<b>Sewaren</b>

Fishing for fluke was good, really, on Raritan Bay and Raritan River, said Rich from <b>Dockside Bait & Tackle</b>.  Many big were pasted. “I’m talking big,” he said, like 6 to 8, 9 pounds. Sometimes boaters fished the river to escape wind, and the angling really found the flatfish there, too. Striped bass were sacked on the ocean off Sandy Hook. A 33-1/2-pounder was docked yesterday at the shop. Bluefish were less abundant than earlier in spring, like usual, but always swim the bay during the fishing season. Baits stocked include killies and all the frozen for fluke, like smelts, spearing and sand eels. Fresh clams and fresh bunker are on hand. Dockside, on Smith Creek, a tributary of the Arthur Kill just north of Outerbridge Crossing, is accessible from the water at the fuel dock and from land.

<b>Keyport</b>

With the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>, sea bass fishing cranked in good catches, and a few spots are available for an open-boat sea bass trip Friday, Capt. Mario said. Sea bass season will be closed beginning Monday. A fluke trip sailed yesterday, catching okay, not great, not bad, fluke to 8 ½ pounds. Open fluke trips will begin to fish daily Tuesday. Open trips will also run for ling, cod and winter flounder daily beginning Tuesday. Charters are also available on Down Deep’s two vessels, both 40 feet. Join the <a href=" http://downdeepsportfishing.com/short-notice-list/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on Down Deep’s website to be kept informed about open trips. See available dates on the site’s calendar.

Fluking remained good, weather looks good, and three spots were available for 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Friday for an open-boat fluke trip on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank wrote in an email. The weekend is full, and space is available on open trips next week. This was posted as an update Wednesday here, and was re-posted in case anybody missed it.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Some pretty nice fluke fishing was copped on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. It’s been okay, and conditions were needed, of course. But after severe wind on Sunday, trips have been picking the fish. A 9-3/4-pounder was already decked this morning, when he gave this report in a phone call aboard. Dan Kirchner from Spotswood dragged that fluke in, and two keepers were landed while Tom talked on the phone. Some anglers on trips fished bucktails, and some fished bait. Tom wasn’t asked where the boat fished, and had to get off the phone. But the boat fished Raritan Bay previously, and that might be where it continued to fluke.  The Atlantic Star is fluke fishing 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily.

Great fluke fishing again on the <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron wrote about Wednesday’s trip on the party boat’s website. A 9-pound 2-ounce fluke was clobbered, taking the lead in the season-long pool. The angler limited out, so did several others, and several bagged three and four fluke. Big fluke came in, including a couple of 7-pounders and some 5- and 6-pounders.  On Tuesday’s trip, fluking was also excellent and included big. “Good day to be a party boat captain!” Ron wrote. An 8-pound fluke won the daily pool, and a 7-1/2-pounder was second-biggest. Bait was more abundant than in years on the boat’s fluke grounds. The Fishermen is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for striped bass 6:30 to 11 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9 p.m. Sundays.

Boaters still socked striped bass near the Statue of Liberty, said James from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Stripers were trolled at Shrewsbury Rocks on Mojos and bunker spoons. But fluke were the “hot” fish. Good-sized fluke were boated off Sandy Hook Point. Sea bass were pitched aboard from the ocean. In the surf, anglers mostly yanked in fluke, a couple of stripers, from Sea Bright to Sandy Hook Point. All baits are stocked.

Party-boaters tied into fluke on the bay, the shop’s rental-boaters did, too, and fluking was good, said Tom from <b>Fisherman’s Den North</b>. Peanut bunker schooled everywhere. Private-boaters returned with striped bass, some from off Sandy Hook, some from farther south in the ocean. Some of the party boats targeted and returned with stripers, sometimes put customers on bluefish, too. Surf anglers knocked the pants off stripers, many small, but some keepers at Long Branch and Sandy Hook. A kid from the shop said a few cocktail blues popped into the surf at Long Branch. Baits stocked include killies, fresh bunker, fresh clams and all the frozen. The store, new this year, is the sister shop to Fisherman’s Den in Belmar farther south. Fisherman’s Den North is located at Atlantic Highlands Municipal Marina, home to the party boat fleet, the charter boat fleet and many private boats. The area is also popular for shore anglers from Sandy Hook and Raritan bays to the ocean. Behind the store is even a well-known, productive shore-fishing spot at the harbor.

