<b>Sewaren</b>

Customers who fluked mostly said the angling improved, Linda from <b>Dockside Bait & Tackle</b> said. They talked about the catches from the Triangle, off the Ammo Pier and Princes Bay. Bluefish were tugged-up  from Sewaren Pier. An angler told her the fish were “average-sized.” Many customers began to crab, and they caught, including at the creek at the store. Dockside, located on Smith Creek, a tributary of the Arthur Kill, is accessible from the water at the fuel dock and from land. The fuel dock is open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Bait stocked includes killies, fresh bunker and fresh clams.

<b>Keyport</b>

Fluking was canceled Monday and Tuesday because of weather on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, Capt. Frank said. On a trip Wednesday, the angling was slow. Five keepers and a bunch of shorts were managed, and a bunch of areas were searched. A few fluke bit at each. But no real bite. The fishing’s been good one day and not the next this season.  Surprisingly, big cownosed rays grabbed hooks on the trip. They screamed line off reels. Some broke off, but two were landed and weighed 40 to 50 pounds. Ton of fun on fluke rods! Raritan Bay is warmer than before, and peanut bunker are schooling the water heavily. Frank’s confident the bay’s fluking will keep improving. Stay tuned, he said. Charters are fishing, and spaces are available on open-boat trips this Saturday and Monday and Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 5 and 6. Telephone to reserve. Thinking about a charter for striped bass or blackfish this fall? Now’s the time to book, while weekend dates are available.

Excellent fishing for big porgies got waffled with the <b>Down Deep Fleet</b>, Capt. Mario said. The bottom-fishing, on open-boat trips daily, charters available, also creamed sea bass. That was on the Down Deep Bull. On the Down Deep, the company’s other boat, fluking on the ocean was hit and miss. Big sea bass were in the mix on each of those trips. The fluke and sea bassing is also sailing open daily, with charters available. Open trips for both the bottom-fishing and the fluke-and-sea bass are also sailing at 2 p.m. every Friday and Saturday. Each boat accommodates up to 15 passengers, and join the Short Notice List on <a href="http://downdeepsportfishing.com" target="_blank">Down Deep’s website</a> to be kept informed about special open trips, like the afternoon trips. Look for the link underneath “Contact.”

<b>Leonardo</b>

More fluke and larger than before, up to 5 pounds, were scooped from the ocean’s rocky bottom and edges of deeper channels this week, Capt. Joe from <b>Sour Kraut Sportfishing</b> wrote in an email. When tides ran too strongly for the fluking to hold bottom, porgy fishing “filled the gaps.” 

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Big fluke today! a report said about Wednesday on the <b>Fishermen</b> on the ocean on the party boat’s website. At first, a couple of areas were fished, just giving up a pick here and there, with plenty of sea bass including big turning out action, while the boat drifted fast. The trip went into overtime as the drift slowed, and fluking turned on. An 8-pound 12-ounce fluke won the pool, and fluke also included a 6.3-pounder, a 6.2, a 5.7 and a 5.4. “Very nice day on the ocean!” the report said. On Thursday’s trip, sizable fluke were also claimed. A 7-pounder won the pool, and the angler also limited out. A fluke heavier than 6 pounds was axed, and so were a couple of 4- and 5-pounders. Plenty of fluke an inch or half-inch undersized were tossed back. “Better action on the sea bass (that day), it said, and the boat drifted very slowly on the trip in wind against tide. Forecasts look like Friday’s trip will sail but that Saturday will be a wash out. Trips are fishing 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 fish that day.

Raritan Bay’s fluking was spotty, and most were throwbacks off Port Monmouth and Leonardo, said Jay from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. One well-known charter boat from Belmar kept reporting smoking fluke, good catches, on the ocean. Porgies were bailed like wild. Plenty of sea bass were plastered. Numerous triggerfish were mixed with the sea bass. Abundant snapper blues and crabs filled Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers. All baits are stocked.

More throwback fluke bit on some trips than others, and some keepers were always managed, said Capt. Tom from the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>. The fishing, on Sandy Hook Bay and at Flynn’s Knoll, was about the same as before aboard. Sometimes action with shorts wasn’t as good as others, even when conditions were right. Spearing are provided aboard, and sometimes killies that anglers brought fished better. A good angler reported better fishing with killies yesterday on the boat. Whether sometimes Gulps that anglers brought caught better was difficult to say. Tom tells anglers come on down, trips are hooking some fluke, and you might get a keeper, and customers are enjoying themselves. Trips are fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m. daily.

