<b>Keyport</b>

A 10.8-pound fluke was whipped aboard Wednesday with the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>, Capt. Mario said. The trip’s fluking was picky, though, in tough drifting conditions for the boat. Some big fluke seemed around lately. Hefty ones were often lost, because the trips fished deep water, and lines had somewhat of a belly, and the anglers weren’t ready. Mario bent the hook on a bucktail on a big fluke. Ling and cod fishing was great on every trip aboard. Charters 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 and cod.

A trip on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> was fluking at 9:30 a.m. today, when Capt. Frank sent an email aboard for this report. Three keepers were landed, a slow catch, so far, and he hoped the angling improved. He expects fluke fishing to pick up, and charters are fishing, and space remains for an open-boat trip for fluke Sunday.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

All the work at the fishing this season began to pay off, and fluke catches were good the past two days on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. The angling was good throughout both trips, and the fluke were quality-sized, including up to almost 9 pounds Wednesday. Elizabeth Vigiario locked up an 8.9-pounder that day. John Froelich and Scotty Scudieri each limited out on fluke to 5 ½ pounds on the trip. Tom the Vet on the trip bagged four good-sized keepers to 6.6 pounds, including a double-header of keepers. The trip’s catches also included a 6.6-pounder, a 6.2-pounder and a 6-pounder. Rigs were lost, “fishing the nasty stuff,” Ron said, the price of catching. Tuesday’s trip’s fluke included a 7-pound 11-ounce pool-winner. Ocean fluking doesn’t get any better than now. Don’t wait long. The Fishermen is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. However, a charter is booked this Saturday morning, so no open-boat trip will sail then. 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. Those trips recently nailed striped bass, and see the last report here, about that.

Fluke fishing was a little better than before, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Ling bit well in the ocean. “You can definitely catch your blackfish,” he said, though one is the bag limit. Porgies were boated off Rockaway. At Sandy Hook Reef, too? he was asked. Yes, he said. Bluefish were jigged in the back of Raritan Bay. Kingfish were nabbed “up in the bay,” he said. Crabbing was pretty good in the river, and snapper blues schooled back waters like that. Good catches of yellowfin tuna and bluefin tuna got winged at the Bacardi wreck. Are the tuna small? he was asked. “They’re workable,” he said. All baits are stocked.

Mixed trips, similar to before, said Capt. Tom about fluke fishing in past days on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>.  But some of the trips fished down the ocean beaches, instead of Raritan Bay, the first time this season. Sometimes the fish bit in the ocean, and sometimes the boat returned to the ocean on the next trip, and the angling wasn’t good. Then the trip would fish Flynn’s Knoll. Monday morning’s trip grabbed some fluke. The afternoon’s trip turned up a few keepers and some shorts, no great shakes. Tuesday morning’s trip yanked in a few fluke, and the afternoon trip’s fluking was tough, even for shorts. Shorts had been caught pretty well in the morning. On Wednesday, the morning trip whacked a few more keepers than usual, and good action on shorts. All anglers at least caught the throwbacks. The afternoon trip’s fishing picked at throwbacks and only a couple of keepers, tough angling. Trips dealt with strong current, because of the full moon. Sometimes the wind direction combined with the current was difficult to fish. Every trip fished differently, and conditions definitely affected that. 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>

Tony Lembo, sailing from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, boated one keeper fluke at Ambrose Channel on Tuesday, Marion wrote in an email. Son Mathew on the trip fought two cownosed rays off Sandy Hook Point. On Sunday, Angelo, Justin, Jason and Uncle Joe snatched two dozen crabs from Shrewsbury River. On Saturday, Paul and Maddy Hess on the Boudicca slung in three fluke 23, 19 and 18 inches at the 2S buoy, and Jack Wall and Uncle Angelo jabbed three keeper fluke and a blue at Ambrose Channel. On Friday, Paul Presti on the Second Home honked two 20- and 19-inch fluke at the range towers, and Tracy and Jay Amarosa on the Par Tee II bagged a 19-inch fluke. On the same day, Steve and Ann Marie Manobianco, off Gunnison Beach, took their first keeper fluke of the year. 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>

