<b>Staten Island</b>

<b>Outcast Charters</b> steamed for sea bass on the ocean Saturday, but the angling was slow, Capt. Joe said. A fair number of good-sized, 3-pound sea bass were swung in, but not as many as wanted. A few ling were landed, and the trip had to travel. The fishing was best far south, and was dead to the north. That was despite colder water to the south. The water was 60 degrees to the north, and 54 to the south. Joe hopes more sea bass migrate closer to shore this week, including because of the week’s easterly wind that can warm the water, and the next fishing aboard will sail for sea bass this weekend. Outcast fishes from both Staten Island, N.Y., and Sewaren, N.J. 

<b>Keyport</b>

Bluefish 2 and 3 pounds were fought from shore at places like Cliffwood Beach and Union Beach on Raritan Bay, said Bob from <b>Joey’s Bait Shack</b>. Cast fresh bunker to the fish, and the bay’s fluke fishing served up lots of throwbacks, not so many keepers, for boaters. Crabbers trapped a few keeper blueclaws. Many throwback crabs seemed to skitter around, typical for the early season.

Fishing last ran Sunday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, and a fluke trip was cancelled Wednesday, because of forecasts for gusts to 30 knots, from east, Capt. Frank said. That was supposed to be the year’s first fluking aboard, and Frank saw no wind nearly that strong. But an open-boat fluke trip is set for Friday, and two spaces remain. The flatfishing really turns on after easterly wind like this, usually, and did last year. The weekend is booked, and the next open fluke trips will fish on June 10, 11, 13 and 14. That’s a Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and telephone to reserve.

The weather put the kibosh on fishing, said Capt. Joe from <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>. No trips sailed in past days, but space is available this weekend. That’s for fishing for striped bass or fluke 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. or blues or fluke 3 to 8 p.m., on open-boat trips or charters. Telephone to climb aboard.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

After the weather the previous two days, Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> knew fishing was going to be tough Wednesday, he wrote in a report on the boat’s website. No trips sailed Monday and Tuesday, and just enough anglers showed up for a trip Wednesday. The trip covered all of Raritan Bay, and a couple of blues were reeled in. Plenty of fish were read, but wouldn’t bite. Bait and jigs were tried, and so was anchoring and drifting. Ron’s not “waving the white flag” on striped bass fishing yet. Trips aboard will still catch stripers, he thinks. “Hang in there,” he said. “It’s only the first of June.” Ron thanked one angler from the trip who handed him a check for $100 for the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund. Ron was touched, and felt frustrated about the fluke management, by the time the conversation was finished with the angler. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Trips are also striper fishing 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9 p.m. Sundays. However, the boat is chartered Friday evening, so no open-boat trip will sail then.

Fluke were boated on Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Striped bass were wormed along the river bridges, and were boated along Bay Ridge Flats and the Statue of Liberty. Bluefish swam Raritan Bay, and sea bass and ling had been pulled from the ocean, before the weather. All baits are stocked, no matter the weather.

Both of the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>’s fluke trips fished Wednesday, Capt. Tom said. No customers were around to sail the previous two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, in the weather, including rain. But Raritan Bay, where the boat is fishing, was calm, even if anglers were concerned about small-craft warnings. Action was good on both trips, and not a lot of the fluke were keepers. One of the anglers landed three keepers on the morning trip, and that was the exception. Most anglers caught one keeper, and some hooked none. All caught throwbacks, and sometimes a drift would produce 15 throwbacks, no keepers. The drift was decent during most of the morning trip, and then it slowed some. The drift was decent on the afternoon’s. None of the fluke was big, though some big, up to a 14-pounder, were pasted aboard, since fluke season opened a couple of weeks ago. 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>

Weather was rough this week, but <b>Fin-Taz-Tic Sportfishing</b> fished Tuesday, and did pick up striped bass and fluke in the river, Capt. Pete wrote in an email. But the angling was far from great. He hopes the water temperature will rise, and after this full moon, fishing for stripers and fluke will improve. Space is available for striper fishing aboard 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. “Hope to see you there,” he said.

