<b>Staten Island</b>

Wind gusted, but anglers aboard Monday jigged blues while the fish roughed-up bunker on Raritan Bay, with <b>Angler Sportfishing Charters</b>, Capt. Chuck said. The ocean was too rough to fish, and the trip also tried fluke fishing, but only throwbacks, 10 or 12, bit. New York’s fluke season is closed, but the trip fluked in New Jersey waters, and the anglers had someone in Jersey who could’ve picked up any keeper fluke at the marina. Jersey’s fluke season will be closed starting Sunday, and though fish were reeled up on the trip, the angling was a struggle. Chuck wasn’t asked whether that was because of the wind. On Tuesday, a trip anchored and chunked bunker for striped bass. Five keepers, not large, up to 12 or 15 pounds, and some throwbacks were landed. The bite only lasted 1 ½ hours, but that seemed a good sign. When the water temperature drops 3 or 4 degrees, Chuck thinks, a “big change” will be seen in striper fishing. The trip also trolled for stripers briefly, but none bit. Peak striper season is coming up, and charters will fish for them.

<b>Keyport</b>

During this final week of fluke season, the fishing was slow, and weather was rough, a disappointing ending, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>.  But an 11-pounder was the largest fluke aboard this year, and the angler won a custom rod that the crew was awarding for that. Fluke season will be closed starting Sunday, and open-boat trips will now eel for striped bass 5 to 11 p.m. every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Charters are also sailing, including for porgy fishing that’s good. The crew is gearing up for daytime striper fishing that will take off this fall. Lock in dates for that and for sea bass fishing, once sea bass season is opened starting October 18, and blackfishing, starting November 16. The bag limit, starting that day, will be increased to six of the tautog, from the current limit of one. 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.

A charter is booked to fish for fluke aboard Saturday, the final day of fluke season, with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Friday is available for fluking on a charter or open-boat trip, and telephone to reserve. Now’s the time to book striped bass charters for later this fall.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

“It’s windy,” Joe from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b> said. “The waves are 8 feet.” Not many customers were around in the weather. But the party boat Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands plowed a good catch of striped bass to 42 pounds on Tuesday night. Another party boat from the port docked a 13-1/2-pound fluke, and fluke season will be closed starting Sunday. Boaters started trolling for stripers with rigs and spoons. The Fishermen, of course, must’ve fished with bait. Porgies were running at Sandy Hook Reef. Porgies even hovered along Highlands Bridge, believe it or not, Joe said, and were everywhere. Fishing was excellent at the Navy Pier for a mix of catches. Snapper bluefishing was great, and crabbing was good at Red Bank’s Marine Park.

The party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>’s fluke trips fished down the beach on Monday, Capt. Tom said. Some of the fish were pitched aboard, and the angling turned out better than during the weekend. Trips before Monday fished the channels and Raritan Bay. Both the morning and afternoon trips picked the flatfish that day, off the beach. Both of Tuesday’s trips also fished down the beach, and the day was one of the better for catching keepers in some time aboard. On the morning trip, conditions were great, and fluke to 5 pounds were iced. On the afternoon trip, no big ones came in, but more fluke were decked on this day than probably since before the storm two weeks ago, on the boat. Wind prevented fluking down the beach on Wednesday aboard. So the channels were fished, and a few fluke were grabbed on the morning trip, until the boat’s drift was lost. Then throwbacks were picked at. In the afternoon, too few anglers showed up for a trip to sail, because of wind. Today’s fluking aboard would be weathered out. Tom hopes the trips resume Friday. 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. through Saturday, the final day of fluke season. Afterward, the trips will bottom-fish for porgies and blackfish. <b>***Update, Saturday, 9/27:***</b> Fluke fishing was no good today aboard, and the storm Thursday “pretty much took care of (the fish),” Tom guessed, he said after the day’s trips, this evening. The crew then was preparing the boat to switch to fishing for porgies and blackfish starting Sunday.

