<b>Staten Island</b>

Anglers had to work for fluke, but if they did, they bagged them, said Capt. Chuck from <b>Angler Sportfishing Charters</b>. A trip Sunday with five anglers scored well aboard. In 15 or 20 minutes, eight to 10 fluke would be hooked, and all would be throwbacks. But keepers were decked when the anglers worked for them, and all left with fluke. Trips aboard are drifting across Ambrose Channel, from shallow to deep and back to shallow. Fluke balls, bucktails and bait, all the different tackle, were fished on Sunday’s trip. Strips of bunker seemed to hook the bigger fluke on the trip. Striped bass fishing at night slowed that Angler did previously. This was the summer doldrums for that.

<b>Keyport</b>

Fishing for fluke was up and down in the past week, because of the full moon, Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b> guessed, he said. The angling was okay Sunday aboard, and some big, including a 9-pounder, a 7-1/2-pounder and some 3- to 5-pounders were crushed on the trip. The fluking was definitely improved that day, and the big fluke bailed out the trip. The moon also affected ling and cod trips aboard that week, because of strong currents in the deep. But Mario hopes all this fishing will pick back up as the moon wanes now. 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. Up to 15 passengers can be accommodated.

On the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, last week was a great one for fluke fishing, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. He took the weekend off, because of a family function. But the fluking last week gave up good action and enough keepers, including plenty of jumbos “to get your heart pumping.” One weighed 10 pounds, two weighed more than 9, four weighed more than 8, and three were larger than 6. Big fluke are in, and August is always a month for big ones. Trips fished anywhere from 5 to 15 miles from the dock. Sometimes trips had to travel to look for the best possible conditions, and conditions are the most important factor in fluking. Bring a rod that can handle deep water and strong current. Twelve ounces sometimes needed to be fished. Both bait and bucktails caught well. The Vitamin Sea’s natural drift, he said, because of the big keel, gives trips an advantage.  “One thing you can count on is that I will give you the best possible day I can, each and every time I sail,” he said.  The Vitamin Sea is a dedicated fluke boat all summer. “We know how to find them and how to fish for them,” he said. “We will teach you.” Weather looks great this week. Charters or open-boat trips are available Tuesday and Wednesday. Only one spot is left for an open trip Thursday. Three spaces are available for an open trip Friday, and the weekend is full. No trips will fish August 9 to 16. Check out photos of the week’s catches on <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/vitaminseafishing" target="_blank">Vitamin Sea’s Facebook page</a>.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

A few fluke were winged on Saturday morning’s trip, and the afternoon trip’s fluking was tough, and the weekend was no bargain, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. The boat drifted too fast on Saturday afternoon’s trip, and anglers couldn’t hold bottom. The fishing improved a little on Sunday’s trips aboard, wasn’t good, but was better than Saturday’s. Wind blew against tide on this morning’s trip, when Tom gave this report at 9:30 a.m. in a phone call on the outing, but some fluke were caught. The angling could’ve been better, and could’ve been worse. In general, quite a few fluke were hooked on trips, and a few were keepers. When conditions were good, the fishing was better. The boat fished Sandy Hook and Raritan  bays, and some spots gave up lots of throwbacks, not many keepers. Farther out in Raritan Bay, fewer fluke bit, but bigger ones were more common. 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.

“Big fish Friday!” Capt. Ron wrote about the day’s fluke trip on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, on the vessel’s website. Mike Bartholomeo heaved in a 9-pounder, his personal best. Tom the Vet cracked an 8-pounder, his biggest this season. He boated that fish on the final drift, and had landed a keeper at the dock, before the trip had departed. Several 4- to 6-pounders were bagged, and the high hook caught four keepers. The trip’s fishing, on the ocean, began with a slow pick of throwback fluke and some sea bass, while the boat was power-drifted. Conditions failed to drift the boat otherwise. The boat was moved “to find the tide line … (and) had the drift of the day,” Ron said. Sea bass season was closed beginning Saturday. The weekend’s fluking was tough aboard in difficult conditions. Ron has talked before about wind against tide, no current, no drift, he said. The boat met lousy conditions like that during the weekend, and when that happens, fluking’s usually not good. The weekend’s fishing began where the good fishing was found Friday, but that didn’t matter. Holes and channels were then worked, picking away, and life was found in new areas that should prove fruitful when conditions are right. Ron works every day to get it done, and when fishing’s tough, he said, he works twice as hard for customers. 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.