<b>Highlands</b>

Catches of sea bass remained good for <b>Lady M Charters</b>, and sea bass trips are full through Sunday, the final day of sea bass season, Capt. Steve wrote in a text. An extended, open-boat fluke trip is full Monday. Jump on an open bottom-fishing trip Tuesday to the Mudhole for ling, cod and jumbo flounder.

Heading out from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Ed and Tony on the Hammerhead limited out on fluke on Raritan Bay yesterday, Marion wrote in an email. On the same day, Ed Niedzinski bagged four fluke off Sandy Hook, and Paul Presti on the Second Home bagged a 20-incher at Reach Channel. On Sunday, Becky Raffa grabbed a 22-inch fluke while fishing from the docks at the marina. On Friday, John, Jay and Tracy on the Par Tee boated a 22-inch fluke.  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. The fuel dock is available 24 hours a day with a credit card. Baits like live bunker or fresh clams are carried when in demand. All offshore baits are carried.

<b>Neptune</b>

The season’s first cod charter fished Tuesday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Ralph said. The anglers worked hard at many drops, then rounded up a decent catch. A sea bass trip Wednesday caught 13 fewer than a limit, shoveled up some ling and returned early at 10 a.m. If anglers want cod, they better act, because only a few openings remain. Individual-reservation trips will fish for cod July 13 and 27 and August 3, 17 and 31. A few spaces are left on Tuesday for an individual-reservation trip for fluke, the year’s first of the annual trips that sail for the flatfish each Tuesday. Kids under 12 sail free on those outings, limited to one per adult host. Charters are available.

<b>Belmar</b>

A 52-pound striped bass was smashed yesterday with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, Capt. Pete said. Parker Pete’s is in the 50-pound club now, the boat’s Facebook page said. That was the biggest with Parker Pete’s so far, and a 40-pounder was also tackled on the trip. Striper fishing, on the ocean with livelined bunker or, when necessary, on the troll, was best in afternoons for Parker Pete’s. The fish could also be hooked at first light, but the angling dropped off afterward, until afternoons. Ocean fluke fishing picked up, and trips will focus on fluke aboard after these next weeks of striper fishing. Pete’s also running party-boat trips on another vessel that are livelining bunker for stripers with a limited number of passengers. See info on <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a>. For Parker Pete’s, don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Contact Parker Pete’s anyway about individual spaces on charters. Sign up for the email blast on the boat’s website to be kept informed about the spaces.

On the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, fluke fishing on the ocean was good, Capt. Chris said. He could only talk briefly for a report, but mostly Gulps caught. Still, bait hooked some of the fish, and the Big Mohawk is sailing for fluke 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Wind finally calmed Tuesday, and great fishing for bluefish, and huge striped bass in the mix in the end, was bombed that day on the <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the party boat said. That was covered in an update posted Wednesday here. Today’s trip lit into 2- to 4-pound blues in the morning, good angling, and 8- to 14-pound blues later on a few drifts, “until we lost the tide around noon,” another email said from the boat. The Miss Belmar Princess is sailing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Family fishing and sunset cruises are sailing 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Friday through Sunday.

Big bluefish, a great catch, were pummeled yesterday on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the party boat’s website said. The fish were jigged, and a trip the previous day, Tuesday, also jigged sizable blues 6 to 12 pounds, a decent catch. An evening striped bass trip fished Tuesday, landing 25- to 35-pounders, fewer than hoped, but some, on livelined bunker. Another one of the striper trips is set for this evening.  The Golden Eagle is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. However, the boat is chartered this Friday during that time, so no open-boat trip will sail then. Afternoon fishing and sunset cruise trips are sailing 4:30 to 8:30 Fridays through Saturdays.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>Mushin Sportfishing</b> shark fished during the weekend, sifting through a bunch of blue sharks before nailing a mako shark, Capt. Alan wrote in an email. The 293-pounder bit a bluefish fillet in the 65-degree water.