Boaters from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b> sailed for fluke and still striped bass, Marion said. That was when weather made that possible. Ed and Tony on the Hammerhead boated two keeper fluke and lots of shorts off the Ammo Pier on Friday on killies and squid. George Cattiney eased aboard a 6-1/2-pound fluke near the 9 buoy Sunday on squid. Ed and Tony on the Hammerhead were back out Wednesday, limiting out on fluke on Shrewsbury River on Gulps and killies. Twin Lights, located 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. Live bunker are stocked when available. The offshore selection, like frozen flats of baitfish, is carried. The fuel dock is available 24 hours a day with a credit card. 

<b>Neptune</b>

Angling was canceled aboard today with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, but Capt. Ralph hoped to fish Friday, he said. The boat last had the weather to sail Sunday, when a trip cleaned up on five big striped bass and some blues, covered in the last report here. Only a few spaces remain for an individual-reservation trip for cod on Sunday. Space is available on an individual-reservation trip for striped bass this coming Thursday, and book now, because spots will be limited. The goal is to liveline bunker for bait. Individual-reservation trips will begin to fish every Tuesday next week. Sea bass will be targeted on the trips, until fluke fishing improves. But fluke bait will be carried aboard. Kids under 12 sail free on the Tuesday trips, limited to two per adult host.

<b>Belmar</b>

Wow, what a week of weather, a report on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>’s Facebook page said. Four days of northeast wind, and rain. But it’s time to fish: The boat will sail Friday in wind that’s supposed to diminish. Bluefishing was great aboard, previously, and the northeast wind should have warmed the water, only helping the fishing. The Golden Eagle is fishing at 7:30 a.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday.

Trips will sail Saturday and Sunday on the <b>Katie H</b>, probably for a combo of striped bass and bottom fishing, Capt. Mike said. Sea bass and cod might be some of the bottom catches. Looking ahead, the boat will compete in Mako Mania the final weekend of the month. Shark trips will probably fish before then aboard, too. Tuna were boated at the offshore canyons before the weather, and the crew will look at fishing for them before Mako Mania, in the next week or two. The Katie H fishes for all inshore species, but is also an offshore specialist.

<b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> was landlocked in the weather, Capt. Pete said. One of Belmar’s party boats fished Wednesday, finding a much warmer ocean than before, because of the east wind, putting together an improved bottom-fishing catch, because of that, apparently. The vessel was the port’s only head boat that fished in the weather around that time. Pete hopes striped bass fishing amps up in the ocean, because of the warmer water, and that bottom-fishing does. His trips are mostly fishing for stripers, but bottom-angling is an option. 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.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>***Update, Saturday, 6/6:***</b> Fishing sailed today on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, for the first time in some time, because of weather, Capt. Bob said in a voicemail. On the morning trip, fluke fishing started off slow, but the angling ended up with catches: throwbacks and just a few keepers. But sea bass, throwbacks and keepers, helped a lot, putting fish in coolers. The afternoon’s trip was similar, and Ralph Riviera from Brick was a pool-winner with a 4-pound 7-ounce fluke today. None of the nighttime bluefish trips sailed recently, also because of weather. But tonight’s bluefish trip was expected to sail. Bob hoped for a good trip, though nighttime bluefishing sounded yet to amp up this season.  He didn’t mention ling trips, but the boat’s website’s schedule includes a ling trip one night each week. The Gambler 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 12:30 a.m. every Friday and Saturday. The ling trips are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. every Thursday.

The ocean temperature rose 10 or 11 degrees, because of the northeast wind, and sea bass fishing became better Wednesday, apparently as a result, on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. Two or three of the anglers limited out, and most pitched aboard five to 12 keepers. “I’ll keep taking northeast,” he said, though the wind made seas rough. A few ling and cod were mixed in. Previously, sustained southerly wind cooled the ocean. That happens because of upwelling near the coast. No trip sailed Tuesday aboard, because of weather. The Dauntless was the only boat that fished Wednesday from the docks, because of the strength of the wind or the seas the wind would kick up. The ocean last week was 44 degrees – cold! – during four days.  The temp rose to 48 by Monday. That was the temp read aboard that day. On Wednesday aboard, it reached 57.  The boat fished “local” in 60- to 80-foot depths. Some anglers hoped the easterly wind would spark striped bass to bite, after the southerly seemed to slow the fishing. The Dauntless isn’t fishing for stripers, but stripers might bite if the ocean temp stabilizes, if the easterly blows another day or two, Butch said. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Annual, nighttime bluefishing trips will probably also sail in another week, probably Thursdays through Saturdays, or something like that.

