<b>Keyport</b>

With <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, an open-boat trip pasted plenty of bluefish, action the whole time, on Tuesday on Raritan Bay on bunker chunks, Capt. Joe said. A 10-pounder was biggest, and some were healthy-sized, and some were smaller. Trips aboard are taking advantage of the bay’s blues from afternoons to nights, like this trip did. A fluke trip is booked Saturday, and space is available Sunday for either charters or open-boat trips. Open trips are available twice daily when no charter is booked, and telephone to jump aboard. Those trips are fishing for fluke 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. and for blues 4 to 9 p.m.

A trip cancelled Wednesday, so Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> joined a buddy at bottom-fishing at the Mudhole that day, Frank wrote in an email. They cranked in ling, an excellent catch, bagged some cod and released out-of-season blackfish, a bunch and good-sized. Previously, the Vitamin Sea fluke fished, and currently, sizeable fluke were caught every day. Frank won’t fish during the weekend, because of a family obligation. But trips aboard will fish again starting Monday. Open-boat trips for fluke will sail Tuesday and Thursday, and two spaces are available for Tuesday’s trip. Telephone to reserve, and like the <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/vitaminseafishing" target="_blank">Vitamin Sea’s Facebook page</a> for real-time reports and open-trip dates.  “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Boaters pitched aboard fluke from the ocean, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>, and the angling was good off Sea Bright on most days. Fluke were picked from Raritan Bay, and were reeled from the rivers. Blues swam the bay. They sometimes popped up in the ocean for boaters, and occasionally shot into the surf. Striped bass were slugged from the rivers during nights, evenings and early mornings. Stripers were also beached from the surf during those hours at moments. Boaters on the ocean found stripers at times. The bass were trolled off Sea Bright, and sharks put down the bite there the other day. That showed that the water was warming. But Jimmy walked his dog along the water the other day, and the southerly wind was cold. Bottom-fishing for ling was good on the ocean. The angling for sea bass was on during some days, and not on others. Crabbing began to pick up a little. All baits are stocked, including for sharks.

For anglers on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, fluke catches were about the same as recently, Capt. Tom said. The trips fished Raritan Bay, sometimes Flynn’s Knoll between the bay and ocean, and the location fished depended on conditions. A few fluke, not enough, were bagged, but some of the fish were good-sized. Pool-winning fluke usually weighed 6 to 7 pounds, and visit the boat’s <a href=" http://www.atlanticstarfishing.com/index.php/photo-gallery/2014" target="_blank">photo gallery</a> online to see some of the lunkers. Sometimes action with throwbacks was better than others. A fair number of fluke were a half-inch or quarter-inch undersized. No customers limited out in past days, and sometimes anglers got lucky and landed two or three keepers. Some landed no keepers, of course. A handful of keepers were iced at 9:30 a.m. today, when Tom gave this report aboard in a phone call. Sometimes a place would be fished on trips that gave up some fluke, and the boat would be returned to the area, and catches couldn’t be repeated. 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>Highlands</b>

A scale was installed with a capacity of 3,000 pounds at <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, so thresher sharks were weighed-in, Wayne said. That included Ryan Britton’s party’s 407-pounder, Marion from the marina wrote in an email. John Contelo Sr. and Jr. and Matt Calabria stopped in with a 233-1/2-pounder from 17 Fathoms. Kevin Cole, Frank Masseri and Bob Fesco came in with a 217-pounder from the Down Deep at the Mudhole. Roy and Frank trolled three striped bass to 47 inches at one of the channels on bunker spoons, she continued in the email. Customers also docked fluke, she said. Joe and John Reilly from Smith’s Tavern put up seven keeper fluke to 4 pounds off Sea Bright on Gulps and squid. Mathew Lembo took two keeper fluke at Flynn’s Knoll on killies and squid. Paul Hess on the Boudicca slapped aboard a 6-pound 26-inch fluke at Chapel Hill Channel on a Gulp and squid. Jason Scott angled a 4-pound 22-inch fluke on Shrewsbury River. Jay Amarosa on the Part Tee boated an 18-3/4-inch fluke at the TC buoy on a killie and squid. 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 and ship’s store. Baits include the flats of frozen baitfish for sharks and tuna. The fuel dock is available 24 hours a day with a credit card. 

