<b>Keyport</b>

Fishing for fluke was cancelled today, because of forecasts for heavy rain, on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. The angling’s been a challenge, and best in the ocean. The location was a reason weather was especially a factor today. Charters and open-boat trips aboard will stick with fluke through next week, at least. When the trips are wrapped up, Vitamin Sea will begin searching for striped bass, and might bottom-fish for porgies, triggerfish and blackfish. Fall trips are beginning to fill. Dates should be booked as soon as possible. Frank obtained striper bonus tags, and one will be provided to anyone who charters a striper trip.  “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!” <b>***Update, Thursday, 9/10:***</b> Two spaces are available Saturday for an open trip for fluke.

With the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>, ling, cod and winter flounder, good catches, were plowed, Capt. Mario said. Fluke fishing was tougher, the same as before. Down Deep is fluking mostly on the ocean, including at Ambrose Channel and rough bottom. A few of the fish bit everywhere. 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. Charters are beginning to book for fall striped bass and sea bass and fall and winter blackfish. 

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fishing for fluke was the same as recently, a struggle, said Joe from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Striped bass were sometimes plugged in the surf in mornings and evenings. In the bay, blues were fought off Keyport, and lots of porgies gathered along the Ammo Pier, giving up pretty good catches. Good porgy fishing was also pasted at Sandy Hook Reef in the ocean. Ling fishing was productive all summer in the ocean. One of the charter boats was into them. Some croakers were around, but Joe was unsure about location. In back waters, crabbing was good, and snapper bluefishing was excellent. All baits are stocked.

Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b> hopes fluke fishing improves, but the angling was tough, never improved since last weekend, he said. The fishing became tougher once the weekend’s strong wind blew, building an ocean swell that lingered a moment. Some trips in past days got into throwbacks and some keepers. On some of the trips, throwbacks didn’t bite much, even. Tom’s trying to fish the ocean channels, but southerly wind, rebuilding somewhat of a swell, was rough for that, and he didn’t want to “beat up” customers. Trips picked some fluke, not enough. All the twice-daily trips sailed, no matter that business can slow after Labor Day. The boat is fluking 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily. <b>***Update, Friday, 9/11:***</b> Fishing was docked Thursday aboard, because of forecasts for rough weather, Capt. Tom said on this morning’s trip at 11 o’clock in a phone call. Rainstorms did grumble through that day. But the angling this morning was a little better than he expected. A few keepers were bagged, and the anglers picked at throwbacks, already. Seas were a little bumpy, but completely fishable. He hoped the angling held up.

Fluke were still here! Capt. Ron from the party boat <b>Fishermen</b> wrote Tuesday in a report on the vessel’s website. After four days of tough fluking, “today we had a bounce back,” he wrote about the day’s trip. The catch included good-sized fluke, and the angling took a bit to find a line of fluke the boat could drift along, but the summer flounder were found in two areas. Jim Cosgrove from Clark won the pool with a 7.9-pounder, and high hooks bagged three fluke apiece. A couple more of the trip’s fluke weighed more than 6 pounds. One angler nailed two heavier than 5 pounds, and another hung one heavier than 5. Throwbacks turned out plenty of action, when conditions were right, and the change of tide fished best, once current began, and the boat started drifting. Big fluke were belted again on Wednesday’s trip. First, the trip fished two places where the fish bit Tuesday. The third shot was the charm, and then the trip hit a couple of areas with fish. An 8.3-pound fluke won the pool, and the angler bagged three more fluke. Some anglers bagged three, and Tom the Vet smashed a 7.4-pounder. Another angler whacked a 7-pounder. Catches also included a 5.8-pounder, a 5.6-pounder and a 5.2-pounder. The change of tide slowed the fishing, drifting the boat fast at 1.6 knots, but the anglers managed to slug away till the end. It’s that time of year: Trips are fishing deeper water, so anglers need to fish heavy weight, and noodle rods won’t do. Medium to heavy rods and 10 to 12 ounces of weight are needed. The angling won’t last long, and the season-long fluke pool is still up for grabs, and an 8.7-pounder is in the lead. Customers not in the pool hauled in three fluke heavier than 10 pounds and four over 9 this season. 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>Highlands</b>

Greg Hanna on the Annie H, sailing from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, decked two keeper fluke to 3 pounds at Chapel Hill Channel on Sunday on Gulps, Marion wrote in an email. Ed and Tony on the Hammerhead ripped four keepers from Sandy Hook Channel on Wednesday on Gulps, killies and squid. 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>

A light crowd joined the weekly individual-reservation trip for fluke Tuesday, and the angling was good with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph wrote in an email. Action all day. Shorts with keepers mixed in. Only two more of the trips will sail, next Tuesday, and on Friday, September 25, before fluke season is closed starting September 27. Individual-reservation trips will sail for cod offshore October 1 and 20 and for inshore wreck-fishing October 4. Charters are available daily.

