<b>Keyport</b>

Trips averaged 12 to 15 keeper fluke apiece, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an email. The biggest averaged 6 to 7 pounds each trip, and many throwbacks provided action. Sometimes fluke were bigger on trips, and a 10.4-pounder was largest this season aboard.  Fluke fishing was up and down this week, or fluke bit well on some days, not on others. Fluke kept moving and not often could be found at the same place each day. Trips had to grind out catches, but with hard work, quality fluke were hit, and anglers limited out who were willing to work. Fluking was easy last year, but not this year. The year’s best fluking is coming up, he said, in the latter part of August and in September. Dates are still available for charters, and the next open-boat trips will fish August 19 and 20. One spot is available for the first date, and six are left for the second. Open trips fill quickly, so anglers must book quickly. Frank takes no deposits for the trips, but asks that anglers be considerate of others on the trip.  If an angler reserves but cancels, that can affect the rest on the trip. Frank will cancel the trip, if weather won’t be good. He asks that anglers don’t cancel because of questionable forecasts three days ahead. He expects an angler to honor a reservation.

Fluking wasn’t good Wednesday but was great Monday aboard, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>. On Monday’s trip, “Pops” Hans crushed two fluke heavier than 8 pounds apiece. The trip’s catch also included a 7-pounder and a couple of 6-pounders. Big fluke were hammered. The fishing was picky the next two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, and the trips couldn’t fish the same area as on Monday. Anglers on Tuesday and Wednesday bagged three or four fluke apiece if they worked for them. Ling and cod fishing was great on trips for them aboard. Down Deep runs two 40-foot boats, and can accommodate up to 15 passengers. Both are Downeasters featuring large cockpits. “Big fishing platforms,” he said, and both have air conditioning for comfort. Open-boat trips are available every day. Open trips include 12-hour marathons, both for fluke or ling and cod.  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.

Lots of snapper blues bit, and crabbing picked up, from the bulkhead at Keyport and the Keyport pier, said Joey from <b>Joey’s Bait & Tackle</b>. A few good-sized fluke were boated on Raritan Bay, more toward Staten Island. Baits stocked include killies, fresh bunker and all the frozen. The shop and the town of Keyport will host a <i><b>***free snapper bluefish tournament for kids***</i></b> on Saturday, August 22, featuring first- through third-place prizes and free food like hot dogs and soda. Just show up at the Keyport bulkhead and register by 9 a.m. that day.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

For fluke anglers, fishing improved some on the bay in past days, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Most were boated on Raritan Bay, but the fish were also plumbed from off Sandy Hook Point, Flynn’s Knoll or places like that. Ling fishing was great on the ocean. Nothing was heard about bluefish, except blues were chummed one day. How porgy fishing went was unknown, or nothing was mentioned about porgies. The angling might not have been good. Some blowfish were heard about from off Officers’ Row on Sandy Hook. Surf anglers still cracked occasional striped bass, mostly in mornings and evenings. In back waters, snapper bluefishing was good, and so was crabbing. All baits are stocked.

Some better fluke fishing than before was lit into the last couple of days on morning trips on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. More keepers were slugged than previously, though fewer throwbacks bit than before. Big numbers of throwbacks were hooked last week and the week before. During the last couple of days, when better catches of keepers were made in mornings, wind blew on afternoon trips. Fluke were still caught during the wind, and seas weren’t rough, but the boat drifted fast, and heavy sinkers, 8 ounces, needed to be fished. Tuesday morning’s catch of fluke was probably one of the better this season aboard. Probably three of the keepers weighed more than 5 pounds, including a 7-1/4- or 7-1/2-pounder, on the outing. Some good-sized fluke were sometimes in the mix on trips. Trips fished Raritan and Sandy Hook bays, like before, but more often farther out in Raritan Bay now. Different places like Reach Channel were fished. 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>Highlands</b>

Making the trip from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Paul and Maddy Hess on the Boudicca bagged four fluke to 22 inches on Raritan Bay on Gulps and squid, Marion wrote in an email. Paul Presti and Mike Tepedino on the Second Home docked a 7-pound 26-inch fluke and four other keepers they grabbed near the Range Towers. John Cuozzo on the Elsea Nora bucktailed one keeper fluke at Reach Channel. Twin Lights, located on Shrewsbury River near Raritan Bay and the ocean, with no bridges before them, includes a marina with boat slips, dry storage, a fuel dock, and a combined bait and tackle shop and ship’s store. Baits stocked include the full offshore selection. The fuel dock is available 24 hours a day with a credit card. 

