<b>Keyport</b>

Fishing for fluke slowed at the beginning of the week, but picked back up on Wednesday aboard, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Fluke to 8.1 pounds were swung aboard the day’s trip, and fishing for ling to 4 pounds and cod has been good on the boat lately. 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 for fluke or ling and cod.

A trip fished for fluke a short time Monday afternoon at Reach Channel on Raritan Bay, and was good, with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. A mix of throwbacks and keepers bit, and some of the keepers were bagged, and the anglers lost a couple of keepers at the boat. The boat drifted perfectly, and a charter is booked Friday. But space is available for charters or open-boat trips Saturday and Sunday. Open trips for fluke, departing in the morning, are available daily when no charter is booked. Open trips for bluefish are available 4 to 9 p.m. daily, the Working Man’s Special, when no charter is booked. Telephone to jump aboard.

Fluking aboard was a little slower this weekend, probably because of the full moon, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> said. That was covered in the last report, and many throwbacks hit, but fewer keepers did than before. Still, anglers on the boat reeled up hefty fluke, including 9-, 7- and 5-pounders. Frank was away with the grandkids vacationing this week, and fluke fishing will resume aboard this weekend. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trip for fluke is set for Saturday.  Follow 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>

Few anglers showed up for Wednesday’s fluke trip on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, because of all the crazy weather this week, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. The trip worked close to port, slugging away at fluke the whole time. Lots of shorts bit, and some good-sized keepers were mixed in. One couple jigged the fish non-stop in the bow with a double Spro set-up. One of them tied for the pool with a 4-1/2-pound fluke. Ron himself got to fish that day, and whipped up fluke Francaise that night. Weather turned out great, and looked good for the next several days.  The Fisherman is fishing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for croakers, porgies and bottom fish 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. daily except Sunday. However, a charter is booked for this Sunday morning, so no open-boat trip will fish then.

Raritan Bay’s fluking was good for boaters, until the rain and weather this week, and then none really fished, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Weather looks good for the weekend. To catch the bigger fluke, anglers need to be there during the moment they bite, and throwbacks hit the rest of the time. The area is a nursery for the fish, and always has been. Not many fluke were boated down the ocean beach locally, he thought. Fishing for small blues was good in the back of the bay. Surf anglers beached small blues and fluke. Both fish also ran the rivers. Croakers and spots swam the rivers, and snapper blues schooled around waters like that. So did spearing, after spearing really weren’t around last year. Bait is starting to build up for the season. Crabs started to pot-up in the rivers. Back on the ocean, ling bit, Jimmy knew, and anglers could probably limit out on three sea bass. One blackfish could be kept starting today. 

All the twice-daily trips for fluke fished this week on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, even in Tuesday’s rough weather, Capt. Tom said. The boat fished Raritan Bay at all different places, and the trips worked hard for a few keepers. But some of the fish were sizeable, and that was “the one thing that keeps us going,” he said. Throwbacks bit, and this year’s size limit, 18 inches, a half-inch larger than last year’s, made a difference, for sure. Tom compared the current angling to striped bass fishing, when anglers fish hard to land a sizeable bass. Fluking was no good on the ocean locally, and fluking on the bay was probably as good as anywhere in the state right now. The trips are at least working for the fish, and if you’re an angler on one of the outings, you hope to latch into the big one. A fluke about 8 pounds was bagged during the weekend on the boat, and some 6-pounders were seen during the week aboard. Pool-winning fluke were usually 4 or 5 pounds or larger this week. One customer on Wednesday morning’s trip bagged two, including a 6-pounder, and bagged one on the afternoon’s. Another bagged three in the morning, and none in the afternoon. But weather was tough that afternoon. Sometimes crowds were light because of the week’s rough weather. Trips tried different things to catch, including moving around. But it turned out that lots of moving didn’t produce more fish, and keeping the lines in the water did instead. Neither bait nor jigs seemed an advantage for catching. A rig with a Spro on bottom and a trailer with a killie and a Gulp caught as well as anything. If Spros sometimes seemed an advantage, that could be the angler. Customers fishing with rental rods with spearing, the bait provided aboard, also caught. 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>

From <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Dave Zushma docked an 8-pound fluke on a killie with a green Gulp, Marion wrote in an email. Ed and Tony on the Hammerhead returned with a 24-inch fluke and two large blues caught near Bug Light on jigs with killies and squid. Greg Hanna on the Annie H boated a 5-pound fluke and a 3-pounder near Verrazano Bridge. Jay Amarosa on the Par Tee II hooked a 24-inch fluke near the TC buoy on a killie with squid, out-fishing his crew. 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. The full supply of bait is stocked for inshore and offshore. The fuel dock is available 24 hours a day with a credit card. 