<b>Neptune</b>

A mess of ling and sea bass were mugged Tuesday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. Space is available on an individual-reservation trip for sea bass, ling and cod on Monday, the final day of the 15 sea bass limit. The limit will be dropped to three starting Tuesday, and weekly, individual-reservation trips, starting that day, will begin targeting fluke every Tuesday. Space is available that day, and previously those outings focused on sea bass, ling and cod, taking advantage of the sea bass limit. Starting next week, individual-reservation trips will also fluke every Wednesday. Kids under 12 sail free on those Tuesday and Wednesday trips, limited to two per adult host. Space is available for an individual-reservation trip for cod, pollock and hake at 1 a.m. Thursday, July 17.  

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> still boated striped bass sometimes, mostly in evenings, and some trips in evenings were better than others, Capt. Pete said. The fish were big, up to 40-plus pounds, and the bass, in the ocean, were migrating north for the season. So trips for them fished farther north than before. Fluke fishing picked up a little on the ocean, and fishing aboard will be moving into fluke mode. Many of the fluke were throwbacks, but some were sizeable. Fluke aboard this week weighed up to 8 or 8 ½ pounds, and some weighed 5 and 6. Here’s an opportunity: Parker Pete’s this season will do “on the water seminars” for bucktailing for fluke. An email about that said: “Are you tired of reading reports of people catching big (fluke)? Do you usually ‘drag’ bait and hope for the big one? Are you being out-fished when you go out fluking? Are you ready to get hooked on bucktailing in a non-threatening way?” The trips, inexpensive, will sail July 1, 8, 16, 22, 29 and 30, and August dates will be announced. Contact Parker Pete’s for an email about the seminars or for more info. Also, 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.

Weather ended up good on Wednesday’s fluke trip on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, the vessel’s Facebook page said. “It ended up being a very nice day on the ocean,” it said. The wind “stayed down” until later in the day, and anglers who “stayed with it … went home with some nice fish.” A few limited out. The Big Mohawk is fluke fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. But Friday’s trip will depart at 6 a.m., the page said. So check with the vessel to confirm hours.

The trip on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> today looked for bluefish but found none, an email from the vessel said. So the boat was anchored for ling, and a good catch of them was made. One keeper cod was swung aboard. The trip Wednesday snatched up ling and sea bass, and the boat’s usually been sailing for bluefish, but bluefishing’s been slow. Trips are slated to fish twice daily at 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. About 25 or 30 spaces remain for a Fourth of July cruise to watch the Macy’s fireworks at Manhattan. To reserve, call 732-681-0030.

Fluke were the main game, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Scarce bluefish in the ocean were a surprise, and that should change soon, he hopes. Striped bass were migrating north in the ocean to cooler water. Small blues and a few small stripers were fought in Shark River Inlet, and anglers there had to deal with seaweed. But good fluke fishing was tied into on rivers. One in 15 was a keeper, and the ratio on the ocean was much better. A couple of Belmar’s party boats docked impressive fluke catches from the ocean. A five-fish limit of fluke weighed 30 pounds for a regular customer on one of the boats. A jighead with a 6-inch Gulp grub in Pink Shine or New Penny colors was top producer.  “Enjoy the warm weather,” Bob said. “I know I am.”

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Plenty of fluke swam the ocean, and most trips caught them well on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said. The angling was a little slow Wednesday, because of south wind that often cools the ocean close to shore. Many of the fluke around were throwbacks, but keepers were in, too. Like always in fluking, conditions play a big part in a day’s catch. Most pool-winning fluke probably weighed 4 to 5 pounds. Ray Cha from West Milford bagged an 8.2-pounder on Saturday aboard. On nighttime wreck-fishing trips, sailing every Thursday, mostly ling, good-sized, some close to 4 pounds, were hung. A few cod, keepers and shorts, and some winter flounder were axed. The flounder weighed up to 4 pounds, and being able to keep some, unlike recent years, because of regulations, was nice. Mike Malpass, Point Pleasant Beach, was high hook with 16 sizeable ling on last Thursday’s trip. On nighttime bluefishing trips, catches were slow. But blues could show up tomorrow, and anglers never know. The Gambler is fishing for fluke twice daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. Nighttime wreck-fishing trips are sailing 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Thursdays for cod, pollock, ling, winter flounder and squid. Bluefishing trips are running 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

