<b>Keyport</b>

With <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Ben Card and friends bagged three fluke and released throwbacks, plenty, on Friday at the West Bank on Raritan Bay, Capt. Joe said. Seas were calm, after the nor’easter, and mostly spearing and squid were fished. But weather was back on a trip Sunday with Alfred Lerman and friends that met howling wind on the ocean. Fluke fishing was slow in the conditions. Open-boat trips for fluke are available daily when no charter is booked. Telephone to reserve.

All trips were cancelled aboard this past week, because of the “nasty east wind,” Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an email. Fluke were stacked up at Ambrose Channel, but trips couldn’t reach them. Some of the fish are jumbos, and now is the best shot at them. This will be the final full weekend of fluke fishing, because fluke season will be closed starting the following Sunday, September 28. Charters are fishing, and open-boat trips will sail for fluke all week and all weekend. Get your last licks in, he said. Striped bass and blackfish charters are being booked for autumn. If anglers want to secure dates for spring stripers, that book is open, too. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> was pleasantly surprised when Sunday’s trip caught some fluke, after Saturday’s rough weather and bad weather all week, he wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. Conditions were tough for the fishing in the morning on Sunday’s trip, but the anglers picked away at fluke – throwbacks and keepers – the whole outing. Bucktails worked best, especially to nail keepers. John Froelich scored best, limiting out on fluke to 6 pounds. Another angler bagged four, and another bagged three, and so on, Ron said. Another angler won the pool with a 6-1/2-pounder. The Fishermen is fishing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for striped bass 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. every Monday through Saturday.

All the fluke trips sailed on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, and Tuesday was the last day the vessel was weathered out, Capt. Tom said. That was the worst day of weather during the nor’easter, and the angling on Friday morning’s trip was no good. A few fluke were caught on the afternoon’s trip. Saturday’s fluking was tough in miserable weather, and the boat had to fish the bay, because seas rolled too much on the ocean at the channels, and at Flynn’s Knoll. A few keepers and some throwbacks were landed. Sunday’s fishing was better, and the morning trip scooped up more keeper fluke than on the previous two days. Sunday afternoon’s trip was the best in some time, and some anglers bagged two or three keepers, and all customers at least reeled in throwbacks. Weather was beautiful, and the boat drifted the best in a time. This morning’s fluking was off to a slow start, Tom said in a phone call at 9:30 a.m. aboard, when he gave this report. He planned to move the boat to the edge of the channels. Seas weren’t too rough to fish there before, but conditions weren’t like he preferred. Only 12 days are left until fluke season is closed on September 28. When the season is closed, the boat will bottom fish for porgies, blackfish and sea bass. One blackfish is the bag limit, but some anglers will like to “practice.” Six will be the limit starting November 16. Sea bass will be targeted once sea bass season is opened on October 18.  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> fished for cod on Thursday, Capt. Ralph wrote in an email. The trip was mentioned in the last report here, but Ralph gave a few more details in the email. Wind was no longer strong that day, after the nor’easter, but Shark River Inlet was rough, and the ocean held big swells. Lots of big cod, no pollock, were punched. “Very funny bite, just pushing the baits,” Ralph said. Lou Truppi won the pool, and weather started turning worse, so the trip sailed back to port at 10:30 a.m. The ride was rough, “but most everyone had a good time,” Ralph said. A trip Sunday sailed to the ocean, and turned back, because of  wind. The anglers, a bachelor party, fished Shark River instead, hooking one keeper fluke and a bunch of throwbacks. The weekly, individual-reservation trip for fluke, fishing the ocean, is sold out this Tuesday. Spaces remain for the year’s final one, next week on Tuesday, September 23, before fluke season is closed on September 28.  A marathon one of the trips is also sold out on September 26. <b>***Update, Monday, 9/15:***</b> Two spaces became available for Tuesday’s individual-reservation trip for fluke, because the anglers cancelled, Ralph wrote in an email. He’ll announce individual-reservation trips for other fish soon. Charters are available, and fishing is good for most species. Striped bass should show up soon, and blackfishing will begin on November 16, when six of the tautog will become the bag limit, from the current limit of one.

