<b>Staten Island</b>

Sea bass fishing limited out, was good, Saturday on the ocean with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Sea bass season is open in New York, and closed in New Jersey, and the fishing took a while to limit, and plenty of throwbacks were released. But many keepers were large, probably up to 4 pounds. The trip fished in 40 to 50 feet, and a few sizeable blackfish, out-of-season in New York, to 7 pounds were let go. One blackfish can be kept per angler in New Jersey. Outcast also fishes from Sewaren, New Jersey.

<b>Perth Amboy</b>

The year’s final open-boat fluke trips will fish Saturday and Sunday, and three spaces remain for Saturday, and one is left for Sunday, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an e-mail. September 24 is the final day of fluke season, and sea bass season will be opened September 27. Then charters and open trips will bottom fish for sea bass, porgies, triggerfish and blackfish. Reservations are being accepted for charters and open-boats for fall striped bass and blackfish trips. Telephone if interested in any of this fishing. The Vitamin Sea also fishes from Staten Island. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

<b>Keyport</b>

Brian Krempecki’s trip with six anglers bagged five fluke and released quite a few throwbacks at the West Bank on Saturday with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. They fished with both bait and bucktails, and conditions for the fishing and weather were good. Open-boat trips for fluke are available 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday when no charter is booked. Telephone to climb aboard.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The <b>Atlantic Star</b> resumed fishing for fluke Sunday, Capt. Tom said. That was after the vessel was docked for a mechanical issue in previous days. He wouldn’t say the fishing was good Sunday, but was better on the morning’s trip than on the afternoon’s, because conditions were better on the morning’s. Fluke were picked on the morning’s trip, throwbacks giving up good action, and some keepers mixed in. The boat was headed down the ocean beach to dodge winds that came up. The wind changed for the afternoon’s trip, hampering the angling. The fish were all different sizes from 12 inches to 5 pounds on the trips. Bait probably out-fished Spros, but that was difficult to say. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily.

A 10.2-pound 29-1/2-inch fluke took the lead in the season-long fluke pool on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> on Friday, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Nick Joanow whacked the fish, the first of the day on the trip. A good shot of sizeable fluke bit on that drift, including a 5-pounder and a couple of 4’s. Then the fishing slowed in lousy conditions. But Ron expected fluking to be better Saturday in better conditions, and it was. The wind no longer blew strongly against the tide, “and (Saturday’s trip) was one of the top ten!” he said. Some big fluke came in, including a couple of 7-pounders. Most fluke hooked were keepers, and not many were throwbacks, on the outing. Great day on the water, Ron said. Hefty fluke were nailed on Sunday’s trip, too. Conditions were tough at the start of the trip, but anglers slugged away at keepers, and more than 20 weighed 4 to 6 ¾ pounds. That was the pool-winner, and one angler limited out. The angler with the pool fish decked four sizeable fluke, one short of a limit. Another bagged three that weighed 6, 5 and 4 ½ pounds. Three anglers fishing in the bow all landed fluke to 6 pounds. A couple of big fluke were lost that shook off the hook at the top of the water. Bait fished well, but a couple of anglers fished with bucktails the whole trip Sunday “to catch their keep,” Ron said. Another excellent day on the water, he said. 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 porgies, croakers, fluke, blues and striped bass, 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sundays.

