<b>Staten Island</b>

Weather was a little nasty, causing lumpy seas, tough for fishing for sea bass Saturday with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. So the angling was slow, but the anglers picked away at the fish. When weather improved, the trip pushed farther from shore for ling, decent catches, and also landed a couple of keeper cod there. Bunker schools were seen during the trip, but no striped bass were on them, apparently. Outcast is sailing for sea bass from Sewaren, N.J., to take advantage of Jersey’s 15 sea bass limit. When Jersey’s sea bass limit is dropped to three fish on July 1, trips will fish from Sewaren for a combo of sea bass and ling. When New York’s sea bass season is opened starting July 15, sea bass trips will sail aboard from Staten Island, too. Outcast always offers trips from either port. 

<b>Keyport</b>

The <b>Down Deep</b>, and the Down Deep Bullet, the company’s smaller, center-console boat, bailed fluke, Capt. Mario said. The anglers often limited out, and high hooks landed as many as 10 keepers, keeping no more than a limit of five, and the fish weighed up to 8 ½ pounds. Charters are fishing, 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. Also sign up for notice about ling trips to the Mudhole that will sail soon.

Bluefishing was into a mess of the fish on Raritan Bay on a trip slated for 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said in a phone call aboard the outing at 6:30 p.m. The anglers, the Murphy family, fished with bunker chunks.  Three spaces are available for an open trip for blues on Tuesday during the same hours. Open trips are available twice daily when no charter is booked, for fluke 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. and for blues 4 to 9 p.m. Call ton jump aboard.

Another day of fluke limits, including many good-sized fluke, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote about Saturday aboard in an email. Quality fluke, not as much quantity, he said, were tackled on Sunday’s trip. The fish weighed up to 7 pounds on the outing, and many sizeable fluke were around now. Experienced bucktailers often limited out. Gulps hooked more than bait on Sunday, only because fewer sharks bit the Gulps. Charters and open-boat trips are available, including an open trip on Thursday with space available. Dates available include weekends, and telephone for the open-trip schedule. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>’s fluke fishing was about the same as previously, Capt. Tom said. The trips fished Raritan Bay, and mostly throwbacks bit, and a few keepers were bagged. Every place fished aboard gave up fluke on the bay, and Tom hopes the angling will improve. The pool-winning fluke were good-sized. He noticed that the reports he posted on the boat’s website all sounded the same. Whether morning trips or afternoon trips would fish better couldn’t be predicted. Fluke, not enough, were angled on Sunday morning’s trip, and the afternoon’s trip was no good. On Saturday, sort of the opposite happened: A few more fluke were swung aboard on the morning’s trip than on the afternoon’s. But Tom’s telling anglers the boat will keep after fluke. 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. <b>***Update, Monday, 6/23:***</b> Fluking was tough on this morning’s trip, easing aboard a few keepers and some shorts, Tom said. But the fishing was better on this afternoon’s trip than in some time. He guessed the trip was lucky, and not a lot of fluke were netted, but more keepers showed up than previously, and some were large. An 8-pounder won the pool, and some 4- and 5-pounders were hung. One angler bagged three, and a couple bagged two apiece, and some anglers landed no keepers. The right conditions made a difference, Tom guessed, and the afternoon was good, he said. He’ll see if the angling holds up.

<b>Neptune</b>

Ling were slammed on two trips during the weekend with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph wrote in an email. Sea bass, cod and winter flounder were also boxed on the outings. Fluke fishing was slow Sunday on a trip that targeted them with George Stewart’s party. But a few sizeable fluke were taken. Two spaces are available on Tuesday’s weekly, individual-reservation trip for sea bass, ling and cod. Those trips will fish for fluke once the sea bass bag limit is dropped to three fish on July 1. The fluke trips will also sail every Wednesday starting July 9. Space is available for an individual-reservation trip for sea bass, ling and cod this coming Monday, the final day of the 15 sea bass limit. Space remains for an individual-reservation trip for cod, pollock and hake at 1 a.m. Thursday, July 17.  

