<b>Perth Amboy</b>

Tough weekend for fluke fishing, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an e-mail. Because of wind, down the ocean beach was the only place that could be fluke fished aboard Saturday. But the wind against tide kept the boat from drifting, difficult for the fishing. On Sunday, the channels were fished aboard for fluke, but wind blowing in the same direction as tide drifted the boat too quickly. Fourteen ounces of weight wasn’t enough to hold bottom. “We ran out to rough bottom,” Frank said, but only a few fluke bit. Conditions are everything, he said. But the trip fished for porgies, “and found some good action,” he said. Small bluefish were also boated, and out-of-season sea bass were released. Sea bass season will be opened September 27. Captains whom Frank spoke with, as far south as Belmar, talked about tough fluke fishing. But the angling should still produce this season. Open-boat trips and charters are available for fluke through September 24, the final day of fluke season. The Vitamin Sea also fishes from Staten Island. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fluke fishing was tough last week, Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site Saturday, the most recent report on the site at press time. Good-sized fluke were still caught, but the angling was slower than previously. Wind against tide was difficult for the angling since early in the week. A 6.9-pound fluke was the pool-winner Saturday. One angler reeled in a fluke larger than five pounds and a couple of other sizeable ones on the outing. But even action with throwbacks was slower than before on the trip. Nighttime trips will begin fishing for striped bass this evening through Wednesday, and will bottom-fish the rest of the week. The bottom-fishing cranked up catches like porgies and croakers recently. The night trips will fish for stripers daily starting Sunday, and as water temperatures drop, the fall run of stripers “should kick into place,” Ron said. The Fishermen is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. The night trips are sailing 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 Thursday and Saturday mornings and Saturday night, so no open-boat trips will run then.

Both trips for fluke Thursday were probably some of the better ones in past days on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. One angler limited out on the morning trip that day. Friday’s fluking was no good, and just a few keepers were boxed. Sunday’s fluking was better than Saturday’s, but still wasn’t good. Some of the fish were managed Saturday. Some good-sized fluke were in the mix on trips, and 5-pounders and larger probably won the pools each day. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily through September 24, the final day of fluke season. Afterward, the trips will bottom-fish, first for porgies a couple of days. When sea bass season is opened September 27, the trips will sail for sea bass and porgies. The twice-daily trips will continue through Columbus Day, October 14, sailing the same hours as currently. The schedule will switch to one ¾-day trip a day either immediately afterward or soon afterward, usually no later than a week after Columbus Day.

<b>Neptune</b>

Big, alligator bluefish were tackled Saturday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph wrote in an e-mail. If anglers were waiting to catch big blues, now is the time for a charter. A few openings remain for the year’s final individual-reservation trips for fluke 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday and 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. the following Tuesday, September 24, the final day of fluke season. The trip on the final day is sailing extra hours at no extra charge. Sea bass season will be opened September 27, and an individual-reservation trip will fish inshore wrecks September 29. An individual-reservation trip for cod is full October 7, but openings are available for another on November 4. An individual-reservation trip for blackfish will sail November 16, when the bag limit will be increased to six from the current limit of one. <b>***Update, Monday, 9/16:***</b> The individual-reservation trip for fluke Tuesday is cancelled, because of forecasts for 15- to 20-knot, northeasterly winds, but one of the trips is added for 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Ralph wrote in an e-mail. Kids under 12 will sail free.

<b>Belmar</b>

The season’s first overnight trip for tuna is slated to fish the offshore canyons this weekend on the <b>Katie H</b>, Capt. Mike said. Most boats that fished the canyons this weekend had just returned or were still returning when he gave this report Sunday evening in a telephone call. But all canyons seemed to produce the fish lately. A bunch of longfin tuna and bigeye tuna here and there were trolled during daytime. At night, a fair number of swordfish were heaved in. Not many tuna seemed to be landed at night, but the nighttime fishing seemed to be just starting. A good bite was had the other night at, Mike thought, Lindenkohl Canyon. Nobody really fished for bluefin tuna closer to shore recently. Mike and crew fished at Sea Girt Reef a moment when new props had been installed on the boat at Manasquan, and the vessel was being returned to Belmar. Some good-sized, out-of-season sea bass were caught and released, and sea bass season will be opened September 27. The ocean’s temperature had dropped to 69 degrees. The Katie H features all the amenities and speed.

