<b>Staten Island</b>

<b>***Update, Saturday, 7/11***</b> Some probably don’t know, but big striped bass are around, said Capt. Chuck from <b>Angler Sportfishing Charters</b>. He’s fishing for them on the ocean, and some to 60 pounds were hammered four days ago. His trips landed none that big, but nailed sizable. A friend’s catch, on the friend’s boat, included a 60-pounder. Livelined bunker, but also bunker chunks, are being fished for the bass, and Chuck likes to depart on the trips between 5 and 6 p.m., fishing until several hours after dark. Night is a time to hook them. Chuck’s trips are also fluking along Ambrose Channel. Fluking is erratic, and sometimes big fluke can be bonked. Other times, eight or 10 throwbacks are caught to bag a keeper. Sea bass are beginning to bite on the fluke trips, and New York’s sea bass season will be opened starting Wednesday through the end of the year. Eight sea bass 13 inches or larger will be the bag limit. In New Jersey, the limit is two sea bass 12 inches or larger this month, and Jersey’s sea bass season will be closed starting in August.

<b>Keyport</b>

Fishing for fluke was up and down or mellowed the past few days, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>. Lots of shorts, keepers mixed in. High hooks totaled four keepers, and the biggest fluke weighed 5 pounds. Trips would catch somewhere one day, and the fish would be gone the next. The reason for all of this was unknown, but he hopes the angling picks back up. Fishing for ling and cod was great aboard. The ling were good-sized to 4 pounds, and the cod weren’t large, but the last trip picked up 20 keeper cod. Those trips also waxed winter flounder to 4 pounds. 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.

An open-boat fluke trip landed 40 of the fish but no keepers, for the first time this season, Wednesday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. “Frustrating day for all of us, but that’s fishing,” he said. The trip fished many locations, and all held fluke, just no keepers. “We work hard each and every trip to put quality keepers in the boat,” he said. He always makes every effort to give anglers the best possible day on the water, he said. Charters are fishing, and the next open trip is set for Thursday, and some space is available.

An 11.8-pound fluke, a 10.2-pounder and a 9.5-pounder were weighed at <b>Joey’s Bait Shack</b>, Joey said. Customers boated lots of throwback fluke, but some keepers, including large. They mostly fished the back of Raritan Bay. Blues 2 to 3 pounds and a few keeper fluke were pumped in from the Keyport Pier. Crabbing improved, giving up more keepers than before. Many baby crabs were trapped and released. Baits stocked include killies and all the frozen fluke selection.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

On the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, fluke fishing was about the same as before, like a carbon copy, Capt. Tom said. Every trip sailed, and when conditions were right, all the anglers caught, and some of the fluke were keepers. Wednesday morning’s trip was one of the better for keepers. Every place fished produced fluke. On the afternoon’s trip, one place gave up lots of throwbacks, probably no keepers, he thought. One angler bagged four keepers on the trip. No huge fluke were hooked in past days, but 4- and 5-pounders were. Tiny fluke 10 inches sometimes bit Wednesday. Fluke ¼ inch under the 18-inch size limit were landed and released on trips. That throwback size was a substantial fluke, 2 pounds or larger, and the fish were fat. Nineteen- and 20-inchers came in. The boat fished Raritan Bay at usual spots, like off the Navy Pier, and at Flynn’s Knoll, at the mouth of the bay. Sometimes weather forecasts kept some anglers from showing up. But weather was never bad on trips. A hard drizzle fell on Tuesday, but that was the worst. Some of the anglers said the rain cooled them off, and no strong wind blew. The boat was fortunate to have the bay to fish, protecting from weather.  Weather forecasts caused a light crowd to jump aboard Wednesday. Some of the anglers talked about how nice the day was, considering forecasts. 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.