Bottom-fishing was alright, scooping up sea bass and ling, beginning to pick up quite a few more winter flounder than before, and still a few cod, on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b> on the ocean, Capt. Butch said. Lot of variety, and out-of-season blackfish were released. All in all, fairly decent fishing, and a couple of good anglers might limit out on sea bass and bag 10 or 12 ling and a couple of flounder, or a catch like that. Trips fished in 60 to 110 feet of water, and yesterday’s trip tried a little deeper, finding a few ling and flounder, but plenty of conger eels. Loads of the eels were in this year. None of the nighttime bluefish trips sailed that were slated for Friday and Saturday, but this week’s will probably sail, because of Father’s Day, and because schools are beginning to let out. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Bluefish trips are sailing 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. every Friday and Saturday and will run more frequently soon, because of demand.

Some good fluke fishing was pounded on the <b>Gambler</b> the last few days on the ocean at muscle beds, sometimes hills and bumps, an email from the party boat said. The flatfish, including beautiful keepers, gave up lots of action, “with other fish in the mix,” it said. On yesterday morning’s trip, a decent catch of 3- to 5-pound fluke was reeled up, and Donna Brown bagged an 8-1/2-pounder. On the afternoon trip, the boat’s drift sped up, and lots of throwbacks turned up action, but fewer keepers did than during the morning. On nighttime striped bass trips, plenty of stripers continued to swim the ocean, even if they might be tricky to catch. Anglers need to use their best skills for these monsters. The fish have weighed more than 30 pounds. Some big were boated aboard Thursday and Friday, mostly on live bait. The crew looked forward to tonight’s trip for the bass, “and we will be prepared for anything!” the email said. Fluke trips are fishing 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily. Striper trips are running 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. every Thursday through Saturday.

Steady action on fluke continued Tuesday and Wednesday on the ocean on the <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the party boat’s website. Catches were a little slower on the trips than on Monday, but a good number of throwbacks and some keepers still came in. Strong south wind was a little tough on the angling Tuesday afternoon, but Brian Vida from Bayonne axed an 8-pound 9-ounce fluke aboard then, taking the lead in the monthly pool. “So there are some bigger ones moving in,” Matt said. No nighttime bluefish trips sailed since 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. daily. 

<b>Toms River</b>

Surf angling banked striped bass, good catches, said Virginia from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. That was on bunker or clams during no particular time of day, just if anglers could find a good hole. But eels beat the stripers well at night along jetties. Bluefish sometimes showed in the surf, and surf anglers weeded through dogfish and skates. Stripers were also eeled at Point Pleasant Canal and in Barnegat Bay along sod banks both behind Island Beach State Park and north of Mantoloking Bridge. Ocean boaters got into large striped bass, good catches, on trolled white or chartreuse bunker spoons and white Rock Candy rigs or on bunker snagged and then livelined. Ocean fluke fishing improved, and windy days sometimes hampered the angling, but wind blew calmly a moment during the week. Also on the ocean, sea bass chewed, and sea bass season will be closed beginning Monday, but ling bit at ocean wrecks. A trip Virginia fished on hit ling and sea bass on the ocean Monday, ran into cocktail blues that could’ve been popper-plugged all evening in 25 feet of water off Bay Head, and picked up a couple of fluke to 5 pounds. On Manasquan River, fluke were boated and kayaked. Fluke bit well behind Barnegat Inlet for boaters. Mostly bucktails with Gulps or bait like squid caught at either place.  Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Boaters whipped striped bass strongly on the ocean, not on livelined bunker, but on the troll in deep water, said Ray from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>.  Bunker schooled thick in the water, but not many stripers chased them.  Nothing was heard about surf fishing and other fishing, including fluking. Crabs were plastered from the dock. A couple of families totaled 40 to 50 keepers apiece, all big. The Dock Outfitters, located on Barnegat Bay, blocks from the ocean surf, features a bait and tackle shop, a café, a dock for fishing and crabbing, boat rentals and jet-ski rentals.