<b>Belmar</b>

Fluke fishing was good on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b> the last few days, Capt. Chris said. “I’m actually content with it,” he said. Lots of fluke, lots of sizable, were hooked. Pool-winning fluke averaged 7 to 9 pounds. Some fluke grabbed bait, and a bunch grabbed Gulps, and the trips fished the ocean at rough bottom in rocks, but not terribly rough. “We needed some fish, and we got them,” he said. The Big Mohawk is fishing for fluke 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Anglers on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b> jigged small blues and occasional false albacore Wednesday on the ocean tight to shore, north of Shark River Inlet, an email from the party boat said. By mid-morning, the fishing dropped off, because of slack tide and a breeze that began. But at the end of the trip, when the tide began to move again, blues showed back up, near shore, and were jigged. Ava 27’s and bucktails caught well on the trip.  The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Nighttime trips for blues on Saturdays will no longer sail, until the fish show up. 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.

Mackerel, a few  blues and some false albacore were socked Wednesday on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the party boat’s website said. The mackerel fishing was good, and angling was super on Tuesday’s trip for bonito, albies, blues, mackerel and a bluefin tuna. Monday’s trip gave up a slow pick of blues and some mackerel and albies. 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. See the <a href=" http://goldeneaglefishing.com/tuna-reservation.html" target="_blank">tuna schedule and reservation form</a> on the boat’s website.

Ocean fluke fishing picked up a little on Wednesday, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. Water was settling, after the weekend’s blow. The angling was picky, but some better-sized fluke were around. A big movement of the fish to the ocean from bays, the migration, seemed under way. Places where Pete would expect to see the summer flounder this time of year began to produce them. Dates are available for trips, and the schedule lightens up after Labor Day. 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>

Aboard the ocean on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, fluke fishing was decent the past two days, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. Some anglers took two to four keepers, and others only cranked up shorts. Gene Alexander took the lead in the monthly pool with a 6-pounder, and plenty of time remains to beat that. Gulps seemed to catch best. None of the daily, nighttime bluefish trips sailed the past two days. This was one of the toughest seasons for bluefishing, and Matt hopes the angling rebounds next year. The blues caught were small, but there’s still a good chance bigger blues will show up. So the trips will now sail every Friday and Saturday. The Norma-K III is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily and for blues 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. every Friday and Saturday.

<b>Toms River</b>

A few mullet began to migrate the surf Sunday, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. In cooler weather now, the migration should kick into high gear. Lots of bait including mullet, spearing and rainfish were balled up behind Barnegat Inlet. A few bluefish 4 to 5 pounds, bigger than before, tumbled into the surf, now that bait began to migrate the surf. Anglers had to find the blues, and surf fishing was nothing great, but a few croakers and kingfish also nibbled in the water, a mixed bag. A few false albacore and bonito showed up in the ocean off inlets. A couple of lifeguards said albies splashed and went crazy on bait a little way from the surf. A few boaters trolled albies on the ocean, not great. In Barnegat Bay, crabbing was good at Good Luck Point and along Route 37 Bridge. Blowfishing was fairly good in this area of the bay. Lots were small, and one angler landed six sizable blowfish among small hooked. Farther south in the bay, fluke were boated toward the BI and BB markers, but fluking was much better in deeper water at Barnegat Inlet. In this southern area of the bay, fishing for blowfish and kingfish became somewhat better than before. Boaters needed to chum heavily for them. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Fishing along the dock became slower recently, said George from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. A few snapper blues raced around. No blowfish showed up in a week. Baby black drum had been hooked. Crabbing also slowed, and many small crabs skittered around. Surf anglers said small fluke and a few cocktail blues popped up sometimes. 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. Baits stocked currently include eels, sandworms, fresh bunker and fresh clams.

