<b>Keyport</b>

Fluke fishing became a little slower since last week’s moon and south wind that cooled water, but 10 keepers to 6 pounds were totaled Saturday aboard, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an email. Twice as many throwbacks were released, so there was good action. Ambrose Channel should hold fluke soon, and that will be an opportunity to catch some really big ones. Peanut bunker began to appear, and livelined peanuts make great bait for fluke. A trip Sunday was cancelled because of a faulty fuel pump. That should be repaired early this week, and charters are fishing, and open-boat trips will fluke this week and on Sunday. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

Kevin O’Malley’s trip beat a good pick of blues on Raritan Bay on Friday aboard, and the anglers had a good time, said Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>. They fished with chunks of bunker, and the bay was in the low 70s, if Joe remembered, and weather was beautiful. Open-boat trips are available twice daily, for fluke in the morning or blues in the afternoon, when no charter is booked. Telephone to jump aboard.

On the <b>Down Deep</b>, ling and cod fishing was very good on the ocean, Capt. Mario said. Fluke fishing was up and down aboard, but many of the keepers were large, including a 9.1-pounder and a healthy number of 7-pounders this past week. Don’t miss marathon, open-boat fluke trips, from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., that will fish the ocean 30 miles from shore.  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 either fluke or ling and cod.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Trips, fishing Raritan Bay, landed fluke, and the angling wasn’t good, wasn’t as good as Capt. Tom would like, but most of the keepers were well over the size limit, on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, he said. None of the fish was larger than 8 pounds yet this season, but larger came from the bay this year, and some aboard weighed 4, 5 and 6 pounds recently. For the throwbacks released, the size limit that’s a half-inch larger than last year made a big difference. Lots more of the fish would’ve been keepers. All the twice daily trips sailed in past days, and the bay was calm in the easterly wind that sometimes roughed up the ocean. Sometimes the weather was a little chilly aboard. Some trips caught better than others, and the outings fished different parts of the bay, depending on conditions. Both of Saturday’s trips were tough. Sunday’s fluking was a little better, and a few more keepers were bagged than in previous days. Throwbacks gave up more action than before, especially on the afternoon’s trip. A load of 13- to 16-inchers bit. Tom hopes more fluke begin to be bagged, and neither bait nor Spros seemed an advantage for catching. When a trailer was fished above a Spro, that was better, and probably caught as well as anything. A Gulp with a killie or a spearing was fished on the trailer. Anglers who fish Spros sometimes tend to work harder at the angling. But rental rods fished with spearing, the bait provided aboard, also hooked the fish. 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>Neptune</b>

<b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> was busy fishing since early last week, Capt. Ralph wrote in an email. Fluke fishing was some of the worst in a few years on an individual-reservation trip Wednesday, because of cold water, so trips had switched to bottom-fishing. But on a fluke trip Saturday, water had warmed, and a good number of large fluke to 4 ½ pounds were iced, and so were sea bass. The bottom trips bailed winter flounder, sea bass and ling, lots. On a bottom trip Friday, 11 winter flounder, all big, to more than 4 pounds, and ling and sea bass were shoveled up. Bottom-fishing on Saturday zapped ling. Two bottom trips caught mahi mahi 10 to 15 pounds aboard, and blue, clean water wasn’t far from shore. Bonito were also latched into in the water aboard. Bluefish were the size of mackerel currently, but that’ll change. Fishing aboard Sunday was cancelled, and wind blew 15 to 20 knots, not good for fluking. The wind blew from northeast. Weather looks good for Tuesday’s individual-reservation trip for fluke, and Ralph expects good fishing. Four spaces are available, and seven spaces are available for an individual-rez fluke trip next week on Tuesday, July 29. The trips will also fish every Tuesday until fluke season is closed on September 28. “Then we will switch to something else,” Ralph said. A few spots are available for a fluke charter this week on Wednesday, because some anglers dropped out. Space is available for individual-reservation trips for cod on August 7 and 28. One of the trips sailed last week and was a success, and one angler won the outing’s two pools for cod and pollock with a 22-pound cod and a 26-pound pollock. Charters are available for daytime and nighttime.