<b>Forked River</b>

Fluke fishing wasn’t bad, and the summer flounder were spread throughout Barnegat Bay now, kind of,  said Grizz from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Fluke began to be hooked from ocean reefs, and water was warming. Striped bass fishing remained pretty good on the ocean on the troll and on bunker snagged and then livelined for bait. Stripers were weighed-in every other day from the angling, and included a 52-pounder last week. Sharks roamed the ocean pretty well, including blue sharks. A kid reported catching a mako. Thresher sharks held in a stretch 8 to 11 miles from shore. That’s confirmed, and seven were known to be fought there, and a warm band of water seemed to attract the fish. Back in the bay, kingfish were around, apparently another sign water was warming. Blowfish were found in crab traps, and no weakfish were heard about from the bay. Crabbing picked up, after shedding had slowed catches. Baits stocked include killies and all the frozen for fluke, including local spearing, Canadian spearing, sand eels and smelts. Fresh spearing are stocked later in the fishing season.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Daily fluke trips will be launched Friday on the <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b>, sailing 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., the party boat’s website said. The vessel bluefished on weekends until now this season.

Barnegat Bay fluke were sometimes docked, said Paul from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. The fish were often from High Bar Harbor but also from the other side of the Dike, across from the shop. A few bluefish swam the bay and Barnegat Inlet. Large striped bass kept getting boated on the ocean. A trip returned with sea bass yesterday from only 6 miles from shore. Sea bass season will be closed beginning Monday. 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 bait in season.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

The bay’s summer flounder fishing was spotty, said Brandon from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. On one day, as many bit as anglers could want, and on the next, nothing. Usual places like the clam stakes, off the Fish Factory, Grassy Channel, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Cuts held them. Large striped bass continued to be boated on the ocean, and a 45.3-pounder was weighed-in yesterday. Sometimes good catches of sea bass were made on the ocean, he thought. Baby sea bass began to appear in the bay that do each year. That was potentially the beginning of small fish that can school the bay in warm months including the sea bass, kingfish, croakers, snapper blues and blowfish. That makes up a fishery during some summers. Boaters anchor and chum to hook the variety. Bluefish were few and far between, and sometimes could be found schooling the bay. Peanut bunker were reported to school lagoons and waters like that. Sometimes the peanuts seem to attract weakfish that anglers hope to see. Baits stocked include plenty of minnows. Fresh bunker have been ordered, and fresh clams are expected to arrive Friday. A few live grass shrimp, but a low supply, are stocked, and Scott from the shop is trying to net them to carry as much as possible. 

<b>Absecon</b>

Summer flounder fishing was on the upswing on the back bay, definitely, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. A couple of days of good weather happened this week, and some good catches of the flatfish were boated. Weakfish remained scattered at holes in the bay, and supposedly especially in the mouth of Mullica River. Anglers were tight-lipped about the trout. Most anglers seemed interested in flounder, but Jay from the shop joined a trip that boated a couple of sizable stripers including a 52-incher on the ocean to the north yesterday. That was on bunker the anglers snagged and then livelined, Dave thought. Stripers could still be caught on the ocean to the north, and reportedly were “still working their way through,” he said. Bunker schooled throughout the state’s coast. Some anglers eeled stripers in back waters at night, and they were tight-lipped, too. One boater from the shop’s marina sailed for sea bass 25 miles from shore, catching okay, lots of action with small, and a handful of keepers. Keepers were difficult to come by.  All baits are stocked including plenty of minnows. Shedder crabs for bait and a few <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/SoftshellCrabs" target="_blank">soft-shell crabs</a> for eating are stocked. The store raises them, and the peak of the shed was finished for the moment, but some were obtained from Delaware Bay.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Kingfish moved into the surf pretty well, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Bloodworms beached them on kingfish rigs. Friends shared a photo of a 365-pound thresher shark they docked. The Riptide Summer Tournament is underway for kingfish, blues and summer flounder. Entry is $10 per species, and anglers can enter one, two or all three categories, and all the cash is awarded. The Sal’s Pizza Works from Marlton’s Riptide Striper Bounty is up for grabs for the next angler who weighs-in a striper 43 inches or larger from the town’s surf. Entry is $5, and all the cash is awarded.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Customers nabbed good-sized kingfish while fishing on foot in Absecon Inlet and the nearby surf on bloodworms, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. They also slung-in croakers during the kingfishing, and pulled up a couple of summer flounder from the inlet. A few snapper blues began to appear in the water. Lots of herring probably 9 to 12 inches swam the water. The anglers caught a few striped bass, not many, at night from the inlet on fresh bunker, fresh clams or bloodworms. All the baits mentioned and more, the full supply, are stocked.  Two dozen bloodworms are $20. Fresh clams are $6 a dozen, and fresh bunker are three for $5.