Just a handful of anglers showed up for Tuesday’s fluke trip, because of weather forecasts, and the angling wasn’t hot, but slugged it out at several areas, Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. The fluke bagged were sizable, including a 7.2-pound pool-winner and a few 5-pounders. A load of throwbacks bit, and thunderstorms that were forecast tended to pass after the heat of days crashed with cold air, not on the trips, like usual in summer. On Wednesday’s trip, no place gave up a great bite, but each turned out action to keep anglers on their toes. Ron had to work twice as hard as usual to get it done, and never just waits for something to happen, anglers who read his reports know, he said. The trip also fished a patch of rocks that usually produces stripers on the last of the tide, and the bass erupted. Several 40 pounds and larger were nailed, and a 35-pounder was the smallest. That made several anglers happy. Where were the stripers a month ago? Ron asked.  Today’s fluke trip was tough, and he fished at every type of place imaginable, including mussels, mud bottom, sand bottom, snags, edges of channels, shoals, Ambrose Lighthouse and Flynn’s Knoll. A couple of keepers bit here and there, and shorts served up action at some places. But no fluking took off to keep the boat in one place. 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. The night trips ran into some good-sized stripers recently, Ron said in a phone call. Porgy fishing was great on Monday night’s trip, he wrote on the website. That was the most recent report about the porgies, but that angling sounded good, according to past reports.

Anglers latched into fluke in Raritan Bay, on the ocean and all over, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. On some days, quite a few keepers were landed, and on some, quite a few shorts were. Ling fishing was super on the ocean. Nothing was heard about other bottom-fish, like sea bass and cod. The charter boat that ling fished worked where only ling chomped, along broken bottom in 100 feet. He didn’t want to mess with fluke, and bailed ling. In back waters, snapper blues chased spearing. The snappers were probably too small to catch yet. Plenty of fish could bend rods in the surf, but were skates and smooth dogfish :). No striped bass and blues were heard about from the surf. Sharking was good. “I wouldn’t go in the water,” he said! Crabbing was getting to be good in the river. All baits are stocked.

<b>Highlands</b>

Good striped bass catches were shown aboard in photos from Tuesday and Wednesday on the <b>Hyper Striper</b>’s Facebook page. The fish looked healthy-sized, and the boat’s the Hyper Striper, after all. A black drum caught was also seen in one of the shots.

A 205-pound thresher shark was docked at <b>Twin Lights Marina</b> from the Hyper Striper last week, Marion wrote in an email. Greg Hanna on the Annie H limited out on fluke near the Ammo Pier on Raritan Bay. Paul and Maddy Hess on the Boudicca managed one keeper fluke on the bay. Jay and Tracy Amarosa boated four keeper fluke on Shrewsbury River. 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 offshore selection, like frozen flats of baitfish. The fuel dock is available 24 hours a day with a credit card. 

<b>Neptune</b>

“Had some nice cod,” Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> wrote about an individual-reservation trip Tuesday aboard. “One wreck was pretty good.” Conditions were perfect in the morning, and wind blew against tide by the last drop, in the afternoon. “No good,” he said. Anglers had to fish through lots of conger eels on the trip. But the cod fishing was good, overall. A couple of spots remain on an individual-reservation trip for cod on August 5. Another is full on July 22. An individual-reservation trip will fish for ling, cod and sea bass on July 12. Fluke are beginning to bite, and individual-reservation trips will fish for fluke every Tuesday starting next week. Kids under 12 sail free on those outings, limited to two per adult host.

<b>Belmar</b>

Good fluke fishing was lit into from the ocean on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. Very good, nice, he said, some excellent fishing. Mostly Gulps caught, but pretty much all baits hooked up. Catches included a couple of 10-pounders and some 8’s and 7’s, and the Big Mohawk is fluke fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Bluefishing was slower aboard the past couple of days than before, according to emails from the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>. Previously, small blues began to be slung aboard. On today’s trip, a few blue blues were managed offshore. A few keeper cod, throwback cod and a pollock were pasted. That was apparently at the Mudhole, because previous trips fished there, according to past emails. The boat’s been fishing rubble and bottom structure that holds fish like cod, along with blues. Wednesday’s trip fished the Mudhole, on the west wide, an email said. The fishing was a slow pick, and slower than previously aboard. 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.

Customers picked at small bluefish today, and several customers landed more than a limit apiece, on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s website said. Fishing for the blues was decent Wednesday and good Tuesday aboard.  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. One of those trips cranked in nine keeper fluke to 5 pounds, some keeper sea bass to 3 pounds and lots of throwback fluke and sea bass Monday.

