked on a bucktail with a teaser and Gulps. Were the Gulps used on the bucktail, the teaser or both? Mario was asked. That depended on preference, he said. The browns, required to be released, were hit on fresh bunker. From Barnegat Bay, crabbing was “picking up big time,” he said. Unusually, a few sharks nosed up to the dock while customers crabbed, stealing some of their baits. Cownosed rays also showed up around the dock. That was also unusual, and the shop is located miles between two inlets. The hurricane in fall seemed to cause some strange things to happen. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, sandworms and any frozen baits needed to fish the area are stocked. The Dock Outfitters features a full supply of bait and tackle, a dock to fish and crab from and boat and jet ski rentals.

<b>Forked River</b>

Joe from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b> landed 15 keeper fluke from Double Creek Channel on Barnegat Bay through the week on incoming tides, he said. He fished frozen spearing and peanut bunker, the baits to use, but frozen mullet also caught, if anglers could find them. All are stocked. The bay’s blowfishing was slower than before. Anglers talked about catches like 20 in an hour, when 100 in an hour would be usual. No other catches, like weakfish, were heard about from the bay. Nothing was really doing in the ocean that Joe heard. Crabbing was picking up.  

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Fluke seemed around in the ocean, and if conditions drifted the boat well, the summer flounder seemed to be bagged, said Capt. Ted from the <b>Super Chic</b>. A trip Sunday landed throwbacks, quite a few, one keeper and a few sea bass from 45 to 55 feet, and the drift was off. A trip Friday will wreck fish for catches like sea bass and ling. Then trips will fluke all weekend. No bluefish were really around to target nearby, but that could change. 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>Surf City</b>

Loads of spots were plucked from the surf, and kingfishing improved from the shore, because of warmed waters, said Holden from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. Kings were really the best bet to fish for, and he beached eight spots and two kings in a trip. Not so many fluke were picked up from the surf in the last week, but a few were. A 6-pound 13-ounce fluke was weighed in from the surf. Snapper blues and blowfish swam the bay. Fresh, shucked clams are stocked, and demand for clams in the shell drops off this time of year, so they aren’t really carried for the moment. Fresh bunker ran out, because the supplier could find none to catch. But the bunker is stocked when available. A large supply of frozen baits is in supply. The store’s annual <b><i>Free Surf Fishing Seminars</i></b> are under way. Held 6- to 7 p.m. every Sunday, rain or shine, in the parking lot until Labor Day, the classes cover the fishing that’s happening now, and bring a beach chair. Visit <a href="http://www.surfcitybaitandtackle.com/" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s Web site</a>. Keep in touch on <a href=" http://www.facebook.com/pages/Surf-City-Bait-and-Tackle/207533229268619
" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s Facebook page</a>.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

This was a good time for Great Bay’s nighttime shark fishing, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Boaters fish for large sand sharks, but hook and release sizeable brown sharks, required to be let go, in the bay this time of year, and the angling came on. The anglers anchor and chum, fishing with mackerel, mostly from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. The fish are active about 2 hours just after sundown. But closer to Little Egg Inlet, toward Little Beach, the fish seem to be landed late in the day, while sunlight’s still around. A handful of boaters fished for summer flounder in the bay. Fewer seemed to fish for them than earlier in the season, but the ones who did, caught. Waters near the 126 marker, Tow Island and Little Beach gave them up, and ¾-ounce bucktails with 4-inch Gulps in chartreuse or any favorite colors seemed to catch best. But working the line was key. The fish seemed to want moving bait. From the ocean, one boater reported phenomenal flounder fishing at A.C. Reef in 95 feet several days in a row. But he knew about the spot, because he caught there previously, in past seasons or something. Otherwise, that’s a long way to sail, and very deep waters for the angling, and the ocean’s flounder fishing closer to shore, at places like Little Egg Reef or the Rutgers buoys, only turned out occasional catches, not worth the mileage. Every report about sea bass fishing was about limiting out on the ocean. Nobody mentioned blackfish, though one of the tautog could be kept per angler per day starting last week on Wednesday. But Scott doesn’t doubt blackfishing should be great, because nobody’s been fishing for them. Blackfish are even landed along the bay’s sod banks this time of year. Bluefish three-quarters of a pound kept appearing at Little Egg Inlet sporadically. They kept coming and going, in other words. But if they were around, birds worked bait along the water surface above them, so anglers knew they were there. Crabbing was phenomenal this season, probably because the mild winter failed to freeze waters and kill them, and fewer people crabbed than usual, because of the hurricane in autumn. They were busy rebuilding. Green crabs, for blackfishing, are expected to arrive Friday, and the crew will try to keep them alive in the warmth. Plenty of minnows are stocked, and fresh, shucked clams are on hand. Bloodworms are carried, and weather was too warm to keep live grass shrimp in supply, for white perch fishing on brackish rivers like the Mullica. The shrimp die, and demand drops off anyway, and bloodworms are more popular bait for perch in the middle of summer. Maybe the worms stay on the hook better, when the shrimp die in the heat. Or maybe their popularity is because the worms are easier to keep alive in the heat. But for whatever reason, bloodworms are usually the bait anglers soak.  