<b>Forked River</b>

Barnegat Bay’s blowfishing was okay, just south of the 40 can, in 5 feet of water, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Boaters chummed with clam and fished with clam or squid for them. A few weakfish, nothing crazy, were heard about from the clam stakes, and frozen shedder crabs are stocked for bait for the trout. Fluke fishing really slowed in the bay. Anglers needed to fish right in Barnegat Inlet for fluke. Snapper blues grew larger, almost to cocktail size. Baits stocked also include fresh spearing on weekends – they’ll arrive Friday, this week – killies and all the frozen.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

The <b>Super Chic</b> is supposed to fluke fish on the ocean this weekend, Capt. Ted said. The angling sounded okay, the same as before, recently. The next tuna fishing is set for later this month aboard, unless a charter books before. Tuna fishing seemed to pick up a little. Somewhat better catches of yellowfin tuna were heard about than before, both while trolling during daytime and on the nighttime chunk. Closer to shore, no bonito were heard about. That angling seemed a bust this season, unless some are yet to show up. This writer told Ted about false albacore reported in the mix on Belmar party-boat trips for bluefish, and albies reported seen closer to shore, out of range for casting from the surf. This was about the time for albies to show up, Ted said, and he wouldn’t be surprised if the fish were around.

For anglers on the <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, fluke fishing, on the ocean, was consistent, a report on the party boat’s website said. Throwbacks served up plenty of action, and a smattering of keepers were pasted, each day. Small blues added to the catch. Fluke trips will fish 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily through this weekend. Afterward, they’ll sail on weekends until fluke season is closed starting September 26. <b><i>***Tuna trips***</i></b> will fish the canyons overnight from 3 p.m. to 1 p.m. October 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 23, 30 and 31. A two-day tuna trip will sail 3 p.m. October 17 to 1 p.m. October 19. Telephone to book the tuna trips.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

North Jersey’s fluke fishing was better than locally, but locally, Garden State Reef South’s fishing for the summer flounder was pretty good, said Chris from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The angling locally was hit or miss at Little Egg Reef, and better at Atlantic City Reef. To catch, boaters needed to stay over top specific places that held the fish, almost like wreck-fishing. Anglers needed to jig with braided line with the lightest possible bucktail, with a Gulp on the hook, like a grub or swimming minnow. Plenty of out-of-season sea bass swam waters like that. Lots of blackfish hovered at Garden State South, and if four anglers on the boat bagged a limit of one blackfish apiece that weighed 4 to 6 pounds, that was pounds of fillets. Just fish green crab on a rod in a rod holder. Lots of small fish swarmed the bay, like sea bass, croakers, snapper blues and jacks, a big variety. If anglers want to keep kids busy, anchor and chum with clams. Big bluefish were randomly reported from back waters. They couldn’t be targeted, because they showed up unpredictably. But the catches were reported, like one angler who jigged 8-pounders at Mullica River the other morning, and another who ran into the blues on Great Bay two days afterward. Only one report rolled in from offshore, only about mahi mahi, no tuna, caught on a trip.  Be sure to visit Penn Day at the shop 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. A Penn rep will showcase new Penn rods, reels, gear and shirts. The shop will feature sales, like 20 percent off Penn Bluewater Carnage Rods and other Penn rods. The new Penn Warfare Reel will be stocked, and so should others, like the Penn Clash Reel.