<b>Neptune</b>

Toward the end of a trip, good-sized fluke were boated Saturday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph wrote in an email. Many throwbacks, too many an inch undersized, bit previously on the outing. But the better-sized fluke at the end seemed good news, and Ralph thinks good fluking has begun. Before that day, fluking wasn’t that good, fair on some days. Weather looks iffy for the weekly, individual-reservation trip for fluke Tuesday, and contact Ralph after 4 p.m. today for an update, and he’ll have the latest weather forecast then. The trips are fishing every Tuesday, and kids under 12 sail free on the outings, limited to two per adult host. Fishing inshore for ling, cod, pollock and winter flounder is the best Ralph’s seen in a long time. Two spaces are available for the inshore wreck-fishing Sunday on an individual-reservation trip, and spaces are available for another on August 30. Fishing for cod to 40 pounds is great offshore, and space is available for an individual-reservation trip for that on September 2. Sea bass fishing was excellent until sea bass season was closed starting Saturday. Sea bass season will be reopened October 22 through the end of the year, and book those trips now. They’re filling up, and Last Lady will chase sea bass then until they migrate far offshore. Saturday, August 15, and Sunday, August 23, are weekend dates still available for charters this month. Some evenings are also available for weekend charters this month.

<b>Belmar</b>

For fluke anglers this year, one week fished well, and another fished poor, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den </b> wrote in an email. The angling was a roller coaster ride, he said, and Sunday fished well for the flatfish. Some good-sized were taken, including Josh Early’s 7-pound 9-ouncer and Ashley Bookholdt’s 6-pound 10-ouncer. Earlier last week, Al Hilton bagged an 8-pound 8-ouncer. On Saturday, a good mix of fluke 3 pounds to heavier than 7 pounds were weighed-in for the Jersey Coats Anglers Association’s fluke tournament.  Bluefishing was unpredictable. On Saturday night, small blues were caught in better numbers. On Friday during daytime, only a few blues were hooked, but large were caught, including Thomas Melito’s 19-pound 14-ouncer on the Miss Belmar Princess. Anglers didn’t understand the swings in bluefishing this season, but hoped they changed. On Shark River, fishing for fluke and snapper blues was a good choice for families with kids. The fish were plentiful and mostly small. Seventy-five percent of the fluke were throwbacks in the river. 

For <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, fluking picked up somewhat, Capt. Pete said. Some different areas on the ocean were fished than before, and the angling wasn’t a ball of fire, but some better-sized fluke were iced. Not a ton of keepers are biting, but the keepers are good-sized. Trips dealt with currents because of the full moon, and Pete hoped that when the currents slowed, that would help. Parker Pete’s won first place for the Shark River port in Saturday’s Jersey Coast Angler Association’s fluke tournament with a 27-inch fluke that weighed just under 8 pounds. Three other fluke heavier than 6 pounds were boxed on the trip. Fluke trips aboard include On the Water Seminars that teach bucktailing for big fluke in a non-threatening environment. A few spaces are available Wednesday for one of those trips. Space is available on more of the seminars August 17 and 25 that were just added. Novices learn bucktailing, and the somewhat experienced hone the skill, on the outings. Anglers should contact Parker Pete’s, even if they don’t have enough anglers for a charter. That’s because individual spaces are 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>XTC Sportfishing</b> fluke fished Saturday on the ocean, rounding up a handful of keepers and a bunch of throwbacks, nothing great, Capt. Scott said. A trip sailed for tuna Sunday, trolling one small yellowfin tuna inshore of the Bacardi wreck on a green machine. Only a couple of other tuna were caught on other boats in the area during the trip. Bait was read, but no birds working water, whales or mahi mahi showed up. The water color and clarity looked okay when the trip arrived on the grounds and great when the trip left, improving throughout the day. Trips were supposed to fish inshore today and tomorrow. Tuna trips to the offshore canyons are supposed to begin this weekend.