<b>Absecon</b>

Catches of summer flounder were good from the back bay, as far as Curt heard from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>, he said. Anglers said the fish held a little deeper than before. The fluke began to stage at inlets, migrating toward the ocean. Not a lot of flounder, and none really big, were weighed in. None like 8, 9 or 10 pounds were really checked in like usual. Whether that was because larger ones stayed in the ocean, and would start to be caught, couldn’t be known. Andrew Brockowski weighed in a 3-1/2-pound flounder bagged in the bay near Margate. Striped bass could surely be angled from the bay at night on artificials or live bait like spots. This was the time of year when the fish mostly bite at night. But Capt. Dave, the shop’s owner, just returned from traveling, and news about stripers mostly comes from him this season. Anglers like him catch them, because he knows places, namely behind Wreck Inlet, where they bite, and he has the right bait and gear, like spots and a trolling motor. Live spots are stocked, and so are fresh clams. Not a ton of shedder crabs are on hand, so telephone to confirm whether they’re available. Lots of panfish like croakers and spots swarmed the bay. Bait schooled waters, including lots of peanut bunker in creeks. Curt was yet to see many mullet this season. Live peanuts and mullet are yet to be stocked, but will be, as usual.  Weakfish swam the mouth of Mullica River and the Intracoastal Waterway. Small drum skittered around the mouth. White perch hovered in the river, and spots and croakers were mixed in. Kingfish nibbled in the surf, and spots and croakers were mixed in with them, too. No bluefish were really around anywhere, except maybe a small one seen once in a while from the bay or someplace. Green crabs had been stocked, because one blackfish could be kept per angler per day starting last week on Wednesday. A few of the crabs were sold, but nothing was heard about whether the purchasers caught blackfish. Then the crabs all died, because of warm, 80-degree waters, after the crabs came from colder waters. Curt didn’t know whether more of the crabs will be stocked. Crabbing was good, though most crabs started to be smaller, now that crabbers trapped many of the larger ones.

<b>Brigantine</b>

The surf harbored kingfish and spots, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Fishbites artificial worms caught them, but natural bloodworms hooked them better, though waters seemed warm enough for Fishbites to score better. Summer flounder fishing was phenomenal in the back bay. Andy Smith bagged three good-sized flounder. Nick Rush checked in a 4-pound flounder, saying fishing for them was good along the jetty lately. Bloodworms, minnows and all frozen baits are stocked. The Hooked On Fishing, Not on Drugs tournament will take place Saturday at Brigantine. Registration is at 8 a.m. at the 16th Street beach access, and Sunday is the rain date. The first 100 kids get a free fishing rod.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

At Absecon Inlet, anglers on foot banked spots, croakers, kingfish and summer flounder, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait and Tackle</b>. Weakfish were sometimes hooked while anglers fished for the spots, croakers and kings, dunking bloodworms or Fishbites artificial worms for them. Minnows, spearing and squid axed the flounder. Baits stocked include minnows, green crabs, fresh clams, either in the shell or shucked, fresh bunker, bloodworms and frozen sand eels, herring, peanut bunker, head-on shrimp, spearing, a large variety of squids and more. An outside vending machine was just installed, so anglers can buy bait during after-hours. Currently, frozen baits including clams, Pro Cut squid, head-on shrimp and filleted mackerel are available in the machine. Catch the shop’s sale on bucktails, at almost wholesale prices. They’re going for: 1/8 ounce, $1.79; ¼ ounce, $1.85; 3/8 ounce, $1.89; ½ ounce, $1.95; 5/8 ounce, $2; ¾ ounce, $2.09; 1 ounce, $2.20; 1 ½ ounces, $2.29; 2 ounces, $2.99; and 3 ounces, $3.49.  Colors are all-white, green-and-white, chartreuse-and-white, yellow-and-white, pink-and-white, red-and-white and purple-and-white.  One Stop’s second store, located at Gardner’s Basin at 800 North New Hampshire Avenue, is also open. The original, remaining open, is at 416 Atlantic Avenue.