<b>Belmar</b>

Good fluking, the shark tournaments and great weather turned out lots of anglers, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Business was good, and fluke bit well in both Shark River and the ocean. Not many limits were scored, but most anglers bagged some of the fish, or enough keepers were around for that. Some anglers targeted sea bass, including some who mixed-in sea bass fishing on fluke trips. That supplemented the catch when the fluke size limit made keeper fluke in short supply. Anglers these days must mix up fishing like that, because of federal regulators, the cost of fuel and other expenses. Striped bass seemed to be migrating north to cooler water for the season. Warming water draws in other species to the local area, like kingfish and spots. Crabbing also picks up in the higher temps. Bluefishing was slow. “Hope all enjoyed the nice weekend,” Bob said.

After tougher bluefishing previously, the angling improved a little today on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s website said. Some of the fish were able to be picked this morning, on jigs. Chumming for blues on anchor was tried this afternoon aboard, “to no avail,” the report. A special striped bass trip has been moved to 3:30 p.m. Thursday that will liveline bunker for bait, and reservations are required. The trip was previously set for Wednesday, but forecasts are calling for wind more than 20 knots that day, blowing from south. The Golden Eagle is fishing twice daily at 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

<b>Brielle</b>

Striped bass were sometimes boated from the ocean during the week, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>.  That was mostly just before sunrise, and at dusk into dark, around Elberon and Long Branch, on livelined bunker or trolled spoons. Not many bluefish were hooked from the ocean, and Manasquan River’s fluke fishing was “picking up again,” he said. Many of the fluke were throwbacks, but there was lots of action. Fluke fishing on the ocean depended on how the wind blew or, Eric from the shop said, whether conditions were right. Most of the fluke seemed to bite to the north from Deal to Shrewsbury Rocks, and shallower water fished best. Bucktails with Gulps hooked the fish. Fishing for sea bass and ling was kind of picky but slowly improving. Shark tournaments were held during the weekend, and a few makos seemed to be entered. Makos were around, and lots of blue sharks apparently swam close to shore, from 3 to 5 miles off, mostly inshore of Sea Girt Reef, if anglers wanted to take advantage. A few bluefin tuna just started to be caught toward the Glory Hole, and anglers hope more will keep arriving. Farther offshore, Hudson Canyon’s tuna fishing was sort of up and down. Some anglers trolled lots of yellowfin tuna and sometimes bigeye tuna. Other anglers had difficulty finding the tuna and came close to landing none. But tuna were there, and fishing the canyon was worthwhile. The usual spreader bars and ballyhoos with Joe Schute skirts caught.  Capt. Jim Freda will give the store’s next free seminar, on mid-range bluefin tuna fishing, at 7 p.m. Thursday. Capt. Chris Hueth from the party boat Big Mohawk, Belmar, will give one of the seminars on bucktailing for fluke, and the date will be announced.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> competed in the Mako Mania and Mako Fever tournaments this weekend, Capt. Alan wrote in an email on Saturday. Mushin was supposed to continue competing on Sunday, but during Saturday’s fishing, sharks, multiple species, were beaten, including two makos, including a 150-pounder. Tuna catches were still reported from the canyons, and charters and individual-reservation trips are sailing for them. Two spaces are available on a tuna trip Sunday. More <a href=" http://reports.mushinsportfishing.com/
" target="_blank">individual-reservation tuna trips</a> are posted on Mushin’s website in the reports section, and are filling up. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. <b>***Update, Tuesday, 6/24:***</b> Four makos were subdued during Sunday’s sharking aboard, and a 150-pounder was kept, Alan wrote in an email. Makos and lots of sharks were fought on both Saturday’s and Sunday’s trips. The good angling was found by running far offshore to clean, blue, 72-degree water. The crew looks forward to good sharking and tuna fishing later this week.