<b>Neptune</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 8/7:***</b> Big cod, more pollock than recently and four large mahi mahi were pounded on an individual-reservation trip for cod offshore Wednesday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph wrote in an email. The fishing was great, and northeast wind began today that will cancel a trip Saturday. Ralph hopes an inshore wreck-fishing trip Sunday will get the weather to sail. Individual-reservation trips will fish inshore wrecks August 30 and offshore for cod September 2. Individual-reservation trips are fluke fishing every Tuesday, and kids under 12 sail free on those outings, limited to two per adult host. Charters are available daily, and book sea bass charters now for when sea bass season is opened starting October 22.

<b>Belmar</b>

On the ocean with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, fluke fishing was a little tough Tuesday, because of a southerly swell and wind, Capt. Pete said. The angling on Wednesday began slowly, until a new area was found with fish. Then anglers who bucktailed all nailed two or three keepers apiece. The ocean cooled at some areas, so trips searched to find the right places to fish. Lots of fluke seemed around, and Pete is excited, hoping August turns out well for the angling. The trip Wednesday was one of the On the Water Seminars that teach bucktailing for fluke on the boat. A light crowd joined the trip, but the next seminars are full on Monday and August 17. Space is available on another on August 25, Pete believed. On the seminars, novices learn bucktailing, and the somewhat experienced hone the skill, in a non-threatening environment.  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.

The season’s first canyon tuna trip will probably be weathered out this weekend on the <b>Katie H</b>, Capt. Mike said. In the last reports he heard about the fishing, a nighttime chunk bite began to turn on a little. The overnight fishing usually lights up by late August. Tuna bite during daytime on the troll at first during the year, and are chunked, or caught on bait in a chum slick, at night, later in summer, for whatever reasons, though trolling during daytime can still work then. Some of the bait includes chunks of baitfish, and the chunks are also tossed into the water for chum, the reason that’s called chunking. Live bait and jigs can also be fished while chunking. One-day trips, or “day-trolls,” will fish for tuna aboard at the canyons. But Mike prefers overnighting, if trips are going to sail that far. Swordfish can also be caught during night, and overnight trips can fish dawn and dusk, often productive times for tuna catches. Charters and open-boat trips fish the canyons, and Mike will put together an open-trip schedule soon. The Katie H will continue to fish inshore for fluke on the ocean this season, too. The 46-foot Katie H features speed, comfort and all the amenities. 

Good fishing for blues and mackerel today aboard, a report said on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>’s website. A mahi mahi was also pasted, and Wednesday’s trip picked at blues and mackerel. Tuesday’s ran into good fishing for blues and mackerel, and Monday’s picked at both. 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.

More fish were read than bit, but Wednesday’s trip still picked at blues and mackerel on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the party boat said. That was at the Mudhole at hills and lumps, and 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>***Update, Thursday, 8/6:***</b> The trip aboard today ran north, because of a report about bigger blues, an email from the vessel said. But only schools of bunker were found, so the trip sailed southeast to where the boat fished previously. Customers picked away at blues and caught mackerel well, and all enjoyed the outing, the email said.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Strong, southerly wind on Monday caused a swell on the ocean in the next days, slowing fluke fishing, Capt. Matt from the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. The swell finally calmed Wednesday, and fluking was decent aboard the afternoon trip. Some keepers to 6 pounds, mostly 3 to 4 pounds, came in, and throwbacks gave up good action. The trip fished open bottom, unlike rocky bottom the boat fished in the recent past. The open bottom prevented tackle from getting snagged and lost that’s inevitable on rocky bottom. On nighttime trips, bluefishing was slow on Tuesday, because of conditions, but was good otherwise for 1 to 2-pounders. That was fun on light tackle, “and if it’s your first time coming with family, this is very enjoyable!” Matt wrote. Mackerel were in the mix Wednesday night, but not on the previous two nights. Northeast wind is forecast for Friday and Saturday, and that could clean the water, drawing big bluefish in, Matt hopes. 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.

