<b>Staten Island</b>

Fishing limited out on sea bass Sunday with <b>Outcast Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. So the angling was good, and many of the sea bass were sizable, up to 3 pounds. A couple of cod were bagged, and blackfish, out-of-season in New York, were released. In New Jersey, one blackfish is currently the bag limit. Throwback fluke were also let go on the trip. The ocean had settled, or the roll had disappeared that the ocean held on a sea bass trip Wednesday with Outcast, covered in the last report here. Sea bass season is open in New York and closed in New Jersey. Many Jersey boats have been reporting lots of sea bass they’ve had to throw back. Outcast fishes both from Staten Island, N.Y., and Sewaren, N.J.

<b>Keyport</b>

Trips for ling, cod and jumbo winter flounder were super, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>. The next trips for that will sail Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Fluke fishing aboard was better toward the end of last week than the beginning. Fluke to 8 pounds were creamed. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing, 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 trips. Also see the site’s open-trips page for available dates. Open trips include 12-hour marathons, both for fluke or ling, cod and flounder. Book now for charters and open trips for striped bass, sea bass and blackfish this fall.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

For anglers on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, fluke fishing was a pick of throwbacks and keepers Sunday, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. The trip was a charter, and many of the group were first-time fluke-fishers happy to catch a fish or two. The pool-winner won $285 and never fished before. On Saturday’s trip, way more throwbacks were hooked than keepers. Chris Zotti bagged four keepers, including one just heavier than 7 pounds, winning the pool with the fish. <a href=" http://www.rfanj.org/prod/events_fluke.php" target="_blank">Click here</a> to register for a fluke trip aboard Friday to benefit the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund and the Recreational Fishing Alliance. <a href=" http://www.dneconsulting.com/files/2015_SSFFF_Fluke_Trip.pdf" target="_blank">Click here</a> for more info. The Fishermen is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Trips are fishing for fluke, porgies, croakers or whatever bites 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9 p.m. Sundays.

Angling for fluke was a little tougher the past couple of days than previously, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. All trips sailed aboard, and the boat fished Sandy Hook and Raritan bays. When conditions drifted the boat right, throwbacks gave up action, and a few keepers were bagged. The fish were caught then, and the conditions were important. Fewer fluke were keepers than would be liked. But anglers had a good time, had fun, enjoyed the day, he said. During the week before last, the fishing looked like things were beginning to happen. That changed, and Tom hopes the fishing will change again. Most importantly currently, anglers had a good time. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke on two trips daily from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m.

<b>Neptune</b>

Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> had to prepare for a trip that would depart early this morning, so was unavailable for a report last night, when he was telephoned for one, someone who answered the phone said. But fishing for cod, pollock, winter flounder and ling has been good on inshore wreck-fishing trips, Ralph wrote in an email Friday. A charter Tuesday filled the box with cod to 30 pounds, and fluke fishing is picking up, he wrote. Individual-reservation trips will fish August 30 at inshore wrecks and September 2 for cod. Individual-reservation trips are fishing for fluke every Tuesday, and children 12 and under sail free on those outings, limited to two per adult host. Six-inch Gulps in all colors, jigs, T-shirts, tank tops and hoodies are for sale on the boat.

<b>Belmar</b>

Fifteen yellowfin tuna and two bluefin tuna were decked from the mid-range ocean Thursday with <b>XTC Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Scott said. That was after five yellowfins and a wahoo were beaten on a trip in the area the previous day, covered in the last report here. A trip overnighted farther from shore, at Hudson Canyon, Friday to Saturday, but the angling was slow, landing three yellowfins and two hammerhead sharks. A trip Sunday sailed for cod, but a prop shaft busted. The boat will probably resume fishing Wednesday, after that’s repaired.

Just a couple of keeper fluke and lots of throwbacks were swung-in Sunday from the ocean on the <b>Katie H</b>, Capt. Mike said. The water was 71 or 72 degrees, and tons of out-of-season sea bass, keeper-sized, bit and were released. Canyon tuna fishing was weathered out the previous weekend aboard. The canyon fishing sounded slow in past days, but that could change.

