<b>Staten Island</b>

With <b>Outcast Charters</b>, bottom-fishing was okay, not great, but alright, for ling and sea bass on Monday, Capt. Joe said. Ling fishing was actually good, and the sea bass were sizeable. Cod were also bagged, and the last four trips copped cod to 8 pounds. Trips have been bottom-fishing in 40 to 80 feet, occasionally deeper, on the ocean, varying the depth. Outcast is currently targeting ling from either Staten Island or Sewaren, N.J., and trips from Sewaren, like this one, can also mix in sea bass fishing. A few are legal to bag from New Jersey. When New York’s sea bass season is opened on July 15, trips from Staten Island can also focus on sea bass. Trips are always available from either port. Charters from either are also fishing for fluke, bucktailing the hard bottom for big fish.

<b>Keyport</b>

Another good day of fluke fishing, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote about the angling aboard Wednesday in an email. The fish weighed up to just less than 5 pounds on the trip, and Gulps for bait were “the way to go,” he said. Anglers who knew how to bucktail could definitely limit out. Sometimes heavy bucktails were needed, so anglers should bring a variety of sizes. Charters are fishing, and space is available for open-boat fluke trips on the Fourth of July and Sunday. Saturday is booked. 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!”

Bryan DeJonge and his son and father shoveled up a mix of fluke near the ocean and blues on Raritan Bay on Monday with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. They had a really nice time, he said, and this was the first saltwater fishing for all the anglers. Spearing and squid were fished for the fluke, and bunker was dunked for the blues. Space is available for charters and open-boat trips on the Fourth of July and Sunday, and Saturday is booked. 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 bluefish 4 to 9 p.m.

Some of the high hooks aboard fluke trips landed 13 keepers on the <b>Down Deep</b>, Capt. Mario said. They bagged no more than a limit, releasing the rest, and the angling, on the ocean with bucktails, has been great. The catch on Monday’s trip included two 9-pounders, a few 7s and a bunch of 5s and 6s, and the trip returned early at 12 noon, limited out. Trips are also ling fishing, and cod have been mixed in. 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.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

For fluke anglers, fishing was good Tuesday and Wednesday, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. He was unsure about location, but knew fluke were boated off Coney Island and down the beach recently. Customers who bought a quart of killies early this morning, when he gave this report, said they caught fluke well. Striped bass fishing was about finished for the season. Bluefish were around, including in Raritan Bay. Croakers and spots sometimes started to bite in the bay, and nothing was heard about porgies yet, and the season for them was opened on Tuesday. Jimmy’s friend, a captain, boated ling every day. A rod was put out for thresher sharks on the trips, and one was battled aboard every now and then for the charters. Lots of threshers, some big, swam the grounds. Crabbing started to become better. This storm, the hurricane pushing offshore and up the coast, shouldn’t hit hard. Probably wind will blow to 30 m.p.h., and rain might fall.

Fishing for fluke was about the same as before on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. But weather forecasts made fewer anglers show up for trips. The boat fished Raritan Bay, though, and land protected the bay from strong southerly wind that roughed up the ocean. Conditions were fine on the bay, and Wednesday afternoon’s trip gave up some of the better action with fluke in some time. The angling was alright, and not everybody landed a keeper. But some bagged three, and others two and some one. Weather was beautiful on the bay on the trip, and a nice breeze blew. The breeze was pleasant, didn’t rough up the bay. Throwbacks and some keepers were hooked on every trip recently. Tom wouldn’t call the fluking good. None of the fish was really large in past days. Some were impressive-sized previously. 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>

Thirteen thresher sharks were docked at <b>Twin Lights Marina</b> from Sunday to Wednesday, Marion wrote in an email. A scale with 3,000 pounds capacity was installed at the marina, and anglers started weighing the fish. The threshers ranged from 203 ½ pounds to 486. The anglers who checked-in the 486-pounder were Tony, Casey and Jake Campi, Ryan Taffet, Brian Mavrinac, and Jeff and Greg Sutton. Some of the heaviest threshers also included: a 332-pounder, gutted, from the Reel Deal, with Mike and Mark Russin and Michael and Jason Cepparuld; a 388-pounder from the Mudhole, for Eric Halbeck, John Ventura and Anthony Monico; and a 380-pounder from the My Girls, with Ray and Laura Szpond aboard. Frank Rella and Matt Christenson on The 2 F’s boated fluke to 7 pounds off Sandy Hook Point on Gulps. 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>