Some days bottom-fished better than others, but the angling was okay on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. Mostly ling were taken, and a few cod were copped, and some big winter flounder were whipped. Anglers bagged 10 to 20 fish apiece, not bad. Respectable. Trips fished in 120 to 220 feet, trying different depths. The water surface was 74 or 75 degrees, and the bottom was cold. The warm surface kept the ocean ugly-looking, an antifreeze-green color, this summer. That didn’t affect the boat’s bottom-fishing, though. A few porgies had begun to be caught aboard, when trips mixed-in sea bass fishing in shallower depths, before sea bass season was closed starting the first of the month. Trips aboard will probably try for porgies again before long. On nighttime trips Friday and Saturday, bluefishing wasn’t good. The trips bluefished an hour apiece, and when that failed to pan out, the trips bottom-fished, scoring alright on ling. Some anglers pasted 12 or 15 ling. Any blues caught were small or ½ pound. Mackerel could be hooked during the bluefishing, but most customers lost interest in mackerel after catching a few.  The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Trips are bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. every Friday and Saturday.

Fishing for fluke had been slow, but the angling was looking good this morning on the party boat <b>Gambler</b>, Capt. Bob said at 9:30 a.m. in a phone call aboard. Throwbacks gave up action, but keepers turned out decent catches. Steady fishing, he said, and one youngster, a novice, decked three keepers on the boat’s first two drifts. The boat drifted perfectly, and the trip fished in 60 feet. Trips now fished along open bottom, after fishing structure previously, including throughout July. The reason fluking was slow in past days was unknown, but conditions failed to drift the boat much on a couple of days, and a drift is needed to cover ground. The nighttime ling trip stayed docked Thursday, because thunderstorms kept anglers from showing up. The nighttime bluefish trips had good fishing for 1- to 3-pound blues and 1- to 2-pound mackerel, plenty of both, Friday and Saturday. 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 for blues every Friday and Saturday during those hours. Tuna trips will begin on September 21, and weekends are filling, and more spaces remain on weekdays. See the <a href=" http://www.gamblerfishing.net/offshoretrips.php" target="_blank">tuna schedule</a> online.

<b>Toms River</b>

Lots of crabs were smashed on the Toms River at Island Heights, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Snapper blues 3 to 7 inches, a few blowfish and even tiny, 4- or 5-inch blowfish hovered the river. Crabbing was also great along Route 37 Bridge on Barnegat Bay. Snappers schooled there, too. A few fluke were picked at the BB marker on the bay. A “little bit” of blowfish held there, and snappers swarmed all over the area. The bay’s fluking was better at the BI marker. The keeper ratio was better, and killies seemed to catch the bay’s fluke more than other baits, for some reason. On the ocean, fluke fishing had been decent off the bathing beach at Island State Park in 40 or 50 feet. A ton of boats worked the water since, fishing out many of the fluke. One customer boated fluke off northern Island Beach and Seaside Park on bucktails with Gulps. Another at Garden State Reef North managed a couple of small fluke and some small, out-of-season sea bass, not a lot of either.  Farther north in the ocean, most fluke came from Axel Carlson and Sea Girt reefs. In the surf, 1- to 3-pound blues were landed, and fluke were bucktailed, but no surf anglers set the world on fire. Catches will probably only be a pick from the surf the rest of the month. Skates and sea robins nibbled in the surf. The Fish Hawks Saltwater Anglers Club from Forked River is holding a blowfish and kingfish tournament August 1 to 31, and Murphy’s is a weigh station and can accept registration. Cash will be awarded, and entry is $20 for adults and $10 for kids. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>Forked River</b>

Fluke remained in Barnegat Bay, getting eased-in from Double Creek Channel and between the BI and BB markers, said Mike from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Reports were gotten about fluke from the Tires and off the bathing beach at Island State Park on the ocean. Blowfish, gathering toward the BB, began to grow a little bigger, but were small. Crabbing was excellent. Baits stocked include killies, fresh spearing and all the frozen.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

A fluke trip sailed Wednesday on the ocean on the <b>Super Chic</b>, but the angling was no good, Capt. Ted said. That seemed because of a swell, and more trips were slated to fluke today and Friday aboard. Today wasn’t supposed to be windy, “but I don’t know what that swell will do,” he said. A trip is also supposed to fluke Saturday, but wind might cancel that.