<b>Belmar</b>

Bluefin tuna fishing limited out with an over and two unders, and released another bluefin, on Saturday with <b>XTC Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Scott said. A mahi mahi was also bagged, and all the fish were trolled 50 or 55 miles from shore. Farther offshore at Hudson Canyon, an overnight trip Wednesday to Thursday decked four yellowfin tuna, 15 or 20 mahi and a dozen tilefish. Two of the tuna and all the mahi were trolled, and two of the tuna were chunked overnight. Closer to the coast, anglers aboard Friday limited out on sea bass, landed a couple of keeper fluke, and released throwbacks. Another trip pumped in a couple of cod, a couple of pollock and a handful of sea bass and ling on Sunday. Trips today and Tuesday are supposed to fish for sea bass and fluke, and an overnight trip Tuesday to Wednesday is supposed to shark fish in the dark and then fish for bluefins during the day.

We’re still in fluke mode, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Fishing for them was good, and Tom Mibail from Newton, N.J., axed a 6-pound 8-ounce fluke and a 3-pounder on Shark River from one of the shop’s rental boats. Brian Kean from Yardley, Pa., rental-boated a 4-pound 8-ounce fluke from the river. Bob joined Tony Saunders and Jerry Taylor on one of the rentals on the river, “and we had several fish,” Bob said. Tony and Jerry landed most, and Tony’s included a 4-pounder that pounced on a Gulp on a jighead. Kingfish were reported slid from the surf, and clams and worms were best baits.

Catches of bluefish and bonito were excellent from the start on daytime trips Saturday through today on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the boat said. All the fish anglers could want were jigged on Ava 27s, and a large body of blues schooled, east of Shark River Inlet. A thresher shark was even eased aboard Saturday.  If you’re thinking about fishing, now’s the time, the email said. On nighttime trips Friday and Saturday, small blues, bunker, a few sharks and small mahi mahi were seen, but not much bit, except a handful of the blues and mahi. There was lots of life.  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.

Excellent fishing for bluefish and some bonito Sunday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s Facebook page said. Customers could catch all the fish they wanted, and plenty of blues, very good fishing for them, 15 to 20 bonito and a few albies were fought aboard Saturday. Bluefishing was a lot slower on Friday aboard, and some were picked.  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.

With <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, fishing for fluke was tough on the ocean Friday, but the fluke bagged were sizeable, including a 7-1/2-pounder, Capt. Pete said. The angling aboard Saturday picked up more keepers than on the previous day, including good-sized to 5  ½ pounds. Some especially healthy-sized sea bass were tied into that day, and the anglers pretty much limited out on them, he said. That’s only three sea bass per angler, but adds to the catch, and all the anglers left with a good bag of fish apiece. A bunch of snapper blues were also around on the fishing grounds, for anglers who wanted them. A big cownosed ray was hooked and fought 45 minutes. Fluking was cancelled aboard Sunday, because of forecasts for strong northeast wind. Northeast wind should keep warming the ocean, after south wind cooled the water close to shore, because of upwelling, previously. The cool water can slow fluking, and the ocean reached 68 degrees on Saturday. The trips fished deeper than before in 65 to 75 feet. Bluefin tuna seemed to start arriving in range, and Parker Pete’s will fish for them. Friends boated the tuna. Here’s an opportunity: 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 trips are inexpensive, and a couple of spaces are available for one of the trips Tuesday, and room is available on another the following Tuesday, July 29. August dates will be announced, and 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.

<b>Brielle</b>

Good fishing for fluke at mid-week on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, Capt. Ryan wrote in an email. Numerous customers limited out, and some sea bass were thrown in, and there were lots of bites. The angling was tough during the weekend because of winds and tides. Bob Brave from Philadelphia took over the lead in the monthly pool with a 6-pound 8-ounce fluke. He and Allen Brave, also from Philly, limited out. Customers and their catches also included Ed Nolan from Manasquan with a limit to 6 pounds, and Chris Molinari from North Haledon, N.J., with a limit to 5 pounds. The Jamaica II is fishing for fluke and sea bass 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Monday.