<b>Neptune</b>

Ling, lots, were looted Tuesday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. Very good, he said, and a 15-pound mahi mahi was landed that was seen swimming around. An individual-reservation trip fished for fluke Wednesday, and fluke fishing’s been “way off,” he said. Just a few keepers were managed, and Ralph couldn’t know whether the cool ocean, from southerly wind, has been the cause, but the angling was poor since Hurricane Arthur offshore. A trip was sailing for cod today, and space remains for individual-reservation trips for cod on August 7 and 28.  Space is available for individual-reservation trips for fluke Sunday and on the next two Tuesdays. Charters are available daily.

<b>Belmar</b>

Trips fished for fluke every day on the <b>Big Mohawk</b>, despite some of the week’s weather, Capt. Chris said. The angling wasn’t good on Wednesday, for unknown reasons, but was good the previous few days. Catches were more consistent than a couple of weeks ago, but not like they should be in July. Overall, the fishing was a little better than before. The switch in wind direction, from southerly previously, was welcomed. “Can’t take more of that,” he said. Southerly wind cools the ocean close to shore. But a 12-1/2-pound fluke was creamed aboard this week. So were some 9- and 8-pounders.  Gulp’s mostly hooked fluke on trips, including the 12-1/2-pounder. But some of the fish were hooked on bait. The Big Mohawk is fishing for fluke 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

The trip on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b> today spent time looking for bigger bluefish at first, and a few were found, but not enough, a report on the vessel’s website said. So the boat was moved to where trips had been catching small blues, and that angling was good, and kept becoming better during the outing. “By the end of the day, you had plenty of blues,” the report said. On Wednesday aboard, after rain in the morning, weather became nice, but blues “did not … want to cooperate,” it said. “We did catch a couple of 6- to 8-pound fish, but not much else.” No report was posted for Tuesday, and the day was stormy. On Monday, smaller blues were picked, and on Sunday, fishing for small blues was good, covered in the last report. Bluefishing was decent on Saturday’s trip, also covered then. A few bonito 2 to 4 pounds were mixed in on Sunday.  The Golden Eagle is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.

<b>***Update, Friday, 7/18:***</b> Super bluefishing was crushed Thursday on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> straight east off Shark River Inlet on the ocean, an email from the vessel said. All anglers “caught their fill,” it said, and the fish bit throughout long drifts that lasted an hour or longer. On Wednesday’s trip, bluefishing aboard began at the Klondike wreck, east of the inlet, in rain. The angling was slow, only giving up one blue, and the trip looked around at other places a while. The trip returned to the Klondike, and readings were seen. Blues were jigged on every drift on Ava 27s, and this was after the rain stopped, and sunshine began. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. every Friday and Saturday.

The <b>Katie H</b> has been in dry dock for upgrades and maintenance, and Capt. Mike hopes to start fishing again this weekend, he said. This might’ve been good timing to be on the blocks, because the ocean was so cold recently, probably in the 50 degrees, not good for fluke fishing. The cold was because of south wind, but the wind switched now. Customers wanted to fish for bluefin tuna on the mid-range ocean, but the only bluefins Mike heard about were caught from Cape May to the south. A friend fished farther offshore at the canyons a few days ago, trolling seven yellowfin tuna and a white marlin. No tuna caught at night were heard about yet this season, and that usually begins in mid to late August. Tuna fishing just gets better from there. Mike, because of the distance, prefers to fish the canyons overnight, when the fish begin to bite in the dark. Trips might as well set up through the night and stay a while, and night also offers chances at mako sharks and swordfish. But if a trip can fish the canyons only during daytime and can troll a bunch of tuna, that can also be good. The Katie H is an offshore specialist but also fishes the whole slate of inshore trips. The 46-foot boat features speed and all the amenities.

