<b>Staten Island</b>

Sea bass fishing was super, again, with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. The trip, sailing Sunday from Sewaren, N.J., limited out on the fish to 4 pounds, and ling were mixed in. Outcast offers fishing from either Staten Island, N.Y., or Sewaren. Depths 50 to 75 feet were fished, and the water was 63 degrees

<b>Keyport</b>

Fishing sailed for striped bass Friday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. The angling, with livelined bunker, was great, and the stripers, 25 to 35 pounds, “real beauties,” he said, sometimes crashed three of the baits at once. On Saturday, fluke fishing was tough aboard, putting up a poor catch, because of strong, northwest wind during a strong, outgoing tide. But on Sunday, conditions were perfect, and fluking was super aboard. The trip totaled 29 keepers to 8 pounds, one less than a limit for the six people. When conditions are right, fluking can be excellent. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trip will sail Friday, and telephone to reserve. The boat is full for the weekend. Two spaces are available for Saturday, June 27, and one is available for the next day. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

All trips will fluke starting today with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. Bluefish that trips had also targeted might’ve started thinning out. But if anglers want bluefish, those trips might still be available. Open-boat trips are available daily when no charter is booked, and telephone to climb aboard. Trips are fishing 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 to 8 p.m.

Sea bass catches were super throughout the past week with <b>Down Deep Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Mario said. The lumpheads weighed up to 4 pounds, and all anglers, big crowds, limited out, on almost every trip. Keeper cod and big ling were shoveled aboard the trips, too. Fluke fishing was better and better every day. So book up, he said. Charters are sailing, and join the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on Down Deep’s website to be kept informed about special open-boat trips. Also see the site’s open-trips page for available dates.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Daytime trips will switch to fluke fishing daily starting Tuesday on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on boat’s website. Nighttime trips will still fish for striped bass and bluefish, because striper fishing improved in the dark. On daytime trips, bluefish disappeared that kept the angling going the past couple of weeks. Sunday’s trip totaled three keeper stripers, two throwbacks, a bluefish and three keeper fluke. A keeper fluke was the first fish boated that day, “so that was my omen!” Ron said.  Starting Tuesday, the Fishermen will sail for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. However, the boat is chartered this Saturday morning, so no open-boat trip will fish then. Trips are fishing for stripers and blues 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9 p.m. Sundays.

Fluking sailed on every trip on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, reeling up many throwbacks, sometimes keepers, on Raritan Bay, Capt. Tom said. The angling was like previously, and if conditions drifted the boat right, lots of the fish bit. Otherwise, fewer did. Every trip could be different, and some anglers landed 15 or 20 fluke. They might catch a keeper or more among those, and might not. Not as many keepers were hooked as Tom would like, at all. A 7-year-old girl, Katie Lee, boated four keepers, including a 9-pounder! “It was kind of funny,” Tom said. That was on Sunday afternoon’s trip, and that many keepers, and the 9-pounder, were exceptions. Sometimes keepers were sizable this year aboard, though, covered in previous reports. Weather was great, and Tom couldn’t complain about that. Sometimes forecasts called for possible storms or rough weather. But only one storm, for 10 minutes, happened in the past week aboard, on Tuesday, Tom thought. Some of the fluke had muddy bottoms, showing they hunkered along bottom. Others had clean bottoms, showing they were on the move. Some of the fluke were light-colored. That showed they migrated from the ocean, and suggested fluke were still moving into the bay. The water was warming, and the fish were warm to the touch. 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>Highlands</b>

<b>Fin-Taz-Tic Sportfishing</b>’s been sea bass fishing, and that’s been going great, at Scotland, Sandy Hook Reef and Shrewsbury Rocks, Capt. Pete said. Some beautiful sea bass were boated, and some jumbo ling, and cod, were mixed in. The angling needed to pick through throwbacks, but grabbed keepers, and the ling and cod were nice to see. Pete hadn’t seen ling this size in some time. Trips aboard also fluked, successfully, finding a good keeper ratio. But sea bass are the way to go, Pete thinks, while 15 is the bag limit this month. Two will be the limit in July. The sea bass trips put fish in the freezer, especially. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing.

