<b>Keyport</b>

Fishing was weathered out Friday and Saturday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. That was during the offshore hurricane, but fluke fishing was awesome aboard Sunday. Many sizeable fluke to 7 pounds were smashed, and the angling’s been great for sizeable fluke for a month now. Bucktails were the tackle to fish, and the boat is booked through the weekend. But space is available on open-boat trips Thursday and Friday, and telephone to reserve. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

A mix of keeper fluke to 25 inches and quite a few shorts bit on a trip on the ocean with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b> on Sunday, Capt. Joe said. The water was 74 degrees, and the day was beautiful, with no wind that was forecast, though the weather became a little hot and humid eventually. Open-boat 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.

Another great day of fluke fishing Sunday on the <b>Down Deep</b> on the ocean, “with limits,” Capt. Mario said. The high hook landed eight keepers, keeping no more than the legal quota. 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. Open trips include one for ling and cod on Friday.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

The fluke trip on Thursday morning wasn’t great on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. But the afternoon’s trip picked away at the fish, some keepers, and plenty of throwbacks, pleasant fishing, he said. All anglers at least landed throwbacks, and conditions were good for the angling. But Friday morning’s trip was miserable, and rain started to fall at 10:30 a.m., because of the offshore hurricane. Tom didn’t expect to catch much, but a few sizeable keepers came in. The anglers picked at mostly shorts, and the afternoon’s trip stayed docked. Fluking wasn’t that good on Saturday’s trips. Sunday morning’s trip’s fishing wasn’t good, and throwbacks didn’t even bite as much as before. A few fluke were bagged. But on Sunday afternoon’s trip, the number of keepers was one of the best recently. Weather was a little breezy, and the boat drifted a little fast, but seas weren’t rough. Tire John limited out, and some bagged a couple or one, and some landed no keepers, of course, on the trip. Tire John reeled in no keepers on the morning’s trip, but limited on the afternoon’s. For the angler who won the pool on the morning’s trip, that was his only keeper on the  outing. But he landed two keepers on the afternoon’s trip. All the trips fished Raritan Bay, including at the Navy Pier, Flynn’s Knoll, Reach Channel and sometimes Chapel Hill Channel. The location depended on conditions, and the ocean locally didn’t seem to offer good fluking for the boat.  The bay also protected seas from the storm and recent south wind. Except for a couple of better trips, fluking aboard was the same as recently. Whether one trip would fish better than another was tough to say. Whether one bait caught better than another was difficult to tell, but a rig with a Spro on bottom and a trailer above caught as well as anything. Anglers who worked for the fish caught better, of course. Some of the keepers were good-sized, and fluke probably 5 to 6 pounds won pools, even during crummy weather. 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> returned to fishing on Saturday, after the storm, Capt. Ralph wrote in an email. The trip smoked bluefish to 18 pounds, a good catch, on the ocean. A trip bottom-fished on the ocean Sunday, shoveling up ling, lots, sea bass, big ones, winter flounder and a cod, good fishing. Space available includes spots on individual-reservation trips for fluke this Sunday, the Tuesdays of July 22 and 29 and on every Tuesday in August and September, until fluke season is closed on September 28. Kids under 12 sail free on those trips, limited to two per adult host. An individual-reservation trip for cod is full on July 17, but space is available on more that will sail at 1 a.m. August 7 and 28. Morning and afternoon charters are available daily.

<b>Belmar</b>

The <b>Katie H</b> was hauled from the water in past days for maintenance and upgrades, Capt. Mike said. Upgrades included underwater lights for tuna fishing, and the Katie H fishes inshore, but is also an offshore specialist. No boats sailed for big game offshore in past days, and seas built to 16 to 22 feet, because of the hurricane off the coast. Customers wanted to sail for bluefin tuna on the midshore ocean, but Mike told them to wait, because no bluefins were heard about locally yet. July is usually the month for that angling. The year’s first overnight trips for tuna at the offshore canyons are booked aboard for August. That’s when yellowfin tuna usually begin to bite at night along the Continental Shelf. A few yellowfins, not many, bit during daytime at the canyons so far this year, Mike said in a previous report. Closer to shore, fluke fishing seemed to be improving on the ocean, and the hurricane didn’t seem to hinder that, and the Katie H is currently fluking. Plenty of throwbacks, but decent numbers of keepers, chomped. The 46-foot Katie H features speed and all the amenities.  