Rental-boaters from <b>Fisherman’s Den North</b> returned with keeper fluke from the bay today, Johnny O. said. A couple were out, and each angler docked two keepers apiece. The marina’s party boats that fluked caught okay this morning, he heard. The afternoon trips were still fishing when he gave this report. Nothing was heard about fishing the rivers, but they probably harbored fluke. Bulkhead anglers near the shop also hooked fluke. Plenty of snapper blues schooled along places like that. Peanut bunker were seen in the harbor at times. The shop, the sister store to Fisherman’s Den in Belmar, is located at Atlantic Highlands Municipal Marina.

<b>Highlands</b>

Making the trip from <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Greg Hanna on the Annie H limited out on fluke off the Ammo Pier and sea bass off Coney Island, Marion wrote in an email. He also plundered porgies, a bunch. Anthony Pennimpede shuffled aboard sea bass, blackfish and porgies at Sandy Hook Reef, fishing clams. 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>Neptune</b>

Porgies and triggerfish, a great catch, began to be piled up from the ocean Monday aboard, Capt. Ralph from <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b> wrote in an email. But big swells were too much for most of the anglers, and the trip returned early. The weekly, individual-reservation trip for fluke and sea bass was canceled Tuesday to let seas settle. Space is available for each of those trips, sailing every Tuesday, and kids under 12 sail free on those outings, limited to one per adult host. An individual-reservation trip on Wednesday will fish for porgies and triggers instead of other catches, because the angling’s been so good. Triggerfish are one of the best-eating fish, Ralph thinks. Individual-reservation trips will fish inshore wrecks Aug. 21 and for cod Aug. 9 and 30.

<b>Belmar</b>

For <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>, fluke fishing on the ocean was pretty good, Capt. Pete wrote in a text. Lots of action. Keeper ratio different each day, he wrote. Weather kept the boat docked a few days, but the fishing was back out yesterday. The fishing includes On the Water Seminars that teach bucktailing for fluke in a non-threatening environment, and spaces are available. Experienced anglers hone the skill, and inexperienced learn the fishing.  Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Contact Parker Pete’s about individual spaces available with charters who want more anglers. 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.

Today was another excellent day of fishing aboard, an email said from the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>. Anglers locked into sea bass all around the boat the whole trip, and ling and fluke were mixed in. The trip fished at rock piles, and yesterday’s trip was similar. Trips will continue the bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, until bluefish show up. Trips are also fishing for fluke and other bottom-fish 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. daily. The afternoon trips also watch whales and porpoises and catch the sunset on the ride home.

Super fishing for sea bass was clubbed today on the <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report said on the party boat’s website. This was another day of that, it said, and all the anglers limited out, and the sea bass were very big. A couple of sharks were fought, pretty exciting. Some bluefish were taken on Wednesday’s trip, and very good sea bassing and a few sharks were nabbed. No report was posted for Tuesday. Leftover wind and rain met Monday’s trip, but the fishing limited on sea bass, super fishing also. The crew will keep searching for bluefish, but whenever no blues are around, trips will target sea bass, ling, bonito and fluke. The boat is fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Fishing and sunset cruises are running 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. daily.

Fluke fishing was up and down, especially in Shark River because of dirty water from rain, Bob from <b>Fisherman’s Den</b> wrote in an email. The river’s fluking was beginning to heat up until the storms, and currently seemed to be bouncing back. Marty Westerfield bagged a 5-pound 8-ounce fluke from the L Street Pier on the river. Fishing for snapper blues was great on the river, fun for kids. Ocean fluke fishing was less than stellar this year, so some anglers targeted ling, sea bass and blackfish. More crabs were sold than usual for blackfish bait. Weather kept some anglers from fishing, including for tuna. “… anglers are exploring to see if there are any longer term effects on that bite,” he said. Time is wasting, and get fishing before summer’s gone, he said. “For us surf guys, fall is coming.”