<b>Toms River</b>

In Barnegat Bay, fluke were plumbed near the BB marker, but the fishing was best farther north, between the BB and Cedar Creek, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Blowfishing was just a pick in the bay. A few customers anchored and chummed for them, managing a few. Bluefish 2 to 3 pounds were socked from the Toms River at Island Heights on fresh bunker chunks. Lots of spearing schooled the bay, and bait was balled up in lagoons. A healthy population of bait developed. Surf fishing became slow, “down to the pick,” Dennis said. A few striped bass, blues and sharks, not a lot of any fish, were beached. Spring’s finished, and summer’s here, he said. A couple of striped bass were banked from the surf on Wednesday, and Dennis knew about one keeper, a 10-pounder, small. Mario from the shop sea-bassed on the ocean, boxing a few. He also grabbed a few fluke and blues from the bay on the trip. Crabbing just started to take off. A few customers today said crabbing was just becoming good. 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>

Surf catches seemed to swing into hit or miss days, after a productive spring for the angling, John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s website. A few keeper striped bass were eased from the shore at Island Beach State Park on Wednesday. Fluke were also banked at the park. Bluefish, small to medium, were tackled in Barnegat Bay near Oyster Creek and behind Island Beach. Fluke could also be boated around those places. Crabbing was slow from the dock and the store’s rental boats, not the better early season crabbing like last year. Those who put in time trapped a few now.  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>

Barnegat Bay boaters shoveled up fluke between the BB and BI markers, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Sometimes customers scooped them up near the 12 can at Double Creek Channel. Spearing, squid or killies squashed them, and bluefish were around in the bay. No reports about blowfish rolled in from the bay yet. Not much was heard about weakfish from the bay the past couple of weeks. Striped bass were no longer reported boated from the ocean. Crabbing became good.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 6/27:***</b> At <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>, lots of fluke were seen from Barnegat Bay, Vince Sr. said. The fluke came from all the different areas that usually hold them, and not many hooked were keepers. But the keepers were big, often 22 or 23 inches, and not many were just keeper-sized or 18 inches. Weakfish started to be seen from the bay, and bluefish were run into at the tip of the Dike sometimes. A few small striped bass were still angled from the bay. Crabbing was so-so, and Vince wasn’t asked about clamming, but clamming is pretty much always good from the rental boats. 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. Baits stocked currently include live spots and minnows.

<b>Surf City</b>

Surf anglers dragged in fluke, said Joe from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. He fished for them a few times, and lots of throwbacks were around. But keepers occasionally bit for anglers. Brown sharks, required to be released, were wrestled from the surf at night on hunks of bunker. Some anglers would buy a dozen bunker for bait, and wouldn’t catch every night, and not everybody connected, but plenty of sharks prowled the water. Bluefish occasionally tumbled into the surf, and bluefishing slowed from the beach. Striped bass fishing slowed a lot from the shore, and anglers had more of a chance to find some on boats on the ocean. A friend nabbed a 16-inch kingfish from the surf, and the kingfishing was starting slowly, but definitely starting. Snapper blues schooled the bay. A customer today bailed crabs. The blueclaws were good-sized, and good to see, the customer said, and she bought the shop’s fresh bunker for bait for them. Another customer whaled fluke, big ones, from the Tires on the ocean, the customer said. The customer hadn’t been able to find smelts for bait, but found them at the shop. The smelts, fresh bunker, fresh clams and bloodworms are stocked. 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 this weekend, and 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>Mystic Island</b>