Catches went okay in the morning until the wind came up on the weekly, individual-reservation trip for fluke on Tuesday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. Anglers scored a pick of fluke to 4 or 5 pounds, but had to return to port early, because of the weather. Two trips will fluke aboard Saturday, and trips are slated aboard in the days afterward, mostly for fluke. A couple of spaces are available for an individual-reservation trip for cod, pollock and hake at 1 a.m. Thursday, July 17. Spaces are available for the Tuesday trips, too, and kids under 12 sail free on those outings, limited to two per adult host.  

<b>Belmar</b>

On the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, ocean fluke fishing was okay at times, and the south wind made the angling difficult at other times, Capt. Chris said. The wind direction cooled the water, and he hopes the temperature rises again soon. Fluke were definitely around to be caught in the area, and the angling has scored well. Even in the conditions Wednesday, some of the flatfish were boated. The angling should be fine, once the conditions shape up. Some of the fish were good-sized aboard, like 9 pounds. Many fluke aboard were hooked on Gulp, and some on bait, as opposed to bucktails or jigs, because of the cool water. The Big Mohawk is fishing for fluke 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. However, the trip on the Fourth of July, and trips on all Sundays, will sail 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Big bluefish were back! an email from the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> said at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. The trip that day had wrecked 5- to 15-pound blues so far, coming across a big area of the fish to the north on the ocean along the water surface. The trip was still fishing when the email was sent, and most of the blues weighed 8 to 10. “Finally, the blues are back!” it said, and the angling had been slow previously. When it was slow, trips switched to bottom-fishing for catches including ling and cod. 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. Fridays and Saturdays.

Bluefish 5 to 10 pounds were whaled on Wednesday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s website said. The fishing, on jigs, was very good, it said. “You could have caught your limit today,” it said. On Tuesday’s trip, blues 5 to 10 pounds were also jigged, okay fishing. On Monday, not a lot of blues were found, but plenty of ling, sea bass and winter flounder were scooped aboard. 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.

Good numbers of fluke bit, but the size limit limited the number of keepers, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. He’ll be interested to see whether the government says anglers caught more than the quota. The shop’s rental-boaters talked about hooking large numbers of fluke from Shark River, and some large were in the mix. The summer flounder to 5 pounds were weighed-in this week, and a bucktail with a 4-inch Gulp or a killie fished best. But spearing were also a good bet. A 10-pound 10-ounce fluke, caught from the ocean on a Belmar party boat, was the largest at the shop so far this season. Small striped bass were reported beached from the surf north of Shark River Inlet on small popper plugs. Ocean bluefishing remained slow, “but showed signs of life,” Bob said. Anglers hope the fishing rebounds. Several thresher sharks to a 350-pounder were weighed-in this week. All eyes are on the weather for this holiday weekend, Bob said. Have a good Fourth of July, he said.

Lot of south wind in past days, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. That created picky conditions for fluke fishing, and the angling for Parker Pete’s wasn’t that great. But Pete hopes for west wind soon that will help, and the storm was expected to keep the boat docked the next days. Anglers will see what that does to fishing. Striped bass pretty much migrated north for the season, and Pete looks forward to striper fishing again in fall. He did hear good bluefishing was nailed on the ocean Wednesday, after slower fishing for them. The blues looked 5 to 12 pounds in photos, and Pete hopes the blues swam in a big body that sticks around. Sharks like makos were still caught recently, and trips are available for them. A few bluefin tuna started to arrive in range, Pete believed, and the boat sails for them.  Parker Pete’s doesn’t usually sail farther offshore for yellowfin tuna at the canyons, because the boat is usually busy with inshore fishing. But sometimes the boat heads to the canyons when anglers request. 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 22, 29 and 30, and August dates will be announced. Contact Parker Pete’s for an email about the seminars or 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>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