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

After a few tough days, fluke fishing picked back up on yesterday morning’s trip on the ocean on the <b>Norma-K III</b>,  Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the party boat’s website. Some of the fish landed were decent-sized keepers, and a few sea bass were socked. A few fish were getting picked on the afternoon’s trip when he wrote the report. Bucktails or Spros with 6-inch Gulp grubs fished best lately, by far. Bait only hooked a few catches. Trips are fishing rough bottom, so bring extra tackle. Plenty of sinkers and plain rigs are available aboard. Saturday night’s trip was another great one for bluefishing, he said. Plenty of 1-pounders were bailed, and all anglers left with plenty of meat. Matt hopes big blues “are not far behind!” On Sunday night’s trip, decent ling fishing was sacked. Anglers who cast around caught quite well. Others only hooked a few.  Trips are fishing for fluke 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 6:30 p.m. daily, bluefish 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays and ling 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sundays.

<b>Toms River</b>

Along Barnegat Bay, fluke, mostly throwbacks, were boated near the BI and BB markers and off Barnegat Lighthouse, said Mario from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Fishing was mostly slow in past days, and not much was heard about any boating on the ocean, including for fluke. Surf anglers beached a few keeper fluke among many more throwbacks early in the week. No blowfish were reported from the bay. Bluefish seemed to disappear that showed up in Barnegat Inlet and the surf some time ago. Nothing was heard about blackfish. Snapper blues schooled waters like the Toms River. Crabbing was good. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

Large rays were zapped from the surf, putting line, reels and rods to the test, a report said on <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>’ website. Some anglers considered them a nuisance, but some enjoyed the fight.  The surf’s fluke fishing was solid, and locating them was the difficult thing, but once you found them, fish on! it said. Sharks were angled from the surf at night, better on some nights than others. In Barnegat Bay, plenty of snapper blues and crabs were in. 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>

Boaters decked Barnegat Bay’s fluke at Double Creek Channel and near the research buoy between the BI and BB markers, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. Not great fluking was reported from the ocean, but the angling was okay at the Tires in the ocean during the weekend. No blowfish were mentioned that can show up in the bay this time of season. Snapper blues swarmed back waters, and crabbing was good. Baits stocked include killies and the frozen selection, including local and Canadian spearing. The season’s first fresh, local spearing were stocked two weekends ago. None was available from the supplier last weekend, and none will be carried in rough forecasts this weekend. 

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

The <b>Super Chic</b> will resume fishing Friday if weather allows, Capt. Ted said. Forecasts looked questionable, and the boat had been in scheduled maintenance, and would be splashed today. Trips will fish for fluke and sea bass on the ocean. The year’s first tuna charters are slated for August. Open-boat trips will probably fish for tuna in September and October. Ted expects to set the dates soon.

Wind against tide caused today’s fluke trip to drift slowly on the <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b> on the ocean, the party boat’s Facebook page said. Skates, sea robins and undersized sea bass were waded through to hook fluke. Thirteen keeper fluke were drilled, and if the drift had been faster, more probably would’ve been. Trips are sailing for fluke and sea bass 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily on the ocean. Sunset cruises are running at 5:30 p.m. daily, and moonlight cruises are steaming at 8:30 p.m. August 6, 7 and 8. Watch the Atlantic City Air Show on August 23 on the water aboard, lunch included.

Lots of throwback fluke, a couple of keepers, were reported from Barnegat Bay, said Jake from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. Hasn’t been crazy, he said, but fluke were boated from the bay at Double and Oyster Creek channels and around the Dike. No fluking was heard about from the ocean. Blackfish snapped along Barnegat Inlet’s rocks. Not much was heard about bluefish from anywhere. Sharks like blacktips were fought 10 miles from shore. 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.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Grassy Channel shoveled up summer flounder on Great Bay, said Scott I., not the owner Scott, from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. A few flounder began to be nailed at ocean reefs, and Garden State Reef South probably fished best for them among the three local reefs. The fishing began to improve a little this past week, and that was good news, because fishing had been rather slow. Brown sharks, required to be released, were hooked from the bay at night. Grassy Channel is a usual spot they swim. The sharks always haunt the bay this time of year. Baits stocked include minnows, fresh clams and fresh bunker. No live grass shrimp are on hand, and creeks are too warm for netting them there this time of season. 