Different places were tried, but fluke fishing was slow Wednesday on the ocean on the party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, the vessel’s Facebook page said. Action had been better on previous trips. Pool-winning fluke weighed 3 to 5 pounds recently, and the Miss Barnegat Light is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

From <b>Bobbies Boat Rentals</b>, lots of fluke were angled from Barnegat Bay, and a good number seemed keepers this week, Vince Jr. said. Most were hooked on minnows, but other anglers fished Gulps or “stuff like that” for the summer flounder. One of the store’s rental-boaters entered a 7-pound fluke in the Jersey Coast Angler Association’s fluke tournament Saturday. Most customers who boated the ocean for fluke ran north.  Triggerfish chewed along ocean wrecks. A few bluefish, not large, bigger than snappers, finally began to be heard about from the bay again. Nothing was heard about blackfish from along Barnegat Inlet’s rocks. Crabbing began to improve a little locally, apparently because water became warmer. Crabbing picks up later locally than at some places, because of cool water from the nearby inlet. The ocean, however, became cooler recently. Clamming is always good in the nearby bay.   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. Baits stocked currently include minnows and green crabs. Live grass shrimp were in low demand, but customers can order the shrimp ahead of time. No live spots are available yet, and none was being caught locally.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

The <b>June Bug</b> was sailed to the Lobster Claw, the mid-range ocean, Monday to fish for tuna, Capt. Lindsay said. But no tuna showed up, and a few porpoises were seen, but no bait and whales were. The water was 76 degrees at first, peaking at 80 at 2 p.m., before the temperature dropped again. The charter, with Fiber Business Solutions, including clients of the business, had a good time, though, Lindsay said. Some had never sailed that far from shore before. They brought lots of food -- and much of that was eaten! he said -- by the time the trip, from 3 a.m. to 6 p.m., returned. Boats that fished farther offshore, at the canyons, ran into a few tuna, especially bigeyes. A few yellowfin tuna seemed found there. Friends had good bigeye fishing, including bagging a 204-pounder. Two inshore trips fished a half-day each Monday and Tuesday, rounding up a few throwback fluke, no keepers, on the ocean. Out-of-season, throwback-sized sea bass also bit. So did sea robins and small sand sharks. More trips were slated for today, Friday and Sunday through Tuesday. Wind might blow too strongly for Friday’s trip to sail.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Water was hot in Great Bay the past two weeks, and not much fishing happened there, said Chris from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. If anglers want to fish the bay, a few catches might be found along the mouth of Mullica River and Graveling Point. Croakers, small, out-of-season sea bass and maybe blowfish could pop up. Blowfish began to be found in crab traps at some places, so the puffers might show up at spots around the mouth and Graveling. Blowfish could be found near the Fish Factory at places where water flowed, like toward creeks. Flounder were boated at Little Egg Inlet on occasion, but not many. Skates and sharks bit at the inlet. White perch fishing was good on Mullica River, from Sweetwater to downstream, and the different creeks, all brackish water, in the area. On the ocean, flounder fishing seemed best to the south, between Little Egg Inlet and Absecon Inlet. Flounder fishing wasn’t good north of the inlet, including at Garden State Reef South, where the angling was dead. Little Egg Reef was kind of the dividing line between the good and bad flounder fishing. So Little Egg Reef fished well for the flatfish on some days, and not on others. Flounder fishing was good on the ocean in 35 to 60 feet between those two inlets at any structure. But the flounder fishing was good if anglers were willing to lose tackle, maybe $40 per person, snagged in the structure, like wrecks, if the boat could fish right over top the structure. Get off the structure, and the fishing slowed. A couple of customers cleaned up good catches like that, fishing 6-ounce jigheads with 6-inch Gulps. Blackfish bit at structure during ocean flounder fishing. If five anglers on a trip bagged a limit of one sizable blackfish apiece, that was a good addition. Keeping a couple of rods fishing crabs for the tautog could be productive. Sea bass bit well at structure like that. That figures, now that sea bass season was closed, he said. Not much was heard about tuna, and seas were rough for the trips. When the fishing was last reported, longfin tuna were fought from Hudson Canyon. Few customers target bigeye tuna specifically on trips, except maybe in evenings, if they make the trip to the canyons. If they caught bigeyes, that was usually like one on the overnight chunk, fishing for any tuna to bite. Yellowfin tuna caught were mostly heard about two weeks ago or so, when fishing for them erupted farther south a moment. Lots of bunker was sold for crabbing, so apparently crabbing was good. Customers wouldn’t keep buying the bait otherwise. Bait stocked also includes green crabs for blackfishing, minnows, bloodworms and fresh, shucked clams. No live grass shrimp are stocked, because they’d die in warm water.