<b>Margate</b>

Back-bay summer flounder fishing was improving, becoming way better, on the party boat <b>Keeper</b>, Capt. John said. More keepers were bagged than before, more on some trips than others. The fishing still had room to improve, but John sounded pleased. The upswing was pretty good. Some of the fish were sizable, too, including three 6-pounders, a 5-pounder or two and some 3- and 4-pounders this past week. Minnows and mackerel, provided aboard, caught, and so did Gulps that anglers brought. All worked, and anglers should bring Gulps. Minnows drew strikes a bit more than before, a sign that the water was warming, making flounder more active, willing to chase the live bait. The Keeper is fishing for summer flounder 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. daily. The trips are only $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and $20 for kids, because fishing is near port, and the pontoon boat is economical on fuel. Rental rods are free.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The back bay’s fishing was slow for summer flounder, Justin from <b>Fin-Atics</b> said. Charter captains reported five or six of the fluke hooked in a trip. Throwback fluke were scarce, but the few keepers were good-sized. The scarce fish could seem unusual, when bays elsewhere sometimes held considerably more. But the local bay is unique, with three rivers flowing in. Surprisingly, flounder swam the surf in numbers, especially along jetties or structure like pilings, and included keepers. A rig with a bucktail or other jighead with a trailer seemed to hook most, bounced along bottom. Gulps or other soft-plastic lures were fished on the hooks. Schoolie stripers remained in the surf, like along jetties, swiping soft-plastic lures. Kingfish bit in the surf on bloodworms. No sharks were heard about from the surf yet this season, and the water just reached 65 degrees. It probably wasn’t consistently warm enough to hold sharks, and the inshore ocean didn’t seem warm enough to hold larger sharks like makos much. A trip headed for sharks yesterday on the ocean that reported no results, and that seemed to mean slow sharking. Nothing was heard about tuna, and tuna during some years bite already, but the season was early for tuna. Back in the bay, sometimes striped bass bit along 9th Street Bridge on soft-plastics. Sea bass fishing on the ocean produced lots of small, and trips needed to sail to quite deep water for decent-sized. Sea bass season will be closed beginning Monday.  

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Matt Seiffert, sons and a friend sea bassed yesterday on the ocean aboard, racking up a good catch, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Lots of throwbacks bit, but a good number of keepers were whacked, up to a 20-incher. That’s good-sized, and some of the fish were. The same group fished the back bay the previous evening, Tuesday, aboard, landing several summer flounder including one keeper, also popper-plugging a throwback striped bass. Joe fished the bay with his dad earlier that day, and they released several throwback flounder. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>.

Nothing was heard about striped bass in the surf, and the water was churned because of wind, said Mike Rogers from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. No kingfish caught were reported from the surf in a week. The best that was heard was that a couple of trips fished the back bay yesterday, claiming a couple of summer flounder near Flat Creek. The bay gave up a few flounder lately. The local party boat sailed for sea bass yesterday, but results were yet to be known. Nobody really shark fished on the ocean, and those who did got roughed up by seas, and failed to catch much. Wind affected fishing often in the past week, and a couple of days were better. Stormy weather threatened today.

<b>Wildwood</b>

<b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b> last fished during the weekend, Capt. Jim said. Angling aboard then boated a fair catch of sea bass on the ocean, working for the fish, but making the catch, covered in the last report here. Sea bass fishing will continue until sea bass season is closed beginning Monday. Drum reportedly still bit in Delaware Bay, and a buddy sailed for them last night, when Jim gave this report in a phone call. Some summer flounder were angled from ocean reefs. Fins fishes every day, and reservations aren’t required but suggested. Telephone for availability.