<b>Neptune</b>

For <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, striped bass fishing was a bust Thursday evening, Capt. Ralph wrote in an email. The trip trolled and fished live bait until 9:30 p.m., and stripers were marked, but none bit. Last Lady will try for stripers again this week. During the weekend, bottom-fishing on three trips was fair to very good aboard. Sea bass, ling and winter flounder were slid in. So were out-of-season blackfish, including big, that were released. “Shame we had to release the males,” he said. Charters are available daily, and individual-reservation trips are sailing for sea bass every Tuesday this month. That’s because 15 is the bag limit, and two becomes the limit in July. Those trips will fish for fluke starting in July, and kids under 12 sail free on the Tuesday trips, limited to two per adult host. An individual-reservation trip for cod is full on July 7, and another will be scheduled soon. 

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>XTC Sportfishing</b> competed in the South Jersey Shark Tournament from Cape May this weekend, Capt. Scott said. Seven or eight mako sharks 80 to 150 pounds, none a winning fish, and five brown sharks were landed. The trips fished 50 miles from shore, and the water was 66 to 67 degrees with excellent clarity. Reports sounded like yellowfin tuna were boated at Lindenkohl, Spencer and Wilmington canyons. One angler reported a few bigeye tuna taken on the angler’s trip at the Wilmington. Scott’s eager to tuna fish, and XTC has already sailed for tuna this season, but the schedule becomes fuller with tuna trips starting in July aboard. The boat is still busy with inshore fishing, and a trip inshore tried for striped bass on Sunday, and none was caught. Then the trip bottom-fished, tugging in a good catch of sea bass and ling. Another trip was supposed to sail for all of that today. During the trip’s striper fishing, bunker schooled, and some were snagged for bait to liveline, at Shrewsbury Rocks. No stripers bit, and only one fish bit during the striper angling, during trolling, but it failed to stay hooked.

Trips attempted striped bass fishing with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Pete said. But the angling was tough, so the trips switched to sea bass fishing that was good. Stripers, big, were around, and schooling bunker that held them could be found on some mornings. But trips needed to fish at the crack of dawn to catch the bass. Some boaters trolled the bass, working to catch, putting in time. But customers aboard usually weren’t up for fishing that early in the morning or for patiently trolling. So the trips switched to bottom-fishing to put catches in the cooler. Striper fishing was attempted at first during mornings, sometimes during evenings, on the trips. Fluke fishing reportedly began to improve, and Pete expects to attempt fluking this week, seeing what happens. Fluke will become the main species targeted aboard this summer, like every year. Fluke trips will include On the Water Seminars, like last year. Those trips teach bucktailing for big fluke, in a non-threatening environment. Novices can learn, or anglers familiar with bucktailing can hone their skills. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Contact Parker Pete’s anyway, about individual spaces available on charters. Jump on <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a> to subscribe to the email blast to be kept informed about the spaces. Look for the place to sign up on the right side of the page, where it says Join Our Newsletter.

More striped bass were dragged from the surf than a week ago, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Clams, cut bunker and sand crabs caught the fish, mostly throwbacks, but some to 30 inches and larger. Boaters landed much larger stripers. One charter trolled a 35-pounder and a 31-pounder, and another smashed a striper heavier than 40 pounds on a bunker snagged for bait and livelined. Shark River’s fluke fishing was good, and the shop’s rental boats are available for the  angling. Some good fluking came from the ocean. Tony Saunders from Toms River hauled in an 11-pound 5-ounce fluke from Shark River Reef on the ocean on Gulp. “All is well in the fishing world,” Bob said. <b>***Update, Tuesday, 6/16:***</b> Boaters hammered big striped bass on the ocean today, Bob wrote in an email at 3 p.m. Two 46-pounders, a 44-pounder and a 40-pounder were weighed-in during the last few hours. “Just the tip of the iceberg,” he said.

On the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, bluefishing was slow Sunday, a report on the vessel’s website said. “I think a lot of it had to do with the strong current due to the new moon,” it said. The angling is expected to turn back on, once the current slows, in a day or so after last Sunday, because plenty of blues were around. The angling was a little slow on Saturday’s trip, and good on Friday’s. The blues weighed up to 12 pounds on that trip. The Golden Eagle is fishing at 7:30 a.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. Annual fishing and sunset cruises, sailing 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., will be added starting Monday, June 22. Lots of fun with family and friends, the report said.

