<b>Keyport</b>

Fluke fishing was good Wednesday aboard, believe it or not, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>. Rain fell, and no wind blew, but thunderstorms were around, and the crew cancelled a trip that day on one of the two Down Deep boats. But a charter was booked on the other vessel and wanted to fish. Plenty of throwback fluke and a bunch of keepers, healthy-sized to 4 pounds, were pasted.  Trips are also fishing for ling and cod. 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. Open trips include 12-hour marathons for fluke or ling and cod.

Conditions failed to drift the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> on Wednesday’s fluke trip, and the fishing wasn’t good, for the most part, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. Some decent-sized to 5 pounds were managed, though. Fluking will improve when the new moon passes. Charters are fishing, and the next open-boat trips are set for next week on Wednesday through Friday.

Fishing for fluke was improving, giving up more keepers, on Raritan Bay, said Joey from <b>Joey’s Bait Shack</b>. Customers boated the back of the bay for the fish, and an 11.2-pounder was the biggest weighed-in. Fishing from Keyport Pier managed a keeper fluke once in a while. But snapper blues that began to appear made up the catch there, mostly. Crabbing became decent, not good, not bad. Improved. Baits stocked include killies and fresh bunker.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Lots of fluke were pitched aboard this morning’s trip, and fewer were keepers than would be liked, but a 10-pounder was heaved in, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. Gene Alexander from Jackson clobbered the doormat, and fluking aboard was about the same in past days as before.  The boat fished Sandy Hook and Raritan bays, sometimes Flynn’s Knoll, at the mouth of the bay, depending on conditions. Near the Navy Pier on Sandy Hook Bay was fished, for example, and all trips sailed, even during the rain this week. Trips were fortunate to be able to fish the sheltered bays, Tom guessed, and sometimes the water was choppy, but he wouldn’t have wanted to be on the ocean. Action with throwbacks was good on the trips, and a few good-sized fluke were mixed in. None was huge, until the 10-pounder, in past days, and the fish weighed up to 5 or 6 pounds, sometimes 4, until then. A 4-pounder is a sizable fluke. Quite a few throwbacks were an inch or ½-inch short, and those were thick fish. Sometimes fewer anglers showed up for trips, because of weather in past days. But the boat always sailed. The anglers fished through the rain on Wednesday, and weather improved as the day went on.  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.

 

Boaters rounded up fluke from Raritan Bay and Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers and ling on the ocean, before rainstorms kept them docked the past couple of days, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Wind blew strongly this morning. In the bay, lots of throwbacks chewed. On the rivers, keepers hit until the tide ran an hour. Then throwbacks took over. Crabbing was good in the rivers. Snapper blues were almost large enough to catch in back waters like that. Jimmy saw small blues, a little bigger than snappers, chasing spearing at Highlands Bridge. All baits are stocked.

Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> wasn’t happy with the start of fluking on today’s trip, and the bay was the only place to fish, in the conditions, he wrote in  a report on the vessel’s website. A few fluke were hooked, but the trip departed, after that failed to show promise. When the tide switched, the fishing turned on. The anglers slugged away the rest of the trip. A 6.11-pound fluke won the pool. An 11-year-old angler decked three good-sized keepers and several throwbacks. Several other anglers landed three sizable keepers. Bait fished best, through the pool-winner was jigged on a Spro. Despite the roll on the ocean the past couple of days, trips aboard managed to find the “comfort zone,” landing some good-sized fluke. A 7-pounder won the pool Tuesday. Three fluke weighed more than 6 pounds, and several weighed 4 and 5 pounds, on the trip. Two anglers were high hook with three keepers apiece. Some good-sized sea bass were socked “once again,” Ron said. Weather became rough at the end of the trip, but customers hung in with the fishing until the end.  The Fishermen is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. However, a charter is booked for Friday morning, so no open-boat trip will fish then. Trips are fishing for porgies, fluke and whatever bites 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9 p.m. Sundays.

<b>Highlands</b>

Roy Wurst and crew weighed a 517-pound thresher shark Sunday at <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Marion wrote in an email. They boated the fish at the BA buoy on Wurst’s 23-foot Contender. Steve Valonti and John Cuozzo on the Elsea Nora plastered a 50-pound striped bass and two 40-pounders they livelined on bunker at the channels Saturday. Twin Lights, located on Shrewsbury River near Raritan Bay and the ocean, with no bridges before them, includes a marina with boat slips, dry storage, a fuel dock, and a combined bait and tackle shop and ship’s store. Baits stocked include the full offshore selection. The fuel dock is available 24 hours a day with a credit card. 