<b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> fished on no trips since the last report, because of storms and weather, Capt. Pete said. But trips will resume fluke fishing on the ocean this weekend. Runoff from the rain probably affected the shallows for the angling. Parker Pete’s this season is hosting “on the water seminars” on 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 next of the trips, inexpensive, will sail on Tuesday and July 29 and 30, and August dates will be announced. Email Pete for more info. 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.

Fluke fishing remained the best bet for anglers, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Some impressive fluke were bagged on Belmar’s boats on the ocean, despite stormy weather. A 6-pounder that Andrew Meli from Wall decked was one of many 6 pounds and larger on one of the port’s party boats Tuesday. Chris Russel from Columbus axed a 9-pound 3-ouncer on another one of Belmar’s head boats “on a very successful trip,” Bob said. On Shark River, trips on the shop’s rental boats scored good fluking for many throwbacks and some keepers to 4 pounds. Snapper blues are growing to catchable size in the river, can be fun to land, and make great bait for fluke. “The surf has not been forgotten,” Bob said, and Ben Green from Ocean Township checked in two fluke to a 4-pound 9-ouncer from the beach at Long Branch. Reports came in about small striped bass banked from the surf in early mornings on small popper lures.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> has been busy fishing for tuna, mahi mahi and marlin at the offshore canyons, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. Weather sometimes made the trips impossible to get out in recent days, and also scrubbed a couple of inshore trips aboard this week. But the boat was supposed to steam again now, including on an inshore or mid-range trip for bluefin tuna and mako sharks, and, during the weekend, canyon fishing for tuna, other big game and tilefish. Heads up: Tuesday is available for fishing aboard, because of a cancellation. Capt. Ray from Mushin sent an email saying Mushin’s website is currently down for a facelift. That includes the reports page, but if anglers want an update on how fishing’s going, they can telephone or email. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures.     

On the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, fluke fishing on the ocean was good on some days, tough on others, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. Both trips on Monday bailed the fish, including some good-sized. Gulps in green, white and pink beat most. On Tuesday, the ocean temperature dropped way down, making the fish not hit well at all. That was the stormy day this week. On Wednesday, customers picked away at fluke, but the ones hooked were sizeable. “Plenty of fluke in our area!” he said. Once the ocean warms a tad, they should turn on even more. This is usually the time of year when quite a few hefty ones are pitched over the rail. On nighttime trips, bluefishing remained tough. Bigger blues sounded like they were pushing closer to shore. For now, trips will fish for 1- to 2-pounders, fun on light tackle, until the big ones invade.  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.

Fluking on the ocean was kind of slow today, but was actually pretty decent yesterday, on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said. Some of the fish were decent-sized keepers yesterday, and sea bass and even ling came up. On today’s trip, fluke and sea bass were eased in, but not like on the previous day. Seismic blasts that the government began in the ocean for research weren’t appreciated. “The government should be ashamed,” Bob said, and he didn’t know whether the blasts caused fewer fluke to bite today. Someone on the radio in an aluminum boat talked about feeling the vibration, and Bob saw a whale that kept jumping from the water more than he ever saw before, wondering whether that was the reason. He didn’t know how long the blasts were supposed to continue, but another source said they’re supposed to.  That source, a local party boat owner, also lamented the blasts. On the Gambler’s weekly, nighttime wreck-fishing trip on Thursday, quite a few ling, a few cod, even small blues that bit along the bottom, and some squid were rounded up. Good action, Bob said. Another trip would sail fort that tonight. One of the two weekly trips for blues at night fished last week, had the weather to sail. Fishing was good for small blues 1 pound, and chub mackerel 1 or 2 pounds were also clubbed. 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>

Barnegat Bay harbored fluke, many small, a few keepers, nothing crazy, near the BI and BB markers, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. No blowfish or croakers were heard about. A few bluefish were around in the bay. Snapper blues swarmed along docks and stuff. The surf held fluke, small, and a few blues. Fluke were yanked from Manasquan Inlet and from the ocean at Shrewsbury Rocks. No striped bass were heard about, except sometimes about stripers boated on the ocean at places they continue to swim in the warmth. Anglers often troll them and sail all the way toward Sandy Hook for them. Crabbing was improving, and many were small and undersized, but some were sizeable. 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>