A few keeper fluke and some throwbacks were picked from the ocean on morning trips the past few days on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote Wednesday in a report on the vessel’s website. Afternoon trips were tougher, because of all the south wind. Trips fished in the shallows along the beach to pick away at the throwbacks and sometimes a keeper, because the boat drifted too quickly at the rocks and rubble farther from shore. Anglers had difficulty holding bottom, even with 16 ounces, in those deeper waters, though the crew would prefer to fish out there. Wasn’t much to report about bluefishing on nighttime trips. A few 1- to 2-pounders were decked on a couple of nights, and ling, decent-sized, were swung in. A better population of blues will show up eventually, and trips will keep doing their best to find them. 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.

In the south wind that seemed to cool the ocean, fluke fishing was kind of slow the last couple of days on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said. Plenty of fluke were definitely in, and the fishing was a matter of the right conditions. The catches were pretty good aboard a few days ago, and some better-sized fluke were clutched. Quite a few throwbacks were actually hooked aboard today. A few keepers were, and sea bass and ling helped that were iced. The ling showed that the water was cool. Fluke were lethargic in the temperature, but that will change. On the Thursday night wreck-fishing trip last week, a decent catch of ling was smashed. They were mixed sizes, and a few sea bass were sacked. No winter flounder were, but were on some of the previous outings. On nighttime bluefishing trips, fishing was poor. But anglers hope the blues come in. 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 offered up fluke, decent catches, from the BI to BB and 40 markers, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Many anglers fished a plain killie for them, instead of rigs with more tackle, avoiding fouling on cabbage in the water. The bay’s blowfishing was very slow. More had started to bite earlier, but that dropped off. A couple of customers landed only two of the puffers on two trips Sunday and Monday. Fluking was tougher on the ocean, but Shrewsbury Rocks gave up better catches sometimes. One boater bagged a couple of 3- and 4-pound fluke at Sea Girt Reef on the ocean. But the angling seemed most consistent at the Rocks. Bluefish 1 to 2 pounds were wrestled on the Toms River. Fishing for blues became better there than along Route 37 Bridge on the bay. Surf fishing was slow. Sometimes a fluke, bluefish or striped bass was beached, but the angling was in transition. The species of spring – stripers and blues – were giving way to the species of summer – kingfish and croakers. A few kingfish and croakers were picked up from the surf, but angling for them should improve in a couple of weeks. Fishing for blues and fluke was a little better at Barnegat Inlet than in the surf. Blues 2 pounds ran the inlet. Crabbing served up mixed results, depending on location, even in one area. On the Toms, crabs were small at some spots, and at others, some were big. Dennis kept a couple of crab pots at the 37 Bridge, trapping very well. He’d pot 50 or 60, including big males and females, an equal population. Another crabber trapped more females than males on the Toms. Again, that depended on location. 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>

Good catches of crabs were trapped, said Kevin from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. More were grabbed from the dock than from the rental boats, maybe only because some of the boaters “didn’t know where to go,” he said. Surf fishing was slow, and small fluke were about the only numbers of fish there. Fluke were boated on Barnegat Bay toward the BB marker, and blues were clapped on the bay behind Island Beach State Park. 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 hovered in Double Creek and Oyster Creek channels and between the BI and BB markers, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Some blowfish – some – floated around the bay, and near the 40 marker was a good place to find them. Boaters needed to chum for them. Bluefish could still be located in the bay, and bit off lines on a trip with Grizz. Trips on the ocean tied into lots of sharks – blues, makos and threshers – on Monday. Brown sharks, required to be released, were around close to shore, now that water warmed. Crabbing really picked up.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

A handful of keeper fluke and sea bass were clubbed every day on the ocean on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, a report on the vessel’s website said. Throwbacks, skates and sea robins chewed. Weather was nice and cool on the water. Join a trip and beat the heat! The Miss Barnegat Light is fishing for fluke and sea bass 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