Fluking picked away at throwbacks and a couple of keepers per drift Sunday on the ocean with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Pete said. The angling wasn’t great, by any means, but all anglers left with fluke. It’s been one of those seasons, he said. Fluking was decent, picking away, including catching some decent-sized keepers, on Wednesday and Thursday aboard. Fluke to 8 pounds were boated Friday on the vessel, and a trip Saturday on the boat competed in the Shillelagh fluke tournament. That trip focused on big fluke, but couldn’t get them to bite. Fluke trips include On the Water Seminars that teach bucktailing for fluke. One or two spaces are left on August 25 for one of those, and charters can also book the seminars. All trips are fluking on the ocean. 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.

The heat could be tough, but anglers still fished, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Shark River’s ratio of keeper fluke to throwbacks wasn’t great, but anglers next year might wish this year’s fishing were available, once the fluke quota is cut. The shop’s rental boats are available to fish the river. Snapper blues were a hot item in the river, and growing bigger. Ocean fluking was better than in the river, but not as good as anglers would like. Ed Rydwin boated fluke to an 8-pound 8-ouncer on the DanyBoys.  

On the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, fishing for blues and mackerel was just okay today, good Sunday, decent Saturday and super Friday, a report on the party boat’s website 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.

All the blues and mackerel were caught that anglers could want Saturday and Sunday on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, at hills and lumps east of Shark River Inlet, an email from the party boat said. Excellent fishing, it said, and today’s angling began slowly, but ended up great for mackerel. Some blues and blacktip sharks were also hooked. On Saturday night’s trip, mackerel fishing was terrific, and a good number of small blues were mixed in. Six dusky sharks to 150 pounds were also released at the boat. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for blues 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.

<b>Brielle</b>

Fluke fishing was excellent on several trips this past week, when conditions were perfect, Capt. Ryan from the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> wrote in an email. Lots of nice, fat 4- and 5-pounders were in the mix, among throwbacks. Far too many big, out-of-season sea bass were, too, and the trips fished rough bottom in 55 to 70 feet of water. Heather James, Lincroft, and Ralph Molinari, North Haledon, limited out on fluke to 6 pounds. Dave Nelson, Princeton, and Sig Morton, Camden, limited out on the fish to 5 pounds. Donny Patrick, Trenton, was in the lead for the monthly pool with a 7-pound 8-ounce fluke, and the winner gets the cash and a year of free fishing aboard. Half-day trips are fishing 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and an all-day marathon is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Monday.

For offshore boaters, Wilmington Canyon fished best for bigeye tuna, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. The fish were trolled at night on glow-in-the-dark spreader bars and plugs, and on ballyhoos. A handful of tuna were trolled at Hudson Canyon. The 100 Square sometimes gave up bigeyes at the Hudson. Bigeyes were chunked at night there sometimes. Swordfish were caught at night there. Not many other tuna species were taken there. From the Bacardi wreck to the tip of the Hudson was the place for yellowfin tuna 26 or 27 inches to 60 pounds and a handful of bluefin tuna. The fishing was pretty good for the yellowfins first thing in mornings and from 2 or 3 p.m. to dark on the troll. Mini Green Machines, either in daisy chains or on spreader bars, were the bait, out-catching ballyhoos. A few white marlin and wahoos were fought in the area. Closer to shore, fluke fishing was up and down but seemed to pick up somewhat. Axel Carlson Reef and off the Mantoloking pipe fished best for them. Depths 40 to 60 feet gave them up, and off the Red Church turned out some of the summer flounder, too. In Manasquan River, fluking was good, giving up lots of throwbacks, but good numbers of fluke. The keepers were had on livelined snapper blues or mullet or fresh peanut bunker. Millions of snappers swam the river, and Manasquan Inlet was loaded with them. The river’s fishing for striped bass was good at the bridges. The bass, ranging from 16-inch throwbacks to a 17-pounder a customer reeled in, were hooked on popper plugs in evenings or Fin-S Fish and small plugs at night. Stripers and big blues were eeled in Point Pleasant Canal. Ling fishing was good on the ocean, and anglers totaled up to 30 or 40 apiece per trip. Gulp Ghost Shrimp nailed them, and jumbo winter flounder were boated on the trips. Lots of lobsters were hooked on the trips recently, for some reason. Cod fishing was good at places like wrecks off the Texas Tower. Bluefishing trips ran into lots of mackerel, only a few blues.  