Threat of the storm kept fishing docked some with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Pete said. Trips started fluking again Saturday aboard, and the angling was tough that day. Fluking was much better Sunday morning on the boat, and south wind slowed the catches in the afternoon. Those who bucktailed on the trip cracked very good fluking. Those who knew how to bucktail, he added. Bait draggers also claimed fluke on the trip, but not as many. Ocean temperatures kept fluctuating lately, because of the storm, and because of south wind that drops the temp close to shore, because of upwelling. But fluking now was decent when conditions were right. Sizeable fluke were certainly around. Trips are bucktailing the rough bottom on the ocean. Sunday’s trip fished bottom like rocks and mussel beds.  Here’s an opportunity: Parker Pete’s this season will do “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, inexpensive, will sail Tuesday and July 16, 22, 29 and 30, and August dates will be announced. Contact Parker Pete’s for an email about the seminars or for more info. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Jump on <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a> to subscribe to the emailed newsletter to be kept informed about last-minute, individual spaces available to fill in charters. Look for the place to sign up on the right side of the page.

Weather threw the fishing industry a curve ball for the Fourth of July weekend, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email Saturday afternoon. There was no big fanfare, he said. Small crowds, fewer anglers than on a non-holiday weekend, sailed on the party boats. Fishing was so-so, and fluke, bluefish and sea bass were boated. Small striped bass were beached from the surf. He would see how the rest of the weekend worked out, and give another report, upbeat, he hoped, afterward.

Anglers picked away, catching blues, Saturday on the ocean to the north on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the vessel said. On the trip that night, fishing east of Shark River Inlet, a handful of small blues were decked, and for the fleet, bluefishing seemed slower than that. “None of the other boats had a fish, from what it sounded like,” the email said. On Sunday, bluefishing was slow aboard, to the north. So the trip switched to bottom-fishing, catching ling and a few fluke and sea bass. The crew hopes a new body of blues moves in, and bluefishing improves soon. 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.

Took a long ride, but bluefishing was good on Saturday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s website said. That was the most recent report posted, and the 5- to 10-pounders were hooked on Run Off hammered jigs, Krocodiles and popper lures. On Friday, the Fourth of July, whoever posted the day’s report said things would become busy preparing for the fireworks cruise, so a quick update was posted during the day’s fishing trip. The trip was beginning to pick blues right away, it said. Blues started to bite on Tuesday aboard, after slower fishing for them on previous days. An okay catch of them was made that day, and a very good catch of blues was nailed on Wednesday. No report was posted on Thursday. The report above gave results from Friday and Saturday, and, again, that was the most recent news on the boat’s website, at press time. When bluefishing was slower previously, trips aboard caught ling, sea bass and winter flounder instead. 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>Brielle</b>

Manasquan River’s fluke fishing was steady, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. The water cleaned up after Friday’s offshore hurricane, and the keeper ratio was fairly decent, probably 1 in 15 a keeper. The fish were hooked from Route 70 Bridge to throughout the river to Manasquan Inlet. Bluefishing was picky in the river, and a few popped up here or there in mornings and evenings. But striped bass swam the river, and were hooked along Route 35 Bridge, mostly on jigs with Fin-S Fish, a few on plugs. A handful of the bass were landed at the inlet. Hickory shad fishing wasn’t so consistent in the river so far, and some were fought at dusk. On the ocean, fluke fishing was fair, better on some days than others. The fish were caught well during west wind, mostly in shallow water 30 to 40 feet, from Long Branch to Monmouth Beach, and at Shrewsbury Rocks. Farther from shore, boaters still shark fished, at least before the storm. Lots of thresher sharks swam, and a few makos remained. Bluefin tuna were yet to really show up in the mid-shore ocean, and now were running late. At Hudson Canyon before the storm, loads of mahi mahi to 20 pounds were trolled. So were multiple white and blue marlin. Yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna were sometimes trolled farther south, like at Toms Canyon, before the storm. Capt. Chris Hueth from the party boat Big Mohawk, Belmar, will give one of the shop’s next free seminars, and the date will be announced. He’ll speak about bucktailing for fluke on the ocean, and the seminars in the past were held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

The hurricane passed Friday offshore, and weather turned out beautiful during the weekend, Capt. Matt from the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. Fluking aboard was slow Saturday and Sunday, managing a few keepers on each trip. But decent catches of sea bass and ling were made, and fluking improved somewhat on Sunday afternoon’s trip. A few keeper fluke were iced, and a good number of throwbacks gave up action, on the outing. Gulps in Nuclear Chicken and green seemed to honk the biggest, and Matt expects fluking only to become better as the ocean warms in the next weeks. On nighttime trips, bluefishing remained no good, but the boat was anchored on rough bottom, and the anglers yanked in ling and a few sea bass, decent catches. Blues 1 to 2 pounds were seen swimming around the boat on Saturday night, but wouldn’t bite. The trips aren’t giving up on blues, and smaller ones usually start to bite well this time of year. Matt hopes the trips start catching 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.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