Snapper blues were fought, including from the dock, said Kevin from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. But a bunch swam everywhere, and crabbing was good, better from boats, including the rental boats, than from the dock. But some were trapped from the dock, and boaters who crabbed mostly trapped at the mouth of Toms River. Surf fishing was mostly slow, because of recent cold water. The surf dipped to the mid-50 degrees, and had been as cold as 47 a week or two ago. That was because of southerly wind, but the wind direction now changed, so let’s hope that picks up the angling, he said. 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’s fluke blanketed bottom south of the BI marker in 10 feet, said Mike from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Fish spearing, killies and squid for them. Blowfish started to show up in the bay, and no one place really held them yet. But the shop reported no blowfish previously. Fish bits of clam or squid while chumming with a chum log for the puffers. Bluefish ran the bay, but not like before. Snapper blues swam the lagoons, biting snapper rigs under bobbers. Crabbing was pretty good.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

The <b>Super Chic</b> will next fish Friday through Sunday, probably for fluke or bottom fish like sea bass, Capt. Ted said. Sea bass and ling were around in the ocean, and for fluke fishing to pick up on the ocean, conditions just needed to improve. The fish were there, but southerly wind cooled the ocean close to shore, like every year around now. That can slow fluking, but now that the cold front arrived a couple of days, switching the wind direction, maybe that would help. Fluke were boated on Barnegat Bay, maybe not as many keepers as before. Lots more throwbacks likely bit than keepers did, and many of the bay’s fluke will probably start migrating to the ocean soon. Blowfish should show up in the bay anytime. Small bluefish are swimming Barnegat Inlet, and the tide to fish for them, outgoing, didn’t coincide with daytime trips this week. Maybe the tide will cycle back by the weekend. No bluefish in the ocean were heard about locally. Local boats stopped fishing for them, because the blues were a no show. Ted knew nobody who tried for bonito on the ocean yet this season, like at Barnegat Ridge. But he wouldn’t be surprised if some started to be around, and they usually start appearing in July. Bluefish boats usually start to run into them, but that news couldn’t be heard this year, once local boats stopped sailing for blues. A trip aboard is slated to fish for bluefin tuna in two Saturdays on the mid-range ocean. Farther from shore, canyon tuna fishing seemed okay, not great, but there were tuna to catch. Bigeye tuna gave up a bite a little, and a few yellowfin tuna were bagged, at the canyons recently.

One in 15 or 20 fluke were keepers in Barnegat Bay, the same ratio as before, said Ray from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. “(But) when I say keepers – in fact,” he said, a 6-pounder was checked-in today, and two 5-pounders were yesterday. Fluke larger than the size limit were “nice and big,” he said. Crabbing was slow, and the shop is located near the cooler waters at Barnegat Inlet. Crabbing doesn’t take off until the water warms, later in the season. One customer clammed from a rental boat from the shop yesterday, only raking a dozen. But that might’ve been because of experience, and customers already returned with buckets of clams this season. One blackfish could be kept starting today, and nothing was heard about blackfishing along the inlet’s rocks yet. No snapper blues were around locally, and no blowfish were heard about. 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. A few green crabs are on hand, and more are expected to be stocked.

<b>Barnegat</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 7/18:***</b> From an edited email from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “We’ve been catching a lot of fluke in the bay. Oyster Creek and Double Creek. Jigging leadheads and Gulp! Mostly under the 18-inch minimum. But there are enough 18- to 23-inch fish in the mix to make it interesting. The blues make an appearance on almost every trip. Two to 3-pounders, big enough to rip drag off the 10-pound spinning gear. On some days, they’re in the inlet, and more recently right in Oyster Creek Channel. A lot of bird play has been giving up their whereabouts. We’ve been throwing surface lures like poppers, so every attack is visual. I've tried three separate shrimping efforts in the last two weeks, and I have not been able to buy a weakfish. That won't deter us from trying again this weekend. No blowfish or kingfish yet for us, but it should be any minute. I’m going to run open-boat trips to Barnegat Ridge starting 6 a.m. to 12 noon this Monday. Sounds like good color and 72-degree water moved in, so it’s time to pursue bonita and albacore. Not impossible that we could find bluefin tuna there, as well. Three people max. All fish are shared. If the weather is mint and we decide to push farther offshore in search of tuna, (the rate will be a little extra). This will cover the additional fuel expense, and we’ll also return a few hours later. So, flexible people only please. I also have this Saturday available for the bay from 1 to 6 p.m. for either open-boat or charter for fluke and bluefish. I slid down to Key West a few weeks ago to fish the Marquesas as part of my ongoing 50th birthday celebration, and connected with my first permit, a 20 pounder. <a href=" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsuUjF5WubY
" target="_blank">Watch the video.</a> On the same trip, my friend Steve Ondrof did battle with a 150-pound goliath grouper. <a href=" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyUvmM8KuLU
" target="_blank">Watch that video</a>.”