<b>Neptune</b>

For <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, fluke fishing was slow Wednesday, Capt. Ralph said. Conditions weren’t bad at first, but deteriorated as the trip continued, and the boat began to drift too fast. Individual-reservation trips are fluking every Tuesday, and kids under 12 sail free, limited to two per adult host. About three spaces are available for an individual-reservation trip for cod on August 5. An individual-reservation trip was just added to wreck-fish inshore on August 9.

<b>Belmar</b>

The <b>Katie H</b> competed on Sunday in the Mako Mania tournament, Capt. Mike said.  The tournament, held Friday to Sunday, had been rescheduled from two weeks previously, because of weather. The trip landed a blue shark and a brown shark and, at the end of the outing, lost a sizable mako that would’ve been a “money fish.” That was disappointing, and no other makos bit. The water was clear and good-looking and held tons of bait, but was a little warm for makos. Anglers in the tournament often said they thought most makos migrated away by now. But the one mako, good-sized, was hooked on the Katie H. Another shark trip is slated for Monday aboard, and the anglers are interested in fighting any sharks, not just makos.  A trip Sunday will fish for sea bass and fluke aboard. Though two sea bass is the bag limit, the angling is decent, and the fish are good-sized, and 16 can be kept, if the captain and mate’s limits are included. So the Katie H is fishing for sea bass. The Katie H will switch gears and begin fishing for tuna often, starting in August. Mike prefers to overnight on tuna trips to the offshore canyons, when a trip that far is made. Tuna can begin to bite at night by August, and swordfish and mako sharks can be fished for at night, at the canyons. So overnighting is worthwhile. The overnight trips can also be on the fishing grounds at first light, when a tuna bite can erupt. Currently, bigeye tuna catches were the talk, from Lindenkohl Canyon. Mike knows a couple of boats that got into them. Yellowfin tuna were sometimes taken in early mornings at canyons. But the bigeyes were the news. Mike did hear about a few bluefin tuna caught, “sort of inshore,” he said.

No report was posted for today on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>’s website, and maybe no trip sailed in the wind. Wind 25 knots kept Wednesday’s trip docked, and rain showers slowed bluefishing aboard Tuesday. On Monday’s trip, bluefishing was a little slow. “We ended up catching some fluke, mackerel and sea bass,” it said. 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.

<b>Toms River</b>

Many of Barnegat Bay’s fluke were throwbacks, but a few holes that anglers didn’t frequent held keepers, said Mario from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. One angler bagged two 24- and 25-inchers early in the week. Near the BB and BI markers and off Barnegat Lighthouse were typical spots to fish for the fluke. Blowfish populated the entire bay, but a couple of good spots, the usual, fished well for them. Crabbing was great, and Mario wasn’t asked where, but the shop previously reported that the Toms River and the bay along Route 37 Bridge gave them up. In the surf, fluke fishing was great, on bucktails with Gulps on the hooks and teasers tied above the bucktails. Jetty Ghost Mullnet Lures, named for mullet and peanut bunker, hit the fluke well. Many of the surf’s fluke were throwbacks. But shore anglers took advantage of Island Beach State Park’s fluke bag limit, two fish 16 inches or longer. One angler bagged two that were larger than 17 inches two days ago, and another beached two larger than 19 inches on a trip, at the park. Small blues ran the surf. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Blowfish began to be tugged from the dock, said George from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Snapper blues schooled along the dock and were big enough to hook now. The two he saw were 6 inches. In the surf, fluke were beached on bucktails with Gulps. Brown sharks, required to be let go, were released in the surf at night. 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. Baits stocked currently include killies, fresh bunker, fresh clams and locally caught, frozen spearing.

