<b>Keyport</b>

The number of keeper fluke caught was up and down, like before, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an email. Ten to 15 keepers were averaged per trip, and action with throwbacks was good on most days. Bucktailers scored better sizes and numbers than bait-fishers did, but fishing with bait began to improve, because dogfish backed off a little that grabbed bait. Fluke were spread throughout Raritan Bay, from one end to the other, literally, he said. Charters are fishing, and an open-boat trip is full Wednesday that will be the only open trip this week. More open trips will begin on the following Wednesday, July 22. Open trips fill quickly, so to jump aboard, anglers must reserve a spot as far in advance as possible. Landing enough keepers remained the biggest challenge for fluking. Frank wishes he could say the fishing was fantastic, but honesty is a must for him, he said. The truth is: Action with shorts is great, but catching keepers is a grind on every trip. The Vitamin Sea is one of the few charters that strictly focuses on fluke, and fishes every day, he said. “We know what is going on,” he said. The keeper ratio will improve, like it does every year. When it does, the Vitamin Sea will be on them. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

Ling and cod fishing was excellent aboard, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>. Winter flounder had been in the mix, but the last couple of trips fished deeper, so no flounder bit. On fluke trips aboard, lots of shorts, too few keepers, chomped in the beginning of last week. But more keepers, and fewer shorts, began to hit later in the week. Fluke fishing is still hit and miss. One angler who bagged an 8-pound fluke and a 6-pounder on one of the trips Friday was a highlight of the week. Charters are fishing, and join the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on Down Deep Sportfishing’s website to be kept informed about special open trips. Also see the site’s open-trips page for available dates. Open trips include 12-hour marathons for fluke or ling and cod.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Was a busy weekend of charters on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. Fluke fishing was picky, and some good-sized keepers were pasted on each trip, just too few. Wind blew against tide Friday and Saturday, not easy on the fishing. The trips covered a bunch of areas, looking for conditions that drifted the boat well. Wind and tide ran together on Sunday’s trip, and the fluking was better. Nine good-sized keepers were beaten on the first drift, and the morning fished best. Boat traffic arrived, and the Fishermen departed! The Fishermen is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. However, charters are booked this Wednesday and Friday mornings, so no open-boat trips will fish then. Trips are also fishing 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9 p.m. Sundays. Those night trips will now fish for porgies, fluke and any fish that can be caught. They fished for striped bass and porgies previously.

A couple of trips tugged in more keeper fluke than before in past days on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. Then the fishing would go back to landing just a few keepers. The fishing was pretty much the same as before. Lots of shorts were reeled up on most trips. If conditions were right, the fish bit. On one of the trips, maybe on Friday, conditions failed to drift the boat. Still, anglers worked for fluke, and caught, and that was one of the better trips for keepers. The boat fished Sandy Hook Bay, a few places in Raritan Bay and at Flynn’s Knoll, at the mouth of Raritan Bay, on trips. The trips just looked around, found a couple of keepers, then worked the area. The action was there. All anglers had fun catching. All the boat’s trips fished, or none was docked for weather, like usual for some time now. 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>

Lots of fluking, said Capt. Pete from <b>Fin-Taz-Tic Sportfishing</b>. The boat did no striped bass fishing, like trips aboard did before. All trips fluked, and all anglers left with the fish. Maybe one trip, a party of four, limited out, in the last five trips. The fluke weighed up to 8 pounds, and mostly bucktails with Gulps caught. But killies worked well. Anglers can bring their own Gulps, and Gulps are also available for sale aboard. Other baits, including the killies, spearing and more, are provided. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing, and space is available this weekend. Wreck-fishing trips will sail for ling in the next couple of weeks.

<b>Neptune</b>

For <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, last week was excellent, and all trips caught lots of fish, Capt. Ralph wrote in an email. The fish included fluke, cod, ling and sea bass. Bluefin tuna were even seen on an offshore wreck-fishing trip. Last Lady might try for them soon. Individual-reservation fluke trips are fishing every Tuesday, and openings remained for this week’s. Kids sail free on those outings, limited to two per adult host. A couple of spots remain for an individual-reservation trip for cod on August 5.