Manasquan River’s fluke fishing picked up Saturday, and weeds had cleared out some, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Many throwbacks bit, but so did a few keepers, and chartreuse Gulp 4-inch swimming mullets on jigheads caught well. A few striped bass were played on the river at the bridges and at Point Pleasant Canal. Four-inch Fin-S Fish in Arkansas Shiner on a jighead, popper lures and small swimming lures clubbed the river’s bass in early mornings. Ocean fluke fishing seemed up and down, depending on the angler giving the report. But Axel  Carlson and Sea Girt reefs finally gave up the fish this season, and fluking on the ocean seemed most consistent to the north off Monmouth Beach in 50 or 60 feet of water. Lots of small bluefish schooled at Sea Girt Reef and the Klondike wreck. Bonito were mixed in at the Klondike, and boaters could target them on the troll. Nothing was heard about bonito yet at places like Manasquan and Barnegat ridges. But whether anglers tried for them wasn’t heard. Ling fishing was good on the ocean, especially on Gulp Ghost Shrimp. A handful of sizeable sea bass and some large winter flounder were hooked among them. Bluefin tuna, not a huge population, but good-sized fish to 80 and 100 pounds, swam in the Atlantic Princess wreck and Chicken Canyon area or around 30 fathoms. Lumps in the area held bait. Mahi mahi were also around, and a customer during the weekend talked about trolling some at the Mudhole on jets and feathers. So, there was fishing for inshore pelagics. Farther offshore, boaters sort of split time between fishing Hudson and Toms canyons. They trolled good catches of yellowfin tuna, many trips totaling 8 to 15, and lots of white marlin. Fishing for tuna at night on the chunk didn’t seem phenomenal. But trips could at least fish for sharks in the dark for something to catch overnight at the canyons.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

An overnight trip fished the canyons offshore Friday to Saturday with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. Great water, bait and tuna were found. Chunking at night for tuna was a little slow, though some boats caught on the chunk. But trolling during daytime more than made up for that. Trolling for yellowfin tuna to 80 pounds was solid in four different areas, at least, of one canyon. “That is a very positive sign for future trips,” he said. Offshore and inshore trips are still being booked. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness.

Throwback fluke and a good number of keepers were scooped from the ocean on Saturday morning’s trip on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. Brian Vida from Bayonne jumped into the lead in the monthly pool with an 8-pound 2-ounce fluke on the outing. Northeast wind picked up through the afternoon’s and Sunday’s trips, shutting down fluking. But not to worry now, he said, because that wind usually warms the ocean and clears the water close to shore. That should make fluking good as the week goes on. This is the time of year the big ones move in. On nighttime trips Saturday and Sunday, bluefishing picked and plucked 1- to 1-1/2-pounders, fun on light tackle. Ling were also swung aboard during the final hour of Sunday night’s trip, and quite a few squid were around during the trips. Bring squid jigs if interested. Matt hopes the northeast wind will have pushed bigger blues into the area. 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>

Small bluefish 2 to 5 pounds “have found their way into the surf,” John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s website. Fluke could be bagged from the surf, for anglers “willing to seek them out,” he said. Sharks and rays took off with bait in the surf at night. In Barnegat Bay, snapper blues were growing larger, and boaters trapped terrific catches of crabs at Good Luck Point, on the mainland side of the bay. 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>

Fishing improved Saturday on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, a report on the vessel’s website said. Fifteen keeper fluke were pitched aboard, and some sea bass were also bagged. That was the most recent report, and throwbacks also kept anglers busy. The ocean had warmed to 70 degrees, great for fluking. The Miss Barnegat Light is fishing for fluke and sea bass 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

<b>Barnegat</b>

<b>***Update, Wednesday, 7/23:***</b> From an edited email from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “I am running an open-boat trip on Thursday from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m. We will start with a few hours of fluke and/or bluefish in the bay and inlet. By 4 p.m., the tide will be perfect for throwing shrimp at the inlet jetty for short stripers and all size blackfish, with the 10-pound spinning rods. If you’ve never done this, it is something to see. Catching stripers and tog in the middle of summer with just a hook baited with shrimp, no sinkers or terminal tackle. Every once in a while we catch a bass that measures 28 inches or better, but most are 20 to 26 inches, big enough to scream line off the light spinning outfits. We do catch quite a few houndfish throughout the season, too, when we use this technique. Houndfish are 36- to 40-inch needlefish that jump and greyhound like billfish, when you set the hook. (The rate is) divided by however many people sign up. I also have an open-boat to Barnegat Ridge for bonita on Monday from 6 a.m. to 12 noon. (This is a set rate per angler.) (Three people max on either trip.) All fish are shared.”

<b>Brigantine</b>

In the surf, kingfish ruled, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. Sharks were fought from the surf, and surf casters waited to see whether spots and bluefish would show up “to really heat the surf up,” the report said. For one group of anglers, summer flounder fishing was good on the back bay all day Saturday. They boated the fish to 4  ½ pounds, and another group also scored a good day, coming in with five keepers to 5 pounds.