Fishing became tougher this weekend, but seemed to start picking back up by Sunday evening on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the party boat said. The boat’s bluefishing became slower than previously on Saturday’s trip. Anglers were able to pick the fish on some drifts. Blues were still around, were marked well at times, but didn’t cooperate. Bluefishing was slow on Saturday night’s trip, and none of the fleet caught them. Fishing for blues was also tough on Sunday’s trip. But the trip managed a few blues, fluke and sizable sea bass, and a big cod Angling became better that evening, on one of the boat’s Family Fun Day Trips. Those trips are more of a fun cruise for families than diehard fishing. But several keeper fluke to 3 ½ pounds were decked, among throwback fluke and sea bass. So maybe fishing was picking up then. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for stripers and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. every Saturday. Family Fun Days are fishing 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Friday and Sunday for fluke, sea bass, blues or whatever bites. The trips enjoy a sunset cruise on the way home.

<b>Brielle</b>

Very good fluke fishing on Sunday aboard, Capt. Ryan from the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> wrote in an email. A good many anglers joined the afternoon trip, and many bagged two to four fluke apiece, and released a bunch of throwbacks. Some of the regulars limited out lately, on both morning and afternoon trips, and pool-winning fluke weighed 4 and 5 pounds recently. This was the best fluking yet this season on the boat. The Jamaica II is fishing for fluke and sea bass on two half-day trips at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and on a full-day trip at 7:30 a.m. every Monday.

Striped bass were boated on the ocean in early mornings, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. The bite was finished by 6:30 a.m., and Shrewsbury Rocks probably gave up the catches most consistently. But the bass were found from like Lavallette to Monmouth Beach, mostly among bunker pods, close to shore, in 30 or 40 feet. Snagging and livelining the bunker and trolling bunker spoons caught. Fluke fishing picked up on the ocean, giving up fair catches, mostly at Sea Girt Reef.  Fluking also tied into sea bass, when areas with sea bass were fished. Quite a few sea bass seemed to hold at Sea Girt and Axel Carlson reefs. Manasquan River’s fluking was fairly good. Many throwbacks bit, but keepers were bagged, if anglers fished a day. Schoolie striped bass 18 to 24 inches were played at the river’s bridges at night on small plugs. Small bluefish 2 to 4 pounds were around, including at Manasquan Inlet. They schooled the inlet in mornings and evenings like clockwork, getting hooked on jigs and Ava’s. Shark fishing sounded good at all the traditional places, like the Fingers to the Monster Ledge and at Little Italy. A healthy number of mako sharks in the upper 100 pounds to 200 pounds were docked. Farther from shore, tuna fishing was great at southern canyons like the Carteret and the Spencer. Lots of yellowfin tuna to 50 pounds were trolled on ballyhoos and spreader bars. A few bigeye tuna and marlin, both white and blue, were trolled at the canyons.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Probably the best fluking of the year was tied into Sunday on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said. The fishing was kind of slow on Saturday’s trip, but on Sunday’s was “nice – really nice,” he said. Customers that day lit into lots of action with throwbacks and a decent number of keepers. Ray Cha from Point Pleasant won the morning trip’s pool with a 6-pound fluke. A new population of fluke seemed to move into the area. “Looking good,” Bob said. A few sea bass were hung on some drifts. The Gambler is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily, for ling 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. every Thursday and for bluefish 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. every Friday and Saturday.

“Fluke fishing is getting hot!” Capt. Matt from the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. The ocean warmed – he saw temperatures as high as 67 degrees – so the fishing began to turn on. During the weekend aboard, “there was a very good catch of shorts,” and some decent-sized keepers mixed in, he said. Gulp Swimming Mullets in green caught best on Saturday’s trip. Rubber squids with a combo of squid and spearing on the hook seemed to land the bigger fluke on Sunday’s. Judy Schible took the lead in the monthly pool with a 5-1/2-pound fluke on Saturday’s trip. Bluefishing was slow on nighttime trips. A few smaller blues swam around but refused to bite on Saturday night’s trip. The trip “took a good ride,” he said, with a larger crowd. Sunday night’s trip fished inshore, with a light crowd, landing some decent-sized ling and sea bass. The crew will still give bluefishing their best, but clams will be carried aboard the night trips, to try for the bottom-fish, for a back-up plan. Ling and sea bass are tasty, he noted. 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 for blues 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