The party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> was docked today, once again, because of weather, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. But weather looks good for Friday’s through Sunday’s trips. He hoped the current wind direction cleaned the ocean, helping to pick up fluke fishing. 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 bluefish 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

Both the ocean and Barnegat Bay warmed in the wind, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. But not a lot of customers, six or eight a day, stopped by during the cranking northeasterly. The bay was entirely fishable in the wind direction, though the weather was chilly. Bluefish schooled the bay toward the BB and BI markers, more toward the east than west. Fluke fishing had been slow on the ocean, because the water had been cold. Fluke were taken from the bay at the BB and BI and from Manasquan River. A few blowfish showed up west of the BB. Rumors said kingfish began to be hooked at Atlantic City in the past week, so they should arrive locally soon. The surf was rough, and anglers used 8-ounce weights to hold bottom in the water for days. One customer really scored crabs from the Toms River at Island Heights. Few crabbed, just like few fished, in the weather, but plenty of the blueclaws were around. Fresh bunker would arrive today. Fresh clams were on hand, but a new supply probably wouldn’t arrive immediately, because of the weather. Maybe more will be delivered Friday. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

From the surf, striped bass that were clammed at Barnegat Inlet’s pocket were the only catches reported, said George from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. The surf was rough, and 10 ounces of weight was used to hold bottom yesterday. First, southeast wind roared three or four days. Then northeast did. Many customers tried fishing the surf, but said not much was doing. A girl on the dock was landing a couple of 4-pound blues when George gave this report this afternoon in a phone call. Crabbing slowed, because of the weather. A few small fluke were nabbed on Barnegat Bay from the 40 to the BB markers. 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>Forked River</b>

Barnegat Bay’s fluking was decent at High Bar Harbor and Double Creek Channel, before the weather, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. One angler who fluked boated a striped bass along the bay’s sod banks, but that was the only striper heard about from the bay. Striper fishing was great on the ocean, prior to the weather. Two stripers 46 and 44 pounds were weighed-in. A few anglers talked about fighting bluefish on the bay, but many of the blues departed that water. A couple of catches of weakfish, not many, were reported from Oyster Creek’s mouth. A trip on a local, well-known charter boat landed three mako sharks, bagging a 220-pounder, and three blue sharks Friday or Saturday. All the shark baits like mackerel and butterfish, and bunker chum for the fishing, are stocked. Killies and all the inshore frozen baits, including locally-caught spearing and Canadian spearing, are carried. Crabbing was improving, and was good in lagoons.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

Fishing from Beach Haven will begin in a week on the <b>June Bug</b>, Capt. Lindsay said. The boat was returned to the port on Saturday from its winter home in North Carolina. Bigeye tuna had been clobbered offshore of Oregon Inlet, N.C. Boaters landed one to six of the fish, big, up to 280 or 290 pounds, per trip. The tuna now began moving north. They should show up at Washington Canyon next, and eventually the canyons within range of New Jersey. Plenty of yellowfin tuna already swam the canyons off Jersey. “There’s (tuna-attracting) water out there,” he said. The June Bug will fish for the tuna and just about all species available. That can include bluefish, and Lindsay saw so many blues during the whole trip from North Carolina to Jersey. Striped bass could be around, when the vessel’s fishing starts. Stripers didn’t seem in a hurry to migrate away, before the weather kept fishing docked, and the season was early for stripers. All reports said plenty of sea bass were around, before the weather, and that angling is an option aboard, too.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Great weekend of bluefishing aboard, basically, a report on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>’s website said. The angling was slow in the mornings, but super in the afternoons. Sometimes all the anglers were hooked up at once with the 4- to 8-pounders. Sometimes a few of the anglers were connected at once. Almost all the blues were hooked on jigs, not bait. The Miss Barnegat Light is bluefishing 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Friday through Sunday through June 21. However, no trip is expected to fish this Friday, because of weather. Starting June 22, the boat will fish for fluke and sea bass 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