Shark River’s fluke fishing was good, but keepers were elusive, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Mo Deluca, granddaughter Ashley and her cousin Matt landed 32 of the fluke, including Ashley’s 4-pound 22-inch keeper. Bruce Douglas rounded up four keepers and many throwbacks. Killies were the hot bait for the river’s fluke. Far too many fluke were seen with spear holes. Most spear-fishers are good sports, but a few bad apples shot throwbacks. Go get the river’s fluke, Bob said.

Trips sharked Monday and Tuesday with <b>XTC Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Scott said. No mako sharks were caught, and that’s uncommon for him, he said. Makos might’ve migrated away for the season. So the sharking wasn’t good, though brown sharks and blue sharks were landed, nothing great. The water was warm or 73 to 74 degrees, and not much bait schooled, only a little, and porpoises swam around. The boat failed to drift much on Monday’s trip, but drifted on Tuesday’s. XTC is supposed to compete in Mako Mania on Saturday. The tournament was rescheduled for this Friday to Sunday, after being weathered out two weekends ago. Charters are booked with XTC the rest of the contest’s days.  A fluke charter was booked for today. Fluking was alright on two trips last Thursday and Friday aboard, boating about 10 keepers per trip. Fluking was slow on a charter Sunday aboard, bagging a handful of keepers. But sea bass fishing was good on the trip, landing a bunch. A trip will steam for tuna at the offshore canyons Sunday with XTC. Not a lot was heard about tuna, except about bigeye tuna from Hudson to Washington canyons, and some small yellowfin tuna from Lindenkohl Canyon. Closer to shore, a handful of boats were seen fishing for bluefin tuna on Monday’s shark trip, and maybe three or four bluefins were reeled in. The radio sounded like that, and no boats were seen fishing for bluefins on Tuesday’s shark trip.

Anglers picked away at fluke on the ocean with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Pete said. Conditions weren’t phenomenal. Shorts gave up lots of action, but the keepers were good-sized.  Seven-pounders, no “big monsters,” he said, were usually largest on trips. The trips did score a pick of sea bass, when fishing rough bottom. The year’s first On the Water Seminar, teaching bucktailing for fluke, went great on Tuesday. There was lots of action, and 5 pounds was the biggest fluke, he thought. All the anglers bagged keepers, and some almost limited out. High hooks bagged four, he thought. Some of the anglers never bucktailed before, and were hooked, Pete thought. So anglers can learn bucktailing in a non-threatening environment. Novices learn bucktailing, and the somewhat experienced hone the skill. All the seminars were full currently, Pete thought, but more will be scheduled. Contact him to jump aboard. Charters can also book the seminars on other dates. 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>

Ling fishing was surprisingly good, said Capt. Butch from the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>. Sea bass fishing was also decent, so the last couple of trips targeted sea bass first, and the anglers limited out on two apiece. Then the trips fished for ling. Butch didn’t know where the ling were coming from, but didn’t care. He hopes the good angling for them lasts the summer. A few cod and winter flounder were hooked. Between all these catches, anglers averaged 15 to 30 fish bagged apiece, some good fishing. Trips fished for ling in 100 to 150 feet, and fishing was no good deeper. The water was 65 to 70 degrees along the surface. A few porgies were landed, like one on Wednesday aboard. Other boats piled up porgies off Long Island, and Butch hopes the scup migrate south to local waters. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Bluefish trips are slated for 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. this Friday and Saturday. None of the bluefish trips sailed last weekend, because trips sailed for fireworks for the Fourth of July aboard instead. Boats reportedly began to catch small blues.