<b>Highlands</b>

From <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Jay Amarosa on the Par Tee II fished on his last fluke trip of the season, bagging a 19-incher near the 10 can on a killie, Marion wrote in an email. Fluke season will be closed starting Sunday, and Rudy K. on the 2 F’s nailed a 7-1/2-pound 27-1/2-incher at Sandy Hook Channel on a Gulp. Twin Lights, located conveniently on Shrewsbury River near Raritan Bay and the ocean, with no bridges before them, includes a marina with boat slips and dry storage, a fuel dock, and a combined bait and tackle shop and ship’s store. The full supply of bait is stocked for inshore and offshore, and the fuel dock is available 24 hours a day with a credit card. 

<b>Neptune</b>

Wind, please stop, Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> wrote in an email. The year’s final fluke trip was a bust on Tuesday. No keepers came in, and the trip fished everywhere. Lots of big, out-of-season sea bass bit. Individual-reservation trips for bluefish and striped bass will be scheduled soon. An individual-reservation trip for cod is on the books for Columbus Day, Monday, October 13. The boat will be in dry dock the next day through the end of October to rebuild the engine. Then the vessel will cruise at 15 knots, compared with 10 knots currently. “Also, no smoke,” Ralph said. An individual-reservation trip for blackfish is set for November 16, the day the bag limit is increased to six of the tautog, from the current limit of one. Green crabs, clams and white leggers will be provided. All tackle will be provided, if anglers need. Charters are available day and night.

<b>Belmar</b>

Big, jumbo blues to 22 pounds were smashed Wednesday on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the vessel said. Frank Miksits from North Hampton, Pa., walloped the 22-pounder, and the trip’s fishing was slow at first. But the catches kicked in by late morning, for the rest of the time. Fishing for 8- to 14-pound blues was excellent, non-stop, on Tuesday’s trip, another email said. No email came in about Monday, maybe because the day’s blustery wind forced the trip to be cancelled. 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.

Fishing for big blues was super Tuesday and decent Monday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s website said. The fish weighed up to 14 pounds, and those were the most recent reports on the site. Saturday’s and Sunday’s trips picked way at large blues 8 to 12 pounds. 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>.

Fluke fishing was okay Monday on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. Trips, sailing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, will fish for fluke through Saturday, the final day of fluke season. The trip Sunday will fish for porgies and triggerfish, during the same hours. Then the boat will be dry-docked probably from Monday through Friday. Afterward, the trips will fish for porgies, triggerfish and ling, during those hours.

Surf anglers beached striped bass before the blow, and the fishing was best from Manasquan Inlet to the north, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. The water was alive with mullet, so small stripers were on the hunt, and poppers or swimmers were good choices to throw. Some monster blues swam the ocean, and anglers stopped in with blues heavier than 20 pounds from party-boat trips. After this storm, fluke fishing will be “a big question mark,” he said. Fluke season will be closed starting Sunday, and anglers hope Friday and Saturday will be fishable for the summer flounder.

A trip fished for fluke on the ocean Tuesday aboard, catching throwbacks, and the angling for keepers was no good, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. Fluke were migrating offshore, “in my opinion,” he said, but some still swam along the ocean beaches, migrating from bays. Fluke season will be closed starting Sunday. Bonito, bluefish and false albacore bit. Tons of out-of-season sea bass had to be released on fluke trips lately, and he hopes they stick around for the opening of the season on October 18. Parker Pete’s is gearing up for striped bass fishing later this season. Stripers trolled were sometimes heard about, and Pete hope’s the angling gets going, for a good fall of fishing. 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>Toms River</b>

Crabs were still trapped in the Toms River, and reported catches were slower, but maybe that was because fewer crabbed than before, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. The water remained warm enough for crabbing, and snapper blues schooled the river, and anglers would see whether today’s storm would change that. Peanut bunker began migrating out from the river, and Dennis would say they’d linger another week in the river. Snappers 1 pound were trolled on the river at Island Heights and off Good Luck Point, on Barnegat Bay, at the mouth of the river. The same-sized blues were trolled farther south on the bay, toward the BI and BB markers, and behind Island Beach State Park. Fluke remained in the bay, mostly in the southern bay, around the BI and BB. The farther south, the better the fluking, in the bay. Fluke season will be closed starting Sunday. Huge blowfish – big, fat ones – were plucked from the bay at the BI and BB. Only one or two customers fished for them per day, but stocked the freezer. Surf fishing was great for blues 1 to 2 pounds, including on Jetty Ghost sand eels that cut through wind. The metal jigs come in 1, 1.6, 2 ½ and 4.4 ounces. The 4.4 could be used from boats, or if heavy was needed in the surf. The blues were beaten Wednesday evening until dark, and the anglers saw so many mullet migrating among them. Mullet poured out from inlets lately. Fluke were eased from the surf, and a few stripers were, on bait like clam, or on metal, once in a while. The ocean was too rough to hear about boating for fish there. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, bought <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River this year, and is running both shops now.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