<b>Surf City</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 7/18:***</b> When the ocean chilled, that slowed surf-fishing for fluke, said Rich from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. But now water was warming, and some started to be beached, including a keeper at times. Some anglers fished for the fluke with high-low rigs with a Gulp on the top hook and bait on the bottom, and some fished Gulps on both. Sometimes kingfish and croakers were nabbed from the surf. Anglers fished bloodworms or Fishbites artificial bloods for the kings. One of the crew from the shop hooked a few croakers from the beach while fishing bloods. Anglers on occasion wrestled 2-pound bluefish in the surf on small metal. So there were fish to be hooked in the surf, if anglers put in time. Surf angling was into the summer fishery now. One blackfish could be kept starting Thursday, and lots of green crabs were sold for bait for them, and many anglers fished along Barnegat Inlet’s rocks for the tautog, that day. No results were heard, but probably will be today. Crabbing was becoming better on the bay from both the island and the mainland.  The store’s annual <b><i>Free Surf Fishing Seminars</i></b>, held 6 to 7 p.m. every Sunday in the parking lot in summer, are under way. Hosted by Bob Massa, the classes are now being called Sundays with Bob. 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>

Tons of croakers and white perch filled the bay, said Brian from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. “Like, more than you can handle,” he said, and they also swam the rivers. Kingfish nibbled at Graveling Point, both for shore anglers and boaters. Blowfish started to show up in the bay. Lots of small summer flounder carpeted the bay, and fishing for them on the ocean turned on by now. Customers fished for them Saturday, between rough weather, at Garden State reefs north and south and Little Egg Reef, scoring well on the fish, including keepers 18 to 26 inches. In the bay, sharks including browns, required to be released, swarmed abundant.  Anglers fish for them from dusk until about 10 p.m., when the angling begins to slow. On the ocean, one customer fought mako sharks at 28-Mile Wreck a few days ago. In the bay and back waters, snapper blues and baby sea bass schooled. The year’s first peanut bunker were seen during the weekend. One blackfish could be kept starting today, and nothing was heard about the angling. Minnows are stocked, and, for blackfish, so are green crabs. No fresh, shucked clams are carried, because of demand. No live grass shrimp are stocked, because the heat kills them.

