<b>Keyport</b>

Good fluking Friday through Sunday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. Action was great, and scores of throwbacks bit. Eight to 14 keepers to 5 pounds were socked per trip. Fluke could be found throughout Raritan Bay now. Rougher bottom seemed to hold the bigger ones. Good bucktailers limited out or nearly did on each trip. Anglers fishing bait also caught, but dealt with many dogfish. Charters are fishing, and open-boat trips are available Wednesday and Thursday, and telephone to reserve. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

With <b>Down Deep Sportfishing</b>, angling for fluke was hit and miss, or some days produced better than others, Capt. Mario said. But high hooks landed eight keepers, and the fish weighed up to 8 pounds. Trips include marathon open-boat ones that fish 12 hours. Ling and cod fishing was super aboard. Flounder to 4 pounds were eased in on those outings, too. The ling weighed up to 5 pounds, and the cod weighed up to 10. 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, including for cod offshore. Also see the site’s open-trips page for available dates.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fluke trips fished Raritan Bay on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. The location was the “best of it,” he said, and a few fluke began to be found at Flynn’s Knoll. The angling was about the same as before. Quite a few fluke were usually landed, and a few were keepers. When conditions drifted the boat well, action was good. All customers landed throwbacks at least on trips. Three or four keepers were taken in the first hour of Monday morning’s trip, when Tom gave this report in a phone call aboard. Fewer fluke bit than usual, but the number of keepers was somewhat higher. During the weekend’s fishing aboard, some of the fluke weighed 6 pounds. All the boat’s trips fished in past days. Sometimes forecasts for thunderstorms seemed to keep some anglers from arriving to fish. But in all those forecasts the last couple of weeks, 5 percent of the storms happened aboard. Ninety percent of that time, the storms lasted 10 minutes. Sometimes customers fished throughout the rain, and sometimes the crew told the anglers to jump inside the cabin. The storms passed to the north, instead of over the boat, most of the time. A good percentage passed to the south. 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.

On the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, the fluke trip Monday slugged away at keepers, throwbacks, sea robins and sharks, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. The trip fished a new area, “and found some life we could work for a change,” he said. Rich Mullenbrock won the pool with a 7.4-pound fluke. That was the daily pool, and he took the lead in the season-long fluke pool with an 8-pound 2-ouncer on Thursday, covered in the last report here. On this trip, Monday’s, another angler bagged a 5.6-pounder, and the high hook totaled four keepers, good-sized. Monday night’s trip reeled in striped bass at first and porgies afterward. Some beauties, Ron said about the porgies. Night trips now will fish for stripers until dark, and porgies the rest of the time. The trips targeted only stripers previously. During the weekend’s trips, some sizable fluke and stripers came in. Saturday’s daytime trip’s high hooks boated three keepers apiece, and a 7.4-pound fluke won the day’s pool. A couple of 3- to 5-pounders were axed. On Sunday’s daytime trip, fluke caught included the 6.8-pound pool-winner, a 5.9-pounder and a couple of 4- to 5-pounders. Half the trip’s fish bit bait, and half bit jigs. The Fishermen is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. However, charters are booked in the mornings this Friday through Sunday, so no open-boat trips will fish then. Trips are fishing for stripers and porgies 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9 p.m. Sundays.

<b>Highlands</b>

Though <b>Fin-Taz-Tic Sportfishing</b> is mostly fluking, the trips are prepared to striped bass fish, an email from Fin-Taz-Tic said. A trip Friday ended up with five stripers in the 30-pound range and a 49-pounder, when stripers were seen busting the surface. Fluking aboard was into steady action, including some sizable caught, including on a trip Sunday. Fluke on that outing included an 8-pounder. Plus, a surprise was caught: A 35-pound striper was landed on a bucktail meant for fluke.  Charters and open-boat trips are fishing, and the schedule currently looks like openings are available Friday through Sunday. Telephone if looking to fish, and women and children are welcome. The boat includes clean restrooms and a galley. 

