<b>Keyport</b>

Weather forecasts and hard east winds caused some trips to be cancelled this week, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an email. But the boat is starting to focus on fluke, and the angling is improving, turning out a good numbers of large ones. Striped bass could be snatched from the ocean, and afternoons fished better for them. Raritan Bay was full of bluefish. Weather forecasts for light winds should create some good drifting for fluke. Open-boat trips will fluke Saturday and Sunday on this Fathers’ Day weekend, and three spaces are available on each day. The trips will sail 6 a.m. to 12 noon, so nobody misses holiday barbecues. Telephone to reserve. An open fluke trip will also fish on Wednesday.  Like the <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/vitaminseafishing" target="_blank">Vitamin Sea’s Facebook page</a> for real-time reports and more open-trip dates.  “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

Livelined bunker plowed striped bass on the ocean, absolutely fantastic catches, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>. That fishing was on the Down Deep Bullet, the company’s smaller boat, a center console, and the fish weighed 25 to 40 pounds. On the bigger boat, the Down Deep, fluke fishing started to become good on Raritan Bay and the ocean, and bottom-fishing was very good on the ocean. The bottom trips beat sea bass to 5 pounds and ling to 3 pounds. Charters are available, and sign up for the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on the Down Deep’s website to be kept informed about open-boat trips.

<b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> fished during the weekend, for blues on Raritan Bay, Capt. Joe said. That was covered in the last report, and the anglers fought a good catch of the fish to 9 pounds on bunker chunks. Open-boat trips are available Friday for fluke in the morning and blues in the afternoon. An all-day charter is booked Saturday for fluke, and a charter Sunday morning is booked for blues. Open trips are available twice daily, for fluke from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. and for blues from 4 to 9 p.m., when no charter is booked. Call to reserve.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Trips dealt with weather and forecasts, but fluke fishing the last two days was better than before on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. He hoped that continues, and before Wednesday’s trips, he thought fishing aboard would be weathered out that day. But the weather wasn’t bad, was fishable, and the boat fished on Raritan Bay, protected by land from the easterly winds, on both daily trips. Catches were better than Tom expected, and anglers picked away at fluke. The fishing was pretty good, considering the weather. A few fluke were tackled on every drift, and some of the fish were good-sized. Only a few people jumped aboard Tuesday, because of forecasts, and both trips caught some fluke. The day was “nice,” Tom said, and the fluke weren’t huge, but one weighed 7 ½ pounds on the morning trip. A 5-pounder and a couple of 4s came in during the trip, “plus little ones,” Tom said. On the afternoon trip, a 6-1/2-pounder and one just under 6 were clubbed. Both trips were docked Monday because of weather. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke on two trips daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m.

Fluke, some of them good-sized, were flung from Raritan Bay, and started to be lifted from the ocean, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Good striped bass fishing was pounded from the ocean and rivers. Bluefish swarmed everywhere, including the bay and ocean, and sea bass and ling put up handy catches on the ocean. All baits are stocked.

<b>Highlands</b>

Matt Ozemko weighed-in a 51-pound striped bass at <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Marion wrote in an email. John Gabriele checked-in a 46-pounder. Twin Lights, located conveniently on Shrewsbury River near Raritan Bay and the ocean, with no bridges before them, includes a marina with boat slips and dry storage, a fuel dock, and a combined bait and tackle shop, a complete, thorough one, and ship’s store. Bait like live bunker is stocked in season. The fuel dock is available 24 hours a day with a credit card. 

<b>Neptune</b>

A 44-pounder was the biggest striped bass aboard since the last report, Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> wrote in an email. Trips aboard were busy since, and the anglers belted stripers, cod, sea bass and ling. Charters are fishing, and individual-reservation trips every Tuesday will target sea bass while the bag limit is 15 this month, dropping to three in July and August. Ralph expects sea bassing to heat up through the month. But if fishing for them is slow, the trips will home in on ling. Starting in July, the trips will mostly target fluke. Kids under 12 sail free on the Tuesday trips, limited to two per adult host. Space is available on individual-reservation trips for cod on June 19 and July 17.