Good fishing, a report said about Sunday on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, on the party boat’s website. Blues, false albacore and mackerel were cranked in. Some anglers tied into the blues, and some lit into the macks. Some fought aboard the albies. All the fish were jigged, “(and) it was lots of fun fishing,” it said. On Saturday’s trip, lots of mackerel and some blues were nailed, also good angling. 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>Brielle</b>

Mixed results, Capt. Ryan from the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> wrote about fishing for fluke and sea bass aboard this past week. Some trips fished great, and some were slow, because conditions failed to drift the boat well. Sea bass season was closed starting Saturday. Friday’s trip fished especially well, when a breeze came up, and a number of anglers limited out on fluke. Anglers who limited on fluke to 7 ½ pounds and bagged numerous sea bass included Bob Plasket, Ernie Grimes, Dave Nelson, Sal Munson and Brian Topps. Barbara Berger from Trenton and Ray Bryant from South Orange tied for the monthly pool in July with an 8-pound fluke apiece. They split the cash and one 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.

Fluke fishing was up and down on the ocean, and the latest reports said Axel Carlson Reef fished best for them, especially the southern end, along the scattered bottom, said Eric from <b>The Reel Seat</b>. Jigs with Gulps like 6-inch grubs caught well, and plenty of 5- and 6-pound fluke were around. To the north, the ocean at the Rattle Snake and Mud Buoy gave up fluke. Manasquan River’s fluking held up, picked away, and a fair number of keepers roamed the river. Tinker mackerel could be found in the river, and the river’s snapper blues were becoming big enough to use for bait. Livelining either was good for fluking. Lots of spearing flooded the river. Blowfish swam the river at the Route 70 Bridge, Eric heard. The river’s anglers picked away at resident striped bass on small lures like Bomber 15A’s and Fin-S Fish. Ling fishing was pretty good on the ocean, and one customer boated 40 per trip. Definitely a good option, Eric said. Bluefishing was picky on the ocean, and sometimes 6-, 8- or 10-pounders bit, both during daytime on jigs, and at night on the chunk. Hudson Canyon produced bigeye tuna, a handful of yellowfin tuna and some longfin tuna. The bigeyes were trolled early and late in the day, and also at night in the dark. Tuna were also chunked and jigged at night at the Hudson. A fair number of white marlin came from the Hudson, and nothing was heard about blue marlin. Fishing for whites was better from Spencer Canyon to farther south. Closer to shore, bluefin tuna fishing was picky, and the Bacardi wreck seemed to hold them best. A handful came from Atlantic Princess wreck. At the Bacardi, sometimes the bluefins could be popper-plugged and jigged, not just trolled, when balled-up bait attracted the fish. Quite a few mahi mahi held in the midshore ocean and could be trolled at lobster pot buoys.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Trolling the canyons in the dark went 2 for 3 on bigeye tuna, landing two that weighed 190 and 160 pounds, on an overnight trip Friday to Saturday with <b>Mushin Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. The trip, with four anglers, trolled 10 hours from evening to morning. Trolling a variety of tackle gave the best chances to hook different species of tuna. Ballyhoos on Ilander and Joe Schute skirts, lures and spreader bars were dragged. A day-troll, not an overnighter, fished the canyons Sunday aboard with a crew from Gallin Contracting. They trolled more than two dozen yellowfin tuna and bluefin tuna “that were right around the legal size, but only retained an 80-pound yellowfin,” Alan wrote. The anglers put in time, looking for fish, and also fished for mahi mahi with bait, boxing several dozen good-sized. A canyon trip Thursday to Friday was weathered out, and Mushin’s been frequenting the canyons, fishing for tuna, marlin and mahi. The season’s looking great for the fishing, and the 80- to 81-degree, blue water is holding bait and mammals. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing.