<b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> opted to tuna fish this weekend, instead of competing in the shark tournaments, Capt. Ray wrote in an email. Forecasts looked good for taking advantage of the good tuna angling at the southern canyons. The trip, on Sunday, worked up and down the Continental Shelf, a little inshore of 100 fathoms, at a couple of small temperature breaks. Fourteen yellowfin tuna, not big, and a few gaffer mahi mahi were boated. Half the tuna were kept, and the rest were released. A marlin was raised that didn’t bite. A decent spread of fish seemed to swim the waters, and they weren’t picky about biting. The fish bit ballyhoos, plastic lures and spreader bars. A couple of trips are supposed to shark fish this week aboard. But if forecasts are good, Mushin might push farther offshore for tuna, instead.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

The number of fluke lifted from the surf and Barnegat Bay was on the rise, John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s website. Bluefish kept anglers busy in both places, and striped bass seemed nonexistent at times, except for a few surf anglers. Stop by with catches from the surf to win the $50 gift certificate to the store awarded each month for the heaviest. Crabbing was improving off the dock and from the rental boats. Baits stocked included killies, fresh bunker, fresh clams and sandworms. 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>

Fishing will sail for fluke and sea bass starting Friday on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, a report on the vessel’s website said. That’s earlier than expected, because bluefishing aboard was slow. The boat bluefished until now, and 1- to 3-pound blues schooled Barnegat Bay, and bigger blues schooled 60 miles offshore. But almost none swam between. Starting Friday, the Miss Barnegat Light will fish for fluke and sea bass 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

Ocean wreck-fishing wasn’t bad, considering the pressure on the angling this weekend, said Capt. Ted from the <b>Super Chic</b>. Every Tom, Dick and Harry tried for sea bass at the wrecks during the days, because of slow fishing for striped bass and fluke, and because of flat seas. So the Super Chic fished wrecks shallower than usual, in 75 feet or shallower. Sea bass and a few ling were pumped in. The fishing was pretty good Saturday aboard. A trip Sunday wreck-fished in the morning, and bluefished afterward at Barnegat Inlet on the tide. The bluefishing didn’t work out well, because of boat traffic. But good bluefishing, for 3- to 8-pounders, was jigged at the inlet aboard the previous evening, on Saturday, on the tide. At the wrecks, the ocean was 62 to 64 degrees, good for the sea bass and ling fishing. Barnegat Bay warmed, shooting up to 70 degrees on outgoing tides. Southerly wind could cool water this week.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

A few items of maintenance will be completed on the <b>June Bug</b>, and fishing aboard is expected to begin next week, Capt. Lindsay said. The boat begins fishing from New Jersey every June, after arriving from its winter home in North Carolina. Fluke and sea bass, good catches, were found in the ocean in recent days. Bluefish seemed to migrate away, and fishing for them lasted a short time this season. None of the Beach Haven boats fished for tuna offshore in past days, but a tuna trip is slated on the June Bug in a week to 10 days, whenever the boat is ready to sail.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

A decent turnout showed up to fish for summer flounder Saturday, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. Holes with a good drop-off held the keepers in Great Bay and Little Egg Inlet. Forage like shrimp and spearing fell into the holes on outgoing tides, attracting the fish. The flounder also hovered along the Intracoastal Waterway from the 134 to the 139 in the bay. Sharks and skates were scattered in the bay. Flounder also swam Tuckerton Bay at the Brick Pile. Bigger bluefish 5 to 15 pounds seemed to pop up in the inlet, like previously. Good sea bass fishing was reported from the ocean from Garden State South Reef to Atlantic City Reef. 

