<b>Sewaren</b>

Was a rough week of weather, said Rich from <b>Dockside Bait & Tackle</b>. That was because of Tropical Storm Hermine offshore. “So not much was going on,” he said, but anglers should sail now through the weekend in better forecasts. Previously, boaters lit into fluke, better on the ocean than on Raritan Bay. The fish began to migrate offshore, and the bigger came from the ocean, and mostly throwbacks swam the bay. Schools of weakfish, a larger population than in recent years, began to be found in the bay, before the weather. Porgies were boated like crazy in the bay before the storm. Snappers schooled and crabs skittered along back waters. Dockside, located on Smith Creek, a tributary of the Arthur Kill, north of Outerbridge Crossing, is accessible from land and from the water at the fuel dock. Baits stocked include killies, sandworms, fresh clams and fresh bunker. Eels will be carried in a couple of weeks for striped bass fishing.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fluke fishing kicked back off with a trip this morning on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said toward the end of trip aboard in a phone call. None of the trips fished this week previously since the storm. The trip fished many places on Raritan and Sandy Hook bays, and all except one, near the Navy Pier, gave up throwbacks. One keeper was caught, but there was still life around. Places fished also included inside Sandy Hook and at Flynn’s Knoll and Chapel Hill Channel. The Atlantic Star is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily.

<b>***Update, Friday, 9/9:***</b> Daily fluke trips resumed yesterday on the <b>Fishermen</b>, the party boat’s website said. Several areas were fished, “looking for a decent bite,” it said. But no bite was found, and only a couple of sizable fluke were whacked. No throwbacks were caught, and the ocean held a small roll. “Bait and life was still off the bottom, though,” it said. “Hoping for a better day (Friday).” The Fishermen is sailing for fluke 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, for striped bass 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays and for porgies 6:30 to 11 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.

Fluke carpeted the Raritan Bay surf at Leonardo, said Jay from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Porgies were plucked from Navesink River, on low tides, for some reason. Striped bass were eeled and wormed at Flynn’s Knoll at night and early in morning. All baits are stocked. Clam boats finally sailed today, and he waited for fresh clams.

The storm seemed to pull some fluke closer to shore, said Chris from <b>Fisherman’s Den North</b>. Shore anglers landed them from Raritan Bay including at Belford and Leonardo. Some even limited out, so there were keepers. The fish were hooked in the harbor, too, and snapper blues 8 to 11 inches crashed peanut bunker including in the harbor and just outside the harbor. Porgy fishing was good from the bay to the ocean before the storm. Many weakfish, more than in recent years, were boated from the bay before the weather. Some anglers reported smaller ones, and some reported bigger. Peanut bunker and mullet schooled back waters. Fishing for yellowfin tuna, sizable, had turned on at Hudson Canyon before the storm. What were they caught on? Chris was asked. He had just spooled a reel for a customer who was headed for the tuna and wanted to jig for them, because the angler heard good catches were jigged, Chris said. So they were at least caught that way. Crabbing was good in the rivers. People even walked the shoreline there, scooping up the blueclaws. Plenty of crabs continued to hug pilings in the harbor at the shop. Baits stocked include fresh peanut and adult bunker, fresh clams and all the frozen, including the full selection of frozen for offshore. The shop, new this year, the sister store to Fisherman’s Den in Belmar, is located at Atlantic Highlands Municipal Harbor, down the dock from party boats, charter boats and private boats.

<b>Highlands</b>

Boating from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Paul and Becky bagged two 18-inch fluke and a 19-incher on Shrewsbury River on killies Sunday, Marion wrote in an email. 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 stocked include all for offshore.

<b>***Update, Friday, 9/9:***</b> Two spaces were available for an open-boat fluke trip this coming Sunday with <b>Lady M Charters</b>, and fall and winter blackfishing trips are now being booked, Lady M’s Facebook page said. “Certain dates are filling quickly,” it said.