Some trips picked fluke better than others on the ocean aboard, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. A swell and southerly winds affected the angling toward the end of the week, around Thursday and Friday, Pete thought. When conditions were better, the fishing was a matter of finding pockets of fluke. Trips mostly fished deeper for them now. But on days with winds, the outings fished shallow. When conditions were favorable, out-of-season sea bass were in the mix and were released, and Pete looks forward to the opening of sea bass season September 27. He’s also looking forward to fishing for striped bass and blackfish this fall, and dates are being booked for all this fishing. Parker Pete’s sails for any 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.

Fishing was a little slow during the weekend, though business was good, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an e-mail. But surf fishing started to come alive, as more bait migrated the waters. John Cuttrel from Wall beached two throwback striped bass at Spring Lake on clams. Reports came in about stripers landed along jetties north of Shark River Inlet on plugs at first light. In Shark River, fluke catches were fair, and one of the shop’s rental-boat trips docked nine keepers with four anglers. Most were just legal-sized or 17 ½ inches, up to 18 inches. Interestingly, one rental-boater released three throwback stripers on the river, while fluking with mullet for bait. The river’s snapper blues and kingfish kept bank anglers “interested,” Bob said.

<b>Brielle</b>

Very good fishing for fluke aboard today on the weekly marathon trip for them, Capt. Ryan from the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> wrote in an e-mail. The boat drifted perfectly, and the trip fished “hangs” all day, but not much tackle was lost in them. The Hesperus and Flying Dutch wrecks fished best, and many anglers limited out, and some landed twice their limits, keeping only their quotas. Some bagged three or four, and most of the keepers were 3 to 6 pounds or good-sized. None was huge, and the pool-winning fluke weighed 6 ½ pounds. Gary Berger leads the monthly pool with an 8-1/2-pound fluke. Anglers and their fluke catches today included: Sung Hwang, double a limit to 6 pounds; Young Park, more than a limit to 6 pounds; and Bruce “Frugal” Casagrande, a limit to 6 ½ pounds. Ed Nolan and Frank Pogue each caught more than a limit to 5 pounds. Ray Bryant and Alex Pilewski each caught limits to 5 pounds. The Jamaica II is fishing for fluke twice daily at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and on an all-day, marathon trip at 7:30 a.m. Monday. That will be the final marathon, because the next day, Tuesday, September 24, is the final day of fluke season.

Ocean fluke fishing was pretty much winding down, because few swam inshore, and lumps and wrecks offshore had to be reached to catch them, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. But he was sure another shot of them would swim out from Manasquan River, and anglers in the surf banked some. Currently in the river, lots of hickory shad, blues and throwback striped bass. In addition to fluke from the surf, hickory shad and a few striped bass, not many, were beached. Bluefishing was good for ocean boaters, and most blues there seemed 10 to 15 pounds. Nobody was heard about who boated for ling on the ocean. A few bluefin tuna were probably around in the ocean, but nobody seemed to fish for them anymore. Farther from shore, good trolling for longfin tuna was boated, and a couple of yellowfin tuna were decked at times. Catches of mahi mahi seemed slower than before, because anglers kept targeting them. A couple of bigeye tuna from Toms Canyon were the only ones heard about locally, but bigeyes were taken farther south. The ones that had been roaming Wilmington Canyon seemed to slide south to Baltimore Canyon, and bigeyes were still caught at Washington Canyon like before.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

After slow fluke fishing a couple of days, the catches “bounced back” on Sunday afternoon’s trip, on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. A decent number of keepers were swung in, and throwbacks were released, and lots of bait schooled. Matt hopes the bait sticks around, holding fluke, through fluke season that’s open through September 24. On Saturday night’s trip, bluefishing was excellent for 8- to 12-pounders. Plenty of blues have been around, and looks like they’ll stay, Matt said. The Norma-K III 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 1 a.m. daily. After fluke season ends, the boat will bottom fish on one trip daily for ling and cod for a couple of days. When sea bass season is opened September 27, the trips will target sea bass.

Anglers steamed late Saturday afternoon, after winds calmed, on a “canyon serious mixed-bag trip” with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, a report on Andrea’s Toy’s Web site said. “First stop was all we needed,” the report said! The charter started landing fish right away. Good-sized yellowfin tuna were nailed, and sharks started to appear, “till the right one showed up,” the report said. A 70-inch mako, a “beast,” it said, was caught. Then a 50-inch swordfish was bagged. A few more yellowfins, 70-pounders, were boated through the night. At daybreak, a half-dozen longfin tuna to 30 pounds were drilled. The anglers decided to “switch gears,” the report said, and try for more species. They tilefished, and wind against tide were difficult for the angling, “but got into blueline (tiles),” the report said. Then the group fished for mahi mahi. A patch of the fish was found, and a 15-pounder was iced. A few were lost, then the dolphin scattered. The trip got back to port by lunchtime Sunday, “and beers at the dock with a great crew,” the report said. Annual mixed-bag trips offshore like this, both open-boat and charters, are sailing. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner. Telephone if interested.  