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

An overnight trip fished offshore Friday to Saturday with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b>, and the fleet had to search for tuna, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. Nearly 30 beautiful mahi mahi, he said, to 15 pounds were caught on chunk baits on spinning rods with Mushin. The trip pasted a swordfish at night, and lots of good offshore fishing is yet to come. Dates being booked include September for offshore fishing. Charters and open-boat trips fish offshore. A family trip jumped aboard with the goal to catch and release fish for the kids to enjoy and learn fishing. Drop-and-reel catches were bailed and released, including many big, out-of-season sea bass.

Some great catches of fluke were plowed Thursday and Friday afternoons on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. Sizable keepers were bagged, and throwbacks kept you busy, and green Gulps hung most keepers. South wind slowed the angling Saturday and Sunday, and throwbacks gave up good action, but the keeper ratio “was not there.” But plenty of fluke are carpeting bottom, and anglers just need to catch the right day. On nighttime trips, bluefishing was tough most of the past week. Small blues, and mackerel, turned out better fishing on Sunday night’s trip. The trips sometimes looked for bigger blues, but that failed to pan out. Matt hasn’t given up on big blues, though. They’ve got to show up eventually, and the crew will keep giving the fishing their best, he said. The Norma-K III is fishing daily for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. and for blues 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

For fluke fishing aboard, signs of usual August improvement were seen, a report said on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>’s website. On Sunday’s trip, more keepers were sacked than before, and eight of the fish weighed more than 4 pounds, and a 7-1/2-pounder won the pool. Throwbacks and mackerel served up lots of action. Fishing began to improve by mid-week, when the ocean swell calmed from wind previously. The Miss Barnegat Light is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

<b>Barnegat</b>

<b>***Update, Tuesday, 8/18:***</b> Weakfish 16 to 22 inches showed up Monday among a mixed bag of species that trips aboard have been beating from the mainland side of Barnegat Bay, Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the <b>Hi Flier</b> wrote in an email. In previous days, a few small, 12- to 14-inch weaks were hooked, on shedder crabs and grass shrimp, aboard. But now, these larger weaks were legit 3-pounders. They were a blast on 6-pound spinning rods, and the other fish reeled up included sand sharks, some of them big, puppy black drum, blowfish, burrfish (a huge, spiny puffer), snapper blues, 1-pound blues, throwback fluke and “some other characters,” he said. The boat is available for charter this Thursday and Friday afternoons.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Tops of tides into outgoing were better times for summer flounder fishing at Little Egg Inlet, a report on <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s website said. Jigging 15 to 20 feet of water was reportedly best. Porgies, croakers, blowfish and a few other small species swam the back of Great Bay, toward Mullica River. Plenty of snapper blues schooled lagoons, and white perch filled different spots in Mullica River and nearby creeks and lagoons. On the ocean, flounder fishing began to show life at wrecks from off the inlet to farther south. Start fishing in 35 feet or deeper, and when the first flounder is landed, keep fishing that place. S&S Rattletails in 3 to 8 ounces and Octopi in 3 to 6 with Gulps drilled the fish.

<b>Longport</b>

Summer flounder fishing was pretty impressive, not too bad, in 90 feet on the ocean on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. Some sizable were boated, and the water surface, 76 to 77 degrees, was green. But that failed to affect flounder fishing, and the bottom was clear and 52 degrees, divers said. Space is available on an open-boat, deep-water trip for flounder, “slob flounder,” he said, on Saturday, August 29. Out-of-season sea bass 3 and 4 pounds were also landed on flounder trips. Stray Cat will whack sea bass, he said, when sea bass season is opened starting October 22. Tuna fishing fell apart because of the green water, stretching all the way to 1,000 fathoms. But that changes throughout the season, and two spots are available on an open tuna trip September 5. Room is available on another on September 13. Plenty of half-day spaces are available for charters in the last two weeks of August, including if groups like American Legion want a fund-raiser.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