<b>Absecon</b>

Good reports about summer flounder were heard, both from the back bay and the ocean, between wind and rain this week, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. The current north and northwest wind, in the cooler weather, should boost the water temperature higher, helping the fishing, after south wind that usually cools the ocean close to shore, because of upwelling. East wind even for a day last Saturday turned on flounder fishing. Weather forecasts look good for the weekend, and because of all of this, the weekend might be one of the best for flounder fishing. Summer fishing’s about peaking, another reason to head out. Croakers seemed to swim everywhere, especially the mouth of Mullica River. One blackfish can be kept per angler per day starting today, and green crabs will be carried for bait for them starting Friday. Along the bridges and jetties are the places to find them, and the fish should be in. Rumors and stories said they were, but with nobody selling crabs for bait while the blackfish season was closed, and when none of the tautog could be kept, news was scarce. Good striped bass bites were on at Mullica and Great Egg Harbor rivers, but mostly on shedder crabs, and the supply of shedders was limited. Shedders sold out the day they arrived or the next day, but availability seemed to be improving. Not much was heard about weakfish from the bay. But weaks were due to move into “their summer feeding areas,” he said. Kingfishing was good in the surf, and the Ventnor fishing pier seemed the best place for them, when the kings showed up. Crabbing was definitely picking up, and was great in the last week or so. The shed, around last weekend’s full moon, is finished. Crabbing can slow during shedding, because the blueclaws won’t eat while shedding. But not all crabs shed at once.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Kingfish showed back up in the surf, and so did sharks, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. The angling had slowed before, apparently because of water that chilled, but water started to become warmer again. The kings bit bloodworms more than Fishbites artificial bloods, because the water temp was still down. The sharks included browns, required to be released, and a photo was posted on the store’s Facebook page, showing one of three sand tiger sharks, also required to be let go, that an angler released from the beach last night. They were 3 to 4 feet long, and another customer, who was reported plugging striped bass from the back bay here recently, plugged four more, including a 32-inch 12-pounder he kept, during an early morning. The angler catches them all year, and some big summer flounder were weighed from the bay. That fishing also started to rebound, after it slowed, and the flatfish checked in included one angler’s 5-1/4-pounder and 4-1/2-pounder. Another customer only bagged one of the flounder, but it was 5 ¾ pounds.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Lots of kingfish were flung from Absecon Inlet, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Low, incoming tides fished best for them in mornings and afternoons. Croakers, summer flounder and bluefish were nailed from the inlet, and the channel was lit up, he said. Places anglers caught included at the T-jetty, Vermont Avenue, Melrose Avenue and the sea wall at Gardners Basin. Customers fish all those places, not far from the shop, on foot, and baits they soaked included minnows, bloodworms, clams and green crabs. The crabs were for blackfish, and one blackfish could be kept starting today. Lots of throwback blackfish were nabbed, but keepers were had. The inlet is lined with jetties, and blackfish hover along jetties and rocks. Baits stocked include minnows, bloodworms, green crabs, fresh clams, fresh bunker, all the frozen baits, like mackerel, mullet and all the different types of squid for flounder fishing, and more, a large supply. 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 fishing slowed, or not as many keepers were swiped as before, but throwbacks bit, and some quality keepers were still around, on the back bay on the party boat <b>Keeper</b>, Capt. John said. Lots of sizeable flounder were in, but a lot just missed keeper size, 18 inches, large. Baitfish were growing bigger, like always this time of year, including juvenile bunker seen that became larger. Another shot of larger flounder should turn on as bait grows, like happens, including last year. Baitfish like peanut bunker incubate and grow in the bays through summer, pouring to the ocean in fall, when the migration of fish swims south for winter. The bait provides the forage for the fish. Some boats ran into small croakers on the bay yesterday, and that might be worth the Keeper looking into. A few bluefish showed up aboard the last few days. Baby sea bass, not many, started to bite that eventually fill the bay in summer. They won’t be able to keep off hooks before long. Minnows and mackerel provided aboard caught the flounder, and Gulps that anglers brought worked well, like usual. Anglers should bring Gulps, and when the sea bass become abundant, trips usually stop fishing mackerel, because the sea bass will bite that. 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>

Fishing sailed Wednesday on the <b>Stray Cat</b> on the ocean, Capt. Mike said. That was after rough weather during the week, including a stormy Tuesday. The fishing was slow, and water was cold.  A couple of sea bass were cranked from the bottom, and a few small bonito were trolled. The bonito are some of the first reported on this site this season. The trip fished 20 miles from shore, and the ocean was no warmer than 65 or 66 degrees until 10 miles from the coast. At a mile beyond Sea Isle Ridge, the water was finally 70 degrees almost, was 69 and change. The water should warm within a day or so, and a ton of bait – rainfish and sand eels – schooled. Because of all of that, Mike hopes fishing should turn back on in a day or so. Previously, trips were into good catches of summer flounder, sea bass and ling on the ocean. A trip today was headed out for flounder, and open-boat trips are fishing for flounder daily when no charter is booked, even with one angler. Though the ocean was full of life on the trip 20 miles from shore, hardly any life swam within 10 miles from shore this season, except flounder at the reefs, where the boat’s been fishing for them. Water beyond looked great. The next open-boat trips for tuna with space available are on Saturday, August 16, and Sunday, August 24. A few Saturdays are left in September for charters. A couple of Sundays remain in August for charters, but no Saturdays do. <b>***Update, Friday, 7/18:***</b> Mike emailed photos of bonito trolled aboard Thursday at Atlantic City Ridge. The shots are posted on this site’s photo pages. The boat is now trolling the ridges for the speedy, tasty fish, and Spanish mackerel and false albacore will show up next, he said.