The individual-reservation trip for cod offshore Wednesday was one of the best of the year with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. The cod weighed up to 36 ½ pounds, and many weighed more than 20, and some big pollock were in the mix. The fish were the biggest of the year on the outings aboard. More of the trips are slated for 1 a.m. October 1 and 20. Individual-reservation trips will fish inshore wrecks October 4 and 18. Individual-reservation trips will fish for fluke September 8, 15 and 25, before fluke season is closed starting September 27. Charters are available daily.

<b>Belmar</b>

Great fluke fishing in 80 to 90 feet in the ocean this week, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Anglers limited out on the fish to 8 pounds, and all boats from Belmar scored well on the catches. Mark Bogdanoff bagged a 6-pound 8-ouncer on a Belmar charter that caught lots of keepers. Shark River’s fluking was good Tuesday, and Vince Wedemeyer and friend on the river that day totaled nine keepers among 100 fluke they landed, including throwbacks, and fresh spearing hooked the fish best. Belmar’s party boats fishing for blues landed plenty of mackerel and some blues and false albacore. The surf held more small striped bass than before and some keeper fluke, because of baitfish migrating to the ocean from rivers. Time to get out – lots of choices to fish for, Bob wrote.

Catches included limits, and fluking was pretty consistent, pretty good, this week on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. The fish included 7- and 8-pounders, and throwbacks gave up action, and the trips fished the ocean from open bottom to mussel beds to somewhat broken bottom, not heavy rough bottom, so that was good. Jigs with Gulps often hooked the fish, and the Big Mohawk is fluke fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

A super catch of blues was jigged today on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the party boat’s website said. Tuesday’s trip picked at blues and false albacore, and no report was posted for Wednesday. Due to demand, tuna trips were added for October 4 and 8. That’s in addition to tuna trips already slated for September 20 and 27 and October 4 and 11. See the <a href=" http://goldeneaglefishing.com/tuna-reservation.html" target="_blank">tuna schedule and reservation form</a> on the boat’s website.

Fluke fishing, on the ocean, picked up for <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Pete said. Lots more keepers, and bigger ones, were pasted aboard than before. Some of the biggest weighed nearly 9 pounds. Every day fished different, but some anglers limited out, and bucktails caught better than bait. Maybe the full moon triggered fluke to “move.” Parker Pete’s will fluke until the season for the fish is closed starting September 27, and plenty of dates are available for charters. Pete looks forward to sea bass fishing, once sea bass season is opened beginning October 22. 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.

On the <b>Katie H</b>, catching keeper fluke was tough on trips Friday and Saturday on the ocean, and a ton of throwbacks bit, Capt. Mike said. But some of the boats from the docks, those that fished with bucktails, ran into good fluking Wednesday on the ocean. Huge, out-of-season sea bass, including many 2 pounds and larger, also bit on the trips on the Katie H. A charter is supposed to fish for tuna on an overnight trip Saturday to Sunday aboard, but windy weather might cancel that. He hopes the anglers can reschedule for Sunday to Monday, because weather looks better then. If the anglers can’t fish then, Mike will sail for tuna during that time anyway, with crew and other anglers, even if seas are rough from the wind. If the trip needs to fish inshore, because of seas, it will. Bigeye tuna and yellowfin tuna were around, and Mike knew about good fishing for them on another boat from the docks. Mike preferred not to mention location, including whether the yellowfins bit inshore or offshore, wanting to avoid pressure on the fish. Anglers will need to spend the money and find out themselves, he said! Obviously, the bigeyes would be caught offshore.