<b>Belmar</b>

Fluke fishing was good during the weekend, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Fluke to 10 pounds were docked from the ocean on party boats, and the shop’s rental-boaters returned with fluke to 5 pounds from Shark River. Snapper blues schooled waters like the river, and were small but good for fluke bait. A 47-pound striped bass was weighed-in that was boated on a livelined bunker. Bluefish were tackled on party boats, even if the blues were small. Business was good during the weekend at the store, because weather was good and shark tournaments were held.

<b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b> picked away at fluke on the ocean, Capt. Pete said. The fishing was the same as before, and on some days, throwbacks especially outnumbered keepers. The keepers were good-sized or 3 to 5 pounds. Fluke to 7 ½ pounds were clubbed aboard Saturday. Bucktails seemed to catch better than bait. Sometimes sea bass were mixed in. Trips include On the Water Seminars that teach bucktailing for fluke, the big ones. One of those will sail Saturday, for the working person who can’t fish on weekdays, and contact Parker Pete’s to climb aboard. A weekend date is unusual for those trips, because weekends are usually booked with charters. Charters can also book the seminars. On the seminars, novices learn bucktailing, and somewhat experienced anglers hone the skill, in a non-threatening environment. More of the seminars will probably be scheduled for August. 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.

Fishing was a little slow Sunday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, but bluefish and mackerel were swung in, a report on the vessel’s website said. The anglers had shots at the fish, but nothing sustained. A decent catch of small blues was jigged Saturday aboard, picking at the fish. The day was beautiful, and Friday was “a little nasty” on the ocean, it said. The boat drifted quickly, slowing fishing. The Golden Eagle is fishing at 7:30 a.m. daily. Fishing and sunset cruises are sailing at 4:30 p.m. daily, and reservations are required for those outings.

Four or five drifts served up good fishing on Saturday for small blues on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the vessel said. On the nighttime trip, fishing took a while to get going. But then angling for small blues became great. Anglers limited out who listened to the crew and used light tackle and small hooks. On Sunday’s trip, a few blues and mackerel were taken on each drift. No blues were around on today’s trip, so the trip bottom-fished, landing a few cod, ling and fluke. 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 Saturday. Family Fun Days are sailing 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. A 7-pound fluke was heaved aboard one of those trips Friday. Those trips toggled in a few keeper fluke and sea bass and good action with throwbacks of both.

<b>Brielle</b>

On the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, fishing for fluke and sea bass was good during most of the past week, Capt. Ryan wrote in an email. Weather was too calm on a couple of trips, slowing the boat’s drift. Gulp Swim Mullets in pink or green “have been the hot item in the past week,” he said. Customers and their catches included Dave Toochen from Philly’s limit of fluke to 6 pounds and limit of sea bass, and Ira Crane from Lincroft’s limit of fluke to 5 ½ pounds. Ray Bryant from South Orange and Barbara Berger from Trenton are tied for the monthly pool with an 8-pound fluke apiece. Plenty of time remains to beat those fish, and the winner gets the pot and one full year of free fishing aboard. “Biggest pool in the state!” Ryan said. Half-day trips are fishing for fluke and sea bass at 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and an all-day fluke marathon is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Monday.

