<b>Keyport</b>

Wind weathered out fluke fishing this weekend on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank said. Anglers who fished found the fluking tough in the easterly. But west wind that’s now forecast should put the fishing back on track. Charters are sailing, and the next open-boat trips will fluke Thursday through Monday. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

Two trips were cancelled because of wind that were slated to fluke Saturday morning and afternoon with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. He visited the dock, and wind did blow. Charters are fishing, and open-boat trips for fluke are available twice daily, in the morning and afternoon, when no charter is booked. Telephone to climb aboard.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fluke fishing was interesting, was hit and miss, in past days on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. Some trips were tough, and some were better. Fluking wasn’t that good on Friday morning’s trip. On the afternoon’s, some fluke were caught, and one angler bagged four, and another bagged two or three. Some bagged none, of course, and on both of Saturday’s trips, fluking was terrible. Throwbacks were even reluctant to bite. Weather was much better on Sunday, and fluking was no great shakes on the morning’s trip, but Tire John limited out. Some anglers bagged none, not great fishing, but improved. Sunday afternoon’s trip was similar, but more throwbacks might’ve bitten than in the morning. Nobody limited out, and one angler might’ve bagged two, also not great, but much improved over Saturday. If the fishing becomes no worse, things will be okay, Tom said. All trips fished Raritan Bay, and somewhat of a ground swell remained on the ocean. Tom tried fishing Flynn’s Knoll, at the confluence of the bay and ocean. But there was a roll. Bucktails might’ve fished better than bait on Sunday morning’s trip. Then again, one little girl copped a keeper on bait on her own on the outing. 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.

Few anglers showed up to fish “on this beautiful Sunday,” Capt. Ron wrote about the fluke trip that day on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, in  a report on the vessel’s website. A heave remained on the water all the way to the back of the bay. A few fluke were found here and there, and Ron worked the throttles to power-drift the boat. The high hook landed four good-sized keepers, bucktailing all day. A 6-3/4-pound fluke was the pool-winner, and the angler with that fish also bagged a 4-pounder, both on bucktails. Then he went back to bait fishing! Some other good-sized fluke, and some throwbacks, were angled. Not hot fishing by any means, Ron said.  On Friday, the most recent day a report was posted since then, maybe because of weather, another light crowd jumped aboard, in a roll and cold water that didn’t help fluking. The angling was tough in the conditions, but a 7.2-pound fluke won the pool, and a couple of other fluke weighed 3 to 5 pounds that were bagged. The Fishermen 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 Sundays.

<b>Neptune</b>

<b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> was weathered out Saturday, and could’ve fished Sunday, but didn’t, because of forecasts, Capt. Ralph said. The weekly, individual-reservation trip for fluke is full this week, and the trips are sailing every Tuesday until fluke season is closed on September 28. Kids under 12 sail free on those outings, limited to two per adult host. Space is available for individual-reservation trips for sea bass on September 1 and 4, while 15 sea bass is the bag limit from September 1 through 6. Three sea bass is the current limit, and sea bass season will be closed the next day for a time.

<b>Belmar</b>

Strong wind during the weekend made sailing to the ocean a little tough on small boats, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Many anglers tried, and some chose to fish back waters instead. Fluking was good on Shark River, giving up some sizable on livelined snapper blues. A 6-pound 14-ounce fluke was the largest seen from the river, and the crew from the shop did see hefty fluke boated from the ocean. Steven Kollar from Washington Crossing, Pa.’s, 9-pound 13-ouncer was largest. Snappers were the big target for river anglers, and a record number of Snapper Popper rigs were sold for the fishing. Better numbers of striped bass began to be eased from the surf than before, including several clammed during the weekend. Bill Massey from Wall fly-rodded some, and surf-fishing for stripers will only become better as autumn approaches.

Good bluefishing continued today on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the vessel said. The fish were big, up to 15 pounds, and were picked at first. But the angling kept becoming better throughout the trip. Two to four were usually fought at once, and up to seven were. Trips have been fishing along the edge of the Mudhole, and the bluefishing was also good on Sunday. Catches were slow in rough seas on Saturday’s trip and picky during that night’s outing. On the night trip, good shots of blues showed up at times, and sometimes none did.   The Miss Belmar Princess is bluefishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily. ***Attention! Kids sail free!*** To thank patrons, kids 14 and under will sail free aboard weekday trips through September 5, when a paying adult accompanies the kid. Let the kids have fun before going back to school, the email said.

Bluefishing took a while to get going on Sunday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, including because of a 20-mile ride to a new area to fish, a report on the vessel’s website said. But the angling was good for 8- to 15-pounders, and a few 8- to 12-pound false albacore were plowed. The crew hoped the fish would stay in the area a while, and would find out on today’s trip.  The Golden Eagle is bluefishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. every Saturday.  Fishing trips/sunset cruises are running 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. daily on Sundays through Fridays, and reservations are required on those outings. Some of those trips have been sold out, so check with the boat. Also, it’s time to book tuna trips. Twenty-four-hour trips are scheduled for September 28 and October 5 and 19, and space remains, but is filling up. See the <a href=" http://goldeneaglefishing.com/tuna-reservation.html" target="_blank">Golden Eagle’s tuna trip page</a> online.

Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> was traveling and returned on Friday, he said. Fishing aboard had to be cancelled Saturday, because of weather, and fluke catches were no good that day in a heave on the ocean for anglers who sailed. Fluke fishing was supposed to resume today with Parker Pete’s. One of the On the Water Seminars, teaching bucktailing for fluke aboard, was added for this coming Saturday. An email about the seminars 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?” Though fluke fishing is good, this might be one of the year’s final one of the trips, if not the final. The trips were already supposed to be ended, but Pete added more, when the seminars went well this year. Also, don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Jump on <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a> to subscribe to the emailed newsletter to be kept informed about last-minute, individual spaces available to fill in charters. Look for the place to sign up on the right side of the page.

<b>Brielle</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 8/26:***</b> Good fluke fishing this past week on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, even when the ocean was very calm, and the boat drifted slowly, an email from the vessel said. Some anglers limited out on the fish to 6 pounds, and tons of throwbacks were let go. Weather looks great for the rest of the week, and ignore forecasts for swells – they’re inaccurate, the email said. Dave Toochen from Philly’s 9.8-pound fluke is in the lead for the monthly pool. You can beat him, and win unlimited free fishing for a year aboard, the email said. 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.

On Manasquan River, fluke anglers who livelined snapper blues or peanut bunker hooked the most keepers, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. But other bait like Gulps or killies sometimes caught keepers. Striped bass fishing was pretty darn good, he said, at Route 35 Bridge on the river, on small plugs or Fin-S Fish. Blues 2 to 3 pounds schooled Manasquan Inlet. Ocean fluke fishing was extraordinary, and Axel Carlson Reef fished best for the summer flounder. But the fish also came from toward Long Branch and the Shrewsbury Rocks.  Ling fishing was “holding up” on the ocean, and some days fished better than others, but good catches were made. Sea bass were caught among them, and sea bassing seemed fair. Winter flounder were in the mix. Ling fishing at night was also holding up, similar to during daytime. Bluefishing was good at night, and the fish were larger than before. During daytime, blues were smaller, but bonito, frigate mackerel and mahi mahi were fought among them. Bonito continued to bite at the ridges, and bonito fishing was actually better a little farther from shore. Little Italy, along the Mudhole, was paved with bonito. Trolling for bonito caught better than chunking for them. Little Italy was loaded with 15- to 30-pound bluefin tuna that were trolled and jigged, and Shimano flat-sided jigs were some of the best jigs to catch. Any kind of sand-eel color worked well for jigs, and sizeable, gaffer mahi were sometimes winged in the area. Farther from shore, good catches of sizable yellowfin tuna to 90 pounds were clubbed at the Chicken Canyon, mostly on the troll, sometimes on jigs or on the chunk. All the way offshore, the 100 Square at Hudson Canyon held “a pretty ready supply,” he said, of bigeye tuna and some yellowfin and longfin tuna. Most were trolled during daytime. If trips overnighted at the canyon, swordfish and mako sharks could be found. Again, most tuna bit during daytime.  

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

From the dock and the rental boats on Barnegat Bay, crabbers had to weed through throwbacks to put together a good catch of keepers, John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s website. But crabbing was decent, and snapper bluefishing was good from the dock. A few blowfish were plucked from the dock and the boats, when boaters sought after blowfish. In the surf, cocktail blues and fluke were banked during daytime, and sharks were at night. Most of the fluke were just under keeper-sized. But a few keepers could be found if anglers hung in there and kept fishing different spots. 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 trips were weathered out during the weekend on the <b>Super Chic</b>, Capt. Ted said. But trips sailed for fluke Wednesday and Friday on the ocean aboard, scooping up a few keepers and considerably more throwbacks. Friday’s trip scored okay on keepers, Ted guessed, and Wednesday’s trip landed fewer fluke total, several of them keepers. Bluefishing was good on a trip Wednesday night for 8- to 12-pounders. A trip Thursday trolled a mess of bonito and small blues. Bonito fishing’s been productive aboard. The next trips are supposed to fish today and Wednesday through Friday for fluke on the boat. The season’s first canyon tuna trip is scheduled for September 12 or 13 so far. A few bigeye, yellowfin and longfin tuna were apparently caught at Hudson Canyon recently. Tuna fishing sounded slow farther south then, and water was warm there. Yellowfins actually showed up at Chicken Canyon closer to shore last week.