<b>Absecon</b>

Cold-water upwelling on the ocean seemed to turn on back-bay fishing, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Fish seemed to seek the bay’s warmer water, and summer flounder fishing was pretty good on the bay, along the Intracoastal Waterway. Good reports were heard from Reed’s Bay about the angling. Lots of bait was showing up in the bay, including mullet. Spots appeared, and that was the first time the shop reported that this year. Anglers can catch the baitfish – mullets and spots – themselves to fish live for catches including flounder or tuna. Or they can buy the mullet or spots that are now stocked live at the store. To catch the bait, all supplies are stocked at the shop, including bloodworms, hooks for the bloods, lots of castnets, bait pens and aerators. On the ocean, flounder seemed to be moving into reefs in the Atlantic City area better than before. Fishing for them was picking up. Some croakers finally schooled the ocean in 30 feet, and a few swam the bay. Fishing for the croakers began to be good on the ocean, and if families wanted to take kids fishing, and catch something to eat, the croakers were an option. It’s summer, and plenty of fish are around to catch, Dave said. Crabbing really improved, just about everywhere locally. Absecon Creek gave up good catches. Shedder crabs were now available for bait at the shop. A few soft-shell crabs for eating were on hand. The store raises the soft-shells, and therefore shedders. They usually become available around full and new moons, when crabs often shed.  Keep informed about the supply on <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/SoftshellCrabs" target="_blank">Absecon Bay Sportsman Center’s soft-shell crab Facebook page</a>.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Kingfishing seemed to amp up a little in the surf, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. One angler, who dragged in a half-dozen, said bait had to be kept moving to hook the kings. Andrew Smith beached a dozen kings, tight to shore, he said. Smith also boated a 6-pound, keeper summer flounder among a bunch of throwbacks from the back bay on a trip. Surf fishing from the cove seemed to pick up somewhat. John David and Arlene Perkowski there hung a 2-pound flounder apiece. Perkowski was entered in the shop’s summer fishing tournament, and checked-in the catch for the contest. The tournament, lasting until September 26, features three divisions for flounder, kingfish and blues. Brown sharks, required to be released, still roamed the surf. Spots reportedly showed up around Absecon, if anglers wanted to catch them for live bait.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

The waters off Vermont Avenue, the T-jetty and Caspian Avenue shoveled up blackfish that were good-sized, snapper blues now, and some sizable summer flounder, “not those big ones,” but keepers, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Croakers, a couple of triggerfish and, on and off, kingfish were also tabbed from those places. Customers fish those areas, near the shop, on foot. Fishing was pretty good, and the customers dunked green crabs and clams for the blackfish. For the other catches, they soaked bloodworms, minnows and clams. Fluke Candy, a floating jighead that suspends bait, available at the shop, worked well on the flounder for the shore angling. All the baits mentioned and more, a large supply, are stocked. Bloodworms are two dozen for $20 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Minnows are only $8 a pint or $15 a quart. Catch the special on bucktails at $1.79 for 1/8 ounce, $1.85 for ¼ ounce, $1.89 for 3/8 ounce, $2 for either ½ or 5/8 ounce, $2.20 for 1 ounce, $2.29 for 1 ½ ounce, $2.99 for 2 ounce and $3.49 for 3 ounce. The bucktails come in white, pink-and-white, yellow-and-white, chartreuse-and-white and red-and-white.  One Stop also has a shop at Gardner’s Basin.

<b>Egg Harbor Township</b>

Many summer flounder were seen from the bay at <b>24-7 Bait & Tackle</b>, and many flounder were landed from the bay, but most were throwbacks, John said. Maybe one in 10 was a keeper, and anglers got lucky to catch a keeper. The ocean gave up some keepers, and the bigger flounder definitely seemed to become more abundant there. This isn’t related to that, but the ocean near shore cooled to 67 or 70 degrees, compared with 80 previously. Maybe blackfish caught will be reported, now that water cooled. Blackfish weren’t going to bite in 80 degrees. Crabbing became super, including at Patcong Creek, running past the shop. The blueclaws were big, and the population was thick. The store’s rental boats are available to fish and crab from the creek to Great Egg Harbor River and the bay. The store is located near the confluence of all three of those.  No snapper blues were seen in the creek at the shop, but a few peanut bunker were. No spots were seen there. Nothing was heard about tuna catches. Tuna fishing didn’t seem strong, and customers headed for the angling, but none reported specific results. Baits stocked include minnows, green crabs and bloodworms. Shedder crabs are usually stocked daily, and the shop is trying to stock live spots. All offshore baits are carried. <b>The company also own 24-7 Bait & Tackle in Marmora</b>.