<b>Belmar</b>

Fluke trips were weathered out on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. But the angling was good on Tuesday, when the boat last fished for them. Gulps and bait on rigs caught them, and striped bass fishing was also good on nighttime trips. The Big Mohawk is fishing for fluke 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. See the <a href=" http://www.njpartyboat.com/fishing-reports.php" target="_blank">reports page</a> on the boat’s website for the striper trip dates.

Sometimes winds, other times rainstorms, were tough to fish around this week, a report on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>’s website said. A trip sailed Tuesday aboard between the weather, but angling for bluefish was difficult, and so was striped bass fishing. A few keeper cod and shorts were copped. The bluefishing sailed along the beach, the Mudhole and the reef. The striper fishing livelined bunker at bunker schools near shore. But the crew expects bluefish to bite after this blow, and the weekend’s weather is supposed to be beautiful. The Golden Eagle is fishing twice daily at 7:30 a.m. and p.m.

Striped bass fishing was good, for the most part, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. All the fish were big, up to 35 and 40 pounds, and livelining bunker for them seemed best aboard. But the trips also chunked bunker. The trips chased bunker schools to catch the stripers, and plenty of the bait schooled. Thresher sharks, smaller ones so far, started to be seen among the bunker, and that usually happens toward the end of striper fishing for the season. The ocean reached the mid-60 degrees. Bluefishing was good, and trips are sailing for them. Sea bass fishing was sometimes good, sometimes slow, depending on conditions, and the boat is also fishing for them. July and August are the big months for fluke, and reserve those dates while they’re available. Trips will bucktail the rocky bottom for fluke. Pete didn’t know a lot about how fluking went currently, and thought the catches picked up somewhat, but was unsure.  Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Jump on <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a> to subscribe to the emailed newsletter to be kept informed about last-minute, individual spaces available to fill in charters. Look for the place to sign up on the right side of the page.

Angling for fluke was on the upswing, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. The catches were good both on Shark River and the ocean. On the river, the shop’s rental boaters swung in some healthy-sized fluke and numbers. John Hunter, Ridley Park, Pa., limited out on the fish today and socked a good number Wednesday on the boats. Andrew Meli, Wall, rental-boated a 3-pound 12-ounce fluke that topped off a quality catch. A couple of Belmar’s party boats were known to axe good fluking on the ocean, when they could sail in the weather. Boating for striped bass remained in high gear on the ocean. Bob would get out now for them, while water temperatures are ideal, and before the ocean warms, making the bass swim away. From the surf, a few keeper striped bass and blues were seen this week on bunker chunks. Have a great Fathers’ Day, Bob said.

<b>Brielle</b>

The new <b>Jamaica II</b> is expected to begin fishing Friday, the vessel’s Facebook page said. The party boat, replacing the old Jamaica II, was supposed to start fishing today, but forecasts called for a rough ocean. Trips will fish on the usual schedule for fluke and sea bass on Tuesdays through Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m., and from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Monday.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Bottom-fishing was okay on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. Not setting the world on fire, he said, but a mix of sea bass and ling were scooped up, probably 10 to 20 fish per angler on average. Sometimes more sea bass bit, and sometimes ling did. Butch likes when an equal number of both chew. A few cod were clutched, and a few winter flounder started to hit. A couple of fluke were angled. A mix of fish, really, he said, and trips fished shallow in 60 to 90 feet. Fishing deeper was tried, and the area held lots of life, but most catches there couldn’t be kept, or weren’t preferred, like conger eels. A few ling and occasional cod showed up there. Water temperatures held steady on the fishing grounds, and the water was 54 degrees this morning aboard. Sometimes temps reached 64 degrees, and the temperature depended on factors like sunshine and currents. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Nighttime trips, sailing 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., will begin this Friday and Saturday, sailing for bluefish. Night trips might start to bottom-fish on Wednesdays starting next week, during the same hours.