<b>Brielle</b>

News flash! Capt. Ryan from the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b> wrote in an email at 12:30 p.m. today. Fluke fishing was excellent on this morning’s trip, and good yesterday aboard. A bunch of customers limited out on big fluke today, including Frank Pogue, Dave Nelson, Eff Smith and Dave Toochen. They bagged the fish to 6 pounds on the morning trip. “Looks like the fall run is under way!” Ryan wrote. The keepers on the trips mostly weighed 4 to 6 pounds, and a 7-pounder was heaved in on yesterday afternoon’s trip. All baits caught on the trips.  Half-day trips are fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Fluke Super Marathons will fish 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the next three Mondays, September 7, 14 and 21, before fluke season is closed starting September 27. <b>***Update, Thursday, 9/3:***</b> The fluking ended up some of best of the season today aboard, an email from the boat said. Multiple anglers limited out on this afternoon’s trip, and a bunch of 6-, 7- and 8-pound fluke were smashed. “This is it!” the email said.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Keeper fluke to 6 pounds and lots of throwbacks were swung aboard the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> the past two days from the ocean, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. Good action, he said, and many of the shorts were just under the 18-inch, legal size. The trips fished rocks and rubble, so bring extra tackle, because of losing tackle to snagging in the rip rap. All different baits caught, including Gulps, spearing with squid, whole squid and so on. He hopes trips can end the month with a bang, continuing to catch them. Fluke season will be closed starting September 27. On the nighttime trip Tuesday, bluefishing was decent for 2- to 4-pounders. The angling took a while to get going, but picked away well. The fishing was slow on Wednesday night’s trip, landing only a few. 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. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

Barnegat Bay’s fluke fishing was sporadic, at the BB and BI markers and off Barnegat Lighthouse, like drifting near the 17 can, said Mario from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Ocean fluking was also sporadic, and some trips caught well, and others didn’t. Crabs, snapper blues and small black drum gathered in the Toms River and nearby bay. The crabbing was pretty good, and the full moon is past, so crabbing should be good this weekend. Crabbing can slow during full moons that can trigger crabs to shed, and they won’t eat while shedding. Crabs probably shed last weekend, during the moon. Lots of baitfish, including plenty of mullet, were balled up in back waters. They should migrate to the ocean soon. Lots of baitfish schooled off the lighthouse, reportedly. The surf gave up scattered blues and fluke at Island Beach State Park.  Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Blowfish hovered along the dock – “I mean a ton,” said Tom from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b> –  but the fish were 4 inches. Kingfish 12 inches popped up along the dock in past days. Snapper blues and baby black drum schooled along the dock. Blues bigger than snappers, “spike” blues, he said, swam the bay behind the island. Striped bass were eeled at Manasquan Inlet, “nothing to talk about,” he said. But a bunch of regular customers nailed the fish, 24- and 26-inchers, he thought, well one night. They landed six or seven apiece, they said, and the anglers bought eels from the shop for some time, actually, to fish Manasquan and Barnegat inlets. Crabs were trapped from the dock and the shop’s rental boats, though crabbers had to pick through throwbacks. Tons of throwbacks skittered around, and a trip on the rental boats today trapped three dozen keepers, 4 ½ to 5 inches, in 4 hours. No giant catches, Tom said. 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 killies, eels and fresh bunker.

<b>Forked River</b>

Near Barnegat Inlet gave up fluke in Barnegat Bay on incoming tides, said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. On the ocean, if boaters fished for fluke at wrecks, they could connect well. Blowfishing was good in the bay, best from Waretown to the south or the southern end. Reports were had about weakfish caught from the bay, “but I guess not much to speak of,” he said. A couple of anglers said they had slammed weaks. Blowfishers hooked no weaks. “I can’t understand that,” he said. Anglers made off with tuna and false albacore at the Bacardi wreck and southern Chicken Canyon. Baits stocked include killies and, on weekends, fresh spearing. All the frozen are on hand.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Mostly fluke were docked at <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>, Vince Sr. said. From Barnegat Bay, the fish were boated from Oyster Creek and Double Creek channels, “leading to the channel,” he said. From the ocean, some of the flatfish were decked, too. No blowfish were really seen, and any that were, were small. Weakfish were sometimes plucked from the bay. Bluefish 12 inches were sometimes fought from Barnegat Inlet. Blackfish could be angled along the inlet’s rocks. Crabbing improved for customers, and Vince wasn’t asked about clamming. But clamming’s usually good on the bay from the shop. 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, green crabs and fresh bunker. Live grass shrimp can be ordered ahead of time, and many of the shrimp were bought. Live spots will begin to be carried toward the end of the month.