<b>Belmar</b>

No trips fished since the storm with <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, and angling aboard will probably resume this weekend, Capt. Pete said. No trips are booked until then, and other trips were canceled because of the weather. The boat is fishing for fluke on the ocean, and Pete hopes plenty of the fish bite like they did before the storm. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Contact Parker Pete’s anyway about individual spaces available on charters. Sign up for the email blast on <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a> to be kept informed about the spaces.

Weather looked good, and the <b>Big Mohawk</b> would resume fishing today for fluke on the ocean, the party boat’s Facebook page said. Trips fish for fluke 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. <b>***Update, Friday, 9/9:***</b> Fluking Thursday aboard was like expected after wind and the storm surge, the boat’s Facebook page said. “There were enough fish to let us know they are still there,” it said, and a few anglers pasted a few keepers apiece. The fish were found deeper than before in 80 to 100 feet, so bring tackle to fish that deep. Sometimes bluefish bit, and the crew hopes fluking will improve each day.

Bluefishing, on the first trip since the storm aboard, wasn’t so good today, but some were seen, and the crew is waiting for the ocean to settle a bit, a report said on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>’s website.  The trip checked out many places, and blues swam to the northeast but were skittish. “They bit some fluke bait but they didn’t want to bite jigs,” it said. “We did have some on and we had some followers.” The fish followed jigs to the boat and swam away without biting. Small blues were known to bite in Raritan Bay this morning but disappeared when the tide changed.  The Golden Eagle is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. An afternoon fishing and sunset cruise trip will sail 4:30 to 8:30 Saturday, reservations required, and Friday’s is sold out.  Overnight <a href=" https://www.goldeneaglefishing.com/tunafish" target="_blank"><b>tuna trips</b></a> are slated to kick off Sunday that will fish certain days through October 24, reservations required.

The storm is gone, “(and) now we face the unknown on the fishing scene,” Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Fluke remained in Shark River, and one angler on a Belmar party boat landed a keeper from the vessel before the trip set sail from the river. Plenty of spots and porgies were angled from the L Street Pier on the river. Worms seemed best bait, and bluefish schooled Manasquan River in good numbers. Marty Westerfield from Wall caught them on every cast at the mouth of Point Pleasant Canal. Striped bass should sometimes be beached from the surf, now that the water is fishable. Clams would be a good choice for bait, and rough seas can break up clams in the surf and get fish keyed-in on them.  <b>***Update, Thursday, 9/8:***</b> A potential state record triggerfish was checked-in today, Bob wrote in an email. Jimmy Massimino landed the 6-pound 11-ouncer. “We are waiting for word from Fish and Game as to what is needed to submit for certification,” Bob wrote. A 5-pound 12-ouncer is the current record, he said.

<b>Brielle</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 9/9:***</b> The bottom was stirred up, and fluke fishing was slow Thursday on the ocean on the <b>Jamaica II</b>, the party boat’s Facebook page said. That was expected, it said, and sometimes keepers were pitched aboard, and a fair number of throwbacks and out-of-season sea bass were released. The angling should improve as the bottom settles, and the Jamaica II is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday through Sunday and 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Monday. Extended Fluke Marathons will sail 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday and September 19 and 25, the final day of fluke season.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 9/9:***</b> Fluke fishing was slow on the <b>Gambler</b> on the ocean Thursday, the first day the party boat fished after the storm, the vessel’s Facebook page said. “Catching some shorts and some sea bass,” it said, and the out-of-season sea bass were released. Bluefish 1 to 3 pounds, good-eating, were also caught. The crew hopes fluking improves as the week goes on. “Stay tuned for some exciting news this weekend!” the page said.  The Gambler is fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily. Trips are fishing wrecks 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. every Thursday and are bluefishing every Friday and Saturday during those hours. <a href="http://www.gamblerfishing.net/offshoretrips.php" target="_blank"><b>Tuna and inshore exotic trips</b></a> will begin September 19, reservations required.