Ocean fluke fishing improved a little every day on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. During the weekend, throwbacks gave up lots of action, and some healthy-sized keepers were winged, even if anglers had to pick through skates and sand sharks. On Saturday night’s trip, a few blues about 10 pounds were managed. Bluefishing’s been slow, but he hopes the angling breaks open in the next week or two. The Norma-K III is fluke fishing on two trips daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m., and is bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Mostly fluke were beached from the surf, John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in report on the shop’s website. An occasional striped bass came from the surf, but fishing for stripers and blues slowed a lot from the beach.  For the fluke, find the cuts and drop-offs to work, and fish baits as naturally as possible. Toss a bucktail tipped with squid or Gulps. But if rigs are fished instead, and smaller hooks and smaller bait are used, maybe blowfish or kingfish will also bite. In Barnegat Bay, small blues swiped metal and poppers, and crabbing kept improving, including for the store’s rental boaters. Crabbing probably also kept improving for customers on the dock, but John didn’t mention the dock. 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>Barnegat Light</b>

Wreck-fishing cranked up sea bass and ling, decent catches, on the <b>Super Chic</b>, Capt. Ted said. Bluefish were scarce, so trips fished wrecks that were supposed to bluefish aboard Friday and Sunday. A friend found lots of blues south of Atlantic City while tuna fishing, and Ted hopes the blues migrate to the local coast. This writer told Ted that an Ocean City tackle shop last week reported blues at 28-Mile Wreck. The area where Ted’s friend found blues was south and offshore of the wreck. A short, 4-hour, family trip fluke fished on Barnegat Bay aboard, and lots of throwbacks were caught and released. Space is available on an open-boat tilefish trip offshore that will sail overnight Saturday to Sunday, July 5 to 6. All open tile trips caught well on the boat through last year. This next trip might also tuna fish.

For anglers on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, bluefishing was poor in past days, a report on the vessel’s website said. So trips will switch to fishing daily for fluke and sea bass starting Wednesday. The vessel is chartered today and Tuesday, and the boat had been bluefishing daily. Lots of bait and whales swam around, but no blues did, “to speak of,” the report said. Starting Wednesday, the Miss Barnegat Light will sail for fluke and sea bass 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Plenty of brown sharks stalked the surf, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. The sharks are required to be released, and drum also chewed in the surf Saturday. Capt. Andy and Fred from the store fished the back bay for summer flounder today. Andy bagged a 4-pounder on the first drift, “and it only got better,” the report said. They totaled five keepers to 5 pounds and 30 throwbacks, including many just undersized.

<b>Longport</b>

On the <b>Stray Cat</b>, summer flounder fishing became ridiculously good on the ocean, Capt. Mike said. Open-boat trips ran into them that previously sailed for sea bass, and the grounds were loaded with flounder. The water was 73 degrees, and the flatfish spit up whiting, sand eels and butterfish, were full. The whiting were a surprise, and a pollock was also bagged Saturday afternoon aboard in 90 feet of water. The flounder were hooked on squid and flounder belly. Open trips, sailing daily when no charter is booked, are now fishing for flounder and sea bass. The wreck-fishing for sea bass and ling was also very good. Tuna fishing has also been good from Spencer to Baltimore canyons. Yellowfin and bluefin tuna swam the canyons, and a few white marlin began to be trolled there. Fishing’s been better than in the last five years. Whatever anglers want, the fish are in, almost. The population of mako and thresher sharks was a little thin, but lots of brown sharks swam. The ocean was 73 degrees, after all. An open trip was sold out today. Tuesday is chartered, and the trip will probably fish the middle grounds for tuna and mahi mahi. Space is available on open trips for flounder and sea bass on Tuesday and Wednesday that will push back inshore. Then the boat is booked through the weekend, and the next openings begin next Monday. Two of the booked trips Friday and Saturday will probably fish for tuna.  