On the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, fluke trips were cancelled through today, because of wind and seas, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. Friday looked like the next possible day to sail, and fluke trips are scheduled to sail twice daily, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m., through Saturday, the final day of fluke season. Starting Sunday, the boat will will sail for ling and cod 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Bluefish trips have been running every night, but will now sail 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. every Friday and Saturday. 

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

The surf’s seas were a disaster today, said Kevin from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Seas calmed on Tuesday, and small bluefish that chased mullet were hooked. Lately, small fluke were beached, and striped bass, landed on anything from Avas to black Bombers, were banked here or there, but none to speak of. Stripers were heard about from Ortley Beach. From the dock, some good catches of cocktail blues were made. A 22-inch blue was the biggest from the dock, and was taken on fresh mullet. Crabbing wasn’t so good. The Dock Outfitters, located on Barnegat Bay, blocks from the ocean surf, features a bait and tackle shop, boat and jet ski rentals in season, a café and a dock for fishing and crabbing.

<b>Forked River</b>

At Meyer’s Hole in Barnegat Bay, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>, blowfishing was good, like he said it was in last week’s report. He heard about mixed sizes, from too small to eat to large enough to bag, but none giant, like last year’s large blowfish. Fluke gave up plenty of catches at Double Creek Channel in the bay and, in the ocean, at the Tires and off the bathing beach at Island Beach State Park. Nothing was heard about striped bass yet. Nobody mentioned crabbing, but surely people sometimes crabbed still.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Anglers fluked, catching well, on Saturday and Sunday, and trolled plenty of bonito and blues on Saturday evening, on the ocean on the <b>Super Chic</b>, Capt. Ted said. On the fluke trips, conditions were calmer on Sunday, and some sizeable fluke to 5 pounds were latched into. The boat is supposed to fish for tuna on Friday, but forecasts looked rough.

<b>Barnegat</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 9/26:***</b> From an edited email from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “Before all this wind and awful weather, Barnegat Ridge was looking very good with albacore, bonita, mahi and a few bluefin tuna. My last trip there was last week on Thursday, and we had a  pair of 30-inch and 32-inch bluefins, along with some nice bonita. The water was blue and 70 degrees. After that, as most of you know, the wind blew hard north/northeast, let's see … EVERY SINGLE DAY! I finally hit a few tuna there, and then I can't get back.  Most of the hard wind lately blew from the northeast, and that usually improves water quality and fishing. I can't wait to get out and see what's swimming there now. The forecast has the wind starting to diminish late Saturday, with light and variable wind through Monday. I’ll run an open-boat trip to Barnegat Ridge from 6 a.m. to 12 noon Monday.  Three people max. All fish are shared. Call on my cell to reserve a spot. After that, I’ll move the boat to Manasquan Inlet for October, like I have for the last two seasons. I can access the Shrewsbury Rocks, where the striper fishing starts earlier, and it's only 20 miles to the Mudhole, where we can target albacore and tuna on the good weather days. I’ll have the boat back in Barnegat by November 1, where we’ll jump right into the striper fishing. See you out there.”

