<b>Keyport</b>

With <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, anglers fished for fluke Friday at Reach Channel on Raritan Bay, tugging in some throwbacks and some keepers, Capt. Joe said. They fished spearing and squid, and another fluke trip is slated for Tuesday. Open-boat trips for fluke are available twice daily, in the morning and afternoon, when no charter is booked. Telephone to jump aboard.

Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> just returned from Aruba, and had a great time, he wrote in an email. Fluke fishing continued to be good while he was away, he knew, and the next open-boat fluke trips will sail for them Friday and Saturday aboard. In Frank’s experience, some of the season’s biggest fluke are smashed in August, and the angling is typically good before the month’s full moon. Trips aboard, both charters and open-boat, will fish for fluke deeper and deeper. That means currents will run strongly, so anglers should bring a variety of bucktails, including 8 ounces, heavier ones.  Like the boat’s Facebook page for real-time reports and open-trip dates. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

Fluke fishing remained good, and the last trips all limited out on the <b>Down Deep</b>, Capt. Mario said. Sometimes high hooks landed nine or 10 legal-sized, keeping no more than a limit. An 11-pound fluke was hauled aboard last week, covered in a previous report. Ling fishing was also good aboard, and winter flounder, blackfish and cod were 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 for either fluke or ling.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

All the twice daily trips for fluke fished, despite weather, on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. The trips fished Raritan Bay, protected more from weather than the ocean. Loads of throwbacks continued to bite, but there was plenty of action, sometimes very good, and a few keepers were bagged. Sometimes trips left all the action to shoot for keepers. Then a few keepers would come up, but there would be less action. Trips tried to mix up the fishing between the two to keep customers happy. Sometimes anglers landed 20 to 25 shorts apiece. Tom thinks fluking is still better in the bay than in the ocean. Fluking on the ocean off the Rockaways sounded decent recently, but that dried up, Tom thought, though some of the fish were probably still around. That area is too far for the boat’s half-day trips anyway. Friday afternoon’s trip ran into a load of shorts and a few keepers. On Saturday morning’s trip, a load of the fish, not as many keepers, bit. On Sunday morning’s trip, a few more keepers showed up than on Saturday. The angling still couldn’t be called good. Shorts still turned out good action on Sunday afternoon’s trip, and not as many keepers showed up as in the morning. When conditions were right, plenty of fluke could be caught. Kids were having fun, and sometimes healthy-sized fluke were mixed in. It was good catching, lots of fish. Bait, bucktails or Spros, and trailers tied above the bucktails or Spros all caught at times. 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>***Update, Tuesday, 8/5:***</b> Fishing on Monday and today remained about the same as before aboard, but Brian Frey from Verona plowed a fluke just heavier than 9 pounds on this morning’s trip, Tom said. Tom thought the fish weighed 9.1 pounds. That was the largest of the season aboard. Otherwise, the trips kept catching throwbacks, not enough keepers, and at times, the action with the shorts kept anglers quite busy.

Another 8-pound fluke won the pool on Sunday’s trip on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. The trip’s angling wasn’t hot, probably in part because of an ocean heave, but all the keepers were beauties. They included a 7-plus-pounder, a 6-plus-pounder and so on. The trip covered many areas the boat had been fishing, finding a few fluke at each. On Saturday’s trip, an 8-pound fluke – 8 ½ to be exact – also won the pool. The trip had to keep looking to find the lines of fluke that wanted to bite, but when they bit, they were quality fish. The pool changed hands several times, from 4 to 5, 6 and 7 pounds, until the 8-1/2-pounder. That was Jock Dittmer from Keyport’s personal best. John Froelich limited out, a couple of anglers bagged three or four and some customers landed no keepers. Friday’s trip’s fluking started slow, but some good-sized ones gave up a bite late in the outing.  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. However, the boat is chartered this Tuesday and Friday mornings, so no open-boat trips will sail those mornings.