<b>Neptune</b>

An individual-reservation trip for cod was cancelled today with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph wrote in an e-mail. He didn’t say a reason, but weather seemed rough. Two spots are available on October 7 for the next one of the trips. Ralph asks that everyone who already booked that trip contact him to confirm. “Want to make it right and not overbook,” he wrote. Another one of the trips was just added for November 4. On a fluke trip with South Jersey’s Riverside Rod and Gun Club, fishing “held up,” Ralph said, and 25 good-sized keepers to 6 pounds were cracked. On Bill Geiger’s charter for fluke, the fish to 6 pounds were nailed. Weekly individual-reservation trips for fluke will sail Tuesday and the Tuesdays of September 17 and 24, the final day of fluke season. Kids 12 and under will sail free on the first two trips, limited to two per adult host, but all passengers will pay for the third. But the third will sail longer than usual, at no extra charge. Many out-of-season sea bass to 3 pounds were released during fluke fishing aboard. Sea bass season will be opened September 27, and a few spaces remain for an individual-reservation trip for inshore wreck fishing September 29. Another was just added for November 10. Another trip chummed for bluefish, and that was slow. But the trip resorted to trolling, putting together a good catch of blues. An individual-reservation trip for blackfish will sail November 16, when the bag limit will be increased to six of the tautog from the current limit of one. More of the blackfish trips will be announced. Morning and afternoon charters are available for any species on tap.

<b>Belmar</b>

“Things are looking up,” Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an e-mail. Fluke bit, for those who knew where to find them. Jesse Thomas and brother Aerio from Wall limited out on fluke and released more on the ocean off Long Branch, mostly on Gulps on high-low rigs. A couple of Belmar party boats “put some nice (fluke) on the deck,” Bob said. The trips also released big, out-of-season sea bass, seeming to bode well for the opening of sea bass season on September 27. In rivers, including Shark River, fluke hit, and more were keepers than a month ago. Snapper blues, spots, kingfish and croakers swam Shark River and the surf. They were easy to catch, and good-eating. A good number of striped bass were heard about from the surf and inlets. “But I fished the Manasquan River system,” Bob said, only catching bluefish. Party boats loaded up on big blues on the ocean, both while jigging and chunking.

Fishing for blues 10 to 18 pounds ranged from decent to very good on daytime trips Thursday through Sunday on the ocean on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. This was the time to sail for them. Some good catches of the slammers were hammered on nighttime trips, too.  The Golden Eagle is bluefishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Thursdays through Sundays.

Fluke fishing wasn’t great in previous days, but was decent on Sunday with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> on the ocean, Capt. Pete said. Some good-sized fluke to 7 pounds were heaved in that day, and some of the anglers limited out, some bagged two or three and some landed no keepers. But there was lots of life, Pete said. Trips fluked in all different depths, and deeper waters usually fished best, but that depended on conditions. Sizeable sea bass had to be weeded through and released on the fluke trips, and Pete looked forward to the opening of sea bass season September 27. Fall striped bass and blackfish trips are also being booked, and 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.

<b>Brielle</b>

Some good fluke fishing was smashed, including limits, on the ocean on the <b>Big Kid</b>, Capt. Ken said. An offshore trip aboard that returned Saturday released four white marlin and beat a bunch of mahi mahi at the charter’s request. Some openings are available mid-week for trips. Sea bass, striped bass and blackfish trips are being booked for later this year. Sea bass season will be opened September 27, and stripers will migrate the ocean this fall, and the blackfish bag limit will be increased to six November 16, from the current limit of one. That’s when anglers get after them.