<b>Margate</b>

On the back bay, summer flounder fishing was great, the best all season, on the party boat <b>Keeper</b>, Capt. John said. Good numbers of keepers, and lots of throwbacks, were hooked on every trip. Two or three were hooked at once throughout the outings. On Monday morning’s trip, 20 keepers were bagged, and 396 throwbacks were let go. Fourteen keepers and 300 throwbacks were landed on Wednesday morning’s trip. So long as weather doesn’t change a lot, the fishing should last, John thinks. Small croakers, baby sea bass, sea robins and sharks also bit. No bluefish showed up. On morning trips, when conditions were right, fish seemed to bite every time bait hit bottom. Minnows and mackerel, supplied aboard, caught the flounder. Gulps that anglers brought hooked them well, like always.  The fishing was just good, and John was happy with it. The Keeper is fishing for summer flounder 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. daily. Prices are great, because the pontoon boat is economical on fuel, and the fishing on the bay is close to port. Trips are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for kids.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Boaters wrangled up good summer flounder catches from the back bay, said Jake from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Weakfish were around, like ones caught at Corson’s Inlet early in mornings on artificials. A few blackfish were plucked along jetties on green crabs. Lots of kingfish and spots flooded the surf. A few brown sharks, required to be released, haunted the surf. On the ocean, flounder, including sizeable, started to be boated from the reefs, arriving from bays. They migrate, seeking cooler waters, this time of year. Sea bass were sometimes socked at the reefs. A few cobia swam the ocean far south. Farther from shore, bluefin tuna, big ones 100 pounds and larger, were nailed at the Hot Dog. They started to be chunked and jigged, in addition to being trolled like before. Even farther from shore, yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna began to push north to places like Wilmington and Spencer canyons. Good catches were made. Green crabs, minnows and bloodworms are stocked. Fresh clams ran out, but are carried when available.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

With Glen Law’s family aboard the back bay Wednesday, several keeper flounder to 20 inches and numerous throwbacks were cranked in, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Action was non-stop during the 4-hour trip, so flounder fishing’s been pretty good on the bay. A few weakfish swam the bay. Tides were currently right for striped bass fishing at night on the bay, and Joe will try to do that in the next evenings, probably fly fishing for them, though he spin fishes for the bass, too. Clouser Minnow flies and soft-plastic lures are cast. Joe ran none of his inshore shark trips the past couple of days, but that angling’s been off the charts, covered in previous reports. Lots of sharks, including a large population of big ones over 100 pounds, filled waters. The trips, usually within 10 miles from shore, are a chance to fight big fish without the usual long trek offshore. The trips, catch and release, spin- or fly-rod for them. Browns and duskies, required to be released, and blacktips were the most prevalent sharks. From the offshore ocean, catches of yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna came from south at Washington Canyon that Joe heard about. Closer to shore, bluefin tuna and yellowfins were boated at the Hot Dog, closer to port. Joe is fishing for the tuna. Keep up with his fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

For whatever reasons, summer flounder fishing became really good on the back bay in the past week, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. No trophies were seen, but lots of 5-pounders were, and the flatfish were found near Sea Isle. Bucktails with Gulps were most popular to fish for them, but lots of minnows were sold for the angling. Weakfish and striped bass were sometimes slugged from the bay at night under lights. Stripers were even heard about from places like deeper holes in the bay on livelined spots. Mike wasn’t asked what time that was, but maybe daytime, during low-light hours like mornings or evenings. Tons of spots schooled the bay. From the surf, croakers, kingfish and weakfish mixed in were banked. Not a lot was heard about flounder fishing from the ocean. A little weather happened, but that wasn’t the reason. Just not much was reported about anyone fishing for them. The local party boat bottom-fished on the ocean, and catches were fairly good. Sea bass were sacked, and a few croakers appeared, and triggerfish sometimes turned up. The catches weren’t crushed, but anglers had fun. Farther off, bluefin tuna were trolled at the Hot Dog and Massey’s Canyon at dawn. Nothing specific was heard about canyon tuna fishing farther offshore.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Catches were pretty good at <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>, Mike said. The back bay’s crabbing picked up a bit, “so that’s nice,” he said. The bay’s summer flounder fishing remained strong. Not many weakfish were seen from the bay, and the weakfish run seemed to be ending, or they moved on, or whatever happens to them. None of the baby sea bass were seen yet that flood the bay in summer. A friend yanked 15 triggerfish from the surf. Canal Side rents boats for fishing and crabbing on the bay. Baits stocked include minnows, scented and unscented squid strips, scented pink and green strips, trolling squid, tube squid, pints and quarts of salted clams, non-salted clams in both 1 pound and 9 ounces, whole mackerel, filleted mackerel, mullet, spearing, herring, frozen shrimp and a good selection of Gulp artificial baits. Crabs for eating are sold at market prices, currently $24 per dozen for No. 1’s and $12 per dozen for No. 2’s. The crabs can be steamed to order, fresh as can be, and prices are currently $28 for No. 1’s and $16 for No. 2’s. To have the steamed crabs cleaned, add another $4 to each of those prices.