<b>Highlands</b>

Bluefin tuna fishing was excellent today on the <b>Hyper Striper</b>, the vessel’s Facebook page said. Many of the fish, unders, were released, and a mahi mahi was also clubbed. The page also included posts about good fishing for striped bass to 37 pounds on a charter Sunday, a trip that boated longfin tuna, a couple of yellowfin tuna and some mahi mahi on Friday, and some good fluke fishing on trips. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hyperstripersportfishing" target="_blank">Click here</a> to visit the page.

<b>Neptune</b>

This was the first weekend that was weathered out this summer with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. A trip could’ve fished Sunday, “but I didn’t want to push it,” he said. Space remains for an <b><i>***individual-reservation trip for cod***</i></b> on Thursday. The trip will sail, even if only a few anglers sign up, because a few loyal customers are already booked. That angling’s been good on the trips. “Catch a cod in shorts!” Ralph said. If anglers with kids want to fish before schools begin on the individual-reservation trips for fluke that are sailing each Tuesday, they should act quickly. Kids under age 12 sail free on those outings, limited to two per adult host, and this week’s is full, and three anglers already signed up for next week’s. An individual-reservation, inshore wreck-fishing trip is slated for Sunday, August 24, for winter flounder, ling, sea bass, blackfish and maybe cod.

<b>Belmar</b>

Weather was rough through the weekend, but the Jersey Coast Anglers Association’s annual fluke tournament was held Saturday, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Still, the northeast wind blew up angry seas, and many entrants opted not to fish. That was disappointing, including because of fun, and also because of the business that would’ve been. Sunday’s weather was better, and more boaters fished, and some good-sized fluke were hung. Marty Westerfield from Wall’s 8-pounder, caught on Shark River on spearing, was the biggest seen at the shop. The store’s rental boats are available to fish or crab on the river. Fishing for snappers on the river was a good choice, including if anglers wanted to take kids out for fun. Crabbing was good on the river. Blues schooled the ocean but were small, and bonito and false albacore could be run into on most of the bluefish trips. Small striped bass were around, and one regular customer played five of the bass to 27 inches at Manasquan Inlet on bloodworms. Autumn is just around the corner, Bob said.

A trip sailed for fluke Saturday aboard the ocean, took a beating in seas, and returned early with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Pete said. When conditions have been right, the fluking’s been decent, and decent-sized fluke have been around, at that, he said. A 14-1/2-pound fluke was decked off New York on another boat. Parker Pete’s this season hosted On the Water Seminars to teach bucktailing for fluke. Three of the trips sailed, and because response was good, two more of the trips have been added for the Wednesdays of August 13 and 27. 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?” The trips are inexpensive, and email Pete for more info. 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. Some of those spots are available this Friday through Sunday.

Conditions were poor for fishing in the weekend’s weather, but catches were okay on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b> on the ocean, a report on the vessel’s website said. The fishing was slow on Sunday morning, but turned good as the weather did in the afternoon. Bluefish and mackerel were jabbed. Previously, fishing aboard was good for small blues and sometimes bonito, false albacore and mackerel mixed in. 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. 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.

A phenomenal catch of blues and a good number of bonito were pounded Sunday on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the vessel said. Angling was also great today aboard for blues with mackerel and bonito mixed in. Both trips fished the ocean east of Shark River Inlet, and on both, bucktails and Ava jigs, in sizes 007, 17 and 27, caught terrific. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. every Friday and Saturday.  The party boat Royal Miss Belmar this past Saturday was supposed to begin fishing for fluke and sea bass on two trips daily, from 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:30 to 6 p.m. But the email mentioned nothing about the trips, maybe because of weather.

<b>Brielle</b>

On the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, fluke fishing, on the ocean, was decent in the past week, but conditions dictated results from each trip, an email from the vessel said. Results were mixed during the weekend, poor on Saturday, because of rough seas, and better on Sunday. Lots more action was had on Sunday. Customers and their catches during the week included: Chris Molinari, North Haledon, a 9-pound 3-ounce fluke that put him in the lead for the monthly pool; Tim Walliston, Pennsauken, a limit of fluke to an 8-pounder and three sea bass; and Charles Granger, Matawan, a limit of fluke to a 7-pounder and three sea bass. The Jamaica II is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and for fluke and sea bass 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Monday.