<b>Surf City</b>

The ocean was probably a good 6 feet today, but bluefish 1 to 2 pounds, occasionally 2 ½, swarmed all over the surf lately, said Joe from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. Most were hooked on mullet. But sometimes anglers became tired of catching on that, after so many bit, and they switched to metal, for fun. A 17-pound black drum was hauled from the surf at Holgate on a popper plug. A 28-inch striped bass was clammed from the island’s surf on Tuesday. In the bay, some blowfish were around, and crabbing was good. Lots of keepers, he said about the blueclaws. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Surf-City-Bait-and-Tackle/207533229268619" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s Facebook page</a>.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Ocean seas included 7- to 10-footers, and forecasts for the next days included somewhat smaller seas, said Brian from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Even if anglers could fish this week, they didn’t, really. There was no news. What about the bay the last time conditions weren’t rough? he was asked. Conditions were rough practically the last two weeks, he said, so there really wasn’t news. The crew from the shop changed over the wall to striped bass tackle that was filled with summer flounder gear previously. Flounder season will be closed starting Sunday. If anglers want to gear up for stripers, this is the time. Striper tackle will include new S&S jigs and S&S umbrella rigs with Got Stripers soft-plastic lures. The rigs come in sand eel, chartreuse-glitter, red-glitter and pearl colors, and see photos on  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/scottsbt2" target="_blank">Scott’s Facebook page</a>. Hogy is making sand-eel umbrella rigs only available at the store. Sand-eel umbrellas were the popular tackle to troll for stripers on the ocean last year. Trolling and jigging on the ocean was the best striper fishing last year, though clamming for stripers at Little Egg Inlet used to be best in fall. When reports were last heard about tuna fishing on the ocean, the fish were found north of Hudson Canyon. One customer’s trip chunked and jigged 50 yellowfin tuna 40 miles north of the Hudson at night. Crabbing was slow, and this was the end of crabbing season. But big crabs to 7 inches were trapped. Just not many were.

<b>Absecon</b>

Striped bass were heard about that were eeled at night from the bay to the north, near Mullica River, said Curt from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. A trip with Capt. Dave from the shop hooked a few 24- or 25-inch stripers during daytime from the bay on Gulp soft-plastic lures. Lots of stripers about that that size seemed around. Small blues swam the bay, and occasional flounder were lifted from the bay. Most of the large flounder seemed to school the ocean, and flounder season will be closed starting Sunday. A few weakfish could be found in the bay, if anglers knew where to look. They hung at specific deep holes. Though only one blackfish is the bag limit, bagging one was no trouble. Curt wasn’t asked where, but places like bridges are usual. Triggerfish remained at places like that, and banded rudderfish swam there. Sheepshead seemed to disappear that can also gather at spots like that. Baitfish schooled the bay, at least before this storm. The rain will surely push the bait closer to inlets and saltier water. Maybe the conditions could even cause most to migrate to the ocean for the season. The bait included plenty of peanut bunker. A few mullet held to the north in the bay. Crabbing was kind of slowing down. Crabbing gear is on sale for 25 percent off, and fluke rigs are on sale for 50 percent off, or two for one. Baits stocked include live peanut bunker, spots, eels, shedder crabs, green crabs and bloodworms, and fresh-frozen mullet. Soft-shell crabs for eating are on hand, and the season was winding down for shedders and soft-shells, but the shop raises them.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Anglers in the surf were into good kingfishing on Wednesday on bloodworms, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish were all decent-sized, and bluefish 1 ½ to 2 pounds raced all over the surf. Mullet migrated the surf, and fresh mullet’s been stocked daily. Water was loaded with baitfish from the back bay to the ocean, so anglers hope that bodes well for a good striped bass migration along the coast when the ocean cools. Buddy Morton with dad Bunky on Bunky’s boat bagged five summer flounder to 5 or 6 pounds and some blues. The keeper flounder seemed surprising this late in the year, and every one of the keepers hit a rod rigged for kingfish. Four rods were set out, and one was rigged for kings. The Elks Striper Tournament for surf anglers and boaters will be held in town from November 14 through 16, and will benefit the veterans’ committee from the Elks.  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 reached $460 currently. 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>Atlantic City</b>

Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b> visited the T-jetty today, just to see the seas, he said. The T is located at the end of Absecon Inlet on the ocean side, and even the television news was there to check out the seas. But while Noel was there, an angler hooked blackfish left and right. Noel geared up and began fishing, and he, the angler and another landed 40 blackfish, including three keepers. Fishing at the inlet, located near the shop, is on, Noel said. Photos of blackfish from the water kept being posted on the store’s Facebook page. Kingfish and croakers were toggled in from the inlet toward the sea wall and back bay, because anglers fished there, to duck into cars, escaping rain. If you can’t catch fish this month, hang it up, Noel said! The weather kept many from fishing, but they missed out. Green crabs are $4 per dozen or three dozen for $10. Minnows are $8.50 a pint, and bloodworms on Tuesdays and Wednesdays are two dozen for $20. Otherwise, the worms are $10.75 per dozen. Baits stocked also include fresh bunker, fresh clams, fresh mullet, all the frozen baits, like mackerel, mullet, head-on shrimp and all the different types of squid for flounder fishing, and more, a large supply. A vending machine dispenses bait afterhours. Friend <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/One-stop-bait-tackle/362952943747080?rf=151870514855225" target="_blank">One Stop on Facebook</a>.

<b>Longport</b>

The <b>Stray Cat</b> was tied to the dock in the weather, Capt. Mike said. Maybe an open-boat trip will be able to fish for summer flounder on the ocean Saturday, if weather clears. He cancelled a charter for that day, because of forecasts. Open trips will fish for sea bass 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting when sea bass season is opened on October 18. That day and October 19 are sold out. Plenty of charters are available for blackfish, once the blackfish bag limit is hiked to six of the tautog on November 16, from the current limit of one. <b>***Update, Thursday, 9/25:***</b> Weather looks good, and the open trip for flounder will fish Saturday, Mike said. The fish are there, and that’s the final day of the fluke season. Last chance!

<b>Ocean City</b>

Mostly croakers and blues, decent catches, were hung from the ocean throughout the weekend on the party boat <b>Miss Ocean City</b>, Capt. Victor said. The croakers were small to medium-sized, and the blues were 1 to 2 pounds. No trips sailed in rough weather since, and Victor hopes the trips resume Saturday. The Miss Ocean City is fishing 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily for croakers, blues and summer flounder through Saturday, the final day of flounder season. Afterward, the trips will fish for croakers, blues and maybe ling.

Many summer flounder remained in the bay, surprisingly, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Few fished the ocean reefs for the fluke, and only one or two days were possible to boat to the reefs recently. But surely flounder remained there, and flounder season will be closed starting Sunday. Out-of-season sea bass probably made up the largest population of fish in the area. A few striped bass were reeled from the surf, mostly on lures when mullet migrated the water. A few stripers were hooked from the back bay or along bridges. Kingfish were nabbed from the surf once in a while, like they were throughout summer. No large numbers were in, but kings were around. Small blues 18 inches or so swam everywhere, including out to the reefs, Bill heard.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Few fished the ocean, and the seas seemed rough all week, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. But kingfish, nothing crazy, but catches, some of the fish sizeable, started to be yanked from the surf. The kings seemed either tiny or beauties, 10 or 12 inches. Bluefish 1 to 2 pounds seemed to surround the island. They were tugged best from the surf and Townsend’s Inlet, but even came from the back bay. In the surf and inlet, mullet was best bait for them. The mullet were fished on traditional mullet rigs. But lots of rigs with cigar floats were sold to fish the mullet chunked, because of the size of the blues. Quite a few striped bass were plugged along the jetties in the surf on swimmers and poppers in mornings and evenings. That seemed because mullet migrated the water. An unusual number of keeper summer flounder, more than in a month, were cranked from the back bay this week. A couple of customers limited out, and a couple of the fish weighed 4 and 5 pounds. The fish bit Gulps or minnows, and mostly bucktails were fished for them.  Striper fishing was good on the bay for mostly throwbacks, many of them on poppers. Mike had customers who landed three to six per trip, excellent angling for the bass. Crabbing was pretty good. 