<b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b> was closed the past two days, because of weather, but was opened today, Vince Sr. said. A couple of the rental boats were fishing this morning, so he’d see how that went. Nothing really changed with angling since last week’s report, he said. Last week, he said fluke fishing seemed okay on the bay, not holding an overabundance of the fish. But some sizable were docked then, including a 25-incher and some 20-inchers. Some anglers only landed throwbacks then. But fluke were there. The ocean harbored some fluke then. Many big striped bass were docked from the ocean two weekends ago. They were trolled on bunker spoons or hooked on bunker snagged and livelined for bait. Bluefish came from Barnegat Inlet, the bay and the ocean, last week’s report said. Bobbie’s features a complete bait and tackle shop, a fuel dock and boat and kayak rentals. The boats are used for fishing, crabbing, clamming and pleasure. The store is known for bait supply, including live baits in season.

<b>Barnegat</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 6/5:***</b> From an edited email from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “Wow. Be careful what you wish for. We needed some easterly wind to correct all the damage that a week of southerly did to our coastline, and man we’re getting it: day four of a heavy NE, and there is no end in sight, through the weekend. The bad news is all that wind is going to keep me and a lot of other captains from getting out the inlet. That ocean is very rough already, and without some reciprocal direction of wind to knock it down, it's going to stay jacked up for a few days, at least. The good news is that this is exactly what we needed. The water temp should get back to the high 50s or higher, and hopefully the bunker pods and big stripers will be up and down the coast. Keep an eye on the forecast for this week coming up. The long range has some W and NW. This could be our shot at an explosive few weeks of the big bass, before they move on. In the meantime, the Hi Flier will be fishing through Monday. Last week's bay effort turned up a bunch of 3- to 7-pound blues on poppers, some short and keeper fluke, and quite a few short stripers on light tackle. Not much for the cooler, I know, but good action. Running open-boat trips 6 to 11 a.m. and 12 noon to 6 p.m. Saturday through Monday. Going to anchor up and try some blowfish, too. I'm loaded up with fresh clams, live sandworms and Gulp! My cell is the best way to reach me: 732-330-5674.”

<b>Surf City</b>

Surf anglers still banked striped bass, in the rough seas and wind, said Holden from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. Some of the fish were entered in the Simply Bassin’ tournament. Rob Vallone entered a 31-pound 2-ouncer beached at midnight Wednesday that became the contest’s new first-place striper, the shop’s Facebook page said. He held the previous first-place bass, a 29-pound 12-ouncer. After south wind blew for what seemed an eternity, the page said, the wind finally switched to northeast, and the conditions were nasty for surf fishing. Fewer beach anglers fished than before, but northeast is the desired wind for surf fishing, so some of the anglers fished, and Rob was one. The tournament’s next biggest stripers were Steven Wolfschmidt’s 24-pound 12-ouncer in second place, Nick Sabatino’s 22-pound 10-ouncer in third and Fred Soper’s 19-pound 9-ouncer in fourth. Few bluefish were reported from the surf. Blues weren’t absent, but didn’t swim in numbers like before. Kingfish were yet to show up in the surf this season.  Heavy sinkers were needed to hold bottom in the surf, and no fresh bunker was available for bait, because of the weather. Fresh clams were stocked, though. No fluke fishing was heard about from the bay since the weekend. Lots of small fluke were caught in Barnegat Inlet and off Barnegat Light during the weekend.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

More business showed up in February, when the store was closed, than now, Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> said! Even the weekend was a blowout, and wind never stopped blowing, since summer flounder season was opened, two weeks ago. The weather happened because sea season was opened a week ago, he joked. Once sea bass season was opened last fall on October 18, weather never relented, either. Anglers didn’t even fish from land along Seven Bridges Road now. Just quiet, he said. Minnows and live grass shrimp were stocked. No fresh clams or bunker were carried. The bait was probably scarce in the weather, but there just was no demand. 