Ocean fluke fishing was hit and miss, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Find a spot with fish, and anglers caught, and if they didn’t find one, they didn’t catch. But fishing for the summer flounder kept improving at the ocean reefs. Gulps in Pink Shine and Electric Chicken seemed to catch best. Manasquan River’s fluking picked up, and was pretty good, because of snapper blues that grew to fill the water, and tinker mackerel that moved in. The forage attracted better-sized fluke, definitely some keepers, in the river, and livelining a snapper or a tinker was the way to hook up.  Striped bass fishing really lit up in the river, on popper lures at dusk, or soft-plastics like Fin-S Fish after dark. In the surf, sometimes fluke were beached, and a few kingfish and spots were landed now and then. Gulps were fished for the fluke, and worms on high-low rigs were dunked for the kings and spots. Back on the ocean, bluefishing wasn’t all that great, only because the blues were small. However, an awesome mix of bonito, frigate mackerel, false albacore and mahi mahi swam among the blues. Plenty of ling were boated on the ocean, and sea bass were decked as a by-catch, because three is the bag limit. But a good number of sea bass, good-sized, swam. Ling fishing was also good at night. Farther from shore, bluefin tuna fought were 20 to 30 pounds, smaller than before, in the past week, but quite a few were tackled. They were found a little closer to shore than before, in the Glory Hole and Resor wreck area. Some also began to be jigged, not just trolled. Mixed reports about bluefins were heard from the Mudhole. Mahi mahi swam the Mudhole. Even farther out, Hudson Canyon’s tuna fishing turned back on, Eric said. A good number of yellowfin tuna, sometimes longfin tuna, and white and blue marlin were trolled. Sometimes a trip got lucky and caught the tuna at night, but the nighttime fishing was usually tough, yet to take off. Crew from the Canyon Runner will give the store’s next free seminar, on offshore fishing, at 7 p.m. Thursday, August 14. If space fills, the anglers who show up first will be the ones who attend.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> was busy fishing offshore and inshore, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. The offshore trips sailed for tuna and other big game, and the inshore trips ran for bonito and bottom fish. An overnight trip fished offshore Thursday to Friday, and the angling for tuna was slow at night, despite lots of bait and great conditions. So the crew will keep concentrating on fishing during daytime for tuna – yellowfins, longfins and bigeyes – and white marlin that can be found at those waters, the canyons. The trip cranked up golden tilefish, a good pick. Several inshore trips this past week trolled bonito, crushed them, aboard. Hook-ups were almost constant, and the anglers left them biting, switching to bottom-fishing to wrap up the day, reeling up ling, sea bass and fluke, fair catches. One of the trips was fishing for bonito on Saturday, when Alan sent this report, and fresh spearing was used for bait that the mate supplied. The Mini-Mushin, the company’s smaller, center console boat, has also been fishing Manasquan River, catching fluke, striped bass and blues. Offshore and inshore charters are still being booked, and open-boat, overnight trips to the canyons are available September 12 to 13 and 26 to 27, and reservations are required. The crew is also looking forward to a busy season of fall fishing for sea bass and stripers. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures.

Capt. Matt from the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> posted nothing about fluke trips aboard during the weekend in the report on the vessel’s website. He posted a short note on Saturday, saying the night’s bluefish trip would be weathered out. Prior to then, the most recent report was posted on Thursday. That said fluking was a little slow that day aboard, because of south wind. That wind direction cools the ocean close to shore, because of upwelling. The boat didn’t drift much that morning, and drifted a little too fast in the afternoon, in plenty of wind. That can affect fluking. Fluke were around. “Just have to catch the right day they are biting,” he said. Bluefishing was good that night aboard, Thursday night. The fish weighed 2 to 4 pounds, a little bigger than before, and a 10-pounder won the pool. “They’re getting bigger!” Matt said. Some anglers limited out, and some caught a few less, and more and more blues seemed to arrive. 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>