<b>Absecon</b>

Bays were full of summer flounder, and the number of keepers seemed to thin out a little, said Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. But if anglers fished the right spots, they definitely boated some. Ocean flounder fishing was slow or nothing solid, but a few were hooked at ocean reefs. The hope was that east wind this week warmed the water to make them bite better. Divers said they saw the fish. But low water temperature seemed to keep them from biting. Good action came from the mouths of Mullica and Great Egg Harbor rivers. A variety of fish swam there, including white perch, weakfish, summer flounder and striped bass. Shedder crabs were best bait at the mouths, by far. The number of keeper flounder was the same at the mouths as anywhere. The stripers, good numbers, were mostly small at the mouths. But keepers were picked. A slot-sized redfish was even hooked at the Mullica’s mouth. Blackfish also swam the mouths. Blackfishing went pretty well at bridges and jetties. Nothing was heard about fishing for them at ocean wrecks. The surf was loaded with kingfish, the most since Dave’s been at the store. An angler bringing the family to the beach could probably bring a rod and also catch dinner. Fishing for sharks was exciting in bays. Most of the shark species are required to be released. So, plenty of action was around, and the weekend should be good for angling, if weather cuts anglers a break. Suppliers just began to provide shedder crabs, a very few, to the store. Maybe the shed is beginning and the supply will kick in. The shop raises soft-shell crabs for eating, and demand for shedders currently made soft-shells scarce. Customers bought shedders before the store could wait for the crabs to pop out of shells. But maybe the number of soft-shells is poised to increase, too.  Keep up with the supply on <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/SoftshellCrabs/" target="_blank">Absecon Bay Sportsman’s Soft Shell Crabs Facebook Page</a>. Live spots are stocked in two sizes: larger for tuna and smaller for flounder. Those are from farther south, and a few spots were caught off the shop’s dock. Maybe they’ll move in this season, and they’ve been absent a couple of years. Green crabs are carried for blackfish.

<b>Margate</b>

Not too bad, Capt. John said about back-bay summer flounder fishing on the party boat <b>Keeper</b>. Stormy weather affected the angling by mid-week, but the water seemed to be clearing Wednesday, and the fishing was good early in the week. A fair number of throwbacks hit, and a few keepers were tied into. A 5- or 5-1/2-pounder was bagged Wednesday aboard. A couple of bluefish were hooked now and then. Lots of sea robins chomped, and small sharks were reeled in. The flounder bit minnows and mackerel provided aboard and Gulps that anglers brought. John sometimes nets peanut bunker to fish live on trips, and caught none the past couple of days, but grabbed them earlier in the week. Netting them can be messy. Tons of baitfish schooled. Trips are sailing for flounder 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 5 p.m. daily. The rate is only $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and $20 for kids, because the fishing is near port, and the pontoon boat is economical on fuel. Plus, rental rods are free.

<b>Brigantine</b>

The surf’s kingfishing slowed somewhat, said John from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. They bit more last week, but the fishing will go up and down. Cast bloodworms for them. Brown sharks were wrestled from the surf on mackerel or kingfish heads. The store stocks the heads fresh, but only once in a while, when available. Sometimes big rays were hooked while surf anglers shark-fished. Summer flounder bit well in the back bay during the tops of tides, but many were throwbacks. Baits stocked include bloodworms and minnows.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Lots of summer flounder, lots of throwbacks, but keepers in between were laid into at Absecon Inlet, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. The fishing was crazy, he said, on minnows and squid. Good-sized triggerfish and blackfish were also toggled-in from the inlet, the triggers on clams or crabs, the blackfish on green crabs. An angler checked-in a healthy sized weakfish that bit a crab cast for blackfish, but weaks were uncommon. The water was also loaded with snapper blues, and customers fish the nearby, jetty-lined inlet on foot. Baitfish swam abundant in the inlet, including peanut bunker and a few spots. The store’s holding a Trigger Happy Tournament for triggerfish until Aug. 5. Entry is free, and sign up at the shop. First through third places will win a custom T-shirt, and first will also win $75. Second will also win $25. All baits mentioned and more, a large supply, are stocked.