<b>Absecon</b>

East wind can warm water in the back bay, but the bay actually cooled 5 degrees after the weekend, said Curt from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. When the easterly began, the bay did warm, through the weekend. But the wind didn’t blow from east every day. The cooler water slowed fishing somewhat, but summer flounder were boated from the bay. The fishing was nothing spectacular, but caught. A 6-1/2-pound flounder won the shop’s tournament on opening weekend of flounder season, he thought. A couple about that size were weighed-in, and so were some 4-pounders, so far. Fish shallow, warmer water for flounder. Bluefishing, not as voracious as before, he said, was had at some of the flats of the bay. The fish were around sometimes. Drum, croakers, weakfish, white perch, a variety of fish, bit at the mouth of Mullica River. Outgoing tides and low tides fished best for all of these back-water bites, because of warmer water. Stripers and drum were heard about from Brigantine’s surf. Crabs are completely shedding, and soft-shell crabs for eating and shedder crabs for bait are stocked. The shop raises them, and get the soft-shells while available, because they’re not around the whole year. Crabbing should be good after this week’s full moon.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Even the back bay was blowing, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Customers mostly fish the surf, but few fished either place, in the wind. A couple of anglers shared photos of summer flounder caught, on the shop’s Facebook page. One customer bagged a 19-1/2-inch flounder from the surf at the island’s south jetty. Another shared a photo of a big houndfish hooked in the surf. Catch the store’s big sale from 7 to 11 a.m. Saturday. That will include the annual visit from Team America Tackle, featuring buy one, get one free, on all of that tackle. But the event is being expanded this year to include many items on sale, and reps from Pure Fishing, Penn and Tsunami. Part of that will include buy two, get one free, Gulps, and an additional $5 rebate on Gulps. So anglers can really save. The event is the opportunity to gear up this season.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Striped bass loved this weather, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Customers, fishing on foot, bagged stripers along Absecon Inlet, like at the T-jetty, at night. They caught on plugs like Daiwa SP Minnows or Bombers, bunker or clams, whichever they preferred. Bluefish probably 18 or 20 inches were clutched from the back bay, like toward Harrah’s or the Borgata, or off Route 30, from shore. Summer flounder were seen that anglers tied into on foot from the inlet, and none of the flatfish was especially large. Kingfish had been landed from the T before the weather, but not in past days. 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. 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 will hold a flounder tournament this month, probably from the Saturdays of June 13 to 20, benefitting the Leukemia Society. First place will be a 40-inch TV, and first through third places will be awarded. Entry will be $5 and required in-person at the store, and more details will be announced.

<b>Egg Harbor Township</b>

Bluefish still swam the back bay, said John from <b>24-7 Bait & Tackle</b>. Summer flounder seemed to gather in the bay’s shallows, because of warmer water. Any striped bass caught mostly came from Atlantic City and Brigantine in the surf. Crabbing turned on at Patcong Creek, running past the shop. That’s one of the best places to crab, and John caught a bunch the other day. The blueclaws had been shedding, but no shedders were seen now. The store’s rental boats, docked on the creek, are available for crabbing on the creek. They’re also used to fish from the creek to Great Egg Harbor River to the bay. Patcong is a tributary of the Great Egg that meets the river near the bay.  Plenty of minnows are stocked. Fresh baits were out of stock for the moment, because the wind kept suppliers from catching the bait. But all other baits are on hand, and the store carries one of the largest selections.  <b>The company also own 24-7 Bait & Tackle in Marmora</b>.

<b>Longport</b>

No trips fished in the hard east wind on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. “I mean, I’m not complaining, because this is going to shake things up,” he said. Trips are fishing for sea bass and ling, and fishing was definitely changing, becoming summer-like. Fish like sea robins began to show up. An open-boat trip will try to poke out Friday for sea bass and ling, and a charter is booked Saturday. After Friday, the next open-boat trips will fish Sunday, Tuesday and next week on Friday, June 12, for sea bass and ling. In other news, Mike saw no bluefish anymore, not even snappers. Stray Cat is also available for offshore fishing. Before the blow, yellowfin tuna 20 to 40 pounds, no bluefin tuna, were reported from the canyons as far north as past the Lindenkohl. Three boats from the docks fished for them. One went three times, catching each trip. One had a green stick, and limited out in 1 hour 40 minutes, catching on both the stick and flat lines. Sharks hunted the 50-fathom line, just inshore of the canyons.

<b>Ocean City</b>

None of the seas bass trips aboard fished after the weekend, because of weather, said Capt. Victor from the party boats <b>Miss Ocean City</b> and <b>Captain Robbins</b>. But the trips are slated for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, and he hopes to resume fishing Saturday and Sunday.

