<b>Keyport</b>

Was a weekend for big fluke on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. Each trip’s fluke included a 10-pounder, and many other sizeable were crushed. Anglers who could bucktail well limited out and landed more legal-sized fluke, keeping no more than their quota. Tons of shorts were released, and action was great. This is the time for big fluke, and only weeks are left until fluke season is closed on September 28. Charters are sailing, and telephone for the open-boat schedule. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

Wind blew against the tide on Chris Spallina’s fluke trip Sunday with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, but the fishing copped a small pick of keepers, Capt. Joe said. Many more throwbacks bit, and the trip fished on the Staten Island side of Raritan Bay, both with bucktails and bait: spearing and squid. Wind against tide can hamper the boat’s drift, affecting fluking, and wind during this outing actually blew strongly, more than 15 knots, drifting the boat quickly. Open-boat trips for fluke are available daily when no charter is booked. Telephone to reserve.

On trips for fluke, catches picked up a lot, became really good, the last few days, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Lots of anglers aboard limited out. Fifteen sea bass could be kept starting Monday through this coming Saturday, and a trip was fishing for them Monday when Mario gave this report. The angling looked like it would be good this week, and space is available for open-boat sea bass trips on Thursday and Friday. Sea bass season will be closed starting Sunday. 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>

Fluke fishing somewhat improved during the weekend on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. All in all, two nice days of fishing, he said. Saturday morning’s trip fished between the channels, and fluking was nice. Wind came up on the afternoon’s trip, so the trip fished Raritan Bay, and a few fluke were hung on each drift. Weather improved later in the trip, and the boat was moved back toward the channels, and fluke were caught. Sometimes trips are fishing between the channels, sometimes in the channels, or sometimes, if weather comes up, in the bay. If weather turns rough, spots in the bay are holding fluke. Sunday morning’s trip fished around the channels, and the boat didn’t drift perfectly, sliding somewhat sideways, and no anglers limited out, but some bagged two or three fluke. Sunday afternoon’s trip didn’t sail as far into the ocean, because seas rolled somewhat, but fluking was nice again. No anglers limited out, but a couple bagged four. Some anglers landed no keepers, of course. No huge fluke showed up, and 4- and 5-pounders sometimes won pools. Tom’s telling anglers to bring two rods, including a heavier one, in case heavier weight needs to be fished. Sometimes the drift is fast at the channels, and even between the channels, and 8 ounces of weight needs to be fished. As far as tackle and bait goes, some anglers on Sunday fished bucktails with trailers, catching some fluke. But rental-rodders also connected, including with plain spearing, the bait supplied aboard. Sometimes rental-rodders added Gulps they brought, and Gulps do seem to help. 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, 9/2:***</b> Andrew Wronski from Linden smoked an 8.1-pound fluke on Monday afternoon’s trip, Tom said in a phone call at noon today. Fluking remained pretty good aboard, and fewer keepers and throwbacks hit on this morning’s trip than before, but plenty of the flatfish were still hung. One angler bagged one keeper and let go 33 throwbacks at last count on the trip. Another bagged one and probably released 20 or 25 throwbacks. But some keepers were iced among the trip’s fluke.  

Fishing for fluke turned out action from the start on Sunday’s trip aboard, and the angling was excellent on the outing, Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. Lots of big fluke to a 7.9-pounder were creamed. Vinnie Lisa from Pennsylvania started his catches with that fish, and the fish held out for the day’s pool. Another 7-pounder was also iced, and so were a couple of 6-pounders. Eleven fluke weighed more than 5 pounds on the trip. The angling was also good on Saturday’s trip, and a couple of good-sized fluke were beaten. A 6-3/4-pounder won the pool, and the angler with that fish bagged four fluke. A few anglers limited out. Don’t wait too long to go fluking, Ron said. 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>