Fishing stayed the same, Fred from <b>No Bones Bait & Tackle</b> wrote in an e-mail. In the last report, he said lots of throwback summer flounder, sometimes a keeper, were heard about from the back bay. Whether that was because of angler experience couldn’t be known, but mostly tourists fished from the shop this time of year. But experienced anglers boated their share of keepers. No limits were heard about, but two and three keepers in a trip were. Weakfish bit in Hereford Inlet on bait, not on bucktails like earlier this year. Bloodworms on 4- or 5-foot leaders on float rigs fished along the rocks snatched them up. Throwback striped bass, rarely a keeper, and small bluefish chomped in the bay. Large sheepshead were heaved in along bridges, when anglers knew how to catch them. Rental boats are available to fish the bay, and usual baits like minnows and the complete frozen selection are sold.

<b>Cape May</b>

The party boat <b>Porgy IV</b> was docked because of a blown piston, and Capt. Paul hopes trips resume this weekend, or maybe by Friday afternoon, but that depends on parts availability, he said. Telephone for the schedule, and previously aboard, summer flounder fishing, on the ocean, was picky. No numbers of the fish were bagged, but that could change, and maybe already changed, while the boat was down. A few of the fluke were bagged on Saturday’s trip, including Mike Ruhl from Hersey, Pa.’s, four keepers. Pete Kostiopoulos from Claymont, Del., that day decked two keepers to a 6-1/4-pounder. When trips resume, the Porgy IV is fishing for summer flounder at 8 a.m. daily.

A charter was supposed to fish for tuna aboard today or Friday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. The angler wanted to sail today, but weather forecasts looked rough. Forecasts looked better for Friday, but then the angler had to work that day. But trolling and chunking continued to produce tuna at lumps like the Hot Dog. Trips on the Heavy Hitter mostly hooked bluefin tuna but also yellowfin tuna there, covered in recent reports. Mahi mahi and a wahoo were also waxed aboard. Jump on the trips while the tuna remain. They could stick around, but they could also depart, and ask about special rates for the inshore trips, closer to port than other tuna fishing, at the canyons along the Continental Shelf. Summer flounder were boated from the ocean at places like the Old Grounds, when winds and tides drifted the boat well, like usual. Sea bass were picked from the ocean, and the Heavy Hitter is fishing for all these, and telephone if interested.

Fishing was the same, didn’t change, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Fishing for bluefin tuna was good, limiting out. Summer flounder fishing improved every day, and sea bass fishing was strong, both on the ocean. Charters are fishing, 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 for dates for open-boat trips for bluefins, flounder and sea bass.

Lots of small croakers, but some larger, scurried around the surf, said Joe from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Spots swam the surf, and very few kingfish did, but a few kings were found. Fewer weakfish than before roamed the surf, but some remained. Sometimes fluke were whacked from the shore. A striped bass was managed from the beach once in a while. A good flounder catch was heard about from Grassy Sound two days ago. But the angling slowed afterward in the back bay. On the ocean, party boats ran into a few flounder the last couple of days, but not as many as would be liked. Little was heard about Delaware Bay, and hardly any customers fished there, except form the surf, like at Sunset Beach and Higbee’s Beach. They landed the same mix of fish mentioned from the surf above. From offshore anglers, lots of trips were heard about that traveled to Poorman’s Canyon for good catches of yellowfin tuna. Some sailed all the way to Washington Canyon, but their yellowfin catches seemed no better than at Poorman’s.

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