Nice day to resume fishing or crabbing, John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote about today in a report on the shop’s website. The weekend was mostly a washout, but previously, fluke and small blues were sometimes slid from the surf. Anglers needed to be at the right place at the right time with the right presentation, as always. Snapper blues were small but growing that swarmed around the dock. One angler from the dock landed a keeper, good-sized fluke on Friday. Go figure, John said. Blowfish and spots were yet to show up along the dock. Crabbing from the dock had to weed through throwbacks but wasn’t bad. Crabbing was excellent along the mainland side of Barnegat Bay, and the store’s rental boats could be used to crab there. Fall is coming, so get out and take advantage of summer. 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>

Some fluke, sea bass and small bluefish were bagged, and throwbacks were let go, Sunday on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, the vessel’s Facebook page said. No trip sailed Saturday, because only one angler showed up for the entire fleet. That was apparently because of weather. The Miss Barnegat Light is fishing for fluke and sea bass 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

The <b>Super Chic</b> was motored out for fluke on the ocean Sunday, but the angling wasn’t good, in bumpy seas and a rainstorm, Capt. Ted said. A few fluke and sea bass were pumped in. Two trips were weathered out Saturday. On Wednesday, a bluefin tuna trip is set to fish the mid-shore ocean. Starting Thursday, about 10 fluke trips are scheduled.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

At Little Egg Reef, some anglers limited out on summer flounder, and some had slow fishing for the fluke, according to the anglers, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. The angling seemed hit and miss, and jigs are stocked for the ocean fishing at reefs and wrecks, including Shimano Lucanus jigs, S&S Rattletails and Tsunami facets. Garden State Reef reportedly fished well for the flatfish. At Little Egg Inlet, flounder held in deeper holes, because of cool water. Croaker fishing was good off Graveling Point in Great Bay and at Big Creek. Blowfish began to appear in the area and were sizeable.

<b>Brigantine</b>

From <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>, Capt. Andy would think kingfish still swam the surf, he wrote in a report on the store’s website. Rain like the weekend’s usually fails to bother them.  Customers fished from the beach Sunday, but no results were reported at press time. The surf warmed back up to the low 70 degrees. This was the summer’s first weekend of rough weather.

<b>Longport</b>

Seas were rough, but the <b>Stray Cat</b> trolled the ocean for bonito and blues on Saturday, Capt. Mike said. The fishing whaled them, lots, at the Dog Lump, Atlantic City Ridge and the Triple Lumps off Atlantic City. Been amazing how good the angling is, he said, and a trip was supposed to steam for them again today. The water’s been exceptionally clean, and full of life, and lots of sand eels schooled. Even summer flounder spit up sand eels, and flounder fishing’s been good aboard the ocean, when conditions drifted the boat well. Croakers should arrive any day, and trips will jump after them. Charters are fishing, and the next individual-reservation trip won’t sail until August 17. Those trips have been bouncing around to whatever’s fishing’s best. If flounder don’t bite, the trip might get up on the troll for bonito and blues, and so on. Mike couldn’t know how tuna fishing was, because he hadn’t sailed for them in past days. But a tuna charter might sail Saturday aboard.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

The two anglers aboard Thursday, Jim Stewart and friend, wanted to fly-rod mahi mahi, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. So the trip fished within 15 miles of the coast, and each landed a mahi, on Clouser Minnow flies on sinking lines. They also fly-rodded amberjacks, banded rudder fish and a bluefish, and had several shots at larger mahi, and two shots at cobia, that refused the flies. On Friday aboard, the Bob Teufel family angled summer flounder, including one keeper, on the back bay. More than 30 throwbacks were released, and many were nearly legal-sized. They were sizeable fish, and the size of flounder increased in the bay recently. The anglers fished a rig with a chartreuse and white bucktail on bottom, with a Gulp on the hook, and a minnow on a red, plain hook tied on a trailer above. Ocean flounder fishing is improving, and fewer are swimming there than in the bay, but they’re usually larger in the ocean. Fishing was scrubbed aboard Saturday and Sunday because of weather. Jersey Cape is also fishing for inshore sharks, usually within 10 miles from shore, and the fishing’s been good, covered in previous reports. The trips are a chance to fight big fish without the long trek offshore. High tides should coincide with dusk this week, ideal for popper fishing for striped bass on the bay with lures and flies, another specialty aboard. Seas were too rough for offshore fishing, but the boat is also sailing offshore for tuna and other big game. White marlin sometimes popped up inshore of the canyons, so that was cool. There were lots of types of fishing happening, a good time of year. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Avalon</b>