The <b>Norma-K III</b> resumed fluke fishing today on the ocean after the blow, a report said on the party boat’s website. The angling was tough, but that was expected after weather like that. The morning and afternoon trips each pumped in a couple of keepers and a few shorts. “Nothing great but there is still life here!” it said. The pool-winning fluke weighed about 4 pounds, and the crew hopes the fishing improves in the next day or two.  Trips are fluking 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily and bluefishing 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The crew hopes the storm blew in some bigger blues.

<b>Toms River</b>

A few straggler bluefish and some dogfish were banked from the surf in past days, and the water was churned, said Virginia from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Fluke mostly migrated out from Manasquan River. Nothing else was heard about fluke, including from Barnegat Bay and the ocean, because of weather. Blowfishing was slow in the bay, and snapper bluefishing was good in back waters. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Small fluke were still reeled up from the dock, said Ray from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. So were snapper blues, small sea bass and actually quite a few throwback striped bass. Crabbing was a little slow or trapped mostly lots of throwbacks. The surf was still 4 feet, head-high, and pretty dirty after the storm, and nobody fished the water, really. 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. Killies and sandworms are stocked.

<b>Forked River</b>

One boater landed two keeper weakfish, bagging no more than a limit of one, and two keeper fluke on Barnegat Bay near the BB marker yesterday on a trip, said Brian from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Another this morning decked 20 blowfish south of the BI marker on the bay. A couple of other customers this morning were headed to fish Double Creek Channel and near Sedge Islands. No customers seemed to fish the ocean since the storm, and today was the busiest day at the shop since the weather.  But fish seemed to remain in the bay. The bait supplier was supposed to net spearing today to stock fresh at the store. Killies and all frozen baits are on hand.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

A couple of boats were fishing Barnegat Bay this morning when Al from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b> gave this report in a phone call. Almost nobody fished the past three or four days, but the only fishing heard about was that lots of weakfish bit at Meyer’s Hole on Saturday and Sunday on live grass shrimp. Crabbing had been becoming good before the storm, and clamming’s always good on the bay. Killies and green crabs are stocked, and live grass shrimp can be ordered a day or two in advance. Live spots will probably be carried beginning late this month. 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>

Weakfish, some, were caught everywhere in back waters, including at the mouth of Mullica River and near Little Egg Inlet, said Brandon from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. That was the most exciting news since the storm, and reports about the catches were spotty. The weaks were small or spikes but 12 to 18 inches, so included a few keepers. Otherwise, almost the only news was about other small fish that schooled the bay, including baby sea bass and porgies, a couple of spots. Two or three spots might be hooked in a trip, and then the fish would seem to disappear. For anglers fishing for summer flounder on the ocean, like at wrecks, the word was that a “big flush” seemed to happen from the storm, or water was beautiful in lagoons and bays but dirty or full of sediment still on the ocean. That would probably hamper flounder fishing until it cleared. White perch could be grabbed from creeks closer to Mullica River, like Big Creek. Brandon reeled in the perch and blowfish at Big Creek. Crabbers gave mixed reports, including about good catches on the “other” side of the bay, and terrible crabbing on “this” side of the bay. Minnows are stocked, and bloodworms and fresh, shucked clams will arrive Friday.

<b>Absecon</b>

A report came in about weakfish landed at Mullica River, said Jay from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Nothing was heard about summer flounder, because the weather kept boaters from fishing the ocean, and stirred up and somewhat cooled the back bay. A few striped bass were socked from the bay on shedder crabs during daytime. Crabbing was good, and baits stocked include live shedder crabs, mullet, peanut bunker, spots and eels.