<b>Neptune</b>

Trips began fluke fishing with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph wrote in an email. The summer flounder to 5 pounds were sacked aboard. Annual individual-reservation trips that fluke every Tuesday will begin next week. Kids under 12 sail free on those outings, limited to two per adult host. Individual-reservation trips will fish for ling, cod and sea bass on the Sundays of July 12 and 26. A few spots remain for an individual-reservation trip for cod offshore on August 5. A trip for that was full today, and another is full on July 22. Charters are available daily.

<b>Belmar</b>

Bluefishing was great, and bonito were mixed in, on Sunday on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report said on the party boat’s website. That’s the first significant bonito catch reported on this site this year. The blues were apparently smaller ones, though the report didn’t say. But blues beaten on other trips were small aboard. Angling for the blues was also super on the next day, Monday, aboard, and some bonito were mixed in then, too. Fishing for smaller blues was also good today on the boat. Fish are biting, so come on down, the report said. The Golden Eagle is fishing at 7:30 a.m. daily and 7:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. Fishing and sunset cruises are sailing at 4:30 p.m. daily, and reservations are required for those outings. On the sunset trip Monday, nine keeper fluke to 5 pounds were swung in. So were throwback fluke and keeper and throwback sea bass.

Catches of small bluefish began slowly on today’s trip, “inside of the Mud Hole,” on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the vessel said. But the angling became better throughout the trip, and all the anglers ended up catching the blues. There’s been rubble and structure where the boat’s been bluefishing, so cod, ling and sea bass have also been caught with the blues. Monday’s bluefishing was excellent, inshore of the Mud Hole. The trip’s blues were small, “(and) some drifts … lasted over an hour,” the email said. Keeper cod and throwbacks were also clocked. A bull shark was hooked and released. 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.

Trips fluke fished on the ocean with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Pete said. Some days fished better than others for the flatfish, and sometimes the summer flounder were finicky. A trip Sunday picked at them aboard, and some big ones were lost, when the summer flounder were finicky like mentioned. Sea bass have been mixed in. Fluke trips include On the Water Seminars that teach bucktailing for the big fish. One of those was full today, and space remains on another on July 28. More of the dates will be added for August, and charters can also book the seminars. The trips aren’t just limited to ones that Parker Pete’s schedules, in other words. On the seminars, novices learn the bucktailing, and the somewhat experienced hone the skill, in a non-threatening environment. 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.

Half-day trips scooped up sea bass and ling on the <b>Katie H</b>, Capt. Mike said. Though two became the bag limit for sea bass starting Wednesday, fishing for them was good, and the anglers limited out, and lots of ling were on the chew. The boat will compete in Mako Mania this weekend that was rescheduled from two weekends ago, because of weather. Afterward, the vessel will still fish inshore, like for sea bass, ling and also fluke, but will begin tuna fishing then, too. Nothing was heard about tuna this weekend, and no boats from the dock sailed for them. Mike heard about a few bluefin tuna inshore and some yellowfin tuna offshore, he said in previous reports.

Good reports rolled in about big striped bass on bunker north of Shark River Inlet, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. One customer stopped in with a 48-pound striper, talking about seeing a large number of the fish. “The big fish in the New York Bight are amazing,” Bob said. A friend showed Bob a photo of a 64-pounder from the boat the friend fishes on, and the friend was on the vessel when Bob emailed this report, on Monday evening. “There were many 40-plus-pound fish also taken in the area, and a report of a 60-pound bass, as well,” Bob said. Shark River’s fluke fishing was good, but throwbacks dominated. Killies and smaller Gulps caught best. Business was good during the weekend, and weather gave the shop a break.