<b>Forked River</b>

Barnegat Bay’s fluke fishing was decent, and some good-sized fluke, like 5 pounds, swam the water, and some anglers complained they boated no fluke in the bay, said Mike from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Two brothers nailed a 9-pound fluke apiece at Double Creek Channel on the same drift of the boat. Fluke also gathered between the BB and BI markers in the bay. Fluke were reeled from the ocean at the Tire Reef and Garden State Reef North. Blowfish hovered at the mouth of Oyster Creek and at the BB. Crabbing was good.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Action was good on the recent fluke trips on the <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, the party boat’s Facebook page said. Most were throwbacks, but there were keepers to be bagged. Trips are fishing for fluke and sea bass 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

On Barnegat Bay, fluke fishing had been better before the full moon, and was a little off since, said Jack from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. He’s been having some luck on them between the barge and the 19 can. That’s the barge that’s been off the Dike for some time. He’s been boating lots of 5- to 8-pound bluefish along Barnegat Inlet’s north jetty on the ocean. He released a 27-inch striper there the other day. Fluke fishing at the Tires on the ocean was a little slow. Fluking farther north in the ocean seemed somewhat better, off the Mantoloking pipe and toward Point Pleasant Beach and Belmar. Sea bass fishing was good farther from shore. Crabs were yet to show up locally, and they appear later than at other areas, because of cold water from the inlet. Crabbers nabbed a few in lagoons in overnight pots.  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. Minnows and green crabs are stocked. The crabs are blackfish bait, and one blackfish will become the bag limit starting Friday. Blackfish season is currently closed. No live spots are available yet. Live grass shrimp are available, and call ahead to order. One charter captain used the shrimp to land stripers along the north jetty on the ocean. The captain seemed to catch blues recently, when Jack was catching the blues there.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

Anglers wanted to bluefish Saturday on the <b>June Bug</b>, Capt. Lindsay said. So the trip headed to Barnegat Ridge. Not much bait schooled, and blues failed to show up. But bonito raced into the chum slick toward the end of the outing. The anglers never set the hook on the bonito, yanking the rods quickly. They hooked a brown shark, required to be released, that gave up a fight. A half-day trip Sunday ran to Little Egg Reef, the only place close enough to fish for that amount of time. Short sea bass and short fluke were hooked. Bait pods were seen all over. The pods zoomed away too quickly to identify the bait, whenever the boat was moved near. The baitfish were skinny-profiled, like spearing. No fish, like cocktail blues, were on the bait. The June Bug will tuna fish before long this season, and bigeye tuna were currently caught at the canyons. A friend went 5 for 7 on the bigeyes, among a pack. The tuna landed weighed 180 to 260 pounds. Nothing was heard about yellowfin tuna recently. Little Egg Inlet had been difficult for boats to navigate, because of sand bars since Hurricane Sandy in 2011, and reportedly no state funding to dredge. But an area somewhat opened up naturally, recently.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

The bay still gave up summer flounder, and the fish seemed to migrate toward the inlet a little, said Brian from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The fluke definitely swam along Little Egg Reef and Garden State Reef South in the ocean. The angling picked up somewhat at Atlantic City Reef. Sea bass were copped at that reef and the Gloria wreck, offshore of Little Egg Reef. Back in the bay, fishing for brown sharks, required to be released, was good. A 40-inch cobia was landed from Grassy Channel in Great Bay. Crabbing improved lots. All usual baits, including minnows, are stocked, except live grass shrimp. Scott from the shop didn’t net the shrimp, because of freshwater from rain, Brian thought.