<b>Brigantine</b>

One angler reported tying into cocktail blues, a bunch, from the surf at Brigantine’s north end today, said Bill from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. Another said the surf wasn’t bad today, after rough seas previously, but the angler could find no kingfish during the day. He apparently beached kings well from the surf previously. So he was gearing up to switch to fishing for blues from the beach.  The annual Riptide Fall Striper Derby will kick off Monday, lasting until December 23, Andy from the shop said. Prizes will be $500, $300 and $150 for the first, second and third heaviest stripers, respectively, and $300, $200 and $100 for the first through third heaviest bluefish, from Brigantine’s surf. Entry includes a permit that when accompanied by a Brigantine beach-buggy permit allows the angler to drive the entire front beach in the town. Not all the beach can be driven otherwise. Andy wasn’t asked the entry cost, but entry was $25 in past years. The Riptide Sal’s Pizza Works 43-Inch Striper Bounty was up to $100. Entry is $5, and the bounty will grow, because all the cash is awarded. It’s awarded to the next entrant who weighs-in a striper 43 inches or larger from Brigantine’s surf. Sign-up is required 24 hours before entering a catch.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Good-sized kingfish were swung from Absecon Inlet, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Blackfish “came out of the woodwork … thick as thieves” at the inlet, he said. Triggerfish, sizeable summer flounder and snapper blues were also clutched from the inlet. The water was beautiful, and plenty of baitfish schooled, including peanut bunker and mullet. On one day, anglers caught the mullet, stripped them out and used the bait for the kingfish, catching them better than on the usual bloodworms. Baits currently fished at the inlet also included minnows and fresh peanuts for the flounder and green crabs for the blackfish and triggers. Customers fish the nearby inlet, lined with jetties, on foot. ***Big Heads Up:*** Noel began a <a href="http://acprimetime.com/atlantic-city-fishing-petition-jetty-access/" target="_blank"><b>petition</b></a> for anglers <b>to protest the government’s planned closing of fishing the jetties along the inlet</b>. Click the link to read and sign the important petition. The inlet is historically an important location for recreational fishing in New Jersey. The previous world-record striped bass, 78.8 pounds, was even caught a short walk from the inlet, at the Vermont Avenue jetty in 1982. The inlet is one of the best striper fisheries for recreational anglers. But the government apparently doesn’t know about fishing like that, and it’s up to anglers to stop the closure. The government recently said access will be granted, after Noel began to spearhead the protest. But until the government makes that official, the protest needs to continue.

<b>Egg Harbor Township</b>

Crabbing was okay, nothing special, on Patcong Creek, Austin from <b>24-7 Bait & Tackle</b> said. No customers who fished were yet heard about after the storm. Patcong is one of the best places for crabbing, and the shop’s rental boats are available for fishing and crabbing there and nearby, including on the bay and Great Egg Harbor River. Minnows are half-price throughout the fishing season: $3 for a half-pint, $6 for a pint and $12 for a quart. Baits stocked currently also included bloodworms and, for the moment, no fresh clams or bunker and no shedder crabs. <b>The company also owns 24-7 Bait & Tackle in Marmora</b>.

<b>Margate</b>

Back-bay fishing for summer flounder will resume with a trip Friday morning on the party boat <b>Keeper</b>, Capt. John said. No trips fished since the storm, and the trips will also fish Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. The trips sail 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. The morning trips will probably also fish Monday, Wednesday and Friday of next week, and John will decided the schedule for afterward. 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>Longport</b>

The <b>Stray Cat</b> was expected to steam today for summer flounder on the ocean, the first trip since the storm, Capt. Mike said. Weather was supposed to be beautiful today, and Mike hoped to push offshore on the trip, find clean water and “capitalize on some of these fluke,” he said, before the flounder season is closed. Open-boat trips will fish Sunday through Tuesday and maybe later next week.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The surf looked like it could be fishable today or tomorrow, after rough seas, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Small sea bass that pier anglers hooked from the Causeway Bridge were the only catches heard about since the storm. But better weather was forecast now.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

A customer was finally able to hold bottom in the surf this afternoon, with 3 ounces, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The angler couldn’t hold bottom with any weight yesterday. On the trip today, the angler landed a 5-pound pompano, sand sharks and, Mike thought, a couple of kingfish or other catches. The pompano was probably the biggest Mike ever heard about locally. Nothing was heard about boating the ocean, since the storm. A few anglers fished the back bay at night under lights, tackling striped bass and blues. Some ran into big schools of weakfish, small or 10 inches, but landed 20 or 30 at a shot, under the lights. A few spots began to appear in lagoons, and crabbing was good.