Most drifts gave up fluke – throwbacks and a few keepers – decent fishing – on Tuesday morning’s trip on the party boat <b>Norma K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. Fluke were moving onto the grounds every day, “so come on down and get into the action,” he said. No customers showed up for the afternoon’s trip, and no reports were posted since, apparently because of weather.  The Norma-K III is fishing for fluke twice daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. and for blues 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

Good fishing for fluke was mopped up on the ocean when the party boat <b>Gambler</b> last fished, on Tuesday, before the weather, Capt. Bob said. Good numbers of keepers and throwbacks chomped, and he couldn’t know what to expect after this easterly blow. Nighttime trips on Fridays and Saturdays switched to bluefishing, after striped bass fishing previously. On the Thursday night wreck-fishing trip last week, ling, cod and winter flounder were pitched aboard. The Gambler is fishing for fluke on two trips daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. Bluefish trips are sailing 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. every Thursday for cod, pollock, ling, winter flounder and squid.

<b>Toms River</b>

Bluefish 2 to 4 pounds were bombed every evening in the Toms River at Island Heights, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Some were bigger, and a friend whacked them to 15 pounds the other evening. A chunk of bunker on a steel-leadered rig the shop makes will catch them. A few were popper-plugged, and a few striped bass were swiped during the fishing on swimming and popping lures. Across the river at Ocean Gate, stripers 18 to 22 inches were played on 3- and 4-inch rubber shads almost every night, but not on Tuesday night, for instance. Blues were trolled on Barnegat Bay along Route 37 Bridge on pony tails. Some boaters fought them on cast metal or poppers. A few fluke held in the bay there, and one customer landed a couple of throwbacks.  On the bay at Berkeley Island Park or Cedar Creek, a few weakfish were grabbed in early mornings. Not many anglers fished for them, and a few fluke and blowfish were nabbed there, too. From the surf, mostly blues 4 to 12 pounds were banked, mostly on chunks of bunker, but some anglers fished mullet for them, though mullet school the waters in fall. Striper fishing was usually slow in the surf, but sometimes the bass were beached, mostly on plugs, like Daiwa SP Minnows. A few dog sharks and some skates bit in the surf. Most stripers were boated on the ocean, and to the north, off Monmouth County, was more productive. The fish were sometimes livelined on bunker snagged for bait, and were trolled. Bluefish were also boated on the ocean, including good catches on head boats. More blues than stripers were around in the waters. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, bought <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River this year, and is running both shops now.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

The surf was heavy and held weeds because of the weather, but that brought in big striped bass today, said Phil from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Anglers were nailing them on bunker chunks, and a 24-pounder was just weighed-in, when he gave this report this afternoon in a phone call. On Barnegat Bay from the dock, bluefishing became excellent, and crabbing improved considerably. Phil landed 18 of the blues to 4 pounds and, in 1 ½ hours, 22 of the keeper blueclaws Wednesday. The Dock Outfitters, located on Barnegat Bay, blocks from the ocean surf, features a bait and tackle shop, boat and jet ski rentals, a café and a dock for fishing and crabbing.

<b>Forked River</b>

From Barnegat Bay, a 7.3-pound fluke was checked-in from off Forked River, and a 6.3-pounder was weighed-in from Double Creek Channel, said Joe from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. The buoys were removed from Double Creek, because of shallow water after Hurricane Sandy, and the channel is reportedly going to be dredged. But the bay’s fluking was good, and locally-caught spearing, stocked at the store, jabbed the fish on Grizz Jigs. Bluefish tumbled all around between the research buoy and Oyster Creek, and weighed 5 to 8 pounds, big for the bay. Lots were caught if anglers trolled pony tails. Weakfish swam the bay, believe it or not, he said. A 6.88-pounder had just been weighed-in. Blowfish hovered the bay, but not a lot yet. Some were hung while anglers fluked, and both blowfish and crabs will probably become more abundant in say two weeks. That’s because blowfish eat crabs, and crabs finally started to be trapped, slowly, but were caught. Striped bass were trolled along the ocean on bunker spoons, and green seemed best color this week. A 40-pound striper and a 34-pounder were weighed-in Monday that were livelined on bunker from the ocean. Thresher sharks haunted 6 or 7 miles from shore.   