<b>Toms River</b>

Barnegat Bay’s fluking wasn’t great, but wasn’t bad, and some were caught, near the BB and BI markers, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. That depended on conditions including wind. Catching fluke could be good in the surf, on bucktails with Gulps or squid strips. Anglers took advantage of the fluke bag limit at Island Beach State Park, two fluke 16 inches or larger, fishing for the flatties there from the surf. Five fluke 18 inches or larger is the limit in the rest of the state. Anglers at Island Beach could also wade the bay for fluke from the kayak access areas. Some holes held the fish there. Kayakers took advantage of that angling, too, and sometimes played throwback striped bass. Sometimes they saw small schools of the stripers that refused to bite. Crabbing was actually good for waders there. They walked and scooped up the blueclaws. Spear-fishers said they saw many fluke, lots, along bottom around Barnegat Inlet, but the fish wouldn’t bite for anglers. The spear-fishers bagged the fluke, saying the stomachs were empty. Also in the surf, small blues 2 and 3 pounds sometimes popped up. Bigger blues appeared on occasion, and most anglers fished mullet for the blues. Surf-fishing was picky, though. Boaters picked a few sea bass and fluke at the Tire Reef, off the inlet. Nobody set the world on fire, fishing like that. In the Toms River, crabbing was super. It was on the bay along Route 37 Bridge, too. Eels swam the river, and so did snapper blues, small, 2 or 3 inches, occasionally 10 or 11. Blowfish showed up a little in the river at Island Heights and Gilford Park and in the bay off Seaside. When crabbers cast a rod, was easier to hook the blowfish than the tiny snappers. Blowfish, not many, some, hovered the bay farther south, a little west of the BB. Boaters caught a few, not great fishing.  Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Snapper blues schooled along the dock, but were 1 inch, not big enough to catch yet, said George from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>.  Crabbing was pretty good from the dock. Fluke swam the surf and the ocean off the Mantoloking pipe and at Axel Carlson and Sea Girt reefs. In the surf, bucktails with Gulps or three-way rigs with squid and spearing could be fished for fluke. Local surf anglers waited for brown sharks to appear, though browns showed up farther south along beaches. 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>

Between the BB and BI markers held fluke in Barnegat Bay, said Mike from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Fluke from the ocean were boated at the Tires and Garden State Reef North. Blowfish, not many, hung at the mouth of Oyster Creek. Crabbing was good. Baits carried include killies and local and Canadian spearing. Rigged and unrigged ballyhoos are stocked in packages like three or a dozen. Flats of baitfish for tuna will be on hand later this season.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Mostly throwback fluke, not as many as the past couple of weeks, and a couple of keepers were reeled from Barnegat Bay, said Kevin from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. The fishing slowed in the last week, but the ones customers caught often came from the back side of the Dike. The fluke began to migrate to the ocean, he thought. An angler this morning boated three keepers at the Tire Reef on the ocean. A few small blowfish hovered the bay. Snapper bluefish began to be seen in the water. Crabbing was slow, and improves later here than at other places, because of cold, ocean water from the inlet. Kevin clammed the bay the other day, and that was excellent. Tons of clams littered the area. 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 are stocked, and the season was early to stock live grass shrimp. But the shrimp will be carried later, when in demand. Live spots were yet to be available anywhere.

<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>Surf City</b>

Nothing great happened in surf fishing, but brown sharks and sand sharks were wrestled from the shore, said John from Surf City Bait & Tackle. The browns are released by law. Sand sharks will bite nearly anything. But for browns, bunker, bunker, bunker was the bait. Brown shark fishing was like striped bass fishing but with a wire leader. Many fluke stalked the surf, and were mostly throwbacks, but keepers were caught, along the entire island. All different baits could hook the fluke, and most anglers seemed to dunk Gulps, and pink was the choice color. But other fluke baits included strip baits, including strips of mackerel and squid, and spearing and smelts.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Some sizable fluke were weighed-in every day this week, said Brian from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. They included 4- to 6-1/2-pounders, and the bigger flounder gathered toward Little Egg Inlet. Great Bay held flounder, almost only throwbacks. Keepers were taken from the bay, but the anglers had to sift through 50 throwbacks for a legal-sized. Spurts of blues showed up at back waters like these, but nothing consistent. Flounder fishing definitely turned on toward Little Egg Reef in the ocean. If boaters wanted sea bass, lots roamed around the Gloria wreck, offshore of the reef. Flounder, sea bass and out-of-season blackfish bit at Garden State Reef South. One blackfish will become the bag limit starting July 17. Brown sharks, required to be released, haunted the bay from Grassy Channel to the 116 and 117 buoys near Tucker Island. Minnows are especially stocked up for the weekend, including for the Sunshine Foundation Tournament. Live grass shrimp, fresh, shucked clams and offshore baits are carried.