A family aboard Sunday afternoon reeled throwback summer flounder from the back bay and ocean, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Another family that morning tugged in a bunch of throwback flounder and a 5-pound keeper from the bay. Chase Smith, the son in the family, waxed the keeper, a really nice fish. An angler and buddy on Thursday aboard hooked tons of throwback flounder from the bay. Good fishing, no keepers. Chuck Bradley and friends fought and released two sharks, a spinner and a dusky, to 60 pounds on the boat Friday. That was one of the inshore shark trips, usually fishing within 10 miles from shore, aboard. Those are a chance to fight big fish without the long trek offshore. Joe and family on Thursday evening popper-plugged striped bass from the bay. High tides at dusk were ideal, and come around every two weeks. The striper fishing’s been great, consistent, this summer. Joe joined an offshore trip on another boat Saturday that caught nine mahi mahi and had a couple of shots at white marlin. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>.

<b>Avalon</b>

Mostly sea bass and a couple of throwback flounder bit at Wildwood Reef on a trip, said Capt. Jim from <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b>. The sea bass, big, were out-of-season and released, and there haven’t been a lot of fish big enough to keep or in season at the ocean reefs. The anglers had fun releasing the fish, though. The water was 78 degrees, and an angler from Jim’s campground said he hooked sea bass at Cape May Reef. Keeper flounder caught were heard about from the Old Grounds on Sunday. A buddy’s trip bagged seven, and the buddy said his friend also boated keepers, and a trip on another boat did there, too, that day. A trip Saturday with Fins had a 7-year-old aboard, so the trip fished the back bay, along the Intracoastal Waterway, for baby sea bass for fun, releasing them.  Another angler from the campground chummed for striped bass on the bay at night, grabbing one keeper, the trip’s one striper. A trip Sunday with Fins hosted a family for tubing. Weather couldn’t’ be beaten on the water in past days. Sunday became somewhat windy, but not bad. Jim’s season’s first group of salmon anglers is booked to fish upstate New York’s Salmon River from Jim’s nearby lodge starting October 10. Salmon usually enter the mouth of the river by Labor Day, migrating upstream in the following weeks. Jim usually begins the fishing in early October. The staff can guide anglers, or can help anglers book a guide, if they’d like. Or the staff can show anglers how to fish for the salmon, letting the anglers fish on their own the rest of the time. Or the lodge’s guests can entirely fish on their own. Fins offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including saltwater fishing from Avalon and salmon and steelhead fishing from the lodge. Guided duck and goose hunting is offered on Delaware Bay and in nearby states during the waterfowl seasons. Anglers can even enjoy a combo of striped bass fishing and duck hunting on Delaware Bay in fall over a series of days. Fins also fly-fishes for trout on Pennsylvania’s streams like the Yellow Breeches.

<b>Wildwood</b>

<b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b> fought bluefish on light tackle, Capt. Jim said. Blues 2 pounds schooled off Hereford Inlet and at ocean shoals, and kingfish and throwback weakfish, occasional keepers, swam Cape May Channel. They gave up action, along with the blues. A few summer flounder are showing up at ocean reefs, and some good-sized are being caught, if anglers are there at the right time. Trips need to be at least 6 hours to sail for them. Out-of-season sea bass 1 ½ and 2 pounds are being released at the reefs. Contact state senators and congress people to protest regulations. Kids aboard knocked the pants off sea bass and undersized porgies, releasing them. Clouds and clouds of the porgies are schooling behind wrecks. Fins fishes for any species available, and trips fish every day. Reservations aren’t required but suggested, and telephone for availability.

<b>Cape May</b>

A couple of keeper summer flounder and a gazillion throwbacks were landed on the ocean on a trip on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. There was lots of action, but lots of small flounder. Many would’ve been keepers in Delaware’s 16-inch size limit, but weren’t legal in New Jersey’s 18-inch limit. Many of the throwbacks were 16 to 17 ¾ inches. Some boats seemed to score okay, totaling 10 or 12 keepers apiece, and others bagged a couple. Heavy Hitter’s also been triggerfishing and bluefishing lately on the ocean, covered in past reports here. Tuna fishing from Cape May mostly ran into a few bigeye tuna at the canyons recently.

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