<b>Longport</b>

A second trip of the day was trolling bluefish, bonito and Spanish mackerel on the <b>Stray Cat</b> on the ocean when Capt. Mike gave this report at 7 p.m. in a phone call aboard yesterday, he said. Sting rays also bit, and the morning trip plowed 90 fish. The fishing’s been gangbusters. Some of the blues weighed up to 4 to 6 pounds. They were good-sized, and birds worked the water. Mike was looking at a bird play larger than he’d seen in a while when he gave the report. The evening trip was going to shark fish afterward. The water was 77 degrees, and this type of trip had been fishing for sea bass after the trolling. But the trips will take a break from that for the moment at least. The fishing tried for sea bass an hour that day, but only a handful of just undersized bit. A couple of open-boat trips are available Thursday, Aug. 10. Because summer flounder season this year closes early beginning Sept. 6, a discount will be offered for tuna trips in September, until the sea bass bag limit is increased. Anglers should telephone, because of the substantial savings for tuna. When the sea bass limit increases, trips will steam offshore for them, like last year. Trips will blackfish afterward, when the limit for them is hiked up.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The bay’s summer flounder fishing was okay, said Pat from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Lots of small covered bottom, and flounder in the bay gathered in deep water at Ship’s Channel and Great Egg and Corson’s Inlet. Bigger flounder seemed to hold at ocean reefs. Some scored well at blackfishing, though one is the bag limit, at bridges and other structure like that. Surf fishing for kingfish was very good. Some sea perch were eased from the surf, and brown sharks, required to be released, were fought from the water. At night? Pat was asked. Any time of day, actually, he said. Daytime fishing for them was productive. Mackerel, bunker or fresh kingfish were fished for the sharks. Tuna fishing was hit and miss at inshore spots like Massey’s Canyon and the Hot Dog. Trips seemed either to “have a day” or strike out. Most anglers chunked for them, but the tuna were also trolled well. “Nothing’s set out there,” he said.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

The surf’s kingfishing was probably the best angling, said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. Many surf casters said the kingfishing was the best in five or seven years. Dunk bloodworms or Fishbites artificial worms for them. Occasional croakers, a spot or two and other fish were mixed in sometimes. Summer flounder fishing was good in both the bay and ocean, and isn’t frequently good at both at once, but is this time of year. When high tides last coincided with evenings, a week ago, plugging for small striped bass was good on the bay. Looks like it will be for the rest of summer, and those tides, ideal for the fishing, happen every two weeks. Many anglers fished for sharks like browns, duskies and blacktips 2 to 10 miles from shore. Lot of fun, and some of the species, including browns and duskies, are required to be released. Trips chummed with bunker and fished with mackerel fillets for them. Yellowfin tuna seemed mostly trolled at canyons like the Spencer and Wilmington. At inshore spots like Massey’s Canyon and the Hot Dog, tuna, mostly yellowfins, were mostly chunked. Crabbing was good, and small crabs and pregnant ones will be picked through this time of year, but that’s the time of year.

Inshore shark trips fished aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. An angler who took one of the trips Monday landed about four, including an 80-pound spinner on a fly, and had lots of other bites. A family Tuesday reeled in nine of the fish to 80 pounds: spinners, duskies and, if Joe remembered, one brown. Two of the trips sailed Wednesday. One in the morning tackled 17 sharks to 60 or 70 pounds, mostly spinners, and some duskies. The trip in the afternoon pulled in eight or nine spinners and duskies to 65 or 70 pounds. The trips, catch and release, usually fish within 10 miles from shore, and are a chance to fight big fish without a long sail offshore. Some of the species are required to be let go, and most of the trips fish bait for them, but the fly-rodding is also available. Summer flounder bit great in the back bay. Lots were throwbacks, and flounder fishing was good on the ocean, but the right day, right conditions, were needed. The fish began to chew there, though. Mahi mahi began to swim the ocean close to shore, and fishing for them was stellar last year with Jersey Cape. Weather prevented Joe from reaching them in past days.  Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s Blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Generally, summer flounder fishing was good on the back bay, said Mike from <b>Canal Side Boat Rentals</b>. Not a lot were keepers, but flounder were being hooked. A number of small weakfish were reported rustled from the bay. One trip boated five 16- or 17-inch flounder, a couple of the weaks, a kingfish and some sharks and skates. A couple of triggerfish were brought in from the bay, and that was unusual. Triggers usually hover along surf or inlet jetties. A few sharks were heard about that were eased from the surf at Wildwood Crest at night. Crabbing was decent on the bay, and was a little slow today because of strong wind that made trapping difficult. But the catches were pretty good during the week. Overall, catching fish or crabs was decent on the bay, even if many small flounder had to be worked through for a keeper. 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 is stocked, including minnows for flounder, spearing and mackerel fillets. The minnows were especially good-looking, hardy ones currently. Fishing and crabbing tackle and gear is on hand. Live crabs for eating are $20, $25, $30 and $35 per dozen for four different sizes, from small to large, respectively. The price depends on the market. Cooked crabs are $5 per dozen additional. Those are New Jersey crabs. The store sometimes brings in crabs from Maryland on weekends, in case Jersey crabs become scarce. The Maryland crabs are No. 1’s, the biggest size, and are $40 to $50 per dozen cooked, depending on size. If customers are there soon after the Marylands arrive, the crabs are available live. Otherwise, the shop cooks them. That’s because the crabs arrive refrigerated and can’t be reintroduced to water to keep them alive. Live and steamed clams and cooked and uncooked shrimp are on hand. Customers enjoy the food at tented picnic tables on the water at the store, or enjoy them at their own location. Wine from Natali Vineyards in Cape May Court House will be available if New Jersey approves the shop for that.