<b>Longport</b>

Trolling whacked the heck out of bonito and small bluefish at Sea Isle and Atlantic City ridges on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. No trips fished for summer flounder, because the trolling was so good, but an open-trip for flounder and sea bass is sold out Tuesday that will fish the ocean, and space is available for more of the trips Wednesday and Thursday. A trip Sunday trolled bluefin and yellowfin tuna and mahi mahi in 30 and 40 fathoms in 8 foot seas and 25-knot winds that weren’t forecast. One large bluefin snapped a rod in half that was in the holder. Fishing in this range from shore on the two types of trips has been great. “I mean, it’s really good,” he said. The ocean was gorgeous, the perfect color and 74 and 75 degrees on both the bonito and tuna trips, and full of life, including sand eels. The tuna trip caught fish in the middle of nowhere, he said. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips for tuna with space available will fish Saturday, August 16, and Sunday, August 24.

<b>Avalon</b>

Fishing for summer flounder on Delaware Bay totaled six keepers, including a 30-incher and a 29-incher, none smaller than 20 inches, among probably four dozen of the fish landed, on Saturday with <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b>,  Capt. Jim said. Great trip, he said, and the rest were throwbacks, and the anglers fished at the stakes near Fortescue. Even the 17-inch throwbacks “had shoulders,” and Jim started using a 4/0 hook to try to prevent the throwbacks from swallowing the bait. Small bluefish were also hooked, and the trip fished a double-hooked rig Jim ties with a 36-inch leader with a plain hook on bottom and a 12-inch leader with a dressed hook on top. A Gulp with a minnow was fished on bottom, and a minnow was fished on top, and the fish grabbed both equally. A trip Friday tried for flounder at Cape May, Wildwood and Ocean City reefs on the ocean. But the angling was slow there, and only three flounder were landed at a spot Jim knows offshore of Ocean City Reef. So the trip came back to the back bay, reeling up two keeper flounder among 30 or 40 landed, the rest throwbacks, along the Intracoastal Waterway. The angling wasn’t as good on the back bay and ocean, and the trip the next day fished Delaware Bay. The two days were great. The ocean was clear and beautiful, and Jim will scope out inshore fishing for mahi mahi, wahoos and bluefin tuna there this coming weekend, ahead of a charter that’s supposed to troll for those fish afterward aboard. Clear water is key to the angling. Fins and Feathers offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including duck and goose hunting on Delaware Bay during the waterfowl seasons. Anglers can even enjoy a combo of striped bass fishing and duck hunting on the bay in fall during a series of days. Trips also fish for salmon and steelhead on upstate New York’s Salmon River from Jim’s lodge. The salmon run is coming up, can start as early as late August. Trips also fly fish for trout on Pennsylvania’s streams like the Yellow Breeches.

</b>Cape May</b>

A 56-inch bluefin tuna and three mahi mahi, two larger, and one smaller, about 10 pounds, were whaled Saturday with Ryan Moore’s charter on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. The trip fished near the Elephant Trunk in 30 fathoms along hills. All the fish were trolled, and the trip chunked a little in the morning. When no fish bit on the chunk, the trip got up on the troll at 8:30 a.m. Bluefin fishing was good for the fleet Thursday and Friday around Massey’s Canyon to the Hot Dog and the Tea Cup. On Sunday, a bluefin charter aboard sailed 10 miles from shore then returned to port, because of rough seas. George let the anglers know about forecasts the night before, discouraging them, if they were uneasy about the seas, but they wanted to try. They said they wanted to try again another time, after returning. The seas were possible to fish, but a couple of other boats also turned around. Go fishing for bluefins now. George hopes they stick around. The ocean began warming in the change of wind direction, after southerly wind cooled the ocean close to shore previously. The water was 69 degrees at the inlet Saturday, and 65 previously. The Heavy Hitter is also fishing for summer flounder, and anglers picked away at the fish on Delaware Bay at Flounder Alley. None of the flounder was huge, and keepers were maybe 18 to 22 inches, but catches were pretty good, and there were keepers. Nobody was known about who fished for flounder on the ocean at the Old Grounds, and George thought the water held a big swell. Kingfish and a few small croakers schooled off Cape May Point. No bluefish appeared there that sometimes do in summer.

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