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Few boaters fished in past days because of weather, said Alex from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. But a few fluke were docked from High Bar Harbor on Barnegat Bay. One catch of them was reported from Double Creek Channel in the bay, though the buoys were removed from the channel, because of shallow waters after Hurricane Sandy. The channel will be dredged, according to the state. A random striped bass or two were brought from the ocean to the north, probably from around Island Beach State Park. Nobody showed up with crabs trapped yet this season, and waters were a little cold. Bobbie’s is located near Barnegat Inlet’s colder waters from the ocean. Rental boaters should be able to clam on the bay, and that’s usually good. Bobbie’s features a complete bait and tackle shop, a fuel dock and boat and kayak rentals. The boats are used for fishing, crabbing, clamming and pleasure. The store is known for bait supply, including live baits from spots to grass shrimp in season. Live spots and minnows are on hand.

Two- to 4-pound blues schooled Barnegat Inlet, said Josh from <b>Viking Outfitters</b>. Striped bass sometimes were still beached from the surf in early mornings and overnight. He’d cast bunker, swimming plugs or diamond jigs, something that could be dragged slowly. Boaters bashed large stripers 30 pounds on the ocean on livelined bunker. Fluke skittered the surf, and were small, but definitely there. Barnegat Bay’s fluke fishing produced, and Josh continued to hear about 20-inchers, like before.  Minnows are stocked, and live spots ran out, and Josh hopes to stock more this weekend, maybe on Saturday, or on Monday or Tuesday, if not. Weather kept bunker boats from sailing today, but the baitfish are hoped to be stocked Friday. Anglers can telephone the shop, located in historic Viking Village, 24 hours a day, and if that’s afterhours, one of the crew can be at the store soon. Bait can be delivered to a boat, a home or the beach anywhere on the island. Besides all the bait and tackle, the shop features fishing clothing, beach clothing, embroidery, beach gifts and more.

<b>Barnegat</b>

From an edited email from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “We ran outside Monday morning and found the big bass 4 miles north of the inlet in 25 feet of water. They were blowing up bunker on the surface.  We went 6 for 9, keeping three that weighed 25 to 38 pounds. On the way home, we stopped in Oyster Creek Channel to throw poppers at 3- to 5-pound blues, and they were crashing our lures. A blast on 10-pound spinning gear. We’re running open-boat trips 1 to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and two open trips Monday from 6 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 7 p.m. We’ll target big bass on bunker, as long as the ocean is nice. The long-range forecast looks good. If the ocean is questionable, we’ll fish the bay for blues and fluke. We sometimes do this an hour on the way home, even on the nice days. Three people max. All fish are shared.”

<b>Surf City</b>

Surf catches still included blues and striped bass, said Sue from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. Both pounced on bunker, and the stripers also swiped lures like Daiwa SP Minnows. The blues bit off the Daiwa’s, and were also caught on metal like Kastmasters. One angler plumbed six fluke, including one keeper, from Barnegat Inlet on foot on Gulps in white. He fishes hard for fluke, but fluke scurried the inlet and surf. White Gulps on jigs with a teaser tied above, like in pink or chartreuse, maybe with a strip of salted mackerel, drew them to strike. Nothing was heard about pink Gulps connecting, Sue said. Surf fishing was okay, was decent. One angler latched into blues from the bulkhead on the bay one evening. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, minnows, and frozen baits are stocked, like the different types of squid, and sand eels and smelts. Bloodworms are no longer carried this season, but will be again, when weakfishing takes off. The store’s annual <b><i>Free Surf Fishing Seminars</i></b>, held 6 to 7 p.m. every Sunday in the parking lot, will be kicked off on June 29. Bring a lawn chair. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Surf-City-Bait-and-Tackle/207533229268619" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s Facebook page</a>.