In the surf, small to keeper-sized fluke and small blues were around, John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s website. Take advantage of the 16-inch minimum size limit for fluke at Island Beach State Park, compared with 18 inches in the rest of the state. On the bay, crabbing was good, if crabbers put in time. If crabbers used a boat, they needed to keep moving to different spots, until satisfied. From the dock, a 6-inch crab was biggest so far this season. Snapper blues swarmed around the dock and were small, but will grow. Anglers waited for blowfish and spots to show up along the dock this season.  Baits stocked include killies and sandworms that are both expected to be carried all season. 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>

Fluke fishing was tougher today on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, the vessel’s Facebook page said. Southerly wind cooled the ocean, and was fairly strong, making anglers fish heavier weight, and causing bites to be difficult to feel.  No news was posted on the page about the previous few days at press time. The Miss Barnegat Light is fishing for fluke and sea bass 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

Before the storm, a trip played bluefish at Barnegat Inlet on Thursday on the <b>Super Chic</b>, Capt. Ted said. Blues 1 to 3 pounds have been swimming there, and fluke fishing was slow on the ocean that day. The fluking should keep improving in the near future, though south wind will probably cool the water in the next days. A trip wreck-fished on the ocean Saturday, and as the wind calmed, the angling was good at the last couple of drops in 70 to 75 feet. Sea bass, ling and winter flounder were pitched aboard. Wind is supposed to blow today, but a half-day trip is supposed to sail. The trip will probably fish for the blues at the inlet or for fluke on Barnegat Bay to escape the wind. An open-boat tilefish trip offshore was cancelled that was going to sail last weekend, because a couple of anglers cancelled. Maybe that was because of the offshore hurricane that was coming. More of the tile trips will probably be scheduled, and the angling’s been good on all that sailed aboard in the last year, including this year.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

The hurricane passed offshore like forecast, and the weekend’s weather was better than predicted, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. But wind, and the seas that the wind kicked up, made boating difficult, and few fished the bay. But “a bit of fluke,” it said, were hung from the bay here and there. Greenheads are here.

<b>Brigantine</b>

One customer boated some striped bass, including one keeper, blues and a 7-1/2-pound weakfish on the back bay in two days of fishing, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said.  He fished with plugs and Gulp soft-plastic lures, and catches stripers all year long, except the two months when striper fishing is closed in bays in winter. A few kingfish, not many at all, were plucked from the surf. “Just a waiting game for the surf right now,” the report said. The surf plummeted to the low 60 degrees. A 225-pound 72-inch bluefin tuna was found dead in the surf with no apparent injuries. 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>Longport</b>

The storm blew through, but wasn’t much of a storm, Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b> wrote in an email. The ocean remained super clean, and summer flounder fishing remained good at the reefs and rocks. Open-boat trips are fishing for them daily when no charter is booked, even with one angler. Water there was in the mid-70 degrees, and sea bassing slowed at those grounds, because sea bass began to spawn. Trips aboard will begin to fish for tuna and wahoos along the 40-mile line next week. Trips are also fishing farther offshore at the canyons for tuna, including an open-boat trip at 3 a.m. Saturday, July 19, limited to six passengers. Telephone to jump aboard, and a couple of the open canyon trips were already sold out this month. Mike would like to set up an open trip for a combo of tuna and tilefishing, if anglers are interested. Telephone and let him know, if you are.  Some dates remain for charters.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Lot of wind, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, so he couldn’t fish much. But he fished a little on Sunday on the back bay, tugging in summer flounder. Flounder swam the bay, and high tides at dusk are ideal this week for striped bass fishing with popper lures and flies on the bay. The fishing, a specialty aboard, drawing explosive attacks along the surface, was great when those conditions happened last. The tides come around every other week, and inshore shark fishing has also been super aboard. The trips, fishing with bait or flies, usually within 10 miles from shore, catch and release sharks like browns, duskies, spinners and blacktips, some of them required to be let go. The angling is a chance to fight big fish without the long trek offshore. Previous reports here covered those trips recently. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Two trips sailed for summer flounder Saturday and Sunday with <b>Melanie Anne Sport Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Frank said. Flounder were found on the reef during the fishing, but many were small, just under legal size. So wrecks started to be fished, and most flounder hooked there were larger, 20 inches and bigger. Short drifts had to be made to fish the wrecks, and the fishing didn’t limit out, but scored well, did okay.

Wasn’t a lot of fishing in the weather, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. Wind blew, and the offshore hurricane rolled through, and wind is also supposed to blow today and Tuesday. But summer flounder are sometimes biting in the ocean when trips sail. Flounder, lots of small, but some keepers, also chewed in Delaware Bay. A few bluefish schooled the bay, and George jumped on a trip on someone else’s boat that fought some. Blues also swam the Cape May Rips, he thought. The ocean close to shore was cold when George took a cruise on another trip. He knew private boaters who headed offshore for tuna Sunday for the first time after the storm, and he waited to hear results. Bluefin tuna usually show up closer to shore around the Fourth of July. In the weather, there wasn’t a chance to find out whether the fish were around. Telephone if interested in flounder or tuna.

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