<b>Absecon</b>

The back bay’s summer flounder fishing seemed to pick up a little, said Jay from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Fish deeper water on outgoing tides. Any big flounder? he was asked. The flounder weighed at the store were big, including a 10-pounder, he said. Look for the big flounder at deeper water on outgoing, too. Ocean flounder fishing began to improve. Plenty of sea bass gathered at ocean wrecks, and he lit into them. Weakfish were occasionally tugged from the bay at first light. Fishing for brown sharks, required to be released, was good on the bay, if anglers wanted sharks. Jay saw a few snapper blues, small, in lagoons at Tuckerton. Small peanut bunker swam creeks, and they’ll be bigger in a couple of weeks, growing quickly. Small mullet were seen. Crabbing was improving. Plenty of minnows are stocked. No shedder crabs for bait and soft-shell crabs for eating are on hand. But the shop raises them, and the blueclaws become available around full and new moons, triggering shedding.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Absecon Inlet turned out big summer flounder weighed-in, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. The fishing wasn’t great, but big ones seemed on the move. Someone would bag one keeper or another would bag one among 20 throwbacks or none among that many. But the big flounder checked-in from the inlet included David Weiner’s 9-pound 14-ouncer and John Moriarty’s 9-pound 10-ouncer. They also included another angler’s 8-pounder and Nick Farrer’s 7-pounder. Brown sharks and sand tiger sharks were fought from the surf every day. Both are required to be released, and mackerel, kingfish heads or any kind of “meat” were fished for the sharks. Kingfish held in the surf, but one angler would put together a good catch, like 15, and others would find none. Triggerfish hugged the inlet jetty, and one customer said all anglers caught them one day. The Kids Hooked on Fishing Not on Drugs Fishing Tournament will be held in the Brigantine surf on Saturday, July 18, 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>

Anglers on foot dragged in summer flounder, kingfish, croakers, porgies and triggerfish from the T-jetty and off Atlantic Avenue, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. The T is on the ocean end of Absecon Inlet, and Atlantic Avenue is along the inlet. The inlet is lined with jetties, and bloodworms or clams caught the kings, croakers, porgies and triggers. Minnows on floating jigheads, named Fluke Candy, stocked at the shop, grabbed the flounder. Flounder were also caught from the sea wall near Gardner’s Basin on the same thing. Bloodworms are two dozen for $20 on Mondays and Tuesdays and $10.75 per dozen the rest of the week. Minnows are only $8 a pint or $15 a quart. Catch the special on bucktails at $1.79 for 1/8 ounce, $1.85 for ¼ ounce, $1.89 for 3/8 ounce, $2 for either ½ or 5/8 ounce, $2.20 for 1 ounce, $2.29 for 1 ½ ounce, $2.99 for 2 ounce and $3.49 for 3 ounce. The bucktails come in white, pink-and-white, yellow-and-white, chartreuse-and-white and red-and-white.  One Stop also has a shop at Gardner’s Basin.

<b>Egg Harbor Township</b>

Those fishing for summer flounder kept reporting the catches from inlets, said Collin from <b>24-7 Bait & Tackle</b>. Many of the flatfish were hung from the Toll Bridge Pier near the Dog Beach. Shark fishing was outrageous, including for sand tigers, like at the Ventnor Pier, and browns in the surf. Both are required to be released, and a few browns were heard about from the bay. Bluefish were around a little everywhere. Small, resident striped bass swam along 9th Street Bridge. Crabbing began to pick up at Patcong Creek, running past the shop. The store’s rental boats are available for crabbing and fishing from the creek to Great Egg Harbor River and the bay. Nothing was heard about the river’s white perch fishing, and freshwater from rain seemed to affect that. <b>The company also own 24-7 Bait & Tackle in Marmora</b>.

<b>Margate</b>

Lots of fluke blanketed the back bay, said Capt. John from the party boat <b>Keeper</b>. Not a lot were keepers, and the bay began to clear up, after wind dirtied the water in past weeks. The clearer water caused plenty of the fish to bite again. Nabbing a keeper was a little tough. But customers all seemed happy. The keepers weren’t especially big, but a 5-pounder was socked Tuesday aboard. A few bluefish bit, and huge schools of baitfish, including peanut bunker and silversides, more than in years, schooled the bay. That’s why the blues showed up, he guessed, and John hopes the bait will also attract more flounder to the water. Lots of sharks and sea robins hit. A few baby sea bass showed up, and a big influx of them will probably arrive in the next week or so, like usually happens. Minnows supplied aboard caught the flounder well. Mackerel provided scored fine. Gulps that anglers brought worked, and John always recommends bringing the artificial bait. 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>