<b>Brielle</b>

Fishing was sporadic last week, including sluggish early in the week, because of a ground swell leftover from weather, on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, Capt. Ryan wrote in an email. But the angling became much better later in the week, through the weekend. A good percentage of 3- to 5-pound, keeper fluke were in the mix with throwbacks, and fewer of the fish were throwbacks than in late June. Pool-winning fluke averaged 6 or 6 ½ pounds, and sea bass that were caught included a good percentage of 2-1/2- to 4-1/2-pounders. “Overall, decent fishing,” he 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 fair, and Axel Carlson Reef seemed to fish better than Sea Girt Reef did for the flatfish, said Vinnie from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Fluke were sometimes bagged on Manasquan River, and plenty of throwbacks carpeted the river. One angler put up three keepers on a trip on the river. Back on the ocean, striped bass fishing was slow. Party boats that bluefished ran north to Raritan Bay to catch. Ling fishing was good on the ocean, and Vinnie sailed for them last week on a trip. He saw a tremendous variety of fish decked on the outing, including ling, sea bass, blackfish, cod, winter flounder and fluke. Blackfish are out-of-season and must be released, and one will become the bag limit starting July 17. Small yellowfin tuna were trolled at Spencer Canyon. Lenny knew about a bigeye tuna caught somewhere. A few bluefin tuna were trolled at the Atlantic Princess wreck on black and purple jets and mini Green Machines.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Two blue marlin, an 85-pound yellowfin tuna, numerous mahi mahi and a box full of tilefish were creamed Sunday from southern canyons with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Ray wrote in an email. The marlin were estimated to weigh 400 to 600 pounds apiece, mature fish. The anglers went 1 for 3 on big yellowfins like the 85-pounder. Tuna fishing wasn’t off the charts, but the trip, only scheduled to be a day troll, turned out great. The anglers returned with an awful lot of fish and memories. The canyon season is great, and there will be waxing and waning, but the fishing looks promising. Mushin means a relaxed state of readiness. The crew pride themselves on sharing the concept on outdoor adventures.

When weather was okay, fishing for fluke and sea bass was decent, overall, on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said. The fish seemed to get lockjaw, he said, on a couple of afternoons, because of south wind. That direction cools water near the coast, because of upwelling. Four- or 5-pound fluke won pools in past days, and Spro jigs didn’t seem to out-fish rigs for fluke recently, or they caught equally. Two became the sea bass bag limit starting Wednesday, from 15 previously. But the two were nice to catch, made a difference. On nighttime wreck-fishing trips, fishing for ling was a slow, steady pick for bigger fish. Some keeper cod and throwbacks were still in the mix. The keeper cod didn’t weigh much more than 6 pounds, but they were nice to get, too. Not many squid were jigged on the trips yet, and the water seemed a little dirty. The boat is also bluefishing one night a week, and the fleet seemed to begin catching smaller blues. Maybe the angling was picking up, after it was tougher before. The Gambler is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily. Trips are fishing for ling 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 .m. every Thursday and Friday and for blues every Saturday during those hours. Tuna trips will begin on September 21, and see the <a href=" http://www.gamblerfishing.net/offshoretrips.php" target="_blank">tuna schedule</a> online.

Fluke fishing did improve well on Friday on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website on Saturday, the most recent report there. Plus, bluefishing improved slightly on nighttime trips. Friday’s fluking copped some good-sized keepers to 7 pounds, along with throwbacks. Saturday’s fluking was slow aboard, but conditions were difficult. “It can only get better for us,” he said. A 6-pound 9-ounce fluke was in the lead for the monthly pool, and bigger fluke are surely around. During the nighttime bluefishing, 1- to 2-pounders were caught pretty steadily on Thursday aboard, on small bait. Once the small blues are hooked, bigger ones aren’t far behind, he said. The small blues were lots of fun on light tackle. Friday night’s bluefishing was slower, but the fish were marked well. 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>

Fluke, sharks and crabs were clutched, mainly, John from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s website. Fluking kept improving in the surf and inlets, and the fluke bag limit at Island Beach State Park, two fish 16 inches or larger, almost ensured a keeper for surf anglers. The limit is five fluke 18 inches or larger in the rest of the state. Shark fishing should get under way in the surf, any moment. Crabbing was good, and snapper bluefish, small, began to appear in Barnegat Bay. 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>