Reports talked about some bigger summer flounder lifted from deeper water, 15- to 20-foot depths, in the bay, said Chris from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Anglers during the weekend said they boated flounder from the ocean in 55 or 65 feet. But if depths 20 to 40 feet were fished, flounder could probably be found. Nobody mentioned sea bass fishing on the ocean. Rumors said blowfish hovered in the bay, but not many tried for them. A run of 5- to 10-blues stormed the bay, but whether they remained was unknown. Croakers had swum the bay, and someone mentioned them from Graveling Point a week and a half ago. Brown sharks, required to be released, and sand sharks to 4 feet were fought from the bay at night. Occasionally, larger sharks, like sand tigers, also required to be released, could take off with bait. The sharking was pretty good, and Chris wasn’t asked where, but the store traditionally reports the fishing from Grassy Channel in Great Bay. Sharks enter the bay this time of year to spawn. Thresher sharks were fought on the ocean close to shore. Mako shark fishing sounded good farther out. Good tuna catches had been reported from offshore. Customers gave mixed reports about crabbing, some saying they trapped the blueclaws well, others saying they didn’t. The shop nabbed 40 crabs during overnight potting on the weekend. Minnows and fresh, shucked clams are stocked. Fresh bunker are hoped to be stocked for the weekend. Live grass shrimp ran out, and Scott from the shop might try to net more Friday or for the weekend, but that wasn’t certain. Offshore baits like flats of butterfish are on hand, and flats of sardines might arrive for the weekend.

<b>Absecon</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 6/27:***</b> Catches of summer flounder might’ve slowed a touch on the back bay, and a few more throwbacks might’ve moved in than before, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>.  But the fishing was consistently good, and was the “word.” Warming water began to turn on flounder fishing at ocean reefs. Anglers will welcome that as greenheads become a nuisance around the bay by the Fourth of July. A few small striped bass swam the surf and along some of the banks of the bay, but water was warm for striper fishing. The mouth of Mullica River was the place for weakfish, but Dave found none. Let’s put it that way, he said. He boated for fish just a couple of times a week. Some boaters inshore-shark fished on the ocean, mostly catch-and-release angling, mostly for brown sharks, required to be released. Surf anglers picked at the sharks, and the sharks were even battled on Great Bay. Crabbing was pretty good, and crabs were shedding around the current new moon, but might’ve been coming off the shed. Plenty of soft-shell crabs for eating and shedder crabs for bait will be available for the weekend at the shop. The store raises them.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Brown sharks haunted the surf all over Brigantine, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Browns are required to be released, and fishing for them was slower today, but turned on during previous days. They were caught and released at all times of day, not just at night, like sometimes. Bunker and clams hooked them. Kingfish began to show up in the surf, and Andy was unsure whether he wanted to report that, he said. But a few were picked up today and yesterday, he knew. No striped bass were reported from the surf, and one drum was beached last week that was reported. The back bay’s summer flounder fishing was great. Andy on a trip bagged four, one short of a limit, including a 5-pounder and a 4-pounder. Rick Cabrese, “Rootbeer Barrel” John’s brother, plowed a 10-pound 28-inch flounder, one of five keepers on the trip, on the bay today. Catch the annual Team America Tackle sale at the store 7 to 11 a.m. Saturday. That’s a buy-one, get-one-free sale, so this is the time to stock up on tackle including rigs. Join the Riptide Summer Tournament for kingfish, blues and flounder. Entry is $10 per species, and anglers can sign up for whichever species they want. The winner takes all the cash in the category, and entry is required in advance.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Lots of summer flounder blanketed Absecon Inlet, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Customers fish the nearby inlet, lined with jetties, on foot, and some of the flounder they banked were big. A 5-1/2-pound 25-incher was checked-in Wednesday, and fish minnows, spearing and squid for the flatfish. Plenty of croakers and kingfish came from the inlet. More croakers bit than kings, and anglers didn’t plaster the catches, but the fish were there. Bloodworms and clams hooked them. Some sizeable weakfish were yanked from the inlet. For them, fish bloodworm on a 3/0 hook on a 36-inch leader floated under a bobber, like a cigar bobber, along the edges of the jetties in early mornings. Crimp a split shot 6 inches to a foot from the hook. One angler, who fishes every day, landed four of the weaks 18 to 22 inches and a 28-inch striped bass, keeper-sized on the nose, releasing all of them, on that rig this morning. A large supply of baits is stocked, including minnows, fresh bunker, fresh clams and all the frozen flounder bait, and 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>