<b>Belmar</b>

Little could be reported in wind and rain last week that kept most from fishing, said Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b>. But thank goodness that’s changed, he said, and the surf came alive. Baitfish moved into the water, and striped bass, bluefish, fluke and false albacore fed on them. This was a good time to fish the surf with Danny plugs or popper lures, or, for the albies, metal. “Fly fishermen also (scored) well,” he said.  Shark River’s fishing for fluke and snappers held up, and kingfish were also nabbed from the river. Blackfishing was red hot at Point Pleasant Canal, and remember that one blackfish is the bag limit, he said. “Looking good – fall is here,” he said. 

Weather for trips looked good for today and the next few days, a report on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>’s website said. Trips aboard sometimes dealt with weather, but good fishing for big blues was hammered on Friday night’s trip. Wind blew 25 or 30 knots from northeast on Saturday’s daytime trip, creating nasty seas, and bluefishing was no good in the conditions, and the trip returned early. Saturday night’s trip was weathered out. Big blues were picked on Sunday’s trip, just not enough. 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. Fridays and Saturdays.  Also see the <a href=" http://goldeneaglefishing.com/tuna-reservation.html" target="_blank">Golden Eagle’s tuna schedule</a>.

The bluefishing trip today sailed to near the Mudhole, plowing a good catch of 8- to 14-pounders, picking away throughout the time, on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the vessel said. Chris Burgess from Branson, Mo., won the pool with a 14-pounder. Bluefishing was tough on Friday night’s trip, until 12:30 a.m. Then catches picked up, ending up good, “but we had to put some extra time in,” the email said. Luis Paz from Elizabeth won the pool with a 14-pounder. Saturday’s trip returned early, because of rough seas that also cancelled that night’s trip. On Sunday’s trip, bluefishing started slowly. “(Then) we picked away at 8- to 12-pound blues … ” and a couple of false albacore, it said.  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. 

<b>Brielle</b>

Ed Nolan from Manasquan took the lead in the monthly pool with a 9.2-pound fluke on Friday on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, Capt. Ryan wrote in an email. Was a rough week of weather, cancelling some trips in the middle of the week. “But all is quiet now,” Ryan said, and fluke fishing was great when conditions were right. On the same trip, Pete Talevi and Alex Pilewski from Trenton limited out on the flatfish to 7 pounds. Lots of fluke were around, and the big ones hung around rocks and wrecks, so that’s where trips mostly fished. Bucktails caught best, but bait worked well when the boat drifted fast. 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 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Monday.

Fluke fishing slowed on the ocean since the nor’easter last week, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Some were still picked at the reefs, and fluke stacked up at Manasquan Inlet, apparently migrating toward the ocean from Manasquan River. Fishing for them was good at the inlet, and not many were keepers, but rods could be bent with throwbacks. False albacore fishing was amazing in the inlet on Saturday evening. The little tunny were hooked on small tins. Snapper blues remained in the river, growing to 10 or 12 inches. Surf fishing for striped bass was good at Sea Girt and Spring Lake the past few mornings. The bass chased mullet, so Polaris popper lures and metal-lipped swimmers caught the bass. Not much news came in about wreck fishing, probably because of the weather, and because sea bass season was closed. But fish like ling could still be targeted at wrecks. Plenty of bluefish, weighing up to the teens, were boated from the ocean before the weather. During daytime, bonito and frigate mackerel could be mixed in. Bonito fishing was good at places like Manasquan Ridge. Sizable mahi mahi to 15 and 20 pounds were picked. A few false albacore and Spanish mackerel were fought. When boaters could sail offshore in the weather, tuna fishing became better to the north at Block Canyon or the Fish Tails. Yellowfin tuna 60 to 80 pounds were chunked all night long. A handful of bigeye tuna were chunked, and trolling for bigeyes during daytime seemed to slow somewhat. But longfin tuna were trolled there. Longfins were sometimes trolled at Hudson and Toms canyons.  Shimano pro staffer Roy Leyva will give the shop’s next free seminar at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 2. He’ll cover both the Shimano Long Cast Surf System and fishing Cape Cod Canal.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