Fishing was supposed to resume today, with an open-boat trip for summer flounder, after a Coast Guard inspection that just cleared the <b>Stray Cat</b> to sail, Capt. Mike said. That’s the final open trip until August 25, and charters will fill the schedule afterward. “We’re the fluke machine,” Mike said, and good-sized fluke or summer flounder, 5 and 6 pounds, snapped along the 80-foot “edge,” in the ocean. Some warm-water species were showing up, and the Stray Cat stops for some of them on trips. Quite a few cobia were reported found, while he waited for the Coast Guard inspection. The lemonfish held 6 to 8 miles from shore. Stray Cat will also try for sheepshead at ocean wrecks, and Mike’s been catching calico crabs for bait for them in pots in the bay.  He saw no triggerfish yet, but hoped for some today. Redfish were even reported caught, from anglers who striped bass fished. Tuna fishing slowed offshore, but lots of mahi mahi swam those waters, and also inshore, along 30 fathoms. To find tuna, trips needed to find temperature breaks, like 72 to 76 or 78 degrees, and stay in the break.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Many of the back bay’s flounder moved toward inlets, said Pat from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Some decent-sized were weighed-in, or 5- and 6- to 7-pounders, the largest. Many boaters fished Ships Channel for flounder. Pat heard about not even one keeper flounder from the ocean yet, like from Great Egg and Ocean City reefs. Lots of brown sharks chomped in inlets and the surf. Browns must be released by law, and mackerel and bunker hooked them. Many customers bought bait and rigs for the sharking. No other fish swam the surf in numbers.  A few flounder worked the surf. Schoolie striped bass were played along sod banks and 9th Street Bridge at night, often on soft-plastic lures. A local charter boat caught them well under the bridge. Pat was unsure whether boaters still fished for sharks like makos on the ocean. Offshore boaters headed for bigeye tuna at Wilmington Canyon. They also ran to Washington Canyon for the tuna, but the bigeyes seemed to depart there, several trips reported. Crabbing wasn’t half bad.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Dusky sharks to 130 pounds, a hammerhead shark and spinner sharks were fought aboard a trip Tuesday morning, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>. The inshore sharking, catch-and-release, usually within 10 miles from shore, has been fantastic. The sharks have been big and abundant. At one point, 20 swarmed around the boat at once. Many of the sharks are required to be released, and the trips are an opportunity to fight a big catch without the long trek offshore. A trip headed back out for the sharks that afternoon, clobbering duskies heavier than 100 pounds and big spinners, all the anglers could want. After 4 minutes of fishing, no time passed without a hook up. A dusky larger than 100 pounds was also fly-rodded on the outing. The trips fish with mackerel fillets on spinning rods and chum flies on fly rods. The boat is drifted over bottom structure likely to hold sharks, and chum is set out. The fly-fishing takes some finesse. As big as the sharks are, they spook if the presentation looks unnatural. The ocean was warm, 72 to 73 degrees, on the shark grounds. Joe fished for summer flounder on the back bay with his family Wednesday. Flounder are biting, holding toward inlets, migrating toward the ocean for cooler water, as the bay warms. High tides in evenings will be ideal for striped bass fishing next week on the bay with popper lures and popper flies, a specialty aboard in summer. The poppers draw explosive, visual attacks along the surface. The fishing’s been good.  Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Sharks including sand tigers still roamed Delaware Bay, said Capt. Jim from <b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b>. A trip fought them Wednesday, and most of the sharks, including the sands, are required to be released. Fins is tagging them for NOAA and letting them go, and anglers fish for them because the sharks are large, and can be full of teeth. The sand tigers, full of teeth, average 200 to 300 pounds. A few more summer flounder began to be caught on the ocean than before, and Fins is sailing for them. The boat is also trolling for great bluefishing at ocean shoals. The small blues, good-eating sized, put up lots of action on light tackle. Fish like mahi mahi and Spanish mackerel began to arrive in the local ocean. Fins fishes for any species available. Trips fish every day, and reservations aren’t required but suggested. Telephone for availability. The boat also hosts bachelor parties, family get-togethers and larger groups like that. Even crabbing is available on the back bay aboard.