Fluke fishing was a little slow on the ocean Monday and Wednesday on the <b>Super Chic</b>, Capt. Ted said. Sea bass were sometimes around on fluke trips. Conditions weren’t good for the fluking Wednesday, and the south wind cooled the water close to shore quite a bit. Fluking locally usually doesn’t become best in the ocean till somewhat later in the season. A trip Saturday might be able to sail farther off to wrecks for ling and sea bass. A fluke trip today was with a smaller group, so that outing might also be able to play with small bluefish schooling Barnegat Inlet. Larger blues were scarce in the ocean, though they’re usually around now. Friends who tried for tuna on the mid-range ocean, 40 miles off, ran into large blues. Blues usually push offshore like that to spawn in late July. Ted thinks that since blues already swam there this year, they might not return inshore until after the spawn, like they usually return. The arrival of bluefish was unusual this year. A shot of them showed up at first, and then all gathered farther north, until they swam offshore now. The mid-range tuna fishing did catch a few bluefins, and the angling was just starting. Yellowfin tuna fishing farther offshore, at the canyons, was a little slow this past week, but that can change daily. The Super Chic will concentrate on fluke and tuna now. But space is available on an open-boat tilefish trip Saturday to Sunday, and telephone to reserve. All open tile trips caught well in the last year aboard.

One in 15 or 20 fluke was a keeper from Barnegat Bay, said John from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. Rental boaters were sent to Oyster Creek and Double Creek channels for the fish. Anglers also fished for fluke at High Bar Harbor. No bluefish were really around in two weeks, not even at Barnegat Inlet. The season was early for crabbing near the shop, located near the cooler waters at Barnegat Inlet. Customers tried for the blueclaws in the bay nearby, with no results. Some crabbers plucked catches from lagoons on the mainland. One rental boater raked up a fair catch of clams at Clam Island. Clamming is usually good from the shop. 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>

Fishing became a little slower, and seemed in transition, between spring and summer angling, said Sue from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. South wind also chilled the ocean, and a commercial bunker boater reported 58.5-degree water from somewhere there. That’s surprisingly cool for the time of year, but the water should warm quickly in the summer weather. But the exciting news was that kingfish started to show up in the surf. One angler beached three when trying for bluefish from the shore with bunker for bait. Other anglers fishing for other fish also caught kings by chance like that. Fluke were around in the surf, and most were shorts, but some were keepers. Anglers had to put in time for keepers, and the angling was nothing consistent. Boaters hooked fluke from the bay better. Sharks were reeled from both the surf and bay. Fishing from docks and piers was okay, not great or even good, but okay. Crabbers plucked a few keepers, and overnight pots trapped better. Sometimes blowfish and eels showed up in crab traps. The store’s annual <b><i>Free Surf Fishing Seminars</i></b>, held 6 to 7 p.m. every Sunday in the parking lot, got under way this weekend. Hosted by Bob Massa, the classes are now being called Sundays with Bob. Bring a lawn chair, and see the shop’s Facebook page for a write up with more description. 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>

Sizeable summer flounder had been boated from the bay at times, said Chris from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. But wind made the bay difficult to fish this week. Anglers had to fish 8-ounce weights at Little Egg Inlet, and that’s heavy. Flounder had started to be lifted from the ocean, like at the reefs. The water there had been clear, even enough for mahi mahi to be reported caught. Rumors said croakers and other small fish like that appeared at the inlet. If they did, they probably showed up at the mouth of Mullica River, too.  Nothing was heard about bluefish. Sharks like browns and sand tigers, both required to be released, haunted Great Bay. Crabbing seemed to go well. Customers picked up supplies including bunker for bait for the blueclaws, and returned for more. Baits stocked include plenty of minnows. The supply of fresh, shucked clams might become difficult, because the wind probably kept clam boats from sailing. No live grass shrimp were on hand.