The <b>Super Chic</b> is next slated to fish Friday, for fluke on the ocean, Capt. Ted said. The angling’s been decent aboard, covered in the last report here. The vessel fished for them south of Barnegat Inlet, but Ted knew about catches north of the inlet. The next tuna fishing is scheduled for late this month on the boat, unless a charter books before. Yellowfin tuna were reportedly chunked at night at the canyons and trolled during daytime at the Bacardi wreck during the weekend. Bigeye tuna were hit at the canyons during the weekend, both on the chunk at night and the troll in daylight. A couple of friends chunked some.

<b>Beach Haven</b>

Two anglers dropped out of an overnight trip for bigeye tuna, so the spaces are available on the <b>June Bug</b>, Capt. Lindsay said. The trip will fish either Saturday to Sunday or Sunday to Monday, and the rest of the anglers can depart either day. All who book a slot get a June Bug T-shirt and pocket knife. If anglers want a shirt for a kid, they get one of those, too. Additional shirts are $20 on board. Telephone to jump on the trip.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

For boaters at Garden State Reef South and Little Egg Reef on the ocean, summer flounder fishing picked up somewhat, said Brian from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. One angler yesterday decked five keepers. Another trip had nine during the weekend. The keepers that anglers found were 18 ½ or 19 inches, 21 or 22 at the biggest. Occasionally an 8-pounder came up. Out-of-season sea bass swam heavy there, had to be fished through to reach flounder. A few reports about pods of 8- to 14-pound bluefish came from the ocean. One pod was reported from the bay during the weekend. White perch fishing was great in brackish rivers, and that might be an option, if forecast winds keep boaters from fishing elsewhere this weekend. Bloodworms are stocked for bait that can be dunked for them. Blowfish were heard about from the bay toward Barnegat, not locally. No kingfish were heard about. Neither were weakfish, but a select few anglers always have places for weaks, and maybe they weren’t talking. Crabbing was good, and the blueclaws kept filling the shop’s pot, in the lagoon behind the store, and customers kept buying supplies like frozen bunker for crabbing. In addition to bloodworms, the shop is stocking minnows, green crabs and fresh, shucked clams. Speaking of green crabs, Brian heard about no blackfish caught. The shop previously reported that the tautog should hover along the bay’s banks, because they always do, this time of year. Maybe few fished for them in the one-blackfish bag limit. Green crabs are a favorite bait for the tog. Catch Penn Day at the shop 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, September 12. A Penn rep will showcase new Penn rods, reels, gear and shirts. The shop will feature sales, prizes and more.