Customers still tugged summer flounder from the back bay, some good-sized, actually, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. A couple of sizable were weighed, and minnows were the bait of choice. But mackerel fillets and spearing caught well this week, Mike was surprised. Minnows are usually the bait this time of season. A couple of striped bass were landed, and that was unexpected, too. Stripers sometimes seemed to take up residence in local waters. The canal was full of stripers at night. Tons were seen in the dark at a friend’s green light in the canal. The stripers wouldn’t bite then, though. Fishing was pretty darn good, really. Crabbing picked up a little, and a trip would total a dozen keepers, and another would cop two dozen, sometimes. Lots of the shop’s rental boats and kayaks were rented.  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. Baits stocked include 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. 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 No. 1’s that Mike’s seen, so far, are almost double the price but not much larger than No. 2’s, not worth stocking. Crabbers began asking him to clean and cook crabs they caught, so the shop began offering that, too. That’s $5 for cleaning, and $5 for cooking, per dozen.

<b>Cape May</b>

Not a lot of keeper summer flounder were around recently, so the fishing was slow, but some better-sized were decked Wednesday on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. The fishing improved, and he’d see what happens on today’s trip. One angler, Pete Voutsinas Jr., Secane, Pa., limited out on Wednesday’s trip, and his dad bagged two. So they had a good catch to take home. Dave Thompson, Green Creek, N.J.’s, 6-1/2-pound fluke was biggest aboard this week. Pool winners included Ed Smith, Glen Mills, Pa., with a 6-pounder and Carl Keehfus, Villas, N.J., with a 5-1/4-pounder. The Porgy IV is fishing for summer flounder at 8 a.m. daily.

The <b>Heavy Hitter</b> was supposed to fish for bluefin tuna today, Capt. George said before the trip. The fish held along 20 and 30 fathoms, and trips aboard beat them last weekend, covered in the last report here. George kept hearing about yellowfin tuna boated at the Hot Dog, but he wasn’t going to try to target them and end up with zero. Boaters on Monday hooked the bluefins on the troll and on the chunk equally. Straggler mahi mahi have been swimming the area, and could be hooked on the troll. One of the Heavy Hitter’s trips trolled a couple last weekend. Small bluefish schooled 5-Fathom Bank that could be trolled. Triggerfish, the warm-water species, showed up. George didn’t hear much about summer flounder.

The migration of summer flounder to the ocean seemed to begin, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish seemed to start departing the back bay for cooler water, and were caught at Cape May Inlet, Cape May Canal and Delaware Bay, at Cape May Channel, Brandywine and Miah Maul. Ocean flounder fishing, at the reefs, seemed to turn out steady action, but mostly from throwbacks. But larger flounder, keepers, seemed to get bucktailed along bottom structure there. Big bait, big fish, he said. Sometimes that helps weed out smaller flounder. Gulp Sapphire Shine Sandeels were a hot bait for boaters who flounder fished. Those imitated spearing perfectly. Nick’s been hooking striped bass, often 20 to 30 inches, along bridges on soft-plastic lures on jigheads. Use a slim-profile plastic to imitate spearing. Surf anglers beached croakers, weakfish and flounder at Cape May Point. Shark fishing was great in the surf. One angler landed 15 sharks to 5 feet, sand tigers and sandbars, from the beach at night on a trip. Both are required to be released, and mackerel and freshly caught and cut croakers were baits for surf sharking. Kingfish began to be heard about from Cape May Channel and Diamond Beach. Triggerfish and sheepshead, warm-water species, began to be heard about from boaters and shore anglers. A couple of good reports rolled in about triggers from North Wildwood’s jetties. Delaware Bay’s jetties usually give up sheepshead. Cobia and mahi mahi, also warm-water fish, began to be appear in the local ocean. Bluefin tuna gathered at places like 19-Fathom Lump. A 52-pound mahi mahi – that’s big – and a bluefin were boated on the Common Sense. Farther from shore, bigeye tuna and yellowfin tuna were trolled at the canyons. Rapala Magnum high-speed trolling lures whacked the bigeyes.

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