Another great catch of cod was pounded, filling the box by 8:30 a.m. and then heading home, on Saturday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph wrote in an email. A trip in the previous days loaded the boat with ling, and added sea bass, winter flounder and a good-sized blackfish to the catch. Andy Donofrio won the pool on last Tuesday’s weekly, individual-reservation trip for fluke. Fifteen fish became the sea bass bag limit Monday through this coming Saturday, and space is available on an individual-reservation trip for sea bass on Thursday. One of the trips was full on Monday, and today’s individual-reservation trip for fluke was full. The fluke trips are sailing every Tuesday until fluke season is closed on September 28. <b>***Update, Wednesday, 9/3:***</b> The individual-reservation trip for sea bass on Monday scooped up fluke, winter flounder, sea bass, sea robins, cod and a lobster, Ralph wrote in an email. All the cod hooked, about 10, were keepers. Chuck “The Anchorman” won the pool with a fluke larger than 5 pounds, and also caught sea bass to 4 ½ pounds and a 4-pound sea robin. On Tuesday’s individual-reservation trip for fluke, fishing was good toward the end. A special, marathon, individual-reservation trip for fluke will sail on September 26, and kids under 12 won’t sail free on that one. Space remains for the individual-reservation trip Thursday for sea bass and wreck-fishing. All individual-reservation trips for cod are currently booked.

<b>Belmar</b>

An overnight trip fished for tuna at Hudson Canyon on Friday to Saturday on the <b>Katie H</b>, Capt. Mike said. Seas were rough, but three 60-pound yellowfin tuna were totaled, and a white marlin and some mahi mahi were landed. Watch a video of the white marlin. A couple of tuna also busted off. One of the yellowfins caught was trolled during daytime, and the other two were chunked at night. The tuna that busted off were chunked at night, and the fleet sometimes landed bigeye tuna then, so maybe those were the fish that broke off. Lots of tuna were marked at night, and the trip tried fishing 40-pound fluorocarbon leader to coax more to bite, but that made no difference. The trip fished by itself, away from the fleet, and many boats caught tuna well. That was encouraging to see, seemed promising for tuna fishing at the Hudson this year, and the angling’s actually been awesome. Another trip might fish for tuna overnight Wednesday to Thursday, and another is supposed to sail Friday to Saturday or Saturday to Sunday, whenever weather’s best. The Katie H is also fishing inshore, but is an offshore specialist. The 46-foot boat features speed and all the amenities.

With <b>XTC Sportfishing</b>, nine yellowfin tuna 80 to 90 pounds and a bigeye tuna 50 or 60 pounds were boated on a trip Saturday to Sunday, Capt. Scott said. All the fish were chunked at night, and no tuna bit on the troll during daytime. An inshore trip tried for tuna Friday, but only false albacore and a mahi mahi were belted. Fluke fishing was terrific Wednesday aboard for a bunch of keepers to 6 pounds.

Since the heave from last week’s offshore hurricane, fluke fishing was tougher on the ocean in the past week, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. Trips aboard did pick away at some good-sized fluke, up to a 7-1/2-pounder. Two of the boat’s On the Water Seminars, teaching bucktailing for fluke, sailed during the week, and scored great. Many throwbacks bit, but the keepers all weighed 3 to 7 ½ pounds. The seminars were supposed to be wrapped up for the year already, but more might sail, because the trips went well. 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?” Anglers can email Pete for info about the trips. 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>***Update, Wednesday, 9/3:***</b> Jumbo blues to 20 pounds gave up good fishing Saturday and Sunday mornings, on both bait and jigs, on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the vessel said. On Friday night, bluefishing was great for 8- to 12-pounders all around the boat. On Saturday night, bluefishing started tough, but got into a bite late in the trip that produced 8- to 15-pounders. The Miss Belmar Princess is bluefishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. ***Attention! Kids sail free!*** To thank patrons, kids 14 and under are sailing free aboard weekday trips through Friday, when a paying adult accompanies the kid.

Big blues 10 to 15 pounds were smashed Saturday and Sunday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s website said. “It was just good fishing,” it said. Bait caught better than jigs, and weather looks good for the week, and now’s the time for large blues, it said. 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. Sundays through Fridays. Tuna trips are booking up, and see the <a href=" http://goldeneaglefishing.com/tuna-reservation.html" target="_blank">Golden Eagle’s tuna trip page</a> online. The last report posted here said only eight spots were left for September 28, one for October 5, and 15 for October 19, the three dates the 24-hour trips are scheduled. Fewer spots likely remain now.