Ocean fluke fishing was pretty darn good, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Many anglers limited out, and the fish pushed somewhat farther from shore than before to lumps and structure like Manasquan Ridge and the Klondike wreck. Fluke fishing lit up at Manasquan Inlet, so the fish seemed to be leaving Manasquan River for the ocean for the season. Maybe the fluke will gather at the inlet a moment before departing. Small striped bass swam the river, getting hooked on soft-plastic lures mostly. Hickory shad were fought on the river in evenings on shad spoons and Sabiki rigs. A few small bluefish raced around the river. From the surf, stripers were beached, and the angling was sort of picky, but a good spread of the bass swam from Barnegat Inlet to Sandy Hook. To the south, the fish were on sand eels. Farther north, they were on peanut bunker and mullet. Not a lot of mullet migrated the ocean yet, but some did. Ocean bluefishing seemed to take off pretty well at Shrewsbury Rocks and the Mud Buoy. The fishing seemed to begin producing some good catches of blues weighing into the teens. Ling fishing was consistent or good, worth doing, on the ocean. Farther from shore, bluefin tuna fishing was sort of like small bodies of the fish swam, but if anglers ran into them, they caught. Most were trolled, because no large bodies of bluefins were usually found that anglers could stop and jig on. Farther out, a few bigeye tuna were trolled at Hudson Canyon, and a few more were trolled at Toms Canyon. But bigeye fishing was “insane” at Wilmington Canyon, farther south. Decent catches of longfin tuna and occasionally yellowfin tuna were trolled at Hudson and Toms. Swordfishing was extraordinary at night at the canyons, and some trips landed three or four. A state record 18-pound 14-ounce blueline tilefish was weighed in from a party boat trip from Point Pleasant Beach last week.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 9/10:***</b> Except for a couple of trips, fluke fishing became good, including shoveling up lots of good-sized ones, the past week on the ocean on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said. Trips fished deeper than before, in around 65 feet, mostly along rough bottom. Some “heart-breaker” sea bass, Bob said, had to be released – sea bass season is closed – and a few 1-pound blues were landed. Offshore tuna trips will begin September 20, and see the <a href="http://gamblerfishing.net/offshoretrips.html" target="_blank">tuna schedule</a> online to reserve before spaces fill. On Friday and Saturday nights’ bluefish trips, fishing was good for larger blues 7 to 10 pounds. The angling wasn’t super-fast, but one or two were hooked at most times, and by the end, anglers copped good catches. Thursday night’s wreck-fishing trip remained docked, because weather forecasts apparently kept anglers from showing up. The Gambler is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily and bluefish 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.

After fluke fishing was good Thursday and Friday on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, it was “on the slow side” Saturday, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. But the angling improved Sunday. On Thursday and Friday, pool-winning fluke weighed up to 7 pounds, and whole squid was best bait on one of those days. But on Sunday, any bait seemed to catch. On nighttime trips, bluefishing was tough Thursday, good Friday, a slow pick Saturday and very good Sunday. The blues weighed 8 to 15 pounds Friday and Sunday nights, the two nights when sizes were mentioned in the report. The Norma-K III is sailing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily and bluefish 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

A mixed-bag charter to the canyons sailed with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, a report on Andrea’s Toy’s Web site said. On the way to the canyons, the trip fished for mahi mahi at a lobster pot buoy, boating a half-dozen. At a canyon that evening, trolling for tuna was slow, and the boat was set up for chunking for tuna at night. A 30-pound yellowfin tuna was caught. Throughout the night, a few more tuna bites were missed, but blue sharks and mahis “kept the crew busy,” the report said. At 5 a.m., a flurry of tuna turned on, and the anglers went 2 for 5 on good-sized yellowfins. The trip got up on the troll afterward that morning, “and had no luv,” the report said. After a few hours, the anglers tilefished, cranking in seven of them, a decent pick, the report said. Each angler landed a first-ever tile. Back at the dock, the tuna weighed up to 65 pounds, and the mahi weighed up to 12, and the tiles weighed up to 25. Andrea’s Toy is fishing on annual mixed-bag trips, both charters and open-boat, like this, and telephone if interested. Catches can include tuna, mahi, sharks, swordfish, tiles and more, all in one outing. Andrea’s Toy specializes in mixed-bag fishing for greater fun, better chances of hooking up and more variety for dinner.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Surf fishing for fluke seemed to keep improving, John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. Was too bad fluke season will be closed September 25, but the extended season was “playing right into the bigger fish on the beach,” he said. Bluefish, a mix of sizes, tumbled in and out from the surf, chasing peanut bunker. But surf casters focused on fluke. Bucktails with Gulps will beach the fluke, and popping plugs or metal will hang the blues. Surf casting for sharks at night was just about finished for the season. Whispering, John said, was heard about throwback striped bass showing up at first light in the surf, smacking swimming plugs with teasers. On Barnegat Bay, bottom-fishing was good for blowfish, kingfish, small blues and sometimes healthy-sized fluke toward the BB and BI markers and west and south of there. Crabbing was slow on the bay, giving up plenty of throwbacks and few keepers. 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>