<b>Ocean City</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 7/18:***</b> Throwback summer flounder were sifted through to catch keepers on the back bay, said Pat from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. An angler might paste a keeper after working through many shorts, and flounder had started to be boated from the ocean before the water chilled. They should bite again, now that the water began to warm back up. Southerly wind had dropped the water temp close to shore, because of upwelling. But the wind direction changed when this week’s cooler weather arrived. Not many boaters fished farther from shore for tuna, in rough weather much of the week. No news was heard about the fishing. Striped bass and weakfish were played at night at places like bridges and sod banks on soft-plastic lures like pink Fin-S Fish. Kingfish were managed from the surf here and there, and the water remained cool. Pat thought the surf had dipped to 59 or 60 degrees, and was now 65. Flounder, just a few, skittered around the surf.

Half-day trips on the party boat <b>Captain Robbins</b> scooped up sea bass, lots of throwbacks, but a few keepers, and a few summer flounder from the ocean, Capt. Victor said. Half-day trips, fishing closer to shore, are fishing on weekdays, and full-day trips, sailing farther out, are running on weekends. They’re fishing for flounder and sea bass 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. The <b>Miss Ocean City</b>, the company’s new party boat, should start fishing next week for flounder on the back bay. Victor hopes the trips begin on Monday, and the vessel was inspected by the Coast Guard, and just a little work needs to be completed on the vessel. That boat will sail on three trips daily from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Weather wasn’t good, but fishing was, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. He sort of sounded surprised, and a 4.4-pound summer flounder was weighed from the back bay today, and others in the 20 inches were seen during the week. Nothing earth shattering, but nice, he said. Anglers were also heard from who landed 20 throwback flounder and no keepers on the bay. Surf fishing for kingfish certainly picked up, and he’d say that if angler headed out with good bait, and put in the time, 10 good-sized kings would be beached. One blackfish could be kept starting today, and good results were already heard. Fish for them at places like Avalon’s 8th Street jetty or the rocks along Townsend’s Inlet Bridge’s south wall. The new way to fish for them was with a piece of crab on a jig, bounced slowly along the bottom structure. Otherwise, the standard rigs with crabs were dunked. Nothing was heard about boaters fishing the ocean for flounder in the weather. Triggerfish had been pulled from the ocean wrecks and from along bridges. Surprisingly, Sea Isle Lump was a hot spot for kingfish. What the fish were doing there wasn’t known, but the area was littered with them, and boaters bailed buckets full. Inshore sharking, 3 to 6 miles from shore, for species like browns, required to be released, was nothing spectacular, but trips released two, three or four apiece. Farther from shore, tuna fishing picked a couple of the fish, both inshore, at places like the Hot Dog and Hambone, and at the canyons, farther off. Some trips caught better than others, but anglers caught. Only a limited number of the tuna, not many, were chunked, and probably 98 percent were trolled.   