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b> expected to bottom-fish on the ocean today and look around on the water for the first time since the storm, he said. Trips had been nailing mahi mahi and false albacore inshore before the weather aboard. Joe will have no time to look for the mahi today, but the dolphin were probably still around, he thought. Annual traveling charters to Montauk will be launched on the weekend of September 17 that fish the migrations of striped bass, blues and albies. The angling can be epic from the historic port.  See the <a href=" http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page3.html" target="_blank">traveling charters’ page</a> on Jersey Cape’s website. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Business was back to normal, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. Weather forced the shop to be closed a couple of days this past week. A couple of customers said they were going fishing today, and results were yet to be heard. Nothing else was mentioned about fishing because of the previous weather. But weather looks great in the next days, and local fish haven’t gone anywhere, he thinks. Before the storm, catches included a few flounder, including an occasional keeper, from the back bay. Snapper blues had schooled the bay pretty well, and small sea bass had swum the water. A bunch of small striped bass had roamed the bay. Today was the first day the rental boats returned to the water after the wind. Two boats crabbed, trapping maybe a dozen keepers. 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, and the price depends on the market. No. 1s were currently $32 per dozen live, $34 pre-cooked and chilled and $36 cooked to order. No. 2s were $22 per dozen live, $24 pre-cooked and chilled and $26 cooked to order.  No. 2s were also on special for $35 for 1 ½ dozen live or pre-cooked and chilled. The crabs were good-sized, and Mike had just cooked No. 1s for customers, and they were impressed. Even the No. 2’s were meaty. Clams, shrimp and oysters were currently on hand for eating, too. Customers enjoy the food at picnic tables with tents on the water at the store. Or they take out the food and enjoy.

<b>Cape May</b>

Probably none of the fleet fished since the storm, Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> said. A trip is slated to sail for mahi mahi Saturday aboard, and a charter caught the fish soon before the weather on the boat. He hopes the dolphin are still there. George heard about good catches of sizable yellowfin tuna 60 or 70 pounds landed at Hudson Canyon last week. A boat across the dock chunked two on Thursday on a short trip, and that boat owner’s buddy’s trip got into the fish non-stop on the chunk previously that day on a longer trip. 

Fishing would resume today on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. None of the daily trips for summer flounder on the ocean sailed since last week because of the storm. Wind blew maybe up to 30 or 40 m.p.h. from northeast, and tides were high, but the storm was never frightening or anything like that.  Quite a swell built on the ocean, and whale-watching boats sailed this week, reportedly seeing that the high tides and swell caused the ocean to cover jetties. The ocean still churned yesterday, but west wind that helps flatten the ocean blew in past days, and weather was supposed to be calm today. So a trip was expected to fish today, see what flounder could be found, and see what the ocean was like. Surely flounder held somewhere, and trips will finish up flounder fishing during these final weeks of flounder season that’s open through September 25. The Porgy IV is fishing for summer flounder at 8 a.m. daily.

Summer flounder were reported boated in Cape May Harbor, and today was probably the first day boaters could fish elsewhere, after the storm, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. At least the fish still swam the back waters, and maybe that was a good sign that they were yet to migrate away. Snapper blues and some spike weakfish swam the surf near the Concrete Ship and at Cape May Point. Kingfish held in the ocean surf and could be boated at Cape May Channel off the point. Bloodworms and shedder crabs were the baits. Good reports about crabbing already rolled in, since the weather, and crabbing was pretty good all season. Bloodworms and all frozen baits are stocked. Shedder crabs will probably be stocked for the weekend.

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