<b>Brigantine</b>

Striped bass still swam the back bay, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. One angler boated a keeper striper, fishing at the crack of dawn, and the trip, with his son, also rounded up a couple of keeper flounder, on the bay. Anglers kept sending the shop photos of drum they beached from the surf. The shots were posted on the store’s Facebook page, and kingfish were “in,” in the surf, though anglers waded through smaller ones to keep ones big enough to eat.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Some big weakfish were checked-in, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. One was a 6.1-pound 28-incher hooked on a pink-and-white, floating jig, and another was a 4.8-pound 25-incher caught on a pink zoom. Anglers on foot landed both along Absecon Inlet’s jetties. But weaks were also winged from the back bay. A customer needed pink jigheads, saying he was into the weaks on the bay at Harrah’s. A couple of good-sized striped bass were whacked along the inlet rocks on Saturday night. One Stop didn’t weigh them in, but the anglers shared photos on the shop’s Facebook page. The stripers currently bit at night, and customers fish the jetty-lined inlet on foot. They also fish the bay on foot at places like Harrah’s, and summer flounder croakers and kingfish were also nipped, both along the inlet rocks and the bay. Fishing was good. Bloodworms are two dozen for $20 on Mondays and Tuesdays and $10.75 per dozen the rest of the week. Minnows are only $8 a pint or $15 a quart. Catch the special on bucktails at $1.79 for 1/8 ounce, $1.85 for ¼ ounce, $1.89 for 3/8 ounce, $2 for either ½ or 5/8 ounce, $2.20 for 1 ounce, $2.29 for 1 ½ ounce, $2.99 for 2 ounce and $3.49 for 3 ounce. The bucktails come in white, pink-and-white, yellow-and-white, chartreuse-and-white and red-and-white.  One Stop and Duck Tavern are sponsoring The AC Flounder Pounder Week Long Flounder Tournament that began Sunday and is running until this coming Sunday. The contest benefits The Valerie Fund Team Anthony Road to Recovery, and entry is $5. Prizes will be awarded for the three heaviest flounder from land or sea in Atlantic City waters. Anglers must be entered before catching to win, and entrants get 10 percent off from One Stop and Duck Tavern, and a flounder jighead. The leaders currently were a 3.4-pound 21-1/2-incher in first place, a 3.1-pound 20-1/2-incher in second and a 2.7-pound 19-1/2-incher in third.

<b>Longport</b>

Sea bass fishing was no good, Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b> said. Trips, on the ocean, will switch to summer flounder fishing, drifting along rock piles, where sea bass could also be picked up. A trip Sunday only managed 17 keeper sea bass, though they were good-sized fish. No flounder were caught on the trip, because conditions couldn’t drift the boat. But flounder are biting in the ocean. Anglers need to be on their game, dropping the line when Mike says. They can’t be playing with bait, or they’ll miss the spot to catch. The water temperature “popped” to 70 degrees on the trip, 15 to 17 miles from shore, for the first time this season. The water had a green tint but was clear. The ocean is in good condition for shark fishing, and brown sharks and a tiger shark were seen on the sea bass trip. Stray Cat is available for trips for sharks and also tuna. Tuna were whacked at the canyons from the Wilmington to the Toms. The fishing, for 40-pound yellowfins, was off the hook.  

<b>Ocean City</b>

Catches of sea bass were really good on Saturday aboard, said Capt. Victor from the party boats <b>Miss Ocean City</b> and <b>Captain Robbins</b>. The fish measured up to 16 and 17 inches, some quality sea bass, and bluefish and a few ling were also swung in. On Sunday aboard the back bay, kids tangled with lots of sand sharks and throwback summer flounder on a morning trip. On an afternoon trip that day on the bay, one of the flounder was a keeper, 18 ½ inches. A trip will fish the bay 8 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. A trip Wednesday will fish the ocean for sea bass 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