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

How many shots can the area take? John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s Web site Friday. That was the most recent report on the site at press time, and was posted after the fire Thursday along the Seaside Heights boardwalk. The fire destroyed many businesses that were rebuilt after Hurricane Sandy last fall. The road to Island Beach State Park was blocked when John posted the report Friday, because water was still being pumped from Barnegat Bay to fight the fire. The road was supposed to be reopened around 9 a.m. Saturday. Fishing remained the same, and fluke were bagged from the surf, and sometimes small to medium-sized bluefish were, when bait schooled the waters. Small striped bass were played in the surf at first light on swimming plugs with teasers. The Dock Outfitters, located on the bay, features an extensive supply of bait and tackle, a dock to fish and crab from and boat rentals for fishing and crabbing.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Fluke fishing was very good Sunday on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, a post on the vessel’s Facebook page said. “Three nets (were) going,” it said, on the first two drifts, and most of the fluke were sizeable keepers. Afterward, the wind dropped off, changing the boat’s drift, and the fishing slowed compared with before. But keepers were still picked each drift. Many of the trip’s anglers limited out, and John Mount from Philadelphia won the pool with a 6-pound fluke. A three-way-swivel rig with a big Spro and a small one with spearing and squid on the hooks mugged many of the trip’s fluke. The Miss Barnegat Light is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

On the <b>Super Chic</b>, fishing for fluke was good this weekend on the ocean, Capt. Ted said. The angling was very good Sunday and decent Saturday. Weather was a little windy at first on Saturday, but calmed later, making fluking easier. Fluke fishing in general remained good on trips aboard. Lots of the fish remained, and the trips fished in 60 to 75 feet, the same depths as during the past three or four weeks. The angling should stay the same a while, as long as no storms affect the fish, Ted thinks. Fluke 4 pounds were the biggest the past couple of days, so none was really large. Keepers seemed not to want to bite every day, Ted thinks. One trip aboard tried fishing for fluke at Garden State Reef South, and only throwbacks bit. But another boat fished there the next day, and a good catch of keepers was made. A few small bluefish bit on each fluke trip on the Super Chic, and a few out-of-season sea bass were released on the outings. Sea bass season will be opened September 27. Bonito and small bluefish were known to swim Barnegat Ridge. The season’s first overnight trip for tuna is currently scheduled to fish offshore the final weekend in September. Space is available for an open-boat tilefish trip October 19. A bunch of tiles were piled up on all past trips for them this season. 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>

Two anglers at Little Egg Reef boated five keeper summer flounder 19 to 24 inches and 10 throwbacks Friday, Brian from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s Web site. The keepers weighed 3 to 5 pounds, and one of the anglers said northwest winds drifted the boat well at the reef’s south end “by the tanks,” Brian said. The angler said boaters want a good drift for the fishing. At first, 6 ounces of weight was used to hold bottom. Then weather became a little windy, and 8 ounces was used. The anglers fished two rigs from the store – one with big spinner blades and chrome beads, and another with red tassels and chrome beads – saying both worked wonders.  Another angler posted a report on the site, saying he fished the reef Saturday in 10- to 20-knot, northwesterly winds and 2- to 4-foot seas. At first, a couple of throwbacks bit when he fished two wrecks there. He moved to the tanks, and boated two keeper fluke 20 and 23 inches and three throwbacks on one productive drift. The fishing slowed as the tide became slack, but he lost another sizeable flounder at the net.  One of the store’s employees bagged five fluke Wednesday, and the report mentioned no location, but the location seemed the ocean, maybe the reef. Seas were choppy, he and others said. 