<b>Ocean City</b>

Lots of ling were loaded up on the full-day trip Saturday on the party boat <b>Captain Robbins</b>, Capt. Victor said. Probably a few sea bass were socked on the trip, and a 19-inch sea bass won the pool. On the half-day trips aboard, sea bass and summer flounder, not all keepers, but some action, were pumped in. The Captain Robbins is fishing for sea bass and summer flounder on two trips daily from Sundays to Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m., and on one trip from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every Saturday. The company’s new party boat the <b>Miss Ocean City</b> will sail for summer flounder on the back bay. Those trips will begin on July 3, Victor hopes. A Coast Guard inspection is slated for the previous day.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

A trip popper-plugged for striped bass on the back bay aboard Sunday for the first time this season, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Six to eight of the bass to 27 inches were landed on Skitter Pop lures, and the anglers, Joe and family, swung and missed another dozen times. So the angling was strong, and lots of fun, and the stripers have been around, but Joe’s had no chance to fish for them until now, at the best times. High tides at dusk are ideal for the popper fishing, and the stripers swim the shallow flats of the bay. Joe also fly-rods for them with a crease fly, a popper. The popper fishing, one of Joe’s specialties, draws explosive, visual attacks along the water surface. Mike Spaeder and son aboard Sunday reeled up a bunch of summer flounder, including several keepers to over 4 pounds, on the back bay. A trip Sunday morning landed a ton of flounder, including many close to keeper size, on the bay. The anglers were E.J., Margo, Lex, Kelly, Helene and Sean. The bay was 73 degrees, and Joe fishes for flounder with a rig with a bucktail with a Gulp on bottom and a minnow above on a plain, red hook on a trailer. Larger flounder typically pounce on the bucktail, but lots of flounder grabbed the trailer on these trips. Joe did none of his inshore shark fishing on the ocean the last couple of days. But a buddy whooped the fish, and trips last week did with Joe. Joe’s sharking was covered in previous reports, and the trips, usually within 10 miles from the coast, are a chance to fight big fish without the long trek offshore. The angling is catch and release with conventional or fly rods for species like spinners, blacktips, duskies and browns, some of them required to be released. Reports Joe heard about tuna fishing were less enthusiastic during the weekend than previously, maybe because of boat traffic. But yellowfin and bluefin tuna were trolled along the 30-fathom line at Baltimore Canyon.  Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Two bigeye tuna, a longfin tuna and a white marlin were trolled at Wilmington Canyon on Sunday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Fishing among the fleet was slow that day and Saturday, so George guessed the trip got lucky. Three mystery bites were also had. The marlin was reeled in quickly, but the bigeyes meant business, he said.  The longfin was the only one of the true albacore that bit, though more than one usually hit on the troll at once. Tom, another Tom, Josh, another George and Matt were the anglers. Once the sun came up, seas were 3 feet, sometimes 4 and 5 feet, all day, after seas were calmer previously. Closer to shore, summer flounder fishing tugged in some catches, none great, and sea bass fishing was okay. Telephone if interested in any of this fishing. The sea bass bag limit, currently 15 fish, will be dropped to three fish on July 1. 

Fishing went 6 for 8 on yellowfin tuna, all 60 pounds, released a white marlin, bagged mahi mahi and caught lots of bonito, keeping some for bait, at Baltimore Canyon on Saturday with <b>Melanie Anne Sport Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Frank said. Watch a video of the marlin release. The marlin, the season’s first that was landed from a Cape May boat, Frank thought, and mahi were good-sized. A big fish was lost that was guessed to be a bigeye tuna. The fish peeled off line, almost spooling the reel, before it broke off. The fish were all trolled in 73-1/2-degree water, and water in the area ranged 72 to74 degrees. The water was beautiful and clear. Melanie Anne is also available for summer flounder and sea bass fishing. But flounder fishing, on the ocean, seemed sluggish. Trips totaled two or three keepers, and the rest of the flounder hooked were small. Frank expects to wait to fish for flounder until the angling picks up. He wasn’t asked how sea bass fishing was.

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