<b>Absecon</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 9/4:***</b> Ocean summer flounder fishing seemed to pick up, when boaters had the weather to reach the angling, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Panfishing was good from the ocean near shore to the back bay. Croakers schooled thicker and thicker in the ocean near shore. Boaters could cooler plenty, and the croakers began to push into back waters as far as behind Absecon Inlet somewhat. Brown sharks stalked the area, and some blackfin sharks were heard about from the water. If anglers catch croakers, cut them so they bleed, and use them for bait, they might tie into the sharks. Brown sharks must be released by law. Flounder could also be landed on the ocean close to shore. Croaker anglers will find some mixed in. In the back bay, nighttime was the right time for striped bass, he said. Swimming lures and popper plugs could be tossed to them, and anglers who fish for them, “that’s their thing,” he said. The anglers aren’t talkative about details. A few more weakfish swam the bay than before, nothing consistent, not the numbers expected this time of year. But more of the fish were in than earlier this season. White perch gathered pretty far down brackish rivers, toward the mouths and saltwater. That was because of forage including shrimp and shedder crabs. Shedders for bait and soft-shell crabs for eating are stocked. The shop raises them, and keep up on availability on <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/SoftshellCrabs" target="_blank">the shop’s soft-shell crabs Facebook page</a>. They won’t be available much longer this year, because crabs will stop shedding when weather cools soon. Mullet schooled all over back waters, and plenty of big mullet, good for ocean flounder fishing, are stocked live. Peanut bunker schooled back waters, and live, good-sized peanuts are stocked. Dave was yet to check whether spots entered the surf to catch them to stock live. Baby, 6-inch black drum were so abundant in the bay that hooking spots became impossible. The drum grabbed hooks first. Anglers played with blackfish in the one-blackfish bag limit.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Tons of kingfish flooded the surf, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. The size “depended,” he said, and spots moved into the surf from back waters. Brown sharks, required to be released, were fought from the surf today. Baits stocked include fresh mullet. Speaking of kingfish, the prize money for kings reached more than $300 in Riptide’s summer fishing tournament that lasts until September 26. A 12.2-ouncer was in the lead, Andy thought, and a 1-pound 6-ounce blue was in first place. The tournament includes categories for kings, blues and summer flounder, and anglers must sign up 24 hours before entering a catch. The annual Riptide Fall Striper Derby will kick off on September 9. Entry includes a permit that allows beach buggies to drive the entire Brigantine surf, when accompanied by a Brigantine beach-buggy permit. Without the derby permit, not the whole beach can be driven. The town’s permits go on sale this Labor Day weekend for the new season. A bluefish category was added this year.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Panfish, lots, were slammed, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Lots of life, and the catches included kingfish, many, croakers, spots and small blues. Summer flounder were eased in. Good-sized blackfish were cracked. Most caches were kings, croakers, flounder and blues, and anglers might not have hooked the fish they targeted, but they caught. Customers mostly fish on foot along Absecon Inlet and the nearby surf. They dunked bloodworms, minnows and shrimp. For the blackfish, they soaked green crabs. 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>

Most summer flounder locally seemed to migrate to the ocean, said Colin from <b>24-7 Bait & Tackle</b>. Great Egg Reef fished “pretty alright” for them. A few throwback flounder and keepers were hooked from the bay. Crabbing was unbelievably good, and the shop’s rental boats are available to crab and fish along Patcong Creek, running past the shop, and surrounding waters, including Great Egg Harbor River and the bay. White perch fishing became slow in brackish rivers and creeks like those, because of warm water. Weakfish landed were sometimes reported from bays, and anglers needed to find them. Kingfishing was okay in the surf, nothing crazy. Wildwood’s surf gave up flounder pretty well, and he fished for them with strips of fresh bluefish he caught. But any usual strip baits and bucktails worked. Blackfishing wasn’t good along surf jetties or other inshore waters like that. But sheepshead began to be hooked at structure like that. Wherever sheepshead bite, triggerfish usually do, too. Fishing for yellowfin tuna was horrible, and for bigeye tuna was okay. Bigeyes bit at night still, like before. Baits stocked include minnows, lots of live spots, bloodworms, shedder crabs and all the frozen, including the full offshore selection. No green crabs are carried for blackfishing, because of demand. Fresh bunker and clams will be stocked once striped bass begin to bite this coming season.  <b>The company also own 24-7 Bait & Tackle in Marmora</b>.