After crummy weather on Saturday, “we (were) back on the flatties (Sunday),” Capt. Matt from the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. Another captain skippered the boat that day, telling Matt that the morning trip had good action on fluke to 5 pounds, including keepers and shorts. Fluking began slowly on the afternoon trip, but picked up as the trip went on, ending up with a good number of keepers to 6 pounds and some shorts. Squid and spearing caught best, better than Gulps and bucktails that hooked a few, on both trips. Bluefishing was great on nighttime trips. Big ones 10 to 15 pounds were smashed, and anglers left with lots of fillets. The Norma-K III is fishing for fluke on two trips daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m., and for bluefish from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Mullet that migrated to the surf got fishing going a bit, a report said on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>’ website. “Bluefish … stepped up the chase (there),” it said, because of the bait, and fluke even seemed a little more aggressive than before. The mullet run never usually fails to improve striped bass fishing in the surf. A few throwback stripers and a couple of keepers were beached that were known about, but no keepers were weighed in. Metal and swimming plugs banked the bass. But mullet, clams and cut bunker could be fished for them. 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>

Bonito, blues and false albacore were trolled Thursday and Friday on the ocean on the <b>Super Chic</b>, excellent fishing, Capt. Ted said. Seas weren’t great, “but we were able to get the day(s) in,” he said. The conditions were worst on Thursday, but once the boat plowed through seas to reach the fishing grounds, seas were fine for trolling. Clark spoons were trolled, and an overnight trip for tuna was weathered out during the weekend that was supposed to fish the offshore canyons. Two charters are supposed to fish for fluke, and another is supposed to sail for bluefish, this weekend. 

Fishing for blues, bonito and false albacore got off to a good start Saturday on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, a report on the vessel’s Facebook page said. Trips began to sail for them that day, and fluke fished previously. Blues 1 to 4 pounds, bonito 1 to 3 pounds and a handful of false albacore were clubbed. “Plain jigs and smaller hooks were needed, but once we figured out what they wanted, fish started biting,” the report said. The fishing was fair on Sunday, giving up a mix of blues, bonito and chub mackerel, the boat’s Facebook page said. Jigs cast away from the boat and retrieved quickly worked best. The Miss Barnegat Light is fishing for blues, bonito and false albacore 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. However, the boat is chartered this Saturday, so no open-boat trip will sail that day.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Cool, crisp air felt like fall on Sunday, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. Striped bass could almost be smelled in the air, and water temperatures began to drop, so stripers will arrive soon. “Until then, we will have to play with the blues, kings and sharks,” the report said. The shop previously reported plenty of blues and kings in the surf. Mullet was key for catching the blues, and fresh mullet’s been arriving for bait at the shop. Frozen mullet will also work. Two anglers fought sharks in the back bay behind Brigantine on trips. The most recent trip landed an 8- or 9-foot sandtiger shark that was released. Sandtigers are required to be let go, and the anglers were going to need a larger boat, the report said. The anglers also landed a smaller shark on the outing. The annual Riptide Striper Derby is under way until December 23. Entry allows beach-buggy access to Brigantine’s entire length, when accompanied by a Brigantine beach-buggy permit. Otherwise, not all the beach can be driven. The annual Riptide Striper Bounty, for the season’s first striped bass 43 inches or larger checked in from Brigantine’s surf, is also under way. Sponsored by Hess Plumbing this season, the bounty already reached $285, when last reported here on Thursday. Entry is $5 and required before catching the fish, and the winner takes all the cash. The bounty in spring reached $2,005 when won. A $50 gift certificate to the store is up for grabs for the season’s first striper weighed in from Brigantine’s surf.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The party boat <b>Miss Ocean City</b> fished Saturday and Sunday, Capt. Victor said. The trips sailed after last week’s weather, and the trip Saturday was a charter on the ocean that beat lots of bluefish and croakers. Throwback summer flounder were tossed back, and an open-boat trip fished Sunday, also catching blues and croakers on the ocean. Quite a few more flounder, throwbacks, bit than on the previous day. The Miss Ocean City is fishing for croakers, summer flounder and blues 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily on the ocean.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