<b>Brigantine</b>

The annual fall striped bass derby was launched Friday at <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>, Capt. Andy wrote in a report on the shop’s Web site. More on the Brigantine surf-fishing contest in a moment. First, Andy fished the surf Friday, banking spots and kingfish, losing something large that straightened the hook and got off. Might’ve been a big ray, and he had no chance of stopping it. “After 15 minutes, it was over,” he said. He would’ve liked to have seen it to know it wasn’t a striper, he said. In the tournament, when entrants purchase a Brigantine beach-buggy permit, the contest provides another permit to drive onto the beach along the entire island, instead of only at the cove, south jetty and north end. Prizes are $500, $300 and $150 for first, second and third prizes, respectively. Plus, a monthly $100 prize and a weekly $25 prize are awarded.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Patrick Milligan’s crew jigged 1- to 3-pound blues, more than could be counted, aboard the ocean Sunday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Then they caught and released throwback summer flounder, action with the fish the whole time, on the ocean. On Saturday Charlie Smith and son jigged as many 1- to 3-pound blues as they wanted on the ocean, and had planned to fish for flounder afterward on the ocean, but weather was windy, so they called it a day. Bluefishing’s been great on the ocean, and would also be great for fly-rodding. High tides at dusk this week are ideal for striped bass fishing with popper-plugs and –flies on the back bay. A trip aboard gave the fishing a shot a moment, landing one, looking promising, the last time tides were ideal, a couple of weeks ago, when the angling first seemed to be picking up. Take an After Work Special Trip with Jersey Cape, fishing from 4 p.m. to dark on weekdays, a productive time for fishing. Annual traveling charters to Montauk will begin this weekend, fishing the migration of large stripers, big blues and false albacore, and the angling could last until late October. If you’ve ever wanted to fish the legendary run from the historic port, Joe is going. Now’s the time to book charters from Sea Isle City to fish the migration of large stripers and big blues in the ocean when they arrive from north, in November and December. Annual traveling trips to the Florida Keys, fishing from Christmas to Easter, mostly on weekends, are being booked, and should be planned ahead. The trips can be a mini, fish-filled vacation, angling for a variety of catches from redfish and speckled sea trout to tarpon and sailfish. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Avalon</b>

With <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b>, a trip fished 13 or 14 hours on the ocean Sunday, Capt. Jim said. Mostly summer flounder were targeted, and the trip began fishing at Ocean City Reef, but no flounder bit. Then the outing pushed deeper to Sea Isle Ridge, and a few throwback flounder were hooked. The trip moved to 5-Fathom Bank, and lots more flounder were landed, a fair number, sometimes two and three at a time, and croakers and 3-pound bluefish were reeled in. Finding keeper flounder was still difficult. But the angling was fun, and seas were fairly flat and calm, and waters were clear. Fins and Feathers will keep fishing the ocean until the striped bass migration begins. Then trips will fish for stripers on Delaware Bay, usually by mid-November. Mullet began to migrate, and Jim saw the baitfish in the ocean and inlet, and the tackle shop carried fresh mullet. Bunker were also seen in the ocean. Jim has also been guiding goose-hunting trips, three so far this season. He does that both from Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Fins and Feathers offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including duck and goose hunting. Anglers can even enjoy a combo of striper fishing and duck hunting over a series of days on Delaware Bay. Fins and Feathers also guides salmon and steelhead fishing on upstate New York’s Salmon River from Jim’s lodge. The salmon fishing is probably beginning, and the steelhead fishing happens from late fall into spring. Trips also fly fish for trout on Pennsylvania’s trout streams like the Yellow Breeches.

<b>Cape May</b>

Catches of summer flounder were very good on some days, not on others, Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b> said. Bluefishing was very good. 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 to be kept informed about open-boat trips for sea bass and blackfish. Sea bass season will be opened September 27, and blackfishing will begin November 16, when the bag limit is increased to six from the current limit of one.

A pretty good catch of summer flounder was made on the ocean Sunday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. The fishing wasn’t dynamite, like aboard the previous weekend, and the anglers on this trip – retired chief fire Capt. Bob, fire Capt. Anna Marie, Candy, Austin, Ray, Dianne  and Chris – didn’t limit out, but caught a bunch. The fish measured up to 22 inches, and plenty of throwbacks were released. The fluke would bite on one drift, not on the next drift or two, then would bite on the next, and so on. No out-of-season sea bass bit, but they did aboard the previous weekend, and were released, and sometimes sea bass hitting were heard about lately. Sea bass season will be opened September 27. The Heavy Hitter recently has also fished for small bluefish on the troll at places like off Cape May Point and at 5-Fathom Bank. A tuna trip is supposed to fish overnight this weekend aboard. People are telephoning about fall striped bass trips, and call to lock in dates.

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