<b>Absecon</b>

Summer flounder fishing was kind of hit or miss in the back bay, said Curt from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Many throwbacks bit for every keeper. Big flounder began to be caught at inlets and ocean reefs. One angler landed three 8-pound flounder at Absecon Inlet on two trips. A 7-pounder was also seen at the shop. Anglers say flounder each year migrate to bays from the ocean, and back to the ocean later in the flounder season. And that’s all we know, he said. Decent croaker fishing was found in the bay. Weakfish were picked up at usual places, like the mouth of Mullica River and Main Marsh Thorofare, early in mornings that coincided with a change of tide. The trout were even hooked on weekday evenings during those tides, and boat traffic was the thing. Traffic could be lighter in early mornings and on weekday evenings. The weakfish varied in size, and one day they might be spikes, and on another, they might be 2 or 3 pounds. Some big, tiderunner weaks were heard about from jetties at night on bucktails with just a strip of mackerel. Striped bass could be hooked at places like bridges in early mornings and evenings. None huge was heard about, but anglers who tie into 20-pounders tend not to tell a tackle shop. Eeling for the stripers could be something to try. Shark fishing was good in the bay, if anglers wanted to see line ripped off drag from big fish. Trips could set up a chum slick for the sharks at places like Grassy Channel in Great Bay. Grassy is near Little Egg Inlet, and sharks seem to hold in bays with creeks flowing into them or some sort of moving-water like that. The sharks aren’t seen in Absecon Bay, for example. Grassy holds some deep sloughs. Pelagics like mahi mahi began to build up in the ocean. Areas farther from shore at reefs held them, and anglers said the dolphin swam along every floating structure like buoys there. Other warm-water fish like bonito were surely around in the ocean. No Spanish mackerel were heard about, and not much is heard about fishing for the mackerel these days. But Curt mated on a boat as a kid that would troll a hundred Spanish, along with other pelagics, in a trip. Good-sized bluefin tuna, and even yellowfin tuna, 70 or 90 pounds, were heard about from the inshore ocean, though Curt hesitated to name the place. Anglers dropped live eels to bottom in 190- or 200-foot depths, cranked the bait up 10 feet, and lit into sizable bluefins. The weight on the line was rigged with a rubber band to break off on the hook-up. Baits stocked include plenty of minnows, eels and a few live spots. The spots were finally obtained from farther south, but not many were available yet, and they were pricey. Quantities like a dozen could be available to an angler, and telephone ahead to confirm, but none was available in bulk yet. The spots arrived from a supplier, but many of the fish turned out to be small croakers. Shedder crabs for bait were a little scarce. No live soft-shell crabs for eating were available, but fresh, frozen soft shells, from this year, were on hand. The shop raises soft shells and shedders that become available when crabs shed.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Brown sharks stalked the surf, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Browns must be released by law, and yesterday was stormy, but the sharks will surely still be caught. Kingfish popped up in the surf here and there, but not often, and the angling for them was tough. Some good-sized flounder were bagged in the back bay, but the fishing was hit and miss, like before. The Kids Hooked on Fishing Not on Drugs Fishing Tournament will be held in the Brigantine surf on Saturday for ages 5 to 15. Registration is at 8 a.m. at the 6th Street South pavilion. The first 100 kids get a free rod and reel, and loaner rods are available for the kids who don’t get the rods.

<b>Atlantic City/b>

From the T-jetty, off the Flagship and off the sea wall, anglers on foot beat summer flounder, croakers, triggerfish and a few kingfish, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Some of the flounder were good-sized, and Fluke Candy, a floating jighead, smoked them. So did Doodle Bugs, another one of the jigheads. Either were baited with minnows, squid, Gulps and all typical flounder baits. The heads floated the baits off bottom, and worked well from shore. Both are stocked. Big sharks, up to 5, 6 or 7 feet, were wrestled from the surf, and from shore off Harrah’s. Be aware about shark species prohibited to keep, and release them or any sharks if in doubt. 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>Egg Harbor Township</b>

Bay summer flounder fishing definitely picked up, said John from <b>24-7 Bait & Tackle</b>. The angling was pretty good at Great Bay and in the Absecon area. But the flatfish were boated locally off Kennedy Park and at Rainbow Channel. The fishing was alright at Atlantic City and Ocean City reefs on the ocean. One blackfish will become the bag limit starting Friday, and anglers will try for them at structure like bridges and pilings and, on the ocean, at reefs and wrecks. White perch fishing was good in brackish waters. Patcong Creek, running past the shop, a tributary of Great Egg Harbor River, fishes well for perch. Crabbing was decent on Patcong, one of the best crabbing locations. The store’s rental boats are available to crab and fish from the creek to the Great Egg and the bay. Shark fishing was great in back waters. One of the crew from the store fought brown sharks, required to be released, from shore along Ocean City’s north end. Boaters seemed not to sail for sharks like makos anymore on the ocean this season, and that’s usual. This was becoming late in the year for that, because makos migrate north to cooler water. Farther from shore, bigeye tuna and yellowfin tuna were boated at Wilmington Canyon during the weekend. Anglers mostly trolled for tuna at the canyons. Plenty of customers bought supplies to fish bait for them, like flats of butterfish. But trolling caught most. Tuna bite bait at night later in summer and in fall, usually not earlier.  Plenty of minnows are stocked, and shedder crabs are carried when available. The shop is working on stocking live spots, and hopes the baitfish become available soon. All offshore baits and supplies are carried, like ballyhoos and 5-gallon buckets of chum. <b>The company also own 24-7 Bait & Tackle in Marmora</b>.