Anglers saw action with fluke, occasionally a keeper, and sea bass, some bigger ones, the last few trips on the <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, a report on the party boat’s website said. Getting a keeper fluke was tough. A few ling were slung in, so the bottom-water was chilly. On last week’s trips, fishing aboard kept improving. The Miss Barnegat Light is fishing for fluke and sea bass 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

<b>Barnegat</b>

From an edited email from Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b>: “Room on our Saturday afternoon trip for one angler. Two people already signed up. We’ll chum with live grass shrimp for stripers. Most are under 28 inches, but a few are taping out on the legal side. All are a blast on the 10-pound spinning gear with no sinkers or terminal tackle, just a baited hook. Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday and Monday are available for charter or open-boat. Forecast looks great. Light wind and calm seas. Storms have all blown through. We could scout out Barnegat Ridge for any of the blue-water fish. There could be bonita or school bluefin tuna there, but I haven't been there yet, and don't have any reports to go on. We’d be going in blind, but that's how reports are made. We could also stay inshore and chum the inlet jetty with shrimp for schoolie stripers. Call for more info.”

<b>Beach Haven</b>

A group was set to fish offshore for big game Sunday on the <b>June Bug</b>, but forecasts changed, calling for 20-knot wind from northeast, so the anglers opted not to sail, Capt. Lindsay said. A half-dozen boats left for overnight trips offshore Saturday, and Lindsay waited to hear results. A half-day trip wanted to fish Little Egg Inlet on Friday, and a few small blues had been popping up there. But none showed up during this time. Trips are slated to fish for blues, fluke and sea bass inshore at the end of the week aboard.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Little Egg Inlet produced good reports about summer flounder boated, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. A 10-pounder was the largest of the fish in past days. “Holy fluke!” the report said. Grassy Channel and along the Intracoastal Waterway in Great Bay were also places to round up fluke. A trip on the ocean Friday totaled five keeper fluke to 24 inches, 20 throwbacks and some good-sized sea bass. Garden State Reef South on the ocean turned out good news about fluke, sea bass, porgies and triggerfish.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Brown sharks, brown sharks and more brown sharks, a report on <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. Surf-fishing for the browns, required to be released, was getting to be like good bluefishing that lasted 1 ½ months in the surf this spring. The water kept warming, currently reaching 76 degrees. “The water temps will bring the bigger sharks closer to shore,” it said. Small kingfish also swam the surf.

<b>Longport</b>

Conditions failed to drift the <b>Stray Cat</b> much, but summer flounder fishing was pretty good on the trip Sunday aboard the ocean, Capt. Mike said. Six sizable flounder to 5 pounds were bagged, and the catch also included 16 keeper sea bass. The trip fished in 60 feet in gin-clear water. Wasn’t a lot of life, but quality fish. Brown sharks and even a couple of hammerhead sharks swam the area. The next open-boat trips are set for Wednesday and Thursday, fishing for flounder, the final open trips this season. Charters will fill the schedule afterward. A trip Thursday trolled a white marlin and nine good-sized mahi mahi at Wilmington Canyon, covered in the last report here. Offshore fishing like that is looking good, even if trips need to find the water temperature breaks to find the fish. Lots of life, including bait and birds, filled the area from the Elephant Trunk to Spencer Canyon. A $500 discount is available for overnight tuna trips offshore.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Two became the sea bass bag limit starting Wednesday, but all anglers limited out on them on a trip that fished the ocean Saturday aboard, said Capt. Victor from the party boats <b>Miss Ocean City</b> and <b>Captain Robbins</b>. Two trips daily will now fish the back bay for summer flounder at 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. the rest of summer. Three flounder to 22 ½ inches were pitched aboard Friday from the bay. A triggerfish, the southern, warm-water species that appears locally in summer, was in the mix.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Anglers aboard fished the back bay and ocean for fluke, the bay for striped bass and the ocean for sharks with <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, and the schedule was jamming, Capt. Joe Hughes said. The flounder trips fished on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. A few keepers and many throwbacks were pumped in, lots of action. The keepers ranged from one on one trip to four on another. One of the trips, on Saturday morning, landed only throwback flounder, lots. It was a great morning, Joe said. When conditions were good on trips, the flounder fishing was best. Two anglers joined the striper trip, on the bay Friday at sunset, landing two, losing others, on popper lures. That’s a specialty aboard, drawing visual attacks, exciting, along the surface. High tides at dusk, like on this trip, are ideal, coming around every two weeks. The popper fishing lasts throughout summer. The shark trip, on Sunday, nailed and released 13 sharks to 100 pounds, a combo of duskies and spinners. This was one of the inshore shark trips aboard, usually within 10 miles of the coast. Most of the sharks, like duskies, are required to be released. The trips are an opportunity to fight big fish without the long trek offshore. Fishing’s been good, lots of action, Joe said. Keep up with his fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