A trip with two anglers popper-plugged a striped bass and landed summer flounder on the back bay Saturday morning with <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, Capt. Joe Hughes said. The flounder included two keepers to 5 ½ pounds, and a 2-pound bluefish was also reeled up. Lots of fish, Joe said, and the striper was nailed on a Skitter Pop lure. The two keeper flounder pounced on an Electric Chicken soft-plastic lure on a jighead. The throwback flounder were hooked on a rig. The rig included a bucktail on bottom, with a Gulp on the hook, and a minnow on a red hook on a trailer tied above. The bay’s fishing was like a summer pattern already, a little early, but Joe will take it. Good fishing. A trip Thursday on the bay with two other anglers popper-plugged four or five stripers, among seven bites, on Skitter Pops, and jigged flounder, and blues to 6 pounds, on the soft-plastics. The popper-fishing, drawing explosive, visual attacks from stripers, is a specialty aboard. The boat is poled along the bay’s shallow flats, and the plugs are often cast to stripers seen, like in a tropical destination. Sharks bit in the ocean, both inshore and farther out. Friends tackled duskies inshore and makos farther out, and Joe will begin the inshore shark trips soon. The trips fight and release sharks like duskies and browns, usually within 10 miles from the coast, on spinning and fly rods. The trips are a chance to fight big fish without the long trek offshore.  Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Avalon</b>

Delaware Bay was fished on a few trips in the last week with <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b>, Capt. Jim said. The bay’s summer flounder fishing was tough, and 20 throwbacks were totaled on one of the trips, on Thursday, at the stakes and the number 1 buoy. Weakfish were also boated near Miah Maul on the outing. The trip also fished farther south, at Bug Light, on the bay, but nothing was doing there. A trip Tuesday fought a bunch of bluefish aboard the bay. The blues were hooked on chunks of bunker that were snagged from big schools of the baitfish. The blues were nowhere to be found on Thursday’s trip. A trip also fished the bay Saturday, at the stakes, the number 1 and the Maul. But northwest wind 10 to 15 knots and outgoing tide drifted the boat too quickly, though drift socks slowed the boat. Fish missed the hooks, biting the tails of bait and such. The bay was 75 degrees, had warmed considerably. On the trips, weather was gorgeous Tuesday, and strong wind blew on Thursday. The water was dirty on Saturday. Fins also fishes the back bay at Avalon, including for flounder. Trips fish the inshore ocean in summer, for catches from flounder to pelagics like mahi mahi, wahoos and bluefin tuna, if the tuna show up. Fins offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including saltwater fishing, duck and goose hunting on Delaware Bay and in nearby states, 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 over a series of days in autumn. 

<b>Wildwood</b>

A few summer flounder, some keepers mixed in, began to show up in the ocean off Wildwood, at structure, said Capt. Jim from <b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b>. Conditions were improving for the fishing, including the water warming to 69 degrees. Sea bass fishing was slow on the ocean. A few kingfish began to appear, and fishing bailed them last year at Cape May Channel. Kingfish are delicious. A shark trip is slated for Saturday, and sharking seemed decent in this weekend’s South Jersey Shark Tournament from Cape May. Some decent-sized mako sharks, and thresher sharks to nearly 500 pounds, were entered. Threshers sometimes also swam close to shore, near the surf, foraging on bunker schools, like happens this time of year. Anglers expressed interest in fishing for sharks including threshers at the reefs. Jim told them he couldn’t promise catching a thresher there, but could promise 1,000-percent effort, and the anglers could bottom-fish and shark fish at the same time. Lots of hammerhead sharks haunted 20 miles from the coast, and that was unusual. This was shark season at Wildwood, and Fins & Grins fishes for them and any catches available. Trips even crab on the back bay, and the crabbing was phenomenal. Crabbing trips aboard set up at places like creek mouths with handlines, nabbing the blueclaws. Fishing is available daily, and reservations aren’t required but suggested. Telephone for availability.

<b>Cape May</b>

John Darr’s family ran for sea bass Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, 30 miles from shore, Capt. George said. Not many of the sea bass were keepers, and a bunch of throwbacks bit. But a bunch of sizable ling is what the anglers did box. They also iced a few keeper cod. A small hammerhead shark swam up to the boat. George hopes bluefish school the ocean banks soon that give up good trolling for the fish in summer. On Sunday, he cleaned up the boat and worked on the outriggers for tuna fishing. Good catches of yellowfin tuna were reported from Wilmington and Baltimore canyons on Friday and Saturday. All who fished those waters Sunday caught none, who George knew about. The South Jersey Shark Tournament was held in town during the weekend. A couple of mako sharks and a few thresher sharks were entered, from what George heard. Sharks must be 200 pounds or heavier to be entered. The Heavy Hitter is available for all of this fishing, and telephone if interested.

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