<b>Absecon</b>

The back bay’s summer flounder fishing was “beyond what I ever heard of,” said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Catching them wasn’t “automatic,” but if anglers paid attention to what was said about how to hook them, chances were good they’d load up. Lots of 4- to 6-pounders were around, and almost all trips tied into some that size. Striped bass fishing seemed to pick up somewhat in the bay, though most anglers concentrated on flounder. A few keeper stripers were around in the back. Stripers were picked in the surf, and kingfish were sometimes reported from the surf, and a few spots supposedly began to nibble in the surf. A good number of bluefish, including sizeable, swam Grassy Channel in Great Bay. Dave wished he were fishing this weekend’s Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament, because he’d head to Grassy. Flounder fishing was also good at Grassy. News on weakfish was a little scarce, because everybody chased flounder. But weakfishing was pretty good at the mouth of Mullica River, and a few were beached along the surf or jetties. Fishing generally was great, and flounder were definitely the top to target. This will be a good weekend for crabbing, and be sure to tell readers, Dave said to the writer of this report. This would be a weekend to crab after flounder fishing. Crabs just went through a great shed. Shedder crabs for bait and soft-shell crabs for eating are stocked, and this was the end of the current shed. The store raises the crabs.   

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Depths 8 to 10 feet off the Fish Factory dished up summer flounder on high tides, said Chris from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish wanted some water flow, he said, and were hooked well on cut bait, minnows, squid and spearing. Great Bay at the 139 buoy harbored flounder, blues, skates and probably sand sharks. The blues weighed up to 10 pounds, and not much was heard about weakfish from the bay. A few small brown sharks were hooked from the bay, and are required to be released. The season was a little early, but the sharks, substantially sized, and large sand sharks, not required to be released, gather in Grassy Channel each summer, and are hooked at night. Striped bass 25 to 35 pounds were weighed-in once or twice a week that were boated on the ocean toward Seaside. That fishing was good, and fewer sea bass seemed to be slung from the ocean than before. Maybe the angling became slower, or maybe the weather was to blame, or maybe just fewer fished for them, because of weather. A few anglers said they caught them well, and others said they didn’t. Experience seemed a factor. Minnows are stocked and aren’t abundant for Scott from the shop to net. Picking them up before the weekend is recommended, because they could run low in weekend demand. Fresh, shucked clams, live grass shrimp and eels are carried.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Surf fishing was slowing down, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>, and he couldn’t know whether that was for the season. But a few drum and striped bass were slid from the surf. Bob Faillace, 76, stopped by with a 28-pound drum this week from the shore. Anglers waited for brown sharks, required to be released, to move into the surf. The back bay’s summer flounder fishing was phenomenal. Mike Skelly from Skelly’s High Point Pub in Absecon headed for the flounder a short time one day. He returned soon with a limit of five, including two 6-pounders, and weakfishing also seemed good in the bay. Work a pink Zoom or any pink or white soft-plastic for them. The bay’s fishing was good. Clams will be difficult to stock Friday, because weather kept clam boats from sailing today. But fresh bunker is ordered for Friday, and big, bull minnows are stocked, and the baitfish are in short supply at many stores.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Shore anglers at nearby Absecon Inlet still banked striped bass, not as many as before, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish included keepers, none worthy to post photos of on Facebook. But photos of big ones, including in the 30 pounds, were posted on the shop’s page around Friday. Fresh clams, fresh bunker and bloodworms took the stripers. How about lures like pink Zooms? Noel was asked, because he mentioned them in past reports. They usually work, he answered. Good-sized fluke jumped on minnows and squid at the inlet. Kingfish and croakers were bloodwormed at the inlet, and bluefish occasionally popped up there. Catches at the inlet, lined with jetties, included at the T-jetty and off Vermont Avenue and the Flagship. Plenty of minnows are stocked, though there’s a shortage of them in the state. All baits, lots, are stocked, including fresh bunker, fresh clams, and all the frozen flounder baits, like mackerel and each type of squid. A vending machine dispenses bait afterhours. One Stop, at 416 Atlantic Avenue, also owns a shop with the same name at Atlantic City’s Gardners’ Basin that stocks the same baits and also rents rods. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/One-stop-bait-tackle/362952943747080?rf=151870514855225" target="_blank">One Stop on Facebook</a>.