<b>Absecon</b>

In the hard south wind in past days, not a lot fished, but summer flounder still bit in the back bay, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Probably west or northwest winds or less humidity is needed, and more will return to fishing. Nothing was heard about fishing the ocean, including for flounder, because of the wind. The invasion of junk fish like sea robins and baby sea bass was yet to arrive in the bay.  The summer run of weakfish could arrive in the bay anytime. The flurry of large, tiderunner weaks came and left in spring, like usual, for spawning, and now average-sized weaks should show up. A few anglers began trying for striped bass at night along bridges, buying eels for bait. But no results were heard. Crabbing should be good this weekend, and the blueclaws now were about finished shedding around last weekend’s new moon. A few shedder crabs for bait, and a few soft-shell crabs for eating, are still in supply. The store raises them.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Boaters on the back bay crushed summer flounder, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. The flounder checked-in weighed up to a 10-pounder, and a bunch of 6- and 7-pounders were seen. They seemed all to measure up to 28 inches, no more, like they only became heavier at that length, never becoming longer. Any of the usual baits caught the fish, but a teaser needed to be fished, with any of the baits. In the surf, kingfish were picked here and there, and Andy waited for somebody to show off a catch like seven, like posting a photo on the store’s Facebook page. Shark fishing slowed in the surf, and one was landed on occasion, after sharks swam thick for a couple of weeks before. 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>

Angling at Absecon Inlet pulled in summer flounder, including good-sized, and lots of kingfish and croakers, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Minnows, mackerel fillets and squid were fished for the flounder, and bloodworms were soaked for the kings and croakers. An occasional weakfish bit in the area, and a customer today talked about a striped bass hooked there. Stripers were around, but not a lot, and had to be fished for at night. Customers fish the nearby inlet, lined with jetties, on foot. A large supply of baits is stocked, including minnows, fresh bunker, fresh clams, bloodworms and all the frozen bait, like mackerel, mullet and all the different types of squid for flounder fishing. 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 number of keeper summer flounder dropped off some in the back bay on trips, but some good-sized were around, said Capt. John from the party boat <b>Keeper</b>. All the legal-sized flounder were usually larger than 20 inches. A gazillion throwbacks filled the bay, and if people wanted to bring kids so they’d catch, this was a good time. The number of keepers drops off every year for a moment. Then another shot of them turns on, when throwbacks grow to keeper size. No bluefish or any other fish really popped up during trips. Flounder were all the catches. Minnows and mackerel caught and are provided aboard. Gulps worked well, and anglers should bring them aboard. 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>

Lots of summer flounder blanketed the ocean bottom, and fishing for them was great, on trips on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. The trips, including open-boat, fished 70-foot depths at rock piles, usually with minnows and squid on bucktails. Sometimes customers fished a trailer with the bucktail, or used a large cannon ball or Spro instead of the bucktail. The bottom the trips fish isn’t sticky, so not many rigs are lost. Two or three per trip usually are. The next open trips for flounder are set for 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and open trips sail for them daily, even with one angler, when no charter is booked. Two open-boat tuna trips sold out on July 20 and 21, so another was scheduled for 2 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 19, limited to six passengers. Telephone to reserve, and rods and reels are provided. No news was heard about tuna, because rough seas kept boats docked. Inshore fishing for tuna, both yellowfins and bluefins, wahoos and mahi mahi should turn on soon, and the water was 75 to 76 degrees, “getting there,” the other day. Wahoos are beaten at places like the Cigar. Charter dates are available, including some Saturdays in the near future.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The back bay’s summer flounder were boated in 15-feet-plus of water, a little deeper than before, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. That was the best fishing around, and many of the fluke were small. There was action, not a lot of keepers. But some were bigger, and if anglers worked, they’d bag. A few flounder swam the surf and ocean reefs, like Ocean City Reef. The fish were just starting to move to the ocean. They head there for cooler water, as the bay warms up. A few sea bass hovered along the reefs. Kingfish, a few, were nabbed from the surf, and anglers will see what happens with the fishing after this storm. They hope the fishing keeps improving into the usual summertime fishery for kings. Brown sharks, required to be released, were banked from the surf, usually in late afternoons, not during the middle of the day. But that was probably when most anglers fished, after bathers departed. Most of the sharks were fought on the island’s south side. But maybe that was only because shore anglers always fish there most. Striped bass and weakfish were angled from the bay at dusk or dawn, like along bridges. That happens all summer long, and the fishing depends on the week. The angling is best on high tides that coincide with those times, and that happens about every other week. Mostly soft-plastic lures are fished for them, like Gulps, Zooms or Z-Mans, on jigheads or bucktails. But a few anglers use top-water lures. Nothing was heard about sharks and tuna from the ocean, because of winds and seas this week. Seas were 3 to 5 feet and bigger.