<b>***Update, Friday, 7/18:***</b> Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, was jamming with trips, he said in a phone call. His blog showed that lots of outings fished the back bay for summer flounder this week. One of the trips, on Thursday morning with three anglers, socked flounder at every spot fished on the bay, “a very relaxing day,” it said, for instance. Also that day, one of the inshore shark trips aboard fished the ocean, but lack of tide made the angling difficult. After one brown shark was released, the outing motored back to the bay, reeling up fluke. “Lots of fun,” the blog said. Was nice to have the option, Joe said in the call. Either tide or wind is needed to drift the boat to effectively fish for sharks. Joe sets up the vessel to drift over bottom structure that he knows attracts the fish. Chum is placed in the water, and as the boat covers ground, the chum draws sharks to strike either a mackerel fillet for bait, on conventional tackle, or a chum fly on a fly rod. Jersey Cape fishes either. Shark species like browns, duskies, spinners and blacktips, some of them required to be let go, are caught and released, usually within 10 miles from shore. The fishing is a chance to fight a big catch without the long trek offshore. The sharking’s been good, Joe said. In the flounder fishing, keepers have been hard to come by. But the angling’s been good family fishing, he said, and fun. High tides are about to coincide with dusk on the bay, ideal for popper fishing for striped bass, a specialty aboard, with lures and flies. Joe expects the fish to be there, like they have been, and his son and buddy kayaked two stripers on poppers yesterday on the bay. That would seem to show the fishing’s happening. Poppers draw explosive, visual strikes along the water surface, good sport. Joe fishes for the bass on the shallow flats, poling his flats boat, like in a tropical destination. He’s also fishing offshore for tuna, and weather was too rough for that recently. Joe had planned one of the trips today that was weathered out. His most recent trips offshore trolled bluefin tuna and yellowfin tuna and mahi mahi in 30 fathoms at the end of last week, during a break in weather, reported here earlier this week.  Joe also ran an unusual trip this week, when he was asked to transport hockey’s Stanley Cup to Los Angeles Kings player Justin Williams, the championship’s most valuable player. See photos on the blog. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Weather wasn’t conducive for fishing, so how the back bay’s angling will be was difficult to say, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. But a few summer flounder were still brought in, and a few croakers, decent-sized, were, from the bay. Flounder were still a lot of throwbacks and occasional keepers, before the weather. No weakfish and striped bass were reported hooked anywhere. A buddy returned with 30 sizeable kingfish from Delaware Bay. Another came back from the bay with plenty of croakers. Baits stocked include minnows and frozen herring in three per pack, 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, and Mike expected them to be delivered today from Maryland. That’s only the second time they were carried this season, and the last batch arrived three weeks ago. But they were going to be carried now, and the price couldn’t be known until they were delivered, because that depends on the market price at the time. But the price might be $32 per dozen live and $36 or $38 cooked. Crabs were scarce this year, and local commercial crabbers weren’t really catching them. Mike wasn’t asked how crabbing was for customers, but recreational crabbing is different than commercial, and in the last report, last week, he said customers trapped a few of the blueclaws, up to a dozen or two dozen keepers per trip.

<b>Cape May</b>

Was lots of rough weather during the week, but trips fished daily for summer flounder, managed to have a few anglers show up to sail, on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. Many boats never sailed in the weather, and on the Porgy, the fishing was up and down, “like the weather,” he said. Flounder were taken on every trip, but more on some trips than others. The boat has usually fished the ocean, but one of the trips fished Delaware Bay, landing some nice flounder. The boat returned to the bay the next day, and not many flounder showed up. On Friday aboard, Tony Scalone from Iselin and “South Philly” Joe Laino limited out on flounder. On Sunday, wind blew, but Mike Chern from Somers Point bagged three flounder to a 6-pounder, winning the pool with the fish. Wind also blew on Monday, but John Consenza from Philly bagged four flounder to 4 ½ pounds aboard that day. The Porgy IV is fishing for summer flounder at 8 a.m. daily.

The <b>Heavy Hitter</b> was supposed to resume fishing today, for inshore sharks, Capt. George said. Weather was lousy Monday and Tuesday, but a friend sailed for tuna Wednesday, and George waited to hear results. Two trips on the Heavy Hitter returned with bluefin tuna and mahi mahi, covered in the last report, during the weekend. Trips aboard are also fishing for summer flounder.

<b>Melanie Anne Sport Fishing Charters</b> was docked in the weather, Capt. Frank said. He talked with anglers who said that when weather is rough, they fish for summer flounder at Cape May Inlet, and catch, not only throwbacks, but keepers. Twenty or 30 throwbacks might be worked through, but a trip might also bag five keepers. Melanie Anne sailed for tuna on two trips last weekend, trolling bluefin tuna, mahi mahi and several white marlin, covered in the last report. The boat is also summer flounder fishing.

The back bay warmed to normal temperatures, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>, and fishing was good along the Intracoastal Waterway there for some summer flounder and lots of croakers. In the surf, kingfish, lots of croakers and sometimes flounder were banked. Triggerfish bit at the jetties and, for boaters, the reefs and wrecks. One blackfish could be kept starting today, and Nick would fish for them along the jetties, reefs and wrecks. Boaters along the ocean front caught lots of flounder. Nick wasn’t asked the size, but many flounder are often smaller there. Farther from shore, fishing for flounder was good, and was best there at Cape May Reef and the Old Grounds. Flounder fishing was excellent on Delaware Bay toward Miah Maul and at Flounder Alley and the stakes in that area. Nothing specific was heard about tuna, but fishing for bluefin tuna picked up recently, like at 30 fathoms. They were trolled, but a few started to be chunked for the first time this year. Fresh shrimp, good-looking bloodworms, and minnows are stocked. Nick hopes to carry fresh clams.    

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