Was a better day of fishing on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b> today, the vessel’s Facebook page said. “Few keepers on most drifts, with shorts thrown in,” it said. “Some groups had as many as four, and some had one or two (or none),” it said. Previously, weather was windy and rough a few days. During those days, some fluke, blues and sea bass were pitched aboard, and the boat drifted quickly, so lots of weight had to be fished. The Miss Barnegat Light is fishing for fluke and sea bass 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

<b>Brigantine</b>

One family checked in a 13-inch kingfish from the surf, saying they beached snapper blues from the surf throughout a morning, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. “As soon as the wind changed, it shut the bite down,” the report said. The blues were hooked on spearing on Sabiki rigs, and the kingfish also swiped one of the rigs. The store is starting a new surf-fishing guide service for the ocean to the bay at Brigantine. Everything needed to fish the way you want – whether with bait, plugs or even flies – and the knowhow will be provided. You just need to show up and have fun. The store will configure a package to fit your needs. Kayak fishing will also be available. The annual Riptide Striper Derby will be kicked off on September 5, lasting until December 23. Entry allows Brigantine’s entire front beach to be driven, when entrants also possess a Brigantine beach buggy permit. Some new cash and prizes will be awarded.

<b>Longport</b>

False albacore and bonito were trolled Saturday on the <b>Stray Cat</b> on the ocean, Capt. Mike said. No bluefish were that hit previously. “They were glued to the bottom,” he said. Seas were 5 feet on the trip, and fishing was weathered out Sunday aboard. “Seas were substantial,” he said! Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips will sail for summer flounder on Tuesday and Wednesday. The water’s been gorgeous on the fluke grounds, on the ocean. Mike couldn’t stress that enough, he said. The water was also gorgeous on the albie and bonito trip. Trips will begin searching for croakers on the ocean this coming week, if anybody wants to charter for them. Telephone to ask about Mid-Week Croakers Specials.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The <b>Miss Ocean City</b>, the new party boat from the owners of the party boat <b>Captain Robbins</b>, sailed on its first few trips this weekend, Capt. Victor said. But weather and seas were rough, and trips on the ocean grabbed a few sea bass and throwback summer flounder. Trips on the back bay played throwback flounder and small sea bass, and other fish like sand sharks, a little of everything for the kids, he said. The Miss Ocean City is fishing for summer flounder, sea bass and ling on the ocean 8 a.m. to 12 noon and the back bay for flounder 1 to 3 p.m. Sundays through Fridays. The boat is fishing the ocean for flounder, sea bass and ling 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday. The Captain Robbins is under maintenance and will resume fishing when that’s completed, and Victor hopes that’s soon.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Despite wind, Mike Spaeder and son popper-plugged two striped bass to 26 inches on the back bay aboard Sunday morning, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Several other stripers also bit, and a couple of more probably should’ve been landed. The fishing was great, and high tides coincided with morning, ideal conditions. High tides during the weekend also coincided with evenings, also ideal, and Joe and wife on Friday evening popper-plugged the bass to 27 inches and one bluefish. Both trips fished with Rapala Skitter Pop lures, Joe’s favorite for the fishing, and trips aboard also fly fish for the bass with poppers, crease flies that Joe ties with an extra-large cup to throw more water. The bass are usually under the 28-inch size limit, so they’re released, and popper fishing draws explosive bites along the surface, good sport.  On Thursday the Barry Ota family aboard reeled in summer flounder, including two keepers 4 and 6 pounds, and throwbacks from the ocean. Ocean flounder fishing’s been great, phenomenal, and trips just needed the weather to straighten out recently. Trips can also fish for sharks inshore that Joe does, but he wraps up that angling after Labor Day for the season. One of the last shark trip’s catches included a 130-pound dusky shark, a big fish, and a 5-foot hammerhead shark released. The trips, catch and release angling, are a chance to fight large fish without the long trek offshore. Looking ahead, the bay is packed with baitfish, including lots of peanut bunker, some mullet and loads of spearing. When the bait pours into the ocean on the fall migration, fishing should explode. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Seas were 6 feet, but the anglers wanted to fish anyway, so a trip sailed Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. The conditions weren’t good for the summer flounder fishing, and one keeper and a few throwbacks came in. Kingfish and small croakers were also caught. The trip fished at the mouth of Delaware Bay, pretty much the ocean, at first, and then retreated to off Cape May Point. Seas were much calmer there, but “not much was going on,” he said. Nobody tuna fished that was known about during the weather. But boats tuna fished during the week, and the fish seemed to show up one day, and not the next. The trips sailed far to Lindenkohl Canyon. But where the fish would pop up now couldn’t be known.

Capt. Frank from <b>Melanie Anne Sport Fishing Charters</b> took advantage of the rough weather to haul the boat for maintenance, he said. The vessel is expected to be splashed back again on Wednesday. Summer flounder fishing keeps improving, and was good, even at Cape May Reef. Lots of keepers were around, and flounder catches were also good at the Old Grounds and a couple of shoals. Tuna held at Spencer and Lindenkohl canyons, and trips had to make the long ride, and tuna fishing wasn’t really happening inshore. But the location of the fish at the canyons could change. An overnight tuna trip might sail this weekend that was weathered out last weekend.

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