<b>Margate</b>

Summer flounder, lots, including sizeable, filled the back bay, and fishing for them was good on the party boat <b>Keeper</b>, Capt. John said. The catches weren’t as big as a couple of 8- and 9-pounders aboard last week, but were sizeable. Maybe a couple of 5-pounders were reeled in, and some 4s. Lot of healthy-sized fish, pretty good angling, not bad, he said. He was happy with catches. A better supply of minnows than before, provided aboard, was finally available. They had been scarce, and now’s the time when minnows can come into play, now that waters were warmer. Sometimes the fish, active enough in the higher temperatures, might prefer them. That’s instead of the flatfish previously biting all baits more equally. Mackerel are provided, and anglers can bring their own Gulps, and both worked. John in reports has often recommended that anglers bring Gulps. A bluefish was hooked here and there. The Keeper is fishing for summer flounder twice daily from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. The trips are only $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for kids, because the fishing is near port, and the pontoon boat is economical on fuel.

<b>Longport</b>

Seas were rough, and bottom-fishing was slow, on Wednesday on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. He expected to keep the boat docked today, because the east wind and full moon would slow the angling. “There’s no point,” he said. But the fishing is good for sea bass and ling, the fish are there. Trips previously bailed them, and Wednesday’s trip hooked a few in the conditions. Open-boat trips are bottom-fishing daily when no charter is booked, and are next scheduled for this coming Wednesday and maybe Thursday. The trips sail with even one angler. A charter Saturday will run for tuna and tilefish at Wilmington Canyon. Another on Sunday will bottom-fish offshore, farther than usual. Summer flounder fishing will begin aboard soon. Plenty of dates are available in July and August for charters.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Fishing slowed somewhat, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. But striped bass were sometimes beached from the surf. A few kingfish started to be reported from the surf, and bluefish 3 to 5 pounds swam along both ends of the island and the back bay. Summer flounder were more often throwbacks than keepers than before in the back bay, but sizeable keepers were bagged. Nobody was heard about who boated the ocean this week, because of weather, and because boating season was yet to become as busy as it will, when schools let out for summer. So nothing was reported about sea bass or other bottom-fish. Before the weather, tuna, fairly good catches, were boated between Wilmington and Baltimore canyons. Shark fishing was up and down, because of weather.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, didn’t fish much in the weather, he said. But the back bay’s fluke fishing remained good. Lot of flounder, he said. Joe expects to fish for striped bass on the bay with poppers soon. His trips throw both popper lures and flies to them once waters warm enough for stripers to crash poppers along the surface. That usually starts at Memorial Day, but Joe’s been concentrating on flounder. High tides at dusk are ideal for the popper fishing. His year’s first inshore shark trip is scheduled for this weekend, slightly early in the season. The trips catch and release sharks like blacktips, browns and duskies, usually within 10 miles from shore, on spinning and fly rods. That’s a chance to fight big fish without the long trek offshore. Tuna fishing’s been good at offshore canyons, and Joe sails for them.  Keep up with his fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

The big news was that Team Pirasea on the Relentless, sponsored by <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> in the weekend’s South Jersey Shark Tournament, won with a 338-pound mako, Mike from the store said. That was announced in the last report, from news on the shop’s blog. Anglers who Mike spoke with from the Cape May tournament said more sharks were tied into than in years during the event, he said for this report. The sharks included blues, tons of them, threshers and makos, and shark fishing was good in general now at places like the Elephant Trunk, the Lobster Claw and 19-Fathom Lump. Mike hopes the weather clears in time to get back after them, because sharking doesn’t last long. No boats from Sea Isle City were known about that sailed for tuna yet this year. But some anglers climbed on other boats, trolling a bunch of yellowfin tuna to 50 pounds, not big, but a beautiful size, Mike thought, and a few bluefin tuna, both of the fish toward Baltimore Canyon. A few bigeye tuna were wrestled, and some gaffer mahi mahi heard about. A few blue marlin were reported, but no white marlin were mentioned yet this year. Ocean fishing for summer flounder started to tuck aboard good catches at places like the Old Grounds. Party boats that sailed for sea bass ran across two or three flounder, the season’s first, and cleaned up on plenty of sea bass and ling. The back bay still held some good-sized flounder, and minnows definitely caught them best. Gulps were next best, and lots of Gulp mantis shrimp were sold for the fluke. A few colors were bought, but new-penny with a chartreuse tail was most popular. Good fishing for weakfish and striped bass was found at night under lights on small soft-plastic or swimming lures and flies. Not a lot was heard from the surf, but striped bass were beached here and there. Little feedback came in about kingfish from the shore. Crabs were either shedding or coming off a shed, Mike guessed, and crabbing usually slows then. But a few crabs, okay catches, began to be trapped this season.   