<b>Absecon</b>

Not a ton of big fish were around, but anglers had fun with kingfish, small sea bass, croakers, snapper blues and white perch, and some of the fish could be eaten, said Curt from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Anglers will find some of those fish in any deep water in the back bay. Croakers reportedly swam the ocean near shore in tight schools. An oddball weakfish, some of them decent-sized, were heard about, including from the Intracoastal Waterway. Kind of an early morning thing on the tide, he said. Weaks were finicky, but now was the time when they start to school at the 178 marker off Broad Creek, where they can be less finicky. That might be worth a look. Weakfish, croakers and perch swam the mouth of Mullica River. Curt landed small striped bass among perch at the mouth. If the striper bonus program had been in effect, he probably could’ve kept one of the bass. That was during the week before the program began on September 1, allowing an extra bass to be bagged that’s 24 inches to less than 28, for those who registered. He caught a handful of the perch, enough to keep the fishing interesting, and Curt is a white perch angler. The perch seemed bigger closer to the mouth of the river, because of saltwater. A few anglers threw plugs to catch back-bay stripers at night. Water was too warm for the fishing during daytime. However, it’s time: Catch the shop’s annual <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/events/116175675401683/" target="_blank"><b><i>Striper Season Kick-Off Sale</i></b></a> from Friday to Sunday, September 20. Almost all gear will be 25 percent off, and many more specials and closeouts will be held. Deals will include ones on tackle like castnets, bunker-spoon trolling rods and more. There will also be Facebook specials for those who Like the store’s Facebook page. Stock up, and get ready to catch, the page said. Blackfish and triggerfish could be searched for along rocks and sod banks. Blackfishing seemed somewhat slower than usual, because of warm water. Sheepshead might be angled in those spots, and a 6-pounder was weighed-in. No big, like 13-pounders, were seen, like last year. One angler who targets sheepshead moved his boat to another location, from the shop’s slips, so that could’ve been a reason. Summer flounder were mostly bagged at ocean reefs and wrecks. A few keepers probably remained near the Brigantine Bridge and deep water in the bay, but anglers had to get lucky to tie into one. Fishing for mahi mahi and tuna seemed to pick back up somewhat, but fairly far offshore. Southern species like wahoos and lots of white marlin were around. Baitfish like mullet were yet to migrate to the ocean from back waters. Millions of mullet were around, but in scattered pods, like 10, 30 or 50, not huge schools. They swam all over the water, though. Mullet were good-sized, 6 inches and larger, and seemed more abundant than peanut bunker this year. Live mullet, peanut bunker and spots are stocked. Shedder crabs are on hand, and some soft-shell crabs for eating are left. The shop raises the crabs. Crabbing was pretty good this year.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Not a lot happened, but kingfish swam all over the surf, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Anglers tried to weigh-in the biggest king to win the money for the category in Riptide’s Summer Fishing Tournament that lasts until September 26. Kings, blues and flounder are the categories, and anglers can enter one or all. They must register 24 hours in advance of entering a catch. Snapper blues, spots and pompano ran the surf. No brown sharks, required to be released, were known caught in two days in the surf, but brown sharks are haunting the water. Hannah Menale boated a 6-pound summer flounder on a trip with dad, Joe Jr., at, Andy believed, Absecon Inlet. Fresh mullet is stocked daily, and bloodworms and minnows are carried. The annual Fall Riptide Striper Derby kicked off on Wednesday. A new category for bluefish, awarding cash for the three heaviest, was added this year. The contest is for stripers and blues beached from Brigantine’s surf. Entry includes a permit that allows beach buggies to drive the entire Brigantine front beach, when accompanied by a Brigantine beach-buggy permit. Without the tournament’s permit, not all the beach can be driven. The Elks Fall Striper Tournament will be held November 14 and 15.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

A load of croakers were pounded, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. They were good-sized, bigger than 12 inches, and full of roe, though that seemed unusual this time of year. Kingfish, lots of small, but some bigger, were tugged in. Catches also included blackfish, blues and, in mornings and afternoons, occasional striped bass. Rudderfish and jacks were also hooked. This was all along the surf and the T-jetty. Customers often fished there with bloodworms and shrimp. Snapper blues schooled the bay, and spearing or mullet were fished on Snapper Poppers for them. Corn cob mullet schooled everywhere in these areas. The water is lit up, and anglers might not catch what they target, but they catch. If anglers can’t catch now, they may as well hang it up, he said!  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>Margate</b>

Back-bay summer flounder fishing was slowing down, said Capt. John from the party boat <b>Keeper</b>. Quite a few throwbacks bit, but not many keepers did. Nobody seemed to bag many in bays throughout the state. Some probably bagged more in the ocean a little. Anglers all seemed happy on trips, even if John wasn’t satisfied. Lots of juvenile sea bass, and sea robins, bit on the boat’s trips. Lots of snapper blues schooled, and began to be caught aboard. Tons of bait, including mullet and peanut bunker, schooled the bay everywhere. The mullet run definitely began in the bay. The bay was filthy, for unknown reasons, and this was one of those years for the dirty water. Barnegat Bay had dirty water like that a few years ago, making fishing tougher, he thought. Lots of flounder seemed to swim the back of the bay, where water was too shallow for the Keeper. Crabbers found flounder in traps there, like several flounder per trap, sometimes. The Keeper will fish for flounder only on weekends starting this weekend, after fishing for them daily previously, on the bay, a usual change this season in the schedule. The trips will sail 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday. Starting the weekend afterward, the trips will fish on both the morning and afternoon trips on Saturdays and the morning trip on Sundays, during those hours. 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>