<b>Longport</b>

A trip sailed to 100 feet in the ocean, mopping up on summer flounder pretty well, on the <b>Stray Cat</b> on Wednesday, Capt. Mike said. The ocean, after being more stagnant in heat previously, turned over. Lots of bait and browns sharks were seen, and flying fish. Definitely improving, he said, and some good-sized, 2- and 3-pound flounder were bagged. Definitely on the uptick, he said. Huge, out-of-season sea bass bit and had to be released. Two- and 3-pounders, even a 4-pounder, were let go. The boat’s drift was complicated, and conditions kept changing. But a catch managed to be put together. Friday, August 28, just became available for a charter. If a charter wants to take family for some deep-water flounder fishing, he said. Charter dates are available during weekdays, if anglers would like. Open-boat tuna trips will fish overnight September 5 and 13, limited to six passengers per outing. Unbelievable low price, an exceptional value, he said. A trip tried inshore trolling three days ago for fish like blues, mahi mahi and false albacore, and not much was doing. But those catches were made previously aboard, and the water now turned over, and this storm this weekend might help further, both with that and flounder, Mike hopes.

<b>Ocean City</b>

In the surf, brown sharks were no longer caught, because the water temperature dropped, said Nick from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Browns are required to be released but were beached previously. Kingfishing began to give up decent catches in the surf, though. In the back bay, lots of small flounder and small sea bass swam. Anglers might be able to find a couple of keeper founder at Great Egg Harbor Inlet, in deeper holes, among throwbacks. Striped bass 15 to 20 inches were hooked at night in the bay under lights. Peanut bunker began to appear in creeks along the back of the bay, and if anglers could find the peanuts in the bay, they could sometimes find the stripers. Livelined peanuts caught the bass, and so did top-water lures. Rumors said spots began to appear in creeks at Absecon, but the baitfish were yet to be seen in Ocean City’s surf, where they usually show up this season. On the ocean, flounder fishing was on and off at reefs. John from the shop heard reports about good flounder fishing at an ocean reef one day, and fished the reef the next day. He only boated a couple of throwbacks, and saw nobody score well. Again, the fishing seemed on and off. Flounder weighed-in from Ocean City Reef included Dennis Mollet from Ocean City’s 5.9-pounder and John Weideman from Jenkintown, Pa.’s, 4.18-pounder. A couple of bigeye tuna were weighed-in: Greg Jones Jr.’s 135-pounder and Greg Jones Sr.’s 123-pounder. They were boated a week apart, and Nick didn’t know the location of the catches, but bigeyes seemed mostly landed at night. The 123-pounder was trolled at night on a ballyhoo, he knew. Reports said mahi mahi were around, but at the canyons, not closer to shore. A 20-pound mahi was checked-in from the canyons. Fishing for mahi closer to shore, like at the reefs, seemed on and off, because of fluctuating water temperature. The water had been warmer, and recently cooled.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Bob Rhoda and sons reeled summer flounder from the back bay, including an 8-1/2-pounder, on Wednesday evening aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. They also fought blues from the ocean, and a trip that morning aboard with Scott McKay’s family released two small spinner sharks then jigged a bunch of blues on the ocean. Joe with his family on Tuesday landed a bunch of throwback summer flounder from the bay. Looking ahead, Joe will run annual traveling charters to Montauk that fish the migration of striped bass, blues and false albacore in September and October. He’ll run annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys from Christmas to Easter.  See <a href="http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page3.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Traveling Charters Web Page</a>. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>.

Keeper summer flounder were still found in the back bay, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Plenty of throwbacks swam the water, but keepers were boated at “hard” drop-offs, like from 10 to 20 feet. One angler bagged a 38-pound striped bass, unusually large for summer, from a dock. Popper plugging for smaller stripers was great on the bay last week during high tides at dusk. Those are ideal conditions, happening every two weeks. On the ocean, flounder fishing was tremendous at any rock piles, ship wrecks or other structure, mostly on bucktails with Gulps. Fishing was good on the ocean for brown and dusky sharks, required to be released. Set up a chum slick and fish mackerel fillets. Good catches of browns and duskies came from the surf, too. Kingfishing improved in the surf, became okay, almost decent. Customers who were diehard kingfishers banked five or six per trip. For offshore boaters, bigeye tuna gave up the most consistent fishing. More bigeyes seemed caught on the nighttime chunk than on the daytime troll in the past week. Sometimes a few yellowfin tuna popped up. Crabbing was excellent. Many of the crabs were small, but the population was “up.”