<b>Margate</b>

Only a few summer flounder were bagged from the back bay, said Capt. John from the party boat <b>Keeper</b>. Throwbacks also bit, though not as many as usual. The angling seemed slower than usual everywhere along the coast, and in the back bay, the water was dirty all summer. The ocean was dirty, too, and the bottom was cold there, divers said. Flounder, lots, gathered all around ocean wrecks, they said, but were reluctant to bite, because of the cold bottom. In the bay on trips, flounder fishing was best in mornings. Lots of small sea bass bit, and so did many sea robins. Sharks also grabbed the bait on the outings, and kids all had fun landing fish like that. Minnows caught the flounder best, and minnows and mackerel are provided aboard. Sea bass bit the tails off Gulps that anglers brought, so that wasn’t a favored bait. Earlier in the season, before the juvenile sea bass show up in the bay, John recommends anglers bring Gulps. Baitfish schooled all over the bay, including mullet. Peanut bunker schooled toward the back. John saw no peanuts at the boat, though that was unusual this time of year. The dirty water seemed the reason. Because so many baitfish were swimming around, they should migrate to the ocean soon. That always means they will. Striped bass gathered at the back of the boat each morning, but couldn’t always be seen, unless they swam along the surface, because of the water clarity. The Keeper is fishing for summer flounder 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. daily. The trips are only $28, because the fishing is near port, and the pontoon boat is economical on fuel. Rental rods are free, too. The trips might sail less frequently soon, like usual each year, because kids are returning to school, decreasing demand.

<b>Longport</b>

An open-boat trip for summer flounder was full today on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. He’ll try to run more from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday and Monday, Labor Day, and the fishing’s been pretty good, he said. Plenty of flounder swam 75-foot depths, and other boaters found where he had been fishing for them. The boat had “followers,” and he likes trips to get off on their own. Only a few keepers were landed on Tuesday’s trip. No other fish were mixed-in on recent trips, or the trips fished for no others. Solid fluking, he said. “We’re not even playing.” A couple of open trips a week will probably fish after this week. Most charters are sold out on weekends in the near future.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Lots of small fish swam, said Justin from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. The back bay was littered with tiny fluke, micro blues and small sea bass. A few blackfish bagged were heard about from the bay, though the one-blackfish bag limit was “kind of tough,” he said. For flounder anglers at ocean reefs, the fishing seemed great one day, and seemed to give up no bites the next four. But a 6-3/4-pound flounder was weighed-in from Ocean City Reef on Wednesday that bit a bucktail with a Gulp. Back in the bay, small striped bass – no keepers were heard about – were played at places like along 9th Street Bridge, mostly on soft-plastic lures, sometimes on hard plugs like Daiwa SP Minnows and MirrOlures. More kingfish were reported from the surf than before, but they seemed small, too. Customers looked for smaller hooks to fish for them, and kingfish hooks are small, anyway. The surf seemed crammed with brown sharks, required to be released, the past few days. Bunker and mackerel hooked them. Nothing was heard about offshore fishing for tuna and big game, and the angling seemed mostly slow. Justin saw reports on Facebook about good offshore fishing off Montauk, New York. One photo showed lots of tuna and mahi mahi from a trip. Maybe tuna held farther north.

Trips aboard are trying to fish daily for summer flounder on the back bay from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., said Capt. Victor from the party boats <b>Miss Ocean City</b> and <b>Captain Robbins</b>. A few keepers, not every day, and throwbacks were tugged in. Lots of small sea bass bit. After Labor Day, the trips will fish the ocean for flounder 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Surf fishing for brown sharks really kicked up in the past couple of days, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Browns are required to be released, and one angler already banked three, in 1 ½ hours, this afternoon, when Mike gave this report in a phone call. Kingfish swam the surf but were tiny, 3 or 4 inches. The back bay’s striped bass fishing was great, when high tides coincided with dusk, ideal conditions, this past week. The conditions happen every two weeks, and the angling’s been good this year. The fish this past week were taken on popper plugs at dusk, but were also hooked at night, under lights. Some were keepers, up to 30 inches. Quite a few anglers boated for summer flounder on the ocean at reefs and other structure. The angling wasn’t great, but they caught. A couple of anglers fished an ocean wreck for the flounder on a trip. They only hooked a few, all throwbacks. But they spear-fished next, along the wreck, each limiting out, saying the area was paved with flounder, amazing. Flounder seemed to swim the ocean, and maybe a switch in wind direction or a change in water temperature was needed to make them bite. A few small flounder were landed from the back bay, and no keepers were heard about from there in a while. Offshore boaters hooked quite a number of wahoos and good-sized mahi mahi along the 30-fathom line. Crabbing was awesome, the best catches around. Mike wished he had another freezer to stock bunker for crabbing!