<b>***Update, Friday, 6/17:***</b> On the back bay, summer flounder fishing was pretty good, and anglers just needed the weather, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. When a couple of days would bring good weather, flounder would hit. A buddy’s trip landed 12, including five keepers. “They were nice,” Mike said, and many of the throwbacks were just an inch short on the outing. The trip anchored and fished with a rig with a bobber with an 8- or 10-foot leader. “There was a little breeze,” he said, and anglers have been scoring on the rig. Rain fell yesterday in rough weather, so that might affect the fishing a moment. Minnows have caught better than mackerel and spearing. Some anglers prefer mackerel and spearing in the early season like now, but even they found minnows worked best currently. “Go figure,” Mike said. One boater broke off a large fish that took off with a line before the angler could adjust the drag. That must’ve been a bluefish, and blues 8 to 10 pounds had been around this season. Crabbing picked up really well in the bay. 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. A large supply of bait and tackle is carried. Crabs for eating are sold in season, and the blueclaws are in. The price changes according to market price and is currently $20 per dozen live and $25 per dozen cooked for No. 2s, and $35 per dozen live and $40 per dozen cooked for No. 1s. The crabs have been good-looking, though nothing was heard from the supplier in a couple of days, because of rough weather on Delaware Bay. That’s where the hardshells were from currently. Customers enjoy the crabs at picnic tables with tents on the water at the store, or the customers bring the crabs to their own location.

<b>Cape May</b>

Some summer flounder were swung from the ocean on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, and some good-sized were around for this early in the year, Capt. Paul said. He couldn’t know how the rest of fluke season will turn out. Conditions drifted the boat slowly on yesterday’s trip, and that was unfortunate. A good-sized crowd was aboard, and probably 30 or 35 keepers were landed, including a couple of 6-pounders and a couple of 5-pounders. Nobody limited out, but a couple of anglers bagged four, one fewer than a limit. Carl Holmes from Philadelphia bagged two including the trip’s biggest, a 6.61-pounder. On the previous day’s trip, on Tuesday, Karl Zeigler from Cape May limited out and won the pool with a 5-pounder. Not all anglers caught keepers on trips, but that’s flounder fishing. Strong northeast wind was supposed to blow the next couple of days, “and maybe the deck will be re-shuffled,” Paul said. “I don’t know.” But some flounder, including good-sized, a few more than usual for the time of year, were around. The Porgy IV is fishing for summer flounder at 8 a.m. daily. 

The <b>Heavy Hitter</b> is slated to shark fish Saturday, Capt. George said. He received a text from a boater from the docks saying the boater’s trip went 4 for 8 on yellowfin tuna yesterday. George thought that was at Baltimore Canyon, but waited to know details from the angler. Another boat from the docks also sailed for tuna that day, and results were yet to be heard at press time. Most anglers are finished fishing for drum on Delaware Bay for the season. But some of the fish were caught last weekend, and a couple of anglers will still sail for them.

A couple of striped bass, mostly throwbacks, a couple that were just keeper-sized, were still slid from the surf, mostly along jetties, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Shore anglers also angled them from inlets. A few kingfish were plucked from the surf, and two customers hung two sheepsheads along jetties. Bluefish 5 to 10 pounds occasionally piled through the surf. Some dusky sharks and brown sharks began to be fought in the surf. No sandtiger sharks were reported from the surf yet, and each of those species is prohibited and must be released. Bluefish sometimes schooled Cape May Rips and Delaware Bay. No summer flounder were heard about from Delaware Bay yet, but Nick guessed flounder were picked from the back bay. A few flounder were heard about from the ocean. Drum probably still swam Delaware Bay, and nothing was reported about them departing. Few tried for them.  Sea bass were plumbed from the ocean, and sea bass season will be closed beginning Monday. The ocean was rough for boaters to shark fish. Some 200- to 300-pound mako sharks were angled in the weekend’s South Jersey Shark Tournament from Cape May, and sharks were fought last week. A report just came in about tuna caught at Lindenkohl Canyon. Farther south, tuna fishing had been good at Washington Canyon, the last time reports rolled in.

Back to Top