Ocean fluke fishing was steady, not great, but picking away, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Many throwbacks seemed to move in, and maybe 1 fluke in 15 was a keeper. But solid keepers 5 or 6 pounds were around. Pink-and-white Gulps on bucktails seemed to catch them well. Manasquan River’s fluking was good, and plenty of the fish were shorts. But many 5- to 7-pound keepers swam the river, unusual for the time of year. Some solid keepers held in the river. A handful of throwback striped bass were played in the river at places like the Railroad Bridge on lures like Fin-S Fish. The stripers also hovered in Point Pleasant Canal. Small blues were around in those areas. A few blowfish appeared at both ends of the canal. Surf-fishing for fluke seemed to hook mostly throwbacks, but the angling began to pick up. Fishing for brown sharks, required to be released, was spectacular in the surf, not just at night, but also in mornings and evenings. The store began stocking bluefish for bait for them. Large stripers were boated on Raritan Bay toward Staten Island and the ocean off Long Island. Bunker chunks hooked them at night, and the fishing seemed to become slower than before, but still produced 40- and 50-pound stripers, almost daily. Plenty of small, 2-pound blues schooled Little Italy. An oddball bonito showed up in the area, and sometimes boaters chummed them up. Ling trips on the ocean seemed to give up six to 18 per angler. Good-sized sea bass were mixed in. Cod fishing was fairly decent mid-range. The Triple Wrecks fished well for them, and the cod weighed up to the upper 20 pounds. A handful of bluefin tuna were fought at Atlantic Princess wreck, no great shakes, but some, on cedar plugs and blue-and-purple spreader bars or blue-and-purple skirts on ballyhoos. Farther from shore, canyon tuna fishing sounded fair. Trips picked away at bigeye tuna, especially toward Lindenkohl and Spencer canyons. Trips landed one or two to five or six, just before dark, on blue-and-purple or Green Machine spreader bars or pink-and-white Joe Shute skirts, or that color from other companies, on ballyhoos. In mornings, scattered yellowfin tuna were found.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> had found a good patch of longfin tuna at the 100 Square in Hudson Canyon, when Capt. Ray emailed this report Sunday afternoon, he said. He wasn’t on the trip, but had just spoken on the phone with Capts. Alan and Chad, who were. The trip had gone 8 for 8 on the longfins, so far, and was still fishing. The season’s first appearance of longfins was a great bonus for trips. Most anglers also believe that fishing around the longfins offers a chance at bigeye tuna. The trip earlier hooked a bigeye that got off. The trip had also hooked a white marlin and two blue marlins that got off, and had gone 1 for 3 on yellowfin tuna, earlier. The trip throughout the day picked at mahi mahi consistently. “They are putting together a nice catch,” Ray said, just after he spoke with the trip on the phone. On a trip Saturday, the anglers wanted to jig bluefish. So they picked away at small blues that schooled Shark River Reef pretty thick. Then the trip bottom-fished, pulling in a good catch of cod, “by summer standards,” Ray said, a few sea bass, some ling and a 10-pound blackfish. Blackfish season is currently closed, and one of the tautog will be able to be kept per angler starting Friday. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures. 

Some bigger fluke are moving in, Capt. Matt from the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. More of the fluke 6 to 8 pounds began to be seen aboard than before. When conditions are right, fluke are biting. Morning trips fished somewhat better than afternoon trips. But Sunday afternoon’s trip was improved. More and more fluke should keep appearing, “as long as the conditions in the ocean stay good!” he wrote. A few good-sized sea bass were mixed in, when trips fished rocks and rubble. On nighttime trips, bluefishing was up and down during the weekend. Friday night’s trip smashed a great catch of 1- to 2-pound blues. All anglers left with dinner. Saturday night’s trip was slow, for some reason. Blues were read well, and the trip moved several times, “but could not get them going at all,” he said. Sunday night’s bluefishing was better, for 2-pounders. Bigger blues should show up soon. The small blues are fun on light tackle, and good-eating. 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>Seaside Heights</b>

Crabbing was steady from the dock and rental boats at <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>, John wrote in a report on the shop’s website. Blowfish and snappers could be hooked from the dock, if customers became tired of crabbing. Fluke and small blues swam the surf. Brown sharks, required to be released, could be fought at night from the beach. Catching an elusive striped bass was possible at night from the shore. 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>

A few sizable fluke and some sea bass were to be had, the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>’s Facebook page said. The fishing was slower on Sunday’s trip, because conditions failed to drift the boat, but a few keepers were managed. The Miss Barnegat Light is fishing for fluke and sea bass 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