<b>Wildwood</b>

Back-bay fishing for summer flounder was strong, said Albo from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. Crabbing improved a little, and fishing for blues and weakfish was slowing down in the bay. Striped bass were dragged from the surf at 2nd Avenue and Beach Drive in North Wildwood. Canal Side rents boats for fishing and crabbing and kayaks, and stocks the full supply of bait. No minnows were stocked currently, and they were scarce from suppliers. <b>***<i>Get a $5 discount</i>***</b> on a rental boat if you mention Fishing Reports Now. Crabs, both live and cooked, are sold for eating when they become available.

<b>Cape May</b>

On the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, summer flounder fishing wasn’t consistent, and some days were better than others, but good-sized flounder and good flounder catches were around, Capt. Paul said. If anglers wanted to take a chance …  he said. Flounder fishing’s like that anyway, he agreed. On Wednesday’s trip, the fishing went well for some, and some got skunked, in nasty conditions: wind blowing and rain sometimes spitting, and fog. Greg Constantino from Voorhees limited out on flounder to 4 pounds on the trip. Also on the trip, Ken Minnett from Voorhees bagged three, and his son, a new doctor, Ken Jr., bagged four of the fish to a 5-1/2-pounder, the pool-winner. “And hey,” Paul said, flounder fishing should keep improving, because the season was early. The Porgy IV is fishing for summer flounder at 8 a.m. daily.

A friend charter captain’s trip smashed 12 drum on Delaware Bay this week, and the friend said other boats also totaled a dozen, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. The Heavy Hitter last fished during the weekend, for drum, and the angling was slower for the fleet then, covered in the last report. Not much else was heard about fishing this week, and weather was rough for some fishing. Tuna had been biting offshore, but no trips that far were heard about in the weather this week. Tuna trips reportedly had to sail to the 100 line between Wilmington and Baltimore canyons to catch. Anglers should probably sail for them now, while the fish are in. Trips aboard are available for them. George hopes tuna shove closer to shore to places like Massey’s Canyon and 19-Fathom Lump. Nothing was heard about summer flounder and sea bass fishing. Telephone if interested in drum, tuna or sea bass. The boat usually begins fishing for flounder on the ocean in July, when the angling seems to pick up in warming waters.

In the surf, weakfish were mostly targeted, and the jetties at Higbee’s Beach and the Cape May ferry on Delaware Bay were prime places, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. The trout to 7 and 8 pounds were weighed-in. A few kingfish began to show up in the ocean surf. Occasional striped bass were still around in the surf, and stripers were hooked at bridges. Croakers and spots began to appear all around, including the surf, including at Sunset Beach, Cape May Canal and the Intracoastal Waterway. Summer flounder fishing was pretty good in the back bay or along the Intracoastal. Sounded like many were throwbacks, but keepers were sacked here and there. Seas were rough to hear about flounder from the ocean. Delaware Bay boaters still hauled in drum. Nick tells anglers to start at 20-Foot Slough, and if no drum are marked, move to sloughs farther out, like 60-Foot Slough or Tussy’s Slough. Shark fishing was unbelievable from Cape May this weekend. The South Jersey Shark Tournament was held at South Jersey Marina in the town, and lots were caught during the event. Nick thought that about 15 were entered, including large threshers and makos. Fishing for yellowfin and bluefin tuna was fairly good, reportedly, at the canyons. The yellowfins seemed mostly small to 40 or 50 pounds, but some were bigger. Fresh clams, minnows and bloodworms, jumbo and regular-sized, are stocked.

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