Joe Pewdo fly-rodded a striped bass on a popper on the back bay on Sunday evening aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Capt. Joe in the previous report here, a report he gave Sunday late in the day, before that trip, in a phone call, said Pewdo that morning caught and released two sharks on a fly and eight or nine on bait aboard. The sharks were spinners and duskies, and that was on one of the inshore shark trips on the boat, usually fishing within 10 miles from shore. The striper trip fished as high tides that coincided with dusk were ending. The conditions, ideal for the angling, come around every two weeks, and the striper fishing’s been good. Pewdo hooked the bass on a crease fly, a version Joe ties with a larger cup to throw more water. The striper trips also fish with Rapala Skitterpops, a popper lure, and the bay was 73 to 76 degrees, depending on location. That’s warm, but not bad, not as warm as some summers. Things are good, Capt. Joe said. A trip today aboard was supposed to fish for summer flounder on the ocean. Jersey Cape will launch annual traveling charters to Montauk, New York, on September 18, fishing the migration of striped bass, blues and false albacore from the legendary port for that. The angling can be epic, blitzing. Annual 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>

Back-bay boaters still rustled up summer flounder, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. The rental-boaters didn’t say that, but anglers who lived locally reported the catches. Not many of the fish were keepers, but the bites picked up again, after slowing a moment. A few striped bass were caught from the bay. “So that’s nice,” he said. Small stripers 8 and 10 inches schooled canals, and Mike never saw so many before. Lots of snapper blues schooled. An angler this morning bought Snapper Popper rigs and spearing to fish for lots he saw from his dock in West Wildwood with his kid. Plenty of baby sea bass bit in the bay. Crabbing improved a little, not a lot, but crabs were trapped. 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 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 35, and the shrimp are good-sized. A pound includes 30 to 35 shrimp.

<b>Cape May</b>

The party boat <b>Porgy IV</b> only drifted .1 or .2 knots on Wednesday’s summer flounder trip, Capt. Paul said. A few anglers who could work bucktails, making up for the lack of drift, had some action on the fish, and the trip stuck around tires and concrete. Sean Pottichen limited out, and won the pool with a 4-1/2-pound flounder, and another bucktailer bagged three. But few flounder were bagged on the trip, and three anglers landed most of the few keepers. Not a lot of keepers were around on the boat’s flounder trips, on the ocean, but some were, and some throwbacks bit. But the boat is flounder fishing daily, if anglers want a chance at the fish. The Porgy IV is fishing for summer flounder at 8 a.m. daily. 

Fishing is supposed to sail for summer flounder this weekend on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Strong wind might cancel that. Plenty of bluefish could be fought off Cape May Point. Not much was heard about tuna, but bigeye tuna were caught at the offshore canyons.

Spots sometimes showed up in the surf, said Joe from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Red drum, the southern species, appeared in the surf at times. Lots of dog sharks haunted the surf. A few more blackfish than before began to snap along jetties. Anglers actually tried for them, unlike before. The one-blackfish bag limit had discouraged them. Summer flounder boated had been heard about from Delaware toward the number 1 buoy and Fortescue. Tiny weakfish 8 or 10 inches schooled throughout the bay at different places. Anglers picked away at flounder at Cape May Reef in the ocean. A few flounder were still caught from the back bay, and more were located in Cape May Inlet. Around either slack tide was fished for them, because that’s when currents were fishable. Flounder began to appear at places they didn’t before, so maybe they began the migration that will take them offshore for winter, but  Joe couldn’t know. Tuna fishing was dead, but white marlin were sometimes reeled in, and Tuesday was the most recent time Joe heard about the offshore fishing. Crabbing was excellent, including soon after this weekend’s full moon, though crabbing can slow around full moons, because the moons can trigger the blueclaws to shed, and they won’t eat then.

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