Open-boat trips will fish for summer flounder Friday and Sunday in the deep on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. Trips have been catching them in 75 and 90 feet on the ocean. The fluke aren’t biting all day, and trips need to wait for wind and tide to come together for the right drift of the boat. But trips each hit a window with good action. Pool-winning flounder averaged 3 ½ to 4 pounds. The ocean held very little swell by Tuesday, and the water had cleared by then, after worse conditions through Monday, because of the weekend’s wind. Tons of life now filled the ocean, including bunker, rainfish and other bait, like butterfish. “Things are on the move,” he said. Lots of birds picked at bait on the water surface in mornings. Shaping up to be a good fall, he said.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Small fish crammed the bay, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. That included sea bass, kingfish, summer flounder, a few weakfish, croakers and blues. Many fish, but small, typical when the water’s warm, pushing 80 degrees. Some of those fish bit in the surf, too. A few mullet began to be seen in the bay. Peanut bunker schooled the bay, and bait including bay anchovies were heard about from there. The season was way too early for mullet to migrate to the ocean. Boaters could find croakers and weakfish in the ocean in 25 or 30 feet. The croakers were okay-sized, not huge, and the weaks were small, occasionally 14 inches, an inch larger than keeper-sized. Keeper flounder could be hooked at ocean reefs and wrecks. Plenty of sea bass, better-sized, unlike the bay’s juveniles, but out-of-season nonetheless, held in those waters. Reports about offshore fishing weren’t so good. Those who made the trip talked about catches like a white marlin released and a few tuna and mahi mahi caught. Any tuna heard about were small yellowfins, not large bigeyes that were talked about before. The offshore fish were kind of scattered at different places.  

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Sharks went nuts in the surf during the weekend and early in the week, almost like earlier this season, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Some sharks are required to be released, and be sure to be aware. Kingfish schooled the surf but were tiny. High tides coincided with evenings, ideal for striped bass fishing in the back bay this week, and the angling was decent, on Rapala Skitterpops and MirrOlure Popa Dogs, both popper plugs. The popper fishing is good sport and known in the area, and most anglers who took advantage this week said they landed a few less than two weeks ago, because of abundant baitfish. Getting a fish to strike a lure can become more challenging when a fish has much bait to forage on. Lots of peanut bunker and mullet were reported. Summer flounder were sometimes bagged from the ocean, and all the anglers said the fishing was a little slow. But they picked the fish at reefs. Deeper water, out to 100 feet, fished somewhat better, but the angling wasn’t easy anywhere. Wahoos and mahi mahi caught were heard about from the 30-fathom line, like Mike reported last week. Crabbing was excellent.

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, hit the ocean for summer flounder with his son, dad and brother Monday, he said. They racked up one 4-pound keeper and a bunch of throwbacks and out-of-season sea bass, including keeper-sized, 14- and 15-inchers, lots of action. Striped bass smacked popper-lures and -flies this week on the back bay on high tides in evenings, ideal conditions, happening every two weeks. The angling, drawing explosive, visual attacks, is a specialty aboard, and should last through October. Annual traveling charters to Montauk, New York, are one week away, starting on Friday, September 18. The trips fish the migration of striped bass, bluefish and false albacore from the legendary fishing port. That’s before the migration of stripers and blues slides south to New Jersey. Jersey isn’t known for the albie migration, but albies can swim thick off Montauk. Angling for all three fish can be epic at Montauk, unlike anywhere else. Annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys will fish from Christmas to Easter. Visit <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>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Looked like rain would fall now, but the back-bay’s fishing was actually decent, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. Summer flounder were still caught from the bay sometimes – an 18-incher was docked the other day – and that’s not unusual for the time of year, but the water was warm. A customer said the surf was 74 degrees, so the bay must’ve been warmer. Lots of small sea bass bit. Lots of snapper blues schooled. Striped bass also gave up action, so that was exciting, he said. A load of small stripers, 10 or 12 inches, swarmed the canal, and Mike never saw so many there before. Crabbing kept improving, like usual this time of year. “It likes fall,” he said. Crabs shed last week, and that can slow crabbing, because crabs refuse to eat while shedding. But the shed was finished, and not all crabs shed at once.  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. The full supply of bait, tackle and supplies is stocked. Crabs, both live and cooked, are sold for eating, and picnic tables are set out to enjoy them, with umbrellas. The crabs were currently No. 1’s for $30 per dozen live and $35 per dozen cooked, and No. 2’s 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 $10 per dozen to clean. The cooking is $10 for up to two dozen and $5 for every additional dozen. Steamed shrimp are $12.95 for a pound, and the shrimp are good-sized. A pound includes about 35 shrimp. Oysters, not large but medium-sized, had been stocked for $10 a dozen. They’ll be stocked again, if Mike can obtain them. He travels to Port Norris to get a good price.