<b>Margate</b>

Back-bay summer flounder fishing improved some, gave up a few more keepers and more bites than before, on the party boat <b>Keeper</b>, Capt. John said. The fishing was a little tough on Wednesday, and a trip aboard that day headed out in rain, but the rain became a downpour, so the trip returned early. John hoped the rain didn’t affect the fishing or that the improving catches would continue. Things were looking up. No huge flounder were hooked. Catches included a 5-pounder and a couple of nearly 4-pounders in the past week. No bluefish showed up, though some were caught previously aboard. The year’s first weakfish was reeled in on the boat, and so was the second croaker of the season. Lots of small sea bass showed up, like they do in summer in the bay, and sharks bit. The flounder bit minnows supplied aboard and Gulps that anglers brought. John always recommends bringing Gulps. The flatfish also chomped mackerel that was provided aboard. Sometimes mackerel attract too many of the small sea bass to bite, but that was yet to happen this year. Anglers talked about feeling nibbles that were probably sea bass too small to grab a hook. The Keeper is fishing for summer flounder 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. daily. The trips are only $28, because the fishing is near port, and the pontoon boat is economical on fuel. Rental rods are free, too.

<b>Longport</b>

Seas were rough, wind blew and rain fell, and fishing wasn’t very good Tuesday and Wednesday, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Stray Cat</b>. Trips aboard fished for summer flounder on the ocean, fished the lobster-pot flags, fished Atlantic City Reef and 28-Mile Wreck, and tried everything. The trip Wednesday, a stormy day, made it out, but returned early. Seas were a little sporty. Today was supposed to be windy, but Mike hoped the weather settled soon. Charters are fishing, and a few open-boat trips will sail in August. The Stray Cat will be hauled from the water the week of July 27 for a hull inspection from the Coast Guard.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Along the back bay, summer flounder fishing was steady, Will from <b>Fin-Atics</b> said. Many of the fish were throwbacks, and keepers were cracked here and there. The angling was somewhat better at inlets, and the fish began to migrate to ocean reefs. But lots of sharks, browns and sand tigers, haunted inlets. Both were released by law, and the sharks were fought in the surf, too. Kingfish roamed the surf, but fishing for them wasn’t as good, because of the sharks. Striped bass were hung along the 9th Street Bridge on livelined peanut bunker and eels, and lures. Peanuts began to appear at the bridge. Snapper blues, small this early in the season, schooled at the bridge. For offshore boaters, plenty of bigeye tuna and some small yellowfin tuna swam canyons. Mahi mahi were pasted from the waters. On the inshore ocean, bluefin tuna were reported caught here and there, not many. 

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Lots of summer a flounder, a few keepers, were plowed from the back bay on several trips that fished for them since Monday aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>. Some trips, including this week, cranked flounder from the ocean, with similar results on the boat. Great numbers skittered the bay, and the average size was bigger in the ocean, like typical. The bay couldn’t be beaten for numbers of flounder. Mike Roth, granddaughter and son fought and released 17 sharks, browns and duskies, to 100 pounds Monday, on one of the inshore trips for sharks on the vessel. That sharking’s been excellent, and many of the sharks on the trips, including browns and duskies, must be released, according to law. The trips, usually within 10 miles from the coast, are a chance to pull on big fish, releasing them, without the long trip offshore. The trips fish bait, usually mackerel fillets, or chum flies. High tides coincided with night recently, ideal conditions for popper fishing for striped bass, with lures and flies, on the bay. That angling’s been good aboard, and the tides come around about every two weeks. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

With <b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b>, Wednesday’s trip first fought bluefish off Cape May Point, Capt. Jim said. Then the trip pushed up Delaware Bay and wrestled and released sharks. Sharks including sandbars and 200- to 300-pound sand tigers are swimming the bay. Those are required to be released, but these are some big fish. The trips are an opportunity to land big sharks without the long sail offshore. A few smaller sharks began to appear, and the bigger sharks will probably move to ocean wrecks soon. Fins will begin fishing for them there. The blues were 2 to 3 pounds, bigger than the ½-pounders that school off the point some years. The blues were crowd-pleasers, giving up a good fight on light tackle, and good-eating. A shorter, 4-hour trip was slated for today, so would bluefish off the point, but not shark fish. The trip would potentially also fish for summer flounder at the Cape May Rips off the point, because that was nearby. A few flounder could be tugged aboard from the rips and ocean reefs, farther from shore. Fishing seemed to be coming along. Fins fishes every day, and reservations are suggested but not required. Telephone for availability.