<b>Wildwood</b>

Fishing’s been good, said Capt. Jim from <b>Fins & Grins Sportfishing</b>. Lots of bluefish were trolled. Sharks were on the bite, if anglers wanted. Kingfish schooled Cape May Channel. Kings failed to bite Wednesday there on a perfect drift of the boat, and the trip didn’t wait long, jumping on bluefish instead at a shoal. Anglers should be willing to be opportunistic, not sticking with one fish, if fish don’t bite. There’s lots of action, lots of fish. The blues swam ocean shoals and off Cape May Point. The sharks, like sand tigers, required to be released, haunted the ocean near Delaware Bay and any ocean structure, including off Wildwood. Sand tigers averaged 250 pounds, and some were quite bigger. Summer flounder fishing was hit and miss on the ocean. On one day, some good-sized were boxed, and on another, they weren’t. Fins fishes for any species available. Trips fish every day, and reservations aren’t required but suggested.  Telephone for availability.

The back bay’s summer flounder fishing slowed a bit, and the flatfish were reeled in, but most were throwbacks, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. Snapper blues and small sea bass were showing up in the water. A couple of 20- or 22-inch striped bass were pulled in. “So that was nice,” he said. The bay’s crabbing was improving. Lots of the blueclaws skittered around, and many were small. But trips nabbed one to three dozen keepers apiece. 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, sand eels, herring, mullet, whole and filleted mackerel, clams in quarts, pints, a pound or nine ounces, whole or cut bunker, and Gulps. Tackle and supplies carried 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. The crabs are currently No. 2’s, good-sized, for $20 per dozen live and $25 per dozen cooked. The crabs are cooked in advance in the morning. The shop will clean and cook crabs that people catch. That’s $5 per dozen to clean. The cooking is $10 for up to two dozen and $5 for every additional dozen.

<b>Cape May</b>

A few triggerfish, some blues and a bunch of bar jacks were angled from the ocean Wednesday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. The triggers came from wreck-fishing, and the blues were trolled. The ocean was 68 degrees near shore and 75 to 79 farther out. Offshore boaters all trolled for bigeye tuna from sundown to sunup at the canyons. They decked the bigeyes and a few yellowfin tuna.

Not a lot of summer flounder were bagged recently, said Capt. Paul from the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>. “Some are around – some are around,” he said, but the angling was slow aboard recently, overall. Trips fished the ocean, and throwbacks gave up a bunch of action on some days. Sean Pattichen from Philadelphia on Wednesday’s trip landed three keepers to a 6-pounder, tying for the pool with that fish with Al Bednarik from Philly. Rob Rizzo from Boonton bagged three that day. Mike Wolf from Philly the other day bagged four aboard. The Porgy IV is fishing for summer flounder at 8 a.m. daily. The weekend might be a blow out, because of weather. Strong wind was forecast for Saturday, when Paul gave this report Wednesday evening in a phone call. 

Cape May Channel harbored kingfish, croakers and summer flounder, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Nearby, surf casters banked croakers at Cape May Point and Higbee’s Beach. A redfish, the southern species, was yanked from Cape May Inlet. Reds appeared a moment last year then disappeared. They were more abundant the previous year, and seems they showed up during some summers lately. Triggerfish and flounder were boated from Cape May Reef and other reefs and wrecks in the ocean. Flounder were sometimes heard about from Flounder Alley in Delaware Bay. Two striped bass were weighed-in that were boated at Cape May Inlet on drifted eels. An angler fishing on foot from the inlet popper-plugged small stripers on every cast while birds worked the water. Nick and another angler landed five striped bass to 24 inches under the Cape May Canal bridge at night last week on chartreuse paddle tails about 5 inches. One angler picked up two blackfish, just under keeper-sized, at the Townsend’s Inlet jetty at Avalon, until running out of bait. Not a lot was heard from offshore, but bigeye tuna were caught at the offshore canyons. Yellowfin tuna had bitten some weeks ago at places like 19-Fathom Lump. Crabbing was excellent, giving up catches like two-dozen keepers or 35. Baits stocked include minnows, bloodworms and fresh shrimp.

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