 

<b>Avalon</b>

<b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b> will probably begin fishing the ocean reefs for summer flounder, Capt. Jim said. He heard that the fish began to migrate out from the back bay, though friends still pulled flounder from the bay. Jim’s boat was undergoing maintenance before charters slated to fish Wednesday and Saturday. Saturday’s trip is supposed to hunt the ocean for pelagics like mahi mahi, cobia, wahoos, bonito or even bluefin tuna. That’s the first of those trips aboard this year, and the ocean was becoming warm enough to sail for those fish. The trip will probably troll along buoys, like at lobster pots, and pitch baits, if fish are seen gathering at any of the buoys.

<b>Wildwood</b>

<b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b> continued to fight and release big sharks on Delaware Bay, Capt. Jim said. The trips tagged the fish, including sand tigers, sandbars and duskies, for NOAA, and the sand tigers averaged 250 to 300 pounds. The fishing was consistent, almost guaranteed to catch, a chance to fight big fish without sailing offshore, at half the price. Trips can also fish for summer flounder on the ocean at places like the Old Grounds and Reef 11. The flounder are in, and those trips are for dyed-in-the-wool anglers. The trips need to last 8 hours to reach the grounds, and big bucktails like 6 ounces are fished in the deep along structure, like rocky bottom or reef debris. Anglers need to <i>fish</i> to catch and to keep from snagging the bucktails along bottom. Rods can’t be left passively in rod holders. That’s the reason the trips are for the more experienced anglers, but this was the time to go for the doormats. Trips are also bluefishing at the ocean shoals, closer to port, trolling with light tackle. That’s a trip for good action and fun. The blues weigh 3 and 4 pounds, good-eating size. Fins sails for whatever catches are available, and even crabs on the back bay. All supplies are provided for the crabbing, and up to 15 passengers can sail. Let Fins take you to the blueclaws, so there’s no guesswork. Fins even does weddings, funerals and any trip people can imagine. Jim’s licensed to marry people. Fins fishes every day, and reservations aren’t required, but suggested. Telephone for availability.

<b>Cape May</b>

Bluefin tuna were beaten Friday and Sunday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Both trips limited out on two unders apiece, and all the bluefins on both trips were about 45 inches, so neither trip could bag an over. The bag limit is two bluefins 27 inches to less than 47 inches and one of the fish 47 inches to less than 73 inches per day, per boat. Friday’s trip was a banner day like happens every five years. Bluefins attacked as soon as the trip began trolling at a hill. Game on, George said. Seventeen or 18 were hooked, including the limit of unders, and the trip was back at the dock by lunchtime. Sunday’s trip was just a usual day of bluefin fishing, and the two unders were bagged, and another was released, and two or three were lost. A couple of mahi mahi were also trolled on that trip. Both trips trolled all the fish. Reports sounded like some boats struggled. Some anglers reported catching yellowfin tuna in the area, but only bluefins showed up on the Heavy Hitter.  Friday’s trip was with fire chief Bob Lewendowski’s crew, and Sunday’s was with Tom Stackhouse’s gang. Nobody can know how long this fishing will last, so act quickly, if you want to go.

Back to Top