One good report did come in from an angler who axed a dozen blues 1 to 3 pounds from the 9th Street Bridge this morning, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Weather blew more than a week, but a few summer flounder were also caught lately. One of the shop’s crew took a couple of kids fishing on a party boat on the back bay this morning, and they reeled in a few flounder including a keeper. Before the wind, the bay’s flounder fishing was good, and a good population of bluefish swam all around. Striped bass were also around then. Currently, the surf was big. One angler said he couldn’t hold bottom with a 6-ounce Sputnik weight. Nobody fished offshore in the week’s weather. Yellowfin tuna, mostly 30 and 40 pounds, had been trolled at Spencer and Wilmington canyons. Closer to shore, boaters had found sharks, before the seas.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

The back bay’s summer flounder bit, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>. No trips fished in the rough weather, and flounder fishing wasn’t hot, but the flatfish were tugged in. Striped bass fishing was pretty good on the bay, during the right tides. Bluefish remained in the bay, so that was nice. Joe even had kids aboard who liked fishing for dog sharks to 20 pounds on the bay. Lot of fun. Inshore shark trips will begin in late June with Jersey Cape. They fish the ocean, usually within 10 miles from the coast, for sharks like duskies and browns, catching and releasing them, on spinning or fly rods. The boat is drifted over bottom contours that attract them. Mackerel fillets or chum flies are cast into a chum slick. As gruesome as the sharks can look, they’re surprisingly skittish about the flies. Presentation must look natural. The trips are a chance to fight big fish without the long trek offshore. Joe would like to sail offshore for tuna, but seas have been bumpy. Good trolling for yellowfin tuna was had at different canyons including Baltimore, Wilmington and Lindenkohl.  Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

One spot fished well for sea bass on opening day of sea bass season, last week on Wednesday, on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. But the rest of the spots fished didn’t, on the trip, and the catches declined after that day. A few sea bass were bagged aboard Sunday, and the angling was tough on Saturday’s trip. That trip covered lots of ground, sailing about 30 miles. A few sea bass were boxed, and many small boats fished the pieces, that day. No trips fished aboard after the weekend, because of weather. Today’s trip probably wouldn’t sail, and Friday’s might not, in weather. Strong northeast wind blew in previous days, discouraging anglers from showing up. Not a lot of sea bass were around in the past trips, but that could change, because of this weather. Sometimes coming off the full moon, like now, can help, too. When trips resume, and Paul hopes that’s by the weekend, if not Friday, they’ll drift for summer flounder along rocks and wrecks, if conditions drift the boat right. Otherwise, the boat will be anchored for sea bass. The Porgy IV is fishing at 8 a.m. daily.  

Drum trips are next slated to fish Delaware Bay during the weekend on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. He knew nobody who fished in the weather, and the Heavy Hitter last fished last weekend. Good catches of drum were pounded from the bay on two charters then, on Saturday and Sunday, covered in the last report here. Jim’s Bait & Tackle in Cape May’s annual shark tournament is this weekend. George heard nothing about sharks, except a few subdued toward Wilmington and Baltimore canyons. Boats fished for tuna at those canyons during the weekend, but caught none. A few yellowfin tuna were supposedly trolled from canyons a couple of weeks ago.

Weakfish bit fairly well along the jetties, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. That included big, like a 10-1/2-pounder a customer beached Tuesday on a bucktail. Bucktails, soft-plastic lures on jigheads and bloodworms on floats grabbed the weaks, and sand tiger sharks and brown sharks began to bite in the surf at night. A few striped bass remained in the surf, for those who could fish through dogfish. Fishing for the bass at night wasn’t so important as fishing on incoming tides that seemed best. Sometimes striper fishing becomes best at night as the season warms. Along Delaware Bay in town, Cape May Point and Poverty Beach were some of the best places. Drum fishing was good in Delaware Bay, when boaters had the weather to sail. The main fleet fished off Coxhall Creek, like before, but a few boats spread toward the Pin Top. A few blues 4 to 6 pounds swam Delaware Bay and the back bay. Summer flounder were lifted from the back bay at Wildwood, when boaters sailed in weather. Nothing was heard about sea bass fishing on the ocean in the weather. A 200-pound thresher shark was reported caught during the weekend at Cape May Reef. A few other threshers caught, even bigger, were known about. Yellowfin tuna were trolled at Wilmington Canyon, when boats last fished offshore. A white marlin was boated at Spencer Canyon.

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