In the strong wind, the back bay’s summer flounder fishing wasn’t that good, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. But customers did dock flounder. Sometimes they nabbed croakers or a few small blues from the bay. One angler was into good striped bass fishing off the inlet rocks at night. Stripers were landed from the surf at night. Stripers swam the canal at night, and Mike saw a big one that could’ve been a keeper roll in the canal last night. He said previously the bass were difficult to hook or wouldn’t bite under the lights in the canal in the dark. Rental-boaters who crabbed probably averaged two dozen keepers per trip.  A buddy boated a 40-inch mahi mahi at the Old Grounds on the ocean on the Sea Coop on squid from the shop. Canal Side rents boats for fishing, crabbing and pleasure and kayaks. <b>***<i>Get a $5 discount</i>***</b> on a rental boat if you mention Fishing Reports Now. Frozen sand eels began to be stocked. Baits stocked also included minnows, scented and unscented squid strips, trolling squid, tube squid, spearing, herring, mullet, whole and filleted mackerel, clams in quarts, pints, a pound or nine ounces, whole or cut bunker, and Gulps. Tackle and supplies stocked include bucktails, rigs, hooks, minnow boxes, minnow buckets, minnow traps, nets, different crab baskets and more. Crabs, both live and cooked, are sold for eating, and picnic tables are set out to enjoy them, with umbrellas. Soda is available, or customers can bring their own libation. Customers are coming, sitting and eating the crabs. Mike was there until 8 o’clock last night with them. The crabs are currently No. 2’s for $20 per dozen live and $25 per dozen cooked. The crabs are cooked in advance in the morning. The shop will clean and cook crabs anybody catches for $10 up to two dozen and $5 per any additional dozen.

<b>Cape May</b>

The ocean was somewhat sporty, but a trip Wednesday trolled bluefish and two bonito, and cranked up triggerfish, on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Conditions made anchoring difficult for the triggerfishing. But some were caught, not a lot, and a catch was made on a rough day. Wind probably blew 25 m.p.h. A trip is slated to fish for tuna Monday aboard. The boat’s been sailing for bluefin tuna inshore in 20 to 30 fathoms. George heard nothing about the angling in the weather in past days, but will surely hear this weekend about the fishing. Telephone if interested in any of this fishing.

Not every day fished well for summer flounder aboard, and sometimes a trip fished well, and sometimes the next day was bad, said Capt. Paul from the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>.  Some of the fish were around, and they sometimes bit when fishing conditions were good, and trips fished the ocean. Good-sized crowds showed up for trips Saturday through Monday, and Saturday and Monday’s flounder fishing was slow, but Sunday’s was good. On that day, a bunch of good-sized flounder were swung in. The catches included Ed Schultz from Philadelphia’s 8-pounder and Matt Lamelza from Ocean City’s 6-1/2-pounder. The boat failed to drift on Monday, and almost no keepers were hooked. Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s trips met rain, squalls and wind, but caught okay, with small crowds aboard. One angler limited out on each of those trips. They were Randy Fustachi from New York City on Tuesday and Alex Levantovsky from Philly on Wednesday. Alex and another angler, Al from Haddonfield, tied for the pool with a 5-pounder each that day. Today was supposed to be breezy, and the Porgy IV is fishing for summer flounder at 8 a.m. daily.

Deeper channels in the back bay held summer flounder, said Joe from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. They seemed to migrate toward the ocean, and good flounder fishing was axed at ocean reefs. Croakers began to show up, pretty much everywhere, but including at jetties, Cape May Canal and Delaware Bay. Nothing was heard about flounder from Delaware Bay, but that didn’t mean flounder weren’t there. Schoolie striped bass were played at bridges at night on soft-plastic lures. A few weakfish hugged jetties. Kingfish were heard about from the surf, and one angler reported hooking lots of small, or 4- to 6-inchers. A diver said lots of blackfish held along jetties. One blackfish will become the bag limit starting Friday, and blackfish season is currently closed. Green crabs are supposed to arrive for bait for the tautog for the opener.  Triggerfish were heard about, but Joe talked to nobody who actually caught them.  Water was warm enough, and the triggers should be found along some jetties. Triggers were reported pumped in from the Miss Avalon at ocean wrecks Monday. Lots of cobia arrived at reefs and wrecks. Bigeye tuna were trolled at Wilmington Canyon in early mornings and before dark. Lots of white marlin reportedly swam everywhere.  

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