<b>Brielle</b>

Looks like September will be great! Capt. Joe from the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> wrote in an email. Fluke fishing aboard was very good in the past week, when conditions drifted the boat right. Lots of smaller fluke bit at mid-week, and bigger fluke and jumbo sea bass chomped this weekend, when the swell settled. Bucktails with a teaser caught best, and the teasers were fished with 4- or 5-inch Gulp swim mullets in any color. “Fluking <i>now</i> is rough bottom,” he said, and the boat mostly fished at wrecks. Plenty of fish schooled both inshore and offshore currently. Fluke 5 to 7 pounds were common aboard, so if anglers limited out, they had lots of meat. Customers and their catches included: Dave Nelson, Princeton, limit of fluke to 7 ½ pounds; Steve Talevi, Trenton, limit to 7 pounds; and Carter James and Frank Pogue, both from Philadelphia, both limiting out on the fish to 6 ½ pounds. 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. Super Fluke Marathons are fishing wrecks at 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Monday. Fluke season will be closed on September 28. <b>***Update, Wednesday, 9/3:***</b> Fluking aboard bailed the fish on Labor Day, an email from the boat said. Too many anglers limited out to mention, and many of the fish weighed 4 to 7 pounds. Nick Demuro from Philadelphia took over the lead in the monthly pool with a 7-pound 12-ouncer, also winning the trip’s pool, and limiting out. All the regulars limited out, tossing back a number of keepers, bagging only those 3 ½ pounds and larger. All the fish were caught at wrecks, and better conditions weren’t possible for the angling. The crew plans to fish wrecks throughout the week. “If the wind blows, the anchor drops,” the email said, and fluke were caught well during several drops of the anchor during the weekend. Looks like this could be a great September for fluking, the email said.

Manasquan River still held fluke, and fluking on the ocean was pretty good at Axel Carlson Reef and to the north, like off Long Branch and at the Shrewsbury Rocks, said Dave from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. So long as no strong storm arrives, the fluking should continue. Sea bass fishing apparently will go well this week, when 15 became the bag limit on Monday through this coming Saturday, because plenty of sea bass were hooked on fluke trips previously, when three was the limit. After Saturday, sea bass season will be closed a time. Not much was heard about ling fishing on the ocean. Plenty of snapper blues and small striped bass swam the river. The surf harbored fluke, and striped bass were around in the surf. Anglers who caught the bass fished at night, because of warm water, with bait. Ocean bluefishing was okay, sometimes rounding up decent-sized fish. Sometimes other fish including bonito and false albacore were mixed in. Trips specifically targeted bonito at ridges and lumps. Plenty of bonito schooled a little farther from shore, like at Little Italy. Little was heard about bluefin tuna, because trips fished for yellowfin tuna that swam not only the Chicken Canyon, like before, but also the Glory Hole. The yellowfins were mostly trolled, but sometimes were popper-plugged or jigged, when the tuna swam toward the water surface. White marlin and a few wahoos were around at inshore haunts.  On offshore trips, tuna fishing was pretty good at the canyons. Yellowfins were taken, and bigeye tuna gave up an especially good bite. Most tuna bit during daytime, and nighttime fishing wasn’t that good yet for tuna. Some boats managed no tuna at night, and some got a shot of the catches, and then maybe another shot, and so on. 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>

<b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> competed in last week’s Manasquan River Marlin and Tuna Club’s Offshore Open, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. The fishing aboard landed three bigeye to a 155-pounder that was entered, and also boated large yellowfin tuna and some longfin tuna. An inshore trip on Wednesday nailed bonito and blues, solid fishing, at the ridges and lumps. “Lots of hot canyon and inshore fishing to come!” Alan said. “Some hot bites of bigeye happening.” Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures.

For anglers on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, fluke fishing was tough Sunday in a strong, southerly breeze, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. But the fishing aboard Monday, Labor Day, was “right back on the fluke,” he said! Both daily trips produced a good number of keepers to 6 pounds that day. Throwbacks and some really sizeable sea bass were also cranked up. Plenty of fluke are swimming the area. On nighttime trips, bluefishing was good for 10- to 15-pounders, and bluefishing is expected to continue to be good through October. This is a great time of year to fish, Matt said. The angling’s good, and crowds are light. The Norma-K III is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily and is bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily. 