One of the popper-fishing trips for striped bass sailed the back bay Saturday with Mike Spaeder and son aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b> and <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Last week’s weather cooled the bay to 72 degrees, after the water was 80 previously. The lower temperature helped the angling, and five stripers to 26 inches were popper-plugged and released on Rapala Skitter Pops, Joe’s favorite lure for the fishing. He and wife popper-plugged more of the bass Sunday on the bay. Joe on the trip also fly-rodded some on a crease fly, a version he ties with a bigger cup to splash more water. Joe’s charters also popper fish with flies for the bass, and the angling, with either lures or flies, draws explosive, visual attacks from the fish. The bass are usually throwbacks, and the fishing’s good sport, and a specialty aboard. Joe saw as many peanut bunker in the bay as he’s ever seen, and sometimes saw mullet in the water. He heard about no mullet migrating to the ocean yet, but that didn’t mean the baitfish didn’t already. Joe will still try to fish for summer flounder on the ocean this season, but weather caused terrible conditions for boating for the fish recently. Previously, the angling was good. Joe will kick off annual traveling charters to Montauk, New York, this weekend that fish the migration of stripers, blues and false albacore on the ocean. If you ever wanted to fish the migration from the legendary port, he’s going. The angling can be epic, and usually lasts into October. Afterward, Joe fishes the migration when it arrives off Sea Isle City.  He also still fishes from Sea Isle during the weeks the Montauk trips sail.  He also runs annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys in winter from Christmas to Easter. That can be for a large variety of catches, from redfish and speckled sea trout to tarpon and sailfish. See <a href="http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page3.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s traveling charters Web page</a>. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Avalon</b>

A trip fished off Cape May Point on Sunday with <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b>, Capt. Jim said. That was after all the weather, and the trip sailed from Cape May Canal to reach the water, because the ocean might’ve been rough from Cape May Inlet. Seas weren’t bad on the trip, compared with forecasts for small craft warnings until 11 a.m. All throwback flounder bit, but the fishing was good, steadily picking. Places fished included the Cape May Rips, and thousands of blues schooled, and birds worked small baitfish, at the rips. The trip also fished 1 or 1 ½ miles beyond the yellow cans, and inshore of Wildwood Reef. Jim also guided goose hunting last week in Pennsylvania, and is supposed to do that again on Wednesday. Geese are flying, sporadically, and a few were bagged. That should pick up, and one of the goose seasons is open this month, and another will be open in about another month. The goose trips hunt a variety of locations, from New Jersey to Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York. Fins offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including saltwater fishing on the ocean and Delaware Bay, goose and duck hunting, salmon and steelhead fishing on upstate New York’s Salmon River from Jim’s lodge, and fly fishing for trout on Pennsylvania’s streams like the Yellow Breeches. Anglers can even enjoy a combo of striped bass fishing and duck hunting on Delaware Bay in autumn over a series of days. Salmon usually migrate the lower river by now, and Jim heard nothing about the angling yet, but a friend is supposed to fish for them next week. Jim should hear about the fishing then, and the friend probably didn’t plan the trip if he didn’t know the fish arrived. Salmon usually reach the upper river, around Altmar, toward the end of the month, and those catches usually peak the first two weeks of October. That’s where anglers from the lodge usually fish, and the first are booked to do that in the first days of October. Fins can set up the lodge’s anglers to fish with a guide, if they’d like, or the anglers can fish on their own. Or Fins can show the anglers how to fish the run, and then the anglers can fish on their own.

<b>Cape May</b>

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> visited the dock Sunday to make sure the boat still floated, he said. Few anglers sailed in the weather, except on party boats, large vessels. People at the dock said wind blew strongly Sunday morning, but wind wasn’t’ so bad when George checked on the boat afterward. A trip is supposed to sail for summer flounder aboard Tuesday. An overnight tuna trip is supposed to fish the offshore canyons this weekend on the vessel. Those are the fish the Heavy Hitter is mostly chasing. But bluefish could be trolled on the ocean, and false albacore roamed 20 fathoms before last week’s storm, probably the most recent time anybody fished for them.

<b>Melanie Anne Sport Fishing Charters</b> fished for summer flounder on the ocean Saturday and Sunday, Capt. Frank said. The angling was no good on Saturday. Current ran strong, and some flounder were landed, but were throwbacks, and seas were worse than on Sunday. Some of Saturday’s anglers became seasick. Sunday’s trip bagged a good number of keeper flounder. Cape May Reef and just offshore of the reef was fished, and the south side of the reef was better, or gave up more flounder than elsewhere at the reef. Seas were 4 to 5 feet that day, but in a 6-second swell that was less uncomfortable or not bad. Another flounder trip is supposed to fish Wednesday, but might be weathered out. Take advantage of an end-of-season special on a flounder charter. Get a $100 discount, because flounder season will be closed starting September 28. Tuna trips are also slated, including for this weekend.   

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