Canyon tuna fishing was slow on a day-trolling trip Saturday aboard, said Capt. Ted from the <b>Super Chic</b>. Throwback yellowfin tuna and skipjacks bit. Not many tuna were caught up and down the line, he said. Water was clear and in the mid-70 degrees and warmer. The trip fished a temperature break from 75 to 77 degrees. Another trip trolled a few small bluefish at Olley’s Lump aboard. No blues were seen at Barnegat Ridge on the trip, but blues were caught there the other day on other boats. No bonito were seen yet on the boat this season. The Super Chic did no fluke fishing yet this season, but ocean fluking sounded like it improved somewhat. Conditions weren’t good for fluking Sunday, but boats managed to land some anyway. Sea bass fishing was all right, and anglers could easily limit out on two.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Good reports about summer flounder catches rolled in from Little Egg Inlet and deeper water off the Fish Factory, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. Moving tides, whether incoming or outgoing, fished best. Good feedback was also reported about ocean flounder fishing. Near the Rutgers cans, Little Egg Reef and some of the wrecks near Atlantic City, in 30 feet, held the fish. Garden State Reef South and the Gloria wreck, a couple of miles offshore of Little Egg Reef, also fished well for flounder.

<b>Brigantine</b>

In the surf, fishing for brown sharks was fantastic, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. Browns are required to be released, and the fishing was great at night, but also during daytime. No best tide was noticed, and mackerel, herring and bunker are stocked that can be fished for the sharks. KD Shark Rigs were selling fast, and a new shipment was arriving this weekend. Some Team America Tackle Shark Rigs were also left. “Still waiting for a better kingfish report,” the report said. Kings were hooked in the surf here and there, but gave up no consistent bite in the past week. At Absecon Inlet, summer flounder anglers worked hard, sorting through throwbacks, for a keeper.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

At <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>, fluke weighed today included a 6-pounder and a 3-pounder, Noel said. Catches lately also included loads of good-sized kingfish and some croakers, kingfish, porgies, triggerfish and a few herring. Most customers fish on foot, and places that gave up the catches were the T-jetty, at the ocean end of Absecon Inlet, and off Pacific and Atlantic avenues, along the inlet. Flounder also came from off the sea wall near Gardner’s Basin. Fluke Candy, floating jigheads, available at the shop, axed many of the big flounder. Big sharks were fought at night off Pacific Avenue and from the back bay off Harrah’s. Noel sailed on a boat trip along the ocean, seeing pods after pods of bunker. But no fish were on the bunker. All the fish were in close, he said. Bloodworms are two dozen for $20 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 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 also has a shop at Gardner’s Basin.

<b>Longport</b>

Summer flounder fishing was good aboard the ocean the other day, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>. Trips are landing quite a few throwbacks, and lots of sea robins. A trip Sunday had some difficulty catching keeper fluke and sea bass, in conditions that barely drifted the boat. Fishing was a little off this year, and flounder fishing is difficult without a drift. But all the reefs and rock piles held flounder. Buoy jacks and bar jacks were fought aboard at lobster pot buoys. Triggerfish held at some of the wrecks and buoys. Few bluefish schooled currently. Lots of flying fish were seen. The ocean was clear, and anglers could see down 30 or 40 feet. Tuna fishing was reportedly slow Sunday, and weather seemed too calm. An open-boat trip will sail for flounder Tuesday. “We’re going to slip that one in,” he said. Space is available, and only four anglers were signed up, but the trip will run, “because that’s what we do,” he said.