The back bay’s summer flounder fishing slowed a little on the party boat <b>Keeper</b>, and the water became dirty, Capt. John said. He hoped that cleared up soon, and the angling was tough on Wednesday afternoon’s trip. But catches were generally good on trips. Afternoon trips fished slower in past days, because low tides coincided with them, but that’ll change. Lots of small flounder carpeted the bay, and all customers landed some. But sizeable flounder were around. John saw no bluefish this week like he saw working the flats, too shallow for the boat to fish, the previous week. But trips this week didn’t fish the area where blues were seen before. Minnows and mackerel are supplied for bait. Gulps caught, and John recommends anglers bring them. 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>

Sixty-six feet of water was where summer flounder were lifted from rock piles and structure in the ocean on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. Open-boat trips are sailing for them daily, even with one angler, when no charter is booked. Sea bass also snapped on the trips, and a charter will steam for tuna aboard Saturday. Tuna swam Baltimore and Spencer canyons, the last he heard. Fishing was about the same as before, and all’s good, he said.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The party boat <b>Captain Robbins</b> fished for sea bass on the ocean on half-day trips during the week, and a few were bagged the other day, Capt. Victor said. A few small summer flounder were landed, and a few mackerel showed up in the catch. The macks were unusual, and the sea bassing wasn’t hot and heavy, and many throwbacks were mixed in, and a few sea bass were keepers. 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 starting July 3. Three trips a day will run, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., 1 to 4 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.

Many summer flounder flooded the back bay, and many were small, typical for the time of year, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. But keepers were around, and flounder were boated from 15-foot depths or deeper. The small ones often chomped minnows, and the bigger were often bucktailed or clocked on bigger baits. A few flounder were heard about from the ocean reefs and wrecks, and that fishing should kick in soon. Not much was heard about sea bass from the ocean, but a few were bucketed. Nothing was heard about bluefish, and they seemed to disappear. Striped bass and weakfish were played at night along places like bridges, Corson’s Inlet and sod banks on lures, often pink. In the surf, a few kingfish, not a ton, nibbled, and sharks were fought at night. Sometimes flounder were tugged from the surf.  Sharks were boated on the ocean at places like 28-Mile Wreck and the Cigar. Plenty of mako sharks swarmed, but not many big were caught. Smaller ones 75 or 80 pounds were, but not many anglers fished for sharks. Farther from shore, tuna were decked at Wilmington Canyon last week, but not much was mentioned about tuna this week, or few seemed to fish for them then.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Fishing’s okay, I’d say, Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> said. The back bay churned out lots of summer flounder, and the ratio of shorts seemed to grow again, he said, but sizeable flounder also swam, and anglers all seemed happy with the fishing. In the ocean, the reefs held flounder, sea bass and brown sharks. Be sure to release the browns by law. The big thing was actually striped bass fishing on popper lures. High tides coincided with evenings this week, ideal for the angling, and a bunch of anglers smoked the bass. A few customers fished along Townsend’s Inlet Bridge at night, winging stripers and some really respectable weakfish. One of the weaks was 25 inches, and soft-plastic lures like Bass Assassins drew both fish to strike. Not a lot bit in the surf, except a few brown sharks at night. From offshore boaters, reports talked about tuna, some really good-sized mahi mahi, and a few white marlin trolled.  One local charter boat landed a beautiful white.