<b>Cape May</b>

Some good-sized summer flounder were creamed Thursday at Cape May Reef on the ocean on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. Some flounder were bagged Friday aboard, and then the wind began to howl that afternoon. No trip sailed in Saturday’s wind. On Sunday’s trip, the ocean held a big swell, after the wind, and few flounder were hooked. On Monday’s trip, the boat wouldn’t drift, and flounder fishing was slow. But Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s trips produced better, no great numbers of flounder, but some good-sized. Keepers remained hard to come by, like all season up and down the coast, but some large flounder seemed around, and that was encouraging. Most of the keepers didn’t even need to be measured on Tuesday’s trip. Customers and their catches included Karl Ziegler from Cape May’s 6-3/4-pound flounder and 6-pounder Thursday. John Hauser from West Cape May won that trip’s pool with an 8-pounder. Walt Prawdzik from Media, Pa., won Tuesday’s pool with a 6-pounder. John Riccardi from Williamstown limited out on the trip. Nobody limited on Wednesday’s trip, but Al Bednarik from Philly bagged two keepers, including a 5-1/2-pounder that won the pool on the outing. John Riccardi on the trip bagged two flounder that were probably 4 or 5 pounds on the first drift, and never hooked another keeper on the outing. The Porgy IV is fishing for summer flounder at 8 a.m. daily.

The <b>Heavy Hitter</b> might fish for blues this weekend, Capt. George said. The fish schooled off Cape May Point, and summer flounder fishing on the ocean boated two or three keepers, sometimes seven or eight, among throwbacks in a trip. A boat with seven or eight would return another day, and bag two or three. Many of the flounder were 15 to 17 inches, just under the 18-inch size limit. Offshore waters held mahi mahi, some wahoos and, if a trip lit into one, bigeye tuna. Fall striped bass charters are being booked. So are fall tuna trips that will sail if the angling lights up, like it can during the season.

Abundant bait began to be seen in the back bay, including peanut bunker, mullet and spearing, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. With this cold front, he expects mullet to begin migrating to the surf, and Nick is a surf angler. The mullet migration will start an early-season striped bass run in the surf. Read more about stripers from the surf below. First, a few red drum, the southern species, were hooked in the surf, and more of those should appear, because of the mullet. Small bluefish sometimes rumbled into the surf off Cape May Point. Boaters also caught the blues off the point. Summer flounder were beached from the surf at the concrete ship. That’s along Delaware Bay, and spinner sharks, the southern species, began to be reported from the bay’s surf. They could be fun to fight, could jump all over. The shop’s Facebook page showed a 4-foot shark that Nick released in the surf. “You should’ve been the striper I caught!” he said. His buddies didn’t want him to post a photo of the striper, but a few stripers began to be eased from along surf jetties. A couple were weighed-in this week, and artificials or fresh mullet could be fished for them. Early mornings and evenings seemed to give them up best. But if a day is cloudy, the bass could bite just about any time. The store’s Facebook page mentioned fresh mullet stocked recently, and said the store hoped the mullet would continue to be carried. Not much was heard about blackfish from the surf. On the ocean, flounder were decked at reefs and wrecks. Cape May Reef’s north end produced them fairly well, in the rubble. Pretty good flounder fishing was mentioned from Delaware Bay toward the number 1 buoy. Closer to the shop, the catches were reported from near the 9 and 10 buoys on the bay. For offshore anglers, big-game fishing sounded better to the north and south than locally. But some tuna and mahi mahi seemed to come from Lindenkohl Canyon. Crabbing was excellent on the back bay.

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