The full-moon current made fluke fishing hit and miss this past week, Capt. Matt from the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> wrote in an email. On some days, holding bottom with 16 ounces was tough. But the angling improved on afternoon trips the past few days. Decent-sized keepers to 6 pounds were sometimes claimed, and some anglers boated three or four keepers. Some caught only throwbacks. Trips are beginning to fish rocks and rubble more often than before, so bring extra tackle, because of losing tackle snagged in the structure. Plenty of hooks and sinkers are available aboard. August is usually a great month for fishing here. Joe Pantina won July’s monthly pool with an 8-pound fluke. On night trips, bluefishing was slow this past week, but improved Friday through Sunday. Blues 1 to 3 pounds and a bunch of mackerel were reeled in. Bait caught the blues, and jigs with teasers caught the macks.  Bigger blues showed up starting August 6 last year. The Norma-K III is fishing for fluke 8 am. 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>Barnegat Light</b>

Trips on the <b>Super Chic</b> fluked on the ocean all weekend, Capt. Ted said. The fishing was fair at best, and conditions weren’t great, failing to drift the boat. When the boat won’t drift, fluking isn’t good. But fluke seemed around, and Ted is a little optimistic that some will be around to catch, barring bad weather. The fish gathered in small pockets, and most seemed to hold east or north of Barnegat Inlet. A trip looked for them south of the inlet, and not many were there. More fluke trips are slated for this week aboard. A bluefish trip is supposed to sail Sunday night. A day-troll trip is supposed to tuna fish in two weeks. The year’s first overnight tuna trips are booked for late September. Charters could book the fishing before then.

<b>Longport</b>

The <b>Stray Cat</b> was in the yard last week for a Coast Guard hull inspection, Capt. Mike said. Fishing resumed Sunday on the boat, and lots of throwback summer flounder, about 30, and one keeper, he thought, were landed at rock piles 12 or 14 miles from shore. The throwbacks were sizable but 17 or 17 ¾ inches, just under the 18-inch legal size. Sounded like fish like blues and mahi mahi were trolled when Mike was on land for the inspection. He was just waiting to get dialed back into fishing for catches like these flounder, blues and mahi, and two trips were supposed to fish today aboard. They’d run for blues, mahi or whatever could be caught. The ocean looked great on Sunday’s trip. Visibility was super, and lots of dark, blue water was seen, and flying fish flew around. When the trip departed, the water was 76 degrees, and when the fishing was finished, the water was 79. Charters are fishing, and open-boat trips will fish for flounder this week on Wednesday and next week on Thursday, August 13. Open tuna trips, the only open trips for tuna this year, are set for Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 13, from 2 a.m. to 6 p.m., targeting yellowfin tuna, wahoos, marlin and whatever will bite, limited to six passengers.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

On the ocean, summer flounder fishing was good when conditions were, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>. Flounder still held in the back bay, plenty of throwbacks, sometimes a keeper, good action. A family aboard wanted to troll the inshore ocean, latching into blues and false albacore. Another angler and friend fished the inshore ocean, trolling, live-baiting and fly-rodding blues aboard. They also live-baited a 10-pound mahi mahi. Sharks bit inshore like crazy. Those trips most recently fought and released spinners and duskies to 100 pounds. The trips, usually within 10 miles from shore, fishing with either bait or flies, are an opportunity to pull on big fish without the trek offshore. Some of the species, including duskies, are required to be let go. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Avalon</b>