Sea bass and summer flounder, not a ton of keepers, lots of shorts, were hung during the half-day trips this week on the ocean on the party boat <b>Captain Robbins</b>, Capt. Victor said. The company had hoped its new party boat, the <b>Miss Ocean City</b>, might be ready to fish this weekend, but it’ll probably be ready next week instead. In the meantime, the Captain Robbins will start running some of the summer flounder trips the other vessel was going to run on the back bay. The Captain Robbins is now fishing for summer flounder 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. daily on the back bay, and for summer flounder and sea bass on the ocean from 1 to 5 p.m. daily, except 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

The Jason Lutz family on Wednesday fought dusky sharks aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. That was on one of Jersey Cape’s inshore shark trips, and the ocean became bumpy, so the trip headed to the back bay, reeling in a bunch of summer flounder, in the afternoon. On Wednesday, the Jerry Rau family aboard landed a dozen dukies and brown sharks to 80 pounds. Both trips fished with bait, and the trips catch and release sharks like duskies, browns, spinners and blacktips, some of them required to be let go, usually within 10 miles from shore. That’s on conventional tackle with bait, usually mackerel fillets, or fly rods with chum flies. The boat is drifted over bottom structure that Joe knows holds the sharks, in a chum slick. Jersey Cape is also fishing for flounder on the bay, and is popper fishing for striped bass on the bay with lures or flies. Ideal tides, high tides at dusk, will happen next week for the stripers. That angling draws explosive bites along the water surface.  Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

Numbers of throwback summer flounder, like 50 or 60 in a trip, had bitten in the back bay, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Sort of surprising, but the number tapered off, but some big were still bagged, like if a trip sailed, somebody came back with a 23-incher. Some good reports about flounder still came from the bay. The ocean was rough for flounder fishing in the wind and coming hurricane offshore. But a couple of trips sailed for the flatfish there, and found some, like at the reefs. The bay’s striped bass fishing was pretty good at dawn and dusk, despite tides that weren’t ideal. High tides will coincide with those times next week, and that’s ideal. The bass are smaller, usually throwbacks, but anglers have sport with them. A few kingfish finally began to show up in the surf, a little late, but they came. Many brown sharks, required to be released, stalked the ocean 3 to 5 miles from shore or so. Places like Avalon Shoal and Sea Isle Lump held good populations. Seas were too rough to hear about offshore fishing for bigger sharks and tuna. A longliner turned around after 36 miles, before making a set.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Lots of summer flounder were still creamed on the back bay, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. Not a lot were keepers, but some were big. That included a 5-pounder this past week and a 5 the previous week. Flounder fishing at Cape May Reef, on the ocean, was hit and miss, reportedly. Or some days were good, and some were slow. Long way to sail for slow. Weakfish were sometimes around in the bay, and Mike saw a 24-incher the other day, and a 27-incher last week. The bay’s fishing was still pretty good. None of the baby sea bass swam the bay yet that do later in summer. But a few croakers were heard about from the bay and surf. Crabbing picked up a little in the bay, but none of the blueclaws was stocked for eating yet, because commercial crabbers weren’t bothering to trap them. Mike just bought a walk-in refrigerator, and will carry crabs from out-of-state in the refrigerator, if local crabbers don’t start crabbing soon. Striped bass were still heard about from the surf. One angler kept bucktailing them along the jetties at night, saying the fishing was pretty good. Not many seemed hooked during daytime. Certain areas in Cape May also gave up the bass at night. Mike wasn’t asked about the size of the fish, but stripers in summer are usually smaller. They’re usually younger fish yet to migrate, unlike the bigger, mature bass that migrate north for cooler water in summer. Plenty of minnows are stocked, both from Virginia and locally. Minnows had been scarce, like happens during some springs, because of cold and freshwater from spring rain. The baitfish began to be carried from Virginia, where they were available. But now minnows were becoming available locally. Baits carried also include 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.