<b>Cape May</b>

On trips with <b>Fishin’ Fever Sportfishing</b>, fishing for summer flounder began to pick up on the ocean, Capt. Tom said. More keepers bit than before, and throwbacks also gave up more action. So that was good. Yellowfin tuna fishing was great in 20 fathoms. It really was. Forty- to 70-pounders, good-sized, were light-tackled on chunks and jigs. A tuna trip is slated for Friday, if weather holds. On Thursday, when he gave this report, forecasts looked like the trip could be squeezed in. A few stray wahoos swam mid-range. Marlin and mahi mahi held offshore. Once the inshore tuna fishing slows, sometime in August, trips will fish offshore for tuna and marlin. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing for flounder or tuna.

A 4-hour trip today was supposed to inshore-troll on the ocean on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George. The trips aboard during the weekend trolled bluefish, bonito and Spanish mackerel, covered in the last report here. Charters were supposed to tuna fish this weekend aboard, but George already canceled because of forecasts. Both days of the weekend look like a blowout. That was too bad, because the fishing’s been good inshore. A couple of boats were headed for the fishing today, so George would find out how they fared.

Fishing for summer flounder on the ocean was no good yesterday on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b> with a decent-sized crowd aboard, Capt. Paul said. But previous trips kept grinding out the catches. Maybe yesterday’s trip went the wrong way, or maybe conditions weren’t right, but that couldn’t be known. On Friday’s trip, Matt Lamelza from Ocean City limited out on flounder to 5 pounds, winning the pool with that fish. On Sunday’s, Kevin Keenan from Cape May limited to 5 pounds, winning the pool, and three other anglers also limited. Bob Key from Lancaster limited on Monday’s trip and limited and won the pool on Tuesday’s. Also on Tuesday’s, Jacob Chaga from Dallas, Pa., limited. Then the wheels fell off Wednesday, yesterday, but today’s trip would get back on the wagon and see if the fishing scores better, Paul said. Trips are fishing for flounder 8 a.m. daily. 

Catches of summer flounder seemed pretty good, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Some were picked up at Cape May and Wildwood reefs on the ocean. Some were still hooked in the back bay. Warming water might’ve been triggering some to depart the bay for the ocean, but a few were still bagged from the bay. Flounder were also boated from Delaware Bay along the edges of 20-Foot and 60-Foot sloughs. A couple were picked up pretty well. A usual summertime mix of fish like kingfish, croakers, weakfish and flounder were boated off Cape May Point, at the confluence of Delaware Bay and the ocean. Surf anglers banked kings and not so many croakers but a few. They also landed small bluefish, sometimes a flounder and a few weaks. For big-game anglers, places like 19-Fathom Lump to Massey’s Canyon and the Hot Dog served up yellowfin tuna on jigs in early mornings along bottom, because of sand eels, and on chunks the rest of the day. Sometimes leaders as light as 30-pound fluorocarbon were fished. Crabbing was excellent. Baits stocked include minnows, bloodworms and all for offshore like flats of baitfish.

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