A trip was supposed to fish the ocean reefs today with <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b>, Capt. Jim said. That could be for summer flounder, but Jim’s been seeing bluefish schooling that could be trolled in the water, and other catches, like mahi mahi or Spanish mackerel, could be around to be trolled in the area. Only weeks remain before the first salmon begin to migrate into upstate New York’s Salmon River, and trips fish for them from Jim’s lodge. Anglers can book the lodge and fish on their own, or the lodge’s crew can guide the fishing. Jim can even show patrons how to fish for the salmon, and then the anglers can fish on their own, if they’d like. He usually begins fishing for the salmon in October, with flies, but salmon usually arrive by Labor Day in the river’s mouth. They usually arrive farther upstream, at Douglaston, in the second and third weeks of September. Fins and Feathers offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including saltwater fishing from the back bay at Avalon to the ocean off the port and Delaware Bay. Guided duck and goose hunting is offered on Delaware Bay and nearby states during the waterfowl seasons. Anglers can even enjoy a combo of striped bass fishing and waterfowl hunting on Delaware Bay over a series of days in fall. Fly-fishing for trout is offered on Pennsylvania’s streams like the Yellow Breeches. Snowmobiling is also popular at the lodge in upstate New York.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Bluefish, kingfish and occasional summer flounder were tugged from off Cape May Point on trips with <b>Fins & Grins Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Jim said. One trip took a look near the 2 buoy on Delaware Bay, finding acres and acres of small weakfish. So the trip moved back to fish off Cape May Point. A handful of keeper flounder hugged ocean reefs, and Jim expects that angling to just get better, until flounder season is closed starting September 27. September could be the month for that angling. One of the inshore shark trips sailed aboard, tying into a couple of big sharks. One couldn’t even be budged, and that happened on two of the shark trips in a row. Jim might return with heavy tackle to reel one in. The sharks are mostly sand tigers, required to be released. Fins is tagging them for NOAA and letting them go, finding the sharks lately on the ocean off Wildwood and at Cape May Channel. But any structure will hold them, and the trips are a chance to fight big fish without the long sail offshore. The sand tigers averaged 250 pounds, and one weighed almost 400 recently. Maybe exotics like mahi mahi and Spanish mackerel will be reeled in soon on the boat. Trips aboard fished for bluefish at 5-Fathom Bank in past weeks, and the exotics can be mixed in with them. When the boat last fished for the blues, that was during the especially hot weather, when the water became exceptionally hot. The water now cooled 10 or 15 degrees, so maybe the exotics will show up in catches. Plenty of blues schooled shoals like that. Trips currently were mostly opportunistic, fishing for whatever could be landed on a day. Fins fishes for all species available. Trips fish every day, and reservations aren’t required but suggested. Telephone for availability. Fins even crabs on the back bay, and crabbing’s been phenomenal. A group can crab aboard, letting Fins find the blueclaws. All supplies are provided for crabbing.

<b>Cape May</b>

Bluefishing sailed this weekend aboard, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. Plenty of 1- to 3-pound blues schooled 5-Fathom Bank and the different shoals in the area, and a few Spanish mackerel held among them. A couple of the Spanish were mixed in on a trip on the boat the other day. The ocean was 75 degrees at 5-Fathom Bank and 72 degrees near the shore on Saturday aboard. Bluefish also schooled off Cape May Point, but not as reliably as at the shoals. The blues at the point popped up in evenings, for instance. Triggerfish grouped at ocean wrecks. Bigeye tuna could be trolled at canyons like the Wilmington late in the day and at night in the dark. Bigeyes are large tuna that take some experience for anglers to land. Telephone if interested in fishing for blues, triggers or bigeyes. Small yellowfin tuna that swam abundant closer to shore, in 20 to 30 fathoms, disappeared, at least for the moment. One trip on the Heavy Hitter bagged 17 and released numerous throwbacks weeks ago, covered in a previous report here. Plenty of throwback summer flounder, not many keepers, gathered at ocean reefs, George has been hearing. Many of the flounder seemed 16, 17 or 17 ¾ inches, just under the 18-inch legal size.

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