<b>Ocean City</b>

A few keeper summer flounder were clutched from the back bay aboard, said Capt. Victor from the party boats <b>Miss Ocean City</b> and <b>Captain Robbins</b>. Lots of throwbacks, no keepers, often gave up action. Trips are fishing for flounder 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. daily and 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday. Catch the special on the afternoon and evening trips: Buy one adult fare, and get a second for half-price.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

A trip Saturday morning winged four keeper summer flounder to 5 pounds and a bunch of throwbacks from the ocean aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>. A trip Sunday was supposed to fish for sharks inshore, but conditions would’ve failed to drift the boat, so the trip flounder fished. Four keepers to 4 ½ pounds and a bunch of throwbacks were cranked in. Joe fished with his family on Friday, and they reeled up a bunch of flounder from the back bay. The ocean flounder fishing’s been great. The bay’s flounder angling has also been good, but the flatfish have been bigger on average in the ocean, currently. Joe also fished with his family Sunday evening, and they popper-plugged five striped bass from the bay’s shallow flats. That’s a specialty aboard in summer, with either popper lures or popper flies, drawing explosive, visual attacks, good sport.  A trip Sunday sailed for the inshore sharks, nailing and releasing six of the fish: a hammerhead, two sandbars and three duskies. The sharking, catch-and-release, usually within 10 miles from shore, is awesome currently. Some of the species are required to be released, and the trips are an opportunity to fight big fish without the long trek offshore. All of this fishing is great at the moment. It’s happening, Joe said, and the water quality is great. Mahi mahi swam around boat very close to shore. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Avalon</b>

Many summer flounder and sea bass blanketed bottom at ocean wrecks and reefs, but none hooked was a keeper, on a trip Saturday, said Capt. Jim from <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b>.  Jacks and sea robins were also hooked, and the trip lasted 14 hours, fishing as far from shore as 25 miles.  Chumming for bluefish was tried at 5-Fathom Bank, but none showed up. Sometimes blues were caught at Cape May Reef, and boats crowded the water there. Seas were bumpy, because of the traffic, and were calm otherwise. Weather was beautiful. Blues popped up in pods at Cape May Reef. Once one boat caught them, six others jumped on the fish. A cobia was seen on the trip. So was a big triggerfish, at a buoy. A charter Friday cancelled, because of forecasts for possible storms. Another charter is set for Wednesday.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Trips kept wrestling sharks from Delaware Bay with <b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b>, Capt. Jim said. One of the trips Saturday released a 350-pound sand tiger shark and three dusky sharks. These are some big fish sometimes, and the sharks are usually released. Fins & Grins tags them for NOAA. Most of the species are required to be let go. Sometimes a species will bite that can be kept, and the shark will be steaked up, if the anglers want. The trips are an opportunity to pull on big fish without the long sail offshore. The trips are half the price of sharking offshore, too. Sharking offshore, like for makos, was also on tap aboard. A few keeper summer flounder, not a lot, swam the ocean. Triggerfish hugged ocean wrecks. Trolling for small bluefish was great at ocean shoals aboard. A few mahi mahi were appearing in the local ocean, so Spanish mackerel should show up soon. The fishing for sharks and blues was pretty consistent. Fins fishes for any species available. Trips fish every day, and reservations aren’t required but suggested. Telephone for availability.

<b>Cape May</b>

A trip fished for tuna Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, but the angling was no good, Capt. George said. The whole fleet complained the fishing was slow, and two small, 10-pound mako sharks and a bluefish were trolled on the Heavy Hitter. A mahi mahi was also trolled but got off. The boat’s been fishing for bluefin tuna in 20 to 30 fathoms. A few boats caught bluefins that day, like a couple caught them at 19-Fathom Lump, or a couple at Massey’s Canyon, or a couple at the Tea Cup. The Heavy Hitter had good fishing for the bluefins on trips the previous weekend, covered in a previous report here. George spoke with anglers who fished farther offshore at the canyons. Boats at the canyons caught one or two mahi mahi in a trip, or got into good bigeye tuna fishing, when the trips got lucky. More bluefin trips are slated for the next week on the Heavy Hitter. A trip Sunday bottom-fished on the boat on the ocean, mopping up a load of triggerfish, and drilling two dozen bluefish. Lots of triggers and blues are swimming the ocean. Telephone if interested in any of this fishing or in fishing for catches like mahi mahi.

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