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Summer crowds are gone, now that Labor Day weekend passed, but the week’s weather feels like mid-summer, John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s website. Surf fishing for fluke held up fine, and the flatfish seemed to like warm weather. Cocktail blues seemed to become more difficult to find in the surf than before. Sharks were fought from the beach at night. From the dock, snapper blues and blowfish were flung in daily from Barnegat Bay. Crabbing was decent, but the number of throwbacks was increasing that crabbers had to weed through. 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>

An open-boat trip was supposed to target bonito and mahi mahi today at Barnegat Ridge on the <b>Hi Flier</b>, Capt. Dave DeGennaro wrote in an email. False albacore started to show up in the mix, too, and weather and seas looked great for the trip. The trip was going to troll and also chum with spearing. Charters are also sailing.

Almost all anglers left with fillets, and there was lots of action with catches, on Sunday on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, the vessel’s Facebook page said. Nice, big fluke and sea bass, it said, were caught, and a bunch of throwbacks were let go. A good day, it said. Saturday’s trip also served up good action. Keeper fluke and sea bass turned up on every drift, and plenty of throwbacks bent rods. The Miss Barnegat Light is fishing for fluke and sea bass 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily. However, a charter is booked for this Saturday, so no open-boat trip will sail then.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Kingfish and blues dominated the surf, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. Fishing for them was great on Saturday, and anglers hope the fish will stick around a month until striped bass begin to bite in the surf. One group fought the blues at the cove throughout that morning, and the blues were full of spearing. Weeds choked the surf at times lately, and anglers searched for places to fish with fewer weeds, but they caught the kings and blues. The weeds moved in and out at different places and times. The fence at the island’s north end was taken down on Sunday, so beach buggies could be driven all the way to the north tip. One angler checked in a 15-1/2-pound sheepshead, not much smaller than the 17-pound New Jersey record. He tied into the fish while kayaking for blackfish.

<b>Longport</b>

Croakers arrived, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>. They schooled in 65 feet off Ocean City, 4 ½ or 5 miles from shore, and trips are after them. Small weakfish also schooled, and a massive population of summer flounder blanketed bottom beyond 80 feet, but most were 17 or 17 ½ inches, just under the 18-inch legal size. Double-headers of croakers, and doubles of flounder, were hooked, but catching a keeper flounder was tough. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips will run Thursday and Friday, first fishing for flounder, then for croakers, on each outing.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Lots of throwback summer flounder, one keeper that weighed 5 ½ pounds, bluefish and croakers were swung from the ocean Sunday on the party boat <b>Miss Ocean City</b>, Capt. Victor said. Ronald Haines from Clementon, Ga., won the pool with the 5-1/2-pounder. A trip on the bay caught and released throwback flounder, and a triggerfish won the pool, the other day. Trips had been fishing the ocean and bay, and starting Monday began fishing only the ocean. The Miss Ocean City is fishing the ocean for sea bass, croakers and summer flounder 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Fifteen became the sea bass bag limit on Monday through this coming Saturday. Afterward, sea bass season will be closed a time.

<b>Cape May</b>

Fishing for summer flounder was okay Friday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Seven or eight keepers to 24 inches were bagged, and throwbacks, small, were released. Flounder hooked were either 20 inches and larger or 12 or 13 inches. Triggerfish were also bagged, and the anglers tried for them, and the triggers didn’t bite well that day, but some were caught. George mated on a friend’s boat on Saturday on a trip that nailed a bunch of blues then some flounder at the reef. Flounder fishing now needed to fish structure. That’s where the fish were, and the flatfish couldn’t be found on open bottom. The Heavy Hitter is sailing for flounder, triggerfish, blues and tuna. Not much was heard about tuna from Cape May in past days. George hopes tuna start to bite at night soon, so overnight trips can get after them.

A couple of good days of summer flounder fishing were scored with <b>Melanie Anne Sport Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Frank said. Big flounder to 6 and 8 pounds, or 26 and 27 inches, were plowed, and fishing for them was best at Cape May Reef. The angling was lit up there, and started to dry up at the Old Grounds. To boat tuna, trips currently had to sail far north to Lindenkohl, Toms or Hudson canyons.  So trips needed to sail overnight, and a couple of trips aboard are booked to do that on September 20 to 21 and 26 to 27. Closer to Cape May, white marlin and lots of mahi mahi swam.

 

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