<b>Cape May</b>

The party boat <b>Porgy IV</b> drifted quickly, because of the hurricane offshore that churned toward the local coast, on summer flounder trips, Capt. Paul said. Wind blew to 30 or 35 m.p.h. on Tuesday, and to 25 on Wednesday, and that all made the fishing difficult. Heavy weights had to be fished to try to hold bottom in the 70-foot depths. A lot of short bites were felt, when the fish nibbled but failed to get hooked. Anglers tried to drop the line back to them. A bunch of throwback flounder, not many keepers, were landed. Not many keepers were hooked on Wednesday’s trip, and the boat drifted 1.7 knots, almost 2. On Sunday, there was no drift.  But a few flounder are around, and the angling will become better, after the storm passes, maybe by Saturday or Sunday. The Porgy IV is fishing for summer flounder at 8 a.m. daily.

A trip for summer flounder was weathered out today on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Nothing was heard about fishing in past days, because of weather. But previously, flounder fishing sounded so-so, scoring better on one or two trips, and the rest of the trips picked the fish, at places like the Old Grounds in a day. That’s on the ocean off Delaware, and the Heavy Hitter often fishes there for flounder. The fishing might’ve been the same at Reef 11, also on the ocean off Delaware, but George doesn’t usually fish there. Anglers he talked with who fished at Cape May Reef, on the ocean off New Jersey, during the weekend said lots of flounder, but all throwbacks, were found there. Nothing was heard about yellowfin tuna at the canyons in the weather. George hopes bluefin tuna show up soon closer to shore, at places like the Hot Dog. They could arrive any moment. Telephone if interested in fishing for flounder or tuna. 

Before the storm began to arrive, <b>Melanie Anne Sport Fishing Charters</b> was busy with fishing, Capt. Frank said. Trips aboard Monday and Wednesday racked up pretty good angling for summer flounder at Cape May Reef. Another trip is supposed to flounder fish on Saturday, if the storm has passed. An offshore tuna charter was already postponed for Sunday. A couple of boats still plan to sail for tuna that day, but closer to shore, along the 40-mile line. Frank might head offshore on a crew trip Sunday. The next tuna charters are booked for next week on Friday and that Sunday.  

Surf fishing banked croakers and summer flounder, pretty good catches, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Near the concrete ship and at Sunset Beach were places to drag them in, and a few kingfish were mixed in. Lots of sharks were tackled at night from the surf toward Cape May Channel. Boaters in the channel latched into croakers, kings, flounder and spike weakfish. Lots of throwback flounder were boated off Cape May Inlet on the ocean. Delaware Bay’s flounder fishing sounded good toward Fortescue. Flounder also came from the bay toward Bug Light. Flounder fishing seemed to turn on a little at Cape May Reef on the ocean last week. Flounder were bagged in the back bay and along the Intracoastal Waterway. Nick joined a trip that trolled Baltimore Canyon on Sunday on the Common Sense, catching no tuna, but landing mahi mahi, including big gaffers, and raising a white marlin. Surprisingly, the trip trolled one area where bait schooled, and birds worked the bait all over, but no fish bit. So the trip picked up and moved. The water on the trip was clear and 72 or 73 degrees. Maybe this offshore hurricane will stir up the water and improve tuna fishing. Sometimes the water becomes all a uniform temperature, failing to concentrate tuna in any one area. Minnows, fresh clams and bloodworms are stocked. Shrimp are stocked for this weekend.

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