A group from Boston and San Francisco, with children, climbed aboard Friday, said Capt. Jim from <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b>. They fished the back bay, instead of the ocean, because the ocean was a little rough for the children. A bunch of summer flounder were toggled in. So were sea bass and junk fish like skates. None was a keeper, but the anglers, including the kids, had a great time, Jim said. A group from Maryland was supposed to fish for flounder on Delaware Bay aboard Saturday, saying they weren’t interested in small fish. But by the early morning, forecasts were calling for wind, so the trip was cancelled. Actually, originally the anglers wanted to fish the inshore ocean for catches that could include bluefin tuna or other pelagics like mahi mahi, wahoos and bonito. That plan was axed, because of weather, and the trip hoped to fish Delaware Bay instead. But 18 m.p.h. wind was still forecast by the morning, so all the fishing was cancelled. The inshore ocean has been exceptionally clean, good conditions for the pelagic fishing. The trip Friday actually began fishing at Townsend’s Inlet Reef on the ocean, and the water was crystal clear, despite somewhat rough seas that forced the trip back to the bay. In other news, a local tackle shop owner told Jim he fished farther offshore at Washington Canyon, far south, on Friday, scoring some of the best catches of his life, a bunch of yellowfin tuna, a 400-pound bigeye tuna and a small bluefin tuna. Jim’s daughter fished Lake Ontario. Seas were too rough to fish for salmon farther from shore. But the trip nailed lake trout in the harbor in 100 to 120 feet. Fins and Feathers offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including fishing for the salmon on the Salmon River around Pulaski, N.Y., from Jim’s lodge. Salmon will start to migrate the river around Labor Day, but the first trip for them is booked for October 8, when the angling should be peaking. Fins and Feathers offers duck and goose hunting on Delaware Bay, during the waterfowl seasons. Anglers can even enjoy a combo of striped bass fishing and duck hunting in fall on the bay over a series of days. Trips also include steelhead fishing on Salmon River in spring, and fly-fishing for trout on Pennsylvania’s trout streams like the Yellow Breeches during different seasons that are productive.

<b>Cape May</b>

Wahoos and mahi mahi were trolled Friday at inshore lumps with the Cape May Concrete charter on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Small bluefin tuna 30 or 40 pounds are also swimming those waters, 25 miles from shore, if anglers are interested in a trip. A friend that day boated one of the bluefins but no wahoos. A summer flounder trip was weathered out aboard Saturday. Seas remained rough on Sunday, but George spoke with an angler who fished for flounder that day at the Old Grounds on an open-boat trip, who said the angling wasn’t good. Plenty of flounder, many of them throwbacks, are swimming the Old Grounds, on the ocean off Delaware. One or two days will give up good angling for the flatfish, and other days will be slow. But the Old Grounds always fish like that, depending on conditions. Judge Henry Lewendowsky’s charter sailed for triggerfish on the Heavy Hitter that day, Sunday, loading up on the fish. The trip couldn’t fish where George wanted, because a swell with white caps was found there. But the outing fished elsewhere, where only a swell formed, and still caught. Telephone if interested in the inshore trolling or flounder or triggerfishing.

Fishing was docked in the weather during the weekend with <b>Melanie Anne Sport Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Frank said. Angling could’ve sailed Sunday, and the boat was poked out into the water that day, but the trip decided to turn back around, because of rough seas. A trip aboard Thursday fished for bluefin tuna at 19-Fathom Lump and the Elephant Trunk. That was covered in an update to the last report, and the trip actually trolled two yellowfin tuna. A total of five large, bull mahi mahi 20 to 30 pounds were also trolled on the trip, and the final mahi was caught near the East Lump, while the trip trolled back to port. The water was 77 degrees almost everywhere, and seas were 4 feet, but not bad.

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