Probably well over 30 summer flounder, including a couple of keepers, were reeled from the back bay on a trip aboard with John Martin, his sons John and Jake, and Dustin Laricks on Tuesday, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Two and three fluke were hooked at once, multiple times, about the ultimate in the fishing. The angling’s been good, and the bay’s been 73 degrees. That was warm, but the water quality was good, or the water flowed, didn’t hold a lot of weeds, and was full of life. Sometimes bays can become stagnant.  A trip aboard clobbered striped bass to 27 inches on Skitter Pop popper lures on Sunday, covered in the last report. High tides at dusk were ideal for the angling this week, and the fishing, exciting, with explosive, visual attacks along the surface, is a specialty aboard in summer. The trips also fish popper flies. Fishing for sharks inshore is great right now, and trips for them aboard were covered in recent reports. If anglers want to fish for them on specific dates, they need to telephone and reserve, because dates fill in summer. The trips catch and releases sharks like spinners, blacktips, browns and duskies, some of them required to be released, on conventional or fly rods, usually within 10 miles from shore. The fishing is a chance to fight big fish without the long trek offshore. Joe heard nothing about tuna since the last report. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Fishing went well on the back bay, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. Customers targeted summer flounder and weakfish there, and one docked a 5-pound flounder yesterday. Another returned with two good-sized flounder and a 27-inch weakfish the day before. No bluefish were seen at the shop, but small blues were known to pop around the bay. One angler was heard about who trolled for them, and caught. Crabbing seemed to be picking up, but was still “light.” No crabs for eating are carried yet, but Mike expects to sell them soon. News from the surf drops off once most big striped bass migrate away for the season. But small stripers were known to be beached from the surf, including at 2nd and Kennedy, and were reeled from Hereford Inlet. Plenty of minnows are stocked, after the baitfish were scarce earlier this season.   Baits carried also include frozen sand eels, peeler crabs, mackerel fillets, whole mackerel, mullet fillets, whole bunker, bunker fillets, salted clams in quarts and pints, bags of fresh-frozen clams, all the different types of squid, like tube squid, trolling squid, strips of unscented and scented squid, green strips, pink strips and more.  Canal Side rents boats for fishing and crabbing and kayaks. <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. Mike expects them soon, mentioned above.

<b>Cape May</b>

Summer flounder fishing wasn’t great, but enough of the fish were around to keep the angling interesting, Capt. Paul from the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b> said. Wednesday’s trip didn’t sail, because of rough forecasts, and windy weather. Only a few anglers showed up at the docks. On Tuesday’s trip, Ken Minett, Voorhees, limited out on flounder. On Monday’s, Steve McGarvey, Springfield, Pa., bagged three flounder to a 6-pounder. On Sunday’s, Sam Citron, Wildwood Crest, bagged four to a 5-1/2-pounder. But some anglers landed no keepers on trips. Not as many throwbacks bit as during the previous week. Again, flounder fishing wasn’t great, but enough of the fish were around to keep it interesting. Plus, this was only June, early in the season for the fishing. The hope is that the angling will keep improving. The Porgy IV is fishing for summer flounder at 8 a.m. daily.

Some telephoned to go tuna fishing, but Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> told them to wait, he said. That was because tuna fishing at the canyons slowed at the moment, after the angling was good before. The angling could pick back up, and George is waiting for that, and also for bluefin tuna that could arrive closer to shore any moment, like at the Hot Dog or Massey’s Canyon. That fishing sometimes begins any time now, or around the first week of July. But every year can be different. Most boats sailed for summer flounder on the ocean. George heard from anglers who fished for them during the weekend. They bagged a few, nothing great, on the ocean, and anglers are waiting for the fishing to pick up for the season. Not much was heard about sea bass. Most sea bass seemed small at local wrecks, and trips fished for flounder instead. Telephone if interested in fishing for tuna or flounder. 

A bunch of summer flounder were whipped, mostly from the back bay and surf, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Lots of throwbacks, but lots of action, were snatched from the ocean off Cape May Inlet and toward the buoy. Farther off, flounder fishing was pretty good at Cape May Reef, but not much was heard about good flounder catches from Reef 11 and the Old Grounds. Party boats were known about that totaled only 10 keepers on a trip to either place. But conditions weren’t often right for the fishing, and maybe better weather this weekend will turn the catches around. For flounder on Delaware Bay, Nick would say fish at Brandywine and Cape May Channel, off Cape May Point. Kingfish, croakers and spike weakfish also swam the channel, like they often do in summer. Weakfish were still beached from the surf along Cape May’s jetties on bloodworms under a float. Sheepshead were flung in from along the jetties on baits like sand fleas, shrimp or pieces of clam. Sometimes kingfish were rounded up from the surf at Poverty Beach and Cape May Point. From the surf at night, sharks were caught and released. A trip that Nick joined angled sharks non-stop, running out of bait, as soon as dusk came. One of the sharks was a 5-1/2-foot brown that inhaled a piece of mackerel, and browns are required to be released. For offshore boaters, yellowfin tuna fishing sounded fairly good along 100 fathoms at places like Baltimore Canyon, and Nick will tuna fish this weekend. Minnows, bloodworms and fresh clams are stocked.

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