Annual traveling trips will fish Montauk this weekend aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The trips, fishing the migration of false albacore, striped bass and blues, began last weekend, and did a job on the fish, covered in the last report. Joe will run charters for the angling until the third weekend of October, and see <a href="http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page3.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s traveling charters Web page</a>. Joe also offers traveling charters to the Florida Keys in winter. Throughout the time the Montauk trips are offered, Joe keeps fishing from Sea Isle City, too. From Sea Isle, stripers were on a good bite on popper lures and flies on the back bay, a specialty aboard. The angling draws explosive attacks along the water surface. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Business was slow in the weather, but a handful of customers fished the back bay, some reporting luck on striped bass, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. Dropping water temperatures were “getting better” for striper fishing. A few stripers, not a lot, but a few, were beached from the surf. Lots of snapper blues were played in the bay and back waters, when anglers fished for them. Some customers picked up 10 of them from the canal in a half-hour on spearing. Summer flounder were steadily reeled from the bay, amazing for the time of year, Mike thought. The season was late for them to remain in the bay, instead of mostly departing for the ocean. Small, out-of-season sea bass schooled the bay. Crabbing was off all year, and currently, some were around, but if crabbers returned with a dozen keepers, that was good. Though weather was rough, calls were coming in about the rental boats. The shop will be open this weekend, and Mike was unsure how much longer the store will be open this year. Some of the bait and tackle will be blown out at 25 percent off this weekend.  Canal Side rents boats for fishing and crabbing and kayaks. <b>***<i>Get a $5 discount</i>***</b> on a rental boat if you mention Fishing Reports Now. Baits stocked usually include minnows and frozen herring in three per pack, Canadian spearing, mackerel fillets, whole mackerel, mullet fillets, whole bunker, bunker fillets, salted clams in quarts and pints, bags of fresh-frozen clams, all the different types of squid, like tube squid, trolling squid, strips of unscented and scented squid, green strips, pink strips and more. Crabs, both live and cooked, are sold for eating, and picnic tables were set out this year to enjoy them. One more delivery of the crabs will be carried this year.

<b>Cape May</b>

Summer flounder trips sailed several days between the weather on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. The ocean was rough, and scattered flounder were around, and the numbers sagged. Trips fished Monday and Tuesday but not Wednesday, and might not fish again until Saturday, because of weather. Forecasts currently called for pleasant weather on land that day, but the marine forecast wasn’t so good. Saturday is the final day of summer flounder season, and the boat will sail for the flatfish then. Starting Sunday, trips will fish for whatever bites. Croakers, bluefish and triggerfish have been around. Starting that day, trips will fish every Saturday and Sunday, after the boat previously fished daily. Daily trips will resume when sea bass season is opened starting October 18, targeting those fish.

Just bad weather, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. A trip aboard was supposed to fish for tuna overnight last weekend, but was cancelled, because of weather. The anglers still wanted to fish, so they boated summer flounder and blues from the ocean on Sunday. A flounder trip last week on Tuesday was slow, only bagging five or six, on the ocean. Flounder could probably still be found there, but the season for them will be closed starting Sunday, and weather might remain rough for boating through Saturday. Sunday might be better. No boats from Cape May probably tuna fished in a week. Some sailed for the fish last week on Monday to Tuesday, reporting catching longfin tuna. Striped bass charters are being booked for later this fall, and many calls came in for the dates. The trips will probably fish chunks of bunker on Delaware Bay at first. The Heavy Hitter didn’t fish for stripers at the Cape May Rips much in recent years, because that angling wasn’t as good. But every year can be different. Live baits like spots or eels, or bucktails, are usually fished at the rips. Sometimes trips also troll stripers on the ocean toward Hereford Inlet in fall.

Surf fishing for bluefish 18 inches, a little larger than before, was good, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Fresh mullet seemed best bait, and Hopkins jigs worked well when birds worked bait along the water in early morning. Mullet migrated the surf, and a few anglers who braved the weather plugged striped bass pretty well in the surf. Some of the fish were good-sized, and blackfish and triggerfish were tied into along jetties. Both also bit at Cape May Reef, at the south end, when boaters could reach the reef in the weather. Wind pretty much shut down boating for summer flounder. The flatfish were decked from the ocean previously. Out-of-season sea bass were hooked and released when anglers flounder fished on the ocean.  Nothing was heard about flounder from Delaware Bay, but when the catches were last reported, they were boated east of Miah Maul. Flounder season will be closed starting Sunday.  The back bay turned out stripers and weakfish on soft-plastic lures and popper plugs along bridges and sod banks. The last time anything was heard about tuna, a few longfin tuna were picked at Lindenkohl Canyon. Other than all this fishing, seas were 7 to 11 feet! Fresh mullet, bloodworms and green crabs are stocked, and minnows will arrive Friday morning.

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