On the <b>Super Chic</b>, fluke fishing on the ocean was good early last week, very good Saturday, and slow Sunday, Capt. Ted said. The fish just didn’t want to bite Sunday, for some reason, but fluke are around. Anglers who can fish jigs can catch better. But Saturday’s trip fished rigs, connecting great. Trips fished anywhere from 55 to 75 feet. Bluefish bit to the north in the ocean. Small, snapper  blues were hooked while trips fluked aboard, and 2- to 3-pound blues swam Barnegat Ridge. Bonito held at the ridge. A trip is supposed to fish for tuna overnight at the offshore canyons Sunday. Space remains for an open-boat tilefish trip offshore October 19. 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>

Little Egg Reef in the ocean’s summer flounder fishing went well in 60 to 70 feet, Chris from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s Web site. Garden State Reef South in the ocean also produced, and ocean fishing was amazing for flounder or fluke fishing. “When (store owner) Scott is promising fluke on the boat,” Chris said, “you know something is good.” Flounder weighed-in included a 9.1-pounder, the largest this season, and a 7.9-pounder. Bonito and false albacore were trolled on the ocean.

<b>Brigantine</b>

In the surf, lots of kingfish began to show up, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s Web site said. Many anglers were satisfied with the catches, and bloodworms and Fishbites artificial worms hooked them well. Plenty of spots could be nabbed from the surf, and bluefish started to appear in the waters. One angler took the lead in a tournament with a 2-pound 2-ounce blue. The annual Riptide Striper Derby, a surf-fishing tournament for Brigantine, will begin Friday. When entrants purchase a Brigantine beach-buggy permit, the tournament will provide another permit to drive onto the beach along the entire island, instead of only at the cove, south jetty and north end. That driving is allowed starting on the opening day of the tournament, but anglers can already enter the contest. Prizes will be $500, $300 and $150 for first, second and third prizes, respectively. Plus, a monthly $100 prize and a weekly $25 prize will be awarded.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

The ocean’s summer flounder fishing’s been great, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Plus, bluefish to 2 and 3 pounds schooled the ocean, and trips took advantage of them. Kevin McCarthy and son aboard Saturday tackled the blues, too many to count, 1- to 3-pounders, on jigs at first on the trip. Then they sailed a little farther from shore, bagging eight or nine fluke to just under 7 pounds, including a couple of 6-pounders, releasing at least 30 throwbacks. More might’ve also been keepers, but if the fish had to be measured, they were let go. The anglers were happy with the eight or nine keepers. Joe on a couple of trips with family jigged a mess of the blues Friday and Saturday. Joe fly-rodded them, too, and that was great. Doug Gillespie aboard a 4- or 5-hour trip Thursday smoked the blues on every cast, then bagged five flounder, probably releasing 30 or 40 throwbacks. In other news, offshore fishing was good for friends. They trolled bigeye tuna at Wilmington Canyon, and white marlin also bit offshore, and Joe is fishing there. His annual traveling charters to Montauk will begin in two weekends, fishing the migration of large striped bass, big bluefish, and false albacore into early October. If you’ve ever wanted to fish the run from the legendary port, he’s going. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Summer flounder fishing was good Saturday and dynamite Sunday on the ocean on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. The trips fished the same area, a different place than usual that George found. A charter with Tom Ebbecke from Newfield’s Accresce Nursery fished on the trip Saturday, and that was one of his best trips aboard. The anglers put together a good catch of flounder to probably 8 pounds, and small ones were mixed in, but some big doormats were nailed. Sunday’s trip scored even better, crushed flounder, at the same area. Flounder season is opened through September 24, and space is available, if anyone’s interested before the season is closed. Small bluefish could also be trolled aboard off Cape May Point or at 5-Fathom Bank. Telephone if interested in any of this fishing.

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